#i just wanted to add my two cents

[i-know-the-endss]

i think the most frustrating part about tbosas is the fact that you want to root for coryo. you want him to be a better man for lucy gray. you want him and sejanus to become closer, to become the best friends sejanus believes them to be. you want him to run away and find a way to relearn all the oppressive and tyrannical ideals the capitol instilled in him.

but that’s not what happens.

coriolanus isn’t necessarily a good person. he’s not a bad person either, not yet, but he’s no where near good. and rather than try to be good, he gives up, he lets himself “go bad”, he rats out sejanus, he lets his anger get the best of him and loses lucy gray.

the idea that coryo could be a good person but chooses not to be is exactly the reason this book and this character are brilliant.

#idk if this comes across the way i wanted it to #i am in no way excusing his actions at all please do not think i am #he has done unimaginable things and damage and has caused so much horror #but the idea isn’t that he’s evil because there’s nothing else to be #he CHOOSES it #that’s what makes him even worse #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #coriolanus snow #suzzane collins #lucy gray baird #sejanus plinth #i’m pretty sure people have made this connection but #i just wanted to add my two cents #suzanne collins is a genius

[traumxrei-archive]

i saw a post floating around about leona being a women respecter and i think it's true, but also. he would respect fem!mc without bending over backwards to do things for her. he wouldn't suddenly wake up from a nap and decide to change his ways bc fem!mc told him to, that's not how that works sjfksdjf he'd still be the same old leona at the end of the day.

even if he grew up in a matriarchal society, i can see him not getting physically aggressive with a girl, but i can also see him cursing out a girl if he got disturbed from his nap— kinda like, you respect me, i respect you, but also don't mess with me and give me a reason to disrespect you (not to mention the word respect doesn't mean doing everything for you and immediately acting nice bc you fulfill a certain criteria. that's plain old servitude)

#/trau rambles #btw i'm not attacking op or anything !! #i just wanted to add my two cents #since leona's one of my faves #he won't be less of an asshole if you're bothering him sjfkdjf #also i hate that ppl say matriarchal society and then they forget #afterglow savanna women would fight on equal footing leona if he pissed them off #like...they're warriors. fighters. protectors. #did you guys....did you guys think that afterglow savanna followed heteronormative western gender norms ??? #like c'moooonnn #something's not adding upppp #again just clairfying that i'm not attacking op !! #i just have things to say abt the whole gender shenanigans

[tera-vadai]

Romantic ships, canon or fanon, don't get in the way nor eliminate the friendships of a character (or, a character can be shipped with whoever you want and still have other friends) — A quick rant by a tired Shouto fan

I generally prefer to keep my opinions with myself and don't get involved in discourse, specially when it's about certain characters or ships —you know, the usual fandom-related stuff—, but oh my God, constantly finding complains and slander of a favorite character of mine while looking for positive and wholesome content is really tiring.

Of course everyone is entitled to have their own opinions and it's free to like or dislike any character for X reason, but this case in particular it's as if you like chocolate ice cream, and everyone around you complains and gives you a list of reasons why chocolate ice cream sucks and you should not like it, and instead should replace it with another flavor.

That is super rude, you know?

Ok, so getting on topic, in a story, a character is not —or should not be— limited to having ONLY two friends (one being the best friend and the other the romantic interest). A single character can have lots of friends (the more, the merrier, am I right?), and it's natural and completely normal that the way these relationships and interactions work in each of these friendships are going to be different.

Talking specifically about BNHA, Izuku CAN be friends with Iida, Ochako, Katsuki and Shouto at the same time (and in canon, he actually is friends with all of them, as well as with other characters). Also, not because he gets along with two of them means he cannot, or should not, do the same with the other two (when, again, I repeat, it's canon that they are all his friends).

Granted, the story hasn't done a great job at defining these friendships in a more detailed way (and as a consequence, some characters get constantly sidelined, specially in the movies), but that doesn't mean that you should go as far as to say that the friendship is inexistent. Not because the author has forgotten that two characters are friends (just saying that they are, but failing to show it), or has neglected said friendship (giving the impression that is only one-sided), you should too.

