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#can you tell how much I love bojack horseman?
bates--boy · 11 months
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5 Pieces of Fiction that Influenced You as a Writer and Why?
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin Really, anything written by Jemisin, but particularly this book because its plot sort of resembles Hetalia -- avatars of lands (major cities and boroughs in this case) who develop immortality and coming together in a war. However, there is just soooo much going into this story, like an alien creature who uses white supremacy and gentrification to try to defeat the heroes, awesome superpowers, and tiny elements of hip-hop sprinkled in. Overall, there's this magical realism to this story and a lot of Jemisin's works because of her incredible worldbuilding.
Bojack Horseman Yeah, this show fucked me up, so much so that I'm almost too afraid to give it a rewatch despite really wanting to. It's such a silly premise -- a (literal) one-trick pony becomes a miserable has-been celebrity drowning in booze -- but somewhere along the way, the writers thought, "This show could be so much more" and never looked back. It went from funny horse puns, slapstick comedy, and really uncomfortable bestiality scenes (does it count if the animals are anthropomorphized?) to realistic and even controversial topics like the heartbreak of being infertile, of the public opinion about abortions, and living with depression and other mental illnesses. Then the show dove even darker: generational trauma, the results of untreated disorders, childhood sexual abuse, and drug overdoses.
(So many people failed Sarah Lynn for her entire life! So. Many. People!! And I don't care that they're fictional, I will never forgive any of them!!)
God, did this show hurt, but it showed that people's tics and flaws came from somewhere, and it made me ask myself: so, what made Peter tic? Before this blog's remake, Peter was just a weirdo guy who got into bad moods and wasn't the type of muse to jump into bed with anyone. At first, it was just funny, having this sex-shy but foul-mouthed guy, but then I realized that this had to have come from somewhere. So, I had to look at some of the canon stuff with a new eye, seeing how would being semi-abandoned in a fort miles away from land for most of his childhood affect him as an adult. Why would a person who grew up in a religious setting choose to not only turn away from religion, but hate religion as a concept vehemently? What are the things that happened in the decades that Peter grew up in that broke him and shaped his worldview? The show made me think: which parts of Peter are his eccentric self, and which parts are a cry for help?
Most of all, this show raised the question: what are you going to do about that? Some people delve deeper into addictions, some give up, some find healthier ways to move on from the hurt and start their lives over.
The Invisibles by Grant Morrison It's more like bits and pieces of this series had influenced my writing, rather than the whole story. I mainly borrowed from Lord Fanny (her unabashed love for wild styles and femininity) and Jack Frost (wild child with a love of hip-hop and many other American-centric media). But mostly from Jack Frost, because I love the idea that Peter, who is this personification of rebellion, an underdog, would absolutely love the most counterculture thing in Western society: anti-government, anti-white supremacy rap that makes the upper echelons clutch their pearls. This music that speaks of The Struggle that punk rock simply can't (which, I imagine, is why Jack Frost, a "chav" street punk from a fatherless home who is introduced to readers while he's being arrested and charged, is drawn to the likes of N.W.A).
There's also the fact that, in some way, this series "gave" me permission to go absolutely bonkers with my writing as I want to or see fit. If a guy can write a story about a government/church/alien conspiracy villains poisoning the globe, and the too-cool-for-school counterculture freedom fighters, which includes a genderqueer witch and the reincarnation of Buddha, fighting them, why can't I write something just as off-the-walls wild?
Dessa's discography I'm cheating by saying that, technically, there are stories being told in Dessa's songs. Some of the songs are based on her real life, like "Call Off Your Ghost" and "The Lamb", and others seem to be fictional, like "No Talking Business" and "Sound the Bells". But no matter what, I always come back to her songs when I need inspiration or emotional fuel while writing. Honestly, Dessa's songs had partly inspired The MizFists arc, because I wanted to know what happens if Peter stops self-destructing and uses his love of hip-hop for good? Apparently, a lot happens.
Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya At first, I had debated adding this onto the list at all; sure, it's the canon source for the very blog's existence, and one of the reasons I had made an adult!Sealand muse was because I was fascinated by all the potential there could be from the snippets of aged up Sealand Himaruya gave us, but a lot of the time, I feel like my character's deviated from his canon characterization (both his normal age and the bits of his adult portrayal) so much that sometimes, he feels like a whole new character. I had still added it because sometimes, I still draw from the canon to write him as I do now. His canon love for Broadway is why my muse is a performer; his canonical strength of steel is why Peter is able to "tether" to his fort and draw power from it for himself and his daughter. And the way Arthur keeps turning him away and "shooting him down" in canon is why my muse had decided to completely step away from the Kirkland family and lean into the Nordic family even more.
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yamujiburo · 4 months
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Some of this might sound intentionally hostile in text and I apologize.
I'm saying this as an abuse survivor mind you - don't throw "abusive ships" under the bus so easily - at least, so long as they're not actually glamorizing the abuse. I lived that irl and I personally find someone overcoming it, slowly having enough of that bullshit and getting out over time, and the other person having to wipe their own butt for once after they've made the damn mess, very refreshing. Maybe that's not a ship in the traditional sense. It's no happily ever after bc it shouldn't be, but I find stories like mine shyed away from so often because even the portrayal gets considered a "canon ship". ... that's just how media works now, I guess? I very rarely See a fictional relationship not called a ship in literally any context now so that's the definition I'm running on.
I wish more people were willing to portray the hardships of finding acceptance outside of "whoever you can find will accept you" very much, and finding the better things after. I wish people weren't terrified out of portrayimg situations like mine.
Jessie.. is not a good person in canon. You expect me to believe she moved into to hanamusa seamlessly, without falling on her ass? I never see you talk about Jessie's abusive tendencies in canon. You never talk about the inherent meanness she needed to get over to get there. She's quite aml lot like my ex in canon, actually.
What do you mean you're going to just remove from the character that she is abusive to those around her. Jessie hits people. She takes her own junk out on others all the time. Do you even like the character then, are you actually invested in her growing, or are you just making an OC at this point?
Idk. Do you, boo. But you are posting about a character who, whether you like it or not, is canonically abusive. I just don't buy that dating Ash's mom alone fixed her. That isn't... How that works. It would be excellent if it did. Part of my love of hanamusa is that it signals Jessie's change - but she could have changed for anyone before now.
What makes Delia different? How is she specifically a turning point for Jessie? Because Jessie's flaws go well beyond just bossing people around.
I would love if my abuser had the same outcome as your Jessie. I adore your portayals of hanamusa, where she's still flawed but still strives to do better. That's all I ever wanted from my ex.
What the fuck got her there tho.
Anyways I've been watching a lot of Bojack Horseman lately -
I agree with you! I don't think abusive relationships (or any tough subject matter in general) should be shied away from in media. It can be powerful when executed well and written by folks who are equipped to tell those kinds of stories. I do think it's sad when people treat it as off limits. But the ask I got was definitely more about which ships I have where I actually like the relationship between the characters. I think the semantics of the word "ship" are kind of vague or rather, over time, got so specific to only mean "absolutely love together and want them as endgame" (for most people anyways). So that's usually what I take the word to mean when people ask me about it.
I can 100% appreciate how an abusive relationship is written and handled, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna ship an abuser with their victim (that falls into the glorifying you're talking about). Love Bojack Horseman! Big fan! I think the way they handled Bojack and Sarah Lynn was beautifully and tragically well written. But does that mean I ship Bojack and Sarah Lynn? Absolutely fucking not.
I've talked about Jessie's character plenty on this blog and the way she's handled in earlier seasons specifically. This is kind of a summary: If we look at it on surface level, yes we can say she was abusive. But I think it's important to acknowledge and take into account the medium, time period and culture. Slapstick and cartoon violence was HUGE in anime and animation in the 90s (and prior to that too). Characters were always cartoonishly slapping each other around with giant mallets, folding fans, etc. Looney Tunes style. These slapstick bits were always distinct from real abuse and hurt (for Pokémon, Jessiebelle comes to mind). Mean slapstick wasn't a character trait exclusive to Jessie either. We saw it in Misty, James, Meowth, characters of the day and pretty much any character who got mad. It was a visual shortcut to show anger.
This type of slapstick has since (thankfully) died out and it hasn't really been a part of the Pokémon franchise since the early 2000s. However, Jessie was a notably special case. One of my favorite fun facts about the Pokémon anime is that there was a point in the series where Megumi Hayashibara (Jessie/Musashi's seiyuu) told the writers that moving forward, she no longer wanted Jessie to be violent or to be shown hitting James or Meowth (source: her memoir "The Characters Taught Me Everything"). She thought it directly went against the vision Takeshi Shudo had for Jessie, James and Meowth, when he created them, which was that they are good natured villains. If you watch from DP and on, Jessie never lays a hand on either of them. I think it was a such a good move on Pokémon's part to change her character like that and I'm forever grateful that Hayashibara said something! Whenever I write Jessie now, I always keep that in mind. She's mean, shouty and stupid but would never genuinely hurt those she cares about.
From then, her character becomes much more bearable. She's still bossy, mean and vain (typical cartoon villainess attributes) but I'd hesitate to say abusive. She'll still yell at James and Meowth, they all yell at each other, but in more of a sibling way (imo) rather than a "i'm actively trying to hurt your feelings way". The show makes a point especially in later seasons to show that Jessie, James and Meowth are not beyond being redeemed. From conception the whole POINT of the Team Rocket trio was that they are redeemable but their persistence and obsession keeps getting in the way of them seeing that there's a better life for them out there.
I won't deny that Jessie was unsavory in earlier seasons, but when I write her, I choose to write the version that Takeshi Shudo and Megumi Hayashibara had envisioned from the get go. She's still incredibly flawed and makes plenty missteps but wants to be better as you stated! My favorite part about Jessie is that she's a piece of shit LOL and I enjoy writing the changes she goes through to be better (but then still showing her default so some of her evil tendencies). In this AU, Delia doesn't fix Jessie. Jessie fixes Jessie because she is with someone makes her want to be a better person. She's already in the middle of turning over a new leaf before even meeting Delia, after leaving Team Rocket. Writing Jessie as legitimately abusive I think could work, but that's not my story to tell and if someone who were more equipped to tell that story did, I'd be very interested to take a listen!
I hope this doesn't come off as trying to deny or invalidate your experience. If you see that in Jessie, I hear you! This is just how I've interpreted her character over the years, having watched every episode of Pokémon and reading Japanese interviews from the cast and crew. She's such a compelling character and I love how messy she is
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moon-rivr · 6 months
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treat her better part 2
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pairing: miguel o’hara x fem reader
contents: angst, reader using someone 🤥 (sorta), unprotected p in v, face sitting
author’s note: hope you all enjoy this part <33 sorry it took so long (i got the planetarium part after watching bojack horseman 🫡)
word count: 4k
treat her better part one
"Wait, what?"
Out of all the things that Miguel could've said, this surprised you the most. Surely, he must've had some idea in the back of his head about how much he'd been neglecting this relationship. “I said I want to break up with you," you repeated, your hands moving nervously as you spoke. "No, no, I heard what you said. But I’ve done nothing but love you, so I'm not understanding why?" He responded, looking down at you as his brows furrowed.
