#i can’t believe this is even discourse LMAO

[averytirednerd]

Oh yeah, time for a big rant about Hazbin Hotel!!!

I haven’t really had much of a chance to sit down and write about this since I watched the episodes, so things I say are probably going to reflect what others have said. I’m just writing this to gush about the things I love about some particular songs in HH. 

I didn’t have any big expectations going into the first episode, because I’d mostly heard negative reviews of the show so far. I had heard that the songs, however, were bright spots, so I really looked out for the songs and listened in every time we were graced with one. The characters are truly the best versions of themselves whenever there’s a song going on, even if they aren’t the main focus of the song. It’s amazing to see, especially since my favorite thing about this show is the characters themselves.

My favorites are “Loser, Baby” & “Stayed Gone” and will probably be the main focus of this post because <3333

“Stayed Gone” is sung by Christian Borle (Vox) and Amir Talai (Alastor) and I could not be happier about it. Their voices are amazing here, and my favorite bits of this song are on repeat in my head.

I also love little visuals like the mug Vox has in the talk show format, the scrolling text in the news show format, or Vox’s error message toward the end of their bantering. 

(The scrolling text says: “I’m totally not worried about this guy and neither should you be. I totally wrecked his sh*t last time he tried me.”)

Alastor really gets under Vox’s skin and it makes me kick my feet every time. Their dynamic truly is everything, and I’m so excited we got this song that showcases it perfectly. 

He clearly enjoys it too, what a little jerk.

Speaking of these two, Vox definitely had/has a thing for Al at some point, right? I mean…inviting him to the Vees for a start. Not to mention just the v i b e s. Poor guy though, it’s definitely one-sided.

I love Al’s use of…modern…lingo. Truly a spectacle. That on top of it being a reveal of Al’s rejection to Vox’s offer 💀 I love this man <333

Last thing about this song, promise, but also I love the casual little lore drops and more pieces to the puzzle of the past that we get. Very exciting! Can’t wait to see how everything fits together once we find more pieces.

Okay okay, moving on. “Loser, Baby” is amazing musically as well as visually. 

First things first, I LOVE JAZZ OMG AND IT FITS HUSK’S VIBE AND EVERYTHING SO PERFECTLY???

Keith David’s voice definitely fits Husk in my eyes now, I see it, it works. He’s amazing. Does a fantastic job.

Not to mention Blake Roman’s performance was, of course, incredible as well. 

The big, upbeat, brassy sound in this song is amazing and I’m loving the trumpet in it especially (any fellow trumpet players? no?)

I love everything about this song. The visuals, voices, instrumentals, lyrics, message, all of it!

Husk slowly going from “yeah you kinda suck lmao, but so do I” in order to not make Angel feel like he’s not being genuine, to sneaking in a better message of “we’re not perfect but it’s okay, don’t be so hard on yourself” (and getting Angel to believe/go along with it too!!) is amazing. It’s a perfect example of these characters being the best versions of themselves during musical numbers. 

This song is what solidified Husk as number 2 in my rankings (and I’m sure I’m not the only one). I mean…just look at the way he moves, it’s so silly.

(We’re going to ignore the Videoshop watermarks, okay?)

Overall, I’m loving this show so far despite some obvious issues with pacing n such and an overall rocky start. Especially loving the songs, which I think kinda make the show rn. 

If anyone wants to add anything (because I definitely didn’t cover a whole lot, just surface level stuff because even this took a while to type out) then please feel free to! Also ask me any questions you’ve got for me concerning stuff that has/will happen(ed) in Hazbin Hotel. I love HH discourse!

Thanks to those of you who read all the way through, sorry for such a long post lol <3

[cripplingoptimism]

Distractions [3/3]

Gonna wrap this up in 3 parts. Previous here.

Yo, WHAT was happening on Twitter this week?? Every time I opened the app there was a new analysis of the Goddamn couch scene. I didn't think Trigun could hurt me any more and yet here I am in a new spiral over an internet stranger's hot take.

Anywaaaaay, I've had this brainworm way before whatever angst got a hold of Twitter. I've always interpreted Vash and Wolfwood’s relationship as 'right people, wrong time'. But honestly, I love every interpretation of them - platonic, soulmates, lovers, etc. So, through these comics I wanted to show moments during their journey that conveyed the gradual evolution of their relationship (as I head cannon it lmao). Canonically, Vash never gets to tell Wolfwood how he feels and my poor little heart has been in denial about that ever since. So this is my *slight* rewriting of the series of events leading up to Wolfwood's solo journey.

At this point in the manga (ch. 50) I wanted to show that, despite the 7 month time skip, it's like no time has passed between them. They're still comfortable and casual with each other, still seeking the comfort of distractions - Neither of them wanting to shatter the illusion of normalcy in this moment. And I feel Vash would be the first to ask for more when reality comes knocking (through Wolfwood's fist lol).

He knows, even in a best-case scenario, his time with Wolfwood is limited. And while Vash is just as shackled by duty and guilt as Wolfwood, he carries an optimism about him that Wolfwood lacks. He needs Woolfwood to know how he feels so he can live without regret, regardless of the outcome. As such, he takes the leap. Wolfwood, unfortunately, cannot bring himself to share in that optimism. He’s too absorbed in worry about the orphanage, the children and especially Livio. His heart is screaming at him, but he knows he can’t afford to be distracted by his “selfish” desires. So, he rejects Vash by being realistic and hopes he can see that he wants this too, but just can't bear the impending heartbreak due to their circumstances. Vash does see this. He swallows his disappointment and heartbreak, earnestly grateful for the relationship he still has with Wolfwood.

I know my characterization feels like it conflicts with the moment on the couch; Vash can't even look at Wolfwood for that entire scene despite Wolfwood being the one to try and connect with him ("You look better...when you smile."). However, I never saw that moment as Vash rejecting Wolfwood. Not in the traditional sense at least (maybe an inadvertent rejection). Vash wanted more between them (to share his tomorrows), but not like this - not as a deathbed confession. He's heartbroken and grieving and (somewhat selfishly) can't see that Wolfwood just wants to enjoy his last moments with the one person on this planet he can call an equal and a friend.