Also, remember that headcanons =/= canon content. You can headcanon whatever you want, but that doesn't erase canon facts (and that includes established friendships).

Lastly —and this goes for both sides of this discussion—, trying to justify a ship by claiming that a character must only be friends with a certain character/or a certain group of characters, and in the process, should not be friends with any other character (generally one from a rival ship) it's actually very toxic, and you only hate for the sake of hating. In real life you can be part of different circles of friends while having a partner (because if, out of jealousy, your partner starts to isolate you from your other friends, well, that's a very big red flag in your relationship).

Please people, you can like a character without having to discredit other to put your fave on a pedestal.

Let's try to spread positivity, not negativity.

#personal thoughts #bnha rant #i just wanted to add my two cents #it irks me when people say that Shouto and Izuku are not friends #like no offense but what story are you reading? #they worry about each other #they spend time together and enjoy doing so #they train together in order to become stronger #the entire Endeavor Agency arc clearly shows that Shouto sees both Izuku AND Bakugo as his friends #so don't come and say that they aren't friends or that they have no chemistry #the origin trio are as valid as the og dekusquad #one group of friends should not replace the other #they all can be friends #and lastly #please stop dissing shouto #he deserves better

[m3rricat]

Thinking about how much I love the spawn Astarion graveyard sex scene (well, 'scene' is a generous term, since it's fade-to-black, but that's part of why I like it). I personally headcanon that it was pretty spontaneous--that Astarion didn't bring Tav there for that purpose, that he had originally intended just to show the one he loves the place where his life first ended to talk about his new life beginning. But, when the mood shifted just right, Astarion took a chance and grasped the feeling.

If it was spontaneous, it would probably have been the first completely uncalculated sex that Astarion can remember having. Sex that was far more about the emotions surrounding it than the sex itself. Yes, it's in the open on a grave, but it's not played off as done for the thrill or anything like that--if the place that held meaning for Astarion had been indoors, he would have done it there. It was about overwriting this place of horror with an act of love and intimacy and enjoyment (and there's an edge of defiance to it that is so Astarion, ugh I love it), a first step in Astarion writing his new life. And, with the fade-to-black, reinforcing that he is done with performance.

#astarion #astarion headcanon #there's been a million billion posts on this scene for good reason but just wanted to add my two cents #(though-- the one bit I don't love is the shove animation honestly. I think it was done to mirror the shove with aa but it doesn't work imo #bg3

[dreamboyhalo]

How are you all omega dream truthers but mpreg george enthusiasts at the same time. Unrelated image but

#dreamblr #dteamblr #dream fanart #mpreg #FUCK i guess 😭 im not even embarrassed OR ashamed #maybe that should emberass me. anyways #ALSO just to be clear i do not care what you like at all i like all of our collective dnfisms #really just wanted to add my two cents to the pot #my art

[stradesdog]

a little something i cooked up after some friends and i discussed our criticisms with the placeholder sprite... AS I SAID IM AWARE ITS A PLACEHOLDER LOLLL i just thought id change some things that didnt really feel... strade-y to me!!! i just really missed his big ole eyes staring into MC LMAO. im incredibly excited to see the finished sprite !!! STRADE SWEEP !!!!!

#btd strade #strade #boyfriend to death #ykmet #i hope this does not come off as me shitting on gato-- i just wanted to add my two cents to the discussion haha T__T!!!

[infriga]

To add to the discussion about plagiarization and misinformation, one thing I know that can contribute to complacency is how much time and effort it can take to fact check everything you watch. That's daunting for most people, let alone people who don't have as much experience with it or who deal with disabilities and executive dysfunction.

But there are some things you can do to minimize damages that are easier to manage on a more individual basis.

You don't have to necessarily fact check every single thing every creator says in every video in order to make sure they're 100% legit every time. I know not everyone has the mental bandwidth to do that sort of thing constantly. Generally it's okay to just practice some mindfulness and not blindly trust someone if you haven't vetted their claims personally.

