#((they just can't imagine NOT supporting the both of them; especially given what they've already gone through together!))

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

Hi 👋

Since you said it's ok to reach out, please don't mind me dumping my thoughts on the cancellation news :

OFMD and it's fandom, even though I'm very much a lurker, is so important to me. The last few years have been really chaotic and not in a good way. My life has turned out very different from what I've imagined and I've had to give up many of the things that brought me joy.

The doses of serotonin I got from OFMD and its fandom, even by just scrolling tumblr a few mins, made all the difference to keep me going. Now I'm sad and a bit fearful that life is going to be that little bit harder, and that I've lost something to look forwards to.

I'm sad for the cast and crew and the fandom too. And depressed thinking about the future of art. I have a hard time imagining a positive future, both on a global and personal level, and I fear corporate bullshit is ruining human creativity and storytelling.

I am grateful though to cast, crew and fandom. We really got something so special with OFMD. I feel a bit guilty for not having the time and energy to contribute much, and I was hoping that if season 3 had happened, I would by then have had more to give.

Thanks for everything you do for the fandom 💕

Hi friend! Ooo I love your icon btw. Yes please! My dms and asks are always open (sometimes I'm a bit late getting back to them because of time differences and crazy work situations but I do try to get back to you within 24 hrs, especially now!)

Can I just say, I really appreciate you sharing this with me and the crew? I know it's really hard to talk about these kinds of things, especially when you're already feeling upset, and I am so honored you felt safe enough to share it.

First, and foremost, I totally get that guilty feeling, like you didn't have time to do enough. But you know what? You did plenty. You were here lurking, and participating in the background. Not all of us have enough spoons to do crazy things every day to support our show, and that is 100% okay. The fact that you kept yourself going is exactly what needed to happen, and I'm so glad you found some solace in the OFMD fandom. The most important thing is you are here with us, and you're getting something good out of this wonderful community.

The situation seems dire right now, I know. It's so hard because it feels like "Well maybe if we just did x more" it would be enough, but the hard truth of it is, it wouldn't. You are right, the corporate greed out there is ruining human creativity and storytelling. However-- I think this is a wonderful opportunity for us to keep fighting the good fight for exactly those things.

Every piece of art... or fic... or cosplay, or drink or any creation really, inspired by the show has the power to fuel creativity in others. We are creative creatures, and I know I, like you, had given up for a long time many of the things that brought me joy. This community, this fandom, this show, is fueled by creativity, and love and joy and inclusivity, and that is a beautiful thing, and that is certainly not gone. Even if we don't get an s3 now or ever-- that spark, that inspiration is still there in all of us. They can't take away the way that show made us feel.

You feelings on worrying life is going to be a bit worse are absolutely valid hon. I spent all yesterday afternoon crying my damn eyes out because I felt like I finally had something I could continue to support and fight for, and that I may have had some semblance of control over and it was taken away. Your grief and fear are so damn valid. I'm also feeling very strongly about "I have a hard time imagining a positive future, both on a global and personal level". I'm lucky to be a part of a community where when I expressed those same concerns people gave me some great ways to help cope and put my energy into. @celluloidbroomcloset passed on this nugget: "So I've got friends who are, like, Activists with a capital A, and from what they've said a good place to direct efforts when you feel helpless is at local levels. Can be politics, homeless advocacy, queer orgs, environmental, etc. or other orgs within your area, etc. Because a lot of change can happen more easily at the local level and you can engage with people more readily in those spaces and make a difference. It breaks down the bigger issues into something more manageable with real, visible outcomes." Please know friend, you're not alone in these fears, we're all feeling them right now, and I'm really happy you felt like you could reach out and talk about them. If you wanna talk more please feel free to DM me. Thank you for all your kind words to the community and the cast & crew too, I know they need it just as much as we do at the moment. You are a super human <3 Take care and get some rest, and when you feel up for it, please come back to us and keep loving the things in this fandom :) We're all still here.

#asks #asks love #rita-toille #ofmd

[chirpsythismorning]

When do you think the strike will be over ? ( sorry if you’ve answered this before )

Well now with SAG in the mix, there is a sliver of hope that the writer's strike could end sooner than if the actors didn't strike. That doesn't mean that it will all end tomorrow, but it does increase the chances of a fair deal being reached for both a lot sooner than what people were expecting for the WGA on their own, especially because their demands overlap with the actors in a lot of areas, ie. residuals, AI.

