#and so i want to commemorate this fandom's past (and future) pains

[eternaliax3]

Moving On

Slowly migrating my fics onto here from AO3!

One-Shot | AO3 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Relationship: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: G Summary:  Adrien's off-handed comment spurs Marinette to accept that she wouldn't be anything more than a friend and to consider someone else.

Marinette was left wondering at what she should do about Adrien as time went on. While her love for him never dwindled, she was steadfastly losing hope for their future as he never showed more interest than friendship.

It was when she was pondering this while she sat with Alya and Nino during lunch that she made up her mind, because Alya brought up the topic of Luka.

“So Marinette, what's going on with guitar boy?” She wiggled her eyebrows at her as she nudged her arm. Marinette looked at her not amused.

“Nothing, Alya. And you know that.”

“But he's so into you!”

“I know, he even confessed to me earlier.” Her eyes turned rueful as she remembered his words as Silencer, and then as himself.

At this moment, as she was staring at her sandwich, Adrien walked up to the group and overheard what she said.

He waved as a greeting, his smile sunny as ever.

“You guys talking about Luka? He's a really cool guy Marinette, you should definitely go for him!”

It was that moment where one could see a young girl's heart break, and the other two people could only look on in a mixture of horror and pity as the one who said it remained oblivious. And yet he continued on, driving the knife even further into her heart.

“You two would definitely make a great couple. I’m rooting for you!”

Marinette plastered a smile onto her face. “Thanks, Adrien.”

Alya and Nino started talking about something else, anything, that Marinette didn’t hear as she zoned out staring at her sandwich. She spent the rest of the school day quiet and thoughtful.

The next week Marinette was sitting on her balcony in the evening, staring at Luka’s contact information on her phone. During the week, she made her resolve to move on. It was painful, oh, it was so painful, but she accepted that Adrien didn’t see her as anything more than a friend. The first few nights were spent crying and writing sad diary entries. But she eventually accepted it.

That night, she sent a text message to Luka asking to meet.

                                                ━━━━━━━━

Luka agreed to meet her at the theater to watch a movie, and then get dinner together at a restaurant near the Seine. While the day of the date loomed closer and closer, Marinette decided to craft some new clothes to commemorate the occasion. After all, it was special and she wanted Luka to know that too. She decided to make a circle skirt in her signature color with white and black flowers, and a ruffly white off-the-shoulder top with straps going over the shoulders. She paired her signature flats and purse with them and on the day of the date she twirled in front of her mirror, proud of the new outfit.

Her hair was also left down, and she tied a pink ribbon with a bow on top of her head.

Tikki smiled at her outfit, beyond ecstatic that Marinette was going to be happy. It was also never a bad thing that her ladybug was creating.

Marinette walked down to the theater, butterflies exploding at her stomach, but calming once she saw Luka. The butterflies melted into excitement, and she ran over to give him a hug.

“You look beautiful, Marinette.” His eyes glinting with appreciation at her new outfit and hairstyle. Marinette blushed and thanked him. She noticed that he also wore a new outfit, ripped black jeans that accentuated his tall legs, and a Jagged Stone t-shirt with a black vest over it. His guitar in its case was on his back. It was casual, but definitely Luka’s style.

“You look good too, Luka.” Marinette smiled genuinely at him.

“Thanks, Ma-ma-Marinette.” She had to laugh at that, a slight tinge of embarrassment wafting over her face, but knowing that he was more affectionate with the endearment.

“Shall we go in, then?”

“Of course.”

Luka took her hand in, her much smaller hand in his, and lead her inside.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

The movie was enjoyable, and halfway throughout Luka put his arm over her shoulders and she leaned into his warmth. Her heart skipped a few beats as she felt more happy than she did the last month being there with Luka.

After the movie, they both went down to the Seine. Grabbing a bite to eat from a local restaurant, they talked about anything that came to their minds at the moment. Kitty Section and practice, designing new outfits, schoolwork; Marinette found herself rambling at times, but Luka was ever patient with her, finding it endearing when she would gesture  with her hands. It spoke of her passion when she was talking about designing.

It came to the topic of music, and Luka took out his guitar and started strumming the chords of a song he was writing. Marinette closed her eyes and let the notes circle around her, the two stuck in their own little world.

“I think I just came up with a new song, Marinette.” He smiled and started strumming a few upbeat chords and humming along with it. His voice was a low timbre, and Marinette found her heart flip flopping and a blush rose to her face.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the music, one she recognized as the melody he played to her when they first met, but different. Revised into a more complicated but accompanied with lower notes at times. She found herself more inspired and her already happy mood lifted higher.

And she pulled out her sketchbook, a mini one that fits into her purse so she could take it with her anywhere. She shot a smile to Luka who closed his eyes and continued playing. They sat together on the steps of the Seine, a guitarist and a designer, finding inspiration from each other and enjoying their time together.

They both didn’t realize how much time had passed as they sat together.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

Two months have passed, and Marinette found herself thinking less and less of Adrien, and more of Luka. Pictures of Adrien that she took down that first day of those fateful words that were spoken to her were replaced by pictures of Marinette and Luka together, and of other friends.

Her stutter was nonexistent now, and she found herself becoming good friends with Adrien. She started wearing different outfits that she created and wearing her hair in different styles that she finds online.

Luka and her meet some days after school, sometimes on the weekends, though with Luka’s part time job it was sometimes difficult to schedule a date. Most of the time, it was planned on the spot, after a stray text message sent to each other saying I miss you , it usually led to them meeting up after school. It was instantaneous and improvised, and Marinette wouldn’t have it any other way. Her favorite activity was listening to him play his guitar and sing. She smiled fondly as she remembered the keychain she made him that was now on his guitar case—a little black music note, dangling off of a keyring that seemed to wink in the light.

She found herself missing him every moment he was away, and counting down the seconds she could see him again, even though it was sometimes for days if their schedules didn’t permit it. Marinette found out that he was quite the gentleman, being polite towards every one of her friends and respecting her space. It also seemed like they were on the same wavelength, as if Luka was so in tune to her and she to him, that whenever she tripped or was about to, Luka would catch her and hold onto her.

One of her favorite memories together is when they were walking, and she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. Luka caught her by the waist and swung her around to hold her in an embrace, as if it were straight out of a romance movie. She laughed and poked his nose, and he responded by pulling her into a sweet kiss.

Sabine and Tom even adored him, saying that he was welcome to visit the bakery anytime and that he was always welcome to stay for dinner. Which surprised her, since Tom was extremely protective of Marinette. It spoke of Luka’s character in spades, if they were taken with him so easily.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was a few more months that passed and Hawkmoth sent out akumas with a vengeance. Akuma sightings that had to be dealt with in the middle of the day, past midnight, and then in the early morning at times. It drove Marinette mad, and Luka was ever so understanding about Marinette having to leave in the middle of their dates. It ate at her inside, she didn’t think she deserved him.

On the other hand, Marinette hadn’t made any progress into tracking down Hawkmoth, and she felt so guilty towards the people of Paris. How is she doing her job correctly aside from purifying akumas if she couldn’t even figure out who the person starting it all was?

One day she was at Luka’s house for one of their usual hangouts, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She wasn’t enjoying his presence as much as she usually would have, and she was distracted and mopey. Luka couldn’t help but ask what was wrong. And she crumbled. She tried to be strong for so long that it was all let out once he asked that.

“There’s just too much pressure, Luka!” She said in between tears. “There’s just too much. I’m only sixteen years old and have to handle so many things!”

There was so, so much she wanted to say to him, but couldn’t. The next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in a warm embrace.

“I’m here for you, Marinette. You’ve done an amazing job so far. Just let it all out.” His warm voice wrapped around her and she cried harder.

“I don’t deserve you, Luka.” She sobbed.

“Yes, you do.” He smiled at her and gave her a sweet kiss that she reciprocated. 

She felt lighter after that, as if the world wasn’t resting solely on her shoulders anymore, and she wasn’t alone.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was when they were sitting at a café eating lunch together on a lazy weekend that she decided to ask something that was on her mind for a while.