Speaking of the dreaded couch scene, I don't think I can add anything new to the discourse, but I will say the tragedy for me really lies in all the emotions Wolfwood goes through:

Being at peace with his death ("This is the way you want it?" "Yeah."). It's what he believed he deserved, with all the blood on his hands, and the mutation of his body, he assumed he could never return to his previous life with everyone at the orphanage.

Grieving for his future (confetti). Wolfwood never believed he could be forgiven. The children celebrating his return showed their acceptance of him, welcoming him back regardless of his sins. He was worthy of forgiveness. His guilt prevented him from even entertaining the thought of forgiving himself. There must have been regret in those tears.

Seeking comfort from the one person he grew to truly trust and Vash not being strong enough to give it. I already mentioned this above, but Vash not even being able to look at Wolfwood throughout the entire couch scene tears me up.

From the narrative's perspective, Wolfwood needed to die. And even knowing that, it still absolutely destroyed me (and still does). Not just because he died, but because right before his death, he was given a glimmer of hope - that had he survived the fight with Livio, he would have had a chance at happiness.

Last side note here: I've seen discourse online explaining the entire scene is a metaphor for a wedding and I just wanna say, you'll be hearing from my therapist.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Lol.

Yeah… the more news that comes out just confirms more of what I thought. This unnamed character who moves from HYBE to ADOR, and mere weeks later, HYBE gets a ‘tip-off’ and all the incriminating documents are in his work diaries where he narrates things MHJ has supposedly said, including that she believes that Bang establishing BTS or groups with the same cache as BTS, was him copying her…. Everything that’s found in his documents is almost clinically incendiary lmao. Like, weapons-grade rage bait. Partly because of how bizarre it is. And the sinker - they tie it to Min Heejin supposedly wanting more money. MHJ has meanwhile released another, stronger statement refuting the allegations about trying to stage a management takeover, or artists contract leaks etc.

Of course, the discourse about this is going to develop predictably, especially after the mention of BTS and other groups MHJ supposedly says copied her.

This has all the makings of one thing and only one thing, to me. It doesn’t change my opinion about Bang PD but it does make me revise my view on Min Heejin, she’s a bit more naive than I assumed her to be. I feel a bit sorry for her, because she’s been got. Again. It’s similar to the ig situation that also started with ‘a gift’ her ‘friend from SM’ gave her to congratulate her on launching ADOR - a gift that ended up being the most damning controversy that almost sunk the group. A controversy where the primary demand was for her to leave NewJeans and HYBE. Now, a ‘right-hand man’ transfers from HQ to her team and it’s his uncorroborated narrations that match what’s in the ‘tip-off’… the demands are the same.

I like MHJ, but I’ve always watched her with caution because in Korea, no woman makes it to the c-suite without making a shit tonne of enemies. Imagine it to be triple the amount a regular working class man makes on his way up the ladder, because that kind of status in Korea is something you’re either born into, or born close to. It’s rare for working class men to work their way up and even more rare for women. In fact, I’d say it’s an aberration.

I see all the flack MHJ gets for being a narcissistic bitch, wanting to constantly assert ownership of her ideas, wanting to be widely associated with her successful projects, etc. I see people irritated by her arrogance, but full disclosure, I like her for it. For several reasons, but one reason is that in her environment, the default is to let your male superiors take credit for your work. It happens in corporate environments all over the world, but in Korea it’s a mentality entrenched in the DNA. Pushing against that earns you enemies every time you speak, by default. But I suspect that’s how she worked her way up from being a graphic designer to having a seat on the board of directors at SM Entertainment before leaving when they wouldn’t give her more autonomy. So, in my eyes, she’s got spunk. But also, now I see she’s clumsy.

Oftentimes with corporate drama, there’s no point using moral language because it’s just business. You either pitched the best deal or you didn’t. You either fucked up or you didn’t. It’s cold numbers and rationality - business. But… there are some cases where it’s not really about the business, cases where it’s personal.

I don’t have meaningful insider information, I’m reading the press releases and ‘leaks’ along with everyone else, so I can’t be certain and that’s why I’m talking in this long-winded ramble without coming right out to say exactly what I think. What I’ll say though is that this is less about NewJeans and more about Min Heejin. And she’s the first person who should’ve understood that and taken necessary precautions.

Clearly, it doesn’t look like she has, and in that sense she has no one but herself to blame. She’s being stupid, in fact I’d say delusional in some ways, but I guess some things can’t be helped. NewJeans isn’t exactly fucked, but it’s clear that yet again, they are collateral damage. And it’s a shame.

[tonyglowheart]

in the great tradition of making up an argument in my head and writing about and publishing it a la the great philosophers of old except also this does come from posts I've seen around too lmao, I am back here today with a very correct opinion on Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao.

So. a couple of types of opinions I've seen in old meta posts give this impression that people are treating the "Yan Wushi believes humans are inherently evil"/"Shen Qiao believes humans are inherently good" as, like... fixed worldview/viewpoints that these respective characters have.

I simply do not think this is so. And I think it not only does a huge disservice to the characters and MengXiShi's writing, but imo it also affects the way you interpret the characters if you think that they respectively hold such fixed rules about the world as their viewpoint.

Like just on a general level, to ascribe so black-and-white, simplified, fixed worldview to these characters doesn't sit right with me because these kinds of rigid worldviews are very immature type of worldviews. To reference to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, to have such fixed "good"/"bad" views is a very conventional-stage way of thinking, and textual interpretations aside I think it'd be very foolish to have such a rigid, unnuanced worldview.

But beyond that, I just don't think the interpretation that either of them holds such rigid unnuanced worldview uncritically bears out in the text.

The biggest/easiest chunk of text to reference here is Chap 46, where SQ flashes back on something his Master Qi Fengge taught him:

“Because ‘tip of sword pointing upward’ is just a vague description. There’s no established rule defining whether one should point it up by an inch or two. Ah-qiao, rigidly adhering to the rules will only limit your own thoughts and visions, and this is true for learning martial arts as well as for conducting yourself.”

