#mentally ill toxic tragic gay- I mean best friends

[larzuen]

Happy late Valentines day bbgs

finally having the motivation to do more Casino Of The Vamps AU stuff again 🤧 still fleshing out the story and I think It gave me permanent mind block lmaoo

(Bonus comic):

[punkeropercyjackson]

Is the Pjo fandom aware that Percy is like.......actually not a normal person.Not the demigod thing,i mean he's neurodivergent and has mental illnesses from trauma so his set of beliefs,thoughts,onward actions and tastes are completely different from society's ideals and norms.It's not like he acts the way he does as a joke or to look cool,it's kinda a big thing he can't stop acting like himself no matter what???It gives him self-eestem issues but it really is for the better for everyone involved because it makes him an actual role model for irl troubled kids who got to read him grow all the way up until adulthood alongside us and him never masking being potrayed as what made him the best and realest hero in the whole franchise

He's never been tempted to join the gods and talks shit to them because he has no interest in power and they're child abusers who run an oppressive system,not because he's a BAMF and 'sassy'.He dosen't try to cover up his 'sensitive' and 'soft' emotions because he thinks they're stupid,it's a defense mechanism from growing up with an abusive stepdad,ableist bullies and teachers and a society that expects peak masculinity from him despite his desire for femininity instead and there's a reason why almost all his friends in the og series were girls and he insults other guys based on being too manly

Related to that,her complete lack of romantic interest in Nico wasn't because she's 'a tragically straight boy' but because she's A)At least only partially a man(transfem bigender)and he's gay and B)Too old for him and has some damn decency so she loves and treats him like her little brother and pseudo-son instead and she shouldn't be expected to return his feelings,much less be called a bad person for not,when she never fucking said she likes him or flirted with him and he loves her as his older sister/brother and sees her as mom/dad back and she also proceeds to do the same with Hazel within ONE book of knowing her since she's in the same parental situation as Nico and she used to take care of Tyson before he moved in with Poseidon and of Bianca as well before she died

Her loving and dating Rachel at one point wasn't 'toxic' or 'unrealistic' or especially not 'one-sided',they were just two teenagers finding solace in eachother due to similar experiences and being happy to indulge in the other's interests to the point where it became some of their's too and y'all deserve to get smacked upside the head for having the AUDACITY to make fun of her when Percy was all over her and Jason more than he was Book!Annabeth's little femcel ass(not you Leahbeth,never you Leahbeth)and erase her to say 'Percy's type is blondes' as if any actual punk like Percy would be into someone because they live up to traditional standards and when she hates 2/5 of the blondes y'all are talking about(Luke and Apollo)and her demisexual ass barely knows 1/5 of them,them also having an actual canon bf(Magnus + Alex)

They never wanted to be normal or special,they wanted to be ACCEPTED.They're an outcast because they can't hide who they truly are even though none of what makes them different is bad but they're not this or they're so that so it can't possibly be actually good that they're the way they are and do the things they do and that's how they get treated in-universe AND by bloggers who have 'a woman's place is in the revolution' or 'Boykisser' on their theme but get squeemish at the thought of positive change or queerness that's not packaged shipping tropes.Percy Jackson's not suddenly 'the standard protagonist' instead of a staple of representation for freaks because you're a poser

[neo-shitty]

toffee!

yeah same, i follow some fic accs that occaisionally post smut and its like mmmmm is the fluff writing enough to balance the posts that gives me finger burn trying to scroll past it? but yeah thats probably the way to go

ah i wasnt there for the teaser but i can imagine that was tantalising. lmaoo yes but to be fair i do have a writing acc called channiesbigheart so... balancing it out? but i absolutely am whipped beyond belief. it was a TRAVESTY how COULD they have. yeah the b sides gave him more lines but they werent the ones that were performed over and over at stages. yessss the line distribution in this album is impeccable, im pretty sure the thunderous stuff was some of their best distribution

hehe i can understand that, sometimes putting someone in a situation so horrible it would be considered a violation of human rights is theraputic, ya know? mmmm the differences are a bit nuts, it was 14 degrees today and in less than a week its going to be 32 or smth. BROOO that would be legendary, i bet theyd treat their artists rlly well and have great music as well ahhh but its a lot of work adn commitment. yES that is a mood if ever i heard one.

its the same in australia as well, sadly, you have people who hold up harry styles and lil nas x for breaking gender roles and wearing make up adn steryotypical womens clothing (and keep in mind i have infinite respect for both of them theyre honestly doing so much for the de-dehumanising of gay people and those who wear whatever they want), and calling the kpop boys gay and other things for doing the same thing, when theyve been doing it for years and gotten no recognition smh its so tragic. yes, anyway YES ONLY 6 MONTHS I AM FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES A BBY STAN altho i considered myself a fully fledged stay like 2 days after i got into them cos i just spent all day researching and fixating. YES someone said it. it feels like theyre losing a huge chunk of why a lot of people liked their music in teh first place, which was that whole dna, dope, fire mood. and even doing bright songs is fine, liek they should do what they want but i feel liek the western music industry is so fucking toxic that they feel pressured into making these decisions. dont get me wrong, theyre good decisions from a business perspective, theyre getting record breaking sales but still. mmm yeah honestly yg just needs to get its shit together or get out

oooh! not into nct but i see a lot of him, he seems rlly talented. ahh yes another channie ult lmaoo i feel that, my list is growing in leaps and bounds as well. mmm yeah i think i will, im just going to try to save enough money :) mingi appealed to me mostly for the voice (like felix smh what is it with me and deep voiced bois) but also his soft visuals and the whole cutesy thing he has going on i rlly liked. yes i did get into them while he was on hiatus, but im still mostly a casual stan, ill listen to the album when it comes out but i dont think ill obsessively look over everything to do with it, like skz. HAH WE'RE MORE SIMILAR THAN I THOUGHT. lmaooo the thot line describes them perfectly, why are they all so damn attractive. especially seonghwa, like that man looks like a character from a book, cardan greenbriar vibes anyone? mmhmm! his vocals are absolutely insane. ty! yeah im excited altho idk how theyre every going to beat border:carnival, that shit was impeccable. ahh no stress, enjoy teh groups you stan atm!

