#not saying i hate new fans or whatever but when anything gets too popular then its too annoying to even look at the 'fandom'

[aesthetixhoe]

paparazzi — J.C.

warnings: cursing, angst, mentions of anxiety/self worth issues,

word count: ---

pronouns used: none!

request: can u write where like us and jack are out like at the mall abd fans come up to us asking for photos and all that? (were also a actor/actress. idk is this made sense to u😭)

authors note: I added a bit of other stuff into this, so sorry if this isn't what you wanted. i love this idea deeply! <3

Being an actor and going to the mall was... Stressful. You never knew if you would be recognized, so you always had to wear presentable clothing, plus you didn't know if the people who would recognize would even like you.

The mall was no exception. With the endless stores filled with fellow teenagers and young adults who knew both you and Jack, there was bound to be at least one person who knew you.

Going out with Jack was easier than being alone. He's always there to tell you that no matter who you see, or how they feel about you, you still have fans that love you... Including him. He'll hold your hand, and tell you to squeeze it if you get anxious, give you more small kisses than usual (which is already a lot). The PDA worries you further, thinking that if someone who likes him more sees you two kissing that they'll post about it and try cancelling you or something, but the love is worth it.

You came to the mall to go shopping, you needed some more casual clothes, and Jack needed some higher end items for a premier. Walking into the mall was thankfully uneventful, but once you got further into the populace of the mall, that's when the pictures started.

It wasn't paparazzi standing right inside waiting to run you down but to get pictures, but there were teenage girls who found Jack attractive. While you were also an actor, and have also been in popular things, you weren't a hot boy...

“Oh my god! You're Jack Champion. Holy shit, can we get a picture with you?!” And so it started. He obviously said yes and you moved to the side, not before he kissed your hand though. He wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder, smiling big for her friend with the camera. They switched so the previous camera girl could get in on it. They thanked him before walking past, both still bright red, slightly shaky and whispering about how cute he was. You had to agree.

About every 30 feet was another person asking for a picture, or autograph. He would stop and gladly do whatever pose they asked for, or sign whatever they wanted. He loved all of his fans, and was willing to do anything for them.

After splitting up and going to your designated stores to buy the items you needed, you two found each other.

The walk to leave was mostly uninterrupted, just a few people recognizing you two and taking pictures. “Looks like we have some paparazzi huh?” Jack jokes, smiling at you. God he's so pretty.

“Yeah...” You say in mindless agreement. You were too busy looking at his smile and the way it made his eye squint slightly.

“Stop staring.” He says as he blushes and looks away. He loves your attention, but it doesn't stop him from blushing every time.

Once you two were home you spent time scrolling through Instagram, looking at the posts jack was tagged in, seeing all the pictures fans had taken with him.

Then... There was a picture of you.

It was a “news” Instagram account that posted celebrity sightings.

“Ah, I see you've found the stalker photos...” Jack chuckles as he approaches the back of the couch. He puts his chin on your shoulder watching as you scroll through the pictures.

“Yeah. I'm actually... Kinda flattered?” You almost ask. He hops over the back of the couch to join you in sitting. He looks at you questioningly.

“What do you mean?” He asks quietly. You hated having candids taken, they ‘always looked bad.’

You look at him before looking down embarrassed. “Well... Normally it's just pictures of you. And I hate photos, you know that, but... It feels nice to be recognized. I just feel like an accessory to you sometimes...” You admit softly.

He grabs your chin, forcing you to look at him. Once you make eye contact, both of his hands settle on either of your cheeks to keep your head steady.

“[Y/n], you'll never be an accessory. You're your own person. You're an amazing actor, and an even better person.” He states into your eyes, and you can feel something. Something warm deep inside of your stomach. Something in your chest, like you'd just drank a hot drink on a cold day that warmed up your insides.

“I love you.” You breathe out, thoughtlessly. Thoughtlessly.

Your eyes widen in shock as your mouth falls agape. You actually said it... Holy shit. He's silent. Oh fuck. Oh god. This was such a mistake.

“Jack, I am so sorry. I-I wasn't thinking and it just fell out and I know we haven't said it yet, and I don't want you to feel obligated to say it back but I just-”

“I love you too.” He smiles softly, leaning in to kiss your lips. It felt like the stars aligned and the earth stopped spinning and time stopped and everything else people use to describe being in love.

You pull away, looking into his eyes, tears welling in yours. “Are you ok? Should I not have said it?” He asks, brows furrowed in worry.

“No!” You exclaim grinning, then reaching your fingers to the nape of his neck, “I'm just so in love with you.”

[leclerc-s]

track 002. this is why we can't have nice things

─── ❝ here's a toast to my real friends, they don't care about the he said, she said ❞ ───

masterlist // previous // next

JULY 2016

daniel ricciardo living up to the name i see

carlos sainz who made max angry?

mae jones bold of you to assume it was one of us and not a reporter.

max verstappen one asked me if i agreed with those two. i said no. he got angry. i called him a fucking dick. i regret nothing.

daniel ricciardo had anyone checked up on her yet?

daphne jones i’m fine. everything is fine.

daniel ricciardo bullshit but whatever

mae jones it feels like i’m watching my parents fight.

daphne jones i’m fine, it’s not like i'm being called a snake and it feels like the entire world has turned against me. seriously, i’m fine

carlos sainz she’s lost it.

mae jones CARLOS! carlos sainz es la verdad (it's the truth)

daniel ricciardo would i got to jail for starting a fist fight with them? how do american politics work?

max verstappen i’m not sure but i’ll help.

daphne jones no. you two will do no such thing.

carlos sainz yes we will.

mae jones i can bail them out

daphne jones mae! stop encouraging this. mae jones but it’s so much fun

SEPTEMBER 2016

daphne jones we broke up.

daniel ricciardo sorry, do you need anything?

max verstappen you’re not sorry. what is it the teenagers say shoot your shot?

mae jones you are a teenager max max verstappen i meant the younger teenagers

daphne jones a nap and a bottle of fucking wine

daniel ricciardo i can help with wine, you’re on you own for the nap

daphne jones by the way, i’m performing after the us grand prix in october.

mae jones she drops that bomb and then just leaves? hello? we need answers?

OCTOBER 2016

liked by user81, user37, user16 and others

f1updates daphne jones preformed tonight at the circuit of the americas after the race earlier in the day. this marks the one-year anniversary since the eldest jones made her f1 debut. this also marks the singer’s first concert of the year since the end of her 1989 world tour. over 80,000 fans were in attendance and the superstar preformed some of her greatest hits including you belong with me, shake it off, and enchanted.

tagged daphnejones, f1, cota_official

view all comments

user27 🐍🐍🐍🐍

comment has been deleted by post creator

user56 gtfo with that bullshit.

user05 🐍🐍🐍🐍

comment has been deleted by post creator

user38 her tour flopped, it’s why she’s only preformed once this entire year

user72 or maybe the entire internet has been harassing her and she hasn’t felt mentally stable to preform? user68 friendly reminder that celebrities are people too. they have feelings like us and any other person.

user97 she looks stunning! despite everything happening she's glowing. am i curious why? yes. but she'll talk about it when she's ready.

user83 kim was right about her. she’s a snake.

comment has been deleted by post creator

user91 genuine question but why invite daphne jones? does she know anything about f1? or was it to sell tickets?

f1updates our best guess is that this was a marketing tool seeing as formula one isn’t as popular here in the states as it is in the rest of the world. daphne jones is a huge pop star and she would get the attention they need. she’s also close friends with max verstappen, carlos sainz, and daniel ricciardo.

user27 she’s trying to find a new f1 driver to sleep with. probably slept with half the grid by now. she needs to sleep around to be able to write music. she doesn’t sell without the men in her life.

comment has been deleted by post creator

f1updates we will not tolerate any bullying or hateful comments towards anyone posted on here, whether it be drivers or other celebrities. with that being said, we stand with daphne jones, if you don’t like that please unfollow and block. any further comments like this and you will be reported for harassment.

user58 daphne doesn't deserve the hate she is getting. props to f1updates for standing up for her, we aren't seeing a lot of that these days. f1updates this page was made to inform fans of f1 news not drama surrounding the drivers and their friends. we do not tolerate hate towards anyone

NOVEMBER 2016

mae jones max and i broke up. we thought you guys should be the first to know.

carlos sainz QUE? NO! POR QUE?

max verstappen some people grow apart carlos. it's that easy.

mae jones easy, right. max verstappen don't do this mae.

daniel ricciardo i feel like a child of divorce.

daphne jones i'm sorry that you two broke up. are you both okay?

mae jones the lie? yes. the truth? no. max verstappen no. daphne jones so if you two aren't fine they why did you two break up. mae jones reasons that neither of us wants to talk about

daniel ricciardo well if either of you two needs someone to talk to we're here.

carlos sainz i can't believe you two broke up. love is not real.

daniel ricciardo it seems like carlos' world is falling apart

carlos sainz no entiendes, i helped those two get together. i was like the baby with the arrows! mae jones he means cupid. when he's upset he forgets what words translate to. daphne jones we understood.

daniel ricciardo well now i won't be able to listen to EVOLution without crying.

max verstappen well how do you think i feel? mae jones i have to perform the songs on tour, how do you think i feel?

liked by user15, user09, user59

f1updates max verstappen and his girlfriend of a year and a half, mae jones, have broken up. do not make any assumptions as to why and give the two privacy. some of you are way too obsessed with their lives. (pictures acquired from mae's instagram, they have since been deleted.)

view all updates

user41 WHAT? THIS IS HOW I FIND OUT? BUT- THEY WERE SO CUTE

user15 romance is dead

user46 2016 has not been the year of the jones' sisters

user90 i would've committed war crimes for these two. she wrote an entire love album for him and now they're over? i can't believe this.

user09 as a fan of both jones' sisters this has not been our year. i'm in shambles.

user59 this was my last straw. i no longer believe in love.

FEBRUARY 2017

mae jones YOU TWO ARE FUCKING DATING? AND YOU SAID NOTHING? CALVIN? TOM? WERE THEY PR?

mae jones DAPHNE ALISON JONES! DANIEL JOSEPH RICCIARDO! ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONES ASSHOLES!

daniel ricciardo hello. how'd you find out?

mae jones I JUST SAW YOU TWO KISSING IN THE RED BULL GARAGE. THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN HOW DID I FIND OUT? WERE YOU TWO JUST NEVER GOING TO TELL US? daniel ricciardo not never...just you know, when we felt like it max verstappen that's fair, we do spend way too much time together

daphne jones well what were you doing in the red bull garage 🤨?

mae jones VISITING MY FRIENDS AND CHRISTIAN! DO NOT USE EMOJIS ON ME RIGHT NOW DAPHNE!

max verstappen i saw this coming after austin last year, i figured it wasn't long. and then she dated other people and i sort of gave up hope.

carlos sainz i wanted to be cupid again. i had a plan and everything.

daniel ricciardo your time will come with someone else carlos.

mae jones how long?

daniel ricciardo september 28, 2016 max verstappen YOU WERE DATING IN SEPTEMBER? mae jones so the other two weren't pr? daphne jones tom was, the other one wasn't. daniel ricciardo i'll have you guys know i was secretly fighting with tom hiddleston for daphne and i came out on top! a win for australia! max verstappen she just said it was pr daniel ricciardo LET ME HAVE THIS VERSTAPPEN!

carlos sainz i can't believe this

max verstappen i know it was pr but you picked him? over tom hiddleston?

daniel ricciardo my enchanting personality won her over

mae jones to be fair i would pick daniel too. tom’s a sweetheart but daniel’s, you know, daniel.

carlos sainz when can i be cupid again? i want to set people up!

max verstappen are you single? you should not be invested in other people’s relationships this much.

mae jones i thought he was dating that girl, penelope.

carlos sainz 🤢 don’t ever say those words again. i would never.

daphne jones carlos unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘she’s like a sister to me’ don’t say anything

carlos sainz she’s my worst nightmare, i can’t stand her. i would never ever date her

daniel ricciardo screenshotting this for when you two start dating and i can make you look like an idiot.

max verstappen isn’t that every day?

carlos sainz i’m crashing into you at turn 1 the first chance i get

max verstappen i’d like to see you try

¡leclerc-s speaks! fear not people, a flashback to how we got here will be posted soon. please ignore the likes as they are not relevant to the story. it just looked too weird without anything down there (it’s just randomized numbers). i've also taken creative freedom with certain aspects of events that have unfolded. i didn't want to speak much about specific events so i've only skimmed over them. 2016 was truly not the year of the jones' sisters hence the mention of the mae x max break up.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[ca-suffit]

This antiblack campaign the fandom just tried to kick up again (to avoid talking about the real issue with Nalyra) reveals how powerless they're starting to truly feel now.

