#unending discourse

[notbecauseofvictories]

just came off my shift as an election judge and I honestly think we should make people do this. I support abolishing the draft, and I even think that jury duty can get complicated, but everyone in the country should be forced to learn about election procedure, then have to sit around for 14 hours and practice being customer service for democracy. I think that would fix us.

[rhaenyrahightowers]

sometimes you see people have horrible bad bad takes online and you MUST scroll away. it is not worth ur time to try and change them!!!! you don’t even know them!!!

[utilitycaster]

I like that the Raven Queen, who made the decision to take on an immense and (at least to her understanding at the time) unending responsibility is the one who calls Bells Hells out on their endless indecision.

It's been...interesting, shall we say, tracking this "party of NPCs," and tracking the fandom response throughout. The initial reception to "party of NPCs" was actually a rather cold one. This took place early in the campaign, prior to the Gnarlrock fight, and at the time a lot of people who shipped Imogen and Laudna were actually extremely resistant to the idea that Imogen was the "main character" of the campaign (as seen in the fallout from the gnarlrock fight, in which the bulk of attacks from the fandom were on Imogen). I've had complicated feelings on Taliesin's reads of this campaign specifically - he tends to have a very good understanding of his own characters that doesn't necessarily expand beyond them - but that phrase was indeed pretty valid. I think about the WBN interludes, in fact, in which the cast plays using NPC statblocks, and what a true party of NPCs for Bells Hells would look like, since it would be quite simple to draw up.

Allied NPCs in TTRPGs rarely act without guidance from the PCs. I've cast a critical eye in the past towards certain meta (particularly romantic in nature, regarding Yeza or Essek or Gilmore not making moves) for this reason, because while villains and antagonists move throughout the world generating obstacles, allies exist to be directed. They have their limits, of course; they have their own priorities and motivations and cannot be persuaded against their nature, but they can be guided at oblique angles from the GMs initial intent given enough work from the PCs. They're still people with thoughts and feelings and dreams, to an extent, but rarely do they make decisions that would conflict with those of the PCs.

That's the problem with a party of NPCs. NPCs take direction. They serve as support, but they're not in the driver's seat. And the Raven Queen has noticed.

The attitude within the fandom towards "Party of NPCs" became far more positive over time, and I wonder if it should have. People began to lean perhaps too heavily on how Bells Hells were people from nothing and nowhere, discarded. This is of course objectively false when comparing across parties (can we really say Imogen had a worse childhood than Vex? Chetney to Caleb? Even Ashton to Fjord?) but were it true, that in and of itself wouldn't be a problem. D&D backstories are often tear-stained and blood-soaked, full of unjust accusations, dead or neglectful parents, failure and regret. D&D is a game about coming from very little but a disproportionately good stat block for a commoner. It is unavoidably about amassing power. Starting off as a party of NPCs is fine. You should not still be a party of NPCs at the endgame.

I mentioned the gnarlrock, and I've mentioned an emphasis (or overemphasis) on this party's lack of agency and I think that remains the problem. Ludinus's villainy is rich, complex, and multifaceted, but a consistent element of it is his eternal false insistence that he - Martinet, founder and head of the Cerberus Assembly, Archmage - is just a little guy, chaff in the wind of the will of the gods, without free will of his own (he says, as he places his thread outside the reach of the Matron). That too is a theme in fandom discourse: free will and intent. Is Imogen justified in being angry at Laudna for breaking the rock if that wasn't Laudna's intent? (yes.) Is Orym on a quest of vengeance, with a death wish? (no, but if he were it wouldn't matter.) Was it wrong to pressure Fearne to take the shard instead of letting her make her own choices? (yes.)

Did any of you, perhaps in preschool or kindergarten, since that's about the age when this happens, have someone pull your hair and for adults to say "it's because they like you?" I find this is a good way to convey the importance, or unimportance, or intent. Because when your hair is being pulled, at least if that is the extent of the problem, it doesn't matter if it comes from the misguided affections of a four-year-old admirer who doesn't know how to use their words, or a six-year-old who just grabbed the most obvious material with which to test the limits of the safety scissors, or an eleven-year-old bully. Your hair is being pulled and you want it to stop. It doesn't matter if the person secretly likes you or if they want to hurt you; it matters that no matter the intent behind it, they are doing so. And if you reject the affections of your fellow preschool classmate because you think they might pull your hair, that's a fair consequence.

Bells Hells' indecision is some sort of cosmic hair pulling. They have reasons for faltering, and some of those reasons are understandable balking at an immense weight placed upon them and some of those reasons come from a deeply self-centered place in which their individual pain is used to blot out the suffering of countless others. But in the end, even that doesn't matter. Their histories don't matter. We don't need another series of introductions of where they come from and what they've done. We need people who can make decisions and who will act.

