#plus michael is from a queer family | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

invisibleraven · 1 year

Text

Phantom Carols

For the @jatp-adventevent prompt: Best & Worst Christmas memories?

Warning for Alex's parents being The Worst (TM) in this

Day Thirteen: Make The Yuletide Gay <-AO3!

Alex has always loved Christmas. Every year right after Thanksgiving ended, his dad dragged out the boxes, his mom set up the Advent candles, and Alex’s eyes would shine as they reflected the small flame, reciting the prayers, his heart glowing warm.

Alex loved the decorations, the tinsel and lights, the smell of pine that filled the house when he and his dad dragged in the tree. The carols that rang through the air echoing the church bells as they went to every service. Alex loved how the community came together, celebrating this joyous time of year.

Sure, he got in trouble for playing with the Nativity figurines, replacing them with his He-Man dolls and Olivia’s old Barbie's. Rolled his eyes through the lecture about respecting the sanctity of the display, and was way more sneaky about making the wise men fight.

His parents were happy to lavish them both with gifts, sitting back as Alex tore through the paper, finding toys and books and then one year, a drum set. Olivia got dolls at first, and then as she grew she got clothes and make-up, and then stuff she needed to help her once she got to med school. She stopped coming home once she was at college, and Alex kind of resented her for it. He missed his sister, so sue him.

Then Alex came out.

Things became downright frosty at home, his parents vehemently refusing to accept his sexuality-to accept him. They prayed for him a lot, bringing in Father Michaels to lecture him about the sin of homosexuality, of fire and brimstone.

“I tried praying about it Father,” Alex responded coolly. “But I’m still gay. And God doesn’t make mistakes. So he must want me to stay gay.”

“You’re not praying hard enough,” his father responded. “God will listen, he will cure you of this vile disease.”

Alex sat there, enduring the judgement, their hatred, their threats. But he knew he didn’t need a cure, he wasn’t sick. He had wrestled with the truth long enough, and everyone else in his life accepted him. Maybe it was his family who were the sick ones.

He wrote to Olivia, and even she told him she loved him, no matter what. Promised to try to come home that year. But she was married now, and her partner’s family were lovely and warm where the Mercer’s were not. Alex wondered if he could come spend the holidays with them instead. But their parents refused to let Alex go, and Olivia couldn’t go against them.

That year, Alex’s gifts were brochures for conversion camps, a very large Bible with all the parts about homosexuality and sin highlighted.

And porn.

Glossy magazines covered with mostly naked women in provocative poses that his father almost shoved under his nose. “Maybe you just need to see what you’re missing. These will straighten you out.”

Alex threw them away with the wrapping paper the next week.

The next year, he spent the holidays with Luke and Reggie, squatting in the garage they were using as a studio. The three of them didn’t make it to Christmas the year after that.

However, that wasn’t the last Christmas that Alex got to celebrate. Because he got to come back. As a ghost, granted, but here he was.

And the Molina's didn’t care that he was gay. Julie was openly bi, Victoria aroace, Carlos wasn’t sure where he fell. Ray was pretty tight lipped, but Julie confessed that her dad was ‘pretty open' and left it at that. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t get porn from them. Something super gay to make sure he felt accepted, yes. But not anything as traumatizing as that last gift from his dad.

Plus being a ghost meant he had Willie.

Willie who flaunted his queerness with pride, tagging homophobic stores with graffiti, stealing queer themed decorations to put on the little tree Julie had set up in the studio, wearing rainbow striped Santa hats and socks.

Willie, who took him through the botanical gardens that were all lit up with lights for the purpose of finding real mistletoe to kiss under. Who smuggled him out eggnog and gingerbread from the club to eat with the guys. Who gave him new drumsticks that he actually paid for (Alex didn’t ask where he got the money) and a set of matching rainbow socks.

Willie, who helped him track down Olivia.

She was older now, with an adult son named Patrick who looked like he could be Alex’s twin. Who looked at his moms with the utmost love, and who introduced his boyfriend to them without fear.

“Do you wanna go in?” Willie asked. “Tell her you’re okay?”

Alex shook his head. “Just knowing she is… that’s enough for me. Let’s go home.”

Willie grinned, took his hand, and poofed them back to the studio. Where he may have strung up some more of the mistletoe, and Alex smiled as he sank into the kiss. Sure, he was a ghost, and it kind of sucked some days. But this was shaping up to still be the best Christmas he’d had in a long time.

#my stuff #fanfic #writing #willex #jatpadvent2022 #julie and the phantoms

20 notes · View notes

michaelgraysmustache · 2 years

Text

Here’s to Complex Feelings

Jack Nelson x OC/Reader (Carmen Nelson) x Ada Thorne

SUMMARY: You and Jack Nelson married when you were 21, it was marriage of convince and safety. You, a queer woman, needed a beard and he needed a wife who he could trust and understood that he’d never be monogamous. Things get complicated when you both taken on Ada Thorne as a lover.

WARNINGS: none

A/N: Told through a series of time skips because I’ve really enjoyed how @zablife ‘s Little Harlot is told.

GIF CREDITS: Jack & Ada are by @retromafia / @peakywomen

– 1934 – London, England

“You’re Catholic, Mr. Shelby?” Jack’s voice echoed against the air and marble of the holy building, “I hoped by suggesting we meet in church it might make us both more cautious.” He explained that the way Catholics were treated in America angered him, made him the man, the monster he was today. Men like Thomas and Jack were just good men who did bad things to help their friends and family out of poverty.

Jack Nelson and Tommy Shelby paced around an empty London church, like two animals waiting for the other to pounce first. Both men believed themselves to be too honorable to move first. It was a lie they’d tell themselves to fall asleep at night, I am a good man and I am doing the right thing.

They spouted nonsense in the shadows of a God they only partially believed in. They doubted each other’s earnestness when it came to the business of Fascists. What did two working-class Catholics want a lunch with the fascists for? Each of them tried to figure the other out, the non-answers were getting on each other’s nerves so Tommy finally made a move, revealing some of his hand.

“I’ve done some research on you, Mr. Nelson,” Tommy began to say as he walked past Jack, taking the lead in both the conversation and their walk. “You seem to have a very close relationship with you wife,” Jack tensed at the mention of his wife, wondering what would follow, “You go to church together every Sunday, hold hands as you walk through the park. She’s here with you, in London, yet everywhere you go, Gina is on your arm.”

“What are you getting at, Mr. Shelby?” Jack asked, not liking that the conversation was lingering on his dearly beloved. “My wife came to London to enjoy herself and keep me company. She doesn’t need to be bored by the business.” He explained, “Gina wants to learn about politics and business and who am I to deny the ambition of a young woman. Plus, she wants to show me London. She had a wonderful time here with your cousin,” The American gangsters had learned a lot about Thomas from Michael Gray in the few years they had spent together. “Although I hear that her reception from the family was less than warm. Can you explain that, Mr. Shelby? It hurts my feelings that my sweet niece was not treated well. I have treated Michael very well. Our two families are kin now, yet you still hold me at an arm's length away, Mr. Shelby. I just hope that one day we can call each other Jack and Tommy, like old friends.” Jack waited for a response, but Tommy only continued on with his script, his monologue.

“Will you bring your wife to the meeting of like-minded individuals?” Fascists was the word Thomas avoided. He wanted to know if the elusive Mrs. Nelson was going to make an appearance, he had significant trouble tracking down information about her despite all of his connections in America. All he had was Carmen Nelson. Everyone’s silence had been bought by Jack. And judging by the way Jack paused every time her name was mentioned, she meant a great deal to him. “I’d like to meet her. I wonder if she knows of your…how many is it now” He made a show of looking up looking for a piece of parchment. “Ah yes, 5. Does she know about your five current mistresses

TARA H. DONE

MARGRETTE MCMAHON

ANNIE FLINT

MABEL CAHILL

IRENE DAVIS

Doesn’t the bible condone cheating and premarital sex, Mr. Nelson? I think God would be very displeased with you for sending all those young women to hell.”

Jack chuckled, his laugh loundened by the empty building, echoing into the shadows. “It would be wise for you not to throw stones from glass houses, Mr. Shelby. You shouldn’t go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.”

“Does Mrs. Nelson get the same privilege as you? Does she get to fuck men outside of her marriage?”

“No, Mr. Shelby she does not. Why are you curious? Are you asking because you’re interested?”

“I might be, I’d have to see her first. Just know that as a socalist, I am in full support of sharing.”

“So then why do you keep the company of Fascists, Mr. Shelby?” he was trying to get the conversation away from his wife and back to politics.

“I am a politician, I have friends on all sides of the political spectrum. What do you, a good working-class catholic man, want with the Fascists?”

“I want to know what they’re up to. What they’re planning. Mr. Roosevelt thinks that the British government is sympathetic and even fostering Fascist ideals.”

“You find their rise to power inevitable. Why get involved?”