They don't have many users left to vilify so they're putting people on blocklists who are brand new (I was here 3 days lol) or not even really in the fandom. That looks goofy and desperate but then it keeps going. DMing strangers to say "the truth" isn't about racism and "talk to me if you really want to know about anything." Everyone's reblogging those blocklist posts now and adding large commentary suddenly, when before they often fully sat it out. They're doing this in a group to look like they have larger numbers and are "revealing" there's a "big secret bullying problem"....except nobody believes them. Because there's plenty of accounts who are out here saying this shit straight to their faces and they pretend we all don't exist. All of this group has to manufacture drama solely because they just don't want to talk about harmful shit they actually do.

Neil has to make an antiblack statement she made suddenly be about antisemitism towards her, Nalyra's antiblackness is "actually" fans upset about shipping and "what's REALLY coming" in S2, showmey0urfangs is always happy to show up with her dumb screencaps and villain monologue nobody asked for so she can make her everlasting outrage about popular black fics and "feminized" Louis sound deeper than it is, Virginia suddenly cries about IRL issues and wants to leave the fandom because she wants to distract from the Nalyra receipts, Keybearer accused another black fan of trolling people and getting accounts suspended on twitter in 2023 when a Marius fan eventually confessed to it and his eternal shame for that means now every black fan except him is a bully (despite nobody talking about this ever anymore except him), chicalepidopterare mocks a black fan for blocking her "because I thought we were supposed to talk about racism" and then poorly tries to frame any retaliation against her to look like bullying ("see, they're misogynistic, they're bullying my art, they're mean for disliking these ships!").

To quote Claudia here, "You must think me an idiot." And the big cherry on top is also how none of these losers can stand to hear any mention of race....in the fandom of the show that nonstop talks about race. They're using very basic (and meant in a gentle, loving way) teasing of Jacob as proof that black fans are racist against Jacob too, black fans hate Jacob's white wife. People hate Lestat for being white too (what?). They can write crap meta all day about Lestat letting Louis "rape" him and only white victims (Lestat) being real victims to the evil black and brown "true" manipulators (Claudia, Louis, Armand) but gentle teasing from black fans about Jacob's haircut is the real racism. Okay lol. Care to tell us again why you think Delainey's Claudia looks "less innocent" now then? This 3D chess you think you're playing isn't playing how you think for anyone else.

I also notice that afaik there's not a single black American in this group. Idek if there's many Americans of any kind in the group. It's been a lot of shaming to black Americans specifically though, again from the show that's focused on black Americans....by people who aren't black Americans.

"There's people pretending to be black so it's okay to keep hating this whole group." It's not enough you already nonstop shit on black fans as it is, now you have to try to angle it as if none of this could be authentic in the first place. Vile behavior. For what? Tumblr isn't even a platform that pays you for whatever clout you have, so really what is the point here. In a small ass fandom on top of it. Some of you have pretty grown kids too, this is extra sad. It makes all the jumping through hoops to coddle Lestat's behavior make sense though, if you're the same kind of person yourself. Anyway, maybe you don't actually know everything because race exists in the real world beyond how Anne Rice wrote about it in her useless books! You make books written by a racist white woman your whole personality and guess what your outlook on life is going to be.

It's been really pathetic to especially watch any fans of color move more to this extreme bullying side as time has gone on. It will never pay off to promote white fandom ideals. These accounts you're trying to cuddle up to aren't even that big. The fandom outside of the tags actually has much more popular posts, supporters, and fics...although that's also half of what this all is actually about, fic numbers. Again, these are grown adults obsessing over this. We could have a whole different fandom if this group didn't exist and keep wanting to gatekeep everything and be the only people who get praise about anything.

It's no surprise that people who worship Anne Rice have major ego problems themselves. It's been fucked up to deal with but the good thing now is that big egos have big collapses eventually and that's what we're starting to see happening now. People are sick of you and able to see through your basic ass manipulation techniques. People just want to have a fandom, they're not here to worship fans who want to be dictators. Nobody is here for your fragility, losers.

[neetily]

Now i cant stop thinking about Ouran Highschool DoL Club lolol it sounds interesting Id say! Whitney is the most popular! Kylar Struggling but happily giving each PC attention

But Id choose my Loved Robin <3

here are some of my thoughts >:D it's been a while since i watched ouran so if the vibes aren't vibing then feel free to correct me lmao. also i took some insp from bitch club don't judge me </3

Whitney is by far the most popular choice for both genders. there's just something about the way he talks down to others, grabbing them by their hair or nape and tugging them, dragging them to where he wants them to be for their scheduled time that just seems to keep the freaks coming back, y'know? he acts as though he hates the gig, nonchalant and confused over why he's the most popular boy there, but it's pretty simple in retrospect. he rarely, if ever, turns down requests. willing to do whatever the fuck he's asked to do simply because he's the sluttiest of the group. on the plus side, he gets free hole every day, so he's not complaining. a quick and easy fuck, just like his clients, what's not to love? his only rule is that he never bottoms... at least, not for anyone except you. his favourite customer <3

Kylar doesn't think he's that popular because he never puts out for anyone, simply biding his time in the corner all alone, awaiting for the day that you pick him to spend some time with. but there's something alluring to how mysterious and aloof he is, right? gathering quite the following of loyal customers despite his strong dislike of them, avoiding eye contact and offering dry replies any time someone other than you decides to steal his time away from casual stalking. he's just too busy watching you, seething with raw jealousy at the way the others flirt with you so easily and regularly; he can't provide his clients with another more than hums and nods. he isn't even listening to them, petting his cock instead to the sight of your pretty smile.

But it's easy to see why Robin is popular in comparison, particularly with the ladies. indulging his customers so effortlessly, taking time and care and attention with each and every client that visits him, the real BFE! he puts out a decent amount once enough rapport has been built with his fans, making sure to leave a lasting impression to build a sizeable following. but, in spite of his apparent sincere appearances, he's really only taking part in the club as a form of practice. something about gaining enough experience to match your skill, his heart skipping a beat when you decide to slot him in for an evening. he's always so excited to show you what new things he's learned since last time <3!

Pure Sydney, on the other hand, does his best to avoid anything more than simple hand holding at most. his customers tend to be followers of the church, excited to hold the sydney's hand! and though he feels a twinge of guilt every time he holds someone's hand that isn't your own, he can't deny that he feels good upon seeing his clients smile so warmly back at him. rather than physical acts of affection, he much prefers the classic host club experience; sitting in a nice quiet corner together with however many patrons have came to visit him that day just to chat. light conversation, a quick balm to worried minds. it's pleasant, and he enjoys getting to see you on top of that!

Corrupted Sydney is of course taking part in the degenerate behaviour behind the scenes, though he exclusively reserves the rights to fucking his cock into your hole; no one else is allowed to fuck him or get fucked by him. a quick handjob under the table as he drinks tea by one of his most loyal supporters? sure, whatever. some thigh fucking with another customer as they sit on his lap for him to read to them? absolutely. but he waits for you to book his time before getting his cock wet, making sure his whole schedule is clear so that he can spend as much time on and with you as possible

[lovethatmakingcoffee]

So!

how many more content creators are going to be accused of being called a pedophile with no hard evidence, a police warrant, anything physical and it's by an anonymous tweet from some stranger online who would rather tell social media than I don't know... HAVE THEM GET ARRESTED BY THE POLICE?!

How many more creators, huh?! How many?! How many more YouTubers, twitch streamers, singers, animators, artists?! How many of you are gonna jump on them???? And it's so easy if it's a guy, right? So easy! And no matter how they react, whether it's calm and calculated, shutting down their channel as a whole, or answering immediately yet obviously angry about it- they are always ALWAYS GUILTY. what happened to innocent until proven guilty? And eo is this person? That they are willing to fan the flames and accuse someone of something so terrible online??? Who are u?????

Why do this now? Why do it how at the HEIGHT of Forever's popularity? Why not do it before so he was never on the qsmp or even long before that? Or in the middle at all???? Why now? That is my question? If this is all true, why now? And why use social media? Why not go to the police if he really did a crime? You are accusing someone of a very terrible thing. Why not do it properly instead of searching for Internet clout? What're we supposed to do? The only thing we can, huh? Cancel. Because that's what u want. Is to cancel him. When he was obviously so loved by the masses yesterday. When he had all those cruise pic photos showing how good his life was. Yeah, I don't think u want him arrested or lynched. No, u want to cancel him. Making me wonder if there was ever a real çrime.

Which I wonder quite often with these cases.

And GUYS. HEADS UP! You know whose next? Hm? It'll probably be Wilbur, probably being said that he approached some underage girl on tour or whatever. Or maybe it'll be quackity or hell, even Philza! Oh, Etoiles got cancelled not so long ago, let's cancel him again! Oh what about Bagerha or Cellibit? Let's throw Charlie into the mix. Ironmouse will be hard to cancel cause she's been locked inside of her room all her life and has a very dedicated fanbase, but I'm sure you bastards will find something.

So mhm, everyone is nexted because antis have proven it to be so easy to get rid of someone they don't like. Gone the next day. All of them are suspectable to it. Cause u know why? Cause they are stupid humans who have said stupid shit! And you will just take anything they said and did and run with it!!! Every time! So it's only a matter of time until someone new gets targeted. And depending on how tough skinned they are, they will disappear in a matter of seconds.

Let's just throw all of qsmp away while we're at it! No more eggs, no more community, blah blah blah! Something problematic will happen and you all will jump on it and say 'oh, I never liked them anyway'. Which is such a lie! Such bullshit, u are all bullshitters.

And I know for a fact that y'all aren't saints. We have all said disgusting jokes. Race, lgbt, whatever! We've all done it- don't lie! Here, I'll go first. I joked about a school shooting the other day with my friends. There, cancel me. I gave you the ammunition, now take your fucking shot.

This happens every god damn time someone u enjoy gets popular too fast. They get called a pedo, or a racist, or a transphobe or anything easy to spark the mob. I have seen it time and time again with creators running away because theyve been chased off their respective platforms. I saw an artists make the most beautiful art ever, get accused of being a pedo by one person, everyone joined in for some reason and chased her away. I will never not be bitter about that. I HATE ALL OF YOU WHO DID SUCH A THING AND IF I EVER GOT MY HANDS ON YOU I SWEAR TO GOD. But I am sick of people 'finding' or bringing shit to light or whatever and then just post it online! Like fuck! If he really did a crime! Arrest him! But he didn't, did he? Cause that's the fucking game we are playing rn.

Such hypocrites, it's fascinating. Literally yesterday you were kissing this mans feet and exhaling him, but one anon person saw that and chose violence. And you just.... changed your minds???? Like that? Like a switch of a button? Crazy, actually crazy, and childish.

How come everyone flips and flops so easily on the internet??? How is it so easy for you????? And how can u other supposed fans just accept it so easily??? I will never understand and I will bite and claw at all of you. You all loved him 24 hours ago and now with the bare minimum of evidence you flip? You all would be terrible on jury duty. I hope none of you ever get on jury duty.

Anyway, I'll probably get a ton of backlash from this post and delete it later, waking up in the morning with tons of hate. But I don't care. Prove him guilty. Get the hard evidence that he is a pedo and I will believe it when I see it. Have him be in damn cuffs. Get the mugshot. If that is at all true! But I'm not putting my life and art on pause for conveniently timed discourse.

Maybe I'll delete this post tomorrow. But now I'm fuming at all of you.

And yeah, as for me, I had a shit disgusting last year, qsmp and especially forever was one of the few things that got me out of it and calmed me down. And you guys are going to be talking about how wrong and problematic the things he said that was (what was it?) 8 years ago!!! Then guess what, I love a very problematically spoken parent that would make all of you quake and vomit the moment she opened her mouth. But also, that woman saved me from being homeless. For giving me a place to stay after being DEPORTED. So, if u need a little kindergarten lesson today, internet, is that people will say all sorts of horrible cancelable shit, but it's what they actually do, that really matters.

