#then again I don't get idolising celebrities

[hussyknee]

cant put my finger on it, but Taylor Swift feels like walking racial microaggression

[snekjoy]

More genshin takes. Today's subject is Diona, who is actually mischaracterised so badly it makes me mad.

Fandom take: brat who hates diluc and complains all the time and hates alcohol (I have seen actual tiktoks complaining about her for these reasons)

Reality:

Diona's mother is not mentioned. She seems to be looked after only by her father, or was looked after by him. Diona loves her father more than anything, and the first time she saw him drunk, her entire world was shattered. She decided that this couldn't be his fault, he was her dad. He was her hero. Clearly, it was the fault of the wine.

Draff is not a responsible parent-

[friendship lv. 4 story: ...young Diona found that her father would wind up particularly drunk... dead to the world before he could even finish her bedtime story]

-and Diona doesn't want to accept that it's his fault, so she hates alcohol and wants to take down the wine industry. The way she wants to achieve this is through mixing drinks so disgusting, nobody who visits the Cat's Tail will ever want to drink again.

Unfortunately, she was blessed on her seventh birthday by the spring fairy, a spirit living in the water at Springvale. She used to go and speak to the water when Draff was drunk, and the fairy listened and chose to bless her.

[friendship lv. 6 story: "I will bless you, daughter of hunters, for your days ahead, and as a farewell. May your cup always run over with the sweet wine of celebration. May it always be refreshing as springs of ever-melting snow."]

Diona doesn't remember this, since she was so young, and believes it to be a dream. She can't make bad drinks, no matter the ingredients or techniques used. It's impossible.

She doesn't know this, so she got a job at the Cat's Tail to try and achieve her goals. This is AWFUL. Margaret, the owner, said: [lv. 3 story] "What choice did I have? She's just too cute."

The creeps at the Cat's Tail are fucking disgusting.

[Lv. 4 story: "...until one day, when a particularly plastered fellow tugged her tail out of curiosity... only to find it unexpectedly warm and soft. That day, Diona turned the tavern upside-down."

Voiceline - About Barbara: "How come all of my fans are drunk middle-aged men, while Barbara's are all young people...?"

More about Diona, II: "You wouldn't ask me to meow like a cat, like those boozehounds at the tavern do, would you? I wouldn't do it, no way! I'm not some little house pet that just shakes my ears real cute and stretches my back!"]

Not to mention that mf from her hangout quest. They're fucking disgusting, and she shouldn't even have a job at her age.

So Diona has a neglectful, drunkard father, is constantly surrounded by creeps, is being essentially exploited by Margaret for her ears and tail, and the only friend she ever had apart from the traveller was a fairy she believes is a dream.

That's why she's so angry all of the time.

Now, why does she dislike Diluc?

Diluc doesn't drink-

[Least favourite food voiceline: I don't like alcohol. It's just... I don't like how it feels in my mouth..."]

-so people often use this as an excuse to get mad that Diona blames him for her dad's drunkenness, but they forget that she doesn't know this. Diona doesn't know that Diluc doesn't like alcohol, she sees him as the leader of the Mondstadt wine industry (since he is.)

[Diona's voiceline- About Diluc: "Diluc! I can't stand him! If there was no Diluc, there would be no Mondstadt wine industry; and if there was no Mondstadt wine industry, Daddy wouldn't drink; and if Daddy didn't drink... he would keep me company."]

She doesn't want the blame to be on her father; she idolises him. She instead wants to blame something she can work against, and in her eyes that is the Mondstadt wine industry. As the figurehead of the industry, of course Diluc is going to be a target of hatred. She's a kid. She doesn't understand that Diluc has no control over it. All she knows is that her dad drinks, and she hates it, and Diluc sells wine.

Diona is incredibly hurt, especially for such a young child. That's not even getting started on how she got her vision (she had to save Draff from a storm, since the Knights couldn't get to him through the rain. Her determination to save him gave her her vision. She's a healer because he was incredibly hurt, and she made a cocktail for him to ease the pain.)

She desperately wants connection, considering how she warms up to the traveller through her friendship levels. She's hurt and sad and lost, and the only way she really knows how to express that is through anger. She's violent (she bit Elzer when he tried to hire her to Dawn Winery) because she HAS NO OTHER OPTIONS.

The fandom hating on her because she dislikes their ~anime husbando~ is annoying as hell and I'm sick of it, because none of them understand WHY. She doesn't hate Diluc personally. She hates the wine industry. She hates that she's alone. She's fucking tragic, but so awfully overlooked it pains me.

[exquisitepluviophile]

MISS AMERICA | CHAPTER III

pairing: bucky barnes x fem!reader

series summary: you're steve's sister, and bucky barnes' girlfriend. and maybe also a supersoldier from the 40s

chapter summary: you say goodbye to bucky before he's shipped off to England, and you receive some news.

chapter warnings: little bit of joking about the possibility of stucky,

A/N: actually finished writing this because I got a 4.0 and felt like I should celebrate

series masterlist ♡ masterlist ♡ next chapter

Steve dejectedly stepped down from the platform in the army recruitment centre. Every guy that stood on it could actually envision themselves joining the army. Not Steve though; he wasn't even tall enough to see himself in the reflection of a soldier.

"Come on, you're kinda missing the point of a double date," Bucky said as he pushed Steve from behind. "I don't think you can call it a double date anymore, since Ruth ran off," you said pointedly. "We're going to get some drinks at the bar nearby, y'know to celebrate me leaving," Bucky told Steve.

"We're not celebrating that you're leaving James," you scolded. "Okay, doll, 'commemorating'. Is that better? Jeez, you sound like Ma," Bucky responded while you shook your head in annoyance.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up with you," Steve said, with his hands in his pocket.

"You really gonna do this again?"

"Well it's a fair; I'm gonna try my luck,"

"As who, Steve from Ohio?" You asked, the sarcasm evident. "They'll catch you." You took on a more caring tone.

