#gonna say opinion again

[mentally-an-almond]

Okay the amount of pure abject RAGE I get when someone says that all animated shows are kid shows. Like, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! JLHFKGXLBXJRAKGXLHXKG

I can understand certain shows, of course, like ones that are actually about 6-10 year olds. Sofia the first, vampirina, jake and the neverland pirates, etc. But when the show itself is about teenagers, you CANNOT convince me it is a “kids show.” No I don’t care about the technical definition of a “kid.” It’s the same sort of thing when people try to say Disneyland is just for kids. I AM A 19 YEAR OLD ADULT AND I STILL ABSOLUTELY LOVE GOING ON THE “KIDDIE RIDES” SUCH AS THE CAROUSEL AND SNOW WHITE THANK YOU.

And the amount of hard topics that are actually discussed in these “kid” shows. Like Elena of Avalor handles death really well. The hollow: life being a simulation (sort of) Gravity falls: is all kinds of dark.

I guess what I’m saying is don’t diss on people for watching “kids shows” and “not maturing” when shows like these can literally be for anyone. Definitely not talking from experience at ALL.

And if nothing else change the terminology to tween and teen shows or rated for a certain age or something. I don’t know. Something needs to change.

This might not make any real sense but I really don’t care. It just irks me.

Okay. Late night rant over.

For now....

#animation #kids shows #animated shows #possibly unpopular opinion #popular opinion #at least in my opinion #probably saying opinion too many times #gonna say opinion again #if only SOME adults could comprehend this opinion #cough cough looking at the oscars cough cough #midnight rants #yes I’m insane #what’s your point #my argument still stands #anyway #mic drop #peace out

[deklo]

my interpretation of adoptive bee :’)

pls don’t repost!

#the entire time i’ve been working on this i’ve Wished i could write because i have so many opinions (not gonna get into it though) #i do however imagine andrew is like 7-8 when bee fosters/adopts him but also idk how to draw children so he kind of looks 2-4 LMAOOO #also idk how old bee is. listen. whatever :) #and is it unlikely he’d accept touch from bee so soon? again idk but in this case 🤷🏻‍♂️ #my art #my aftg art #andrew minyard #bee dobson #betsy dobson #adoptive bee #aftg #aftg au #all for the game #the foxhole court #tfc #andreil IF YOU SQUINT #tfc au #also just saying it was so weird drawing a calm smile on andrew so bare with me

[ghost-bard]

Maybeee maybe ankarna and cassandra will bring the rat grinders back??? Bc as goddesses theyd understand that they were literally under the influence of a corrupted ankarna and/or manipulated by a man trying to make himself into a god??? Maybe?????? I really hope that this wont be a like “oh well they shouldn’t have worked with porter and jace sucks for them” kinda deal bc. We know its more than that? And it would hard core suck narratively if they just permadied for being easily manipulated kids when they could easily be brought back by any number of people or as like a miracle like. Cmon. Also their deaths arent even that satisfying bc we KNOW they arent really equipped for actual combat, idk.

I liked the episode dgmw but i kinda just feel. Bummed out knowing theres a decent chance of them just being misunderstood and manipulated, and never getting to be kids or getting like rehabilitation or whatever.

#d20 fhjy #fhjy spoilers #fhjy #dimension 20 #dimension 20 fhjy #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high #dimension 20 fantasy high #also i feel the need to say this bc I’ve noticed some stuff within the fandom as of late #mainly on twt but again just in case #dont be weird to me just bc im essentially bracing to be disappointed by the finale #like. its a show i can have opinions on it. i like the rat grinders #of course im gonna be disappointed when they inevitably permadie bc fuck nuance or whatever #and if it is such a big issue just block me im not in the mood to engage w ppl shitting on fictional kids #tyyyyy 🙏 #im not even bringing my hater energy lmao #im just tired

[bambistan]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the most chill person in this fandom when it comes to ships and characters. Like I can find reasons as to why each ship would work and wouldn't.

Pandalily? Academic rivals FOR SURE.

Jegulus? HELLO??? Bestfriends brother? Grumpy x Sunshine?

Partyvan? Peter deserves ALL that love.

Marylene? Not friends, not lovers, but something. It's so heartbreakingly cute.

