#i love capitalist commentary characters so bad

[mochapao]

you're always welcome at joja!

#just 2 money hungry dudes looking at each other! #he stuck the joja sticker on pierre who's too determined abt not breaking eye contact to notice #stardew valley #sdv pierre #stardew valley pierre #sdv morris #joja #i love capitalist commentary characters so bad #sdv #art

[thirteenashmctrash]

okay so i have gained a new species of spore for my collective brainrot and i have found the perfect selling pitch to drag everyone i care about down with me. if you know the show this is hilarious. if you haven't watched it pay attention:

the show's called leverage. you know how there's those crime serials that aren't good at all but we've all watched a little too much of at least one of them even though they are blatant copaganda which is morally terrible? take your favorite one of those, but remover the copaganda. all the characters are criminals but their only victim is capitalism. every cop in the show is stupid at best and blatantly corrupt to a disgusting level most of the time. there is just as much genuine and intelligent social commentary as this premise demands.

i sense i already have you hooked. i can make this better. stick with me for a minute on this: the character dynamic is a muppet movie but also the Scooby gang

stick with me here!

You have Parker, who fit into the Scooby gang as Scooby and would be played by Gonzo. her crime thing is that she is a cat burglar and she is very good at it. her skill with it is borderline slapstick (hence Scooby) and she is very autistic coded and misunderstood (hence Gonzo)

You've got Eliot, who is the Shaggy and is played by Sam Eagle. He is the brute force of the team and he wants you to think he is all serious and grimdark. but he loves making the employees and victims of their capitalist targets aware of unions and he is a big himbo. i say he is shaggy because he plays Parker's straight man, he has the second most cartoonlike abilities, and he has a passion for cooking

Hardison is Velma as played by Kermit. he is a geeky hacker with a passion for orange soda and he is the heart of the team. he gets overlooked as leader even though he is the driving force of everything they do. like Velma. he also has that trademark Kermit brand of slapstick and deadpanned humor in balance.

Sophie is Daphne as played by miss piggy. she is basically the world's best grifter, she usually the front man interacting with the target the most. she has that crazy streak and the self defense capacity that miss piggy and Daphne (when she's done right) both have. she also has the confidence and style.

Nate is Fred and he is the human character. Fred has "let's split up gang" and Nate has "then we have to steal *fill in the blank with something comedically unfit to finish the sentence*" Fred and Nate are both flat characters with the main trait "i think I'm the leader but my smart friend does all the work" and the main interest of "trapping and screwing over capitalists" he mainly gets to call himself the leader because he's the idea guy and he has an apartment. his role in the muppet analogy is the peak of my pitch if you're still here. because while this is definitely not the Christmas Carol, Nate is the human character because he is Ebenezer Scrooge if instead of being a capitalist, Scrooge was an alcoholic and instead of character growth he was just steadily losing his mind. his moral compass and general intelligence are on a roulette wheel that is spun at random intervals lasting from seconds to the occasional few hours. also he and Sophie have divorced parents of grown children syndrome and the other three are said children. in vibes, of course, they aren't actually related.

if anyone stayed with me through all of that you should seriously watch it. even if i sound like i pulled this all out of my ass. it's so good.

it's an actively anticapitalist, copaganda free crime show where you get to see fun characters beat up every thing bad in society and fuck it all over. it balances fun comedy and wild characters with serious topics and moments in a way that is very natural and genuine. it also has one of my favorite autistic coded characters, a positive and healthy relationship that develops in a way that feels natural to the characters (as well as a rockier one if you're into drama) and it is in the midst of what looks to be an actually well handled revival series with the original cast. i haven't caught up yet but I'm so excited for it. the original had 5 seasons and the revival is waiting to be renewed for season 3.

please go watch leverage. it's so good and it deserves more fans. also i want more fic and that next season

#leverage #please watch leverage #i have only had those blorbos for a few weeks but if anything happens to them i will die #new blorbos #Hardison really is the heart of the group though #you can pry these gay crime dummies from my cold dead hands #parker leverage #alec hardison #eliot spencer #sophie devereaux #nate ford #nathan ford #scooby gang #the muppets #muppets au #scooby doo au #kind of #blorbo #new blorbo who dis

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

I saw your ATSV reaction post and wanted to chime in a little about Miguel and Spiderman 2099. Because I love him but also your reaction to him is 100% correct, and I am also lowkey mad about people jumping straight to 'he did nothing wrong'-ing/fetishizing him.