Jack was sick of this round about talking. He wanted to get to the point, “I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Shelby. You work for Churchill, a man who undoubtedly hates this new political movement. Why would speak a Fascists rallies and befriend Mr. Oswald Mosely?” Thomas was about to answer when Jack cut him off. “ – Now before you lie to me in this house of God I would like to let you know that someone close to you has told me your true intentions. That you are double-crossing the IRA and Fascists. I would like to join you” Jack could feel the anger and confusion emanating from Tommy, “I know all of this because of Ada.” As soon as her name escaped his lips Tommy lunged at Jack.

“Liar. You keep my sister’s name out of your mouth.” Jack caught Tommy and held him close in a bear hug. The Peaky Blinder struggled to break free but it was no use, age and sleepless nights had weakened him.

“If you revisit your list of my lovers you will find that TARA H. DONE is an anagram for Ada Thorne. That is so long because it is not a list of my lovers but a list of mine AND my wife’s lovers. We keep most of them separate but your Ada is very special to us.” Tommy stopped squirming so Jack let him go, “You better be calm now because I’d hate to have to shoot that beautiful face of yours in a house of worship.”

Thomas Shelby ignored the joke and stares at the letters TARAHDONE….ADA THORNE. ‘Fuck.’ he thought to himself, how did he miss that? How did he not know that Ada was involved with this man…and his wife…. The information was too much to process and Tommy just stared down at the piece of paper in confusion.

“It’s a lot to take in, I know. My marriage Carmen is a blessed one. Not only is she my best friend but she knows that I will have my affairs and that she is free to have hers. All you need to know about her is that if you ever threaten her I will kill you. My wife will not be put in harm's way.” Jack didn’t take threats to his wife lightly. “As for why you haven’t seen her, she’s been visiting Ada and Karl. It’s been so long since she’s seen them.”

Jack genuflected before the altar and turned to leave. Tommy was still stuck in his tracks.

“You lying, Fuck–”

“Watch it Mr. Shelby, this is God’s house.” he smiled, pointing to the heavens. “And if you don’t believe me, go over to Ada’s house, you can meet my beautiful wife.” “Jack was almost out the door before he turned around and said, “That is if she isn’t in between your sister's legs at the moment.”

– 1915 — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

You met Jack Nelson for the first time when you were children. Long before his name meant anything at all. Before uttering it at any volume about whisper stroke fear into people’s hearts. Before crowds parted before him. Before he was a God amongst men and a hero to the American Catholics. Your families grew up close to each other in an a diverse immigrant neighborhood, you played together, worked together, and went to school together.

Now both 21, Jack had formed a powerful gang and several successful businesses with older brothers Diego and Gael. You hadn’t done much, mostly float from job to job. Right now you were a housekeeper for a senator.

Today, Tuesday was your day off, Jack had insisted on taking you to lunch in the new club that he owned. He wanted to catch up and get your opinion on the food. “Jack, this place looks wonderful,” you smiled looking around the club diner that would open in a few weeks. He pulled you in for a quick kiss on the cheek hello.

“Not as wonderful as you look, Doll,” he teased with a wide toothed grin. Jack Neslon knew that wouldn’t work on you but he tried anyway. The two of you sat down and food was brought out to you. Throughout the meal you continued to talk.

“So…” he looked around to make sure that the cook and server had gone into the back to the kitchen. “I broke things off with Emma…”

“Oh?” you sighed in confusion, “I thought that you were getting ready propose to her.”

“I was but…” he trailed off again, clearly ashamed or upset by that he was about say, “she was cheating on me and ran off with some other guy.” You wanted to point to him that he was also cheating on her with a slew of other women, but you didn’t need to. Your eyes said it for you. “Don’t look at me like that. Everyone knows that I am a man who can’t be tamed.” You rolled your eyes and brought a spoonful of soup to your mouth. “Are you seeing anyone, Carm? We always talk about my dating life what have you been up to?”

You liked it that way, no one asking about who you were seeing. “No, I’m not seeing anyone…I’m never seeing anyone.”

“Why?” Jack asked curiously, tilting his head. You couldn’t help buy laugh. You had been friends ofr twenty-one years and he never asked you why you didn’t date. He was always too busy talking about his own sex-life to ask about yours.

“Do I have to spell it out for your Jack? We’ve known each other for 21 years and in all that time have I ever talked about a man?...” You looked at him, waiting for some kind of response but all you got where his cloudy blue eyes staring back at you begin for an explanation. Now it was your turn to look around for the staff, paranoid of what might happen if someone overheard you. “I like women…”

Jack stared at you, unable to hide the shock on his face.

“Did you really no know?” you asked, eyes rolling, annoyed that he never even suspected. You two had been attached at the hip since you were five, and he never once thought to question why you didn’t like men. It was a secret that you kept well, but you thought that if anyone would have known it would have been him. Your anger filled the silenced of the room until Jack’s voice cut the tension.

“Well…I kind of always thought that you were waiting for me or something” he started laughing and soon you were joining him.

“No, I’m sitting at home all day like your broads, waiting for you to give them a call,” you teased.

“Really? Never? Come on, Carmen. You’re hurting my feelings here,” he pressed a hand to heart in pretend pain.

“Once when were 15 you let your hair get really long and I thought that was kind of cute,” you laughed, “but then you cut it all off.” Jack rolled his eyes and playfully tossed his napkin at you. It had been a long time since you laughed this hard.

“Why don’t you date women? It’s 1910s, the world is changing. You’ve been with me at parties, seen men with men and women with women.” It was true, in larger young people could be with whomever they wanted. Still though, you were nervous of what your family and the people at church might think.

You explained this to him and added, “I can’t…It’s better if I don’t. If worse comes to worse I’m sure there is a convent in need of some nuns.”

“Now that plants a very naughty image in my brain, Carmen.” His bold laugh could be heard throughout the building. “I just want you to know that you can let yourself be happy and go after the things that you want. I’ll keep you safe.”

You smiled, thankful for the kind of friendship you had with him. The two of you finished up your food and parted ways.

The next day, you were busy at work when one of your coworkers said that Jack Nelson was on the phone asking for you. Excitement and worry filled your body. Why was he calling you at work? Was he whisking you away to some party tonight or delivering bad news?

A warm smiled flashed across your face when you heard him say, “Hello Doll, I’ve got a great idea.”

“Yeah?” you ask.

“We should get married!”

#jack nelson fanfic #jack nelson imagine #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders imagine #ada thorne fanfic #ada thorne imagine #jack nelson #jack nelson x oc #jack nelson x oc x ada thorne #ada throne x oc #* my fics

101 notes · View notes

connorsartcorner · 10 months

Text

Today for Pride I decided to draw Michael from the Proud Family. I decided to draw Michael today because in the original series he was only allowed to show his queerness via queercoding and now he's allowed to be more open about it. plus it also shows how gender nonconformity should be normalized.

#pride #pride month #lgbt pride #pride 2023 #pride month 2023 #the loud house #louder and prouder #art #artists on tumblr #artist #artwork #small artist #digital art

2 notes · View notes

godsprettiestprincess · 2 years

Text

Tbh I think I meant what I said in the tags of that post that like of the archangecule plus adjacents (aside from idk Sam maybe) Adam has the problems that would be the hardest to therapy away. Like. Michael and Lucifer etc obviously have the whole being an archangel/on a different scale thing that stops it from working but at least the rest of their problems are mostly translatable yk?

Lucifer isn’t exactly original in having abandonment and self worth issues from [being kicked out] and being stuck between hating being perceived as inherently evil/corrupting and embracing it (even if his comes from the centuries long smear campaign against him and not just idk being queer) and Michael stomped out his own identity to serve his dad which. Well. *gestures at Dean*.

……personally I just find it very funny to imagine Adam discovering he’s somehow even more(?) fucked up than the original primary components of the worlds first toxic family

#adam milligan #archangels #was this post just an excuse to talk about Lucifer’s problems. maybe.#ramsey barks

7 notes · View notes

psionotic · 1 year

Text

My favorite culture, 2022

I haven’t posted to this thing in years, and I’m not even sure if I have any followers left. But in any case, here are some of my favorite new (or new to me) things in what was probably the most difficult year of my adult life...? -Paper-

Mexican Gothic (2021). Sure, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel is basically a postcolonial mélange of “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Jane Eyre, and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, with a little dash of Lovecraft, but it absorbed and upset and disturbed me throughout.

The Priory of the Orange Tree (2020). A queer retelling of “St. George and the Dragon” within a mix of eastern and western fantasy, Samantha Shannon’s novel is full of delightful characters and magical hijinks.

The Three-Body Problem (2016). I mostly hated Cixin Liu’s Cultural Revolution-inspired anti-Contact while I was reading it. The characters are awful, both in their limited development and in their naked, selfish cruelty. The narrator is detached, looking down upon us from some distant star, without a care for those characters or for humanity generally. It is so profoundly cynical and pessimistic, at one point I almost threw it across the room. But then I kept reading and made it all the way to the end, frustrated and horrified all the while, and… I haven’t been able to shake this book since I’ve finished it. It’s burrowed its way into my psyche and won’t wend its way back out. Read/avoid at all costs.