The Raven Queen seems to have been convinced they will. I'm not sure. But I think we are in agreement that inaction is, regardless of the intent behind it, no different than active harm. It would be irresponsible to continue to be a party of NPCs; if they truly are lost and forgotten fuck-ups, they have a responsibility (as the god of death once did) to abdicate and find a replacement.

[cipheramnesia]

It's that stupid time in the stupid USA again. The vote thing. Yeah, I'm sorry, and I'm tired too - everyone is.

Anyway, no lectures or anything. No "vote blue no matter who," and "always vote democrat," fuck am I tired of that. No pretending people who just want a better world with less death and more diversity are somehow stupid for their decision. Sick of all the unending condescension going back and forth all day long.

I'm going to just assume whoever you are, whatever you're doing, at this point you've decided because you genuinely thought about it. Whatever decision. I don't care. If you're in the USA, if you've been through the discourse hellscape, I think you're making an informed decision. It's willfully thoughtless to assume otherwise.

I would like it if you voted, if you already decided not to, I'd like it if you did. And that's it really. I'd just like it better, that's my whole, eh, thing here. I'd kinda like it if you voted for Harris. Yeah, because of the Trump thing, pretty much. My own personal little life will be slightly easier, and again... that's what I got: I'd like it better, the end. I'm not gonna add anything else because I think that's talking down and everyone did all the damn arguing amongst ourselves. I got nothing other than that, and I hope, I don't know whatever, I hope we're okay on the other side.

[preheville]

hello everyone! it's been long enough that we can do round two of good videos from me to you, where i list good youtube videos i've watched recently ^_^ there's essays and music and funnies and more besides, and the blue ones are ones i especially enjoyed. feel free to drop any recs in my comments and i hope you find something fun!

how feminism turns into fasc*sm

This Broadcast Gave Viewers Clinical PTSD

Our Houses of Lies

that time To Catch A Predator kinda killed a guy.

What is FASCISM?

The Myth of the Great Male Genius Needs to Die.

How to Perform an Exorcism

2021 '시카고' 프레스콜 We Both Reached For the Gun 민경아 최재림

Birds Do Not Sing in Caves

RASPUTIN: The Devil in the Palace

LOLITA: The Worst Masterpiece

Why Lolita is Impossible to Adapt into Film

Cycles of Violence in Sharp Objects

Frankenstein's Lobotomized Mistress: Dissecting the Poor Things Discourse

Why American Psycho is More Relevant Than Ever (And Why Women Love It)

The Mysterious Death No One Can Solve

A Deep Dive into the Horror-filled Production of The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Scandalous Films of Pre-Code Hollywood

What Happened at Roopkund Lake?

"The Most Mysterious Finds Science Cant Explain"

Unmasking a Killer Serial Arsonist

The Hike That Killed Five Schoolboys

YouTube’s Oldest Horrors

The Story of Seahenge

The Island of WITCHES

The Unending Violence of Vincent van Gogh

Was Merlin a Real Person?

The Philosophy of Robin Hood

bumpin that

Song of Storms on an old-ass organ.

James Baldwin — I'm writing for people, baby (Meeting the man)

Rebuilt Antler Flute

There Are Mountains in the Clouds

phil ochs - the highwayman

EDGAR ALLAN POE: The Most Mysterious Death

Is the Myth of the Genius Director finally dying?

Why Are AI Generated Videos So Terrifying?

Shira Utagai - so faint reflection of you

It really is that damn phone

crime & punishment (animation)

What is Gothic? The Historical and Philosophical Origins of Goth and Gothic Horror

GUESS | animation meme

Going Out of Bounds in Google Street View

phoenix's OBJECTION but gently... (ft. edgeworth's "*hoho*")

Thelonious Monk - Live In Paris 1967

Great, now none of us can watch TV

GENGHIS KHAN: The Peasant Who Conquered the World

Cannibalism & Witchcraft: The True Story of "Hansel and Gretel"

Nero: The Monster of Rome

Sweet Sue - Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra - 1928 

Wikipedia's King who Doesn't Exist

Advice for time traveling to medieval Europe (+ qna)

MACHIAVELLI: Be the Wolf Among Sheep

The Search For D. B. Cooper

[starbearyy]

I've been thinking about how Plutarch is said to be the true Hunger Games winner; How his family kept wealthy and stable during the war, and has a gigantic legacy. The scene mentioning the Heavensbee's hall, with portraits of generations. Plutarch shows how understanding a system and knowing how to manipulate it is much powerful and unending than to control it. Since every family in the Capitol usually has similar occupations throughout generations, it isn't a stretch to believe the Heavensbee have been communicators along the years. The power of media, propaganda and messages is so powerful and it can be used by any side of a discourse, the Heavensbee thrived by knowing which side to peak. He's such an interesting character and one of my favorite quotes from the entire Hunger Games universe is his:

"Now we're in a sweet period where everyone agrees that our recent horrors should never be repeated. But collective thinking is usually short-lived. We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction. Although who knows? Maybe this will be it, Katniss.”