What you can do is fact check yourself. Don't repeat stuff you hear from a video as if it is a fact unless you have looked into it yourself first to confirm that what the video said about it is true and that their sources are good. And if you source someone make sure you've vetted them specifically and checked their own sources on that particular topic or bit of information (and check that they even HAVE sources to begin with and aren't just copying their sources verbatim). You can't source every video essay you ever watch or check every single one for plagiarism, but you can source yourself and what you say, and make sure you're not spreading bullshit or citing the wrong person. If you find that you don't have the energy to do even that much in a given moment, then just keep the information in question to yourself for the time being until you do have the energy to verify it.

And some stuff that's generally just good practice: if it's a topic that you're particularly interested in, it's a good idea to seek out more than one video about it from more than one creator. The more diverse your sources of info on the topic the better, especially if you seek out more than just the popular stuff. Get a broader picture of it from a wide variety of people from a wide variety of demographics. It's a lot easier to spot stuff like plagiarism if you're looking at more than just one or two channels, and even if you don't spot it, because they're often good at hiding it, you at least can make sure that you're giving more obscure creators the same attention as well instead of only defaulting to the most popular wide-spread creators and content.

Seeking out more than one type of medium is usually a good idea as well. I know reading stuff like written papers or essays or books on a topic can be difficult for some people, but if you can manage it even just occasionally then branching out every once in a while is still worth doing because it gets you out of one particular information sphere and into another, reducing the chances of an echo chamber effect. If you can't bring yourself to do that much homework on a topic, then again remember to keep in mind that your knowledge about it is limited and could be wrong, and don't spread that info without doing your own research first. Videos are not inherently a bad way to learn about stuff, papers or books can be wrong, and plagiarized, and badly sourced, and can spread misinformation too, my main point is that it's good to avoid having your information come to you through a single choke point if you can help it.

It can be exhausting trying to hold every online creator accountable on an individual basis, I get that, so I don't expect everyone to extensively peer review every channel they ever watch, but at the end of the day you can at least make sure to try and hold yourself accountable first and foremost.

#hbomberguy #todd in the shadows #james somerton #Plagiarism #Misinformation #Wanted to offer some advice for people #who maybe don't have all the executive functions they need to do a background check on every channel that does video essays #For every video they make #This'll probably be the last major thing I reblog about this topic #Just wanted to add my two cents #Spilt tea #And this goes for any information you get from anywhere not just video essays #Like don't blindly trust and spread info from tumblr posts without verifying it personally either #Or reddit #Or friends or family #Etc #I said this is the last major thing I'll reblog I meant blog about in general lol forgot this was an original post for a second

[arkiwii]

very sad still see the saria/silence divorce headcanon still going around

have you ever tried to consider that they never dated before lone trail because it would be unrealistic with the timeline and the events and also because it would be overshadowing the actual truth of why they couldn't get along

#i'll elaborate #firstly it's ok if you headcanon this i don't want to invalidate what people think #it's just that I think it's a fanon joke that have been going around for way too long #and I can't help but shed a small tear when I see people really headcanoning it #I personally think it's way more interesting if we consider that they never had something going on before Lone Trail #mostly because it's weird that they started dating in like some months when they barely knew or saw each other #but also because it adds nothing but just makes things even more harder for them #my personal headcanon is that Silence was maybe having feelings for Saria but like #you know these very premature feelings #like just “oh wow she's pretty and nice” #but nothing like really deep #but they never had anything going on before the diabolic crisis #and after lone trail after they made up and saw each other's true person #they start to actually get real feelings #I'm just complaining but I've been still seeing it around somehow and it's sad to me that this joke became a fact for many people #there's still a lot of fanfics about how they had been dating and now they're on bad terms #I think that going on the “they're exes” route is way too easy and actually hides the potential and interesting reason #of why Silence was mad at Saria #it's not because she hates Saria or blame her #it's because she's mad at herself for being so weak #really making them appear as exes just hides this really interesting truth and makes it all seem to be a sad love story #consider that they never had any of this and that this tension between them is because they blame themselves!! #their story is not a love story but above all a story about self love and acceptance #just my two cents enjoy my rambling i go back to bed now #(not putting this in the main tag I don't want to start a war I'm just rambling)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

From a previous poll it has been decided that Lan Wangji can cook, but the real question is....Can He Grill?

