#Disney's real good at making accidental queer people

[doctordiscord123]

Why do most if not all Disney villains give off unmistakably queer vibes

#gonna be honest #was thinking about Scar for some reason #and then that lead to Hades from the Hercules movie #and I'm pretty sure Frozen 2 made most lesbians go O-O #i know i did #maleficent too #especially the live action ones #Disney's real good at making accidental queer people

[sophieakatz]

Thursday Thoughts: Levels of Media Representation

I saw Disney’s Strange World. I really liked Disney’s Strange World. One of the things I really liked about Strange World was how Ethan, the main teenage character, was gay.

Not that he was gay – how he was gay.

There’s more than one way to represent a minority identity in a movie. Each method of portraying this character and their identity has a different effect on the audience. When discussing media representation, it’s not enough to simply ask if there’s a queer character in this movie, or a Jewish character, or a disabled character, or a Black character. We also need to consider how the identity is represented, and exactly how much good – or harm – that kind of representation causes.

These different kinds of minority identity can be viewed as levels on a scale – from least explicit representation to most impactful representation.

An important disclaimer: I am a queer Jewish woman. I am also white and cisgender. In this blog post, I discuss representations of minority identities to which I do not belong, and so I have to assume that at some point I make a bad call about what is or isn’t “good representation” for those identities. It is vital to listen to oppressed people when they say that something is harmful. It is equally vital to listen when they say that something is empowering. I can explore this topic through the lens of the minority identities I have as well as my experience as a writer, media analyzer, and social justice warrior. I cannot call myself an expert on experiences I do not have.

But this idea has been bouncing around my head since I saw Strange World, and so now, I give it voice.

Let’s take a look at the levels of media representation.

[Here there be spoilers – for Disney’s Zootopia and Strange World, and also James Cameron’s Avatar. Other movies and series are mentioned in non-spoiler-y ways]

1. The Allegory

Many movies, especially children’s animated movies, present an allegory for minorities and the struggles they face. A recent example is Disney’s Zootopia, in which different animal species and species groups metaphorically represent real-world human groups. Judy’s struggle to be accepted and respected as the first rabbit police officer directly parallels women’s struggle to break into male-dominated careers.

At the same time, in Zootopia, predators are across the board viewed as potentially dangerous and untrustworthy, mirroring many stereotypes about and bigotry perpetrated against BIPOC humans. At one point, a pig shouts at a cheetah, “Go back to the forest!” It’s as blatant as can be. But an allegory for people of color is not the same thing as telling a story that includes people of color, even if some of the movie’s side characters are voiced by Black and Latinx actors.

There’s also a big problem with an allegory like the one presented in Zootopia – there’s a “reason” for the bigotry. The prey animals have a legitimate, historical reason to fear and hate predators. In the real world, there is no legitimate, historical reason for white people to fear and hate people of color. While allegories can be useful conversation starters or early lessons about prejudice, they often teach, however accidentally, that bigotry is rational.

2. Coding

Sometimes, a movie will include a character who seems queer because of their appearance, their speech, or their body language, but nothing actually happens in the story that confirms it. Or, sometimes a character seems Black, but their skin is actually grey or purple because they’re an alien. These are examples of minority coding.

Coding is important to understand as a part of film history. For a long time, the only way queer creatives could get away with portraying a character who was in any way like themselves was to create a queer-coded character – like Ursula from The Little Mermaid, created in part by Howard Ashman and modeled after the drag queen Divine. Besides the creative outlet, the value of a minority-coded character is that it allowed minority viewers to identify with a character for what was often the first time ever.

The unfortunate side of minority-coding is that coding often involves falling back on harmful stereotypes, especially when the character is created by someone who doesn’t share the identity. Think about Watto from the Star Wars prequel movies, with his big nose, his little round black hat, his nebulously-Eastern-European accent, and his obsession with money. He’s Jew-coded, though I really wish I could disown him.

Even when a coded character is created with love and good intentions, the fact that the character’s identity is never explicitly confirmed in the movie gives bigoted viewers an easy out or an excuse to cause harm. It’s truly awful when a minority viewer who identifies with a fictional character gets dogpiled on social media by white supremacists who are furious that she dared to claim their favorite alien character was Black.

3. The Easy Cut

Near the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, two minor characters, both women, run up to each other and kiss. This is an example of the easy cut level of media representation. If you were to cut about five seconds of footage out of this movie, you would cut out the entirety of its queer representation. I won’t beat a dead horse here, but this kind of representation, though explicit, is insufficient.

I also include in this category those TV characters who are revealed to be Jewish during the show’s Christmas episode, but their Judaism is never brought up in any other context. If you skipped that one episode, you would never know they were Jewish, so does it really matter?

4. Ignorable

Sometimes a character has dark skin, but their race doesn’t have any impact on their story or how they move through the world. Sometimes a character has an accent that implies that they’re from a certain part of the world, but we never actually learn anything about their culture. Sometimes a character has a mezuzah on their doorpost, but they don’t ever mention the fact that they’re Jewish even though their story is about literally wrestling with Egyptian gods. (Yeah, I’m still salty about Moon Knight.)

These are examples of ignorable representation. The visible or audible aspects of this character’s minority identity are present for more than five seconds, so you couldn’t so easily cut it out of the show. However, the character interacts with the world in the exact same way that the “default” straight white man would. The media ignores how different identities create unique perspectives and experiences. As a result, this character’s minority identity hardly matters at all.

5. The Token Minority

The Black best friend. The sassy gay friend. The one elderly Asian man who owns the restaurant. The only female Smurf. These are some examples of the token minority. They’re not the main character of the story, and so they’re often one-dimensional, lacking a driving plotline of their own. Their only purpose in-universe is to support the straight/white/male/all of the above protagonist.

This is because their only purpose out-of-universe is to draw in a wider audience because the show has a character who is not straight/white/male/all of the above. As a result, this character lacks the complexity to be a true representation of a person and their experiences, which has the harmful effect of implying that real-world people with minority identities are not as complex, interesting, or worthy of focus as real-world people with majority identities. If every time you see yourself in a story, you are the side character in someone else’s life, what does that teach you about how you fit into the world? The token minority exists, and their identity cannot be ignored or denied, but they still don’t seem to matter.

6. Suffering

Finally, a category where the minority character’s identity cannot be ignored, and they are also the main character! However, the reason that their identity cannot be ignored is that their identity is the cause of the story’s conflict. Their identity is a big, terrible deal – a source of obstacles or of outright suffering for the character.

Think about Black people in movies about slavery, Jewish people in movies about the Holocaust, or queer people in movies about homophobia. Their identity matters to the story, yes, but in a profoundly negative way. The character’s minority identity might even be presented as something to escape or overcome, instead of as an important part of who they are. In James Cameron’s Avatar, Jake Sully begins the movie as a paraplegic, and his happy ending involves receiving a new body that is not disabled.

It is important for us to see and learn stories about different people’s struggles. We cannot afford to allow the world to forget about the ways that bigotry has led to suffering, because when we remember, we can learn from history and – G-d willing – put an end to bigotry, or at least more effectively fight it.

The problem is when these stories dominate the media. If we only hear about Jewish suffering, and never about Jewish joy, that sends a message to the world that Judaism is a terrible thing. Minorities’ suffering is one kind of representation, but it cannot be a complete picture.

7. Not A Big Deal, Yet Impossible To Ignore

But what if a movie included, as a main or major character, someone whose minority identity is not a big, bad deal, but also something that has a real impact on the way this character interacts with the world around them, to the point where their identity cannot be cut, ignored, or denied?

This brings me to Ethan from Strange World. While watching this movie, I felt I was truly seeing a person. Not an allegory, an implication, a stereotype, a token, or someone who only existed to suffer.

Ethan is a gay person. He’s a teenager with a crush on a boy named Diazo. He flirts with Diazo. His friends make fun of him and Diazo for flirting with each other. Ethan’s dad, Searcher, wants to meet and get to know Diazo, and Ethan is completely embarrassed about this. In the middle of a dangerous adventure, Ethan gleefully imagines how impressed Diazo will be when he hears about it. Ethan’s grandfather, Jaeger, is excited to hear Ethan talk about how Diazo makes him feel. Also, Ethan’s relationship with Diazo, and the way Diazo encourages Ethan to be himself and be an explorer, is an integral part of Ethan’s journey and character growth through the movie.

It is impossible to ignore that Ethan is gay. But it’s also not a big deal. It’s an integral part of who Ethan is. It informs his behavior just as much as being straight or aro-ace would inform his behavior. But it’s not an obstacle, nor a source of suffering, nor the only reason that Ethan exists in the story.

We need more of this kind of representation. I cannot exaggerate how much of a positive impact that characters like Ethan stand to create. People of all identities deserve to see themselves in movies, series, and all kinds of media as complete human beings who matter and whose identity matters as an integral part of their lives. Ethan is not the first example, and not even the first example that Disney has created (Mirabel from Encanto comes to mind – she and her family are undeniably, integrally Colombian). But he is an example that all creatives should learn from.

#thursday thoughts #strange world #media representation #media analysis #minority representation #queer characters #jewish characters #diversity #zootopia #disney movies #disney

[rileydaisy]

The Shipping Problem Part 2

So as you all know I made a post about the whole shipping issues in the past and I'm back to address more about it.

Anyways let's get right into it.

Since no other person is gonna talk about the issues then I'll do it myself.

Well all love cartoon characters from many different franchises and video games.

And when watching a movie or playing a video game with your favorite characters in it, people will always take a liking to a certain character and there's nothing wrong with that.

But there will always be people out there who will automatically start shipping, And I'm not talking about Male and Female shipping no, I'm talking about Male and Male Shipping and Female and Female shipping.

It's very very wrong to ship two male characters together and two female characters together whether they are fictional or not.

Especially if said characters don't get along in a film or a video game.

If the characters don't get along in a movie, a series, or a video game then why ship them together?

It's a disgrace to the creators who made the characters and to the characters themselves because it doesn't make any sense and there's no plot to it.

There's been too much nasty out of place shipping with Disney characters and DreamWorks characters.

Like for instance: Puss x Death, Gremlin Prescott x Marcus, Gremlin Prescott x Jamface, Turbo x Vanellope, Cuphead x Mugman, there's sooo much more ungodly shipping than there is normal shipping.

This is not okay and it never ever will be, no matter how much people who do stuff like that try to make it out to be.

They did the same thing with My Little Pony, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Zootopia and many many more kid shows.

It sickens me that there are people out there who think having the characters do disgusting ungodly and abnormal things like that is okay and what's worse is if a child accidentally stumbles upon stuff like that and then they'll think it's okay for them to do so too.

It's sickening and downright disgusting and so abnormal and ungodly.

It's bad enough that people out there don't want kids to be kids anymore and want them to be subjected to all evil and they'll use fun childhood characters to mess up the minds of innocent children by making the characters something they aren't for real.

Just because there are people out there who do stuff like that for real doesn't mean it's okay to make the characters do the same thing.

The world of imagination is a beautiful Heavenly place when it comes to these characters living a beautiful happy magical life every day.

But I feel bad for any kids out there who have already been subjected to evil like that.

The fictional characters don't deserve that, They brought us happiness and that's how we repay them?

As a person who grew up loving all the characters of my childhood, That is very very Very Disrespectful, Ungrateful, and Disgusting.

Gay shipping, Lesbian shipping, Incestuous shipping is Disgusting and very very Very sinful.

Especially for fictional characters.

It's okay to make your own ships but not in a sinful way.

Only Male and Female characters can be shipped together.

But only if said characters don't hate each other for real.

As a Christian I care because I have a heart.

God gave us these characters for good, they aren't meant to be used for evil.

Don't take other people's characters and make them homosexual.

That's very nasty!

And making them trans, queer, pansexual and giving them disabilities isn't something these fictional characters should ever have.

Stop ruining childhood characters.

Yes there are other serious things going on in this world that are very important but this is also very important.

Stop running childhood characters.