“Hey, Luka? Why did you start liking me?” Her eyes bored into his as they crinkled into smiles. “Was it when you saw me for the first time?” She joked.

“I actually started to like you before then.” He replied with total honesty. At her gape, he continued.

“It was during the time after Juleka came home and started to talk about you. She said that you helped to include her in the class picture a few years ago. She said so many good things about you, and you made my sister so happy that day. I knew you were a good person.”

Marinette couldn’t help but blush, her face heating up. “Wow, that long? That was years ago!”

“Yes, for that long.” He reached over and held her hand on top of the table. “I’m really happy you gave me a chance, Marinette.”

“I’m really happy too, Luka.”

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was during patrol and when she was transformed into her alter ego that Chat Noir asked why she was in a happy mood for the past few weeks. And she told him the truth.

“I’ve started dating someone.”

Chat Noir could feel his own heart breaking as she said that. While she looked into his eyes, he couldn’t help but try and keep a happy facade. After all, she was his dear partner and he had to be happy for her in the end.

“Are you happy, milady?”

She smiled, one that genuinely reached her glowing eyes. Eyes that weren’t happy because of him.

“Very much so, Chat.” She turned towards the glowing city lights around them. “He’s...amazing. Really inspirational and he’s there for me all the time.”

She giggled and started swinging her trusty yoyo in her hands.

“He really sees who I am under the mask.” Her eyes turned wistful.

“But you know what’s funny?” She turned back towards him. “It was actually the boy I loved before that told me to go for it.”

Chat Noir realized he never had a chance with Ladybug. And he had to accept it in that moment.

“I’m happy for you, Ladybug.” And he truly meant it, as he went home trying to mend his broken heart.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

The next day, Adrien went to class looking a mess. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was slow in responding to people when they tried to talk to him. It even really worried Marinette throughout the day as she was able to see how he was acting in front of her.

The end of the school day came around and she put her hand on his shoulder as the students ushered out of the classroom, chattering about.

“Adrien, are you ok?” She was wearing a small pout as she looked at his defeated demeanor.

“Hey Marinette, I’m fine.” He tried to hold it together by giving her a small lopsided smile. “Don’t worry about me. Aren’t you meeting Luka soon?”

“Yes, but I wanted to check up on you. If you need to talk or anything, I’m here for you.” She smiled.

“Thanks, Marinette. I really appreciate that. I’m glad things are going well with you and Luka, by the way.” He started walking towards the front gates of the school.

“Yeah, he’s really great. I’m really glad I gave him a chance.” She spun around next to him to look earnestly into his eyes. “Hey, maybe we can all go on a triple date! Nino and Alya, Luka and I, and you and Kagami!”  

“Ka-Kagami?” He sputtered.

“Yeah! Isn’t she the one you’re pining for?” She nudged his arm.

He laughed. “Not Kagami.” If only she knew.

“But let’s change the topic here, is Luka treating you right? After all, you only deserve the best.” He winked at her and she laughed.

“He definitely does, Adrien. He really sees me.” She said, and he had to stop right in his tracks in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

Marinette also stopped as she realized what she just said and scrambled for an explanation.

“Oh well, you know, I just feel like I have a mask on sometimes, with how much I have to do with the bakery, schoolwork ,and being class president.” And being a superhero that fights akumas at all times of the day , she thought. “Luka just sees past all of that. He really sees the person  under the mask.”

Marientte smiled as past Adrien, she saw Luka waiting for her at the school gates.

“Well, try and get some rest today, ok Adrien? I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She left and ran towards Luka, and Adrien could only stand gaping as the deja vu almost knocked him over. Words that were spoken in the night kept repeating in his head and he kept cycling Marinette’s face with Ladybug’s face over and over and over in his mind.

Oh my god, what have I done?

#eternalia writes #miraculous ladybug fanfic #lukanette

[exclusivelyirondad]

More Endgame thoughts (and spoilers) ahead.  A lot has been said already, but I’ve been adding to this since April 30th, and I needed to express the thoughts and feelings that many others share with me in my own words.  

It seems like everyone's just ghosted, like they just saw the movie and peaced-out.  Maybe they felt a sense of relief when the ax finally did fall, but the fandom seems to be divided.  I'm coping quite well--I'm not an emotional wreck (although I was when leaving the theater, and I’ve cried a few times since), but I also know that this wound hasn't closed; it's all been very slow.  Maybe the majority who remain weren't very old at all when the first Iron Man came out, and thus aren't as attached to the Original 6.  Maybe Marvel intended their younger audience to experience the Uncle Ben Effect for Peter.  I was thinking that they wouldn't need to develop Peter's character down that route; I was thinking they'd have new plans for him, since he already had that under his belt when we were introduced to him.  I've written extensively on my beliefs about one’s need for a consistent father figure, and while I am relieved that Happy might be stepping up to that role, Tony's removal is still unnecessary to a lot of us.  It's not the only way to develop Peter's character, and certainly not the only way to remove a character from the spotlight.  Death rarely has meaning in real life, but in stories it *can* mean something.  I think Death should be used sparingly for this reason.  Where a character Can Live, Can Thrive, Can Participate, they should be free to do so.  Tony’s story wasn't by any stretch Finished, and his next line after Cap's assertion about Tony’s alleged cowardice (which the latter proved wrong in the first Avengers movie after taking that missile through the wormhole) stated that he would rather just "cut the wire."  To cut the wire, so that you can go home, so that you don't have to trade lives, is a much more coherent, much more sensible end.  To have Tony live up (down) to the sacrificial standard is to step backwards--the opposite of progress, to our informed understanding.    

But venting my negativity, and seeing others vent theirs, sort of eases the pain, and in some cases gives me hope.  The lack of consistency between timelines and directors' decisions is, ironically, a really big hope-booster.  After hearing a couple friends' and family's qualms with the film in-person, I've gotten just a bit of closure, but it's not on the level of actual counsel as we didn't *keep* talking about it.  We, very briefly, exchanged a preview-version of our interpretation and then were done with it.  I felt I needed to find someone, somewhere, who shares my perspective.  It was validating to talk to them about plotholes and such, because (ironically, as terrible as this sounds), it made his death look more, to me, the way in which I was already seeing it: not cheapened, not short of brilliant and beautifully-performed, but *less necessary.*  

I began contemplating ways around his death.  The writers cannot play the 'Fate'-card at any point because they are in charge of every detail--Carol conveniently getting blasted off-planet, Wanda & Thor being temporarily decomissioned--all the way down to the fact that [A] the burden of the stones could have been shared by everyone on the field (the strongest among them taking hold of the stones first) as they did in GOTG1, and [B] Tony & the others simply did not use the stones independently or in smaller dosages.  But, in the end, we have two mortal, human deaths for the price of a restored universe in Earth-199999/616, which isn't ultimately so bad on the surface.  They could have transitioned to the next heroes in celebration, the graffiti in commemoration of the retired heroes and a welcome to any who would rise in their place. 

While I remain wary of criticizing Endgame just because it didn't go "my way," I also know that we have a lot of well-supported arguments stocked-up to affirm our case that Tony's death was an *overall* less-than-satisfactory decision.  Besides, it's just a part of being in a fandom to criticize the media we consume--it helps to develop communication skills and independent thinking.  Since Infinity War, I was erring on the hope that "Tony Lives," not so much because I was preparing for the worst but because it just seemed the intuitive way to go.  And let's be honest, nobody in the theater who had been following the franchise for more than a few movies was surprised that any number of the Original 6 would be sacrificed.  So, Endgame failed even to accomplish any Shock they might have hoped for.  

I also feel as if a lot of people are perhaps expressing that they enjoyed Endgame while not acknowledging latent feelings that deeper digging into the plot might produce.  Fans are perfectly within their right to enjoy the movie, but our objections to it are less on the level of personal opinions and more on the level of actual critique based in objective standards of narrative and character development.