I also enjoyed: The Windup Girl (2009), Gideon the Ninth (2020), Winter Tide (2018)

I was bummed out by: The Testaments (2019)

-Funny Pages-

Runaways volumes 1 – 5 (2018-). I put off reading this for years, because I’m so attached to BKV’s original run, and those that have followed in his footsteps have tripped over their imprint. But YA author Rainbow Rowell proved me wrong, letting me fall in love with these characters all over again.

Something is Killing the Children volumes 1 & 2 (2020-). Tynion and Dell’edera’s gothic monster slaying comic is a little X-Files, a bit Buffy, a smidge Sabrina, and basically a whole lot of the things I like.

Vision volumes 1 & 2 (2016). I read Tom King’s sad, wonderful run of Mister Miracle last year. This series (a partial inspiration for WandaVision) centers on the titular robot’s attempt to build himself a wife, two children, and a dog—the perfect American family. Things quickly go very very wrong in some ways that of course involve superhero shenanigans, but just as in MM and WV, the story zeroes in on the smaller tragedies of its misfit toys/wanna-be-real-boys inability to ever belong.

-Movers-

Nope. Jordan Peele’s horror films become more diffuse in their themes and criticisms with each new installment, and many were apparently disappointed by Nope, but it really worked for me. Alien invasion story? Fable about our relationship to nature? A commentary on what we sacrifice to glut the slavering maw of spectacle? In any case, the film’s elusiveness is perhaps its great strength, and I went on thinking about it for months after seeing it.

Werewolf By Night. A direct-to-Disney Plus Marvel holiday short, featuring a character called The Man-Thing would not seem to promise much, but composer Michael Giacchino’s love letter to classic Universal monster movies is so focused, so economical, so un-tethered and therefore un-burdened by the MCU juggernaut (not Juggernaut) that I was just completely taken by it. Elsa, Jack, and Ted forever.

The Northman. Robert Eggers’ third film does everything his first two do, albeit on a larger scale: A particular/peculiar view of the past through the eyes of rejects and outsiders? Check. Long close-ups of actors staring intensely into the camera? Check. The presence of Anna Taylor-Joy and/or Willem Dafoe? Double check. It’s of course very possible that in a few years Eggers will descend into self-parody and become widely belittled for his repeating concerns and stylisms, but I for one am on board ‘til the longship sinks. (Also, I’d just like to point out that Taylor-Joy is an immortal mystical being, and all of her ‘characters’ are just different guises she takes throughout history. Do the research and follow the signs, you know this to be true.)

Glass Onion. Rian Johnson can’t miss. The Last Jedi was easily the best modern Star Wars movie (duel me). Knives Out was a titanic hit, beloved by audiences and critics. Follow-up Glass Onion is just as tight and fun, and it heavily features Janelle Monae, which is obviously a double-plus. It’s also quite timely, with characters resembling some of our time’s most obnoxious and narcissistic Main Characters.

I also enjoyed: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Prey, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, It Follows (2015) I was bummed out by: Thor: Love and Thunder

-Telefusion-

Andor. It’s hard to sell anything Star Wars to those who aren’t already there. Long-time fans largely aren’t to be trusted, and I say this as one of them. For the already initiated/indoctrinated, the current wealth of SW content would seem to be everything we’ve ever wanted. No doubt that it is for some, but for me, at least, for every worthwhile product (The Last Jedi, The Mandalorian’s first season), we have been given a Book of Boba Fett or The Bad Batch or—force help us—The Rise of Skywalker. The problem with Star Wars is its caretakers have become increasingly terrified of doing anything new or interesting lest the fanboys strike back. As a result, so much of what is produced is nostalgia porn and easter-egg bait, endless fodder for YouTube channels churning out videos like “37 things you missed in Obi-Wan!”, and the effect of most of it is just to continually remind us of better movies made 40 years ago, to which all new content eternally apes and refers back to. It’s just terminally up its own tauntaun. Not Andor, though. Showrunner and head writer Tony Gilroy doesn’t like Star Wars. And this is evident watching the show—a show with no space wizards, no muppets, no Skywalkers or Solos or really anything that reminds the viewer of what’s come before. The villains in Andor are bureaucrats and pencil pushers simply upholding a system that benefits them; the heroes are not chosen ones from a Joseph Campbell diatribe, but ordinary people just trying to live their lives under creeping authoritarianism. There is some action—a heist and a prison break are highlights—but mostly it’s a political thriller, with a writer’s room built from veterans of Michael Clayton, The Americans, and House of Cards. Andor is brutal and bloody and timely and occasionally even hopeful. It is, as Lisa Simpson once said, “what I believe in now.”

Severance. Part corporate conspiracy thriller, part allegory on the meaningless of modern work and the cheap mythology of the great man entrepreneur, completely riveting. The finale simultaneously spools out four separate cliffhangers, making for the most anxious hour of TV I saw all year.

The Sandman. But isn’t this just a pretty-faithful live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic and probably superior comic? I mean, yeah, that’s it, that’s the show, and honestly it’s all I ever wanted.

Interview with the Vampire. AMC’s adaptation is both exceedingly faithful and revisionist, and if that sounds paradoxical, well, as the great man said, “Very well then I contradict myself”. The core of Rice’s story remains untouched, while the concerns have been expanded to illumine American racial and sexual politics, life under the pandemic, and more. And that cast is incredible.

Players. This mockumentary by the creators of American Vandal explores professional eSports, following a team of League of Legends players over the course of one turbulent season. It’s a sports story, and a satire, and a character piece, and beyond all expectation the most heartwarming thing I watched all year.

I also enjoyed: Ghosts, What We Do in the Shadows, Our Flag Means Death, Wednesday, Stranger Things 4, She-Hulk, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Ms. Marvel, Lego Masters, How to Change Your Mind, Heartstopper, Murderville, Moon Knight, Star Wars: Visions, Light and Magic, Nailed It!, Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, House of the Dragon, Get Up

I need to catch up on: Atlanta, Reservation Dogs, Derry Girls, Station Eleven

I was bummed out by: Obi-Wan

-Pixel-o-Games-

Elden Ring. I played FROM Software’s newest opus three separate times this year, about 300 hours. I’m not sure that it’s my favorite of their games (that’s still Bloodborne), but you could make a real argument that it’s their best.

Fortnite: Zero Build. For about three months I played Fortnite. A lot of Fornite. I never thought I’d be one of those people who plays Fortnite. But I was, all summer. The new-ish no build mode means that even newb-plebs like me can occasionally win. Still the best monetization model of any free-to-play game: I spent $10 and played for about 100 hours.

Marvel Snap! A collectible card game for those who are bad at collectible card games. That means me. I’m bad at collectible card games. But the fast matches, equalizing random battlefields, and generous card distribution and monetization (I have spent a total of $2.99 over about 75 hours) makes this thing addictive as hell. Speaking of, I just got Magik, the greatest comic book character of all time.

I also enjoyed God of War: Ragnarok, V Rising, Vampire Survivors, Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose, Stray, The Past Within, Dicey Dungeons (2019)

I was bummed out by: Diablo: Immortal and its rapacious monetization

-Sounds-

Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love Songs (2015). I just discovered Sundfør this year, and this album dominated my drive time over the summer and fall. Hard to classify--arty Europop, maybe? But she switches genres so frequently, often within tracks, that all schemas fail. Those songs, though.

Phoebe Bridgers – So Much Wine. Leave it to Bridgers to put out the most depressing Christmas album ever made. A nice follow-up to her 2021 album Punisher, already a modern classic.

Andor - Original Soundtrack. Nicholas Britell scores small prestige films (Moonlight), and big prestige shows (Succession), and his compositions for Andor work in party by taking as wide of a diversion from John Williams as possible. Instead Britell relies on moody synths and itchy atonal noise, punctuated by really striking percussion sections.

-Cast Pods-

You’re Wrong About. Even with Michael Hobbes’ recent departure, this is still the best debunker/trivia/nuance podcast around. Sarah Marshall is a national treasure, which is something that I’m certainly right about.

Triple Click. Talking vidya games with Jason, Maddy, and Kirk is still the highlight of my week.

WTF with Marc Maron. This is one of the oldest big podcasts, but I only recently started listening. Maron’s interviewing style is divisive—he often interrupts, mostly to speculate or spool out an anecdote—and he’s certainly not for everyone, but the old man’s really grown on me. I mostly tune in to the shows where I like the guest. And my god, what guests! Just this fall I’ve listened to his interviews with Neil Gaiman, Patton Oswalt, Clea Duvall, Elvis Mitchell, Rian Johnson, Tony Gilroy, and Quinta Brunson.

I also enjoyed: Strong Songs, The Besties, Get Played, Video Palace (2018)

-Tube You’ers-

VaatiVidya. This is a channel specializing in FROM Software games’ lore and secrets. I’m obsessed with them, obviously, but also the host has the most charming, mellifluous British voice.

Folding Ideas. Dan Olson’s video essays on politics and culture always get me thinking, and the breadth of the subject matter he covers is staggering. His video on crypto and NFTs, and his one on modern conspiracy theories, are musts.

Girlfriend Reviews. He’s a dork and a video editor. She’s a backseat gamer and performer. Together they mock video games and games culture. Much hilarity ensues.