If the actors can manage to get a deal that they see as fair, specifically their demands that are non-negotiable, maybe there's a chance it could overlap with the non-negotiable demands of the writers.

Quite frankly, public support for the writers strike was already starting to dwindle over the last few weeks. And so if SAG didn't strike, it's very likely hope for a fair deal on behalf of the writers would have depleted amongst the public, leading to impatient consumers wanting their entertainment to roll-out, and resorting to taking their frustration out on the writers. This could have lead to the writers either giving up sooner because of lack of public support, or at best holding out until Oct/Nov, being forced to give in to an abhorrent deal. Because I just can't imagine how hard it would have been to fight for so long, all while not having the support that makes fighting so much more worthwhile. Despite all the hardships that striking entails, the public coming together to show their support in a really impactful way, is why strikes can have a huge impact and lead to real change.

Studios really fucked themselves over within the last like 72 hrs though especially. The way they have chosen to go about this has been so detrimental to how they probably envisioned this would go down (how they probably reassured their shareholders it would go down). This might just be their worst case scenario, that being the actors striking along with the writers (DGA joining would have been their nightmare scenario).

Because these studios have so much money and power, they are capable of essentially colluding and bribing amongst major news outlets (many of them are all owned by like a few people, with ties to the AMPTP??...), which means all major reporting on the strike is coming from a source that is going to prioritize the interest of those who are lining their pockets, not necessarily the unbiased truth. And even when the reporting includes most of the truth in the details, they headline it with the most misleading title, putting the writers in a bad light, knowing full well most of the public will only read that far and leave it at that.

Which is why it's important that I mention this next part within the context of everything going on, which is that it's believed that this report was a plant by the studio executives in a last ditch effort to instill doubt and fear amongst writers striking and actors on the cusp of joining.

Unfortunately for them, it backfired.

Within 24 hrs of the SAG strike being announced, the studios themselves managed to manufacture even more support for the unions, both writers and actors alike, all because of their less than humane approach to this strike. And the craziest part, is that they've let us know this was their plan the whole time.

Back in late April, when asked about the potential writer's strike, Ted Sarandos revealed that Netflix could hold up for the next 6 months comfortably, and boasted that they would also fair well among their competitors in the case it did happen. Combine that with that Deadline article and it pretty much checks out. This makes their recent attempts to backtrack and deny that report (a report they themselves likely planted at the last minute to scare both unions) even more pathetic given Sarandos already low-key admitted this was his plan before the strike even began.

Sarandos mentioning the 2008 strike and acting all concerned about how it affected the economy after, putting blame on the writers for fighting to be paid fairly, was his backhanded attempt at compassion, and of course followed by a No worries tho! We're the best amongst our competition!! Like I get that this was a quarterly earnings call, but Jesus Christ, Ted.! You're basically admitting that you are the enemy amongst all of the enemies in this situation...??

Don't get me wrong, I do believe all of the studios have a role in this. But there is also a reason why a lot of people in Hollywood refer to this strike as The Netflix Strike. And it's because Netflix has played the biggest role in changing how we as a society consume media. We are in large part here in this situation amongst all these streaming competitors, because of Netflix.

Everyone. Disney, Warner Bros, the entire film industry, has been flipped upside down, forced to play ball with a company that BENEFITED from the 2008 strike. And yet Ted has the nerve to act like Netflix CARES about how people were impacted by the 2008 strike, when it was literally the backbone of their success?...

No, this doesn't mean Netflix holds all the cards, as they are still amongst companies that have been here LONG before they have. Still, they no doubt hold a lot of the cards because of their role in all of this. Everyone else is following their lead, hoping to outperform Netflix and every other competitor.

The reason Netflix doesn't want to reveal their numbers, is because if the numbers are astronomical or even just decent, that means they are going to have to compensate ALL of the workers within that production fairly, based on similar factors that were considered for broadcast television.

The problem with this, is that Netflix's prefers to invest in new shows consistently, only with the intention of renewing the content that makes the most obscene amounts of money, while dropping everything else, even stuff that probably would have been considered as performing average or even above average by broadcast television standards.

This means that, instead of making an obscene amount of money greedily as a result of underpaying their workforce because of lack of transparency about their numbers, they'll have to make a less obscene amount and simply pay their workforce for what they are actually worth.