The annoying beeping from his gizmo interrupted your train of thought and you hoped that for once, he would choose you over his other priorities. At least at the end, for what it's worth. "Maybe you should get that," you told him and he let out a small huff, rolling his eyes as he checked the gizmo. "Look, we'll talk about this when I get back home. You're overreacting about this," he said as he turned around and opened a portal to leave. You were unsure of why you felt a lingering disappointment at being left alone once more with the memory of the person you fell in love with.
You decided to lock up the doors and windows and disabled his access to the house through your gizmo. You hoped that it would be enough to convey to him that you weren't putting up with him anymore though a bit of doubt crawled up inside you. You were too much in your own head to get some sleep so you looked up at the ceiling as if it held some answer to your dilemma. You were just starting to fall asleep when a repeated tapping on your window ruined all chances of that happening.
"C'mon, stop being childish and open this damn window!" Miguel yelled from your bedroom window, tapping on it with much more intensity. You stayed in your spot and hoped that he didn't have half the mind to break your window. "It's raining! Look, we can talk about this whenever you want, just let me in!" He yelled once more and you felt a thump coming from next door, your neighbors tapping so you'd shut him up. Eventually Miguel left your window and you could finally breathe normally again, though you didn't get too much sleep that night.
You showed up to the Spider Society a couple days after that, taking a couple more days of your break since you weren't sure if you could handle being in the same building as Miguel. You did your best to ignore the whispers surrounding you and headed to the cafeteria to get a snack before your upcoming mission. You decided on getting a pan dulce with milk, sitting down alone as you scrolled through your gizmo to catch up. You only looked up when someone slid in the spot next to you, one of the more recent recruits of the society.
"Hey darling, I couldn't help but notice how upset you looked all here alone so I thought I'd check up on you," he told you, flashing his teeth at you. You offered a noncommittal smile and gave him your name. "That sounds beautiful. Tell me, what are you doing here all by yourself?" He inquired, leaning a bit forward as he spoke. "I'm going through a break-up right now, so I'm not exactly pleasant to be around," you responded with a small shrug, hoping that he'd leave you alone after that. "Well if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or a dick to ride on, just know that I'm here to service you," he remarked, winking at you.
You were certain you'd heard him wrong and you were about to say something when you heard your name being called behind you. You turned around to face Miguel and he looked like he would kill the guy next to you if his eyes were bullets. "I need to discuss something with you in my office," he told you bluntly and you decided to stand up to follow him, choosing the least uncomfortable option at the moment. "Hey man, what's your deal? I was trying to spit game and you totally ruined my chances," the guy stood up, trying to size up Miguel but failing miserably.
"My deal is that I want to talk to one of my employees and you're acting like your miserable pick up line is working. I'd suggest getting back to work given that you're still on probation," Miguel responded, looking down at the man as he spoke. The guy could've resembled a bobblehead with the way he nodded at Miguel, leaving as quick as he could. You walked back to Miguel’s office in silence, wondering what he could possibly have to talk to you about. Though you couldn't help but hope that it was work-related, a part of you wanted him to acknowledge how much he missed having you around.
You stood around awkwardly in Miguel’s office as you waited for him to speak and you found yourself making conversation with LYLA to try to break the silence. "LYLA, can you leave the room please?" He asked her, coming closer to you. LYLA brought her hand up to salute him before she disappeared, leaving you alone with Miguel. "Is this about work?" You asked him, swaying from foot to foot nervously. "No, it's about our relationship. I feel like we left some things unsaid," he responded, grabbing two chairs from the side and pulled them closer.
You took a seat and waited for Miguel to speak, unsure of what more you could say to him. "I want to know why you broke up with me," he told you, his red eyes boring into you as he waited for a response. "I broke up with you because it felt like I was more so dating the memory of you at the end rather than you. I stuck around hoping that one day you'd realize how much you were hurting me with this whole absent love thing but it didn't happen," you answered with complete sincerity as you looked at him. "I'm sorry for not being what you needed. You deserve better than me."
You blinked as you looked at him dumbfounded, unsure if you'd heard him correctly. "I never wanted someone better than you. I just wanted you to do the bare minimum in our relationship, I just wanted you to care enough about me to be better! But your only excuse is that I deserve better?" You raised your voice as you spoke, standing up from the chair. You were about to leave the room when Miguel grabbed your arm, stopping you from reaching the door.
"I can change you for you, I promise," he whispered, holding your arm so you couldn't leave while he was speaking. "I don't want you to change for me. Because then you'll end up treating me like I matter for a couple days or weeks before you go back to disregarding me and then the cycle repeats. If you want to change, good for you, but don't do it just because of me," you said, leaving the room before you burst out into tears. A part of you couldn't help but wish he'd cared enough to say these things while the two of you were together.
You were unsure if it was because he was something familiar and you just needed to find some release or if it was your subconscious speaking, but you called Miguel to come over to your place that night. You were regretting the decision the more that you waited for him to come to your apartment, but you decided to brush those worries away. It would just be friendly ex sex and that would be it. No strings and no attachments.
All the attachments that you held towards Miguel came rushing through you when you opened the door. You invited him in and let him make himself at home, watching as he navigated through the space like it was his first time being there. "Do you want some water?" You offered him, walking over to the kitchen but he stopped you before you stepped foot in there. "What are we doing here? I have a feeling you didn't invite me here at 12 just to ask me if I wanted some water," he inquired, looking down at you as he analyzed your expression. "I thought that maybe we could use each other for some relief.."
You and Miguel eventually ended up in your bedroom, skipping over the kissing and engaging in some minimal foreplay so as to not blur the lines of this agreement. "Sit on my face," he told you, his face completely serious as he laid down on your bed. You'd done it a couple times when the two of you were together but you were always so afraid of suffocating him. "Stop being in your head so much. I wouldn't ask you to do it if i didn't enjoy doing it."
You sat on his chest as you started to move towards his face, your clit rubbing up against one of the ridges of his abs. You couldn't help the moan that escaped you and he let out a small chuckle. "Ab riding? That seems something worth exploring at a later time," he murmured, his hands on your hips as you settled on top of him. He started off slow, licking around your folds as he got himself acquainted to the taste of you once more. "Missed this pussy so much," he said, delivering a slap to your pussy before he began his attack.
Your hands flew down to his hair, holding you in place as his tongue went in and out of your hole, tasting every juice that your cunt was releasing. Your hips began swiveling against his mouth as your clit rubbed up against his nose, working in tandem with his mouth. You looked down to see his eyes closed as he focused on what he was doing, treating you like you were the finest meal he'd ever tasted. His tongue continued its assault as you kept coating his face with new arousal, your juices glistening on his face as he slurped them up.
He slowly inserted his finger into your cunt, a loud squelching noise following after. He bit down on your thigh, the pain contorting with the pleasure as your cunt squeezed around his finger, coating him with fresh arousal as you unclenched. "Pussy only belongs to me, don't forget it," he whispered before his tongue went straight to your clit. He rolled his tongue around the nub, his finger curling to hit that spongy spot that had your toes curling. You brought your hands up to your breasts, pinching the nipples and tugging at them as you stimulated yourself even further.
You felt your orgasm washing over you like a tidal wave, the sensation too much to bear. You wouldn't have been sitting up if it wasn't for Miguel’s tight grip on your thighs as he licked away at your release, eager to taste every drop that you would give him. You got off him a while after and he got on top of you, kissing down your neck. He left a bite on your collarbone before pulling back, probably remembering the no intimacy pact that you two had agreed upon.
"You sure you want to do this?" He asked you, stroking your thighs as he waited for a response. "I do," you told him, watching as he aligned his cock to your pussy. You felt the sting forming in your vagina as he slid inside, stretching you out already with just the tip inside. You did your best to relax and he slid in with much more ease, bottoming out. He leaned down, pressing a kiss on the tip of your nose before he slowly started to take his cock out. All the air from your lungs escaped like a deflating balloon when he pushed his cock back in, filling you to the brim.
Your hands went up to his forearms as you gripped him, holding him as a lifesaver while he thrusted in you. His hips snapped with every movement, his balls slapping against your folds. Your moans filled up the room as he kept going, treating you like you were going to vanish at any moment. "I love you," he whispered so faintly that you weren't sure you heard him right. You chose to disregard it because thinking about it too much would just give you more confusion later on. He kept up with his thrusts, placing your legs on his shoulders as the new angle allowed for him to get deeper inside of you.
Your walls clenched around his cock, almost like they wanted to entrap him with every movement that he made. He played with your nipples, his rough hands kneading them and rolling them between his fingers. One of his hands went down to your clit, rubbing it at the same pace as he was to your nipples. You felt yourself coming up to that crescendo, the fall being nothing less than satisfying. Your juices coated his cock completely, providing him with the easy access that he needed to thrust inside of you. Your walls clenched around him once more and he came inside, his cock pummeling his cum deep inside of you.
He rolled off to the side eventually, catching his breath before the next round. You were coming down from your euphoria, taking a couple minutes to catch your breathing when you felt tears rolling down your cheeks. You weren't aware that you were crying until Miguel pointed it out, wiping your tears away with his pointer finger. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He asked you, using a gentle tone with you as he rubbed small circles on your stomach.
"I thought I could do this whole no strings attached sex with you, Miguel. But the truth is that I can't. I'm still so in love with you and I'm really trying not to be. I'm not completely sure why I called you over," you responded and he retracted his hand, getting up from the bed. You wanted reassurance from him at that moment but he wasn't going to give you any. "Stay safe, okay? I'll see you at work when you feel ready to show up," he told you, putting his clothes back on.
You couldn't help but bury your head into the pillow that he'd laid on, smelling the familiar fragrance of his cologne and shampoo. More tears rolled down your cheeks throughout the night but you couldn't be bothered to wipe them away. You looked up at the ceiling as you tried to fall asleep, eventually ending up in a restless sleep at 3 am.
You ended up going to work the following day, not willing to give Miguel that power over you and you headed straight for his office. You were about to ask him about an anomaly report that had popped up on your gizmo when you looked up to see him holding another woman in his arms. One of the new recruits. you felt your heart fall down to your shoes as you saw him kiss her the same way that he used to do to you. His hand on the small of her back as he supported her up. You almost tripped over your own feet as you quickly shut the door, walking over to the cafeteria.
You were eating your salad alone when the same guy from before approached you, sitting down next to you. "Hey girl, how have you been?" He asked you, though he didn't seem too interested in what your answer is. "Fine," you responded, setting down your fork as you turned to look at him. He took in your expression and folded his hands under his chin. "I have the best breakup playlist if you wanna hear it over at my place," he told you and you decided on going. You knew that it was wrong to use him to replace the feelings that Miguel had once elicited on you but you had a feeling he just wanted to see you naked. No harm, no foul.
Turns out, he didn't have the perfect breakup playlist when you got over to his place. But he did have chocolate covered strawberries and a box full of condoms. The two of you sat on the couch and slowly started to make out, exploring the taste of one another. He brought one of the strawberries up to your mouth and you resisted from eating it in one bite, choosing to eat it slowly and sensually. He introduced himself as Peter, like a vast majority of the Spider Society didn't share the same name.