#poll #I was going to do my thing and make a funny comic on the poll results but.... #people got a little heated at that one. Not a unbearable amount of spice but I do not want to kick up any dust more than I have #Anyways now that THAT poll is over I just wanna add my two cents and say that I think both *can* cook. It's a matter of poor generalization #WWX knows the core principals but doesn't see much point in the process of cooking especially if it's just for him. Faster meals are better #Eat the raw ingredients and go back to work kind of guy #LWJ can follow a recipe and has the patience to cook a nice meal but doesn't have that innate chef sense. Useless without recipe type cook #They simultaneously can and cannot cook. It's situation specific #That *just* my own thoughts though! There is evidence to suggest both can cook if they must and there's the funny avenue of saying #that the are Banned From All Kitchens Everywhere #Cooking is different from grilling though. This I must know #guaranteed comic at the end of this one. For real this time. Even if people get very salty

[skylessnights]

First Impressions

Isn't it interesting that before Do-young and Dong-soo speak another word to each other they study the other's hands? At first I assumed that it was to show them both fidgeting, but we're not here for face value interpretations so let's dig in a little deeper😏. From the very moment that we're introduced to Do-young he is holding a baseball, something that is very symbolic with his past and identity. After all, we literally just saw him use it to kill a fly a few seconds ago, an indication of the killer instinct that he showed even when he was younger. But in this awkward moment of silence Dong-soo is seen caressing his wedding ring, a symbol of his marriage and love for his wife, which we see later in the episode when he threatens her co-worker for sexually assaulting her. These two items are very important to our characters but why does it intrigue the other? Perhaps we'll see Do-young use Dong-soo's martial relationship to to lure him away from his morals and deeper into his corrupt world? Perhaps, we'll see Dong-soo adapt Do-young's violent antics as he progresses up the criminal ladder? I guess we'll find out soon enough!

#gosh i can't wait for sunday!! #I'm no analyst but I just wanted to add my two cents on these two :p #evilive #evillive #biography of a villain #악인전기 #dong soo #do young #kim young kwang #shin ha kyun #kdrama #kdramaedit #kdramasource #kdramanetwork #tvgifs #tvedit #korean drama #crime #thriller

[the-kipsabian]

a quick hot guide for people that struggle commenting on fics aka things authors love to hear and youre just over thinking it and its actually really simple to leave comments on stuff!!

key smash/emoji spam/reaction image/etc (it conveys emotions way more than you might think)

drop a line you really liked

say how much you love a ship/character and how happy you are that theres content about them

ALL CAPS ANYTHING

"i liked/loved/enjoyed/whatever it!" its better to say the most basic thing than saying nothing tbh; writers appreciate hearing anything over nothing 💜

"thank you for writing this" its short, sweet, and very powerful

think what kind of feedback you'd personally like to receive on a piece of art you made. try to translate that want into comments you leave for other people too

you dont have to be critical or constructive or anything, even if the author asks for that stuff in their notes. they'll get it from someone else, you just do you

i feel like people make leaving comments too hard on themselves, so really just make it simple. if you really dont come up with anything, just say thank you. youre there reading for some reason, tell the author what it is. fic comments dont need to be book analysis essays (tho those are. incredibly appreciated as well if you want to write one!!), writers publishing their works for free online appreciate any kind of feedback regardless if you consider it good or well written. a comment is a comment

bottom line is, leave comments on fics and other written works. its whats keeping this game alive

#feel free to add these are just the two cents in my brain rn #also absolutely reblogs encouraged #listen im not just speaking for myself i want to see every fic writer get more comments. more feedback #and dont even get me fucking started on getting reblogs on this goddamn webbed site im gonna blow up otherwise #just. fucking. support your friends. support your favorite creators. say nice shit about them and share their work #i cant believe this needs to be said in fucking 2023 god #im tired can you tell lmao #i also know im a fucking nobody talking about this but fuck if i dont who will ugh #as someone that tries their best to always leave at least a word in everything i read (which admittedly isnt a lot but still) #this is a very important topic to me. okay? okay #again feel free to add to this and its absolutely rebloggable if for nothing else than to remind people to COMMENT ON FICS #night is an absolute mess on main