I understand there are complicated factors, like rewatch hours and the fact that every single home has control over what they’re watching, at all times. So yes, they should sit down and make a deal that considers the complexities of how broadcast is different in some ways than streaming. But, just the simple fact that they are acting as if it's impossible or this huge inconvenience to do the math and figure it out, is how you know it’s more likely the opposite. Nielsen managed to measure audience viewership in the 1950’s, and yet you expect me to believe that it's suddenly impossible to know those same numbers with streaming, all the while they are prepared to make deals with AI taking over? Be fucking serious.

It's just so obvious that they know their workforce is by and large worth a lot more than they are even asking for in this strike. And so, if they have to lay it all out there, they risk losing a loophole they created that allows them to make obscene amounts money inhumanely and unscathed. It's no wonder they view this as a deal breaker for them, because bye bye maximizing profits and hello having to accept that you can’t see exponential growth forever.

That's probably the main thing that I think they are struggling with, is revealing their numbers.

Other streamers that are more new to this game are probably scared about revealing their numbers because it will be revealed that they aren't doing nearly as good as they've bluffed to stress their competitors, which could also turn subscribers away AND still mean paying their workforce fairly. I think that's a big part of why they're pulling series off of platforms like Paramount+ and Disney+, because overall watch time beyond those first few weeks, will reveal that they should be paying their workforce more than they currently are.

Basically, it's a mess.

Both sides, the writers and actors vs. the studios, have certain points that are non-negotiable for them, but that are so far apart, which is what makes it difficult for either side to budge.

Basically, the endgame the studios hoped for was to either have the writers settle with their offer at any point, or somewhere down the line, like October at the latest. It's also speculated that they were planning on relying on SAG not striking, because that meant they could get away with filming out of the country on at least a decent amount of productions. The WGA doesn't have much say internationally, whereas SAG does in a lot of places. So it's starting to look pretty bleak for the studios who were depending on certain loopholes to keep filming going despite the writers strike.

This means Hollywood being almost entirely shut down, as opposed to only like 60% shut down. A double strike with closer to like 90% of productions shut down is a big deal for the studios short term, let alone long term. Arguably, it is something that might very well force them to make a fair deal sooner than later.

If you want my deluded optimistic opinion, we could be looking at some progress by the end of the month, but with us not seeing a deal officially until August/September. If you want my realistic opinion, we could be looking at unexpected bumps along the way that are impossible to anticipate, which means a deal coming closer to October, assuming the studios want to stick to their original plan and then have no choice but to give in since a double strike at that point couldn't go much further without being detrimental to them and then satisfying their shareholders. Worst case scenario, we could be looking at the year coming to a close with no fair deal in sight and with Hollywood self-destructing, with no productions making a return indefinitely and the world seeing a whole new system of entertainment break through on the other side of all of this.

All we can do is show support to unions as much as we can. Whether it be the writers, actors or even UPS who is anticipated to strike August 1st, the public coming together is essential to us getting through this and them coming out better off because of it, which is what strikes are all about. All of this wasn't worth it if they don't get anything out of it in the end, which means sticking it out for as long as they can until the studios get their heads out of their asses, if that's what it takes.

I have been keeping updated over the last few days on tags like #wga strike and #sag strike, where a lot of other users have made valuable information super accessible for fans who want to donate or just find out more about the strike and any ways they can help show support. Be sure to follow those tags as there are a lot of great posts that detail other aspects of this that are so important to understand the overall picture. Also keep up on other social media going forward, from people striking themselves because stuff is going to get pretty crazy in terms of reporting on the strike(s). So be prepared for that!

I know that a lot of us are excited about the final season and things are looking bleak right now, but it’s important that we don’t take our frustration out on the writers and actors and others striking for the absolute bare minimum, because right now they’re not even getting that. They are fighting for things that could have the capacity to impact everyday people in all walks of life outside of the entertainment industry.

So if you’re a fan who gets a lot joy out of ST or basically any of the productions impacted by the studios inability to agree to a fair deal, and that joy inspires you to want to fight for something, you’re in a great position to prove to them that their consumers, who they depend on to hold their positions, are not going to side with them on this.

They have the ability to end this right now and yet they refuse to.

Until they do, give em’ hell.