“There are many people in this world —— some of them are good, and some of them are bad. But there are even more who can’t be simply classified as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. They may not think in the same way you think, or walk the same path you walk. Just like the case with Yu Ai and Yuan Ying —— even the same set of sword arts looks slightly different in different people’s hands. Don’t deny others just because they are different from you. Like how the ocean is capable of holding water from thousands of rivers, a person should be forgiving and tolerant to diversity, and it is the same for practicing martial arts. People who are narrow-minded can only achieve so much. Even if they do reach the summit, they cannot stay there for long.”

(QQ ch46, snowycodex tl, emphasis added)

I like this chapter since I think this helps sum up a lot of transferable concepts that imo we see bear out in SQ's conduct and worldview.

So I think, rather than saying "he believes that humans are inherently good," a more accurate way to describe it is "he believes in the inherent goodness (the possibility of inherent goodness) in all people." Which isn't to say that there aren't "bad" people in the world - he killed Huo Xijing for example, and doesn't express any regret about it. But that he believes in the ability of people to do good/be good, even if that doesn't bear out all of the time. It's a very optimistic sort of view on the potential of humanity.

Yan Wushi on the other hand, yes he has declared "you're too naive SQ, humans are evil by nature," etc but this happens by way of him making certain points to SQ, not as part of a philosophical discourse where we might see the full nuances of each's philosophy argued out, so I think to see it as a fixed "rule" he has for the world is shortsighted (and also ascribes a shortsightedness to him that I just don't think he has. He sees SQ as a curiosity sure but not like an aberration against a fixed worldview. He's amused when SQ chooses kindness, not perplexed).

So I think a more useful interpretation of YWS's worldview is more along the lines of, like, averages. In that instead of seeing YWS as "he believes all people are Evil by nature," it's more like, statistically speaking he believes that humans can/will be led astray by a variety of factors, and that even the most "good" person can have "evil" actions teased out of them if they are pushed enough - the exact experiment he is running with SQ. To me, this idea that like, in his experience humans are more statistically likely to act out of selfish/self-preserving/"evil" intentions than altruistic ones in the longterm, works a lot better for interpreting his character and making him a good foil for SQ. He's the pessimism on "human nature" to SQ's optimism - the "even if you have a close relationship, if you get in the way of self-preservation then people can be pushed to the point of valuing the self over you."

But yeah, the tl;dr of it all is, I don't think Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao are the "humans are inherently evil/good" characters, it's more, Shen Qiao is the "humans are capable of doing good/being kind and I choose to believe in that," and Yan Wushi is the "if you push someone enough they will abandon altruism, everyone has a bottom line including you" (though I think he underestimates how much hope SQ can find in the little kindnesses in the world lol, cuz like in Chap46 we see him close to some sort of abyss of despair but is QUICKLY brought back up by encountering Shiwu. But I think per the rule of statistical averages, SQ is very much a Kindness Georg so that's why I don't think he rocks YWS's worldview - he still has a place in the bell curve he's just way far out on the narrow end lmao).

But anyway, this complexity is what makes them (1) interesting characters, and (2) good foils for each other. Thanks for coming to my TED talk lmao

[oscconfessions]

so sorry for talking about tacomic discourse even though theres already been a morbillion asks about it and the topic died like a week ago.

my take: as long as you arent glorifying toxicity or presenting a toxic relationship as being good and desirable there is literally no issue?

people act like you can’t write character personalities or plots differently than what’s canonically presented and thats CRAZY. people do it ALL THE TIME with everything else, have you SEEN how many AUs exist??? why is it a problem with tacomic?

like the whole point of writing ship dynamics and making fanart and fanfic is that the characters will literally never act this way in canon (cause object shows rarely have canon ships). as long as you arent shipping illegal stuff theres literally no problem.

and honestly i think i have to have this outlook on it as a floorphone shipper(SORRY FOR BRINGING UP FLOORPHONE AGAIN BUT I SWEAR ITS RELEVANT), otherwise i’d be a hypocrite. basically yada yada mephone wanted sooo badly to get rid of floory in ep 12 but then they end up becoming cohosts, and like their dynamic does a whole 180 canonically because of this. That just proves, yeah, its possible for two characters to be written in a way where their dynamic starts as 🔥enemies🔥 and then they becomes friends or lovers, even. guys the enemies to lovers trope is soo overused but its also soo epic.

but yeah people who act like its impossible to ship something unless the characters were best friends from the very start or never did any harm to one another are actually bonkers. like are we forgetting the fantube divorce? i dunno man the way test tube was acting toward fan was prettyyy toxic. what about sodapack? canonically they’re pretty awful for each other but a large majority of the fanbase continues to ship them (myself included lmao). even fireafy has toxic traits and thats one of the most popular bfdi ships. personally i think a ship is better and more believable when there ARE disagreements or occassional bad things that happen. that doesn’t necessarily make a relationship unhealthy, every relationship will have the occassional ups and downs. thats just how it is. and to act like everything HAS to be perfect or else it’s unhealthy is just. ugh. that makes it seem like no one should ever ship anything ever again.

i know people are gonna be like ‘but taco was only ever manipulative toward mic!!!’ and yeah i agree, but you’re forgetting my earlier point. you can write things differently lmao.

the amount of fanfiction I have written that COMPLETELY IGNORES canon is nuts. guys it’s no fun to have to follow canon to a t, go crazy be silly write the funny fanfic where literally everyone is ooc and the plot makes no sense, i love stuff like that.

does this make any sense? i dont think this makes any sense.

anyways this is coming from someone who doesn’t ship tacomic, so it’s truly an unbiased news source.

goodnight america.

.

[intothewings]

Have you notice how much hatred of gold star lesbian in the lgbt or queer community? It’s on Reddit, Tik tok, tumblr and everywhere else. So sickening..

I've grown tired of the same old conversations, so I don't pay them much attention anymore. I have better things to do. To believe that lesbians have never engaged in consensual sexual activity with a man under any circumstances is considered “violence” in that community, even though it’s the truth. People hate the truth which is why so many are unwilling to accept it. Women who have never been with a man will be met with criticism, resentment, and jealousy from all acrosss the board, regardless of what sexual, political, social, or religious label people decide to tack on themselves or what their relation is to you.