I think this is such a good example of the debate on human nature and the contractualism in TBOSAS, the hope on humanity in Katniss's trilogy and the exploration of Preservation, Oblivion/Forgetfulness and Omission/Silence in SOTR.

[azaharinflames]

So, this vent might break containment and metamorphosize into a rant. Apologies.

Anyway. I get why Buck always turns to Maddie for advice for life and relationships. They've been THROUGH it and back again countless times. But, does she have any experience in queer relationships? Like, why hasn't Buck asked Hen about anything?? They are an established "pair," since Tim just loves pairing people up and not having them actually be a firefam...have them talk to each other!!! Hen's participation in the phone-keep-away made no sense except to place her as a condescending queer elder who just knows what's going on, which is a disservice to her character / her potential!! Karen especially has the perspective to push Buck to see just how his, idk, one-sidedness / superficialness of thought because of his abandonment issues (which Tommy is also guilty of just seemingly on the commitment side of things and with his whole schtick of telling Buck what he should feel / think) could be really traumatic for an older queer person who lived through DADT and was maybe burned by it.

The unending need to know before committing and a paradoxical preoccupation with always having one foot out the door before everything ex-/implodes and one's life / livelihood is ash swept away on the winds of an indifferent populace. If anything, Josh's Glee speech (derogatory shudder) should have come from Karen through the lens of her experience with DADT. The retconning of Tommy's backstory has made this soooooo messy in canon and fandom spaces, and honestly I need ClipoardBuck! level organization of this show that is so half-assed I shouldn't even care this damn much! Henren are literally the definition of a messy queer relationship, of the "I love you anyway" discourse that's been floating around. I have loved seeing how they have ovwrcome obstacles (inside and outside of their relationship) and have become so much stronger for it not only as wives but as mothers amd friends who support onw another when people get kidnapped. Bring back firefam, including those who live on the periphery but nonetheless are an integral, load-bearing part of it, convos because each and every one of them can benefit from the life experiences (past and ongoing) happening to their overly codependent coworkers.

Hi, Nonnie! No need for apologies, I love a good rant!

You make such excellent points, I have little to add, truly. I agree with everything you said.

I think, overall, the show is missing a great opportunity not having Hen helping Buck out with this. Karen, too. I understand if they cannot use Karen for this, as she is recurring and might not be in as many episodes as Hen is, but it is such a missed opportunity, and it's been so since Season 7.

It would've been so good. Karen being able to speak on her past experiences and helping Buck understand Tommy a bit better would've been amazing, and it would've been way better than the Glee speech which - I share your shudder. Glee was amazing representation for its time, but not to make a speech like this, bfr.

Honestly, you put it in a really smart way and I really agree with what you said. And it's a shame the show is apparently not making any moves to have Buck and Hen talk about it or bond over this. And it's sad, and a waste of some very good scenes. I'm sure OS and AH would love to have them and would knock them out of the park. TT as well.

My inbox is open for ranting, venting, giving your opinion (unpopular or popular, I'm happy to receive and discuss both), and even confessions! However if you don't want yours posted, please make sure to say :)

Take care <3

[loving-family-poll]

gonna be honest this year the only fandom to bring in the unhinged energy of the first tournament are gcest fans, and for that reason I respect them deeply and root for them. however it is maybe unfair to compare ANYTHING to the last tournament, which featured homestuck, supernatural incest infighting, gcest fans inventing voter fraud (another reason they have earned my unending respect) and of course, fighting about whether or not the locked tomb is YA. like this year no one even claimed that being against botting is ableist. we need to step up our game somehow.

PLEASEEEEEE step up ur game this year has been downright peaceful and amicable and I Hate it!!!!!!! The most discourse we've gotten is whether or not the gallaghers are hot and I had to start that one!!!!

[tanadrin]

IMO anyone who believes in any kind of intellectual property law should be hung from a lamppost, or be tied to a firepit and bayoneted until dead, or meet some other such grizzly fate. Unending hatred for the censor, eternal rejection of the busybody. You cannot own ideas, I will not bow to your gods, you can't control what I say, get the fuck out of my way. AI is an important issue for other reasons (could destroy the world if we're careless with it) but as for the current discourse, most of it, I have no response to it but that. Damn intellectual property to hell. Kill. Kill. Kill.

i'm as prone to overexaggeration in the name of rhetorical point as the next person, but damn dude. take it down a notch. there are worse crimes than wanting royalty payments.

[unhingedmarvelandclassicwhobuff]

Since we're now in the time period of WandaVision's fourth anniversary, I'm gonna go on a rant about how much I hated the experience of watching it as it was being released

As I've mentioned before, starting in mid-2019 I started to become worried that Marvel would try to go the comic route and twist Wanda into a villain. It got so bad that I had nightmares about it. So you can imagine how nervous I was knowing that she was getting a show where Vision was apparently alive again.

