#Stay Skeptical

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Good Omens, staying skeptical, and the mystery and the lie at the heart of Gravity Falls

-Neil Gaiman, 29 June 2023

I recently came across this post by @apathetic-revenant, which goes into extensive detail about a whole secret meta lie generated by Alex Hirsch, creator and head writer of Gravity Falls, midway through the show.

It went like this: the show was very focused on mysteries, codes, ciphers, etc, and early on a character discovered a mysterious journal with an unknown author, and this drove the plot. There were clues placed in the show so that people could solve the journal author's identity, or more probably so that it would all make sense in hindsight after the big reveal. However, the show ended up with a larger-than-expected fandom who started organizing online in a way the creators hadn't expected or planned for, and they were worried everyone would collectively solve the mystery too easily, too soon, and the suspense and appeal of the story gradually unfolding would be lost.

So they took a fake BTS photo that appeared to reveal the journal's author and "leaked" it online. To give it credibility, the show's creator posted "Fuming right now" and then deleted the post soon after, once they were certain it had been seen and screenshots taken. The Gravity Falls fandom then stopped trying to solve the mystery, as they believed the answer had already been revealed. It was a solution "targeted toward delaying that group problem-solving, without actually affecting the experience of any individual person watching the show."

Ok, Good Omens fandom. Are we Gravity Falls all over again? Are we also experiencing meta lies?

Is it possible that Amazon's marketing department has just released a new promotional video about Aziraphale & Crowley's "timeline of interconnectedness" (discussions here and here ) where they honestly:

got several of those timeline dates wrong, including labeling the entirety of seasons 1 and 2 as belonging to the same year?

mixed all the season 1 and 2 clips together so they're completely interconnected and out of the order they were presented to us so far?

didn't consult with Neil Gaiman for even a moment to be sure they had their facts straight? (Or literally anyone else who's spent years working on it? Or even someone who has just watched it once while paying attention?)

didn't understand the way most series tell a story by moving through time in a realistic linear fashion?

When Neil said today that "time is fine" in response to questions about the timeline of interconnectedness video, was he trying to misdirect the fandom away from the mystery that's clearly hidden throughout both seasons (and especially season 2)?

The Good Place seems suddenly more relevant than I'd imagined:

Neil has told us that his Tumblr posts aren't canon. He's also said:

"Never trust the storyteller. Only trust the story."

"Writers are liars, my dear, surely you know that by now? And yet, things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot." -Both quotes are from The Sandman [link]

So here's my plea to whichever part of the fandom might read this: Stay Skeptical. It's wonderful to talk to Neil about his characters, the worlds he's created, his writing process, his views on world events, his sense of humor, his kindness, his compassion and empathy, and his good advice & encouragement for the entire range of the human experience. I respect him very much, and I'm thrilled he's here on social media talking to all of us. (Except he doesn't have social media, obviously. He's like Schrödinger's Social Media Neil-cat.)

I'm looking forward to all the surprises I'm certain are in store for us (and Aziraphale and Crowley) in Good Omens season 3. I trust Neil (and Terry!) to deliver our beloved characters to a very satisfying ending. But I don't trust Neil to honestly answer all of our questions on social media - and neither should you.

Especially not when he's already blamed obvious season 2 changes to the Bentley on the "lighting" (as just one example).

With lots of thanks to the members of the @ineffable-detective-agency - including @bbbitchvibbbez, @kimberleyjean, @maufungi, @noneorother, @theastrophysicistnextdoor, and @thebluestgreen for all their excellent fact-checking, ideas, and discussions!

Interested in diving further into all the Good Omens mysteries? I have more posts plus Clues and metas from all over the fandom, here.

#ineffable mystery #stay skeptical #meta lying #writers are liars #we're all detectives in this fandom #ineffable fandom #good omens fandom #good omens #good omens meta #good omens analysis #good omens speculation #good omens theory #neil gaiman #neil gaiman quotes #gnu terry pratchett #terry pratchett #gravity falls #alex hirsch #amazon prime #amazon marketing #good omens season 3 #good omens season 2 #good omens season 1 #aziraphale #crowley #south downs cottage #Schrödinger's Social Media Neil-cat

[msclaritea]

Good! That's the right attitude, Gen Z. It's the very one the adults in the room should have had for the Internet when it was introduced. We are STILL without basic protections from stalking, hacking, etc. Silicon Valley and the Media keep gleefully talking about all of the humans that AI will replace and just like Cheadle in the Space Jam scene, these wealthy shitheads love to brag about what their plans are. Stay skeptical about artificialintelligence, GenZ.