ahh thank you so much, ill keep that in mind. hehe thats good! hopefully its soon :( ah ty, it means a lot. ill think abt that and hopefully talk abt it a little more :)

ah, no it was inside our gymnasium but to get to the other side of the stage you had to exit the building, go around the back and then enter through the other stage door. ah tysm! im glad too. mmm same, they baffle me. ;n; noo so sad :( ahh, thats um not smth i put on here, but im in high school so make of that what you will :)

thank you! ive done a majority of them, i just have maths, an english presentation and an economic assignment due now so im pretty much home free. yeah i feel like hes the epitome of here for you while being inescapably far away. haha she sounds like one of my friends. lmaooo why is that me. hmmm i feel like youve answered a lot of them in that answer so maybe just ateez, enha, txt and bp? if you stan them? :)

ahhh no problem at all, proud of you for managing to overcome the procrastination! progress! mmm thats good! ahh pls do let me know if you ever decide that, i cant promise i wont cry but do what you gotta do :)

<3 w.a. 🐺

hi! sorry for the late reply, i didn't know how to construct sentences yesterday e.e

yeah sometimes it's the perfect balance! i personally don't like fics that focus mainly on the filth? the plot has to carry the whole fic somehow and the smut is just something to add to the mix. also, i'll follow you on your writing blog! i keep forgetting to do so, damn it.

"sometimes putting someone in a situation so horrible it would be considered a violation of human rights is theraputic, ya know?" putting it this way just silenced me but yes. angst just feels more realistic. it isn't always happy endings irl so i tend to do it a lot.

falling into skz is so easy! it felt like that for me too. stanning them felt like getting sucked into a blackhole. also yes i agree. kpop is nothing but an industry after all and it runs on money so i get why they do what they do as well.

i suggest we not talk about haechan because i will literally not shut up but yes my boy is an ace :( chan is also sooooo easy to love. and the chan's rooms just solidified his place as ult. having something to look forward to every week at a time when my mental health was just plummeting into the depths of tartarus just helped me be stable. oh yeah, mingi's deep voice is indeed sexc. and he has some wack ass duality as well! and i think seonghwa was one of the people i nearly considered as bias just because of his visuals because wow that's one beautiful face. and true, idk how enha's going to beat border:carnival. i don't like all the tracks simply bc of taste preferenceds but i like more than one so i consider that a lot already.

bro that gym should've had some sort of a covered walk :// also i miss being in high school sO DAMN MUCH. but i still feel like i am because time stopped when quarantine started and i was still in senior year at the time.

my ateez bias is wooyoung! it wasn't that much of a shocker to my kpop stan irls because i was a jimin stan for the longest time. enhypen is jake and they kept pointing out that he looked like seungmin sometimes so it's like chan's aussie-ness with a tinge of seungmin (the other guy in my skz bias line, in case i haven't mentioned it). txt is huening kai! i find it hard to believe that he's my age because he looks a lot younger? o.O and he always looks good damn :(( sigh for blackpink it's lisa! i tend to bias the maknaes of yg groups, it's a pattern i've noticed but don't intentionally do!

DON'T WASTE YOUR TEARS OMFG. you can always reach me elsewhere if i like disappear off this blog.

[greekprodigies]

Why Shows Like Insatiable Are So Toxic, Despite Their Intentions

As a teenage girl who has only recently grown out of watching Disney Channel, it was safe to say I was intrigued when Netflix released the teaser trailer for their new 12-episode series Insatiable, starring Debbie Ryan, who played the title character of Disney’s Jessie for four seasons. It was a 30-second clip of Debbie Ryan in a hot pink dress, walking down a junk food aisle at a colorful grocery store, smashing everything on the shelves with a sledgehammer. Ryan’s voiceover says, “I’ve heard stories of girls who grew up happy and well-adjusted. This is not that story.” My first thoughts were, based solely on this teaser, that the main character seemed to be the villain, or at least a girl with a grudge. And, based off of this girl’s seemingly bad relationship with food, I also figured it would portray fat shaming in a way that most popular television shows don’t. I was hoping that Netflix would take their power over the teenage demographic and show a perspective that strayed away from the (respectable and still necessary) insecure overweight character still coming to terms with her own body (i.e. Kate from This Is Us or Rachel from My Mad Fat Diary). A perspective that I, an overweight high school senior who has already been through the ringer of despising my fatness, could relate to.

It’s obvious, in retrospect, that I was thinking way too deeply into a vague half-minute teaser video. I had gotten my hopes up. Those hopes were soon diminished when the official trailer was released

The video starts off with Debbie Ryan in a fat suit (I’ll get to why that is so grossly offensive later), introducing herself as Patty and showing her constant struggle as a victim of bullying and fat shaming at her high school. Her classmates (who seem to all be thin) call her “Fatty Patty”, and go so far as to spray paint it on her locker. Irene Choi, who plays Patty’s cruelest offender, is shown shouting “Porky! Butterball!” through a megaphone in the cafeteria, pointing to the main character. Then, after what seems to be a fight over a chocolate bar with a homeless man, Patty is punched in the face. Her voice-over tells us, “Having my jaw wired shut lost me more than just my summer vacation.”

Enter Patty 2.0. She’s the sparkling image of every chubby girl’s dream weight after she watches a show like this and vows to cut off carbs. No stretch marks, no cellulite, nothing that reflects what somebody’s body actually looks like after losing a large amount of weight in such a short period of time. The trailer escalates to a montage style of clips of Patty slapping, punching, and even pouring liquor onto some of her classmates before lighting a match.

It feels like a fantasy that’s trying to be relatable. That’s telling us that every bullied teenager, who’s frontal lobe isn’t developed enough to have a lot of perspective, craves revenge from their tormentors. And it’s easy for this narrative to be confused as a realistic depiction of the experience of being a teenage bullying victim. It’s even in the news, shown in the series of article published about domestic terrorist Nikolas Cruz revealing him being an orphan and being described as an “outcast” in interviews following the Parkland shooting. Sure, Insatiable’s revenge plot is meant to be satirical the same way Dexter (which Lauren Gussis, the writer and executive producer of this show, also worked on) is, but because it’s set in a high school during modern day, Patty (possibly, based on what’s shown in the trailer) killing her classmates hits a softer spot.

