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#THIS SHOW SAID NO TWO DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS!!!
kilarthmac · 1 day
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Let's talk about Caelum.
I'm gonna preface this with saying that everyone is entitled to their opinions, and if once you're done reading this you decide you don't want to follow me or you want to block me, that's completely up to you. I'm not trying to change your opinion or attack anyone who has a different one than mine, I just wanted to put my two cents out there.
I also wanted to say that whatever your opinion on the matter is, it's yours and yours alone, and you should respect the opinions of other people even if they don't match up. I personally do not sexualize Caelum, but I do think he is an adult with childlike characteristics, and those two statements are not mutually exclusive. He can be an adult, but he also doesnt have to be put in adult situations.
It's okay to have strong feelings one way or the other about this topic, but it is not okay to harass people or go on a witch hunt for those with the opposite opinion to give them shit about what they think. If you disagree with someone and do not want to see their stuff on your timeline, just block them or scroll away. You alone are responsible for your own dash, you cannot make other people responsible for what you see on your timeline.
All that being said, I do not like how the fandom treats Caelum and Empathy Daemons in general.
My stance on the matter is that Empathy Daemons as a whole are adults, but because of how E'Laetum created them, they tend to have childlike characteristics. Those who say that Empathy Daemons are ALL children blatantly ignore the fact that Regulus is an Empathy Daemon as well, and that he has been shown to have adult tendancies (his BA, getting possessive over his charge, etc) while also maintaining his childlike characteristics (telling his charge a bedtime story to sleep, having a very one dimensional view of himself and his charge, etc). This is where I have a problem whenever I see people try to say that all Empathy Daemons are children. Regulus is clearly an adult. There is no "reading between the lines" about this.
Caelum is also an Empathy Daemon, but he is a very different character than Regulus. He is a lot more childlike compared to Regulus. He gets his words mixed up, he likes sweets, he likes hugs, etc. But in his most recent video (Your Bakadere Empathy Daemon Friend Visits You), even he says that he almost went down a path similar to Regulus' until Delphinus stepped in and assigned him to Freelancer, and that stopped him from falling (timestamps from 2:40 - 3:18, and 8:45 in that video). It may be uncomfortable for some people to think of Caelum as going down the same path that Regulus did, but this video clearly shows that he had the potential to. Caelum and Regulus are not as different as one may think.
Erik has also said himself that D(a)emons step out of the Elision Well as adults and they do not age. Of course they don't know everything so they still have to learn, but that's not the same as being a child. On top of the most recent Redacted 101 video, take this screenshot from Wonderworld (previously Redacted Records, when Erik was still in the server) from 2020, where Erik talks about how D(a)emons coalesce.
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He even mentions how in earlier Caelum videos he didn't know what he wanted the d(a)emon life cycle to be yet, and that's why he had Caelum state that he was a "kid daemon" at one point.
Not to mention the fact that in the official timeline, it shows that Caelum coalesced in 1999, and is even older than Damien.
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At the end of the day, Caelum is a fictional character. Whatever someone ends up deciding to make of him is their choice, this is a fandom after all. If it really bothers you to see what certain people make, block them and move on. DO NOT berate them for their headcanons or fanart or whatever else. People are allowed to have their own headcanons, make their own fics, and draw their own fanart. This is a fandom space, and people are allowed their creative liberties.
Anyways, that has been my two cents. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments if u want to, but please please be respectful and don't attack anyone.
TLDR; I don't sexualize Caelum but I do think he and all Empathy Daemons are adults (ex: Regulus), everyone should respect everyone else's opinions and just block what they don't want to see on their timelines, and the fandom needs to chill out lol
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hella1975 · 9 months
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‘you’re all i got, cousin’ crying over richie of all people. can this day get any worse
#IF I SAID RICHIE IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING CHARACTERS ON THE BEAR WHAT THEN#THIS SHOW SAID NO TWO DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS!!!#he’s still a dick tho. love him#hi i had a hellish day. being on ur period plus working bank holiday saturday lunch rush? no a slaytastic combo#saw unprecedented levels of twatism today night actually be my worst shift at this place ever#god fr saw me posting positively about work lately and went girl BE QUIET and u know what it’s crickets from my end from now on bossman#this is the first time i could NOT snap myself out of a mood bc of a customer like it was a hundred little shitty interactions#of being spoken to like utter shit and then one table just pissed me OFF like complained to my manager the works and if it had been that on#it’s own it would have been fine but it had already been building and i was like no. im done#got asked if i could stay on until 10 and i wasn’t even polite about it i just went ‘FUCK no’#almost cried on the bus home. humiliating. immediately got in an argument w my mum. thriving tbh#and then went ‘now is probably a bad time to watch THIS of all shows but oh well’ and weirdly it’s actually calmed me down bc I’m reminded#this is a universal struggle and it isn’t just me being a little bitch lmao. still sucks that my job literally consists of#‘whoever can tolerate being spoken to like dirt for the longest without snapping will get shifts :)’ like why is this behaviour allowed#why do i have to regularly day after day be disrespected and treated like im not even a person. for MINIMUM FUCKING WAGE#blowing the restaurant up im so fucking done man#the bear#hella slaves to capitalism
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heckahecker · 2 years
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anways i just finished reading the silver eyes and i’d like to humbly request scott to go ahead and cashapp me thousands of $$$ + interest for the time i’ve wasted trying and failing to give this book the benefit of the doubt
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yellourr · 4 months
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Feel like romance (and the romance genre) is too gendered
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darkpoisonouslove · 1 year
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Besties, that's not how you write a character. She's a total clown, in reflection of her creators.