#byler #stranger things #st writers #writers strike #actors strike

[adelle-ein]

regarding your latest post, at first i had rted one or two jackson hinkle posts since the sheer numbers on his posts seemed to encourage the idea that there would be more reach of the videos he was bringing attention to, but his account felt odd to me and once i snooped a little and realized he's a white supremacist it became clear that the fact that he was getting so many numbers compared to the sources the videos he posted were originally from is precisely what was so insidious about it all. and that's, like you said, true of quite a few white supremacist accounts that are trying to capitalize on this situation. it's so despairingly evil. i'm really sorry you're having to see so many people rt from those kind of sources, i can't imagine how frustrating it is, and i really hope more people bring attention to it. i did see a post going around on twt about jackson hinkle being a white supremacist but i'm not sure if there have been any made about some of the other figures. are there any names you would particularly recommend watching out for?

Yeah, Hinkle is a huge one that I've seen going around. In my case, I have a lot of big name nazis already blocked, so it's hard for me to know for sure if people I follow are rt'ing directly from them. I hope not, but there's no way for me to be sure, and frankly they've demonstrated such bad judgement I wouldn't be surprised. I will say that off the top of my head Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate have joined the "pro-palestine" cause (obviously not genuinely), and both are dangerous nazi lunatics. I would also STRONGLY discourage interacting with Hasanabi, who is ostensibly a "leftist" youtuber but has joined many far-right and bigoted causes in the past, including helping kick off the mass harassment of Amber Heard last year. If you want to support the charities he's done streams for, donate to them directly, don't go through him or give him publicity.

The ones I'm mostly seeing people retweet aren't big names, they fall into one of two categories:

a) "Meme accounts" made specifically to spread nazi rhetoric, generally with blue checks. Honestly, treat a blue check as a red flag, ESPECIALLY if it's not under a real name. Check the bios and timelines. Like I said, greek statue avatars are a favorite of these and are massive red flags. Emphasis on "manly" or "male" strength is really common. Also look out for "conspiracy" themed language, ie "what THEY don't want you to know" "the REAL news" "the REAL truth" "[x] supremacy" "jewish supremacy" "deep state/elites" etc. They use memes a lot, which like…don't retweet memes and jokes about people dying just in general, maybe (that's another complaint i have about the way people are behaving), but also know it's a red flag. If the bio isn't enough then scan their timeline and see what else they've posted, especially before October 7th. You'll almost certainly find out and out antisemitism and transphobia. Also bear in mind that gold checks just mean paying Musk more money, they're not necessarily "legacy" or legitimate sources or anything like that.

b) This one is sadder, but younger teens who recently discovered politics and have just completely been indoctrinated and are lashing out at all Jewish people as a result. Go to their timeline and see them talking about how antisemitism isn't real, how the Hamas attacks were completely fake, how the entire conflict was manufactured to make "them" money, and Holocaust denial (and generally interacting a lot with the above listed nazi accounts.) They often support Russia and similar politically too because they're angry at America. There's a lot of them on here as well. It's sad but it's dangerous and they shouldn't be given platforms. This one is easier to not notice, though, since they aren't necessarily hardcore white supremacists, just kids who got roped in and aren't necessarily going to be blowing as many dogwhistles in their display names, icons, etc.

in general just be careful, be mindful, and seriously keep an eye out for blue checks -- a LOT of these accounts have them.

#ask #roobylavender

[vonbergerpants]

Thinking about the Three Houses recruitment system and...

So I was thinking about Three Houses' and Hopes' recruiting system and I always lamented what a missed opportunity it was for Hopes not to have Linhardt and Caspar have the same recruiting requirement as Ignatz and Raphael (as in, you bring Linhardt to recruit Caspar). If they had given you that option, I wouldn't dislike Hopes as much as I do now because making Caspar unrecruitable (ESPECIALLY IN AZURE GLEAM. WHAT THE FUCK) ruined the entire game for me.

And so it also had me thinking about Three Houses again and the Fort Merceus chapter. It made me remember that FE3H is like (and correct me if I'm wrong) the only game that makes recruiting only possible through your main character.

Past FEs, and even Hopes has you requiring other characters to recruit (if not through the main lord). And while the recruiting system pre-timeskip is cool (the class aspect is fun!), I feel like recruiting post-timeskip could have been much better developed. Because it feels a bit off to me that Byleth is required for all of them, and only for three students total (Lorenz, Ashe, Lysithea).

In the case of Caspar and Linhardt, they're childhood friends. What reason is there to not have them have an interesting recruitment requirement?