I realized that I was different in my teens when I’d be in a perpetual state confusion thinking something was wrong with me because “lesbians” were (and still are) forever online lamenting about comphet and lesbian masterdoc. These discussions always involved loud declarations about trying to repress their attraction to men and how hard it is to resist them, reminiscing about past romantic relationships with men, crushes on male celebrities or cartoons, and sexual experiences with men, none of which I could relate to. Now, there's the notion that it's common for gay men and lesbians to have sexual encounters with each other or that lesbians watch gay male porn etc. On top of that, there's a push to accept, date, and screw males who claim to be lesbians. If you don’t, you’re an evil transphobic terf. It’s just gotten way out of hand to the point where I don’t even bother with these people anymore. As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that genuine female homosexuality is uncommon, and that's perfectly fine. Goldstar lesbians are an extremely small minority. If women want to “identify” as lesbians during or after screwing dudes and sucking dick, I don’t care. They’re a joke to me.

I feel blessed to have some wonderful lesbians in my life, but personally, I don't actively seek out a 'lesbian community,' nor do I feel an any sense of camaraderie with them. Most women who refer to themselves as lesbians aren't actually homosexual. I've attempted to engage in "lesbian spaces," only to find them still revolving around men. Whether it's conversations about hating men (unless they conform to certain feminine stereotypes and identify as lesbians) or or their past times having sex with men, male centric topics dominate all of the conversation/discourse. Males still have their energy and attention in a way that’s obnoxiously obsessive. For me, being a lesbian isn't about hating males, it's about accepting how I was created by God. At this point, "lesbian spaces" = echo chambers where women validate each other's decisions to engage in screwing males while still claiming a to be a lesbian. Lmao right….

The funny thing is that these women are the main ones who scream about how the world is so homophobic, yet they're the first to attack an actual lesbian who has a viewpoint that doesn’t mirror their own. They immediately resort to verbal attacks, fabricated scenarios, accuse you of arrogance, and use insults like ugly or privileged simply for asserting the fact that lesbians don't engage in sexual activities with men, have crushes on men, consume gay male erotica or male pornography, being a lesbian is not a “choice” you make, males can’t be lesbians, feminism is a lie, etc. In my experience, women who are truly homosexual are just indifferent towards males. We don't harbor hatred towards them, sleep with them, obsess over them, or constantly make them the center of our conversations (feminism).

The way the term “goldstar” literally sends these people into a Pavlovian fit of rage is actually comical at this point. Males are just so irresistible in their eyes, they can’t fathom a woman that hasn’t at least tried them out once. If you haven’t, it’s just because you’re ugly lol. Their immediate reaction is always to start projecting their insecurity and self hatred onto females who are genuinely homosexual. It’s so obvious that the hatred/agitation is inspired and fueled by envy, despite the continuous denials. And if you haven’t experienced trauma that ‘made you turn lesbian,’ you don’t constantly talk about giving head, you’re beautiful, you don’t have mommy/daddy issues, and/or you have a decent personality in conjunction with being homosexual, they will really resent you because it destroys their narrative of lesbians being bitter, traumatized, feminist, unattractive, man-hating, motherless bitches lol. I’m over it. I won’t be discussing it publicly on my page after this.

[greatcheshire]

How would you rank your vids based on how much you like them?

Ah yes!! I can answer this one

The Many Adaptations of Berserk: I feel like it has to be this one as my fav. There’s parts of the video I wish I could redo (mainly the audio), but to put out such labor of love and have it receive such a positive response back, it’s so fulfilling. From people telling me it got them into Berserk to survivors messaging me to tell me how much the video meant to them. It’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that I never thought I’d ever feel with my art.

Spider-Man Musical: This, for me, feels like the prime example of what I want my channel to be: exploring relatively obscure things in a way that shows how strange they are while also taking it seriously and really examining them. As someone who has been fascinated with this musical for over a decade, finally finding a way to make an essay about it and letting people know about things like the spider fucking and the shoe song.

Dollar Store Game Show: I wish I could redo the audio here. God I wish I could redo the audio here. That being said, I’ve always seen this as the hidden gem of my channel, and whenever I talk to other creators, chances are this is the video of mine they bring up. The Facebook conspiracy “In Motion” part might be my favorite editing gag I’ve ever done

Demo Reel: I would’ve ranked this much lower if I hadn’t rewatched it a few weeks ago for the new Demo Reel vid. Despite some first time video mistakes that I would happily fix if I could, I think the script here is really solid and could have been way worse. I get why people like this one so much. I probably would’ve been really into this video if I wasn’t the one who made it. I still can’t believe I actually got away with the Evangelion intro gag.

Kitchen Nightmares: I started outlining this video back in my college days. I rewatched it about a month ago and my main note is that it feels like a video anyone could’ve made on Kitchen Nightmares, for better or for worse, and lacks a lot of the… personal energy I like to include in these things? But I still think it’s pretty solid. I also meant to include an entire segment on Nathan For You and just… forgot to lmao oops

The Return of Demo Reel: This one is still so new that I haven’t fully processed my feelings on it. This is probably the meanest video I’ve done so far lol I wasn’t sure how much the two halves would connect together, especially since it’s the only video I’ve done so far that isn’t broken up into segments but is rather scripted as one long thing. The stinger is my second favorite stinger I’ve ever done for the channel. I’m so glad that landed for people as I almost cut it entirely lol

The Cinemassacre Backlash: It feels weird to rank this one so low. I still am proud of the result, but I also think it has the same issue as Kitchen Nightmares where it’s like oh, anyone could’ve made that. I did like getting to interject my perspective into the discourse as someone who co-writes and makes online content and I have gotten a lot of praise for this one by my peers which has been nice. Having it blow up so much was wild and has definitely been a career benefit, even if I’m unsure if I’ll ever do a video like this again

Harley and Ivy: I don’t know why but I can’t help but feel like I could’ve made this one better. I’m not sure how, but it just feels like it exists to me. I actually didn’t even remember that I did the whole thing with the Be Gay, Do Crime scale until I saw it referenced on my TV Tropes page

Lost Film About Internet Memes: This one is fine but it sits in a lower place in my head for a lot of reasons. First being that a lot of personal life stuff surrounding the release and aftermath of the video. Second being my hatred of the original thumbnail and the belief that it tanked that video in a way it’s only now recovering from, which affected future business dealings and negotiations and algorithm stuff. Then the fact that this is the only time I’ve regretted going soft in one of my videos. I originally put more stuff in the script about how I believed the guy who made it was a grifter who seems to do a lot of scams but I changed it to make it more subtext and less of a personal attack and then in the aftermath of the vid it turns out, oops, this guy had a history of screwing people over and grifting and jumped into cryptocurrency because of course he did. I don’t think I’d ever revisit this subject, but if I had a time machine, I would’ve had way more testimonials in the vid from former PopMalt people.