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There's definitely a conversation to be had about the presentation of real historical figures in historical fiction, I think. As both a professional historian (PhD student 🤘🏾😔) and a man of color, I'm a bit more sensitive to this than a lot of people, and for me it always comes down to the question - what real harm is being done here?
And that's where I think OFMD does well enough for me to be comfortable. If you look at the fact that the show is based on real-life terrible people who did awful things and participated in the slave trade and you don't wanna fuck with the show, that's completely understandable, but I find it so much more palatable than (for the easy comparison) a piece of media like Black Sails (I actually like Black Sails, believe it or not, but there are a lot of things about how it treats many of these same figures that make me uncomfortable).
Now, yes, OFMD is hand-wavey with the slave trade in the Caribbean. None of our main characters own slaves or directly reference the slave trade (again, this is a romcom, I'd be shocked if they did). For me, this works alright for two big reasons. First, there are things that I think you can include in a romcom and have it still be a romcom, and a thoughtful, respectful depiction of the slave trade would take the show firmly out of romcom territory. Second, the show doesn't pretend racism doesn't exist, it treats its characters of color as three-dimensional people, and we always get the last laugh when racism is depicted. The very first episode sets the scene by having racist English Navy officers demean and call a Black character "slave" and they immediately get their asses kicked for it. Compare this to a show like Black Sails, where one of my main criticisms is how we're expected to sympathize with characters who actively participate in the slave trade and own slaves.
My other thing here is the people OFMD is working with are both heavily mythologized and not treated with any degree of historical accuracy. Many of our characters who are famous pirate names you might know are nothing like their real-world counterparts (take pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao, who wasn't even born yet when the show takes place). We know so little about any of the real people, anyway, that OFMD doesn't even bother trying to get anything right.
Like I said, I'm a professional historian and I love working with the golden age of piracy. That's a big reason I was drawn to this show in the first place! And if there's one thing I know, it's that pirates have been made into legends. We know very little about the real people, and in pop culture they're just myths.
The characters in OFMD are basically fictional characters working with the loose mythology based around the real people.
Now, back to my big thesis here: are the real, awful people benefitting in any way from OFMD taking these characters and making them into the good guys? Realistically, no, I'd argue. Most people with any critical thinking skills know that real pirates were not good people. Many people think Blackbeard is a made-up generic pirate character as it is. I've been to the real-life Stede Bonnet's grave site (NOT for the show, this was years before it aired and I was visiting the archives there to see the trial documents for a research project), and the historic marker there says he was "brought to justice." No one is wataching this show and thinking "oh those real guys must have been pretty great dudes!" because it's not about those real people.
This show isn't trying to change your perception of the real people, it's showing you fictional characters with the same names. One of our characters is runnig around in crocs, this show isn't trying to teach you about history or the real people and it's obvious.
If you're put off by the premise, I get it! But I just don't buy the idea that OFMD is putting anything harmful into the world just by existing.
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ajbullet · 5 months
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My thoughts on episode 1 and 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: (spoilers)
- The ACCURACY of the little Percy casting was unbelievable. They look identical.
- The SARCASM 🫶🏻👌🏻
- I’ve never been able to connect with Sally Jackson as a mother-figure in the books just because of my own rocky relationship with my mom, but the way she’s played really made me believe in her character and her love for Percy. It gives PERCY’s character more grounding and their relationship really drives the show.
- Sally just sitting in the rain with Olivia Rodrigo playing. Mood.
- “You fell in love…with Jesus?”
- The friction and “betrayal” between Percy and Grover was super interesting to see and I’m really glad they touched on that more than in the books
- I’ve been pronouncing Brunner wrong. Dam.
- Sally saying goodbye to Percy, knowing she was probably going to die 😭. Percy screaming for her.
- the Minotaur fight was awesome
- “YOU DROOL WHEN YOU SLEEP” Omg I can’t believe she said it. Leah’s delivery was different than how I imagined it but I loved it. She’s so matter-of-fact
- Again, I’ve always struggled with connecting with Luke’s character just because I felt like he was a little two-dimensional in the first book and then after that, you know, he’s evil and while I understood his motivations, I just didn’t really…care? Idk but his portrayal really helped me understand the depth of his betrayal and just how heartbreaking his story really is. I already love him more than I’ve allowed myself to from the books
- “She’s my little sister” I love their relationship while it lasts. Seeing how close they are really adds to the layers of both of their characters
- I’ve also been pronouncing Thalia wrong. Double dam.
- THE BLUE CANDY. PERCY BURNING IT NOT TO TALK TO HIS DAD BUT HIS MOM. That scene broke my heart.
- Leah. As. Annabeth. I’m going to be completely honest, Ive loved Leah from everything I’ve seen about her but I was nervous just because of how precious of a character Annabeth Chase has always been to me and I didn’t know if ANYONE, not specifically Leah, could live up to those expectations but omg I love her. Her bluntness. Her facial expressions. Her voice and delivery. Her sure movements and confidence and self-assuredbess that has come from success after success and training for so long. The way she is so unashamed to admit to using Percy and only watching him to see what he could do for HER. In her short amount of screen time so far, Leah was able to add layers to this character I’ve loved for so long that I didn’t even know where there. I never wanted her to leave the screen. My only complaint is that she didn’t have more lines. She is my Annabeth Chase. She’s not from the books. She’s not from the movies. She’s her own version and she stole the show.
