#if you're a reasonable shipper who doesn't engage in this kind of behavior i'd advise you to have fun in your own lane

[elcorhamletlive]

I'm someone who ships by*er and I don't really agree with some of the things on your blog when it comes to shipping, but I love your take on how the duffers have written themselves into a corner with will. I do think a lot of people who ship by*er just want will to be happy but they've set it up in a way where he has no other love interest than mike so either by*er happens, will gets some random bf/love interest thrown in during s5, will dies, or he ends up being the only single party member. For the last 3 it's gonna be disappointing for queer audiences or people who just like will's character in general, him getting a bf in s5 isn't that bad but it's still going to feel a bit like they just had to give him someone so they made a character last minute. And with will being the "gay kid in love with his best friend" would be something that a lot of queer people have gone through and have seen in media so if they make it unrequited its just gonna be another "gay kid in love with his straight best friend who doesn't like him back" story which I know a lot of queer people are sick of seeing, so its gonna be a bit unsatisfying.+ if byler doesn't happen and mlvn ends up being cannon they're are probably a good amount of mlvn shippers who are going to be celebrating it, bragging about it, and have it be a "in your face" moment to by**rs because of the lasting ship wars which is going to feel like "you get your happily ever after straight romance while we get this unrequited gay story again" to a lot of people. (Sorry if this ask Is a bit long or just repeating a lot of the stuff you already said)

Hey! No worries about the ask being long. I appreciate the civility, even if we disagree on several points.

Like I said, I understand the logic b*l*r truthers are working with. I just don't agree with their base perception: I really don't think mutual b*l*r would be a good narrative choice, at this point; I don't think it was a set up and I don't think it works for Will. I understand why shippers wouldn't agree, but if I think about Will as a fictional character, I think him moving on from Mike and dating someone new would fit thematically with his arc much better than his feelings having been reciprocated all along. Ideally, this would have happened earlier (or at least a new character for this role would have been introduced earlier); but I still think it can be done in season 5, if the writers want to. Lumax happened in the same season Max was introduced and I thought their storyline was lovely.

Either way, even from a representation-focused perspective, I'd have issues with B*l*r becoming canon. I don't like the idea of a character's sexuality (Mike's, in this case) being treated as a "plot twist" deliberately written to catch most of the audience by surprise. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I've seen people act as if it would be the most progressive, revolutionary thing to happen in television, and I just... don't agree. It happening only in the final season would also, indirectly, imply that they held back on actually writing the romance for fear of alienating a homophobic audience - which, I mean, not a great priority to have.

When it comes to Mileven, I think that there is such a difference in perspective that is hard to have a conversation. Again, I really appreciate the civility in your ask, but when you say: "If B*l*r doesn't happen and Mileven ends up being canon", I'm just like... Mileven is canon. It has been canon since the very first season. Some B*l*r shippers have this idea in their minds that both B*l*r and Mileven are on equal levels of possibility, that it's a Jancy/Stancy situation where it could go either way at this point, and I just don't see it, sorry. I've heard B*l*r shippers pestering Mileven shippers for "proof" of their ship, and the people who say this seem to not realize that it's the equivalent of asking for Jopper "proof", or Lumax "proof". These ships don't require proof because they're not theoretical. They're in the text. Those are our main couples; we're going into the final season. It's not going to change (and I say this as someone who doesn't care about any of the aforementioned characters as much as I care about Will, so there is no shipper bias coming from me).

I think your concern about shippers gloating is legitimate, and I see how such gloating could be very hurtful to B*l*r shippers who are emotionally invested in the idea that the only good way to finish Will's story is having him get with Mike, but there are multiple points of view to regard here. There are no innocent sides in a ship war. I have seen Mileven shippers being egreciously homophobic about B*l*r and about Will - this is inexcusable. However, I have also seen B*l*r shippers being misogynistic and ableist towards El; and just behaving in an antagonistic manner in general, towards anyone who disagrees with them. Obviously this isn't every shipper, but, when this kind of behavior exists, it inevitably sets the tone and creates an environment where, yeah, there will be a lot of gloating when B*l*r doesn't become canon. I can't say I don't get it - I had several discussions with B*l*r shippers, prior to vol. 2 coming out, in which I was consistently talked down to, called a homophobe, and told I didn't understand anything about filmmaking or media literacy. When vol. 2 dropped and it turned out I was right and all those people were wrong, yes, I did enjoy some schadenfreude; and I expect to feel the same on season 5. So I can't blame other people for feeling similarly, sorry.

#anti byler #antibyler #if you're a reasonable shipper who doesn't engage in this kind of behavior i'd advise you to have fun in your own lane #and to not build much expectations from canon