"Or worse, they'll actually take you," Bucky stated, unabashedly showing his concern and worry for his friend.

"Who needs parents when they have you two..." Steve muttered, his words unheard by the pair. "Look, I know you two don't think I can do this-"

"This isn't a back alley Steve." Bucky said, his annoyance with Steve's stubbornness rising. "It's war!"

"I know it's a war-"

"Why are you so keen to fight?" You asked him, not understanding why someone would put themselves in so much danger willingly. "There are so many important jobs!"

"What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?" Steve asked sarcastically.

"Yes! Why not?!"

"I'm not going to sit in a factory Bucky-"

"I don't-"

"Bucky! Come on, there are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them," Steve argued.

"But-" you tried to reason with Steve.

"You get to help people like Ma, you're a nurse. The least I could do is help the country by fighting for it like Pa," Steve continued." That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."

"Right, cause you've got nothing to prove."

"We should go, your Ma asked us to be back for dessert," you said while you tugged on Bucky's sleeve, not willing to see them so hostile towards each other.

Bucky relented as he started stepping backwards. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back."

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you," Steve joked.

That put a smile on Bucky's face. "You're a punk," he said as he went in for a hug. "Jerk."

Most weren't as lucky as you were, to have a brother who didn't want to fight who they were dating (at least most of the time). You were frankly glad that they were best friends.

"Take care of my girl while I'm gone would ya?" Bucky said as he walked over to you and fit his hand around your waist. "Hey, she was my sister first before she was your girlfriend," Steve challenged.

You all snickered at that. "Steve make sure you don't stay up too late missing Bucky after he's gone; he's my boyfriend not yours," you smiled.

"Don't win the war until I get there!"

Bucky did a salute to Steve as he turned around to walk with you to his house. You loved going to his house, and his parents loved you. Winifred, or Winnie as she asked you to call her, treated you and Steve like her own children, being Steve's secondary pillar of support after your mother's death. Bucky had three younger sisters, but he was closest to Rebecca, the youngest. Becca idolised Bucky, and wanted to be just like her big brother. Her and Bucky's age gap of 16 years was never a problem when she wanted him to play dolls with him when she was younger. Becca adored you too, Bucky joking that she liked you more than she liked him. With Bucky's two other younger sisters, Marjorie and Betty, busy with high school, you were the most available to talk to her or braid her hair.

Bucky knocked at the door, the smell of freshly baked mock cherry pie wafting through the door. "Looks like she made your favourite dessert," you smiled as Becca opened the door.

"Look what the cat dragged in," she said as she stepped to the side to let you two in. "So excited to see me," Bucky laughed as he ruffled her hair. As you walked through the hallway that led to the main living room, memories of Steve chasing you through them flooded through your mind. With your mother busy at the hospital trying to make ends meet, Winnie always made sure you two had food to eat and a roof over your heads. Literally. When the roof of your cheap rental house collapsed, she was the one to offer the three of you the spare room. You remembered having dinner here the day before you left to Connecticut to stay with your aunt and Winnie barely let you go the whole evening.

"Dessert's almost ready. You two have fun at the expo?" George Barnes asked his son as he closed the book he was reading. "I'd spend eternity watching paint dry if she was next to me," Bucky replied as he sat down on the plush couch. Mr Barnes chuckled. "Young love... Your Ma and I were like this too." A scarlet blush formed on you cheeks. "I'll go inside to see if Winnie needs help with anything." you walked away and into the kitchen, beckoning Becca to join you.

"Are you going to marry Jamie?" Becca asked, her innocent eyes sparkling right up at you. You choked on air. Indeed, you two had brought up the idea some time before, but with him leaving for England, you hadn't put any thought into it. "Maybe once the war's over."

"There you are! I haven't seen you in ages. James is always keeping you for himself and never bringing you over," Winnie said as she gave you a hug that could have made up for all those years you hadn't seen her after going to Connecticut. She handed you two plates of mock cherry pie and asked if you could bring them out to the living room.

You mostly ate in silence as Winnie asked Bucky if he had packed everything.

"I'll really miss you Jamie."

"I'll miss you too Beck," Bucky said, or at least you thought he did. He was busy stuffing his mouth with Mock Cherry Pie. "Bucky, nobody's going to take the plate away from you. Slow down," You said with a laugh.

These moments were so domestic. Ones that you'd look back on if Bucky ever- no, that wouldn't happen. Bucky would return home after the war and you would get married and get a nice house far away from busy New York. With a cat maybe. Bucky had always wanted a cat; a white fluffy one.

While these thoughts occupied your mind all the way home, you saw a crinkled letter outside you and Steve's tiny apartment. "I'm not even gone yet and you're already getting love letters," Bucky, who had offered to walk you home because "It's too dangerous for a pretty girl to be walking the streets alone at night", joked.

After scoffing at his comment and playfully punching him in the stomach, you skimmed through the letter. "They've stationed me at Camp Lehigh. Y'know, as a nurse for those poor people training."

"That's great doll. At least I can send my letters there to make sure everyone knows you're taken," Bucky teased.

Letters.

L-e-t-t-e-r-s, you mentally tried to spell out.

The simplest thing that every soldier wrote to whoever they were in love with while they were off at war. You couldn't have that same pleasure.

"Bucky, why bother sending me letters when you know I can't read them."

"Then I'll paint you the most beautiful paintings and send them to you if that's what it takes for you to see how much I'll miss you."

"What are you going to paint them with? You won't have paint where you're going."

"I'll paint 'em with my blood."

"You're so dramatic."

"You love it," Bucky said as he pushed open the door of your apartment.

"Finally, you decided to open the door. I was getting bored of listening to Mr Barnes being all sappy with his girlfriend," Steve said from the frayed couch.