He placed his hand on your thigh as he kissed you, but you couldn't get into it. His lips didn't feel the same way that Miguel’s did, he didn't know how to touch you the same way that Miguel did, and he certainly didn't make you wet the same way that Miguel did. You felt bad for thinking these things as you were with someone else, but you couldn't help but wish that Miguel was the person that you were kissing. You pulled away from him and got up from the couch, brushing over your clothes.
"I'm sorry but I have to get going. I'm just not really into this," you told him, hoping that he would understand. He got up from the couch abruptly, the plate of strawberries that were on his lap sliding right off. "What's the problem? You're gonna come over and get me all turned on just to leave?!" He raised his voice at you, getting too close for comfort. "I just don't think I'm in the right headspace to be having sex with you right now," you tried to keep your voice calm but you knew that if he kept talking to you like this, you'd end up snapping.
"You fucking whore! This is exactly why you couldn't keep your stupid boyfriend interested!" He yelled at you as you were walking out the door. You came back and slapped him, your handprint evident on his cheek. "And your fucking attitude is why you can't get laid!" You snapped back, slamming the door as you left. As you stepped away from his apartment, you couldn't help but wonder if maybe he had a point. If you hadn't done enough to keep Miguel away interested. If you weren't enough to keep Miguel interested. You brushed those thoughts away and headed back to the society, eager to get to the gym to practice some boxing.
Your life had been going pretty peaceful for the past month, you managed to stop thinking about Miguel so much and you improved on your fighting skills. It was the day of Jessica’s baby shower and you felt pretty good about it even if it was a guarantee that you would have to see Miguel at the event. You walked into the party with a pink dress on, placing Jessica’s gift on a table before going to greet her.
Throughout the party, you couldn't help but feel Miguel’s eyes on you. You decided not to engage and kept your attention on Jessica, a bit jealous of how she glowed when she was with her husband. You went out to the porch to get a bit of fresh air, a drink in your hand. "You seem better," you heard behind you, Miguel approaching you. You shrugged and took a sip from your drink, not offering much to go off on. He let out a small sigh and leaned against the balcony, looking over at you.
"Look, I'm not the best with feelings and all that other shit, and I'm sorry that I made you think for a second that I wasn't in love with you. Because I love you so much that it's physically pained me to be so far away from you so long. I know that I wasn't exactly present in our relationship but I felt reassured in the fact that you would always be there for me that I forgot about you," he spoke up, lifting up your chin so you'd look at him. "So why'd you kiss that woman in your office?"
The question caused him to drop his hand from your chin, letting out a small sigh. "I tried to replace you with one of the recruits. But the truth is, I can't get over you. She doesn't feel like you, doesn't kiss like you, she probably doesn't breathe like you," he admitted and you couldn't help but let out a small, dry chuckle. "Look, I’m not expecting for you to jump back into being my girlfriend but I want you to go out on a date with me. Let me try to earn the honor of being your boyfriend again."
You were about to tell him your answer when Jessica called you both back inside for the gender reveal. You went inside as soon as she told you since you didn't want to feel like you were intruding on her day with your relationship drama. You pulled Miguel aside when the reveal ended, his attention solely on you as you spoke. "Okay. One date and we'll see how it goes."
A few days had passed by and you weren't too sure if Miguel was actually being serious with his plan since he hadn't given you any clues or anything to go off on until you found a box waiting for you at your apartment. It was the dress that you picked out for the first date you had with him. You placed the dress on and followed the clues that he'd left with the box.
You ended up at a planetarium and you noticed that Miguel had set up a picnic outside. "I thought we could talk for a little while here, get some food. I hope you don't think it's too silly," he told you, beckoning you to sit down. You sat in front of him, looking over at the selection of snacks that he'd selected. He'd chosen out your favorite snacks despite the fact that he never seemed to pay that much attention when you two were together.
The two of you ate together, sharing some of your experiences about this time apart. "What an asshole. I hope you didn't believe what he said," Miguel told you when you got the part about Peter. You stayed quiet, playing with your fingers. "I will never not be interested in you, mi vida. You're the most captivating person in every room you stay in pero I got too used to you making excuses for me," he told you, leaning over to kiss your forehead.
As the two of you were at the planetarium, you couldn't help but notice that Miguel’s gizmo hadn't beeped once. "No anomalies tonight?" you asked, slightly teasing him as the constellations appeared. "No, I'm sure there are plenty. But you're more important to me and it's time I started to treat you like that," he responded, holding your hand as he continued to watch the stars showing. You rested your head on his shoulder, knowing that your relationship needed work but you would indulge in this small act of intimacy.
Miguel kept his promise and dedicated himself to spending more time with you, treating you like a priority. It took some work at first but he eventually learned to trust other people to share the burden with him. You stepped into his office, bringing him some food since he was working late. "Hola cariño," he said as you walked in, kissing your cheek once you got close. He held you for a couple seconds before he looked down at you. "I know this isn't exactly the perfect setting, but you I was wondering if you'd let me be your boyfriend again," he spoke up after a couple seconds, gauging for your reaction.
"Of course, Miguel," you said, standing up on your tippy toes as you kissed him.
@miguelcvmslvt @juniperbutnot @s0fia4 @icouldntthinkofanythingclever @migueloharastruelove @mangoslushcrush @skulfan1 @134340ona @death-moth-art @akoyaxs @innercreationflower @m4dyy
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xflixer7 · 5 months
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all of my yellowjacket headcannons (so far)
word count is like a trillion ok i’m not counting all this
lottie
she/her transfem! lesbian bottom (try to convince me otherwise)
-schizophrenic
-definitely has some type of ocd
-ptsd
started playing soccer when she was little
will actually go insane is you steal any of her clothes if you look at her she will actually be drooling with heart eyes
this girl is french and is HORRIBLE at it
plays piano
also knows violin because her parents made her take it doesn’t play is anymore though
lottie isn’t jealous but very protective of you
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-phoebe bridgers
-tv girl
-faye webster
-clairo
-#1 laufey fan on the world
unironically knows every katy perry song by heart because she used to be her favorite when she was little
her room is huge
likes putting her hair in pigtails
golden retriever girlfriend she’s so sweet to you and loves to spend time and money on you you guys always stay at her house would literally kiss the ground you walk on if you asked her too:((
also the worst cooker you ever met like how did you fuck up toast why is the smoke alarm going off??
favorite color is blue
lottie definitely has a hairstylist she goes too every month to get permed and there really close i can see her telling them about ALL the school drama
lottie wants write story’s when she’s older maybe romance or mystery idk but i can just imagine her having a typewriter and writing you story’s she has wanted to do it since she was a kid and is very passionate about it:((
what i think her favorite shows are:desperate housewives,american horror story,sailer moon
time burton enthusiast
so scared of horror movie like she will start crying
her favorite characters are:
-emily (corpse bride)
-bree (desperate housewives)
-starfire (teen titans)
always goes on and on about how she’s bubblegum and your marceline she LOVES adventure time
her favorite movie is bridge to terabithia
lotties favorite animal is a bunny and she really wants a pet bunny
BEGS you to give her your bra and your confused but you give it too her and she makes a bracelet out of it and wears it practically every day proudly
also think that lottie is a great artist? like sketching and painting wise
nat
SAY IT WITH ME transmasc! (he/they) definitely bi and a bottom why? because i say so
-depressed
-dyslexic
-ptsd
started playing soccer in middle school
LOVES christmas like has an unhealthy obsession with it
northern italian knows the launage pretty well also a great cook
wants to play electric guitar
his favorite (modern!) singers are
-tyler the creator
-radiohead
-alex g
-motley crue
-is so obsessed with mistki don’t even get me started
randomly painted his room black one day when he was bored
usually prefers his hair down
you give him haircuts he doesn’t trust anyone else someone definitely fucked up his hair once and he never went back
he’s stubborn black cat energy but he can be soft sometimes he hates being vulnerable around you
his favorite color is black or gray
just wants to be famous tbh but he wants to be in a band
what i think his favorite shows are:rick and morty,bojack horseman,shameless
LOVES horror movies and reality tv like 90 day fiancé and the kardashions
also likes claymation
his favorite characters are
-ash (fantastic mr fox)
-sidney (i am not ok with this)
-coraline (coraline)
his favorite movie is little miss sunshine
nat’s favorite animal is a panther he saw one in the jungle book when he was little and just thought it looked cool
always headcannoing characters as trans like finn from adventure time or jeff from clarence he’s so cute:((
nat skateboards too definitely not great at it but does it when he’s bored
jackie
(she/her) is just a bratty pillow princess lesbian you can’t fool me
-adhd asf
-neurodivergent for sure
-ptsd
started playing soccer because she was bored eighth grade tbh i don’t think she likes it as much as the others but she thinks it’s fun
always takes your hoodies fact
this girl is a vegetarian for sure
jackie is greek which is shocking to everyone
jackie is jealous always period
hey gays ass button ups bro
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-ariana grande her fav
-rihanna
-billie eilish
-harry styles
-lana del ray
pretty mainstream music taste
all pink room it’s very like coquette?
ponytail girl but also enjoys her hair down
is obsessed with you like unhealthy obsession always needs to be around you
favorite color is light pink duh
jackie gets perms so she really doesn’t care who does her hair
wants to be a makeup guiro or just stay at home honestly she hates working
what i think her favorite shows are:euphoria, grays anatomy,glee
i think she likes very drama files shows and will rant about tv show characters and there dynamics and why she think that there like that and etc for HOURS
ughhh jackie is such a girls girl like she is the friend who always has your back and has gum or a tampon for you she is the friend who would check you on your period
her favorite characters are:
-maddy (euphoria)
-regina (mean girls)
-amy (gone girl)
her favorite movie is DEFINITELY jennifer’s body
jackie is a cat lover and has 2 i can see her with a orange and a gray cat and they always fight
shauna
DEFINITELY bi (she/her) and i could see her as a switch?