In the Teen Vogue article that was released with the trailer, Gussis explains how she “felt it was important to look at [bullying] head on and talk about it.” But it’s hard to look at bullying head-on when its changed so drastically over a span of 20 years. It’s past mean nicknames and cruel but clever comments said as two characters pass in a hallway. And more recently, it’s past cyberbullying. Or, at least, the way adults view cyberbullying based off of tone-deaf shows like Glee and dramatized TV movies like Cyberbully (which stars not one, but two former Disney Channel actresses). I’ve never met a high school student who got called a slut or gay 200 times in the comment section of a Facebook post. And, if I am completely wrong due to the fact that I’ve grown up during the social media transition from Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat, that form of bullying died when the Facebook phenomenon did. It is a subtler conversation than the beautiful cool kids versus the ugly losers.The solution is simple: If you’re going to make a show based off of your experiences of bullying in the 80’s, 90’s or even early 2000’s, make the show take place during those decades. Colliding old stereotypes to a character who exists in 2018 is unrealistic and humiliating.

Intention wise, Insatiable can be easily compared to another controversial Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why. In the warning videos that are shown before watching, the stars of the show say, “By shedding a light on these difficult topics, we hope our show can help viewers start a conversation. But if you struggling with these issues yourself, this series may not be right for you, or you may want to watch it with a trusted adult,” And this message perfectly conveys a show that’s purpose seems heartfelt but is ultimately clueless. Here we have a television program that is produced by a bunch of 30 year olds, where people in their 20’s play high school students (yes, everyone who plays a teenager in 13RW are actually in their 20’s), pretending to understand what it’s like to be a teenager as if the dynamic between young people and mental illness hasn’t changed immensely in just the past couple of years. Just in five, the use of memes and irony has shifted from simply making fun of something, to helping us cope with the fact that our world is on fire. Everybody is laughing at the jokes about depression because, since the rise of social media and the quantification of how many people like us, we all feel depressed. Suicide, though tragic, has now been boiled down to kids saying they want to kill themselves when they have too much homework. We have an education system that teaches us about the anatomy of sex but never teaches us what questions need to be asked about consent during our sexual experiences. So making a show to start a conversation about depression, suicide, and sexual assault that warns it’s targeted audience (who are constantly surrounded by these topics) that the show might not be right for them is simply irresponsible.

But, if I can counteract what I just said, 13 Reasons Why horrifically also is the only show I’ve seen that has the most correct articulation of modern bullying. That’s not to say that anything else with the show is correct, because it’s not. Perhaps what is so wrong about 13RW is that, because they focus so much on the bullying aspect of high school, it provides a direct correlation between bullying and suicide. Well, that, and the graphic/triggering suicide and sexual assault scenes that were used for shock value. Nevertheless, Hannah Baker doesn’t go home and find a bunch of Instagram DMs of her classmates called her a whore. Any secrets that Hannah’s offenders had regarding what could have led her to kill herself were events that happened IRL. And they were just that: Secrets. Because the bullies were ashamed of what they had done. Even before Hannah committed suicide, Jessica Davis didn’t just go around telling people she slapped her ex-best friend because she thought she had betrayed her.

With Insatiable, it seems like everybody in this fictional high school (except for Patty’s best friend and maybe even a popular girl with a heart of gold) is insanely okay with harassing a girl just because of her appearance. It’s insulting, both as a fat girl and an observer of modern bullying. There isn’t one school in the country where 99% of its students just allow this sort of cruelty. Because we have perspectives and opinions that (surprise!) aren’t always swayed by whatever Instagram model is trending right now. Just because Emma Chamberlain is successful and skinny, doesn’t mean that we’re brainwashed to only make skinny people successful. I’m not saying that there isn’t an institutional privilege that skinny girls have, and have always had when it comes to social acceptance. Because they do. But there’s a gray area where most people stand when it comes to issues as new and contentious as body positivity, and Insatiable is ignoring it. You don’t have to be a body-posi activist to know that making somebody feel like shit because of their weight is wrong. And I hope this show can have a character that, without having any relation to Patty, recognizes that what these bullies are doing is outrageous.

After we recognize that the intention of these shows is ultimately flawed, we can then try to take a step forward and look at the impact. 13 Reasons Why, after being loudly criticized by suicide prevention experts, broke virtually every rule of portraying suicide. And as a result, a study shows that searches such as “how to commit suicide”, “suicide hotline number” and “teen suicide” were elevated after the show’s release. The time period for the search ended on April 18th of that year after NFL player Aaron Hernandez committed suicide, which could have influenced data. And any searches related to the movie Suicide Squad were discounted. Sure, the show had increased suicide awareness, but it also unintentionally increased suicide rationalization. And I fear that Insatiable may be on the same path. Regardless of the revenge plot or the bullying, there is still a skinny actress in a fat suit portraying a fat character who only eats, sits on the couch, and feels bad about herself. Then, after a summer of not being able to eat, returns to high school skinny and composed.

Firstly, the use of a fat suit is sickly but overall not surprising. In a world where blackface and yellowface in Hollywood has only just become unacceptable, fat suits seem more defendable for skinny people who don’t understand that there are a plethora of plus size actors who could have played Fatty Patty just as well (and most likely better) than Debby Ryan with pillows stuffed up her shirt. Perhaps the show could have avoided being so oblivious to its fat-shaming storyline if they had an actual fat person weighing in on it.

Secondly, there is the characterization of fat people as losers who do nothing but eat and watch TV. If there were a time and place for these characters to exist, it is definitely not now, where the call for diversity in Hollywood is louder than ever. Plus, we’ve already seen these people before. And it’s the same plot every time. They are only created to provide a funny prequel to a supposedly more stable version of the character. “Fat Monica” from Friends and “Fat Schmidt” from New Girl show a universe where plus size people can’t be taken seriously until they shed the pounds. When in reality, fat men and women are perfectly capable of being successful in their professional and romantic lives. Ironically enough, another New Girl character comes to mind when I think of plus size characters being accurately portrayed: Emily. She’s Schmidt’s ex-girlfriend from college, who dated him when he was her “Big Guy”. After Schmidt reminisces about losing his virginity to her, she resurfaces into his life as a confident woman who goes on dates and isn’t ashamed of who she is. There even seems to be a layer to her character showing that there had been a time where she was insecure about herself and her body but has overcome them. This is an example of a healthy goal for young girls and boys who are self-conscious of their body. Not Debby Ryan’s character, who only gains confidence after losing an obscene amount of weight.