It almost feels deliberate, doesn't it?  Like they *knew* what they had before writing over it with something worse.  Like they *knew* the value of Found Family.  Like we really were baited, and aren't just imagining a problem.  And *this* is why that ending landed us in the Bad Timeline.  We were baited with Found Family and it was snatched away from us.  If Happy's bond with Peter isn't as satisfying for the audience (trust me when I say that I very much support it, have high hopes for it, trust in Happy's steadfast character, and *do* recognize the progress in having him, May, and the remaining Ironfamily be there for Peter instead of the lesson being, "Grow up and be alone,") it won't be because he isn't an attractive superhero billionaire, it'll be because Peter's bond with Tony is still fresh, and was, indeed, beautiful, and *could have* been complete before it was untimely cut short.  He was already dealing with loss when we met him in Civil War.  What more can you teach him through that?  

There's not really a way for us to "fix" this, being that it's Canon now, and the rest of the MCU henceforth will follow This timeline.  This isn't just one movie that they have a chance to fix in the long-run with another, this is the final chapter--the most important one which will be solidified in movies to come.  We're essentially cut-off and locked-in from here onward.  

If we were to rewrite the world before 2023, we’d certainly be limited.  To bring another Tony back wouldn't be a solution--it's not the same Tony (in much the same way that reuniting with an alternate Spider-Man or stranding our Peter in a new universe would feel eerie and unsatisfactory).  This isn’t to suggest that any ending with an alternate Tony taking the other’s place cannot be written in a satisfactory way; just that the grief would still be ever-present for *this* Tony.  If anything, another time heist where everyone keeps their memories seems more appropriate.  Still, to go back in time, by the theory used in Endgame, only creates a new timeline, unless we collapse and merge the one where he died.  Even a timeline *very* similar to the one through which we were led is still unique, and has its own Tony Stark.  We might be able to salvage the other time-janked plotholes (Loki's escape, Nat and Gamorra's soul releasing Redskull, Thanos & Company departing their original timeline and going a different route, ultimately being destroyed, Steve rewriting the past and possibly erasing an entire generation, just to name a few), but that's still pretty far-fetched.  At the end of the day, all that's left is to either Accept or Depart from Canon.  RDJ is irreplaceable, after all, and tragically, as far as we know, his rendition of Tony Stark is finished.  Although, I suppose any time you take a character into your own hands, it creates a new timeline for them--it's just that minor changes and major changes have different impacts, and the fans who previously felt free to manipulate minor details without having to leave the world altogether will now have a much more difficult time doing so without “becoming a dirty, no-good necromancer” (as my conscience likes to call me any time I even *think* about bringing Tony back in my own way.)  The "secretly alive/A.I." theories are an okay solution given our alternatives, but it doesn't seem like that's where the story is going.  

But so much happened in that movie, and likely will in future movies, that makes his death "essential," and I'm upset about that, too, because they're sloppily tacking on "purpose" retroactively.  They want, so badly, for it to be meaningful, and not useless, but the way that it happened kinda leaves it in a sour limbo, as if the event, itself, were a corpse being strung up and made to dance like a marionette.  Like, no matter how many meaningful strings they connect back to it from this point onward, it's still going to register as an unnecessary loss to those of us who were paying attention, to those of us who didn't want him to die, and to those of us who don't put stock in death, itself.  Tony Stark *would* have still been a hero if he had learned how to pass on the torch (without dying.)  He would have still been *himself.*  You can grow, change, shed your flaws, learn new tricks, without losing your identity or role in the world.  While his willingness to sacrifice himself was, indeed, a heroic trait, it shouldn’t have been one that ultimately killed him--there was another beautiful lesson just ahead of him, one which would have allowed him to rely on others to take up the mantle so that he could care for the new adventure he’d built with Pepper and the Ironfamily.  

When you have a character like this in your hands, you're no longer just writers, you're gods.  You have responsibilities.  (I'm not used to speaking this freely, saying such extreme things.  I know I'm all over the place.)  These characters have been with us for so long that they may as well be real.  I wouldn't doubt that those involved in Endgame's creation put a lot of planning into it, but even with planning you can still miss out on Perspective.  Why didn't these questions win out during the Devil's Advocate phase of the writing process?  Was there even a Devil's Advocate phase?  What were their aims when creating it?  To draw it to a close, to make room for new heroes, perhaps to leave just as big an impact as Infinity War.  Far From Home is supposed to close this phase of the MCU (not Endgame), so we still have a bit of a wait.  Did they want to appeal only to newer fans?  It wouldn't be a problem if the feelings of older fans weren't sacrificed for that.  I'm not even sure if Tony's death is what newer fans were interested to see.  What if Marvel deliberately Twists the Knife?  *What if their role for us is to see that any qualms we have with Tony's death are a reflection of our selfishness toward a man who just wanted peace?*  (Of course, what a lot of us wanted for him was the same--peace, but without the insinuation that the only way out for him is by killing him off.)  Did they mourn his death when killing him? Did the decision affect them to the point that it was difficult (and not just in terms of knowing there would be people upset by the decision, getting between them and the bottom line)?  

I don't think they should put the onus on the fans who loved him--I think, for all the therapy he did not receive, for the lack of a True Happy Ending, and for all the people who became his family, the onus should be on those who gave him pain to take it away.  If you are god-enough to impart pain and death, you are god-enough to remove it.  We cannot act powerless against Fate when we write a character like this into the world.  While some people rail at God for taking their loved ones away, I guess my grief-process is stunted because I have real people to criticize.  But, again, that's still me putting the onus on myself.  I don't think I'll be here forever; certainly, I do view these characters with a healthy eye, but they're not exactly a Small part of my world, either.  

The mention of the Multiverse in the new FFH trailer may even deal with the responsibility on Peter's part not to selfishly venture into alternate realities (Mysterio's illusion tricks in the comics + the False Voice scene from Bambi II, anyone?)  It may even be the case that we, the fans, are being pressured to feel similarly, being that Robert has completed his contract with Marvel.  Of course, none of us are asking that he stay, merely wishing that his rendition of Tony had a better ending.  I think our society has decided that growing up means more than gaining knowledge and skills--it means "getting rid of our vital connections after a certain age."  This is not, to any extent, ideal, but it is expected, and it is perceived as "growth" when forced upon a young person in a story.  Individualism is a toxic side-effect spurred by various factors in our current system (economic, legal, and religious history, leading to our current ideological climate, at least for those in positions of power).  

If any criticisms could hold weight, it might still be worth noting their counterpart: /"Tony created his own enemies, even invited them--it's Peter's turn to make better choices."/  Apart from the complete inaccuracy of the opening phrase (just rewatch the films; I'm not expanding on this one), is that really what his creators were planning from the start, or did they just salvage pieces of past films like a patchy fan theory and write it in after the fact?  (Point in case: JKR.)  I'm not usually so feisty, but this is Tony Stark I defend.  

/"It's heroic to sacrifice oneself for the greater good," "It's time for the young to grow up and face responsibility."/  All of these messages, though, are misplaced to me.  They don't have to involve the taking of lives.  In our world, they often do, but there is no *intrinsic* value to using death as a vehicle.  The Ancient One was wrong.  Death has only intrinsic *negative* value--as with any hardship, it can bring about positives but is not, in itself, a positive.  When dealing with this philosophy it is important to distinguish chance from purpose.  I cannot help but feel that I am alone because I've outgrown the ideology of those who glorify and romanticize struggle and war.  A peaceful ending is progress compared with our reality; a bitter ending should remain in the past.  Do they think they are bypassing this problem by the ending they chose for Tony?  /"Your new heroes can have a better ending than he did,"/ it might be suggested (while still getting their Death in.)  I disagree, since that isn't progress For That Character.  

/"Death is not always fair, not always reasonable."/  A bit patronizing, that (not hearing it from Tony, of course, as he was merely preparing for the possibility of his own death, but as one of the Ultimate Lessons they needed to tie to it.)  What's the target audience, 13 to 46?  Somewhere in that range, plus the exceptions older and younger?  Not really news to the majority.  So what is its purpose?  Why close a story like that?  