Like, Miguel is trying his best (as Spiderman) but he's not a nice person! His arrogance and hot temper are major tenets of his character. His comics run is Mostly him fucking up his interpersonal relationships, finding out new horrible layers to the bad things that happen/ed to him, and then reacting poorly to those things (then dying) (he got better). I thought it was actually very fun of Sony to make him the Spider Society guy because he's the last person I would put in charge of anything. Like there's some fun commentary to be made on the fact that Miguel's canon lore also very much does not line up with the average Spiderman's backstory, while he's being written as placing himself in a position to act as arbiter-of-Spider-People, when he only Became a Spiderperson himself as part of a cascade of Reacting Poorly To Things.

(Be a corporate genetic engineer in the Horrid Capitalist Future -> trying to make A Spider-Man -> first human test goes horribly because your evil boss won't listen to you about the feasibility of your work -> try and quit via emotional outburst -> your boss gets you secretly addicted to illegal future drugs that are 100% addictive because they bond to your DNA or some nonsense -> your boss blackmails you into continuing to work on the person-melting Build-A-Spiderman genetics machine -> you decide to use the genetics machine to reset your DNA to before you were addicted to genetics-altering drugs -> your jealous co-worker sets the machine to give you 50% spider DNA instead -> you are mutated into a Horrid Spider Man -> you react to his by trying to kill yourself -> you live because your bullshit spider mutations save you -> all this and your drug addiction isn't even cured -> have the revelation that Capitalism Is Bad -> later find out your evil boss is also your dad)

It's unfortunately 100% in character for him to react to being happy and then incidentally destroying his own happiness (which, I have seen some wild takes about the whole 'replaced himself in another dimension' thing, but let's be real Miguel doesn't think he Deserves to be happy, so it was probably a BIT more complicated than him just being like 'hey free AU') by aggressively trying to police the multiverse because he's unfortunately a genius and also unfortunately just incredibly angry and aggressive and fueled by his own deep self-loathing and guilt.

Which is a long-winded way of getting around to the fact that Miguel using cult tactics on the Spiderpeople is because Miguel is using cult tactics on Himself to justify his actions (to himself) as part of (get this) a further cascade of Reacting Poorly To Things.

I'm personally still staggered by the fact that they made Miguel the Spider Society guy, like, I am really hoping this pans out in BTSV because, yes, Miguel has a storyline about messing around with the timeline, but that was Time not Dimensions, so I do want there to be a reason beyond 'who is the most maladjusted and traumatized and ill-tempered Spiderperson to be our antagonistic authority figure?'

Sorry this got long but ATSV has really unlocked new depths of hell for me in terms of 'niche comics character that doesn't get much attention now suddenly getting lots of attention'. I want to talk about my little guy but also my little guy needs to be appropriately contextualized and not belt-sanded into a dreaded fandom archetype.

god there's nothing I love more than a rant off a comic book fan whose little guy is being interpreted wrong. I spend most of my time in DC spaces so getting to reach across the aisle with empathy to a Marvel dude feels great, really bringing people together.

[soupthatistohot]

an absurdist lens is SUCH a good one to use for bsd i feel like, seeing as how it came about because of the war and so many of bsd's characters were involved in the bsd great war.

what do you think of how the great war in bsd is written looking at it through an absurdist lens

(btw your analyses are so good and interesting i love reading them!!)