It may actually be the casting of Debby Ryan that could cause a rise in body dysmorphia in young people from watching this show. Since her face is plastered on every poster, teaser and trailer for the show, Disney Channel fans, and former fans might watch simply because she’s cast as the lead role. It’s certainly what sparked my interest in the show. And since Disney Channel’s demographic has gotten younger and younger, there’s a generation that will watch this show and not see it as fat shaming, but a way to become the person they’ve always wanted to be. Skinny, beautiful and confident while simultaneously making all of their classmates' jaws drop as they walk down the hallway. But Patty doesn’t lose weight healthily, she literally could not eat solid food. Depending on how the show addresses this, it is a possible glorification of anorexia. Just like 13 Reasons Why glorified and romanticized depression. But two wrongs don’t make a right, and anorexia and depression can not make anybody beautifully broken.

To make things clear, I am not telling you to not watch this show. And based off of the 100,000 signatures (and counting) on a petition for the show’s cancellation, none of us may even get to. But speaking as a person who fits into all of these groups, Insatiable gets everything wrong about being a high schooler, a teenage girl, and a fat person.

[shakespearerants]

Why Modern Y/A Literature Is Shit - Five Lists, A Rant, And A Conclusion

Let’s start with the lists, shall we? First, we have the typical overused y/a protagonists. There are:

1) the incompetent-but-pretty female protagonist. I’m talking about that “oh I’m not like other girls I hate makeup and I’m sooooo clumsy and also a nerd because I don’t like to party” girl, the one that always says she’s ugly but is described as stereotypically attractive. Usually white. Always gets the insanely attractive guy in the end. Relatable ™.

2) the mysterious bad boy that every girl wants a slice of. Usually either rich, a supernatural being, or involved in some sketchy shit. Has a Tragic Backstory™ that is unlocked by the female protagonist after little-to-none probing, maybe some bambi eyes, when the story is at the point where he would look like a real douche if his shitty behavior was left unexplained.

3) the female Leader of the Revolution. Usually white. Fights for Freedom and What Is Good, would actually be pretty ok in my books, if there weren’t…

4) the male love interest of the female Leader of the Revolution. Usually very flat character. We know exactly two thing about him: a) He’s Sexy b) He’s In Love. Sometimes there’s a small bonus and we also know that he has a Tragic Backstory™, usually involving something that is supposed to show that he and the female Leader of the Revolution are Soulmates or at least that they have History Together. And then there’s…

5) the Love Triangle. Im counting this as “one” main character because, lets be honest, most (read: all that I know) love triangles don’t have enough depth to justify analyzing all three parts separately. It goes like this: girl was Normal and had Best Male Friend who was In Love With Her since Forever, but Never Said Anything. Then Something Happens and Guy Two (the mysterious bad boy) shows up, usually quite out of the blue. He is Mysterious and Experienced and Interested In The Girl, who is suddenly Very Important for a Higher Cause. Then Best Male Friend Gets Jealous and Confesses His Feelings when confronted by the Girl. Then all there of them go on an Epic Quest together. A common variation of this is Girl meets two boys. One is Nice™ and one is Sexy™. HOW WILL SHE DECIDE???!11?? (also epic quest in the backround)

And then we have the supporting characters. Who are usually either…

1) the gay OR the racially diverse Best Friend of the Protagonist. Especially if it’s a male protagonist. BUT CAREFUL!!!!!111! He has to be a) male b) EITHER gay OR racially diverse, and c) ok with casually used homophobic/racist stereotypes

2) the Nerd Friend of the (usually male) protagonist. Wears glasses. Doesn’t know anything about sports. Easily hurt. Thankful™ for their Cool Protagonist Friend. Usually bullied. Knows stuff about: a) Star Wars b) Comics c) Lord of the Rings. If the author is really adventurous he also cosplays, usually as a LOTR character

3) the Best Girl Friend of the incompetent-but-pretty female protagonist. Usually very flat character. Comes out of nowhere to Give Advice and disappears back into the void. 

But the most annoying thing is that literally almost every y/a novel or series that you pick up in literally any bookstore/library can be assigned one of these general storylines:

1) the Your Are Different storyline. Girl is Normal™. Maybe has a Tragic Backstory™, but nothing too bad. Then Something Happens and she learns that she is Not Normal, by which I mean that she either has some sort of supernatural powers or that she is The Long Lost Princess or at very least The Chosen One. Then some love triangle comes to spiel, she has to Leave Her Old Life Behind and Save The World. Book ends with some sort of sappy love confession or her deciding which part of the love triangle she chooses. Sometimes seen with a male protagonist, but without the love triangle. 

2) the Love Triangle storyline. Well. I think it’s self-explanatory.

3) the Supernatural Shit Going On storyline. Someone (usually a guy) is the Chosen One. Chosen One has to fight in order to save some recently discovered world/their own world. Meets some friends who are usually two or more dudes and one super badass girl who is only there because Equality™ and is either the one who gets Possessed By The Evil or is the only one who has to be saved at one point in the story. If we have a female protagonist then she and the girl Hate Each Other For Literally No Reason until the protagonist Saves The Girl in some very dramatic way and they realize that the other is Actually Not That Bad. Female protagonist usually teaches girl about Feelings and maybe sets her up with That One Guy In The Group that she’s had a crush on for Literal Years but never made a move because Feelings Are For Babys or she was Scared And Didn’t Know What To Say To Him. 

