#i hate shameless fans who are privileged

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

istg y’all love romanticizing the gallagher’s, milkoviches, and poverty until you meet people actually like them

[hologramcowboy]

You're one of the most pathetic people here. You overanalyzing someone from acting to personal life. You have no life outside and your fave is boring, that's why you're here blogging about someone you don't like. The funniest thing is that only jared fans think that he's a good and highly trained actor when in reality people know him as a joke outside of the fandom. Maybe read some critics reviews and comments on imdb, twitter and reddit, most people there are not from the fandom and they are likely unbiased. Maybe you don't want to see it because you're delusional.

Maybe you don't see it because you have no experience when it comes to acting or the industry. Have you ever considered that? 🤣🤣🤣 Wow, gaslighting done by a Jared hating Jensen stan, I am shook. 🤣 Such intelligence. Much class. My fav is Jensen so are you saying Jensen is boring? Or are you playing the bully and deciding who my favorite really is? Wow, such power. I could care less about what GA thinks, I judge an actor by the impact the creates, the humanity he has and the professionalism he demonstrates. Being an Actor goes deeper than just embodying a role, do you even know what the origin story of actors is and WHY actors are important to society? Of course not, that kind of knowledge and awareness is way out of your league. All you know is bullying out of frustration due to living a limited, unfulfilled life.

I have no life outside? As in if i step outside I die? lol Might wanna brush up on your grammar and logic there, buddy. So not only do you get to make up who my fav is you also get to make up what my life is like and yet I'm supposed to be the delusional one? Entertaining. 🤣

Let's look at reality, for a moment, together:

Is Jared repped by one of the biggest agencies in Hollywood? Yes.

Is Jared a Leading Man? Yes.

Is Jared highly respected within his industry by his peers? Yes.

Is Jared is a privileged position as an actor who is also an e.p. on his dream project that gets shot in his home town, something some will only ever dream of during their lifetime and never achieve? Yes.

Is Jared one of the most attractive and admired tv stars of his generation? Yes.

Is Jared a highly trained actor? Yes, Jared is a professionally trained actor.

Does Jared exemplify great humanity as an artist? Yes. In so many ways, I can't even begin listing them because this post will become endless.

Finally, since you are clearly an AA, stomach this:

Is Jared more successful than Jensen at the moment? Yes. Yes. Yes. Jared is at Leading Man tier while Jensen is at Guest Star. For your reference, Jared is at the highest tier a tv actor can reach, not only that but the success of his show rested solely on his image initially before people got acquainted with the story. So that's how powerful and recognizable Jared's brand is, he did a remake of a show that strays from the original and the show survived because people love to see him on screen telling stories.

"People know him as a joke outside of fandom" is a blatant, gaslighting, shameless lie and the only pitiful one here is you for even remotely needing to make anyone less in any way, especially someone as successful and appreciated as Jared Padalecki, who has earned the respect of his audience so deeply he is the single reason his show is thriving. Jared is the very definition of a Leading Man.

[archon-maenad]

hello, welcome to my pinned post! I'm archon-maenad, formerly known as wormpinions, and this is meant to be a guide and warning all at once for my blog. if you're following me with any level of active interest I highly recommend at least skimming this.

below the read-more contains general disclaimers I wish everyone who read my posts could know, a list of takes I have that might be deal-breakers, a summary of each au I created that I post about on here, and an extensive masterlist of my insane tagging system.

and here's my ao3 above the rm, because I'm shameless and desperate for interaction.

honestly, by general disclaimers I mostly mean one thing with a few aspects that I really really really want to make sure people know. specifically the concept of bashing vs criticism.

I do not like the idea of bashing characters. fics tagged with that are a red flag, I always use the "[character] Critical" because it's more accurate to the nuance I want to have. people are not one dimensional. they can have a fuckload of flaws I want to scream about from the rooftops and/or cackle about and still have the opportunity to become better people.

I can admit that I do like bashing settings, but I also use the "[topic] Critical" tag for that because once again: nuance is very important. some worlds are completely fucked but that doesn't mean they don't have redeeming qualities or became that way for a reason.

having to add on to every post that I have thoughts beyond the scathing analysis or (hopefully) amusing dunking would get old real fast, so let me put it here. I do not hate unconditionally. I am capable of exploring generous good-faith interpretations of characters I dislike or settings I criticize. I acknowledge the layers of why people act or places work.

that being said, welcome to the possible deal-breakers part of this post. here are a list of popular characters I will ruthlessly drag for making awful decisions.

itachi uchiha. why does nobody talk about how he literally deadass canonically no-I-am-not-exaggerating tortured his little brother. how can people call him a good sibling What The Actual Fuck????

kakashi hatake. he did team 7 so fucking dirty, mans was really willing to throw a bunch of children out into life as soldier-mercenaries unprepared. I understand why he did (70% of his personality is trauma) but that doesn't mean I condone it.

naruto uzumaki. yes I am very critical of the main boy himself. he's so blind to the privilege he has and expects other people to forgive things as easily as he does, minimizing the very real grievances they might have just because the person being criticized is one he cares about.

sasuke uchiha. do I need to elaborate.

minato namikaze. this one is more me just being really annoyed at how the fandom is so quick to paint him in a saintly light when he killed a thousand people and became a military dictator.

batman. I have a lot of problems with how he handles his rogues and the child heroes trailing at his heels.

all-might. he's a criminally negligent teacher and taught japan that triumph written in blood is peace. dude really singlehandedly fucked up a whole country's culture.

eraserhead. the fact he is a good hero willing to die for his students does not mean he isn't actively sabotaging their ability to trust authority figures, and dadzawa is entirely a fan creation. in canon he seriously gives so many rancid vibes.

izuku midoriya. his self-righteousness and lack of respect for boundaries just makes me nauseous. and instead of getting a mentor who helps him grow as a person, he got one who reinforced all his toxic traits.

daemon targaryen. he ordered the deaths of children and SEDUCED HIS FOURTEEN YEAR OLD NIECE. FOURTEEN. and then fucked her later right after her husband's funeral like that genuinely makes me want to throw up it's so disrespectful and disgusting.

rhaenyra targaryen. yes the double standards for women cheating are definitely real, but passing off her bastards as trueborn and then getting mad when people don't want a woman who believes she has a right to break vows on the throne is just. wowza. hubris should have been her middle name.

padme amidala. if you aren't going with an interpretation where anakin (probably out of unconscious negligence but that doesn't excuse it) manipulated her emotions, then you gotta face the fact that your precious girlboss married a mass murderer and is willing to put all the bills she pushes concerning the jedi at stake by doing that.

on the flipside, here are some characters I shamelessly love that are divisive figures in fandom.

sakura haruno. her harassment of sasuke is disgusting but she was a twelve year old girl who was taught such behavior was acceptable and also that doesn't mean she should be sent off to die with no training. why y'all hating on her she's a queen.

ron weasley. I probably won't make any actual posts about hp because contributing to the discussion of jk rowling's works makes me feel slimy, but appreciation of ron is a very important personality trait of mine y'all need to know.

the whole jedi order. they handled anakin's situation horribly but it was out of ignorance and not malice, and we are jedi culture positive in this household. jedi knights and masters not marrying has a lot of valid reasons actually and if that's a dealbreaker you should transfer to the corps or leave! it's not a lifestyle for everyone and it doesn't need to be.

sansa stark. I'm getting pretty tired of writing all these up so I'm not even going to elaborate. I love sansa and I'm not sorry about it.

and finally, yes I am the bitch who got dragged for liking kill orders. please go here for my explanation for those thoughts in detail that the (in hindsight really badly written because I was too enthusiastic to give enough context and oh my god it really does paint me in a bad light) original post didn't cover.

now the fun stuff. my aus!

riley midoriya au: a reformed but still pretty wild bonesaw is reborn as izuku's twin sister, quickly replacing bakugou's canon role model status. cue a protagonist who grew up around scathing commentary concerning japan's cape scene bc homegirl is Not Impressed by her new life.

bonesaw at camp half blood au: riley is reborn as annabeth chase. her unique worldview and curiosity shake things up quite a bit, because everyone around here is too damn quick to accept the status quo and not question the facts being told.

taylor uzumaki au: taylor hebert is reborn as naruto. she hates her new world, especially the normalized child soldiers and thoughtless way they take chakra for granted, and unknowingly makes ninja double take by being her usual unhinged self.

forbidden histories au: two codependent eldritch gods from cultist simulator get stuck in the body of sakura haruno and proceed to wreak havoc trying to get back to their home reality.

genesis generation au: my own personal post-canon fix-it. aka hokage sakura, ambassador naruto, under house arrest with chakra binding seals and rethinking all his life choices sasuke, and economies not based on child soldiers.

the rest of my tags will have to be sorted by category because there are just... so many. why am I like this.

first are the general fandom tags. they're what they say on the tin, and are for any mention or reference to anything in one of these pieces of media.

parahumans

naruto

pjo (aka the percy jackson books/world)

my hero academia

dc universe

svsss (aka scum villain system)

danny phantom

asoiaf (aka a song of ice and fire, or game of thrones)

star wars

danganronpa

disco elysium

the promised neverland

cultist simulator

animorphs

also the individual characters from those pieces of media but I'm not gonna list em all I ain't insane

next are the opinions tags, used for when something of actual substance is said on a topic. I had to prune these down they were getting crazy so here's the new list.

taylorpinions: taylor hebert opinions

rileypinions: riley grace davis opinions

ninepinions: slaughterhouse nine opinions (for the concept and non-riley members)

betpinions: earth bet opinions (culture, other unique aspects, and also now covers the aftereffects of endbringers)

bcfpinions: brockton's celestial forge by lord_roustabout opinions

wormpinions: worm opinions (everything else parahumans)

shinobipinions: shinobi opinions (covers everything naruto related so far)

dcpinions: dc universe opinions

umeipinions: all fics by umei no mai opinions

starpinions: star wars opinions

miscpinions: miscellaneous opinions (fandoms I don't cover with regularity)

and finally, the uncategorized tags.

mae just talks: what it says on the tin, me talking (usually not fandom related)

fic rec: also what it says on the tin, posts with links to recommended fics

worm liveblog: what it says on the tin, my live reactions to reading worm.

I have no idea if anyone will actually read this monster of a post, but it's important to me that it exists. so if you made it here to the end, thank you. I hope you enjoy my -pinions!