While for the first few episodes I was able to appreciate how good the sitcom recreations were, it was incredibly frustrating to be getting a Wanda show where she's acting absolutely nothing like herself.

I still remember the first time my heart dropped and I thought "Fuck. They're doing it." was at the end of episode 2 when time rewinds. The moment is edited to make it look like Wanda did it intentionally (though retroactively there's no way that's possible), and that was the start of a downward spiral of me thinking Marvel was seriously doing what I was scared they were doing.

I'm still more than a little amazed that Marvel had so little faith in the audience that after just three episodes they slammed on the brakes and painstakingly spelled out exactly what questions the audience should be asking. That feels like a studio-mandated choice.

Another big moment that made my blood run cold was the very end of episode 4, because again, the scene where Wanda throws Monica out is framed like she knows exactly what's going on and doesn't care. And then Monica saying "it's all Wanda" at the end... Let's just say four years ago today was a pretty bad day for me.

Episode 5 was the worst of it for me. Not only was that the episode where they hammer in just how torturous the mind control is, but it's also the episode where Wanda herself is at her absolute worst, as we've gone over in painstaking detail. To this day my most hated scene in WandaVision is the confrontation outside the Hex. It's just there to make the audience think Wanda is fully in control and couldn't care less about what she's doing. I don't care how well-executed the scene is, to even insinuate that Wanda would ever intentionally hurt innocents is enough to send me into a blind rage.

And just to cap it all off, the Fake Pietro reveal at the end made my heart sink for another reason entirely. 99% of the discourse I saw online during those weeks was little more than people theorizing/hoping that the show would be a plot device to introduce mutants or the Fantastic Four or the X-Men or a dozen other fucking things that have nothing to do with Wanda. So while for basically everyone else Evan Peters showing up was a massive vindication, for me it was confirmation that this show really didn't care about Wanda and was mainly focused on setting up future projects. At the time I distinctly remember coming to the conclusion after episode 5 that the main function of the show was to cement Wanda as a villain so she could be used as one in a later movie.

Things didn't get much better in episode 6. Vision wandering around and seeing all the frozen people in unending agony again made me want to vomit, because at that point I still thought Wanda knew about it and didn't care. The scene where he "wakes up Agnes" just solidified that for me. Wanda saying she didn't know how she did any of this didn't help much, as I immediately figured she was lying through her teeth. Granted I wasn't paying a ton of attention to her mannerisms or body language during that scene that prove otherwise. Wanda expanding the Hex was another nightmare-come-alive moment for me, because I sincerely thought it meant she was fully aware of how to control it and what it did.

Episode 7 wasn't any better either. It upset me greatly to see Wanda casually note right at the start that she knew she had created the Hex, and I think by this point I had sort of dejectedly accepted that the woman I loved was dead and an amoral monster who had no problem with casual torture had taken her place.

Even Agatha showing up didn't make me perk up, because I immediately thought she was just another creation of the Hex for Wanda to use as a scapegoat.

So as I think you can tell, this show's misdirection worked hook line and sinker on me, and I hate it for that, because it was baiting me into thinking my literal worst nightmare was coming true right before my eyes.

I went into episode 8 with a numb acceptance that this show had murdered Wanda for the sake of using her as a big bad later on. So you can imagine the gigantic whiplash I got when it ended up being a respectful, tear-jerking depiction of her that suddenly removed the veil and revealed she truly didn't know what was going on at all.

The finale was equally heartwrenching for me, choppiness and all. It was... more than a little upsetting to see the people of Westview confront Wanda with what had been happening and to see her just as confused and horrified as I was, and by the end of that scene I was crying right along with her. I shouldn't have to reiterate how much I love what little interactions Wanda gets with her family before the Hex collapses.

Seeing how many people online had the exact opposite reaction to me, where they were loving the show until episode 8, just made me feel like the only person who truly cared about Wanda.

So, TLDR, on initial release I was HATING WandaVision for 80% of its duration, and it only won me over in the final two episodes by showing me that the creators truly did understand Wanda. I still don't consider it to be worthy of her glory, but those last two episodes are pretty much the closest the MCU will likely ever come to having a good showing of Wanda as the hero she truly is.

[pookiebeargallery]

Hello!

In spite of my unending shyness, I've decided to make a selfship blog! 🥺🩷 Here's some basic things:

🩷 My name is Rocky, my pronouns are he/him, and I'm 26!