- Luke saying Annabeth has a plan and that Percy will know what to do, only for PERCY TO BE FLOSSING AND PEEING AND PETTING GECKOS and trying so hard not to drive himself crazy with his ADHD and having nothing to do. I genuinely laughed out loud. Might be my favorite part.
- the fight scenes are so well choreographed.
- CLARISSE. She’s too pretty. I can’t hate her. And her ELECTRIC SPEAR. When it broke and she screamed, I got chills.
- The trident.
- Annabeth KNOWING Percy was Poseidon’s before anyone else cause she’s “always 6 steps ahead”
- People already keeping such important info from Percy “for his own good”
- “You are Poseidon’s son” “No, I am Sally Jackson’s son!” Might just be my favorite line. It’s so true. She raised him. She sacrificed everything for him. She loved him and cared for him and taught him that he wasn’t broken, he was singular, a miracle. She died so that he could live.
- Sally Jackson is parenting goals
- The way Percy instantly changed his decision to go to the underworld as soon as Grover told him his mom could be saved. Their relationship is unmatched
- Walker Scobell is already pretty well known, but I have a really good feeling his popularity is going to skyrocket after this show. He is such an amazing, dedicated actor. I know exactly what he is felling 100% of the time.
Overall, I absolutely loved it. In two episodes it’s become a comfort show that I can’t wait to continue watching!!
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ellstronaut · 3 months
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Going back to this debate
I know Ellle is a multifaceted individual that much is obvious she’s not one dimensional she has many elements to her personality. Additionally, it’s important to remember that even on the spectrum of masculine and feminine, Ellie isn’t completely one or the other. She exists in some sort of grey area between them, embodying both masculine and feminine traits. She’s not defined by one end of the spectrum, but rather by the interplay of these two extremes.
Yet at times the characterisation of Ellie is laced with internalised misogyny. And highlights the way “masc presenting” lesbians are treated in real life tied down to the “man” in the relationship why is Ellie mostly written as the dominant one especially when coupled with fem reader why do we head canon her as a top when it’s literally canon that she’s a switch? Why is there an infinite amount of “ellie taking care of the reader on her period” scenarios outnumber “Reader taking care of Ellie on her period” Ellie written as tall towering over fem reader and not like she’s literally 5’5
The fact is that there’s a heteronormative slant to the way people write her. Like I said almost never written as a switch, but a top. To some extent been portrayed as tall and dominating, never small or vulnerable. And Santa Barbara Ellie is often sexualized even though she is deeply traumatized and emotionally tormented. The problem is that people are viewing her through male-centric lenses, reducing her to an object of desire rather than a fully fleshed out woman with a complex, nuanced personality which includes many dimensions, some of which may be considered feminine.
There is no specific way to be a “masc lesbian” a woman nor feminine and express your femininity. Nor should that separate her from her womanhood/femininity. in a way it’s her way of showing how feminine she is. maybe not stereotypically through outward appearances, but her general identity. she’s a woman who experiences the same struggles that women do, Obviously she doesn’t waver just on the lines of black and white, she’s all rounded. In between. Grey area. The point I’m trying to make is that she’s all and above, you can be both masc and fem. I would add that Ellie's femininity is often overlooked or even belittled by people who only focus on traits that appeal to them. Not her emotional intelligence, her caring nature, her resilience, her dedication to her loved ones. Fuck she’s also a soft heart and a tender soul. These aspects of her are just as important to her character, she is a whole person ffs, exceptionally fleshed out
So fuck
“the hot wife and her hot boyfriend”
Why not
“The hot wife and her hot wife”
“She’s so boyfriend
Uh
“She’s so girlfriend”
Santa Barbara/Seattle is literally at her most vulnerable, disheveled state that girl is literally plagued with trauma, stuck in a limbo of “do I seek vengeance in the name of losing my family and absolutely everything or stay and suffer in silence (at who’s expense?? Hers) Yet we sexualise tf out of her, the most vulnerable pinnacle of existence—glorified and romanticised bc it’s “hot”
this is not a dig at anyone you’re free to write whatever tf you want bro it’s your platform but pls let’s not bs and pretend as of this doesn’t occur
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sunlightnmoonshine · 1 month
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You know what is an absolute shame, that queen of tears had all the potential to be so so great. All it would have taken was a little more writing comprehension and understanding that a story doesn't need 50 something plot points, everyone would have tuned in for just baekhong and them navigating the complexities of marriage, dealing with their families, and dealing with the potential loss of life, and the way two people can be so destined for each other, fine they could have had villains but the villain didn't need to be a one dimensional character that had such plot armour throughout the show to the point that the main female character who has such intellect in all other moments somehow loses it around him just so we can entertain mediocre moments of ridiculousness, at the very least focus could have been placed on one villain, instead we have some deranged execution of mommy/son issues that had such potential but was just wasted and it's the way this drama feels like it's insulting my intellect that really just gets to me.
With that said, I still think baekhong is precious and that no drama has had characters like them before but I really think that it isn't even the writing anymore, it's that soohyun and jiwon have given this story their all and watching them has been a treat because they bring out the best parts of baekhong while the writer runs around in circles.