4) the This Book Isn’t Like Other Books storyline. Some shit that doesn’t have anything to do with interpersonal relationships or at the most bullying is going on. Usually features a Controversial Protagonist™ (read: the one who started the deeply illegal or at least sketchy shit that’s going on and is also the muggle version of Voldemort, character wise). The (usually male) protagonist, who is also a social outcast, now has to work to Stop The Sketchy Shit that he started, but he Can’t Do It Alone. A group of three people (two boys, one pretty girl), who are also a part of the Popular Group At School, are somehow pulled into the shit and help the Controversial Protagonist™ Fix His Mistakes and Become A Better Person. Sometimes they become friends in the end. 

AND, because I can, have some shitty shitty plot devices.

1) the Love Triangle. It’s shitty and unnecessary in every way because it always features at least 3 of these things: bad writing. Heteronormativity. Exclusively white people. Disregard of the feelings of the female lead by at least one of the guys. Use of past traumatic experiences of one of the male leads to justify predatory and/or dangerous/possessive behavior. Related to that: use of mental illness/trauma solely to gain sympathy of the audience. Characters’ (specially the guys’) lives and decisions revolve around romantic/sexual relationships. Related to that: romanticization of unhealthy relationships. Enforcement of gender stereotypes. Objectification of the characters (especially the male characters). 

2) Miscommunication. I don’t even have to say anything, do I.

3) The One Friend In The Group That Betrays Them All And The Subsequent Fallout. WHY. WHY do authors feel the need to have one person in a close-knit group of friends betray everyone. I mean, it would even be THAT bad if most authors didn’t use it as a cheep method to create suspense for the final showdown, or kill off a character, or to distract from the fact that most villains in modern y/a literature are really flat characters with no real motives for their plans for world takeover or whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish by giving them a radicalized follower. 

4) the Love Confession When The Guy Either Thinks She’s Chosen Someone Else Or Is Being Separated From The Girl. Like. NO. Just no. Thats like THE cheapest way to create emotional conflict. Or to subtly manipulate your readers. Because that is essentially what the author is doing: guilt-tripping you into supporting a relationship, because unless that guy was a real douchbag, and if he WAS, 99% of the people who read that stuff will be like “OH MY POOR BBY JUST GOT HIS HEART BROKEN” and BAM, no one’s gonna argue that his feelings aren’t genuine, or say that he doesn’t deserve her, bc bitch did you read this he confessed to her when he thought he was never gonna see her again  

5) the Love Confession From Her Jealous Best Friend. Again, a cheep way to create emotional tension and gain sympathy from the reader. 

6) the Vaguely Sexual Encounter. Usually something comparatively innocent, like a heated kiss or make-out session, usually used to intensify emotional dilemma, either because of a love triangle (I really can’t stand love triangles) or because she shouldn’t be kissing the guy or something. And the thing is, it wouldn’t even be a bad thing if it weren’t completely misplaced (like, a day away from the final battle misplaced) in most cases, or worse: slutshaming. Or, worse still: the cringey sex discussion that ends in either slutshaming or kinda just fizzles out.   

7) the We’re Gonna Die But It’s Okay Because I Love You talk, usually delivered by the male lead to the female lead before all goes to shit. And honestly I have never read a book where this shit happened where they knew each other for more than four weeks. And lemme tell you there is nothing more unrealistic than a teenage dude giving a two-page talk about why he loves a girl that he’s known for a maximum of four weeks. I once read a book where this happened and they knew each other for three days and made out once and he literally gave that speech twice (no, I’m not taking about Romeo and Juliet). Like, do you authors understand the people you are writing books for? Do you have any idea how teenage relationships work? 

8) Bulling That’s Used As A Plot Device But Ultimately Stays Unresolved or, even worse, The People Who Bully Me Are (A Part Of) The Group I Have to Join To Save The World And Suddenly We’re Best Friends. THIS. THIS is almost worse than the fucking love triangle shit. Because lemme tell you something: If bullying isn’t stopped, if the bullies don’t face consequences for their actions, then guess what? IT’S NOT GONNA FUCKING STOP, THATS WHAT. It’ll continue on and on and on until someone won’t take that shit anymore. Yeah, sure, it might seem like it stopped, especially if you’re seeing everything from the view of a character who was suddenly not bullied anymore, but let me tell you: that is an illusion. They just shift to the next victim. And it’s so so toxic to write it like everything is suddenly ok, oh my gosh. Because it’s not, it doesn’t stop, it just shifts to somewhere else, and thousands of bullied kids that read these books are gonna think that it does. And they’re gonna go and look at their bullies and start feeling sympathy for them because they read a hundred and one books where the bullies are actually good guys, so their bullies can’t be that bad, can they? And voila, thats the first step to excusing toxic behavior. The first step to make sure that these kids never speak up against oppressors. 

Some things that I am really sick of in general but even more when seen in y/a literature: 

1) bad and/or lazy writing, especially when it comes to character development

2) casual sexism

3) underrepresentation and/or stereotypization of LGBTQIA characters

4) underrepresentation and/or stereotypization of non-white characters

5) lack of female supporting characters

6) little to no character development seen in male characters, especially love interests/supporting characters

7) reinforcement of stereotypically masculine/feminine character traits

8) little to no explanation offered concerning culture and other specifics of fantasy worlds (also known as WHY WRITE FANTASY IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE SOME ACTUAL FANTASY)

9) romanticization of toxic relationships

10) hypersexualization of teenagers, because no matter how good looking he is, you shouldn’t describe a sixteen year old boy the same way you would a twenty five year old porn star

