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sparkling-pink-lemonade · 10 months

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Ok, gotta give my steak in the whole recent drama regarding AO3 and irl politics. Voicing my thoughts on a post made by the republican organization "Children and Screens".

(discussions of proship/profic vs anti ideology, censorship, media "brainwashing" children, what "fiction does not affect reality on a 1:1 scale" means to me, social analysis/commentary, long post)

There is no "TLDR", so if you struggle with large paragraphs, I highly suggest using a screen reader.

So first things first, if you are unaware of the recent drama about the republican politician, Audrey, running to join the OTW board, and what that means, I'd suggest looking it up for details. Other people said it better than I could. But the idea is that she could potentially make AO3 go down the same rabbit hole as FF.net. And she is the lead of "Children and Screens", an organization that self proclaims advocacy for the safety of children regarding media consumption.

While I don't use the toxic cesspool that is Twitter, I've been made aware of a post CaS has made, featured below. (Alt text for image available)

After reading the snippet, I had to fucking LAUGH at the irony before groaning at the hypocrisy. And by that, I don't mean the hypocrisy of CaS. More so the implications regarding the rampancy of antis and purity culture in social media within these past few years.

Proship is the belief that all fiction has a right to exist and be shared, so long as proper warnings are given. Anything portrayed within a fictional setting has no direct impact on reality, and thus does not portray what is considered okay in real life. Because of that, harassing others for the media they create is never okay. If you don't like something, block it and move on.

Antis believe that fiction they find morally reprehensible is a direct portrayal of the author's beliefs, and is very dangerous to share in any capacity as it may traumatize others, or lead to the normalization of dangerous behavior in real life. Therefor it's not only okay, but encouraged to seek out and harass creators of problematic fiction in hopes to either get them to see the error of their ways, or delete their creations and leave the platform entirely, thus making the internet a "safer" place.

Both are centered on the idea of "does fiction affect reality?"

And as a proshipper, I'm of the stance that fiction does not affect reality on a 1:1 scale. What does that mean?

Well, let's say that the antis are right, and fiction has a major impact on reality. Upon the knowledge that this quote CaS provides up, provides a HUGE sense of irony. Why? Because the post is literally describing the behavior of anti culture. From a very young age (because we all know that most kids have seen a pg 13 movie before they turned 13, especially with how huge the superhero genre is), these people have been brainwashed by media to engage in violent behaviors in the name of morality.

If most of the violence portrayed in pg 13 media is perpetuated by the heroes, and excused away with "it's okay when the heroes do it, because they are morally superior, so their actions are justified." Then because the violence isn't excessively gory and bloody, kids don't have to contemplate whether or not the heroes used excessive force or have gone too far to subdue the villain.

So when antis grow up on these violent pieces of fiction, it has normalized the idea that it is okay for them to attack those "nasty proshippers" because the media they made is morally bad. So by using extreme harassment, violent threats, and other excessive means to bully someone, they are protecting the greater good, while being free from seeing the gruesome consequences of their actions on the other side of the screen.

It's so fucking ironic, because this sense of justice they have is such self centered moral superiority. If you ask an anti what media is considered okay, and what is problematic, while you will get inconsistent answers, for the most part there will be a similar theme. Anything sexual or romantic in nature that could be considered unhealthy or dangerous if acted upon in real life, is harmful and evil. But any acts of violence or aggression that could be considered unhealthy or dangerous if acted upon in real life, well clearly everyone knows that stuff isn't okay IRL, people are nuanced enough to enjoy these themes in fiction without condoning the real world equivalent.

If these people are right about problematic behavior in media influencing young audience members, while claiming that media doesn't encourage violence in its audience members since it doesn't "glorify it", it only proves that they are ignorant to how media has irreversibly "brainwashed" them like they so claim is possible.

But if we acknowledge that fiction doesn't affect reality on a 1:1 scale, then what? If it isn't all the "gross" media that makes and exposes deviants and sexual offenders, if it isn't all the "violent" media that makes people into self righteous harassers, then what is it?