I can even find stuff for ships I don't even ship.

Jeverus? After he saves his life? Hell yeah!

Dramoine? ENEMIES TO LOVERS! REDEMPTION ARCS!

Prongsfoot? Best friends to lover? Sure, man, go for it!

Regulus x Sirius?.......... You... You do you bro???

Snily? That "always" line was cute, I gotta admit.

I genuinely won't judge like if you ship them - if you see them working out; GO. FOR. IT. THEYRE FICTIONAL!! Have your own opinions, it's okay!

AND THE CHARACTERS!!!

Yes, they all have their flaws. Yes, James bullied Severus. Yes, James repeatedly asked Lily even though she'd already turned her down. Yes, he changed!!

Yes, Severus called the love of his life a slur. Yes, he bullied children. Yes he cared for Harry to some extent! Even if it's only as a tribute to Lily, that's better than nothing.

Yes, Dumblewh*re raise Harry for slaughter.... That's it... I have nothing more to add for him.... Bitch.

Yes, Regulus is a death eater. Yes, Regulus was obsessed with the dark lord since childhood. Yes, he stole the horcrux!!

Sorry for the rant but like I'm seeing so much hate for so many characters and ships and I don't understand it. There's as much to love as there is to hate. It wouldn't be fair if they were perfect flawless characters. They're designed to be insufferable and loving and idiotic and a little crazy.

#again sorry #but like cmon guys whats so wrong with them #like of course i have my favourites but im not gonna put down someone elses opinions just because they dont line up with mine #and on the Sirius x Regulus ship i personally havent read one but i have seen a few floating on ao3 and like whatever floats your boat budd #que no-lip white guy smile #🙂 #this was rushed btw so my apologies for any mistakes i just saw a few hate video on lily for “ruing jegulus” #and i realised ive seen tons of hate on so many characters #and it really annoys me #also if youve read all this feel free to comment your opinikns bc i love hearing what other people have to say #i cant be bothered to correct how badly i mispelled opinions lmao #snily #prongsfoot #partyvan #jegulus #pandalily #marylene #dramione #jeverus

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Tumblr is way chiller than Twitter for sure but sometimes I see a post and I'm like. Y'all DO remember this is a block game, right? You're not gonna get legitimately pissy and passive-aggressive over characters doing things in a block game, RIGHT???

#i talk #qsmp talk #Chatter: Jaiden don't do this— twitter will cancel you! #The rest of us in chat: Why should she care about anything Twitter says #People on frickin twitter AND tumblr: *whining about Jaiden* #LIKE BRO YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS LMFAOOOOOO #fandom wank #I'm gonna start unfollowing people #not even just for bad opinions I'm just tired of seeing people being mean and bitter #I'm just here to have fun I don't want to constantly see whining #Critique characters and stuff all you want that's part of the fandom experience but some of y'all are so damn mean for no reason lmao #Touch grass and seek therapy #I know me posting this is part of the ''too many people complaining'' problem but Jaiden's my gal I am a little bit annoyed by that #Again: character critique is fine #but sometimes it's just so passive-aggressive and like. written like the character did a personal attack on YOU #<- the last tag is the most important point here I think

[lily-blue-blue-lily]

also rb and say if you agree with me on any of these!

(i am so sorry if any of your favourite songs are on here, this is just my opinion!)

(i might make another of these polls with my favourite songs so i dont seem too negative lol)

#taylor swift #i am pretty certain on which one will win this poll #because of how beloved it is #all i can say is i am sorry but it was very very overplayed at my old job #and i just associate it with being verbally abused by the rich parents of private school kids whilst i serve them avocado toast #anyways #this is this weeks poll that is like kicking a hornets nest #its just fun making swiftie polls lol #anyways ive been listening to a lot of tswift recently so i have opinions about more of her songs now #i still dont know her whole discography #but of the stuff i do know these are the ones i just cant stand and have to skip #again #i am sorry #also sorry to all my anti-taylor followers #i like her music #but im not gonna become more involved in the fanbase than the occasional poll #do not fear

[lucy-ghoul]

why are you, as an adult in 2024, still hung up on reylo. why are you still mocking the shippers. why do you believe yourself to be superior only because you dislike a stupid ship from a fucking space fairytale. girl (gnc) get a grip

