#i don’t make these kinda posts often

[shelly-vision]

okay but like imagine Julia does have a crush on MK so she goes to Raj and says “help I need to figure out how this whole gay thing works”

[coredrill]

this is something i’ve talked about quite a bit with a friend, but i figured i’d share it here just because i think it’s an interesting and informative mindset to look at current media with… basically, i had the chance to talk to [writer who works for major media corporation, not involved with any of the examples i mention] a bit ago and they said that when they tried to include a trans character in their story, the direction they were given from higher-ups was that “they can BE trans, but they can’t SAY they’re trans.” and i think hearing this really made a lot of things click into place for me regarding, like, queer characters as a whole?

like. i think it’s the reason that someone like captain angel in strange new worlds can use they/them pronouns and talk to spock about not fitting into boxes but can’t SAY that they are nonbinary/trans. it’s the reason those gundam girls can propose and get matching rings, but as soon as a voice actor says they’re gay, bandai scrambles to “correct” it. kirara from jjk can have a middle school class photo that looks quite masc and in the present look very punk & femme, but not say the word trans. gwen stacy also cannot say the word trans while the screen flashes pink and white and blue as she begs her dad to just see her for who she is as his daughter. galo can give lio the kiss of life and then explode into a heart-shaped flame in a movie littered with pink triangles but not be called gay.

and all of this is obviously frustrating for a number of reasons, and it can be hard to parse intent when movies and shows CAN’T be as open as their writers would like them to be, but i think it’s worthwhile to keep in mind as a viewer? i don’t pretend to know what goes on behind the scenes of course, but i’d bet that’s why we’re getting to such a point where there are stories that are laughably blatant in how queer they are but which staunchly don’t claim to be - because if they DID, they’d lose the chance to tell that story before they could even try 😭

[dracothedeatheatingcupcake-ao3]

And that’s a wrap for Comic Con 2024! Ha, it was a lot of fun, but I really enjoyed dressing up as Mondo today! I even had a couple people recognize him! And a few others just liked the hair, one of whom asked how long it took me to get my hair like that, which tells me that at least it looks natural enough for people to mistake it as my actual hair, ha.

Overall, Comic Con was cool! On Thursday, I attended a live podcast recording for Braving the Elements, which is an Avatar the Last Airbender podcast hosted by Janet Varney and Dante Bosco (the voices of Korra and Zuko, respectively), and I actually got a trivia question right and I should (hopefully…) get an email from them soon to get a prize for answering the question right. If not… oh well. At least I’ll be featured briefly on the podcast answering trivia correctly, even though I usually suck at trivia, ha.

The rest of the days were a bit more meh, but I still had fun. I won a Pokeball ornament from a Hallmark panel, since I knew how many Squirtles were in the Squirtle Squad, aha. Which leaves my trivia score 2 for 2 at the moment.😅 I also got a free shirt and scarf for the upcoming Yakuza live action show, which was neat. I’ve never played Yakuza, but my brother has, so I was able to give him the shirt at least.

Still, while Comic Con was fun, I’m definitely glad it’s over so I can go home and clean up from my frantic cosplay creating the last several weeks, oof.

Also! On the first day I dressed at Taka, but since I was by myself I only have the one photo my dad was able to quickly take of me before he had to drive off and a quick selfie I took in the car.

[wikitpowers]

reasons why taller!ty means so much to me:

i think ty being taller would just look so so lovely like him next to smaller kit would be adorable

i really really want a herondale to be the shorter love interest, just once! please! pretty please!

i’m scared that if ty is shorter, he will be infantilised more and i really do not want that

ty to me just seems to suit being tall as hell??? like idk how to describe it, he just does???

i think it would be really hot if he was icl…

our blackthorns are tall hc needs to become true

[adreamoverlife]

Is this a safe place to admit I don’t really like the way Castiel is often talked about in relation to destiel or will I be crucified for the second time

[right-agent]

me with. wilson

[cowchickenbeefpork]

look I’m not going to argue that Edward truly loved Kristen for who she was genuinely ( he didn’t ) but seeing him as someone who got over her death and it barely affected him is kinda a reading I can’t agree with at all

I know what scene started this reading it was the whole “actually I do enjoy hurting people this is my true self and I greatly thank Kristen for making me reach my potential” but that realization came from when he cut her up, no? When you go back to THAT SCENE he describes how the light vanishing from her eyes was beautiful. This means two things, one, he had to first known he was hurting her, and two he was enjoying that fact

WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE SCENE WHERE HE KILLED HER THERES NO TRACE OF THIS IN THE ACTING THERE!!!!! He’s not even angry he’s more so desperate to explain himself, he even smiles as he tells her he loves her and would NEVER HURT HER! And when he realized he killed her he sobbed himself to the point of blacking out. Even if you brush off the fact riddler is very poorly written and just make it be ed the fact he blacked out and went out fucking around with her corpse while not remembering any of it and only hours later regained consciousness and now having to search around the gcpd to find her. Genuinely why should I believe a man, who consistently convinces himself he’s actually super smart and has no emotions is telling ME the truth here about his own feelings when I as the viewer have just witnessed things that contradict this!!!!

