#which i really do want to contribute to the issues of being an adult cartoon and only adult swim

[inconspicious-random-thoughts]

Your idea of all soul contracts being voided is very interesting and something I've also played around with/considered. It's a major systemic issue that makes life in Hell extremely difficult for those without power (which is most). If Charlie truly wanted to improve life for all sinners, including those who don't want to be redeemed, targeting that system of ownership would be key and I think it'd be a great progression for her character/mission. If Heaven won't play by their own rules, then give Hell the overhaul it needs that improves life for everyone and remove the possibility of soul ownership completely.

I do want to say, with regards to Valentino's behavior, I personally see him showing restraint in some circumstances. Yes, he SAID he wanted to go and shoot up the hotel but after his initial tantrum with the model, he just sat in his room patiently waiting for Vox. I think there is potential to reason with him, but it'd have to be through someone he trusted (Vox and/or maybe Velvette) AND he'd have to be calmed down first to help him move past the pull to impulsivity. He was also able to rein it in pretty well with Charlie even when she was bafooning it up in his studio, on his turf... I just think it would be fascinating to explore the Vees as potential forces/influences of change and how Charlie could incorporate them into her plan. You'd likely have to get them battered down enough to even be willing to negotiate, but end of the day they are business people and I think they can be reasoned with. Even just within exploration of the adult content industry... turnover is extremely high. Maybe Vox/Velvette could be shown the numbers dipping on Angel Dust's popularity and it would then be their job to convince Valentino to drop him. For them, it's money but maybe for Valentino it's power and then that can be explored in their respective character arcs (ie. WHY does Valentino want that power/what is he gaining from it)? There are so many interesting ways you can play with these themes/characters that isn't a boring "Valentino gets stabbed to death" plot point.

So, I really hope the show chooses the more complex exploration of these characters (and gives consideration to their respective backgrounds that may be influencing their decision-making) rather than reducing them to boring cartoon villains (I also hope to GOD they don't betray each other, I love that they have their own little family among the three of them).

Let us see Charlie trying to win them over to her cause. Let us see Charlie challenged with the idea that some people like the life they've made in Hell/don't want Heaven as endgame BUT that doesn't mean they can't improve their practices or help make life in Hell better for all. There's a lot of potential. I think it also really reinforces the main theme that everyone is capable of change.

This is all personal preference/morality, but for me I truly believe that everyone has the capacity to grow. Yes this includes Valentino. If there is "no hope" for some people and no one bothers to reach out because they're deemed irredeemable, then what incentive is there for them to ever get better? Why shouldn't they just become a worse and worse version of themself then, potentially victimizing and harming more people along the way? Approaching Charlie's school of thought where everyone can be redeemed with a plan that focuses on rehabilitating individuals (and breaking down what that means/how that varies person-to-person) is a natural next step. Understanding why someone like Valentino is the way he is, how the system of Hell has contributed to the problem on a societal level, and what tools he should be given to cope/make better decisions in the future WHILE also protecting his victims from additional harm are all critical steps that I think Charlie (and the show) need to start taking more seriously... if their plan is to really explore this idea of redemption, anyway. This would also apply to characters like Sir Pentious and Angel Dust. Everyone is in Hell for a reason, everyone has a past and a laundry list of wrong that needs to be addressed and given care. How many lives did Angel Dust ruin as a mobster? What had Sir Pentious even done prior to his stay in the hotel that landed him in Hell in the first place?

So much potential in all these characters. I really hope the writers really flesh them out. Sorry for going on too long at the end there, your comments just got me thinking.

Your idea of all soul contracts being voided is very interesting and something I've also played around with/considered. It's a major systemic issue that makes life in Hell extremely difficult for those without power (which is most). If Charlie truly wanted to improve life for all sinners, including those who don't want to be redeemed, targeting that system of ownership would be key and I think it'd be a great progression for her character/mission. If Heaven won't play by their own rules, then give Hell the overhaul it needs that improves life for everyone and remove the possibility of soul ownership completely.

Exactly. It is a huge systemic issue and if the show been greenlighted multiple season ahead of time, I'm sure there be an a subplot about it. As it something Charlie see how the contracts affect her people greatly and it would be a project she take on to change it. It's a huge undertaking as is basically restructuring the government that been running on the principle for multiple thousands of years. It's just how things are and she wants to change that.

The contracts originally was about a weaker demon seeking out the protection of a stronger demon to keep them safe from the rest of Hell in exchange of servitude. After several thousand years it evolves and got a bit more corrupted but the bases of it still exist. But the protection became more the overlord defending their territory/property.

Obviously the overlords are the ones that will suffer for it, despite it making things harder to the owned souls to exist in Hell and possibly unfair how they obtain it, (But also keep in mind, the deal was consented by both parties, both agreed.) it is unfair to the overlords when it just the the way things are and no warning of a sudden structural change. They are being punished/losing for playing the long game well while playing by the rules of Hell at the time. They were winning at a game and then the host decided it time to change the rules.

The overlords will:

1) lose their compensation after they held up their end of the deal.

2) lose a large if not all chuck of their power and status.

3) most importantly they will become targets after they were forced to give up their power and their numbers that would have defended them. Lets face it, once contracts get voided and overlords losing their power and status, a bulk of sinner will want to retaliate. Attack the overlord that held them or attack another overlord that they felt wrong them and now have the opportunity to do so when they are not overpowered.

This doesn't only effect the big honcho overlords we seen, there be smaller ones...mobs and gangs and what not. But considering the majority of characters we meet are overlords it would be interesting to see how they deal with this as an audience. Probably an overlord meeting about it if they got intel what was being plan and trying to derail it from happening, or a civil war among the overlords on the approach how to deal with it.

If there is a civil war about it, the overlords who still be upset but willing to work with Charlie/Lucifer would be Carmilla, Zestial, Rosie. They just generally to care about Hell and probably treat their souls fairly well. Rosie probably be least affected by it all. She owns souls, but I think her souls will still follow and look upon as a leader even after they been freed, and cannibal town will more or less run the same as it was before. Carmilla and Zestial would probably have a similar situation.

Unname overlord may be included in this.

The Vees will obvious be against it, and Zeezi might be on the undecided side but more on keeping things the way things are. She doesn't seem like she be an overlord to give up her wants and needs in favor for a better society if it can be avoided it.

Alastor will play double agent im sure. He always have like 3 hidden agendas he working at the same time that are his own her other peoples he force to follow. He be annoyed he lose his souls but then again, he would have his own freedom again.

The best possible solution I can think to fixing the infractractor to what Charlie wants, is to wean out the contracts. Creating a clean slate immediately would be problematic. Have the contracts expired in a decade. AND/OR if new contracts can still be made, have there be term limits. A soul can only be bind to a contract for X amount of years then it can be renegotiated or let it null and void. It be a hassle for the overlords for sure as the constantly, and make extra effort on treating souls better for the soul to want to remain under contract/protected while the other try to earn that spot. Possibly a guideline has to be drawn up to have a basic math for length of servitude. If the overlord provide x to the demon, the demon would serve x amount of years.

One thing I wonder is do overlords provide housing and such as part of their protection? Most sinners don't really seem to have jobs to afford housing and food. Most of the sinners we see are working in the guidelines of their contract. So how are they getting money for things? Is being provided with the necessities part of the protection?

But we have to keep in mind, we see how much the people regret their decision on selling their souls. It seem, like most if not all the people who sold their soul regret it. Its nearly common knowledge that its a bad deal to do it...yet...people still do it. They choose to go along and do it regardless thinking they were the special exception. So yes, they are a victim...but at the same time...are they?

I don't think the regret would not be an all time if its limited to a certain amount of years. That if it something they did regret, at least it there's a light at the end of the tunnel and not just a bleak all of eternity experience. Terms limits would at least have both parties put effort into the relationship if they are satisfied with the deal. Both parties have to put effort to want the other to stay in.

Not saying this can be the endgame solution but it can be a start down that path.

I do want to say, with regards to Valentino's behavior, I personally see him showing restraint in some circumstances. Yes, he SAID he wanted to go and shoot up the hotel but after his initial tantrum with the model, he just sat in his room patiently waiting for Vox. I think there is potential to reason with him, but it'd have to be through someone he trusted (Vox and/or maybe Velvette) AND he'd have to be calmed down first to help him move past the pull to impulsivity. He was also able to rein it in pretty well with Charlie even when she was bafooning it up in his studio, on his turf...

You have a point there. Valentino is a violently impulsive but your right, there was some points he did not act out immediately the way he wanted. He had his hissy fit and tore up a model before he sulked waiting for Vox advice. But I did forgot about Val calming down slightly and waiting for Vox. I also forgot about episode 4 completely. Honestly, it makes his character better that he able to reign in some of that impulsive violent nature. It would make the lost of Angel dust contract better. Im sure Val would trash the room the moment he lost is but after thrashing about to calm down he just be seething without acting out on it. Which...I sort of want to see now. I'm sure there still need to put precautions about Val retaliating. Val would want revenge even if he lost the contract fairly. Val would want to send a message hes not someone to fuck with but perhaps he won't actually act upon it like he would want to. At least wouldn't be a blind tantrum rampaging retaliation if he did act out a little.

I just think it would be fascinating to explore the Vees as potential forces/influences of change and how Charlie could incorporate them into her plan. You'd likely have to get them battered down enough to even be willing to negotiate, but end of the day they are business people and I think they can be reasoned with.

True, very true. Vox and Velvette are fairly level headed people. Well, except about Vox isn't when it comes to Alastor.

Which makes me wonder...

If Vox losing his shit about Alastor

Val losing it about Angel

Who makes Velvette lose her shit about? Can't wait for that character to be introduced.

Even just within exploration of the adult content industry... turnover is extremely high. Maybe Vox/Velvette could be shown the numbers dipping on Angel Dust's popularity and it would then be their job to convince Valentino to drop him. For them, it's money but maybe for Valentino it's power and then that can be explored in their respective character arcs (ie. WHY does Valentino want that power/what is he gaining from it)? There are so many interesting ways you can play with these themes/characters that isn't a boring "Valentino gets stabbed to death" plot point.

That would be actually pretty interesting to see. Angel losing popularity. Probably caused by his stay at the hotel. Having the other Vees try to talk Val on not using Angel so much with them going by the numbers and trending.

Actually, Angel being in the hotel might making him almost an embarrassing cringe meme at some point and Velvette and Vox trying to talk Val not using Angel so tarnish their brand. Because they want to be trending in a good way. I don't think Val wouldn't give up the contract because I think Val really likes having Angel around for himself even if Angel not a big income anymore. Maybe Angel becoming a joke and not a money maker Val would hesitantly accept an offer for Angel soul if the payout was big enough.

Even if it not dramatic, I kind of want this play out now. It like the safest and agreeable way to end the terms without much fear of retaliation.

I think it be really sweet way to play out. The hotel residence, and Cherri if she hasn't joined, chip in with everything they have to buy Angel freedom. Lucifer, Charlie and Alastor able to contribute more and possible offer something with more weight like a restricted favor at a given time. Angel would be so grateful and feel so love that everyone did it, that if they felt like a family to him before it only furthered it. It also open up to some Angel angst if favors were offered and the Val request wasn't agreeable to the one giving the favor but has to serve out anyways. Angel would feel so much guilt over it.

So, I really hope the show chooses the more complex exploration of these characters (and gives consideration to their respective backgrounds that may be influencing their decision-making) rather than reducing them to boring cartoon villains

I am a huuuuuge sucker for backstory and character growth. I love character growth. Even if they don't grow, I like how we eventually learn of their back stories to understand why they are the way they are. Make you sympathise with them even if you don't agree with their methods.

I hate black and white/ right and wrong anything..I love how everything grey and having that explored. I mean, the vast majority of people are not evil or good for the sheer sake of it. It usually stems from something that propels people in that direction.

My favorite trope is a villian is sort of in the right in their own way but they went about it wrong. Basically the ends justify the means.

(I also hope to GOD they don't betray each other, I love that they have their own little family among the three of them).

That....never crossed my mind. I would feel so betrayed myself if that would happen. I love their little family. But if one would betray, its Velvette. But it better not happen. They need to stick together! Even if I suspect Velvette be the one out of the three to betray, I doubt she will. Phone Case as evidence. Vox and Val phone case is their own personal brand symbols while Valvette is about all three of them. She probably the biggest heart of all of them and makes them stick together.

Let us see Charlie trying to win them over to her cause. Let us see Charlie challenged with the idea that some people like the life they've made in Hell/don't want Heaven as endgame BUT that doesn't mean they can't improve their practices or help make life in Hell better for all. There's a lot of potential. I think it also really reinforces the main theme that everyone is capable of change.