Ooh this is a really interesting ask! I'll admit that I don't know much about the great war, but war itself is such an inherently absurd concept. Like, you have some issue with another country/territory, so your conclusion is to start killing each other until one of the parties taps out? It's so weird when you think about it like this.

I think the best thing I can analyze with my current knowledge is Yosano's backstory. Because the soldiers Yosano treated were forced into this never-ending loop of horror and brutality, the war kept going and going, and I think this serves as a commentary on war and its absurdity.

Absurdist storytellers often exaggerate situations that already exist in our real world in order to bring to light just how ridiculous they are. For example, in Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up as a gigantic bug, but is more concerned with the fact that he won't be able to attend work and provide for his family than finding an explanation for his circumstances. This is likely commentary on how our capitalist society forces workers to overlook their own physical wellbeing for the sake of attempting to live off of inadequate wages.

In a similar way, Asagiri does this with the concept of war, exaggerating it by forcing this group of soldiers and Yosano into this literal vicious cycle that traumatizes both parties time and time again. Living through the horror of war once is already bad enough, but imagine if you had to do it hundreds of times, wouldn't that be awful? A soldier that's been healed that many times over will have seen many more people die and killed more people than if they just died. Yosano as a nurse has to treat so, so many suffering people, and she's only like 11 at the time. And yet, isn't this what we're doing by forcing generation after generation to fight these wars because of the conflicts we keep making? It makes you question why the idea of a war even exists in the first place.

Even with the current arc we see it. The hunting dogs are military, and they're the villains! Yes, all of them but Fukuchi are misguided, but it's commentary about corruption in systems of power that are supposed to be protecting us. I'd also say Jouno and the satisfaction he derives from torture is probably some sort of commentary on police brutality. Hell, in the latest chapter, we're 30 seconds away from a nuclear warhead destroying Yokohama. If there's one thing that's completely absurd in our modern world, it's nuclear weapons that are literally world-ending.

Anyway! Anon! If you want to tell me more about the war, I'd be happy to try to analyse it based on what information you can give me, but also no pressure. I'm just worried I didn't really answer your question, but I did the best I could! I'm glad you enjoy my silly little rants :)

#bsd absurdism analysis #anon ask #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd spoilers

[lovewaterforthesoul]

Kripke has recently said in several interviews, “Believe it or not, The Boys is a moral universe, and when you make the right choices, you get rewarded, you make the wrong choices you get punished. Because Maeve made the right decisions, she gets the happy ending with Elena.”

Making the world of the boys a moral universe is definitely creating issues with telling the overall story. For one, Kripke is currently shaping the world of the Boys according to what he thinks is right and wrong. He turned tempV into a moral issue and gave it deadly consequences to anyone taking it. He essentially said, “If you try to use weapons/tools that are equal to your enemy/oppressor, you’re just as bad.” And that message is an oversimplified take on Hughie and Butcher’s decisions in S3. It also makes it jarring when the story dictates that Kimiko actions are selfless in order to protect her loved ones while Hughie’s actions are selfish and borne out of wanting to be macho to save his girlfriend who doesn’t need saving. Instead of viewing both character’s choices as trying to survive and win within their violent supe world, these characters are viewed in the lens’ of Kripke’s scope of morality as he also aims to make commentary on men’s expectations to always be the physically strong one.

How much more compelling would it be if tempV was just treated as a tool/weapon (no tumors/side effects) and it depends on the individual(s) taking it and what they do with their powers to meet their goals? There’s enough stakes presented with Hughie/Butcher methods without the need to make it deadly.