"It's Sergeant Barnes to you, punk,"

"Yeah yeah, I'll miss you too Bucky,"

"I'll miss you James," You said as you put your hand to his cheek. "Don't call me that. I'm Bucky. Your Bucky. Always."

-

word count: 1.4k

tagged: @your-local-questioning-agender

[putschki1969]

Hi Sarah ☺️👋,

I apologize from the beginning in case you did not understand my meaning, the question was written through Google Translator.

Should we really not care about what goes on behind the scenes in the entertainment industry? I remember that you wrote that We have to take it at face value and not dig into what is happening behind the scenes in order to live a healthy life without carrying this worry, but after watching the oshi no ko anime, this made me think again about the state of the entertainment industry, do we really have to be indifferent to what is happening to our favorite artists not only our kalafina girls but in general. Shouldn't we, at least discuss this matter so that their conditions do not get worse? I feel we should not separate the product from the condition of the person who made it!

Hi there! Don't worry, your message is perfectly clear and fine. I apologise for taking so long to reply, this has been sitting in my drafts forever. This is a tricky topic so it took a while to figure out the best way to map out my reply.

I am assuming that this ask is a direct response to what I wrote HERE? For those who are curious, this is what I had to say to someone who seemed incredibly upset about the current state of Wakana's "relationship" with everyone else from the YK family.

[I]t is not at all healthy to be this invested in public figures and the things they choose to share with us. I fully understand the desire to get more insight but please don’t make your happiness and peace of mind contingent on something that is so completely out of our control.

Let's start with a quick clarification, I am by no means implying that we should take everything at face value. Quite the contrary actually, I am a strong proponent of critical thinking, it's crucial to look at things from a nuanced perspective, to read between the lines and educate ourselves on all the finer details before making any sort of assumption based on surface-level observations. Many fans operate on misconceptions and tend to jump to conclusions because they heavily rely on unverified news and brief snapshots without taking all the available facts into account. This is why I often feel the need to make elaborate explanation posts. I just want to keep people grounded and stop them from coming up with unfounded theories.

I am also not trying to tell people to be completely indifferent towards what is happening behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. The Japanese entertainment industry is indeed very harsh and genuinely messed up. It's impossible to not feel affected when you hear news of celebrity su!c!des and see some of those horrible conditions our favourites are subjected to. Being conscious of these issues while engaging in fan activities is a good thing and completely normal but it's very unhealthy to let your whole life become consumed with worry over someone whose mental/physical state and situation we are incapable of fully understanding.

Because you see, even with access to a vast amount of knowledge, we as fans have to realise that we'll never get the "full picture". The extent of our involvement is incredibly limited. There are boundaries we have to respect, there are lines we aren't allowed to cross, there are things which are purposefully kept from us. The truth of the matter is that regardless of how deep we try to dig into what is going on behind the scenes, regardless of how much we discuss the situation or how many possible theories we come up with while endlessly worrying, it won't ever lead us to satisfactory results, it won't bring us any closer to knowing more about the "real" condition of the people we idolise. So why should we sacrifice our mental well-being over something that's so far removed from us? It's utterly pointless. Hence my above advice to not get too caught up in this mess.

I am not sure if you are familiar with the term but when fans get overly invested in the lives of idols, celebrities and public figures, it's a slippery slope towards developing a so-called parasocial relationship with them. This sort of relationship is based on delusions, meaning fans fool themselves into believing they have a deep connection to that person (or rather, the "idea" of said person) which may lead to a false sense of intimacy and ownership. But make no mistake, despite what fans may think, we have very little insight into the lives of these public figures and while they have a considerable amount of influence over us, we have comparatively little influence over them. In reality, most things are completely out of our control. We often have no choice but to watch things unfold from the sidelines.

My point is, take everything with a grain of salt, thoroughly acquaint yourself with the topic, stay respectful, be aware of your limits and come to terms with the fact that you are not really in a position to save or help them when it comes to personal matters. Don't compromise your own well-being by getting entangled in a mess that's beyond our control. It sounds harsh but as fans we are quite powerless in that regard. All we can really do is support and appreciate the content (or "product" as you say) our favourites create and have faith that their "real condition" at least somehow resembles the positive image they choose to present to us.

And yeah, I am self-aware enough to know that this all sounds hypocritical coming from someone like me who has always been quite vocal about being crazily obsessed with Kalafina. I'd call myself an extremely dedicated fan who is very much invested in the lives of the Kalafina members. Still, I believe I know where to draw the line and that has more or less kept me sane throughout the years.

[nogoodverybadexorcism]

Hey everyone, this is a bit of a weird one but here we go anyway. I'm gonna try and word this as best I can but please forgive any missteps.

So I think a lot of us in the Raimi fanbase have seen quite a lot of posts where people have met Ted and have had what they felt to be a very positive experience- which is great! But I'm seeing a lot of very profusely enthusiastic responses to some behaviours which I think are actually potentially dangerous. Things like gift giving from celebrities, a lot of physical contact, some potentially suspicious remarks and especially maintaining contact are all thing which can definitely just be put down to empathetic/kind behaviour but can be very real red flags, especially put together.

And it's fine, people are adults I'm not saying they can't do any of these things but I think as fan communities its important we look after one another and when we glorify people who have contact with a celeb to such an extreme level it can compound situations and normalise, encourage and even make it difficult to back out of actions that put them at risk. Think with recent issues with people like Win Butler, Jason Sispek, hell even John Darnielle a few years back we need to just be more aware of this stuff. Darnielle had correspondence with a fan that was based in a desire to be friends but ended up with both of them getting hurt and the fan accusing him of shit because of his feelings of rejection when John backed out - it gets messy quick, and we should be alert to when these things are a risk.

And at the end of the day, we don't know celebrities. It comes up time and time again that the idolisation of other people can lead to red flags being missed or at least people being accidentally hurt. Not to mention tumblr is a place where nuance goes to die and people we do not really know are talked about like they're totally perfect and therefore everything they do is perfect, all because we like their public persona.