-bipolar
-ptsd
joined soccer with jackie eighth grade
has like thousands of boxers
russian
knows how to play saxophone (she doesn’t even know how she learned she just did) she doesn’t own one though
so jealous but never says anything (this girl cannot communicate to save her life)
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-the cranberries
was so mad when they got popular on tiktok and had to let everyone know they where her fav since day 1 (everyone knew)
-suki waterhouse
-cigarettes after sex
-never got over halsey since 2017
-lady gaga
she honestly doesn’t care how her room looks but it’s never clean
doesn’t do anything with her hair really
writes you notes about how she appreciates you or how much she loves you cause it’s hard for her to tell you how she feels but she loves you so much:((
green is her favorite color
shauna’s hair may seem simple but she’s VERY picky about how it’s cut and is always worried there gonna cut it bad so she gets it cut like twice a year(she always ends up hating it)
she wants to be some sort of doctorate she’s fascinated by the human body so i can see her wanting to be a surgeon
what i think her favorite shows are:good girls, queens gambit,13 reasons why
her favorite characters are:
-velma (chicago)
-cassie (euphoria)
-susanna (girl interrupted)
her favorite movie is chicago (loves musicals)
a simple gal she really likes dogs
taissa
she/her lesbian switch
-ptsd
joined soccer in fifth grade
mixed (duh)
used to be in the marching band
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-bruno mars
(screams when i was your man and grenade in her car way too much)
-frank ocean
-post malone
(also screams his songs in the car)
-has a soft spot for shawn mendas has all of his albums
-really enjoys 60’s music so she really likes elvis
her room is pretty big too not huge on decorating
doesn’t care about hair like at all will wear a headband sometimes
a good girlfriend like if your cold she will give you her jacket type she has a temper never jealous either girlfriend material she’s the type you would want your kid to date y’know?
respectful to adults gets good grades and stuff
her favorite color is brown and everyone is like that’s weird and she is trying to convince them like “no guys it’s pretty hear me ou-“
cuts her own hair thinks it’s overpriced and dumb to have someone professionally do it
tai wants to be something important like president or some shit i can see her being a lawyer
what i think her favorite shows are:the umbrella academy,big mouth,skins
tai only watches skins and euphoria type shows because she loves the drama
her favorite characters:
-hermoine (harry potter)
-patrick (perks of being a wallflower)
-nadine (edge of seventeen)
her favorite movie is the 6th harry potter movie she also thinks it’s the most underrated
she likes tigers
van
she/her and lesbian switch
-anxiety
-ptsd
joined soccer in sixth grade
irish
plays the trumpet but is kinda embarrassed by it
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-nicki manaj
-fiona apple
-tori amos
-girl in red duh
-david bowie
-was ziggy stardust for halloween when she was 8
posters EVERYWHERE can’t convince me her room is not painted red
doesn’t care about hair either puts in a ponytail to keep it out of her face
is a great girlfriend all the same traits as taissa except not the best at school she’s honestly surprised she graduated
favorite color is red
her uncle cuts her hair for like five bucks out of his garage also i definitely think she used to have a bowl cut when she was little
doesn’t really care about money she just wants to be happy wants to own a record store or be a professional soccer player
speaking of records she definitely has a lot of collections like lowkey a hoarder…but her stuff is cool though! like funky pops hat wheels cd’s records etc
what i think her favorite shows are:beavis and butthead, avatar, south park
mostly likes adult animation
her favorite characters are:
-harley (suicide squad)
-ron (harry potter)
-beast boy (teen titans)
her favorite movie is the bee movie or lego batman there cinematic masterpieces
van likes pigeons for not particular reason she just thinks there funny looking
i can see van as a surfer too like her dad definitely is one also i can imagine her being really close with her dad and they have a local family business bakery:((
misty
she/her and idk her position or sexually like i genuinely have no idea
-autistic
-ptsd
always wanted to be on the team but knew she was bad at sports
german definitely
her favorite (modern!) singers are
-boy genius
-the beatles
-justin bieber
-pink
-melanie martenz is her favorite forever
light purple room has justin bieber posters everywhere
lowkey forgets she has hair whenever people comment on it she’s like “oh yeah!”
very obsessive of you and loves you almost too much sometimes you think it’s creepy but than your like “awww she’s so cute”
loves the color yellow
i can see her being a k-pop stan too
(her bias in bts is j-hope)
also is a famous editer on tiktok and no one knows😭her username is like “gxxbflix” or some shit
literally has had one haircut in her life like it never grows?
i see her as a pharmacist
what i think her favorite shows are:walking dead,mlp,monster high
i just think she really enjoys getting into all types of fandoms
has SO many online friends
definitely loves romance anime
plays clarinet
is in band
favorite characters:
-cruella (cruella)
-alice (alice in wonderland)
-edward (edward sciccor hands)
and mistys favorite movie is alice through the looking glass (because it shows the queen of hearts back story and misty loves her)
and misty likes birds duh
those are my headcannons for them i know it’s a lot but i’m obsessed ok send requests if you have any please
-🙈
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docholligay · 1 month
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The best thing about this episode is the way it plays out the unique pain of grieving someone you do not love. Or worse maybe even, someone you did love, once but they disappointed you so intensely that all you can feel is rage and despair.
Bojack actually doesn't have to be giving this eulogy at all. That's not a requirement. There's no rule that says you have to have any kind of funeral at all.
But he does. And he keeps going on, even after he says that he has nothing more to say about his mother. Because he does. He has so much more to say, and there is no other place in his life where he will ever just be allowed to talk about his mother and the way he felt about her, outside of the therapy that he is absolutely not going to go to.
Complicated grief is an interesting thing, and for my money it's harder than "normal" grief (if grief is ever really normal) and that's why this is one of my favorite episodes of anything ever, is I'm not sure I've ever seen it dealt with where the emotions are so much more than just sorrow. Sorrow isn't easy, but it is simple.
But, what Bojack goes into, is anger, and disappointment.
It starts with him continuing to joke, with telling his mom to knock once if she's proud of him, and him saying how nice it is to be in a room with his mother and just be able to talk without her telling him to shut up. It's this knife tip, just working its way out of Bojack's mouth, and the jokes keep coming, but they are less funny and more this weaponized humor.
Then even that breaks down, and he starts to realize what the problem was, what the problem has always been. Even while he's realizing that he is perpetuating this same set of problems, he's thinking about the grand gesture. And how Tv convinced him that someday, he would see the one thing that let him know his parents loved him.
But it's the consistency. I love the way here, he basically yells at the coffin.
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To love someone who has consistently disappointed you, to be joined with them, and the rage that comes out of that, it's so real. And Bojack can't even look at his parents and say, 'You tried" because they didn't. They didn't try even one day in their lives. Not with him. But there are so many people in our lives we allow to disappoint us over and over again, and when they die, or leave your life completely, you have this realization, that, they were never ever what you needed. You convinced yourself that maybe someday they would be, but they were never going to be, maybe they even couldn't, and then YOU feel like the fucking idiot. For wanting it. For thinking that it could happen. And then we're all Bojack here, yelling at a dead body, and it's worse than pointless, and that is part of the complication of this grief, is, not only is it not going to get any better, but you can't even offload it back onto that person. You have to swallow your role and their role in it all, forever.
And then we come back to that "Knock once." asking her if she loved him and wanted him to know that he made her life a little brighter. He knows she won't knock, he knows she can't respond. It's still a joke but it's a joke he's playing on himself.
This anger, that she was never going to be the mother he needed, comes around at the end in some of the best stuff, and this is the kind of stuff that gets it so right that it causes me physical pain.
The worst part, of someone dying, that you have a difficult relationship with, is that it will never get better. Someone disappoints you, and they disappoint you more, but then someday, they die, and they can never ever get better. They can never turn it around and they can never make it right. "My mother is dead, and everything is worse now, because now I know I will never have a mother who looks at me from across a room and says, “BoJack Horseman, I see you." WHile someone is alive, they could always get better. At one point in my life, I was a selfish, mean-spirited person who spent my days doing whatever I wanted and my nights drunk, and doing whatever I wanted. I didn't do anything that would put me out. I got better, because I lived long enough to pull my head out of my ass.
But when someone doesn't do that. When you wait for them to have some epiphany, and hold out their hand, and do better, and then suddenly, they can't, and, everything is going to be stuck, the way it is. It is the death of possibility that makes this sort of complicated grief so painful. Someone who was wonderful dies, you miss what they were, but someone difficult dies, you miss who they could have been, and that's so impossible to describe to someone that I had never seen it well done, before this episode.
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theroundbartable · 14 days
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I once had a friend who was a lesbian. This is only relevant because she kept complaining about how few characters in media were lesbian and why was everyone fine with gay men in media but not showing more lesbians.
When I watched bojack horseman, I told her that my favorite character was Todd Chavez because guess what? Ace rep, hell yeah. He was the first ace character I've ever seen in media, so I was overjoyed.
She also watched the show and then started complaining about why everyone seemed to like Todd because she found him annoying and anyways why do I even like him? Just because he's ace rep?
Yes. Yes that was the main reason.
What I'm trying to tell you with this story? Sometimes people are hypocrites. And it's okay to let go of these people.
You may be like: but this was only one thing. No, it wasn't. She was like this about everything. And I tried so hard to react to her complaints and make it better but it never worked.
I was talking too much about my siblings. I wasn't calling them by their names, thus confusing her. I was too emotional, I was like a roboter, I was too focused in class, then I was too distracted. I was too kind, too angry, too biased, too undecided, too peace seeking, then fighting too much. Too confident and too shy. I was a liar and too honest, she was angry that I didn't show her my music taste and when I showed her, she asked why I was listening to it at all, and in my attempts to redeem all these qualities of mine that were so bothersome, I broke myself, I limited myself and played out all the extremes.
There are people who will make you feel like you can only do wrong. And that is because there is no right path for people who want to control and manipulate you.
I loved her. I loved her so much I questioned my orientation. But I still had to let her go. And it's okay to miss these people, it's okay to be in pain. It's okay to break sometimes, because when the one smashing the pot is done with you, you can finally pick up the pieces.
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Last night I finished watching Barry and, after having slept on it, I want to say something.
WHAT.
A.
SHOW.
I mean, if you haven't already seen it go and catch up because wow. It's only four seasons, eight episodes each, about 30 minutes each episode. I promise it's worth it.
Little shitty recap if you haven't seen the series: Barry Berkman is an ex-marine who comes back from Afghanistan and becomes a hitman. When he discovers theatre and meets Sally (a girl he falls for) and Gene (acting teacher), Barry decides he wants to change his life. Shit happens, the Chechen mafia is involved, he can't leave his life behind so he always finds himself in the darkest place.
Don't keep on reading if you haven't seen the show because I'm about to go and spoil it for y'all as I will talk about the last season and the last episode.
I get it, alright? I get why people don't like the ending. It's because it doesn't have a build-up or a build-down, it doesn't resolve anything, it's just... An ending. Just like in Bojack Horseman, when Bojack is sitting on the roof with Diane and she tells him it's just an ending. That's exactly what Barry's last minutes are. Just an ending.
We don't need something big, some action-packed gran finale with whatever you can think of. We already had that. We already had an adrenaline-filled last episode in past seasons, but it always meant that something else was going to happen, that the story wasn't finished. And you know what they had in common?
Barry.
Those endings all had to do with Barry. Barry killed Janice. Barry went on a shooting spree. Barry wanted to seek revenge. But Barry's not there anymore, so who else is going to keep on the violence and the blood thirst? Nobody. Not NoHo Hank, who is dead. Not Gene, who's in prison. Not Sally, who wants to get away from all of this and care for her son.
This simple and bitter ending is just perfect for the tone set by all of the series. It's a satire, it's sad, and it makes you want to shout at John not to believe in what he's seeing. But it's real and raw. It is upsetting, that's true, just as the whole series is because Barry's point isn't to comfort you. It's never been.
Furthermore, what else could we have more? Every character got their own ending, in a way. That's it, there was nothing more to say.
Fuches (my God, Stephen Root you excellent actor, how I hated your character throughout the seasons) served his time in prison and got what he deserved. He still couldn't leave his criminal life behind, but we see that he understood his mistakes. We can see it in his eyes when he brings John back to Barry. Don't fuck it up, kiddo, don't fuck him up. Will he keep on leading a criminal life? Of course, he doesn't know anything else. Will he manipulate another kid like he did with Barry since he was a child? Not likely.