#it's ridiculous. this ship is... stupidly cliché. like if you know fandoms at all #you could easily guess why people would be into it. hello?? have you tried to watch tfa without your hate-on-kyle-ron goggles? #did you watch their scenes together? you don't have to like something to recognize the hints #hell. at the time i didn't really like jonerys but i realized they were going to be a thing when i read agot in 2011 #like folks. it's been nearly TEN LONG YEARS. let it go. LET IT FUCKING GOOOO #and for the lucy/cooper shippers out there who think reylos are (again) delusional when they compare the two ships: #no. *you* are being delusional only because you think reylo is unsexy and uncool (which is your right to think btw. obv) #if you can't see why someone would like both of these pairings for similar reasons... idk what to say honestly #people compared it to hannigram... honestly. again i see why they would appeal to anyone who's into both ships #i really do. but... unpopular opinion (since i'm more of a clannibal fan than i could ever be of reylo): #they are more similar to reylo than will/hannibal. there i said it #i'm not talking about the writing (admittedly the quality of it was questionable). i'm talking about tropes #never mind that imo the ghoul is more akin to vader than kylo but whatever #hannibal is an unapologetic kind of villain. he's not gonna have a redemption arc and that's okay #cooper is an antivillain who used to be a good man and became a disfigured cruel bastard. a parody of himself #lucy is him. him before the bombs dropped before he discovered the person he trusted the most wanted to commit genocide #nice. moral. polite. infused with the Good Old American Values™. he's basically her dark side #all of this is very hannigram/clannibal. i'm not denying it at all #but what'll likely happen is that lucy's actions will have a positive influence on the ghoul and remind him of what it means to be a man #and that's way more reylo-like. sorry. #beauty&thebeast/villain with some hidden good in him+morally righteous heroine/enemies to lovers etc. #i mean. hello??..... having said that. i'm not so much of a reylo shipper anymore and tbh never was. i really liked it at the time #but i was never fond of the st era. my fav characters are vader and leia and revan from the old eu. just saying #*and* it's also not impossible lucy gets darker with the ghoul as her traveling companion. in fact i wouldn't dislike it at all #if done well i mean #but i would still like for people to be intellectually honest and less puerile. god knows i have my notps #but i really don't give a fuck about the shippers. good for them i guess? i have better taste lmao but that's heavily subjective #val rambles in the tags #val speaks #txt

[cosmics-beings]

Minor EarthSpark spoilers! Since I spoiled myself on accident!

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Okay one thing i love is that hashtag had to call out starscream for how he acted to because it began to mirror megatron. No matter how badly megatron treated him it didn't excuse how he mistreated others. Like it's nice to acknowledge what he went through but also call out the fact that the way he treated others isn't okay regardless of his past. You can be sympathetic but not excuse the way he uses that pain as an excuse.

And the good thing about EarthSpark is that he actually understands that and changes. That was good writing. to validate what he went through but also hold him accountable for it and allow him to change and have happiness.

Like he gets development!

But all in all I am so happy his poor treatment isn't comic relief or made into a joke. I'm interested to see where they'll go with it

Also I only watched this episode (and just clips not the whole thing) so idk how the rest go but I had to know the starscream parts before I decided to continue. Will be watching the rest tonight 😀

#EarthSpark #starscream #but oh my gawd i have opinions on the direction that they took with megatron 😭😭😭 #transformers earthspark #i hope they meet again #because if they're going for reformed megatron then that's gonna have to be fully addressed by megatron #but i cannot in good faith say i agree with what they're doing to megatron #they made him a pancake

[sonknuxadow]

im kinda tempted to make a series of polls about sonic games that have widely been considered bad and seeing how many people on here actually dislike them and how many of the people who dislike them have actually played them or just had any amount of exposure to the game that would be enough for them to reasonably be able to form an actual opinion on it . im curious what the results would be..