And just because they seem nice or hang out with people who vouch for them doesn't mean things don't happen whether intentionally or not. In all fanbases based on individuals we need to take a concerted effort in just keeping things in check, ensure boundaries and just be aware of what impact our communities have on people just in case. People still make their own decisions when all is said and done but we can still support environments that respects creators and fans even if that means toning elements down a bit... or even a lot if necessary.

(And fuck knows I've contributed to it too)

I'm keeping this relatively vague which is why this reads so weird. I don't want people to interpret this as trying to start anything, nor am I having a go at specific people. But let's look after each other, yeah? Personas aren't the real person. I'm gonna lurk for a bit as the whole thing is messing with me and I just need to figure it out. I'm still available on messages in the meantime.

Talk soon, all the best everyone x

[alexstorm]

And Serge Gainsbourg idolisation, he has a legendary status there and known as one of Frances and it's people's fave till to this date. His grave is one of the most visited in France and still many people put "gifts" there.

// Sure not all of them, but France is known popular by that. "French Kiss", Lady Marmalade song having sex talk in French, the naked kinda erotic famous 60/70's movies & trend coming from there which Alex & Co also are a lot into.

Again, you guys hone in on one particular group that's idolised by certain people. Believe me, not a lot of young people go around talking about Serge Gainsbourg. Going to dead celebrities's graves doesn't mean these people believed in everything Gainsbourg did or do you think people going to Graceland all love to take drugs? A lot of them go to Gainsbourg's grave because they like his music for whatever reason (I don't get it) and apparently a lot of people are very good at separating the art from the artist although he's the one who created it. You keep lumping people together. Doesn't feel right.

[flyingraijin]

hi blue! if u won't mind, may i ask for number 8 for izuku midoriya? thanks!

-eli

“I’ve never wanted to fuck you more than I do now” + Izuku Midoriya

Something a lot of people probably don't often think about is the fact that being a pro-hero is fucking hard.

And not even in terms of the physicality of the job.

Honestly, if you had to pick, you'd honestly say that’s the easiest part of the whole thing. Fighting, training, building up strength and stamina, and learning to use your quirk, all of it you appreciate. Because it's working towards something; saving citizens, saving lives, making a change for the better.

The actual hard part is something quite different. Because while pro-heroes are civil servants to the end, in a society built around the idolisation of such a job, it's difficult to become one without turning into some kind of celebrity.

That's the actual hard part.

Because you can’t live your life anymore. Suddenly the whole world is watching watching what you do, where you go, who you talk to, how you look. You’re not a human anymore, you're an influence. And that's something that no amount of training or schooling could ever prepare you for.

It gets even worse around event season, when you have an image to uphold. Because despite all they do to help and to save, heroes can't ever be tired. They can't ever be sick, or look bad, or be seen without makeup. And if they are...

Well, that just so happens to be exactly what you're experiencing right now. Sitting on the floor in your apartment, with messy hair and a runny nose, nursing a cold and a cup of tea as you read through a tabloid article that's absolutely tearing apart your image limb by limb.

You'd worn sweatpants when you'd gone out to buy yourself headache tablets yesterday. A simple fifteen minute trip, five minutes there and back to your local convenience store. But with the way the article is scrutinising you, you'd think you'd gone out and violently killed someone in the middle of a busy street.

You're used to it, if you’re honest with yourself. Even if you're not the most famous pro, you've had your fair share of this before. And you try to ignore it, you really try. Because you know it means nothing, especially coming from a rag like Hero's Weekly.

It still hurts though. A deep ache in your chest that burns with every breath you take - although that might just be your sore throat.

A soft hand on your back is what pulls you from the beginnings of your downward spiral, and you turn to look up at your boyfriend. Izuku is sitting on the couch behind you, dressed in his All Might sweats and hoodie. You'd thought he'd been engrossed in some hero biography, but when you look at him now, you notice that his attention is entirely on you, the book long forgotten at his side.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?" he asks, looking concerned.

You purse you lips and nod. "Yeah."

But even you can tell it's a lie. And inwardly you cringe because it's almost embarrassing, how not okay this stupid article has made you.

Izuku doesn't say anything. But he does reach for you, hoisting you up from the floor with ease to settle you on his lap. You snuggle into him immediately, burying your face in his shoulder as his large hands run comfortingly up and down your back.

"What happened?" he mumbles, his voice a soft rumble in his chest. “What’s wrong?”

"It's nothing," you murmur back, but he's not having it. He pulls back at little to cup your face, staring up at you with those damn bright eyes that have always been impossible for you to lie to.

"Don't do that," he whispers, looking sad. "Sweetheart, you're almost crying."

And he looks so earnest and concerned that you can’t not tell him. So you let out a sigh and lean back into his chest, raising your phone so you can look at the article again.

"It's Hero’s Weekly," you mumble into the soft fabric of his hoodie. "They saw me go out yesterday and... they're not being very nice about it."

"What're they saying?" Izuku asks.

You shrug and swipe through the article again. "The general stuff. That I look tired, I look like I've "gained a few", that I'm "brave" for allowing myself to be seen like this." You snort. "Oh, here's a nice one.” You clear your throat a little before reading it aloud. “‘It's a wonder our Number One Pro, Deku, would settle for someone as plain as this. She must have some secret in order for her to make a catch like him’". You bite at your lip bitterly, your heart sinking a little further. "Honestly, if they think I'm that ugly, they could at least tell me to my face."

Izuku purses his lips. Then he pulls you away from him again to look at your face, his hand tracing lovingly along your shoulder. "You're not ugly, sweetheart," he tells you as he leans forward to kiss your forehead. "They're just stupid vultures who have nothing better to do with their lives than make other people look bad."

You pout at him, despite the fact that deep down you know he's right. Then you hold up the phone for him to see. "They’re not exactly wrong, Izu. Have you seen these pictures?"