I also think the toxic masculinity storyline was centered to avoid exploring a much tougher storyline. It’s much harder to explore the question that was evoked between Hughie/Butcher’s methods and Annie/MM’s methods which is: what it will take to dismantle and destroy an oppressive capitalistic corporation and government that makes up the current power structure? By any means necessary? Or through a series of “right ways” which according to Kripke is using social media, mobilizing protests, speaking the “truth” and using the justice system all which heavily rely on liberal idealism. Does kripke think Vought as a corporation can be made good if Ashley has a complete change of heart and starts using her CEO powers for the greater good, as hinted in deleting the Maeve video? So perhaps Kripke believes the system itself doesn’t need to change, just the people leading it does.

Kripke ultimately believes in reform/gradualism and opposes revolution/radical changes tactics. I don’t mind that he does this because it’s a great debate to engage within the show but the show itself has firmly picked a side and tells the audience who is clearly right (Annie/MM) and who is obviously wrong (Hughie/Butcher) instead of highlighting the pros/cons/greys of both methods and having them at least try to come to a mutual understanding of each other’s methods and work together. But now that Kripke has picked a side, what’s the solution for the Boys to defeat Vought and kill homelander that falls in line with the moral standards that he has set for these characters?

#the boys amazon #the boys tv #the boys #the boys season 3 spoilers #the boys spoilers #Hughie #hughie campbell #butcher #billy butcher #mother’s milk #marvin milk #MM #annie january #starlight #maeve #queen maeve

[randomidiocyncrazies]

Huh, I gotta say I hadn't considered the sleeper agent brainwashing angle. I feel like it would've been telegraphed more if that kind of tech/method was available, but at the same time I could believe it if Suletta does turn out to be literally brainwashed.

I personally hope it doesn't turn out like that—imo there wasn't enough set-up so it feels a bit random for me, and I think taking Suletta's agency/culpability away does a major disservice of the themes—but I am not familiar enough with the main writer's style to predict if he'd go for it.

I think people are free to speculate that Prospera literally brainwashed her, and the writer can justify it retroactively... BUT from a thematic standpoint, I think Suletta has to be accountable for her choices and actions. (Or as responsible as someone who was groomed from childhood is accountable for the choices they make—she technically has the freedom to make choices, but we know her 'freedom' is limited and her choices aren't necessarily informed, since she was manipulated by Propera for the goal to carry out her revenge.) If it was just straight up brainwashing/mind control, it entirely removes Suetta's agency from the entire situation. I think the narrative loses nuance if you can basically say Suletta literally isn't responsible at all. Sure, she'll still feel guilt once she breaks free of the brainwashing, and there's a compelling narrative in processing the violation of her identity/agency, but imo it flattens her character into just a victim who literally had no choice.

A literal brainwashing narrative usually ends with the victim breaking free from it eventually; imo it’s a far more perilous and painful journey to realize you’ve actively participated in some really fucked up shit out of your own free will* and start working on improving yourself. Letting Suletta have (some degree) of agency in this situation heightens the horror/heartbreak of the situation. She chooses to cheerfully dehumanize another person—she acts like she squished a bug, not a person—as long as she feels justified in doing so. After all, that guy was going to kill Miorine, right? She saved someone she loves, right? That person was a bad guy, right? Enemies want to hurt the people she loves, so they're evil, and she doesn't have to think of them as normal people, right? (And dehumanization of the 'other', such as enemy combatants, is a problem in real life as well.)

It’s tragic not just because Suletta killed a guy violently—he was going to kill Miorine, and he's an enemy combatant in an armed conflict, so killing him made sense in tge situation—but specifically because she seemed to have stopped seeing her opponents as human beings. It’s unsettling because we know she’s a shy girl who wants to do the right thing that we’ve been rooting for in these past 11 episodes. To see that idealistic girl choosing to accept her mother’s philosophy and stop seeing other people as human, when it’s crystal clear that her mom is just using her and twisting her into a tool, hurts a lot.