/"Having Tony survive would've taken away a heroic ending from him."/  It's important to acknowledge there are multiple kinds of heroism capable of being expressed--we've known from Iron Man 1 that Tony was willing to sacrifice himself for one cause or another, but for him to finally see the value in allowing others to share the burden would've made for just as powerful and necessary a message.  It would have been subtle; not many fans would emotionally pick up on it at first and many would openly criticize it, but those who are paying attention would recognize a new kind of heroism was being performed.  This movie wouldn’t have been for those who only jumped in recently, anyway--there’s so much that’s been built up to over the past 21 movies for which there wasn’t time enough to cover.  The ending to Captain Marvel had a similar effect--the inner strength which men often overlook is expressed through Danvers' willingness to do what is truly necessary, rather than what has been deemed "heroic," and the creators of superhero movies would do well to follow the trajectory of changes in audience values.  "Superhero burnout" may come to pass but not because people will grow weary of superheroes or the hope and sense of victory they bring, but because of the glorification of war and fighting.  

It is a comfort to know that Robert and Tom are still friends, and will be making at least one more movie together.  It is a comfort to know that a lot of the Tony Stark we saw came straight from RDJ, so a good portion of him lives.  Still, I instinctively know this feeling isn't going to leave for a while, especially since, a few weeks after Infinity War, I had a little meltdown.  On top of this, we will be brought through Peter's own grief in his next movie--he, too, is fictional but should not be abandoned.  I feel as if I cannot move on until I see Far From Home, and maybe that, too, is Marvel's intention.  

#endgame spoilers #endgame critique #my post #text post

[silverylion]

Can we talk about Lance for a bit ?

There is something that really bothers me in season 8. I mean everyone is kind of still recovering but I feel like I need to say it anyway.

They chose to heavily feature Allurance from episode one cause they planned to kill Allura. It's a fact. As much as I don't ship it, they make a really cute couple with adorable scenes that made me smile and support them and I could have got over my disappointment regarding who I wanted to end up with Lance if only Lance had shown a bit of happiness by being with her.

No manner how we look at it, he isn't happy ! Why is that ? He finally got what he always wanted so why did they depicted him like that ? I really don't understand and that's what makes me so angry about all of this.

He doesn't seem like someone in love who finally got the girl! He seems hurt! Why is that ??

I'm ready to ignore the messy plotline of this season, the inconsistencies and everything that is wrong because overall, what I really care about is Lance as a character.

He means a lot to me because he is so different from the characters we normally meet in this kind of stories. He began as an annoyingly flirty boy who was desperately searching for glory to calm the insecurities he only show to few people. He was talented but needed someone else to acknowledge it to fully realize it himself. He was defined by his loudness and his love for love. He was looking for validation and a special person who would love him as profoundly as he love others. He had big dreams, big expectations, a bright future ahead of him. He wasn't overly masculine, liked being pretty and throw terrible pick up lines. He was funny, adorable I fell for him as much as I identified with (even if we are so different). He wasn't perfect, far from it, but it's also why I love him.

For many - including me - he was also representation. Not only for another kind of complex character but also by being Cuban and supposedly bisexual, something that seemed to be heavily implied so many times but I won't even talk about it.

During the series he has grown to be more self assured through the missions he accomplished with his friends, the people he met but most importantly Keith who trusted him and relied on his abilities, which definitely shown him his worth. I'm not even gonna talk about Klance as romantic. Keith is an important person for Lance's character, a friend he needed by his side along the way and that still was there for him in season 8. Which is really great, by the way.

I'm not gonna talk about the 'first choice' thing or the 'someone he needs, not someone he wants' or even the 'endgame' aspect of his romance. But yeah, that was all lies.

On this photo, Allura seems calm and happy, she seems like she can finally see a future with Lance and it's great. What is not so great, though ? When I saw this particular part in the episode, I stopped and watched Lance's face for about 5 minutes to try to understand. I don't see a happy boyfriend, here. I see a guy kind of unsure of what he is doing. I see a guy who doesn't know if what he is having is for real or even if it's what he really wants. He seems quite uncomfortable, tensed. It's maybe just a projection on my part but I genuinely cant see happiness here no matter how long I look at it. But maybe I'm really biased and don't see what actually is, you tell me.

Throughout the season, he was here to support Allura on her journey and it's great, but I would have wanted her to reciprocate it in a way or another. It's what Lance always needed and he didn't got it.

And in the end, he cried. I feel like he never really believed that this relationship would stick, that for whatever reason, they would end up parting paths. And the crew chose to kill her... In all honesty, Allura is not a character I really care about. I thought nothing about her in s1 and in s2, I started disliking her with what happened with Keith. But even thought I don't really care for her, making her die ? For seemingly no reason ? It's tough. And once again, I'm not even talking about how they killed representation or how people in the fandom can feel crushed by that, betrayed, even. I'm only remaining on Lance's side.

He never really had someone to reciprocate his love, something confirmed by his mom. He fell for Allura, casually at first, really hard when the series continued. What he feels for her is genuinely profound and I really liked that he confessed to her but even then... why did he seemed so sad ?

Just look at him !

He probably never loved anyone as much as he loved her. He sees a lot in her but he never felt like he was on equal ground with her. She is an awesome gorgeous space princess. He is just a boy from Cuba. (An awesome funny adorable space ranger but what do I know...). He never felt like he had a chance or deserved her affection. What about that ? It wasn't mentioned even once and I think that this is the reason of his constant sad face while he confesses, while he kisses her, while he conforts her...

I just don't understand and it makes me sad to see him like that. I know, he is just a character, I know this is just a cartoon, I know this just a kid show. But seeing a character you so much love becoming this sad guy that only support without reciprocation, this guy that loved love and is betrayed by it ? I just can't feel anything else but anger and disappointment for the wasted potential.

He ended up losing the woman he loved. The only person who seemed to reciprocate his feelings and because of that I think that he will always be a little more cautious about it because he has always been disappointed. He shot for the stars and fell hard. I fell hard with him. And as someone that feel that love will never go both ways, it just makes me even more bitter about this.

About the altean markings I don't know what to think. Some people think Allura turned him altean, others think she just left him something to remember her by. In both cases, this is wrong.

If the first theory is true, then what? What does that mean beside the ridiculous impossibility to change race? Did she make him altean to 'level him up' from his human status because he wasn't a match for her? Because altean are so much better? Because there was no need for that! Alteans are not all dead so why? For all I know, it wasn't to make royalty knowing that he ended up farmer so... once again, why?

If the second theory is true, well... That's even worst. She wants him to remember her ? I think he has enough around him for that, the status, the commemorations, the legend that will follow her, stories, his friends that gather to talk about her and how they miss her and what she meant for them... Giving him this will only prevent him from moving on. And it's harsh. I personally think that he should have moved on a long time ago. She never loved him, she was annoyed by his flirty attitude, by his simple presence sometimes. He should have seen that blatant rejection and accepted that yeah, he wants her but cannot have her. Romantic love wasn't something she cared about for so long. And then she fell for Lotor who betrayed her. And I think she honestly still doesn't care about Lance this way.

I think Allura didn't fell in love with Lance. She was heartbroken because of Lotor, because of the altean, because of the crown she lost, because she saw everyone with families while she lost hers. I think Allura just wanted someone that would take care of her and lift her burden with her. Just someone that would remind her that she is not alone in the universe, a distraction from the pain she was feeling. Someone that would ground her to prevent her from losing hope. He was easy, he loved her, she just accepted it not reciprocated it.

I see this like that because there was no real build up for their relationship. It wasn't a slow burn. It wasn't even reciprocal. She was sad that Lance felt so strongly about her and accepted their relationship for her own balance and because she didn't want to see her friend so sad. It didn't solve the problem for him though. Plus when the vision of Lotor, her ex boyfriend, told her to go get the creature thing she did but when Lance, her current (well past cause well, she's dead) boyfriend told her not to because it was dangerous and he cared to much for her safety, she didn't listen to him... Great. That's love folks.

I really could have fell for their story but seeing Lance so sad, so taken advantage of... He was so dull, no charisma, no joke, no stupid lines, nothing. He wasn't himself. He wasn't the Lance we saw grow during six to seven seasons. He wasn't the hero, second in command, courageous sharpshooter we all know.