#but also if i make one for sonic unleashed and somebody says they hate it im gonna be like #You dont like sonic unleashed ......... 🦔🐺? :( #okay well its not that i cant handle hearing people say they dont like unleashed #especially when i would be specifically asking for peoples opinions on it therefore inviting them to say they dont like it #its just that it feels like every time i take the tiniest step into sonic or just general gaming communities on other sites #everyones saying they hate unleashed and/or the werehog at every mention of the game. which is annoying #whatever #ohhh if i did one for sonic 06 or shth i know the notes on those would be annoying as fuck too #maybe i should just avoid the ones that are very near and dear to my heart and the ones that people are especially annoying/wrong about #because i know id just be taking psychic damage over and over again reading the notes

[da-proti-toku-grem]

my mom found this super detailed online test that helps you find careers that you'd probably like according to your answers (ofc we know that it's just a test and it doesn't mean you have to study what they give you, but i just can't find anything that i like and i'm running out of time, so we were like, why not yk) so, i took the test and after 30 minutes of answering questions you know what i got? biotechnology. the same career that i chose last year and the one i dropped out of in january.

idk if i want to laugh or cry tbh

#i mean it gives you more than one option but this was the one with more compatibility #and the other ones are also a big no for me so... #god idk what to do with my life #and atp i can't help but start thinking (again): did i drop out bc i didn't like the career or bc my mental health is SO bad #i think it's a combination of the the two bc yeah i probably would've enjoyed the few months i did at least a bit more if i wasn't depresse #but i REALLY didn't like it #tho then again i don't know what changed bc it WAS what i wanted and then i got there and i went NOPE almost immediately #and like i know your opinions can change and that is good that i dropped out if i realized that's not my thing #but i can't help but wonder if it is really not my thing or is my brain just not letting me enjoy the things i like? #bc every option i've been looking at to start next year is like... No #i can't find anything i think i might enjoy at least a little bit #i found this university that i gives you the possibility of doing the classes and exams online and everything #and that would be to study 'translation and interpretation' with english & french (& spanish ofc) #and since i'm already bilingual in english & i've a certificate in french (not bilingual but is smth) i would be able to skip some subjects #which is good i guess and i like languages but it's also like the opposite of what i've been doing my whole life bc i studied science in hs #and then again idk if i'll like it or not #and i know i won't know if i like it or not until i try it out and everyone is like 'well if it's not your thing then you drop out again' #which i mean is true i Can but god i don't want to go through all this again i need at least a bit of certainity or i'm gonna go insane #also i've been searching for so long w/o findinf anything that my parents are already saying #'well if you don't want to study you'll have to look for a job' #and if the thought of studying a carreer is already scary #if i have to look for a job rn (there are not many options here if you don't have a degree)...... #the thought itself makes me sick :/ #i just don't know what to do and i'm so fucking tired i just want to curl up in bed and not do anything for at least 2 months #(am i having another existential crisis after that panic attack 3 days ago or did the existential crisis not stop since january?) #(probably sooner) #(i guess we'll never know........) #venting #maca speaks

[last-in-line-for-hell]

I know I’m poking the bear with this one but I’m not going to lie, it makes me exceedingly uncomfortable when I see JC portrayed as a “good uncle” to LSZ of all people. The kid whose family was actively murdered by the guy. The kid whose death the guy actively called for even after knowing that A-Yuan was an innocent toddler. I don’t hate JC, and if you do like this fanon relationship then more power to you, but it’s genuinely something that makes me cringe to see.

#mdzs textpost not art #please don’t come for me this is my own opinion lol #but this one of the things I stand by the most #since it’s one of the top things that makes me actively uncomfortable in this fandom #I just think LSZ deserves better than to just #accept one of the biggest reasons for his family’s destruction as an uncle #I know ppl are gonna say “’well the Lans did it too-‘ but lbr it was not the same level #they deserve to be called out too yeah but only one person actively met a toddler before leading a siege on him and his helpless family #again no I don’t hate jc I just hate this fanon relationship and if you attack me for this view I’ll ignore u #may delete this bc Fear of Assholes

[straycalamities]

i havent been active in a typical fandom (besides the onceler/askblog one but its not typical so it doesnt count anyways uh) since like..2016? bc when i tried to dip my toes in the last time i tried, everyone was doing this weird... fanon >>>>>>>>>>>>>> everything and coming up with all these weird rules why you couldnt ship this or that or do this concept or like that and it was AWFUL

it literally put me off of doing fandom at all anymore besides w like friends. anytime i get into anything anymore i just talk to my friends who know it, or want to know it, and that's it

