#i hope my opinions are at least controversially entertaining

[sokkabaddiebender2021]

ok y’all i finally finished the neflix live action avatar and…….don’t hate me……..but i enjoyed it 😭 my standards for entertainment is honestly on whether or not it entertained me, so honestly i question my standards.

first off, the visuals and score was absolutely amazing. the fight scenes were well choreographed, and the bending, which i was super nervous about, looked actually amazing.

i think we can all agree the writing and dialogue was pretty choppy at times, and the delivery could be better at times. but i also think (most) of the energy of the original characters was captured well. katara honestly got done the dirtiest because why was she so…….not passionate??? i’m hoping later on she gets more so because that’s a key trait of katara. i was very disappointed with that :/

what they did to suki too……..i liked her being a little awkward and such because it makes sense but i felt like too much of her character was dedicated to her having a crush on sokka. like where is her attitude, her ferocity?

i think aang was played very well by gordon cormier, especially considering this is a child actor we are taking about. his line delivery isn’t going to be great and yes he is a real boy so he can’t be as cartoony as some would hope but i think he was absolutely adorable.

surprise surprise, i loved dallas liu as zuko. i think there were some pretty whack line deliveries but he really captured the anger and cringeyness of zuko well. his martial arts were also also incredible, his fight scenes were my favorite to watch. the scene with him crying quietly on the bed when ozai banishing him shattered me, his subtle acting is underrated honestly.

i have my beef with ian ousley as sokka mostly because of the controversy and such, but i can’t lie he did play sokka well. yet again, as for the last characters, some line deliveries were iffy but he was still a very believable sokka.

so for the writing, i have LOTS OF OPINIONS. there were things they cut that definitely upset me, and that was just because of their lowkey questionable pacing. as much as i hate the slimeball, i missed a lot of the interesting parts of zhao’s story that they cut like his agni kai, jeuong jeuong (aang’s fear of fire??), zuko SAVING him. i feel like they had something interesting there with building a fake alliance with him and zuko, and they didn’t build more off it. [edit] that so, the dude who played zhao had me losing my shit. his line delivery was hilarious and i just love that zhao just gives that manager no one likes/that one creepy math teacher in high school vibes (only combination i could think of y’all).

the additions to zuko’s story was something i absolutely loved. i found myself actually getting very emotional with a lot of the flashbacks, and the 41st division being his crew 🥹🥹 but then i find myself being upset that we were shown other flashbacks so early (like the death of katara’s mother??).

i actually hate the hate azula’s actress is getting. she’s playing a 14 year old……like a 14 year old?? she wasn’t even in season 1 in the og so ofc she’s gonna not be the same, i’m hoping this means they’re building up her up to her fierceness in season 2.

one last critique PLEASE GET A WIG BUDGET GOOD LORD THOSE WIGS WERE BAAAAD. and also a lot of their costumes looked fake or like plastic this was actually my least favorite part 😭

overall, not as horrible as people make it out to be, i had a good time but obviously the og will always be the higher quality product. i’m just glad the young actors seemed to really be passionate for the project :)

[stormoflina]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeLmypRt/

Dominik and orban!! What’s this about??

Anon, however you got f*desz on your fyp I feel bad for you...

Bit of a backstory for this, before the translation: Orban (the PM of Hungary, the leader of a former liberal party turned into one of Europe's leading right wing parties, a very controversial man with very questionable politics and opinions, to say the least) is a huge football fan, to the point he tried politicize football in Hungary. In the past it did work out to an extent, our last two former captains were known supporters of his party... One is the rumoured gay lover of one of the ministers by the way, and no, I'm not joking :D

Now, when our last captain before Dominik, Szalai Ádám used to regularly entertain Orban with his wishes, he invited him to their dressing room after certain important wins, things like that. Ever since Dominik got the captainship, it stopped - thank God! No more asslicking from the nt, no more visits or PR meetings, or photos. He never showed support for him, and even disregarding if it's a personal choice or not, for the shake of neutrality, I hope it stays this way.

The video goes like this:

Interviewer: "When will you meet Szoboszlai Dominik?"

Orbán: "The question is not when will I meet him, it's if he is willing to meet with me."

*Scene cuts to Orbán telling a story*

Orbán: " By the way, once I meet him, briefly. He wasn't a big thing, a "king" back then. I had to go to Telki (the training center of the hungarian nt) with Csányi Sándor (vice president of the UEFA) for the MLSZ (Hungarian Football Federation) and I went to meet Szalai Ádám (former captain, known supporter of Orbán) and he was sitting at the table with a few of the "big kings". He was really young back then [not a superstar, as he is now, that's what he is trying to say by saying "king"]. I spoke like 3-4 words to him.

He is the king, their is no question about that. Prime ministers can come and go, but there are very few hungarians who were able to play for Liverpool. So the question is not when I will meet him, but when [if] is he willing to meet [ever] with me ?"

This video genuinely pissed me off. This is literally being posted by the Fidesz party (the governing party) as a light-hearted, fun video, but the undertone is very much pure pressure, in my opinion(!). You can tell Orbán is frustrated with the lack of ackowledgement from Dominik, especially how he was asslicking the nt team for performing so well this last year, esp for the Euros campaign, and got no public response back.

Sorry, this is a very biased response -of course not the translation, that is word-to-word -, but gosh, do I strongly dislike this man!

[freakblrbookkeeperofficial]

Blog Name: Tmf Confessions Blog

Username: @tmf-confessions

Aliases: Freakblrs Beloved Canon Event

Type of Blog: Confessions Blog/Gimmick Blog

Date created: July/August of 2023

Reason Created: To give people a space to share their opinions of the show and the fandom

Last Active: 5/4/2024; still currently active

Identity: @strawberry-pretzels

--------------------------------------

The Tmf-Confessions blog is one of the more iconic blogs on Freakblr. It has been used by almost everyone at least once and has remained very neutral in any instances of infighting on Freakblr.

It is, after all, a convenient way to politely air grievances and spread opinions. It is the first place many people in this fandom think to go to with their hot, cold, and luke-warm takes.

Over it's lengthy existence, people submitting confessions have sparked many inter-fandom controversies. Nothing so severe though, that it is worth making note. Most fighting was shut down through calm conversation and back-and-forth's on the confessions blog.

When asked about enemies, the confession blog simply responded, "i don't think this blog has any enemies cause it's a welcoming space for everyone frl."

A huge running joke of the confession blog is the idea of, "Rat's Laying Eggs." This begun when the Confession blog came back from a semi-long hiatus. They posted the following: "yall i died my bad. sorry guys my rat gave birth and laid two or three eggs."

This post sparked outrage amongst many of the confession blog followers. Freakblr Original user @creelby reblogged saying, "IM???????" Another Freakblr Original user, @cringelordofchaos similarly stated, "YOU'RE???????" Finally, Freakblr Original user @rextile sums up everyone's thoughts on the situation. Asking the important question of, "rats lay eggs????"

This one post led to several asks wondering about the state of the confession blog's rats. Led to multiple google searches about whether or not rat's can actually lay eggs. In the end it was determined that no. No they cannot. And the confession blog had been eating eggs from what they thought was a rat for months.