[joelockescoffee]

(4/?) too. People who disagreed with that then went in ranges from idk I'm upset and triggered i hope someone explains but i'll be patient, to the hstwt classic of harassing the actor into giving us an answer. Im still glad bash did answer since, again, it was a bad translation, but the hurtful msgs i saw weren't necessary. We know bash. We know how he feels about bn. The things he was being accused of were horrific. And the original interview in English WAS OUT THERE, if you're so dedicated to

The amount of tweets I've seen of people hating on him god it just breaks my heart. They dragged him and his fans, they brought race into this, said he has white privilege, belittled him because he's a side character and still gets attention, called him slangs. Now they have the nerve to say they just wanted a clarification from him, y'all have to ask yourselves why Joe came into bashs defence, you're hurt cause Joe liked the tweet, imagine how hurt was he when his friend was getting bullied. They're so selfish and shameless, I can't-

[abbynx]

Man's greatest treasure

(Monoma Neito X Reader)

You find it particularly difficult when it comes to clashing amongst the most the rich and important who has colourful arrays of expensively glimmering rocks sewn in their clothes while you wore second hand clothing you've inherited from your older relatives. You find it additionally difficult you were practically the most underdressed person, ironically the most eye-catching one in the banquet. It seems like being the favoured darling among the crowd in this party sounds ethereal... If they weren't looking down at you on their noses with their brows raised, probably questioning how a simpleton such as you be in an extravagant banquet hosted by the wealthiest and privileged family in Japan.

Silently heaving a sigh, your gaze simply met with the floor. It was then you noticed the rich texture of the material of it. For all you know, the floor you're currently standing on is made with the most rarest stone known to mankind but at least it does not negatively interact with you. The nasty glares from rich strangers never seem to fade out even if you try to divert your attention into something else. Your ears can't help but to do its purpose, you've heard the things they've said about you.

How the hell did they even got here?

Who in the world thought it would be a good idea to invite them?

Did they...? Crashed the party?

Ugh, their attire is sooo last decade

Aren't they supposed to be... not invited?

Who invited this peasant here?

You have always dealt about comments about you. Whether it was because of your physical appearance, your personality, your status, your background, your ambitions and you have come into terms with it... You were born from a poverty-stricken family who raised a person who will give them financial support. You have always been the pawn, the answer to their financial needs. For the booze, the drugs, three meals a day, a decent living space... However, there would be times you would find yourself getting strangled with extremely irrational thoughts. You would let them fuel the way you doubt yourself to a certain extent you've contemplated about your own worth. A pawn to your parents, a doormat to privileged people, a plaything for fate to entertain themselves with... A worthless nobody who serves the role as the floor scrubbing servant who feeds on the leftover from the plates of the privileged.

The only reason you were because of an invitation from the celebrator himself. Neito Monoma wishes to celebrate his success of landing as the top ninth hero with you by throwing am insanely large gala.

His family was old money, filthy rich and will only get richer and richer as the decades pile on. Their family have always been composed of famous and successful people. His father owns a large company for jewellery mainly rings, his mother is a famous fashion designer, his eldest brother is the heir of the company and as well as a popular influencer, his sister is the famous actress with myriad of talents for both Broadway and media...

And how could you forget your darling Neito Monoma? The top ninth hero of Japan. Talented, skilled, cunning, intellectual, successful... Compared to a plain nobody such as you are. You often questioned your relevance and worth and he hates it.

It was no secret his family does not like you. They never bothered to conceal it even if Neito was around. You've met them before, it was the time your boyfriend introduced you to his family in a simple family dinner in the Monoma estate. You can still feel their gazes bearing scrutiny and obvious hatred. Neito was by your side all the time and you appreciate it... But there would be times where you're starting believe his parents that he deserves better.

You have encountered his sister awhile ago. She was divinely beautiful, a deity incarnated with a rotten core. With a face barren with any superficial cosmetics, it was then you realize that she is effortlessly beautiful as much as she is effortless at being ugly on the inside. The way she scrunched her face upon seeing you present in her brother's celebration... It was disgusting that you weren't able to stand your ground, but your in the depths of your despair, your inferiority got the best of you instead.

"Oh, I thought he would have already broke up with you-" she gazed at your from the tip of her nose. "-dear brother deserves the best and only the best. Not some peasant dressed in poorly sewn trash. Even the floor has more worth than you." She says, before walking off. It was awhile ago, just before the gala was crowded with too much people, and yet it still lingers in your mind.

The floor even has more worth than I have-

"Ah, you've made it!" You find yourself snapping out of your irrational thoughts induced trance when a certain pompous voice took your hands in his, pulling you closer until your head rests on his chest. You gradually pressed your head against his chest with a sigh, entwining your fingers with his soft and slender ones. His chest lightly shakes with a light-hearted chuckle, wrapping an arm over the small of your back while his free hand held your hands. "I apologize for my tardiness, I was simply greeting guests individually... So I decided to greet the best for last." He strokes your hand with his thumb, before pressing your wrist against his lips.

He usually enjoyed seeing you vulnerable when reacting to his shameless acts of public display of affection. The way you would timidly avert your gaze from his smug, but oddly affectionate ones, the heat emitting from your face and the smile you try to defy. But this time he saw a different type of vulnerability in your eyes... You were shaken, your usual vibrant eyes were dull and casted down, your head lowered, your shoulder sagged and back haunched. Monoma Neito immediately notices your unusual discomfort and pulls you out of the crowd to a more obscured area by the balcony.

He walks behind you, puts his hand atop your shoulders and rolls it back. He proceeds to walk in front of you, taking your chin with his pointer finger and thumb, before tilting it up to have your lovely eyes meet with his. His lips formed into a soft smirk before stealing a peck from you. He lingered a little longer, savouring the sweet spark between you and pulls away to stare into your eyes.

"Darling, chin up-" he puts his curled finger under your chin, tilting it up. "-your crown is falling."

"Oh shut it-!" At the most highest range of your voice, you shoved him by his chest and turned away from him to face the gardens below the balcony with a red face. A low chuckle erupted from the depths of his velvety vocals and takes this as an opportunity to wrap his arms around your waist and puts his chin atop your shoulder.

"Are you particularly uncomfortable with the crowd? If I've known it sooner I would have swept you off your feet and have you in my bedroom-" his finger began to wander by your shoulders, wandering by your collarbone and neck, before he found himself tracing your jawline and cheeks. He leans to your ear, his hot breathe fanning your skin as he acquired an enticing voice. "-we could've done so many things- OOF!"

You did not let him speak any further by giving him a good elbow by his stomach and pushing him away. Your cheeks burned hotter than the sun and the only thought you can pick at the back of your head was to jump off the balcony if he ever continued to fluster you like this. He doubles over in pain, clutching his stomach, but couldn't help but to laugh at your dirty assumptions.

"I was going to say reading books or watching a movie, but I see you have something else in mind," he laughs, wrapping his arms around your stiff figure. His laughs subsides with a sigh, before he puts his chin over your shoulder. "What's wrong, my love? You've been uncharacteristically silent the whole night."

You knew it wouldn't last long before he would address the elephant in the room. You were quite disappointed it took him a few minutes before he can see what's wrong. The moment he lead you out of the crowd, he knew something was wrong. You were becoming more easy to read the more he spent his time with you and you have no idea if it was a good thing or bad.

He sighs at your relentless desire to stay silence. You felt his lips on your cold neck, his cold hand grasping your hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

"Darling, please..." His voice was reduced into a more soothing tone. Genuinely concerned for your well being, taking you seriously... "Please tell me what to do to make you feel better..."

That damned voice he uses that instantly commands you to listen to him, to make yourself the best version of yourself just for him. Your chest started to well with pleasant feelings, knees started to feel weak, leading you to lean your body on his for support. He presses his body further, engulfing you with his comforting warmth. Neito gently strokes your arm in a manner to comfort you, just waiting for your answer.

"Is it my family again?" He asks, patiently waiting for your answer.

You sighed, turning around to face him. You leaned your head on his chest, grasping his hand in yours. "Promise me you won't confront them about it." You knew far too well he will find his ways to look for a loophole from your request, but at least you can hope he won't confront them because of you.

"... No promises." You rolled your eyes, lightly smacking him by the chest. He simply chuckles and caresses your cheek with a loving smile. "I'll try not to be too harsh."

You sighed, knowing full to well he might not abide with your conditions. "It's your sister..." You held the same hand he uses to caress your cheek, firmly pressing it. "She- she said that I'm worthless-"

"We both know it isn't true, my love," he smiles, kissing your knuckle and watches you squirm under his kiss. "You, my darling, are not worthless. You're priceless. Ignore my family, disregard their judgement. Their beliefs are all built in with vanity and you shan't let them affect you."

He deeply gazed upon your eyes, his grey orbs peering into your soul and piercing it with sincerity and reassurance. "No matter what they say, no matter what they do, you can't let them knock you off your humble pedestal. You can't let them dictate your worth. For you, my sweet sweet angel, are man's greatest treasure."

With tearful eyes, you embraced Neito, pressing your face against his chest. You denied yourself to sob, bursting into small whimpers as he strokes your back with his hand, swaying you from side to side to calm you down.

"It's alright my love, let it all out..." He comforts, kissing your cheek and letting you cry on his chest.

"I love you, Neito..." You wiped the stubborn tears away from your eyes, backing away from him.

He chuckles in amusement with sheer euphoria, he pulls you close. The distance between the two of you closed as both parties leaned forward to meet in a passionate kiss. He grasps your hand close to his chest, wherein his heart erratically pounds within him. After pulling away, he lingers for a second and leans his forehead against yours.

His lips touched yours as he breathlessly spoke, "I love you, too, my dearest Y/N. Remember you're worth more than you think."

[the-romantic-lady]

Surprised to hear you like Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, given that you're a fan of Richard, Duke of York. Isn't that a conflict of interest or something? Lol. What's your opinion on Elizabeth Woodville and the Woodville clan, Margaret Beaufort, Warwick and the Neville clan, and George, Duke of Clarence? (Basically what's your opinion on the rest of the players of the Wars of the Roses lol.)

Gosh, anon you are encouraging me!! I love that you care about my thoughts <3. Alright then, let's start.

I used to be very anti-Margaret of Anjou. Until I started to look at things from her perspective. York was dangerously popular with a lot of children and a formidable wife. Margaret must have felt insecure. Also, there is this theory that Margaret's mentor and confidant William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk was murdered under the order of the Duke of York. That must have been a tipping point. But I still think that York was the better ruler and person. I will get a lot of hate for this, but women in general were not suitable rulers for the Middle Ages. They were often driven by more personal ideals (Empress Matilda vs. Stephen is a great example and Margaret was no different). Ofc there were men like that too but women seemed to always be like that. As a woman, I understand and the later periods were more suitable for female leadership. York was a much better ruler. He was driven by the stability of the realm rather than his personal issues (he put his own son-in-law in prison and Margaret wouldn't even budge on her failure advisors). And her entitlement was mind-boggling. I love how messed up she was. And Henry...I just feel sorry for him. The Middle Ages also were not a time for artistic and kind kings lol.