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bimbolita · 4 months
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I’m so glad everyone is having the same visceral reaction to episode 4 like I did. I thought I was being too sensitive but fucking no. It is painful. It is horrid. Knowing that this type of abuse actively happens to sex workers and those who are trafficked. It’s jarring because I didn’t expect to see this dark and explicit depiction in a cartoon that jokes about penises every 2 minutes. It’s like when light hearted coco melon shows start talking about death, it was just unexpected because I never took this show serious. I’m going to share more of my thoughts below! Trigger Warning: Mentions of SA ⚠️
I don’t think it’s my place to deny or confirm if the ‘poison’ scenes were fetishized, I personally believe it’s subjective. I know how I feel but I think no matter where you stand, you are right in your own way. Many things can be true at once. What we can all agree on, is that it was harsh. In a way, I hope the audience is able to understand how exploiting and non glamorous sex work is. There is nothing fun about having your body used multiple times a day by people you do not know and having said scenes recorded then plastered all over the media. Of course all forms of engaging in or creating adult content are different, I am specifically talking about sex workers who have no say or control over their bodies and finances. Like Angel. Let us put emphasis on WORK in sex work.
It is demanding. It is laborious It is scaring. Remember that and remember the unheard voices who must do this to simply survive.
There is a lot of criticism about angel’s personality and yes I agree it is annoying but you have to understand, it is a trauma response. Hypersexuality is a common trait among those who are sexually abused. Angel just outwardly expresses it all the time because it is all he knows. This thought process is the only way to tolerate his behavior. I say thought process because it is only an interpretation. It’s very obvious viv just adores writing sexed up characters with zero nuance or depth but let’s just pretend she can actually write male characters that think beyond their cock and balls. Let’s pretend that Angel Dust is a two dimensional character and not (grits teeth) fetish bait.
Now, let’s talk about Charlie. Alright great, she saw her friend being mistreated and was about to stand up to his abuser, ok good good. The victim (Angel) gets upset and wants her to leave because he was beaten. Yes, average response of someone who is an abusive relationship, he is afraid and wants to avoid more conflict between him and Val. The situation at hand couldn’t be more than obvious. How does Charlie respond? She cries. And not because she is frustratedly concerned for the safety of her friend. It is because he yelled and rejected all her poor attempts at helping. Charlie is weak as shit and I think that interaction was weirdly written. I wish she had the mental fortitude to understand how much danger Angel’s life was in at that moment. I cannot enjoy her ‘aggressive kindness’ cutie do no wrong baby girl type of character in a moment like that.
And I feel the same about Husk’s song. Out of all the responses you could’ve made, this is what made it to the final cut? Do better. I don’t care if I lack the mEdIa LiTeRaCy twitter keeps yapping about. It’s bad. You just showed a sexual assault montage and the rebuttal was basically “my uncle broke his neck tap dancing once :/“ lol we’re both losers and that’s ok, suck it up buttercup, I like you regardless. This was the best response to an SA victim? No degree in media literacy would ever help me think that was an acceptable response. I dunno about ya’ll but I major in common sense at the university of using my eyes and fucking ears. Now imagine, if that entire segment, when Husk and Angel are at the bar plus the musical number; imagine if all of that was placed BEFORE we see Angel and Val interact and then poison plays as the final song. It would be 10x more impactful because then the audience sees how deep and stuck Angel actually is. Trauma olympics is never acceptable but neither is trauma participation trophies. It is not right to make Husk’s issues be seen as the same as Angel’s issues. They are not the same and it is ok to acknowledge that Angel has it worst than Husk. It’d be more genuine if Husk were to just hug him in complete silence after dragging him out of the bar and have Angel tearfully embrace him back. The first non sexual and benevolent interaction between them. The first physical act of care with no ulterior motives of lust.
I grind my teeth at the wasted potential.
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theveesbf · 2 months
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Hazbin Hotel X Star Butterfly!Reader (part 1 - Charlie)
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︴Notes - Hello everyone! This isn't a request but I got this idea and I needed to write it... Also, I was thinking of maybe a oneshot or series with it but idk because I would be so slow to update it lmao. Anyways yeah I hope you guys enjoy it! <3 if you guys want it to be a one shot, pls tell me!!
︴Content - Headcannons of the hazbin hotel characters with a reader who is like Star Butterfly.
︴Summary - Reader was in Mewni and just got their wand, but they didn't have a lot of control, so their parents decided to send them to the afterlife to be more responsible.
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Charlie was really surprised when she saw a human in Hell. That made her get really worried about you, like, what the heck were you doing here??
She obviously went to help and took you the hotel, introducing you to everyone in there.
Charlie and you quickly became close, I mean, just look at you two, you were really similar in so many aspects!
She also noticed you had a wand. And at first she thought it was something only for the looks. You're a human, there's no way you have powers.
But you were really excited to show it off so Charlie happily agreed on seeing you use it.
And she was so shocked when she saw you destroy a random building with one of the spells.
Charlie made a lot of questions to you, and then you remembered that you had forgotten to properly introduce yourself, that's when you told her your name.
"I'm a Magical Princess from another dimension!"
The way Charlie's eyes lightened up when she heard you were a Magical princess. She's a Princess you too!!
I don't why, but that probably made her very happy.
Charlie wanted to know more about where you came from and how was your life there. She was also really curious about the heart on your cheeks.
You then explained that Mewni was a really magical place with real magical powers!!
And for the hearts, it was probably because you touched the wand and also for genetics.
You and Charlie spent all day just talking about Mewni and this stuff.
After some time, you remembered that you didn't have a place to sleep, but Charlie said you could stay at the Hotel!!
