#and people are like QUEERBAITER

[aesthetic-uni]

Misha Collins is the funniest straight man ever. He’s the only person to arguably queerbait in real life. He had to come out as a straight. He was told by WB to just stay bisexual. He’s living every homophobe’s nightmare scenario but the only difference is that everyone actually loves it for him

#misha collins #also don’t argue about me about the queerbait thing I know he didn’t it’s just a fucking joke #anyway back to the funny #more straight people should honestly be like him #keep ‘em on their toes #or something #I know nothing about this man or supernatural #but I adore him #have y’all seen his feud on Tiktok with icaruspendragon? #btw someone should check on her #but it’s hilarious #I hope he loves the rest of his life by just adding fuel to the fire that is his life

[luigi-core]

what if i ended it all right now.

#THEY KNOW WHAT THEYRE DOING #THEY KNEW WE WOULD EAT THIS UP FR ‼️ #they saw how much of a reaction we had to the homoerotic chin grab #so they decided to feed us another sexually charged snippet #as a little treat #it’s not queerbaiting but that doesn’t mean i cant still get mad that they won’t end up together in this movie #wdym the mario movie isn’t just about these two i refuse to believe it. #i love how twinkified luigi is in this movie like he’s so girlypop and for what 😭 #luigi #bowser #bowuigi #super mario bros #smb #super mario bros movie #mario movie #mario movie trailer #GAY #GAY PEOPLE REAL

[bloggingboutburgers]

...Maybe queerbaiting can only ever mean homobaiting or transspecbaiting

Idk don't kill me those are just cans of worms

#no one can know i don't like sex #queerbaiting #asexual #aromantic #aroace #not 100% a hot take but i doubt aro ace bait actually exists tbh #because i don't think writers and audiences care about aro or ace people enough to even think of writing them as bait #it's in THAT sad a state #my art #nonburger

[visenyaism]

you used to wear newspapers in your shoes.

#i like this moment we’re having to reflect on the absolute euphoria of getting queerbaited by the MCU 2014-2017. it was real to me #people were on here writing next great American novel-tier shit about the MCU #we really did lose the brightest minds of our generation to Captain America the Winter soldier

[samglyph]

Whenever someone includes Malevolent on their “queer podcast” lists I feel like laughing. Malevolent is the equivalent of the lonely cis allo straight guy at a pride parade. He didn’t come to support anyone. He doesn’t even know how he got there. He was just walking down the street and got pulled into the fray by excited subtext enjoyers.

#and now to be serious: I have seen MULTIPLE posts now calling jarthur a ‘canon queerplatonic relationship’ #this is. not true. I sure would like it to be true. but it’s not true and I think it’s unfair to tell people that #to try and get them to listen when you know full well that Harlan has adamantly said that they aren’t that #Harlan for all his faults is trying desperately not to queerbait people meanwhile you guys are doing it for him lol #masked #do I think they’re relationship is kind of inherently queer. yea #but you gotta stop saying CANON you’re gonna disappoint people

[brachiocephalics]

let's all kill ourselves

#WHY ARE YOU SHOWING ME THIS IF I CAN'T HAVE IT #m*a*s*h #houlintyre #margaret houlihan #trapper john mcintyre #oscar #like don't piss me off i need them please i need them so fucking much #its like they queerbaited me with straight people

[eddiezpaghetti]

Okay, so my experience with Stranger Things is a weird one.

I didn't care when it first came out, started to watch it out of "might as well" in 2020, wasn't interested in it enough to make it past S2, forgot about it outside of going "oh, hey, cool, there's a lesbian in it now, I guess," in S3, got really annoyed when "Running Up That Hill" got popular from it because it was a song I listened to on fucking loop after one of my best friends died in high school and I fully expected its appearance in the show to ignore the whole survivor's guilt theme of the song (and was very happy to learn later that it did the exact opposite of ignoring the lyrics), saw people drawing Eddie, suddenly got a lot more interested, watched just the fourth season like a fucking psychopath because I was seriously only there for Eddie, then got interested enough to start the show over properly, having mostly forgotten what I did watch of the show before.

And let me tell you something from the perspective of someone who started with the complete fourth season, who wasn't there from the start, who wasn't tainted by ship goggles or this internal battle of hope and despair, who wasn't theorizing about what the painting could be or expecting Mike and Will to kiss when Volume 2 happened or rooting for Mike and Eleven's relationship to go down in flames or whatever the fuck. Just someone who went blind into Season 4.