And speaking of tools... a ‘brainwashed agent’ narrative certainly is one way to explore the theme of tools—a tool has no agency—and the classic “breaking out of mind control” story can be really uplifting and compelling. Reconnecting with your old values, finding the true self within your current state, throwing off someone else’s control to reclaim your boundaries and agency is extremely cool and sexy. But with the hellscape capitalist corpocracy setting, I feel like showing the dehumanization and tool-ification of people (especially minors) without literal brainwashing seems more in line with the show’s social commentary? Those with power and authority can coerce those without easily, and people even willingly** become tools of their own free will in order to survive.

then again, I’ve been completely wrong about these things before. and like I said, narratives about breaking out of brainwashing can be very compelling as well!

*or as much ‘free will’ someone who was groomed and manipulated from childhood can have, anyway.

** to the extent that someone who has no other real choice can have free will, anyway.

#replies #knowledgeseeker01 #gwitch spoilers #gwitch meta #gwitch #gundam

[scattered-winter]

tagged by @soleadita im kissing u on the cheek like a mob boss

top 15 tv shows in no particular order !!

911 on abc (found family. whump. angst. absolute batshit insane shenanigans. jennifer love hewitt and angela bassett. ryan guzman getting blood all over him on multiple occasions. what's not to love)

gen:LOCK (season 1 only) (there is no season 2 in ba sing se) (found family and robots and cool animation and cool music and found family and coolest fucking dichotomy between hero and villain and and and)

rwby (the WORLDBUILDING. the WRITING. the CHARACTERS. the WEAPONS. GENUINELY IT GOES SOOO SO SO CRAZY.)

the bear (im not done with it yet and lack of actual real bears ASIDE. this show is so so beautiful and masterfully done. im literally obsessed)

supernatural (UNFORTUNATELY some of the episodes do kinda go hard.)

daredevil (the CINEMATOGRAPHY the DEPRESSED BLOODIED CATHOLIC BOY the INSANE WOMEN the JOHN PAESANO SOUNDTRACK truly this show is unmatched)

zoo netflix. (is it GOOD? no. but it is very fun and involves found family living on a plane solving mysteries and trying to stop the apocalypse so truly. does it even NEED to be good)

agents of shield (again i havent finished it but ouhghgoughhghh......found family.....whump.....literally this show was GAME CHANGING for me. i would not be the whump enjoyer i am today if it weren't for the scene where daisy gets shot point blank and lovingly lowered to the ground by the man who shot her. truly. also huge fan of the asian american female lead who is a complex multifaceted character. love her.)

dc's legends of tomorrow (THEEE goofysilly funtimes show of the century. queer found family superheroes who live on a time traveling spaceship and try to protect the timestream from anomalies. they are very, very bad at their job. a zombie apocalypse breaks out in the middle of the american civil war. a giant fluffy teddy bear named beebo fistfights an ancient time demon. they have to save college student barack obama from gorilla grodd. a unicorn bites one of the character's nipples off. truly the most show ever. perhaps of all time.)

kingdom (netflix) (kdrama) (GENUINELY the best zombie media i have ever seen in my life. barring train to busan maybe. the costume design is gorgeous and the camerawork is gorgeous and the characters are complex and multifaceted and the zombies are fascinating and the entire thing is a commentary on class and poverty. and it's set in medieval korea so they have to fight zombies with SWORDS)

carmen sandiego (fun characters. u learn lots of cool things about lots of cool places. found family. heists. nonexistent romance subplots so it's a HUGE win for the aros. stupid little french detective who wears a banana suit onscreen. et cetera.)

leverage (LITERALLY THE SHOW OF ALL TIME. anti capitalist. found family. heists. the government is a corrupt system that only serves the people in power. christian kane beating people up. multifaceted characters. autistic character that's actually like. presented respectfully. and realistically. alec hardison. insane people.)

avatar the last airbender/legend of korra (they KINDA WENT OFF WITH BENDING.)

arcane (the animation......the tragic sisters.......the music.....)