#txt #like..im glad over time ppl have been calling out these weirdos more and more #so maybe ill feel comfy doing a fandom Lite or smth like that again #but as of now? uhh lmao idk #ppl take their headcanons so fkn seriously Especially when like #not to be a bitch #but to be a bitch #they fkn suck dude #ive always been a hater of most mainstream fandom opinions its the grouch in me #sorry thats my ugly side it showed up #sometimes fandoms have good ones not gonna say ive never seen a fandom have some good popular headcanons #but usually those fandoms are very niche too so uh

[thatoneluckybee]

Call me crazy but... I don't see a problem imperfections and signs of aging? I find it beautiful. Sun spots and freckles and discoloration are watching sunrises early in the morning, hiking down nature trails in the summer, sitting in the sun and watching ants crawl. Crows feet and smile lines and forehead wrinkles show smiling at pictures of loved ones passed and laughing with your friends past midnight. Hoarse and weakened voices show shouting when your favorite sports team scores a goal and poorly-sung karaoke and cheering for a friend when they for engaged. Scars from scrapped knees show trees climbed. Damaged hair shows dying it bleach blonde just for the heck of it. Chipped teeth show snacking on popcorn while watching a movie with family. Sagging stomachs show delicious meals enjoyed with loved ones. Aging is loving and being loved, aging is living, aging is the beauty of human life in all its forms.

#I'm aware this isn't necessarily an uncommon opinion and has been said before #But i'm saying it again cause y'all forgetting #Screw anti-aging stuff #You're gonna get wrinkled #It's OKAY #laugh as much as you want #Use straws #You're okay

[quesadillayuri]

anons crazy 4 this one im not sorry. like truly calling it a ZERO out of TEN arc. u must be crazy im not sorry

#listen im a ctommy swords and shields and i dont Love how he's portrayed in a lot of fanon #but the idea that it made the server WORSE. and that it was a 0/10 arc is act crazy . like truly the exile arc was gen really great like i #gen think it was . so well done #also to say that it wasn't worth the discourse surrounding it. #girl its minecraft roleplay. theres gonna be stupid discourse no matter what. like truly #name one arc or even one singular at least mildly popular server that doesn't have stupid asf discourse #like OBVIOUSLY people were dumb about it. that doesnt mean it shouldnt exist. #like the idea of saying that a huge narrative arc shouldnt exist because some audience members couldnt handle it correctly. #like okay sure lets never talk abt anything even remotely nuanced ever again in media. that will fix it. #like ofc some people handled the exile arc poorly. people can't even handle rose quartz #.hellwurld #dsmp #tommyinnit #exile arc #discourse #maybe #idk #im not saying that anon is stupid btw im just saying that im smarter /JOKE. #whatever its the dsmp its fandom its fine that we have differing opinions just know that im right and youre wrong

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

#remind me to never ask my mother for opinions on absolutely anything ever again #i only wanted to see which illustration should go on my portfolio for kidlit art #and her wonderful opinion was to take out an illustration of two dudes EATING TOGETHER because and i quote #"gay relationships are not suitable for children books. it simply isn't their target audience'' #does she need the list of the thousand of books that are literally about gay couples or about gay kids?! #they're not even like overtly gay they are literally eating together!!! (sure it is actually gay cause it's fanart of a bl but whatever lol #it's literally two guys sitting at the same table eating... #how is that not appropriate for children?! #also even if they were gettin married or whatever... how's that inappropiate?! #ALSO also i'm sick of reading in every illustration agency how they're looking for artists and writers and whatever who tackle queer storie #like sure i'm not gonna say gay people don't experience discrimination but it's not the fucking 50s... there are opportunities out there #idk i'm just so fuckin upset right now because she's saying I'M the one that's taking it bad #like the whole ''i'm not homophobic but.... blah blah'' #and it drives me up the fucking walls to have to deal with this when the only thing i wanted was to have a char about which drawing looks #the best for a professional portfolio lol #anyways now out of fucking spite i'm gonna send all the gay ones i have lol #dkfjhkdfg #angel talks #personal #wish me luck on this email btw i need work! #dfkjghdfg

[aemiron-main]

this show makes me insane the gay Mike analysis makes me insane the way that el’s character form the very beginning aligns perfectly with an arc about Mike being gay/having never loved El romantically is INSANE because it would never work with any other character/girl that isn’t El especially not without ruining their friendship in the end.