It's really fucking obvious that Will and Mike are gonna be endgame.

Like holy fuck. It's so fucking blatant I don't even know why people are nervous.

No sane fucking person would shoot this scene this way if they wanted the audience to care about El and Mike as a couple. Despite being all blurry in the background, Will's reaction to what's happening here is smackdab in the fucking middle, clearly showing that the important part is what's going through his head here. What he's feeling. It's like the opposite of that scene from Kingdom Hearts II where Sora and Riku reunite and Kairi just fucking vanishes into the aether while it's happening because, despite the fact that she was standing between them when the scene began, she doesn't matter to the scene, so she's just kind of gone when the camera angle changes. Will could have been behind one of their heads, or so far in the distance he blends in with the background, but he's not. He's so obvious that despite being massively blurred out, he's still the first goddamn thing you look at. What, you think that's an accident? You think he's in the middle of this dramatic fucking scene because of a mistake? He basically has a big flashing neon arrow pointing at him with "THIS IS THE POINT" being screamed through a megaphone.

And then this?

They're paired up like they're taking fucking prom pictures. Each one of these pairs is so fucking close to one another and so fucking far from everyone else. It's not, "Oh, they're standing vaguely near each other in a group shot," it's fucking Noah's Ark out here. Again, there's no way to take this as an accident. It's not just a framing issue. If they wanted to make the shot look balanced while still not hiding anyone else behind El, they would have scattered people around much more naturally. Even if they wanted to keep Nancy with Jonathan and Hopper with Joyce, there's so much room on that hill for three people to stand on El's left and three on her right. But they didn't do that. They put Mike and Will together on purpose in the most obvious way possible.

Like I get that coming up with crackpot theories is fun in and of itself and I'm not blaming anyone for having fun. I totally get the appeal of arguing a point and reaching for every stupid little thing to pull into it because it's like a game, okay? I've done that. But if you're trying to actually convince someone (whether it's someone who wants to believe or someone who's pissed at the very idea that Mike and Will could be in love), stay away from blue and yellow lights, stay away from costume design, stay away from the existence of closets in backgrounds. And don't worry about whether Mike's gay or bi when he's in love with Will either way. I'll give you a little tip about persuasion: You're only as strong as your weakest argument. Even if you've got strong stuff in there, too, the person you're trying to convince is going to dismiss anything you say as complete insanity the second you start going on an entire tangent about the shape of a character's fucking pocket.

Sometimes, clothes are just clothes. Sometimes, there's a closet in the background because it helps establish that a character is in a bedroom. Sometimes, blue and yellow are just a couple of colors that look nice together. And sure, it might be set designers and costume designers and cinematographers smirking and winking at the audience from behind the camera. But if the show was just those things, instead of those things in the context of everything else, they wouldn't be saying anything of note.

But this?

This tells a story all on its own. Someone with no context can look at this and automatically assume that each paired person is standing with someone they care about deeply, seeking comfort as they watch some sort of disaster unfold. And yeah, romantic couples usually come in twos, and we live in an amatonormative society, so that's going to be the first association anyone makes seeing a bunch of people paired off.

It's the same reason you look at this

And go, "Oh..."

"Those two are probably a couple."

And I genuinely don't understand how people could have watched S4 Vol. 2 and gotten scared. Because as someone who went in with no investment whatsoever, I just looked at these two--

--and went, "Oh, those two are a couple. Good for them." And I moved on. Shut up about the trees for five seconds and just see the forest for what it is.

Oh, and if you're still nervous? Little thing from a storyteller here: You don't leave a hanging thread like "Will confessed his romantic feelings for Mike by projecting them onto El, but Mike either didn't understand or at least didn't say he understood," without coming back to that later. That's Chekov's gun hanging on the wall, babes. It's gonna fire at some point. If Mike was going to reject Will's feelings, if they weren't relevant, they would have had that discussion in Argyle's van. There'd be no reason to leave you in suspense.

#byler #meta #stranger things #theory #I mean I fucking guess #in the same way gravity is a fuckin' theory. #It feels silly that I even have to say this honestly. #Watching people freak out over these two feels like I'm being pranked. #Like you guys aren't pulling a Goncharov are you? Just making believe there's any chance these two aren't gonna be endgame? #Like completely ironically? And I'm too autistic to catch it? #It genuinely feels like I'm explaining that red and blue make purple here. As if you guys should have learned this in kindergarten. #Or like watching whole-ass adults watch Cinderella for the first time and being on the edge of their seat #wondering if she's going to live happily ever after with the prince or not. #It feels like I'm talking DOWN to people and I don't WANT it to feel like that but it's so obvious and I don't want people to be like #anxious for no reason you know? #Like I get that we're all scarred from queerbaiting and I know you guys are biased from years of shipping these kids. #But like. These guys? The most obvious 'there's only one way this could go' couple I've ever seen? You're scared about THEM?