And the thing is that this isn’t some kind of one time thing. I didn’t just finish a series that i really disliked or read a few bad books in a row. This rant is the product of literal year-long frustration because I literally cannot find anything in the y/a section of bookstores and libraries and publishing companies websites that doesn’t feature at least one of the above mentioned main characters, one of the above mentioned supporting characters, and some variation of the above mentioned storylines. And I am honestly so sick of it, and so are many many more young adults, because in the beginning you just read that shit, you know. And then it comes to the point where you get so sick of seeing the same stories repeated over and over and the same characters used over and over that you start really searching for books that are different. But these books are so rare, and so hard to find! And after some time you start feeling like you’re being bullshitted by authors and publishing companies. Because most of y/a literature is not only cliche and stereotypical and just plain boring after some time, its also often very badly written. And I’m not just talking language here, though that is a part of it. I’m talking major plot holes, complete lack of character development, period novels or novels that feature time travel being so cringe-worthily historically inaccurate that you actually start wonder if the author did it on purpose, a suspense arc that would, drawn, look like a squiggly line or, even worse but sadly even more common, just a downward sloping curve that maybe, if you’re really lucky, curves slightly upwards again in the last five chapters. There are so many y/a novels out there that I seriously can’t imagine ever having been edited or beta read. And lately it seem like most publishing companies out there just don’t care what they publish any more, you know? Its just one love triangle after the other. And honestly society is moving forward at an increasingly fast pace, the current generation of teenagers and young adults is becoming more tolerant and open minded by the second, and the literature that is written for us, marketed towards us is still dominated by heteronormativity, all-white characters, a lack of male protagonists in the romance and of female protagonists in the action/adventure genre, and sexism. Like, okay, if you think a love triangle is necessary for your story, why not write in a bit of representation for the LGBTQIA community and make it a polyamory in the end instead of having your heroine decide between two hot guys? Or just feature a bi protagonist instead of the cliche straight girl? If you wanna write that stereotypical high school romance why not feature a protagonist who is not white for a change? Also there is a huge difference between books written for boys and books written for girls that is honestly, in my opinion, incomprehensible. Especially if you factor that most boys between the ages of 12 and 20 just don’t read novels because they think reading in general is stupid or they can’t relate to the characters that are portrayed. And this is honestly so concerning because most boys are behind their female classmates when it comes to reading and language skills, which scientists say is a result of boys reading less for enjoyment in their free time, especially less fiction. (sources: (x) (x) (x)) And honestly I can see where thats coming from, there is a) very little literature written for boys, and lets be real, how many boys do you know that would voluntarily read something thats explicitly being marketed for girls and b) the literature actually written for boys is tremendously boring and even more stereotypical and redundant than literature written for girls, plus, you sometimes get the very paradox impression that sex is a kind of tabu theme in boys literature. Like in girls literature its ridiculed and treated in some sort of prepubescent giggly way even though most of literature written for girls revolves around sexual and romantic relationships, but it is addressed, even if its done in an immature way. But boys literature is all about action and danger and bros before hoes. Most books written for a male audience don’t even feature a love interest. And again, this is paradox and kind of weird or even ridiculous because boys are expected to be sexually active from a very young age and the teenage years are the years of (sexual) self-discovery, so in almost all media boys are portrayed as very experienced and sure in their sexuality, except for literature aimed towards them, where they are treated the same way little children are treated: you just don’t talk about sex. How can you expect boys to be sure of themselves when you just leave them in the dark about what they are supposed to be sure about? And don’t even get me started on hyper masculinity portrayed in almost every male character I’ve ever seen in a book (honestly, I won’t start on it because I think that a) my point is clear and b) no one would actually have the patience to read this till the end if I did).

So what’s my conclusion? Well, mainly that y/a literature is currently a lot of shit, and it needs to change to fit the needs and interests of the group that it’s trying to reach. The current development in literature aimed towards young women that features a growing hyper-sexualization of teenage boys and a shift to almost exclusively straight romance literature combined with a gradual decrease of writing quality is very concerning, as is the lack of development in literature aimed towards young men, which seems to be stuck in three genres: mystery/thriller, sports, and action/adventure.

[joechappel]