🩷 This side blog (will follow from my main @pabbyspace !) will primarily be for reblogging art of characters I feel strongly for, and, on occasion, posting selfship art I've drawn and/or received from others. I will also be reblogging others' selfship/yume art from time to time! :DD

🩷 I am a "sharing" selfshipper! Please do not be afraid to interact or chat with me, especially if we share F/Os! :0) 💕 (I realize I'll have a lot listed here but most of them are just for reference to talk with others about, rather than ones I'll be drawing super often! Please don't let the list intimidate you LOL)

That being said, here are a few things of importance to note:

‼️ This blog will be primarily SFW. HOWEVER! Any... ahem... occasional *UN*-SFW content (jokes, art, or otherwise) will be tagged and/or under a read more. Please proceed with caution and heed tag warnings as necessary!

‼️ Please heed normal DNI criteria (z00s, t3rfs, pr0sh1p, etc.)

‼️ Please do not interact if you engage in selfship/yume discourse. I would like to keep this blog a positive space and free of discourse or "drama". I take selfshipping/yumeshipping seriously but not TOO seriously to a detriment, y'know?

‼️ Please do not interact if you engage in selfshipping/yumeshipping with a "competitive" mindset. (i.e. "[character] ONLY loves me", etc.) This line of thinking makes me personally quite uncomfortable!

‼️ Overall rule is be chill and nice! Selfship is fun and a source of comfort for me (as I'm sure it is for you too!), so let's keep it that way! 💕

This will be updated later with anything else I can think of, but yeah! Enjoy your stay! Under the cut will be a list of my major F/Os, both past and present!

The Ultimate F/Os:

These F/Os are sort of "eternal" for me, and I will always have a soft spot for them in my heart, even when I'm not always talking about them. They were/are deeply personal to me for different reasons!

🩷 Goofy (Disney) (Nothing beats Goofy, unfortunately! He is my longest-running F/O and I have the strongest affection towards him of any character, ever.

🩷 Damien (My OC, please ask me about him!)

🩷 Grigory Habit (Smile For Me) (Not a canonical character! He is a beta design of Dr. Boris Habit from the Smile For Me art book turned into Habit's uncle by some dedicated fans. I grew so attached to the concept that I commissioned my own puppet of him by The Circus Cottage, the same puppet builders who made the Dr. Habit/Li'l Habby/Pabit puppet for the game)!

🩷 Spring Bonnie/Dave Miller/William Afton/Springtrap/(and, by extension, Scraptrap) (Five Nights at Freddy's)

Current Main F/Os:

These are my specimens that I am currently inspecting under a microscope....

🩷 "Bord"/"Ciphord"/Bill-Possessed Stanford Pines (Gravity Falls) (This is a big one for me! I feel the need to separate him from Bill and Ford because he is a totally different entity to me LMAO)

🩷 Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) (This also includes my ""human"" version of Bill Cipher, who is a ventriloquist dummy/puppet. U//v//U)

🩷 Stanley Pines (Gravity Falls)

Secondary F/Os:

Not as strong as the Ultimates/Mains, but I am thinking about them too!

🩷 Ford Pines (Gravity Falls)

🩷 Ghostface (Scream films) (Not necessarily the identity of anyone underneath the costume, I just think the costume and voice are hot 🙈)

🩷 Parappa (Parappa the Rapper)

🩷 Lammy Lamb (Um Jammer Lammy/Parappa the Rapper)

🩷 Spongebob Squarepants

🩷 Horace Horsecollar (Disney)

🩷 Wallace (Wallace and Gromit)

My Past Sweeties:

I still love these guys! They just aren't on my mind as much these days.

🩷 Ken (Barbie Movie)

🩷 The Spot/Jonathan Ohnn (Spider-verse)

🩷 Ryuk (Death Note)

🩷 Rarold (Be Kind, My Neighbor)

🩷 Strong Bad (Homestar Runner)

🩷 Homestar Runner

🩷 Spamton (Deltarune)

🩷 Moon (FNAF: Security Breach) (Sun too, but... not nearly as strongly LOL)

🩷 Chucky (Child's Play series)

🩷 Brahms Heelshire (The Boy)

🩷 Satan (Forbidden Zone)

🩷 Freaky Fred (Courage the Cowardly Dog)

🩷 Harvey (Animal Crossing)

🩷 Wilbur (Animal Crossing)

🩷 Dr. Teeth (The Muppets)

🩷 Johnny Fiama (The Muppets)

🩷 Constantine (The Muppets)

🩷 Muppet Newsman (The Muppets)

🩷 Zenigata (Lupin the Third)

🩷 Sniper (Team Fortress 2)

🩷 Merasmus (Team Fortress 2)

F/Os from my Youth:

These F/Os are from my much much MUCH younger days! Like, adolescence younger days. Personally I just want to include them here for fun to reminisce on them. These aren't all of them LOL but these were some significant and/or silly ones!

🩷 Wheatley (Portal 2)

🩷 Professor Layton (Professor Layton game series)

🩷 Dororo (Keroro Gunso)

🩷 Meta Knight (Kirby game series)

🩷 Luigi/Mr. L (Super Mario game series)

🩷 Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

🩷 Disco Bear (Happy Tree Friends)

🩷 Jenny Wakeman/XJ9 (My Life As A Teenage Robot) (I am pretty sure she was my "I think I might like girls" awakening as a child even though I didn't realize it at the time LOL)

🩷 Gumby (Gumby series)

[artbyblastweave]

The "Imagine a guy who would hate a Worm tv show" post.