Elizabeth Woodville and the Woodville Clan:

As I have said, I pretty much like everyone before 1485 lol. But Elizabeth Woodville was annoying af. That made her interesting but I can't get over how incredibly greedy she was. She was the daughter of a minor gentry and widow of a Lancastrian knight. Edward makes her queen and she abuses that power so much. She has problems with everyone. Warwick, George, Richard, any noble who didn't kiss her arse and even Edward. Queens were meant to level the mind of King. Edward III's queen famously saved French clergy by going on her knees to beg the King for mercy. Ofc that was a bit dramatic but many Queens did this. It was called the Queen's mercy or something like that. But boy was she a hell of a woman. Despite being raised in a pretty privileged household, she was shrewd and survived to the end. She could have learned a thing or two from Cecily Neville about how to put that strong personality to better use but regardless. Also, I love how she was shunned fron Henry Tudor's court when Richard welcomed her to his with open arms. I mean...karma. But all in all, I like her. Its as they say "well behaved women seldom make history". She had flaws (so did the everyone else!) but her character is interesting and admirable. And despite that shaved forehead, she is a gorgeous woman. So I get where Edward was coming from XD The other social climbing members Woodville..not so much. The shameless way that they tried to push themselves in and take hold of power when they had literally fought on the losing Lancastrian side is embarrassing and oh so disgusting. Like Warwick secured the throne for Edward and they were given precedence over him. I just...yeah. John Woodville legit married a 65 year old duchess (he was 19) for money and power. They were a hungry bunch and courting them was Edward IV's biggest mistake and towards the end of his life, I think he saw that.

Margaret Beaufort

I will keep this short since I don't know much about her but I dislike her. I understand that she went through a lot. Her father apparently suicided when she was 1 and that is traumatic. And back then suicide was mocked and disgraced. She ofc blamed the Duke of York....cause at this point why not? She ofc went through a really young and traumatic birth at 13. Her husband was gross and that's that. And we know that Edward kept her son exiled so she couldn't see him. But despite all this, I just don't like her? I suppose its the super impressive Plantagenet women who just make me look at the sleezy and dull Margaret with disdain. And she gives me real phony vibes. Like at times, she just seemed to cosplay Cecily Neville lol. When you see women like Cecily Neville and Margaret of Anjou taking charge in the way they did, Margaret and her deceptive ways are just cringe worthy.

The Earl of Warwick

This man. Just this man. The way that England seemed to revolve around his whims is amazing. He was a real Duke of York stan and so I have to appreciate him. But he was so fearless. Henry VI, Edward IV, Margaret of Anjou, you name it. He stood against them. The Duke of York seemed to be someone he admired but other than that, he fought for himself. He helped Edward take the crown and worked hard to keep Edward's throne. He was embarrassed with the whole secret marriage saga but still stuck by. But Edward clearly forgot who he owed his success too. The man escaped an assassination by Henry VI's men and saved his father and uncle from it. He actually took charge in the first Battle of St. Albans in 1455 because his rivals the Percys were mocking him. I just love him. Ngl, sometimes when I read about him, I just blush. A man if there ever was one. There were so many attempts at disgracing him. He was the Captain of Calais and in that role fought Medieval pirates! And he was ruthless at it. People loved him and he carried that popularity well. I should stop fangirling over a dead guy. I think I made it pretty clear that I love him XD.

Neville clan

I like them too. Warwick's father was pretty much York's best friend and I love him for it. They were also social climbers like the Woodvilles but so much better at it. They didn't have the entitlement that the Woodvilles did and managed their powers well. Cecily Neville was ofc a Neville and she is one of my favorites. One of my favorite thing about them is how courageous they were. Like all of them. Unfortunately, Anne and Isabel are both obscure figures. I wish we knew more about them. They were pushed around like prizes. Good on Richard for giving Anne a position to make her own decision. I feel bad for those girls. Although the York brothers were known to be good looking so lucky them?

George, Duke of Clarence

Ah, George. I love this man. If there was one son of York who inherited his father's glamour and charm, it was George. And I love that he stood up to his brother and sister-in-law. He was sometimes too problematic but I still love that! Glamourous and problematic. How can one not love the man? Although his betrayal of Edward is kind of sad considering that Edward really tried to be like a dad to his brothers. George took Edward's love for granted for too long. His breakdown after his wife's death is really sad too. Interestingly, this seems to be a pattern with the Plantagenet men. They all have breakdowns and downfalls after the death of their wives. Their women are so much stronger emotionally.

I know this was long! I hope you enjoyed the post :D. I would love to know your thoughts too and if you agree or disagree. Seriously, thank you for letting me talk about this. Nothing makes me happier than to discuss these people!

[saint-cichol-is-watching]

Ik you might be annoyed by now and im really sorry! Can i give my 2 cents about the lucifer birthday drama? I feel like people are forgeting that this game is new! The game was JUST released in december 2019! Its totaly normal that the game devs are gonna wanna try some new things! And I also think its possible that they might've just recently come up with the idea, and to me, it makes sence that they'd start this new thing with Lucifer! Just because he's the oldest! Idk about japan culture but+

I have no problem with you expressing your opinion to me as long as you stay polite and respectful which you did and I’m thankful for that 🥰

To respond to you I’m gonna quote some parts of your ask to make sure everything stays in order I hope you don’t mind !

Small Disclaimer : I do not hate Lucifer’s character nor the Devs ! Please make sure you know and remember that before reading. 

You said : “I feel like people are forgeting that this game is new! The game was JUST released in December 2019 !”

So in a few days the games is going to be six months old, so while he is fairly new he has still been working for half a year and he also belongs to SWD who is certainly not new. Birthday events are not a new things around here so even if the Devs are different they should have heard about the birthday events before.

You said : “And I also think its possible that they might've just recently come up with the idea”

Like I said before I’m okay with the twins (my two favorite brothers) not getting anything because at the time the game was about three months old and yes maybe it was too soon for them to implement such a big event.

However when the twins birthday happened people complained about not having anything to celebrate on the game beside a special quote if only you had them on your mainscreen. So again Devs who already knew about birthday events were again reminded of them. Same happened during Levi’s birthday.

Events are confirmed to be pre-planned and there was certainly not enough time between Asmodeus’s and Lucifer’s birthday to plan a full-on event like that. Which means the development for the Lucifer event started before Asmodeus’s birthday and they just decided to deliberately ignore everything about him in favor of Lucifer as they often do, which one of the biggest issue of the game right now.

You said : “It makes sense that they'd start this new thing with Lucifer ! Just because he's the oldest”

I’m sorry I’m going to be the dumb one but where is this logical?! This excuse, for me, would have worked only if the brothers’s birthdays were scattered throughout the year in the same order as their age.

For example : Lucifer is born in January, Mammon in April, Levi in June, Satan in August, Asmo in October and finally the twins in December. 

But they are not. So why bother waiting to start with the oldest for the order to break not on the next birthday but the one after. What would have changed if they started everything with Asmo ?

Or else they’re gonna do Mammon’s birthday, then jump over Satan’s and the twins’s (a second time) to get to Levi ? And then what Asmo’s will again be ignored along with Lucifer and Mammon to get to Satan. Only to jump over the twins’s birthday a THIRD time, then Levi’s to finally get some Asmo content etc.

Doesn’t seem really practical but that’s the only way this excuse would ever sound valid. For me they could have just said we’re starting with Lucifer because we want to and I would’ve taken it better honestly. 

(I’m not gonna say anything about oldest child privileges because I don’t know every culture in the world, I would be mostly inclined to say that the youngest often have more privileges but who knows?)

THE REAL ISSUE HERE

The problem with most people here is the Devs’s blatant favoritism for Lucifer during events, during the main story or even in text messages. People are getting fed up that their favorite brother, especially Asmodeus’s and Satan’s stans, are never getting any attention when Lucifer is getting a lot of spotlight instead (and is often pushed onto MC who is always forced to find him attractive or even have feelings for him).

The birthday event only made this worse because we literally went from 0 to 1000 in the span of two/three weeks, WEEKS. The issue here is Lucifer got all of these things when Asmo, for whom the fandom was already calling out the overlook, got nothing. Nothing stopped the Devs from giving everyone 30 DPs like they did for Lucifer OR raising the odds to get Asmo cards more easily like they did for Lucifer OR holding a special sale like they did for Lucifer.

As you have seen I’ve only said “OR” because people were not asking for an entire event like they did for Lucifer they just wanted one small thing to indicate that they were thinking about implementing birthday events.

Also a big issue I personally have here is the fandom saying “It’s okay they’re gonna give it to everyone you just have to wait” and sometimes not in respectful terms. People don’t seem to realize what can happen in a year : A player could finish high school and start college, another one could start working their first full-time job, another could maybe have a baby and someone could loose someone really dear to them. With everything happening around them I could understand why they wouldn’t hold onto a game that never seemed to really care about them and their wishes just for a birthday event.  A year is a long time. This was just not a good move.

—

I hope everything I said will not be taken in a wrong way, everything I said is supposed to be respectful and I’m not in any case trying to change your opinion about things. You’re entitled to your opinion just as I am to mine. 

However I have to say, to both sides of this argument : 

DO NOT SEND HATE

Do not send hate to people who like Lucifer, do not send hate to people who dislike him, do not send hate to people who are calling out his favoritism nor to people who don’t really care about it. Just do not send hate, be respectful of everyone and their opinions and they shall be respectful to yours.

Also shameless promo but @thelazystrawberryboi​ did an awesome fan art of the four forgotten birthday brothers and I recommend you check it out.

Now goodbye I’m going back to Luci’s birthday headcanons ! ❤️

[tibbinswrites]

Hi! Could you do #9 for Destiel? Thanks for sharing your awesome work with us :D

Hi Nonnie! You’re so very welcome, thank you for sending in a prompt!

So this is shameless fluff. You might want to brush your teeth after reading ;)

(prompts are open. Send me a number between 1 and 635 and I’ll write a thing for you)

I’ve now done prompts for: #1, #2, #4 and #16, #9, #10, #78, #170 and #502 

and I have prompts in progress for #33 and #77 but all the others are fair game :D

Enjoy ^_^

Prompt #9: “It’s fine.”

“What do you think?” Cas asked after calling Dean into their bedroom. His eyes were too-bright, frantic almost, and Dean tried not to feel uncomfortable under the unhinged intensity of his boyfriend’s stare as he looked at the dresser.

Cas visibly deflated before Dean even had a chance to react. “You hate it,” he said dolefully, his face scrunching up like he was about to cry and Dean was definitely not panicking. “I messed it up and you hate it.”