So, consider the following:

You can't recruit either one if they're both unrecruited. That stays the same - let them stick to what they chose together.

You can recruit one if the other was already recruited pre-timeskip. As in, if you recruited either Caspar or Linhardt pre-timeskip, you can spare and recruit the other post-timeskip by bringing them with you.

SPECIFICALLY: You can only recruit Caspar if you talk to him with Linhardt, or vice versa. No using Byleth to do it. (in this case specifically)

If you still want their battle dialogue, have the condition be that they need to be at least at C support. A support is locked behind the timeskip, but C/B support is not, so make that the post-timeskip recruitment requirement. If you have them at no supports, you don't get the option to talk, only attack because they've stuck to their convictions and refuse to budge. Hence, their first fight.

Also worth noting that the Fort Merceus chapter is the cut-off point for them to have any supports together, so that requirement would match up.

I know students can't hang out with other students in other houses unless recruited but this is where I would say "what if they could though" because who says students in different houses can't eat together?

I just think there was a lot of missed opportunity for Three Houses to have actually interesting recruiting mechanics post-timeskip. Imagine if you could use friendships forged pre-timeskip to be able to save students post-timeskip, instead of depending on Byleth for the whole recruitment system.

It'd be pretty neat, I think.

#i know there are issues to this being post-timeskip #such as stats and customizing characters that come in so late into the game #but that aside it'd make for a fun narrative i feel #this is also how i cope with what could have been #kass rambles #fe3h #casphardt #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #caspar von bergliez #linhardt von hevring

[theheadlessgroom]

https://beatingheart-bride.tumblr.com/post/633555200132726784/theheadlessgroom-beatingheart-bride

@beatingheart-bride

“You know,” Wilhelm smiled warmly, rubbing his chin as she said this. “I felt the exact same way about Junie, when I met her. She was one of the first people to...really hear me out, and be understanding about it. I had a rough time making friends when I first came here, sadly, but...I knew that I could count on Junie-I felt like I could be completely open around her, even more than I already am!”

He laughed good-naturedly at his own friendly nature, before continuing, “She didn’t have to, but out of the goodness of her heart, she gave me a place to stay, after I was told to leave the hotel I was staying in when I first arrived. She’s my rock, really, she keeps me grounded through thick and thin, and...I don’t know what my life here in the States would’ve been like had I not met her. I don’t want to know, actually, because I wouldn’t trade anything for the life I have with her. I think, like you and Randall...I’d have been pretty lonely myself.”

Taking another sip of his milk, he then looked back to Emily, saying, “I’m very glad you met my boy. Not only have you made him the happiest lad in New Orleans, but...he’s also made you the happiest lass, too, if I’m not mistaken.”

#((they really are! family comes first in the pace household; it's a hugely important cornerstone in their lives)) #((and that importance is highlighted by the idea of being supportive of one another!)) #((and that's an especially important lesson here-wilhelm and june received little to no support when it came to their relationship)) #((from their neighbors-and now their son is facing something very similar; they KNOW emily's parents would NOT approve)) #((of her being with randall-so it's up to june and wilhelm to step up to the plate and offer the support they need!)) #((they just can't imagine NOT supporting the both of them; especially given what they've already gone through together!)) #outofhatboxes #beatingheart-bride #V:New Orleansian Holiday

[eisforeidolon]

'stiel shippers are already making up conspiracy theories about how 15x19 ending is actually a fake, homophobic ending meant to fool people and 15x20 will have the true ending where Cass comes back and their ship becomes unequivocally, mutually canon and it's endgame. They've gone full TJLC with the fix-it episode theory and I can't say that I'm surprised at all.

Yeah, negative levels of surprise there. 

When Misha was posting all those travel pictures from around the US while J2 were quarantining, it was all a ruse!  TPTB made him post old pictures to hide where he was and his generic motel rooms could be in Vancouver!  He lives in Washington, so that’s probably close enough he doesn’t have to quarantine anyway!  They can’t leave the guy who saVeD tEH ShOw out of the last two episodes!!  Doesn’t matter that they let the actors spoil Mark P. and Jake A. and Jim B.’s returns, nah, they had to try and keep whether Misha was there or not a surprise!