And you obviously said yes, being excited to meet the others and also to just have a place to be.
Eventually you met Vaggie that somehow you never saw before??
Vaggie was definetly more reserved and less talkative, but you didn't really care.
You didn't leave her alone until someone else showed up.
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One thing that you were a bit scared about was everyone's height. You were around 5-6 foot tall (trying to be less specific with it😭) but everyone else was at least 6 foot.
With the exception of Niffty of course.
But yeah, it was still something to considerate.
Also, lots of people had powers. But not powers like yours, who usually needed spells or wands or whatever.
No, just pure demonic power. Definetly something to be careful with...
Charlie also told you to never, ever, make a deal with any demon. No matter how good it might seem at first.
You still had your dimensional scissors, but you didn't show them to anyone yet.
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flower-boi16 · 2 months
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Using daddy issues as a trope in you're story is not an inherently bad idea. There are many ways to use the trope well and create interesting stories out of it, you could have a character's arc being about healing from their abusive situation and trauma from their abusive parent, you could have a character try making amends with their parent and resolving lasting conflicts with them, you could show how the ways the parent raised the character affected them and how they act, etc.
There are many ways to make this trope interesting, there are many different types of executions and ideas you can do with this trope to create a compelling character or a compelling concept. The problem with how Viv uses this trope is that she always uses the same two executions of it; either A: the dad is a one-dimensional abusive bitch with little depth as a character beyond "eeeeeeeevil" or B: the dad is a big ol dork "trying his best".
Neither execution are good enough to make compelling characters and at a certain point, using the same trope for multiple characters over and over again gets real repetitive real fast. Not to mention that, the ways Viv executes this trope do not work at all because for a lot of the characters removing this aspect of their characters...changes nothing.
The daddy issues feel tacked on because they have no effect on the character; I've said it multiple times but, why give Moxxie daddy issues??? Why??? It adds nothing to his character at all. It's purely forced, artificial depth.
Slapping daddy issues onto a character is not instantly enough to give them depth, you need to organically incorporate those daddy issues into how they truly affect the character, giving them character, ya know, DEPTH. Buuut Viv doesn't know how to do that as we've seen before, so why am I surprised?
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This is going to be ranty and I've touched on this subject before. So if you're a Steve worshipper look away. For the record, I love his character but I cannot stand the constant mischaracterization of him. It turns him into a joke. He's not a mom and the comparison is frankly sexist not to mention shows how much people are willing to overlook with regard to his character. Joyce does triple the amount of work and is an actual mom, so if you want to praise someone for being a mom look to the real one. Instead she gets practically ignored by the fandom. Steve does the bare minimum compared to a lot of people and gets worshipped, and the result of this is that people end up turning him into a 1 dimensional version of himself. He has flaws and it's important to acknowledge them. He's far more interesting and relatable this way. Without doing that he gets turned into a god-like figure who is infallible. But the worst of this is the constant erasure of Jonathan. I keep seeing posts saying that Steve would be such an amazing mentor to Will and how wonderful their relationship will be next season. Be for fucking real. They don't have a relationship and never will and Will doesn't need him. Not to mention the fact that Steve isn't a mentor. He is a peer. And only to Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica who are the only kids who are shown to have any kind of relationship with him. And honestly Dustin is the only one that isn't superficial. It's especially notable in the case of Mike that they never developed a relationship. It shows that not only are Mike and Nancy not that close, but her ex-boyfriend never bonded with him. Mike tends to respond to Steve with the same contempt he has for his father in the brief moments we've seen between the two.
It's Jonathan who is an ally to Will. It's Jonathan Will and Mike trust. It's Jonathan Mike has known since he was 5. And it's Jonathan who has constantly protected them. Neither one of them have a relationship with Steve. All of these characters have been on the show since the beginning. If Steve had a major impact on any of their lives they would have shown it by now. And yes, Steve is no longer the bullying asshole he once was. He has gone through a great character arch that has shown him growing and changing in a realistic way. However, he still has a lot to learn and this was demonstrated through his shitty advice to Robin early in the season. Him dismissing her fears of asking Vickie out was not ok and shows he doesn't fully understand her point of view. Just because he ended up being right at the end doesn't excuse the fact that he told her to just ask Vickie out simply because she paused a movie at a certain time. He could have very easily been wrong and it was valid that she was hesitant.
Steve used to bully people for being gay, and again, it's good that he doesn't do this anymore and has grown. But this is the version of Steve that Will, Mike, and Jonathan know. They know the version of him that called Jonathan the f word and said his brother deserved to die. They know the version of him that said their abusive father was right. Mike and Will are not coming out to Steve.
In fact, people should expect them to be afraid of him and expect Jonathan to immediately be on guard and protective. Because this is the only version of him they know. Steve was known around town for being a bully and he still has this reputation - Eddie says this season he is surprised Steve wasn't an asshole even though Dustin insisted.
Mike and Will are two scared kids who live in a town that behaves the way Steve used to. They expect this kind of reaction. It's Jonathan's calm, empathetic support they need. It isn't the guy who used to be homophobic - and honestly has no patience for the kids - to help them out. Quiet, sensitive Will does not need someone loud and impatient who used to act like his abusive father in his life. And it's not on Mike and Will to absolve Steve of his past crimes.