Eventually Freakblr Original user @sobeksewerrat posted this on their other alternate account, @andrew-the-drew-defender: "rat eggs should become a new inside joke on freakblr. We should make it a password or a secret code of sorts so we know who to gatekeep"

While many agreed and liked this idea, it never actually became a secret code. It did however remain an inside joke and led to the creation of the Freakblr discord server.

The confession blog's main account is @strawberry-pretzels. A Freakblr Original user. They post a wide variety of content there, including Music Freaks content.

When asked about blogs of note, they mentioned The Original Freakblr Seven, as well as any other blogs who'd submitted asks. Continuing their pattern of being a safe space for all on Freakblr.

The Tmf Confessions blog continues to post and be active, a bright spot in the lives of many Freakblr users. It inspires discourse and thoughtful discussion of the show. It keeps us entertained in the wait for new content. A pioneer of Freakblr, in my opinion.

And, when asked to sum up their time on Freakblr, this is what they had to say:

"Freakblr is many things. It's a group of 20 people joking around and telling stories. It's a space for so much interesting lore and fandom icebergs. It's a place where creativity and roleplay runs rampant. But above all, it is an amazing home with many memories, that I hope will be remembered even years later."

[aashi-heartfilia]

My honest view on all MHA movies + Movie 4 expectations...

I would say they're okay at best, boring at worst.

The movie I liked the most was Heroes Rising, partially because it had most Horikoshi involvement and he is the author of our main story.

Plus, it gave a chance to all of class 1a to show their skills and make them go plus ultra without changing too much from the story.

The first one was good too. I really liked David Shield and Melissa, and how cleverly Horikoshi used it in chapter 396.

It might be my most controversial opinion but, for all the hype it had, I find it pretty meh.

Especially the villain and Deku's solution to beating that villain. Like what was the point?

At least while beating the 1st movie villain, it was a dream team up between Deku and All Might. A Deku that could use OFA 100%!!

In the 2nd movie Bakugo shared OFA to land the final blow. IT WAS EPIC!!!

In the 3rd movie, it was just "Ok, normal punch didn't work? LET'S PUNCH IT HARDER!!"

This shouldn't be a solution to every freaking thing!! Plus, so less of Bakugo and Todoroki. I was extremely disappointed.

I went to the movie theatre with high hopes that at least Bakugo and Shouto will entertain me but nope! They had such a small role!

I have many other things to rant about but that's not the point here.

My opinion on a 4th movie?

Only if it has all of class 1a involved like movie 2. It will be set up after the Dark Deku arc, so I seriously don't want Deku roaming around the entire country with some random stranger this time. Rather, him going on strolls to find AFO and encountering another villain and that villain maybe sending them into a parallel world or something!

MHA is such an interesting concept that literally anything creative can be done with it! Plus, they all have so many new moves! They can all showcase it and form interesting match-ups.

There could even be a gang of villains and they could divide in a group of 4-5 and fight them.

So basically I'm going to watch only if all of class 1a is involved.

Cheers!

[now-that-i-saw-you]

2023 recap

I've lived a thousand lives this year. I also read around 40 books, watched 17 shows, 34 movies and listened to 40,214 minutes of music and I'm gonna narrow them all down to top 3 favorites of each category.

Music

1. Midnights

I'm a swiftie forever and ever so best believe whatever album Taylor released it's gonna be my favorite album ever, but Midnights is exceptionally good. It's no surprise that most songs on my top 5 most-played are from Midnights (and the only one that isn't is seven). This is my AOTY and I want to personally thank Taylor for writing You're On Your Own, Kid.

2. Stick Season

My sixth most-played song was Dial Drunk and I think it was just a couple of streams away from entering the top. The rest of the album is just as good and as poignant. It's so folklore-esque and I adore a good story that makes me forget about my problems.

3. Good Ridddance

Did you guys know Gracie Abrams is fucking excellent? I listened to Good Riddance and it was amazing and then I listened to her earlier work and they were also amazing. Good Riddance is for girls in their 20s who feel like they mess everything up (it's so evermore-coded).

Books

1. All For The Game

I read a lot of great books this year but this is probably the only one I've been properly obsessed with. Every single word in these books made me cry, it just made me feel so much; angry, sad, happy, but mainly hopeful.

2. She Who Became The Sun

This is objectively the best book I read this year. It's eloquent and complex and interesting and deals with subjects like gender and sexuality in such a fine, delicate way. I wanted to savour every moment with this book, read every word slowly so I could properly understand it. Ouyang is up there with Adam Parrish and Lyra Silvertongue in my Favorite Characters List.

3. Conversations With Friends

This book made me feel seen, while deeply hurting me. Turns out I kinda like the Miscommunication trope and I think it's mostly because I love it when characters feel like real people and nothing is more real than not saying what you should or saying the wrong thing.

TV Shows

1. Succession

I came to realize that what makes me love a show/book is mostly the characters. I love complicated characters that feel like real people. I love it when I can't decide whether I hate or love a character. Even my least favourite characters (Logan and Tom) were well-written and had a very satisfying storyline. I did not understand a single thing they said when talking about finance (at least I learned what a Bear Hug is...sorta) and that didn't stop me from enjoying the show and following the plot and to me that shows how entertaining it was.

2. Better Call Saul

Everyone should watch this show. This is one of the greatest corruption arcs I've ever seen on TV and Jimmy is an excellent protagonist, I love the way the writers build his character's arc and his relationship with people around him, mainly his brother but also Kim because their relationship was amazing. They were so cute and doomed by the narrative. Personally, I enjoyed every season and wasn't bored at any point. This show was done with so much love and you can feel it.

3. Totally Completely Fine

I love it when I stumble on a show because I have nothing else to watch and it turns out to be a favourite. Totally Completely Fine has everything: Humour and wit, discussing important, sensitive topics in a very appropriate manner, and an incredibly real sibling relationship. The show gives a voice and empathy to the eldest siblings, the youngest and the middle child and I'm never getting over "you took all the air."

Please watch it because I want a second season.

Films

1. The Whale

Idk if this a controversial opinion or not but I found this film very moving. To me it's a story about healing and forgiveness being a possibilty for everyone. I really felt and cared for the main character.

2. El Camino

The Breaking Bad writers are just very good at their job. I love Jesse and I love this additional story to the universe.

3. Loving Vincent

The entire film was made by oil painting. How can I not include this? It's a beautiful film telling the story of Vincent Van Gogh's death. I encourage everyone to watch it.

[willowmosby]

Honestly the fact 1899 is cancelled is bullshit. Like it was such an incredible first season, and I am almost always of the opinion the a shows first season is it's weakest, and yet they still cancelled it. I think it's super odd considering that as much as Dark is one of my personal favorites I don't think it was nearly as successful in it's first season as 1899 ( I mean that's mostly based on people I know in real life not real stats so take that as you will). I saw 1899 on the top ten list for weeks and yet.

I'd also like to take a moment to talk about why I personally ( I'm not a tv critic or a pop culture expert) think that the Netflix mode of cancelation is so flawed. Controversially I don't really care that shows like Emily and Paris are getting renewed they have there demographic and entertainment doesn't always need to be revolutionary. And I naively believe that people one fandom shouldn't have to disrespect another for their own gain. The problem comes when they cancel shows in between seasons. I know this sounds weird but I honestly think that if they gave the creators of shows like 1899, Warrior nun, or even Julie and the phantoms half a season heads up that the creators could put together a satisfying ending instead of being left hanging with no resolution. I know that's not ideal, we'd all prefer the creators get how many seasons they plan for or at least get a whole season to make a final season, but its a situation that most network tv has learned to deal with. I mean how many network tv shows can you think of where the creators weren't at least aware of likely hood of their next season.