And the sword ? Was it to foreshadow his future encounter with Alfor and Allura giving him blue markings ? Well, that was unnecessary. They could have done that without making people think that something more exciting would happen, that he would actually use the sword.

And the game show ? If they were to be together why the fuck didn't Lance chose her ? Why the fuck didn't she chose him ?... Well, she didn't because she didn't love him more than she loved the other Paladins. But why Lance didn't? Why make Lance and Keith chose each other? If they didn't want to involve them in any romantic kind of situation (they totally failed), they could at least have made them hug. And an emotional scene to express how much they care for each other to justify being worth choosing the other over anyone else to leave and not spend eternity in the game show. Keith was there for Lance and Lance was too obsessed with Allura to even ask about him. Great, even in a totally no homo friends kind of look it was badly handled.

Can someone explain to me the reason of the sunset setting ? Or why Lance freaked out when Veronica asked him to "put in a good word for her" with Keith ? They are friends, now, there was no allusion to their past rivalry. There was therefore no need for that kind of reaction.

He didn't save Shiro, for absolutely nothing. They never talked about it again. They never gave him the opportunity to make up for how bad he felt about that. He didn't event get a conversation with Shiro. They never gave a closure to Lance's arc.

Why do I feel like they did all that to make everyone pay for the shippers that made the toxic reputation of this fandom ? Why do I feel like the writers hate Lance ? Why do I feel like they totally baited us ?

The guy so in love with the idea of love ended up a lonely farmer. That's a great message for kids : don't even think that life will live up to your expectations no matter how hard you work for it. Don't even think that you can find any kind of fulfillment in your life, neither in love nor career.

I've never been in a fandom while a series was still going but I engaged in the Voltron fandom. I discovered it quite late but fell hard for it, it brought me so much happiness, so much hope ! I will never do it again because I'm not sure that the sadness and disappointment I feel right now are worth it. I will never be mad at the theorists and meta writers, they are good people who saw the extraordinary potential of Voltron, they probably feel worse to have spent so much time and energy picking up clues that definitely existed and only served to bait us.

In conclusion, everything Lance did this season was in a way or another related to Allura, as if he forgot he was someone of himself. As if the writers forgot who this character was. And it's painful.

At least there are still the beautiful fan art and fanfictions that really make him justice.

#voltron : legendary defender #season 8 was a disappointment #lance deserves better #allurance was so badly handled while it could have been so great #i just need to rant to be able to finally move on #i'm just sad right now #i will certainly drown my frustration in fanfictions #i'm still really grateful for the amazing people in this fandom though #this season contained good parts but didn't live up to the potential of the series

[nobszone]

#ChangeTheChannel: The Decline and Fall of an Empire

(With apologies to UrinatingTree)

After several days on twitter swapping stories, the former producers of Channel Awesome came together to compile a google doc of the experiences they had while working with the website (the doc is rather long so here’s a condensed version for those who don’t have the time or energy to go through it all). 

The #ChangeTheChannel hashtag has gained a ton of steam. Tweets, videos, even articles are being written now about the movement. Channel Awesome’s response has been to simply say “We regret you feel that way.”

#ChangeTheChannel symbolizes a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s a strike back against privileged white men, for others it’s another instance of the cntrl-left making a mountain out of a molehill and ruining the internet, and for others it’s just a nice fire to watch burn.

But for me? This symbolizes one thing and one thing only: the end of an era.

Because what we’re witnessing is the fall of the once mighty empire that was Channel Awesome.

Make no mistake though, this empire has long been dying. For the past few years Channel Awesome has been desperately trying to keep up the facade of its former glory as opposed to recognizing and attempting to fix its flaws. And with this whole debacle, Channel Awesome is now siphoning whatever reputation it may have had for the sake of its immediate and long term future.

Since 2013 this website has been doing whatever it could to remind itself of its glory days. The constant over reliance on Doug Walker’s character The Nostalgia Critic, trotting him out barely a year removed from his very public retirement of the character to just do the same style of reviews that he’s done in the past, only now for movies that are barely out of theaters.

But not to worry, he’s still forward thinking. After all, he brought on two actors to help him out in Malcolm Ray and Tamara Lynn Chambers who play various supporting characters in his reviews. He also now includes various little skits to break up the monotony of him sitting in front of a wall and talking to a camera, and now he even does reviews that have no clips in order to get around unscrupulous companies that abuse Fair Use laws.

Unfortunately to say that these new reviews suck is a bit of an understatement. About the only thing that people like about them are Tamara and Malcolm, and that’s more to do with their personalities and acting skills as opposed to the material they have to work with.

But surely it’s not just Nostalgia Critic all the time. Channel Awesome said they were trotting out new shows as well. Well most of those shows turned out to either not be very good, stagnated in development, or were so bad that they tried to sweep them under the rug and hope that everyone forgot they spent a hefty sum of money on them.

And now, thanks to these revelations (that were first reported on by folks like Mister Metokur but confirmed through the google doc), the site is literally hemorrhaging talent. CEO Mike Michaud now runs a company with a bleak present and virtually no future.

But still, the question must be asked; where did everything go wrong? How did a website that was the first name in online content creation become such a train wreck? For this, we have to find the precise moment that signaled the beginning of the end of the empire.

If you’ve watched any of the Channel Awesome critics, then you’re probably familiar with the term “Jumping the shark.” It refers to a moment when a franchise begins a sharp decline in quality that it’s never able to recover from. The term specifically refers to an episode of Happy Days when The Fonz literally jumps over a shark, a moment that began the show’s painful spiral into oblivion.

This thinking can be applied elsewhere as well. In sports you have moments like the 49ers firing Jim Harbaugh. In politics, the Republican party nominating Donald Drumpf. 

For Channel Awesome, this moment wasn’t when Demo Reel was announced, or even when Noah “Spoony One” Antwiler left the site (he’s a good producer but his behavior had become increasingly erratic, not to mention that as of late his work ethic has been...non existent). 

To find out when Channel Awesome jumped the shark, we have to go back a bit farther.

Starting in 2009, Channel Awesome (then under its old name, ThatGuyWithTheGlasses) filmed major crossover events to commemorate the site’s anniversary. The first one was nothing more than an impromptu brawl between The Nostalgia Critic, James Rolfe’s Angry Video Game Nerd, and the other contributors on the site. 

The second year movie, Kickassia, was more ambitious. The TGWTG crew traveled to Molossia to take over the micronation. While in many ways the shoot went well, this is where problems started to emerge.

(Just a quick disclaimer, I was originally going to go over in detail about the problems encountered in the anniversary films, but they’re so extensive that I simply don’t have time to fit them all in here. I strongly recommend reading the google doc for all the gory details.)

But it wasn’t until production of the third Anniversary special, Suburban Knights that things really started to become unsustainable. Things got so bad in fact that the entire movie was nearly scrapped. It only was finished at all because the producers were determined to do so.

So you’d think after such a miserable experience, Channel Awesome (or at the very least the Walker brothers) would recognize that they were in over their head. They would have to scale back production considerably for the next film and make it a smaller affair that’s more suited to their skills, or at the very least up their game. In trying to straddle the line between “amateur” and “professional” they were failing spectacularly.

But nothing was done. And Doug Walker proceeded to write To Boldly Flee. A four-hour long epic involving every single producer he could cram into his house and framed as a critique of acts like SOPA and the abuse of Fair Use laws.

Only when the producers actually read the script did they realize the true purpose of the film: the retirement of the Nostalgia Critic as a character. And the way the film was written, it seemed like it was also meant to be the end of just about everyone else on the site.

RIGHT THERE. THAT is the moment Channel Awesome jumped the shark.

But of course, the Critic’s retirement party wasn’t going to be denied. Doug Walker was still adored by the Internet after all. To refuse to let him retire his character on his own terms? The fandom’s jimmies would’ve been ruffled.

And besides, now they had a studio! And Doug was still on the site, now starring in a brand new show called Demo Reel. The empire will continue to live on!