Goodnight.

[dogtoling]

Deep Sea Dead Zone - Album Release Interview

Deep Sea Dead Zone is a four-cephalopod band from Inkopolis, founded in 2017. After almost 6 years of radio silence following their debut album’s (Cut the Carp) release in 2017, the time has finally come for a new album release. Same Joke Twice released on November 2nd 2023 - and we’ve got the guys (and gals) in the studio to give their thoughts on the happenings!

(Actual interview under the cut!)

Q: It’s finally the day! Same Joke Twice has finally been released following a pretty long silent period for the band. How are you feeling right now?

Engel (vocals): I’m really excited! It’s been a LONG time coming getting new music out and I know a lot of people have been waiting like, forever. I’m super excited for people to hear the new songs and hear what people think. 

Boy (drums): It’s been six years since our last album and people have been going insane for a while now asking for new stuff. It’s nice to finally be able to have something for those people. 

Q: It’s been a while indeed - and people have been hungry for more. You guys have a lot of fans; does that come with pressure?

Engel: Well obviously. I’ve had people come up to me in the store going “new album when?” since year one. That was to the point that we made a song for the new album called “New Album When?” just to honor how much that happened.

Peppermint (bass): I don’t feel much pressure myself, I usually focus on other stuff in my daily life. But just in general yeah, especially coming outta the dark after several years is a little scary. 

Engel: It’s a LOT scary. People have mostly been bugging me, and it was awful at times because I wanted to make new stuff as much as they wanted to HEAR new stuff if not more but there was just no way. You can’t really feel like you’re not letting people down in a setup like that!

Peppermint: Even if it’s not really in your control. But we’re out of the waves and the new stuff is finally here, so I hope people will give it a try.

Q: Your first album, Cut the Carp, got really big and some of the songs even became popular Turf War hits. Do you have similar ambitions for Same Joke Twice?

Boy: Honestly the first album blowing up was super random and we were all just baffled that it happened in the first place. 

Engel: There’s not really anything special about Same Joke Twice. Not to say it’s not good or we don’t like it or anything but just like Cut the Carp, we made the songs because we wanted to make music, not because we wanted to blow up the Turf scene or whatever.

Boy: Well, in terms of ambition, there just might be a tour coming next year. But you didn’t hear that from me.

Engel: Like, it’s a bit scary knowing that people are scrutinizing the new music, sometimes people like the old stuff better and end up not liking the new songs at all, and I hate the idea that there could be people out there who have waited THIS LONG for new music just to be disappointed by the new stuff. 

Peppermint: I think most people who liked our previous songs are going to like these too, even though they’re a bit different.

Engel: Yeah, I try to focus less on the ‘oh no what if people hate it’ and more on the ‘what if people love it and it’s all they’ve ever wanted and so on’. And for every person who listens to the album and thinks it’s whatever, there’s probably someone else discovering our stuff for the first time and liking it, and that’s more than enough honestly

Q: I think we should address the cetacean in the room… well, the mastigoteuthid in the room. You have a new guitarist!

Boy: We do have a new guitarist. We picked up Lash from the street.

Lash (guitar): Yeah, hi. 

Engel: Yeah, Lash is our new guitarist and they’re awesome! They joined the band this year and have been such a good addition.

Boy: We desperately needed a weirdgirl who does nothing except stare menacingly and they’re really good at that. 

Engel: We desperately needed a GUITARIST and they’re really good at that too. 

Q: There’s been some talk about it over the years, but is it right that you didn’t have a guitarist for a while there?

Engel: Uhh, yup. I want to say that’s the main reason we couldn’t make new music or perform. Our old guitarist, Dodo, walked out not that long after the release of our first album, so we just…

Peppermint: It was a rough time for everyone since we couldn’t really do anything. We didn’t want to pick up a random guitarist to fill in for him just for the sake of having someone there so we can keep making music. The band is more personal than that. 

Boy: It looks really funny from the outside, because Lash is actually Dodo’s sister. So it looks like we kicked Dodo out and replaced him with Lash. 

Lash: Honestly I’ll take it. 

Q: So the new guitarist is the old guitarist’s sister? How did that work out?

Engel: Okay so, unsurprisingly I spend an unhealthy amount of time on InkTok. It was around Fresh Season this year that I saw her post a guitar cover of one of our old songs, Fish Outta Water, and I thought damn, she’s pretty good. So…

Boy: We all technically knew Lash before but were never anything more than acquaintances, so once we actually invited them and got to know each other better in the studio we just clicked.

Engel: I was sold as soon as she showed me her slug. If you look at the back of the CD case, we actually took our slugs to the studio and put their picture back there!

Lash: Its name is Shadow, if anyone cares. 

Peppermint: I was coaching Lash before for Turf Wars, so we knew each other a little better beforehand. It was actually around the release of our first album.

Lash: I was in a team with two of Peppy’s younger siblings, so now that I’m here, I’m getting hit with the hardest eldest sister behaviors known to squidkind. It’s like she thinks I’m 5.

Peppermint: I… yeah. 

Q: On the topic of Turf Wars, do any of you still play?

Engel: Be honest right now, do I look like I play. 

Lash: I play a lot. I’m the solo Squiffer your mom warned you about. 

Peppermint: Most of us used to be in a team together back in the day, before we started the band. We don’t play in a team anymore, but I play with my GF sometimes. I like Splat Roller.

Lash: Have you learned about the vertical flick yet?

Peppermint: I’m trying! Back in my day the rollers weren’t all shiny and fancy like they are now. We rolled and we hit people in the face and we moved on and that was it.

Boy: I was a Gal loyalist back in the day and I’m still a Gal loyalist. The .52 feels great as usual and the new Killer Wail is fun. 

Engel: I used to main the Carbon Roller back when Inkzookas were still hot stuff. I actually bought a Splat Brella recently. Because it’s cute! That’s a really fun idea for a weapon.

Boy: You know, if you came to play with us that would make four people and we could form a full team.

Engel: Way to put me on the spot, dude. I don’t think so. 

Q: Back to the album. How would you describe this album and the songs? Does it have its own identity?

Engel: How would I describe it… well, it’s the NEW Deep Sea Dead Zone. It’s familiar, but with a distinct sound that separates it from what you may be used to. So really it’s a bit eerie.

Peppermint: Dude, that’s cryptic. 

Engel: It’s like visiting your childhood town just to see that the post office is gone, things have changed and there’s a Squidonald’s now. It’s like seeing an old friend after a long time and not recognizing parts of them. A familiar unfamiliarity, if you will. Or the other way around.

Peppermint: …sure!

Boy: The music is a little different but we kept more or less the same vibe… It’s a little less edgy than Cut the Carp was. But it’s Engel making the lyrics so obviously it’s still edgy, I’m not saying it’s not. 

Engel: Yeah, I made the lyrics for most of the songs again so you know it’s not going to be all nice and cute and pink and sugar sweet. 

Boy: That really made it sound more like it should be. 

Engel: With Cut the Carp I was using the lyrics mostly as an outlet, there was a big emphasis on stuff like feeling out of place, not belonging and whatnot. I actually go to therapy now so the songs are a little lighter on that kind of stuff…

Boy: I want to emphasize that he’s saying that, but the album is still insanely edgy.

Engel: YEAH WELL some things can’t be helped. My therapist said to me something along the lines of music can be a good way to sort your thoughts, but it can also be really harmful to like, repeat your bad thoughts infinitely like that and turn them into an identity thing. 

Peppermint: I get a little uncomfortable playing some of the really rough songs, so it was actually kind of a relief seeing some of the lyrics he’d written down and seeing that all of them weren’t outright depressing. 

Engel: Yeah, I tried to steer away from, how do you say, depression fuel. There’s still a lot in there but we tried to approach some of this stuff with a more humorous or satire tone this time. It gives the ability to detach yourself from it a little bit.

Boy: He kinda makes lyrics as an outlet to reflect his own thoughts, so he can’t make them too exciting or he will lose the vibe and not be able to sing or whatever.

Engel: Something like that. I like to put my hearts into it.

Q: The new album has some interestingly named songs… one of them being You Can’t Call The Song That. Is that an example of your more humorous tone going in?

Engel: Haha, that one is great. Well, kind of. The song doesn’t really have anything to do with the name-

Peppermint: Oh boy here we go.

Boy: We wanted to name the song something else, but Peppy over here didn’t let us, so that’s where the name came from. 

Peppermint: I’m just trying to get us from being banned from most radio channels or potentially sued. 

Engel: Even Peppy doesn’t know this, but actually the album’s name… we named the album Same Joke Twice because we had other ideas for the name that we weren’t allowed to use. And, well-

Peppermint: No. Wait, REALLY?

Engel: We didn’t want to name it “You Can’t Call The Album That” because we already used that joke, so we went for a trick shot.

Peppermint: You CANNOT be serious right now. 

Boy: Honestly we had a lot of disagreements about what the name should be and it was pretty last-minute. This one clicked and it was funny, so we just kept it. 

Engel: Some people thought the joke is that we stuck around to make more music and honestly, sure. Free interpretation. 

Q: Clearly a lot of secrets went into the name of the album. So, what about the cover? 

Engel: Ok! Unlike the last album’s cover, we actually got a photo studio to get a nice, fancy thing going on. We didn’t really know at first what we wanted to do with the cover but then figured, we have a new face in the band, we should do a group picture to make that clear. 

Boy: For the first album’s cover we just went out and posed on some shitty industrial porch, this time we went for the more abstract classic void look and focused on highlighting us.

Engel: I’ve already got people who were surprised I’m not actually 2,5 meters tall. Guys, I’m sorry… you got tricked by the good old photoshop. 

Peppermint: I’m just happy to not have to be “the tall one” for once.

Q: It’s pretty common for the frontman in a band to be at the, well, front. You guys didn’t do that there.

Engel: Yeah they banished me to the back. We were kinda drawing blanks on the composition for a while until we figured it would look fresh to have me looming in the back. And! With everyone else in front I think everyone’s getting the attention they deserve. A lot of times in bands the members other than the singer are kinda invisible, I feel like we hit a good balance here.

Boy: Well, there’s other reasons but sure, that’s a good explanation. 

Engel: That’s right. It is. I was in the front last time, but everyone else is a fantastic model too. Peeps already know what I look like. 

Q: That’s right, Engel, don’t you model on Inkstagram?

Engel: Uhh, yeah, I do. I used to do it more in the past but I’ve been sloooowly getting back out there… it’s mostly pics of my slug lately. 

Lash: I do a lot of fashion photoshoots there, though I’ve mostly been on InkTok lately.

Engel: Oh yeah, I’ve been helping Lash with her stuff here and there. We both really like fashion, so I’ve been giving them some pointers… 

Lash: Any time you see me wearing some cute loser swag like ribbons and lace that makes you think ‘wow, just like Engel DSDZ’, well, rest assured it was him. 

Boy: One way to put it. 

Engel: What’s loser about ribbons and lace???? Every day I get disrespected and attacked in my own band. 

Q: Engel, you are pretty well known for incorporating ribbons and lace into your outfits. Most inkfish guys tend to shy away from that style of clothing. When did you start dressing like you do and why?

Engel: Oh, I get that a lot… Honestly, I just think they’re really cute and really cool. I don’t really care about “girl and boy clothes”. It does lead into a lot of people thinking I’m a girl, but I don’t really mind. I’m more interested in dressing in a way that makes me feel good about myself than dressing how people expect me to.

Boy: Believe it or not, he used to dress in super normal stuff like t-shirts and Turf shorts back in the day. He thought Grape Tee was the epitome of freshness.

Peppermint: Boy, you wouldn't disrespect a grape, would you?

Engel: That was when I was super new to the surface. It took me a few years of, like, just being to figure out that I was allowed to do stuff with my appearance? So once I got through that first realization I kinda went all in. And since I started wearing frills, I never stopped wearing frills so far. 

Lash: Not my question, but in general, experimenting with what you can do with fashion is really fun. 

Engel: It is! It’s a big hobby for me. I got into making bracelets and little decorations when I was at the top of wanting to get new outfits and stuff going on, my house is full of beads. People tell me it’s bordering on a problem but those people are without joy. 