It's the other people in our life. Our role models, our friends. And the chain that forms from it. You're a kid, and you never heard what Call of Duty was. What you do know is that your dear parents you love have greatly expressed that gun violence is bad. Even holding one is horrible because you are now in possession of a weapon that can take a human life, and one accident is all it takes for you to be a murderer. You should never even think about wanting to hold a gun because that is the first step to something going horribly wrong. Your friend at school hasn't had any sort of lecture like that before, they know guns are dangerous obviously, so as long as they aren't actively using a real gun against other people, no harm is being done. So when their favorite youtuber starts showing gameplay of Call of Duty, they end up loving the game, and are excited to tell you about it the next day. When they tell you all about it, you think of what your parents have said, and you are horrified your friend could do something as horrible as like a game that has guns in it. You cut them off, and tell your other friends. Your other friends really admire and respect you, and with no previous thought on the matter, they take your side. They spread it to their friends and siblings, and so on and so forth. Until many who weren't even aware or had any major opinions of their own are now against the idea of first person shooters existing.

Of course the example I used is extreme. No one but pearl clutching parents and their five year olds who repeat what they say are gonna be preaching that first person shooters are turning kids into murderers.

But when it comes to fiction, the more controversial the subject is, the more shock value it has, the more likely that scenario above is. And it's even worse now that the internet is more and more accessible to the entire world, including children who don't have any positive role models in their life. They are consuming large amounts of media, and most of their exposure is from online friends and influencers who spread that media, and how their role models interact with that media. Therefor it's not fiction itself that affects reality, it's how people choose to interact with it.

And reality check... you know who is exposing all this "disgusting" problematic stuff to kids? Is it the people who make it and share it in a positive manner with proper warnings and disclaimers so no one can accidentally see it? Or is it the people who saw the content anyways, and became so disgusted that they feel the need to spread it around so that everyone they know is aware of how awful this person and the fiction they create is?

Fiction only affects reality if people make a big enough deal out of it. With the opinions of a few people being mutilated, morphed, and added upon as it spreads in a grotesque game of internet telephone.

#proship #politics #archive of our own #rant #anti mention #cancel culture #social commentary #ship discourse #anti censorship

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awigglycultist · 2 years

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Hey, Melissa! Read through thoughts bc I'm super behind on the stream but there's no way I was gonna just catch up and start watching were the stream is now, absolutely had to watch this first

"hey nick! Hey nick? Before we get started can I ask a character question?"

Ted pt 2

Omg Jeff-

Fanart my beloved everyone's incredible <3

Charlotte :( hnggg

Also yes Melissa likes cats!

Paul!!

Oh yeah Melissa likes Paul doesn't she

Bill!

Yeah Bill! Call Paul out!

Yeah Paul! Call Bill out!

You see your daughter in her hey?

TED!

Okay Jesus Ted

It's... Kinda.. Sweet? In a way? That Ted doesn't want step on Paul's game and chances with Melissa. I mean considering heoves fucking other Men's wives, and as someone who's obsessed with the fact Ted sees Paul as his best friend, there's something nice about Ted saying this... Even if it's followed by him being a horny bastard and saying he can't keep it up for long

"you're a fucking idiot Paul!"

He doesn't like her bc she's a cat person? I agree with Ted, "come on Matthews!"

Paul's childhood pets were named Spot and Whiskers my god he's so fucking Normal™

"well your lost fuckhead!" "yeah, ya fuckhead"

Ted doesn't see women as something you can, it's a win!!

Oh no Freddy is going to fucking run Ted over isn't he? If he dies this soon istg-

Omg no his office is empty omg noooo

But they didn't actually say he's dead... Maybe... Maybe there's a chance-

Melissa how do you not know Paul despises musicals?

Working Boys?!

"do you like film?" "not particularly" this single handly destroyed everyone's hc that's Paul's has a special interest in movies wtf Langs I'm gonna pretend that he does like film and only said this to get out of going out with Melissa

Beanies delivers?

Emma!!

Paulkins :))

Oh poor Melissa :(

Yeah Melissa stand up for yourself!! I love you!

Oh boy I wonder what he wants to tell his wife...

He'll never be able tell his wife huh?

"don't work to hard" "I don't :)"

Oh no...

I wonder if it's Freddy or is it Melissa?

Yeah!! Melissa! Badass!

Oh god Mr Davidson why would you keep that in your office...

Paul is a good man :) I love him :)

Wow Paul really loved that dog

LANGS STOP KILLING THE DOGS :( FFS

I mean it was when he was 10 so Spot would dead by now anyway ig but COME ON

Okay wow jeez Melissa he didn't mean for the dog to die, he didn't kill the dog it was accident

Teddy Bear? I.. Don't like that...

Holy fuck wtf Melissa omg

But at least Ted's alive!!

