#and the more I think about it the more evidence supports it

[b-dwolf]

losing my mind a bit, and need to try and get my thoughts in order BUT!

there is just.. something to be said with this season, and how they constantly like to reaffirm for us buck’s place in christopher’s life.

literally starting off the season with eddie opening up to buck about chris and him dating multiple girls at once, asking buck to talk to him (instead of simply asking him for advice to handle the situation, or even asking his girlfriend who- is a girl and would probably be better in that department! but anyway!).

and then showing us buck’s jealousy of chris thinking tommy is “so cool” (we all know now where that stemmed from, but i am still convinced he was confusing a bunch of feelings at once- and even oliver has said buck had no idea what / who he was jealous about!), and when tommy goes over to talk to buck about the basketball court incident- tommy tells him just how much christopher “can’t shut up” about him. and not to forget buck’s face when he says that and how it lasted a few seconds longer than it probably should have

…. and now; whatever the fuck is going on with helen and ramon coming to visit. my money is on abuela getting / feeling sick after the wedding (hence why eddie is still in the same shirt he wore to the hospital wedding in that still of him and chris that we got- also looks like he possibly could’ve been crying)

i am not super sure what the heck is going on there but i have a silly theory that my friend and i kind of came up with! we do not have strong evidence supporting it btw- this simply just based on what we have seen thus far and how the season has been playing out!

but since eddie will most likely be busy being by his abuela’s side- he would want someone to watch after chris for him. our best guess? buck, of course! it would also explain why he seems to be filming the same time as everyone else involved- and plus it could be the perfect opportunity to bring the ‘will of it all’ into play.

i could see two things going on with this; helena says something in a spur of a moment out burst along the lines of like, “you cannot keep leaving your son with a stranger” and eddie can say something like “he’s not a stranger, he’s family” and that can somehow lead into the will reveal! (because i do see helena being the problem here- people have pointed out many times now that ramon is the only one it seems to be putting in any effort into having a relationship with his son, where as it’s crickets from helena! also she was the first one to be defensive about shannon but anyway!)

OR!

and just a heads up: this is not me bashing tommy at all, i actually do enjoy his character and love what he has done / is doing for buck! this is simply speculation and also just a bit of fun!! no harm in silly theorizing!

i could see tommy perhaps noticing how often buck is watching after chris, and maybe he just brings up something about like, oh hey i thought eddie’s parents were in town… are they not able to watch after him? (in a nice way!! idk how the hell to word things but i do not think he would be a dick about it 😭 like he would just genuinely be asking!) and then somehow that conversation leads to the will and how eddie trusts buck more than anyone etc …

needless to say i just think there is. Something. There. and i have sooooo much hope in the will being brought up. based on how many times they brought it up in interviews, and sort of alluded to in the show as well (“you don’t seem to have trouble committing to certain things” you all know where your mind went!)

anyway that is all. thanks for reading this mess if ya did <3

#evan buckley #eddie diaz #christopher diaz #diaz family #buddie #buddipher #idk guys there is just something sooo important #about the chris of it all #idk how to ! explain ! #AAAA #911 on abc #911 spoilers #tagging as spoilers bc i did mention some of the bts content

[incredibly-delirious-biznasty]

So now that I have an opportunity to scream about Kendrick Lamar’s Genius on Tumblr

Help yourself to this analytical essay I wrote in 2016 examining “To Pimp a Butterfly” and dissecting the stance that Kendrick is, by definition, a conscious rapper.

Shoutout to Drew Lindsay, the professor whose class I wrote this for. Also, please engage in lyrical analysis and music theory with me 🥺

Throughout his album To Pimp a Butterfly (TPaB), Kendrick Lamar is grappling with big issues of race and resentment. There are many layers to each song on the album and like any modern masterpiece, the true meaning lies below the surface and must be teased out. Many songs on TPaB come across as strictly fighting racism and helping along a powerful message in support of his roots. When digging deeper, we find that even the most overt black support anthems on the album have an argumentative element which questions Lamar’s roots and his thoughts on perceived racism. The conflict evident throughout the album is the incarnation of Kendrick’s personal struggle and reflects the conflict within the black community. TPaB’s message is not overtly positive or uplifting and is highly conflicted and therefore can not be classified as realist or conscious. At it’s core, To Pimp a Butterfly is not a conscious manifesto, telling the viewer exactly what to think, but a conversation about current racial issues that is not firmly positive or negative.

! “King Kunta” is the only track on the album that has a seemingly triumphant message all the way through; however this message takes on a sad note when put in the context of the rest of the album. When taken out of context, “King Kunta” comes across as a celebratory anthem, not only for Kendrick himself but for his homies and his people as well. The Lyrics, “Black man taking no losses” extends from his personal success to the triumph of a black art becoming the most popular music form in the mainstream. Even the title references the prolific slave “Kunta Kintae” who’s leg was

hacked for his “slights” against his white captors. Like a conscious track, it seems to have a clear surface meaning. However, as it happens over and over across the album, the traditional wholesome respectful themes of conscious rap are largely disregarded. The beat and production on this track are some of the most radio friendly and “trendy” on the album and the the first track to carry a piece of Kendrick’s Poem at the end. This seems to give “King Kunta” the high note before the gut punch of meaning. The message of “King Kunta” is predominantly “We made it guys,” but as the album progresses, we are made to beg the question “Made it where?”. As the next track on the record starts to deal with Kendrick’s old neighborhood and the clear negative points of contention start to reveal themselves, “King Kunta” becomes bleaker and more hollow in hindsight as the record progresses.

