#im a little stoned and got wordy

[diamondcitydarlin]

what do you think about the arguments that lokius is being queerbaited? I want to enjoy and ship it so bad but it seems like im setting myself up for disappointment

And I can't assure you with full confidence that you wouldn't be. I can't be certain I won't be, though I've personally chosen to enjoy what is there and extrapolate from what we are given, even as I know that historically, statistically, it's best to assume a mainstream depiction of a m/m relationship in a Disney-Marvel production is pretty slim. But then...not nonexistent and, in many ways, the likelihood of it actually going there is higher than it's ever been. So there is that.

I've been independently studying LGBTQA+/queer representation in mainstream media for over a decade now. The term 'queerbaiting' is relatively new in fandom spaces (if we're looking big picture, back into the earliest films and TV shows, some of the earliest shipping fandoms like Star Trek), as I only started seeing it maybe around 2012-2014. It's a term I appreciate, because it represented a switch in cultural thinking from holding no expectations of creatives in Hollywood to large swaths of LGBTQA+ fans gaining the confidence to say 'no, this isn't good enough'.

It also represents the switch in Capitalist approaches to LGBTQA+ citizens, from catering solely to the religious, satanic panic morality by pretending gay people simply don't exist, to deciding that gay fans are in fact lucrative and need to be included just enough to feel inclined to monetarily contribute to a brand. They'll write scenes between characters with intentionally confusing, ambiguous energy, give them moments that are meant to be read into deeply, but rarely, rarely, with any kind of payoff that would alienate homophobic investors. The insidiousness of this tactic is in the fact that when payoff does not happen, viewers can be easily gaslit into thinking that was never the intention in the first place, they were the ones who were wrong in their takes. As I've worked professionally in entertainment as actress, director and producer with rather big capitalist brands I won't mention names of, I can assure you this -is- very much a thing, please stop giving corporations the benefit of the doubt.

There is no clean definition or qualification for queerbaiting, despite how often people want to gatekeep how gay viewers use this term. To be clear though, it is an accountability term before anything else. Not an insult, not an accusation that someone isn't good at what they do, it's a reminder that we're owed more than what we're usually given. If we don't speak out, if we don't label things queerbaiting (when they very much usually are), if we don't demand better we will never, ever, ever get it. I promise you that.

Okay, so now that we've established what queerbaiting is at least in my mind...

Do I think Lokius is being queerbaited? Yes, possibly. I'm waiting to see how the rest of the narrative plays out before I come to a definitive conclusion on my own (yes I'm actually optimistic I say as I put on clown make up), but I'm also not going to deny LGBTQA+ fans the right to feel like that's what's happening and voice their opinions. Anyone tasked with writing/creating content for mainstream audiences has a huge responsibility, in that this content will reach millions of people and has the potential to help shape our culture, perceptions- it even has the potential to help normalize and give broad optics of what it means to be queer and have queer relationships, romantic and otherwise. None of this is as trifling as, 'it's just a TV show', because it's never that simple.

As far as Lokius itself is concerned, the show spent a great deal of time first developing their bond and dynamic before (seemingly) switching gears towards elevating romantically the first feminine-presenting character Loki ran into even though there are some clear, uhm...conflicts with the idea of this actually being a thing. If it becomes a thing. It also seemed to first build a solid, unique platonic bond between the 'fem' and 'masc' character that a lot of gay fans would have appreciated seeing playing out before having them mashed together haphazardly as a romantic pairing, as has been done in media for 50+ years now. That's to say nothing of the fact that the most visible feminine character being forced into role of 'love interest' for a broken main character is one we've had to see play out over and over and over and over again too, poorly. People have a right to feel frustrated about that and voice their frustrations accordingly. We expected more of this show than that. (And yes, I am bisexual, I know that it would still technically be a queer relationship, but please consider the broader history/picture here of queer rep in media and the optics of that against that mosaic, please consider the heteronormative lens that so often claims any and every possibility for itself, please consider the long history of how feminine characters are often used as coping tools and objects of lust before they are treated as individuals deserving of their own development)

Now, again, I want to say that I am not convinced of anything really right now. I'm not taking any of the writers at face value because they are all bound by contracts and NDAs and aren't going to come out and say what the outcome of the show will be, so nothing they're putting out on twitter or in interviews is something I will be taking as absolute truth beyond assuming they're trolling, maybe even have been instructed to keep the pot boiling in the fandom through social media antics. Don't rule it out.

Things really could go either way, but my point is I do not deny the possibility of what this is and I'm certainly not going to gatekeep how other gay viewers feel they're being queerbaited, and I really don't see any reason why anyone else should either.

[puddleduckswellies]

11, 18 & 31?

Thank you, Im guessing this is the “3 things…” ask!

11 - 3 books that you would recommend everyone to read.

My number one pick for this would be Jackdaw Summer by David Almond. Despite the entry level-3 writing style, this has been my favourite book since I first bought it from the old bookshop in the highlands. I haven’t read it in many years and yes maybe my memories are clouded with nostalgia but I still think about it often and would definitely recommend you to read it.