“No! Don’t you dare! It’s done. You did it and it’s done and I’m proud of you.” Dean said quickly. Cas had locked himself up here six hours ago, after their trip to Ikea ended with a purchase that Dean had been very much against in the first place. The dresser was large, with drawers of different shapes and sizes and opening mechanisms and colours. Of course, Cas had fallen in love with the thing on sight, saying that it looked magical, like it contained a different secret in each compartment. Dean had argued that it was impractical. It wouldn’t fit most things that people put in dressers, like clothes, nor would it go with the rest of the room. But Cas had pouted and pleaded and Dean was a weak man and folded after about twenty seconds of those blue eyes, though he had joked that he wouldn’t help assemble the thing… he was regretting that now.

“It’s horrible.”

“It’s fine,” Dean insisted, ignoring the way that one side was longer than the other, and how none of the handles looked the way they had on the assembled one in the store, or how there were large gaps where Dean was pretty sure something was supposed to be and at least seven ‘spare’ pieces that had been hastily shoved back into the box.

“I ruined it!” Cas wailed, falling into Dean’s chest, clearly exhausted and past the level of frustration where he was capable of being reasonable.

“I think it looks great,” Dean lied, kissing the top of Cas’ head. “But if you like, I’ll take a look at it after dinner and see if I can polish it up a little.”

Cas sniffed and pulled back to look up at him, the hope in his eyes turned Dean’s insides into a gooey mess. “Really?”

“Come on, sweetheart,” Dean said, guiding Cas out of the room he’d been sequestered in all day (at his own insistence; Dean had been trying to coax him out since hour three, offering his help, and food, but Cas was a stubborn son of a bitch when he’d made a deal). “I made lasagna.”

Cas cheered up a little during dinner, though he kept rubbing at his eyes so Dean insisted he go and sleep in the spare room while Dean worked on the dresser in their bedroom so he wouldn’t be disturbed. Cas was too tired to argue and headed to the downstairs bedroom after two helpings of lasagna and assurances that Dean wouldn’t stay up too late.

Xxx

Cas awoke the next morning in a bed that was too soft and without Dean’s warmth next to him. He sat up and looked around. The spare room was nice, if a little cramped, what with the double and the twin bed shoved in, just in case Sam and Eileen and Gabriel converged on them at once, or indeed if Charlie showed up (in which case they’d all cram in together, Charlie was a huge fan of sleepover-style gatherings and although Cas had thought it strange at first, he’d soon grown to love those evenings as much as the other two). Cas had definitely slept in worse places, but he hated waking up alone.

It hadn’t used to bother him much. He’d never been the clingy type, even prided himself on his independence (which had caused a whole host of problems with previous boyfriends), but when he met Dean, with his disarming smile, those forest-deep eyes that spoke of mischief and safety, and the kind of ‘all-in’ attitude that had terrified him since Dean let it show on their fourth date, Cas had never before so badly wanted to be included. Dean was funny and charming and cared so deeply and so fast that it was impossible not to get sucked in. Of course, all that openness hid a whole bunch of insecurities that Castiel had blundered into without realising, which made for a difficult few weeks and several uncomfortable conversations with Sam before Cas realised that this thing they had was too important to him for him to be able to cut and run like he had done so many times before, that Dean was too important to him.

They’d learned to navigate each other, slowly. Cas learned that Dean needed a lot of reassurance, especially after or during an argument, and Dean had figured out how to draw Cas out of his own head when he was scared and overwhelmed and get him to talk rather than run away when things got hard and six years later Cas had never been happier. Even after all this time Dean’s smile set off butterflies in his belly, his laugh still warmed something inside him and his presence was grounding and safe. He’d never relied on anyone the way he’d come to rely on Dean, and though that sometimes sent his head into a downward spiral, Dean was always there to help him through it.

They just fit together seamlessly, filling in each other’s empty spaces. Dean made him laugh until he snorted milk out of his nose and then laugh even more at that, he made Cas feel reckless and brave, willing to try things that he normally wouldn’t even consider and had started to dismantle the cocoon of indifference he’d been wrapped in his whole life. Cas in turn had been privileged to watch Dean’s bravado bloom into confidence, to listen to him talk without fear of being interrupted or told to shut up, to watch him sink into calm moments rather than trying to make them large and important, to hear him ask for what he needed rather than trying to be strong for everyone else.

Cas smiled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, the other side of the bed was cold and unmade; Dean must have slept in their bed once he was done with the dresser rather than coming all the way downstairs.

The dresser… Cas buried his face in his hands in a moment of self-indulgent embarrassment. He’d loved the dresser in the store, how whimsical and thrown together it looked, like something made by the fair folk. He’d always loved stories about magical portals and something in him had just reached out with a childish wonder that had surprised him. He didn’t care that it wasn’t practical, didn’t care that the wood was the wrong colour and that they had nothing to put in the thing, he had wanted it, and Dean, because he was a selfless, wonderful man who did everything he could to make Cas happy, had indulged him. Dean was the handy one out of the two of them, but he had said that in exchange for purchasing it, he wouldn’t help put it together and Cas had agreed. He had wanted to honour that promise.

Of course, there was a reason that Dean was the handy one. Cas was pretty sure he’d lost his mind somewhere around hour four, abandoning the instructions completely and trying to cobble together some parts from memory alone.

Cas padded up the stairs to the bathroom, grimacing in the mirror at how red his face was at just the memory of his mini-breakdown. Dean had been so sweet about it, telling him that it just needed tweaking when Cas knew very well that Dean would have to pull the whole thing apart and start again.

Once he’d taken care of business and brushed his teeth, he made his way to the main bedroom and opened the door.

The dresser was the first thing he saw, placed on the far wall directly opposite the door. It looked just as magical and full of secrets as it had in the store, each compartment a beautiful mystery. It clashed horribly with the rest of the room but Cas didn’t care, it was perfect.

He turned to look for his boyfriend, to thank him for fixing it and to apologise for his overreaction the night before. But Dean wasn’t there, he wasn’t curled up under the covers, sleep-warm and soft—in fact, it didn’t look like the bed had been slept in at all.

“Dean?” he called, expecting to hear a reply, from the bathroom, from the kitchen downstairs, from anywhere, but there was only silence.

Maybe Dean had gone out already? Cas glanced at the clock, it was barely 9 am. He looked back at the dresser, frowning, and then noticed a small, yellow square of paper stuck to one of the compartments on the top row. Curious, Cas bent down to read it.

Open last.

Cas tilted his head and scanned the other compartments for any other instructions, but there weren’t any. So, leaning back a little, half-expecting one of those fuzzy snake things to leap out at him, Cas opened the top left drawer.

Inside was a mixtape. Cas picked it up to look at the label. Dean’s Top 13 Zepp Traxx. Still confused, but smiling a little, he opened the next compartment along, this one didn’t pull out like the previous drawer, but instead there was a small shutter to lift, revealing another mixtape. This one was labelled Cas’ Happy Tunes.

Cas knew that Dean liked to make tapes. He’d spend hours on them and listen to them only in his car. He didn’t show them to Cas, or let him riffle around in the box on the floor of the passenger seat. They were, in fact, one of the only things that Dean didn’t share with him, his only secret hobby. Cas had always been insanely curious, and sometimes Dean would play one of the tapes on long road trips and get him to try and guess the title Dean had given it. So far, Dean said that Cas hadn’t got a single one right. Not that he was allowed to check.

Cas moved on to the next compartment, pressing on the wood gently so the door popped open. This tape was labelled Why I Love Him. Cas felt the smile on his face creep ever wider.

He kept on opening the compartments until there was only one left. There were eleven tapes in total, not including the first three, they were titled:

Second Date Mix

Songs That Sound Like Him

Valentine’s Day 2017

He Loves Me Too

Dean’s Sad Music

Holiday Tunes

Cheer up, Grumpy-Butt

When I Knew

He laid them all out carefully on the carpet next to him, and stared at the small cupboard with the yellow post-it on it for a long time.

“Open it,” came Dean’s soft voice from behind him, though how long he’d been there Cas couldn’t say. He didn’t look back at him. This one would be important, he knew; when he opened the final piece of the dresser, everything was going to change. He stood—as the indicated drawer was a little too high for him to comfortably open from his knees—and reached forward with a shaky hand to flip up the latch to open the drawer. There was a slight rustle behind him that he barely heard as he peered in. It was empty. Cas drew in a breath as he turned to ask his boyfriend what was going on and found Dean on one knee, a mixtape in his palm, the label face-up and clear as day and the breath caught in his throat.

Our wedding playlist???

“Dean,” Cas exhaled, tears pricking his eyes. Dean looked unsure for a moment, and fumbled with the tape, almost dropping it as he scrabbled for his pocket.

“I’ve got a ring too,” he said quickly, pulling out a black velvet box from his jeans. He was still in last night’s clothes, his jaw unshaven. Had he slept at all? “I know you hate the idea of a proposal without a ring.” He flipped open the box to reveal a simple, elegant band of white gold and Cas was still struggling to kick his brain into gear or indeed do anything but gape at Dean like a confused fish.

Apparently, his silence stretched on too long for Dean, who swallowed, looking nervous. “I’m sorry it seems kind of thrown together,” he said, beginning to ramble. “I bought the ring months ago. I wasn’t exactly planning to do this over a dresser, but you said it looked like it was full of secrets, and you’ve always said my tapes are like a secret and I just thought it was different, you know? A bit more… us?”

“Dean,” Cas said again, falling to his knees and taking Dean’s stubbled chin in between his hands. He felt tears beginning to fall from his eyes and he couldn’t care less. “It’s perfect. Yes, I’ll marry you. Of course I will. I love you so much.”

“Love you too.” Dean countered, his voice raspy. Cas pulled him in and Dean reached for his left hand, slipping the ring on without breaking the kiss. They kissed and kissed until Cas tasted the salt of their mingled tears, until he felt so giddy that he had to laugh, and his laugh set Dean off laughing and soon they were just holding each other, Cas’ face buried in Dean’s neck, Dean clutching him as though he never wanted to let go.

“I’ve never been more glad to be useless at carpentry,” he mumbled.

Dean chuckled again before pulling back, his eyes shining and happy and beautiful. Cas felt joy swelling within him, filling up every dark corner that Dean had found light in. Yes, of course he would pledge himself to this man forever; this brave, kind, thoughtful man who listened to him like he was interesting and loved him like he was worthy. Truth be told, he already had a long time ago.

[qqueenofhades]

the reason people prefer bernie over warren isn't that she used to be a republican, most people genuinely believe the positions she holds now. it's just that those positions A) aren't going to get her elected in a general election, because she comes across as wishywashy on medicare for all, which is much more popular among most americans than centrists think, and republican are GREAT at exploiting the wishy-washy B) isn't gonna cut it with us lefty dems either. bernie polls better against trump.