I also enjoyed: YongYea, Digital Foundry, Nerdwriter1, Pitch Meeting, PBS Storied, Zullie the Witch, Weird Rules, Alanah Pierce, PeruseProject, Ellie Dashwood, Second Thought, Emmalition, LegalEagle, Jim Sterling, Game Maker’s Toolkit, Penguin0

6 notes · View notes

thebryanandsilvergarbage · 3 months

Text

The 23rd Annual Bryan Awards - Programming Categories

Programming Categories

New Series: Andor (Disney Plus) Bad Sisters (Apple Plus) The Bear (Hulu) The Diplomat (Netflix) The House of the Dragon (HBO) Jury Duty (FreeVee) The Last of Us (HBO) Shrinking (Apple Plus) So Help Me Todd (CBS) Wednesday (Netflix)

Comedy Series: Abbott Elementary (ABC) Barry (HBO) The Bear (F/X) Jury Duty (FreeVee) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) Only Murders In The Building (Hulu) Ted Lasso (Apple Plus) Wednesday (Netflix)

Drama Series: Better Call Saul (F/X) The Crown (Netflix) The Diplomat (Netflix) The House of the Dragon (HBO) The Last of Us (HBO) Succession (HBO) The White Lotus (HBO) Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Daytime Soap: The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)

Days of Our Lives (NBC & Peacock) General Hospital (ABC) The Young and the Restless (CBS)

Limited/Anthology Series: Beef (Netflix) Black Bird (Apple Plus) Fleishman In Trouble (Hulu) George & Tammy (Showtime) Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu) The White House Plumbers (HBO)

Made for Television Movie: A Christmas Story Christmas (HBO Max) Dolly Parton’s Magic Mountain Christmas (NBC) Fire Island (Hulu) Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Variety Scripted Series: A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Pre-Recorded Variety Special: Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Celebration (ABC) Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love (NBC) The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS) Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter (ABC) Richard III: Great Performances (PBS) 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO)

Live Special: The Apple Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Featuring Rihanna (FOX)

Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium (Disney Plus) The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC) The Oscars (ABC) The 75th Annual Tony Awards (CBS) The Tournament of Roses Parade (ABC)

Daytime Talk Show: The Drew Barrymore Show (Syndicated) The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC/Syndicated) Live with Kelly & Ryan/Mark (ABC/Syndicated) Today with Hoda and Jenna (NBC) Late Night Talk Show: The Daily Show (Comedy Central) Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Game Show: Family Feud (ABC/Syndicated) Jeopardy (ABC/Syndicated) Let’s Make A Deal (CBS) Password (NBC) The Price Is Right (CBS)

Reality-Competition Program: The Amazing Race (CBS) RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) Survivor (CBS) Top Chef (Bravo) The Voice (NBC)

Traditional Reality Program: Antiques Roadshow (PBS) Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (Food Network) Love Is Blind (Netflix) Queer Eye (Netflix) Shark Tank (ABC) Welcome to Wrexham (F/X) Non-Fiction Series: FDR (History Channel) The Food That Built America (History Channel) The Origins of Hip-Hop (A&E) The 1619 Project (Hulu) 30 for 30 (ESPN)

Non-Fiction Program: Being Mary Tyler Moore (HBO) The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie (Paramount Plus) I Am My Brother’s Keeper (NBC) Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu) Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple Plus)

Animated Program: Archer (F/X) Big Mouth (Cartoon Network) Harley Quinn (Netflix) The Simpsons (FOX) South Park (Comedy Central)

Most Missed Series: Atlanta (F/X) Better Call Saul (AMC) Dr. Phil (Syndicated) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) Succession (HBO)

Studio Sports Program: Big Noon Kickoff (FOX) College GameDay (ESPN) FIFA World Cup (FOX) Football Night in America (NBC) The Road to the Final Four (CBS/TBS/TNT/TruTV)

#bryanawards23

0 notes

the-breath-in-air · 3 years

Text

So You're Disappointed in Loki...Now What?

Okay folks, if you were expecting Loki to be queerer and weirder and you're disappointed in what it's turning out to be...consider checking out these other superhero/sci-fi series (if you haven't already).

Legion (2017-2019) - This show has a real retro-future aesthetic, similar to Loki. (Although Loki's drawing more from the 1970s and Legion draws more from the 1960s). Anyway, Legion is also a show about self acceptance and self-love. It's not *just* about those things; it's also about mental illness, what makes someone a "good person," and how we deal with trauma - with a bit about sexism, racism and colonialism thrown in there. And it is a weird show. Each season key parts of the reality of the fictional universe change - and always in truly bizarre ways. And there are a few canon queer characters too.

Sense8 (2015-2018) - Sense8 is a Netflix series written and directed by the Wachowski sisters and J. Michael Straczynski. It's about eight people around the world who are telepathically linked - and about the evil international corporation/agency that's attempting to capture and control them. Their telepathy is a metaphor for the internet - but also about found family. And there's an element of self-love in here as well. Of the main characters - Nomi is a trans lesbian & her cis girlfriend is Amanita, and Lito is a cis gay man & his boyfriend is Hernando. Eventually pretty much every character ends up being queer, though, because this series is just queer-as-hell. Unfortunately, this series also hits some really tired racial stereotypes and has way too much sympathy for "good" cops.

Doom Patrol (2019-Present) - Season 1 of Doom Patrol ends with a giant rat making out with a giant cockroach. What I'm saying is, this show gets weird. There's a sentient street, a man who eats beards, a narrating villain named Mr. Nobody, and an episode that takes place largely inside a donkey. And that's just the first season. Our heroes are all anti-heroes; they've all got major character flaws. But they're also all dealing with a lot of trauma, and they end up saving the word a few times while dealing with it. Of the main group, Larry is gay. Then there's also Danny - who's a genderqueer sentient street, plus pretty much everyone who lives on them is queer. This show's got a lot about self-love and self-acceptance, but also about the responsibility we have to care for each other.

The Umbrella Academy (2019-Present) - Another show about self-acceptance and the responsibility we have to care for each other. Also, each of the heroes all have pretty serious character flaws, which they either ignore or work to overcome. They're also all dealing with trauma (specifically from being raised by a complete asshole). There's time travel and a time agency and the siblings are constantly trying to avert an apocalypse. The second season in particular deals with racism and homophobia (to varying degrees of success). Also, two of the siblings are bisexual. (And Netflix updated the credits to change Elliot Page's name which is kinda great).

ETA:

Somehow when I first made this post, I forgot to post the obvious:

Ragnarok (2020-Present) - It's a teen drama + what if Norse gods were real and lived in modern-day Norway. It's a bit of a coming-of-age story but also the bigger theme is to do with climate change and evil corporations. It's a Norwegian production with a Danish showrunner which gives it a different perspective than I'm used to seeing (I'm in the U.S.). It's a fun series with some real silly moments in it. Oh and also Loki's here and queer.

ETA2:

Cannot believe I also forgot this:

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016-Present) - This is a show about a bunch of time travelers who "screw things up for the better." The first season is rough, mostly because it took itself too seriously and Vandal Savage was a rubbish villain. So you can skip it and maybe read a wiki for continuity. But trust me when I say it really picks up in season 2. One of the strengths of this show is how the writers take what could be problems, and using it to flesh out themes and ideas (i.e. the frequent changes in the cast). It gets real meta and a bit weird, but in a CW-friendly way. So it's got some heavy themes, but also a lot of silliness. It also has a lot of crossover with the other CW Arrowverse shows, but honestly it's completely understandable on its own. Queer characters include (but are not limited to): Sara Lance, Ava Sharpe, Charlie, Constantine (huzzah finally), Gary, and Zari.

#doom patrol #sense8 #legion #loki #umbrella academy #ragnarok #marvel #mcu #netflix #dceu #legends of tomorrow #dc legends of tomorrow #arrowverse

527 notes · View notes

myaimistrue · 3 years

Text

del myaimistrue’s underrated destiel fic recs part 3!

as with part 1 and part 2, these are all fics that aren’t necessarily as popular or well known as more common recs. they all have less than 10k hits on ao3 OR were published pre-2015 OR both. this a good list y’all i’m excited to share them with you :) leave a comment and kudos for the author if you enjoy a fic!!

list under the cut, organized by word count!

children get older (and i'm getting older, too) by flightsofangels

2k. fics that make you sob hysterically. this is SOOOO sweet. it’s a little story written for transnatural week (if you’re looking for some really fantastic fics, check out their ao3 collection) in which dean and cas discuss their experiences with gender. featuring dad dean and cas, and so many good moments between tfw 2.0.

through the stars by LoversAntiquities

2k fic about dean’s fortieth birthday, on which he wakes up with swollen hands from his arthritis. just a quick sweet story about how loved dean is, and the gifts sam and cas get for him will make both you and dean cry!

if you are hungry then take note by a_good_soldier

2.2k. basically i’m never tired of post-canon curtain fics, and this is one of the best. cas writing poetry is EVERYTHING to me. dean as a mentor to queer kids is also incredible. just a really sweet, soft story about growing old in the safety of your home with somebody you love <3

Clear as a Bell by charcoalcas

2.3k human cas sickfic! he gets chickenpox and dean takes care of him which is as sweet as you think it’d be. it’s the night before their anniversary (september 18th) as well, and they talk about the very beginnings of their relationship. super cute and fun to read!

so comfort came by Newtondale

4k post-canon fic. dean reckons with the concept of retirement now that he and cas aren’t regularly hunting anymore. very sweet little fix-it. dean and cas are so in love <3

love, now and forever by LoversAntiquities

5.4k. michael leaves dean’s body and cas is left to pick up the pieces in a small cabin while they wait for their family to arrive. hurt/comfort is my personal favorite trope to read and this is heavy on both the hurt and comfort. very heavy at the beginning (dean is not in a good place) so be careful, but it has a really sweet ending.

of fire and circles by deanspurpleflannel

7.9k. post 15x18 toddler!jack fic in which the bunker burns down. i left a rambling comment on it the first time i read it because it made me feel sooooo much. dean’s grief over cas was expertly written, and the claire & dean & jack dynamic was perfect. plus it’s a fun twist on the cas returning from empty trope! will bring a tear to your eye by the end.