But long story short (gonna talk about this at length in the analysis) because El is who she is and is the character that she is, raised in a lab but still loving but also knows how to hold her own etc, she’s been raised outside of the typical heteronormative homophobic society, narratively she’s PERFECT for gay Mike in a show where you’re not supposed to hate people for being gay. Because in the end, when El and the audience find out that Mike never loved El romantically because he’s gay (which imo is very much already demonstrated regardless of s5), El isn’t going to hate him for being gay or be upset that he’s gay the way that somebody who was raised in a heteronormative/homophobic society and then had their heart broken by a gay man likely would. El isn’t going to hate him for anything imo but she’s going to be upset with him but NOT not going to be upset with him because he’s gay/never loved her: she’s going to be upset with him because he lied to her and his from her.

I’m sure she was upset about him not loving her at first, esp before she starts to get an inkling that’s he’s gay, as we see with the bedroom fight in s4, but even in that scene, she’s more upset about the fact that he’s lying to her, that he denies that he never says it. She’s upset that he doesn’t say it/write it, sure, but the main upset imo comes from him lying about it. Especially since even in s3, El was upset, sure, that Mike couldn’t come over to make out the day after Hopper threatened Mike. She was upset about that lack of love/affection! But she was more upset about the lying. She broke up with over the lying, not over him not coming to see her/display affection. Especially since when Mike explains why he couldn’t come over, because of hopper’s threats, if El was still solely focused on Mike loving her/that affection, she would have blamed hopper, as she’s done in the past, and let Mike off the hook. But she doesn’t. Because that’s not what she’s upset about- the lying is.

And I think that especially once El realizes that Mike not loving her had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with him and being gay, and that it’s not that he just loves Will more than her as a person, it’s that he could never love her at all, by NO fault of her own, she’s going to be more understanding.

Again I love bi and unlabelled Mike truthers but NARRATIVELY ALONE bc even tho messy situations like that DO happen irl, I feel like explicitly gay Mike works better because that way, El isn’t pitted against Will. It’s not a matter of actual choice between them, or who Mike loves more. It’s about never having loved El at all, by no fault of her own, because he was unable to. Somebody like El, who feels unloveable, getting an ending where Mike reveals that he just loves Will more? Even if he did ever love her? And even if he never loved her but is still bin, that still shows that there’s something about El as a person that Mike does not love. But if Mike is gay, then it’s not about El at all. It’s not about her being unloveable or loved less compared to Will- it’s about Mike and who he is able to love and his lack of attraction to women.

That’s one of the big things for me about gay Mike from a narrative standpoint and why I believe it’s been set up from the beginning ESPECIALLY in regards to his relationship with El and why El is written the way that she is- it immediately recontextualizes Mike and el’s relationship both for the audience and for El. It shows that El, who has felt unloveable, felt like a monster, felt that she can only be loved as a superhero, and never loved for herself, is not unloveable. It’s that Mike is incapable of loving her. She is not incapable of BEING loved, Mike is incapable of loving her.

If Mike was portrayed as attracted to women and genuinely romantically in love with El at one point, then when Byler becomes canon, it’s about a choice of El over will, which again happens irl for sure, and Mike would not be wrong or bad for making that choice, but NARRATIVELY because these are characters who have themes and arcs and allegories, Mike being anything but gay imply that there is something about El as a person that he doesn’t love, that he won’t love, that there is something about El that is unloveable, which feels like a poor way to address the arc of a character who has canonically felt unloved for the majority of her life and feels unloveable.

But once Mike is confirmed to be gay, it’s not about El at all. It’s about Mike. It’s not that she can’t be loved, it’s that HE can’t love her. He is not physically capable of it. And absolutely, Bi people are MORE than capable of not loving certain people, that they can’t love them because they don’t like who they are as a person, or aren’t attracted to them as a person physically and personality wise, but if Mike is gay, he also literally CANT love her but not because of who she is or what she looks like or anything to do with El- it’s because of who MIKE is. Millie even said herself that Mike Can’t love El in the way that she wants him to. It’s not that he won’t or doesn’t want to, it’s that he can’t.