#the abnormal shipping issue

[ebbarights]

with open eyes liveblog

i'm not ready for this. i haven't pre-grieved enough it turns out. i feel sick

on the bright side the only spoiler i have is that shiv did something controversial? which isn't a spoiler i would say but i'm actively avoiding reading the post currently greyed out behind this open tab

stewy not on kendall's side??? that's a fucking first. it's not but it is

okay so this is just like 1x06 right. literally a repeat?

last intro :(( i'm soo fucking sad. im sad. sadsaddsad oh yay arian. saaaaaaad

EBBA

shaved matsson cursed. hate that

matsson as shiv's puppet i don't think he's gonna like that. if their deal goes through i would be really surprised

theories about roman running to mommy literally right. love that though

tomshiv is making me want to rip myself in half like rumplestiltskin. specifically the shiv part obvs

i'm sure smart people have already made posts about this but. caroline called shiv.

NEW JESS NO

"let's bag him and tag him" dog (gone rogue) motif? idk anything about hunting

roman looking beat up in a normal t shirt wearing bracelets these are my dreams come true

caroline is so real. eyes ARE disgusting. face eggs

LAWRENCE YEE

kendall looks like a fucking disney villain driving up in his range rover in a suit sing-songing roman's name

SHIV TITS

okay tomgreg scene time to think about other things. everything revolving around roman is my dream finale <3 i want him to be okay but i also love it when he's not okay. you can't lose when you play both sides

shiv is way too sure of winning so she's for sure not winning huh

tom said grinder like- [i am shot in the head before i can continue]

fully flexing my swedish here

caroline is so right. get out you guys

wait sib alliance back on?? can this be real

i hate to say it but i think kendall's right he should be the one to take over

them talking about roman's breakdown while he's hugging himself is exactly what i wanted but it will make me want to kill myself forever

noo guys don't go in the waterrrrr don't you know about the motif

roman talking about sharks in the water is literally me but this time for real for real because i do have a debilitating shark phobia

if succession genuinely has a fucking. shark attack in it. (once again on my birthday) like that's legit fucking personal. jesse armstrong has read my diary and wants to ruin my life

i just googled 'succession shark' that's how paranoid i am lmaooo

kendall don't. DON'T go in the water

i know it's ridiculous i don't like the killing kendall conversation. this is the finale please don't play me with rn

okay the music is starting which means this scene is over and they can get out of the water right please get out get out right now

are they gonna actually accidentally kill kendall. or will it be on purpose and that was a double bluff

they are spending wayy too much time on this scene for a series finale that's already pretty long so. something's definitely gonna happen with the fucking smoothie. i feel sick

okay scene is over i feel like an idiot but relieved lol. maybe just a last happy siblings scene? if that's the case i'm glad we got that. i'm happy that scene was so long

wait shiv hasn't done anything controversial yet. is this like. a double bluff? i don't know how that would work i don't think that's the case

connor's peepaw slay

hope this isn't the only time gerri shows up but if it is i'm glad she's there at all

krank real

okay tom told shiv i know what's gonna happen and i think i'm okay with that kind of betrayal

i LOVE that greg's fucking parasite both sides shit finally came to bite him in the ass. if greg has a bad ending succession has a good ending

matsson screaming for ebba that's me.

yeah that's what i thought. i'm okay with that. like i wanted more for shiv and for the sibs but that was never gonna happen

living for the karoline hugo rivalry

STEWYYYY

okay stewy queer confirmed <3 like we all knew but still. also that line is gonna sustain the kenstewys for months

GERRIII and immediate zoom on roman lol

noo roman he seemed so weirdly okay until now. the pill scene is coming up huh

jesus i. i can't think of anything to say. poison

so my guess right now is. kendall is becoming logan but he also loses the vote. so he did That for nothing

it's literally 1x06. kendall sitting where logan sat, frank doing the notes

they're 4-4 and roman's next. 1x06 babyyyyyy

you could argue he made a different choice because he voted for kendall this time but. just like 1x06 he was pressured into that vote by a guy who uses physical violence against him. still with the parallels

they just said 6-6? did they count votes we didn't hear or am i an idiot

please don't threaten suicide right now ken. now's not the time

i think lying about the waiter is the worst thing kendall has ever done and that includes the scene with roman just before

i hate that roman said iverson and sophie aren't kendall's kid (real 'just playing devil's advocate' move) but i loooooove that he defended shiv <3

living for disillusioned roman. he might make kendall kill himself but he knows what's up

yeah i don't see an ending where kendall lives

tomgreg final breakup <3 i hope greg dies in a ditch

gerri's safe <333333

the romelukas ao3 potential though

good ending because ebba wins. can't believe i have the url of someone who won succession

roman drinking a martini :((((

roman drinking a martini :))))))

jesus christ kendall and colin

don't go near the water kendall. kendall listen to me.

okay think i'm gonna do a round-up post

#succession s4 #succession spoilers

[naturallygravitatedtolondon]

a little wooden boy: quick notes on OFMD and The Adventures of Pinocchio

Naturally I have not stopped thinking about the silly pirate show for a single second since having finished it and recently I have been especially fascinated by the way it incorporates storytelling and performance as such prominent themes and how that is used to explore identity. This show is good bread! Really good bread. Anyway, in my attempt to somewhat organize my thoughts on all that I decided to look into The Wooden Boy story a little more and OF COURSE stumbled upon an absolute treasure trove, what did I expect from these writers.

The Wooden Boy story we hear in the first episode is so good and works on so many levels just by itself: It is first introduced in the “do the wooden boy voice” scene (EXCELLENT) and then picked up again at the end of 1.01 with Stede reading the story as a bedtime story to his crew. That’s such a beautiful moment of community (god I love that scene) and gives us a really good sense of the characters. It establishes that despite the talk of mutiny earlier, the vibe for this crew is beautiful found family (I love them I love them I love them). And it introduces an interesting thing about literacy that I need to think about more. And just that very simple story we actually hear (though it is implied that Stede has read the entire thing to them) – a wooden boy who wanted to become a real boy – sets up some major themes of the show: 1) Stede and Ed both feel disappointed in their life, “treading water waiting to drown” etc, they feel like wooden puppets and want to feel fully alive again. And 2) of course this is also about masculinity and the question that comes up again and again: how to be a real boy/man? And the failure to live up to that toxic ideal and then the space that this in turn opens up for a variety of other ways of being a man! and the rejection of the very idea of “real men”. But that’s another post (such as this excellent one on masculinity in ofmd by @edwardsilkheart​ as well as this equally excellent one by @sitzfleischh​ on the queer art of failure).

So. I think it is pretty unambiguous that the wooden boy story is supposed to be 1883 Italian classic The Adventures of Pinocchio? There is an obvious timeline problem but I think by this point it is established that ofmd will not be constrained by the shackles of historical accuracy and is the better show for it so whatever. This did however make me think that there might be a more elaborate reason why the writers insisted on having the story of Pinocchio in their show about gay pirates despite the anachronism.

I looked up the plot summary of the Pinocchio story on Wikipedia because I was only very vaguely aware of the details of that story, though maybe other people are more familiar with it and got all the narrative links immediately  (Probably more people have seen the Disney movie than read the original novel but I can’t remember what exactly happens in the movie either so I can’t say how similar it is to the book). I did not, so I just experienced a long series of oh shiiiit moments while reading that Wikipedia article. Here is a list of all the things that immediately stood out:

First of all, the plot of this children’s story is WILD. Jeez.

At the beginning of the novel, Pinocchio meets a cricket which “warns him of the perils of disobedience and hedonism” and then Pinocchio “throws a hammer at the cricket, more accurately than he intended to, and accidentally kills it.” Reminds me of a thing that happens in the first episode of a certain pirate show..? ALSO the cricket then “ comes back as a ghost to continue advising the puppet” come oooooon

Pinocchio visits a theatre performance. This seems to be a minor plot point in the novel, but with the aforementioned focus on performance in ofmd, it’s worth mentioning.

The director of the theatre is a man called Mangiafuoco who has “red eyes and a black beard that reaches to the floor”. Wikipedia says that “despite his appearances however” this character “is not evil”. This is literally Blackbeard. And he is the director of a theatre! It's perfect.

There’s a cat and a fox character that pretend to be blind/lame and then later actually become what they pretended to be. (Jim??)

Pinocchio arranges a meeting with the cat and fox but the meeting does not happen because he is betrayed by them. Just stab me in the gut will you.

Pinocchio is hanged at one point but is rescued. I mean COME ON.

A NOTE ON THAT Pinocchio hangs from that tree for a looong time and is completely fine afterwards, it seems to me that he can’t really die from that because he is, you know, a puppet. Sorry to fuel the conspiracy @knowlesian​ but make that sentence about Stede Bonnet and swap out one letter in “puppet” (I am JOKING mostly but also am I??)

Pinocchio buries coins in the ground, like a little pirate

A “judge sentences Pinocchio to four months in prison for the crime of foolishness” that one made me laugh

there is an enormous snake with a smoking tail that attacks Pinocchio and then literally chokes and dies from laughing too hard at his fear and vulnerability. Honestly not entirely sure if/how this is relevant, but it reminds me of the two times antagonists (the British and especially Captain Badminton as well as the fancy party guests) are shown to laugh hysterically at our main characters and then die because of it…

Pinocchio’s father figure is swallowed by a giant sea monster (!)

(quick note here, I have been thinking about how the flashbacks emphasise Ed’s and Stede’s fathers and how both Ed and Stede are traumatised by abusive fathers and how that shapes them both in different significant ways. Ed’s father being physically abusive, Stede’s father being verbally abusive, which corresponds with the whole stinging with swords vs. with cutting remarks thing! And that ties in so well with the Pinocchio story! He is a boy who is literally carved and shaped by his father figure! Makes me think that we should talk more about Ed’s and Stede’s childhoods)

Pinocchio is disliked by other children at school

Pinocchio and a friend of his “go to a place called Toyland where everyone plays all day and never works” and “have a wonderful time for the next five months”, ummm?????

And then beyond those plot details, and I’m just directly quoting from Wikipedia here by the way, there is this:

“The structure of the story of Pinocchio follows that of the folk-tales of peasants who venture out into the world but are naively unprepared for what they find, and get into ridiculous situations” Yeah. I think that’s pretty crystal clear.

Also: “The Adventures of Pinocchio, is a work in which a hero experiences symbolic death and rebirth”, which now makes me want to think a lot more about death and rebirth in ofmd

And last but not least: “Although they are part of a comedy, Pinocchio's adventures are not always funny. Indeed, they are sometimes sinister. The book's fictive world does not exclude injury, pain, or even death”

In conclusion. The writers of this show put such a shit ton of thought into every stupid little detail. And this is literally just what I got from frantically skim reading a Wikipedia article, I’m sure there is so much more I missed or misread. But that is some insanely intricate foreshadowing, and it seems to me that they must have based parts of the story directly on the Pinocchio story/at the very least took lots of inspiration from that?

So yeah. This show. I just think it’s neat.

#this got quite long but I just kept finding stuff #also am I missing some obvious reason why you would link a fictionalisation of Stede Bonnet with the Pinocchio story? #or is it just that this matched super well thematically with the story they wanted to tell in ofmd #I have no deep analysis here just putting this neat little treat of intertextuality out there #ofmd #ofmd meta #our flag means death

[themousefromfantasyland]

Hey let's talk about queer coding, Disney villains and why this whole conversation always makes me mad.

Coding is when an author implies a character to be from a certain socio-cultural background without actually saying it out loud. The examples that come to mind are JK Rowling writing Remus Lupin's lycantrophy as a metaphor from AIDS and Frozen 2 using the Northuldra's conflict with Arendelle as metaphor for colonization and cultural genocide.

Queer Coding is when certain work of fiction implies that one of the characters is part of the LGBTQ community, but without confirming in canon.

A pretty common criticism against Disney, is that, supposedly, "ALL" villainous characters from the classics were secretly queer coded, hitting at some kind of secret homophobic agenda. I'm not here to defend Disney, it's just that the logic behind some these arguments and analysis is so bad and flawed that makes me cringe.

First, coding needs authorial intent. The author writes a character in way that is meant to make the audience draw a connection between them and a real-life group. The ability of the audience to see a real-life group in that character is essential to convey the message the author is trying to tell. If there isn't authorial intent, we are left only with the audience's headcanon.