! “Institutionalized” compares Kendrick’s Compton neighborhood to a prison and starts to unpack conflicting feelings about the draw to his personal roots, and all the negatives that come with. As the preceding snippet of The Poem states “At fist you was conflicted,” it only makes sense that this theme rings throughout this song in many ways. There are many layers of conflict as well as many layers of persona in this track that should all be taken into account. Kendrick himself is “trapped in the ghetto” in more ways than one as he struggles to make a name for himself in the industry. Kendrick misses his home, but feels he can no longer relate to his old station after finding success; and yet he can never shake his ghetto roots and the baggage that comes with. There seem to be no positives left about Kendrick’s home and this displacement is furthered after he takes his homies to an award show and their first instinct is to steal from the celebrities around them. He so desperately wants to have a safe place in his

home when faced with the chaos and pressure of the music industry, but finds his home is now just as confining as the industry. As with most of the tracks on this record, Kendrick also acts as a surrogate for members of the black community to reflect common issues. The BET situation can easily be applied to any black kid who comes out of the ghetto and attempts to make something of themselves. The neighborhood and the attached stigmas follow any possible success and no matter how successful any one of these people gets, the inherent shame and conflict of their less successful or motivated peers and life station will always weigh on their minds. Throughout a predominantly conflicted and negative track, the chorus gives a single ray of hope through the mantra of “Shit don’t change unless you get up and wash your ass”.

! “Alright” uses a black stereotype to grapple with his personal struggle through life and compares it to the struggle of the black community as a whole. When we reach this track, the Poetic additions have reached “the evils of Lucy was all around me” and on the preceding track of “U” Kendrick and the album had hit their lowest point. As the track starts, a slew of new conflicts hits the table. Kendrick is facing his vices and the path he is headed down due to his fame and the influence of the music industry; comparing the game to “Lucy,” an incarnation of the devil in the form of a crafty woman. Again, he doubles as surrogate for the black community and the communal struggle, but fans out this connection to God. The “lawd lovin darkie” is a stereotype that Kendrick is playing on as a positive and embracing despite the pull against such topics in the mainstream rap industry. The voice of the track feels vastly positive; the bounce after the rock- bottom of “U”. However, “Alright” is nothing if not weighed down with struggle and sadness. The conflict of depression and hope clashes with every run of the chorus.

Lucy’s echo of Uncle Sam on “Wesley’s Theory” is a direct comparison of The Music Industry to Satan, a notion that Craig points out has been “a prominent, reoccurring theme [in music] for the past 30 years.”(Vigilant Citizen, 4). The bars have the same rhythm, but manage to hold their identity despite the change from 112 beats per minute(bpm) on “Wesley’s Theory” to the 56bpm of “Alright”. For a composition standpoint this is so impressive and Connor’s description of “...genius level record management in the tradition of Dr Dre”(Connor, 2) is not an exaggeration. The bpm change reflects Kendrick’s state in each song. “Wesley’s Theory” begins the album with a whirlwind ride to money and success with a fast beat and and a blasé attitude. By the echo, Kendrick has hit bottom and his life is crawling through the mud at a snails pace, prolonging his inner conflict and misery. “Alright” has the blurriest line between Kendrick as himself and Kendrick as the silhouette stand in for his people. Although the hook is positive and uplifting, the lyrics have weight and imply that Kendrick’s problems are also the problems of black individuals and the black community as a whole. The hook tells us that “We gon‘ be alright,” yet he describes his hope and his faith failing in times of deepest struggle, leaving the listener feeling (what a shock) conflicted.

! “The Blacker the Berry” is the summation of Kendrick’s struggle throughout the rest of the record; pitting racism against the existing problems perpetuated in the black community, resulting in an inconclusive conversation. This track is easily the most mind- bending and certainly the hard-hitting thesis of the record. Kendrick begins by claiming to be the “biggest hypocrite of 2015” in a mantra that gains weight as the song progresses. With the first verse confronting the white population and police brutality shattering the black community, the weight of the line “You made me a killer,” seems

obvious and, although striking, not extremely unique. As the track progresses, Kendrick accuses The Music Industry of making him a killer. Finally, Kendrick aims his accusations at his black brothers; gangbangers and thieves. If that wasn’t enough, the tracks introduction states “sometimes I get off watchin' you die in vain,” referring to his people. Although this could be the product of internalized racism, or Kendrick’s roots in the Blood/Crip war, nonetheless, it’s taking a stance that is not seen in conscious rap. Kendrick is facing that there is not one reason for violence or racism and therefore the problem can’t be fixed in any simple manner; certainly not one he holds the answer to. So who really made Kendrick a killer? Who made killers of any black man? As a representation, summation, and thesis of the rest of the album, Kendrick is having a conversation about where violence starts and presenting many possible options. They all repeat the same mantras, making them all equal and not singling any one out as more or less valid. In the end there is no clear resolution; just the statement of a problem and an intellectual presentation of thought. “The Blacker the Berry” states that many people and many groups are responsible for the perpetuation of racism, violence, and stereotypes, without attempting to “fix” the situation or even place blame as conscious rap is wont to do. When all of these things are called out, it is no longer about pointing a finger and starting a lynch mob. It becomes a critical reflection and the seed of a conversation. The running theme of the album persists as Kendrick becomes the echo of the black community and his inner conflicts become the conflicts within his community.

! As the album closes, Kendrick’s personal struggle is completely conveyed in a masterful comparison of himself to Tupac Shakur. His journey is not tied up in a neat

bow and the entirety of the album is left open-ended. We are not told explicitly “Kendrick will/will not meet the same end as Tupac,” but left to ponder and discuss. In the same way, we follow Kendrick’s reflection of the black community to its close without resolution. Many believe that “Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all,”(Jenkins, 3) and although that is a fair assessment of the album; trying to wrap up a record as complex and nuanced as To Pimp a Butterfly in a neat bow of optimism like that doesn’t do it any justice. TPaB would be nothing without its unending conflict and roller coaster of ups and downs. This blend of conflict and pain is our heart line direct to Kendrick’s soul as his confessional develops and our uniting point as a community under the problems he presents. As The World’s Busiest Music Nerd stated, “[Kendrick’s] not telling us what to think... [he’s] contradicting himself”(Fantano, 11:08). This inability to take a stand (among other explicit sexual and violent gangster themes) is ultimately what disqualifies To Pimp a Butterfly from the conscious spectrum. If the album was anything but what it is, we as the listener would not be able to discuss how we address the problems presented. The album would lose all intrigue and conversation if we were left with a solid resolution. To Pimp a Butterfly is a 78 minute conversation, to create a century’s conversation.