Peppermint: Those people don’t want to keep finding rhinestones and beads on the floor and under the couch six months after those last came out.

Q: Speaking of jewelry, that candy necklace. Are those beads, or is it real?

Engel: Nope, these are super real. I have a bunch of these at home. Candy is kinda half my brand, so I just started implementing it in my outfits at some point. I really like sour candy, actually, some people don’t. 

Peppermint: When we were roomies, I’d be on my way home from the city and he’d send me texts going “hey can you get me bracelets” like every day. I just started going to the candy store and getting him like, full bags. He goes THROUGH them. 

Engel: I actually fiddle with it if I get nervous and the sweetness helps a lot. So if you’ve got issues with stuff like crowds or noise or like, elevators, totally get one of these to see if that helps as a distraction. 

Q: We got a bit sidetracked, so back to the album. Or, albums, plural. This album cover actually has a lot of similarities to the first one; was this an intentional design aspect?

Engel: Well, yeah, in the end. We figured we might as well since we settled on doing a group photo again. Especially the baseball bat is kind of a dead giveaway… I thought it would be a fun throwback since I still had that lying around.

Boy: This guy hoards stuff like he’s Octarian. And the fact that the stuff usually ends up being useful is nuts. 

Engel: I’ve got emotional attachment to this thing, man. 

Peppermint: The pink splatters were Engel’s idea in the first album, but it was actually Boy’s idea bringing them back for this one. We were kinda stuck thinking about what to add to make it a bit more visually interesting.

Engel: Oh yeah, that ended up coming pretty naturally and it was like, duh OBVIOUSLY we’re gonna do that. Same joke twice and all that! Ink is always a really good addition in dark settings because of the glow and I think it turned out really good there.

Boy: I actually suggested it to back up the claims online that Engel’s ink is sweet. They’re right. 

Engel: This is probably the fastest anyone’s ever made a conversation go super weird.

Q: Let’s quickly talk about some of the songs on the new album. Any favorites?

Engel: Ooh. We put a lot of work this time in making the songs seriously stand out from each other, and also from the first album’s stuff, so some of them are pretty divisive…

Boy: A lot of them have some pretty rough and scrappy guitar going on thanks to Lash. There’s some guitar solos that really stand out to me. Try to Drown Me, Suckers has to be one of my favorites because it just goes hard. There’s some real spirit in that one. 

Engel: Haha, I really like that one. But - yeah I’m aware this is entirely my own fault - it is ROUGH to sing. It might have to be skipped from some live shows because uhhh… gonna be real I don’t think I can do that and like ten other songs. 

Lash: I like it. But my favorite is probably Famous Fuckup. I love how quick you guys gave up on being radio safe.

Peppermint: I TRIED. 

Engel: It’s a pretty personal song… well, as opposed to every other song that are ALSO pretty personal songs. Yadda yadda. I just wanted to keep it, like, uncensored. 

Lash: I think it’s funny that Peppy managed to keep “Don’t Like The Song? Kill Yourself” from being used, but not censor the word “fuck”. 

Peppermint: I had to prioritize the one that could get us sued…

Engel: Anyway, I really like Might As Well Be Caught, actually. It’s very tongue-in-cheek kind of stuff. The lyrics are kinda out there and it’s unusual for us, but it’s- well, it’s real! It’s a love letter to the paparazzi and a culmination of my endless annoyance with being on the freaking news every time I step out of my apartment to do ANYTHING. 

Lash: I like any song that’s obviously antagonistic.

Peppermint: I like all the songs a pretty good amount… honestly I’m usually more focused on getting my parts right than like, the song happening. 

Engel: She’s too humble to say she’s biased and likes her own song the best. It’s okay, Peppy. The song slaps. 

Peppermint: THAT’S NOT… Well YEAH, there is one song that I had mostly free reign over. It was pretty fun… 

Engel: No More Misery. She’s the one singing it, too - she made one of the songs for the first album, but even on that album I was the one who ended up singing it. So this is kind of a big deal.

Peppermint: I don’t think we need to bring up Hooked To Hurt in this… ah, shit.

Boy: I vibe with No More Misery being put right before Famous Fuckup. Good job, guys, that positive energy lasted for four minutes and now we’re back to self-loathing.

Q: The first album had ten songs, plus one that was a later release. This one has TWELVE songs right from the get-go!

Engel: It sure does. Honestly, if the guys let me keep going there could’ve been twenty, still counting. I had SOOOO many ideas, all those years we weren’t able to do shit, I was still writing. 

Boy: We started the actual album production somewhere in late Fresh Season, and most of the songs were recorded mid Sizzle Season. So like we were hauling ass grilling in the studio heat and trying to narrow down Engel’s ideas into something that actually works as a song.

Lash: I think all of them work as songs if you’re not a coward. 

Engel: Some of my raw lyrics are basically journal entries or venting on paper so once we started refining them, it would sometimes take, like, a LONG time to get something coherent. For example I’m pretty sure we gave up on False Eyes like five times until-

Peppermint: Oh of course, False Eyes. This guy started spam texting the group chat at 3:30AM on a weekday going “I KNOW HOW TO DO THE CHORUS!!!!!1”

Engel: If my therapist is reading this……. I know we talked about the ‘bedtime issue’. I would like to formally apologize, I promise I’m trying, but. You see…. 

Boy: He is enthralled by the magic of creation. 

Engel: Pretty much. Uh, long story short, summarize, we just collectively had a lot of ideas,

Peppermint: Mostly you, dude.

Engel: I just had a lot of ideas. I don’t want to promise too much here but, well, the next album is probably NOT going to take six years from now. 

Lash: I can leave if you guys need a break. 

Peppermint: Please don’t.

Q: Before we get into reader questions… I’d like to hear your final thoughts on the album release. And additionally, any gossip about live shows?

Engel: Ahhh… I’d like for everyone to give the album even a quick listen-through. I think old fans are gonna like what we have here, and for new fans or people who haven’t listened yet… if you like Inkin Park, you’ll like us at least a little. It’s super duper exciting to finally be able to put out new music and I’ve been all spiky for a week just thinking about finally getting to show it to people!

Boy: Listen on SeaTube. Use adblock. We don’t really care.  We care about people getting to hear the songs first and foremost, we don’t get paid shit anyway.

Lash: I would like some money. 

Engel: This has been such a long-overdue passion project I might just go home and cry to be real with you guys. As for the live shows, uh, it’s still kinda on the table…? Some of us have like, jobs, so we don’t have all the time and energy in the world to do stuff like that.

Peppermint: Chill Season’s also coming up, and we mostly just do outdoor shows, so it doesn’t super add up. For the time being I think we can promise there will be some gig action next year, though… 

Boy: We’re going to sit for a while and see if people vibe with the music, see who reaches out. I’m hitting the festivals next summer as I always do, I’m just saying, it would be nice to do so as a performer.

Engel: Aside from just music-related stuff, expect to see more stuff like this in the near future from us! And follow my InkTok if you like slugs. Mine’s named Meat, it’s a fairy butterfly slug!

Peppermint: For those wondering, its name is Meat because he couldn’t stop being bothered by the cerata being flesh while naming it. 

Engel: What she said!

Q: That concludes our part of the interview. However, we have some audience questions left, if you’re inclined to answer?

Engel: Well obviously they’re the scariest part, but I can’t help but be nosy.

Boy: I’m just going assume they’ll be uncensored and go in with that expectation. 

Q: Audience question incoming, number one… Engel, is your Skitter account and your activities on there representative of what goes behind your lyrics?

Engel: Ummm… well. Yeah. Yes and no. 

Boy: Can I answer? Yes it is. 

Engel: The stuff I do on Skitter kinda ranges between sharing stuff I think is funny, or trying to be funny, or having a mental breakdown live on the net. So, idk. In terms of the latter, first of all I’m SORRY, I’m working on it. But also that’s… yeah.

Lash: Some of the posts you guys see on there are just the front for the most unhinged shit he’s ever written that would score him in the psych ward if the right person saw it.

Peppermint: Maybe not something you want to say in an interview…

Engel: Basically yeah. I mean, I’m a funny guy on Skitter but trust me when you see the kind of pathetic “i forgot to eat dinner for 4 days” funny relatable posts on here, it’s - like it happens. To the best of us. Mostly me though.

Peppermint: No actually, he’s very honest there. I’ve told him many times to maybe dial it back online, not everyone needs to know that- 

Engel: I would like to add that people following me there should be careful and avoid being influenced by the stuff I sometimes post… Most of it is meant to be satire!! Please don’t actually jump off of Hammerhead Bridge. 

Boy: It’s been like two years since he posted that and he’s still having to clarify that it was a joke. 

Q: Moving onto the next question; Why couldn’t you get the old guitarist back? His playing was so much better.

Boy: Huh, that’s brutal.

Lash: Whoever sent that, meet me at the Reef tonight at 10pm sharp. Pick your best weapon.

Engel: Okay, well, that’s kind of mean… I don’t think it was better personally, they just have different types of playing. It comes down to personal preference I guess, I would say hey, maybe stop expecting the same kind of art from two different squids! You can appreciate something different in both playstyles and maybe you’ll find out the new one isn’t bad, just different, no?

Peppermint: We would not take Dodo back into the band even if he came in crawling on all fours and begged to be let back in. If he’s smart, he’ll stay in whatever hole he's dug himself.

Engel: Okay and uhhhh yeah we can’t get the old guitarist back. Not going to get into it, but - yeah he’s gone.

Boy: Hey Lash, are you actually going to go?

Q: Next question! It’s a bit unclear whether this is more broad, or if it’s focused… What the Fuck do these lyrics mean.

Engel: I feel like this has been answered a few times in the interview already, but I’m a huge fan of the raw emotion here, so.

Boy: Engel makes most of the lyrics for basically every song ever, the rest of us pitch in to turn it into an actual song. But he’s the mastermind for sure. Any complaints should be addressed to him.

Engel: I started writing lyrics back when I first got on the surface and got really into writing poems and just generally writing, well, stuff. It started as a kind of way to just get my thoughts out there and out of my head where they were mostly Bad. It’s always helped me to write that into songs, so especially in older songs, the lyrics are mostly just me processing my feelings, fears, things going on in my life. For the most part they’re very personal to me. 

Boy: We talked about it a little before but a lot of the lyrics in this album specifically are a bit different, in terms of how much “post-production” went into them, and then there’s some like Might As Well Be Caught that are just kind of unusual. 

Engel: When you hear the “this is the corner where I go to cry”, imagine I’m actually showing you my house. That being said though the new songs aren’t all random scribble, the guys just took my usual whining and we worked on making it less whiny and more like, subtext? If that makes sense.

Peppermint: There’s also songs on this album that were collabs, like Existence is a Cruel Mistress. Or in the case of No More Misery, that one was mostly written by me. So… I mean I guess for a broad answer, we just put our hearts into it and see what happens. 

Engel: Peppy’s always the one writing the sappy songs, we love her and her will to live. 

Peppermint: It’s not sappy! I was just being honest!

Boy: Never change, cap’n.

Q: A question about the new album. Same Joke Twice! What inspired you to make it?

Engel: The album or the album’s name? We already talked about the name before. 

Boy: The album itself was just long overdue. We couldn’t work as a band for like five years, so as soon as we got a band back together we kinda went off and just got it done.

Engel: I’ve got enough ink for like two more back-to-back albums to be honest but I gotta give the others a little while to breathe.

Boy: But yeah, as for the album’s name, no the joke isn’t that we made another album. It’s just an inside joke, because Peppy hates fun.

Peppermint: I literally hate you guys. 

Lash: I still think it’s a skill issue. 

Q: There’s a question about the making of the pink “blood” on the cover of the album. Does it symbolize something?

Engel: I mean, blood I guess. It’s also just a throwback to the first album’s cover where it also symbolized something like blood, violence, chaos et cetera.

Lash: He is so edgy. 

Engel: Using actual fake blood was an idea we had, but blood color is kinda subjective based on your species, so it might not always register. We just went for a color that stands out and isn’t a common blood color so it… I guess, equally registers as blood for no one, and everyone at the same time. I don’t know if I’m making any sense right now!

Boy: He’s saying it’s there for the edge factor, nothing more and nothing less really.

Q: Presumably about the album cover. Engel, were you always that big?