Izuku just pushes the phone away, not even sparing it a glance as he continues to stare up at you. "Don't listen to them," he says softly. "I know you look gorgeous in those pictures because you're always gorgeous, okay? Even -" he cuts you off when you start to protest, giving you a frown. "- Even when you're not wearing make-up and your hair’s not done and you're just in sweatpants and a hoodie. You're breathtaking."

"They said I'm 'unfuckable' ," you mutter, sulking. And it makes Izuku chuckle.

"Sweetheart," he whispers, and this time he tilts his head to put his mouth right up close to your ear. You shiver as his breath washes over your skin, bringing with it a swamp of tingles. "You're the most fuckable when you look like this. I've never wanted to fuck you more than I do now, okay?"

"Okay," you murmur back, although it doesn't stop the explosion of butterflies that flood your stomach. Blinking up at him shyly, you try your best to appearance innocence and unassuming as you say, "Could you prove that to me?"

And then a smile grows on your face when Izuku laughs out loud, the bright happy sound that you've fallen in love with more times than you can count.

"Yeah, I can do that," Izuku says, looking up at you with a fond warmth in his eyes. "I can definitely do that."

And do it, he definitely does.

Smut Prompt List - CLOSED

[akookminsupporter]

As someone who has similar views as many of you on here when it comes to KM e.g not believing everything and being rational but also having life exp which strongly suggests KM are something special etc, I recently saw an adorable video from 2017 MMA which I hadn’t seen before where 2 things were pointed out aka JK singing about a first kiss to JM and Jin smiling and then JK smiling at JM across the room at words in the background that said “do you want to start our love again”. It has all been debunked as it was all about JK’s crush on the idol IU. She was the one singing and both moments were related to her as JK idolised her and the boys were teasing him a lot through the whole MMA 17 and JK was enamoured all evening. I instantly felt foolish because now I think “am I just being stupid” when it comes to jikook? I see a lot of love and affection there but I just felt like maybe were seeing what we want to see rather than accepting there’s nothing romantic there? And if they’re extra close and they’re “brothers” as people keep banging on about then I’m always happy for them as they both deserve tons of happiness but I just feel like one day we will get a rude awakening and all of the things we’ve held dear will be proven to be fantasy. I am rational to know the difference between shipping and supporting but part of me struggles with the latter as I learn about some moments that aren’t actually as we see them, they’re proven to be something different. Sorry for being a downer but your blog provides a lot of comfort and I like your way of approaching stuff so I sought you and a few other precious bloggers out ❤️

oh funnily enough yesterday I posted an ask about that clip. the thing is anon, from that clip it's easy to draw conclusions because Jimin did look at Jungkook when that part of the song was coming up and Jungkook did seem to sing that part of the song to Jimin. In my opinion fans cant debunked things about the members regarding their personal life, and why they do or don't do something, because they don't know the members personally, they don't read their minds etc., when you debunk something, it's because you have the actual facts and in that case they can't know if Jungkook wanted to sing that part to Jimin or if it was just a coincidence that Jimin turned around at that exact moment and Jungkook sang that part looking at Jimin by chance or as a joke. They can't know that, so they can't debunk it.

The only thing a fan can do about that kind of situations is to have opinions based on what they see and the limited information they have about the members, especially about their private lives because although many like to think they know a lot about these seven men, the reality is that they don’t, we don’t, especially not about their private lives, about their thoughts and the reasons why they do something that has nothing to do with their jobs.

As for the rest anon, no one can know for sure if Jimin and Jungkook are a couple except the two of them, we only have opinions and some conjectures derived from things we see, read or hear but they are subjective in the end. There is the possibility of being right or wrong. There are some things that cannot be explained as something platonic, for example rose bowl, but there are others that you can find more than one explanation, romantic or otherwise.

It is what it is. We can be rational to a certain extent, we can believe something to a certain extent but the possibility of being wrong exists, that's what happens when we speculate about the lives of people we don't know.

What I would advise you to do is to enjoy the moments we see between them, the label their relationship may have is somewhat irrelevant because their bond is real, romantic or not. And it is beautiful and deserves to be celebrated.

[communistkenobi-archive]

hi! longtime listener/firsttime caller. I am wondering your view on engaging with the personas of IRL ppl as part of fandom. the tags on your music rec post say that you don't endorse the artists as people bc you don't pay attention to that sort of thing but you've also talked abt ppl like g*na c*rano negatively (I 100% understand, I am NO fan of her as a person either.) you write awesome meta about media & fandom, and idk if i've seen you talk about this topic before. have a good day/night! :)

edit: putting this under a cut bc its so long lmao

I think it’s basically impossible to not be aware of celebrities within fandom (by which I mean the actors/writers/developers/etc involved in the media said fandom is built around) at least on SOME level. I mean even something as casual as people making memes about Filoni being the saviour of SW, or dunking on Favreau because of the season 2 finale, etc. Which is totally fine! I think actually talking about the real people involved in a piece of work helps to contextualise a lot of discussions about the media they produce. I even like those sappy articles about Pedro Pascal talking to the baby yoda doll like it’s a real baby or whatever, those things are completely harmless and pretty normal.

The issue I have is more around “stan” culture and people prioritising their personal and emotional engagement with specific celebrities over serious discussions about them as real people (see: people getting mad at others for rightly criticising Gina Carano’s racist and transphobic behaviour on twitter because they like her as a celebrity). So my flippant comment about not paying attention to celebrities is a clumsy way of me saying I don’t really like “following” celebrities on social media or using my free time to keep up to date on their personal lives. Again, I don’t think it’s inherently bad if people do that, it’s just that fandom trends towards extreme idolisation of celebrities that is deeply unhealthy.