Don't get me wrong, to me all interpretations of a fictional work are valid, but an author isn't responsible for interpretations that fall outside his intent, for good and for bad.

An author cannot take credit, for example, for accidentally writting character that certain minority group took a liking to. Let's say that this character is heroic and the audience felt sympathetic to their struggle. Their interpretation is valid, but if the writer takes credit for that, it will be just shameless opportunism, since it was never their true intention. Sometimes the blue curtain is just a blue curtain.

So, it's okay for queer people to relate to Disney villains. A lot of people in general do relate to them better than to the protagonists. But it's in the audience, not in the author. Disney cannot take credit for that, nor can it take for any other character. Disney cannot take credit for Luca x Alberto and Raya x Namaari even if they wanted to.

Just to add another example, JK Rowling writing Lupin as metaphor for people struggling with AIDS is probably the most problematic coding that I ever saw. Werewolves are actually highly dangerous in canon, Lupin was infected as a child by someone who really wanted to infected him and most of the werewolves side with Voldemort in the Second Wizarding War. She is totally responsible for these interpretations since she is the one who invited her readers to draw the connection in the first place.

And this is not to say that there isn't queer coding in the villains of Disney canon. Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective and Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas are both written as two very effeminate male characters, specially if compared to the rest of the cast. Ursula from the Little Mermaid was literally inspired by a drag queen, Divine.

But the standards used in some of these analyses are so vague, so broad, so arbitrary, that you are excused in thinking that all over-the-top, comical villains are automatically gay.

Hades spends the whole film touching Meg, hugging her, comically flirting with her, and somehow he's the gay best friend. His whole personality is heavily influenced by James Woods, a super conservative republican christian, who changed the character from the originally planned Jack Nicholson type to satanic car seller, but he's totally gay right?He did a lot of ad-libbing in his recordings, especially in Hades' dialogues with Meg. If you ask me Hades is totally coded more as an abusive boss or smooth-talking pimp than anything else.

Gaston was described by his animator as a "grotesque prince charming". He's a brutal caricature of the super macho types, a mockery of the cishet frat bro, but he's still often included in the list of queer Disney villains.

I once saw an article that claimed Lady Tremaine was a "men-hating lesbian" and I was left as... Did we watch the same movie?

Jokes aside, if it's to include Disney characters under the rainbow umbrella using every arbitrary trait or popular headcanons, Disney is full of queer characters, both villains and heroes.

Bashful, Flower, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire Cat, Alice, Ariel, Sebastian, Beast, Cogsworth, Genie, Hermes, Clopin, Victor, Hugo, Laverne, Mushu, Mulan, Li Shang, Timon, Pumbaa, Kuzco, Pleakley, Jumba Jookiba, Merida, Edna Mode, Go Go Tomago, Elsa, Honeymaren, Oaken, Raya, Namaari, Luca, Alberto. Cross-dressers, outcasts, sassy bachelors, badass spinsters, sensitive men, fierce tomboys. There are already enough people to start a gay-straigh alliance in the Magic Kingdom.

#disney #disney villains #queer coding

[khaleesiofalicante]

The Shadowhunters Chronicles time travel head cannons because I have ideas but no ideas.

ALSO PLEASE DONT STEAL THESE, BUT I WOULD LOVE ADD ONS

THL Meeting TMI

Charles coming to the future and being really conflicted on whether or not he should check old records to see if he’s council bc on one hand he’s Charles and he has a very big ego but on the other hand he also has a really big inferiority complex.

Matthew realizing that gender roles are very bent now and wearing skirts and make up and nail polish also having several piercings. Because she/they rights.

Also Matthew going to a bookstore in June and seeing the whole pride layout and just how many books there are about being LGBTQ and how explicit they are ans the wide demographics and generas and everything and just being by the way. 

Christopher realizing that there are way more elements in the periodic table now and just about micro organisms and flipping the fuck out. Like DNA was not discovered until 1980 this man would be having a field day.

We know that Alastair would watch so many Disney movies, just every musical he can get his hands on his watching. 

Also Alastair realizing that the Eiffel tower is now like one of the main things associated with Paris and everyone thinking it’s the coolest thing in the world. 

I propose the idea that Anna Lightwood would be actually be bad at hooking up with modern day women, because this one super hot lesbian would like ask for her Snapchat or something and she would have no clue what that is. 

Also Anna realizing that there are more modern day terms for gender and being able to finally identify as gender queer and maybe experimenting with pronouns. 

I don’t know why but I would love to see Cordelia in modern fashion. Or really any of them just, any of these kids going to a mall would be amazing. 

Lucie creating an AO3 account and immediately posting every single chapter of the beautiful Cordelia on there. Also her reading rpf fanfics.  

Will would later join her and make a Twitter account as well.

Kamala watching Bollywood movies. Also I feel like she get a really cool lesbian experience that she never really got and also I think she would love to know that gay marriage legalized and that there are opportunities for her to have children that don’t involve sex with a man. 

I would like to see what Matthews opinion on abortion would be because of his backstory. I feel like there’s no correct answer to this but I would like to see some ideas.

But also I would love to see Matthew meeting like future!Magnus and either thinking that he’s still the coolest person in the world or have his vision of him be crushed. Because Magnus is a father of two teenage sons, he hasn’t been an aloof party animal for a long time, he’s a full on Dad.

I think Matthew would also try to live with Magnus for a while only for it to backfire the second he comes home drunk. 

I feel like Charles and Matthew would both get arrested, Matthew would obviously try to go to a bar or get drunk or something, English law and American law are very different even today so a lot of the things Matthew enjoys doing he would be banned from but he wouldn’t realize that until it’s too late. Charles on the other hand would probably say something intolerant, because he’s Charles and it’s the 21st-century now, and piss off the wrong person and end up getting thrown out of jail cell. The real tragedy would be for the poor inmates and policeman who have to listen to these two fight until Clary can come and pick them up. 

Also Matthew getting help for the bullshit he’s been through and everyone just being openly gay please I need it.



TWP Meets TLH

Max and Rafe going to the past and being absolutely terrified of what’s going on and meeting Magnus from the past and trying not to have a breakdown because they’re dad doesn’t know who they are and they can’t go to him 

Mina going with Max and Rafael to the past and playing at the Hell Rule because you know she would.

Also Will knowing that she is Jem and Tessa’s daughter because she’s so beautiful just like his Tess and he knows that the only other person Tessa would love enough to have a child with would be their Jem. 

Everyone knowing that Charles is gay and in the closet because they can read this bitch very well.

And Max and Ralph trying to like keep the whole “hey there are new rules now and downworlders and Shadowhunters can share powers thing” on the down low and failing during a big fight and it being reviled with like Max using the seriph blade or some thing and then Rafe just straight up using magic and everyone’s like “Wwwhhaaaaaattt”

They were getting like serious trouble for this in Lake Charlotte with interrogate the hell out of them because wtf was that.

Magness from their present coming back to pick up the kids and seeing Will and everyone again. And Will asking how Magnus is only to realize this man has a family!!

Or even better Alec Lightwood Bane coming back to the past, through a portal, to come get his kids real quick and him seeing Past!Magnus and then flirting with him and Magnus being interested while the kids are like,”Really, this again”.

Kit going into the past and them being confusion because there are two Christophers, also how are you a Herondale?! 

Ty stealing cats. 

I would love to see how Rafe, Tavvy, Max, and Mina react to Church being alive.

Tavvy, who I have somehow not yet mentioned, getting like separation anxiety from his siblings and Ralph just hanging out with him a lot more and cheering him up and just being a good Parabatai .

Also Tavvy spoiling the entire Blackthorne line whoops. 

Also I feel like Max, Rafael, and Tavvy would very much not going to drive to the toxic masculinity of the time, and be super affectionate and nice to each other and respectful of women and it would be quite shocking for people.

Rafe would go to a ball or party and totally teach people either the Cupid shuffle or a bunch of other modern dances.

I feel like someone would make a comment about Max being half demon and a warlock, especially after they realize he can have runes. Not sure what the comment would be, but it might involve Benedick having a thing for demons and it would make everyone super uncomfortable. 

Also just the Lightwood-Banes, and Tavvy, seeing Magnus with another person and being so upset over this.  Bc their dads in love with someone else and that shit hurts.

Arguments over who’s related who and which line everyone comes from because I don’t think the modern gang would know exactly who they’re related to so the relate would be pretty open.

Everyone staying at the institute because no one would take all three of them and then Mina just tagging alone because she wants to.

I feel like Max or Rafe or maybe even Tavvy would screw up and accidentally call Will Dad or Alec and this would cause a lot of panic.

Once again a shopping montage because you never have enough clothes.

The Merry thieves and the modern squad hanging out and just having fun together would be cool. They could all go to each other’s houses or the devils tavern and drink. -Which would probably be Max and Rafe’s first time drinking bc American laws are weird and different and Rafe wouldn’t break the rules.

Or Alternatively him getting in a drinking contest with someone, Matthew, and not knowing that he’s an alcoholic until way later. He would then demand that this boy go to therapy.

OMG THESE ARE ALL SO GOOD WTF FJKHFKADSFKA. AARON THESE ARE PERFECT AND SO WELL THOUGHT OUT I LOVE IT OMG.

#tsc headcanons #tsc time travel #tlh #twp #tsc #tid

[rinnnyxr]

I’m happy I’m sad I’m motivated I’m unmotivated I’m sick I’m taken I have a crush I’m in love I’m single I’m brokenhearted

I want to sleep I want to study I want to go out I want to stay home I have school today I have work today

I’m afraid of spiders I’m afraid of being alone I’m afraid of snakes I’m afraid of flying I’m afraid of failure I’m afraid of clowns

I took chemistry classes in high school I took math classes in high school I took English classes in high school I took geography classes in high school I took biology classes in high school I had gym in high school I took art classes in high school I took science classes in high school I took history classes in high school I took physics classes in high school I was in the theatre after school program in high school I had some sort of music classes in high school I had some sort of dance classes in high school

-

Bold the things you’ve never done.

I’ve never gone to Disney World. I’ve never been out of my home country. I’ve never kissed a stranger on the lips. I’ve never read a book over eight hundred pages. I’ve never painted a picture on a canvas. I’ve never sang in front of a large crowd by myself.

I’ve never had braces. I’ve never learned French. I’ve never had a fight with my dad. I’ve never updated my status through my phone. I’ve never used Nair. I’ve never cut my wrists. I’ve never wanted plastic surgery. I’ve never drank organic regular milk. I’ve never learned Chinese. I’ve never blew up a balloon. I’ve never changed a baby’s diaper. I’ve never lost my phone for good. I’ve never lost a friend through death. I’ve never met one of my grandparents. I’ve never met someone with my exact name. I’ve never dated someone with red hair. I’ve never put on eyeliner for myself. I’ve never took a dance class. I’ve never tried weed. I’ve never tried drugs. I’ve never cooked dinner for my family. I’ve never had anything besides my ears pierced. I’ve never had a tattoo. I’ve never went to the beach to tan. I’ve never kissed anyone on the lips that was younger than me. I’ve never dumped someone. I’ve never stepped in something nasty barefooted. I’ve never cheated on someone. I’ve never waxed anything on my body. I’ve never dyed my whole head a different color. I’ve never kissed anyone who was above the age of seventeen. I’ve never kissed in the rain. I’ve never gone a day without laughing. I’ve never got held back a grade. I’ve never stolen anything over twenty dollars.