Now this.  They managed to recognize when an episode was pandering to bibros with 15x19.  Which honestly was a bit of an accomplishment for them, given the hilarious exercise in palpable denial their “meta” about Red Meat is.  It certainly isn’t even all of them that managed it, given the usual blinkered nonsense floating around declaring Dean being drunk is desolation about Castiel (not, you know, hopelessness their whole world is still gonna end and everybody is gone but him, Sam, and Jack - just like their Mary who? nonsense in season 13).  Not to mention the insisting to each other Dean was totally willing to kill Sam to get Cas back, lalalalaing right through how the brothers were offering to kill each other and both be gone for the revival of, again, everybody else.  I digress ... and go on for a bit after this, so have a cut:

The point is, they recognize that having the Winchesters drive off into the sunset together is pandering to bibros, but they refuse to accept that whole scene destroying Castiel’s character was just pandering to them.  Despite how out of nowhere with zero previous buildup to support it being twue lurve it was.  Despite how this was supposedly planned for a year, yet the characters have been more at odds than ever.  Despite how one-sided it was.  Despite how, no matter how much they keep insisting to people in the comments under official CW posts that there is NO WAY to see it as anything but romantic, non-shippers and more casual fans keep daring to say they see it as familial (the NERVE!).  Despite how, while you could fairly say it’s become The Jack Show in recent years, it has never been the Dean & Cas show outside of shippers’ fevered imaginations.  So while pandering to them any harder than was already done is gonna get some WTF from the general audience?  Pandering to bibros just means making Sam & Dean’s show about ... Sam & Dean.  Which nobody in the general audience is gonna bat an eye at.

Doesn’t matter that the network president still talks about doing a revival with, specifically, J2.  Doesn’t matter most of the legitimate press over the series ending focuses particularly on J2 and Sam & Dean’s ending.  Doesn’t matter that the ones the actual co-showrunners consulted about tweaking the finale scripts post-COVID are, repeat it with me, J2.  Jared is totally a cheerleader for their ship, we know this because reasons!  Jensen must have changed his mind since last time he said his character was straight, because nobody’s asked him in the last five minutes and that’s the “right” answer they want him to say!  Misha said Jensen was totally into it and Misha *cough* never lies!

As I’ve said before, I put nothing 100% past Dabb.  I would not be even a little surprised if we get at least somebody mentioning somewhere next episode that Castiel got resurrected off-screen again.  Or if there’s some implication the brothers see him again in a way shippers could pretend totally had to involve hooking up with Dean. However, while we know Misha will bend whichever way the minion $$$ wind blows, and Dabb comes off as desperate for ass-pats on twitter from the hellers & minions blowing smoke up his ass?  He has played both sides for years in ways the general audience can dismiss (again, hard to do that and make reciprocated twue lurve “cannon”).  Dabb is also a co-showrunner with Singer who isn’t all over fandom and seemed kind bemused by it and previously said the ship was never discussed as a thing in the writer’s room while the ‘hellers were insisting their secret storyline was totes in there, guise. 

Likewise, I would be very surprised if after years of being harassed by a handful of disrespectful asshole “fans” to do so, Jensen agreed to just give in and change the character he’s been very invested in playing for fifteen years to please those jerks.  For something that suddenly and arbitrarily changes the character’s sexuality away from how he has explicitly said he has been playing it for fifteen years for a 40+ year old character in the very last episode.  For something Misha has implied he and Berens went behind his back to do in terms of Castiel’s end - that any idiot with two brain cells to rub together could figure out would lead to more harassment directed his way especially if he dared object (and would be objecting to another actor’s choices for their own character). For something that undermines what he has said repeatedly that he sees as the fundamental basis of the show.

None of that matters, though!  They’ve convinced themselves that they’re the only real audience and only they know the true story - the rest of us are just some sad definitely tiny group of pathetic hangers on that don’t understand the show has Changed Now and is really about the grEatEST LurVe stORy nEVeR tolD!  It’s what their whole echo chamber the whole audience wants ... because they say so!  

#destiew #destihellers #anti misha #long post #Anonymous #askboxery

[buddha-in-disguise]

Will this ever end?

Well I woke up to a shitstorm on Twitter and the Supergirl fandom, with David Harewood.

I can't say exactly what was said to cause David to post what he did as I haven't seen posts he might have done - but his subsequent reactions have unfortunately merely seemed to have exacerbated the issue and inflamed it.

My thoughts though before I go further into this. Also remember these are my own thoughts, I don't expect everyone to agree with me. However I hope I can make some kind of sense with what I'm trying to write down here.