The flip side to that is people keeping track of celebrities specifically to remember all the bad or problematic things they’ve done. And I do that to some extent too (see again Gina Carano), and I think it’s extremely important to keep in mind that these people are exponentially more influential than their audience with the things they say and do, so it is 100% fair to scrutinise their behaviour, especially if they’re spouting really harmful or bigoted shit. But also I don’t have the time or energy to keep track of every harmful thing any creative person whose work I admire has done, and I don’t think that is a healthy thing to do either. because you will ALWAYS find skeletons in their closets. And also like, at a certain point you will be incapable of enjoying anything - I wouldn’t be able to enjoy Star Wars AT ALL if that were the case. Again, it’s entirely valid not to engage with media because the people involved in it are shitty, and I’ve also done that, but by the same token I can’t like “vet” every piece of media I consume prior to consuming it. It’s a case by case basis sort of thing and you will have to use your discretion when deciding what you think is acceptable and what isn’t, but I think it’s unhealthy to view “consumption of a piece of work = endorsement of the people involved” OR “intentionally ignoring or getting angry at the criticisms of the people involved in a piece of work because it makes me personally uncomfortable”. The latter is often used to dismiss criticisms of things like racism and transphobia within both the media people are consuming and the authors involved in said media, but I don’t think the only alternative is to hew to the former. They also aren’t mutually exclusive positions because as I said, it’s a case by case thing and also people are inconsistent with how they apply those rules because people in general are inconsistent about their behaviour (which is not a moral judgement - I do this too!).

This is a very winding and long-winded way of me saying that in general, my personal approach to media is to consume it and enjoy it for what it is without focusing on the people involved in said media too much until it is directly relevant to bring them up. A good example is George Lucas - lots of people idolise him for being “the” author of Star Wars and get extremely defensive when criticisms of his work are brought up, and his words are often cited in arguments about Star Wars (“George Lucas said X about this topic in an interview so this is evidence I’m right”, etc). And I don’t think that’s entirely without merit, but I’m much more interested in referencing him as an author when discussing things like say, the racism endemic to SW and how he’s had a major role in incorporating racist themes into the text of SW, as opposed to him like, trying to alter canon by making external comments about it in interviews (“Dumbledore is actually gay”, that sort of thing). One is directly relevant to the text as it exists in popular consciousness, while the other is trying to patch-in extra layers of meaning or lore without altering/updating the text itself (GL also has edited and re-edited the OT like a billion times, but that’s different topic for another day).

So anyway, I’m generally critical of stan culture and my interaction with celebrities in fandom is to admire them from afar and/or criticise their behaviour when it’s relevant to the discussion at hand. Just as I think it’s good to be critical of the media you consume (not ‘critical’ as in being negative but in the sense that you are open to discussing its strengths and flaws as a piece of text and not treating it as impeachable or above critical review), I think it’s beneficial to treat celebrities the exact same way. They are people with flaws and biases, and those flaws and biases will inform how the media they are involved with is shaped to varying degrees. This is doubly true when the media in question is dynamic and evolving (as SW is), so the text may in fact change (see: the Tusken Raiders’ portrayal in The Mandalorian as compared to the Original Trilogy).

I hope that makes sense lmao. I also want to make it clear that generally speaking, I think it’s important to prioritise criticisms of media & celebrities over like, your personal discomfort with people bringing up serious topics like racism or transphobia or etc in media, because there are people who are already uncomfortable with those harmful things being present in the media you’re consuming in the first place - you (general you, not specific you) just happen to not be affected by it in this case. If it feels uncomfortable having it brought up to you, imagine how uncomfortable people directly affected by those things are when having to confront bigotry in something that should be fun and easy entertainment like a Star Wars movie.

[tacticaldiary]

hello there! could i get a kin analysis for bnha, please? - i am a sagittarius sun, capricorn moon, scorpio rising, and an intp 5w6 

- i enjoy listening to music, drawing, watching movies, reading and writing. 

- as i said before, i like writing and just making stories in general. i get a lot of inspiration from music and i usually base a lot of my stories around songs :] (i mainly listen to indie/alternative stuff and kpop) 

- i'm 100% an introvert (large social gatherings overwhelm me a lot,,) but a lot of my friends, and people i meet see me as an extrovert, and they get really surprised when i say i'm not, haha. i just tend to be really loud and expressive when i'm around ppl i'm comfy with!! and also maybe its just because - i hang around extroverts often and i like to match their energy shxhnfnfnfj.

 - i'm a very insecure person, which again, surprises a lot of ppl because sometimes i come off as super confident (and even sometimes arrogant apparently?) but JSJSJDDJ no i'm not! i just say stuff like "haha i'm the best at everything!!! i am perfect!!!!" as a joke to mask those insecurities </3 i tend to be a perfectionist and i get frustrated easily when i don't meet my own standards ^^" 

- i hate group projects, completely despise them. i don't hate the people!!!! i just hate the pressure.. 

- i like making new friends, but i don't like socializing. not sure if that makes sense tbh

- i like listening to people, and i let my friends vent/rant to me when they need it. i wouldn't say i'm a "therapist friend" or anything tho,, because i suck at comforting people ^^" but i try!!

 - i try to be a neutral and open minded person most of the time. if theres any sort of conflict or drama going on, i want to make sure i hear all sides of the story before i make any assumptions. i don't like choosing sides either!!!

 - i tend to idolize people a lot, esp celebrities or ppl who are older and more succesful than me. (which usually leads to me being very disappointed when i find out they're actually not very good ppl ://)

 - i've asked my friends to describe me and most of their responses are;; funny, weird, annoying (in an endearing way, i hope), and loud :0 

i apologize if this is a bit too long!! but thank you in advance!! 

You Probably Kin: Izuku Midoriya

In my opinion, you’re much like Izuku, from the way you tend to have someone to look up too, to your creative outlets.

The outlets of writing and listening to music, as well as reading are all activities that are most commonly done alone by oneself. I find this reminiscent to the way Izuku writes in his notebook when he’s nervous, both of your outlets being writing, and emotion based. 