I been thinking about this exact thing SO MUCH lately. I wanted to make a post about it but didn't end up doing it.

Like, Alastor is a prime example of this. He doesn't want redemption. Giving the life he had, he probably never felt so freeing until he landed in Hell. In life people scampered away or looked away in disgust and hatred because of his heritage, he was taken advantage because of heritage and social standing. He had to hide his identity behind radio to be able to converse freely without judgement and treated equal. The activities he enjoy he had to keep secret. But in Hell? people scamper away out of fear of his power, he can indulge in all his deplorable actives he enjoy. He can force people to listen to him. Hell was freeing for him. It's everything he needs and wants aside not being with his mother. He doesn't want redemption. He doesn't want to give up his fun and entertainment. He doesn't want to give up his power and status. It's Hell, hes going to have his bad days especially with his shackles but overall how he going to enjoy heaven for eternity if he bloodthirsty and enjoys annoying people without receive retaliation?

Even if he makes it to heaven...it be similar to his life on Earth. His power would be equal or lower of the residence of Heaven. They will learn how heinous he once was. They will be disgusted by him and move to the other side of the street to avoid him. He be happy to see his mother...but can he really bring himself to her after...everything? Her having the knowledge of everything because word would get around. She may work past it, but Alastor would feel that her eyes won't look at him the same way as it once before. It pains him greatly. It pains his mother having that knowledge. Heaven not suppose to hurt. He can't have the both of them suffer like that. It's best that she remains in the dark of his deeds because whatever worst case scenario she can dream up about her sweet little boy it wrist slap compared what he actually committed.

He doesn't want redemption...

...but it doesn't mean he can be rehabilitated which I think has already starting to happen. He curb his activities for the image of for the hotel. He hides his particular diet from their eyes to not disgust them. He still gets to indulge and commit murders but now its more reserved for the defence of the hotel and its residents. He always had his own moral code when it came to his murders. But it seem like he hasn't "hunted" since he been at the hotel because he didn't want it getting back to Charlie and disappoint her or ruin the hotel image IMO. So, I think we already seeing Alastor being slowly rehabilitated without him or anyone realizing it. The longer he there the more he going to feel fond with the other residence and continue to change some of his habits for their benefit.

This is all personal preference/morality, but for me I truly believe that everyone has the capacity to grow. Yes this includes Valentino. If there is "no hope" for some people and no one bothers to reach out because they're deemed irredeemable, then what incentive is there for them to ever get better? Why shouldn't they just become a worse and worse version of themself then, potentially victimizing and harming more people along the way? Approaching Charlie's school of thought where everyone can be redeemed with a plan that focuses on rehabilitating individuals (and breaking down what that means/how that varies person-to-person) is a natural next step. Understanding why someone like Valentino is the way he is, how the system of Hell has contributed to the problem on a societal level, and what tools he should be given to cope/make better decisions in the future WHILE also protecting his victims from additional harm are all critical steps that I think Charlie (and the show) need to start taking more seriously... if their plan is to really explore this idea of redemption,

I agree. For Charlie to really move forward with her redemption she needs to start trying to get to the root of the problems. Trust falls isn't going to be the answer. I think she been hesitate because she doesn't want to push boundaries which is a good thing and to extent is working. They feel safe and relatively there's trust and strong bonds....but at the same time...its not solving much either. But progress is progress I suppose no matter what speed.

What had Sir Pentious even done prior to his stay in the hotel that landed him in Hell in the first place?\

Seriously, What did he do?! He such a cinnamon roll.

So much potential in all these characters. I really hope the writers really flesh them out.

There is a lot of potential and I think that what make this show fun! We only know so much about them so it really fun trying to fill in the blanks and figure out their motives. I don't think any of them are meant to be 2 dimensional or plot devices but have several layers. That even the seemingly simplistic character will have complexity. I just hope the show keeps getting renewed so we can be offered everything the creator wanted to give.

Sorry for going on too long at the end there, your comments just got me thinking.

It's okay. It's a delight to know that my rambling can do that. That they might inspire or help someone get creative about the fandom. I only made this blog to just get ideas out of my head of what I'm hyper fixated on which is currently, Hazbin. I didn't really expected anyone would actually read it much less, like or interact with it. I just find it surprising when it happens but brings me joy that my words and thoughts seem to have some meaning to someone.

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Oughhhhhh its like 2 am but im getting so fucking madddddd, I just saw someone be like "dont get me wrong, I love atla and I think Zuka is a great charater but I really think people with low media literacy really took away the wrong thing away from him" and I got kinda excited because I definitely think that about Zuko and him being held up as this great pinnacle of redemption arc writing but I feel like people rarely ever talk about it, but then the post went on and they were like "and by people with low media literacy I mean people creating cartoons nowadays, and by took the wrong thing away from him I mean theyre just giving everyone a redemption arc even though they didnt eeeeeeeaaaaarnnnnnn iiiiiittttt" and then the first thing in their tags was them complaining about steven universe and it made me so mad I didnt even finish reading the tags, I just blocked them. it was very lily orchard-esque if Im being honest

And like, okay, first of all, I think when people talk about Atla making redemption arcs more popular or "trendy", as Im sure this person would reductively say, I think theyre fundamentally misdiagnosing the issue. Atla didnt make redemption arcs popular in kids shows because it was a popular kids show and had a redemption arc in it, atla contributed to serialized kids media becoming more popular where redemption arcs are more common because idk, its just an obvious thing to write when you can write a continously flowing story where there are consequences and where characters can change, rather than having to reset everything at the end of an episode like with episodic shows. I feel like asking "why are there so many redemption arcs in serialized kids shows?" is like asking "why are so many prestige dramas about amoral assholes doing fucked up shit?" because its compelling, next question

Seriously though, while I as an adult like redemptions arcs in general as a tool for teaching kids about different perspectives and that people arent born evil and that life isnt just black and white, I can tell you now, kids dont watch kids shows to learn stuff, they watch them to have fun and drama is fun to most kids and redemption arcs are dramatic, so theyre showing up in kids shows a lot

So thats on redemption arcs in general, now lets talk about my issues with Zuko specifically, or rather, my issues with his arc being held up as the pinnacle of redemption arc writing. This is actually something that the original poster Im talking about mentioned as a positive, but Zuko isnt really a villain; hes an antagonist, but every season contrasts him against a Bigger Bad (Zhao, Azula, Ozai), Im pretty sure hes portrayed as atleast somewhat sympathetic as early as episode 3 of season 1 (although its been a while since ive seen the show so dont quote me on that), and he doesnt really have a lot to atone for because while he did believe in all the fire nation propaganda because thats what he was raised with, he clearly never liked doing what he was doing and didnt really want to do it. Like, all of his villainous actions have this air of being coerced somehow, which is fine, Zuko's arc isnt bad by any means, its a good character arc, but it is really annoying how it made people think that the only characters that its acceptable to redeem are good people who were manipulated, when I find redemption arcs about actual villains who actually did bad stuff of their own volition a lot more compelling.

It think it stems from a fundamental (and very christian) misunderstand of what redemption even is but this post is already very long and its almost 4 am now and my brain is turning into mush, so I'll save that for another time.

Tldr: Zuko's arc is an example of a good character arc, but I wouldnt say its an example of a good redemption arc because I dont feel that he was really that bad or was ever really portrayed as that bad, and I wish people would stop holding it up as the pinnacle of villain redemption arcs when its really more of a well-meaning guy who doesnt really know any better and is in a pretty tough spot rn that makes him do bad stuff redemption arc

[kharmii]

now that these reports come out about the truth of everything messed up, shi**y and sinister going on in the trans community gibes me hope that we're witnessing the beginning of the end of this madness and lunacy.

I've seen posts of people being upset about these reports not realizing the people wanting to help and save these people... but I guess you don't want to be saved if you have a "freedom to do everything without consequences" card to be revoked from you... Honestly I'm torn... I feel sorry for all the people pressured into this shitty mess but I can't say I feel too sorry for the people abusing their newfound power and harrass anyone with opposing views...

My hope that once I'm an old lady people look back at this time and think: "WTH was wrong with these people???" has chances of becoming a reality and it gives me comfort...

What needs to happen, -and what eventually will happen- is that there will be hordes of adult survivors who will give testimonies of how they were manipulated into mutilating and sterilizing themselves at a vulnerable age. They wouldn't have had the emotional maturity to be given that sort of agency. People need to wait until they are adults to vote or buy alcohol, but they can chemically sterilize themselves before puberty? They can take drugs that will disintegrate their bone structure and set them up for cancer at an early age because it's super trendy on Tumblr?

Side note: I'm surprised someone hasn't told me personally that I should be arrested for saying such things. That's what they are doing to JK Rowling right now. I keep seeing all the posts here on Tumblr smearing her and basically calling her a criminal because her opinions on biological reality challenge the world views of the militant left delusional narcissists who have to destroy all non-believers. -Like really? She is considered a threat to you people because she doesn't believe, say, a female cosplayer with XY chromosomes is really a woman? -And you think her life and career should be destroyed over this?

Same with those people on the Volo Nation Discord who had a member recently do a plug where they wrote: "Bans are not issued based on what someone draws or writes outside of the server save for extreme circumstances or bigotry (but I'm not gonna vet every newcomer). Your actions within the server are more important." Hello, but didn't you people discuss me in a private channel and throw me out, even though I was a committed lurker and never contributed anything? Were you that petty and narcissistic you saw my opinions as a threat on a forum devoted to simping over a fictional blonde cartoon character?

Here's a hint. Being clannish little twats in whisper networks is a very feminine stereotype, even though a lot of people in fandom fancy themselves as being masculine. That's not to say most women are actually like that. Perceiving females as being cliquey and gossipy is actually a product of culture misogyny. Woman-haters will base all our characters on the actions of the worst, just because they are often the most vocal and vicious. Anybody with a desire to fight against the patriarchy could try doing better. To be fair though, it is considered masculine to want to murder people and stomp their heads into the ground, which is something the radical left has always proven good at throughout history.

Secular progressivism: The cause of more death and misery than all religious wars combined.

Transgender movement: High casualty modern human sacrifice.

[cookie-waffle-art-and-stuff]

my honest opinions on all the Transformers films so far:

- 1986: This one is just fun. Objectively, it’s probably not a “good” movie. But the 2D animation is great, the art direction is gorgeous, and it’s just all around a fun romp. Ntm the music being the best out of any of the movies, imo. I absolutely adore how colorful and energetic this movie is.

- First Bay film: Good movie, very poor adaptation of the source material. If you want to watch a fun action flick with really good CGI that still holds up to this day, then you’ll probably like it. I just don’t think it adapted the cartoons or comics very well at all, and the character designs are objectively bad.

- Revenge of the Fallen: This movie is probably objectively the worst one, but not my least favorite. RotF was made during a writer’s strike, meaning Bay had to write it himself. And lemme tell ya, it SHOWS. At some points, this movie is so goddamn stupid that it loops back around to being funny. Character designs are still awful, and this movie also started the trend of writing Optimus Prime EXTREMELY out of character.

- Age of Extinction: I actually liked this movie as a kid, but as I grew older I started to see a LOT of issues. The character designs this time around were actually somewhat improved, and the autobots were actually really fun to watch. But those moments were way too few and far between. Also the age gap thing with the teenage human character was uh…. weird as shit

- The Last Knight: Good lord… was this a bad one. This is the first TF movie that I didn’t like since I first first I saw it in theaters. It was also the first TF film to ever bore me. There was clearly SOME genuine transformers fans working on this film and contributing ideas. But NONE of them actually felt relevant to the story. There are also several characters who are there for just no goddamn reason at all. Theres just… so much wrong with this one that I honestly can’t fit it all here without making this post too bad.

- Bumblebee: An actual, genuine, honest-to-god GOOD movie. There was so much passion and heart put into this film and it shows. I’m just sad that it’s not nearly as popular as the others, because most people think it’s another Bay movie, when it’s actually a reboot. It’s also the first live action TF movie with good character designs. It’s technically a period piece, since it’s set in 1986, which I absolutely love.

- Rise of the Beasts: This movie really got the shit end of the stick. People didn’t watch because, again, they thought it was another Bay film. It is nowhere near as bad as the box office sales would lead you to believe. It’s not as good as Bumblebee, but way better than the Bay sequels. And there’s some actual emotional weight with the bots in this film too. I do think that there was a bit too much human-only screen time, but the bots were still very likable and visually appealing. My only actual major complaint about the character designs is that they completely retconned Wheeljack’s G1-inspired design for no reason whatsoever.