She cut off his fingers? Melissa is the human pet guy-

Can I just say Jon's scream in response to the taser was great

The way Melissa is saying absolutely terrifying things while also saying "soft little puppy beans!"

Something about Jon "Catteson" playing Paul pretending to be a cat

Also Melissa has lost her mind like she fully thinks Paul is a cat just bc he meowed

Ignoring the irony she is right about declawing being inhumane

Melissa should know that cats don't listen well

She's leaving RUN PAUL RUN TED

"WHAT THE FUCK TED!? WHAT THE SERIOUS FUCK!?" this line has me dead and Jon's delivery is grest I will be quoting this forever

Honestly yeah piss on her couch, she deserves it

The way Ted's totally accepted that he's stuck here

Joey omfg

Why would she record it??

Emma! Omg yes Emma that's right! Emma please! Go to Melissa's house! Save them!

Okay so Melissa... Is both aware that Paul is her "cat" but also full believes he's a cat?

Yes Bill!

No Bill-!

Melissa I have a feeling your friends are gonna be freaked out by your human pets

"w e n e e d h e l p"

Yeah ofc they don't care

There's a community of ppl in hatchetfield that all have human pets

Ted you fucking horny bastard-

TED THIS IS YOUR CHANCE YOU CAN FUCK OTHER WOMEN LATER WHEN YOU ESCAPE THE TREAT PROBABLY ISN'T GONNA BE SEX ANYWAY YOU DUMBASS

"if you go near that door I will bark at you! I swear to god I will bark at you Paul!" this is another line I'll be quoting a lot

Please the Scooby Doo impression

Ya know... I don't actually think this is considered a treat for dogs...

Goddammit Ted's alive again

"you don't want to get another dog killed do you?" is so. So bad. Like Paul already feels terrible for accidentally getting a dog killed when he was young and now I can't imagine how he feels partially being the reason Ted's dead... And then Melissa saying this, like obviously everything she's done up to this point is worse but like goddamn the psychological hurt

BILL!!!

Bill.... Daddy.. No..

PLZ NO GIRLS DONT NOT BILL NOT BILL PLEASE

PAUL!!!

Bill you dumbass-

NO OFC A CAR WOULD HIT PAUL

A gun?

FREDDY?? I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S THE FUCKING HERO!? Also good job Melissa you forgot to kill him

HE'S APART OF THE FBI???

The Kitty Cat Club?

Okay come on you didn't have to saw paw

13?

Paul let it go she deserves to feel bad for this if nothing else

SHE'S GONE? HOW?

Paul- Paul- PAUL WHAT DID YOU DO

PAUL YES SHE IS A MONSTER SHE KILLED 13 PEOPLE YOU LITERALLY SAW HER KILL TED SHE WAS GOING TO KILL YOU TOO

PAUL WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

"love comes in all forms"

#npmd livestream #hey melissa #hey melissa spoilers

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maybege · 2 years

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I know we're pretty much over the subject of fic interactions now, but I noticed you that while you got many responses from other writers, you didn't actually get many replies from readers (oh the irony) - sorry it's taken me so long to get to this but I thought I might try and give some perspective from a reader's point of view?

Firstly, I'd be really interested to know what your baseline for interactions is? For example, what time period are you looking at, for when you were getting more notes? I wondered if perhaps you were getting more interaction during the lockdown periods when people had more time on their hands, and a desire to reach out from a place of isolation? Nowadays people have less time and many are experiencing poor mental health, which may impact on their ability to interact with fics and writers?

Secondly, conversations like this are what taught me the importance of commenting and reblogging, so please keep having them because people genuinely don't know!

Thirdly, would it help to tell you what I tend to read, because I think I represent a fairly "standard" reader?

One shots over chapter fics (I fear abandoned WIPs)

The shorter it is, the more likely I am to have time to read it so under 3k is good

Reader insert over OC

Canon universe over AU

Smut above all else (yes, I have enough self awareness to be embarrassed by this but to be fair it is reflective of our fandom as a whole)

Would you agree that those are the types of fics you are getting the most interactions from? Or does it not seem to make much difference do you think? And does it influence your decision on what to write? For example if you knew in advance that your awesome idea for an AU or your beloved OC was only going to have a limited appeal out there, would you re-consider writing it? Smutty one-shot reader-inserts are what will get attention but would you want to trade that for the universe you've crafted in your own head? If you had to choose, which do you think you would pick?