Another mirroring factor I’ve found is your habit of idolising people, whether it be short term or long run. This is mirrored by the way Izuku idolises All Might all his life, eventually being somewhat surprised when he doesn’t meet his vision of what a hero should look like. 

You being an open minded person, as well as an introvert is also related to Izuku, in the way he’s shy around people and willing to accept anybody, despite what they’ve down, see how he wants to save even the villains. You both belive there are two sides to every story. 

Another aspect the both of you share is your need to be perfect. Much like Izuku trains and pushes himself to the brink in the name of living up to All Might’s expectations, you also share this need to do well, except for you, the coping mechanism is baseless confidence. It’s the same concepts, just different methods of dealing with it. 

[weraceasone]

I think, having been a person who supports both charles and max, i can say, they don't care. They don't care because they are rich white men who can get away with things when we are just voiceless people they can just tune out. Maybe they do care what people say, but clearly not enough to change them, or to make them make better decisions. It's always upsetting to me to see people get hated on for who they support (unless the person is actively racist or a fucking creep), especially when the person isn't a 'nice' or a 'bad' person. We always want the people we idolise to be perfect, especially when people love saying shit like Stan (person's name) Unproblematic King! but what I've come to realise is that the people we support are just people. Max or Charles or whoever the fuck who falls in the grey-er side of moral grounds aren't a bad person, nor a nice person. They're just a person, their own person. I'll never be okay with what they do and I'll never just sweep them under the rug, I'll always hold them accountable for their actions and I'm well aware they aren't saints. I know that. I think drawing a line, and holding them accountable and calling out the people you support is important, cancelling just doesn't work, because look who we've cancelled, all the rubbish celebrities we've trended, they're all still living in their lavish manors, flying private jets, buying expensive cars, while we work 8 to 5 jobs. You can't cancel public figures easily, especially not the way things are done now. So whatever you do, whoever you support (again, unless they are absolute pieces of shit like predators or creeps or racists or homophobes.. etc, etc) just make sure you're being sensible. Long rant, sorry Elle, have a wonderful day and thank you for taking the time and effort to answer all your asks!

hey Anon!

I feel the same way as you, I just think they don’t care. or, like you said, not to the point where they would be willing to change their behavior. I think Charles showed that he does care what people say or how he is perceived by asking fans to delete a video that may put him a bad light, but Charles has also shown over time that he is not very, uh, good with media, to put it like that. and personally, I just think it doesn’t really bother Max how he is perceived. (at the end of the day, they are both grown men and I’m not going to tell them what they should do, but I do feel as if I am able to have opinion on the things they do)

you know, I just feel as if having an image in your head of how a person is, it’s so fragile, especially when you don’t know that person personally. everyone around you is just as human as you and they have the right to disappoint you. everyone disappoints sometimes. sometimes we even look at ourselves in the mirror and are disappointed by the person we are, or the things we have said. so why would put people on a pedestal and expect only absolute perfection from them? (which is also, very subjective). I’ve said this many times before, so the people who have been following me for a while may get tired of this line; but it’s very logical that a person will never do solely things you like, because they’re not you. I just feel as if it’s way healthier to go into it with the mindset “if they disappoint me, it’s okay. I can criticize them and I can move on. if it keeps on bothering me, I will not support them anymore. I have a life outside of this and this shouldn’t dictate the way I feel”. and like you said, cancelling is just not a thing. it’s not real and it’s not progressive. we are basically giving the people we hate a free pass by ignoring everything they do and just never talking about them again. it doesn’t work, at all, ever. obviously I’m not asking anyone to support any driver who’s racist or homophobic or anything like that, I’m saying the opposite; don’t support them, but keep the conversation going. I think a good example of this is Mazepin, people keep talking about why everything he has done is wrong, people keep commenting on Haas’ Instagram letting them know how we feel about it; this is what progression looks like. this is what letting your voice be heard is. cancelling isn’t going to do anything.

your rant kind of turned into a rant of my own, Anon, but I’m glad we are on the same page!! I hope you are having a good day! 🧡

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

REALLY LONG! SORRY! Just because the result for Harry is different to Louis doesn't mean he isn't under the same kinds of constraints as Louis. Sure he gets the "sucess" but at what cost? He can't be himself. The goofball, dorky, weird, quirky boy has morphed into a serious, stilted man who is constantly "performing" - nothing he does feels genuine, because I believe very little from him is. His team has taken everything from him and marketed it. Besides which by their own measures of (1)

(Continued) success- which they have both clearly stated is now to do what they love and be happy - Louis is far more successful than Harry right now. Louis is obviously loving what he is doing and very happy. His performances radiate joy. Harry meanwhile looks miserable. And his performances have been lacking any kind of joyfulness. Watermelon Sugar should go off. But it has fallen flat. Even his backing guitarist is clearly having more fun than him. Yes Louis has been terribly treated. But I believe Harry has been to. He has been used. Did he choose it? Maybe originally, in a moment of weakness, or anger, or loneliness when his volatile relationship was in a bad place he turned to people he trusted, people who had been grooming him from a young age and signed with them, not knowing what the future would hold for him or Louis. Was he willing to go along? Again, maybe originally believing that Louis time would come. But now, what are they holding over him? It is obvious in hindsight that information about Fizzy was kept from the press. You don't keep that kind of story quiet without huge influence and money. What else could be being held over these boys? It doesn't strip them of agency to say they are both stuck in miserable situations. They are doing their best with what they have. Louis is making music he loves and he’s going on a world tour. And we are getting glimpses of Harry's personality. Could Louis have more label support, promo etc? Absolutely. Could Harry have more freedom? Absolutely. Are both of them stuck in shitty situations? Definitely. Blaming one and blindly idolising the other doesn't achieve anything except division.

[[MORE]]

—

Anon, thank you for the message. I do agree with you that Harry appears burdened and unhappy, and he doesn’t look like a carefree 25-year-old to me. He looks much older and more worn.