- Transformers One: Straight up, this is the best one so far. It’s SO good. The animation and art direction is outstanding, the writing is good, and the characters are super fun. You really don’t even have to be a Transformers fan to enjoy this film, as it basically shows you everything you need to know at the beginning and throughout the film, anyway. It’s an amazing adaptation and probably the first (non-comedy) western PG13 animated movie I’ve ever seen in theaters. Western animation tends to really lack in making any animated movies that are a rating above PG13, unless it’s an adult comedy. So it’s actually incredibly refreshing to see a western-made PG13 animated movie that isn’t an adult comedy

[dinopant]

sighs sadly remember final space and how it really did not get its due...

[destielhasmedead]

This is a post about Dean having undiagnosed ADHD by a person who has diagnosed ADHD. Therefore, I’m not a doctor and not an expert, but I know how I react and see many of those qualities in Dean.

Typical things that go along with ADHD are:

Hyperactivity

Hyperfocusing

Stimming

Hyperfixations

Impulsivity

Emotional dysregulation

Black or white thinking

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Trouble maintaining friendships/relationships

Substance abuse

Risky behaviors in general and sexual

*some of these also go along with other neurodivergencies- Ex. Stimming and Hyperfixations. This post is about his ADHD and not another disorder. And not all are needed to have ADHD Ex. I tend to not struggle with substance abuse.*

I’ll just go down the list:

So hyperactivity

This can be seen through fidgeting, restlessness, being talkative, and the inability to sit still.

In this example, it takes Dean quite literally 20 seconds before he gets bored and moves his attention, https://youtu.be/o1eL-3BJihg?t=20 (watch up to 40 seconds)

The clip below shows Sam typing and Dean having to sit in a chair and wait. Dean starts making noises and in less than a minute he is up and leaving to go somewhere else.

https://youtu.be/zvy_IKIHH5k

This might also be an example of stimming.

The definition off google is: “behavior consisting of repetitive actions or movements of a type that may be displayed by people with developmental disorders”

In the video, it is known as a vocal stim.

When Dean gets excited he is also known to stim - at the time I stamped in the link below, you can see his hands wave/tap at the railing. People with ADHD feel emotions more strongly than others do. This is why he may seem happier than usual when he gets pie (when it’s something he has regularly), or in this case, celebrate a holiday.

https://youtu.be/b82JDE0d6C0?t=29

Many of these can go together, such as you may stim when hyperactive, or stim because you feel strong emotions. So, with that in mind, I’m going to bring up emotional dysregulation.

Same as feeling extreme happiness, he also gets angrier over things that could be managed differently.

I hate to do it to you, but I have to bring up the prayer scene.

https://youtu.be/tcNVxm8HAXM?t=89

Specifically, the part where he talks about controlling it. Here is a part from the transcript if you don’t want to watch

“I – Ohh. I don't know why I get so angry. I just know – I know that it's – i-it's just always been there. And when things go bad, it just – it comes out. And I can't -- I can't stop it. No matter how – [Sniffles] how bad I want to, I just can't stop it.”

He is struggling to manage it. It’s an impulse.

And that’s what I’ll talk about next.

Dean is known to get mad, but there are other forms of impulses. Such as his tendency to make rash decisions and just go out on hunts without backup, or make a deal for Sam without thinking through the consequences, or through any part of it really. Also, besides his life, his relationships are also put in jeopardy.

He unnecessarily risks his life when if he waited for Sam or Cas he would be okay.

Risk-taking occurs because of the dopamine deficiency in ADHD minds. For him, these risks often are seen through him making deals for others at the expense of himself.

Part of this risk-taking revolves around sex

He seeks the dopamine high that comes out (sorry no pun intended but) of these situations. Dean has only had a few more long-term sexual relationships, but even those ended fairly quickly. He is prone to one night stands.

Okay, I’m going to switch gears to hyperfocusing and hyperfixations

The difference is the state.

Hyperfocus: This is a highly focused attention that lasts a period of time, but then ultimately goes away. Dean is typically in this state when working on Baby or when they are going after something. Or, how he spent hours building the Malak box.

https://youtu.be/YAkIQb7Xtzo (peep the gay moment)

This is also a state in which someone with an ADHD mind is able to be less distracted and stay on that task.

Hyperfixation: Is being immersed or obsessed with one subject or activity.

So, I can hyperfocus on a hyperfixation.

Some of Dean’s fixations are cowboys and old westers, cars, cult horror movies, and cartoons.

This can be seen in Scoobynatural when Dean knew exactly what was supposed to happen in the episode and things about the characters Sam, who also watched the show hadn’t known.

https://youtu.be/yWRZsq8nQT8?t=221

As well as the numerous times Dean has information on cowboys- one example:

https://youtu.be/nIsxiYkoBKk

Substance Abuse: It’s no secret Dean struggles with alcoholism. ADHD is 5 to 10 times more common among adult alcoholics. I don’t have much to say on this subject, since it’s very obvious he has issues with it. And again, these issues are more relevant for people with ADHD because of the impulsivity, and behavior problems that may occur.

RSD or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: The definition is “a condition in which a person feels extreme emotional sensitivity and pain due to perceived or actual rejection, teasing or criticism”.

Say what you will, but Dean is a very emotional person. Typically, he shows his pain or sadness through anger or alcoholism. Any time Sam does something small, he takes it personally. He gets mad at Cas and feels betrayed for seemingly small mistakes, that for him feel huge.

RSD also contributes to his difficulty maintaining friendships and relationships: He pushes people away when things get hard and before they can get too close to him.

This is shown when he erases Lisa and Ben’s memories. https://youtu.be/rTBCWT9c9lo?t=159

As soon as things might get hard he leaves before they can get mad or reject him.

Black or white thinking: Or, also known as all or nothing thinking, means that an individual thinks in extremes. Your mind doesn’t recognize the shades of grey. It wasn’t really until season 6 or 7 when Dean started to sometimes accept the grey area. But, that was a hard lesson to try and learn.

He saw good and evil - monster and human. Meeting Benny, and later the good that came from Rowena and Crowley helped.

Even with Jack though, even though he hadn’t met the kid, he saw only one half of him. He deemed him to be bad, cause in his mind he can’t see the grey part, which in this case is “he’s half-angel, half-human. But, that doesn’t define his character”.

Overall, in my opinion, this is enough to convince me Dean has ADHD, but, now you can decide for yourself. :)

*these are only some examples - there are more I did not include because this has already taken me 2 weeks to finish*

[adultswim2021]

Space Ghost Coast to Coast #82: “Baffler Meal” | January 1, 2003 - 12:00 AM | S08E01

An all-time classic, wonderful episode. Ending 2002 on a high note (technically this is the first episode of 2003 being that it aired at midnight, but I’m delaying my EPHEMERA CORNER post for as long as I can).

The origins of Aqua Teen Hunger Force are laid bare for all to see with Baffler Meal. Aqua Teen Hunger Force was famously based on a rejected Space Ghost script. Well, this is that script, re-imagining the Aqua Teens based on old designs and concepts from that unproduced episode. The desired effect is to approximate what that episode would have been like had it been produced in 1999 before the Aqua Teen Hunger Force series proper was developed. It’s supposed to be confusing; to the point where in the DVD commentary track they even question weather or not they should make it clear within the commentary that that’s what’s going on here (they do).

I will now take this opportunity to quote one of my favorite synopses of a TV show ever, originally taken from tvtome (remember tvtome? god, what a great site):

Space Ghost is forced into a raw deal with the deadly Colonial Man, forever altering the future of classic rock - again. Willie Nelson and a MOCKERY of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force star in this episode. This episode mocks a great comedy show. It doesn't feel funny in the least.

Here you can see the lack of understanding for what the episode really is. Despite the fact that the ostensible Space Ghost fan (tvtome was run by volunteer submissions for it’s episode data) should one-thousand percent understand the Space Ghost connection, clearly recognize Dave Willis’ voice (he still voices Meatwad in a very similar manner), etc. The degree of confusion this episode caused can not be understated.

Nuggets from the DVD commentary:

Frylock is a guy in a costume in this. Okay, that wasn’t specifically from the DVD commentary, but it’s the first time I caught that detail, ever, and I don’t want to start a separate bullet-point list for stray observations.

Shake’s read of “blahd” instead of “blade” was inspired by a real typo in the script, just like “Branford the Branford” before it.

Todd Hanson of The Onion helped write this episode and kept pitching a character named Napkin Lad. I believe Napkin Lad actually comes to be later in the Aqua Teen series.

And another thing I love: The cool song at the end. The part where Dave is like “OH BABY, YEAH BABY” etc. towards the very end of the episode? That part gets stuck in my head like, VERY FREQUENTLY, and for years I thought it was Bob Odenkirk singing in either a Mr. Show or Ben Stiller Show sketch and have been trying to place it forever. Turns out it wasn’t Bob, but David, and I ain’t talkin’ Cross, do I sound cross to you? Do you even appreciate wordplay??

NEXT is my end-of-the-year roundup of second-run premieres, shorts, commercials, bumpers, etc. That’s right, EPHEMERA CORNER is back! But it’s gonna be a long one so I might break it up over the course of a few days, maybe a week, even.

MAIL BAG

I think these were all anonymous, please forgive me if I have, as the French say, “fucked up” by failing to name the conspirator.

2002 is almost over! What do you think brak's position on the iraq war was? Carl's? Hesh's? Junior addleburg's?

Brak: against, but respects the office of the presidency and urges using civil methods to protest. Carl: pro, he is a white supremacist and is supportive of any and all mass destruction committed on non-white nations. Hesh: HESH WANTS SOME SEX! lol. Junior Addleburg: has not been told about the war.

Do you think you are being overtly charitable to Brak this time around? Surely the best Brak show episode isnt even half as good as the worst Home Movies episode. Right?

I do tend to react to “better” Brak episodes the same way you encourage a problem student when they squeak out a B minus. There absolutely was a time when I loved The Brak Show and was all-in on it. That time was SEPTEMBER 2nd-8th, 2001. Hippo was certainly a factor. 9/11 may have also contributed.

I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but I’ve been keeping a running episode ranking of Adult Swim shows as I’ve been doing this. It’ll probably get revised at some point, so I’m not exactly ready to share it. In my ranking I tended to group Home Movies episodes very close to each other, and I would sometimes talk myself into ranking things a little higher or lower than I normally would just to break up a long streak of Home Movies. So I can actually say with impunity, yes, there are strong episodes of Brak Show that I've ranked over weaker episodes of Home Movies. But I might have to have a little chat with the man in the mirror about that.

Are you only doing animated shows or are you going to do live animated shows to. I feel like most people agree Tim and Eric bringing live-action to the block ruined it permanently even if you think those guys are funny in a vacuum. I'm just wondering because I know you did animation only for your Simpsons Night B-sodes so I feel you are a "tooned-in" guy.

Live-action is getting reviewed too! I can’t WAIT to revisit Saul of the Molemen. Are you fucking kidding me? I’m not sure where to draw the line on the internet stuff, though. If it aired on Adult Swim I’m very likely to cover it, but I don’t see myself covering the FishCenter repeats that aired at 4AM. Anime is generally getting the shaft. Sorry. I think it’d be cool if somebody started a blog that covered Adult Swim Action. But yes, you are right, I’m a pretty tooned-in guy. Lots of people have said this about me.

If you had to dress like any of the Adult Swim First Era characters for Halloween who would you dress as and who would you LIKE to dress as if difficulty of pulling it off wasn't an issue.

There was a Space Ghost muscle suit at one of those Halloween Stores one year and I very nearly bought it even though I had no intention of wearing it for Halloween. I did a very low-effort season 4 Hank Venture because by happenstance my hair looked like his at the time, and I found what looked like Brock’s jacket at a thrift store.

Putting on a blue Sealab uniform and only traveling in a chair with wheels would be real fun. I could probably pull of an effective Carl. As far a difficult costume I’d be the poolside announcer during the O.G. bumpers, because I imagine that he’s very muscular and his dick is real long and it’s constantly flopping out of the pantleg of his swim trunks and that it’s getting sucked off all the time by them old ladies and most of the time he’s like “no no, we mustn’t do that, for I am a professional” but every now and again he’s like “well alright” and this would reflect my experiences at whatever Halloween party I’m at except it would be a 20 year old woman dressed like an old lady because it’s Halloween. Thanks for the question.

Do you have a girlfriend? What does she think of Adult Swim or does she hate cartoons like mine.