Well, we all know what happened then.

While To Boldly Flee and the decision to retire the Nostalgia Critic may have been the moment that Channel Awesome jumped the shark, the reality is that there were many problems with the site long before. These were issues that the producers repeatedly voiced their concerns about and attempted to fix. Nothing was done.

To go over every single possible offense that was committed would be redundant as the google doc already does that for us. So instead, I shall do my best to list the “highlights” of the issues that were rampant with Channel Awesome.

Tellingly, it seems the problems with the site focused mainly on two individuals. CEO Mike Michaud, and CCO Rob Walker, though Doug Walker doesn’t exactly come off scott-free here.

So what exactly did these individuals do? Let’s break it down:

Mike Michaud:

He is a majority shareholder in the company and owns the rights to the Nostalgia Critic character.

He was very difficult to reach, regularly disappearing for long periods of time.

He was very reluctant to actually be involved with anything when it came to management of the company or daily operations.

The Pop Quiz Hotshot gameshow was his idea. No one wanted to actually do it, and he forced Doug and Rob to upload the pilot episode (which had to be reshot over a dozen times) to avoid an investigation by IndieGoGo.

When Allison Pregler (Obscurus Lupa) added midrolls to her videos in order to generate revenue, Michaud angrily confronted her while she was filming at the studio. He also left up incendiary comments about the midrolls on her videos to goad her into trying to take them down.

Lupa was literally fired for not answering Michaud on Skype within 15 minutes.

Kaylyn Saucedo (MarzGurl)’s videos were frequently mislabeled when Michaud uploaded them and he was very antagonistic towards her over the fact that she was affiliated with ScrewAttack (whom he perceived as Channel Awesome’s rivals).

Lewis Lovhaug (Linkara) requested to use the Channel Awesome studio to film the Atop The Fourth Wall movie. Michaud refused on the grounds that it would interfere with production of the Nostalgia Critic.

He attempted to fire Jacob Chapman (JesuOtaku) for simply criticizing the site.

When Dr. Gonzo inquired about the numbers for his podcast, he was repeatedly told to stop asking because “they suck and no one comes here to listen to you.” When he tried to create a tribute video for Justin Carmichael (JewWario), he was shot down for the same reason.

During the anniversary specials, Michaud asked that any crossover reviews that were filmed be handed over to Channel Awesome to recoup the costs of the production (none of the producers were ever paid for their part in the anniversary movies).

Was aware that Mike Ellis (another founding member of Channel Awesome) was sexually harassing members of the site, but did not act upon this information until nearly a year later. 

Overall Mike Michaud has engaged in behavior that could be considered immature, arrogant, unprofessional, and sexist.

Rob Walker:

He is the brother of Doug Walker and Channel Awesome’s CCO. He also frequently assists with the production of Nostalgia Critic episodes.

When producers came to Rob with concerns or complaints, he would call them “children” behind their backs.

Frequently fought with Doug over the script for To Boldly Flee.

When Lupa brought up that Doug should’ve told the other producers beforehand that he was retiring the Critic, Rob laughed it off.

He claimed that producers advertising their personal Patreon accounts was a “slap in the face” to the fans while also justifying their IndieGoGo as “executive authority.”

Topher Ames (Fool Fantastic) took a leave of absence to address the repercussions he was facing in his personal life due to coming out. Despite informing Channel Awesome’s HR rep at the time (Holly Brown) his videos were removed from the site. When he tried to explain what had happened to Rob, he was belittled and mocked.

During the filming of Suburban Knights, Iron Liz suffered a knee injury. Rob pressured her to sign a form that would absolve Channel Awesome of liability for any injuries, and refused to offer treatment until she did.

Doug Walker:

He is the most well known of the producers on the website, the man behind Nostalgia Critic.

Despite the fact that he’s officially considered “talent”, he is frequently involved with business decisions made by the company.

He’s described as being rather incompetent when it comes to the technical side of production, with Lupa claiming that he didn’t even know how to record a Skype conversation.

There are a limited number of slots on the site to feature videos. Doug tends to hog most of them, especially with series such as “Disneycember.”

By and large, the producers felt that Channel Awesome management was more concerned with what Doug wanted and needed rather than the producers as a whole.

The scene in To Boldly Flee where the Nostalgia Chick is assimilated was written in the guise of a sexual act. Both Linkara and Lindsay Ellis (Nostalgia Chick) were very uncomfortable with the scene and did not want to do it. Doug was unable to understand their reluctance.

Doug was legitimately unaware of how miserable the other producers were during the filming of To Boldly Flee. He had to be told later in a private meeting. He discusses this in the commentary track for To Boldly Flee where he expresses guilt over it and explains it’s one of the reasons he’s no longer doing large scale productions.

Phelan Porteous (Phelous) did some of the VFX for To Boldly Flee. Doug expressed his approval of the VFX. Later, Mat Williams (Welshy) was asked to “spy” on Phelous to make sure he wasn’t phoning in the work.

Doug was the deciding vote on whether or not to fire HR Rep Holly Brown (the decision came the day after she had surgery).

The decision to rebrand “ThatGuyWithTheGlasses” to “Channel Awesome” was to make it seem like the site wasn’t entirely focused on Doug’s work.

Doug did not tell anyone ahead of filming To Boldly Flee that he was retiring the Nostalgia Critic character, and the way he wrote the film gave the impression that he expected all the other producers to retire along with him (or at the very least that he no longer needed them)

Again, these are just the highlights that I could pull up in a quick timespan. I once again encourage you to read the google doc linked above.

Not just because it validates and substantiates these claims, but because it paints a clear picture of the decline and fall of a once mighty empire. The senate became complacent, refused to fix the glaring issues, and the barbarians sacked countless cities as a result.

Mike Michaud chose to focus the site on promoting the Walkers and figured that everyone else would be thankful for the “exposure.” This unfortunately doesn’t work when people expect that over time you’ll gradually move towards a more professional outfit, and especially when platforms like YouTube become more viable in terms of earning revenue.

And the sad part? This all could’ve been avoided. And not by just communicating more openly with the producers and treating them with respect.

When Doug Walker announced the sudden retirement of the Critic, the site’s traffic fell off a cliff and to this day has never been able to recover. The fact that it came seemingly out of nowhere was as much as a shock for the producers as it was for the fans.

Imagine if Doug had announced ahead of time that he was ending The Nostalgia Critic. At the very least, fans would’ve been able to prepare themselves for the end, and the producers who were reliant on Doug’s traffic to bring in views would’ve also been able to make plans for what to do in the aftermath. 

Going further, imagine if Demo Reel had started up as a side show before the end of the Critic. People would’ve had time to get used to the show’s more serious tone and docu-style format. Instead of having to reshoot the second episode on the fly, Doug would’ve been able to figure out what worked and what didn’t. It would’ve had time to grow a proper audience and flourish. 

Just imagine, people knowing ahead of time that Doug was retiring the Critic and trying a different show. The Critic would’ve gotten a proper sendoff that everyone was on board with and didn’t come out of nowhere. Demo Reel would’ve gotten through its early missteps and been able to grow. The traffic would’ve probably taken a hit but still be sustainable. The other producers would’ve at least felt like they weren’t being unceremoniously tossed to the side for the sake of a vanity project.

The empire could still be living on.

This could’ve been Channel Awesome had Doug told people ahead of time what his intentions were. Or even if Mike Michaud had truly tried to expand the site’s brand instead of focusing solely on the content produced by two men. But instead he’s chosen to be stubborn and cling on to what worked in the early days, back when no one would truly complain that the site was very much amateur hour.

That’s the other side of what’s lead to the fall of the empire: the stagnation. The fact that Channel Awesome hasn’t produced any original content worth a damn in nearly a decade, that they still think the show’s they did back in 2009 and 2010 are what people want to see today.

Take Rooster Teeth and Team FourStar. These studio’s have become so diversified in their portfolio’s you’d be forgiven for not knowing they started off as a Halo Machinma and a DBZ Gag Dub. But they do these things for the greater good.