Sources Sited

Theneedledrop, and Anthony Fantano. "Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly ALBUM REVIEW." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

An in-depth analysis of the formal elements of “To Pimp a Butterfly”. A moment I found really compelling was just around 11:18 when Fantano talks about the conflicted nature of the album. Alludes to Kendrick making a conscious album, but pays very close attention to the music beneath the flows and how it compels the message. The rare 10/10.

Connor, Martin. "Kendrick Lamar: Rap Music Analysis." The Composer's Corner. Blogspot, 24 July 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Connor analyzes Lamar’s production unity despite multiple producers. He hails this foresight into record management as genius level: on par with Dr Dre’s production insight and Jay-Z’s ear for album unity. Connor goes on to compare the seeding of musical ideas across tracks to classical compositions. He uses the example of an echoing verse with identical musical rhythms; despite the bpm change across tracks (56bpm on “Alright” and 112bpm on “Wesley’s Theory”

Jenkins, Craig. "To Pimp a Butterfly." Kendrick Lamar: Album Review. Pitchfork Publications, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

“Underneath the tragedy and adversity, To Pimp a Butterfly is a celebration of the audacity to wake up each morning to try to be better, knowing it could all end in a second, for no reason at all.”

Business, Music. "Kendrick's Deeper Story." Vigilant Citizen. The Vigilant Citizen, 27 Nov. 2015. Web

#kendrick lamar #k dot #to pimp a butterfly #tpab #tupac shakur #rap #musical analysis #conscious rap #gangsta rap #lyrical analysis #academic writing #long post #*shoves my hyperfixation down your throat*

[saphflare]

Personal take on "Chayanne as a Glass Child Interpretation" that no one asked for

===

Apparently people have been using the "Chayanne has glass child syndrome" thing to rag on q!Philza, which I haven't seen, at least not overtly. Or at least not with the purposeful intent of labelling q!Philza completely as a Bad Parent. But I can get why ppl would feel like that is an attack on his character (*stares at DSMP*)

But I also kinda wish some ppl understood that when we interpret the fact that Chayanne is a glass child, it isn't necessarily to blame q!Philza and his parenting.

please

Because anyone that has a singular critical thinking brain cell can see that the man is trying so fucking hard to raise his two children, and that he loves both of them so much. And that is the sad thing isn't it. Because the thing about glass children is that practically always it is not intentional, and the parents never mean to neglect or force their more capable/older children to become so. That it is often just a consequence of the circumstances of their lives together, and it is something that isn't obvious most of the time until it of course becomes an issue. That for all the efforts of the caretaker(s), they sometimes need to focus on one child more because of their needs and that is perfectly understandable, especially if it is health needs. But as a result, there are gaps in the support and needs of the family. And so, other children in the family that are capable of helping just end up doing so because additional aid and care is needed.

And if you especially look at the Death family's circumstances, we can see those circumstances in play. That the island is dangerous compared even to "normal" society, with the government system provides little to no additional care for its residents & their families. If not downright making it basically punishing them because they have children, due to needing to work for additional resources for their kids (cookies, tasks, etc.) And then there are the monsters and external forces trying to kill and torment all of them. Now that is already fucked, but then you consider the fact that Philza has two children, as he is their primary caretaker due to q!Missa's frequent absence. Which not blaming q!Missa, as the family still loves him and like probable lore reasons, but regardless that adds to the circumstances of the family. That q!Philza is the only one, for the majority of the time, responsible for two kids instead of just one for most of the other parents.

Which again, I will say that other residents also help out with taking care of other eggs of their own and all that, I won't deny that. But they can't always know or be able to pinpoint all things that the two children specifically need or be reliable as the island limits their ability to help.

That at the end of the day, Philza in specific is considered the official guardian for Chayanne and Tallulah, and the one that they spend most time with in their development on the island.

That with the constant danger and additional circumstances surrounding them, it is no wonder that Chayanne ended up taking more responsiblity, becoming more mature in the process. That like any other kid that could see their family struggling and also feel it, he wanted to help his dad. And especially at first, when they had Tallulah and it was evident she needed support due to her asthma and health issues (aka internet issues). She needed not just the support of Philza, who was already lacking consistent support of a partner, but also her brother to help out in case. That it might not have been the intention for Chayanne to take on these burdens or have to grow up so fast, but it happened out of necessity.

That it was as a result of everything they have faced on that island, both good and bad, for Chayanne to have turned out the way he has now and before.

And, I want to stress this so fucking much that neither Philza nor Tallulah are responsible for this. No one in this family is completely at fault because for fucks sakes it isn't exactly like they fucking meant for Chayanne to be a parentified child. That yes their circumstances contributed to to the situation, but that is the same as saying the island has given them lemons and they had to just do the best with it. And that in some ways, they are still growing out of their original dynamics, even months now that they have changed so much and literally have been displaced onto a new place. That in this manner specifically, Philza sometimes still falls into the same mentality in believing Tallulah is still the same little girl that he needs to constantly look out for, when she has become so much more and grown to be able to defend herself. Honestly almost, if not, just as well as Chayanne. But I also acknowledge that he has improved quite a bit, and given her much more freedom and autonomy, especially since they all reunited after Purgatory. But he is still getting used to it, and even in these few months, he has learned to give them room to grow a bit.

Also, I don't blame him for sometimes falling back on the old habits considering you know the dangers he is so guarded against are real and most definitely out to get him and his eggs.

The whole thing of people having flaws and making mistakes yada yada ya, they don't know everything they need to do all the time, especially with things changing constantly and all that shit.