I’m not done with the last thing. I would also have a bullhorn and I’d be using it while getting sucked off, even though that’s a discreet affair. Like, we’d find a bedroom that was empty and lock the door and I’d be like “Oh yeah baby suck my peenie, yes you are doing so good at sucking that.” in hushed tones, but into the bullhorn. I’d also use it to yell at children for wearing racist or appropriative costumes, which, as we all know, leads to more getting-your-dick-sucked. Anyway, I got a wife and we literally met at an Adult Swim event during Comic-Con! It was Tim & Eric Awesome-con 2007! I’M NOT LYING

Would you rather take one big bite out of meatwad or drink the entirety of Master Shake.

I wonder if Master Shake is warm. Anyway, I’d go with that, biting Meatwad seems like CERTAIN DEATH.

[la5t-res0rt]

Listen; if you’re talking about the Orion Server it is completely a lie that the babes weren’t nice to any of the anti’s.

just a note this post is going to have multiple parts because of image limits

you know what yeah i was i joined that server because i was interested in the au but as time went on more and more people came in who didnt exactly contribute anything other than stirring pots like we get it you think you own the fandom and you wanna be the only ones with servers but that aint it

i went from being very active and vocal to entirely silent but i did get screenshots of the peak of the bullshit

i will preface with the fact that beetlebabes content was not allowed in that server however a certain person who you all know decided to join the server despite hating the musical which is what the au was based off of and when that person was there they posted content that wasnt allowed in several occasions

there are simply too many of these screenshots for me to edit to my standards but literally the only person who is discernible is uhhh well you will see im doing this on my phone so i cannot do a proper readmore and for that i am very sorry

lets dig into how what youve just sent me is a load of shit

context for this is that the person with the black username posted a piece of production art that someone had drawn nsfw content in the margins which was obviously against the rules and upset people

nice broad generalization of animators we love that you heard it here folks this person thinks all animators make porn content of children and that notion does not upset them

a continuation of the conversation where its pointed out that childrens cartoons are made by adults and sometimes but not always those adults do things they really shouldnt like draw porn of their 13 year old protagonist which again doesnt seem to be an issue

its at this point where the user in black starts to act more condescending to the people who honestly just wanted the rules followed for their own comfort and the rules apply to all a server is like a private business the moderators have every right to moderate their space and in this space it was asked that pedophilic content not be posted which doesnt just relate to the original transgression but another instance where the user in black posted art of an aged up lydia that were sexual in nature and obviously people were like thats not okay for moral reasons but its also against the rules also this is where the word fascist gets thrown around like its a football

like

making someone uncomfortable in a fandom space is definitely not nice okay this person is just one of many people who left when the beetlebabe shippers started to cause trouble in that sever

my last statement is that none of the beetlebabes were unkind to me but that was because i never added anything i was just quiet until i left just because no one was mean to me doesnt mean people werent mean condescending and shitty to other people literally when the user in black pretty much said anyone who disagreed with them was an idiot and I can’t fit that screenshot here because of the image limit I’ll add it after the fact for you

i have more screenshots in more asks keep your eyes peeled

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #370

“breakdowns, obscenities, it’s all i wanna be”

Do you have any bad habits you aren’t working on changing? If so, do you ever think you’ll try to break them? Downloading music, for one. I really should just start using Spotify... but my iPod has over 1k songs on it and I just seriously don't want to got through all the trouble. When was the last time someone surprised you with their reaction or behaviors? Hm. I dunno. What kinds of videos do you like to watch on YouTube, if any? I watch SO many different kinds. It used to be pretty strictly let's plays, but I've definitely expanded my watching interests. Now I'm really into watching educational reptile and tarantula husbandry and keeping channels, I watch one woman who is like my weight loss idol (Jordan Shrinks, she is amazing), there's a few vloggers, I enjoy some World of Warcraft channels, and then there's a couple urban exploration guys I like. I also occasionally watch some beauty YouTubers just for their personalities and the art of it. Have you ever reached out to a crisis center for mental health support? If so, how was the experience? Yes, but they were so busy that I didn't connect with anyone before I finally gave up and ODed. When was the last time you did something you were afraid to do, and how was the outcome? Ummmm I don't really know. What is one positive thing you believe about yourself? I care a lot about other people. What is something you have been through that has made you stronger? The breakup. It brought me to the lowest of lows, where every day was a struggle to survive. It taught me I can endure through almost anything, even if it doesn't feel like I can. Other than money, what is something you wish you had more of in your life? Happiness, contentment, being in love, motivation, energy, activities, travel... There's genuinely a lot. IIs there anything that you tend to ignore for the sake of your sanity? I'm very bad at ignoring things. If something is bothering me, it's going to put up a beastly fight to be at the forefront of my mind. What is something you wish was different about your family? I wish we were closer and better off monetarily. What keeps you going lately? The hope for a happy, satisfactory future. Have you ever been in an unconventional relationship (long distance, polyamorous, same gender, age gap, etc)? if so, what challenges did this relationship present, and were they worth overcoming? I've been in a long-distance relationship with another girl. I think the hardest part was that there was not being able to physically be there for each other when one of us was really struggling, and sometimes communication was an issue, not being able to read body language when we voice chatted or hear the tone in which we "spoke" when texting, though I'm pretty sure that's an issue with any online relations. I also feel it's difficult to really build and experience your chemistry with one another when you're not physically with the other person. I still think all these challenges were worth overcoming, though. I in no way regret the relationship and got only good things out of it. What is the most unhealthy relationship (whether friendship or romantic) you’ve ever had? What made it so unhealthy? Do you still talk to each other? I'm kinda torn between Jason and Colleen, but I think my bond with Jason was ultimately more unhealthy because it went beyond love: he was an obsession. Having him with me was the only thing that brought me joy, and I lit-er-a-lly could not imagine my future without him. Like that concept just didn't exist; it was entirely impossible in my head. On his end, he failed to communicate what he was going through emotionally, which only contributed to the damage. I never knew he was struggling because of me. Without realizing it, I put so much pressure on him to make me happy, so to answer the last question, no, we don't, by his decision - and I don't blame him. Have you ever been abusive in any way? Were you able to change or make amends, or, in general, what do you think people should do to make amends in that situation? A neverending battle I have with myself is if how I treated Jason after the breakup was qualifiable as emotional abuse, specifically with messaging him things like "thanks for sending me to the ER" and shit. My therapist reassures me that it wasn't abusive because I wasn't being deliberately manipulative, but rather genuinely hurt and convinced I had been wronged and wanted him to know and acknowledge it. She agrees that it was wrong, which I entirely agree with, but sometimes, I'm still convinced I was abusive. I fucking hate answering this question, so hurrying up: I don't know if he's forgiven me. As for how others could reconcile, that's not for me to say. I know sometimes the answer is to NOT make amends and completely stay away from their abuser. It's not my right to tell others how to cope with their abuse. Have you ever forgiven someone for being abusive or allowed someone toxic back into your life? Did this person change for the better or not? My former best friend Colleen was toxic as all fuck hell, and I let her back in way too many times. No, she never changed. I honesty doubt she ever will, given her pride. When was the last time you did something “meant” for children? Do you think it’s okay for adults to do these things (ie. watch cartoons, have stuffed animals, dress in cute clothing, etc), or do you think there’s an age beyond which it becomes unacceptable - and if so, why? Hmmm... I know this was semi-recent, but whatever it was is evading me at the moment. I personally have zero issue with adults engaging in activities like that; let people do what they enjoy if they're not harming anyone, especially things as innocent as dressing how they think is cute, etc. I would far rather people "act like children" (not emotionally, you know what I mean) than run around the streets selling drugs and shit. What was the last thing to “trigger” you (as in, in a true mental health sense, I’m being serious here) and how did you cope with it? What kinds of things do you tend to find triggering? What do you do either avoid or face your triggers? When I was riding to the sleep study section of the health plaza, where the hospital is, my anxiety spiked quite a bit, recalling all of my ER stays for being suicidal. It didn't help that the psych hospital I visited most is also in that whole jumble of buildings. I dealt with it by reminding myself I was in that area for a very different reason, and Mom reassured me that where I would be staying was more like a small hotel room than a hospital bed, which was true, so that helped. Regarding the next question, I'm not gonna lie to ya, I have a stupid amount of PTSD triggers: certain music, shows, fandoms, places, smells, even tastes of certain foods. I tend to stay away from my major triggers, but I'll *sometimes* fight the tiny ones, because I want that sense of ownership of myself back. If you’re diagnosed with anything, do you feel that it accurately represents what you’re experiencing? Yes. What are some minor physical discomforts that really bug you (eyelash in your eye, a wedgie, rumpled socks, etc)? I'm VERY sensitive to feeling anything in my nose, and it leads to me needing to blow it a lot. I also can't stand having holes in my socks, but since I wear flip flops essentially everywhere, I don't experience this much. Are you ever afraid to admit to liking something because you’re afraid other people will judge you for it? What is the worst that’s ever happened as a result of you liking something different from the crowd? What about the best thing that’s come as a result of a unique interest? Y E P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing really bad has happened because of admitting my interests, other than hearing things along the lines of "I don't get it." It's very odd, just how horribly receptive I am to judgment about things I like when I don't recall a time where I was ridiculed for anything. But anyway, the best thing to happen from sharing interests for me is making a new friend that likes the same thing, and I will IMMEDIATELY be closer to you than most people I associate with once you've helped me past that vulnerable spot of mine. Have you ever remained good friends with an ex? Yeah. Do you have a negative view of mentally ill people, or are you mentally ill yourself? Do you ever call others crazy, insane, etc? Do you ever call yourself those things? I'm mentally ill and empathize heavily with those who suffer themselves. I absolutely do not have a negative look on mental health sufferers; we don't choose to be victims. I'm definitely not a big fan of abusing terms like "insane," because I've fucking been there, and it's not a term to take lightly. I've thrown 'em around before, but I try to avoid it. I don't call myself any of those things nowadays, but in the deepest trench of my depression and PTSD, I honest to God think I fit the definition of "insane." Does it bother you to have people comment on what you’re eating, or do you not care? What are some comments that would bother you, if any? Do you ever comment on what other people are eating or make assumptions about their intakes? YES. JUST DON'T FUCKING COMMENT. I get EXTREMELY self-conscious when my mom does this sometimes when I occasionally need a small snack to hold me out overnight, and I absolutely never will say something to someone else. It's just rude, imo. Well, I guess if someone was really destroying their health and I was close to them, I would out of concern and be very gentle, but when regarding most people? I'm keeping my thoughts to my damn self. Do you like Redbull? I've never tried it and don't want to. I'm not an energy drink fan. Who is the last person you spent money on? My mom. I remember I bought us fast food when we were out once. What are you looking forward to in the next 4 days? G U Y S!!!!!!!!! I GET MY TATTOO TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!! :'''') Also on the same day, I start my TMS therapy, which I have high hopes for. Have you ever gone a whole day without eating? No. Do you sometimes use your music player to help you fall asleep? No, but I did that for years back in middle school. Have you ever had a crush on someone “too young” for you? No. Do you shave your legs more than once a week? Haaaaaaaaa. If you could cuddle with anyone right now, who would you pick? I really wish I could cuddle my late pup Teddy again. :/ I was thinking about that recently. Are you tanned? God no. I never am. Do you try to wear dresses whenever you can? No. I wish I was in a shape where I was comfortable wearing spring dresses again... I had this floral skull one in high school that I adored. Are you wearing something that belongs to someone else? No. Have you ever been called a bitch? Yes. Did you like the person you last kissed when you kissed them? I loved her. Who did you have a meaningful conversation with last? Sara. Do you have feelings for someone? Yeah, but they're like... on a leash, you could say. I don't let 'em run free and wild, and I know that even if nothing comes of those feelings again, it's fine. Are you trying to avoid liking somebody at the moment? I think Jason will be this answer for a very long time, if not forever, given the trauma and all. I have to remind myself frequently that I love his memory, not him, because I don't even know him anymore. It's been YEARS since we spoke. Just like I've changed incredibly, I'm sure he has, too. If you saw life in black & white, would that be okay with you? I mean, it would suck, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. When you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, what kinds of things are you likely to do? How often do you find you have trouble sleeping? I do exactly what you shouldn't do and get back on the laptop. I'd say I most often get on WoW and refresh the auctions I have up because that tends to tire me out because I do that shit manually to avoid any addon mishaps, and I have a looooot to put up as a gold farmer. What was the last lengthy packet you filled out? Something to see if I qualified for a sleep study. Are you a patient person? What is one way you have a lot of patience? What about not very much patience at all? I am NOT patient, at least regarding more trivial things, like sitting in waiting rooms. I do have patience though with other people with more serious things, like getting someone to open up to me. At what time during the day do you tend to feel your best? What about the worst? When I first wake up. It's a "fresh start" and it's nice to feel rested. Plus, I open a fresh can of cold soda as my "coffee" for lack of better word, haha. I'm in my worst mood probably late afternoon/early evening, by which time I am incredibly bored and just dulled down. What was the last thing you did that you wish you could take back or do differently? The last thing... I dunno. How frequently do you stay overnight somewhere that isn’t your own home? What things do you miss about home when you’re away? Do you tend to get homesick easily? Pretty much never. I do miss my room and its privacy when I'm away from home, but I wouldn't say I get homesick all that easily, so long as I have WiFi, haha. Do you tend to eat more in the beginning of the day or at night? Do you have a tendency to snack when you’re bored? If so, what kinds of snacks do you normally go for? Not necessarily the beginning of the day, but definitely more than at night. I am BAD about snacking when I'm extremely bored, but at the very least I'm conscious enough to try and find something semi-healthy, like granola bars, fruits, a scoop of peanut butter, but I also sometimes just eat like... a slice of bread or a tortilla. Horrible choice. I'm a carb fiend and I hate it. If you have any dietary restrictions, do you ever miss foods you can’t have? If not, what’s something you haven’t had for a long time that you wish you could eat again? I thankfully don't have any. I've been craving cheesecake like a madman lately. :< The spicy shrimp fritas from Olive Garden, too. Is there something you still can’t do even though you’re an adult or might be expected to do this thing? I don't have my license, and my driver's permit is even expired. I'm terrified of driving. I also don't have a job, and I can't cook. When was the last time you congratulated someone? Were you happy for them, indifferent, jealous? Uhhh I think someone on Facebook had a baby. Of course I was happy for them. What was the last milestone you reached in your life (graduating, buying a car, starting a family, etc)? What milestone are you going for next, if any? Um... I haven't reached a true milestone in years. Hell, I don't think since I started recovery from the breakup. Do you enjoy getting comments or messages? How likely are you to leave comments or messages for other people? Yeah, it makes me feel cared about. It really depends on the platform on how much I leave other people comments, and I'm extremely shy about messaging, but I'll do it sometimes. When are you most likely to scream (either out of fright, anger, or whatever)? Do you scream or yell often? When was the last time someone screamed at you (or in your presence)? Frustration, for sure. I've screamed into a pillow more than once. I definitely don't yell or especially scream often. I'm sure the last person to yell at me was Mom, but I don't remember about what. What would you say is your STRONGEST emotion? Maybe not the most frequent, but the most intense? And what emotion do you feel most weakly, even if you might feel it more often? I'd saaaay... maybe love. When I love something/someone, I love HARD. I think I experience joy the weakest; it's very muted for me. And lastly, what are you listening to? Is this a band you listen to a lot "The Heretic Anthem" by Slipknot. I wouldn't say I listen to them a lot, but I have been more than usual lately.