Look at what focusing on one brand gets you:

Hell, this whole #ChangeTheChannel thing is giving CA the first real spike in trends they’ve had in a while, and it’s for all the wrong reasons. 

Even worse, there’s no hope of this going away any time soon.

Literally as I was writing this, Channel Awesome put out their “official” response to the aforementioned google doc.

If you haven’t read the google doc by now, I’d like to bring to your attention the fact that, for the most part, all the former producers want is simply an admission that they screwed up. All they ask is for Channel Awesome to apologize for mistakes they’ve made in the past and vow to do better.

But much like their tweeted statement where they said they “regret (the former producers) feel that way.” This is anything but that. I don’t have to link you the comments or tweets to tell you that this is about as tone-deaf as you can get. 

What’s more is that producers are claiming that Channel Awesome is flat out lying in their rebuttal. Only time will tell who’s telling the truth, but given that there’s been multiple accounts about how Channel Awesome told producers that they weren’t really going to do the thing they said they were going to do and that the things the producers were mad about was definitely their fault and not Channel Awesome’s, I’m not inclined to believe this statement.

Because at this point who are you going to believe? Mike Michaud, or your lying eyes?

Sadly, it gets even worse.

Consider this photo. This is the cast photo of To Boldly Flee. These were the headliners of Channel Awesome back in 2012. 

Fast forward nearly 6 years later. Most of the people in this photo? They’re gone.

And with Angry Joe now leaving as well, the only people in this photo who are still affiliated with the site are Bennett the Sage, Brad Jones, and The Walker Brothers.

Even worse, the people that are still on the site are getting roped into this regardless if they’re involved or not. Malcolm Ray and Tamara Lynn Chambers are both feeling the heat for their continued affiliation with the site, and both have promised their own response will be coming soon.

Let me be clear, no one has the right to attack Malcolm or Tamara or any producers over their decision to stay. As far as we know, they are completely innocent in these ongoing events. All the same though, I would counsel both of them to have a good look at the document so they can see for themselves what “loyalty” got for their predecessors.

In the end this website has done the unthinkable. Channel Awesome has gone from the envy of the Internet to its newest punchline. This is a feat that takes a special kind of incompetence. In all my life I can only recall one other incident like it.

But the reason why this has happened comes from the top down.

Mike Michaud is truly the Dave Brandon of the Internet. He’s the embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger effect, and overall just seems to be a terrible person. This is a man who desires to be in charge of everything while at the same time being in charge of nothing. He will chew out producers for doing things that make him look bad. He is a hollow shell filled with nothing but arrogance, immaturity and greed. 

Rob Walker doesn’t seem to be much better. While his list of transgressions is not as extensive as Mike Michaud’s, they give off the air of someone who lords an unwarranted superiority over others. A man who lucked into the position he’s in and is determined not to let anyone find out. A man who lied to his own brother about the problems Demo Reel was having, just for the sake of keeping everything running like clockwork.

Channel Awesome deserved caretakers that could nurture and grow the channel into something special. Instead it got two empty suits who are both convinced they’re the smartest one in the room.

And then there’s Doug.

This is where I suspect many of us on the outside looking in are having the biggest ethical dilemma. That someone like this man could do the things he’s accused of doing.

In the past I have come to this man’s defense. It can be no more.

To be honest, I do find him to be something of a tragic figure. This is the kind of stuff that can (and in all honesty probably should) end his career. And while I don’t know what kind of person Doug Walker is, I doubt that when he started off doing movie reviews on YouTube that he had any of this in mind. I doubt he wanted to do anything besides make movies and entertain people.

But at some point in time, we all need to grow up. We all need to understand that what we might have gotten away with in the past we can’t get away with anymore. That there are things expected of us, responsibilities we are expected to uphold.

For better or worse, Doug Walker does not seem to have realized that.

It’s one thing to be described as being “out to lunch” or off in your own little world when you’re in a social setting hanging out with people. Those kinds of traits can be seen as endearing and lovable. But they simply don’t work when you’re expected, fairly or otherwise, to be in charge of other people, or to help people out of a bad situation.

I have no idea if Doug is management, talent, or both. I don’t know what he considers himself to be. But the fact that he’s been allowed to make sweeping decisions that affect Channel Awesome as a whole seem to indicate that he doesn’t have a grasp of what he does or how his actions affect those around him.

And as a result, the things that we loved about him have now become the things we hate.

Remember when we laughed at the opening of Suburban Knights?

That joke isn’t funny anymore.

The thing that’s really disheartening to me, is that Doug is still being the same person he always is, even as all this stuff piles up. Simply parroting Channel Awesome’s response on his Facebook page.

I think many of us just want him to say something about this, something that doesn’t come from a prewritten statement. Snap at a fan at a con who asks him about the doc, say his boss was a total idiot who’s more or less ensured he’s stuck doing the same thing for the rest of his life, just do something, anything at all that’s not the same stuff he’s been doing for the last 5 years.

Whether Doug is naive, callous or a coward is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t know enough about him to say otherwise, except that he seems like exactly the kind of person who would shut down as his dream job becomes a nightmare.

And like I said, I truly believe this is it for him. This is the kind of thing that many people simply don’t come back from. If he thinks that he can simply tune this out, well he also thought that production of To Boldly Flee was a hoot and a half.

At least Malcolm and Tamara came out and said “That’s not us, that’s not what we do or who we are.”

Doug Walker seems content to burn amongst the flames without so much as shaking a fist at the heavens.

In the end, my hope is that if nothing else what happened with Channel Awesome will be seen as a cautionary tale, for there are two very important lessons here that we would all do well to learn.

The first; we all have an expiration date. One day, whether by chance or design, the Internet shall declare us irrelevant. Even if we don’t have a career destroying scandal, the simple truth is that eventually new mediums and ideas will come along. People will try to do what we do, only do it better. And unless we can adapt and evolve, we will die.

The second; no one escapes judgement. In a day and age when even an innocuous tweet made years ago can be dug up and presented to the world, it’s a reality that no one escapes their past and no one escapes judgement. We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of, and someday we will have to answer for them. And the more we try to bury or deflect the truth, the worse it becomes for all of us.

These are two lessons that all of us, no matter who we are or what we do, should always keep in mind. Because no matter how big or important we may think we are, we are all replaceable, especially on the Internet.

What happens when you don’t adapt and try to run from your past?

You become Channel Awesome.

(Damn this might be the most depressing thing I’ve written yet, I suddenly remember why I don’t do this fandom stuff anymore.)

#ChangeTheChannel #Channel Awesome #Doug Walker #Rob Walker #Mike Michaud

[butsomeofusarelookingatthestars]

omg I have a perfect one shot idea. How about where reader x luke just got newly engaged and the team took them both out to celebrate since they both work in the bau together and of course they got shit faced, and the next day Luke's parents find out and surprise them both at luke' s place and his parents kind of low-key pick on then as they both look hungover af and his mother notices a hickey on readers neck from late night activities and makes a comment about it. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Late-Night Celebrations

Fandom: Criminal MindsPairing: Luke Alvez x ReaderPrompt: Request

Description: The only way to celebrate your engagement was by drinking far too much and stumbling into bed with your fiancé. What you hadn’t planned on was a surprise visit from his parents…

Thank you so much for the genius that was this prompt! Enjoy

A loud bang echoed around the apartment as you and Luke came bursting through the front the door, giggling stupidly at your own drunken foolishness. You had both definitely had too much to drink, the room spinning slightly as you stumbled towards the living room.

You should have known better because the last time you had drank this much, the following morning had been one of the worst of your life. Alcohol wasn’t worth the painful hangover. Sadly, the rational truth of that statement had been lost entirely as Garcia pushed shot after shot into your eager hands.

In your defence, it wasn’t every day you got engaged to the love of your life.

It had been an unexpected proposal, Luke ending up blurting out his confession in the middle of dinner. He insisted that he had a big gesture planned, but he had been too nervous to wait to pop the question. You found it incredibly sweet that he couldn’t wait to ask, touched that he was too excited about spending the rest of his life with you to wait until after desert.

After all, who really cared about cake sparklers?