Existential Horror Of Making Content About Content: The nicest thing I can say about this one is that it was the first time I ever made a thumbnail myself and I’m actually pleased with how it turned out, all things considered. Otherwise I can’t see myself ever watching this again

I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m too harsh on my own work lol I just have a unique relationship to it, I think. I’m generally proud of my videos, even if I do have issues with them as their creator.

[phykios]

Review: We Find Out The Truth, Sort Of

As the season winds down, amidst all the discourse, I realized something: Percy might not be the main character of his own show. In fact, depending on how the finale goes down, I think I can make a pretty solid argument for Sally being the main character. 

I recognize this may be contentious but I absolutely love TV Sally. I love how raw she still is, how the struggle of single parenting weighs her down, how much she adores her son and tries and sometimes fails to fight her feelings of anger and loneliness to be the best mother she can be. I think Krull is killing it and I might be a stan for life. 

Here’s the issue, though–I’m thirty years old. 

Am I the target audience for PJO TV? What even is the target audience? What I thought at first was a more deliberate, mature pacing and tone might have melted into the general, family-friendly slop that plagues all recent Disney productions… or it might actually be the deliberate, mature pacing and tone that I thought. I really can’t tell, which is part of the problem. 

What’s strangest (not necessarily in a bad way) to me is that, thinking over the last seven episodes, the overwhelming theme has been… how hard parenting is. Again, it’s a weirdly adult theme for a TV show based on a middle-grade novel. Not that the theme wasn’t present in the books, it was just obviously more of a background coloring, rather than being something Percy actively and consistently thought about. 

Certainly, the colorlessness of the show isn’t helping matters. Beyond just night lighting being bad, the actual color editing is so gray and lifeless that even well-constructed cinematography isn’t able to save it, and its absence just confuses the tone even further. Again, this is a problem across a significant percentage of Disney live action products, from Marvel to Star Wars and the shit awful remakes. I could go on about Disney ruining film lighting and color-grading, but the deeper issue here is that the creative team behind PJO is just not taking advantage of the medium of visual live action. Which is a shame. Again, I point to The Lightning Thief musical’s overwhelming earnestness and sincerity, fully leaning into itself as a piece of musical theater, which has different strengths, weaknesses, and requirements than literature or film. “D.O.A.,” for all its silliness, takes advantage of its limitations and celebrates its uniqueness, and it’s disappointing to see that the same initiative isn’t present here for PJO TV. 

I was kind of joking last time, but Charlie Bushnell, I need you to be so good next episode. You might actually be my last hope. 

Stray thoughts: 

Swapping the zoo truck heart to heart for Procrustes was still a bad idea, and I’m glad they basically zoomed right past it. Also, who was it who said that they should have used the stretching to cover up for Walker’s growth spurt, because LMAO

Regarding Annabeth’s regret, I firmly believe it’s about her father. This also fits with her book storyline, where she decides to give her dad another chance.

“Is this…?” “No.” “I mean it looks like–” “IT ABSOLUTELY IS NOT” I love Aryan’s delivery so much here

I like to imagine that TV Hades is just grown up Nico. 

I predicted that this episode would end on a pre-fight cliffhanger weeks ago, and I was right! You can ask Darkmagyk, she was there. I know how television works!

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hi Ange! Just read your pinned post about yourself (been following you for awhile but never read below the masterlist…I’m sorry :(

Could you plz talk about Ewan’s accent and his hometown Derbyshire for a little since you live in England? (assume you’re English if you’re not once again I apologize!) I’ve seen the online discourse about the midland thing but I don’t really understand it lmao, maybe it’s about the geographic and economical disadvantage of the midland? Maybe something cultural related to midland England as well? I actually once visited Birmingham when I stayed in the UK I think it was fine.

Can’t believe my obsession with Aemond and Ewan has branched to this but I can’t help it lol I wanna know more about him his hometown:) Thank you!

No need to apologise - I actually only created the intro post today, so you were very snappy in picking up on that!

I am half Swedish, a quarter Maltese and a quarter English. I grew up in Canada, but have lived in England for almost 23 years, so am definitely comfortable talking about it.

Ewan's accent is pretty bog standard in what you can expect of someone that's born and bred in Derbyshire tbh. I appreciate that it can be difficult for people from outside of the UK to understand - even people from other regions of the country will occasionally have trouble. They tend to drop the consonant blends from words and mumble, which means you have to really listen when they speak.

Derbyshire itself is kind of a mixed bag. The crime rate is really high and there are areas that are really impoverished and quite dangerous. However, large parts of it are absolutely gorgeous. The Peak District National Park is in Derbyshire. It's an area of outstanding natural beauty with peat covered moorlands and limestone dales. The villages are picturesque and look like something from a greeting card.

I hope I've sated your curiosity a little!

[andypantsx3]

Hi andy I hope your weekend is going well!! So all the recent soup discourse on your page has made me curious about trying some again. I admit I’ve never been a soup girl since I’ve only ever had to eat (drink?) it when I was sick as a child. But this weekend I had Tom Yum soup and oh my god. So good. So tasty. Felt like a warm cozy hug. Have you ever had it? I can’t wait to try more soups 😅 I can’t believe I’ve been missing out!

Omg!!!!! This is the highest honor I have ever been paid. I am soooo happy you picked soup back up!!!

I totally love tom yum yes!!!! I live down the street from this super good Thai place and I am totally spoiled for good soup like that lol. An excellent choice for ur return to the soup realm!!