And in some ways, I look at Chayanne right now and I see he is more of a glass child healing from their early circumstances. That his family has acknowledged in some way that he had to take on so much more than what a kid should have. And while I don't think they have unpackaged everything, and that it something that will take a lot more time. Not to mention all the new issues that pop up every other fucking day (for void sake, let this family have a goddamn break). But the thing is they are improving. That they are definitely moving towards that direction in which they are looking in retrospect of what they had to deal with and realizing things. And then, they are having conversations about it together.

And look, for all the things you can say about Death Family, they are all trying their best. That yes perhaps their family is dysfunctional due to fact that it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to cultivate a healthy stable and safe environment for them to grow up in. And yes, of course there are interpersonal issues and current trauma that they need to work through because of all the things they experienced on the island, there are issues in every family, small or big that needs to be worked through. But that doesn't negate the fact that they are trying so hard to the best of their abilities because of each other. That it is undeniable that they have sought to improve and grow and become who they are because they love their family, and hold each other closely in their hearts. That they are still people actively trying to discover things about themselves. And it will always be a struggle in their places as the family they are, but they do so out of love for each other.

But yes whole point is, "Chayanne has experiences that can be comparable to that of a glass child" and "q!Philza is a flawed person that is trying his best" and "Death Family is dysfunctional but also loving of each other" are all statements that can exist together.

Death Family isn't perfect and I love them for that <3

#qsmp #qsmp death family #qsmp philza #qsmp chayanne #qsmp tallulah #qsmp analysis #qsmp fandom crit #saph rambles #is this a hot take i dunno know #but i was getting a bit annoyed with ppl going - oh Chayanne isn't a glass child just ppl being mean to Philza for no reason -_- #<--- Me as an oldest child specifically relating to Chayanne because of experiences having a parent that means well but shit *circumstances #also if I do see anyone shit on any of the Death Family members for Chayanne being glass child or blah blah I am smacking you SHUT #i love death family specifically because they are flawed and imperfect but its undeniable they love each other #and because of that they are trying so hard to improve and go on for each other by facing the fact they have unintentionally hurt each othe #and it is hard but that is the process of making amends and taking accountability so they can heal and i feel so normal about it #i just like yapping about death family my cubitos <3

[ladiablesse]

and i don’t put it past any of these rap niggas to be abusive but there is not a single lick of evidence to support the idea that kendrick abused his wife, especially in comparison to the mountain of evidence presented pre kendrick diss that has elicited concern over drake being a predator.

like drake is incredibly tit for tat. kendrick says he hates women, which we know is true after we’ve watched him spend at least half of his career dissing women he’d previously dated/been attracted to and hanging out with their abusers. so in response drake says lol u beat ur wife (no evidence of anything of the sort, the only source being online gossip forums amongst drakes fans). kendrick says he grooms young girls, which again we have video and photo evidence of this happening several times over, provided by a variety of sources including a published article over the past several years. drake then says lol your wife cheated on you w your colleague and bore his child not yours (no evidence, just something his fans say as a dig which is rooted in misogyny and only serves to undermine his previous accusation about kendrick’s wife being a survivor bc hes essentially slut shaming her and playing her rumored abuse as a joke/something she is somehow deserving of bc she “cheated”). also: “haha ur only mad at me because you yourself are a victim” (not true, kendrick spoke on his mom being a survivor and being worried that something had happened to him due to her own trauma though nothing actually did, and even if he was that’s not by any fault of his own, unlike being a predator which is an active series of decisions that one blames the perpetrator for not the victim). also “im too famous to be a rapist if i was id be in jail right??” (?????).

anyways i think drake is treating this beef as a “i’m going to throw anything at the wall a hope some shit sticks regardless of whether or not it’s true” type thing whereas i am confident that kendrick genuinely believes what he’s saying is true and that is what is informing his genuine hatred for drake and desire to see him dead. he’s not just trying to hurt drakes feelings he genuinely believes this is a righteous pursuit (even though i want to be clear that kendrick himself is a hypocrite who’s worked w abusers in the past). if drake genuinely believed any of the shit he said abt kendrick he would not be handling it like this and would be taking it way more seriously.

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

Headcanons (at least somewhat supported by evidence from the show) about how Tech's death impacted the rest of the squad (because season 3 APPARENTLY HAD NO TIME to go into this)

Sorry, all, I'm still not over how Tech's death was handled in season 3 and I don't think I will be for a loooooooong time (if ever)

Actually I'm still trying to process the fact that they dared to kill him off but here we are

If the show won't clearly portray the deeper and lasting effects of his sacrifice then I will 😭

Hunter: officially decided to retire because he couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else. When Shep talked to him about settling down in "Tipping Point," Hunter still seemed reluctant ("He's become an integral part of this community. You all have. Any chance you've reconsidered staying permanently?", says Shep; "For soldiers, putting down roots is an occupational hazard," Hunter responds); but as soon as Tech dies, Hunter is done ("It's time to put being soldiers behind us.") I'll even go so far as to propose that Hunter's decision to give up on recovering Crosshair and instead focus completely on finding Omega stemmed from his grief over Tech and the fact that Crosshair was associated at all (through no fault of his own, of course) with Tech's demise.

Wrecker: memorizes the plans because Tech is no longer around to help remind him, and steps up to offer counterpoints to Hunter's plans, just like Tech (and Echo) would have done (whereas before Wrecker tended to just agree with whatever point was made)

Crosshair: I don't think we really see him ever get over Tech's death. He is the first to return to the matter at hand when Tech is brought up (both in "The Return" and in "Juggernaut"); he never even spares a glance (that we see, at least) at the one memento left of his brother; the one time he mentions Tech, it's when he's trying to convince Hunter and Wrecker to let him go in on what would be a suicide mission. I'm inclined to believe the tremors either started or at least worsened when he learned what happened to Tech. I'm even more inclined to believe that the reason why he didn't throw Tech's death in Hunter's face in "The Return" was because Crosshair completely blames himself for it. (Even more reason for the show to display Crosshair's reaction/eventual acceptance of Tech's death, but I digress...)