Engel: Hahaha noooooo. Have you heard of deep-sea gigantism?

Peppermint: It’s photoshop. 

Boy: Did they specify it was about the album cover?

Engel: They should be asking if Peppy was always that small. The answer is no, they made Boy and Lash stand on chairs to make her look shorter.

Peppermint: Why’d you drag me into it????!

Lash: They got Engel’s photo separately and upscaled him into the backdrop. There’s no magic growth spurt or deep-sea gigantism going on here. 

Engel: Yeah uh no. Also this is a common misconception, a lot of deep-sea folk are actually not giant. There’s similarly sized shallow-water species too, but the Deepsea tends to get a lot of talk about… okay well, besides the point. 

Q: That concludes our extra questions and our interview. Thanks to Deep Sea Dead Zone for showing up - the new album, Same Joke Twice, is out now. Any parting words with our readers?

Engel: Thanks for having us and thanks for listening! New album now. Never ask me for anything ever again.

Boy: He’s kidding. But I’d just like to say a humble thank you for the people listening to our stuff - and an extra thank you to people already requesting our songs on the radio. We love what we do, so it’s a bonus if you guys love it too.

Engel: Yeah just in case I wasn’t clear, that was a joke. The new album wasn’t a joke tho. Thanks for sticking around through the years, I love all you guys to death. 

Peppermint: Lash made this album possible, I just wanna put that out there. I better see hype for her and hype ONLY in the future and in the comments!

Lash: Don’t be shy with the hate comments, either. Most of my previous haters can’t make it to the 1v1s anymore so I could use some more.

Engel: You can listen to the album RIGHT NOW on SeaTube and a bunch of other places, I’m super excited to hear what people think about it, pleasepleaseplease leave your thoughts in the comments. Stay sweet everyone!!

[razorblade180]

Front Cover

Weiss:Nick, an agent called. They wanted to know if you were interested in something.

Nick:Is it a sponsorship or something? Not the biggest fan of those.

Summer:I’ll take it if he doesn’t want it.

Weiss:Actually, they want you to model for the cover of Atlas Gazette.

Nick:…..

Summer:What!? A modeling gig!?

Weiss:I looked into it. They want you for the face of the fall collection as well as some combat school gear. I think you can figure out which will be on the cover.

Nick:They really want me for that?

Summer:Do they need a female model for anything? Like…at all?

Weiss:Didn’t say.

Nick:I’ll do it!

Summer:What? You hate these kinds of things!

Nick:Normally I do. But…this feels good. They think I’m handsome enough for the cover and fit enough for the combat gear.

Summer:Since when do you care about physical appearance validation!?

Nick:Always. I just don’t show it like you always do.

Summer:Ah! That’s not- whatever.

Weiss:Hey, you should be happy for your brother. He supports you and all the offers you get. Also, you have been on a magazine cover.

Summer:For my music or a tournament. Nobody has asked for me specifically because I am pretty.

Nick:Are you upset you’ve only been recognized for your talents and abilities?

Summer:Listen! Sometimes you just want to be pretty! Mom gets it.

Weiss:Eh. Never liked this stuff particularly. My favorite covers were with my team, the one magazine that had your uncle and aunt with me, and some of the paparazzi covers involving the beginning of my relationship with your father. Also all the ones where I’m holding one of you. Did you know I put mom jeans into fashion?!

Nick and Summer:You tell us every chance you get…

Weiss:Hey! Let me be happy that the world found me gorgeous after that pregnancy felt like hell. Outside of those instances, I only cared about appearance validation from the people I love.

Jaune:*walks in* Hello beautiful.

Weiss:See? *kisses cheek*

Summer:Fine, I’ll let this one go. I am happy for you. My ego is just bruised.

Nick:If it makes you feel better, I got no experience. The photos won’t look that good.

xxxxxx

Before the world knew it, a young man was on the cover of a popular magazine. His dark blue jeans on his lower body has he sat on a podium, his right leg bent and perched on it to show off white designer sneakers. A casual black shirt was worn under an open white flight jacket with a long black stripe that ran down the arms that matched the metallic black zipper.

Circle shades hung low off his face to show his pretty blue eyes but the real accessory was his joyful open smile as the photographer caught him mid laugh.

Veronica has been staring at this cover page for a solid eight minutes.

Yang:Sweetie if you don’t blink soon I’m concerned you might want to eat the paper.

Blake:Let her have a moment.

Yang:She can call him!

xxxxx

Nick:*holding copy* Not gonna lie, that photograph cooked! *smiled* I look handsome.

Weiss:You’re always handsome. *hugs him*

Summer:Darn the Arc smile. This might sell out.

Jaune:You have that smile too.

Summer:Yeah but the boyish charm is what sells it! I must admit defeat!

Nick:….Congrats on releasing a new album.

Summer: ✨Thank you✨

Nick:…..

[thestobingirlie]

There's this weird trend I've noticed of steddie getting the Murray treatment and the whole thing becoming about Steve defending Eddie because he's been inadvertently outed by Murray's insinuations... and absolutely no acknowledgment that Steve is also being outed in this scenario. I don't know if this is just more of your standard biphobia from this fandom (real popular that) or if it's just more of fandom being annoyingly over indulgent about Eddie being queer Jesus or whatever but I just ran into the third fic I've seen with literally the exact same premise and idk lame way to start pride month! As the only steddie fan I know that's not weird about Eddie I had to tell someone.

so many people just don’t seem to know how to write steve’s queerness, and it’s very tiring lmao. i think it could come from biphobia, but also just from people not taking steve and his feelings seriously. it’s a common trend in fics for people to tell steve he has feelings for eddie and he’s bisexual, and i do not like it, but i think this trope is just an extension of that. steve is too dumb to know anything about himself, but eddie is a good gay guy, so obviously he’s been violated.

also, this is a little nitpicky, but did the concept of ‘outing’ even exist in the 80s? like, would steve even say to eddie “sorry you got outed :(“. because i’ve seen fics use that exact wording, and that just… doesn’t sound right.

okay, just looked it up, and the usage for the word ‘outed’ (as in exposing secrets, not necessarily sexuality) was at an all time low in the 80s!! we learn something new everyday.

anyway! yeah i hate the trope of being murray’d. i don’t like when he encourages teenagers to have sex and we’re just supposed to laugh. s4 was the best murray season because he didn’t do that shit lol

[gunilslaugh]

A Non-Confessional Valentine's Day

Goo Gunil

Summary: Gunil was a new transfer to your school and your new lab partner. He planned on clichely confessing to you on Valentine’s Day, but then he discovers that you hate the holiday.

WC:~2k

Warning:none

photo not mine credits to owner.

“Class since tomorrow is Valentine's Day I thought that it would be fun for us to do a chocolate lab, so be ready for that tomorrow,” your teacher announced around the end of class. You let out a groan, head falling onto your desk at the mention of your most hated holiday. 

“Not a fan of Valentine’s Day?” Gunil, your newly appointed lab partner, asked. You pick your head up from the desk and turn to look at Gunil. 

“No, it’s the worst day of the year,” you stated. 

“Why?” Gunil questioned. His heart was beginning to weigh heavy. It had only been two weeks since he transferred to your school, but ever since the first day when you welcomed him with a kind smile he could tell he was interested in you. His interest only grew more each passing class period spent with you. Since Valentine’s Day was conveniently approaching, Gunil thought that it would be cute if he confessed to you on the love-filled holiday. However your clear dislikement for the holiday had thrown a wrench in his plans. 

“Have you heard of Jungsu, Jiseok and Jooyeon?” you inquired. 

“Triple J? Those popular guys?” Gunil checked. 

“Yeah them. Jooyeon is my brother. I guess Jungsu and Jiseok kinda are my brothers too. Just not biologically,” you let out a light chuckle. Surprise makes its way onto Gunil’s face. He never would have guessed that you were related to Jooyeon. He didn’t really pay attention to Triple J either though.

“And this somehow correlates to you hating Valentine’s Day?” Gunil inferred. 

“Right, I should get to the point. The people who are too shy, scared or whatever other reason why they decided that they can’t confess to any of the three in person, they go through me. I’m like a proxy for confessing to Jungsu, Jiseok and Jooyeon. It’s gotten quite annoying to be the messenger over all these years. Anyway Valentine’s Day is the worst day for me being a proxy and therefore the most annoying,” you fully explained. Gunil gave an understanding nod. He would also get annoyed over constantly being some kind of confession proxy. The weight on his chest feels lighter. He’s not quite sure if confessing to you on the holiday is the best plan though. He might need to revise his plan. 

“Well if you need a stand in messenger let me know,” Gunil offered. A smile pulled at your lips. 

“Thank you, but I won’t do that to you,” you tell him. The bell rang signaling the end of class. 

Your most dreaded day of the year has arrived. Sitting up in bed you seriously contemplate going back to bed. You can’t be used as a proxy if you’re not there. Then you remember the lab you are doing today. You’re too nice to leave Gunil alone. Just like you’re too nice to tell people to confess to Jooyeon and his friends themselves instead of going through you. Getting ready you tried to mentally prepare yourself for the day you are about to have.

First period hasn’t even started yet and you already have two bags of Valentine’s Day gifts on either arm. 

“Delivery number one,” you raised your arms and spoke with foe cheerfulness as you approached where Jooyeon, Jiseok and Jungsu hangout before class. Jungsu helped take the bags from your arms.

“Thank you,” he tells you. He is well aware that you don’t like today. You nodded and tried to pull your lips into a smile but it ended up looking like an awkward line. You tried to stay somewhat hidden until the bell for first period rang.

Moments after you sit down at your desk, not even having time to pull anything out you’re already being approached by two girls.

“Y/n,” one of them calls you. 

“Yes?” you asked, but you already know what they’re going to say. 

“Can you give this to your brother?” one said.

“And this to Jiseok?” the other added. They held up their gifts. 

“Sure, just leave them there.” You pointed to the corner of your desk. The two girls thanked you then headed to their seats. Leaning back in your chair you waited for the teacher to start class. You felt a gentle tap on your shoulder. You turned around to face the student who sat behind you. 

“Can you pass this on to Jungsu please?” they asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, give it here.” You stuck out your hand. They set the straps of the small bag over your fingers. You heard them mutter out a thanks as you placed the beg beside the other gifts. 

By fourth period your arms are loaded with Valentine’s Day gifts. You let them half haphazardly fall on your desk, letting out a sigh. 

“Hey y/n,” someone greeted  you. You tensed slightly, you hated hearing your name on Valentine’s day. “Woah you weren’t kidding.” You relaxed realizing that the voice belonged to Gunil. 

“Hi, Gunil. I wish I was kidding,” you stated. You now noticed that some of the bags had fallen onto Gunil’s side of the desk. “Sorry, I’ll move these to the floor in a second,” you apologized, beginning to grab the bags. 

“It’s alright. We share the desk anyway,” he dismissed. He then lends you a helping hand in moving the gifts to the floor. Class started not too long after and the chocolate lab was actually fun. 

“Here, happy Valentine’s Day,” Gunil slid his tiny box of freshly made chocolates towards you. You couldn’t fight a smile from making its way onto your face. 

“Why? Don’t you want them?” you questioned. 

“I don’t eat sweets often. I gotta keep a watch on my physique.” He flexed one arm, making you laugh. 

“I don’t think a couple pieces are going to hurt you,” you teased him. “Thank you though, I’m keeping this,” you slid the box closer to you. Gunil was quick to note the way you happily stared at the box. It made him start to wonder. 

“What kind of sweets do you like? I probably have some somewhere in these bags,” you asked. “Are you saying you steal from your brothers’ Valentine’s Day candy?” Gunil laughed. 

“It’s not like  they will notice that it is gone.” you shrugged. “Plus it’s the only way I get Valentine’s Day candy,” you added. 

“I just gave you some,” Gunil played. Once again you smiled. 

“That’s true. They have plenty to spare though,” you noted. 

The bell rang signaling the end of class. “Finally I get to get rid of these,” you said. It was lunch time now, you were able to deliver  the gifts you received to their intended receivers. 

“Do you want some help?” Gunil kindly offered. You didn’t want to bother Gunil, but as you started at the amount of bags littering the floor you caved. 

“Yes, please,” you told him. Gunil took no time in loading up his arms with the gifts. You walked with Gunil over to where your brother Jooyeon, Jungsu and Jiseok sat for their lunch. 