NoHo Hank... Listen, I still had my heart in pieces from the Ineffable Divorce (my babies deserve so much more, I believe in the South Downs cottage) and now THIS?! I WANTED TO SCREAM, OKAY? Nohobal was so precious and the healthiest couple on the show (I can't believe I just said that about two criminals but whatever) and this is what they pulled? Bill Hader, I love you with all my heart but I'm never going to forgive you. But it's so incredibly in character for Hank because even if we see him as this sweet and polite guy, he always chooses violence. Ever since the first season, his answer was always violence, even if it was to protect Cristobal and their future together. We just see him in a darker place and I just-- That last scene with Hank dying and holding Cristobal's statue's hand is *chef's kiss*. Give Anthony Carrigan his fucking deserved Emmy Award.
OH. MY. GOD. GENE. Even though I thought he was slightly off the entire season, I think it's fine. We've always seen him composed and rational, but this season he just let emotions take hold of him. He was so scared and angry and just didn't know what else to do. I was so worried he was going to unalive himself with that gun but boy. He did it. He really killed Barry. I couldn't believe it at first but wow. And Henry Winkler, my friends, is the reason why NOBODY should be typecasted. He was so good and believable and overall GLORIOUS in this series that I can't believe the industry didn't see his talent back then and just wanted him to play different versions of the Fonz. But Henry darling, I love you so much but I can't look at that hair and that beard.
Sally's such a complex character it is really hard to break down. I love how we can still see her trauma, her abused and abusive nature. She's always true to herself, even if she grows and changes for the better. I love that she found a passion for teaching and decided to be what Cousineau was for her. I really think she will be a great mentor if she can let her ego go. I love how she understood what John would have done at his (boy)friend's house and accepted it. I think that, while in the car, she was choosing what to do next. Do I tell my son the truth, that that movie is bullshit and his father was a killer, or do I play along so that I won't fuck him up? That's what her eyes told me, but I may be wrong. But wow. Sarah Goldberg is perfect. Just perfect.
And now Barry... Barry, who I loved so much, who I believed in, who I rooted for. Barry who can't stop being violent, is a killer at heart, who can't be redeemed. He's unforgivable, he can't make it right. We've seen it in the past seasons when he couldn't escape from Fuches and the mafia and all of that, we see it now as he dies before turning himself in. It's mindblowing. Bill Hader is such a fucking genius and such a good actor that I don't even know what to say. I could talk all day about this series and this character, but I think this post would be too long.
In the end, great series. One of the best I've seen in recent years, one of my favourites. Thank you, Bill, for making this show come to light and being so freaking good at writing, directing and playing in it.
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ratguy-nico · 2 months
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I read this today and many thoughts came to mind so yeah this is another rambling.
'til this day I don't get over the fact that only last year we had the Last Season of The Owl House, the rushed end of one of the greatest series of the decade, that could have mark a new course for many series yet to come, the spiritual successor of another of the greatest series of all Gravity Falls.
The Owl House was released in 2020 just four years ago and it was cancelled in 2022, two years ago, presumable cause it had too much representation for Disney's taste.
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This is obviousley not confirm, but everyone in the industry and Dana Terrace herself had made clear that this was the main reason.
All this just 2 years ago, many like to say we live in a time were LGBT+ community had all the representation they need, that everything is gay now days and and that this excess of representation is becoming tedious. And then this is a case from fucking 2 years ago.
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It just so sickening, to think that yeah we have representation nowdays but it has to be a certain tipe of rep, it can not be too much, in the Owl House I think there was just one straight couple in the main cast, it has not to be too on the nose, gods forbid for the main character to be gay, lesbian, bi or the non existent trans representation, and it cannot be normal, if you are gay it has to be your main trait, your whole life, you have to have like many crisis as you can and have a whole out of the closet episode, it has to be the revelation of the century.
I still remeber Alex Hirsch puteando a Disney cause they didn't let him do many things he wanted with his own serie, among them the relationship betweenm the two town sheriffs, one of the cutest things in the show, and very funny too.
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Alex Hirsch has always been very vocal about he's own despite for Disney as a creator that work for them. And thats why I love him.
I still remeber cartoon network forbidding Rebecca Sugar to say that the Gems were womans, cause that would imply that all the gems were lesbians and that was a totally No No for fricking Cartoon Network, the one everyone point when saying is only Disney the non inclusive one.
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(why they never bring this back? what is wrong with Steven Universe?)
Though this end like a tiro en la culata which means backfire cause suddenly the gems were non binary or no gender which was fricking funny cause even more hard to explain XD
This also happened with Adventure Time, another Cartoon serie, were everyone was lost whith the Bublegum and Marcy kiss in the last episode, cause we were told they had a relationship in fricking Season 3 but no, they didn't tell explicitly that they were in a romantic relationship, cause you know... lesbian equal bad.
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Their relationship keep getting explore and we had amazing episodes with this two navigating their feelings for each other, the past mistakes in their relationship and how to become better together. But all this while not telling us that they love each other, cause they weren't allow to tell us.
This is merely frustration on my part, I know we have better represantation nowdays, but... is not nearly enough, like I said, theres still close to non rep for ace or trans people, bisexual are getting better, though the rep still is plagued of horrible stereotype and fetization, but this is something lesbian and gays can have manage to avoid yet so what we expect.
So yeah we should celebrate our representation, and not let anyone tell us that is enough or too much, cause til this day the best ace representation I have seen comes from Todd from Bojack Horseman a serie from 2014 that ended in 2020, that set the bar and none had even try to fight, I hope Alastor become a better rep in this front, I really hope so. Lilith made an absolute great work, but sadley cause the serie was cut out we missed a lot of this character T^T
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And Im not gonna talk about trans rep cause that's just sad.
I will always hold resentment to Disney cause of what they did to the Owl House, for sure, that something I hold near my heart everyday.
So yeah I totally use this persons post to talk about me me me, and I dont know them so prefer not to involve them in this.
And if you dont notice I keep this Animation Series only, cause theres too many series and I have not watch nearly enough, I know thers some with really good rep and others that are lit hot shit. So yeah the world is wild and full of shit.
Adventure Time 2010-2018
Gravity Falls 2012-2016
Steven Universe 2013-2019
Bojack Horseman 2014-2020
The Owl House 2020-2023
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girljeremystrong · 5 months
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cat!!!! hi!!!! i want to get my non-reader friend into reading. he probs won't read anything over 150-200 pages so i'm trying to find an entertaining short book. all the short books i love are essays or philosophy or things i think he could like in time but would probably find dry at the start (especially cause he hasn't read anything recreationally for years). so im at a loss and wanted to know if u have any recs for short books that are page-turners/easy to read <3 hope ur having a good day beloved xo
hello my love <3
first of all sorry for replying late but i was sleeping and then i had to go to the BANK but anyway i have compiled a little list of books i loved that are under 200 pages. there are lots of classics that are shorter and i've included them even though i think some of those would be stuff that you or him might have already read!
contemporary fiction
open water by caleb azumah nelson: THIS IS SUCH A GREAT ONE that i can't imagine anyone not enjoying. truly. it's a love story between two black young british people but it's far from a tiktok romance novel. it explores themes of race and masculinity and vulnerability and it's soft but also very real and it's wonderful. honestly if i had to only recommend one it would be this!
small things like these by claire keegan: very good and quietly hopeful story of a man in a little irish town at christmas. everybody was talking about this book last year and with good reason, it's great.
whereabouts by jhumpa lahiri: the story of a woman in the town she lives in and how it can change in a year. this is an introspective one but jhumpa lahiri is a genius so it reads very easily and it's so wonderfully written.
interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri: short stories, mainly dealing with indian characters in the US. they feel absolutely universal while teaching something about culture and belonging. won the pulitzer in 1999.
how not to drown in a glass of water by angie cruz: a woman narrates the story of her life to her counselor who's trying to find her a job. it's funny and hopeful and memorable. the author is so great (she wrote another one called dominicana that is a masterpiece although is longer!)
kim jiyoung, born 1982 by cho nam-joo: the story of a new mum living in korea that explores the estrangement of being a woman and having to give up so much. it's definitely more serious but it's written very well and it doesn't feel heavy at all.
swimming in the dark by tomasz jedrowski: this one is incredible. it's the story of a polish university student who falls in love with another man in the 1980s in an obviously very repressive society. so he's in love but he wants protest and he can't ignore the struggles and the disparity around him. it's very political but also lyrical and tender.
someone who will love you in all your damaged glory by raphael bob-waksberg: okay this breaks 200 pages at 256 pages long. but it's so good. everybody would love this. it's by the creator of bojack horseman if that can be an incentive somehow. it's a collection of stories that are so unconventional and bizarre in the most incredible way. they are funny stories and sweet and absurd and sad. i really loved reading this book.
infinite country by patricia engel: the story of a colombian family dealing with deportation. it's from the pov of elena who is the eldest daughter. it's a beautiful book that deals with very real struggles and it does it beautifully.
classics
recitatif by toni morrison: very short story (about 20 pages) but so clever and so well written of course. it's the story of two women who have known each other since they were children. they lose touch and then they reconnect when they're older. one of them is white and one of them is black, but the author never tells you which is which. so it's a great story about race.
the cossacks by leo tolstoy: the story of a man who loses his fortune and retires to a cossack village. it's very russian... but it's very well written and definitely explores some of the themes that tolstoy will then explore in war and peace like the purpose of life and war and his love of nature.
white nights by fyodor dostoevsky: again very russian. but less than 100 pages long! it's the story of a young man living in st petersburg who one day meets a girl and they become fast friends. they both feel like outcasts, so together they feel like they can belong. it is actually great.
giovanni's room by james baldwin: lots of baldwin's books (both his fiction and non-fiction) are short ones actually. this one is the story of a man in paris who, while waiting for his girlfriend to get there, falls in love with a man. it's an incredible story dense with love and passion and shame and it is wonderful.
the old man and the sea by hemingway: old man tries to catch big fish after not being able to catch any fish for a long time. but also so much more than that and nobody made me read this in school so i only read it at 25 and it blew me away. everybody told me it would be so sad but i think it's actually hopeful and a little bit it is a story about community? and it tells you that there's people waiting for you to come back.
of mice and men by steinbeck: again i read it in my mid twenties and loved it. it's a gut punch. it's about two men clinging together as laborers in california. it deals with what it means to feel powerless in a tyrant world.
franny and zooey by salinger: one of the best books ever i think. franny and zooey are brother and sister and they are two young people experiencing existential doubts. it's a book about family and about growing into adults and about the alienation that comes with that. salinger knows how to write young people in a crisis so well and how to make it engaging and entertaining.
having compiled this list i now see that my tastes definitely are oriented in a certain way but i hope at least one of these can work for your friend. i tried to include all the shorter books that i have read and loved and i think that generally anyone could enjoy them, but you never know!
hope you're having a great day too!!! mwah!!
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ms-scarletwings · 8 months
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Media Musin’ Monday, #7:
Screw You, Nickalodeon: Making Fiends Deserved Better
I have no idea how anyone could seriously believe that the entertainment industrial complex™ even tries anymore to hold the illusion of a just or meritocratic realm. No holds barred, I have my issues with about every company still clinging like barnacles to the tragic, sinking ship that cable TV has become, but if you want me to point to a network that’s given me an entire skeleton of bones to pick by this point, and I’m underlining Nickelodeon in red at the top of my list.