-

Aries

Waiting until the last minute TL;DR (too long, didn’t read) Angry crying 4 am seamless Big flirt Hot yoga “Why are you so upset? I’m over it now” No filter Cutting in line at the store Skipping to the “good part” Ignoring the speed limit Tinder Shoplifting Exclamation points!!! Bad tattoos Caffeine addiction Toned AF Muay Thai “Don’t touch me” Breaking a bone Spelling errors Picking fights for no reason Lowkey really sensitive Skipping breakfast 7/24

Taurus Falling asleep on the subway Going barefoot Using hands as utensils Calling in sick Materialism Tree climbing Cuddling Controlling the aux Great British baking show “I deserve to treat myself” Aesthetics Spending the whole day in bed Anything that says “natural” on it Long-term relationships Expensive sheets Picnics in the park Essential oils Sex as exercise Tender Wearing the same outfit 3 days in a row Says a controversial opinion and then “I’m not going to argue” Calm, cool, and collected Silk everything 5 meals a day 7/24

Gemini Giving unqualified advice 50 different tangents “Prove it” Playing Devil’s advocate Can’t keep a secret Scamming Carrying a book around Arguing for fun Always knowing the latest gossip Adderall Spilling guts to the Uber driver Rationalizing emotions Lying to be more interesting Most active in the group chat Anxiety Telling the same story 10 times to perfect it Philosophy 1000 ideas per minute Sardonic sense of humor Full of interesting facts 23 best friends Internet memes Forgot how to cry Living a double life 4/24

Cancer Screenshots Same friends since high school Sleeps with a stuffed animal Vintage clothes Cries when yelled at Going home early Nesting Holding grudges Mood swings Drinking tea Supporting others’ chaos Social anxiety HGTV Super protective of loved ones Accidental emotional manipulation Cooking for friends Likes animals more than humans Meeting someone and immediately planning their whole lives together Empathizing with film protagonists Vivid childhood memories “Mi casa es tu casa” Serial monogamist Good emotional memory Big hugs 8/24

Leo Mid-day outfit changes Giving out compliments Taking an hour to get ready Accidentally flirting Making friends in the Uber pool Using a window as a mirror Passionate emotional outbursts Lowkey insecure Creating drama to avoid boredom Opening up after just meeting someone Going to the spa Needing to make opinions known Large but fragile ego Wanting recognition for your generosity Making a scene Pretending life is reality TV Giving really subjective advice Overdressed for the function Creative genius Social media as therapy Trying something and being instantly good at it Can’t take a joke Self-care Urge to stand out 7/24

Virgo Over-analyzing friendships Fact check Knowing a little about everything Helping people get their shit together Very specific tastes Fixing it or making it 10x worse Personal projects Health routines Pretending to have your shit together Repeating a task over and over until it’s perfect On good terms with your trash exes Stretching self too thin Stuck in negative thought cycles Noticing little things no one else notices Needs to quit like 3 things Nitpicking Self-sacrificing Hyperfocus Reading 3 books at once “Sorry for the late reply” Functioning on 3 hours of sleep Can’t turn brain off Neurotic Putting yourself last 17/24

Libra Fomo (fear of missing out) Saying yes to every opportunity A little bit of suck up Fear of being alone Flirting with everyone but your crush Tossing a coin to make big decisions Easily influenced Art films Strong sense of right and wrong Torn between being social and having much needed alone time New crush every day Going to museums Overthinking romantic relationships Truly admiring all your friends Adopting others’ hobbies and mannerisms Overdraft fees Showing up late or not showing up at all Avoiding conflicts at all costs Talking about past romances on the first date Gossipy but with good intentions Panicking when someone raises their voice Trying to see both sides Unable to end a bad relationship Pretending to hate drama 9/24

Scorpio Resting bitch face Keeping the right amount of secrets Has a “hit” list (either meaning) Needing to have control in relationships Knowing what you want and exactly how to get it Disappearing at parties Morbid thoughts Believes in “energy” Attractive Staring from across the room Stalking crush’s social media Fascination with cults Still in an emo phase Breaking hearts but sad about it Trust issues All black Existential angst Silently walking away from uninteresting conversations Chaotic emotions behind a calm mask Craving emotional intensity “What am I gonna gain from it?” Seeming intimidating, actually really sensitive Friendships of utility Loves crime 12/24

Sagittarius Losing interest and quitting anything that doesn’t come easily Giving opinions without being asked No inside voice Arguing as foreplay Backpacking trips Talking over people Stating opinions as facts Corny jokes Took one philosophy class and is basically Nietzsche now Always having the last word Using big words to sound smart Speaking more than one language Fueled by laughter Calling friends on their BS Asking for advice and then not taking it Needing to change activities every 30 minutes Telling it like it is Correcting people Unwaveringly optimistic Laugh can be heard from across the room Talking about a book after only reading the Wikipedia synopsis Learning a lot from travel Periodically getting rid of all your belongings Pulling out a party trick 9/24

Capricorn Fear of not living up to potential Overcommitting Anything ‘rustic’ Favorite song is the NPR jingle Has real, tangible goals Repressing trauma Always on time Slow and steady Minding your own business Prefers on one hangs to group hangs Work/life balance Putting more money into savings than you take out Acting 20 years older than you actually are Is prepared for the worst-case scenario Never asking for help Reading for fun Is actually normcore Taking care of business Taking things seriously Motivated by stress Minimalism Hanging out with the same 3 people Bashful around crush Holding friends to high standards 9/24

Aquarius Lowkey superstitious Obscure music David Lynch Weird makeup Self-given haircuts Bad at flirting Feeling like an alien Reding conspiracy theories on the internet Estranged from emotions Experimental poetry Martyr complex Being called a free spirit Abstract concepts Making plans and canceling them Intellectual superiority A little arrogant Loves an underdog Using a thesaurus Activism Fuck the rules Intentionally provocative Highly ethical Queer theory Niche knowledge base 1/24

Pisces Head in the clouds Misplacing keys Unofficially moving in with friends Easily overwhelmed Empathizing with plants Existential crisis #3 Really long showers Leaving clothes in a pile on the ground Using fantasies as an escape Romantic drama Need for constant validation Acts either 7 or 70 Incredibly active imagination Cripplingly self-aware Over-apologizing In love with 10 people at once Binge drinking Giving good advice but can’t apply it to yourself Secretly writes poetry Crying in the bathroom at work Can’t take criticism Mind reading #NoBoundaries Saying something deep out of nowhere 12/24

I am most like a Virgo (my actual sign)

-

You have an ex You don’t wear glasses You have blue/gray/green eyes

You’re pretty tall

You can drive a manual transmission car

You know how to change the oil

You know all about cars

You have a serious passion for photography

You’ve known your best friend since middle school You’re close friends with someone since elementary school You prefer Quiznos over Subway

You’re in a relationship You’ve had a rebound before You’ve been in a relationship for five years

You’ve cheated before

You’ve dated someone who was Asian You’ve dated someone who was Hispanic

You’ve dated someone of your own ethnicity You like to sleep a lot You were born in winter Your birthday is in February

You’re the oldest in your family

You have a younger sister You have a cat You don’t have step-parents You often work the night shifts at your job

You can play the drums

You know a lot about flowers

You’re allergic to shellfish

You like garlic You like a lot of cheese

You get real Christmas trees

You’ve been in a car accident before You’ve snuck people over to your house You’re part Hawaiian

You’re a Pisces

You have no tattoos You have no piercings You have brown hair You have a Steam account You don’t have a Twitter

You’re hardly on any networking sites

You have an XBox360 You don’t like Playstation products very much

You have relatives in Alaska and/or Hawaii

You have a Toshiba laptop

You love German Shepherds You love Welsh Corgis You are Republican

You are Methodist

Your room is rarely ever clean

You’ve drunk dialed someone

A nasty rumor has been spread about you You’re in college One of your parents was at one point enlisted in the military

You are close with your family You like paintballing

You don’t smoke You don’t do drugs

You have a habit of keeping things you borrowed longer than expected

[rheic-arts]

Just something I've been thinking about - hell knows I don't actually talk here much but tumblr is a wonderful place to spitball - is, like, Disney villains? How everyone waxes nostalgic for the queer-coded gems of the 90s renaissance and dismisses the modern twist villains? I have a theory.

First I reccomend checking out other posts and videos explaining the origins of the Hayes code and how only villains could be queer coded etc etc and that 'no rep is worse than bad rep' explains a tiny part of it. Those posts are way better written than mine and I'm tired.

Second is that villains just objectively get better songs and all are welcome to fight me on this but villain songs just slap so much harder.

But my theory comes in two parts. 1 - the old Disney villains were FUN, whereas new ones are SERIOUS. and 2 - campy, extravagant, loud and dangerous villains are a unique brand of queer *power fantasy*.

OK. Seriously. Old Disney villains were murderers, theives, backstabbers, tricksters and they fucking revelled in it. There was NO mistaking any second of screen time that these guys were having a blast being themselves - and as such anyone watching is going to be caught up in it! We're going to be entertained! Which is the point! Of a film! Arguably watching Ursula pull out ariels voice or Maleficent casting lightning from her tower was WAY more entertaining than the romantic tension between two leads we damn well know will snog at the end.

Modern villains like Bellwether and Callaghan spend most of their time onscreen pretending to be nice. They're still fulfilling their roles as antagonists, but now they're boring to watch because they're actively trying to come across as ordinary. Until their reveals - in which they show themselves (esp in Bellwethers case) as bad people. Which is less entertaining than a splash of real world depressing - like. Damn sheep lady if I wanted to watch lying rasicts get into power underhandedly I'd turn on the news.

Old Disney villains were escapism - camp, loud, entertaining escapism that let you live in a world where people can legitimately drop bangers out of thin air while monolouging about their planned regicide (be prepared) and it was the regicide that made you the villain, not the camp performance.

On to point 2 tho -

As a smol baby bi at the tender age of seven watched Jafar slay his eyeliner routine while manipulating the sultan, saw Ursula become a hundred feet tall with a deep booming voice and the power of all the seas, saw maleficent become a full on dragon and hook nearly stab a child onscreen - you know what that tiny child wanted more than anything? Especially given in mind she was seven and would have no concept of queerness for nearly a decade?

What that tiny child, who was connecting so much harder to the villains than the protagonists, wanted, was that kind of power.

Bear in mind im whiter than a snowflake so these films were absolutely targeting my demographic, but for ages I hated being asked if I wanted to be a princess. Like, no?! I wanted to be kick ass! I wanted people to notice me, respect me, be in awe at what I could do! Be Afraid Of Me!

(it is worth noting that I am extremely competitive and had just started karate. The thrill of paid for violence is intoxicating, but we're deviating from the point here.)

As I've grown older that wish for respect has mutated into an altogether healthier drive to do well at work and to generally be a good person. That wish for fear has made me killer at Halloween decorations and costumes.

But now that I'm 25, quite comfortably bi and experimenting with Agender pronouns, what brings me back to the old villains is that despite being drawn in the era where being LGBTQA+ on TV got you dead they were unabashedly themselves.

Look I barely have to code switch or pass for straight and have grown accustomed to my queerness in a wonderful age of acceptance, and I STILL find that kind of cackling-shrieking-delight a BALM for my soul. That kind of self acceptance, self CONFIDENCE, to be outwardly proudly different to the point of revulsion to the masses is such a power fantasy I can't even describe.

I can't imagine someone not becoming sick of hiding and hurting, sick of living a lie out of complete necessity, and not wanting that desperate karmic release of paying back that pain tenfold with no consequences. Damn right you should be scared of me! I'm everything you hate and I hate you right fucking back! The fantasy of dropping your moral compass into the dirt so you can finally feel good about your existence keeps me warm at night, and I'm the child who cried when my dad accidentally stole a CD because I couldn't bear the thought of getting in trouble.

Who doesn't look at 1959's sleeping beauty and just gaze in awe of how much Maleficent fills the frame and commands attention, respect, even as she inspires fear?

You're an absolute liar if quick witted, fast talking, God of inevitable death Hades didn't make you laugh in the way sassy gay besties do even as he tried to kill a baby. We're all going to die, might as well be as ourselves, right?

I've lost where I'm going with this. Just. I feel like new generations are seeing queer coded villains as 'being gay is bad' which was legit the intent in the 40's! While getting the most rep media wise in living history. It's like this unspoken ability to relate to the vibes in media while not condoning the villains actions (because its fiction. There's no need to condemn or not, because its a story and we had absolutely NO power to change the Disney megatitan trajectory, so we took what we could and ran with it) is slowly getting lost to takes so fucking flat that you could bowl some skittles across continents and not get a bump.

Idk, power fantasies about capes, eyeliner and having horns while committing crimes is very very cool. I'm going to go watch pirates of the carribean and look at the clothes I desperately want but will be forever too scared to buy. Cheers.