[tremorsmackenzie]

kind of an unpopular opinion, but one of my favourite things about the later seasons of aos is deke. i feel like he brings some things to the show that the early seasons had and that got a little lost in all the misery since then.

like yes, he fucks up a lot, but its intended as comic relief and those are some of the best episodes imo. 6x4 for example just makes fun of techbros, like the stealing of ideas, self aggrandizement, and complete misunderstanding of women.

and he gets plenty of shit for it, but the show also makes it clear that underneath all of that is a good heart and that hes there for the people who need him when it counts. like how hes immediatley ride or die once izel becomes a serious threat.

and in everything that he does he is clearly the man from a dystopian future who never had anything. he doesnt understand racism, he tries to get as much money as he can because thats what hes used to and he never had much, and is scrambling to try and understand how earth works. but he also tries to be better because what he was in the future was born out of necessity and needing to survive, and he tries to fit in with the people he looks up to, and to show empathy and compassion. as a character, hes very consistent in his motivations and actions.

and these are things that the team werent really doing all that much anymore. i got the feeling that while they are very much family, the degree to which they took care of each other in the later seasons compared to for example season 2 (when daisy just got her powers), was less, because they became too used to all the craziness and it was basically expected theyd all still show up and do the job regardless and noone really had time to do more anyway.

meanwhile heres deke, used to a lot of severe circumstances himself, but given a second chance and now presented with all these hardened spies treating world-ending events and deeply traumatic personal crises like minor inconveniences, and his reaction is to try and show them the degree of compassion and support they should have because all of this is indeed very much not normal.

which is the role daisy had in season 1, and kind of fitting if you ask me, cause in a way it brings everything full circle.

#just some thoughts because ive been seeing a lot of anti-deke posts lately and wanted to add my two cents #cause i think hes actually a great character #obviously not meant to invalidate anyone elses opinion #agents of shield #deke shaw

[ratcandy]

hello abled person writing a character with a disability. i see you are considering "curing" their disability in your story. before you make that choice, consider: why do you want to do that. what compels you to make that story choice. why would it be necessary. what is the narrative significance of doing that. what message do you believe you may be sending by doing that.

answer correctly or i'm opening the trap door beneath your feet and you're going into the spike pit

#clamtalk #obligatory i do not speak for all disabled people tag #but i've been seeing a strange amount of. ''what if we just get rid of [character]'s disability'' and ... hmm. So. Why. #Run by me why you want to do that. What does it add. Why do you think it would be ''better.'' #like there are ways to convince me you're doing it for totally innocent reasons that do not include the word ''fixing'' #i don't know. rubs me the wrong way when I see it #like full honesty in real life if someone was like ''Hey I can make it so your legs function properly all the time without pain #and your joints don't try to assassinate you ever again.'' Like fuck yeah I'd take that. cure my POTS while you're at it #but seeing it in writing/media... just. Hmm. Well I don't feel great seeing it #because what are You saying. By putting that in writing. What are you Implying there. And to what extent was it intentional. #anyway that's my two cents for the day

[ace-apple]

qforever lore is just another instance of “making an in-lore reason for the cc to take a break/be absent for a while” methinks. same vein as the ppl staying behind in purgatory. or them just straight up making lovejoy canon and a federarion sponsor

also the people for sure not coming back to the server at all have all been stated in canon to be permanently dead (spreen, dantdm, maxo) lol

#qsmp #sorry just wanted to add my own two cents to the ‘guys itll be okay its a hiatus’ thing lmao #ofc if it turns out it really is a permenant departure ccforever has every right to make that decison!! :] #just my perspective on this cuz i havent seen anyone also point out that this isnt #the first time the servers done this to lore-explain an absense

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

There’s something weird I never noticed before. So in ASOS, Stannis tells Davos that he saw the upcoming battle against the Others in one of Melisandre’s fires.

The ashes were white, rising in the updraft, yet all at once it seemed as if they were falling. Snow, I thought. Then the sparks in the air seemed to circle, to become a ring of torches, and I was looking through the fire down on some high hill in a forest. The cinders had become men in black behind the torches, and there were shapes moving through the snow. For all the heat of the fire, I felt a cold so terrible I shivered, and when I did the sight was gone, the fire but a fire once again. But what I saw was real, I’d stake my kingdom on it.