Omega: aside from her innate compassionate nature, Tech is the primary reason why she chose to do everything she did all through season 3 - she took all his lessons to heart, and not just the piloting/tactical lessons.

And she always did.

Okay this one REALLY hurts but I'm including it anyway... 💔

And even when the odds seem overwhelming, she continues finding ways to counteract the malicious designs of people/entities like Mokko and the Empire.

(I know there's more, but I'm not prepared to do a full rewatch yet.)

#tbb #the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #star wars #tbb season 3 #tbb spoilers #my headcanons #i'm fine it's fine i'm fine #almost burst into tears at work today thinking about tech but seriously i'm fine #rip tech

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buddie: Bachelor party and the wedding - Eddie's relationship POV

In 7x6, it was evident Buddie is the Superior Endgame Ship to BuckT*mmy and also it's been noted numerous times how T*mmy didn't attempt to dress up and oblige Buck's wishes while Eddie was shown doing it with ease. Even though the scenes were short and most of it was included in a montage of that night, so much was highlighted about both Buck’s and Eddie's current relationships that further demonstrated how much Eddie and Buck know each other inside and out while their supposed LIs don't know them at all.

I've posted at least two or three times about these instances myself (linked here and here).

In addition to the way Buck’s whatever he has going on with T*mmy was depicted as them not knowing each other and how it's being done to show how they're not compatible, it appears less attention is being given to the way Eddie's relationship with Maris*l was just as IGNORED that night if not more than Buck’s with T*mmy's.

Here's what I mean.

Not only did Eddie dress up for the event according to Buck’s wishes, he was the one who suggested he and Buck wear themed 1980s costumes. Also, he made sure Chris was going to be cared for the entire night and he was not being cared for by Eddie’s supposed LI but by his blood family, Chris' cousins. This is important because in 7x4, Eddie said she babysat twice in one week while he went out with T*mmy but if the show wanted the audience to believe or think Eddie’s relationship with her was really strengthening, wouldn't it have made more sense for him to just announce to Buck that she was caring for Chris? It surely does seem like it especially since Chris was out of town the week before in 7x5 and he said she babysat him in 7x4. If it wasn't meant to be intentional, then it was a strange writing choice. Also, it appears Eddie had already planned to be out with Buck for however long it was going to be (the whole night).

Furthermore, in 7x5 Maris*l wouldn't stop calling Eddie while he was spending time with Buck at the loft. They had moved in together but Eddie was shown not wanting to go back there. But in 7x6 when he was out all night with Buck and they were partying like it was 1999 with people they didn't even know, she didn't call once 👀.

Additionally, when everyone else left, Eddie didn't but if the show wanted the audience to believe Eddie was all in with Maris*l, he would have left when Hen, Karen, Ravi and everyone else did and he could have said he was leaving so he could go home to spend time with her to watch a movie or something but they didn’t.

He stayed with Buck and he was the only one who did. Why? Because EDDIE'S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP IS WITH BUCK THE SAME WAY BUCK’S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP IS WITH EDDIE.

The fact is they could have easily written the bachelor party scenes differently and shown T*mmy being supportive of Buck and Maris*l being the one who took care of Chris while Eddie was out partying with Chimney, Buck and the rest of Buck’s and Eddie’s found family but instead of doing that, they did the exact opposite. In fact, their scenes together only strengthened the Buddie dynamic and illustrated for the umpteenth time in 6 years how Buck and Eddie are perfect for one another while their supposed LIs aren't.

Finally, Maris*l wasn't even invited to the wedding. Eddie’s abuela was there with him and Chris was too so how does anyone expect for people to root for eddiemaris*l when the show isn't putting any effort into their relationship just like they aren't for buckt*mmy? I don't care and I hope they don't but IMO these are valid questions. The answer is they don't want anyone rooting for those relationships because T*mmy and Maris*l are PLOT DEVICES and they're only there to move Buck’s and Eddie’s arcs to the next plot point.

This is simply another observation about the bachelor party and the writing choices that were made for Eddie's relationship with Maris*l. It highlights the way their relationship is just as unimportant as the one Buck is in with T*mmy.

I ONLY SHIP BUDDIE!

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #911 abc #911 on abc #911 season 7 #911 season 7 speculation #911 spoilers #911 meta #911 speculation #Anti bucktommy #Anti tommy kinard #anti eddiemarisol #Anti marisol #I ONLY SHIP BUDDIE!

[my-current-obsession]

Something I both love AND hate about FF7 (the original game and everything after, including the Remake trilogy) is that it is just ambiguous and/or player-driven enough that no matter which side of the love triangle you fall on (assuming you do in fact ship Cloud with one of the girls), the majority of fans for that ship are 100% CONVINCED it's the correct/canon option.

Like, certain scenes are definitely up to interpretation, and people are going to thus have varying reads on those scenes and the characters/relationships the scenes are about. It doesn't help that several scenes change depending on the player's choices, which acts as a confirmation bias as you naturally get more time and romantic moments with the girl of your preference. It really seems to me that MOST people who ship Cloud and Aerith have one solid interpretation with a plethora of supporting evidence of the series and the romance, while most people who ship Cloud and Tifa have their own solid interpretation with plenty of evidence that is VASTLY DIFFERENT from the Clerith reading of the game.

This is not a case of "one ship is clearly, explicitly canon and fans of the opposition just like their pick better and/or think it made more sense narratively and WISH it was canon" - for an example of that, look to the Avatar the Last Airbender shipping wars. This is a case where both sides literally interpret the story just differently enough that they come to entirely different conclusions about which girl is Cloud's true love. And if either side reaches out to try and explain their viewpoint to the other, they're just met with "uh, no. You're wrong." Try and explain what Cloud might be thinking in a given scene with one of the girls, why he acts a certain way... "That's not it at all, where are you getting this? Are you delusional?"