#sometimes #I have thinky thoughts #And they turn into this #Disney was an enormous part of my childhood #And a large part of my teens #They were comfort films in times of great upset #And it's still rare that I root for the protags more than the villains #not my art #Disney #disney villains #Maleficent #Hades #Ursula

[jasontoddiefor]

Sunday Batfam Fanfic Recs!

Welcome to my second Sunday Batfam Fic Rec list!

Since the first list was such a success, I’ve decided to actually do this weekly! What is ‘this’ you ask?

Easy! Every Sunday I’ll recommend Batfam fanfics of a specific theme. The first week was Batman Beyond/Time Travel, then we had a Spooky Halloween Special and, finally, this week’s theme is…

Billionaire Batfam, Social Media & Galas!

If you want to, you can request a theme and I’ll try to find fanfictions for that!

Here’s my Batfam Fanfiction Rec Tag.

That being said, have fun reading 30 fanfictions and please leave these lovely authors a comment!

Title: #BayneIsCanon Summary: Gotham ships Batman and Bruce Wayne. He's not really sure how to feel about it. #trainwreck #bayne #scandal Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226011

Title: #gotham is trending Summary: thghhhh: ahhhhh, i'm back in gotham. can't wait to get back to a supervillain attack every other day. i've missed this. [the city of gotham, it's vigilantes, and resident billionaires - as seen through social media] Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12331965

Title: (Dance) Lessons Summary: “STOP!” Cass shouted, suddenly appearing between them. “No talking. No fun.” she gave each one a glare. “Only… dancing.” Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13205775

Title: (that moment when) A Supehero Replies to You Summary: Dick Grayson, as any good millennial, is an avid fan of Buzzfeed: Unsolved. So, when Shane and Ryan discuss the death of Jason Todd, Dick can't help but laugh. Laugh, and then film the reactions of the batfamily when they find out....in costume. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18561994

Title: a hat fashioned from tin foil Summary: nightwang @karakurachou – 8 hours ago jason todd is alive and faked his death so he could become robin: a conspiracy theory thread. Batfam conspiracy theories meet social media. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14356020

Title: and it comes back again Summary:  Bruce “I accidentally slipped and fell across the room, took out three tables and broke a desk with your body as I ACCIDENTALLY fell on you also you’re going to jail” Wayne takes his young protégé down the rewarding path of revenge. Link:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/14268537

Title: Brother Bear Summary: Dick slips a Disney reference into a speech, Tim only realizes because Jason sneaks into his own memorial gala to finish the quote. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21036350

Title: Bruce got Therapy instead Summary: “I’m twenty four and have yet to find a partner,” Bruce stated, not looking up from the paper. “While true, I hardly think that is a subject to worry over right now. Many people your age have yet to meet someone they desire to spend the rest of their life with.” “It’s...I don’t really have a problem with the fact that I haven’t met anyone.” A pause where Bruce took a contemplative sip of his coffee. Alfred patiently waited for the young man to say what was actually going through his mind. “Well, the Manor seems rather...empty, don’t you think?” He finally looked up to his butler. Alfred fully turned to Bruce, his free hand held behind his back. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what point you’re trying to make, sir.” “I’m thinking about adopting, Alf.” OR: A world in which Bruce Wayne got therapy instead of becoming Batman. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20634062

Title: Chase You Down Until You Love Me Summary: The Waynes make a sport of their high profile in the media during yet another boring gala. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4102315

Title: Diversionary Tactic Summary:  Jason, from his early days as Robin to his later days as Red Hood, has had a unique skill set. It ends up being weirdly useful and also possibly the grossest way to have a father-son relationship moment, but hey, that’s life. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12624390

Title: Favorite Parts Summary: There are things Cass loves about Wayne parties, and things she does not. What she loves most is seeing her Father act himself at those parties. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11195331

Title: Gala Night Summary: "What if I use the wrong fork at dinner?" "You won't" "But what if I do?" Bruce arched an eyebrow "Do you seriously think that none of the kids ever used the wrong fork?" [...] Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16397771

Title: Getting out of a Gala Summary: In a world where Bruce found Jason closer to nine and his fallout with Dick wasn't that bad, Jason gets forced to attend a gala. Luckily, or unluckily for him, he ends up getting out of it partway through. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15968498

Title: Gotham’s Top Ten Memes Summary: Every city has its pride and Gotham isn't different. We love our “dark and gloomy” architecture (meet us in the Batburgers parking lot Metropolis) and our Waynes, our vigilantes and most importantly: Our memes. So, without much further ado, we present you Gotham’s top ten memes. Gotham, the Waynes and the Bats through the eyes of social media. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19283281

Title: Happy Little Accidents Summary: Bruce and Lois have a quiet, friendly moment at a gala. Memories of their children make them laugh and cry a little. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21176123

Title: Mess with Them Summary: Selina Kyle is at the first gala event a young Jason Todd attends with Bruce. And she knows exactly what he's going through. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7559761

Title: Nightmare at the Gala Summary: When an amateur group of bad guys get their hands on fear toxin, they decide to use it on their next big game: the semi-annual Gotham Leaders Family Gala. And lo and behold, your favorite vigilante family just happens to be there too. But without their alter egos, they’re just another helpless rich family with easily kidnap-able kids. Will a frantic, fear toxin induced Bruce Wayne get his head together to save them? Or will he accidentally reveal his family’s biggest secret? Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14885828

Title: Of Smiles and Broken Things Summary: Tim's first gala isn't going as well as he had hoped, but at least the host is nice. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17899127

Title: Sorrowful and Immaculate Hearts Summary: A DC universe where moms are awesome and raise their kids right. Now with more melanin and queerness. Also, Gotham's in Michigan and Metropolis is in Connecticut. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Fics are in chronological order but are all standalone. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/440926

Title: Stay a Child Summary: “Redo it,” Bruce orders. “Aw, come on!” Dick dares to pout — a thing that he uses often, and would work on anyone but Bruce and Alfred. Sometimes. Bruce gives him a look. “I’m not going to do it for you.” “I’m going to misdo it until you do,” Dick threatens. [Two times Dick went to a gala with Bruce and one time he didn’t.] Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15098102

Title: The Art of the Gala Summary: Barry is the one who usually goes to these things. Unfortunately for Hal, Barry got called in to Central for a case, so now Hal has to go to the Gala with Bruce. Bruce is just lucky Hal loves him so much. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17654852

Title: The Bat-Signal Smashing Charity Gala Summary: Spawned from the realization that them making Gordon physically destroy the Bat-Signal at the end of The Dark Knight is absurd and hilarious. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1867965

Title: The Bats Out of the Bag (At the Drop of a Tinfoil Hat) Summary: In which Tim is Bruce's secretary, there's a gala, and questions get answered. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18762865

Title: The Gotham’s Wayne Summary: dukeofthomas [We all know who the real QUEEN of the Manor is] The Gothamites are very invested in the Waynes. Very very interested. A journey through the Gotham's favorite family: the Waynes through Social Media. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13333119

Title: The Problem with Galas Summary: Galas are an issue, because something always goes wrong, and no one knows this better than Dick Grayson. (It's a bit of a problem, actually, but he can always depend on Bruce to get him out of trouble.) Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/906501

Title: The Wayne Deal Summary: Bruce Wayne's parents made a deal, if you do something to make yourself noticed at a Gotham Gala- enough to impress the papers, then they will leave right away. Bruce passes this deal along to the children in his custody.Each one adds their own flair to it. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17641559

Title: three bars, one city Summary: The Wayne kids join Twitter. This is widely seen as a very bad move. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18172040

Title: Unattended Wards and their Unfortunate Guardians Summary: Roy and Dick are left alone for a couple hours at a gala. How much trouble could two boys possibly cause while unattended? Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770661

Title: Wayne Family Tweets, aka Why Bruce Wayne's Hair Is Going Gray Summary: JTW @hottoddie oh okay u hold a totally acceptable grudge for a couple years and suddenly ur “”bitter”” Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17387441

Title: Wayne Gala Summary: Alfred teaches the boys how to dance. The girls go shopping for dresses. And it only took three hours into the party for all that effort go to waste. …But that's fine. They were Waynes. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11316591

#dc #dc comics #batman #batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #Damian Wayne #Tim Drake #cassandra cain #duke thomas #Stephanie Brown #batfamrecs

[prismatic-bell]

So I was thinking at work, and you know what Disney should have done if they insisted on remaking Beauty and the Beast? They could have solved two major problems from the first movie in one fell swoop.

First, let’s identify the problems. First, there are only three (named) women in the original BatB movie: Belle, Fifi (Lumiere’s girlfriend, who has a different name in literally every single adaptation), and Mrs. Potts. Or, if you want to be blunt about it: The virgin, the whore, and the mother. Thaaaaaaaat’s not just a whole bunch of unfortunate stereotypes right there, not at all. (There is one more woman, but she’s unnamed: the wardrobe. Apparently in development her name was Madame Armoire, so that’s what I’m calling her.)

Next: Lefou. He was an awful gay-stereotype lackey in the original and he became an awful gay lackey in the remake. Note that I actually like Lefou--I think he’s an incredibly fun character--but that execution, in 2018? Nah, fam.

And how would I fix both of these?

Very simple.

Make Lefou a girl.

With some minor plot changes.

Bear with me a minute here. So we start out with Mademoiselle Lefou following Gaston into frame, right, just like the original. But this Lefou is wearing clothes that are way too big; her hair is chopped short and ragged. It becomes obvious from the way she acts and speaks that her giant not-exactly-a-dress is an old shirt of Gaston’s, and the hair is a self-administered hack job. This Lefou, like Belle, is sort of a town joke--it’s only Gaston’s apparent goodwill that keeps her able to remain in town at all, and the reason for her off-kilter, tomboyish look pretty quickly becomes apparent when Gaston says he intends to marry Belle: Lefou protests, and then quickly goes sad and wistful when Gaston says he deserves the best. Lefou might be kidding the town (and herself) with her overblown Gaston-crush, but she’s not fooling us.

Now, I’m a fan of the stage version, so we’re going to borrow from it just a tad here. There’s a song that isn’t in the movie called “Les Maison des Lunes,” and it’s basically the scene where Gaston gets in cahoots with the owner of the asylum, only awesome. (Listen, it’s a great song.) We’re borrowing that. But instead of Lefou gleefully going along, as the song goes on, Lefou starts to realize just exactly what she’s agreeing to, culminating in a line where, in reply to Gaston saying “she’ll be my bride,” Lefou replies “she’d rather die” and quickly covers it up with a rhyme. Maybe she’s just realized she’s turning against a fellow outcast; maybe it’s occurred to her that she, too, will be tossed aside in some terrible fashion when Gaston no longer has a use for her. It doesn’t matter. Blocking and voice tone show she is, at most, now a very reluctant ally to Gaston’s cause.

Lefou is still reluctant to watch the house for Belle and Maurice to return, no longer because she’s “missing out on the action” but because doing so means facilitating a plan she’s no longer on board with. As The Mob Song approaches, Lefou observes how Belle talks about the Beast, and we see her looking between Belle, Gaston, and her own reflection in a hanging pan with increasing horror; she’s not in love with Gaston, and never was. All she was in love with was an ideal that’s suddenly been shown horrifically wrong. All she has to do to know it is to look at Belle’s face; that’s love, right there.

And so Lefou tries to pull away from Gaston as the march to the castle begins, but she’s dragged along--so she tosses Belle the cellar key, or, if we’re going with the animated “Chip did it” version, perhaps she’s the one who kicks out the blocks from under the wood-chopping machine in the hopes it’ll crash out the window.

(I’m also in favor of girl!Chip, by the way. There are even some schools that already do it that way because of a lack of boys for the cast.)

And so, the melee in the castle, there’s one big change: Lefou quickly realizes this is her chance to make up for the harm she’s caused, and starts wreaking holy hell. Gaston’s crossbow (which he carries but then never uses)? “Accidentally” burned when she just fucking yeets it right at the sentient cookstove. Random approaching villagers trying to take the stairs? Bowled over by a living bust Lefou offers a good rolling start. The doors finally slammed? Yep, she’s there, slumping down amid a group of highly suspicious household objects all out of breath until she asks one very important question: “Where’d Gaston go?”