“Delivery number two,” you announced, setting the bags down. Gunil copied your actions in setting the bags down.

“Oh you have a helper this year,” Jiseok remarked. 

“This is Gunil,” you introduced him.

“Your new lab partner?” Jooyeon asked. You nodded in confirmation, taking a seat. 

“Aren’t you gonna go sit with your friend?” Jungsu asked. You shook your head. 

“I need a break. I don’t want to be handed anymore gifts,” you say and motioned for Gunil to sit down beside you, to which he happily did. 

“You have to be the only person who doesn’t want to get gifts,” Jooyeon teased you. 

“It’s different when they’re not for you,” you stated. Your words made Gunil think. What if it wasn’t Valentine’s Day itself that you hated, but the fact that you receive tons of gifts that aren’t actually yours. He’s sure that being the messenger is annoying. However it’s probably even more annoying that that’s all you are. You’re never the receiver. He thinks back to the smile on your face when he gave you the chocolates that you made in class. Maybe his original Valentine’s Day confession wasn’t a bad idea after all. 

“Yo I think I’m winning this year!” Jiseok exclaimed. 

“Winning what?” Gunil asked, confused. 

“They do this thing where they see who gets the most gifts every year,” you explained. 

“Jiseok does,” both Jooyeon and Jungsu correct you

“Don’t act like you weren’t happy when you won last year Jungsu.” Jiseok pointed his finger at Jungsu. Who raised his hands in defense. 

“Y/n loses every year,” Jooyeon stated. 

“Why are you including me in this? I’m clearly not going to win,” you were obviously annoyed. 

“You didn’t used to be included, but after Jiseok lost two years in a row he started to include you so he couldn’t come in last again,” Jungsu exposed. You scoffed. 

“Thanks Jiseok,” you said sarcastically. 

“You’re up one from last year,” Jiseok noted. He pointed at the box of chocolates, the one Gunil previously gave you, sitting in front of you. 

“This is from Gunil. We had a chocolate lab today, but he doesn’t eat sweets often, so he gave it to me,” you explained. 

“Hey I said happy Valentine’s Day when I gave it to you, so it counts,” Gunil defended. 

“You’re giving Valentine’s Day treats to my sibling?” Jooyeon played. Gunil hitches for a moment. 

“Yeah I am,” he recovered confidently. Jooyeon shoots you a not so subtle glance. 

“On second thought I think I will have lunch with Gunil.” Jiseok begins to open his mouth to say a snarky comment. “Just the two of us I mean,” you interjected, pulling Gunil up by his arm. You dragged Gunil somewhere away from your brother and a place where not many other people were around. 

“Sorry,” you apologized for randomly dragging him away. 

“It’s ok,” he tells you. If only you knew the way your action made his heart beat. Gunil thinks that he would let you drag him anywhere. “What if someone confessed you on Valentine’s Day?” Gunil questioned. You’re a bit taken back by his question. 

“I’ve never thought about that before. For me Valentine’s day always revolved around Jungsu, Jiseok and Jooyeon,” you answered. Gunil decided to take a chance he reached into his bag to pull out the gift he had gotten you. 

“I was asking because I originally had this plan to confess to you today, thinking that it would be cute. Then you talked about Valentine’s Day being the worst day for you and it made me think again about confessing. However after seeing how you smiled when I gave you the chocolate we made in class. I think you hate Valentine’s Day because you never receive any gifts yourself, so let me change that.” Gunil sticks out his arms, handing you the gift. “ I like you y/n,” he confessed. You are stunned by his confession and how he had you figured out. No one else ever seemed to care about how it must feel to be you. To get all these gifts every year, but none of them were meant for you. That the only gifts you got were the ones you took from your brother and his friends. 

You seemed to be taking too long with your answer because Gunil started to back track. 

“Unless you really do hate Valentine’s Day then you can forget about me confessing.” He dropped his arms. “I mean I still like you, but I can confess another day. We can pretend I didn’t confess today,” Gunil says. You take a few steps closer to Gunil taking the gift from his hands. Gunil looks at you hopefully. 

“Thank you Gunil. I like you too,” you confessed back. You too took interest in him the first day that he transferred into your class. Feeling more than happy to take the new cute guy as your lab partner. Gunil and you shared a hug, pulling away you stared at the gift he had given you. 

Maybe Valentine’s Day wasn’t the worst day of the year. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Up my count to two this year,” you told Jiseok once you arrived home. Holding both of the gifts Gunil had given you today. 

“Someone else gave you something?” Jiseok asked in surprise. 

“No,” you laughed. “They're both from Gunil, but I need all the points I can get.” you said

“Ok, two points for y/n,” Jooyeon fakely noted down.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Various Artists – Barbie: The Album

Mentioning the phrase “pop music” seems to illicit a lot of reactions, usually within the realms of “I love it” and “I hate it.” Most people either seem to love pop music, or at the very least, certain artists within it, or they loathe it. I wanted to preface this review with my own rather complicated history with pop, because pop music is a genre that I have a rather strange “relationship” with. I got into music during the early to mid-00s, when pop music was in an interesting place, thanks to house / dubstep music being huge, and a lot of well-established artists now were just getting started, such as Lady Gaga, Kesha, The Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and many more, but pop music was starting to become boring and bland. I was also much more into emo, pop-punk, and metalcore, although I would come to realize years later, a lot of the pop-punk that I listened to was merely pop-rock with an emo lens through it. Thirteen-year-old me thought I was the bee’s knees for listening to that edgier and darker kind of music (I did like some “classic rock” at the time, too), and I thought that was “real music,” as every preteen and teenager tends to think during adolescence. I just didn’t find anything to like when it came to “mainstream” music, but that all changed in the winter of 2012.

I remember it like yesterday, because it was one of those things you won’t forget. I was in FYE, and I had just discovered the magic of that store, but I was looking around for whatever I could find. I was always looking for anything at all, and I could spend hours in music stores, but I ended up finding a copy of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Say what you will about Jackson as a person, as well as his legacy, but Thriller is one of the best albums ever made. Without going detail into it, it’s a record that I knew about without even knowing anything about pop music. It’s one of those albums that I knew I needed to hear, so I picked it up for a good price (they always had stuff on sale, too, and that really helped my decision picking it up), and I ended up falling head over heels for it. What was interesting, however, is that, despite being released in the 1980s, it changed my perception of what pop music is, let alone what it can be. Ever since then, I became a fan of pop music, and for years after, I enjoyed plenty of pop records, such as albums from Justin Timberlake, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Harry Styles’ solo material, just to name a few artists, but listening to that record opened up a whole new world for me.

Pop music, at its core, is escapism. Whether it’s from their own lives, or wanting to live through their favorite pop singers, they want to escape. The same can be said for all kinds of music, but pop music has always been “popular” for a reason. When people think of pop music, they think of catchy, accessible, and “safe” music that doesn’t push boundaries or offend anyone. When I listened to Thriller, that misconception was completely shattered. That was when I took pop music seriously, and every now and again, you can find a great pop record, but a lot of pop music is still relatively safe, tame, and bland. Not that it’s bad, but it doesn’t push any boundaries, although that’s not the point, since it’s to sell records and make money.

I’ve found myself not as interested in pop music over the years, thanks to own tastes shifting, and pop music as a whole changing. It just hasn’t appealed to me, minus a few artists, but every once in awhile, I’ll find something I like and that “something” right now is the Barbie movie soundtrack. This film, released just a few weeks ago, is the latest topic in the pop culture zeitgeist, alongside Oppenheimer, and alongside the film, a soundtrack was released that caught my curiosity by featuring some of the most popular names in pop, such as Lizzo, Khalid, the Kid Laroi, Dua Lipa, Karol G, and Billie Eilish, although one of the big songs from this record is the remix / interpolation of “Barbie Girl” by Aqua that features Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. That’s a very stacked list of artists, let alone the whole record being produced by Mark Ronson of “Uptown Funk” fame.

Despite not listening to a lot of pop music anymore, I was curious to see how this soundtrack would pan out, especially not having seen the film yet. You can talk about this album in two ways, the first being how it holds up on its own as a soundtrack, and the second as a soundtrack after seeing the film, but because I haven’t seen the movie yet, I thought I’d first talk about it on its own, and then talk about it again once I see the movie, or write a small companion piece to along with this. Soundtracks typically are companion pieces to the movie or show they accompany, and there is often an expectation that they need to be as good, if not better, than the work they’re apart of. I won’t comment on the film, as I haven’t seen it yet, but I will say that the soundtrack works quite well on its own. The soundtrack doesn’t say anything or do anything that pushes any kind of boundary, and it does what you’d expect a Barbie soundtrack to do, which is give you an album’s worth of catchy, fun, and summery jams, and that’s okay! I’ve talked about many times how not everything needs to be deep, and this is a perfect example of that.

The Barbie soundtrack is fun, lighthearted, catchy, and enjoyable from beginning to end. A lot of the songs are quite good, if not great, and it feels like a cohesive soundtrack, instead feeling like a random soundtrack, instead feeling like a random assortment of artists. I’m curious as to how these songs work in the film, but a lot of solid tracks are here, such as “Pink” by Lizzo, “Speed Drive” by Charlie XCX, “Silver Platter” by Khalid, or the “Barbie Girl” remix I mentioned earlier. It won’t blow your mind, or ultimately change the way you think about pop music, but it’s a fun ride through the world of Barbie. There are a few standouts, such as Billie Eilish’s “What Were We Made For,” which I guarantee is going to do some numbers in the coming weeks, but there are also a few songs that don’t add anything or do anything, such as the Tame Impala song “Journey To The Real World,” which seems to have a better purpose in the movie, but it’s only a minute long, so it doesn’t really do anything or go anywhere. Haim has a song, too, entitled “Home,” and it’s a good song, but it’s nothing really that special. I enjoy listening to it, but I wouldn’t pretend it’s one of my favorites. If anything at all, listen to the soundtrack and pick out your favorites, but I don’t think anything on here is worth outright skipping, although Gayle (who’s famous for “abcdefu” from a couple of years ago) does have a weird song that interpolates “Butterfly” by Crazy Town. It’s kind of fun, but also very weird and makes no sense, especially for the Barbie movie, so I don’t know how that song fits into the overall narrative, but it’s a decent song, nonetheless.

I’m interested to see how the songs from the soundtrack fit into the film, so when I go back and listen to the soundtrack after seeing it, I can picture the songs in my head. I’m very excited to see how “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the movie, fits into the film, because that’s one of the funniest songs here. Nonetheless, this is a soundtrack that works for what it is – a catchy and fun good time. You don’t need anything more sometimes, since not everything needs to be deep, challenging, or have an underlying message to it. Sometimes a song or album can be fun, and you can enjoy it merely on a surface level. Sometimes enjoying things at face value is all you need. Pop music is at an interesting place right now because there’s nothing happening within the genre. I mean, the top three songs in the country as of this moment are country songs, so there’s no trend or overall idea that’s getting traction, unless you look at the trends of artists interpolating songs (the “Barbie Girl” remix is a perfect example of that), or the influence of nostalgia, but pop music is at a crossroads right now, so it’ll be interesting to see how this soundtrack charts and the impact that is has, especially since the film itself is doing very well at the moment. If you’re a fan of pop music, it’s worth hearing, because it has some catchy and fun summer jams on it, even if it won’t necessarily change your life.

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

Oh my god the Mandalorian s3 decisions being a push to make Bo Katan more marketable for women makes so much sense.

I’ve been watching the flames of season 3 for afar wondering what possibly possessed them to sideline the wildly popular duo of Din and Grogu in favor of this Bo Katan stuff, aside from the obvious future content advertisement… it’s because it’s popular with women…

Like it’s a known pattern that corporations hate when something they’ve created aimed at men is disproportionately popular with women because they strive to keep a very distinct line between Boy things and Girl things. Anything Star Wars is for men, except the acceptable Girl Things like Leia and Padme and Asoka. But then the Mandalorian became wildly popular with women and they can’t just cancel a cash cow like the Mandalorian without milking everything they can from it so they’re like “well let’s bring in Bo Katan she’s for the Women now start making the toys”

I am so late to this but that meant time to simmer and seethe over Disney's decisions before and lately, and things I've read over the years about how corporations market to their target audiences, and how little things have changed.