[darisu-chan]

One-sided Love vs Requited Love on TV: Loving someone makes you deserving of their love and other lies we tell ourselves

I've been thinking about cartoons such as Star vs the Forces of Evil and Miraculous Ladybug recently, particularly about the reception the endgame ships get, about them being "toxic" and how them being with other people is "healthier."

Now, full disclosure, you can hate canon ships because the dynamics are not something you like, or because they're too straight, or simply because you don't like romance at all. But it is interesting to me how when you hate ships now you have to say it is because they're unhealthy compared to the ships you like or compare to a just friends scenario. And how many things that are blunders leading up to character development story-telling wise are seen as unforgivable and a show of how these characters cannot progress, cannot become better people and how, therefore, they shouldn't get together. This is particularly true in the fandoms for cartoons geared towards children and tweens when we get introduced to love triangles. Or, rather, when the protagonists briefly date another person before the endgame ships are revealed.

When I was a kid, and really even now, it is understood that in cartoons when two characters date way before the show is about to end is because they are not going to end up together. I think of the cartoons I liked as a child and how true this rule is. Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, Hey Arnold, and probably more that I don't recall right now, all have the protagonist dating or at least liking someone before the last seasons or the last movie of the show. They don't end up with any of these people. Instead, said relationships not working out show us why the endgame ships are the ones that work out in the end. Because they were too shallow or the characters didn't have anything in common. Or the things that they didn't have in common, particularly values or their identities, created a great divide in the relationships, one from which they couldn't come back from. Kim and Josh Mankey, for example, just liked each other, but it was a crush more than anything. It couldn't work out for them because they barely knew each other. And in the movie So The Drama we see that Kim wanted a relationship with a perfect guy, with all the chemistry and romance a teen would expect from a first relationship. She didn't want a particular guy at the beginning, just one that matched her idea of romance, and the movie illustrates what, exactly, was wrong with that. In Hey Arnold, Arnold is shown to be in love with different girls who tend to all be very pretty and feminine. But Arnold isn't particularly attracted to their personality. What he is in love with is the way they look. They are just crushes and not true love. Even when he gets the chance to date Lila, he is bored with her clinginess, and it is only when she breaks up with her that he is attracted to her. It shows us that a lot of times Arnold likes the idea of girls more than the girls themselves, and that she falls in love with the girls he can't get: Lila, who has already rejected him; Ruth, a 6th grader who would never even give him the time of day much less go out with him; a pretty girl on the beach who was only using him; and even his own teacher, much much older than he is! We know none of these relationships will work out, because the lesson here is that Arnold, who always sees the good in people, needs to fall in love with a girl for who she is and not because of the way she looks, and in this case the girl in question is Helga, who is seen as ugly by her peers, and, though she hides it, she's actually very kind and artistic. My final example comes from Danny Phantom, in which Danny has a very one-sided crush for Paulina, the most popular girl at school. Like Arnold's crushes, his crush for Paulina is very shallow. He needs to learn to see more about a girl than her looks. And he does with Valerie. However, there is a little problem, Valerie is a ghost hunter who hates his alter-ego, and for this reason, a relationship between the two is impossible. Even when she doesn't know about his true identity, Valerie decides not to date Danny to focus on ghost hunting. And this is framed as a problem that cannot be resolved. Danny is a ghost who is lying to Valerie about his identity and Valerie wants to keep ghost hunting because her own grudge is more important at that moment than the possibility of a relationship.

But let's notice something. In these cartoons either the crushes are too shallow to be meaningful or, when the protagonists actually date someone, as in they go out in dates even if they aren't steady, the feelings are always mutual. Perhaps not as strong as with the endgame couples, but mutual.

This isn't a trend in cartoons like SvtFoE and MLB. Sure, the protagonists due like the other characters they date. The problem is that for the other characters this isn't just a crush or, you know, a like-like feeling. They are perceived as being in love with the main characters. And this leads us to two issues: 1) eventually these other characters will feel used and hurt by the protagonists, and 2) the fans will react accordingly and champion these side-characters and how they are better for the protagonists as they are very in love with them, which is either unclear or, for the moment, untrue of the other main characters who will end up with the protagonists. The fact that these side-characters are so in love makes several fans insist the relationship is healthier, already canon, and that the "endgame" couples are distracting and ruining the show.

However, there is one problem that we are not seeing here. And that is how the protagonists feel. Or, rather, that in both these shows we have these ships which are essentially rebounds from the protagonists' side of things, which actually, and with no doubt, makes them unhealthy. Because even though these side characters are in love, their love is not reciprocated to the same extent and are, in fact, being lied to or they are fooling themselves into believing their love is mutual. And the fans see things the same way as the side characters. Both groups believe that the side characters' strong feelings of love are enough to make the protagonist fall in love, not realizing what a rebound even means and not considering what it means. And it is even more interesting when we consider the ages of the fans. They're teenagers who maybe don't have a lot of experience in the love department, which is completely normal, of course, but this doesn't give them the experience to determine how harmful rebounds are.

A rebound is when a person who has been scorned by another person, either by a breakup or a rejection, decides to either flirt, kiss, date, have sex or, in extreme versions of this, formally date another person to get over the person they were originally interested in. It is even seen as a common solution to a breakup or a rejection. "Oh, John didn't want to go out on a date with you? Go flirt with Jason at the party. He seems interested." "Oh Marissa broke up with you to date the hottest person at school? Maybe kissing Jessica, who is hotter than Marissa and also very available, will make you feel better?" That's why you see adults in movies going to bars or speed-dating after their relationships fail. Flirting or engaging with someone in a romantic setting makes you feel wanted. Desirable. But these are not grounds to have a relationship with someone. In fact, it is a very awful thing to do to someone who genuinely likes you. If someone flirts with you or kisses you not expecting a relationship, or knowing full well they're the rebound, hey, it could work. But that's very different to dating someone who is in love with you. That's using them, whether a person realizes it or not. You cannot make yourself fall in love with someone out of sheer will, particularly if you're still in love with someone else. You need to be in a position in which you're ready to fall in love. You need to be on a healthy mindset.

Neither SvtFoE nor MLB have their main characters be in the position of genuinely falling in love with these side characters when they haven't given the main characters time to get over their crushes or accept that they need to get over them, nor do they are at a point in their lives in which they can sustainably have a relationship while they have problems left and right. Being in a relationship with other people is simply not how they will resolve their own personal issues. In fact, distracting themselves by being in a relationship, by feeling wanted by someone, is not unhealthy. And neither is being in a relationship with someone who is not emotionally available. These are hard lessons that we all need to learn at one point, either by personal experience or by seeing someone we love go through this. But I feel that the shows are contributing to teens and, hell, even the children themselves, thinking that by loving someone enough, you will deserve them and they will fall in love with you. Or, that you can get over someone that you like, by dating someone who is already head over heels for you and forcing yourself to love them back.

That's not how life works and it is very dangerous that teens, who may get into their first relationships, think like this. It is a recipe to get hurt and to hurt others.

As for SvtFoE, I do not believe starco ruined the series and not because I ship them. Forcing starco to not happen ruined the series, as they kept pushing back the endgame couple while making them stay in relationships that weren't going anywhere, because we knew they had to break up eventually. They were only delaying the inevitable in the worst way possible. Tomstar wasn't healthy at all because Star lied to Tom from the get go. She told him, point blank, that she had no feelings for Marco, which we, as the audience, knew it wasn't true. She got back with her ex after feeling rejected by Marco dating Jackie and after missing him when they were apart. She decided to be the perfect princess, and that included dating Tom. And sure, she liked him, but she didn't love him like Tom loved her. Star kept lying to him until the bitter end. After she lied to him about kissing Marco, they should've broken up, but instead the writers decided to let them stay together almost until the end, when we knew they were doomed. And Marco and Kelly are even worse, as they decided to enter a "breakup buddies" relationship that us adults realized it actually meant "rebound buddies" instead. When I heard the phrase, I did have to wonder why they had used that term on a kids' show. Like, didn't the writers realize how bad it sounded? Because in real life, adults enter such relationships and it is always based around sex and very rarely do these relationships become healthy romantic relationships.

As for Miraculous Ladybug, Luka knew from the get-go Marinette liked Adrien. He asked her out knowing this and Marinette accepted once she had given up on Adrien, not because she was over him but because she wanted to be over him. Even if it wasn't her intention, she was using Luka to get over Adrien, which I had hoped the writing would show, but instead we had Marinette being too busy to actually date him properly and others telling Luka her secret was being in love with Adrien. I think it would've ultimately been better if they had actually shown that Luka's feelings were stronger and that Marinette shouldn't use him like that. It was also a shame the plot made them break up right away. If we went through all the trouble to get them together, as misguided as the relationship was, they should've had more development. It is the same with Adrien and Kagami. Kagami knew that Adrien liked someone else. And Adrien decided to give Kagami a shot after deciding to get over Ladybug. Yet again, the plot framed it as if Adrien were too busy to date Kagami, when really, the problem is that his feelings aren't as strong as Kagami's, which is exactly how she took it. Making them split so soon ruined the opportunity to explore how Adrien should also have realized he was hurting Kagami by still having feelings for ladybug and how he isn't ready to date. Now what we are being told is that Marinette and Adrien are too busy to date anyone but each other as Ladybug and Chat Noir, which shouldn't be the lesson. The lesson should be that they need to get over the most famous, shinier parts of each other and then learn to love their imperfections. Only then will they truly see each other and achieve true love.

And that is the lesson in older cartoons with romance in them. That the protagonists fall in love with their endgame completely. Because they know each other as friends first or because they saw the worst in the other as rivals first, and then learned to love their other sides. All of each other. And that is truer than crushes and one-sided love. It is healthier. It is what we need to achieve in real life. Not fall for the way we romanticize the other person, or by having an idea that they are perfect, but by falling in love and accepting all of them. By helping them become better people but not hurting ourselves in the process. It needs to be mutual to be healthy. One-sided love will never give you that. You can't love someone enough for both people, it will only leave you empty.