Supergirl this season has one character I'm finding hard to relate to. This has absolutely nothing to do with potential storylines and relationship possibilty, but everything to do with what they have tried to do with William Dey as a whole.

I get the reason he came along in regards Russell and so the Andrea connection. That story made some sense.

What hasn't made sense - William being used as a journalist, when Nia is right there! Nia has barely had any screen time, and virtually none as a journalist; you know - her actual job. I'm not sure what the minutes on screen ratio has been this season between the two, but it has felt completely slanted towards William as a viewer.

First instead of Kara and Nia investigating Leviathan after William was 'exposed' in the earlier episodes, now Nia is sidelined again, because they want Kara to team up with William to investigate Lex.

Why? Why do they need that journalistic pairing, when Nia - who as a Superhero, is better placed if danger from Lex occurs. But no, they're making it about Kara having to work with William because Lex threatened to kill him.

They have a Superhero who is also a journalist right there!

Right. There.

Personally this simply makes no sense to me. Plus if I am being honest, William as a character is bringing nothing to the table for me. He feels more like a token male character because James has left.

That brings me to Dansen. While we had some scenes before Crisis, considering at SDCC we were being told how Dansen would strengthen after those events, again we have seen seconds worth of screen time of Kelly, let alone the lack of Dansen.

We accept it isn't the Dansen show and this isn't about that, but again it feels as if it is being pushed way into the background & Kelly is being underutilised. She works for Obsidian North, yet was nowhere to be seen at the launch of the new tech. Sure, it isn't her area of expertise within the company, but you would expect senior employees to have been at such an important launch.

Plus, she is ex-military, but again nothing has been utilised about that part of her character.

The problems with both these issues is these characters are LGBTQ rep on the show. Representation that is already severely underrepresented on TV. Even allowing for the LGBTQ rep on SG (which is above average), it is still well below the ratio percentages that GLAAD show as being the main demographic of viewers.

So LGBTQ fans also look at non-canon representation as well. They have to, because LGBTQ on screen numbers simply don't reflect what the viewer numbers are. I made a post about it to try & highlight this, which I will link to.

But needless to say, LGBTQ fans also generally have difficulties that a lot of people don't have to face.

This brings me back to David and his lack of understanding that many fans were (looking through the comments), trying to explain to him. That criticism wasn't aimed at him per se (at least that I saw), or his directing or acting of that episode. If criticism was aimed at him, that was and is wrong.

The main criticism I saw was being aimed about elements that the writers and producers had done (Winn's wife being another aspect that was problematic). It was unfortunate that it has coincided with David's directorial episode.

Look, David can direct an episode wonderfully, it can have some great aspects to it, but it can also be highly problematic to some fans, & receive valid criticism for it.

For example, the latest episode of Batwoman. The Alice/Beth story was great. The acting superb. What I found worrying was the way they made Sophie feel guilty for legitimate reasons why she had led a closeted lifestyle. That lifestyle is valid, for Sophie and many LGBTQ people, and for good reason, including keeping some people safe from harm. I felt it was a clumsy attempt for Alice to get into Sophie's mind; it could've been tackled other ways, so it felt wrong they used her sexuality as a way to achieve that. Being closeted for many literally keeps them alive. So that was one hell of a poor choice in my opinion. So, great episode, valid criticism.

I personally find it sad that David hasn't seemed to understand this. Especially considering he only recently tweeted about the lack of diversity on TV for black actors. His argument there applies to what the LGBTQ audience have been trying to explain so many times, both with Supergirl and beyond that.

Except for LGBTQ it goes further, as not only are there LGBTQ, there is further intersectionality that runs through us as a group.

So for example, Kelly is LGBTQ, but Black. She is also a woman. All areas that struggle in their own sphere and marginalised in their own right. Added together, and it makes her representation even more important.

Nia Nal is Transgender. And a woman. Also two areas of intersectionality. If we don't listen to all marginalised people, especially when that intersectionality comes into play, we fail.

David is Black.

But also heterosexual, and male, and honestly, seeing his reaction I felt the heterosexual male with no understanding what the LGBTQ audience was trying to explain come through far more than I imagined I would.

Now of course, it could be David had no intention of coming across in that way. Yet the way he liked certain posts also felt as a complete dismissal of the LGBTQ community as a whole. It felt like the reactions from SDCC 2017 all over again.