green lantern the animated series (the animation kinda sucks unfortuantely. however. HOWEVER. it has my boy of all time. with the character arc of all time. and learning how rage and vengeance are harmful to everyone including yourself. and how grief and rage go hand in hand and the only way to heal from it is hope. and and and and and)

leo already tagged the gc so im gonna tag @frigidboy and anyone else who wants to do it :]

#i forget every single url i have ever interacted with as soon as i get tagged in these so im SORRY <////////3 #winter speaks #tag games #watch my shows boy

[shepfax]

time for an unhinged barbie rant lol. not really spoilers just my thoughts on the discussions surrounding it specifically on letterboxd. I love this movie and want to talk about the reactions to it.

a lot of people are genuinely acting like if you did not have a negative view of Barbie you're just as misogynistic as the right because it's "liberal feminism for dummies" or that the roles of Barbies and Kens are too cliche/unhealthy depictions of real world gender issues... guys it's a Hollywood blockbuster by one of the biggest toy companies on Earth about sentient toys on an island called Barbieland. did you expect Barbie™️ to read out Marxist feminist literature for two hours? did you expect cutting and innovative social commentary from a fucking mega corporation? personally? I think that's on you! it's borderline satire! lower your expectations for something that fell out of the capitalist machine maybe! there are phenomenal feminist films from smaller creators, if this movie really left that bad of a taste in your mouth please channel your energy into something that will bring you joy!

this is a lot of younger girls first exposure to someone influential (like Barbie, a real world famous image of an unreal woman) acknowledging the idea that a word for the nightmarish unseen cage they're in actually exists in the real world-- patriarchy. and a lot of women who have lived under patriarchy for years without consciously pursuing feminist spaces feel their struggles seen for the first time, through the lens of their childhood toy experiencing it too. it was very healing for a lot of people who have lived the terrifying and beautiful and painful and unifying experience of being a girl. so many families went to see this as a multigenerational bonding experience between daughters, moms, aunts, grandmothers, etc. hell my theater even had young boys clapping and smiling with their moms and sisters. you can't take that kind of joy from someone, they're always going to hold it somewhere even if you hold legit reasons to hate the film.

I personally don't care that it's an entry-level "patriarchy bad" popcorn flick. that is far more than we get from other big-budget movies catering to a female audience who just settle for ignoring the issue of sexism all together, or play it for laughs. it is so often in mainstream media when a woman character points out that patriarchy exists, the narrative paints her as some oversensitive SJW.

we also cannot ignore the big corporate elephant in the room. Mattel is stupidly allergic to the word "feminism" for a good reason: pretty much everything they make money from is built atop the suffering of women. they have tremendous ethical issues in their labor practices, with women in their factories living in absolute squalor. it's miserably ironic that one of the most poignant scenes in the film is where Barbie tells an elderly woman how beautiful she is, all while Mattel sells anti-wrinkle creams. after researching the company more I do not plan on buying these toys. my nieces can play with something else.

there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. there never will be. I can acknowledge that and still refuse this no-fun-allowed preachy-ass take that the movie is devoid of meaning and--more importantly--entertainment. it is fun. it is colorful and heartfelt and silly. just because you didn't have fun doesn't mean it is categorically not fun.

you can hate it for being just as shallow as some of us expected. you can hate it simply because it's Mattel pretending to be feminist while being a very unfeminist company and essentially mimicking more successful feminist works to save face. you can love it for being more adult than some of us expected with unique perspectives on the world from both real and unreal characters. you can love it for bringing you closer to your feminine family or your feminine self in a gentle moment of healing. what you can't do is act like there is 1 (one) way to watch a fucking big-budget mainstream film from WB and Mattel that automatically makes you better than everyone you disagree with who didn't watch the movie right or whatver. for Christs sake stop acting like your opinion of the pink toy movie is this most ascended and untouchable thing. you are not a better person for consuming media a specific way and you have got to stop thinking that you are.