I saw rumors and theories that KKKennedy (y'all sorry I keep calling her that but iykyk) meddled a LOT with The Mandalorian and Jon even threatened to quit, but at the end of the day the Mouse House has the final say and we're stuck with their decisions. I really don't know how the final numbers will look, how it'll affect their merch sales, and what it means for the future seasons of The Mandalorian. Maybe the hard pivot to redeem Bo-Katan for the bajillionth time will be the new cash cow or the canary in the coal mine (for The Mandalorian; I'm sure Ahsoka will be a hit no matter what). Maybe they gambled right or they've lost too many viewers who wanted Din and Grogu to be the heart and soul and center of this particular show. It's called The Mandalorian after all. If they want to claim that it could be any Mandalorian who's The Mandalorian of these season, then maybe Season 2 should've followed a different Mandalorian and established this before scamming us with Season 3. They were already trying that with TBOBF before having Din and Grogu steal the show.

But now that I've seen those rumors and theories, I could not fucking stop thinking about what happened when the ST was rolling out and when Rogue 1 and Solo came out. I could not stop thinking about the casting choices for Rey, Jyn, and Qi'ra, could not stop thinking about how white and brunette they were. I could not stop thinking about KKKennedy and others talking about how they wanted to bring more female fans to Star Wars, acting like Star Wars was exclusively a male space, which, what a fucking insult. I could not forget pictures of her wearing "The Force is Female" shirts and pushing this message so fucking hard that it would keep showing up in critical reviews of TLJ/TROS/ST as proof that Disney didn't know what it was doing.

Rey, Jyn, and Qi'ra were lucky to not have the kind of long history that Bo-Katan already had in the gffa by the time she made her live-action debut. It didn't take much to google her involvement in TCW and Rebels, and see what she'd done. I've seen commenters say she redeemed herself in Rebels by rallying the Mandalorians but are you sure about that? Are we still having trouble with writing redemption arcs after the fucking horrible one Disney put Kylo Ren through to the detriment of every other character not named Rey?

I wouldn't have minded Bo-Katan having greater involvement in Season 3 if she didn't basically take charge of not just the COTW but also the entire show. Watch out for the new merch of her with the Darksaber now. Probably the most we'll get out of Din is whatever happens to him in the season finale because Disney gotta make more money, amirite? Grogu got a new accessory so that Disney can sell new versions of him, so why not Din?

I truly envy the poeple who are having a good time or don't need to have these thoughts constantly in their heads while watching. I didn't have a good time and I can never turn those thoughts off. I don't have the luxury so I'm never shutting up about this.

ftr I unfollowed Okiro after the billionth time he called Din, Grogu, and Bo-Katan "Clan of Three". what the fuck had she done to earn equal footing?

[deepestuniversallove]

Just a long vent about a specific niche fandom. Don't read if you don't want to hear me rant.

I just need to vent here for a little bit, and I am sorry if this i all incoherent.

I hate what fandom has become. What tumblr has become. What I have become.

I never used to be this way and never used to feel anger before, or jealousy or those 'ugly' feelings, as I was never allowed to. Being raised by a narcissist, you become a people pleaser and you learn quickly that you are never to show any negative emotions. Anger isn't permitted, disgust and unhappiness isn't permitted. As a good slave you don't need to have these emotions, so you learn to supress them to the point where you aren't ever feeling them consciously.

So all of this is so new to me. To actually f*cking hate the guts of some people on here. To fucking hate that they are so damn popular when all they do is shitposting and meme-ing the one that means so much to me to death. And even blocking them won't do a thing because tumblr still shows me their shit, or some fan is gushing about their stuff where I see it, and it just annoys the piss out of me. The tag I used to browse has been rendered useless to me here on tumblr. I long for the days when I was able to just see some nice art of him alone or serious discussions about him, like character analyses, or sharing obscure facts about him.

I don't even know why exactly it pisses me off so much - and I don't want to be the "Fun Police" here; everyone should still be able to do as they please and make whatever the fuck they want on their tumblr blogs, even if it is shitposting. Even if their stories don't make any logical sense at all.

I guess... I just wish Fandom wasn't so dumb with what ultimately are just headcanons. They are taking those stories as if they are canon when they are just fan creations, to the point where they harrass other creators who might come up with other things. For example, if you hate on Mewtwo x Newtwo because it would be "incest", then you are WRONG, because canonically, it was never proven that they were siblings. Canonically, there is no reason to think that Mew is the Mother who actually gave birth to Mewtwo (if you follow the movie-verse, that is. In the games, she did give birth to Mewtwo).

And sure, I realize that me criticising those fan creations is also taking headcanons way too seriously, but... I can't explain it entirely. I just want to be able to state my opinions. Be the one person that isn't always congratulating them on every creation, but also points out the flaws in their storytelling so that they, I dunno, may improve? I am frustrated that I can't even do that - I was told to shut up, or post my opinions on my blog only, probably so that my thoughts aren't seen by anyone and get buried. But I am fucking tired of that. I grew to hate being invisible. I hate making myself small for the benefit of others. Can't I be loud and angry for once in my life? Even if it is on the internet about something stupid? For once in my life, can't I voice my disdain for something after a lifetime of not being allowed to? After AvPD makes this nigh impossible of a feat for me?

One dissenting voice won't harm the popular creators anyway - they have thousands of adoring fans who will wholeheartedly take anything they make and not question it at all. They will go on and create what they want anyway, so what hurt does it do to say "hey, maybe this idea needs some ironing out because it doesn't make sense?"

On another note, I wish that if anyone here has a problem with me to not harrass people that may know me/are friends with me. I saw some anon going around and complaining about me to them - I'd rather you take your complaints to me directly than to them, since they got nothing to do with what I create or do.

For example, I saw someone who told an acquaintance of mine that it is hypocritical of me that I have Babytwos but "attack" others for doing the same. Listen, it is not that others have Babytwos that I critiqued, it's the METHOD of having them via a flower pregnancy when Mew is not a plant type and Mewtwo isn't either. It doesn't make any sense and I should be allowed to say at least that much without getting bullied in turn. That is really all I ask for. Getting Babytwos via cloning, test tubes, artifical insemination at least makes sense. Other than that, go ham and make as many Babytwos as you all want!

I also got told that I am not the owner of Mewtwo the character. Thank you, I know that. Where have I claimed I was? And if I feel a bit possessive over him, well, I got a damn reason for that. He saved me from unaliving myself TWICE. Thus he means a lot to me. I have been in love with him genuinely for 23 years. He is my guiding light. And while it is funny to see the occasional joke with him or a shitpost here and there, if it is constant, it just feels like you are treating him as nothing more than a joke. To me, he isn't a joke, he saved my life. I wouldn't have been posting on tumblr or anywhere at all since 2017 if it wasn't for him. So excuse me if I am a bit possessive over him.

Overall, I just wish people weren't so trigger-happy to take a contrary opinion as an attack immediately. I am not attacking anyone. You will never find me sending any hate DMs or Hate asks to anyone. I don't do that shit.

And if you hate me, you are free to do that too. I know that not everyone likes me. I know there are some people who wish I WAS dead. Or who think that I have ruined Mewtwo for them with my selfship. I mean, I got plenty of "Ew Bestiality" back in the day, if that is any indication. And it's not much of a change in the status quo anyhow. My own parents hate me, I got bullied in school when I was younger, so I am used to being disliked or hated. It used to hurt me back then, but by now I learned that giving a fuck really isn't worth it. I used to want to please everyone and make everyone happy. It used to destroy me when anyone told me they don't like me. Like, it CRUSHED me. But now? I realize that no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to please everyone. Some sadistic fucks may even get off on you trying that and failing. And many people I considered friends only turned out to just use me because of my people-pleasing tendencies.

So, fuck it. If the world is going to hate me anyway, the least I can do is to do whatever the fuck I want and whatever makes me happy. Deal with it.

[fungus-fag]

I have no platform in regards to anything that would reach an audience but. I can't just let my words on the subject not at least be written somewhere.

I'm noticing a lot of people already mocking or cringing at fans of indie productions that blow up overnight. Primarily Welcome Home and The Amazing Digital Circus. And I just want to grab all you people and gently shake you and ask "Why???"

These are VERY WELL MADE indie productions that have been well received BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD. People like the content and they should be encouraged to support it! I would want the same respect of my fans of my original works, too.

I'm seeing people upset with the following TADC already has, and even claiming that the designs and personalities of the characters are even "bait" to get tumblr and tiktok Fandoms to pop up overnight. Most hate I've seen also references whatever cringe happened over in the WH Fandom, claiming it's going to get the same treatment or the same group of people in its fanbase. People in V*vziep*p's H*lluva B*ss sphere of internet fandom are acting like children because TADC got more views than their precious franchise, acting like they're the only indie YouTube animation crew who can get numbers like that. (( Though my feelings on that fandom are kind of... a separate matter, lol. ))

Firstly, Fandom (or viewership) shouldn't be the main draw or method of judgment for ANY piece of media, especially indie productions, and secondly....... even if that claim about the designs and plot was true ... So what?

A SMALL team of REAL people worked REALLY HARD on TADC. 3D animation is NOT EASY. You can clearly tell the creators were passionate and spent countless hours working on this-- I can tell from the pilot alone the creators CARE. Even if the premise is (allegedly) a fame grab.... maybe that's just because people -- the creators included -- LIKE this kind of "dark but wacky" content? Is that really such a crime of cringe to just fall immediately in love with a new piece of media just because it meets the "Fandom boxes", which again shouldn't even be how you Primarily interact with the subject matter as a whole?

Also, are people forgetting that Welcome Home is a ONE PERSON PROJECT??? why are we hating on one person's passion project just because it got popular holy shit are you all ACTIVELY trying to keep indie creators from actually creating??

I'm speaking from a place outside of Fandom when I say these things. I do not engage with anything outside of the creative content that comes from fan works, and even then I'm only really looking at visual art that's created and nothing else. Frankly I don't really know or care about what even happened with the WH fans that gave it such a bad name that can be used to smite up and coming media like TADC, but regardless it's still not a good reason to hate on something that found success.

In summary... these kinds of comments and fights Really shouldn't be so widespread for content that is made by small creators (or in WH's case, one person) . We should be actively celebrating and engaging positively with the art that indie creators allow us to see, especially when that art that they've so passionately made is free to consumers. Even if you have a problem with how rapidly successful the series gets, there's no need to be hateful and bitter about it, and there's Especially no need to get involved in fandom antics and use that as your excuse to not engage in indie media.

[patchesbeanie]

idk like if you want imaginary friends and blorbos to blorbo with then maybe just find a new fandom with some characters or sth that you actually like?? like fandom's supposed to be fun i don't understand why you'd keep holding on to it when you don't like anything about it

yeah!! like obviously dsmp characters are, y'know, characters but they are not separate from the ccs in a way that fictive characters usually are from the author because the dsmp is roleplay. it feels super fucking weird to me to hate a cc but still continue to make fan content about them.

this post got really long so read if you want to!

honestly i feel like a lot of tommy and tubbo's fans have been wishfully thinking that their ccs are completely unaware about things and aren't that close to dream. they have talked like that for months (if not longer) and most of them have been convinced that this is actually the reality when everyone who doesn't read into what ccs say and take things more at face value has been able to understand just how adamantly tommy supports dream. it doesn't help that a lot of the twitter fans are quite young and seemingly not very good at reading social situations (i have seen a lot of tweets where op says that out loud). obviously there's nothing wrong with either of these things but it does lessen the whole fandom's reading and listening comperhension, which does have consequenses.

anyway, now that tommy especially is so damn loud and clear about his support of dream (also specific of the current situation) it's like a rug has been pulled from under their feet. they wished he didn't know, he clearly knows. they wished he would react a certain way, he doesn't care. they wished he would distance himself, he mentions him every stream. it's like a crash landing from miles high and lots of these people don't have healthy and meaningful ways to use their time and energy. also, people like shitting on things in a group setting. we do that here on dtblr too all the time so people shittalking and being mad shouldn't really surprise us.

the saddest thing about a lot of fandoms popular with young people is that they attract lonely and bullied kids who feel distanced from their irl friends. what do you do when you don't have healthy coping mechanisms and something that brought you joy and helped you find like-minded people ends up as something that you don't like anymore? then you wallow in misery and the feelings of betrayal with the people online and lash out at others. it makes everything worse for everyone but if you've seen how they acted online before this, you know that a) that isn't a problem for these people b) or they are just wholly unaware of how they act. this is just a long way to say that it's hard to distance yourself from something if you are lonely and feel betrayed by something that brought you comfort. it's no excuse, but it makes me feel empathy for those fans who are clearly just lonely middle schoolers who feel like they don't fit in. obviously there are also fans that are grown adults or just want the adrenaline they get from retweeting a callout post, but this part of the post isn't really about them.

this post isn't ment to psychoanalyze inniters or whatever and i don't feel like i do that. honestly, if there's anything i want people to understand is that we really gotta look after each other and that having friends in real life (in addition to online) is so important to keeping yourself levelheaded, so please go talk to people outside too.