I think it's the perfect fall & winter food because as you say, it's like a warm hug!! There is nothing better than coming inside, your nose numb and your cheeks aching, and heating up a hot bowl of soup. When you feel the warm condensation on your face before you even take the first bite?? That is ecstasy lmao!!

[rue-bennett]

did u see this whole millie bobby brown disclosure? Her saying that she doesn’t watch movies because she thinks it’s too long and she can’t just sit and watch. and this is sadly typical behavior from nepo babies and those kids that were essentially made to be actors by their parents. they don’t feel real love for the craft but get so many opportunities than other actors that study cinema and are very knowledgeable barely get.

but i think only actors that love cinema are able to transcend and work for a long time. a lot of people were calling Austin Butler pretentious but I find his knowledge of cinema admirable. chalamet also got called pretentious once for referencing a lot of movies but I find that normal because studying cinema as an actor should be your job? it’s part of the preparation? A look at the career both of them have… it’s easy to know when an actors loves the craft by how they speak, Florence’s hot wings interview was very insightful and you can tell she pays attention to every element of filmmaking.

For instance, I remember watching an interview w Tom Holland and I find him a charming guy but I really dislike how he once joked and made fun of a very valid question about studying process for a role - it doesn’t seem that he takes the craft that seriously and I find the instances of where he didn’t know who certain directors were and when he said Scorsese couldn’t direct a Marvel film so crazy considering how he has been the pioneer of so many “blockbuster” in its time, and his lack of cinema knowledge shows in the quality of his choices for roles.

I feel a lot of actors don’t realize that by saying things like they they get a lot of doors slammed in their face.

I'm late replying again sorry but all of this, yes. I tried not thinking about it too much but it definitely irks me. And I think there are a loooot of people of tbh all ages that feel this way. But it does particularly suck for someone making movies to feel this way? (I did see some conversation on twitter between people who actually work on film sets and they said this is common, particularly among like crew members like gaffers, lighting, etc etc.)

YES. This is why when "pretentious" discourse goes around because like Jacob Elordi talks about Marlon Brando (not his method acting, but just his acting) or old movies, people make fun of him and say he's just a try-hard hipster. But maybe... he loves acting and wants to improve his craft? Like, I agree. It's something that should come from a place of love and wanting to get better. We can't all be Hugh Grant and annoyed at the world all the time lmao. And like you said, same with Austin, Timothee, hell, remember the Jeremy Strong "dramaturgical" discourse that people freaked out about for a week because he used... a common theater word? Lmfao.

It's like, when letterboxd does their asking an actor or director their four favorites, there's always people in the comments saying they don't believe that an old French movie or hell even a 70s movie (that isn't The Godfather or Star Wars, bc apparently Jaws is pretentious?? LMAO), could be someone's fav and they're lying to look good. But if someone lists a bunch of animated Disney children's movies, La La Land, and Scott Pilgrim then they must be telling the truth. Maybe they both are? But god it's so frustrating to think that having taste beyond the basics is pretentious. Like, people call CHRISTOPHER NOLAN MOVIES PRETENTIOUS. Just because something is mildly to extremely clever or smart doesn't mean it's pretentious :)

Rant over lmao.

I need to watch Florence on Hot Ones still but I loved seeing bits of her on the press tour for Oppenheimer and I saw a clip of her and Zendaya talking about the craft of cinematography (linked) and how like Flo told her story about the camera breaking on Oppenheimer, and Z talked about like how she loves sitting in the tent w the Dune cinematographer and learning how everything works. Like, they love filmmaking!!! And I love that! This is how actors become better, and can produce, and even direct successfully. (Z I think definitely will. She'd had plans to direct at least one Euphoria ep but of course shitshow that it is, it hasn't happened yet.)

But yeah agreed about Tom Holland it's all soooo. Idk. You can very much tell when someone really loved movies and the process of how they are made, or not. And that's the truth whether someone's favorite movie is Godzilla v. Kong or Breathless. But yes!!! I truly don't understand why they say things like that, like... unless you want a door closed, don't close it for no reason! Lmao. Ayo Edebiri has talked about this recently.

I really don't get that w Scorsese of all people too like... all his movies are fucking popcorn movies. It's all cinema but who the hell is thinking Goodfellas is boring? Or The Aviator? Hell, I just watched Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. It has a batshit opening and is suuuch a fast-paced movie for what it is like, about a woman coming to terms w loss and making it on her own w her annoying kid (affectionate) and domestic violence I just ?? I don't get it myself! And pretending Scorsese actually has a war against Marvel is stupid as fuck. I wish he did! Someone should.

[k1201a]

I'm not a jc stan, I don't care about jc, chengxian, yunmeng bros. The reason I gave that example is that they're the ones who had a bond at some point but, tbf, I also believe that lxc cared about jgy as a friend? The same goes for xxc and the person he thought was xy. I don't consider any of those ships as crack, just not romantically canon. Crack is a whole different thing 🤷🏻‍♀️ so anon should Google.

Anyways, the problem with you radical hateful people is that you take everything to the extremes. I'm not saying any of these relationship were the most ~devoted and beautiful~ thing in the world and "omg the deserve better!!😩" I'm just saying that they were what you would consider a friend and you love your friends... unless you're literally a sociopath, lmao. And that's what you think of wwx apparently, like even when you talk about wangxian you make it sound as the most superficial and boring shit. Like how you dare make wwx talk about his feelings with lwj, eww, that's not what dudes do. That's what happens when you maybe didn't have a long term rs with a man and believe their façade.

And, well. just as you think everyone projects, I think you're also projecting the lack of people you formed bonds with in your life and that's why you'll reply to some corny post about "the power of love", the oldest trope probably.