It’s not because they host some bad shows, no. It’s not a sour grapes reaction to the untimely end of some of my favorite shows either, and though the entire rotten apple situation with creators like Dan Schneider and Butch Hartman certainly added to barrel’s spoilage, I would still feel every bit of my disdain for Nick’s tv group for the one cardinal sin they have committed again and again and again to ad nauseum- their ongoing phase of running a talent slaughterhouse.
It sounds hyperbolic, but I’d call it a fair observation: Spongebob is widely aknowledged as legitimately both the best and the worst thing to happen to this corner of kid’s media, hands down, but I don’t blame the little yellow guy one bit. He’s only another victim to the mess, and as much as I would love to go on a whole dossier spiel of the history of Nickalodeon from the 90s “golden age” to a full list of the dozens of shows and creators their execs have royally fucked over in the name of chasing the ratings dragon… for one, that’s been done a hundred times by other people at this point, and much better than I could. For two, that would take all freaking day. Just off the top of any cartoon savvy person’s head you’d vaguely recall the assassination of Legend of Korra, El Tigre, or Invader Zim, but that can is filled with so many “blink and you’ll miss it” smaller shows that were barely given two steps out of the starting gate, it pads down an entire TVTropes article on the subject. Dozens of them, shows that Nick all but basically set up for failure before quietly shipping them to the peaceful farm upstate- by which I mean shuffled off to inconsistent time blocks and lower priority channels so they could burn out their final approved episodes in hospice. Nicktoons alone garnered a hell of a reputation for exactly what I’m talking about, but that’s show biz, or… something.
Their worst and probably most audacious offense of all? Let me tell you about the fate of the charming world of a little girl who made fiends.
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There’s no better place to talk about the end than the beginning.
Making Fiends, I mean, the original Making Fiends was a series of flash-animated shorts among a handful of other early 2000s web cartoons made by Amy Winfrey.
✨ Just, in case you didn’t recognize or feel something for that name, Amy Winfrey is one of the utter beasts of cartoons in general, not purely kids’ media. Songwriter, directing, animation, screenwriting, voice acting… you name a part of the process, and she’s probably dipped her toe in there at some point. Professionally, she broke into the industry contributing work to earliest season of South Park, and while she personally is most known for and associated with Making Fiends, the likely most prominent body of work she’s been a part of would be Bojack Horseman, wherein she’s credited as a director for many of its strongest episodes, including (but not limited to):
- “Free Churro”
- “The Telescope”
- "Sunk Cost and All That"
- “The View from Halfway Down”
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- Amy Winfrey and her spouse (Peter Merryman) making a cameo appearance in the BJH episode “sunk cost and all that”
And even before all of that, she’s been at this animation stuff since the 90s and it shows in a loaded up portfolio of accolades and projects, both professional and personal.
The relevance of this information is to help put in some perspective to just how rotten of a deal she comparatively got with Nickelodeon, when one of those passion creations got a chance to join the network’s airing list.
But to sum up the idea of the web series proper, it independently released 24 short episodes in total, each centered around the antics of two girls engaged in both a completely one sided friendship and nemesis-ship. The show’s namesake refers to the single action the evil little Vendetta is most known for- creating a variety of servant monsters, many of which she uses to secure her rule over the port town of Clamburg, and all its inhabitants. Charlotte, on the other hand, is the quintessential “children’s show” character: near inhumanly kind, cheerful, and naive. So much so that she’s oblivious to her “best friend’s” near daily attempts to murder her, or the fact that she, you know, despises her.
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In 2006, Nickelodeon took an interest in Winfrey’s toon and the prospect of adapting it into a TV series, reportedly because a daughter of a studio employee was a huge fan.
And fun fact btw, this was actually the first time that Nick did this approach of turning an indie web animation into one of their shows, but it certainly wasn’t the last if you remember this was also the origin of Breadwinners.
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And as far as the audience was concerned, it was quite the successful transition! The TV version pretty much kept all of the major beats and vibes of the original, with polished animation, the same voice actors, and some stylistic upgrades to the art/environmental designs. For a brief time, it was the highest rated thing on its release channel too. Someone I don’t quite recall the name of once endearingly referred to the show as “baby’s first grimdark” and I adore how fitting of a summary that is. It sports a charmingly unique art style, memorable soundtrack, and I can swear to y’all, the humor aged like a fine wine.
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“Why don’t you pretend to be dead?”
“:) ok!”
*slam*
(Also, sidenote, the entire series is still up on your tube, in HD, completely free to watch!)
So, if it’s such a neat little show, then why on earth does barely a soul seem to remember it existing? And even fewer scare who recall knowing about the show during its 2008 release?
Because Nickelodeon Studios, without hyperbole, set this show up for failure at every single turn before it even got a fighting chance.
People know of some shows that Nick treated like garbage, but this one they treated like absolute shit for reasons I can’t fathom.
Making Fiends, for one, never actually saw the light of day on the main network channel, as per the original plans. It was actually instead delegated over to Nick’s sister channel, Nicktoons, by a last minute decision.
Nicktoons, fyi, was not carried by most cable packages. I obviously lived on it as a kid, and it was functionally to Nick what I remember Boomerang being to Carton Network- the cable block where reruns of much older but loved shows were shoveled off to once they finished their days on the main channel.
Second, it was quietly premiered with barely a couple farts of advertising, too. I remember maybe seeing one preview as a kid, on Nicktoons.
And I guess, not keeping either of these in mind, Nick then abruptly pulled the plug on the whole thing, citing the tried and true “low ratings” explanation and leaving it at that.
Not counting years of post-cancelation reruns, the show actively ran from October 4, 2008, to November 1, 2008.
That is roughly a month between premiere and the end production date.
One season. Six entire episodes.
Seven whole additional completed scripts abandoned on the table.
Yeah.
I’m a touch salty about it still.
And with the shutting down of the Nicktoons network social media in 2018, any additional acknowledgment of the show from Nickelodoen themselves has kind of vanished to my knowledge. Like, it’s almost no wonder you already had to be part of the cult following to know about it, when Nick has been quiet about the calf they sent to auction since. Worst part is, they still hogged the rights to the show instead of idk, wild idea, giving it back over to Winfrey. I can only imagine people get away with entire reuploads of the series under the otherwise very IP protective Nick’s nose as another display of how low and bastardly those execs really view Making Fiends.
And that sucks! Wow! But I guess in a “be happy it happened, not sad it ended” way, I’m kind of glad for the fact that we can still enjoy and pass around the show that we did get to experience at all, rather than see it fade into true lost media territory.
Even today, about 16 whole years later, I know for a fact there are still plenty of other fans that remember and cherish the splash this tiny show made in that big, brutal pond. So, in that manner, you can’t truly call Making Fiends dead and gone.
A bittersweet story to think about, and only one of many down a long list, but ultimately one I’m happy to be able to tell at all.
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Even if all the while still raising a giant middle finger to the network for the ending.
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shesnake · 1 year
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@1995lahaine tagged me to post 8 shows to get to know me 🤔 I'm only going to do shows that have ended which I think are worth revisiting. tagging @akajustmerry @anthonysperkins @summoneryuna @sonyarebecchi @toraks @a24thegreenknight @holly-mckenzie
Utopia (2013-2014) created by dennis kelly. beauty is terror we quiver before it etc etc oh this show is so violent and beautiful and so deeply human I explode every time I think about it. you know cristobal tapia de veer from the white lotus soundtrack but that is Nothing compared to the work he did on this.
Bojack Horseman (2014-2020). as someone who loves movies this show is truly the best meta fiction out there about Hollywood that isn't afraid to throw punches. hilarious and brutal. the animation format and animal absurdity allows them to tell real unrestrained narratives that I don't think live action could ever achieve. Raphael bob-waksberg will never get his foot off my neck
The Bisexual (2018) despite the title I genuinely think desiree akhavan made the greatest lesbian story of all time with this. short, sweet, and soul crushing precarious fleabag type miniseries. also she's sooooo hot oh my GOD
Mr. Robot (2015-2019) it's a shame people forgot about this show towards the end and stopped watching because it is truly theeee speculative epic of all time speaking to issues of capitalism and identity and rebellion. between this and the lazarus project it's like a spiritual sequel to Utopia in the way it explores how much of yourself you have to sacrifice to escape from All This. probably got my favourite needle drops of all time.
The Hour (2011-2012) can you believe the bbc cancelled a show about a bbc show trying to be cancelled? between this and the newsreader yeah I'm obsessed with dramas about people who don't get to tell the truth
Les Revenants (2012-2015) are you sure. are you sure you're not a ghost?
Cowboy Bebop (1998) of course.
Westworld (2016-2022) I hate this show so fucking much there's so many things wrong with it that get my blood boiling but it's also one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. the only thing that makes me feel human is the way I'm treated. I choose to see the beauty. motion picture soundtrack. ramin djawadi is everything to me.
these are my mains but I also highly recommend (other than the obvious succ/yj/iwtv/etc) :
WE ARE LADY PARTS
SORT OF
Mythic Quest
Black Sails
The Third Day
The Lazarus Project
The Newsreader
The Great
Glitch 2015
Better Call Saul
Rutherford Falls
Ghosts BBC
Luther
The Thick of It
Brave New World 2020
Moriarty the Patriot
Elementary
Miss Sherlock
Tuca & Bertie
Some Girls 2012
Misfits
Community
Mad Men
True Blood
Lost
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spopsalt · 20 days
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Honestly while Rick and Morty has a million flaws (I enjoy it despite the flaws) at least they know that one big gesture doesn't make up for consistent abuse. An example I would like to use is when Rick sacifrices himself for Morty in "A Rickle In Time" You may know about this if you are or were in the Rick and Morty fandom, but if you do not know, I'll tell you. So to make a long story short, Rick, Morty, and Summer's time was messing up, everytime they were uncertain about something, they would create a feedback loop, making their time more unstable and therefore more dangerous. They had to put time collars on so their time will be stable again. Rick broke them so Rick had to fix the collars. He suceeds in him and Summer's collar, Summer puts hers on and therefore she is safe. She goes back to stable time so now it's just Rick and Morty. Morty tells Rick that his collar is broken, Rick originally brushes it off saying he fixed it and to just put it on, but Morty insists that it's broken.
Rick told Morty to bring it here so he can fix it but then Morty fell down a hole created by the unstablity of the time. Rick screamed Morty's name and just looked down the hole. He looks around and jumps in the hole to get Morty. If those of you that don't know, there's infinite Ricks and Mortys, so Rick could've just gotten another Morty, but chose not to. He grabs onto Morty and tells Morty to give him his collar, Morty said that he dropped it. Rick looked worried, looked around, then, gave Morty his collar, saving Morty's life over his. And his choosen last words were "I'm ok with this, be good Morty. Be better than me." Now of course he sees the collar Morty dropped and turned out to be fine, but for the moment he was 100% willing to save Morty's life over his.
Now was this a selfless act? Yes, absolutely. Should he have done it? Yes. Does this scene makes me cry? .....Admittidly yes. Does it make up for the consistent emotional abuse Rick inflicts on Morty? No. Now if this was another show *cough* spop *cough* This would mean that everything Rick did to Morty is ok! But no, he's still called out mutiple times and his behavior doesn't change after this, (I mean it does but not for a few seasons) I like that it actually shows that one big grand gesture does not make consistent abuse ok, that should be obvious, butttt a certain show *cough* spop *cough* seems to not get that.