Also the show contradicts that whole motive like two episodes later!!!!!!!!!! When Oswald tried to kill Ed for saying his mother made him weak Edward discusses Kristen’s death and says love wasn’t meant for men like them and that it will always weaken them. Notice how different of a explaination that is to the one in the woods? The one in the woods basically says it was his true self leaking out and he actually had some awareness of what he was doing and he enjoyed every second of it and he feels no remorse. The one during this scene says that it was unavoidable, an accident, but actually him brushing over his feelings and forcing himself to not think about it or ever attempt to love again is the correct awnser. Doesn’t the second answer flow better with the actual death? It aligns exactly with both his narcissism making him unable to admit he was in the wrong and also unable to let him grieve since it would go against the idea he has of himself in his head and aligns with the fact it was a ACCIDENT WHERE HE DIDNT EVEN INTEND TO HURT HER AT ALL!!!

I can’t blame people for taking the whole actually I enjoyed it reasoning as the true one since Gotham is very very badly written but the reasoning he gave to Oswald works better for his character and for the event itself! The whole point of that death was you can hurt people without even trying to and not be able to see that ur acting like the people who have hurt them before it’s too late and that’s!!!! Powerful but Gotham just had to make Edward secretly evil and sadicist this whole time which takes away from that message. The first time he finally realizes Kristen was a person who existed outside of what he thought of and was capable of thinking and acting outside of his image of her was when she died, and he pushed her back into a fucking box, a fucking role she played to further him in his life because the mere horror of his actions were too hard to bare, he had to convince himself this would always happen and it was either of their flaunts to keep his ego intact.

not to mention how the whole denying he needs love in his life kinda relates heavily back to his npd too. Since he couldn’t get what he wants he feels terrible and then convinces himself that actually WHAT HE WANTED was the inadequate thing instead of him, so he doesn’t have to mourn the fact that he couldn’t have it. It’s projection in a way, he projects his inner wants and desires that he hates to others so he can mock them and feel better. He is telling himself he doesn’t need connection to others, that he can provide for himself and will never need or depend on anyone ever in his life again which is contradicted again and again in the show. He can’t stop needing people to like him, affirm him or to depend on them. That is the ultimate paradox with npd, narcissism in itself locks someone into a state of both being completely independent and not needing or caring for others while completely needing and depending on their praise so you can keep your self esteem intact

i think why I’m kinda quite against this reading of Edward as someone who intensely enjoys hurting others in his nature and is completely logical and almost unemotional in his action is because it kinda just falls into his lie he folds himself and others, it’s believing in the narcissist fantasy he has convinced himself and others around him to be true, he will never be that, no matter how hard he tries he will never be smart enough and unemotional enough for himself, he will chase proving that fantasy until he dies if he keeps doing this, taking anyone who comes in his way down with him

you can read Gotham Ed however you want idc I’m not ur mom and I’m not mad I just really wanted to explain myself since last time I tried to it was horrid and nonsensical I should’ve been executed on the spot. You can read Edward however you like I’m not thought police I just really needed to say my peace here

[herebecritters]

Please understand that, more often than not, works of fiction are a fictional exploration of concepts and ideas rather than a declaration of morality

[theghoulboysblog]

Also! I’m sorry! I should’ve put a trigger warning on that ask I just realized because although they found it funny, more so Ryan, it was borderline harassment in my opinion 😭

no, you’re good anon! 🫶

you didn’t really go into detail about the situation at all in your ask, just referenced it and said that you thought the situation was odd, so i do *believe* that it is fine without a tag! 🙏

i did, however, make sure to put a TW on my response to your ask just to be safe! (not because of what you said but because i went into depth a little more and i wanted to make sure it wasn’t possibly triggering to anyone!)

so don’t worry about it anon! it has been tagged accordingly and in a safe way! :) 💛

[beezybuzzn]

Don’t you recognize me?

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

I caught myself looking like 😑 again at the grocery store today and I feel so awkward. I don’t want to come off as an asshole to anyone working there (it must suck as a job, especially during summer tourist season) but my face is just like this! I think it would be really funny if I got a custom t-shirt one day that just said “sorry, it’s (probably) not you. My face is just like this” with the 😑 emoji under it

[chibishortdeath]

Man, social media is hard.

I have an account on Instagram, but I just wanna leave it. And it sucks cause I had ok luck with it for a while, but it’s barely useable at this point. Hashtags are completely fucked, the algorithm changes every two seconds, the switch of focus to video content kills all hope for most people posting images, and now they’re doing stupid Ai shit soon! Great! Wow! So lovely!