And I absolutely cannot stand all the headcanons that I see of how Steve is going to start a LGBTQ support group around Hawkins for Robin and Will. It's utterly ridiculous. We absolutely do need Robin bonding with Will (and Mike and Vickie) but there is honestly no excuse for the constant insertion of Steve into this narrative. It is not a place he belongs. As an ally, it's important for him to recognize there are spaces that aren't for him. They do not need his permission or approval to talk to each other.
And bonding with Robin does not automatically come with a close bond with Steve. It isn't required. She is her own separate person who has her own separate experiences that Steve does not always need to be apart of just because they are friends. It's far more impactful to see a moment between Will and Robin (including with Mike and Vickie) without Steve randomly being there saying pointless shit. And they aren't wasting a moving coming out moment with Steve and Mike and Will instead of with people they are actually close to. Inserting him into this narrative changes the focus from the LGBTQ character to Steve. It makes it entirely about him and his response instead of them. In fact it's not outside of the realm of possibility that he just never finds out or it's a very quick moment that happens in passing. But erasing his characters actual role on the show completely misses the point of why he's still in this narrative. The cool guy isn't the focus of this story for once. It's not his story. That doesn't mean he isn't important. It means that for once the straight, white dude who's conventionally attractive is taking a backseat and not only that, but he's not resentful about this. He doesn't act bitter that he isn't the focus. And this is such an important role to see.
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animentality · 6 months
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Gortash being in the House of Hope after he dies wouldn't just be more thematically appropriate for him, since it would show him that at the end of the day, beneath all that bluster, he was still the same scared little boy he used to be.
It would also be narrative genius, because think of the two implications.
(1) He became a Chosen of Bane in an effort to free himself from his contract. He wanted to storm Raphael's house, and steal back his contract. He committed all of these acts of cruelty and violence because he was desperate to save himself, terrified of returning. That's already a far more interesting character than just some tyrant asshole who just wants power because he's greedy. Gortash being selfish enough to doom the entire world just so he would never have to return to the House of Hope?
Brilliant.
He's still a villain, but he's three dimensional here. You feel for him more. Plus, it explains why this bitch doesn't seem to worship Bane that hard, and why he wants to team up with you. Aside from the fact that you two used to make out.
(2) On a less literal level, it would've been absolutely brilliant symbolism? The game is about the corrupting influence of power, and breaking cycles of abuse. We all know Gortash couldn't break his cycle. But how NUTS would it have been, if the game had said, outright...
That Enver wanted nothing more than to escape the House of Hope forever...and he couldn't. Not just literally, as he would've been returned, quite literally, to HoH in the end.
But emotionally. Psychologically. He was a slave to his fear. He was unable to escape the stranglehold it had on him.
He spent his entire childhood being enslaved within its walls, and he spent an entire lifetime being enslaved by the idea of its walls.
So did Enver Gortash ever escape the house?
No. Not literally. Not metaphorically.
That little boy remained rotting in the hells forever.
And that, ladies, gents, my nonbinary countrymen...is sickening.
And so...so very good.
It's just a shame BG3 didn't do that.
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zeynyukine3011 · 27 days
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This page is so fucked up, if you stop and think about it a little. Batman, the hero of Gotham who protects everyone, the hero who comforts children with lollipops, intended to send his own 10 year old son to an abusive place.
In this context, Talia is a horrible mother who can (and did) willingly kill her own son. Damian didn't even meet her until he was eight. He was deprived of a mother's and father's love. Talia was an abusive and evil character, a cartoonish, a two dimensional villain.
In this context, League of Assassins wasn't an organisation that wanted to make world a better place for animals and plants. They gassed Damian's pets because apparently they were a weakness. They were a cult who terrorised everything and everyone with only evil intentions.
And Bruce Wayne, Batman, wanted to send his son, a ten year old child who didn't know anything other than pain, death and suffering, to this abusive cult and to his abusive mother just because he saw a dream of an evil Batman. He didn't even know it was Damian, he just assumed it was. And it took Damian's death to prove him that it actually wasn't him.
Bruce might have not abused Damian with his own hands, but sending him to League of Assassins, even while Damian said that he wanted to stay with his father, begged him to not send him to his mother, even while before this, Damian still had chosen Bruce over Talia, is abusive.
Writer tried to justify it by saying, "Oh, yes, this child will be a very evil adult when he grows up.". But that's also fucked up in it's own. No one should be punished for something they didn't do.
You see a dream in which your child allegedly becomes a villain in the future. So instead of, you know, raising him to be a better person and teaching him to be a hero, you sent him to a villain organisation where he will be a bigger threat by being a worldwide villain, not just a Gotham villain. Great idea, Bruce 😃!
Damian was desperately trying to gain his father's approval, he was desperate for his father's love. He tried, repeatedly, to prove himself to Bruce. And in return Bruce did this. And yes, Damian died because of this. Because he wanted to show his father that he could be good. Thus, this made it his end.
And no one around them said that it wasn't a good idea to send a child to his abusive mother. So they are not blameless too.
So yeah, Grant Morrison didn't only butchered Talia's character, he butchered Bruce's too. Didn't anyone in DC realize how horrible this was?
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Buck & Eddie: 5 unresolved items from season 6
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There were several things in season 6 that were left unresolved including some that happened between Buck and Eddie.  These are items they never discussed and IMO, it’s possible they might resurface in season 7 and present the small amount of angst that’s been mentioned by OS and RG during their recent interviews.