Now at this point you may be thinking okay, Lefou was the shittiest queer representation ever, but he was representation, and I’ve just swapped out a gay man for a lesbian, which is very much not the same thing. No problem, my friends, because remember the feather duster whose entire role is “be slutty to the point even her name doesn’t matter”?

The feather duster is now a very charming wineglass who, in human form, is a footman. (Or valet, if you prefer the term, although a footman is more likely to make sense as a wineglass and if we’re going deep into the lore, would also be more frequently in contact with Lumiere, the maitre’d.) Given that everyone else has horrifically on-the-nose puns for names, let’s call him Duvin.

(If you’re going to scream about historical inaccuracy because I made the singing candelabra queer, we’re gonna have some words about what your real problem is.) Now if you must have “Human Again” in your Beauty and the Beast--and let me state here that I hate it in the musical and hate even more that they put it back in the animated version when the original reason for removing it was that it makes no fucking sense--this does raise a bit of a problem with Lumiere’s lines, in which he says he had “a mademoiselle on each arm” and Mrs. Potts suggests his return to humanity “should cause several husbands alarm.” But might I suggest, if we’re doing this and doing it right, let’s give the wineglass a greater role than poor Fifi/Babette/Plumette did, make him gay, and go right on ahead and let Lumiere be the giant flaming (not sorry) bisexual flirt he really should have been in the first place, and change the lyrics to “a dashing young thing on each arm” and “should cause several spouses alarm.” Other than the fact that we’re including it at all, that fixes all problems with Human Again.

(If you object to me removing a female character here even though I’ve added two via Lefou and Chip and liberated a third by giving Madame Armoire back her original name and bigger role, I can fix that too. There is absolutely nothing in the lore that prevents the cookstove from being a chick. You could also make Belle’s bed canopy sentient and have her turn back into a maid. Or give that violin-playing hatstand a female role. I’m deeply in favor of the hatstand being Cogsworth’s long-suffering sister. There are many options.)

But let’s get back to the end of the movie, shall we, since I just left the Beast about to be deadified and Lefou collapsed in the hallway and Gaston alive, and none of these are a satisfactory turn of events.

Lefou’s dazed question sends those objects capable of going upstairs fleeing toward the West Wing, just in time to see the Beast fall and Belle’s fateful declaration. Yay! Lights! Flashing! Magic! The Beast is alive and is now a kind of pasty-looking dude who really had no right to call anybody else ugly! Let’s go down to the ballroom, everybody!

. . . . ready for it?

We’ve got Belle--who, without that unfortunate trio of named ladies, just becomes our heroine and, now, our princess. We have Mrs. Potts, the head maid, who very neatly pairs with Cogsworth as our dignified elder heads of the staff, and Chip, who’s The Kid. These are three different kinds of women--understated, professional, Literally A Kid.

And then we add our traditional femme via Madame Armoire . . . who comes in with a very dapper Lefou, proper vest and watch chain and everything. Lefou never stops being a hunter or butch or kind of goofy. It’s just she’s found her people.

(And Lumiere and Duvin both get to be equally courtly and not all stereotyped to death or the butt of any guy-in-a-dress jokes. Although if we must have some kind of clothing joke, I’m deeply in favor of “I had forgotten how very dashing you look in uniform.” “Ah. In uniform?” CUT AWAY AND NEVER MENTION AGAIN.)

THERE. GOOD QUEER REP. MORE WOMEN. NO MORE UNFORTUNATE THINGS WITH THE NAMED WOMEN.

Hire me, Disney.

[airagorncharda]

About My Blog:

Name: Nate Age: 29 (I’m bad at updating this, I was born in 1990) Pronouns: he/him/his.

It’s been ages since I’ve updated any sort of info about myself or my blog, oops.

Dfab nb trans guy, genderfluid. On the aro/ace spectrum. Queer. Gay. Neuroatypical (ADHD among other things; possibly dyslexia or else it’s just my ADHD that makes reading The Worst). I have chronic pain. I’m chubby. 

Privilege: I’m white, I grew up with financial security while I lived with my parents, I live in a liberal area of New England in the USA, I am able-bodied, I can pass as neurotypical. If I make false assumptions or fuck up because of any of these things please call me on it. I will do my utmost not to make this necessary, and to listen if it should ever be necessary.

I blog about social justice, social issues, whatever fandom I’m currently hyperfixated on, DnD, and plenty of other stuff.

My views have evolved since I started blogging, so if you go far enough back in my blog you’ll find posts that I no longer agree with.

I use my “likes” as storage for things I want to respond to later, or save to my computer when I’m on the mobile app, or research more thoroughly before reblogging when I have time/attention, etc. Do not assume I agree with everything in my likes. View my likes with caution.

I’m a writer and an illustrator, and am a Personal Care Assistant to a really cool lady. I play a lot of DnD and I love my dnd group. I’ve been in a relationship with one of my best friends since we were 15. We are engaged, live together, play video games and DnD, and have cats.

I post my thoughts here. I post my art here. These are my cats. This is my face.

I am not always right. I am still learning.

Do not cite me as an expert or trust my implicitly. I am happy to give my thoughts on and discuss any issue, and I do try to research my points before I make them, but I am not an authority.

My ask box is always open. I will respond privately if you ask me to. If I respond publicly I will tag it with your URL so you can find it easily (unless you ask me not to). I tag all asks with “ask” and all anons with “ask” and “anon”. If you send me an ask and I don’t respond it might be because Tumblr ate it, and I never received it, or because I have ADHD and sometimes I forget to respond to things. In either case feel free to send the ask again. I do not consider this rude.

—

I am careful to always tag for things like racism, transphobia, ableism, etc., as well as death, blood, horror cops, spiders, etc., so people can blacklist them.

I am usually happy to add to this list if you have a phobia or trigger and need me to, just ask. If for some reason I’m uncomfortable tagging a particular subject, I will not be offended if you unfollow me (I’ll also just NEVER be offended by that; you do you)

Some navigation help for my blog:

current events - this tag is reserved for whatever the most recent important (and awful) thing happens to be.

Disney’s Frozen - this tag is referencing all of the problems with that movie (the first one), including general discussion about the sexism in how women are animated. It accidentally became my “misogyny in animation” tag, sorry!

Statistics - this tag is for all posts with specific statistics about social injustice.

real talk - this tag is for short posts that I feel most clearly and succinctly summarize issues of social injustice.

Boost - any post that involves petitions, fund raisers, sales, or other things I want people to not only see but interact with.

Fandoms:

I’ve been in fandom for a long time. I’m here to have fun, and am not comfortable with the current online purity culture of throwing shame at people who enjoy harmless things that you don’t. Fandom is not always about what we wish was real or canon; sometimes it’s about the opposite of that on purpose. 

I’m a polyshipper and a multishipper, though I definitely have OTPs and sometimes don’t enjoy seeing those pairs with other people. This is personal preference, and not a judgment on others. 

I try to stay out of fandom discourse and mainly reblog art I like. Occasionally, though, I do reblog criticism of fandom specific bigotry. 

Just because I reblog stuff from a particular fandom doesn’t mean I necessarily like everything about the piece of media, where/who it came from, or the direction it went. I value fandom because of the power to make the stories we’re given into the stories we wish we’d been given, AND the power to turn stories we love into whatever we’re vibing with at the moment.

Harry Potter was a formative fandom for me, so despite hating JKR I will still engage with fanworks related to it. I tag anything Harry Potter with “hp”. I tag everything relating to JKR with “fuck you JKR”.

Anything related to Tolkien’s Middle Earth stories is tagged “lotr”, anything about the MCU is tagged “Avengers”, and anything related to Avatar the Last Airbender is tagged “Atla”. 

I tag anything from the Tales of series with “Tale of” as well as their individual game titles. Anything from MOST Fire Emblem games gets lumped together under “Fire Emblem” but Three Houses is “fe3h”. Similarly, Most Final Fantasy games get “Final Fantasy” while 14 gets “ffxiv”.

Other media I particularly love off the top of my head (and their associated tags), or at least that I often reblog about, includes: Critical Role (and CR2), Phoenix Wright, She Ra (tag: “shera”), Saiyuki, Yu Yu Hakusho (tag: “yyh”), Undertale, The Good Place. Mad Max, Naruto, Miraculous Ladybug (tag: “miraculous”), Legend of Zelda (tag: “zelda”)

Personal tags:

My favorite meta (good meta makes the world go ‘round)

My favorite things on this whole damn site (I love this)

Stuff that’s purely positive (decency, and wholesome)

Things that remind me of my friend group (me and mine and ours)

Mron (things that remind me of and inspire me to work on my sci-fi story about androids)

Embalar (things that remind me of and inspire me to work on the fantasy story/video game/dnd homebrew setting I’m actively working on)

The Fog (things that remind me of and inspire me to work on my fairy tale story, which includes mermaids)

recipes

lifehacks

poetry

art refs (specific tags for: costume design, character design, god design, monster design, creature design, hands, feet, muscles, anatomy, facial expressions, hair, body types, clothes, dresses, fat art, etc., and specific tags for mythical creatures: mermaids, centaurs, vampires, demons, dragons, gryphons, sphinxes, harpies, etc.)

art (specific tags for: sculpture, painting, illustration, music, art history, installation art)

books, games, shows, and movies I wish existed (tumblr books)

furniture, appliances, and house stuff that I would love to have the money to have (want)

pretty jewelry that I want but would never wear because I don’t wear jewelry (for my dragon hoard)

–Nate

#this post is going to be linked to at the top of my blog so this info can stop cluttering up my blog #an update I guess

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[newvegascowboy]

don’t trope me into this

tagged by @royedsasoei. Thanks! this turned into a very long list of my Opinions, so sorry about that. 

Rules: Bold whichever trope you like the most (or hate the least if you’re not a huge fan of either) of the following pairs: 

Slow burn or Love at first sight? 

love at first sight just feels so disney to me. the idea is romantic but is a little too cheesy to me. I like the idea of two people developing a relationship over time. 

Fake dating or secret dating?

i love the drama too much not to say secret dating! the reveal is always so fun and i love seeing other characters slowly cue in. 

Enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers or enemies to friends to lovers? 

again. i love drama too much not to pick this one. 

Oh no there’s only one bed or long distance correspondence?

I’ll be real with you, this is one of my favorite tropes. I think epistolary fics are super interesting anyway. They just have such a unique tone and sense of story telling. Plus, the longing. 

hurt/comfort or amnesia?

ok i mean, both are good, but amnesia fics are a favorite of mind. There’s something about watching someone mourn the death of their friend or lover, even though their friend is still alive and just doesn’t remember them. it gets me. 

Fantasy au or modern au? 

i don’t really like aus that much anyway, but if I read them I usually go for modern aus, just because fantasy is kind of hit or miss for me. 

mutual pining or domestic bliss? 

mutual pining goes along well with slow burn. sometimes it can be frustrating as hell knowing all problems could be solved if two assholes just talked to each other, but there’s also something relatable about just watching from afar. 

smut or fluff?

ok i mean, why not both, first of all. there has to be a good balance between the two imo, because too much fluff can get boring but i’ve also never been a fan of pwp. if they’re going to fuck, at least make it plot relevant. 

canon-compliant or fix-it?

i have read too many bagginshield and reddie fix its for me to not pick this one. For all my talk about not liking aus, canon compliant just hurts too much sometimes, and usually not in a good way. Also, my faves tend to get murdered and i liked to pretend i live in a world where they aren’t dead in a ditch, so im going to have to go with fix-it on this one. 

Reincarnation or character death?

just finished talking about how canon compliant sucks and here i am picking character death, but it’s only because i really don’t like reincarnation aus. i find that character death is a fun foray into super angsty one shots or short chapter fics, but if the story itself is centered around one person dying, then it gets a little drawn out and boring after a while. 

one-shot or multi-chapter?

just fuck me up fam if im not up unreasonably late clicking ‘next chapter’ then whats the Point 

kid fic or road trip?

im a slut for roadtrip fics and i can never find enough of them! i dont know if its the combination of confined spaces, pining, American gothic, or just the specific feel i get from road trip fics, but i love them. Also kid fics have to be written really well for me not to cringe through them and often times that’s not the case loll. 

sci-fi au or magic au?

oh man i love sci fi. I love it so much. I love robots and space and all that shit. both are valid and i love them, but again, it’s all about something to do with the overall feel of the story. I grew up playing Mass Effect and i have a permanent love for that type of sci fi. 

also i love aliens.