[jakeperalta]

words I think we should ban from the internet unless you can pass a test to prove you know what it means and will use it correctly: gaslight, queerbait, nepotism

#there are definitely others i think these are probably just the biggest three offenders #people will be like [one character has a different understanding of a situation] 'they are gaslighting!' #or [male celebrity wears nail polish] 'he is queerbaiting!' #or [celebrity had a middle class upbringing to rando parents] 'they're a nepo baby!' #words have meanings!! for a reason!!! #talking

[gojosbf]

Is satosugu a queerbaiting ship?

there's nothing gayer than those two twinks

#i mean it honestly depends on how you're looking at it #because they're 98 percent canon #with the author assigning them soulmate type connection the gojo kesa #those koi fishs and flower symbolism #all those gay ass lines and how in gege words they fit exactly for each other #but again they were never canonically confirmed so #if you wanna call it queerbaiting then queerbaiting it is #most shounen are like that so i can understand where people of that stance are coming from #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #ask #gojo satoru #geto suguru #satosugu #stsg

[rewritingcanon]

no i have to fight with the tiktok wolfstar shippers i have to

#theyre calling wolfstar queerbait and it’s actually making me mad #yall have no idea what queerbait is okay i was in the trenches with it a few years back #like how dare you 😂😂😂😂😐 #wolfstar #harry potter #hp #marauders #marauders era #sirius black #remus lupin #rewriting #the way i roast some people on tiktok would cost me a lot of followers on tumblr. sometimes i come back here and get culture shock bcuz- #-people are actually respectful to differing opinions. its absolutely wild #but someone has to be a crusader and im not afraid of smoke (on tiktok. but if i get one mean comment on tumblr i WILL cry)

[queerhoodies]

nick having to state multiple time that he was bisexual because people just automatically assume he’s gay or not believing he could be queer… i mean i’m so proud of him it but it is so unfair he had to do it in the first place because biphobia is just that prevalent. like you just can’t win and it still really ironic when people assume bisexuals have it so much easier than other queer people

#also i hope the people on the internet who love to throw the word queerbaiter around like it’s nothing were listening #not that they have much of a brain anyway #heartstopper #heartstopper spoiler #nick nelson my beloved

[utilitycaster]

I enjoy shipping, but I cannot see the appeal in watching shows only for the purpose of shipping; I think it closes you off to so much. I think coming into a work with the expectation that it will only succeed if a particular configuration of people end up happily in a relationship with each other when the curtain closes means you will reject so many unexpected choices altogether. It destroys your ability to appreciate the entire concept of tragedy. Just, imagine refusing to let yourself enjoy "I'm not a gardener" because you are too furious that a different kiss than the one you wanted happened to feel other emotions.

#does shipping above all make you less empathetic: I deadass think it does: an ongoing investigation by m utilitycaster #this alludes to candela bc i'm still thinking about how good that line is and how (thankfully only a couple) people ignored it #bc they were so mad that the horror show was a tragedy and that marion kissed jean instead #i suspect though that this is behind the viciousness of the c2 ships. people genuinely used the word betrayal for a thing never promised #and some of the extremely mean-spirited nature of some c3 shipping; even among ships where i see the appeal #like i am not against shipping. i like shipping. but if you define I Get My Ship as success you will be miserable and bitter so often #and i think this ALSO is why like. 19 year olds will act like they are a veteran of years of queerbaiting. #when in fact they're a veteran of watching shows bc they saw one (1) out of context gifset and thought that was a guarantee #anyway i've cracked it follow for more analysis of the nature of fandom and how it should probably be like car rentals #fandom old? no. fandom young. go get some life experience and perspective first. the trekkie housewives never missed.