- Davos IV, ASOS

The “men in black behind torches” seems to suggest Night’s Watchment who are in the process of confronting the Others (“shapes moving through the snow”). I think it’s quite interesting that there is a sort of Azor Ahai imagery with these men, as they hold burning torches.

But then as I was reading this passage, I was suddenly reminded of one of Patchface’s jingles.

“Under the sea, it snows up,” said the fool, “and the rain is dry as bone. I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

- Prologue, ACOK

And I got to thinking, it seems that Patchface and Stannis are seeing the same thing (snow “falling” upward). Stannis also sees snow falling downwards, which kind of evokes a cycle. We don’t really know exactly what Patchface saw since the entire section contains several broken up and vague “prophecies”.

But regarding what we do know, my initial assumption was that Patchface’s jingle was essentially about death and the rising of wights. But then I also considered that he could also be referring to Jon Snow who seemingly dies at the end of ADWD and might be resurrected in TWOW.

They found Her Grace sewing by the fire, whilst her fool danced about to music only he could hear, the cowbells on his antlers clanging. “The crow, the crow,” Patchface cried when he saw Jon. “Under the sea the crows are white as snow, I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.” Princess Shireen was curled up in a window seat, her hood drawn up to hide the worst of the greyscale that had disfigured her face.

- Jon XI, ADWD

P.S: Coincidentally, Jon would (more generally) be among the men in black presented in Stannis’ vision since he is a member of the Night’s Watch; these men are also referred to as crows.

And speaking of Jon, we know that Melisandre has received visions of Jon’s death and possible rebirth.

The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limned in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half-seen behind a fluttering curtain. Now he was a man, now a wolf, now a man again. But the skulls were here as well, the skulls were all around him. Melisandre had seen his danger before, had tried to warn the boy of it. Enemies all around him, daggers in the dark. He would not listen.

[…]

“What do you see, my lady?” the boy asked, softly. Skulls. A thousand skulls, and the bastard boy again. Jon Snow.

[…]

Yet now she could not even seem to find her king. I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R’hllor shows me only Snow.

- Melisandre I, ADWD

So Mel is seeing Jon in danger, but the “now he was a man, now a wolf, now a man again” seems to suggest that he will return. She has tried to rely this information to Jon and we get a rather funny exchange, where Jon assumes that the “snow” Mel is talking about is frozen rain.

“And what of Mance? Is he lost as well? What do your fires show?”

“The same, I fear. Only snow.”

Snow. It was snowing heavily to the south, Jon knew. Only two days’ ride from here, the kingsroad was said to be impassable. Melisandre knows that too. And to the east, a savage storm was raging on the Bay of Seals. At last report, the ragtag fleet they had assembled to rescue the free folk from Hardhome still huddled at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, confined to port by the rough seas. “You are seeing cinders dancing in the updraft.”

- Jon X, ADWD

Note: I searched “updraft” and got this definition: “an upward current of air.”

Jon thinks Mel is talking about the very literal snow moving upward(?) in the air, but she says,

“I am seeing skulls. And you. I see your face every time I look into the flames. The danger that I warned you of grows very close now.”

Not snow, but Snow.

And just a final (random) thought to wrap this all up,

“One bird croaking my name was bad enough,” said Jon, “and snow’s nothing a black brother wants to hear about.” Snow often meant death in the north.

- Jon II, ACOK

Hmmm 🤔



#asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #stannis baratheon #patchface #melisandre #jon snow #prophecy and visions in asoiaf #my stuff #Team Dragonstone: why do we keep getting visions of that bastard boy? #It’s a bit of a reach lmao but oh well #Stannis’ vision is so interesting to me because he sees the nights watch #And it seems like this is seeding for him riding north in asos #But then my headcannon is that he looked to see azor ahai #As urged by Mel - maybe she was trying to show him the vision she saw of him #Which made her think he’s the prophesied hero #And he did - only he only saw something vague in the fire #Snow ->Torches -> The nights watch -> And a hill up north #Just by unneeded two cents hehe #I also want to add that in Jon’s asos winterfell crypt dream #He journeys into the ~underworld~ carrying a flaming torch 👀