Arranged marriage or accidental marriage?

accidental marriage is so stupid and i love it. i always get a kick out of characters having their “oh shit we’re MARRIED?” moment. 

Time travel or isolated together?

perfect opportunity to hash out all your grievances and then bang it out, i guess. VERY classically trope-y in my opinion. 

High school romance or middle-aged romance?

im gay i can’t relate to high school romance, that’s for the hets. 

but in all honesty i like middle aged romance because i often find it in queer fanfiction, and something about two middle aged queer people finally figuring out their lives and realizing they can still find love just fuckin gets me. just a fan of the message that it isn’t too late. 

body swap or genderbend? 

fuckin sophie’s choice over here. I dont particularly like either of these. Genderbend is a little too uncomfortable for me and body swap strays dangerously into the territory of crack, but its the least objectionable. 

Angst or crack?

I get such visceral second hand embarrassment from crack fics. I don’t know how anyone can read them. I see the word crack and i sink into my shame. there’s a difference between humor and crack, and being on f*nfiction.net in 2014 ruined it for me. it was funny when i was fourteen. not so much anymore. 

Apocalyptic or mundane? 

my whole aesthetic is fallout and apocalyptic so OFC i have to go with this one. Something about the atmosphere really gets me. I think I make fallout aus for...probably every fandom i’ve ever been in? I think it presents a unique opportunity to tell a story about how humanity is scattered, but ultimately, we’re in it together, and it’s also a fun challenge to think about how the world has changed and how it works now that civilization is gone. Can’t help but think Mad Max and how fun everything about it is. Apocalypse AUs are always on the table for me. 

(tbh i’ve been thinking about a fallout/tua crossover for actual months and i have no idea how to pull it off, but that’s where my mind is) 

tagging @marvilus73 and anyone else if they want to do this! 

#kal talks #not fallout #tag game #this got way longer than it shouldve been i just love to talk about things i hate i guess! #super fun tho

[sage-nebula]

I watched X-Men: Evolution as a kid, because of course I did, because it was a Kids WB! show and Kids WB! was where I watched most of my cartoons. (I mean, I watched some Nickelodeon too of course, but particularly in my late elementary / middle school years I was all about Kids WB!, since that was where Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jackie Chan Adventures, et cetera aired.) I loved it back then, as you do, and since I signed up for Disney Plus like a peasant because I want to be able to watch the new Marvel shows when they come out, I’ve had it on in the background while I do tedious stuff in Pokémon Sword, like going through Max Raid battles or breeding.

I’m on season three now, so I have to say that my impressions of it now are definitely different from what they were when I was a kid (or even in my early twenties, I think, since I’m pretty sure I rewatched it on Netflix way back then, but I honestly don’t remember very much of it from that rewatch for some reason---I think maybe because they didn’t have all the seasons?). For starters, in the first season in particular I cringed so much watching it now, because it is so very, very early ‘00s. And that’s not a bad thing, per se! It’s just that---for instance, Kitty’s valley girl slang was off the charts in season one. The animation has clearly not aged very well in comparison to what we have today (though of course that’s to be expected). And I’m sorry, but some of the mutant superhero(/villain) outfits are just so, so ugly. Wolverine honestly looks like a Halloween costume store reject (though I’ve never seen a good outfit on him so he’s just . . . he’s doomed no matter what series he’s in). Jean has some weird funky headband thing going on. Cyclops correctly pointed out that Avalanche wears a fruit bowl on his head, but Cyclop’s own onesie is so ugly he has no room to talk. Some of them aren’t so bad, like Shadowcat’s or Nightcrawler’s, but others are just . . . well, this is me looking at them:

But honestly, as much as I’m embarrassed by the show at times in ways that I know I was not when I was watching it as a kid growing up, I have still stuck with it, and it does get better as the series goes on. With that said, I can tell that my tastes have changed regarding ships and such as well from when I was a kid. When I was a kid, I know for a fact that I shipped Scott/Jean and Kurt/Kitty. While I still think that Kurt/Kitty is cute, Scott/Jean makes me roll my eyes and groan every time they have another Romantic Moment™ together, because of how forced it feels (and how childish and annoying the romantic triangles were in season two especially). Scott and Rogue have more chemistry in my opinion, and while I like Jean well enough I don’t really ship her with anyone at the moment. I also have fallen head over heels for Kitty/Lance, both because they are cute as hell in season two (my favorite moment is when it’s agreed they’ll go to the dance together and he’s so happy he accidentally causes an earthquake dslkfjds), but also because I’ve come to stan one (1) problematic boy, and his name is Lance Alvers, a.k.a. Avalanche, a.k.a. the only valid cartoon character named Lance don’t you even start. Watching the series with adult eyes gives me a lot of feelings for this poor boy, mostly centering around the fact that I don’t think Xavier tried at all to recruit him in season one (during Kitty’s recruitment episode), and that I feel that if he had reached out, that if Lance had been shown some compassion then, then perhaps things might have been different for him. I kind of feel that way about the Brotherhood as a whole, actually, except Todd and Fred have less inclination to do the right thing than Lance does, in that Lance actually tries sometimes to be a good person, whereas Todd and Fred just . . . don’t care very much. (Which, to be fair, Lance “blends in” with non-mutants better than Todd or Fred do, and as such both of them have received far more bullying and harassment over being mutants than he has, which might in turn inspire them to turn more harshly against others who might criticize them in any way---but I digress.) Seeing that Lance’s chances at redemption, and that his relationship with Kitty, is being / has been tanked in season three makes me sad. My feelings are hurt. I just want him to sort his life out and start doing the right thing. Just please get your shit together, Lance, I’m begging. (That said, that responsibility is on him, not on Kitty, and she is not wrong for not being with him while he’s pulling bullshit. I want them to be together, but I also want it known that Kitty is her own person and needs to do what’s best for her, too.)

Aside from them, Wolverine and Captain America had only one episode together but they are clearly OTP material, wow. That whole scene where Wolverine is by Cap’s ice bed talking about how they’ll find the cure and he’ll be waiting and etc etc? I don’t get why people ship Wolverine with Sabertooth (if they do, I’m assuming) when he clearly has a pining heart for Steve Rogers. I sleep for Wolverine/Sabertooth, but Wolverine/Cap is the real shit.

That said, I cannot take Wolverine seriously at all. Not only is his mutant outfit ugly as sin, but he also makes all these snarly noises whenever he uses his claws that honestly sound pretty reminiscent of Electabuzz from the PokéAni and I die laughing all the time. Like it’s supposed to be a serious fight scene and he’s supposed to be badass but here I am laughing my ass off at him because he can’t use his claws even once without being like “RWBLBHWLBLBHWBLWH” (that’s probably not the best written out version of his snarly noises but you get it). Like calm down, man, don’t be so dramatic. I’m sure, positive even, that you could scratch things without having to make snarly noises with your mouth. Scratch with your claws, not with your vocal chords. I believe in you. (This is 100% how I would die in a fight against him, though. He’d make the snarly noises and I’d start laughing and he’d be able to kill me instantly because I’d be incapacitated by laughter. It’d be worth it, though. At least I’d die laughing.)

I feel like introducing the new students in season two (save for like, Boom-Boom, because I love her) was kind of a mistake, since hardly any of them got any real development and were just kind of There as a result. I’ve heard that Bobby gets a lot of heat for being stupid, and to be fair there was a moment at the end of season two where he successfully cuts the alarm system but then almost immediately drops the wirecutters into the motion sensors that he’d already passed, but like, honestly . . . I would do that. That would be me, and my luck, and my clumsiness. I can’t even fault him because man, I’d be there. Even so, Bobby didn’t contribute much in most of season two, and neither did the others, and I feel that screentime would have been better saved for the main cast to be developed more. C’est la vie though, season three has started trimming that cast down some at least.

All in all though, it’s a fun thing to have on in the background, and like, now that I’m an adult and know with 100% certainty that I’m queer, seeing the political side of X-Men also clues me in to exactly why superhuman and ESPer stories always appealed to me as a kid. I didn’t know I was queer back then, at least not consciously, but subconsciously I knew I was different and so now, knowing exactly how I am different, it’s like ah . . . oh yes . . . that’s why this type of story appeals to me so much, I get it now.

Either way, though, don’t be surprised if you see more Avalanche / Lance Alvers reblogs from me, because every time I see him I’m just

So yeah, don’t be surprised if you see more of him.

#xmen evolution #xmen: evolution #Lance Alvers is the ONLY cartoon boy named Lance who matters or deserves to exist #don't even try to start with me because I said what I said and I meant it and I'm RIGHT #but seriously though #Wolverine: ''RWBLWBLWLBWLW'' #Me #mocking him right before he kills me: ''RWBLWLBWLBWLW'' #HOW DOES ANYONE TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY I LAUGH AT EVERY SINGLE FIGHT SCENE HE'S IN #well the ones with Sabertooth are kind of old by this point but like #STILL #HE SOUNDS SO FUNNY AND LOOKS LIKE A DISASTER JUST #MAN THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS #THERE'S JUST GOTTA

[iamnmbr3]

Hey, thanks for being here and letting us sound off and let our grief and anger out somewhere safe. I personally feel like I can’t be honest without getting abuse. I think the straight fans forget isn’t about “stupid shippers being butthurt” a lot o us are actual queer people being hurt. No one expected on scene romance marvel/Disney are too cowardly for that. But for them to completely undermine his entire character just to shut us up is a pointed, intentional message Part 1/2

2/2 As a queer person with no comic knowledge watching these movies I really thought Steve was written as a closeted gay man. His every interaction with P*ggy/blonde lady/nat/Sh*ron legitimately,to me, seemed one sided and uncomfortable to Steve. The one time he kissed P*ggy seemed for her sake not his because he had no intention of coming back. That’s why his whole new Peggy obsession seems off the rails to me. They didn’t date and he really seemed uninterested in tfa. Guess I was a gay dumbass

Part 3 I guess I’d just ask the people who are celebrating this win to be a little understanding and stop telling shippers to shut and be grateful

Of course! *giant hug!* Thank you for this ask. Sorry if this answer gets a bit long, because there’s a lot in here that I want to unpack. 

Obviously I’m quite upset about what the Russos have done, for a number of reasons, and how the MCU’s corporate leadership in general has handled this whole thing. But honestly, I’ve also been quite disturbed by the reaction I’ve seen on here from some people who seem so angry that there are some of us out here who didn’t like this movie.

Attacking someone because they didn’t enjoy a superhero movie for whatever reason is absurd. You have the right not to interact with negative content. But you do not have the right to attack people for having feelings. 

However, this is more than just a movie that some people didn’t like. If people were complaining because their ships were sunk, that would be a valid reason to dislike a film, and they wouldn’t deserve any criticism. But this goes deeper. 

This movie didn’t just happen to sink a ship. It was written in a way to very specifically and systematically undermine people’s ability to read Steve and Bucky’s relationship as romantic. People aren’t just upset because Marvel didn’t canonize stucky. They’re also upset because the film went out of its way to try to actively de-canonize anything that could contribute to a queer reading of these characters, to the point of utterly destroying their characterization to do so. 

This is particularly disgusting and upsetting because the relationship between Steve and Bucky was initially written in a way that was full of romantic subtext. And I don’t think that was accidental. I think at one point, it was very intentional. Sure, they were never going to actually explore that relationship openly in the films. But I don’t think the subtext in Winter Soldier was coincidental or accidental. 

The Russos were looking for a way to make Steve’s character deeper and more interesting. They looked at the relationship between him and Bucky in TFA, which already included subtext, and they decided to accentuate that. Steve’s adjustment to the 21st century becomes a lot more complicated, if you write him as a closeted gay man from the 40s who has lost everything he ever knew or cared about and is mourning the love of his life, only to then discover that that person is actually alive. And then of course, Steve has to fight an antagonist who he is in love with and desperately doesn’t want to harm. That’s a good story. That’s an interesting one. And it adds depth to the characters, even if it stays as subtext. 