All other nights are black, all other hours are cold by jamjarjane

9.7k. SUPER sweet getting together fic with lots of pining. dean is very touch-starved and cas knows it. the last two scenes are so tender and so beautifully written--the want and the love between dean and cas are palpable.

Flying in Circles Inside a Jar by prosopopeya

11k season 5 getting together fic. i am such a sucker for kripke era deancas, and this one is so perfect at capturing that dynamic. super fun and sexy and in-character. fully laughed out loud multiple times while reading, with plenty of sweet moments to balance it out!

Repose by Thalius

a 14.4k season 6 fic. cas needs a break from the civil war and heaven and comes to see the winchesters at bobby’s house. the push and pull between dean wanting to take care of cas while still being afraid to deal with how he feels for him is perfectly illustrated here. also it has super interesting takes on soul-touching/angelic healing!

Fight or Flight by ellispark

this is a 23.1k canon divergent season 12 story that has basically everything i love in a supernatural fic. established deancas! interesting mary character work! hurt/comfort! compelling plot! great sam moments independent of dean and cas! family drama! plus the non-linear narrative is a super interesting choice that is so fun to read. seriously one of my absolute all-time favorites

until the end and after by Philyra912

27.9k. literally one of my new favorite deancas fics of all time, and possibly my favorite post-canon curtain fic. set a year after they save the world, dean and cas are living in an old farmhouse together and making a life… except they aren’t technically together. it’s so in-character and so gentle and so good. seriously 10/10 in every regard.

#deancas #destiel #spn #fic rec #spn fic rec #deancas fic rec #destiel fic rec #del's fic recs #honestly i'm probably going to have to make a google doc or something searchable at some point but today is not that day #enjoy guys 😘#as always hit me up if you have more specific requests!

182 notes · View notes

enbyeddiediaz · 3 years

Text

thinking abt. eddie diaz. (the light of my life).

more specifically. a coming to terms with his sexuality arc. unpacking all of his internalized issues. laying awake at night and connecting dots from his past like how he felt around his middle/high school best friend,,,,realizing he had a crush on a cartoon character (we've all been there) and being like "oh. OH." bc suddenly a lot more things make sense but also there's so many more questions now. he's in therapy with frank dealing with his ptsd from the shooting and one session eddie is particularly quiet and so frank asks if there's smthg else he was rather talk about and eddie opening his mouth and then closing it and then waiting a couple minutes and going "there is but I don't know if I'm ready yet" and Frank goes "well when you are, I'm sure someone will be there to listen". and then. a few weeks later. during a relatively peaceful shift, eddie is chilling upstairs just staring at his blank phone screen after a session of googling sexualities and how other people figured out they were queer. hen walks up and sees him staring and asks him what's up and he just shakes his head and then changes his mind and goes "hen, how did you know you were gay?" and she talks about it, and he's like "aw shit" bc it hits just a LITTLE too close to home and he's quiet for a while afterwards and hen gently asks "why'd do ask?" and he looks at her and laughs a little nervously and goes "I think I'm demisexual???" (or whatever you hc him as, this is just mine) and hen goes "ok. can I ask what brought this on?" and eddie clicks on his phone and looks at his lock screen which is a picture of buck and Chris during one of their family outings and hen just nods and says "I thought it might be that" and eddie just looks at her with big eyes and goes "I don't know what to do" and she wraps an arm around him and tells him it'll be alright, even if it might take a while, and that while buck might be a little slow on the uptake at the moment, he'll catch up sooner rather than later and that she's 95% sure he reciprocates and in the mean time, eddie has time to figure himself out some more and that she's there if he needs to talk again. I'd also like to see him going to Michael about it bc even if they don't know each other that well or have practically no canon interaction, it's a similar situation I feel, and his perspective would help eddie too PLUS it would give us more Michael screen time. anyway, not only would it give us a real eddie plot line, it would be interesting as hell to watch, and would be good for representation. also it's realistic with the way they've written him, especially this season with all the "make sure you're following your heart, and not christopher's" and stuff. plus, ya know. a gateway for buddie which would be great

now completely unrelated, I think it would be dope as shit if he became a paramedic. someone has to replace hen when she graduates med school and becomes a doctor, he has the background from the army. eddie is at heart a caregiver and I think this would be good for him, also another actual plot line they could give him. plus medic!eddie is always great to watch

92 notes · View notes

kaypeace21 · 3 years

Note

I believe that byler is an endgame

but why would they spend 3 seasons winding up with mileven?

People REALLY need to pay attention to the shows the Duffers cited as huge inspirations to them. Cheers,dawsons creek, freak &geeks did exactly what the Duffers are doing (and the Duffers said these shows inspired them)

. Cheers for over 5 seasons built up the pairing of sam and Dianne- had them break up in the s5 finale and then in the last 2 eps of the 11th season have them get back together and once again break up explaining for the 100th time they were wrong for each other and brought out the worst in eachother . Cheers would build up multiple pairings (Frasier /Lilith (s4-11/broke up in s11) , sam/Dianne (s 1-11, broke up in s11 permanently) , rebecca /sam (s8-10) Rebecca/robin (s8-9) -these pairings lasted for multiple seasons and they all broke up! They built pairings up for multiple seasons but showed throughout the show why those pairing in cheers could never work out in the long term. The same Thing happened with almost every pairing in Dawson’s creek (they’d build up multiple pairings up -sometimes for multiple seasons- sprinkle in good but also dysfunctional aspects of those relationships- and then break them apart for good ).

Also in Dawson’s creek 2 characters (a rich girl and poor guy with daddy issues) date and breakup- but both of their gay brothers get together and are endgame instead of them (cough jancy vs byler). One of the gay guys (the rich one with the book smart sis) even dated the main girl (Joey) for a while before admitting he was gay and that he was in denial (while dating the main girl for more than a season ). In D.C even the main guy(Dawson) / girl (Joey) don’t end up being endgame (despite teasing it for all 5 seasons) . They did this with a lot of couples in the show. Honestly, the Duffers pretty much borrowed this idea of showing pairings with issues and breaking them up -but toned down how long they’d bait them . Like 11seasons of showing dysfunctional couples date -ick. And Dawson’s creek ... my god it had a literal love octogon/ love webs (so many love squares/pentagons/ and on and off relationships). The 1 adult couple broke up and I’m not exaggeration 4 times, and Dawson got back with 2 of his girlfriends like so many times. And ugh I’d say each (of the 4-5) main characters dated at least 4 people -and each of those relationships lasted for like 20+ eps each... and then after all that build up -break up ). That’s not even including the people the main 5 or so characters would date for like 5-6 eps . Thank god it was toned down compared to Dawson’s creek or cheers. i can’t imagine the frustration watching those shows during its airing 😂

Freaks & geeks (set in the 80s)was also inspo.14 y old Sam who is bullied and called “homo” “queer” etc throughout the whole series - he also obsesses over a cheerleader girl for the whole series and in the second to last ep of the series- they finally start dating and he realizes they have nothing in common and says “it’s boring. all we ever do is makeout.She likes nothing i like. We can’t talk to eachother. We never have fun.” And he admits he only keeps dating her cause everyone would call him “crazy” to not date her. sam and her are also said to be “from different planets” and “different species” just like mileven in s3 lol. The gf of sam also says before they dated she saw him ‘like a sister’ (like El asking mike if he’d be her brother in s1, before they date). And after this sibling comment various characters -encouraged the couple and said they would be good together (before they dated-like what we’ve seen in st with mileven and other ships ).Sam eventually decides to not cave to peer pressure- and breaks up with her. Meanwhile sam’s sis (is a straight A student, who is initially into a popular guy and starts hanging with the cool kids). After getting over the first (popular) guy, she later dates another guy- a music-obsessed-stoner-guy with a cruddy dad...and she breaks up with him (like jancy?). That couple was even called ‘romeo & juliet’ before they broke up-similar to mileven being called “romeo & juliet’ before their breakup. plus r&j were never in love... just like mileven.