Hm. On the one hand I do think there's something to the argument that trying even jokingly to model the online discourse hell of a nonexistent adaptation of a niche work does put me two or three metadiscourse layers further below the surface than is psychologically advisable. On the other hand they're just straightforwardly correct that a prominent adaptation of worm would result in a total unending digital bloodbath

[gonermaker-ocpicrew]

"deltarune player theory isn't canon because that's too meta. the red soul is just something LIKE the player🙄" toby already tried that and that's how we got the unending hell that is chara discourse.

[halliescomut]

Random BL Musings for 3/17/25

So we had some big news over the weekend with the confirmation that Ohm and Leng would not be continuing as a pairing and their currently scheduled series with GMMTV were re-assigned to other pairs, specifically to Aou and Boom for Only Friends: Dream On, and Surf and Java for MU-TE-LUV: 9 Temples. I'm not particularly upset over them separating as a pair, I haven't watched Kidnap the series yet. I always kinda of think about it when I'm trolling GagaOoLala for stuff to watch, but I just haven't jumped in yet, so truly I can't speak much on how they are as a pairing. I know that Ohm is a very talented actor, having watched him in a handful of other things, and I'd guess that Leng is on a similar level. I've seen a lot of people not really surprised at the split given the pretty blatant disrespect to Leng and Ohm from people who were very committed to the OhmNanon pairing, and I tend to agree. Why would Leng want to be consistently putting himself in a place where he's not wanted? Because it's not just people talking shit online, but he has to attend these fanmeets and events and deal with people in real life either not caring that he's even in the room because they're there for Ohm only, or treating him like some sort of mistress that broke up a marriage. I'd be out too.

But to circle around to my actual point, or I suppose more accurately continue on along my ADHD thought process- the switch to AouBoom, which I have seen a lot of people excited about, and truly I'm kind of excited as well. They've been putting in the work for a while and I do think their work specifically in Perfect 10 Liners is good. I've not watched enough of their other work to comment there, but the fact that they have a lot of people who are basically screaming "finally" at the news that they will be in a main role instead of supporting I think says a lot to how good of a job they've been doing. (I've watched approximately 1/2 of Vice Versa, Enchante, Hidden Agenda, and We Are and haven't been able to finish any of them...maybe one day.) But I do think in P10L they really stood out amongst the main couples. Even given both pretty limited space in the story and portraying some pretty unlikeable characters, you do still kind of root for them. And that's something that I think will serve them well in the continuation of Only Friends, which is at it's core about very imperfect and often unlikeable characters.

I've also seen as part of this discussion some what I would argue are pretty fucked up reasons for this excitement. And what I'm seeing from some is certainly not universal within the BL community, from my perspective it does seem like the minority, but I also block with pretty wild abandon and curate my online spaces pretty strictly, so I know for sure that my perspective is pretty skewed. To the actual point though- one common thing I saw was "they deserve to be a main couple, their NC scenes in P10L are the only ones worth watching"- and man, do I have an issue with that type of statement.

I know that currently there is this seemingly unending discourse amongst the BL fandom about NC scenes with some people upset about the gratuitousness and frequency of them, while the other side complains that this is a form of entertainment for adults, and sex is a common and often important aspect of romantic relationships and we should be getting realistic portrayals of sex, and on it all goes. And no one is 100% correct or incorrect on either side.

To talk about P10L and AouBoom portraying Klao and Warit, they are very clearly and intentionally presented as a pretty toxic couple, and yes that can be fun to watch, but it is important to hold that context in the back of your mind. Do they seem to be getting better the further into the story we go, especially after the full establishment of Yotha and Gun's relationship? Yeah, but also pretty much every NC scene we saw between these guys was almost more like hate-sex than anything. And there's a very clear intention (in my opinion, all of this is my opinion) for their relationship to be counterpoint to the ones that grown between the main couples, specifically Yotha and Gun, but also Faifa and Wine (they're obviously not really present during the main run of Arm and Arc's romance). It feels like y'all are saying you don't see the NC scenes between the main couples as 'passionate' because they aren't rooted in anger...and like...yikes. Because I do think a sex scene needs to 'have a point', I do think like any other one on one scene between romantic leads, a sex scene builds our understandings of the characters. Their purpose is not just to arouse (bc yes some viewers find them hot and that's totally fine) or to fetishize, another common complaint about them, but to show another aspect of two people's relationship to each other. I'm going to default to explaining this using the couple that I feel the most familiar with in order to make my point, but I'm certain this is something that you could do with any number of couples within BL.