Another show I'd like to praise for this is Bojack Horseman. Bojack does do big gestures, and while these are sweet, none of them solve the root of his problems, the root of his toxicity. He saves Todd from an improv group (Long story makes sense in context) and gives a legitmentally heartwarming speech about how when Todd first moved in with Bojack and thanked him for letting him stay with him, Bojack didn't hate himself, which is not something he feels often. Now while this was sweet, he doesn't bother to try and solve the root of his toxicity with Todd, and is still consistently horrible towards him, and Bojack says it perfectly "The big gesture isn't enough, you have to be consistent and that is so hard"
Now with that, all I want to say is that I love how those two shows acknowledge that big gestures don't make up for consistent abuse, we can find them sweet, but we must notice that unless the behavior changes, these big gestures really don't mean much. It's a really mature perspective for these shows to take, unlike another certain show *cough* spop *cough*
With that, how does spop handle big gestures? Well Catra saves Glimmer, now the best friend squad goes over to save Catra because she saved Glimmer, now when they get Catra she imminetally regresses and yells at Adora for insulting her, and calls her an idiot which Adora again interenlizes, yippe! Now do they regonize that while her saving Glimmer was sweet, that doesn't mean that they have to put up with her? Nope! Adora vents to Glimmer about it as she should, but Glimmer just brushes it off saying that Catra wasn't going to instantly become a different person, but Adora said she thought Catra would at least try, and Catra doesn't, she never thanks Adora for risking her life to save her, she never stops her abuse of Adora, and she is still horrible to Adora. And they still put up with her again because she holds Adora's hand and asks her to stay.
I know I'm comparing a kid's show with 2 adult shows, but kid's show have the oppurtunity to be incredibly mature, and that's what the stans always call it. But it shouldn't be teaching kids that "If you're consistently horrible, it's ok as long as you do some big grand gesture to show how much you care!" It's just an incredibly harmful message to send to kids, and if you teach kids this I can imagine them very easily falling into a toxic relationship.
So my final point, while you can appreciate grand gestures and find them sweet, those gestures don't mean much if they do not put in the work to change, you can't just forgive someone just because they did some big grand gesture for you if they don't at least attempt to change the way they treat you.
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merlot-and-chardonnay · 3 months
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The Targ from Horsing Around: A Character Comparison of Aegon and Bojack
For anyone whose read my post about the Blacks vs Greens discourse, I once brought up that I was someone who 1) have watched the entirety of Bojack Horseman and 2) made a comparison of the horse's life to that of Aegon from HotD.
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Now you're probably wondering, how is so? Well if you stick around, I'll be more than happy to explain why. So sit back, relax, and read my...unnecessarily long take of our favorite brooding blonde dragon prince and...the Horse from Horsing Around.
Also quick spoiler warning for both shows as well as content warning for subjects such as addiction, depression, and abuse of power as well as dysfunctional family dynamics.
So, first off we have to do a little brief background for both characters.
So first we have Aegon:
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Aegon Targaryen (second of his name), or also known in the history books as Aegon the Usurper, is the firstborn son of King Viserys I and Alicent Hightower, and in the patriarchal world of Westeros the heir to the Iron Throne...or he would've been had his father not named his older half-sister Rhaenyra heir, changing the line of succession.
Having not experienced much affection from either of his parents, Aegon strives to fill the void in his life by means of sex and alcohol, which doesn't do much as deep down he craves for someone to love him as he is and not because of what he can accomplish as the future king.
And then we have Bojack Horseman. An actor most noted for his role from the 90s sitcom Horsin' Around, and someone who comes from a very dysfunctional family, Bojack struggles with addiction and depression and self-loathing as well. He too has a void in his life that he tries to fill with drugs and booze and sex, but that doesn't do much.
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So with the character synopses out of the way, now we'll dive into their similarities.
1. Family Background
While Aegon's family may not be arguably as dysfunctional as Bojack's (the casual eye mutilation and kin-slaying not withstanding), the dysfunction is still there. Aegon is the firstborn son of Viserys and Alicent. As I mentioned before in my Black and Green take, Alicent was basically forced into the marriage, never having a say in the matter, but did as she was bid because she felt it was her duty. She does not love Viserys, and frankly it was mutual for Viserys, as the two only lay with one another for the sake of fulfilling their material duties and to produce heirs.
I've already established Viserys was practically an absentee parent with his children, sans Rhaenyra, but we also see the way Alicent treats her children. She dotes on Aemond (more so after he lost his eye), and...she tries to dote on Helaena, bond with her, but she doesn't quite understand her (something I can kinda relate to in regards to my own relationship with my mother). And there's the way she treats Aegon.
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Partly driven by paranoia by her own father, Alicent pushes Aegon in more ways than one in trying to prepare him to become king. She...uses some rather controversial tactics, most which include her slapping him out of the blue when he steps out of line, or for things that happened that were beyond his control as we saw on Driftmark, or covering for him when does something really bad, to which she proceeds to scold him in private and then slap him again before disowning him.
Alicent's relationship with Aegon is dysfunctional and complicated to say the least, and again to reiterate it was very telling that Aegon had asked her on the day of his coronation if she loved him.
I find it interesting how much of driving force between Alicent's parenting towards Aegon actually comes from her father pushing her, which led to some rather trauma inducing consequences to Aegon's psyche.
Sounds familiar Bojack Fans?
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In contrast to Alicent Hightower, noble woman turned queen, Bojack's mother, Beatrice Horseman was a sugar heiress, i.e. someone who definitely comes from old money. Her father, Joseph Surgarman, also had an impact on Beatrice from an early age (especially after what he did to Beatrice's mother), and it haunted Beatrice for the rest of her life, to the point where she refused to love anyone the same way her mother loved her brother Crackerjack.
While Joseph didn't force Beatrice to marry (though he tried), Beatrice nonetheless found herself in a loveless marriage to Butterscotch Horseman, after she fell pregnant as the result of a one night stand with Butterscotch on the night of her debutante ball (keeping in mind it was the 60s and despite the sexual revolution having kicked off around this time, a woman pregnant out of wedlock was still considered scandalous).
Butterscotch was also an absentee parent to Bojack (when he wasn't busy smacking him around), spending his days at the office (*cough cough* having affairs with his secretary) and then shutting himself in his study at home to work on his inevitably failure of a great American novel (I could compare Butterscotch's obsession with being a writer of working class origins to how Viserys obsessed over his model of Old Valyria and its history).
Beatrice, meanwhile, was left with the burden of raising a child, and she often took that frustration out on Bojack, if not physically, than emotionally and psychologically. Beatrice also instilled into Bojack a very toxic need to perform in order to please the people and give them what they want, whether he wants to or not. (this was also a mindset Bojack would sadly pass onto Sarah Lynn and we know how that ended).
To summarize, Aegon and Bojack had some pretty shitty upbringings and it affected them greatly into adulthood.
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2. Unhealthy coping mechanisms
As I mentioned before Aegon and Bojack use unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their lives, in the form of sex and booze.
Aegon drinks copious amounts of wine and cheats on his sister-wife with any woman who will (or won't) have him. He has also fathered an unknown number of bastards (something Bojack likely would've also done if he didn't use condoms or send money to his one night stands to get abortions).
Bojack took the unhealthy coping a step further in season 5 when an accident on set of tv show Philbert resulted in him getting addicted to prescription pain killers.
And of course people got hurt from these addictions. We saw what Aegon did to the servant Dyana, which resulted in Alicent putting out fires and giving the poor girl silence money as well as moon tea (and as I've mentioned before it's heavily implied this was NOT the first time something like that has happened). We also got a glimpse of the damage he caused Aemond, when the guy recalled to Criston his first and only time Aegon dragged him to the Street of Silk...when he was THIRTEEN FREAKING YEARS OLD!
With Bojack, we saw the damage his drug and booze benders have done, as we saw with Sarah Lynn in season 3, and with Gina in season 5 (and though he was not really on a bender in season 2, we saw what he almost did to Penny). And while Bojack's mother would never be willing to step up and pick up his pieces, that burden was constantly left to his agent Princess Carolyn (my favorite character of the show).
3. Toxic Personalities
It's no secret Bojack is a pretty toxic individual especially to his friends and loved ones. We see how he often takes Princess Carolyn for granted, especially when she goes out of her way to find him acting gigs and he flat out turns them down all the damn time. Not to mention he practically dropped her in season 3 when she screwed up ONE TIME for the first time in the many years those two had worked together. We also saw the way he treated Todd, never having given the guy the guest room, despite allowing Todd to crash on his couch for five years, and when Todd did have the opportunity to make it big and get his own place with the debut of his Rock Opera in season 1, Bojack goes out of his way to sabotage the whole thing cause he was scared of being left alone.
Bojack is a toxic person, something he is actually very self-aware of, but he doesn't do anything to change it, not until the very last season when he actually puts in the effort to go sober and reflect on why he is the way he is. But before that, his toxicity had real consequences and left lasting impact on the people around him.
Aegon is a toxic person too. He is something of a shit stirrer, as showcased in episode 8 during the family dinner when he tried to goad Jace and then made unwanted advances towards Baela. He's not the best person to his siblings either, particularly towards Aemond, such is in episode 5 when he convinced Jace and Luke to prank Aemond by giving him a pig with wings when he knew the boy wanted a dragon, and of course I already brought up the Street of Silk incident and what he did to Dyana.
Both Bojack and Aegon's toxicity are also compounded by their status as celebrity actor and royal family member respectively, which means there is little chance of being held to true accountability by others (though in Bojack's case, the closest we get to that was the second interview in the final season when Biscuits Braxby confronted him about the circumstances surrounding Sarah Lynn's death).
4. Need to feel affection from others
THIS....
This is actually the one thing that prompted me to make the character comparison in the first place. In HotD episode 9, after Aegon was crowned king, he pulled out his sword, and he saw the way the people cheered for him, practically cutting the image of his namesake Aegon the Conqueror.
Note the small smile Aegon made in this gif when he saw the way the people reacted to him in this state:
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Aegon made not have had any desire to rule up until this point, and he probably still doesn't have that desire... but dammit, if being king is all it takes to win the love and affection of complete strangers, if that is what it takes to receive even an ounce of validation, then he will role with it.
This was the scene that made me think about Bojack. The reason Bojack got into acting, why he embraced celebrity status during his time on Horsin' Around was because that was when he had an audience to perform before. There were people out there that gave him love and validation for it even if they didn't know who he really was. And Bojack accepted it, because he certainly wasn't going to get it from his mother or anyone else whom he felt would eventually leave him for one reason or another. People in his life may come and go, but his audience would always be there for him...supposedly.
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Spoiler alert, they weren't there for him as we saw as various moments in the show, ESPECIALLY the third and second to last episodes of the final season.
Bojack and Aegon gave the people what they wanted in performing their assigned roles, and it gave them the rush of validation and temporarily soothed their craving and need for the love and affection that was basically denied them since childhood (not true affection as much of this would be akin to a para-social relationship).
While there are similarities, there is also a key differences between the two (and NO it is not that Aegon is a human being in a medieval fantasy epic and Bojack is a anthropomorphic horse in a series set in modern day Hollywood).