All 3 shows had the main guy/girl date but not end up with eachother in the end . And both shows -would build up several pairings that looked like endgame but would show faults in those relationships and would have them breakup (because those pairings were never that healthy together). Which I believe is what they’re doing with jancy, jopper, mileven and lumax (explained in my analysis here all the evidence for why I don’t think they don’t end up together). I mean there’s many reasons I listed in the analysis but you think it’s a coincidence - jancy, lumax, mileven , and Steve/rando girl who rejected him in s3-all incorportated spying on their love interest ? you think the duffers think that’s good to have all these romantic pairings spy on eachother? When in the show they canonically have the us gov (villains) spy via phone taps, and hidden recorders, and cameras? Brenner used El as a spy for his own gain ? they even call the mf a ‘spy’ (which the characters perceive as the main villain)... i don’t think the mf is actually villainous but that’s off topic).The point is narratively equating spying as something ‘wrong’ by characters our main cast of heroes is against. But having that same cast of heroes partaking in spying themselves … specifically on to their romantic partners- and not also showing it as a negative. But romanticizing it? Would be quite hypocritical. And a HUGE narrative oversight.

Also build up?

S1- mileven kiss right after el asks if he’ll be her “friend” or “brother”. Has others compare el to mike’s sibling /cousin. Hint Will is gay . Have hints mike is queer too/ and cares deeply about Will. Constantly mention how el physically resembles Will/a boy. Parallel mileven to ted/Karen who were “never in love”. Have Nancy and mike verbally compare the jancy/stancy love triangle to mileven/byler . And at the end of the season mike writes a story for Will that likens the 2 to han/leia. Flo says about jancy/Jon “ only love makes you that crazy and that damn stupid”. (Which flo wasn’t entirely right about since jon punched Steve for insulting his family- for Jon it was familial love -not romantic love. But put a pin in that phrase)

S2- was pretty much byler season (and mileven barely interact that season). Byler say they’d go “crazy together”. But el’s new catchphrase is she’s “not stupid.” They Compare mileven to luke/leia (siblings that kissed) . Ref ghostbusters and parallel byler to the romantic pairing of Dana /venkman (but have el just be a ghost and mike a ghost buster which isn’t romantic but the opposite) .parallel mileven to hopper/el. Have el spy on mike, el hurt a stranger cause of unhealthy jealousy, have mileven dance to a song about a possessive spying/Stalking ex gf . Throw in mileven burns like “they’re not in love they’re not even from the same planet.” (El being et ref) . Have mike say annoyed “a bond ?! (Scoff) cause you shared nougat?! “ (egos like s1 ) “. Mike saying after knowing max for a week “hate you? I don’t even know you?” (He knew el for a week too so no way he loves her -cause he doesn’t know el , just like max ) . mike even criticizes his friends’ instant attraction to max saying “you haven’t even spoken a word to her.”Dustin saying “ I don’t have to . I mean -look at her.” Which makes it even more suspicious that mike was into a girl who multiple characters said looked like a boy (specifically Will) in s1. Have El watch a soap opera (all my children) and mimic the scene of erica kane and her love interest michael. Which in the soap opera-isn’t endgame, and ended with some stalking after their breakup.

S3- mileven is finally dating : multiple characters (lucas, Will, Hopper, dustin,Max, etc) in the show dislike and verbally complain about them together . In cheers all of sam’s friends hated him dating Dianne and would vocally complain about it (similar to joyce they even clapped/cheered after 1 of their many breakups) . Mike is horrified by the spying(that mileven fans romanticized in s2) , el is happier single and neither is heartbroken over the breakup. They date for 2 eps and then breakup . Mileven being together inhibits El’s character arc from s2 (aka she went from wanting to explore the world and leave the cabin in s2 to see her friends, to ignoring her friends and cutting herself off from the world in order to stay in the cabin all day to make out with mike for 6 months - she would literally lie to her friends about curfew to return to the cabin and kiss mike -going against her ‘friends don’t lie’ mantra from the past 2 seasons too ). Mike canonically doesn’t trust her / doesn’t believe in her ability to make decisions and lies to her and never apologizes for lying. And el doesn’t apologize for spying . They throw in more gay hints of mike & Will. Mileven is called “bullshit” like s2 stancy . And Both pairings in the show kissed a bunch and said “I love you” (but they weren’t endgame). They also contrast s3 mileven scenes to s2 byler scenes and have byler win out. And once again parallel mileven to hopper/el and Karen/ted. As well as paralleling and likening Mileven to stancy in numerous other ways (besides the “bullshit “ line) . They also parallel mileven to stobin (both are straight baits) .They parallel the stobin confession to the mileven one -both confessions have them sitting on the floor, both girls have bandages on their legs, and both confessions are interrupted by dustin. Also both Steve/mike use the terms “crazy & stupid ” to confess to robin/el. But unlike Will who agrees to be “crazy “ with mike .El confused , asks “ what makes you crazy?” And robin says she didn’t have a crush on his “stupid hair”. el even says in reference to mike “there’s more to life than stupid boys.” Showing how el/robin don’t have romantic feelings for the boys-like the flo phrase of s1. Unlike Will who after fighting with mike calls himself “stupid” over and over and rips up the photo of him and mike where they promised to go “crazy together.” Even Steve says in s2 stancy should should “pretend to be stupid teenagers” in love. Emphasis on “pretend”. And when el says she loves mike “the first I love you” plays -the only other time that song plays in s3 is when robin rejects Steve (cause she’s gay.) cough cause mike is gay too.

There’s a lot more in each season (that illustrates mileven was built up -but not as a positive couple but a problematic one that was never was in love to begin with ). But I’m trying to keep this short . You can read this post here where I go in more depth about all of this .

S1-2 builds up the problematic ships (but showed good and bad aspects of their dynamic) . like the spying of jancy, lumax, and mileven or the jealousy. of Hopper in s2. In the s2 finalie they have them kiss or hug/exchange romantic glances. And in S3 we see the after math of this with all the couples officially dating - and they show all the couples issues at the forefront . I already talked about mileven. But, Lumax broke up 6 times (they dated for 6 months- and every month they dated max dumped him ). Jancy fight in the opening of ep 1 and don’t understand each others issues (sexism/poverty-and Jon’s issues with his dad) . And neither supports the other in their passions of journalism & photography.Nancy is also called “nancy drew” who in 1986 (year of s4) before going to college dumps her long term highschool bf (who helped her in many of her past mysteries/novels ). Their relationship was also shown as complex and somewhat dysfunctional because of both parties -before nancy drew dumps him. And (even if not dating like the other pairings) jopper almost go on a date in s3. Joyce was trying to hide the fact she was moving, Hopper was horribly jealous, and all they did was yell and argue.Murray says to joyce regarding hopper “he’s a brute... probably reminds you of a bad relationship” (aka lonnie/Joyce) . They even have Joyce watch a cheers ep- which directly compares jopper to (dianne/Frasier) who weren’t endgame in cheers but a rebound . Hopper /fraiser both drink chianti . Fraiser asks dianne to marry him/Hopper asks Joyce on a date-both women stand them up. Or when Joyce asks Hopper out she calls her self ‘detective byers ‘and Hopper name drops miami vice. Which had an on and off again relationship for several seasons- of the male /female detectives.The relationship faded out as Gina realized they mainly got together when one or both needed someone. Crockett was very protective of Gina, and had some jealousy when Gina was involved in relationships , but was the first one to be there for her when things went wrong. And they realized it was better to not be together romantically. Heck seems like all these couples have negative film/tv parallels... lucas in s2 mentions not liking winston in ghost busters cause he came ‘super late’ (like Max). in s1 disses michael myers (which Max dressed as). And at the end of s3- lumax dress identically to eric/donna from a ep of that 70s shows (in the ep eric/donna were broken up).

(s3 was marketed as the “summer of love” and “summer love” is a euphemism for flings that don’t last.) s4-5 Will probably show good healthy ships/break up the problematic ones from past seasons .

So first 2 seasons focus on the unhealthy ships / and the last 2 seasons focus on healthy ships. S3 the middle season would be considered the turning point -and why none of the popular ships (assumed to be endgame) came off looking that great (compared to how they were presented in s1-2) .

#byler #anti mileven #byeler #stranger things

224 notes · View notes

stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland · 3 years

Text

PR stunt relationships - ɟ

🎶🎶 Guess who’s back, back, back? Back again, gain, gain 🎶🎶

Heeello, my babies! 🥰 How are you? I hope you’re all fine and that you’re staying strong since, as we knew and expected, they’re literally attacking us every day with these PRs. And today’s topic is precisely about this. PR-stunt relationships.

What do I know about- What do I know about love? Nothing. And that’s why it’s everything. Sorry, I had to 😅🤣. Shout-out to ‘What Do I Know About Love?’ by CC. No but, seriously tho. What do I know about a PR stunt relationship? Again, I’m not an expert on the subject. I know as much as you do, plus, maybe a little bit more due to my research over the years.