I think a large part of people's anger is the the show didn't have a satisfying ending, you can claim it's about the creators all you like but I just don't think that's the biggest reason. I worry about that , not because I disagree just that I worry in the world of modern streaming that creators will do away with cliffhanger endings to appease the new format just as 22 episode seasons and "filler" episodes have slowly begun to decline. That fear that a show may end early has always impacted tv but when you can't watch you ratings until long after the show has wrapped every show could suffer from the fear that each season finale will be their last.

I know that was long and kind of incoherent but I hope some people get it and I really am deeply sad that we won't have another season of 1899.

[skepticalarrie]

Hey there! I was wondering what your thoughts are on the boys public image going forward into the future. Louis public image has obviously changed a lot, at least in my opinion with from beginning of 1D, to bad boy Louis, uninvolved father to father of the year. Harry more open in recent years but still the model dating womanizer, one year relationship guy. Do we think Harry continues that way? Or as he gets older will there be a push for him to “settle down” as well or just continue like this?

Oh, but that’s so hard to predict, anon. It really depends on their professional goals and what they want moving forward. Maybe what we can discuss is what the fanbase wants from them and how other artists are shaping their PR strategies.

This might seem unrelated, but I’m very into trend forecasting and study it a lot for marketing strategies in my job. So we can easily draw parallels between brands and artists in the entertainment industry. Right now, there’s a huge desire for authenticity, truth, and honesty—mostly driven by issues like mental health, social media, and politics. Basically, people just want to connect with others who share their beliefs and who can genuinely represent them on a deeper level. So, any kind of interaction or action that feels insincere, surface-level, or disconnected from the public tends to be dismissed and forgotten. Which is what I assume most artists are focusing on currently.

With that in mind, I think Louis has really found a way to connect with his fans by leaning into his "Father of the Year" persona and going back to his roots in this new era. I’ve touched on this before, but I think it was a significant rebrand. Making his family and backstory central to his public persona helps fans feel like they truly know him, not just "stage Louis." His album and tour were very successful, and I think he’s in a great place right now. IMO this is the path he’ll stick to for the next few years, at least.

As for Harry, I’m going to guess he’s probably recalibrating right now?! At least, I hope he is! He’s a mainstream artist, and his public image needs to be managed on a bigger scale. The whole Holivia situation and the Grammys put him in a bit of hot waters, and his public image wasn’t at its best during that time. So, I expect some rebranding and new strategies (hopefully) for HS4. People aren’t really buying the old PR relationships and "fuck boy" image that Harry has leaned on since his 1D days. It used to generate a lot of attention and fuel female fantasies, but it’s not being received the same way anymore. He came dangerously close to being seriously canceled with Holivia. So, I think he needs to pivot in a different direction, I assume a lot of artists with similar strategies as him are also in a similar situation and this concern has been a discussion in his fanbase for a while now. It’s tricky because being a womanizer has always been part of his public persona and used to his advantage for promo. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll completely drop that (maybe ever) because there’s still some appeal to it, but being too mysterious or ambiguous about certain things has an expiration date. Rumors and controversy sell, but they can also get you canceled—it’s a pretty dangerous line to walk these days. So, I think he’ll need to start balancing things out carefully.

[hageny]

Succession Thoughts: Gerri x Roman 

1. Love’s A Losing Game.

I finally have a chance to touch on the scene between Roman and Gerri, and, as usual, my thoughts may be a bit controversial, but here we go. When we see them again, Roman is propositioning Gerri for advice after having fired her in the last episode, and Gerri rebuffs him with a firm, “No.” This seems to shock Roman, who then quickly plunges into damage control, attempting to cajole her and convince her his firing of her wasn’t real. As he puts it, “Dad fired people all the time. I was just feeling kind of fire-ish.” I can understand the logic behind Roman’s statement because, if one recalls in Season 1, Logan fired Frank, and, shockingly, Frank came back to Waystar and to Logan again anyway later on. Even Gerri was shocked by this, to which Frank replied, “Baby needs shoes, moth to a flame [...]”. This moment in Hunting between them sort of sets us up for what Gerri does in Tailgate Party by refusing to return, but again, Roman had seen the Old Guard kicked so many times he naturally thought Gerri wouldn’t permanently abandon him. Sadly, he thought wrong, and she has firmly--and gladly--removed herself from the picture. Most of the discourse online has cheered Gerri on, saying Roman got what was coming to him, and, to degree, I can agree with this. However, Gerri says something interesting that I’ve seen no one comment on which is the line about his dick pics: “[...] I will sue and I will go public with the many, many pictures of your genitalia that I have in my possession.” This struck me as quite pertinent because many fans debated about Roman’s sending of the dick pic in Season 3, wondering whether the one he sent his father was the only one, whether when Gerri asked him to stop sending, “the items”, she had been receiving photos before. This confirms that Gerri had received photos of Roman’s private parts before, and, until the moment she took the CEO spot, likely entertained his proclivity for sending them the same way she engaged in his other kinks. This brings me to my point, which is, did Roman deserve for Gerri to walk out on him? Sure, to a degree. He treated her poorly several times this season, and expected loyalty in return, which was foolish of him. However, was he the only one in the wrong? Not in the least. What many seem to conveniently forget when discussing their relationship is that Gerri willingly entered into a pseudo-romance with him, dancing the dance and leading him along as much as he led her. She was no virginal ingenue out to sea with a predator, she was a willing participant in their relationship, and she is as much responsible for its dissolution as he is. Her inconsistent communication with him in Season 3--her vague outlining of what was appropriate, her pulling back suddenly without any real clear sit-down conversation--is largely what led Roman to send her the photos. He even says to her, “I’m not so sure, I feel like you do want them, but you’re being kind of typically minxy.” Of course, she did seriously tell him to stop, but us fans remained confused through the run of the season like Roman did, and so I can’t help but sympathize with him now. He knew better than to send the photos and sent them anyway, and Gerri knew better than to enter into a relationship with her boss’s son and then turn around and throw the responsibility for it’s destruction in his face as though he was the only villain in the story. I am prepared to get a heap of criticism for this opinion, but I still stand by it. There’s something about the endless backing of Gerri and lack of actual critique of her actions that rubs me wrong. I do, however, still hope for some sort of turn in their relationship, naïve as that may seem, because, truly, they were much better together than apart. They were a more powerful team when they worked alongside each other, and to see the show just throw it all away feels cheap. I am interested to hear what others think about this scene, and, of course, discussion is always welcome, whether you agree or disagree with me. 

AN: I just wanted to add a quick thank you to all who have read and commented on my writings so far. As always I like hearing everyone’s thoughts, and I like how honest people are in the replies. Makes life more fun. 

[aerkan]

SPOILERS FOR SHADOW AND BONE SEASON 2

Okay, it's the time of the year to get controversial. Yay!

Sooooo, three days ago (16 March 2023) the second season of Netflix's Shadow and Bone aired and surprisingly I quite enjoyed it.

I know, I know, shocking.

But let me just tell you why.

The characters are better.