Like, I am a Clerith shipper. I have played all the games in the compilation and watched Advent Children. I tried to be as completionist as possible, even. And I came out on the other side of really digging into the story of this game loving Cloud and Aerith's dynamic and pretty firmly convinced they were canon. Or as canon as possible in the timeline where she died. Even in that timeline it seemed clear to ME that Cloud was still heavily mourning her two years later, preferring to live in her church instead of with Tifa and ignoring Tifa's calls. But that's MY interpretation.

As any of us here in the trenches would know, if you try and explain your interpretation of these characters and the romance to a diehard Cloti supporter... you're met with a lot of "you're misinterpreting! Cloud and Aerith were just friends! She loved Zack to the end and Cloud loved Tifa since childhood and never stopped! Also Aerith is actually BAD for Cloud because she's too pushy/abrasive. She's not helping him open up, she's just forcing him to go along with her and making him uncomfortable!"

All of this is of course infuriating, but I'd like to think I'm self-aware enough to know we are kind of guilty of the same thing. The majority of Tifa fans are SO happy about the kiss in Rebirth, while we're over here dismissing it because, one it's optional, and two Cloud is "obviously" using Tifa as a rebound or settling for her since Aerith is seemingly unavailable. And to us, yeah, it IS obvious. But that's not how Cloti fans see it at all.

We can talk until we're blue in the face about how TIFA deserves better than Cloud because she shouldn't be the second choice - the one he settles for. But I think most people who really love Cloti genuinely don't see it that way. In their eyes, she's NOT second-best. Cloud loved her all along and this kiss is finally confirming that. And nothing we say will dissuade them, just as nothing they say will actually change OUR minds about Clerith.

It is honestly really difficult for me to try and see the story and romance the way Cloti fans do, but I know the reverse is also true. Both groups of fans interpret the characters and relationships differently. The compilation ALLOWS us to interpret them differently. And this is why the ship war for a game from 1997 is still raging on.

Because both camps are certain they're right, they defend their position viciously. Sometimes that means invading the "other side" to tell them how wrong they are. This discussion/rant was prompted by a Cloti fan on a Clerith vid who wanted to debate MY comment about how wonderful the ship was and how good they were for each other. He was "confused" and "concerned" because Clerith fans were reading the story wrong or warping it to suit our ship.

I wanted to tell him, "buddy that's what YOU'RE doing". I wanted to write a goddamn essay explaining why Clerith is canon actually. But considering in my INITIAL comment that he first responded to I'd already brought up why I thought Clerith was great, and he was IGNORING that... I knew it would be pointless. There is nothing I could possibly say that would change his mind. There is nothing he could possibly say that would change my mind.

As long as both sides of this war are fully convinced they're right, this war is going to be endless and brutal. And that's why my absolute biggest fear for part 3 is an open, ambiguous ending regarding the ships. Maybe it will canonize nothing. Maybe it will canonize BOTH by having the actual ending change depending on which girl the player favors.

Either route will offer no relief to this eternal battle. I would honestly prefer for Cloti to explicitly and unambiguously win than an ending where neither girl does. Because I can accept a loss. I can accept being told that actually I WAS interpreting the story wrong, but I'll only accept it from the text itself. If anything, a Cloti ending might encourage me to go through the entire compilation again trying to view it with that canon couple in mind. I'm sure I'd see things differently, even if I'd always have a place in my heart for Clerith. And I sincerely hope that if Clerith were to win that Cloti fans could do the same.

All I know is that I'm sick and tired of this ship war. I personally have never gone after Cloti fans or engaged in Cloti content with the intent to debate or hate on the ship. But I don't speak for all Cleriths. I'm sure at least a few fans of my ship are guilty too. I have seen many obnoxious Cloti fans invading our spaces to disparage us - mostly on YouTube and Twitch, less here on Tumblr - but I KNOW there are plenty of kind Cloti fans who just happily enjoy their ship and leave us to ours as well.

At the end of the day, regardless of how part 3 ends things, I just wish we could live in peace. Please enjoy your ship. Your interpretation of the text and romance is valid. But so is mine. If neither side can agree, then the best thing to do is leave each other alone.

#clerith #cloti #ship and let ship #final fantasy vii #i tried to be as neutral as possible about this topic so i think it's only fair is fans of the other ship are can see & chime in too #but please. PLEASE. literally the point of this is that i'm sick of arguing #hardcore fans of one of these ships WILL NOT be persuaded to the other side. don't even try. #i don't want to debate about this. i just want everyone to live in peace #final fantasy #shout out to fans who primarily ship cloud with dudes btw. i've never seen y'all cause any drama. non-problematic kings/queens right there!

[zooblenation]

hehe i’m glad everyone likes my npc theory, and ive heard a lot of people saying its jax. idc for him that much but i have to agree

ive seen people using the pins as evidence or the whole key thing, but id like to point out another supporting factor.

everyones designs.

they all seem to be ironic in a way, and most likely references to their past lives. pomni is a jester because she was never taken seriously, and felt like nothing. ragatha is a ragdoll because of her mistreatment and being walked all over. zoobles mix n match body is most likely a reference to their insecurities with themself and always trying to change to feel more comfortable in their skin. gangles ribbons n masks because it shows how fragile and how quickly they can fall apart. im not fully sure on kinger but the kingly aesthetic could definitely be twisted into some form of irony.

jax on the other hand is, just a rabbit? it lacks symbolism. much like. COUGH COUGH. an npc. anyways. just something to think about

#mupmutters #tadc #the amazing digital circus #tadc jax #tadc theories

[alexei-home-fromthewar-at-last]

There’s a non-zero chance that my home is worsening my migraines.