[voguewoozi]

can't believe people are still out here accusing real ass people of queerbaiting. at this point just admit you like forcing people to come out before they're ready because that's what the result of this continues to be. coming out to anyone isn't an obligation for any queer person and people shouldn't have to alter their behavior or personality or presentation just because you personally think they're cishet. that is literally your own personal problem to work on. keep it to yourself

#anyway i can't believe i actually saw - in my pride month - someone accusing onlyoneof of queerbaiting #and using gayness for 'clout' like. 1) if any of them actually came out it would probably end their careers. casually #like why do kpop fans constantly forget that queerness isnt a globally accepted thing #2) the fact that they even do these gay storylines in their mvs is insane to me and they already got so much hate for it #like literally what clout are you talking about. this was honestly a risky thing for them to do #and the only reason it paid off at all is bc they have a pretty big supportive international fan base #but otherwise libido literally could've been the end of it for all of them #3) despite getting straight-up hate instead of pretending like it didnt happen and trying to just move on they doubled down #like idk how ooo of all groups is getting ridiculed by gay people like you are sooo online like #meet a gay person from a different cultural background than yours im begging you #you can't say that gay people have to come out without compromising our autonomy #you literally sound like a homophobe forcing us to be categorized and this is why this mindset is not fucking safe #im talking again

[charmac]

what's the origin of "trust the structure"? i always see it on macdennis posts but i don't know what it MEANS

Well the origin is the show itself, lmfao:

It's essentially the idea that there is (and has been) a structure in place for Macdennis becoming canon. AKA Macdennis is not fanon/shippers reading too much into the show, but a deliberate, slow-burn narrative being written and told by RCG.

BUT if you don't know what the structure is, I could not recommend watching this video by @youreeatingthedog more highly enough.

#MOST OF THE TIME when people say 'trust the structure' it's like #the anti-queerbait in a way #basically affirming #youre/we're not reading too much into it #they are both in love and we're just in the middle of the story being told #trust the structure #a lot of this show is meta #so reaching into the show for clues/hints/parallels is really much too easy to be real #lmfao #ask #macdennis #iasip

[rdng1230]

Just a reminder that having multiple characters with the same marginalized identity in your story does not make the author automatically immune to using tropes harmful/reductive/insensitive to people with that marginalized identity. You can write a story with tons of women in it that still has tons of misogyny, you can write a story with tons of people of color in it that still has tons of racism. You can write a story with tons of queer people in it that is still queerphobic. Writers cannot “I have a black friend” (or character in this case) their way out of actually treating their marginalized characters with respect. Every writer has been shaped by a highly unequal society along many different lines and that continually reinforced world view is bound to show up in their storytelling. It takes effort to unlearn all that shit, and plenty of authors, however well intentioned, haven’t put that effort in enough to avoid falling into those traps.

This isn’t saying that the thing that happened was homophobic/ableist/ageist per se, I’m just saying that “there are other characters who weren’t fridged” is a shit counter argument to that claim.

#Ofmd #fandom discussion #fandom discourse #izzy hands #remember antiracism/homophobia etc. is a thing you have to practice #This feels like a good time to remind people DJ didn’t really know what queerbaiting was when he started ofmd #So my faith that he read up on the generations long bury your gays issue is minimal #People can write a very pro LGBT message and not do enough research to avoid repeating story beats that can be triggering

[lesbianfakir]

You can pry my (queer)platonic reading of fakiru out of my cold dead grubby little hands. I love how in a genre so defined by romance the show mainly focuses on their friendship. While there are a few ship tease moments here and there, there is no expectation of romance. It would’ve been so easy to write the lake scene into a love confession but they didn’t! And this really helps the show in terms of show not tell. We aren’t told whether fakir loves duck romantically or platonically but we are shown without a doubt that he loves duck, enough to pull her out of despair.

Likewise we’re never given any indication duck likes fakir romantically but their bond becomes her source of strength at the end of the series. I will never ever shut up about how a perfectly logical reading of the text is that they are best friends. Best friends who are intimate in a way that blurs the line between friendship and romance but best friends nonetheless.

I love how instead of being paired off with the obligatory boy at the end (I’m sorry this happened to you, rue) instead Duck finds a lifelong friend who helps her feel comfortable in her body. I love how the exact nature of the relationship is left entirely up to the viewer. I LOVE HOW YOU CAN COME AWAY FROM THE SHOW READING THEM AS “JUST FRIENDS!!”

Anyways shout out to Duck and Fakir for queering the boundaries of friendship back in 2002

#I’m not saying anything I haven’t said before but I have Feelings #princess tutu #fakiru was like queerbaiting for straight people and it fucking rules #something something having a friend you care so deeply for you rewrite your literal tragedy into a happy ending #fakiru #lea posts