“One hot summer's day a jackdaw leads the two boys into an ancient farm house where they find a baby, wrapped in a blanket, with a scribbled note pinned to it”

“I want to be crazy as the moon, wild as the wind and still as the earth. I want to be every single thing it’s possible to be. I’m growing and I don’t know how to grow. I’m living but I haven’t started living yet. Sometimes I simply disappear from myself. Sometimes it’s like I’m not here in the world at all and I simply don’t exist. Sometimes I can hardly think. My head just drifts, and the visions that come seem so vivid.” - David Almond, Jackdaw Summer

~

My number two choice is also a childhood favourite which was bought in the very same bookshop as the first, however i bought it several years later. It is Dark Isle by D.A Nelson and is the book that introduced and got me into the fantasy genre. I love it because it is so individualistic and well written. It really does create a world unlike any other I have heard of. Or maybe I’m just biased because it is set in my home country. But seriously if you are looking for a new fantasy novel to read you should give this one a shot.

“A dragon with a grudge, a resourceful dodo, a talking rat and a young girl who learns to be brave. All on a quest that takes them into another world.”

“And so it began to rain. Cold, harsh raindrops fell like tiny arrows against the dragon’s unmoving, stone hide. She braced herself against the terrible weather that was to come, forever alone and miserable.” - D.A Nelson, Dark Isle

~

My final recommendation is a classic. Richard Adam’s Watership Down. I’m sure many of you have heard of this book and have also read it, but if you haven’t I highly suggest you do. The 1978 movie is a masterpiece in it’s own right but I feel that there was so much cut from the book to hit their runtime that the two stories have become very different. However if you do not want to read the book (which I would understand as it is very long and wordy) then I would say that the movie is a good substitute. Either way I can be certain that this story will affect your life even if it is only a little. On my trip to Yorkshire last year I couldn’t help but think about the Down and the tale I had grown up with and whenever I see a rabbit I think of Fiver and Hazel. I love the way that Adams was able to create and entire society to show us how humans are seen from the eyes of a rodent.

“Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.”

“There is nothing that cuts you down to size like coming to some strange and marvelous place where no one even stops to notice that you stare about you.” - Richard Adams, Watership Down

~

(Other books I love which are a bit less nostalgia based: faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel, The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, and Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence)

18. 3 dream jobs you had in your childhood

When I was younger my main dream was to be an Astronaut. Growing up watching Doctor Who I thought spacemen were the coolest people ever. As I got older I began to want to go to outer space for a different reason. It looked so peaceful up there and quiet, floating about in nothing with the stars and planets. Then I got to high school and realised how boring I found the non floating part of being an astronaut. Now i’m on a search for somewhere quiet and peaceful that doesn’t require me to know the laws of maths to get there.

I also had a brief moment of time where I wanted to work on a stage in Theatre (as many kids do). But I was/am a shy and overly conscious person and didn’t particularly like being watched never mind putting on a performance. I soon realised that I didn’t enjoy the idea of being on stage, but more so being recognised and working as part of a team. I really just wanted to have fun and get along with others naturally like other people could.

My third choice is also one that lingers into my adult life. Park rangers have always been a point of envy for me, being able to work outdoors in the quiet, making sure nature is safe and sound. Sometimes I regret studying what I currently am and wish I could just give it all up and switch to study geology and biology, but I know I don’t have the brain or patience for it, so for now I’ll stick on the path I have chosen

31. types of flowers you love the most

To be honest my favourite flower isn’t even my flower of choice. See, I don’t really know much about flowers and I prefer things like ferns or trees. However, my mother loves flowers. She has basically taught me everything I know about them. So my favourite would have to be her favourite, Rhododendrons.

Despite not being fussy about flowers I do still like some more than others, mainly because of memories associated with them. The Clover would have to be my second flower of choice. I know it’s more of a leaf, but when I was younger I remember playing hide and seek in the field after school, with the grass high over my head and the purple clover flowers standing out against the green. They signified the start of summer and the time for going out with friends and never knowing what you would do.

My last flower that I love is Foxglove (Digitalis if you must). It was another flower that showed the start of summer as a child and it was nice to see them appearing out of nowhere overnight. The name always amused me as I imagined little foxes using the flowers as mittens in the winter (something I am now definitely going to attempt to draw). I also enjoy them because I love to watch the bees fly into them and you can only see their wee bums wriggling while they work.

[syncogon]

[RS] PV 2

it’s ya boi back with more commentary. and hopefully fewer screencaps bc i don’t actually have as much time as my wordy and useless rambles as well as the quarantine situation might suggest alas

- who’s talking in the opening line? kela?? if so, the voice is totally off, but the theme of “the world belongs to the strong” is consistent with quotes from him and themes from that whole arc

- i guess this is a dream / unconscious sequence... i’m sad to see him like this. also one of the analyses i read was like you can track when in the movie a scene probably takes place by the progression of the markings on his skin, which is very obvious and i should be paying attention to that more -

^ i really like this visual. and i like how the galaxy eyes designs are all so distinct

^ Alliance soldiers i think, guessing from the uniforms? bc I thought the Eyes had all black uniforms. but i’m not sure. actually it prob makes more sense it’s the Eyes. rip the one guy facing the wrong (?) direction

^ actually these shoes are consistent with Eyes designs i think. nvm. also is that the announcer robot guy?? why is his body so small is that his real body or something??? what’s happening to him rip

^ what the FUCK is with this tattered cloak design?? it was definitely not tattered before? he would definitely look better with just like, a normal cloak, his cloak would never get tattered unless intentional, this is just a really weird and creepy image. then again ig if it’s part of the dream sequence, but this is implying that this is redeye’s actual design, and i don’t like it. tbh s1 redeye outfit with the short cloak was great

^ kiss kiss ki-

hope we see more of jupiter, the city design is tbh quite cool. though i wonder what exactly this Eye thing is supposed to be? is it part of the tower and just always here? 