Hello there! Thank you for your contribution! *

As most people who follow me know, I am not a Political Discourse ™ blog in the usual course of things, and despise Discourse in general. Time is short, lives are precious, and usually arguing with people about politics on the internet is about the most unproductive use of such ever devised. But because you did arrive in my inbox with this opinion, which perfectly exemplifies the dangerous thinking that I was referring to in this post, which I presume is the reason for the pleasure of your company, we’re going to have a chat. I’m going to keep the snark to a minimum, because I am really not a fan of stoking Democratic tribalism or “my candidate is better than your candidate and I can’t vote for anyone else” pissing contests. That being indeed precisely what I was arguing in the above post, and the point of which, alas, you seem to have grasped but dimly. I am therefore going to go through this, because it needs to be deconstructed, and while I may make no impact on you, because I suspect your mind is made up, I am fortunate enough to have a decent following on this blog and maybe someone else will benefit from it. Who knows. The other option is Trump.

So.

Let’s take this one at a time. See for example your first claim, “Elizabeth Warren comes across as wishy-washy on Medicare for All.”

Well….

Have you tried going to her website (elizabethwarren.com) typing in “Medicare for All” and being redirected to the following document? It took me approximately eight seconds to find. It is also not just an attention-grabbing header. The full strategic plan below, when pasted into Microsoft Word, runs to an impressive goddamn 19 pages and almost 8,000 words. It outlines exactly what she will do to achieve this and concludes:

Medicare for All is the best way to guarantee health care to all Americans at the lowest cost. I have a plan to pay for it without raising taxes on middle class families, and the transition I’ve outlined here will get us there within my first term as president. Together, along with additional reforms like my plans to reduce black maternal mortality rates, ensure rural health care, protect reproductive rights, support the Indian Health Service, take care of our veterans, and secure LGBTQ+ equality, we will ensure that no family will ever go broke again from a medical diagnosis – and that every American gets the excellent health care they deserve.

Hmm. Focusing specifically on African-American maternal mortality rates, rural health care, protecting reproductive rights, support for Native Americans, vets, and LGBTQ people? I understand, however, that this can’t cut it with “us lefty Dems,” which you proclaim with the proud assurance that you and the Twitter circles of your acquaintance are in fact the only ones. I’m also… not entirely sure which candidate you’re confusing Warren with, since there are two (2) progressive candidates in this nightmare of white no-name and/or billionaire milquetoast male moderates. Their names are Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. And every single Warren fan I know is willing to vote for Sanders if he gets the nomination, including me. I made a public pledge to vote for the Democratic candidate even if it’s Goddamn Joe Biden. You can see it here. If you are going to demand miles of receipts for Warren before you consider voting for her (and when her positions are similar to or in several cases, particularly for women, MUCH BETTER than Sanders, yes I said it), then you’re really not going to like what it looks like for the other candidates in this race. Also, are you asking these questions for Sanders, your own preferred nominee?

Next, you…. you do realize the privilege that is dripping off this ask, right? The exact thing of which I also addressed in the previous discussion:

The modern American Republican party has become a vehicle for no-holds-barred power for rich white men at the expense of absolutely everything and everyone else, and if your rationale is that you can’t vote for the person opposing Donald Goddamn Trump is that you’re just not vibing with them on the language of that one policy proposal… well, I’m glad that you, White Middle Class Liberal, feel relatively safe that the consequences of that decision won’t affect you personally.

That is…. at least as presented in this ask, exactly what’s happening here. You’re saying that you (and this mythic America/Lefty Dems ™ of which you grandly extrapolate) can’t vote for Elizabeth Warren because you’re just not vibing with her on the language of a policy proposal which she enthusiastically supports and has written a detailed 20-page manifesto on how to achieve? You really, really believe, deep down in your Bernie Bro Internet Politics bones, that you cannot vote for the smart, fearless, extra-qualified Democratic woman opposing the bankrupt reality star rapist who is literally a Neo-Nazi white supremacist whose administration is wrecking the planet and putting children in cages at the border? To name just one of the Scandal-A-Days that this nightmare administration churns out? Because the Lefty Dems (and please do not lump me and the other active leftist Democrats I know into whatever you’ve got going on here) just won’t stand for that?

Do you even hear yourself?

Did we learn nothing at all from 2016???

I’m going to guess that I’m older than you. I’m not sure whether that matters, but there’s that. It means I remember 9/11, the Bush years, the financial crash of 2008, and how this already went once before. I have also just moved back to the United States after almost half a decade in the United Kingdom, which is currently experiencing its same slow-motion disintegration into hard-right economic isolationism, xenophobia, and late-stage capitalist oligarchy. I’m also a professional historian. So it means that I, for better or worse, have a certain perspective on this, the overall patterns, the way the world has stumbled into this destructive consumerist capitalist 21st century, and what it’s doing to us.

We do not have much time left to fix any of this. I don’t care if it sounds alarmist, it’s true. If you are younger than me, this is also going to become disproportionately your generation’s problem. Rigid intellectual purity tests are exactly the thing that is preventing the left from mobilizing behind one candidate to get Donald Fucking Trump and his cabal of shameless criminals out of there before they kill the lot of us. And I’m not going to back down from saying that mindsets like the one perfectly exemplified in your ask are far more helpful to the Republicans than they are to any of us.

I have said it before, I’ll say it again: I will vote for, donate money to, and raise awareness about whoever the Democratic nominee is. If it’s Sanders, I’m going to friggin’ become a Bernie or Buster. Because at that point, his opponent would be Trump!!! If I am living in a state where it would remotely make a difference in November 2020, since at the moment I’m in Bumfuck Red State Nowhere, I would consider canvassing or volunteering for the campaign, and I am a severe introvert with social anxiety who hates talking to people when I don’t have to. And if I am willing to do this, and you and Lefty Dems ™ of your hallowed intellectual proclivities are sitting on your backsides and bitching about how Warren seems wishy-washy on Medicare for All, well then. One of us is more the problem than the other one, and it isn’t me.

(Also. once again, Bernie Sanders is eighty years old and just had a heart attack. Sorry. That remains an issue for me. There’s a year to go of grueling non-stop campaigning before the general, if he wins the primary. I’m not convinced.)

In conclusion, I have recently adopted a policy of donating a few dollars to Elizabeth Warren every time someone appears in my inbox or notifications with a comment like this. So when I thanked you for your contribution at the start of this post, I was in fact thanking you for your extra-generous donation today, December 10, 2019, to Elizabeth Warren for President:

Peace.

[junker-town]

Why Tom Brady is one of America’s most polarizing athletes

Love him or hate him, NFL fans can’t quit Tom Brady on the verge of his 10th Super Bowl appearance.

It difficult to find someone with a lukewarm opinion of Tom Brady. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and New England Patriots legend inspires strong feelings on both ends of the spectrum.

To some, Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, with the legendary resume and hardware to prove it. Others see a cheater, a shameless a brand builder who benefitted from playing for a football dynasty, who refused to take a personal stand on anything to avoid alienating fans, his consumers.

Like all things the truth likely falls somewhere in the middle. It makes Brady one of the most complicated figures in modern American sports, who can be viewed as the greatest athlete of our generation o tremendously overrated depending on your point of view.

Now, with his 10th Super Bowl appearance on the horizon, we dig into the legacy of one of the NFL’s most decorated players, and understand why he elicits such strong emotions.

Why do people love Tom Brady?

Brady represents the archetype of the underdog athlete. We don’t need to spend a great deal discussing this, because we’ve heard his story a million times, in a million different ways over the course of the last 20 years. Scouts didn’t believe in Brady entering the NFL from Michigan, and his average athletic showing at the combine cemented him as a sixth round pick.

He became a star due to circumstance. Taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe, leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl in his rookie season in 2001 — it’s a story straight out of a sports movie. Brady’s ascension defied expectations in a way people love, and it perpetuated the dream that anybody with the smarts and drive could excel. I mean, if a slightly doughy, relatively unathletic Brady could win a Super Bowl, then the presumption is that anyone can — even if that’s not true.

Then Brady kept winning, kept succeeding, and in doing so cemented himself as the modern Joe Montana. The rest is history.

Why do people hate Tom Brady?

This one is a little more nuanced, because there isn’t a single overwhelming reason why people dislike Tom Brady. Obviously everyone’s reason for disliking an athlete are individual, but there are a few key buckets we can put people into.

The “Tom is a cheater” crowd

While Brady is certainly responsible for a lot of the Patriots’ success, he will be inexorably linked to two of the league’s biggest scandals: SpyGate and DeflateGate. Yes, tired names that are way too on-the-nose references to Watergate, but nonetheless impactful on his legacy.

You can look at recording the Rams’ practice, or using partially-inflated footballs as small competitive edges, but they raise questions. If these were the incidents that were caught, what lurked under the surface that we never learned about? There are the questions people ask when thinking of Brady as a cheater.

It’s perhaps a little unfair to levy the sins of an organization against one player, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. When you become the figurehead of an organization you take on the benefits, as well as the criticism. Quarterbacks in general get far too much credit and criticism for team results, so when a team is under fire for breaking the rules, naturally much of that will fall on the leader.

There were already debates about whether Brady was the vector for the Patriots’ success, or whether it was more on Bill Belichick — so when controversy swarmed the team there was was similar doubt. How much of this was on Belichick, and how much was on Brady? That alone soured the quarterback in a lot of peoples’ minds, and while perhaps not enough to add an asterisk to his rings, it was enough to raise doubt.

“Brady stands for nothing but his brand”

It’s impossible to separate athletes from their impact on society. That’s been true for decades. Normally this takes shape in frivolous things like product endorsements and sponsorships, with companies clamoring to leverage the facade of athlete approval into sales, but that changed substantially over the last four years.

Everyone in every field was asked for their stance on social justice and racial injustice. Some athlete chose to take a strong stand, turning their fame into activism and pressure for change — but Brady, much as he did throughout his career, sat on the fence and said little of substance.

“It’s certainly been an offseason to listen, learn, have more compassion, and more empathy for one another. Everyone should deserve the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Being in the locker room for 20 years and being around guys with every different race, religion, skin color, background, and different state. Everyone something different to the table and you embrace those things.”

On the surface this might sound like he’s taking a stand, but this is the definition of playing both sides. At a time where people of color were being marginalized and harassed, Brady was calling for “more empathy for one another,” as if it was an issue that flowed both ways.

In isolation this comment may seem innocuous enough, but it came at a time people were desperate for a stronger voice for someone of Brady’s stature. Considering it came not long after the quarterback was seen with a MAGA hat in his locker, which he claimed “found its way there” seemingly by magic, when questioned about it.