Full Disclosure:  When season 6 ended, I like many other viewers, absolutely LOATHED the way Buck’s and Eddie’s endings were handled since they were both shoehorned into relationships with one-dimensional love interests the same way they had been at the end of season 4.  The constant delays of Buddie going CANON was just 🙄 and at the time, I took a step back because it felt like all the metaphors, callbacks, foreshadowing and hindsight that happened during the first 13 episodes were replaced with a forced narrative.  Characters were retconned too so they could fit into some “metaphorical FOX procedural drama box” and it frustrated me.  After 6x18 aired, I took a couple of weeks to formulate my overall thoughts on the season and I completed 15 Constructive Criticisms posts to move past my frustrations. Additionally, I started writing a massive multi-chapter fanfic to unravel the mess that was season 6 and I must admit, doing so helped because I was able to put some of the messy pieces to that unfinished puzzle of a season together.
Now... back to the regularly scheduled programming…
This post highlights the 5 things IMO that are still in play that didn’t get resolved last season and I’ve included details about them below.  Since season 7 is shortened and only has 10 episodes, it’s possible none of the things listed will be revisited but it’s also possible they will. 
Before I get started, here’s a quick reminder, Buck and Eddie didn’t discuss any of the things listed in CANON.
1. The Donation
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Other than 6x7 when Eddie heard about Buck’s sperm donation for the first time at the firehouse, in 6x9 when they were on the four-way call when he responded to Chimney and said, “I don’t know… it kind of feels weird to congratulate him” and in 6x10 when he replied to Buck and said, “Sounds like your family had your back on the whole donation thing. That’s definitely progress” (notice he NEVER said he had Buck’s back on it and also his facial expressions in 6x9 after Buck’s announcement showed he wasn’t too thrilled about it) Buck and Eddie never discussed it.  Therefore, it is possible there could be some angst coming from it when the Buckley family’s other “deep dark family secret” (related post linked here) is revealed during or after Madney’s wedding.
Furthermore, Maddie’s NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BUCK’S SPERM DONATION in CANON and every time it was mentioned in 6x10, it happened right after she left the room to check on Jee-Yun.  It’s obvious she knows about it since Chimney spoke up and said something to rebut Sang’s comment regarding a man raising another man’s child.  Another point to make about the whole “Meet the Parents” saga in 6x10 is the audience never saw Maddie converse with Sang and based on BTS information for season 7, it appears Sang, Albert nor Albert’s mom will be in attendance at the wedding. 👀
[FTR, I still don’t believe Connor and Kameron’s baby is biologically Buck's and I will stand on this hill, even if I have to stand alone, until there’s a blood test proving he is related to the baby (post linked here).]
2. The Onesie
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At the end of 6x9, Buck was asleep and he left the LAFD onesie he purchased sitting on top of his nightstand and it was right after the “Santa Ana Winds” ended.  However, there are two important things that should be remembered.
First, it has an LAFD logo on it which means it’s important to Buck because as he told Maddie in 2x18, "Being a firefighter is MY LIFE!  It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that was important and that mattered, ok?"
Why is this important? 
It’s important because BUCK IDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS A FIREFIGHTER and after all these years he still hasn’t figured out firefighting is what he does. Eddie knows Buck’s more than a firefighter especially since he knows and loves him to his CORE!  Also, if Buck believed the biological relation wasn't important, then he could have just bought a regular onesie from Target or Wal-Mart, right?  Yes!
Second, in 6x17, Kameron stayed with Buck for several days which means if he wanted to, he could have given it to her as a gift but he didn’t.  Therefore, it’s possible it might come back into play after 7x5 when Connor and Kameron are supposed to show up again (OS mentioned Buck being a sperm donor for his friends won’t resurface until after the first five episodes).  Additionally, after 6A, the narrative could have changed since the onesie wasn’t seen again and that could be due to all the audience backlash that happened after it was over.
Viewers didn’t like the jokes about Buck’s "swimmers" or the lack of his "alone time" and all the other ways the storyline was fumbled. By the start of 6B, the show tried to make the audience believe Buck understood he was the "donor not the dad" 👀. 
If the actual onesie doesn’t make a reappearance, then I believe the ramifications associated with the way Buck identifies himself will and it could be a point of contention between him and Eddie since Eddie was the one who told him in 4x14, “You act like you’re expendable... but you’re wrong”.
3. Buck’s Death
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At the end of 6x18, it appeared as if Buck still hadn’t dealt with the fact that he DIED and it’s possible nobody else has either, especially Eddie, Maddie, Bobby and their found family. Reminder, Maddie and Bobby both said, “Buck, you died!” and when they said it, Buck became frustrated.
However, when Eddie said, “You died Buck!”, he stopped and listened but the way Eddie said it was different for A LOT OF REASONS (post linked here).  After Eddie asked if he was allowed to ask how he was, Buck replied, “Honestly Eddie… I don’t know” but they have yet to have a full CANON conversation about the effects of it the same way they haven’t discussed any of their other shared traumas.
Additionally, during that conversation, they briefly discussed the shooting but they didn't fully talk about it other than Buck asking Eddie what he remembered. It’s another important and shared traumatic event that’s happened between them but like the well, the hostage situation and Eddie's breakdown, they still have yet to discuss it. Buck seemed to be a little upset by the fact that Eddie “said” he didn’t remember anything other than the searing pain he felt in his shoulder (I believe he remembers more than he said he does).