It's fair to say Bojack had a stronger support system than Aegon, granted one he often took for granted. He had friends that actually cared for him and had stood by his side for most of the series, even when he kept screwing them over and throwing them under the bus. I already mentioned Todd and Princess Carolyn, but there was also Diane and Mr. Peanut Butter. And before that, before Horsin Around, there was Charlotte and Herb (though Bojack was quick to burn those bridges with those two when he failed them on two separate occasions).
Diane was the one who was there for Bojack during his low points in the show; she was the one who comforted Bojack when he was reeling over the death of Sarah Lynn, and she was the one who took Bojack to rehab in season 5 when he decided things needed to change if he was to become a better person. She was also the last person Bojack talked to in the final episode.
I already know how the events of HotD are ultimately going to end...I'm not optimistic Aegon will have that kind of support system, save for enablers and sycophants and just about any nobles and Green supporter who want nothing more than to win his favor by kissing his ass.
...that was kind of a grim note to end on, but that is what I got.
Hope you enjoyed this take. Now have a nice day.
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lakesparkles · 11 months
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Can you tell us how feel about Ralph Stilton? Please
An interesting one! Ralph is one of the few characters I didn't have any strong opinions when I watched it for the first time. He just existed, y'know? It was rewatching that made me truly appreciate his character. He was one of the many love interests for one of the main five characters, and one of the best ones in the sense of a health relationship. He and Princess Carolyn were good for each other, even with all the difficult parts. Ralph cared about her, was genuinely sweet and wanted the best for her. And I never had the impression Princess Carolyn wasn't the same way. They loved each other. They were good. And even still broke up. It's… So brave and unlike most fictional couples I see?? I can barely explain, but it's also one of the reasons I like Diane and Mr Peanutbutter's relationship that much. There is a lesson about how, sometimes, love alone isn't enough to make a relationship work that Bojack Horseman can do perfectly.
I didn't know he was so fun to draw:
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notasapleasure · 6 months
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I had this draft for the 8 shows to get to know me meme that no one tagged me in, but then @batri-jopa tagged me for this other meme, so I'm doiing them as a mash-up.
10 comfort shows -
- that tell you more than you wanted to know about me. reasons below the cut, but the tl;dr is:
The Terror
Garrow's Law
Ripper Street
The X Files
Utopia
Interview with the Vampire
(BBC) Ghosts
Futurama
Avatar: the Last Airbender
Detectorists
Honourable mentions: Andor (will probably make the list once season 2 is out, but my trust of Disney Star Wars is *so* thin, I can't commit until then, no matter how excellent season 1 is); The Great (it's so good. The script is still one of the most astonishing works of art I have ever encountered. But comfort TV? hell no.); see also, Bojack Horseman (objectively great. Not comfort TV); Grease Monkeys (I've got to get hold of season 2, but I'm really fond of its coarseness, wish-fulfilment and sureallism).
Tagging 10 people if they wanna join in, but others feel free to say I tagged you! @stripedroseandsketchpads, @notfromcold, @notabuddhist, @donnaimmaculata, @erinaceina, @boogerwookiesugarcookie, @elwenyere, @kheldara, @bellaroles, @jimtheviking
List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people
The Terror: Like Ripper Street below, I feel this show deep in my bones and think I must be actually insane when I try to explain to people what I like about it (watching it literally made my husband's depression worse so I'm not allowed to talk about it. Jk. Sort of. About the last bit anyway). The sheer ridiculousness of that era of exploration has been a firm fave for years and I love how the show weaves horror and hubris together, how it's not a straightforward 'natives get vengeance on colonisers' story, but the colonisers ruin it for everyone, poison life for Silna, too (all without any threat of sexual violence towards her CAN YOU BELIEVE IT). I love all the attempts to impose 'civilisation' on the life the men try to live as they come to realise how doomed they are, how key the trappings of their life become - objects as tethers and talismans. I love how utterly futile it all is. How much they all care, and the audience cares despite that. Self-destruction and salvation all jumbled up together. Two full crews go into the ice and die. The end. They do everything they can not to die and it happens anyway, it's the ultimate 'the love was there and it didn't change anything'. And no one learns anything. Perfect TV.
Garrow's Law: Sometimes I do want my historical drama to be wish fulfillment actually, and this is the actual og fave. No, most of the cases weren't actually Garrow's, yes, it's a fluffy liberal take on things that played out in a more complex way, but the cast is so good, and Garrow is such a likeable guy, but then you see his flaws emerge in such a gentle way through the four series, and it really does case-of-the-week with characterisation so well, and it's got that amazing British TV character actor cast where there's always someone in the background you know, and the building romance between Garrow and Sarah, and the real repercussions of it for her are handled so sensitively, augh the culmination of the series with their own personal legal cases is so good.
Ripper Street: in my head this show was so much more than the sum of its parts. Season 1 was on the surface a fun BBC historical romp. Season 2 I had to watch through gritted teeth because Susan's situation quicked me out too much, among other reasons. Season 3 leaned into the more sinister side of the protagonist and came through as something weirder and darker, a vein which ran through Seasons 4 and 5, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I live for my alternative reading of the migration stories and nightmarish flipsides of people that we get running through the background of seasons [3/]4/5, but uh. the show's tumblr fandom is not a place for me. Reid is actually monstrous, and I like him despite/because of that. Oh man, I have so many feelings about this show, and I'd love to do a rewatch and blog about all my crazy theories but I'd probably have to go into witness protection afterwards. But rest assured, it isn't a show about the Ripper, and it's all the better for that. It does class and trauma so well, it also captures all the optimistic curiosity and the utter hypocrisy and hubris of the Victorian era so well.
The X Files: I mean, it's a formative influence, innit. Seasons 1 and 3 are the best, a lot of the 'classic' favourites are episodes I actually really disliked, even though the early seasons are the best a lot of my favourite episodes are from later...the beauty of TXF is that there's so much of it you can hold contradictory opinions about what makes it good, though, and my theory is that it's at its best when it's early and still being allowed to take its course, where even the mytharc hasn't tied itself in knots yet so every episode is of a higher standard, and then later, when the actors have wrested control of their characters from CC enough to play them like they want, but the good episodes are really just MotW ones because the mytharc has vanished up it's own fundament and I've lost track of whose turn it is to have a near-death season arc. Not technically the TV series, but still, Fight the Future is just so much of its time, watching it is like having a warm bubble bath in childhood nostalgia. Even the later series have things to recommend them - I always enjoy Doggett much more than I'm expecting to, and it's about bloody time Scully got a decent female friend in the form of Reyes...I haven't watched seasons 10 onwards though, I don't feel I'm missing much. Five fave episodes: 1.13 Beyond the Sea, 3.4 Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, 5.4 Detour, 7.17 all things, 6.19 The Unnatural.
Utopia: Tragically incomplete at 2 seasons, but what a pair of seasons they are. Brutal and uncompromising, horrible and compelling, but also frequently hilarious and full of the warmest, most fascinating characters who are all on a journey to Getting Much Worse. It's not something I've been able to watch since the pandemic *weak laugh* but I know when I do go back to it it will remain painfully prescient and uncomfortable. The longing for a 'balancing' and a righting of a historic wrong that drives it, and the desperate failures between people who are really just searching for love and don't know how to give/receive it...ugh so good.
Interview with the Vampire: Just rewatched season 1 and I'm just. No notes, five stars. The way Louis think he's a narrator in control, the way Daniel knows such a thing isn't possible, the way Louis does let himself get drawn on things, the way Armand sees the danger in this but it's not in his control any longer. Memory is a monster. The Odyssey of recollection. Fucking won my heart with those lines alone.
(BBC) Ghosts: Ok, I will say that I think the last season was actually a bit weak. They were in a hurry to finish, and they got away with wringing the feels from the important bits (The Captain's death was perfect and I will say this over and over again), but it felt like it was in a rush to come up with scenarios that would force admissions like The Captain's, whereas the show is at its best meandering around in a buffonish way that suddenly results in a Big Oof moment. Robin's arc in season 4 was a great example of this, as was Mary's. But basically it's still simply perfect comfort TV: silly but not malicious, unfair but kind to its characters. I'm going to miss them all so much, but I'm also going to rewatch so much.
Futurama: bit basic maybe, but I have watched it so often and I can watch any episode (ok, except for Jurassic Bark) again and again and again. I don't think I've binged any TV show so often with so many different people. Not sure how I feel about the immanent revival, but this has always been my favourite Matt Groening product, so fingers crossed.
Avatar: the Last Airbender: without getting into like...fandom discourse, man, this is a really perfect show. No need to say 'ooh it gets good after--!', it's just good from the beginning. A really well fleshed-out world, great characters who grow through the series, enough self awareness that the 'clip-show' episode Ember Island Players actually builds on the characterisation and addresses ambiguities in its own plots. A show that sticks to its principles and doesn't fudge the ending and also consistently looks gorgeous.
Detectorists: I had to put it on because no other show has literally made me fall off my chair laughing. Are the main characters useless? Yes. Is it often perplexing that the women in their lives spend any time with them? Yes. But that's forgiveable, because it's ultimately so kind to its beleagured characters and things work out despite their stupid decisions. Also it just captures rural English eccentricity so well. They're all such freaks (affectionate).
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beevean · 3 months
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You’re watching Hazbin Hotel? How is it?
Flawed but enjoyable!
I watched the pilot when it came out, then Addict, then I kind of stayed away from the fandom to avoid hyping myself up. (that, and I noticed how it became the Internet Target Du Jour, and I am sick of that lol) I also am not following Helluva Boss because the first episode didn't interest me, so I can't compare.
I agree with most of the criticism I've read - the pacing is rushed (which is sadly a common issue with series nowadays), too many characters introduced in little time, the humor is immaturely edgy with a plethora of badly-placed swearwords (good god every time Adam opens his ugly mouth I can feel my soul cringing out of my body eugh), the first four episodes made the titular Hotel seem much less important than the bigger conflict with Heaven (glad this seems to have been course corrected), you're required to watch the pilot on another platform... but I'm invested!
I like the main characters, I find them funny and I want to know more about them - if you couldn't tell, Angel is my fave lol, but I was pleasantly surprised by Husk and Alastor has been rewritten to be much funnier IMO, petty bastard with a hidden agenda. Charlie and Vaggie are also very cute as girlfriends, and while I don't actively ship Huskerdust I'm rooting for them to grow closer. The songs are neat, with catchy bases and elaborate rhymes - again, Poison has me in a chokehold because holy shit that is raw, but Stayed Gone, Respectless, Loser Baby and now Hell's Greatest Dad are worming their way inside my head lol. And the emotional moments hit way harder than I expected. Yeah yeah Angel's abuse being surprisingly nuanced in its tragedy, but now I'm here teary eyed after a goofy snake dad sang a song to his cutesy daughter he hadn't called in five months.
So yeah, it's no Bojack Horseman lmao, but I'm liking what I'm seeing and I would say it stands out over other adult cartoons :) it's like... yes, it's stupidly edgy, and not even in that goofy way that makes me love ShTH, but it's also not pretentious. I really feel it's a genuine passion project that went far beyond the creators' expectations.
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