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

PR stunt relationship, also known as PRomance, showmance, fauxmance (👈🏽 cover for celebrities who are both queer), and also as 🤫😂 ‘extremely camera-ready relationship’. I can personally define a PR as a work of persuasion. Picture PR people as shapers, as narrators, as storytellers, because that’s what they do. Whether it’s for protection, or to build or rebuild an image, or simply for promotion, they analyze the situation in order to create the best publicity/narrative/farce that benefits their client. They each have their own vision. Each of them has a plan that they sometimes tend to repeat with other clients because it works. Take as an example our friend Scooby Doo Sc**ter (Br**n), who is making it increasingly normal and common for his clients to use engagement rings as narratives.

A PR stunt relationship is nothing more than a PUBLICITY STUNT, as the word itself implies, aimed to get people and media attention. Publicists and celebrity management managers set up a fake public relationship to make fans and the general public believe it’s true. To give the couple more credibility, also friends, family, and artists friends of the couple get involved many times. To give you a practical example, let’s take PRen Tyren. They were at least 80% involved in each other’s lives.

Think about their birthdays and all the friends and families involved. Think about when Tymber even went to Graciela’s birthday, L’s great grandmother. Think about Tyres and brother Jauregui (who even made a song out of it with him). Think about L and Angel Gold (his sister). Think about L and Jailynn (his daughter). Think about The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, aka Tyren and, I think they were called Galsey? (Halsey and G-Eazy). Think even about Dinah who was part of the PR. I mean, you got it, right?

This type of business, whether involves the music industry, the film industry, the sports industry, etc., works this way for EVERYONE. They get at the same goal but with different tactics for each individual person, and they give a damn if in the meantime the person, their client, is bullied, or hated, or if they receive death threats, or if they start having anxiety problems, panic attacks, mental or physical health problems, etc. They don’t give a shit about their well-being in general. It’s just business to them. They’re just money with two legs. Can you picture a rolled-up dollar with two legs, can’t you? Good, because that’s what they are. Products. Products to sell.

There’s a very strict contract that both parties have to mutually agree on, and this contract is called a relationship contract. A relationship contract is a legally binding document for the duration of at least one year. It’s very VERY own custom-made because they write down what do they want to happen, then the duration (which can be extended) and the termination, and all the other things that each of them wants to include. The duration of a contract obviously varies from person to person and can depend on many things. But the main thing is that, it depends on the type of goal they want to achieve thanks to it.

For example, if the purpose is purely publicizing, such as the promotion of an album, or a movie, or whatever else, the relationship will last only for the necessary time that it takes to increase the interest of the public and indeed, to publicize the project. Another example could be when they want to hide the sexuality of one of the two people in the couple or both. Here, the duration of the contract could reach up to years, and could even lead to fake marriages.

We have examples of people who have done this to promote movies/sagas/franchises: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. We have examples of people who have done this to promote TV series: Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse, Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush. We have examples of people who have done this to hide their true sexuality: Ricky Martin & Rebecca De Alba (for 17 motherfucking years), TS and.. and-and-and EVERYONE. We have examples of people who have done this to increase their notoriety, but then fell in love for real despite being super toxic for each other: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. We even have examples of real couples who have been asked to go public to boost ratings and publicize their show more than it already was per se: Lea Michele and Cory Monteith. [Yes, my friends, even real couples do PR stuff for publicity purposes]

Celebs fake relationships for profits. Profits such as more fame, more fans, more acquaintances, whether they were made together or thanks to or of the ‘partner’ themselves based also on the industry fields to which they are part, more freedom in other aspects of their life, both work and private, etc., and of course, money. The money profit received varies. It varies according to the duration (especially if they’re many years), to what they’re supposed to do, such as how many times they’re forced to kiss (yes, guys, that also counts), to the amount of time they have to spend together, aka being seen together, etc. It also and above all vary, based on how famous they are, or if one of them is not famous at all, or if one of them is more famous than the other. It’s obvious that the more famous the person is, the more money they receive. Both parties benefit from it, but the person who ACCEPTED to do the PR is obviously paid more also based on the notoriety they have as I told you. Here we start with a minimum of $5,000 received per month. The figure can also reach disproportionate numbers with five/six zeros per year.

It’s enough to think that 75/80% of all famous couples are fake. They gain more attention and ultimately, more money, and at the same time, fans and GP can witness an exciting ‘love story’ filled with drama, gossip, rumors, mysteries, and if they decide to end their story on a negative note, even with the possible and eventual shade-throwing which in turn leads to more attention, more gossip, etc., etc. Exactly how the teams on both sides wanted. You have to keep in mind that teams have the power in this case. It’s the PR teams who hold the power over the media to control the narrative, and not the other way around.

There are also many factors involved to keep in mind. People involved. We have friends, parents, paparazzi, and all those other people the celeb team involves to make the story look as believable as possible. For example, you know when the media say it was a source who gave them the news? Well, that’s the truth. Think about it. Those sources and those insiders are really insiders because they’re part of the team. They are those people who work for them and who release information, whether true or fake, to follow the narrative decided for the plan. Speaking instead of another topic that I’ve noticed in many asks. Paparazzi.

I don’t know if you know how paparazzi usually work, but especially the old-fashioned stalker type ones, are not known to hold back, in fact, on the contrary, they go way too far beyond the limits. Some of them know where the celebrities might be based on how popular the location is (clubs, restaurants, etc., where celebs often go), or other times, they’re called by waiters, valets, drivers, etc., etc. It’s a pretty aggressive and competitive industry, and paparazzi do everything they can to get images of famous people to sell to a newspaper or a magazine or on Instagram. There are differences between those in the US, those in Europe, etc. Many are also easy to control since eight times out of ten, it’s an organized thing.

As we well know, most of the time, the paparazzi are told where to be and when, probably by the celebrity’s PR agency itself. It’s ALL for publicity. Publicity of any kind. To promote a movie if it’s an actor, to promote an album if it’s a singer, to be noticed if that person’s project was a flop, for fake relationships or to ‘cover’ the real ones if one of the two is in a relationship that is not seen in a good light and therefore doesn’t suit the public eye, or if one of the two or both of them are queer. Seriously, for everything. And so they have paparazzi following them around so it looks like they’re more popular than they actually are, and the celebrities who make me laugh the most are those who, after calling them, act like the paparazzi were following them everywhere, some even getting angry and taking it out on them.

But it must also be said that celebrities who really don’t want the paparazzi’s attention, make sure that this doesn’t happen. Unlike the ones who want them and even have them called. There are many celebrities who want their pictures taken because, as we also know, any publicity is good publicity. These celebrities know how it works and not only accept that the paparazzi are part of the business, but use them as a tool for their publicity. It’s just business for them and a new opportunity to look good in magazines. They want to be in control of their image and in this way, they have it.

Also, some brands pay celebs to wear their clothing or accessories while out and about, and those staged shots that look like candid of a celebrity leaving a restaurant or a store, actually have multiple purposes, namely: celebrity endorsement of the product, big check for the celebrity for wearing the item, collaboration between the celebrity and paparazzi to get nice shots that look natural and random from which the celebrity then selects the ones they prefers, and image sales for the paparazzi agency. Everyone gets paid and everyone is happy.

Another thing to take into consideration? Depending on the celebrity’s profession, even their own contracts. In the sense that most of their contracts involve fake relationships. It also depends on the image that the celeb has and whether they’re trying to hide their sexuality. From this, their contracts can include a minimum of two PRs, or five, or eight, or even one that lasts for many years. They can also state that the same person with whom the celebrity has already had a PR in the past, may be again in the future. I’ll give you a practical example.

Imagine yourselves and a friend as a celebrity, okay? You guys are singers and your friend is an actor. You’ve just signed a 3-album deal lasting 5 years (meaning you have 5 years to complete and release 3 albums), and your friend an 8-year movie saga contract (let’s imagine 3 movies). Now let’s imagine that there are clauses in both your contracts that also include fake relationships. Your contract has two, and your friend’s contract has five, including one with one of their co-stars. Both of you must, ABSOLUTELY, have the number of PRs chosen for you over the course of those years, otherwise, you’re gonna be forced not only to fight a lawsuit that you will lose because you haven’t respected the contract, but also to pay a penalty that can reach up to six figures.

Doesn’t this ring a bell? Now do you also understand why Ca*ren, and most of the other celebrities, are forced to have PR stunt relationships? Because they have to! Because it’s part of their contracts if they want to keep doing what they do. Many of them have a say. They can decide whether or not to accept the person chosen for them, they can choose a person themselves, they can negotiate something in return if they accept a person they didn’t want, etc., etc. But many have no say in it.

And speaking of our Camr*n, more specifically, our L, and Kris. Guys… All the comments I’ve read around… *help* 🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻

L didn’t invite Kris there because he’s her boyfriend. And it certainly wasn’t her the one who asked her dad to delete the post because she didn’t want her fans to start attacking her new boyfriend or because she wanted to protect her relationship. IT WAS ALL DONE ON PURPOSE. Mi*e posted the picture and then deleted it ON PURPOSE! Why? Because (L and Kris’ teams) wanted the fans to see the picture to speculate! They wanted the fans to start attacking him! They want people to talk about it!! Is that really that hard to understand or to believe? Welcome to Tyren 2.0, my friends. That’s how it started with Taco Delivery Symbol, or did you forget that too? Go read the timelines if you really don’t remember.