Buck's response was, “Is that it?” as if to say, “You don’t remember me crawling underneath a firetruck, pulling you out, picking you up and putting you inside of the truck? You don't remember me holding a gauze to your wound and asking you to stay with me? You don't remember asking me if I was hurt? Because I WAS!”  Also, it was kind of like Buck’s heart broke because Eddie “said” he doesn’t "really" remember it while Buck can’t forget the way his heart fell out of his chest that day when he saw the love of his life bleeding out in the middle of the street.
Also, Eddie’s still waiting for Buck to talk about the fact that he died. Reminder, Eddie's heart fell out of his chest too and he yelled at the hospital staff and told them to "Do More!" Even though they briefly discussed it while they were in the cemetery in 6x15, BUCK STILL HASN’T DEALT WITH IT YET!  If he would have gone to therapy instead of whatever he was doing with the DeAtH dOuLa, then maybe he would have dealt with it by now.
4. Buck’s Couch
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Full Disclosure:  Like so many viewers, I was pissed at the end of the season when Buck asked N to help him pick out a new couch because it didn’t make any sense and the truth is IT STILL DOESN’T but hindsight is 20/20 and I do believe the couch was still there for a reason.  IMO, it has everything to do with what could happen between Buck and Eddie in season 7.
Please note, these are my observations and interpretations about what I believe the destruction of Buck’s couch represented.
After Margaret bought Buck a new couch at the end of 6x11, beginning in 6x12, the show spent a lot of time showing how uncomfortable it was for Buck whenever he tried to rest on it.  Also, they AVOIDED showing it in a lot of other scenes even though Buck’s previous couch (the black leather one), when he still had it, could always be seen in the frame (post linked here).  However, the orange couch wasn’t fully seen until 6x18 before Kameron gave birth on it.
IMO, her giving birth on the couch Buck's mother purchased represented a lot of things including Buck’s idea of the life he always believed he was supposed to have.  Reminder, he gave his sperm (I don’t think the baby is his but let’s roll with this idea for a moment) to Connor (a former roommate) so him and his wife could have a baby even though Connor and Buck hadn’t seen each other in years.
He met him while they were in Peru and the only reason Buck ended up in L.A. was because Connor suggested he move with him and his friends because they were “kind of like a family”.  Also, he said Buck has a good heart and that was the reason why he wanted him to be their donor but reminder, the reasons why he said he chose him aren’t hereditary.
It appears the way Connor presented himself in 6x4, with a wife and in search of that "missing" piece (a baby) is exactly what Buck’s always wanted and that’s what his couch represented.  Let's be real, Connor manipulated Buck and they aren’t friends because if they were, wouldn’t he have invited Buck to the wedding or kept in contact with him over those three years? It kind of seemed like he wanted to rub his nose in the fact that he finally settled down while Buck was still living the bachelor life (not really because he already has his own family with Eddie and Chris, he just hasn't realized it yet).
The issue with Buck’s couches was he’s wanted his own family for years but the way his life has been presented, it appears he believes no one wants to build a life or a family with him and that's why he gave away a piece of himself. In doing so, he was trying to fix the issues he may have seen in Connor's and Kameron's marriage since it was barely hanging on by a thread.  Reminder, Connor let his pregnant wife leave and he didn’t try to reconcile with her.  Also, Buck never said why he didn’t want to turn them down when he was talking to Hen even though he should have.
I believe the destruction of Buck’s couch with the birth of the baby on it was about more than the couch itself.  It was destroyed and unsalvageable because THE DREAM OR IDEA Buck’s always believed he was supposed to have got destroyed when he gave his sperm away.  Also, the couch was his MOTHER’S idea of the life she wants him to have instead of the life he wants to have for himself, hence the reason why he told her he would get a couch when he was ready but she ignored him and bought him one anyway.
His "destroyed couch" illustrated the image Buck’s had in his mind of the life and the family he thought he was supposed to want for years, (i.e., a wife and a child) is no longer applicable because his family will include a husband, EDDIE and their son, CHRIS.
Reminder, there was a lot of talk about the types of family in 6B and they all related to Buck's idea of a family.  In 6x10, Buck told Bobby and Eddie, “It kind of felt like we were an actual family” but then Eddie replied, “You are an actual family”.  Also, in 6x13 when they went to play poker, Eddie responded to Buck while they were walking through the kitchen and said, “It’s a different kind of family” and later in the same episode, Chimney said to Maddie, Athena and Bobby, “Every family is different” but they were talking about Buck because Maddie said she would be furious with Buck if he did what Rhonda Fitzsimmons did when she used her nephew to gain access to Maddie's and Chimney's home.
5. Eddie’s Couch
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Eddie’s blue couch has always been Buck’s couch too and if it wasn’t going to be Buck's anymore, then something would have happened to it or Eddie would have bought a new one like he did at the end of season 2.  But Eddie didn’t and only Buck’s couch got DESTROYED at the end of season 6👀.
Reminder, in 6x9 Eddie was shown sleeping on it, in 6x12 Buck was shown sleeping on it and Chris was shown sleeping on it in 6x15.
Eddie didn’t get the blue couch until season 3 and the couch he had in season 2 was gray (post linked here).  It’s evident Buck still hasn’t figured out Eddie’s couch is also his even though he does know he’s not a guest there.
Therefore, Eddie’s couch and everything it represents for Buck, i.e., a romantic relationship, family and fatherhood will be in play until Buck realizes it or until Eddie explains it to him.
Will the small amount of angst Buck and Eddie experience in season 7 revolve around these 5 unresolved items or others? Only the showrunner, writers and producers know the answer to that question.
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