Brady has ensured his earning potential remained maximum by refusing to take a stand on just about anything off the football field. This often feels like a desire not to rock the boat, famously doing semantic gymnastics to say he supported his friend Donald Trump, but didn’t necessarily support his politics. The only area he seemed to take a strong stand was on his health and wellness brand TB12, which tells people not to eat tomatoes and live by a strict diet.

The cap to all this might have been the news that Brady, who has earned hundreds of millions of dollars over his NFL career, and is married to one of the highest-paid supermodels in history, took almost $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds, designed to insulate small businesses from Covid, in order to prop up his lifestyle brand. Money ran out of the fund for small mom and pop businesses struggling to stay afloat, while Brady’s pet project got funded.

People who are just sick of hearing about Tom Brady

There’s a lot about Brady’s story as an underdog that’s admirable, but it’s also been built up to mythic proportions that make it harder to swallow. Yes, people didn’t believe in him entering the league, yes Brady overcame a certain amount of adversity in the process. However, his “adversity” is a point of order. Brady’s “struggles” are minute compared to the majority of players entering the NFL. He had a stable, middle class childhood, he got to attend NFL games regularly with his parents, he went to good schools and benefitted from strong role models.

It’s not Brady’s fault he grew up with these privileges, but it’s important to note them — especially when it comes to casting him in the light of “adversity.” Brady didn’t need to overcome poverty, or the loss of a parent, or have the pressure of football potentially changing the lives of everyone in his orbit. If Brady didn’t make it on the field, he could have fallen into any number of fields, and likely carved out a life for himself. The same can’t be said for other players in the NFL.

So, when he’s cast as the star of the “adversity” narrative, it makes some people resent him. On the field he’s often blameless in the eyes of commentators, where other players would be critiqued. In the NFC Championship Game against the Packers, he threw his third interception of the game, a high pass that ricocheted off the hands of Mike Evans, into the hands of a defensive back. The pass wasn’t framed as Brady’s mistake, but rather Evans’ fault for failing to haul in an errant pass. Forget the fact that Mike Evans is one of the tallest receivers in the NFL, and he was jumping at full extension, and that the pass would have sailed to the DB anyway — it was not Brady’s fault as presented.

Brady has been a difference maker for the Buccaneers, but he’s also been elevated to savior status at the expense of his teammates. Tampa Bay’s defense is one of the biggest reasons they’re in the Super Bowl now, but Brady is being awarded all the credit. It’s a similar issue to that of New England, where he excelled inside Belichick’s system — and we didn’t get a great sense for how players perform out of it, other than seeing Brian Hoyer and Jimmy Garoppolo fail to make an impact away from Foxboro.

Instances like that grate on people. They grow tired of feeling like there’s preferential treatment of Brady’s narrative.

They hate Tom Brady because he’s so good

This seems to be the biggest claim of his fans, but Brady’s skill on the field tends to be a minority reason why people don’t like him. Sure, there are probably some fans, particularly in the AFC East who dislike Brady just because he’s so good — but a larger number think he’s an incredible quarterback, but perhaps not the best person, and that’s where their frustration comes from.

There’s also a sense of this all growing tired. Players work their entire careers to make one Super Bowl, and more often than not their dreams have halted at Brady’s feet. While it’s his job to win, there’s certainly resentment from fans who have seen their players lose because of No. 12, and dislike him for it.

In the end, absence will make the heart grow fonder

So much of Brady’s story is tied to the perception and mystique surrounding him. When he decides to retire and all we’re left with are the stats and the highlights there’s a good chance opinion of him will soften, and he’ll simply be remembered as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

When Brady’s current influence lapses, that’s when he’ll be appreciated simply as a player. For now he’s still very much a part of the NFL, getting ready to play on its brightest stage yet again. There will be plenty of fans cheering for No. 12 to do it again, and those desperately wanting him to fail for a variety of reasons.

Nobody’s mind will change on either side, and that polarization of opinion adds another layer to the Super Bowl.

[millicnreasons-blog]

how do you feel about lgbtqa roles in media? @ u

PRIDE MONTH QUESTIONNAIRE // accepting

Oh now this is a very good question.

I think comparatively, since the 1990′s there’s been a slow upward trend in lgbtqa representation, it’s gone from relatively few and negative images to a much more visible and positive representation. However, that isn’t to say the media doesn’t have a long way to go in providing more appropriate and positive healthy portrayals of lgbqa people. My main bug bear when it comes to queer representation is the trend of f/f storylines or even subtext f/f is still geared towards the straight male gaze. ( holla for hetero privilege yall can we say H E T E R O N O R M A T I V I T Y ). 

Another issue with lgbtqa storylines is that they can often be delivered in a way that is palatable to the masses eg. the trope of pairing male gay characters with a heterosexual female counterpart - will & grace is like the PERFECT albeit a little dated example of this-  by making the gay male character the female leads homo-platonic pseudo husband ( and even with will & grace fight me if there wasn’t this over whelming implication that they’d end up together by the fandom ).

THIS GETS LONG…. so I’mma read more it!!

       Let’s talk Buffy the Vampire Slayer; so this show was literally at the forefront of queer portrayals imo. the willow and tara love story was so beautifully crafted, and delivered with grace. it grew so naturally and, i know now from interviews with Wheadon that it was his intention from very early on to take Willow’s story down that route. and this was in the last 90′s, a lesbian full frontal kiss on primetime television, it was fucking visionary, and because of this show and this story line I was less afraid to explore my own feelings for the same sex.  Their romance would die ( literally when Tara died and oh god that hurt ) but what they did after that is arguable so important – and as much as I hated it at the time looking back now, giving Willow another female love interest, after Tara was so important. They didn’t just leave her to grieve and be alone, they gave her hope, a new beginning. And you might slate BTVS for a lot of things, but how they played out that story line in the late 90′s early noughties was spectacular. and they were anything but apologetic about it.  

     Now let’s talk about Grey’s Anatomy; this show has done wonderful at queer representation.  I might have such a love hate relationship with a lot of aspects of GA but queer rep is one thing is does exceptionally well, and it isn’t afraid to tackle very REAL problems that lgbtqa people face. the marriage story line with Callie & Arizona was so tasteful and so REALISTICALLY done. Callie’s  religious parents didn’t accept her.  her mother didn’t show up to her wedding; their wedding wasn’t legal because at the time the state of washington didn’t have marriage equality. While i think it’s very important to show healthy, stable relationships between same sex couples, what is even more important is to show their struggles. This gives lgbtqa people something they can relate to. Another story line i though was super important was the one with Ben Warren’s transgender MtF sister.  Ben struggled to come to terms with it, and displayed some wholly disgusting transphobic attitudes and comments. which, although enraged me to watch was relatable, and a true representation to a lot of trans* individuals face when coming out to their families. And finally, the Calzona court battle, gave such hope to not only same sex couples facing awful custody battles but ALSO to adoptive parents. I was extremely well executed.  So well done grey’s you’re doing pretty damn good at this.

    Other noteable, good examples of positive and realistic portrays is definitely Shameless (US) the Gallavich storyline.  A story of two rough kids from shitty neighbourhoods figuring shit out. And while their relationship was toxic at some points,  the growth and character development within it was intense. They loved each other very much, too much even, and in the end that love wasn’t enough to keep them together. it broke my heart i won’t lie. watching how far they came from Mickey’s outright refusal to label himself gay to standing up in the middle of the Alibi and declaring it everyone was fucking beautiful. Also, Shout out to Shameless also for their Poly representation.

 And the NOT so good, trend of QUEER BAITING. two of my favorite shows are guilty of this. They pull you in with this hint of a beautiful queer ship. ( Lexa and Clarke; Betty & Veronica ). maybe they even give you a kissing scene. a little development and then BAM they rip it away. In t100′s case by killing of a queer character for nothing more than shock value. or in Riverdale’s case,a little girl on girl for the ‘shock factor’ of attention whoring. With little consideration for how much that would piss off there queer fans… another Riverdale problem is Jughead’s asexual erasure, which, no isn’t just me pissed off at BUGHEAD. (i lowkey ship it; it gives a girl Literati feels okay??) i know that only one incarnation of the comics confirmed outright his status as asexual. but, for anyone who’d read the comics that doesn’t need to be said, it’s very evident without the outright language that Jughead is ace. What i would have liked to see was that being explored within a relationship. There is no reason why, Jughead, as an asexual could not be in a relationship. I would have prefered to see was how his sexuality would have affected said relationship, be that with Betty or anyone else for that matter, but unfortunately that isn’t a route CW wanted to take for his character, and as someone who identifies somewhere on the ace spectrum ( lil bi-demi right here yo ) that’s kinda sad to me.

So yeah,  in summary, we do have some very positive example of queer representation in the media, but even in those positive examples there is still heteronormative subtext. there’s still a lot of biphobia, transphobia and out right sexualities being erased entirely to make the content more appealing. ( everyone loves a romance plot, right?? ) what i would like to see more of is strong and important friendships between queer characters. platonic  relationships are important, not everyone needs to be fucking everyone to make good viewing. I would like to see more development of queer characters outside of the confines of BEING a queer character ( eg. Kevin Keller, can someone give that boy a decent storyline next season please. )

[borntorun75-blog]

30 Most Underrated Springsteen Songs: #27. Queen of the Supermarket

Working on a Dream (2009)

"I move through the heart of a sea of fools so blissfully unaware that they’re in the presence of something wonderful and rare...”

Springsteen takes a bit of an odd creative leap in this widely hated song from his playful 2009 record - and it may not hit the mark perfectly, but it’s better than it gets credit for! More thoughts below the cut.

Okay, let’s get one thing clear right now: people fucking hate this song. Like, there’s virtually no question that this is the most unpopular Springsteen song of them all, and that’s even including that time he inexplicably closed an album with a cover of “Froggie Went A-Courtin’”. Standing in the pit at my fourth Bruce show, waiting for it to start, I said I didn’t think this song was that bad, and I got angry looks. Like two people were mad at me for just being okay with this song - that’s the level of ire here. Critics variously slammed this song as “unintentionally ludicrous”, “unbelievably melodramatic”, “like a parody”, and “accidentally a Meat Loaf song”; multiple explicitly panned it as the worst song he’s ever written, while the others more or less implied it; hell, the Chicago Tribune went as far as to say that this song single-handedly takes WOAD out of contention as one of the best Springsteen albums (and I bet the only reason most people would disagree with that is that most people aren’t big on the album anyway.) It’s to the point where it’s outright infamous: Bruce once played this song by sign request at a show solely because he was amazed someone actually brought a sign for it... and then the band had no idea how to play it since they’d blocked its existence out of their minds, so he just sang it solo.