Alina: She got herself some agency that doesn't just revolve around Mal (yes, she tries to not have him die and stubbornly refuses to entertain the thought and that's understandable because she loves him, but the other characters don't let her just hide from it) and in the end doesn't lose her powers (I was especially happy about that) AND stays with Nikolai to try and fix their country. She takes responsibility (more than in the books at least), which I loved to see. Also at the end she looks like she's happy about being able to control shadows and to kill the girl - which... I know some people won't like it, but I do because you know what? IT PROVES ALEKSANDER'S POINT. He may have not seen this side of her for himself, but he knew it was there somewhere. He kept telling her that she's young still but once she knows, once she lives through a failure after failure to save their people, well... she might be even worse than he was to keep them safe.

Mal: oh, this boy gave me a headache in the books, but they managed to make him better. He knows Alina was meant for something greater than an ordinary life and knows that he wasn't. Mal in the books held Alina back so many times, but here they are actually trying to make him suportive of her decisions. And in the end he decides that he wants something for himself that isn't just Alina and what she wants. So yes, I liked that change a lot. I sincerely hope that they won't get back together, because they seem to me better of as friends.

Baghra: I hate this woman, I really do. I hate that she just disregards what her son tells her and contradicts herself constantly and seem pretty manipulative all around. But the fact she acknowledges the fact she's not a good person, that she actively tries to do something instead of petily commiting suicide just to hurt her son, that made me like her more than in the books. I still hate her, but just a little less. She's a bad person, moraly worse than she was in the books, but she's a better character.

Nikolai: I loved him, so much. I think they nailed his character. The balance of hope, despair and charm that I loved about him in the books. The choice they made with Dominic surprised me, but in a good way. Nikolai's dynamic with anybody was great, the friendship between him and his people was lovely to watch in my opinion.

Zoya: I never thought I would say this but I don't mind her existence. I hope they won't ruin her like the Nikolai duology did, because so far she looks like a character that makes sense and isn't frustrating or annoying.

And finaly Aleksander/The Darkling: In the first few episodes I honestly couldn't get over what they did to him, but then they added these little details and for me they painted absolutely different picture of the character than just an irredemable villain that the books tried for. Him saving his grisha from being tortured at the hands of the First Army and then promising Genya he will find David for her, thanking her even though she couldn't do what he asked for and shielding her from the Nichevo'ya while he was in immense pain? That showed the love he holds for his people even when he doesn't express it in plain sight. Him not killing Genya for deserting and honestly... who knows how much of the scars on her face were made by his direct command? Then the fact he is able to direct the Nichevo'ya but can't fully control them? God damn it, but they were made while he was dying and he can't get rid of them. The fact they killed his mother when he didn't want them to, that he cried for her like that? The 'Leave her alone! No!' when the Nichevo'ya attacked Alina? His speech in the final episode which made perfect sense and Alina will find out the hard way he was right? The bloody fact he admited that Alina was his peace, which... you know... he loved her. That's just a bloody fact that even the show wants us to know.

I just, I found it refreshing that yes, while they made him probably more deranged than the books, they also made him more human. They made him lose more and they made him feel more. They didn't just make him a paper cutout of a character (which to be fair, the books tried really hard to do). They made him an ancient force to reckoned with but also a man that lost more than anybody could possibly imagine and decided to go nuclear. And yes, of course I would love to see the characters admit he was right and instead of fighting him try to work together for a better Ravka and against the witch hunts, but we all knew that wasn't going to happen. I honestly think they made him better though. Still a villain, yes, but a one that suits his world more.

The crows: I don't have much to say there, they kept their canon characteristics and, in my opinion, managed to fit them into the story quite well.

So, overall, while the series has some of the frustrating things that the books had, they did get rid off a lot of the bigger ones.

There are really only two things, which I didn't like: David's death and the fact the show as a whole forgot that Novyi Zem and Shu Han are not friendly places for Grisha. I swear I was fuming when they just mentioned they would love to go to Shu Han. Like, that's amazing, but you would end up on a lab table with needles in your brain.

That's all. Thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

[uncloseted]

Imho we need to stop research deep diving into the people behind our entertainment and holding them to impossible standards because you will literally end up not being able to consume any media again. Your favorite actors/musicians/influencers/writer/etc have all done something problematic at some point and aren't morally perfect people that consumers are slowly demanding them to be. Of course it's different if they've committed a crime but I'm not talking about those types of creators here

I agree, 100%. I think people online need to have an honest conversation with themselves about what their actual goals are and what the best way to achieve those goals would be. Do you want someone to change their views or actions? If that's the case, the best way to achieve that goal is to nicely call them in to a conversation about it. It's not to dig up a post from fifteen years ago, send the person death threats, and then refuse to change your mind about them when they tell you that that's no longer their position. Doing that will only push the person further in the direction of the "problematic" belief or action, because at least the people who support that belief/action aren't trying to dox their families and get them fired from their jobs.

But I think truthfully, a lot of people online don't want other people to grow and change. They want to feel morally superior by punishing "bad" people who have done "bad" things. And in doing so, a lot of those people then start doing the bad things they accuse others of doing and justify it by saying that they had to do those things so that the "bad people" would be held accountable. Righteousness is a dangerous cycle to get trapped in.

I also think it's really strange because people don't apply this same logic in any other area of their lives. Like, would I start boycotting a restaurant because some line cook posted a bad take on his Facebook or stop buying from a store because the owner is an absent parent to his children? No. As long as I get the product I paid for, I don't really care what the personal lives of the employees are like beyond hoping that they're, like, happy and healthy and being paid a fair wage. But the minute the product in question is a celebrity, people lose the plot so quickly. Why should any of us care if actors are uninvolved parents or in a weird relationship as long as they're good at acting, the thing we pay them to do?

And of course, there are some important parameters on that, which I feel like I need to say lest I too be mobbed for having a bad take. For example, the Me Too movement was hugely important because it was about removing people with a history of illegal behavior from having access to the influence that would allow them to continue to abuse people. That's huge. I am in no way saying that we should uncancel Harvey Weinstein or Kevin Spacey. Cancelling them removed them from the film industry, which meant that they were removed from the position of power that they held over others and used to abuse people who were subordinate to them. The film industry is safer without them there.

But... do I care that, for example, Barry Keoghan is "problematic" because he got divorced, moved to a different country from his son, and started dating someone new? Is that worth boycotting his movies over? Saltburn was a good movie. Please, Please, Please is a good song with a good music video. I got what I paid for, which is him being a good actor. Me refusing to watch him in things because he's "problematic" would do very little in the way of his son seeing him more. Even if he wasn't famous, he very well might have done the same thing. Would I care about this if he was a guy who served me a drink in Dublin or something? No. So why should I care because he's someone famous?

Similarly, and this is maybe my more controversial take here, I don't really care if celebrities have an opinion on global sociopolitical events or not. The majority of celebrities barely have a high school education. For the most part, they don't really have the educational or informational background to comment on complex and nuanced issues in any meaningful way. There are some exceptions to that (Tom Morello especially comes to mind- also Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, and Bridgit Mendler), but those are also the people who are using their platform exclusively for business and have opted out of trying to be "relatable" celebrities on social media. And if I'm being honest, I think that's fine. I don't really want, like, Ariana Grande's publicist to post on Instagram about Palestine telling me what they think I want to hear so that Ariana doesn't lose public support (not sure if this is actually a thing that happened- just an example I'm making up). If anything, I think celebrities should be platforming people who are actually experts on these topics and sharing donation links for reputable organizations.