I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve put off releasing L’s album over the years. They’d finally decided, and then it was postponed AGAIN, but because of COVID. EVERYONE had to postpone their programs actually, but L’s album was supposed to be released 100% this year (in September, in my opinion). Her PR should have started earlier. This is the only reason we have only had hints of Crispy McBacon (I’ve already found so many nicknames for his transphobic ass, sorry but I just can’t help myself) over time. Because they have postponed several times! *And also because, in my opinion, they were still looking for an alternative. The choice had to be between a guy (him) and a girl.*

But hey, at least they have an excuse to make this PR more real, you know? I’m already picturing what she’ll say because we all know the script by now: “Kris and I’ve been dating for a while now. I’m a private person. My personal life is my personal life and I want to protect my shit, you know? I don’t like it when people judge my life choices and that’s why I’ve never talked about it before. And I’d like it to stay that way”. Picture me shouting a “SURE, JAN!” when that happens, also because we will then slowly have more and more of their content. Aww, I’m already picturing them playing fake lovebirds and talking to each other in Spanish IN FRONT of a camera, in a live or an Insta-story maybe? 🤮🤮🤮

And speaking of postponed programs…

This is my version of how things could’ve turned out for our oh so beloved IwanttobeknownMila. Keep these dates in mind. Shon Mentos: The Tour, started on March 7, 2019, and ended on December 21, 2019. The Romance Tour, was supposed to start on May 26, 2020, and end on September 26, 2020.

They could’ve released Shirt’s documentary around the beginning of the Romance Tour. They could’ve made them break up almost at the end of the Romance Tour. He would’ve completed the album now, to then releasing it in January or February almost simultaneously with Cinderella’s release.

Why all this? Simple, cross-publicity or cross-promotion or whatever you want to call it. Choke recently said that they’d initially finished filming at the end of his tour and that they had to cut out a lot of parts. And what does all this mean? That the original documentary was another one.

In my opinion, the original was supposed to about his life on tour and only a small part, sneak peeks about the creation of Wonder. Instead, thanks to COVID, they changed direction and made it all about his album. The reason why they had to cut a lot of parts, was to make room for the last few months and therefore to the completion of the album. Which is why I think they finished filming in September/October (if anyone of u knows more, please feel free to let me know).

Without COVID they could’ve released his original documentary more or less around the beginning of the Romance Tour. News, tabloids, and people would’ve talked about them, both for the documentary and for the tour of our Mila= cross-promotion. They could’ve made them break up almost at the end of the Romance Tour. The distance, the misunderstandings, and why not, even the pathetic excuse that Toilet Brush used now when ‘they were in crisis/on a break’, that is, that he hadn’t been opened and vulnerable with her. People would’ve talked about them, Shitmila fans would’ve rebelled and cry their eyes out, news and tabloids would’ve gone crazy for who would tell the story better= cross-promotion. He would’ve completed the album now, with half of the songs he already had (from 3 years) and that he’s using on this album, and a half with songs that would’ve been about his broken heart, to then releasing it in January or February almost simultaneously with Cinderella’s release. Do I need to say this? You can imagine what would’ve happened, right? And what would that have led to? Oh yeah. Cross-promotion!

But anyway, guys, it didn’t happen. Just as we didn’t get L’s album as we hoped. But try to remember one thing, okay? Tyren’s contract started because L needed a new male PR and then they flipped the cards around and continued for him AS AGREED initially. Shakerstoremila’s one, on the other hand, is only and exclusively for HIM. It’s centered on him and will continue to be on him until the end. There’s no point in asking yourselves why Paruparo does this and why Paruparo does that, okay? She HAS TO do it. It’s in her contract and she cannot legally break it if she doesn’t want to face the consequences HER HERSELF has accepted. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you accept it, the sooner you can wait for the end more calmly. It sucks, I know. But that’s the way it is.

I’ve never liked Shon that much in the past. I discovered his existence only and exclusively thanks to Paruparo (IKWYDLS). I’ve always seen him as too fake and with a huge ego. I first became aware of his giant ego during the interview they did in 2015 at The Late Late Show with James Corden. Indeed, I’ve always wondered how someone like Mila could be friends with such an egocentric person. But you know how it is, I just brushed it off because I simply didn’t care about him, and also because at the time (2016 when I officially entered the fandom) the IKWYDLS era was already over for a while. BUT, my first impression of him became very true years later when they started this ridiculous charade.

Not only is he self-centered and with a huge ego, he’s also one of the most fake people I’ve ever seen. Why am I saying this? Because although I don’t know him and consequently, I don’t know if he was already like that before he became famous, Shon is the typical empty celebrity without a personality that has become the role he was set to be in the beginning. The perfect product. They wanted to sell the good guy. The sensitive and different from the others (and that’s where the bullshit of being a ‘singer-songwriter’ came from). And since this idea in itself only partially worked, they made him work on his body so they could sell that too. To sell the unreachable good guy. Superman, as he defines himself 😂. The problem of Shawn and his team, is with people who have not stopped to just look at the fake goody to shoes image that they wanted and want to continue selling.

The way I see him, Shoe’s just a selfish kid. Everything always revolves around him. Everything is and must be about him. He lives to be loved. He lives for the attention. He lives for the approval of others. Everyone must necessarily like him. There’s no one else besides him. Do you know what he reminds me of? He reminds me of a child who asks his mom for attention. ‘Mommy, how did I do? You liked it, didn’t you? Was I good? I can do better if you want, I know I can do better’. I don’t even think he realizes he’s like that because he’s so full of himself and so clouded by himself. Oh and, you know what I’ve been realizing lately? Many of his fans really believe he grew his hair out because Paruparo asked him to (I’d never have believed this bullshit even under torture), but now more than ever I’m convinced that he did it to copy one of his obsessions for years, that is, Matthew McConaughey. My personal problem with this look of his is the fact that he’s now starting to look more and more like Jon Snow (any Game of Thrones fans like me here?), aka one of the characters I can’t stand the most of that amazing TV series. And this, is making me dislike him even more.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I hate him and that I consider him the devil. In fact, I think there’s a lot but A LOT worse than him out there. I really, REALLY, dislike him, but I don’t hate him. Do I follow him on social media? Yes, but only on IG. Did I listen to his music? Yes, but illegally, and I liked some of his songs because as usual, I distinguish the art from the artist. I’ve never bought his music, I’ve never streamed it, I’ve never gone to one of his concerts, and the only views I’ve ever given him are only for music videos (not even all of them) on YouTube and only because other channels can’t violate copyrights by taking and posting them on their own. Indeed, you know how I’m gonna listen to his album? Thanks to the YouTube channels of his fans who will post his songs.

But anyway. I’ve dwelt too much on #pleasenoticeme #pleaseloveme, I’d say that’s enough. I’m gonna conclude with my final thoughts on the main topic of my post, that is, the fake PR relationships. I wanna explain to u guys why a fake relationship like Shazam’s and our Mila’s is so obvious as PR.

A PR relationship MUST create doubt in people’s heads and MUST NOT look perfect at all. Why? Because otherwise people WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT IT. If it looked like a basic relationship, a common relationship, people wouldn’t talk about it because they wouldn’t find anything strange about it. They wouldn’t speculate, they wouldn’t look for clues, they wouldn’t watch every move. They wouldn’t be thirsty. They’d just get bored. Yes, there would be the initial boom of the ‘new couple’, but then everything would end and people would move on to look for something else to entertain them. The main point of a PR relationship is to make people speculate, and if people don’t constantly talk about it, then it would be all pointless because it would make no sense to create a fake relationship in the first place.

Way to stop this act or any other act? Stop giving them fucking attention! You want to talk about it, speculate, look for evidence, and make theories amongst you friends? Do it! That’s great actually. I do it myself. But fucking tagging them?? 🤨😒🙄

If all the fans who know the real TRUTH stop talking about it by tagging them, tweeting them, etc. their ‘story’ would end. Sure, their teams would try to create something to attract attention again, like a kiss or a scoop, but if ignored even then, everything would end immediately. Why? Precisely because they were unable to complete their task. And in that case, the two celebs would ‘break up’ with a big scandal that would still bring attention back to them, although in this case, the attention would FINALLY be on both celebrities in a singular way and no longer as a couple. The next goal would be for fans and media to find out ‘what happened’ and ‘why’, while for managers it would be to create a scoop on those questions that keep them talking about them, and if all goes well, maybe even get them ‘back together’, and so on, until they have a better idea. But, if they fail even then, even though they’ve not reached the date scheduled in the contract, they would ‘break up’ without any more surprises.

And that’s all for now, my fellows CS. Remember to hold on and to not lose hope. Be patient. And above all, try not to freak out and get very angry as soon as you listen to the album. We already know it’s all bullshit.

I’m sending you a virtual hug 🤗🤗 Always with love, F ❤️

#FA #submission #f anon

283 notes · View notes