VICTORY

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?” - I Corinthians The written word is painfully ill-suited to convey the textured nuance and layered complexity of human communication, in its glorious fullness. Irony, sarcasm, and the way we display one emotion to guard another...these are all part of the beautiful way we Homo sapiens communicate. Much of this nuance is achieved through non-verbal means, whether it be visual cues, or the aural cues found in the rise and fall, timbre, or breathiness of a voice, or in countless other ways. I often reflect on this when I hear about the tweets of the man who currently lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, especially when weighed against that same man’s outrageous speech and behavior at his political rallies. I am intentionally NOT a follower, but it would be nearly impossible to not know about them - that in itself says so much. It becomes glaringly obvious when staffers write Tweets meant to make him “relatable” (like his tweet about A$AP Rocky) and when he becomes that most dangerous of combinations: unhinged and unmanaged; and writes something more dark, more genuine, and more revealing, like his reprehensible language inviting Americans to leave their own native land and “go back” to some other country, all because they do not look like his small-minded idea of what an American should look, think, and behave like. Sadly, many Americans find connection in his words, written or otherwise, and there has been much hypothesizing about how influential his hate speech would be to his followers. How far would they go? Unfortunately, the question has some very dark answers, and the freakishly tragic answers to that question keep coming with greater frequency. Even the most willfully ignorant observer finds it difficult to ignore the evidence. When the suspects of more than one mass shooting subscribe to the verbatim philosophy, language, tenets, and policies elevated by the POTUS himself, there can be no denying the connection. At this point, we can no longer delude ourselves into believing we are still in some earlier time of hypothetical what-ifs and the ‘gaming-out’ of different ghoulish scenarios in regards to the behavior of Trump followers in the wake of his dog whistling and race-baiting speech. We are no longer in a time of predictions. We are in a time of analysis. The truth is we’ve been at this point for a very long time, but even the most aloof onlooker really has to work hard to not notice on days like this. Back to my point on language, I often run into friends who jokingly comment on my seemingly shameless anger they glean from my posts, but as I already said, the written word often misses the precise mark. What the reader sees as anger can often be anxiety and fear. And I know that these days when I wake up and type what guides my spirit in the moment, it is my fear that consumes me. Fear as an American witnessing the shameless unraveling of the pillars of our democracy, fear as a gay Black man who cannot escape the ‘othering’ of his very person and will always be amongst the most obvious and identifiable of targets to the xenophobic, racist, and/or homophobic bully. And They will always come for me and my kind first, so my fear is of an existential nature. So you may read unlimited anger, but I’m telling you it’s more often panic and fear - especially because so many of you don’t seem to notice or (this is the most frightening of all) you don’t seem to care (enough). Fear as a human sharing my vulnerability in the presence of others (like being willing to stand naked in public or willing to risk ridicule and rejection - these are my Kryptonite) because the older I get, I’m learning that the only way to live the life that enrages my demons and gladdens my angels is to walk in my truth. It is the only way I can sleep at night and hold my head a little higher in the day. The fear and the anger and the anxiety are determined to do their toll, one way or another. That is an energy none of us can wish, pray, or ignore away. The power we possess is in our choice to hold it all in and let the damage be on us or to be vulnerable and open and honest about it and hope that the energy dissipates in some healthy useful way. The other risk we take is that the dissipation can be ugly and unhealthy when we put it back out into the world. That is what is happening with these misguided men. They are releasing a horrendous pain out into the world, because they can no longer bear their loneliness, their deprivation, and their feeling of being wronged in this life, and along comes a voice and a movement that gives them permission to wallow in righteous anger and preys on their brokenness - it is a harmonic convergence of vulnerability, toxicity, and ignorance that comprises the recipe for the tragic events of Gilroy and El Paso and Charlottesville and countless other places. To say that I feel sympathy for these men would be an awful exaggeration...I don’t even want to use the word ‘empathy’, but in a some ways I do understand the genesis of their mental and emotional depravity. This year in particular has been one monumental cosmic mindfuck. I have experienced unexpected loss, the stripping away, paring down, and letting go of so many things I thought were prerequisites to the defining of me...all of it as the universe keeps whittling me down to my most bare essentials. And somehow I know I’m still not done - there is a transformation afoot and I am being shown who I am and am not, what I can live with and without, who is and isn’t essential in my life. The gift of such a time is that I’m also being offered a newfound clarity in my life’s priorities. I am not my progeny - I am childless. And I am not the lesser half of a spouse - I am single. I am not my next cool gig. I am not my last cool gig. I am not Big Joe or Skinny Joe - I am at all times wonderfully and simply Joe. I am not my casual acquaintances. And I am still me, even when my most cherished friends and loved ones leave my life one way or another. I am still me, when my physical ‘stuff’ gets lost or stolen or broken or misplaced. I am not my wealth or lack thereof. I am vulnerable, sensitive, still somewhat broken, talented, opinionated, imperfect, sassy, intelligent, on-a-journey Joe. All day and everyday. Occasionally I go through my photos on my phone as I did the other day. Each time I notice something cool or interesting about the collection in its entirety. This time I was struck by how many pictures I am embracing or being embraced by someone. I thought I had a bunch of selfies on my phone, but my pics tell a different story. I am a man who defines himself through the relationships in his life. I am my friends. I am my loved ones. It is in the company of others that I truly flourish. As much as I regard myself as a loner, I need that human interaction to thrive - just like all humans, I need to relate. It is that same need that I believe drives so many to become hypnotized by the sinister words of POTUS. Young White males who feel alone, abandoned, forgotten, left behind, denied entry into a life of unearned entitlement that is their perceived birthright ....these vulnerable individuals find connection and kinship in his racist and nationalistic hate-speech. The point is that I can relate to loss and loneliness and feeling robbed of one’s things and even one’s very station in life. That kind of pain has a universality to it, but the myriad ways we choose to let it manifest in our lives can have consequences that go far beyond our personal spheres of influence. Sometimes the unhealthiness of our coping skills has irreversibly tragic outcomes. A friend used to always end his emails with the famous Horace Mann quote “be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” I was so moved by it that I stole the idea (like 100% of the truly wise and impressive things I share) and started ending my own letters and email with the same quote. I’ve since stopped using the quote that way but it popped into my head today. The funny thing is that when I first heard it, I thought “some victory” equated with a grand feat. Anything less than Nobel-laureate-worthy work, or some act that would garner the attention and praise of a thankful public was not qualified to fulfill the task. I needed to write a symphony, run for office, cure something, write the next great American novel or do some other noteworthy deed. Today when I read the same exact words and measure them against the ugliness and tragedy of the world around me, my concept of “some victory” alters. When my portion is fully rendered and I am weighed in the balance for the last time who is the man others will describe? Did his arms stiffen and perpetually keep others at length or did those arms endlessly seek to embrace, comfort, and help others? Did that man walk in the fullness of his truth or did he wither in fear? Was he a model of good citizenship, to the best of his ability, for the next generation to witness or did he leave them to figure it out all on their own? Did he steward his world and his wisdom and then selflessly pass it on or did he selfishly hoard it, taking it all to the grave? Today I am convinced Mann’s ‘victory’ is in our successfully living better today than we did yesterday. I believe that when we are willing to be vulnerable and walk in our truth we can access a compassion for others such as the immigrant, the less advantaged, or whomever we deem the ‘other’, and simultaneously we can show the Patrick Crusiuses of the world a better way forward than the cruel narrow path our failed current leaders have set before these at-risk individuals. The deed is done, so there is no saving this particular man and the lives he has taken, but perhaps we can channel our righteous anger for some other future good and save the next scared, lonely, and angry individual from making the same sick choice. There are untold lives at stake. Yes, we should be ashamed to die, not having “won some victory for humanity.” But the victory is nearer and more immediate than we think. The victory is in our personal living and the battle rages on at the core of our collective soul. More than our thoughts and prayers, this world could use our better living and a greater expression of our humanity. “Be ashamed to die, until you have won some victory for humanity.” - Horace Mann

[supremeleaderbutttouch]

VALENTINE’S DAY ASK

1 :Do you have a crush at the moment? Yes 2: Have you ever been deeply in love? Yes 3: Longest relationship you've ever been in? 5 Years 4: Have you ever changed for someone? Not really. It’s always better to change for yourself. 5: How is your relationship with your ex? I don’t talk to any exes except for my first middle school crush on friendly terms. 6: Have you ever been cheated on? Yes.