But then something happened. People picked up on that subtext and responded to it. They responded too much. And Disney didn’t like that. They started trying to sink stucky in Civil War (how mild their efforts seem now). By Infinity War, Steve and Bucky were barely allowed to interact on screen, despite how central they are to each other’s stories. And then we got that disgusting conclusion to Endgame, which defies logic and characterization. And honestly it feels like it’s punishing fans for picking up on the subtext that was written into the movie. We didn’t put it there. It’s punishing us for caring about this truly epic and beautiful romance. And it’s punishing people for seeing a reflection of themselves in these characters. And that’s not just wrong. It’s sickening.

Obviously people are upset about that. To call them “angry shippers” is so insultingly reductive. Even if they were just angry shippers, they still would have a right to dislike this movie. But it’s so much more than that. This ship wasn’t just born out of fandom. It was born out of the canonical content of these films and the way people connected with that. People are angry because Marvel gave us something and then tried to take it back and destroy it.

But they didn’t succeed, and they won’t. Because fandom is stronger than that. We saw this beautiful relationship, this incredible love story that Marvel and Disney were too pathetically cowardly to tell, and we told it. Not once, but a thousand times over in every manner and format you can imagine. We honed and perfected it and we will keep doing that. These are fictional characters. The “canon” Steve is not more real than the “fanon” Steve in any fan art or fanfic. All fiction is equally fictional. 

On AO3 right now there are 40,901 versions of Steve and Bucky whose romance is canonically acknowledged. The MCU has one (1) version whose relationship is not canonically acknowledged. 40,901 to 1. Fandom wins. 

#asks #my post #endgame spoilers #stucky #endgame #anti endgame #anti russos #lgbtq #Marvel #MCU #random musings

[scarletwelly-boots]

Books Read 2019

It’s time again for my annual books read post (a little earlier than usual, but I couldn’t wait). I read 24 books in 2019, 4 books more than last year, though two are in progress and I expect to finish them by the new year.

It is year four of the reading challenge from Popsugar. There were 48 categories this year, so I got 50% again. Unlike last year, I did not change any categories, but I may have taken liberties with some again, we’ll see. So, without further ado, let’s begin the list. [Under the cut]

1. How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell (A book becoming a movie in 2019). Okay, so there have already been two movies in this series, but the last one (*sob*) came out this year, so it counts. I read this book and a few of the others in the series a few years ago, but revisited the first one this year. It’s really good, but don’t go into it expecting it to be like the movies. The character names are the same, but that’s about it. If you can get your hands on the audiobook version, it’s read by David Tennant, which is excellent. Definitely recommend; it’s just as good as the movies.

2. Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (A book that makes you nostalgic). This is another reread. My dad read the whole series aloud to my sister and I when we were barely older than Laura is in the first book. It was the series he read before the Harry Potter books came out, and we both got sucked into that series. So yeah, very nostalgic. This is a series of semi-autobiographical stories chronicling Wilder’s pioneer childhood, and this is the first in the series. Some of the language doesn’t really age well, but for the most part it’s a delightful book.

3. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, by Hank Green (a book you think should be turned into a movie). Holy. Shit. I was very, very pleasantly surprised by Hank Green’s debut novel (and yes, John Green is his brother). This is a mysterious book about first encounters and internet fame, with a queer young adult (like, really YA, as in post-college) protagonist. She’s kind of shitty sometimes, but I would argue all twenty-somethings are shitty sometimes (I mean, I literally typed “*sob*” two entries up, like I’m channeling my 2009 self, and I didn’t delete it.). I would highly, highly recommend. And apparently, SOMEDAY, there’s supposed to be a sequel, thank GOD.

4. Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Jason Ewing (a reread of a favorite book). I could actually get away with a reread for this one! I love this graphic novel series. I love how they depict Loki, how he finally gets a goddamn redemption arc. It’s a really fun read. Check it out.

5. The Beast Within, by Serena Valentino (a book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore). A companion novel to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I don’t really remember much about this book. It was weird. But like, it plays with the timeline and the curse a little bit, where the beast gets cursed but doesn’t become a beast immediately. He slowly transforms as his behavior gets worse and more cruel. Apparently he used to be friends with Gaston, but Gaston forgot about him once he finally transformed. Really weird. If you’re obsessed with this fairytale like I am, give it a shot. If not, it probably won’t be that interesting.

6. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie). Another reread. I know it’s a classic, but I seriously just love this book. 

7. Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diane Wynne Jones (a book about someone with a superpower). Another reread of a favorite book, what can I say. The movie is my favorite movie, but the book is better.

8. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell (a book told from multiple character POV’s). Okay, listen. I had to reread this book, because it had been a few years and the sequel came out this year. Think of this as generic brand Harry Potter if Draco was a vampire, was Harry’s roommate, and helplessly in love with Harry. I’m serious, it’s generic brand. But damn if I don’t love it. @JKR, this could be us but Harry had to be the jock that married his high school sweetheart and grew up to be a cop. Definitely read.

9. Franny and Zooey, by JD Salinger (a book with no chapters/unusual chapter headings/unconventionally numbered chapters). My brother got me this book for my birthday. Before this I had only read Catcher in the Rye, which I started out hating when I was fourteen but turned into loving when I was nineteen. Honestly I think this novel is better than that one. I really loved it. Highly recommend. What’s it about? Who the fuck knows? But to quote my brother: “At its core, I think this book is about a smart brother and a smart sister. I think we can relate.” So read it and buy it for the smart brother or sister or sibling in your life.

10. 1916, by Tim Pat Coogan (read a book during the season it is set in). This is an Irish history book about the Easter Rising of 1916 and (what I didn’t know when I started reading it in April) everything that came after that can trace its cause back to the rebellion, all the way to the centennial of the Rising. The Easter Rising was the catalyst of Irish freedom. It was like the Boston Tea Party of Ireland, rather than the Battle of Yorktown (as in it kickstarted the War for Independence but didn’t immediately result in freedom), that is, if the instigators of the Boston Tea Party were rounded up, imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol, and a week later almost all executed by firing squad. It’s a tedious read if you’re not into Irish history or history in general, but I enjoyed it.

11. Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee (a book set in space). Okay, technically it takes place on Asgard and Earth, but those are planets, and planets are in space, so it counts! I’m still reading it, but I really like it so far. (Honestly I maybe just like the idea of Loki in knee high black boots marketed towards women and black nails. I never promised not to be gay.)

12. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (a book set in Scandinavia). I’m sorry! I read this book every year. Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, and we all know I’m gay as shit for some good Loki tales. 

13. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (a book that takes place in a single day). Okay, I know people love this fantasy series, and since it’s Irish I fully expected to, too. But I didn’t like any of the characters enough to read the rest of the series, least of all Artemis himself. I struggle to enjoy stories if I don’t like the main character, and Artemis was kind of a shit. Sorry, I did not like this one.

14. Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy (a debut novel). I just started this one, too, but I really like it already. I think the audiobook is read by the same guy that read Artemis Fowl, but already this is way better than that one. The characters are likable, for one (god, the bar is so low for fantasy books for me right now). It’s a mystery and a fantasy, and the main-ish character is literally an anthropomorphic skeleton detective. It’s excellent. I’m going to read the whole series. (I have to; my mom accidentally got me the 12th installment for my birthday.)

15. Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (a book that’s published in 2019). I read this twice. It’s so beautiful. I really expected it to be a shitty YA novel, but it wasn’t! It was very romantic (once they stopped “hating” each other), and gay. The premise sounds far-fetched: First Son of the United States falls for the Crown Prince of England. But, guys, it’s soooo gooooood. Highly, highly, highly recommend. 

16. The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures, by Chad Lewis (a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature). I mean, you can make your own decision whether these cryptids are real or imaginary. This is a travel guide to cryptids in Wisconsin, which I got on vacation earlier this year. I liked it, but reading a road guide for pleasure is admittedly kind of weird. Recommend if you’re planning a road trip through Wisconsin and want to stop at some cryptid, ghostly, or Nessie-like hotspots. Or if you just want to fuck Mothman, like me. (Dustybae’s not in this particular travel book though.)

17. Take Me With You, by Andrea Gibson (a book recommended by a celebrity you admire). Okay, so it was by a celeb I admire, not recommended by. This is a very quick read, of quotes from Gibson’s poetry. They are a queer spoken word poet with some really good pieces. They’re on spotify and apple music, probably among other sources. Recommend their work, but the book is very short, so maybe only purchase if you enjoy their work.

18. This is How it Always Is, by Laurie Frankel (a book about a family). This book was really, really good. It was passed around the aunts in my family until it got to my mom and I, which was really kind of a magical thing. It’s about a family navigating the challenges and gifts of raising a trans child. I cried a couple times, and it was so good. It’s written by a parent of a trans child, so it came from a place of understanding, and it was interesting to read this type of narrative from a parent’s perspective, when usually being genderfluid myself, I tend to consume media that is from the perspective of trans characters themselves. I had some very interesting conversations with my aunts and mom about it, and I really think this book changed my family a little bit, and I didn’t expect it to change me, too. Highly recommend. 

19. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Suzanne Clark (a book that includes a wedding). So the wedding is at the very beginning, and sadly not between Strange and Norrell. But it’s really good. Lots of magic, lots of regency-era Britishness. The book is huge, but there is a miniseries on Netflix based on the novel and that’s really good too. Highly recommend, and still in love with my man John Childermass. Hnng.

20. Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell (a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter). Sequel to Carry On. Sheer madness. I loved it. Think of it as generic brand Harry Potter post-DH, if Harry sprouted dragon wings during the final battle, is gay as shit for Draco, and a year later Harry, Draco, and Hermione are set loose on America with .5 seconds of research, severe culture shock, one cell phone between them, and a half-assed plan to rescue Ginny who may or may not want to be rescued. Shit show, but well done and I’m fully invested and ready for the third installment.

21. Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman (a book with a two-word title). I’m sorry, I need to shift to caps for this. GUYS I FUCKING LOVE THIS STORY YOU HAVE NO IDEA IT IS THE GREATEST THING THAT HAS EVER COME INTO MY WORLD! I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE WATCHED THE AMAZON SERIES THIRTEEN TIMES TO DATE AND IMMEDIATELY DEVOURED THE BOOK IN THREE DAYS. You don’t know what it’s about? Where have you BEEN?! An angel and a demon who are gay as shit for each other and love humanity way more than either of their respective sides. One downside is that as the miniseries came out like twenty years after the novel, my two favorite parts were only written for the series, and are not in the novel. But the book is still very, very good. 15/10.

22. Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy (a book revolving around a puzzle or game). I took game to mean competition, so this is about a beauty competition. I watched the Netflix movie first. I honesty thought I was not gonna like it, but holy shit it was amazing. Admittedly I think the movie was better (despite having Jennifer Aniston in it), but the book was really good, too. Recommend.

23. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde (your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar reading challenge; a book with a queer protagonist). God, please read this book. This has been up there in my list of favorite books since I was fourteen. Oscar Wilde is a master storyteller, and Dorian Gray is intriguing and despicable and beautiful. I’ve already read this, but I love it too much not to.

24. Terrible Queer Creatures, by Brian Lacey (a book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent). Okay, so it’s not set there for the whole book, but gay monks and nuns are things. This was another birthday present, and an absolute hit. Combining two of my favorite things: Irish history and queer history. I had no idea a book like this existed. I’m still really excited about it. The only issue I have is that most of the one chapter dedicated to gay women involve biographies of people that were actually probably trans men, like Dr. Barry. They could have probably had a separate chapter and then a chapter of the clear lesbians and bisexual women (including trans women, of course). Lumping them in with the women in a chapter specifically dedicated to queer women did not seem particularly inclusive. But overall I really enjoyed the book.

Top Ten Books of 2019 post will be forthcoming.

#books #Book Recommendations #book recs

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24HighSchoolStudents #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental education #environmental justice #environmental protection #environmental health #high school students #high school #youth #youth of america #school