#Stay Skeptical #Gen Z #AI #Artificial Intelligence #Don Cheadle #Space Jam #Preprogrammed Scene #Animation To Be Eliminated #It's Too Kid Friendly #Warner Bros #David Zaslav #Secret Invasion #Samuel L Jackson #Bob Marley actor #Hollywood Gay Mafia

[allthingsorganic2024]

#organic standards #nutrition science #stay skeptical #question everything #anti fear mongering food science

[the-hanged-lover]

if we don’t see ilja v gunther main event bash in berlin what is even the point of life

#i’m almost 100% sure it’ll happen #but there’s 5% of me that’s skeptical #here’s the thing ilja is canonically the best person to kick gunther’s ass #but gunther has also kicked ilja’s ass #so who is REALLY gonna win??? idk stay tuned for the next episode of dragon ball z #not to mention both are incredible and will put on an instant classic #gunther #ilja dragunov #wwe #wwe nxt #nxt #bash in berlin

[july-19th-club]

my mom's got a thyroid disorder so she's immunodeficiant and most vaccines lay her out for an extreme period of time. but what she takes from this is 'they're not helpful' because she's. well like a lot of people her age of her religious demographic she's spent the last ten years getting stupider . so when i mentioned i was getting my flu and covid shots tomorrow she was like oh ok so i can expect you to be sick for a week. no that's YOU. and i'm doing this so neither of us get sick ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure good mother

#we're like. the kind of people whose Issues specifically clash with each other #she wasnt so nervous about vaccines when i was a kid but ever since my cousin got an autism dx. well . she and my aunts got all #like. conspiracytheory about it. not to such an extreme degree that they think nobody should do it just that they feel the need to like #make skeptical anxious comments if anybody brings the topic up #if i seem to be posting a lot about my parents. im staying with them for three weeks while family is in town #and there are i expect going to be a lot of these convos

[gene-and-the-riskyfixins]

I always find it so amusing when I watch different shows about Supernatural things, I don't know how to describe it, but the vibes

#like where is my witty banter #where is my skeptic #who actually stays a skeptic #where is my story telling #I am trying to keep myself awake for the announcement #and a show about Supernatural things has come on TV #Aiyah txt.

[krakenshipwreck]

#i was very skeptical as i started this article #but actually it’s yet another example of the kraken seizing an opportunity to welcome nontraditional fans #just stay the eff off tumblr ok kraken?

[imagone]

ngl seeing how predominantly white western mutuals either stay absolutely silent or advocate for “both sides” while rb other sj content rly puts everything into perspective for me. y’all can reblog as many anti-racism posts as you want, it doesn’t mean shit when you actively chose to ignore a real time genocide against black and brown people

#palestine #gaza #israel #there are a few that are vocal about it ofc but still so many of you are deliberately staying silent because it’s the east way out #*​easiest #this is why we will always be skeptical of white activism

[57sfinest]

PRECINCT 41 BULLPEN (C-Wing) -- The main workroom of C-wing is busy this time of day, full of officers milling about to get reports submitted so they can punch out and go home before they’re caught and assigned a last-minute evening field case. You spent years of your life, nearly two decades, here in this room in this building. And you had to be given a tour when you were taken back in. You have only been back for a few days, restricted to pencil-pushing until your general sanity can be vouched for and also until Kim’s transfer finalizes. Whichever takes longer.

SUGGESTION -- No one else would agree to partner with you, and in Jamrock no officer can go into the field alone. It’s a matter of policy, your questionable faculties notwithstanding. So you’d better get to liking the drone work-- you’ll be stuck at this desk until Kim gets here. Maybe longer.

ESPRIT DE CORPS (Easy: Success) -- On the other side of the silk mill, two people are dressing down in the locker room. Patrol officers Tillbrook and Mollins speak to each other over a wall of lockers for privacy. “Did you see? Tequila’s back. I thought he finally kicked it.” 

ESPRIT DE CORPS -- “Do I want to see?” Mollins peeks around a row of lockers to grin. “How bad is it? Do we need to evacuate?”

ESPRIT DE CORPS -- The shake of his head carries an air of confusion. “He was… quiet. The rumors were true-- I had to reintroduce myself.” At Mollins’ scoff of disbelief, he continues-- “I saw him in the hall and I said, ‘Hey, Tequila!’ and he gave me this funny look and went-- do you know what he said? He just said ‘Don’t call me that, please.’ and he kept on walking. He said *please*, Emelie.”

ESPRIT DE CORPS -- “So he really did lose his mind. I guess the jury’s out on whether he found it like you said he would.” Mollins shrugs. “I give it a week. Maybe two, if he and Vicquemare manage to avoid each other.”

ESPRIT DE CORPS -- “Before he finds it?”

ESPRIT DE CORPS -- Mollins smiles. It is not sincere. There is worry, maybe fear, etched into the lines around her mouth. “Before he loses it again.”