[yellowloid]

I swear this album is so Milex-coded. Gonna put my fangirl glasses on and look for shipping clues :DD

i think this ask has been in my inbox ever since they dropped the album and i'm so sorry for being so late, i'm bad at being a tumblrina 😔

but YEAH can we actually talk about that?

obviously this is just speculation and theories and bla bla bla we know that + alex's lyricism is so nuanced and full of multi-faceted meanings, and we will never have confirmation on what most of his lyrics actually mean... and i love that, i love that he's always let everyone have their own interpretation(s) of his songs without imposing a single one.

now, i do think most of this album is centered on self-reflection. it's very very very personal and introspective, and what i get from most of the lyrics is him reflecting on his present situation (private life, work life, any aspect of his life really) by using two main elements as his devices to do it:

1) obscure references (the first ones that come to mind are "the simulation cartridge for city life '09", "they shot it all in cinemascope", "lego napoleon movie", "richard of york, the executive branch")

2) even more obscure memories from his past, and especially his childhood (which is particularly clear in the title track itself)

but right along all that self-reflection and addressing himself we also find instances of him clearly addressing someone else. sometimes it's particularly tricky to understand *when* exactly he's talking to himself or that other person. as i already said in other analysis posts, i think sometimes he mixes the 1st and 2nd person pronouns voluntarily, using 'you' not only to refer to his interlocutor but also to himself. that's what makes songs such as mirrorball and body paint so complicated to analyse (ESPECIALLY mirrorball. i'm still so conflicted on my interpretation of it) (+ ever since the album dropped my interpretations of body paint and also mr schwartz changed a bit too. but that's another story)

i think overall most of the songs on this album are not that easily interpreted through a romantic lens. i'd say the one that falls the most into the (very very broad) category of """""love songs""""" is mirrorball - and even then, it'd be a breakup song AND most of it could also still be interpreted as self-reflection. again, multiple interpretations.

there are also some lyrics that could easily pass as...... him throwing shade? lmao some passages in sculptures + hello you really give off that vibe.

getting back to the point of this ask.... yes, i have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading the lyrics over and over again and i do have my crazy little milex theories about them!!!

but what i really love about this way of interpreting the album is the fact that to me, its queerness doesn't necessarily come from it being about a certain person. what makes it so relatable to some aspects of queerness is, again, how self-reflective it is. so many lyrics could be interpreted as him struggling with *his* queerness and expressing that struggle through looking at the past, addressing himself as well as an (imaginary) interlocutor and just finding himself coming back to the same recurrent themes over and over again. ESPECIALLY - and that's what really fucking gets me - the whole mask/façade/persona situation, seasoned with a whole lot of regret and self-deprecation, which is especially clear in body paint (!!!!!!), mr schwartz, big ideas (i feel like as a fandom we don't talk about "the ballad of what could've been" enough. can we actually sit down and THINK about that for a second. such a fucking important line. he was so fucking insane for that) and perfect sense (about which i have a very specific interpretation and is2g don't even touch me that song makes me too emotional it's literally one of the most perfect songs i've ever heard i'm not even joking)

so yeah, some (many) lyrics could be directed at miles (never say never, you know?) but what i really love about the possibility of this album having queer connotations is that it doesn't look for its own queerness from the outside, from a hypothetical (ex-)lover, but rather from alex's own psyche and emotions. its queerness comes from within. from self-reflection and (perhaps unwanted) realizations. from having to hide and keeping a mask on to not be found out. from the inner battle between denial and acceptance.

and then there are a million other unrelated meanings that blend together with the possible queer ones and create such an elaborate set of layers that just makes it so interesting to analyse it!!! and that's the whole point of critical analysis and what makes it so cool!!! having possible multiple interpretations that can coexist with each other!!! i just!!! love that!!! so much!!!

#sorry if this is not the answer you were hoping for ssgshdhshdh #but i just wanted to add my two cents on this bc the queer one (among the other numerous ones) is such an interesting little lens to use > #> to analyse his works. then again. just fan theories and speculation!!! #arctic monkeys #alex turner #milex #my theories #answered