7: Have you ever cheated? Once, when I was very young, with the same person who cheated on me. x_x 

8: Would you date someone who's well known for cheating? Nope. 9: What's the most important part of a relationship? Communication is key...and making time for each other to do things with one another. 10: Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings? Serious, but I also like my freedom to an extent. 11: When you are dating someone do you believe in going on "breaks"? Nope, it’s all or nothing. I’ve taken breaks before but not to be with other people ever. If you’re doing it for that, you may as well separate. 12: How many people have you ever hooked up with? Prefer not to say. 13: What's one thing you regret saying/doing in a previous relationship? Cheating, since it hurts people so badly, regardless of the circumstances, and causes so much negativity.. 14: What age do you think is appropriate for kids to start having sex? 18 probably if we’re talking actual sex. 15: Do you believe in the phrase "age is just a number"? Yes...I mean, maturity definitely comes with age but also depends mostly on your life experience & attitude. 16: Do you believe in "love at first sight"? Nope, maybe ‘love at first meeting.’ 17: Do you believe it's possible to fall in love on the internet? Yes. 18: What do you consider a deal breaker? A deal breaker? I don’t get this question really but if someone was seeing someone else at the same time, nope, that’s a no-no in a serious relationship.

19: How do you know it's time to end a relationship? When all you have left for each other is resentment, or you feel the relationship has become more toxic than anything else, friendship or otherwise it’s just not worth your energy anymore. The future can always bring change. 20: Are you currently in a relationship? Yes. 21: Do you think people who have dated can stay friends? Sometimes, but very rarely. It’s such an intimate and delicate thing. 22: Do you think people should date their friends? Yes, absolutely...if you have deep feelings of love for them in more than just a friendly way. Otherwise, if it’s just that you have good chemistry and nothing more, I would say no. 23: How many relationships have you had? 3 serious ones. 24: Do you think love can last forever? Yes...longer than forever! 25: Do you believe love can conquer all things? Yes, of course. 26: Would you break up with someone your parents didn't approve of? Nope...if it’s someone you genuinely love, then people have to accommodate that. 27: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice about dating what would it be? Don’t fall so headfirst into thinking every person will be ‘the one’ and just see what happens...get to know them & enjoy the special things about those people while you can, and learn to let go when you say goodbye. 28: Do you think long distance relationships can work? Not really, if it’s long term. You have to kind of close the gap at some point unless you just want to suffer. 29: What do you notice first about another person? Probably their posture, level of intelligence & their style if I am just meeting them. 30: Are you straight, bi, gay or pansexual? Bi, but I don’t find people that attractive unless I get to know them generally. 31: Would it bother you if your partner suffered from any mental illness? Nope...it’s happened lots before, and I think everyone experiences it at one point or another. 32: Have you ever been in an abusive relationship? Define ‘abusive’ XD 33: Do you want to get married one day? Yes, definitely, although I’m not as crazy as some girls when it comes to that. It can wait a long time imo. 34: What do you think about getting your partner's name tattooed? Nope...no way. Not a thing. 35: Could you be in a relationship without sex? Not me personally, after a certain amount of time. It would be interesting though. xD 36: Are you still a virgin? Nope...if you couldn’t tell LOL 37: What's more important: Looks or personality? Personality 100%. If you aren’t compatible, what’s the point? 38: Do you enjoy love films? Eh, idk, they’re usually not my thing. I like ones that are more realistic and a little tragic sometimes. 39: Have you ever given anyone/received roses? Yes. 40: Have you ever had a valentine? Yep. 41: What's your imagination of a "perfect date"? Being somewhere outside, having coffee & good food...or cuddling somewhere in there. 42: Have you ever read "Romeo & Juliet"? Yes, and seen it as a play. 43: What's more important: Your partner or your friends? Partner...I mean, you’re going to spend your life with them or at least a decent chunk of your time. Friends are just as important though, but you can’t always spend quite as much time with them. 44: Would you consider yourself "romantic"? Yes, I’d like to think so. 45: Could you imagine to date one of your current friends? Uh, yeah. XD 46: Have you ever been "friendzoned"? Mmmm yep, and it hurts like a bitch. 47: Which "famous couple" is your favorite? Oh god...Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prince Jr. are pretty good. Anyone Marilyn Manson has dated has generally been kinda cool. Dave Navarro & Carmen Electra were okay too. I’m definitely forgetting someone, but w/e. 48: What's your favorite love song? x_x it’s a secret...I tend to like the sad ones though. 49: Have you ever broken someone's heart? Probably, but it was for the best & completely unintentional... 50: If you're single, why do you think you are?  51: Would you rather date someone who's rich but a douchebag or someone who's poor but a nice guy? Defs poor but a nice guy. 52: Are you good at giving other people advices regarding dating/ relationships? I’d like to think so, but in the end if it comes to breakups, only the couple can decide. 53: Are you jealous of couples when you're single? Yeah, sometimes...I am a pretty jealous person but I try my damnedest not to be. 54: How important is it to make a relationship official (p.e. on Facebook)? I think it’s important, because people should know who you’re with & you shouldn’t try to hide it. 55: Would you consider yourself "clingy", "overly attached" or "jealous"? Sometimes clingy. I like to cuddle & get what I want, when I want it I suppose. 56: Have you ever "destroyed" a relationship? Eh...the only thing that came close was with alcohol & just being an immature dunce.  57: Do you think it's silly to consider suicide because of a broken heart? Not really, it can be extremely depressing having your heart broken (especially the first time) plus when you’re in a really difficult stage in your relationship, that can bring on depression. Don’t let it allow you to consider taking your life, though...you’re better than that!  58: Are you the "dominant" or the "submissive" part in a relationship? I am fairly flexible when it comes to that.  59: Have you ever forgotten important dates like your partner's birthday or your anniversary? Hmmm nope, never.  60: What's your opinion on open relationships? I think they’re interesting & could work but I’m probably too jealous & centered on improving certain relationships to be in one...it would have to be super casual. 61: Who's more important: Your partner or your family? Imo, partner and family are both family...so xD 62: How do you define "cheating"? Cheating is a breaching of trust, doing something you know would hurt you if the other person were to do it...going against any kind of agreement you have as a couple when it comes to being with/seeing other people, whether that’s flirting or something else you both consider cheating. Generally if you feel you have to hide something, you probably shouldn’t be doing it...? Or you should really really question why you’re doing it & make an effort to change. 63: Is watching porn while being in a relationship inappropriate? Nope...lol 64: Do you think Valentine's Day is overrated? Somewhat...I mean, you should celebrate your relationship any day in theory. 65: Would you consider yourself a "cuddler"? YUP.