#disco elysium #disco elysium fic #hm. #harry du bois #lately i've been really interested in like. outside perspectives on harry. especially from The Before Times #how people perceive him especially now that he's so different #whether they're even willing to reevaluate their perceptions of him at this point #whether they're openly skeptical about his condition/intentions (jean) or just hold quiet reservations (kim initially) #whether they knew him well enough to give up hope for him #vs being distant enough that they can try to believe in him this time (judit only knew him for 2 months after all) #really no one at the station actually cares. at work he's become a spectacle instead of a person #everyone is just hanging around to watch the tequila sunset show no one gives a shit how it ends as long as it stays entertaining #honestly i think after martinaise everyone is just holding their breath around harry. pure anticipation of the next spiral #at least before they had a solid idea of his limits and what would provoke him and stuff but now? #they're not sure how much of him is gone. it makes him even scarier tbh #kiwipost #wrote a whole new analysis post in the tags of a microfic lmfaoooooo sorry

[jedi-bird]

When I go to used bookstores, I have very specific things I look for. Old editions of favorite authors. Interesting dollar finds. Scifi and fantasy for older, out of print things and anything star wars that I don't already have. Random reference and history books if I'm working on something specific.

This is one of the interesting finds from recently. It was $2 and is a combination history and recipe book. And it came inscribed.

"Deana/Stanley- May we be the first to introduce you to Tofu-? Good eating and fine health. Our love Paul and Eve" (I think that's the name but I'm not sure).

I don't know if they wound up liking tofu or not, seeing as almost 44 years later the book wound up on the shelves at a used bookstore, but I'm quite happy to have it now. So thanks for donating it.

#birdy's used bookstore finds #my book collection is extensive and should probably be thinned but i love them all so much #and yes i could easily get a modern cookbook about tofu but this one was neat #biggest draw was the inscription #i hope that they appreciated the book and that the friendship stayed healthy #though the skeptic in me says that they didn't appreciate the intro to tofu

[qkmlh]

Full offense y’all but the funniest sh!t Horikoshi has ever pulled is having Skeptic call Dabi a Daddy’s Boy™️ in the middle of all this emotional wreckage

#I don’t care how the official translations come out as but this one is staying #Thank you Horikoshi for unintentionally validating me I am having a BLAST!! #Yeah I could lose it emotionally but I have to finish wheezing first to do that #Todoroki Touya #Dabi #Skeptic #My Hero Academia #MHA 363 #MHA #Boku No Hero Academia #BNHA 363 #BNHA #Ani Rambles

[vvitchgender]

Thinking so sadly about people who thought doing research papers in high school was stupid and now they can't be bothered to fact-check literally anything on their social media feeds so they're falling down political rabbitholes or gaining other bizarre untrue understandings of the world because they legitimately just don't know the basics of double-checking a claim.

#i got into an argument irl with a semi covid denier recently and it blew my mind how much he was just like #'yeah well literally any outside source i encounter could be lying so obviously my own judgement is the one true metric' #like thats. thats not how it works. #you are fallible you are ignorant #thats not an insult thats just the reality of what it means to be human #you cannot know everything all the time #stay skeptical bc yes hypothetically anyone COULD lie #but many many people just want to teach you the truth and you deserve to learn it #it speaks

[girlhorrror]

you guys have to stop taking about a documentary forever because if it does end up being real and i have to listen to gerard talk about his costumes in detail or god forbid see footage of the designing process or just any sign of the intentionality that i know has gone into this i’m gonna pass away

#i guess this is genderwars posting (JOKING IM JOKING) but also beyond that too like i want the details on ALL of them #i want an interview w marina #anyways i SAW that merch page screenshot i don’t believe it #i have to Stay Skeptical or i’ll explode #mcr

[vorpalmuchness]

I'd like to think very obvious plots and kidnapping attempts of Padme within Clone Wars follow the X Files logic of, for every one episode/plot we see there is a ratio of episodes where that doesn't happen

#like for every x files ep there's like 4 or 5 that are completely normal which is why Scully can stay skeptical #emma liveblogs clone wars

[calamitydaze]

.

#everyone should feel what they need to feel like i’ve certainly been grieving #more so for the community than for him bc i think that really is gone— at least existing as it was— even in the best outcome #but i’ve seen a lot of people acting like we already know he’s guilty when like.. we don’t #it’s his word against hers until they go to court and there’s legitimate points on both sides and reasons to be skeptical of both sides #i think the shock and betrayal and grief of it all is making people see the situation more severely than it really is #again i want 2 stress. this is not intended to defend or absolve him of anything— if it’s real then yeah fuck him #but we don’t know that yet #and i think trying to stay objective and neutral is so key #and that means avoiding jumping the gun on Both ends of the spectrum #(i don’t plan on talking about this a lot btw! i know most of you wanna distance yourselves and i don’t want to make it hard 4 u 2 do that #just wanted to cautiously put this out there) #dream.situation

[therobotmonster]

OKAY.

So... you order a drawing from a psychic of your “soul mate.”

And then the guy from the drawing just happens to show up.

And everything the psychic said about him is true.

Let me guess, his idea of a romantic honeymoon is a cozy cabin in the wilderness in an area known for treacherous hiking?

#hinkies fucking christ #scams #pscychics aren't real yo #skepticism #stay safe #am i the only one who sees this #red flags #danger signs #danger ahead