Us older people in fandoms do need to make a point to share this wisdom with younger views. And writers for shows aimed at children, tweens and teens should really, really, hammer down what a healthy relationship should look like instead of so much drama for views. Build up canon couples instead of throwing reasons why they can't be together yet, which are only excuses. Actually prepare and develop your characters for future relationships, not just throw side characters into the mix to avoid the endgame and raise views.

[hugthesquids]

So I’ve been meaning to write my opinion on the last 3 episodes of SUF. It’s mostly my issues with it, so please just skip this post if you don't want to hear it, since I don't want make you uncomfortable or impact your enjoyment of the finale if you read this. I'm mostly mentioning the negatives here, but there are still many positive aspects in these episodes that I don't mention, since I just needed to vent my criticism somewhere.

I don’t think these episodes are at all bad, but I was disappointed in how it played out. I still love SU and all that it has contributed in doing, though I also wanted to be honest with my opinion on the finale.

Everything's Fine

I really did like seeing Steven's horror at seeing his Diamond self. But while I liked the concept of Steven acting crazy in denial, the actual pacing of his antics were off, especially for this episode being a part of the finale. Steven's breakdown in the end was so good though, and I wish there had been more time for that.

I Am My Monster

I have wanted Steven to corrupt (though I’m not 100% sure if this actually is corruption or just transformation), but I didn't like how they handled the climax of his issues at all.

I find the mood of this episode to be off or done poorly. In general there was a lacking sense of urgency and seriousness. There wasn’t that much of a reaction to Steven being a monster other than them being very casual about it or campy crying from the gems (which made it feel not serious and ruins the mood that Steven is a monster). It made the characters come off as bland. And it feels like their character development was put on hold, when the gems didnt know how to deal with this issue without Steven (as Amethyst pointed out) and it felt like only Connie could act mature here.

Connie kind of became the new Steven in having to be the adult in the group. It made it seem like the gems haven’t learned their mistake of acting irresponsibly, and the problem repeats itself with Connie having to do what Steven does of being the only mature one. And then after Connie’s speech, suddenly everyone has it together and know how to fix Steven, which felt a bit too quick of a turn around.

As for the “hugging scene”, I do think the concept of ending it on a hug is okay, but I feel like they needed to do way more than that. I do feel like it could've still worked better for me if they had framed the mood of the episode differently. The only thing I really liked about that episode was how Steven cried after becoming himself again. That moment was perfect and Zach’s voice acting is amazing.

The Future

Steven has been struggling to find a future for so long and now he suddenly has it together. I know in-universe there has been a timeskip, but after all that SUF has been building up to, this didn't feel cathartic to me at all.

While it's great he has a therapist, it's not enough to simply mention it once off-hand, and not show what this means. Rebecca said in an interview that she didn’t want to show it because Steven deserves “privacy”. But I disagree with this notion, because they showed a lot of private stuff that’s viscerally uncomfortable, like the intrusive thoughts of shattering WD, or going to a doctor and showing his fractured bones and explaining he has PTSD because of everything that happened in the original SU. Showing the ugly in his spiral downwards but not showing his steps to recovery, makes seem like “everything is fine now”, and for me it makes the previous episode less enjoyable because it frames it as “you just need hugs” even if the hug is not supposed to be framed that way (like it was to show he got support, but when they don’t really show the support part, it just makes it hard to buy into/feels a bit poorly executed).

It’s also a sudden shift in tone with everything being fine now. And while I wanted and expected there to be a happy ending, they needed to actually bridge that gap in the serious tone that they had build up and not spend the last 3 episodes being too campy and brushing aside the implications of all that’s going on.

Also, people say it’s ok that SUF doesn’t explore everything and leaves many things open with the gem-lore and other characters, since this is supposed Steven’s arc. But the thing is, I feel like they rushed and even skipped over major parts of the resolution to his arc too, and that is exactly why I feel disappointed by the finale. So these things still go unaddressed:

Steven not liking his Diamond half and afraid of hurting people

The fact that he has spiraled out of control and has hurt people (shattering Jasper)

Steven feeling disconnected from his humanity

Steven’s feelings about those who have traumatized him

Steven feeling like he doesn’t deserve happiness or to be forgiven

There is also his feelings on his mother (but here I’m kind of 50/50 on whether they should bring it up, because I do like the argument that his mother shouldn’t hang over him throughout the show. On the other hand it still is a topic with an unsatisfying conclusion that had a lot of build up throughout the whole series, but has no payoff)

The “hugging scene” only touched on Steven feeling pressured to live up to everyone’s standards, and when he failed to live up to that and made too many mistakes he thinks he is a monster. So I personally feel like there isn’t a conclusion to Steven’s arc as SUF promised other than he doesn’t have to be perfect and that his family loves him.

You could say that he got help off-screen from his therapist with the other stuff, and of course they don't have to address everything, but the more that they skip over or leave unanswered, the more unsatisfying the ending will be (for me at least). And SUF's focus has been on Steven's arc, so it does make sense why other characters and lore hasn't been getting attention, but when the conclusion to his arc also felt rushed that just leaves me disappointed.

So I wish they had shown a little bit of Steven's path to recovery instead, and also showing he still has some things he struggles with in relation to what has been explored in his character arc, but doing better now that he has help. Showing what therapy does and means to Steven would’ve been something groundbreaking to a TV cartoon show and actually help people understand the importance of that.

(Again this is all just my opinion. I’m still really happy about SUF and the fact that they put a lot of love and effort into creating these episodes and series. The series doesn’t need to be perfect or outstanding in every single way, or appease everyone, since people are bound to disagree with what they prefer)

[briangroth27]

Dora and the Lost City of Gold Review

Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a very fun all-ages adventure! I’ve never seen more than a clip or two of Dora the Explorer, but that didn’t hurt the movie at all for me. The film starts with a summation of the cartoon’s style to get new audiences up to speed on the conventions of the show and it worked perfectly. I was in the mood for a fun jungle adventure flick, saw the good reviews this was getting, and I’m happy to report that it lives up to both those standards!

Full spoilers…

Isabela Moner more than capably leads the film as Dora, whose enthusiasm for learning, exploring, and life in general is absolutely infectious. Dora’s expertise in the jungle and her drive to find the lost city of Parapata were awesome! While her childlike enthusiasm is written as a side effect of being secluded from most of modern society to a large extent, it was refreshing to see a teenage lead who isn’t dour and down on life. Her dauntless willingness to go it alone when she had to was a relatable and realistic trait, and her acceptance of the fact that she was even stronger when she had a team backing her up was a cool message. I’m glad Dora didn’t lose her exuberance by the end of the movie or change to be more socially acceptable to her new high school friends, even if she does choose to stay and get to know them better rather than go off on another adventure. Her journey isn’t that she needs to remember to be herself regardless of whether she fits in or not, it’s that she needs to let people in to her world again, so Dora getting to remain true to herself while making new friends was very cool. Of course, it’s always great to see a female-led adventure film (particularly in this subgenre) with a nonwhite lead and cast (or at least the overwhelming majority of it) too! More of that please!

Dora’s cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg), her intellectual rival at school Sammy (Madeleine Madden), and everyman student (and impressive breath-holder) Randy (Nicholas Coombe) provided a share of challenges for Dora she wasn’t expecting at all: high school. Diego’s embarrassment over Dora’s personality felt like a realistic (though unfortunate) reaction to a younger sibling who doesn’t want to conform to high school society’s standards, while Dora’s scientific take on Diego’s feelings for Sammy was funny and built their sense of familial bonds nicely. Theirs is the strongest relationship in the movie and emotional core. I thought the breakdown of their bond felt realistic and painful (leading to Dora largely shutting everyone out as a kid and opening that wound all over again as a young adult) and that the repairs to their relationship were well-done and satisfying. I was glad Dora and Sammy’s rivalry wasn’t over some guy and that Sammy wasn’t written or performed as a mean girl, but one who was concerned about her standing in the class GPA. She also generally couldn’t understand Dora’s outlook, which is ironic given how Diego and apparently the other students at school don’t understand her, vilifying her for her outlook and “attitude” as well. The common ground she and Dora came to with Dora’s know-how and Sammy’s contributions to the quest for Parapata created a nice build to their budding friendship. I liked that Randy didn’t have toxic vibes to his crush on Dora, and he brought a nice balance of pure terror and truly wanting to help his new friends to the adventure. These kids have their issues, but none of them were ever unlikable and they all felt like real people, not caricatures or an adult’s attempt at writing “annoying youths” (or cartoons). I also liked that all four of them came together to keep each other alive and they all contributed to solving the traps protecting Parapata’s treasure. That was a cool way to unify Dora’s quest to save her parents (Michael Pena, Eva Longoria) and finish their search for the city with her arc toward sharing her life with people and depending on friends instead of just herself.

Dora’s parents don’t have much to do here, as they’re kidnapped for most of the film, but I liked how supportive they were of Dora (even if they were just as bewildered by some of her habits as her friends at school were). I really liked that they spelled out the distinction between exploring and learning vs. treasure hunting and plundering cultural artifacts. CBS’ Blood & Treasure made a similar point of noting who should get to display what artifacts (if they are to be displayed at all), and it’s good to see a more socially conscious approach to archaeology taking hold in the movies and on TV. Films like the Indiana Jones series are among my all-time favorites, but those artifacts don’t belong in an American museum, they belong to the cultures that originated them. I didn’t expect the movie to bring in an actual Inca royal/goddess (Q'orianka Kilcher) with an army to protect Parapata, but that was an excellent addition that felt totally natural with the world they’d established! I always want the supernatural stuff in films like these to be real, so seeing these people appear was very cool. It was also a neat twist on the formula (and execution of her parents’ guidelines on exploring) that Dora & co. didn’t get to keep the treasure, only increase their knowledge by confirming its existence.

Most of the villains are ultimately just muscle, but Eugenio Derbez’s Alejandro Gutierrez gets a lot of screen time thanks to initially disguising himself as a friend of Dora’s parents. He was affable enough that it was reasonable Dora and her friends would fall for his lies (particularly with the stress of their situation and his apparent rescue of them). I wonder if the more comedic persona he puts on was designed to fit with and manipulate Dora’s eternal optimism, which would be a solid take on the older generation manipulating the best intentions of the younger one to fuel their greed. He certainly uses their intelligence to further his own interests (and, depending on how deep his cover was, to keep him alive in the first place). He also personifies the old-school treasure hunter method of archaeology, contrasting him nicely with the younger, more socially and culturally conscious generation. I definitely wouldn’t have included him disrobing in front of teenagers though, even if it was caused by hallucinogenic pollen in an animated sequence. 

That moment not being a great look aside, it was refreshing that like Dora herself, a modern adaptation of a kid’s property didn’t take the “dark and gritty is cool and mature” path in an effort to draw in older audiences by ignoring what made the show a success in the first place. Instead, this fully embraced what I assume is the upbeat vibe of the cartoon and absolutely ran with it. They do poke fun at some of the conventions of the animated series, like Dora breaking the fourth wall to teach the audience vocabulary and science, but those self-deprecating jokes absolutely worked and it didn’t feel like the filmmakers were embarrassed by the source material or like they were outright mocking it. It would’ve been easy to make those moments part of the video diary/podcast she has at the beginning of the movie (particularly with the popularity of Instagram and Snapchat stories nowadays), but playing them straight and just having everyone else think she’s weird was so much funnier! Her Map (Marc Weiner), Backpack (Sasha Toro), and possibly her pet monkey Boots’ (Danny Trejo) abilities to talk were played as her childhood imagination and/or hallucinations, which felt like the right balance for the very fun, heightened reality she lives in. I’m glad that they kept the talking, masked fox Swiper (Benicio del Toro) here as well: he feels like a major part of the series’ world and I’m sure fans would’ve been bummed if they left him out. I loved that the questions surrounding him from our heroes were not that he was a fox working with mercenaries, but just that he wore a mask!