#probably a coincidence #but this is the mist noticeable pattern I’ve seen in 4 years #and the more I think about it the more evidence supports it #I’m at college so I just come home every now and then #alexei’s silly little thoughts #alexei’s silly little ✨chronic illness✨ #migraine #migraines #headache #headaches

[mayasaura]

Harrow got so unbelievablely horny dreaming about Gideon's rolled up sleeves exposing her lean, taut muscle, a little dewy with sweat and steam but you know what.... thinking about it. Gideon does not disrobe basically ever, except in private to bathe. A tantalizing glimpse of forearm may legitimately be the most Harrow's imagination has to work with

#it takes a while for Gideon to be comfortable even removing her cloak at Canaan House #and that was a much warmer enviorment than the Ninth #kind of interesting that Gideon's seen Harrow naked and there's no evidence Harrow even knows what Gideon's shoulders look like #and how that corresponds to their different levels of emotional vulnerability #harrow laid it all out on the table: all her trauma her devotion her motivations and at the end her admiration for Gideon #meanwhile Gideon says she wants one thing then directly contradicts herself woth her actions #she flashed her heart once - you know I only care about you right? - before rolling her sleeves up and dying #this isn't a criticism of Gideon #their environment has provided a lot more security and support for Harrow #which is saying something #I also suspect she Gideon naturally has the emotional self-awareness of a cheeseburger which does not help her out but anyway #just think it's interesting how they've bared such different amounts of themselves to one another #the locked tomb #gideon nav #harrow nonagesimus

[videogamelover99]

Guys what if Fukuzawa is just...fucking lying about having an ability?

#like think about it #his ability is SUPER convenient for his situation #'i can help subordinates control their abilities when the majority of my subordinates are severely traumatized kids' #'that for the first time felt safe under me' #its a placebo effect #atsushi didnt get the hang of his ability immediately but gradually as he spent more and more time with the ada #ppl that make him feel safe #kyouka? she just made a decision that gave her agency for the first time in her life #my one piece of supporting evidence is that kenji STILL went beserk despite fukuzawas power #because he was under severe stress #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd theory #fukuzawa yukichi #the man LIES so much for the benefit of his kids

[hephaestuscrew]

I've been thinking again about Minkowski and Hera during the time when Eiffel was stranded on Lovelace's shuttle - about how Hera had gotten so used to monitoring Eiffel's wellbeing, and how Minkowski felt responsible for his safety, and how neither of them cope well with not knowing things they feel they ought to.

Perhaps one day Hera notices Minkowski reading the nutrition information on the back of the ration packs (the same kind as the ones that were on that shuttle). And Hera knows what Minkowski's doing, because she's been running the same calculations herself. Calories in one ration pack multiplied by number of ration packs on the shuttle, divide that by minimum calories required per day, add something on for the number of days survivable with no food at all...

Hera's got access to plenty of information about what the human body can survive, but there's too many variables here. How damaged is the shuttle? What's the temperature like? What's Eiffel's body weight? And there's too many horrible questions that Hera and Minkowski don't want to think about, and are unable to stop thinking about. How much will to live does Eiffel have? How long can a person hold onto hope in a situation like that?

Perhaps they each separately decide on an answer to their calculations, if only so they can pretend they know that he's currently still alive. But their mental countdowns tick down. And so maybe there comes a day when Hera glitches much more than usual. And maybe not long afterwards there comes a day when Minkowski can't seem to focus on anything at all. And maybe they talk about it, or maybe they don't. But either way, they both know that the other is thinking over the same question. And they are both hoping - more than anything - that the answer they've arrived at is incorrect. They are both hoping for an answer that seems impossible.

#Wolf 359 #w359 #I thought about writing this as an actual fic #but I know in my heart I'm not going to #so here's just a random sad post #Apologies #I go back and forth on how much I think Minkowski and Hera talked to each other about Eiffel during this time period #Like sometimes I believe they must have talked to each other a lot about how they felt about losing him #and about the memories they shared of him #because the alternative feels too bleak #But other times I acknowledge that neither of them are really winning any prizes for opening up about their feelings #Either way I think Minkowski and Hera did provide really important support to each other in this time #even if it was more unspoken #I think the way they had to rely on each other in this time really strengthened their bond #Also I couldn't be bothered to figure out actual numbers for how long it might have taken him to starve to death #Lazy research provides too broad a range of answers about that #and I know this doesn't acknowledge the cryo pod #but Minkowski and Hera might not even have had evidence that it was functioning #and they certainly didn't know whether he'd use it #Wolf 359 spoilers #w359 spoilers #the empty man posteth #Hera & Minkowski #Eiffel & Minkowski #Eiffel & Hera #tw starvation

[wonder-worker]

J.L. Laynesmith taking the 'Buckingham Did It™' route for the murder of the Princes in the Tower AND the rumors of Edward IV's bastardy ... I have to laugh

#my post #history media #this was in her book 'Cecily Duchess of York' which I have ... Thoughts on #I really liked it overall - it was meticulously researched and gave me information that I hadn't previously known about Cecily #However this often contrasts with Laynesmith's own very evident biases assumptions and conjecture #and the effect is very jarring #This becomes slightly more pronounced after 1464 and actually ridiculous after 1483. #She also suggests that Henry VI may have genuinely died of a melancholy-induced stroke like Edward IV claimed which is just...lmfao #I don't know what to say at this point lol #To be fair she does specifically note that he died shortly after Edward arrived in London and that most contemporaries believed #it was far too convenient #which is far more acknowledgement and culpability than she gives Richard III whose culpability for the 'disappearance' of his nephews is #literally never touched upon - the blame is conveniently dumped on Buckingham #honestly the whole Deal with Buckingham is so odd. dude was a political neophyte; was given a primarily ceremonial role by Edward IV #throughout his reign and was younger than Richard (who was a seasoned politician). What makes you think Buckingham of all people #was some kind of political genius and making decisions over RICHARD of all people lol? #anyway #This book was pretty decent with Margaret of Anjou which was great #it was less decent with Elizabeth Woodville which was not so great :/ #some of the assumptions it made (for Cecily's benefit naturally) were so weird #and the way she 'reassessed' Elizabeth's role in 1483 was very distasteful #I might make a separate post on that because it was very annoying #(also claiming Henry Tudor landed with 'a small band of Lancastrian exiles' - yeah no. the majority of the 'exiles' who supported him were #Yorkist aka Edward IV's supporters who opposed Richard. because this was very much an internal civil war between the dynasty #and Henry became a claimant only after being chosen by Yorkists after the October risings made clear the Princes were dead #the claim that challenged Richard's was Elizabeth of York not Henry's. let's not twist words here) #(ALSO I'm sorry but William Stanley certainly did not choose to commit his troops to Henry Tudor because Henry was 'his brother's stepson' #he did that out of loyalty to Edward IV and his children as Henry was the chosen claimant of the Yorkist faction #hence why he may have betrayed Henry VII in the 1490s for Perkin Warbeck who pretended to be Edward's second son. so jot that down) #you really see these small minor details which are very much chosen purposefully and paint a very different picture lol