I’m debating making an account on some newer smaller social media and seeing how that turns out. Bigger ones just have all been going straight to shit. I’ve heard a little buzz about Cara, but eh idk about it yet.

Anyway, I think I’m going to be officially moving my main focus to maybe here in tumblr, the few discord servers I’m in, and then whatever other smaller platform I decide on. Maybe eventually I’ll have a toyhouse account and can hopefully start selling adopts or something.

But yeah, social media is hard, ugh…

[catrastulip]

Do you Goth style?

absolutely lol

although I switch between that and emo or even punk?

I’m just alternate idk

musically, I’m all of the above and more, but most recently, I’ve been heavy into emo and punky music

[daylighteclipsed]

Having Sweater Off Dead thoughts… It’s neat how so much of this episode’s conflict starts off-screen. By the time we find out Cuphead’s having nightmares, Mugman is past the point of alarm or concern. He’s irritated.

So you know this has happened quite a few times, and you know Cuphead has ultimately brushed it off every time Mugman has expressed concern or tried to get Cuphead to address the problem that he wants to pretend is not a problem (i.e. owing the Devil his soul).

Mugman states more than asks this. And when Cuphead hears Mugman’s voice, Cup actually grimaces like he’s been caught. It’s like they’ve argued about this before, and Cuphead knows he isn’t helping his case and is proving Mugman right.

Being woken by the sound of screaming for the nth night because your brother keeps insisting he’s fine when he’s not would grow frustrating quickly. It’s maddening to watch someone you love suffer, to want to help someone who refuses to help themselves. Doubly so if your sleep is also taking a hit.

This is the night Mugman puts his foot down about it, “We’re dealing with this Devil thing once and for all! Come on!” And we get an interesting bit of dialogue when Cuphead still attempts to protest.

This… kind of tells us a lot, right? I mean, up to this point in Part 1, “trust” hasn’t really seemed like a problem between these two. Sure they bicker, but when push comes to shove, they always have each other’s backs.

It’s not Cuphead’s intention, but maybe brushing off Mugman’s concerns and attempts to help feels like distrust to Mugman… ‘I don’t want your help’ can be easily misconstrued as ‘I don’t trust you to help me,’ and Cuphead appears to feel bad when he realizes this. It certainly shuts him up quick.

Now to be fair, to Cuphead, the chances of his brother actually knowing how to save him from the Devil are slim. And based on his nightmare, he doesn’t want Mugman caught in the crossfire, either…

But Cup also uses denial as a coping mechanism, and pretending a problem’s not there won’t solve it. Refusing to think about it, worry about it, address it means that stress will just build and manifest in other ways… like nightmares. (Or increasingly worse behavior, which is what I think we see in Part 2…)

Arguably, Sweater Off Dead is the first suggestion that the Devil is a constant source of stress for both brothers, even when the episodes don’t focus on that. It’s always there in the background. And like we see a bit here, that stress creates some division between the boys, which is exacerbated in Part 2… But that’s a different post.

Because this is Part 1, and it’s full of brotherly sweetness. In Sweater Off Dead, the boys want to resolve conflicts before they can spiral further. The bulk of this episode is Mugman proving he absolutely can save his brother. He can be trusted. Even outside of finding Quadratus and knitting the sweater, he proves it.

Over

and over

and over

and over again. Mugman is willing to sacrifice his life to save Cuphead. There are no guarantees that the magic of the sweater will protect him when he goes to hug Cuphead. In fact, “give your brother one last hug” sounds like it definitely will not… But he still lunges forward anyway.

And if I put my super analysis nerd goggles on, I’d even argue Mugman is the sweater here. Visually. Wrapped around Cuphead like that, protecting him, Mugman is acting as the sweater. Maybe the real invisible, impenetrable sweater was the brother we had all along.

It’s only fitting then that Mugman is the one who slams the sweater on the Devil in the following episode… It’s a temporary solution, but it does buy the brothers some time… which, as it turns out, is all they need for Cuphead’s soul debt to expire.

[peapod20001]

Yknow, the reason I

1. Have SO MANY fucking characters

2. Have characters with a bunch different ailments, disabilities, mental issues, etc

Is mostly cus

A. I got some issues myself so it’s nice to share those with my characters

B. Other people have those issues and it’s nice having people relate to my own creations

C. I got issues (unrelated to point A) where I feel the need to have one of everything to be in control of things but tbh that urge has kinda died down in recent years lol

D. When I make a character that has to live differently than myself, it’s easier to learn to empathize and understand REAL people that live differently than myself (also helps to understand different beliefs and viewpoints someone else may have that I don’t quite fully understand and/ or agree with) because I feel my characters are a part of ME and it’s almost always easier to relate to oneself rather than others

[leucosia-meme]

spotify wrapped :)

(plus lots of rambling in the tags)