Yo DO see these characters as one dimensional that never think about the past, never get sad about it, that barely have thoughts and feelings. Did you know that wwx not wanting jc again in his life doesn't mean he never cared about him? That he sacrificing something important for him (and that it's not just bc he's a Good Dude who only do the correct as you try hard to believe) doesn't mean that they should be friends again? It's like you can't live with the fact that one thing don't cancel the other, that wwx actually doesn't care about jc anymore but he did once and it's ok. And don't even try any kind of discourse about me projecting because I find them relatable, more human, morally gray, imperfect, etc on me... because I hate those too. I hate extremes, I hate when people woobify assholes but also when they make of these characters robots with no feelings. Jc stans are the first but you're the latter. Characters are fictional so they don't have to be "human", even less when most people use it to justify they acting like jerks, but the other extreme is to think they're so empty, and that makes them one dimensional... When it's like the mere idea of wwx having a moment and maybe just pondering about something equals a sob story as dramatic as a telenovela for you and NO. It's not even about that, but that's what obviously happens when you're extremist. You're projecting your views on things as much as them.

But what you’re saying is not what op was talking about. You’re talking about basic friendship, What op was talking about was “love change everything”, mxtx didn’t write that, except for Luo Binghe, that’s my point. OP didn’t say “care”, they said “love”, they went further to characterize that love to be something that change, heal, redeem people. Basic friendship is found in most fiction. It’s present in mxtx’s stories is not the same as saying that’s the message she’s trying to send.

“…that's why you'll reply to some corny post about "the power of love", the oldest trope probably.”

I don’t have problem with this trope, I did say svsss is about that, I just don’t agree all her novels are about that. I think that’s projecting and lazy crowd pleasing. OP just picked one corny thing they think no one would disagree and tag it in ALL major tags, despite the 3 novels are different.

“the oldest trope”. I think that’s why some people force this trope into their reading of every story, they think it should be there, and you can’t go wrong with this interpretation, even when what the author wanted to write got nothing to do with that.

You said you’re not a JC stan but all you talk about is JC and wwx. I said shen yuan did love and saved luo binghe, if I have problem with corn good old fashioned trope, I wouldn’t have said that. You only have problem when I don’t validate your view of jc and wwx’s relationship. You’re projecting on jc. When I said svsss is about love, Didn't I go corny? But it left no impression on you, because to you, I wasn’t corny about the right characters, the characters you project onto. The only thing that triggered you was what I said about jc and wwx lol

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I haven’t listened much to BigBang or other kpop bands except SHINee and BTS which are my favorites but the last anon is giving a perfect example why I just can’t stand the general mentality in those kpop fandoms and especially Army. The constant shade towards other artists is utterly disrespectful, it makes us look bad and rightfully so. I highly doubt the members would appreciate their fans talking sh*t about artists they look up to. You’re perfectly allowed to not like BB or Taeyang or whoever else and criticize their content but saying it that way is really childish and ridiculous. I seriously don’t understand the fandom mentality, no wonder why I don’t call myself an Army or a Shawol. Some fans seriously need to grow up.

**

Hi Anon,

I was in the middle of drafting another response, but since you're referring to "the last anon", I thought I should respond to you first so there's continuity for other people reading.

You're ultimately free to feel however you like, but so is everyone else, even though on some level I understand why you find shady comparisons between groups distasteful. All you're really doing here is expressing your sensitivity to how other people express what they like and don't like about another group/artist, which is fine, but can also come across as tone policing.

"I highly doubt the members would appreciate their fans talking sh*t about artists they look up to."

I can understand this sentiment, but at the same time, BTS are not religious leaders whose beliefs determine the actions of their followers. Jimin looks up to Hoseok and Namjoon and it certainly doesn't stop people even within the fandom from disliking those members and being shady about it. Jimin wouldn't like it, but since when has that ever stopped anyone?

It would be wonderful if everyone was respectful and careful with their language all the time, but the reality is that most people aren't unless there's an incentive to be. And honestly, being shady is par for the course for most people on the internet. Generalizations are emblematic of how people speak online, you've essentially done a similar thing just now as have I, but unless there's a glaring factual error such as with that anon believing BTS surpassed BB by "any objective metric" in 2015, my approach is to just observe and let it pass, after all it's just an off the cuff opinion. Just as your ask is.

Personally, where I draw the line is when people claim they're offering some sort of reflective critique or creating a platform for constructive dialogue on a subject, but then it's just a fan being needlessly shady lmao. And oftentimes being ignorant of the facts available to them. That gets an eyebrow raise from me because posing an opinion that way just dumbs down any critical conversation, because then they're just elevating an opinion of likes and dislikes and oftentimes misinformation, to the level of critical discourse, which of course is nonsense.

Most people in fandoms aren't doing this though, and I saw the last anon's comment as similar to the way I've seen people discuss Beyonce vs Adele, or Taemin vs Kai vs Jimin. Again, it's perfectly fine if you can't stand it, and you're aware enough to remove yourself from associating with any of that, but people join fandoms because they are fans of the subject, and comparisons are expected especially in a space as competitive as k-pop. In the case of the last anon, given how highly BigBang is revered by k-pop stans, I can understand that anon's confusion on what I can only assume was their first exposure to Taeyang/BigBang.

*

"but the reality is that most people aren't unless there's an incentive to be."

I want to come back to this point because I think it is important, and because I think it's related to why you think some fans need to "grow up." A lot of people in the fandom aren't OT7 in the sense that they love all members equally, but they are in the sense that they're moderately respectful of all the members though they prefer some members to others. I think this is because on some level, they understand this mentality is crucial for maintaining a healthy ecosystem within the fandom as it hedges against more poisonous instincts from solo stans, akgaes, multis etc who typically care little for the maintaining the positive dynamics of the group. The OT7 mentality has the benefit of prolonging the group's longevity - that's the incentive, and it's easier to control for since more people in the fandom already share a common like for most things to that effect (ie liking BTS as an idea at the very least).

That control mechanism evaporates for competition between groups, as many groups are very distinctive (BTS being very distinct in many ways from how several groups in k-pop are), and so people feel they have less in common and therefore less incentive to be respectful about things they dislike. ARMYs aren't any different from any other fandom in this regard. But as I said to that anon, on a practical note, if BTS want to maintain their social license to operate in k-pop at their current scale of success, these sorts of collaborations are necessary, because it helps the group remain approachable to their peers, and creates more opportunities for things in common between fandoms, thereby creating incentive for respectful discourse.