But nobody wants that, because by and large, people don't care about understanding any one conflict in particular. They just want proof that their fave agrees with them on whatever issue is most popular on the internet at that moment, and they want to prove that they're on the right side of history. And that's fine, I guess. Like I was saying the other day, I think people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is better than people doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. The way things work now, at least people in Palestine are getting the aid that they need. But I think it also creates an environment in which the voices of experts (including the people who are actually living through the conflict) are getting drowned out, and it creates an environment where misinformation can spread rapidly.

All this is just to say that I think we need to be more aware of our motivations and make sure we have all of the information we need before we act. I think it's really easy to get caught up in internet hate trains, especially if you already didn't like the person and have been looking for a reason to justify your dislike for them. And the internet makes it really easy to jump onto those hate trains and feel totally justified in doing so. But as boring as it is, I think we have to take a step back and ask ourselves, "do I have a legitimate reason to dislike this person or are they just not for me? If I think I have a legitimate reason to dislike them, do I have all of the facts, or am I going off the word of someone who already dislikes them? If I have a legitimate reason to dislike them, will my actions encourage them to think differently about the issue, or do I just want to see them be punished? What would this person have to do for me to change my mind on them/forgive them? If there's nothing that would change my mind or make me forgive them, is it better to just block them so I don't waste mental energy on them?" I think it's better for ourselves and for the world at large if we choose to engage thoughtfully online instead of engaging impulsively.

[realhousewives-fan]

The Memorable Moments of Season 4

What an amazing season this was for RHOSLC.

It was highly entertaining, comical, and ended with one of the biggest plot twists in Housewives history!

They wanted to prove themselves to the fans, that they don’t need to rely on the scandals that followed Jen Shah. And they delivered the best season yet for the show.

But most of it is thanks to the newbie Monica Garcia. Even without the Reality von Tease scandal. She brought so much to the show.

How will they go into season 5?

It’s clear that the women have gotten more comfortable with the game of housewives. And my hope is that they’ll just get better with every season.

Whitney Rose for instance has grown as a housewife and was throwing shady comments left and right, mostly directed at Meredith Marks, who’s patience has grown thin.

But it wasn’t until we were reintroduced to Mary Cosby that we get our first memorable moment, in my opinion.

Mary’s Phone Call to Trixie’s Motel

I know it’s controversial, but Mary’s return as a friend gave us such a comic relief and chaotic scenes that made me just laugh out loud in disbelief.

Her phone call to the reception at Trixie’s Motel to ask if they had Dom Perignon and food for them.

Her facial expressions and obvious disappointment made me laugh so hard. I’ve rewatched it so many times, it never gets old.

Monica's Scandalous Affair

The first real jaw dropping moment for me was when Monica told Heather Gay that she’d had an 18-month long affair with her brother-in-law.

It had led to her getting excommunicated from the Mormon church.

It was extremely refreshing to see someone owning the skeletons in her closet like that, but it also showed a chauvinistic judgment on women within the Mormon church.

“YOU. CAN. LEAVE!”

Their chaotic trip to Palm Springs was an experience to say the least.

From the uninvited guest who kept making snarky comments the entire time, to Lisa Barlow’s missing ring, Heather getting drunk on espresso martinis, and the hostess who quickly lost control of her trip, lost her patience.

Meredith’s “YOU. CAN. LEAVE!” will remain as one of the most iconic moments in the franchise. At least for me.

She was obviously intoxicated, mistook a waiter for one in their producers, and threatened with exposing “the rumorz and the nastinezz” about Angie Katsanevas.

It was so overly dramatic, chaotic, and comical. It was the work of a top tier housewife.

The Confrontation in the Van Ride

If there’s one thing that will create chaos with this group, it’s a van ride.

After Meredith yelled at Angie and threatened to expose the rumors and the nastiness about her husband, Mary decided that this was the right moment to confront Whitney.

She was upset about her comments about her and her husband during the reunion for season 2.

Heather simply tried to stay alive with her drunkenness while Mary and Whitney were arguing about the verbatims that were used.

Mother vs. Daughter

Another jaw dropping moment was the argument between Monica and her mother, Linda Darnell. I’ve never seen an argument between a mother and a daughter that are that volatile.

It was later revealed in a leaked video clip that they had planned their arguments, which is sadly another sign of Monica’s deceit on the show.

What was real and what was staged between them?

"Wake up, Bubblehead!"

Another sitdown that highly entertained me was the necessary conversation between Mary and Whitney.

It was seemingly going well until Whitney wanted Mary to take accountability for the mean texts she had sent her.

Comparing mean texts to accusing someone of being a predator on TV isn’t exactly the same, so I understand why it provoked Mary. Their conversation quickly escalated and was left unresolved.

It was chaotic, and like a rollercoaster ride, and every second of it was entertaining to me.

Fighting During the Sound Bath

The chaos that Monica and Lisa caused at Whitney’s sound bath event was both funny and a little provoking.

Lisa’s digs regarding Monica’s mother were a little cruel and uncalled for, but Monica gives as much as she takes.

And poor Angie in the literally middle of the women trying to calm them down and try to see eye to eye.

A Woman in Desperate Need of a Bathtub

Meredith accidentally took two sleeping pills on the way to Bermuda and didn’t look very well when they arrived. As the women stormed the villa in search of a room, Meredith was in no condition to run around.

She was left with the only room without a bathtub – and everybody knows how much Meredith loves her baths!

She was furious, and I couldn’t stop laughing about it. She’s so dramatic!

A Secret Meeting at the Beach

With the drama that went on in Bermuda with the strange DMs that Meredith and Monica had received about Angie, it all became irrelevant when Heather invited the OGs to a secret meeting at the beach.

One of the women in their group was an imposter, and they were going to confront that person during dinner.

Meredith’s dramatic reaction to the news became a meme and hilarious fanart. I didn’t know if I was going to cry with her or laugh of the soap opera dramatics of it all.

Meredith was the gift that kept on giving this season.

Monica is Reality von Tease!

Monica was the imposter. She’s not who we think she is, said Heather. She is… Reality von Tease!

This was an epic and iconic episode for RHOSLC and one of the greatest season finales in the entire franchise.

When RHOSLC is good, they’re exceptionally good!

This season proved that there’s potential for them without Jen. But is there potential without Monica? Only time will tell.

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

I think my coaster opinions are relatively standard but I think my other ride opinions are controversial like I don’t think Star Wars rise of the resistance lives up to the hype because even though I think a lot of the technology is wicked cool and I love what they did with the animatronics, I think it requires too much of a knowledge of Star Wars for non Star Wars fans to enjoy. Like Star tours is perfect because you don’t have to know who C-3P0 is to know he’s bumbled his way into a spaceship and now you’re fighting things in space. The millennium Falcon one it’s just a glorified video game it’s mission space 2. But rise requires more than just a base level knowledge of Star Wars because you’re expected to know at least something about these characters and the villains you’re facing and that is where most of the ride’s entertainment value comes from. If you don’t know anything about Star Wars there’s not a ton for you, and I don’t think that’s a good thing for a theme park ride in a park not totally dedicated to that thing. Again, sure, if we’re speaking about the technology it’s really sick and I hope we see that technology brought into other attractions, but I think people are so enchanted by the Star Wars immersion that they don’t want to find any faults in the ride. And there are faults.