[marley-manson]

I have this impression of film analysis being relatively concrete at its core due to its tendency to always come back to the camera as a focal point. Filmic language is almost all about the camera - types of shots, takes, angles, pans, what is focused on, what is cropped out of the frame, how editing ties these shots together, how sound and music can affect the impression of the visual image, etc. You can draw a multitude of conclusions in terms of theme and meaning, but your building blocks being constructed visuals mean they usually don’t leave a ton of wiggle room for interpretation of what we’re actually seeing.

Like I have no doubt in my mind that this shot is meant to be an anonymous soldier on the cross:

This is deliberately framed to only show non-identifying details - blood and green fatigues and boots. This could’ve been a long shot, we could’ve pulled out to view him in his entirety, or we could’ve cut to his face, and if his face was important, we absolutely would have. So he’s not just anonymous, he’s anonymous for a reason, and imo the reason is so he can represent all soldiers. He’s not a soldier, he’s Soldier as a concept. This is essentially confirmed, imo, by the next shot:

with the soldiers on the tables matching the soldier on the cross in their bloody fatigues. No white sheets hiding the bodies the way we usually see operations, just green and red, like the lower legs in the previous shot, in direct visual parallel.

So if he’s meant to be someone specific then Alan Alda fucked up as a director, basically.

Of course, the meaning is still up in the air. It’s as close to facts as I think you can get that the soldier on the cross represents every soldier, but what that means for Mulcahy, well, that’s where more subjective interpretation comes in.

Anyway that poll made me want to kinda say something about my take and why there’s virtually no doubt in my mind about it. Film has a lot of room for interpretation, sometimes even in terms of understanding shots and “reading” the filmic language, but this is a pretty straightforward visual imo. Plus I just like seizing the opportunity for close readings lol.

#text post #marley on mash #mash #mash s8 #i love to dig into a single shot #i specify film because that's what i've studied for all i know this is true about lit as well but idk #and ofc it could be my attitude affecting how i see it too lol #like i've never been an 'all interpretations are equal' type of person i think some are more supported by evidence than others #and film visuals are fairly concrete evidence to me /most of the time/ #but yeah like 'what does it mean to mulcahy' is a bigger and more subjective question that i have my own take on but it's definitely one #with multiple supportable interpretations

[uris-stanley]

find it kinda strange that in s1, dustin says lucas is mike's best friend and that you "can't have more than one best friend", despite the fact we've seen that mike & will are the closest of the four (pre s3 anyway)

almost as if dustin thinks the relationship between mike & will is something Different are More Than just best friends

#i keep thinking about that line man #obviously mike knows u can have nore than 1 bff and says theyre all his best friends #but its so interesting seeing how dustin views their party before this scene #like will and mike were the original members of the party and have been friends longest. and are inexplicably closest #but dustin 'u can only have one bestie' henderson doesnt think WILL is mikes bff #what do you think they are to each other dustin?? #anyway yet more evidence in support of my theory that dustin and lucas are incredibly aware of bylers feelings + are Tired of it <3 #st #stranger things #dustin #dustin henderson #mike #mike wheeler #will #will byers #byler

[benbamboozled]

“Shipping Batcest is harmful for real-life adopted families”

First of all, no, no it’s not. “Fictional people fans think should kiss” could not be more abstracted from real life. Get some fuckin perspective, mate.

Second of all, let’s be real here. You just don’t like it. It’s okay to just not like things, or to even be squicked by them. You don’t have to make up reasons why it’s actually bAaAaAaD. You can just go “it squicks me. Next!”

Thirdly, if your issue really is “I believe the very concept to be disrespectful to adopted families” there’s an easy fix for this.

The obvious solution?

Make them all blood related.

Boom. No more issues with “adopted vs. blood related family” anymore!

You’re welcome.

#clearly the only currently ethical Batcest ship is BruDami *nods sagely* #i don’t *need* people to ship Batcest. #it’s totally okay to NOT ship things! #i would just prefer it if people dropped the morality façade and were just open with the fact that they don’t like that people like things. #‘I think the way you play with your paper dolls on your own time is harmful in some vague way with literally no supportive evidence’ #fucking LISTEN TO YOURSELVES. #you could be sparking joy for others! #this also conveniently ignores that canon is CONSTANTLY bouncing around #what the batkids think of each other/how Bruce categorized them in his life. #like the entire EXISTENCE of Damian is based on the idea that a blood son is ‘more real’— #AND THAT IS CANON ITSELF. #so…do you renounce all Batcanon? cut ties to it entirely? if not—why not? #oh…so it turns out that it’s only ‘terrible and bad and disrespectful’ and blah blah if it’s done— #—​within a sphere wherein you believe yourself to have some amount of power! #you can’t ‘fiction = reality’ fandom while finding a million and one excuses for why ‘fiction != reality’ for motherfuckin CANON. #CANON—which has SO MUCH MORE reach and impact than goddamn…the niche hobby space that is fandom! #i will probably delete this because I try not to get this salty on main… #…unless it’s about Jim Starlin lol. #BUT THIS KINDA SHIT GETS MY BACK UP? #don’t pretend like having a squick is some moral stance with actual meaning besides ‘it ew to me.’