Without a doubt some fans were taking it too far. I get that. I don't know how often I have written about fandoms and the way some can behave. However, if David is putting everyone in a fandom as all being problematic (as his liking of Tweets seem to suggest), then that is a very poor take indeed by him, and one I hope he considers.

By taking those steps, he has angered some fans more than was necessary in my view. Like Staz the other day, I know we are all human and sometimes react emotionally. Unlike Staz, who tried to clarify his words and apologised for any upset he might've caused, David seems to have gone the other way and doubled down against fans, blocking even respectful tweets to him that were trying to explain a point of view.

Now before anyone thinks I am hating on David, I'm not. I have supported much of his work.

I am though disappointed that for someone who is marginalised himself, has had mental health struggles, he has seemingly failed to understand that LGBTQ are just as marginalised (if not more so) than he is, & that because of the issues LGBTQ people face, mental health problems are extremely high versus the general population. That some of his wording and liking of tweets have felt like a complete slap in the face for many, who have legitimate concerns about Supergirl at the moment.

As I say, I get some fans take it too far, in all areas of the Supergirl fandom. Outright hate towards anyone is absolutely unacceptable. I also understand that we all react at times that is instinctual because we feel hurt, and that reaction is not as good as it could be.

I just hope that rather than it implode more on us, that everyone takes a step back to try and calm down.

As for the issues of queerbaiting that has risen as a result of the teaser for the next episode of SG. Supergirl in earlier episodes of the season, used parallels to show Lena and Kara alongside canon relationships on the show. To then have other people call fans delusional for seeing those scenes as romantically formulated is not okay! It really isn't. That's hateful, because like it or not, those elements are there.

When I have people who don't watch the show asking if Lena and Kara are together because of clips they might see (straight people at that), that isn't delusional.

But, that isn't an issue the cast should address or make judgement on, or fans to insist they do.

It should though be something asked of the producers and showrunners, because if they have no plans to go through with it - it has been outright queerbaiting this season. Up until this year, they've not done things with notable intent to parallel other relationships. This season they have. The shift felt deliberate.

I know ultimately that this show is about Supergirl, but it is also about those around her as family & friends. I understand there are only so many minutes in one episode. What I don't understand is why those precious minutes are going to a character, when they have one perfectly placed to do the same role. Why they have to potentially explore another relationship, when we have one canon relationship & one relationship that while isn't canon in terms of romantic, it is a big story in terms of best friends, both seemingly sidelined. Which brings me to the Kara fighting for Lena's soul aspect. Again, I am not seeing a lot of fighting for anything, except more and more fans fighting themselves and cast.

I will be honest, I had high hopes for this season. I also knew it was likely going to be pretty confusing at times since it was given as 'our Black mirror season' and 'nothing is as it seems.' I accepted that.

However, all it seems at the moment is a jumbled mess from pre and post Crisis. They just doesn't appear to be any cohesion at all, which is making it really difficult as a viewer. Add in the changes post Crisis and it feels even more of a mess.

Of course, they could bring in more cohesive elements soon, but considering that we know episode 13 is 'It's a wonderful life,' and Alex Danvers in a later episode is wearing a Super suit - I just sense this whole 'nothing is as it seems' side we appear to be getting isn't changing any time soon, & with episodes running out, with so many strings running through at the moment, it feels really discombomulated. If by seasons end, they pull it off and you can look back and see how it's played out as a whole, I will be the first to say well done for that part.

I get that as more characters are added to a show, it can make shuffling screen time for those already established characters harder to achieve that will please everyone, especially when we get invested in those characters.

I do though think right now Supergirl feels chaotic beyond expectation, and no end in sight. I feel there have been too many character additions this season (particularly Andrea & William) that is taking screen time away from Kara, Alex, Nia, Lena, Kelly et al.

That is causing confusion for fans, that is also beginning to become frustration. That frustration is spilling over. Add in the genuine and legitimate concerns over the LGBTQ issues that have arisen, and the frustration has built even more.

Again though, that is something we need to be asking of the producers and show runners, and not pulling the cast into it.

Let's all try less to score points against each other, or make generalisations, as none of that is helpful.

If you can't do that, you will get other fans calling you out.

Let's all learn to step away a bit more when it is obviously getting to the point rational discussion isn't working, to let things calm down.

We all need to try and do better.

#supergirl #davidharewood #supercorp #lgbtq representation