While Dora works for all ages, kids are definitely the main target audience and some of the other humor reflects that. I’m not a fan of toilet humor—it’s not that I find it inherently juvenile, I’ve just never thought it was funny—but the two gags in that realm here (quicksand that sounds like farts and the difficulties of using the bathroom in the jungle) didn’t go on long enough to make it feel like this was only for kids; it felt like this was just one style of comedy at play among many. Like Alejandro’s pollen trip, I wouldn’t have included everyone running by Sammy while she was using the bathroom though. Unlike so many movies described as “all ages” but which are really just for kids, the rest of the movie’s comedy, the character development, and the action-adventure sequences totally work regardless of your age and they successfully made it feel like our heroes were on a real adventure with actual dangers. Even if “jungle puzzles” aren’t a thing in the real world, the ones showcased here felt classic and were a lot of fun to see our heroes solve. The pacing moved the story along briskly, but I didn’t feel like Dora’s problems fitting in (and letting others in) were rushed or underdeveloped. The score hits the exact right vibe for this and I liked the original song at the end of the movie too.

If you’re like me and in the mood for a fun, all-ages jungle adventure with a great cast, good action, and a solid emotional core, Dora and the Lost City of Gold will absolutely deliver! I’d definitely watch a sequel. If this one’s still in a theater near you, go see it!

 Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[seeksstaronmewni]

Joel R. Valentine: An Under-Appreciated Sound Designer

Note before reading that, for the sake of privacy, NO PICTURES of Joel IN HIS STUDIO are allowed in this post. I respect him as a humble artist enough to obey this.

Joel Valentine is a sound designer who is usually credited for only sound editing, usually under the name of his company “Twenty-First Century Entertainment, Inc.” (AKA “21st Century Sound Design Corp.)--a private contractor who seems fairly under-appreciated. He created “The Producer’s Sound Effects Library” (according to Trademarkia), which is used by Hacienda Post, Jeff Hutchins, Atlas Oceanic, and maybe even Advantage Audio.

In more familiar context, Joel is the sound designer of mostly cartoons, namely Cartoon Network projects and the works of Craig McCracken and Genndy Tartakovsky, like The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, as well as Dexter’s Laboratory (Joel is credited for sound design on the package design/summary of Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip, however, and as a sound editor on the special). Joel Valentine is responsible for the soundtrack to many of my favorite childhood cartoons... or cartoon cartoons, to be a bit more specific.

"Edits fast, sounds great, and doesn't break. The DM -80's multilayering capabilities and simultaneous recording on all tracks gives us the flexibility to do whatever we want."

This is a quote from Joel Valentine on the DM-80, from a supplement to a March 1994 issue of BROADCAST engineering / BE Radio.

Jeff Hutchins, the sound designer behind Spongebob Squarepants and a creative at Hacienda Post/Sabre Media/Flash Bomb Audio and Warner Bros. Sound/Audio Circus, was an assistant to Joel Valentine. They both edited sound on 2 Stupid Dogs and Dead in the Water. Jeff Hutchins made a number of tweets to me that compliment and reference Joel Valentine:

“Joel was a master of recording and funny sounds. He is still the a pillar of cartoon sound and I wish to recognize him. I believe he was working and had credits prior to 1985. Few people enter the business as a mixer. Look up Harmony Gold. Things should pop up”

“Joel is an incredible talent and I think the world of him. Rock on Joel!”

“Joel has a crisp & distict style. He had moved on to Samurai Jack and Hacienda started to do the FX for Dexter’s Lab. I did a few of them and really tried to retain Joel’s style. Not an easy task.”

“Joel gave me a copy of his “Producer’s SFX Library”. Joel also gave me his ADAP Library in exchange for transferring it to .wav files. I would give him any SFX he asked for.”

“In the “2 Stupid Dogs” days Joel was at the heart of everything. There wasn’t another like him. To this day, I thank him for being so out side the box as to redefine “out side the box”. Thx my brother in sound. Joel was creating the sound tract for a show called “Northern Exposure” at the same time. I am still in awe of his accomplishments. Joel rocks!”

“When I met Joel in 1986, my life changed. His over the top way of creating opportunity out of baking soda and “whatever you’ve got” is incredible. He is an innovator. Thanks for taking the time out of your life to be my teacher. Thanks Joel!”

“He [Joel] was working on those shows [Northern Exposure and Bakersfield P.D.] at the Lantana building in Santa Monica. I worked for Joel during that time period in a suite he had in the building. I worked on 2 Stupid Dogs. After 2 Stupid Dogs I went to work for other studios & Joel went his own ways. Those days were awesome, but all good things come to an end at some point. As one door closes, another opens... somewhere.”

Eric Freeman also shared some facts with me back in 2017:

“[Wander Over Yonder] Season 2 was all done by Joel Valentine. My schedule became way too busy to do the sound fx. Craig McCracken has long history with Joel and enjoys his work, so he wanted him to do the season 2 sfx... 21st century is/was Joel Valentine's personal company. He would do all the sound design and then send it to me at Hacienda for the final mix. He is not affiliated with Hacienda. Joel is a private contractor...   [Joel] worked out of his home... he was the sole sound designer and editor for [Wander Over Yonder] season 2. There were NO other uncredited post-sound folks on the show. The whole series was just Joel and Myself... Joel is working on S5 of Samurai Jack. He would be the sole editor on that. The mix will be done at Hacienda Post. Current PPG is being edited and mixed at Hacienda Post. Joel is not involved with the new PPG... I did some editorial on PPG movie and worked with the editors you listed (Tom Syslo, Roy Braverman & Daisuke Sawa). I can't remember what I edited on the movie, but it was sound fx. I worked on Dexter's Lab, PPG, Fosters, Symbionic Titan, and Samurai Jack. Any editorial I did would have happened during the mix. A lot of times, Genndy or Craig will want to try different SFX when they hear final music and final dialog play together with Joel's sfx. Sometimes the original SFX just don't work well... Joel definitely IS a master sound designer. I respect his work very much... I've worked with Jeff [Hutchins] since the 1990s. He's extremely talented. I believe Joel trained him... Joel only worked on the pilot of Chowder. He did NOT do the series. All the sound design came from Hacienda Post.”

Grant Meuers, “the sole sound editor” on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, replied to my emails of my questions on the show’s sound: “all sound design you hear is either me or Joel. I worked for Hacienda for 2-3 years as an assistant sound editor before venturing out into the freelance world. They are great people over there, and I'm still close with them, although neither Joel or I are very involved in the mixes. Joel is a really talented guy, and I'll be sure to pass your compliments along!” The latter referred to my desire for anyone with Joel to send compliments from me to Joel. Grant continued: “the line between "sound design" and "sound edit" is pretty fluid to me (and I think Joel feels the same way). Joel and I split up responsibilities of what we each cover each episode fairly evenly, but Joel definitely has final say and final cut over whatever we do together, and obviously Genndy has final say over everything. How we are ultimately credited isn't really up to us. (In fact, Joel initially wanted us to be both credited as sound editors, but Genndy and Adult Swim gave him his own title card, which I am happy about, because he definitely deserves it. Joel is a humble guy and often likes to fly under the radar.) We both work remotely on our own, and each have our own respective companies we use for billing purposes.” The credit of Joel for sound design on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is well-earned, but ultimately he remains private in his work, and that privacy must be respected.

Genndy Tartakovsky himself said meaningful words about Joel Valentine, who did sound design on all of his Cartoon Network shows: “I’ve worked with Joel since the days of ‘Dexter.’ He’s got an amazing library and he knows how to blend sounds together to make them something very unique. For the fourth episode he went outside the norm and he found these vocal monster libraries that were done in the ’60s or something in Germany... for the mastodon episode, he found this library where some guy started a Kickstarter and then went to India to record elephant sounds for a year... all the mastodon sounds are so much more than what’s out there that a lot of people are using. I think we’re taking the extra effort for everything to make it sound unique and specific.”

Shane Houghton, co-creator of Big City Greens, compliments sound editor/designer Joel Valentine as part of “a killer sound team! They don't get enough love! Eric and Joel are amazing!”

Someone on Twitter asked @crackmccraigen “how was the noise used when the powerpuff girls would suddenly fly off made? The fwOosh/pew!! noise, yanno?” Craig replied: “It was comprised of a few different sound fx that were put together by the PPG sound designer Joel Valentine.” When I noted that Joel was usually uncredited, Craig told me that “The name Twenty-First Century Entertainment, Inc. listed under Sound Editing is Joel. That’s his company, [and] he wanted to be credited that way.” Another person appreciated the sound design of Kid Cosmic, and Craig highlighted that he’s been working with him for 27 years.

As of May 30th, 2021, Owen Fishback’s Kippie short, “Guard Duty Doggy”, was released. I saw it the next day, and it acknowledges Joel Valentine for sound effects (some of his sound effects are used in it, probably sourced from the Sound Effects Wiki pages for his sound effects, to which I contributed info but not the audio samples used in the video).

The sound effects that Joel created are very meaningful to me as I grew up heavily on the works of Joel Valentine for Cartoon Network, namely Dexter’s Laboratory. When I heard his sound design on Samurai Jack Season 5 back in 2017 (namely EPISODE XCIV), I was so impressed with his array of realistic soundscapes of atmospheres and animals that I began to consider Joel the next best creative in sound post-production sound services, next to those of Skywalker Sound and Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services.

I’m not sure what will become of The Producer’s Sound Effects Library, though I got a copy from ebay on 1/23/2020 A.D. as an upcoming birthday gift and immediately preserved it by ripping the files off ( the link for proof read Producers-Sound-Effects-Library-13-cds-Great-Value-Free-shipping/283736597492?hash=item421004e3f4:g:rLkAAOSwAGxeE8ql ). Thanks to @wiley207​ and SqueakyCartWheel for notifying me on the Sound Effects Wiki!

Here’s a close-up of the main CD’s cover, used for the 101 SOUND EFFECTS CD...

...and here’s the label of the CD. They all look like this due to distributor S.O.S.

I made a page for The Producers Sound Effects Library on the Sound Effects Wiki, of course, to celebrate this amazing, obscure library. I recognize a number of sound effects on that library, like “IN Cricket Single” (as often heard in Spongebob) and “ROBOT MOVES #1[-3]” One of my absolute favorite sound effects on that library is ��SPACE BEAM DOWN.” It’s a deep drone with a mysterious, enticing musical tone; it’s on PSEL CD SY-01 - “Science Fiction”.

Regarding preservation of the PSEL: due to the copyright warning requiring “written legal documentation from the owner of the Producers Sound Effects Library” (that’s probably Joel)--though I think that the company of the same name as the SFX library, PSEL, is defunct--I believe that I can not upload the audio files online  “unauthorized” “by any information or sampler storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented”.

Aside from the PSEL, I hope and pray that Joel’s library will be in good hands when he retires. Sound Ideas or Pro Sound Effects deserve to preserve this amazing library of sound!

[peachdoxie]

My official opinion of Ralph Breaks the Internet, with spoilers:

Ralph Breaks the Internet was an uninspired and predictable film whose attempts at originality failed to live up to the standards set by its predecessor and Disney's reputation. In short, I very much disliked it.

Before I begin, I will say that I did not expect much from this movie. Its trailers did not encourage me. And yet, somehow, Ralph Breaks the Internet was even less than I expected.

I will not say that Ralph Breaks the Internet was a bad movie. It had fairly decent animation, editing, cinematography, etc. Nothing spectacular, but nothing particularly horrible either, as I've come to expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

What made me dislike Ralph 2 was the fact that it was a conglomeration of cliches and stereotypes, none of which were handled well. Many of the jokes and plot elements relied on classism, ageism, cynicism, emotional immaturity, and/or unimaginative attempts at meta-analytical humor that ultimately fell flat. It attempted to be original and clever but instead felt like a low-budget Saturday morning cartoon by recycling the same jokes and plot devices instead of coming up with fresher and more creative ones.

Here are some of the many examples I am talking about and why I had an issue with them, in approximately chronological order:

After Sugar Rush is shut down, Felix and Calhoun take in the fifteen child racers. As soon as the racers are "adopted" by them, the racers instantly start wreaking havoc and breaking things, which is played for laughs. Instead of being grateful that they have a home after their game was unplugged, the racers were instead rude and destructive.

Later, in Tapper's bar, Felix comes across Ralph, who offers him Vanellope's root beer since she didn't show up. Felix claims that he has never drank root beer before, but decides to start because being a parent is too stressful. It's played for laughs, but the root beer is obviously a stand-in for actual alcohol. Normalizing alcohol and getting drunk as a solution to stressful parenting, anyone?

Any time a joke was made about Ralph's size could be taken as a metaphor for the world not being open to people whose bodies and accessibility issues fall outside the norm. However, since practically every instance of this was played for laughs, the movie instead presents Ralph's struggles with everything being too small as a thing to laugh at, instead of something to take as a serious issue.

The character of JP Spammly was subtly classist in presenting a lower class persona as inherently distrustworthy because they run a sketchy website.