I'm not sure I've been very helpful here, but I think what I'm trying to get across is IT'S NOT YOU IT'S US - you are all amazing writers in your own right, but us readers are pretty much trash and we just want to read about our favs fucking us and it's awful and I'm sorry and I know we need to do better. I will try to be better.

Oh one last note - a response to a comment is appreciated by a reader as much as the comment itself is appreciated by the writer! I'm kind of ashamed to admit but there are some writers I've stopped commenting for altogether because I felt I was screaming into the void - taking 30 minutes to craft a long comment with quoted passages and questions about the characterisation only to be ignored is pretty heartbreaking, so please, any acknowledgement that you've seen it is welcomed!

Thank you, anon, for sharing your perspective! It really helps to hear this from a reader and I really appreciate your honesty ♥️

To be honest, I’m quite tired now and don’t have the energy to properly respond but I’d like to post this now just so (1) other writers can see and read this and (2) respond with their perspectives if they’d like to!

let’s talk about fanfic interactions

#may answers #fanfiction

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verobatto · 4 years

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Destiel Chronicles

Vol. LXXX

It was a love story from the very beginning.

Is Not Allowed (Part I)

(12x10a)

Hi my dears! And we arrived to one of our favorite Destiel episodes: 'Lily Sanders has some regrets.'

We have a lot of Destiel to discuss here, more of it you have read for sure already in this fandom, because we are late with the subtext, but I decided to divide this meta in two parts.

Married Couple and the Third Wheel

When the episode starts, we have our little moose and Dean having this peculiar dialogue...

SAM: I don't think we have the kind of mom who's gonna stay home and make us chicken soup for dinner, you know? You talk to Cass yet?

DEAN: No.

Sam jumps from mom, one of Dean's concerns, to Cas. He has to take this chance, and he's asking because we could assume, he was seeing something odd between them going on. (Poor third wheel), he noticed, as the insightful person Sam is, Dean and Cas are not talking to each other. He had noticed the awkward silence...

I want to hug that moose...

SAM: So, what, you're just gonna keep walking past each other in the kitchen, not saying a word?

DEAN: Maybe.

I love Yockey, because he's pointing here through Sam's lines how Dean and Cas behave like two lovers fighting. Is a married couple, and he's the poor kid in the middle. And I love his body language, because he is moving the chair as if it was a game in the park, while looking at his brother like "you are two kids. You are so in love and fight like two love birds." Hope in his eyes, because he's making his brother talk with him about Cas. This is a perfect parallel to season 8, the bunker again, and Dean mad at Cas again, but this time Sam is more used to it. And kind of amused.

SAM: Look, yes, Cass killed Billie, but he saved us. He saved Mom. How long are you gonna stay pissed?

DEAN: I'm not pissed that he cares about us, you know. I'm – I'm grateful. But Billie said there would be “cosmic consequences” if that deal got broken. You have any idea what that means?

SAM: No.

DEAN: Neither do I, but I'm pretty sure it ain't jellybeans and g-strings.

SAM: My point is, Cas thought he was doing the right thing.

CAS: I was doing the right thing.

Sam is always Castiel's attorney, he was that in season 8 saying 'Is Cas!", And he is now trying to make his brother to understand why Cas did it.

Sam is saying what Dean always says about Cas, but is not working this time, because they're already married hahahaa. Sorry. But is true.

And the bickering continues...

CAS: No. This is personal.

DEAN: Meaning what?

CAS: Another angel. An old friend. He called out for help.

DEAN: Oh. Good old reliable angel radio.

May I point here how jealous is Dean? Because every time Cas mentions angels or Heaven, he is there to spread his jealousy all over. Just thinking about Cas coming back to Heaven or to his old Garrison, makes Dean lose it.

CAS: He was begging for help and then he just stopped. I need to know if he's still alive.

SAM: Yeah, all right. Well... we'll come with you.

CAS: Both of you?

There comes the sassy look, I love it, Cas is so done with Dean's attitude, but he is not aware he's acting just like him. I know Sam is saying 'Kiss already!'

DEAN: Sure. Yeah, we could help. Gotta make sure you don't do anything else stupid.

Dean's favorite quote to exasperate his angel... The level of bickering is reaching the top, but there's still even more... Are you praying for Sammy?

The awkward silence in the car makes Sam wanting to die. Is the same sensation an old friend feels when an old couple is fighting, and he knows both of them. Being in the middle of that war is stressing.

We, as spectators, don't know if we should laugh or just feel sorry for Sam.

Is a very uncomfortable situation...

Thank you Yockey for writing this clearly as two men in love fighting, making it blatant to any eye watching.