So if you’re a non-Bruce fan stumbling upon this post, and you listen to this song and wonder “huh. ...that’s the artist he’s so passionate about?”, know that most people who are passionate about Bruce are equally passionate about hating this song. Or if you are a Bruce fan who’s utterly aghast at the idea that this song is underrated, know that that’s the reputation I’m railing against here - that when I say this song is underrated, I’m not saying it’s great, I’m not even saying it’s better than any other song on this list (it’s certainly not better than Meeting Across The River) - but dammit, I think it’s a good song, and it at least deserves some credit!

Here’s how Bruce himself described the song in 2009:  “They opened up this big, beautiful supermarket near where we lived. Patti and I would go down, and I remember walking through the aisles - I hadn't been in one in a while - and I thought this place is spectacular... it's a fantasy land! [...] In the States they're sort of shameless, the bounty in them is overflowing [...] There's millions of them, so it's kind of a song about finding beauty where it's ignored or where it's passed by.”

And you know what - I think that’s a pretty Springsteen-esque concept for a song.. even if it’s coming in the form of a song called “Queen of the Supermarket”. “A song about finding beauty where it’s ignored or where it’s passed by”... isn’t that what so much of Bruce’s work comes down to? Finding beauty in the everyday, romanticizing the mundane - that’s what he’s been doing for decades. It goes all the way back to New York City Serenade off the second album: “Listen to your junkman: he’s singing...” - the idea that everyone has some kind of music within them, that everyone has a story, whether it’s the old guy grabbing your trash - or the bored woman behind the counter at the grocery store. It goes back even further than that, really; Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? off the first album is all about the giddy 22-year-old Bruce having his mind blown by all the different people he sees around him on a bus in New York City for heaven’s sake. And more broadly, Bruce’s m.o. is looking at the people or stories or events that nobody pays attention to and finding in them some kind of artistic inspiration.

And okay, sure - when he’s talking about serious emotional struggles that often go unseen and gives us songs like The Promised Land, The River, Spare Parts, etc., that’s obviously much better. But there’s something to be said for a song like this, too - a song that comes from a place of looking at something everyone else passes by, finding it to actually be pretty extraordinary or impressive, and being uplifted by it. That has a place, too.

And hey, he’s not even wrong - “the bounty in them is overflowing.” Now, I can’t say I’d ever thought about this before seeing that quote - but after reading that and thinking about this song, I can see how there is something kind of quietly special about a grocery store or a supermarket - about the luxury of having so many different kinds of meals and treats there for the taking. It’s definitely a privilege even today, and it would have been unthinkable to anyone on the planet not too long ago, too. (Of course, it’s even more of a privilege for Bruce to have gone so long without visiting a grocery store that he considered it some foreign paradise once he entered one rofl.)

That said...  I’m not gonna say Queen of the Supermarket is some eye-opening philosophical work, either. Because it’s not. It’s... it’s Queen of the fucking Supermarket. It’s not a very serious song. Indeed, much of the song focuses a lot less on the supermarket itself and more on one particular girl who works there (which I’ll come back to in a little bit.) So let’s take a look at the rest of that interview - with a warning that it gets.... interesting:

“They opened up this big, beautiful supermarket near where we lived. Patti and I would go down, and I remember walking through the aisles - I hadn't been in one in a while - and I thought this place is spectacular... it's a fantasy land! And then I started to get into it. I started looking around and hmmm - the subtext in here is so heavy! It's like, 'Do people really want to shop in this store or do they just want to screw on the floor?' *laughs* In the States they're sort of shameless, the bounty in them is overflowing. So the sexual subtext in the supermarket; well, perhaps, it's just twisted me. I'm telling you, it's there! So I came home, said: 'Wow, the supermarket is fantastic, it's my new favorite place. And I'm going to write a song about it!'”

...“do people really want to shop in this store, or do they just want to screw around on the floor?”

Oookay - I have no idea what the fuck Bruce is on about there, and I think we both know the answer to that question. People in the grocery store want to buy their damn groceries dude what. But with him laughing about it and saying “I’m telling you, dude, it’s totally there!” (and with the song not really being sexual in itself), something about his bizarre take on the supermarket becomes kind of funny in how weird and harmless it is.

More than that, though, I love that last quote. I love the image of an excited, 60-year-old Bruce Springsteen coming home and being giddy about the fucking supermarket of all things - and... I mean, you can’t really argue with “Wow, the supermarket is my new favorite place. I’m gonna write a song about it!” Like alright Bruce, you do you. Ultimately through all of the dark times in his life and pained songs he’s written over the years, I’m kind of happy that for some amount of time in 2009, Bruce Springsteen was in a place where his life where he could just say “Fuck it - I like the supermarket, so I’m gonna write a song about it! I’m Bruce Springsteen and nobody can tell me not to!” idk, in addition to there being some decent thematic stuff here in the over-the-top opening lines, yeah the song’s entire existence is so quirky and impulsive but I think that’s fun <3

And like I said, much of the song isn’t really about being in awe of the supermarket; that’s how the song came to be, and that’s what the opening lines are - but ultimately, the song focuses mostly on a crush on some random supermarket employee, and the singer working up his courage to eventually talk to her. I will admit that the line “[She’s] sure she’s unobserved” accidentally ends up a liiittle creepy and prevents me from regarding this song as positively as I otherwise might - but I don’t think the song taken as a whole is creepy. It’s just an ode to being attracted to someone you don’t really know but keep coming into contact with, a song about a fleeting little crush - and to whatever extent it plays up that attraction (which it certainly does), I think it does so in a tongue-in-cheek way, with the guy knowing he’s blowing this up to be a little bigger of a deal than it actually is.

Musically I think the song does start off a little flat, but it pulls me in more and more as it goes - especially once we hit the 2-minute mark. Once we hit the “Guidance from the Gods above / At night I pray for the strength to tell the one I love...” section, man, I’m totally on board with this song. Everything from 2:00-3:00 is definitely melodramatic but I love it, the song gets bigger in a really satisfying way that plays perfectly with how over-the-top the guy’s passion is and I totally dig it.

And like, maybe that’s the disconnect here between me and some other fans - is this song over-the-top in a way wildly uncharacteristic of Springsteen? Yes! Is it melodramatic? Fucking obviously - but like, I don’t think those are flaws. I think those are the point. Like, if you giddily think “I’m gonna write a song about the grocery store!” and come home and write something called “Queen of the Supermarket”, you’re probably not going to take it super seriously. So to me, this isn’t some unintentionally over-the-top “parody of a Springsteen song”; it’s a melodramatic but playful song that taps into some legitimate emotion and inspiration while still being tongue-in-cheek about its own silliness - and I think it lands. To me, this song is fun - and again, it has pretty good stuff going on musically as it goes along.

So personally, I don’t mind this song, I outright like it and think it’s one of the most effective songs on the album. I don’t know that I expect most people to enjoy it, and it’s definitely weaker than most if not all of the other songs on this list... but still, I think it has a little more going on than people give it credit for, I think it’s a little misunderstood, and the absolute hatred with which the song is almost invariably met and its typical status as the de facto “Worst Springsteen Song”.. I get it, but I think it’s more extreme than it should be, so I think it deserves a spot on this list. Kind of the opposite of Meeting Across the River: Meeting is better than most of the songs above it, but gets enough love that it had to rank lower; Queen is worse than the songs below it, but it’s so hated that it still belongs here.

[wud-u-suck-me-off-if-i]

How Queerness, Androgyny and Gender in Music Has Evolved

With the passing of 2016 came the tragic loss of some of the most distinguished rock & pop artists to have ever graced our eyes, ears and record players.

Many of our late stellar idols had at least one thing in common. From David Bowie toPrince to George Michael, they all shared a tremendous penchant and commitment towards smashing the fragile ego of masculine stereotypes, flexing genders strict binary, and denouncing sexuality as something ever to be ashamed of. This has lead to the three remaining emblematic figures within the queer community, through life and after death.

Bowie's fame sprouted not only from his prolific musical career, but also his bravery to collapse expectations through self portrait and stage persona. Dylan Jones has described his time on TOTP's as a 'dangerous figure on British TV at a point when television didn't do danger'. Bowie was elaborate to say the least; expelling his concoction of straight, gay, masculine and feminine persona's, whirl-pooling into a state that always remained an undefinable limbo. Fans were able to titillate waves of desire, a rejuvenation of the human condition and sexual vigour. Sporting heels, glitter body suits and a full face of slap was not what the common man was admitted to model. Bowieunapologetically exampled the fortitude to dismantle the sex categorisation of clothing in the 70's, making it human. His gender bending wasn't just beneficial to men aspiring for sexual liberation: He fought hard against any easy definitions, repelling labels with remarkable result, as Gucci designer Frida Giannini comments: "[His] shameless androgyny helped women express their masculine strength without losing their feminine glamour and sensuality". His alter egos flourished in style, as he paved the way for all listeners to shed their formal code of conducts and embrace his androgynous, ostentatious presentation of gender moral; striking the mainstream with full force and razing ideologies that had ruled.

A second avant-garde in normalising queerness in music was the most recent and wistfully lost George Michael. Michael's was outed by his arrest for 'lewd acts' in a public place, seized by an undercover police officer. This was in no means a hindrance toMichael's work. He used his experiences to propel the queer image shamelessly into our living rooms; positioning sex at the forefront of his brazen sexual narratives and camp portrayed disco music video 'Outside'. Michaels caricatured the drama of the situation and its fascicle idea that he should engulf utter shame. He followed up with comments in a coming out interview with CNN: "I don't feel ashamed and I don't believe I should", continuing his brash and flippant attitude towards gay sex and its media coverage.George Michael evolved from someone who hid his sexuality due to his mother's fears, claiming "Aids was the predominant feature of being gay in the 1980's and early 90's as far as any parent was concerned", before embellishing self love and bold gratification of self worth, "I'm a dirty filthy fucker and if you can’t deal with it, you can’t deal with it”.

Likewise, a final artist whom teased heterosexuality and gender solidarity from its pedestal was Sylvester. He emerged as a cosmic disco singer who brought 'Do You Wanna Funk' and 'Dance (Disco Heat)' to the international stages, ruling dance charts for a massive 6 weeks in the late 70's. From his childhood church where he was ostracised for his homosexuality, to his record label meetings, where he was pressured to 'butch up a bit', Sylvester's bombastic and androgynous figure has been assailed in his private life and career. However, this never stopped him showing up to meetings in full drag. Despite his explicit queer bravado and gender fluidity expression, his passion and music were embraced fantastically; before entering the Dance Music Hall Of Fame in 2005. Sadly, Sylvester passed away with AIDS in 1988.

Thus, the music industry in the past was adorned by male figures stirring the pot of the conventional artwork. Whereas fresher artists of today are exploding in a more female direction. As social tolerance arguably increases, groups producing music of a queerer disposition are clawing their way out of every crevice onto the mainstream playing field. LGBT music has branched off into an almost entire genre of its own; ample in burgeoning content of complex sexual flexibility created by artists who have no desire to taint themselves for anyone. This music is consequential in reaching a wider scope audience within a colourful, growing industry.