Following your acceptance, there had only been one thing left to do – celebrate with the rest of your team. It seemed as if your fellow profilers knew about Luke’s plan all along, already waiting at the bar to delightedly toast your engagement.

The knowing smiles they had exchanged all day suddenly made sense as they explained that your fiancé had confided his secret in them last month.

Having them share in your happiness was the most incredible thing. They were some of the most important people in both of your lives and it meant a lot to have their blessings. Therefore, it only seemed right to commemorate the occasion with plenty of drinks.

Rossi had insisted on paying the bar tab as an early engagement present, meaning that the alcohol supply never ran dry all night. Perhaps you would curse his generosity in the morning, but it had guaranteed a fabulous night for everyone – especially you and Luke.

Neither of you could even remember a time when you had laughed so loudly or smiled so brightly. Just being able to celebrate with everyone meant a lot. The BAU had been through a lot and it was incredible to be able to build joyful moments together. It felt as if, despite the darkness of the past, there was hope for the future.  

Everyone felt overjoyed that the two of you had found happiness together. They had always known that you were meant to be, or so they claimed. Having been there since the start of your relationship, they knew that you both deserved one another entirely.

Although, they still managed to lower the tone of the evening - wolf whistling and cheering loudly every time you and Luke held hands or kissed. They might have had a point given that you had a tendency to be quite affectionate after a few drinks.

But, you still felt slightly embarrassed as they caught Luke’s hand wandering up your leg under the table.

Their suggestive comments had forced the two of you to finally disappear home in the early hours of the morning. There was only so much teasing you could take, especially with Rossi chipping in with inappropriate comments about how you should ‘celebrate the night properly’.

You wouldn’t be telling him that you had decided to take his advice.

A loud crash made you jump. You burst out laughing as you turned around to see Luke having tripped over one of Roxy’s toys. Drunk Luke was one of your favourite sights because it was in such contrast to his usual calm and composed self.

It was hard to believe that a former ranger could trip over a squeaky mouse.

“Don’t laugh.” He told you jokingly, chuckling warmly himself as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

You smiled softly as he nuzzled your neck affectionately, his fingers lacing through yours as he gently traced the beautiful metal band he had placed there earlier. A flutter of excitement stirred in your heart as you proudly admired the sight of the ring sat on your finger.

It was the sentimentality behind it that made it even more special, with Luke having received it from his own parents. He had been overjoyed to tell you that they were both thrilled by his decision, exclaiming their delight at his choice in bride.

Apparently, his mother had seen it coming since the first time he had brought you home.

Your thoughts were distracted as you felt Luke’s hot breath against your neck, a soft moan escaping your lips as he peppered your skin with urgent kisses. Encouraged by your reaction, his hands quickly dropped to hungrily roam your body.

“Luke!” You squealed in surprise as a hand suddenly delved beneath your dress, tracing the expanse of your inner thigh.

He let out a stifled chuckle against your neck. “What? My fiancé’s irresistible.”

The sound of the word on his lips made your heart burst with pride, providing him with the perfect distraction to intensify his ministrations.

A loud gasp of pleasure escaped your lips as his teeth grazed against your neck. It would probably leave bruises, but as Luke guided you into the bedroom you didn’t care.

All you wanted to do was enjoy some late-night celebrations with your new fiancé.

It was as the sun shone brightly through the window the next morning that you knew you had made a terrible mistake. A loud groan falling from your lips as the pain shot through your head.

You were hungover.

Luke shuffled slightly next to you at the disturbance, prompting you to try to squirm free of his tight grasp around your waist. You loved being close to him, but his warmth was only making you feel queasier as the alcohol began to take its toll.

Shots were always a bad idea.

Your movement stirred Luke awake. A soft grunt echoing around the room as he rubbed his face in confusion. All it took was once glance at his pained expression to realise that he too was suffering from a hangover.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this bad before.” He groaned quietly, throwing his head back into the plump pillows as he gazed at your pathetic form.

He might had felt rough, but you definitely seemed to be suffering the worst as you lay curled up motionless in the sheets. It was as if the entire room was filled with regret as the two of you tried to make sense of your stupid decision to accept another bottle of champagne from Rossi.

You could only moan in agreement at his words, prompting Luke to outstretch a hand to lightly trace soothing circles on your exposed hip – with the intention of helping you feel a little bit better. The gesture was sweet considering he too wasn’t feeling great.

Fortunately for him, he would be fine after a greasy breakfast. The thought of which was causing you to feel increasingly nauseous. You deeply envied Luke’s ability to be able to even fathom the idea of food during a hangover because you physically couldn’t move from your spot in bed.

A loud knock echoed through the apartment, causing Roxy to bark deafeningly.

A whine of pain fell from your lips as you buried your head in the pillows, hoping to ease the pounding. Your arm flew out to hit Luke’s chest lightly as you gestured for him to make the noise stop.

He only chuckled softly. “I see how it is. The rest of my life will just be you ordering me around.” He joked teasingly, clearly amused by the state you were in.

Your mumble of agreement was muffled by the pillows as you continued to cradle your head protectively.

“Only for you.” He sighed softly, pressing a tender kiss on top of your head as you heard him reach towards the end of the bed for the pants you had hastily torn off him last night.

If you weren’t in such a poor state, you probably would have admired the sight of your fiancé’s impressive physique as he pulled on his sweats. But, even the temptation of his sculpted chest couldn’t entice you to move from your position.

A moment of blissful peace followed as you heard him shuffle towards the door. However, your joy was abruptly stolen as you heard the familiar sound of his mother’s voice.

Terror flooded through you as you realised the situation you were in. His parents were lovely, but it was too embarrassing for them to find you grossly hungover and lying in bed.

Despite your body screaming in protest, you leapt up from bed to grab your dressing gown – fighting off the dizziness as you swiftly pulled your hair back from your face. There wasn’t much you could do about your awful appearance, but you could at least try to look a tad presentable.

The apartment was still spinning as you stumbled into the hallway, trying to subtly use the walls as support as you approached them. You had to bite back the pained groan that threatened to escape as they both engulfed you in a warm embrace, kissing your cheek as they congratulated you on the happy news.

The knowing grin on Luke’s face told you that he knew exactly how much you were suffering.

You smiled brightly and nodded politely as they gushed excitedly, but the entire time you were solely focused on not throwing up in front of your future in-laws.

It would definitely not the best start to an engagement.

“I can’t believe my little boy is going to be married.” His mom cooed, pinching Luke’s cheek affectionately.

The responding scowl on his face caused all of you to laugh at his expense.

It was clear that his parents knew you were both completely hungover because there was a playful glint in their eyes as they examined the two of you.

Luke’s dad reached out to clap him on the back sympathetically.

“Look at the state of you, Luke.” He complained, gesturing to his scruffy curls and appalling attire. “You still haven’t learnt your lesson when it comes to drinking son.”

Despite fighting off your own queasiness, a smug grin spread across your face as his parents began to lecture him on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. Mistakenly, you decided to join in the teasing.

“Yeah, listen to your parents Luke.” You told him, smirking as he glowered at you in mock anger.

However, the smile soon faded from your face as you noticed both his parents gazing at you in shock.

Confusion filled your face as you took in their surprised, yet bemused expressions. There was a knowing grin on his mom’s face and you could tell that his dad was desperately trying to hold in his laughter.

“Well, we can tell that the two of you enjoyed your celebrations.” His mom murmured softly, gesturing towards your neck.

Horror swept through you as your fingers traced the bruise on your neck. In your haste to greet them, you had completely forgotten about the marks Luke had left all over your body last night.

His dad couldn’t contain himself anymore, letting out a bark of laughter as he hit Luke playfully on his arm.

“Late night, son?”

Your fiancé at least at the decency to look slightly embarrassed at the situation, a blush creeping across his cheeks as he coughed nervously. However, as he glanced over at you mortified expression, he couldn’t hold back the laughter.

You were going to kill him.

#criminal minds #luke alvez #criminal minds imagine #luke alvez x reader #luke alvez imagine #requests #this was the best prompt ever 😍👏🏻