Because we have the exaggerating reactions, the rolling eyes, the frowns and the sassiest quotes and looks. And the jealousy at his maximum expression. YES, DEAN AND CAS ARE IN LOVE AND THEY'RE FIGHTING.

SAM: All right. Guys, you know what? This – this silent treatment thing, it's silly. It's not gonna work. Whatever we're walking into, we should, you know, probably have an actual plan.

Sam is so done with it, he's just throwing some reason over there.

CAS: (sighs) What do you wanna know?

DEAN: Oh, he speaks.

SAM: Enough. Cass, you said when you heard Benjamin, he – he was screaming.

Okay, Sam is scolding his brother, because he had just asked them to stop, and he keeps acting like a child, so, time to stop him.

CAS: It was, um... Look, Benjamin wouldn't call for help lightly. And he wouldn't put himself in harm's way if he could help it.

DEAN: Wow, this Benjamin seems like he's pretty cool, you know. Like he wouldn't make any half-cocked, knee-jerk choices.

Well, look at this, Dean is far from stop, he is trying to annoy Castiel even more. Trying to throw a little of irony, and Cas will reply with some acid words...

Gif set credit @shirtlesssammy 👇

CAS: Yeah, you know what I like about him? Is that he's sarcastic, but he's thoughtful and appreciative, too.

DEAN: Now what is that supposed to mean?

SAM: Okay, okay, the road, road. Dude, watch the road.

This is one of my fav scenes, because he got so jealous over Castiel's words about Benjamin, that is hilarious, he even turns around to face the angel, ignoring he was the driver, and is SO SO BLATANT, AGAIN, SO CLEAR TO OUR EYES THEY'RE TWO LOVE BIRDS FIGHTING.

What is allowed

Let's jump now into a concept that will be explored this season and the following. Something that every angel has written in his brains: Sacred Oath.

Yockey will show us in this episode the two difference about what is allowed and what is not allowed to angels about their relationships with humans.

Pay attention to Castiel's words here...

CAS: Benjamin is always very careful. Long ago, he found a powerfully devout vessel in Madrid, and her faith, it... she gave him everything – her trust and her body.

This speech Cas makes about Benjamin and her female vessel, is nothing else than a profound bond, when he says 'she gave him everything--her trust her body.' He's talking about which kind of relationship is allowed for an angel to have with a human. Sharing vessel, is an intimate act of trust and submission. But the way Cas is talking about it, the sentiment he put on those words, is talking about something else there. So maybe Benjamin and this woman fell in love, and the only allowed way to share their lives together, was through sharing vessel. @emblue-sparks has a very interesting analysis about how this premise introduced by Yockey could be taken as a theory of Dean and Cas sharing vessels since season 13. You can find their thoughts here. I based my current Destiel endgame spec on this too, and in more clues I found mostly in season 15. You can find that spec here.

DEAN: Wait. So Benjamin's a woman.

CAS: Benjamin is an angel. His vessel is a woman. But it – it's – it's more than that. She's not just his vessel.

SAM: She's... She's his friend.

CAS: Yeah. Benjamin would never put her in unnecessary danger.

And we love Yockey, shows us here the genderless nature of angels, based on the vessels. When he says BENJAMIN IS AN ANGEL, he is saying he is not a woman, not a man, even when his pronoun is He/Him.

There will be another example when Yockey shows us fem vessel! Castiel.

When Cas says 'it's more than that. She's not just his vessel." Is giving us clues, again, about the kind of profound bond Benjamin and the spanish woman shared.

I have to cut the analysis here, and I will let the "not allowed" topics for the next meta.

To Conclude:

I consider Yockey as the Destiel guide writer in Dabb's team. Each episode he wrote, he made a guide with steps our ship will follow in the incoming chapters.

This time he is putting in order a couple of concepts about angels, allowed relationships with humans and forbidden relationships.

This is very important to understand Castiel's POV about his own feelings for Dean.

He wrote an old married couple bickering, and Sam represented all of us, trying to survive to uncomfortable silences and bitterness.

Hope you like this meta, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-deana @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @agusvedder @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @nickelkit @anon-non2 @cea1996

If you want to be added or removed from this list, just let me know.

If you want to read the previous metas from this season, here you have the links:

Vol. LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX

Buenos Aires, September 22th 2020 7:03 PM

#destiel chronicles #destiel #destiel meta #season 12 meta #s12 meta #Vol. LXXX

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