Like I said, I know that messy situations about falling out of love with someone happen irl, and Mike wouldn’t be wrong or bad for that, not at all. (he’d be wrong for lying about it though just like how he’s wrong for lying about not loving El int he context of being gay). But narratively, if Mike is anything but gay, then there is SOMETHING about El as a person, physically or personality wise or both that he does not like. Which again is valid and happens irl- but when it comes to el’s narrative as a character, as someone who’s centered around feeling unloved for who she is as a person, it’s not the best way to handle that narrative imo, especially if we still want Mike and El to be close/friends the end, which I think is what the duffers are going for, esp since like I said, due to her upbringing and unique character, El wouldn’t hate Mike for being gay/be upset with him because of that. But she IS upset about the idea that there’s something about HER that is unloveable (see: the way she tries to change herself and act like someone she’s not at the airport and rink o mania) and she IS upset about Mike lying to her. So if Mike just doesn’t love HER/loves will more, which, if he’s anything but gay, is the case, then it’s hard to resolve things between Mike and El in a positive way because they get hit but a.) El’s upset about Mike not loving her for who she is/feeling unlovable and b.) Mike lying to her. But if Mike is gay, then a.) is removed, and it’s just upset about Mike lying to her, which, him lying to her about being gay, like I said, is something that I think that El could understand without hating him for it, without being homophobic towards him because of her unique character and upbringing.

And I think that’s the big thing about Mike and his inability to say “I love you” to El. It’s not that he won’t say it or that he doesn’t want to, because then why not just frame it around Mike not being ready to grow up and say it? It’s that he can’t, it’s framed that he can’t say it, he physically cannot get the words out during the aisle scene in season 3 or during the bedroom fight scene. He only manages to say it when El is dying- the only reason why he CAN say it then is because he’s not saying it to El when she’s conscious, and because of something I’m going to explain here but also more in depth during the analysis:

If Mike not being able to say I love you = Mike being gay, and, as I’m going to talk in my analysis, Mike throughout s4 likely knows he is gay/is figuring it out for sure throughout s4 but is trying to decide whether to be in or out of the closet. So, the monologue is his ripping off the bandaid, his “I’m not going to come out as gay I’m going to hide this forever, as far as anyone knows I’m not gay” moment. And that’s why he can say “I love you” (in addition to the fact that he doesn’t even know if El can hear it), because in that moment, for the rest of his life, he thinks he is going to be not gay (gay = not able to say ily, not gay = can’t say ily). But just like other parts of the monologue, which are verifiably untrue, it’s not true. Mike is gay and isn’t going to be in the closet for the rest of his life, regardless of what he thinks. His monologue/attempt to make that choice FAILED, it was full of lies. Mike is lying to himself and to El in that scene. He’s not going to stay in the closet forever. He doesn’t love her.

Again, like I said, Mike is framed in a way where it’s about the idea that he CANNOT say he loves her, like PHYSICALLY CANNOT rather than the idea that he’s not ready, or doesn’t want to. Because he does. That’s the thing. Mike, part of him WANTS to love El, wants to be “normal,” wants to love her in the way she deserves and feels guilty for not being able to do so. We see this in his character. Part of him WANTS to love her, part of him he WANTS to say it but he CANT. They’ve framed it not as personal choice, not as him not liking El/hating her, because he DOES care for her as a person, he DOES idolize her even and DOES care about her, genuinely. But he CANT love her romantically. It’s not that he won’t, or doesn’t want to because there’s something he doesn’t like about El as a person- it’s because he CANT, because he’s gay. It’s not about El at all.

He CANT say it until the monologue. And when he does, like I said, it’s tied to lies about himself and about trying to ‘choose not to be gay/come out of the closet’. He CAN say it in that moment because in a weird way, in his mind, he’s “not gay anymore” because he’s choosing to stay in the closet forever (which is NOT how it works you can’t choose it of course but MIKE needs to realize this, realize that being in the closet forever and acting as if he’s not gay doesn’t make him able to love El, doesn’t make him not gay, even if it makes him able to say it, and even then, he can’t say it to be conscious face and again it’s tied to other lies.)