For one of our most recent artist to be catapulted into super stardom, excessive confidence and innate zeal was not always bountiful, until the non sexualised, gender-queer alter ego, 'Christine and the Queens' was born. Named after drag artists fromSoho, Heloise Letissier was allowed to unmask a serene sense of sexual awakening, the abandonment of conformity, and most importantly, fluidity of identity, all down to the adoption of this personality. The power of the androgynous microcosm of herself, as she claims in her song 'IT'; "I wanted symbolically with this song to take the place of a guy", as well as her lyrics "Cos I won, I'm a man now" exuding an honest narrative and the dexterity she doesn't believe herself would be fulfilled alone. Despite sporadic and exotic performances that Letissier describes as 'a little boy who wants to be Beyonce', the mainstream audience has lapped it up due to its subtle integration; with international ears cascading the most admiration and her biggest headline to be set in the US. Thus,Christine and the Queens has knitted the dichotomy of these two worlds together through the addictive reverence of pop music and its subsequent culture.

A fellow artist who followed suit in producing exquisite pop music riddled with beat dribbles and hooking tastes is the once frontier of Anthony and the Johnsons, now known as ANOHNI, an open transgender woman. Her emancipating track 'Drone Bomb Me' is infested with dark beats and silky synth drops, all coated by ANOHNI's epicentre vocals. She has spoken outwardly and blatantly, generating much needed discussions surrounding trans issues, stating as laconically as possible the importance of pronouns in an interview with Flavourwire: "I think words are important to call a person by their chosen gender is to honour their spirit, their life and contribution". All of which exhibits the power of a musical platform:

Last but definitely not least, we are brought to an innovator who's ascend up the pop ladder has been consumed so earnestly by so many it's hard to keep track of her ever budding successes. Shura's bloom into the music industry came about as her record'Touch', enriched with analogue synths along with the roots of a break up embedded in its foundations was plunged onto Youtube, receiving over 27 million views to present. Her home-made video that laudably presents same sex intimacy with all the spaces in between, emboldens queer love visually, flushing out left over hate with shameless exposure. This video allowed Shura the traction she deserved, blowing up into a huge queer-pop solo artist and an idol many were able to relate to.

Therefore, this radical procedure of creating normality with androgyny, queerness and gender fluidity is continuing to make sporadic and behemoth impact within the industry. As music, questionably our most expressive outlet, is used as a platform to share pain, anxieties and liberties, and allow listeners to feel safer about sexuality, that still receives hatred from those privileged enough to face it with ignorance. Without those striding forward in the limelight, less would feel as invigorated as we do down here, and thus is why celebrities perusing these avenues is as important as it is.

[ralphmorgan-blog1]

Does Anyone Hate Donald Trump More Than Donald Trump? An Interview With David Shields

Cataloged in Psychology

Does Anyone Hate Donald Trump More Than Donald Trump? An Interview With David Shields

David Shields Updated September 22, 2018

In his new book,  New York Times bestselling author David Shields deconstructs the idiot-savant-autocrat at 1600 Pennsylvania, his fan-fiction base, and the emotional needs/moral failures of the city, country, and world that created him.

 is at once a psychological investigation of Trump, a philosophical meditation on the relationship between language and power, a satirical compilation of the collected wit and wisdom of Donald Trump, and above all a dagger into the rhetoric of American political discourse—a dissection of the politesse that gave rise to and sustains Trump. The book is organized into six chapters and 60 subsections and gets increasingly harrowing in its focus, moving from childhood to sex to media to virtue-signaling to chaos theory to “apocalypse always.” The book’s central thesis is that we have met the enemy and he is us.

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A conversation with David Shields

David sits down with Leah Paulos to discuss his new book, , a psychological inquiry into Trump’s brokenness, a philosophical meditation on the relationship between language and power, and a satirical compilation of the wit and wisdom of Donald Trump. Above all, it functions as a dagger into the rhetoric of American political discourse—a dissection of the politesse that gave rise to and that now sustains Trump.

Leah: There are a lot of Americans, including this interviewer, who despise Trump with every cell in their bodies. Why is the book called NOBODY HATES TRUMP MORE THAN TRUMP: AN INTERVENTION, and do you think it’s true?

David: Yes, of course Trump loathes himself. No human being on the planet is less capable of joy or even fulfillment. This is a key connection between himself and his voters. He’s as unhappy as they are, or he’s very good at pretending he is—it’s very difficult to tell, which gives his hyper-performativity its immense frisson. 

Leah: But close to 90% of Republicans voted for Trump. Trump voters were Bush and Reagan voters, and they were Goldwater voters. Are you saying they are all deeply unhappy people and always have been?

David: The key people are the five million people who voted for Obama and who voted for Trump. They are who matter. They are low-income, low-information, disenfranchised, blue-collar voters. They are furious at the varieties of ways in which the world has left them behind. Obama offered them hope. Trump offered them rage. HRC offered them precisely nothing.

Leah: Books about Trump are a dime a dozen these days, and everyone is drowning in tweets and hot takes. What is different about this book?

David: It’s not everybody else’s Trump-bashing book. It offers a tragic take on human nature—Trump’s destructiveness and self-destructiveness echoing with an existentially lost populace. It has leaked off-air Fox News conversations. It’s about a very scary American strain of death wish. It offers a new reading of his psychology and childhood to suggest origins of his anhedonia.It shows the many subcultures which gave rise to him and which now sustain him. It raises the real question whether he’s a genius quasi-punk anti-hero or a near-Asperger’s idiot or neither or both. It’s about the emotional weather of living under Cloud Trump. It’s a manual for beating bullies.

Leah: There’s always been loads of money, charismatic celebrities, and bigoted flamethrowers in American politics, but a person like Trump becoming President never seemed possible until it happened. Or did it?

David: Oh, please. Sonny Bono. Ronald Reagan. Shirley Temple. Jesse Ventura. Jerry Springer. George Murphy. Fred Thompson. Cynthia Nixon. Clint Eastwood. Clay Aiken. Al Franken. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Caligula.

Leah: When did you realize America was screwed up enough to elect Trump? 

David: When, at age 7, I realized being bad was more fun than being good (a more perfect foil than HRC would be impossible to imagine).

Leah: How many of the 63 million Americans who voted for Trump did so because he’s a big, sick joke?

David: A huge number of things we love are big, sick jokes (from WWE to horror movies to the NFL). The method to Trump’s madness is that, in a shame culture, he’s shameless; this gives him enormous appeal and leverage to people who are resentful (as Louis Theroux has pointed out).

Leah: Trump is a needy, unloved, extraordinarily damaged, outer-borough millionaire with a genius for low-brow marketing. In a culture steeped in celebrity worship and with a mass media allergic to serious issues, was the marriage between Trump and his scared, aging, white base inevitable?

David: “Outer-borough” is a tell that you hold yourself above Trump, but the key to iconic celebs (e.g, Jesus, Napoleon, Elvis, Madonna) is that they embody the culture’s contradictions. Trump is a “winner” who acts like a “loser.” He’s a millionaire “schlub.” This allows him to play both ends against the middle. This is mad brilliance or luck or both.  Trump is karmic payback for an America lost to simulacra for at least twenty years; as Andrew O’Hehir says, “Our culture is obsessed with ‘real’ events because we experience hardly any.” Trump pretends to be “real.” It’s black magic.

Leah: What particular talents does Trump have that tap into the American psyche?

David: What such talents does he not have? He has swallowed America whole.

Leah: In this entire disgraceful, scary, embarrassing saga, who is the person you hate the most?

David: Exactly the wrong question. G.K. Chesterton, asked what’s wrong with the world, said, “I am.” If you can’t find in yourself what’s scary about Trump, you have zero chance of figuring him out and/or counteracting him. 

Leah: I fully understand that within myself I can find what is scary about Trump. The spectacle is impossible to turn away from; we’ve all been rubbernecking for 3 years now. In the debates, I laughed at “low-energy Jeb” and “Lil’ Marco,” while simultaneously knowing the whole thing was gross. But I think your answer absolves Trump and his administration of their cruelty. They took babies from their mothers at the border. They won’t stop until poor people don’t have health care. It’s not just PT Barnum giving people a good show. So, let me ask again: whom do you hate the most?

David: The book is the book and my life is my life. In my actual life, I work to bring an end to the oligarchy. Along with everyone else, I yell at the TV and radio and web. In the book, though, I strive to understand the phenomenon. And to understand all is most definitely not to pardon all. That being said, whom do I hate the most? To my surprise, the person who comes to mind is Comey.

Leah: In the book, you mention Will Blythe’s TO HATE LIKE THIS IS TO BE HAPPY FOREVER, a book about the Duke / UNC basketball rivalry. Does Trump vs. liberals feel like a sports event to you? On some level, is checking Twitter every morning and getting outraged fun? If it is, is that white privilege?

David: Love the title but have never read the book. To not view Trump as both deadly serious and a “funny” game-player is to miss the entire point. Of course it’s sport; that’s a huge part of the shtick. “Bread and circuses” means there are circuses. Overreliance on the term “white privilege”: another reason Trump will be re-elected. 

Leah: Is Trump your perfect foil? What about him as subject matter makes him so conducive to your writing style and thought process?

David: ADD. OCD. Logorrhea. Graphomania. Ressentiment. Weariness/wariness re virtue-signaling. Originary woundedness. Vanity. Narcissism. Avariciousness. Lust. All the usual human vices and sins. 

Leah: Should America still be a country? How can you stay in a marriage with 63 million people that voted for a monster? 

David: These are the very questions that got Trump elected and that threaten to get him re-elected. The moment you call Trump a monster, you’ve stopped trying to understand him and the conditions that gave rise to him and why he resonates with so many people. There’s nothing remotely useful about this sort of moral self-congratulation. 

Leah: How do you hope this ends?

David: I’m not in the hope business. I’m in the tragic-news-about-the-human-condition-business. We are a fallen, doomed species. People want apocalypse always. Trump promises to deliver the end or a glimmer of the end.

About David Shields

David Shields is the internationally bestselling author of twenty-two books, including  (named one of the best books of 2010 by more than thirty publications), Bestseller, (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award), ( Editors’ Choice). The film adaptation of  was released by First Pond Entertainment in 2017.  is forthcoming in 2019. A recipient of Guggenheim and NEA fellowships and a senior contributing editor of Conjunctions, Shields has published essays and stories in the , , , , , , , and . His work has been translated into two dozen languages.

You can follow David Shields on Instagram and Twitter and buy his latest book here.

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