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Who is in your opinion the best written character in the canon hp series?

So this poster sent another post clarifying that by best they mean most realistic or interesting.

But honestly, that’s still insanely difficult for me to pin down.

Do we mean best written as in the characters I believe JKR got across the way she intended to? Do we mean best written for simply being the most interesting to me (vice to other people necessarily)? Do we mean the best written because they’re the most realistic (and what does that even mean)? 

There’s a whole can of worms we open by asking for the best. 

From the question you asked, I think the best is supposed to be a mixture of the above things, especially in regards to the writing. We’re talking about the canon as JKR intended, the actual written source of Harry Potter, and not my strange head canon world where I do whatever I want and go far beyond JKR ever intended characters to be taken.

So with that, drumroll please...

My answer is no one.

Given the characters that JKR intended to write, versus how I interpret their written characters, I consider none of them particularly well written or interesting when taking canon at face value. More, JKR rarely if ever, in my opinion, writes what she clearly intends to write.

Let’s consider a few examples.

Umbridge is one of the few characters that comes across to me exactly how JKR intended. The woman is a sadist and very close to genuinely evil. She’s a great villain because of it but she’s not particularly interesting in and of herself. She’s great on the side in smallish doses, but I wouldn’t want to read a fic about Umbridge’s diary of torturing school children or running sham trials in the ministry. Not simply because it’d be horrific but also because there’s not much depth there. Umbridge is evil, she likes kittens, the end. She’s also realistic in the sense that there are people in this world who are Umbridge but, again, she doesn’t have depth to carry the weight of a story if she had to. Granted, she’s a tertiary character, so she never has to, but the thought remains.

I’ve gotten into my thoughts on Harry but the crux of it is for someone who is supposed to save the world through the power of friendship and love while being very humble he’s kind of an arrogant, violent, douche bag. He’s very nasty to his friends and classmates with steady frequency, for someone who claims he wants to be just Harry he does take advantage of his status as the boy who lives fairly often, but more than that he has his episodes of insane violence. He’s not a guy I can really go, “Wow, yup, I believe he can save the world with love.” And frankly this shows in the text, book seven is filled with weird Deus ex Machina on multiple occasions so that Harry can win. By the end of it, none of us are sure why Harry died a second time or why Voldemort’s now dead again, so we just make up a lot of theories and then stare around at each other and go, “Harry won, hooray!”

Granted, Harry’s character could (and should) have been very informed by the abuse he undergoes but to me it always felt like an explanation of why Hogwarts is the greatest ever. There are some things that could be effects on his character (Harry’s rage) but when we see Harry interact with the Dursley’s it’s well, not how I imagine a boy who’s lived in an abusive home for decades would. He back talks to them constantly, he and Dudley will occasionally bicker more like brothers fighting than a boy who probably deep down fears for his life with these people, Harry expects Vernon to do things like sign his permission form to go to Hogsmeade. So, to me, Harry’s neither realistic, not well written, nor is he all that interesting. 

Snape is closer to the mark but also suffers similar issues as those above. Snape was supposed to be a very complicated, conflicted, character who we ultimately absolve for his actions across the entire series. Ultimately though, he’s an extremely petty, bitter, man who takes out his anger on children. Now, I do find him interesting for the latter, but that’s also just me. Others I’m sure would prefer a more complicated, conflicted, Snape (and perhaps I would too, in that while I do bring Snape up from time to time, he’s never been a leading character for me in a fic and probably never will be). 

Basically with every single character you could name I could come up with some variation of the above. Either, yes the original character is more or less interesting but not if you read it the way JKR wants you too or JKR got closer to how I read this one but the way she intended to write them makes them less interesting or realistic.

I should also confess that, probably as everyone can tell, I’m not in it for Harry Potter as Harry Potter reads as canon. I think that’s why my stories are so damn weird and out of left field. I’m not particularly enamored with Hogwarts, with any of the canon characters, or with any aspect of canon.

I’m here to write about robots and SPAAAAAAAACE.

[thevindicativevordan]

Why isn't Nightwing a bigger deal? He has all of Batman's skills and Superman's faith in humanity and is arguably the most beloved hero in the DCU, but most people seem to know him either as the leader of the N̶o̶t̶ ̶J̶L̶ Teen Ttians or just Robin.

Thank you for asking me about Nightwing, I've been wanting to write a piece about him for a while now. The short version is that everyone who claims Dick becoming Nightwing was him "moving out of Batman's shadow and becoming his own man" is completely wrong.

Dick Grayson is a fantastic character, someone who saved Bruce Wayne in-universe both by forcing Batman to grow up a bit, and the countless times he saved Batman's life as his partner whether as Robin or Nightwing. Dick saved Batman in the real world as well, hard to believe but Batman was actually in danger of being cancelled due to poor sales early on. Enter Robin, a young daredevil audience stand in the creators hoped would get kids interested in reading Batman. And it worked! Sales on Batman doubled once Robin showed up which is crazy to think about, but Dick Grayson has always been a popular character. Cartoons like Teen Titans, Batman: The Animated Series, and The Batman only helped grow his audience.

Character-wise, Dick Grayson really does fill a number of crucial roles in the DCU. For Batman, Dick is proof that Batman is a positive force. Meeting Batman helped change Dick for the better, helped him heal after his parents died. With Dick, Batman can take comfort in knowing that yes, he has made a difference in the world for at least one orphan boy, which is all he wanted when he lost his parents himself. To the wider DCU, Dick is a friendly face who convinces others that Batman is competent and not a complete asshole. He took this kid in, trained him to be one of the best heroes the DCU has seen, and did it all out of the kindness of his heart. That someone like Dick can confront the evils of Gotham and not break means there's still hope for that city. As Robin, Dick has led the Titans and is an icon in his own right as The Sidekick, the original, the one every other Robin is built around copying or contrasting. The one all other superhero sidekicks are drawing on as a basis. As Robin Dick Grayson is very much on Batman's level.

Just not as Nightwing. As Nightwing, Dick has been a second rate Daredevil which means he's a third rate Batman (fully prepared to get hate for this but I've read and enjoyed the Miller and Bendis DD runs so I feel entitled to my opinion). A typical Nightwing run tends to go like this: Moving to Bludhaven (which is Gotham... but WORSE!), Dick Grayson usually enrolls in a pointless job we don't care about in order to provide some meaningless soap opera drama that doesn't go anywhere. Patrolling the city as Nightwing, he fights a variety of bad guys who are usually rather lame and unthreatening, with his big bad being a Kingpin knockoff called Blockbuster. Villains are fought, long running plotlines are set up, then everything is abandoned because it's Batfamily event time, and Dick has to run back to Gotham in order to play sidekick again. Usually his involvement is completely superfluous and it would've been better if the writer had gotten to opt out. By the time we finally get back to Nightwing's solo plotlines, the audience has usually ceased to care and the run gets cut short.