Narratively, if Mike wheeler is explicitly gay, then it’s not a choice- what isn’t a choice? Not loving El is not a choice. The love triangle is not a choice. The ‘choice’ between Will and El isn’t actually a choice. There IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. THATS THE THING THE LOVE TRIANGLE DOES NOT EXIST!! BECAUSE EL IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION FOR MIKE!! WILL AND ELL ARENT PITTED AGAINST EACHOTHER BECAUSE THERE IS NO CHOICE RHERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE!! Just like how being gay isn’t a choice. And even though el’s an “option” in the sense that Mike could choose to stay in the closet, choose to try and act like he loves her, choose to be her boyfriend, it’s called a LOVE TRIANGLE, not a RELATIONSHIP triangle.

It’s about LOVE, it’s about Mike’s feelings, even if Mike and El stayed as boyfriend and girlfriend until they died and in this exact “love triangle” scenario they’re in now where Mike so with El but had feelings for will, there would still BE NO LOVE TRIANGLE because Mike CANNOT LOVE EL. ITS NOT A RELATIONSHIP TRIANGLE ITS NOT ABOUT WHO HES IN A RELATIONSHIP/CHOOSING TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH!! THE RELATIONSHIP TRIANGLE COULD EXIST!!! SURE!! BUT ITS CALLED A LOVE TRIANGLE BECAUSE ITS ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL AND WHO YOU LOVE AND MIKE CANNOT LOVE EL BECAUSE HES GAY!! EVEN THOUGH HE HAS TO CHOOSE WHAT RELATIONSHIP TO BE IN, HES NOT CHOOSING LOVE. RELATIONSHIP DOES NOT EQUAL LOVE!! MIKES CHOICE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS NOT LOVE!! HIS LOVE IS NOT THE CHOICE!! Because if it was, if mike was anything other than gay and his love was a choice between Will and El, choosing betwene his love for both of them, like I said, it’s way more difficult narratively and more importantly, difficulty aside, because ST does not shy away from difficulty, does not align with the narrative as a whole, nor the arcs and underlying themes of each individual character, such as things like El’s arc regarding feeling unloveable.

The love triangle does not exist! There is no choice! I’ve seen people frame it as “the GA needs to realize that Will is a viable love triangle choice for Mike,” but I think that people may want to try looking at it with the lens that it isn’t true that Will is a viable love triangle choice for Mike, the GA are right in that weird regard, although not in the way they think they are. Because the love triangle does not exist because El is not a viable choice for Mike either. Will is not a viable choice for Mike!! Because there’s no choice!! If the love triangle was between Mike and two other men, then Will would be a viable choice. But it’s not. Will is not a viable choice because there’s no choice at all. Even if Mike didn’t love Will as a person in this current in-show love triangle scenario, which he does, there still would be no choice between them because the only option would be Will. So he’s technically not a viable choice in the love triangle because THERE IS NO CHOICE!! He’s a viable choice for mike’s love, sure, in the context of Will versus other men. But not a viable choice in the love triangle because THERE IS NO CHOICE THERE IS NOBODY EXCEPT WILL TO CHOOSE FROM WITHJN THE WILL EL MIKE LOVE TRIANGLE!! Will is not a viable choice and El is also not a viable choice because again, there’s no choice at all because Mike is gay.

Like cmon! The duffers LOVE flipping things on their head, and how would a love triangle be any different? The flip is that IT DOESNT EXIST!! The “choice” that’s inherent to a love triangle is not a choice at all! And I think that’s part of why they showed us the stancy jancy love triangle in s4, to show that Nancy DOES have to make a choice, unlike Mike, who is not making a choice because there is no choice to be made.

Anyway this is a ramble and I’m still refining my thoughts, but I’m gonna address it fully in the analysis.

#stranger things #byler #mike wheeler #gay Mike wheeler #I’m so excited to finish thsi analysis #i know it seems like it’s taking a stupidly long time b it THATS bc #i want it to be perfect and I have SO much to say like this is gonna be my biggest analysis I’m proud of it ok #again bi Mike and unlabelled Mike truthers ily and you’re valid this is just #my (pretty firm) opinion and analysis on the subject just like how you guys are totally entitled to yours!!!!! #our analysis and thoughts can coexist even if we disagree!!!