I agree that Louis looks full of joy, for the first time in the past several years.

As for Fizzy, who knows what compromises were made to keep her story, or Jay’s, for that matter, out of the headlines? Simon Jones certainly feels no sympathy to his client to keep Louis’ family’s bad news out of the media (cue Lottie’s coke-snorting story). I think it’s likely that Louis has had to compromise a lot to protect his family— is doing so even now.

I don’t think Louis will ever have Harry’s level of agency as long as Sony holds the reigns. I think Harry is happy with Jeff, Irving, Ben, James, Kendall, Xander, etc., and I do think he believes the illusion that he has good friends in his Hollywood, his celebrity-soaked pop music world now. There’s nothing showing any push back to me whatsoever. But I am willing to keep an open mind. Thank you.

[its3amandicantthink]

Marvel poem.( I tried)

There is this universe

with many amazing verse

calling out to me when I'm deaf

telling me to take a risk.

Sometimes I marvel

what would I do without it

and the answer is right there

standing bare

looking me in the eyes

saying 'dont worry

somebody is always there to

help you fly.

I get the message

but it still bothers me

I think what would happen

to the heroes I love

the women I idolise

children who make me cry

and smile at the same time

if they are not remembered

if they are not destined to live forever

I hope now they are never forgotten

I wish they thrive

in their own world

wherever it might be

cause they know they make me smile

and however hard people might try

they won't be able to get to me

because remember my heroes

will always live within me

And the only thing I know now is that

this universe would alwaysbe there

whenever I need it

when I feel alone

when I can't go on anymore

They will celebrate every day of my life with me

never leaving my side

when I fall down from the cliff

they will be there to help me

climb that mountain again

no matter how much time it takes

they'll make sure I learn the lesson

but I don't suffer

they won't just fly me up

to the top again

cause they know what it takes.

I know that they love me

and I love them 3000.

[dork-with-a-uke]

idk if you watched this recent interview with the guys at siriusxm (it's on 'ohio clique' s yt channel), but there was a question about what's the weirdest thing a fan has said to you and josh said that the most common thing is people yelling ily and that he thinks that they don't really think it through when they say it, because 'they don't even know' him (his words) and that they actually mean 'i respect you'. he said 'love is putting someone else's needs before yours. i don't think (1/2)

they’re ready to put my needs before theirs’ or smth like that (watch the interview). and that actually saddened me a little bit. i’m usually not one to pick on little things, but that was pretty, i’d say, disrecpectful towards the fans. like, ik he doesn’t mean it in a bad way and i understand him, but after everything we’ve been through with them and THEY’ve been with US too, he just says ‘you’ ve never met me. you don’t know what i’m like first thing in the morning’. yeah, okay, because (2/3)  

who am i to tell you that i love you when i’ve never even met you and idk what you’re like in the morning or whatever. it’s pretty ignorant and disrecpectful to say such thing, because he (and tyler too) has completely conciously let the fans on a more personal than just respecting him and liking his music level. i get that we only know him to the point he’s let us know him, but still. in dark times, when a lot of the fans have found it hard to live for themselves, they’ve stayed alive (¾)

just for josh and tyler (i’ve been through such a period too). like, you shouldn’t live for other people, but sometimes when it’s hard to do it for yourself, it’s okay to stay alive for someone else, for a little bit, until you can do it for yourself. and him saying that kinda felt like he was trying to distance himself and say that we don’t really have the right to tell him that we love him. yeah, sure, who am i to say that i love the person who’s helped me stay alive and keep fighting? (4/5)

i understand him, but it just kinda sucks that he feels that way. like, it’s a different type of love, from fans to celebrities - it’s not romantic or sibling love or whatever other love but it’s still a type of love, just a different one. if we follow his logic, they’ve said they love us multiple times, but they’ve never met most of us, they don’t know what we’re like first thing in the morning, so how can they say that they love us, right? so do they even mean it? josh said that he (5/6)

doesn’t think that we think it through when we say we love him but i’m pretty sure he didn’t think HIS ANSWER through. he knows on what emotional level the fans connect with them and their music and he thinks we just ‘respect’ him? i respect BEYONCE because she’s one of the greatest vocalists musicians and entertainers of the past few decades but i don’t love her, i don’t connect with her on an emotional level. and josh thinks that’s how we feel towards HIM too, that we just 'respect’ him? (6/6)

i understand where you’re coming from and what you mean and i do agree with you to a certain extent - do keep in mind that they usually aren’t briefed on what questions they’ll get in interviews (at least i don’t think so) and once you started answering you gotta roll with it, ygm? so maybe he started saying it and then realised that wasn’t exactly what he meant but still went on elaborating, you know?  (i’m sorry, i haven’t been able to watch the interview, i haven’t watched videos at all lately) but then again i’m not in his head so i can’t tell you much more than that apart that i udnerstand how you feel as well because even though we might not know him personally (and probably never will), we love him in a way that’s different than any type of love we get to encounter in our daily life (or even irl life!) because this is a thankful love. we love him and ty because they’ve helped us through so much and told us that it’s okay to feel a certain way and that we’re not alone. also, an important thing is that they are relatively new (by that, i mean compared to bren or gerard who have been in the industry for years) and are still clumsy around us or even have difficulty imagining how much of an impact they’ve made, how many of us there are. i don’t think he meant that in a disrespectful way, just that he doesn’t want us to idolise him or idealise him because he has parts of him that aren’t all that perfect at all and that maybe we wouldn’t love him the way we do if we knew him on a more personal level, yknow? and about the fact that they say they love us, i think they mean it, but i think they love us as a community. like you said, they don’t know what we’re like first thing in the morning either and some people who call themselves fans could be awfully racist or homophobic people and they wouldn’t love those people, right? so i think they mean as the clique, a community that came together thanks to them. they mean it.