THE ENEMY’S GATE IS DOWN

flashback scene! but what about? the golden cube or the engine maybe? but i was hoping for something more interesting.

AW FUCKING HELL THIS FUCKER IS BACK.

FUCK.

ARGHHHHH.

ngl im really disappointed that they decided to bring kela back, i think that defeats the narrative significance of an especially significant arc. we’re already done with this antagonist! let’s move on! it isn’t cool or hip or logical to bring back antagonists when their story arcs have come to such a clean end! throw trash away when you’re done! ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i have more to say but i should move on maybe i’ll write another post/rant or something

yo what the fuck is going on here though. i don’t even know what planet that is jesus

wait is this. a hypothetical or like. an actual. planet. 

ok so. WHOMST THE FUCK is this??? another galaxy eyes secretary? or someone higher rank? surely not the head honcho bc if so i will be super disappointed. actually his vibe kind of reminds me of kela. we’ll see i guess, hope he brings something interesting to the table. 

it’s the guy from the poster! ppl say most likely he’s involved with auroras’ backstory somehow. our four major protag backstories all had like mentor figures, so maybe this is auroras’? but following that logic he shouldn’t be here in present day tho, so. 

wonder what the pink smoke is tho, and also why he’s being shot down, and also everything about him :0

but what’s with the shattered... glass? rock? tornado thing around maidang? hmm. and they’re all just watching... and it’s in the arena with that ox man statue 

white eye. in action! 

AAAAA so i got 2/3 right. so weird seeing ox man just walking tho lmao his proportions look wack he’s way skinnier than i expected. 

hey, hey. kela. look at me. 

bitch.

i like this cut. is it significant? who is this galaxy eyes person OH WAIT if the rumor is true that aur was formerly Eyes then he must be story related to this guy somehow... maybe he was sold to medici or something who knows

this was so cool!!! like sanji from one piece. i dig it.

this actually almost looks 3D modeled for some reason haha

wait so is this... the finals of the tournament? 

what. is the context of everything in this set i’m so curious aaaa

is this a) a cool app of diya’s abilities b) the Eyes guy from earlier attacking but what is that supposed to do, capture magically? c) aur/diya (jidi) moment???

... yeah somehow this whole scene looks 3D modeled. maybe it’s the lighting.

fun char designs to look at?

damn those muscles. but yeah i think a lot more markings appeared after this moment in his revival fight

mmmm.

red eyes... and is the stone purple now?? ahh.

also the cut from this to redeye was really cool! their eyes were like overlapped in positions. so cool. i wonder if this was intentional

maidang has gotten so much better at fighting, like, the basics. i dig it. 

emotional but this just reminded me god i miss s1 diya. competent. cool. occasionally sassy. the movie just made her worry about maidang and weak, it’s like her only personality trait. (actually is this shot from the first movie? i don’t remember.)

god the more i think about it the more the jidi agenda feels like a thing. anyway what’s he blowin up hm.

i kind of wish we got backstory on why this is a bee haha but i like how it’s so distinctive

so cool!!!

beat his ass!!!

tUrBUleNce also gudong so worried :( 

:0

cool new power app??? is this her power. i just thought it was but maybe that one shot of her wasn’t her using her power. who knows.

also the cut from this to aur doing basically the same thing..... (adjusts glasses)

see?? the shading looks fake. hhh

AIGHT ok that’s all. actually there were sound/voice/line comments which i will edit in later. 

ok it is later.

- “i just saw the galaxy eyes fleet surrounding jupiter” sounds like tang wude actually! so im excited, that’s reason for him to get back here in time?

- “i already knew the eyes wanted to destroy solar” sounds like medici...?

- “people need heroes, and to become a hero one must pay a price” ok i really like this line it’s super cool, but i can’t say who is or might be saying it. one of the new antagonistic chars possibly?

- “there is a word called ‘miracle’” sounds like medici, as does “the era of new heroes”, though the latter could be someone else

- rest of the lines are all either maidang or diya or gudong

other thoughts:

ppl kept commenting in chinese on the youtube vid like whens the release like it says right there! on the video! in chinese!

still no medici (visually) or shu, huh. 

sound quality for the trailer was wack tbh. hopefully the movie won’t be like that.

i’m a little worried, actually, that this has lost the core of what made it so good. that it’s become cheap. but only time will tell. i’ll still have hope. 

anyway countdown continues let’s goooooooooooo (pls let me be able to watch...)