Using Prapai and Sky as an example you can look at the NC scenes we have for them. First is the one-night stand, second is the post-illness sex, third is the post-dinner/pre-party BJ in the condo bathroom, fourth is the conference room, and final is the oceanside bathtub scene.

To break those down individually, you see an active change in how they interact with each other as sexual partners. During the one-night stand Sky is majority in control, he's initiating transitions to next steps, i.e. removing clothes, asking about protection, and even him being on top are all indicators of this. He's also the one to directly initiate round two. Control matters most to Sky in that moment, he doesn't feel safe enough to give up control. Our second scene, he's begun to trust Prapai and while he does start on top...he doesn't finish (waggly eyebrows) up that way, he gives up a measure of control to Prapai. It's another indicator of his trust in Prapai slowly building. Scene three- the bathroom blowjob, specifically with Sky receiving. Part of Sky's story is him being a survivor of intimate partner violence and being used solely for the pleasure of Gun and others, with no concern to his own pleasure. Having him be on the receiving end of the oral sex is very specifically and directly Prapai being focused on pleasuring Sky without concern of "repayment" or his own pleasure (beyond the pleasure and satisfaction of performing this service for a partner he cares about). Scene 4- conference room. This scene is both another step in Sky showing and exercising his desire to be in control and Prapai both understanding and enjoying that, but it's also about playfulness. Yes, it's an incredibly hot and sexy scene, but it's also very playful, which indicates to us as the audience that Sky feels so comfortable with Prapai, incredibly secure in their relationship, and has continued to come out of his shell in the time between episode 13 and the special episode. Our last NC scene is the bathtub scene which fully locks in the canon that Sky and Prapai are switches (if you hadn't picked that up until then) and the fact that those moments where Prapai was letting Sky lead weren't just to help Sky feel more comfortable and secure, but were because he also very much enjoyed it. It shows how compatible they are as sexual partners (which does matter), and that they have developed this level of trust and knowledge about each other to where they don't really have questions. Prapai asks no questions beyond "Huh?"' and then immediately jumps in that tub.

Do you see how well considered NC-scenes help develop our understanding of characters and couples? Okay. Great, so all of this to say, you don't have to enjoy watching an NC scene. Sometimes I do and sometimes I'm kinda meh about it, because at their core they are like any other one on one scene between these characters. But they can and often do have a purpose within the overall story. They're also an important part of normalizing queer love in all aspects, and that's why softer or more romantic NC scenes matter within media, because queer love and queer sex is often pushed into this idea of being inappropriate or deviant. Even a kiss between same sex partners starts a discussion of "should this media be rated higher?", like PG-13, instead of the standard PG rating of pretty much any media that contains a pretty innocent kiss (no tongues or groping of bodies) between straight couples. And all of this is why different levels of NC scenes or references to sex within queer media matters, because you do need media that could be appropriate both in theming and in content for young people. Not just teens, but even pre-teens, because that is the age where many people are figuring out sexuality, and shows that are appropriate for their age group that show various sexualities and gender expressions are helpful for them in that journey. And it's not just about having queer people or queer relationships be the focus, but also having queer people existing within the world of the story.

And back to my yikes point, the idea that Klao and War's sex scenes were the best, or felt the most 'passionate' to some viewers when they were rooted in a pretty angry and toxic place, and especially when we see Klao and War be pretty violent with each other, I find myself concerned because this is something I've seen before. I've seen it in talks about TharnType and VegasPete and many other couples that are pretty inarguably toxic and unhealthy, especially in the beginning. And I'm concerned because I do fear it may be the toxic standards for masculinity. This idea of conquering being manly, of taking your pleasure being manly, that's getting into some pretty slippery territory, and it's not that I think that content doesn't have a place in fiction, but that it doesn't always feel like people see how it's bad. Even looking at my two examples- TharnType presented a lot if not all of this incredibly questionable behavior from both sides as being fine...it certainly was not fine. VegasPete does not present it in that way to the viewer, other characters, that's a conversation we could have, but as the viewer you are aware that what's happening between Vegas and Pete basically up until the post credits scene in the hospital is pretty fucked up. Even if the characters themselves are okay with it, we as the audience can see that this is not a healthy relationship in any way. But it's also fiction. we understand it's fiction and we understand that enjoying watching that toxicity does not mean we endorse the behaviors or think they would ever be appropriate IRL. But it makes me wonder if not everyone in the class understands, because again, a fair bit of the commentary I've seen doesn't seem to express that awareness. And truly sometimes it feels like a lot of y'all out there don't know how to enjoy a softer love story, which I think is very unfortunate.