That's how Nightwing has been since the New 52 at least. Anyone who thinks that's "becoming their own man" is out of their mind. Dick is so thoroughly in Batman's shadow that he got shot in the head and spent a longer time as "Ric" which everyone fucking hated and sold like shit, than he did as Agent Grayson which was extremely well-received. Reiterating: Ric went on longer than Grayson because of a fucking Batman plotpoint Tom King wanted where Bruce was sad and cut off from the Batfamily because of Dick getting shot. Not just calling out King either, how many times was Kyle Higgins Nightwing run derailed because of Scott Snyder's crossovers? Or how about that entire run getting dumped to the side because Johns wanted to out Dick during Forever Evil, a Justice League/Lex Luthor story? DC has repeatedly made their contempt for Nightwing clear, he's Batman's sidekick still in their eyes, and he serves whatever story role the Batman writer wants.

Hell his best stories tend to have been the ones where he's not Nightwing. He was Robin in a good chunk of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans run. Morrison really showcased his depth as a character when they wrote him as Batman, their time with Dick under the cowl was actually one of the first Batman runs I ever read, and no Nightwing run has ever matched it in terms of quality in my humble opinion. Scott Snyder's work with DickBats also was a high point for the character, showing Dick as competent and examining his relationship with Gotham and the Gordons. King and Seeley gave him one of the best comic runs with Grayson, a series where he wasn't even a "superhero" technically! When it comes to actual pre-New 52 Nightwing runs that are highly recommended where he *is* Nightwing, there's Chuck Dixon and uhhhhhhh... Tomasi's brief run before Dick became Batman? It's not exactly an overwhelming list.

Look there has been good work done with Nightwing, I'm not claiming there hasn't been. Tim Seeley wrote a great run with Nightwing Rebirth. Seeley fleshed out Dick's Rogues Gallery with cool new ones like Raptor, he brought back old foes like Dr. Hurt (why oh why couldn't you have brought back Flamingo too?), he gave Dick's world some character it solely needed. Bludhaven under Seeley is pretty much the only time I've really felt like it lived up to being Dick's city.

The problem with fictional cities is you have to put in the work to give them the character of real cities. You have to make the cities feel like characters in their own right. Gotham is the best example of this, it's a character all it's own, one that tells you a lot about Batman and his cast. In contrast Bludhaven is usually one of the worst. Any place that wants to claim to be worse than the city that is built over the gate to hell and gets wrecked every other month by the Arkham freaks has to really put in the work to compete. Simply put, Bludhaven typically fails utterly. There's nothing about it that makes you really buy it's worse than Gotham, I mean does anyone really think Nightwing's Rogues wouldn't get their lunches eaten by Batman's? No, no one genuinely buys that. When Bludhaven claims to be worse, it just comes across as tryhard, an attribute that does end up telling you about Nightwing in unintentional ways.

So Seeley didn't do that. Instead he created a city built for a hero like Dick Grayson. Someone who is bright and flashy, but does have an element of darkness to him. Someone who loves the spotlight, but often uses it to obscure. Seeley turned Bludhaven into Las Vegas, and that was the fucking best concept for Bludhaven I have ever seen, it makes so much sense. Las Vegas is the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and isn't that the perfect city for a hero who got their start working in the circus? Isn't the aesthetics of the gleaming casinos, the glamorous sex appeal of the performers, and the spectacle of the shows, all being used to cover up the seediness of mob bosses meeting backstage perfect for Nightwing? It's so utterly unlike New York City, yet Las Vegas is still dangerous, it's got a crime culture all it's own. Seeley used it to great effect, as did Humphries during his brief run, and I will always be pissed that DC didn't continue to use it. That should have stuck around and been the definitive look for Bludhaven.

How Seeley's take on Bludhaven was treated feels like a small scale version of how Nightwing in general gets treated. Whenever creators pitched ideas for him, if editorial thought there was potential to break big, they asked for those ideas to be repurposed for Batman instead. Anything big or good gets repurposed for Batman or tossed to the side so Nightwing can go back to his default: having irrelevant adventures in a city that is supposedly worse than Gotham but can't live up to it. Just like how Nightwing is supposedly better than Batman but never gets to show it. Goddamn it's so frustrating seeing his potential get wasted like that.

The Nightwing book should be one of DC's most ambitious books in terms of storytelling. You can go from traditional superhero stories, to romantic soap opera, to spy stories, to crime noir, to horror, to cosmic adventures, and ALL of them would fit because Nightwing is someone who has a foot in both Gotham and Metropolis. He's got friends everywhere on every team, and has been a hero longer than most Leaguers have at this point. No reason DC should still be afraid to let him loose and insisting on hewing close to what Dixon established almost over 30 years ago is only holding him back. At the very least get him some better Rogues, why the hell didn't he get to keep Professor Pyg? That's Dick's villain not Bruce's! Bullshit that they didn't let Dick keep him. Hopefully Flamingo comes back, with a slight revamp I think he'd make a great reoccurring Nightwing Rogue.

Luckily it does look somewhat like Nightwing fans have reason to be optimistic. While Taylor isn't to my taste, DC clearly views him as a "big" writer, and that they put him on Nightwing says a lot. Taylor has been selling well so far, so hopefully he gets to tell his story, hilarious that even he lampshaded having to write Dick running over to Gotham for another tie-in after Taylor's big opening arc was all about Dick committing himself and his money to Bludhaven. Scott Snyder is apparently working on a Black Label Nightwing book which will explore how he's a different detective than Bruce. The Gotham Knights video game has him as one of the main stars, and while Titans is... controversial, it's one of the most popular streaming shows and Dick is the main character. There's a lot of content coming that features him in the starring role, and that will only help his star rise further.

For the first time in, well, ever it feels like DC may be serious about elevating him. Time will tell if it pays off, but I for one choose to be optimistic that the 2020s will be a turning point for Dick Grayson where Nightwing becomes hugely popular in his own right. Not just as Batman's sidekick.

[jazzythursday]

I’m about to go into another very long Marvel rant/dissertation here— mostly for myself— that I started writing soon after the Loki Series finale so please feel free to just scroll past this, because honestly I think I kinda overdid this one. It’s jaded and overly dramatic even for me. You have been warned:

The last 4 Marvel movies/shows I’ve watched left me feeling so completely depressed and unsatisfied and hopeless about the future of popular entertainment and story telling in general, and I know I’m not the only one. The fact that fans are going into these experiences hoping for a good story and character arcs that make sense with prior characterization, and leaving feeling… empty is a very clear sign that their approach leaves a lot to be desired.

Infinite War had some valid reasons to end the way it did, because by having our heroes fall so much harder than ever before, it built up the tension and high stakes for the next film. But what does that do when Endgame leaves us feeling even worse? I wanted them to triumph and finally come together to be better. I expected there would be losses of course but not enough to negate the wins. Instead the characters were subjugated for plot, characterization was watered down, and we lost all the original Avengers besides Thor and Bruce (who was no longer even Bruce). Peter loses Tony, Thor’s previous loses are permanent, and so many other things that, in spite of loving a lot of the movie, mean I haven’t been able to stop being sad about it for literal years. And the amount of thoughtless destruction that seems to be at an all time high when it comes to character’s lives and disregard for properly exploring emotions just doesn’t leave much to be expected at this point. Far From Home was good. It was. I liked it a lot. The acting was wonderful and there were some really interesting themes they grappled with but I still walked out of the theater feeling like there was still so much detachment surrounding a lot of the decisions, a little too much thoughtlessness (that, and the gaping hole of Tony). I’m not going to talk about WandaVistion but I’ll say that I was invested until the start of episode 8, and finished episode 9 feeling drained and tired and sad.