During Vanellope and Shank's race, one of them brushes past a homeless man and knock his cup of coins out of his hand. This is, again, played for laughs, showing that we're supposed to find it funny that a(nother) misfortune fell a homeless person.

Practically all of the jokes about Ralph's lack of understanding regarding the internet were stereotypes of adults who don't understand the internet. This isn't really an issue like some of my other bullet points, but I'm just really sick of this stereotype, since there are many adults out there who understand the internet fine, of not better than young adults and teenagers currently.

The interaction between the male player of Slaughter Race and his offscreen grandmother is an ageist cliche. Two, actually: that the parent figure in the situation doesn't respect the teen's hobbies, and that the teen doesn't respect the parental figure's desires for family time.

Knowsmore was rude and condescending and unnecessarily so. Yes, I know he essentially works a customer service job, and it is canonically thankless. That does not give him the right to rudely badmouth customers after they are whisked away because they didn't thank him (they're computer avatars with limited communicability, so it seems) and it most certainly does NOT give him the right to condescendingly comment on a woman's weight. The customer in question was searching for size small tights and Knowsmore made a rude comment implying that she shouldn't be looking at small tights.

The scene with the princesses bothered me. Yes, it has been on the internet already and discussed at length. But it really frustrated me how it reduced all of the characters to basic stereotypes of themselves. I also figured out why the "does everyone assume that all your problems can be solved by a big, strong man?" comment has bothered me so much. It's inherently hypocritical: the way that it's presented is as a feminist statement that the princesses don't actually need a big strong man to save them, and yet that's what they're defined by, as everyone exclaims "she is a princess!" when Vanellope agrees with them.

Ralph finds the Buzztube comments, which are all extremely negative. I know it's a joke to not go on the comments on anything because they're always awful, but that's also not actually true. Most of the comments are just inane or showing support of something. It was obvious what was going to happen as soon as Ralph walked into the comments area. Yes, yes, the lesson of "don't get bogged down by the few bad things people say" could be relevant, but it wasn't presented that way because Yessss didn't point out any other comments or strongly try to encourage Ralph of the opposite. She just accepted that as fact.

There are more examples of this type of thing, these little moments that were ageist, classist, or just plain rude that made watching Ralph Breaks the Internet unenjoyable overall. The issue that I have with things like these are that they present small but harmful stereotypes as things to laugh at. People learn by example. That's basic human development stuff. And so if they see jokes in media that show harmful things as funny, they're going to replicate them and contribute to the same kinds of biases and hurtful behavior. The sheer number of these together make up one reason why I didn't like Ralph Breaks the Internet.

The second major reason why I didn't like Ralph 2 is that the entire emotional conflict between Ralph and Vanellope comes from a series of miscommunications that could have VERY EASILY been avoided if they had just TALKED TO EACH OTHER AND LISTENED. This is repeated multiple times in the movie. Ralph is afraid Vanellope will leave him for Slaughter Race and won't be his best friend anymore. Vanellope wants to find something new and exciting in her life but is afraid that Ralph will be upset. We also see the cliched trope of character A (Ralph) overhears character B (Vanellope) say something out of context that hurts character A's feelings. And here is the thing - instead of talking it out, both Ralph and Vanellope make assumptions about what the other wants and get upset and yell about it.

I. AM. SICK. AND. TIRED. OF. THIS. TROPE. All it does is show two emotionally immature people without good introspection skills hash out their problems in an unproductive and hurtful way. Yes, I am aware that Ralph in particular has insecurity issues, since they made an elaborate metaphor out of that as part of the film's climax. I'm not saying that's bad, necessarily. BUT. This type of thing happens over and over in media and it is, quite frankly, a lazy and unoriginal source of interpersonal conflict. Also, recall what I said earlier about humans mimicking behavior they see. Instead of showing problem solving after conflict based on miscommunication, why not just skip all the unnecessary drama and show the characters talking out their problems ahead of all that? It will save me the frustration and eye-rolling, that's for sure.

And my last major problem with the film is the ending. Vanellope abandons Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. In what world is that a reasonable ending? Yes, there's the message about following your dreams and whatnot. But it is a very immature and selfish decision on Vanellope's part to abandon the game she came from, especially right after the game broke. It was expressed early on in the film that the players' favorite racer is Vanellope. What do you think they'll do when she's just suddenly not there? Do you think they'll play the game as much? Is pursuing your "dream" really worth risking your game being unplugged again, Vanellope? Is it worth it after all the pain and hardships Ralph went through to buy that replacement Sugar Rush steering wheel so that your game isn't unplugged? It was a lame ending that made an already frustrating movie thoroughly dislikeable.

I'm disappointed. I expect better from Disney, given their history of recent films. Frozen was better than Ralph Breaks the Internet. Heck, I like Moana better, and I was very critical of it. Honestly, Ralph Breaks the Internet suffered from the worst sequelitis I've ever seen and is not a worthy successor to Wreck-it Ralph in any way.

Also, if any of you come at me and say "it's just a movie calm down" I will block you because obviously you lack the critical thinking skills necessary to understand this post and I don't feel like being the one to educate you on something as basic as "media affects reality and human behavior".

[albanywebster]

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Dear wentworth miller, I'm not sure if you will ever see this and it's okay if you don't. I only just saw this video today but I wanted to let you know that you have impacted my life. My parents used to watch prison break do I had a vague idea of who you were although I didn't know you as anything but "that random dude from prison break, then you came out. I was fourteen and hearing that a celebrity was gay, a celebrity that my parents knew about maybe it wouldn't be so awful if I was.

"Maybe I could say right now I'm 100 per cent straight. But who knows? In a f**king year, I could meet a guy and be like 'whoa, I'm attracted to this person," "I've never been, like 'oh, I want to kiss that guy.' I really love women. But I think defining yourself as 100 per cent anything is kind of near-sighted and close-minded."

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Dear Josh Hutcherson, soon after I found out that there was a word for people like me I saw articles saying that you were bisexual and I cannot even begin to tell you how much of an impact that had on me. I'd watched the hunger games and fallen in love with both katniss and peeta. I thought I was weird, then you came out. I refuse to acknowledge the people who got mad and screamed that you are straight. I felt seen, even though I'd never met you or wentworth miller there was a we now. I wasn't alone, I wasn't the only person who had these feelings and people still loved both of you regardless. If they accepted you, people constantly in the public eye they could accept me too.

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Dear Hayley Kiyoko, I watched lemonade mouth as a kid and I cannot even begin to explain how happy I was when you came out as a lesbian

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Dear @joshua-rush you probably will see this because I tagged you in it, i was already an adult when cyrus came out but that doesn't mean it didn't impact me. A few months ago I came out to a family friend as bisexual, one of the first thing she did was warn me that if I ever touched her daughter inappropriately we would have issues, which is fair enough but she said it because I came out as if being bi would make me a predator. Your role as cyrus on Disney channel reminded me that being lgbtq is kid friendly. Of course it is.

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To the creators of lok. The fact that this was a cartoon and you fought tooth and nail for the korrasami ending was such a win for everyone in the lgbtq community. I loved this show from the time I was ten years old onwards and I still love it with every beat of my heart. Even without korrasami, zukos struggle from living his life to please his father to living his life doing resonated with me so much then and still does now.

Every person /creator on this list contributed to me accepting myself, whether or not anyone else did. I made this list to say thank you, thank you to every one of you for showing us there is a community, there is a we. Everyone is welcome to add their personal thank yous to celebrities who helped you accept yourself. Let them know that what they do does matter, it helps people. Representation can literally save lives.

[commandervisor]

I think one of the most wildest meta/headcanons/theories I've ever come up with so far about Scooby-Doo is that in Mystery Incorporated, the circumstances of Fred's birth must have looked really interesting to everyone outside of Mayor Jones and Brad and Judy. 

In "All Fear the Freak", we learn that Mayor Jones was a college student (and, according to Tony Cervone, he was a college instructor for a couple of years, shortly after graduating) when he first came to Crystal Cove, so the earliest age he could be is 18-ish. At some point during this time, he meets the original Mystery Incorporated, and things go from there. 

Now, let's remember what has been said about Fred's "mom" in "A Haunting In Crystal Cove". When Scooby sees the picture of Fred's mom, Shaggy and Fred say that she's “Fred's mom”, who "left" when Fred was a baby. 

But it was never outright stated that she was ever Mayor Jones's wife, and she "left" and characters act like maybe she'll come back and/or she's worthy of being remembered, as opposed to having already accepted that she's not coming back and being bitter about it. Arguably, there was never a circumstance in the show where they could say she was "Mayor Jones's (ex-)wife" without making it sound weird; usually, if you're talking about your friend's absent mom or dad, you call them that as opposed to their present mom or dad's spouse.

Later in the episode, Fred says that he's into making traps because he wants the people he loves to stay with him and not leave like his mom did. Now, traps are made to catch things before they can flee. While yes, Fred does use traps a few times outside of that purpose (like dragging Daphne into an investigation while she was sleeping), you could interpret this as Fred's mom leaving Fred with Jones because she was afraid of being a parent.

See where I'm going with this?

Mystery Incorporated has fun poking at teen genre tropes, particularly the ones of teens and young adults, uh, going through hormonal stuff and having no idea what they're doing and facing the consequences for that.

So... what I'm saying is that the general public thought that Fred was conceived from pre-marital... relations.

Jones has not been seen hanging around this apparent lady friend for the past nine months. Unless he claimed that it was information he kept to himself (which is possible, since he's been shown to be a private individual, keeping secrets and all), it looks like Fred was born from a brief fling, maybe even a one-night stand.

(Also, I'm gonna say as a note that Jones probably forged Fred's birth certificate and everything and said that the ex dropped the documents off with him. There's also some suspension of disbelief I'll have to ask you to do, since this is still a cartoon and a fictional story. 

Additionally, I doubt that Mayor Jones would have forged a marriage certificate and divorce papers, because then he'd have to forge a whole ton of other documents (perhaps even photos, which is probably beyond his ability) and proof that it happened, maybe even create a documents for a fake adult person. It's too time-consuming and he could easily screw up somewhere, allowing someone to catch on. It’d be easier and quicker to say that Fred was, uh, an accident, and that the mother is “gone”, whereabouts unknown. That way, the dead ends will discourage anyone that’s nosy enough to try looking into it, like Fred, who, like any other kid, would inevitably ask “Where’s my mom?”.

Going off of that, she’d probably also fall under the definition of being a deadbeat mom, since there’s no proof (that Mayor Jones had forged) that she pays for child support either.) 

It would also contribute to Fred's issues with his "father", because his father never intended to have children as Fred was an accident, and that's why he sucks at parenting and he never quite went through the process of maturing into a better parent either.

I have no idea how this would have affected his reputation for his college instructing and his mayoral campaign - he probably wouldn’t have gotten under scrutiny because it might not have been a big deal, but given that the people of Crystal Cove are shown to be rather apathetic, it's possible that most people didn't really care and voted him in either way. 

But, I think it's also part of why the Blakes don't like the Jones (I say part, because there's more obvious reasons that I'll maybe address at some point, but not another time). They don't like Fred, because they think he's stupid. In "All Fear the Freak", when Fred and Daphne announce their engagement, Mrs. Blake blames Mayor Jones for "this". If he had properly parented Fred, none of this would be happening. But... maybe there's also some background to that.

As far as the Blakes see it, history is repeating itself. A young couple is making a rash life-changing decision based on love and emotion. And while their daughter may have some terrible judgment, it's less of her fault and more of her man's fault. Their daughter's lover is a boy who is the RESULT of this kind of love story ending badly — he got his foolishness from his father, and meanwhile, his mother ran off and severed connection with them because she regrets the whole thing. 

Even if Jones was already mayor by then (I’m pretty sure you can’t be mayor for that many consecutive years, or it’s at least difficult to do, but maybe I’m wrong and there’s also some cartoon logic on the side.), it’d still look kinda weird that some girl he knocked up a few months ago in some fling dumped their kid on him. So that point still stands. 

But I guess in the end, it didn’t really matter that much. Fred finds his real parents, the universe is reset to him having never been kidnapped, and none of this happens. It’s still pretty crazy, though. And maybe I’m just overthinking this.

tl;dr: The public thinks Fred was illegitimate, it was evidence that Fred's parents are terrible parents because one sucks at parenting and the other is a deadbeat, the Blakes think that Fred is dumb because his parents suck and he's gonna repeat history with their youngest daughter, Mayor Jones probably figured “I accidentally had Fred with a girl I liked for a while and she dumped our son on me.” is a better and easier cover story in case someone sticks their nose in places they shouldn’t.