My other general gripe from the weekend/past week has been again the weird discourse surrounding Perth and Santa. (Kinda funny that a lot of this ramble connects to P10L, not intentional, but it does make sense since that's one of the most popular currently airing series.) Because there's been quite a few people talking about Santa being infantalized by his company and them 'forcing' him to be cutesy. I worry for people. Most of the main proof of this has been people using pictures of him IN CHARACTER as a Gun- a character that's meant to be soft, silly, and cutesy, and in fact often acts cutesy with intention to keep people from asking too many questions. But also, seems to disregard context as reasonings for some of this. Do I think that during appearances Santa seems to be acting a lot more silly? Yeah, I do. You know what I think the biggest reason for that is? His age. Man is 21 years old, but in addition to that- he started out in series with Project 7 in 2021. He was 17 during filming, and was paired with a far more experienced actor (Cooheart). Have you never paid attention to any interview given by child actor about how adultified they are? How they have to behave just as mature, if not more mature, as the adult actors they are working with because otherwise they get shit talked, or run the risk of losing further opportunities because they don't have years of work that shows how professional they are? And continuing from that to My Only 12% and very particularly the fan events and appearances with Cooheart where there is a very distinct expectation for him to behave certain way in complement to Cooheart.

Now, moving on to this pairing with Perth, who is much closer in age, and also their characters having a very different dynamic, means that he doesn't have to stay in that almost tsundere persona. He's also been through the Fantasy Boys survival show, which was pretty emotionally draining on him, and so I think more of what we're seeing now is him really showing himself, less persona more actual Santa, both because he feels more comfortable, but also because he's more clearly figured out who he is. And i could honestly say the same about Perth too. I feel like his partnership with Santa and more of the connections he's made as a sort of senior within GMMTV has helped him be more relaxed. But a lot of this comes around to the basic point that people are faceted. They're not one dimensional, and their mood or behavior one day does not set in stone their behavior forever. Santa is just a guy, beauty and talent aside, and like any other 21 year old, some days he's gonna be feeling a little silly, and some days more serious, and that's life. He's also a performer. Part of what attracted him to both acting as well as music/performing is the ability to put on these different personas that reflect different aspects of himself.

(Slight authors note, just to ensure that something doesn't get taken out of context- I've never had an issue with Santa's paring with Cooheart. The scenes filmed for those series were very appropriate to his age, and I didn't see any inappropriate behavior happening during appearances together. I think the ppl who complained the loudest about it and specifically bashed Cooheart over it were simply homophobic assholes.)

I think that kind of might be all. Wrapping up, I'm excited about the BOC series about flight attendants. I suspect it's more than just a workplace comedy, but we shall see.

I've only watched one series in it's entirety recently that I haven't already talked about, and I don't even know that I could specifically say I recommend it, but Happy of the End was an almost entrancing watch. Like the show is good quality. The acting is very good. It's also chock full of trigger warnings, send me an ask if you want more specific details. It reminded me a little bit of how I felt watching Stay Still, if you watched that.

[stupendousfoxthing]

I have a couple of questions sitting in the inbox that I swear I'll get to soon, but I needed to come here and hype up David Archuleta's brand new song.

If you are unfamiliar with his story, he was the runner-up on season 7 of American Idol. He was so popular he also got a record deal, and they tried to promote him as a teen heartthrob. His first single "Crush" is kind of iconic, I love it so much. In it, he sings to his "girl" crush. David came out as gay in 2021. He said, that he never understood what the lyrics of "Crush" were even talking about until he kissed a man for the first time.

Growing up in the Mormon church, he didn't think anything other than straight was an option. He struggled with his faith, eventually deciding to leave the church. His mom walked out with him, and that's what inspired the song "Hell Together".

His story is one I thought about a lot when Taekook released their debut solo albums last year, and the unending discourse about gendered song lyrics. Last year, David finally started performing "Crush" using "boy" instead. 💕

Highly recommend watching his newer music videos. He is so clearly much happier now and thriving.

[damnfandomproblems]

Fandom Problem #4129:

The discourse around the fucking Boyfriends Webtoon. Look, it's not my thing, BUT. People flip their goddamn lids when their queer rep isn't 1000% unproblematic fluff, it's "why do queer stories ALWAYS have to just be about suffering??? maybe we want the lighthearted stuff too!!!" Alright, whatever. So now, you've GOT your fluffy pure uwu wholesome nauseatingly cutesy shit and you're STILL MAD???? 'cause THIS time it's just "vapid fetishy shlock". What the fuck do you want. Of COURSE it's not going to be for everyone but for a lot of people it's going to be exactly what they've been looking for and you'd better not try to ruin that for them. And it's also pretty fucked to claim that a comic about gay men written by a gay man fetishizes gay men. Your "but the fujoshis-!!" argument doesn't even hold up here. You tell people to make the sort of thing they wish they could see, and you know what? He did! He did and decided to share it with people and now people won't stop giving him hell for wanting to make a cute comic. It's this unending cycle of "We want queer stories told BY queer people!" "NO NOT LIKE THAT!!!!!!" where queer creators get torn down by their own community. Seriously fuck off.