[golbrocklovely]

very, very interesting point about whether some people in the paranormal community hold snc at a distance - i think I agree. I've seen some of that sentiment on tiktok/YT/reddit, especially from an older crowd that still seems to have a bit of a bias against YT and popular creators. that they're not "serious" enough and working with them might tarnish a certain hardcore contingent's credibility. interestingly, I don't really see that at all with Shane & Ryan, who had a bizarre revisionist history spin with Ghost Files coming out where suddenly they're like the best ghost hunters ever and not uhhh.. two goofy guys at Buzzfeed who would do stuff like wear cat ears and show their belly buttons to try to seduce ghosts. when snc first started dabbling in 2018ish, hell when Shane and Ryan first started out, this sort of judgement and skepticism didn't really exist in the same way it does now. fascinating how a paranormal community has really been developing but I can see how that complicates collabs snc may want to do. (and they're also well-liked by tons of paranormal content creators too so I'll cherish the ones we get ig)

this became such a long response, my bad lol

well a lot of the ppl that do paranormal investigating for a living are usually much older than snc so i think a lot of them feel like snc are just jumping on a bandwagon and will leave once it no longer makes them money. but i don't agree with that.

and again, i also do and don't believe the idea that snc aren't serious enough or not professional enough to be taken seriously. they just do things their own way. which can be both good and bad but i think it is what sets them apart. also realistically, they are entertainers first before anything else. so if they were stoic and had no reaction to some of the shit they have experienced, ppl would be bored and no one would watch.

slight side tangent, but i saw on reddit someone saying that they think snc will never get taken seriously enough bc, among a bunch of other stuff, they curse a lot. like……… you can't be serious. hate to be the bear of bad news, but tons of everyday ppl curse frequently. and i highly doubt snc are in a profession where cursing is frowned upon lol

i think one of the problems snc face, still, is that ppl see their content as what they did way back in the day. like 2019/when sam used to do the 3 am challenges. like they see that, and think that that's what they are still doing, which just isn't the case. but bc there is already that notion that snc are """liars""", ppl that don't like them for those reasons aren't gonna give them a chance. but honestly they have improved so much over the years, it's a shame some ppl write them off.

but whatever, your loss sksk

as for shane and ryan, honestly i haven't watched them since they were on buzzfeed so i can't really comment on what they do now. but from what i've heard from other ppl/fans is that they don't really do the same shit they once did. like obviously there is some overlap for sure, but the vibe is different.

maybe this is just a misconception, idk, but i gotta ask: the way some ppl talk about them, they make it seem as if they are just goofy and don't take it seriously anymore. like i know ryan used to believe in all this stuff and shane was the one that outwardly would joke about demons and not believe anything paranormal that could happen, but like… is that different now? i genuinely want to know bc that's the vibe i get from other ppl's comments. like now they make a mockery of what they used to do/ghost hunting in general, but not in a mean way. more as in like "we don't really believe and we're trying to show you this shit is bs too" or whatever. kinda like how the later seasons of ghost hunters, they would actively disprove their evidence or constantly trying to find a logically explanation instead of just… accepting that it might actually be paranormal.

i'm not saying any of this to be mean to shane and ryan. i'm just genuinely curious as to if i'm right or not. bc again i haven't watched them since they were on buzzfeed.

if i'm honest, i love the paranormal. i love ghost hunting and the supernatural. i find it all fascinating. however…. i think it's a bit silly to try and argue who's the best ghost hunter or who should or shouldn't be taken seriously. i mean, there is no science to this. this is a profession that you kinda have to have a bit of a whimsical nature to you, otherwise you look goofy lol

maybe i'm wrong, but i think both snc and shane and ryan can exist in the same universe without it being a who's better than who fight. i think a collab would be a bit strange, but i also wouldn't be completely against it in theory.

[imagibunny]

fine, fine. i'll bite. tell me about your zombies bunny.

i got this earlier and my brain was telling me ur tone was off

BUT!! i'm just gonna assume you meant this in good faith and that i'm not being annoying about my ocs, my brain is just being a lil bitch <3

general: - relatively speaking yvette's been a walker the longest, at 4 and a half years. cole's up next at 3 years, then cici and mimzie at 2 years, and vince has been a walker the shortest, only being 6 months. - cole and mimzie knew each other before they became zombies! mimz did ghost tours for cole's mom sometimes when she wasn't feeling well and they clashed a bit on how to handle it. - they all have "official" jobs; - mimz works at her mom's boutique - cole is a history teacher at the local middle school - vince is an it guy - cici works at her family's restaurant - yvette works at a nightclub - on a scale of 1-10 on who it'd be more dangerous to fight, yvette and mimz are both a solid 9.5, cici is a 7, vince is a 5, and cole is a 2 (this also account for the fact of how easy it'd be to make em go into zombie rage mode) - cole, mimz, and vince are the only ones who were born and raised in louisiana. cici is from new york originally, and yvette mentioned off hand once that it's from alberta canada. - all have a "sixth sense" for finding decomps. vince describes it as spiders running up his spine which is fair tbh. - most of em stick to raw meat to keep em calm, with brains used as a special occasion type of deal. all have their favorites of how to hide em but the crowd pleaser is cici's ghost pepper brain poppers.

mimzie - actually doesn't mind her full name (miriam) but has a bunch of nicknames; mimz, mimzie, riri, zee, mimi (she says as long as you don't call her late for dinner she's fine) - uses she/it pronouns and describes herself as "a girl, but take it back now y'all-" - has 3 pets; - an orange cat named skittles - a rat named stuie - a leopard gecko named romeo - the youngest of 5 and is the only girl, and is well aware of the fact this has granted her "dad's special girl" privileges. her brothers are aware of this too, and often come to her if they need something but dad said no to em. - is the closest with her brother tyler! loves her brothers all the same but you form a special bond with the sibling who helped you catch a rat snake cause you were convinced you'd die if it bit you. - has killed her fair share of decomps in the past 2 years. it's not normally bad, but the one big scare happened around halloween and was roughed up enough she had to stay home on bedrest for a couple weeks. - cannot sit still!! has to be moving or doing something constantly. usually fidgeting with a bracelet, pen, or anything she can get her hands on. - singing wise she mostly does covers and popular songs people know, and even then she just does local venues due to the whole zombie thing. still popular enough to need her crew. - she has a manager! in a way. her name's juniper, aka junie and she's been miriam's best friend since they were toddlers and junie dumped glitter on miriam's head cause she wanted to play fairies. - isn't a huge fan of labels and just says she's queer and is down for whatever. but due to how the last relationship ended, not exactly big on romance rn.

vince - only child syndrome!! and damn he acts like it sometimes!! has gotten an earful from everyone at least once if he doesn't watch his tone. - did not take the fact he's a zombie Well. like. at all. locked himself in his room for literal days and was on the verge of becoming a decomp when the others found out about him. - because he was infected by a decomp, he actively hates getting close to em. if he runs into one out on the street, he calls someone else and books it the other direction. - despite his cowardly nature he's not afraid to fight if he needs to, though this doesn't happen often and is most likely trying to keep mimzie from fighting someone. - he Kinda knew the dixie family before he met miriam officially, as he was in school with her brother tyler (a couple grades ahead but they were in clubs together) - much like miriam, he doesn't really have a preference attraction wise? when asked about it all he said was "who cares?" - despite being one of the walkers to dye his hair his natural color, he once did lose a bet and had to dye his hair green for a week. he didn't entirely hate this, considering he has green streaks in his hair - quite literally was forced into working for miriam! at first it was purely to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't run off and expose everyone, but she pays him fair enough and they get along so it's not like he entirely hates it (will gripe about it when she brings it up however) - he and yvette are the same height (5'7 - 170 cm)

cici - despite their VIOLENTLY differing personalities, is super close with yvette and usually is the one yvette actually Talks to - her mom's from cuba and her dad is a new york native! - speaking of, she hasn't seen her dad since she was 15 (her parents had been divorced way before that however) but they still talk and send each other postcards - doesn't mind her step dad, he makes her mom happy and that's all she cares about! gets along better with her half sister though. - woman liker club!! jokes aside cici is a lesbian and is open about it - was the one who reached out to others that showed zombie symptoms and offered a place to talk. - fully believes that dealing with this stuff alone is suffocating and very much treats the rest of the walkers like family - has a dog named harriet! - lives in a guest house in her parents' backyard, purely because she'd rather stick around (and avoid abysmal rent prices but that's a bonus) - was a bit of a stuck up bitch before getting infected! absolutely abysmal to talk to and hang out with, but after the fight that caused her to get scratched, she saw it as a second chance and is actively working towards on improving and reinventing herself. - sometimes slips into old behavior, and regrets it immensely afterwards. - notoriously has a secret stash of tea in her house, and i do actually mean secret stash of tea. her mom and stepdad always used to sneak some from her so she resorted to hiding it. - is the 2nd tallest after cole at 5'9 - 175cm

yvette - is pretty secretive and quiet, so no one knows much about it. all anyone knows is that it uses it/it's pronouns, it's name, and where it's from. - isn't a huge fan of talking, but since it's normally around cici it lets her do the talking for both of em - was found on the brink of becoming a decomp like vince was, the difference here is yvette was found in a back alley in new orleans rather then being locked up in a room - unknown where it's staying, all yvette has mentioned is it has family in the city and crashes on their couch. - isn't super close with anyone outside of cici, but gets along with vince just fine and it and cole had a silent understanding. meanwhile it has gotten into numerous fights with mimz and it has escalated once or twice - literally did not talk until someone mentioned it might be russian. first time anyone heard yvette speak and it was "i'm from canada." - aro/ace homie fr! wouldn't say romance repulsed but it firmly refuses the idea of itself in a romantic situation with anyone - the only one of the group to know walkers from outside. refuses to give away their ids based on the fact it doesn't like them and believes it's friends would be better off not knowing - CANNOT HANDLE SPICE FOR THE LIFE OF IT. cici makes a tamer version of the brain popper for it to eat just out of the fact the last time it ate the regular ones, yvette was out of commission for 3 days

cole - same as yvette as he doesn't talk about himself often, but he does actively communicate with everyone else - the most anyone knows about his private life is that he's married with a kid and he'd like to keep it that way (despite vince and cici's varied attempts to figure out more) - has a past in private security. how he went from that to being a history teacher is anyones guess - was (and still is) a huge skeptic about supernatural stuff, which caused him to butt heads with his mom who runs ghost tours around the city. despite his zombie status he still doesn't believe in the oogie boogies that go bump in the night and it frustrates mimz to no end - despite arguing from time to time, he does love his mom. but he is closer with his dad out of the two of em, while his younger brother is closer with their mom - is the least likely to rage out and go full zombie mode. granted he has a decomp kill history like everyone else, but unlike everyone else he doesn't need to be full zombie to do so if you get the jist - man has AWFUL sleeping habits. is known for staying up for days at a time just because he forgot to sleep and is not above staying awake out of spite. - he's a bit silly goofy!! has gotten into petty fights with other walkers just for the hell of it, and once played a game with vine and yvette to see who could push mimz buttons the most (vince won, he ate her mom's leftovers she brought home) - bi man and damn proud of it!! - his husband is well aware of his zombie-ness and doesn't mind in the slightest. it's caused some turmoil a couple times sure, but that's a given. otherwise they're happily married - he has one thing above everyone else and it's the fact he's infected someone unknowingly. he doesn't know who they are but he has this weird feeling that it'll come back to bite him in the ass one day