Then we get to Loki, a show which has plagued far too many of my thoughts since I started watching it, and has crushed my hopes for ever truly being happy with a Marvel project ever again. Loki is a character who’s ostensibly felt alienated and unseen for most of his life, and that’s before finding out about his parentage. His first movie ends with his suicide attempt and subsequent fall into the void. His second takes place a year into working under Thanos and ends with him being taken away in chains (yes I know he’s the villain he’s done bad things etc. etc. but for the purposes of this I’m only focusing on his pov). Then his third involves his solitary imprisonment, his mother’s death, and his near-death (considering the likelihood that he was actually stabbed), although it does end on a lighter note with his acquisition of the throne. Then we get his redemption and reconciliation with Thor in Ragnarok, immediately followed by the utter tragedy that is the first 10 minutes of Infinite War, which I don’t think I need to explain.

So what I suppose I’m saying here (very very inadequately) is that after all of that, I can’t believe the proper story to tell in his first chance at being a main protagonist was one where he’s constantly degraded and beat up, convicted of things he didn’t actually do, given no focus on backstory or implied/established motivations, and labeled as a clown and a narcissist! His powers are weakened, he displays almost no recognizable mannerisms or competence, he’s held to a higher moral standard than every other character, shown no respect, and ultimately loses EVEN MORE. We’ve seen him lose and lose and lose and lose again. We’ve seen him die THREE TIMES, we’ve seen him redeemed TWICE. So who in their right mind thinks that the most compelling story to tell after all of that was to see him LOSE AGAIN?! And not only lose, but lose without any real triumph, dignity, or acknowledgment beforehand. Death to the author aside, reading the utter nonsense the team behind it have spread, it’s so clear that it wasn’t made in good faith. Whether in ignorance or true maliciousness, they just don’t care. They didn’t research. They didn’t try and see things from his point of view. They didn’t truly sympathize with him as a person while writing. They didn’t understand. And they truly, truly wanted him to fail.

I’m tired of feeling hopeless at the end of everything, of leaving the theater or turning off the TV wondering why I even bothered, why I even care when I’m just being strung along with as little consideration as an audience as my favorite characters. I wanted to actively see him strive to be better, not just be told he could be. I wanted to see him triumph over his demons, not forget them. I wanted to see him be the “master of magic” that every other damn movie has alluded to, and to use his powers effectively. I wanted him to be powerful. I wanted him to, if not win, then win on a personal level at least. I wanted to see him take agency in his life and PROVE EVERYONE WRONG! And, though it’s now bafflingly controversial to say, I wanted it to be told by an experienced and competent writing and directing team that knew and understood his character and were passionate about telling his story.

I would ascribe to the notion of “don’t like it, don’t watch” if I could but I care to much to not be affected by this obvious decline in quality and awareness. And I’m a relatively recent fan. I haven’t been waiting for Loki to get his moment in the sun for 10 years. I’M NEW HERE, and my heart breaks so much for fans of the original movies who have lost their love of Marvel or Loki because of the way it’s been handled. No one should fall further than they can climb up from, and I’m tired of watching loss after loss and never getting the release of gaining enough of it back. What’s the point of caring about these characters if the writers won’t? Of investing in a connecting cinematic universe if it lacks continuity? Of looking for clues and foreshadowing when there isn’t any and the only twists are random and pander to shock value? The way these pieces/characters are being created and interpreted is reductive and incompetent, and for once I’d like to watch something that feels crafted, inspiring, and gratifying to see to the end.

If some people like the Loki show we got, I have no argument against that, because my own opinion is just as subjective as theirs. Though, I’d like to think that if what I want is for the show to be better out of love for the same character, then what they enjoyed from the show can coexist in that. If anyone’s actually read up to this point, I have to admit I’ve forgotten mine. Mostly I just wanted to express my frustrations over how unfeeling and stale most entertainment, specifically from Marvel as of late, has been.

TL;DR: I care too much, waaay too much, Marvel cares too little, Disney doesn’t care at all, and I don’t know how to accept that.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

You know what? This made me realize how Jungkook is problematic, insensitive and also may be immature. I'm really disappointed to know that my bias is related with someone who is racist. So disappointing and maddening. Hope they clear this thing up. I've read somewhere that Yugyeom is in the company of that man, I hope JK just go there because of him. Actually, H-Hope also liked the post of that man on Instagram, gosh! Gosh. I love BTS but this is..😭😫😫😫

I think that people have the right to make their own opinions about Jay Park, his actions and his statements and how they're perceived. And also about Jungkook, obviously. But I think there is a difference here and not to sound like a broken record, but we need a bit of nuance.

A photo of him with Jay Park shouldn't be used as evidence of anything. Mostly, it showed them in a studio, which can lead anyone to at least think that maybe they're working on something. It was taken in a professional setting. But of course the reactions have been divided. And your reaction anon is one of those. It's either saying that how can Jungkook hang around with the guy because it can mean he supports Park's views or, on the other hand, that he's a little innocent boy who maybe is not aware and he needs to stay away from him.

There is one thing we should take into consideration here. As opposed to Jay Park, who has no issues in expressing his opinions, regardless of what those are, given his line of work, an idol cannot. Jungkook is an idol, so when it comes to his political, racial, religious, feminist, you name it, views, he doesn't talk about it. An idol has to be a blank page in that area as well because his job as an entertainer in his particular line of work doesn't mix well with politics. That is, if he wants people to like him. BTS in general stays away from really controversial topics because they have a huge and diverse fandom and in order to maintain that, they have to be careful. So, we don't know about any of Jungkook's personal views. The point is, Jungkook being in a photo cannot lead anyone to the conclusion that JK supports Park's views, or that JK doesn't support Park. He may think the same, or not.

Jungkook shouldn't be treated as some clueless guy who has no idea who these people are and what they say or do. Don't infantilize an adult man who knows the industry. But also it doesn't make sense for him to be automatically seen as condoning certain behaviors. But once again, I also think it's every fan's right to choose who they want to like and support. It's their time and money, but before making statements, let's look at the bigger picture.

I have no interest in defending or criticizing Jungkook at this point, given the state of the current situation. But I do think that believing that an idol, or any person we admire, has to be morally righteous is a path that can lead to disappointment. None of us are morally righteous, including those who are into performative wokeness at every chance. I genuinely think that if idols would be able to speak freely about almost every thing, just like a guy who is a rapper, a lot of fans would run for the hills. People are very complicated and can have controversial opinions. Sometimes we keep it to ourselves, while in other cases, we make statements on twitter. This is not me defending any sort of highly problematic behavior by saying it's ok, I'm only saying that we should look at it from a more realistic view point because nothing is that simple in order to be viewed in black and white. It's better to start with the mindset that these idols are people as well, just like us, and not from some fairytale fantasy in which they are only pure, full of love and they only have nice thoughts. That's not how life is. And once something disrupts the fairytale and automatically it leads to certain fans to be disappointed and to cancel a guy, then that's a problem because it means that we as fans are not capable of seeing that person as a complex being, who is also able of making mistakes and say/do shitty things. If we have that very clear in our mind, these morally charged debates over things that we have little information about, would be non-existent, or at least, they would be actual debates and not attempts at cancelling people.