I'm not saying all of this out of cynicism or to make excuses, but to point out what I think is obvious about how fandoms behave online. And to say why.

[persephoneflouwers]

your tags on the sweet creature post are so right!!! I don't get people too lmao but it does give of romantic love at most definitely not platonic...I do wonder tho how harry or harry styles tm does play off of fandom gossip. like if I remember clearly initially it was all tabloids and hetrries claiming WS as a p**** eating song but then after some time harry mentioned the song as being about female orgasm in few shows, way after the fandom largely based that song upon that...I think same happened with SC, he definitely doesn't at all like to tell the real meanings and thus whenever he does that I feel like he grasps off fandom gossip..."oh who has fandom (hetries) been calling SC is about?" "guess I gotta dedicate it to Gemma" i genuinely think that's what happens. and thus I was very eh with the whole SC discourse cause it's what he always does or is asked to do whatever. but yea the moment harry styles over explains or says something explicitly is the moment harry styles is lying...it's like clockwise

Hello ✨

A few things about this:

Harry can say all he wants. He can’t fool me, I could write a 10K essay on his songs about things he has never heard in his life. So if he wants to act like some things are less deep than what he intended because he doesn’t want to publicly share what his songs are about… that’s on him lol sometimes he should read the room tho haha

WMS and Sweet Creature are not the same thing because wms was literally branded like this. Have you seen the music video? The vaginal secretions hymn (that’s what i will refer it to from now on) is what they have always wanted to convey. Him saying on stage what the song was about was an OOC moment for Harry, but above all not for Harry Styles ™️. The gemma is the sweet creature thing emerged probably for the 2 hearts in 1 home and it being anne’s favourite song or whatever some fans tell themselves (these are the same fans that believe ESNY is about his stepfather, which I obviously don’t think). Which again, makes no sense but to each their own!

platonic love is by default romantic, but the current usage of the word has been twisted through centuries. The way my classicist ass cringes every time I read such thing… poor Plato. Must be hard to be conventionally linked to something you have never talked about, not in those terms anyway.

Closing this with the 🎻🎻🎻🎻: everyone is allowed to their opinions (unfortunately even when they’re wrong) yada yada, but it would be so much cooler for people to spend two more minutes to think things through. Them being a song lyrics or what to have for dinner 💕

[dhaaruni]

oh god what you said about how people don’t like the idea of a woman who isn’t totally morally “good” reminded me of so much of the discourse surrounding the last two seasons of better call saul. like so many men wanted jimmy to turn on his love interest kim wexler (even though jimmy has done even worse shit than she has?), and hated that in the end he was willing to sacrifice his freedom to make things right with her. and the thing is like kim isn’t even evil, she’s a complex antihero, but she’s by no means a villain, and yet still fandom believes that only good pure women are worthy of love. it’s so telling that fandom only liked her in the early seasons when they saw her as the anti-skyler who would act as jimmy’s conscience (which is a fundamental misreading of her character) but the minute it became clear that she was an antihero with a dark arc of her own fans decided she was unworthy of jimmy (jimmy, who literally helped run a meth empire lmao). i think it drove fans male crazy that no matter what she did jimmy loved her deeply and unconditionally and never wavered in that love. their story wasn’t that of a “good” woman saving a “bad” man, or a “bad” woman corrupting a “good” man, it was two complicated messy people who loved each other, and misogynistic weirdos can’t handle that.

I haven't seen Better Called Saul (or Breaking Bad) but I think I completely agree with you.

I've seen ostensibly progressive feminist women say the most heinous disgusting things about fictional women in a way that I'm absolutely convinced they believe the same things about real women as well! You don't get to spew endless vitriol about women online all the time and then pretend that doesn't indicate what you view about real women, it doesn't work like that.

It's just so transparently misogynistic who people, including allegedly liberal women, view as deserving of love, especially since they always forgive fictional and real men for things they'd never forgive real or fictional women for.

[wordsinhaled]

can’t believe i came back on this hellsite in the midst of “good omens is queerbaiting!!!” discourse while the u.s. literally descends into 80s-style gay panic...... queerness CAN BE sexuality but is more than sexuality, queerness is also redefining intimacy, it’s finding chosen family, it’s rebellion by the act of existing... neil has been giving the world queer characters (desire, sam black crow, crowley and aziraphale...) since before some folks making these statements were even born. representation is important and trust that i understand its value, especially when queerness is being erased and silenced left and right in the real world, but there is so much room for variance in the types of queerness that needs to be represented. what do people think all queer folks and relationships look like? physical intimacy and verbal confessions are not the only hallmarks of queerness. what about the ace spectrum? what about gender variance? both of which have been represented... not to mention heaven and hell in good omens, and crowley and aziraphale’s choice of “[their] side” (particularly in the show) are as good as direct metaphors for chosen family in the face of abusive and repressive families of origin, whose centuries of horrid mistreatment will almost certainly have imprinted on crowley and aziraphale’s psyches - i can imagine they both have centuries of trauma to unpack from all that dogmatism - self loathing, and internalized shame about their feelings, desires, and what they feel they do or don’t deserve... i suppose aziraphale canonically being part of the hundred guineas club isn’t representation, crowley being a genderfluid icon isn’t representation. the american execs were upset that neil wanted crowley to be ashtoreth in the show because they thought audiences would be put off by “men in women’s clothes” and neil insisted. i imagine if the american execs had had their way david would have been wearing men’s jeans and sporting a military buzzcut....... but tell me again how neil gaiman is queerphobic lmao. all the time the cast themselves mention how crowley and aziraphale are in love. for goodness’ sake both david and michael half of the time act in love with each other in real life and that’s because the spectrum of human capacity for emotion and intimacy is EXPANSIVE... michael has done drag and david kisses men and half the people involved in this work are beyond categorization anyway. anyway none of this is very coherent, it’s just this insistence on SHOW NOT TELL in the community feels a bit reductive and intrusive and it makes me wonder whether my own peers in the community see my often-quiet and often-private version of demisexuality and kink and genderfluidity and queerness as invalid because i’m not fucking and shouting about it in the streets!!! i’m so frustrated the world is a sad place. let people love this queer-ass ineffable duo in peace....