#not tagging this just want to get it off my chest #shep talks #my inner child was so nourished by this movie and I'm not gonna give that up because it would make me a bad feminist or something

[mikuhats]

nimona opinion (spoilers btw and also this is a halfbaked opinion so if you want me to go more in depth im not going to)

its a very solid movie and i enjoyed it overall, but it rly doesnt have the Political Commentary i wanted it to. you know. (and i only say this because it teeters on the edge of real political commentary. i dont expect topics like that in kids movies lmao but they were the ones who wrote it in at several points) Basically, the movie goes out of it's way to criticize "the institute" & the powers it holds & the corruption within it and the oppression it creates. HOWEVER it really only does this in reference to Nimona as a character and to an extent Ballister. First of all, it's never really gone into depth how fucked up it is to have a class of elite descendants that are to be appointed knights and that "commoners" are NOT to be allowed or trusted with that task. the director literally plays on this distrust and classist bias, but the movie does not go into it AT ALL? it doesn't even address it after a certain part post Queen Death. Second, we have Nimona ranting and raving about the corruption of The Institute, but it doesn't go into how this institute affects anyone other than her. The Institute punishes those who are different, she says, but who else falls into the category of "different" to her? "Commoners", I guess. But again, really doesn't go into that at all after the first section of the movie! Secondly, several of the characters go on to realize the corruption and faults of "The Institute", but by the end of the movie.... Nothing changes? Presumably? The futuristic capitalistic society they live in is unchanged, for the most part. Knights still exist, maybe not in the absolute Absurd Way they used to, but they still exist. The massive political powers like the Queen and the Director have both died by the end of this film, but what does their society go onto do? If there is no Institute worshiping Gloreth, I guess there is no need for a new Director, but Queen is a completely different topic. You're telling me this societies beloved queen died, and their monarchal rule came to an end? Because, like, what? That's not really how that works. Not really brought up or discussed or insinuated. Queen died so no more monarchy. If only that was real life.... Finally, the society they live in seems very much unchanged. The ideals of The Institute (eg: the Knights appointed) are still existent in this society. However, now this society loves Nimona and doesn't think of her as a monster! So Institute good now, I guess. Institute Bad until the oppressed get treated equally, and there's no more problems that could arise or happen. I Guess. idk man. im not like the most politically literate person or whatever. but this shit is so half assed its like why even put it in in the first place. and yeah kids movie blahjblahblah, but there are ways to fix this that arent in your face saying COMMUNISM GOOD or whatever & that could easily be digestible for children.

anyway this is the biggest issue i had because its just a blind spot for a movie that seems to WANT to talk about politics in some way, its so half assed about it, i really dont get why they included it in the first place.

rest of the movie is cool though. have fun you guys. whatever

#text

[brookheimer]

i think the only way i could see either tom as CEO as good writing is if he winds up being matsson's picks and then turns out mencken isnt the president and matsson decides to make tom a sacrificial lamb to take the blame for, well. everything. a Nobody Wins scenario in which everyone loses. i think. thats the only way i see it going down. because really my only two endings i could see happening for succession is kendall pyrrhic victory or everyone flops. IDK tho this is just a half-formed thought all i know is that nobody can really "win" succession especially not tom.

tbh barring a time skip (please god no time skip) we simply just do not have time to find out what happens re: presidency; that process takes months and everything until the wisconsin issue gets sorted will just be speculation, so i don’t think we’ll get anything decisive on mencken either way. i do like the everyone losing thing and selfishly don’t want the sibs to be CEO (go make bad websites again as besties!) but, i mean, someone’s gotta win. and even if the point of like tom or greg CEO or whatever would be that all of the kids themselves lose, that would still mean tom greg whatever win, and that has to have meaning too. greg win feels too farcical to imagine and would greatly shift my view of succession from a show that’s character/world driven (which i love and wish all shows would be!) to a show that cares far less about the world/characters it has created than it does the silhouette it casts and the bows that can be tied up (like every other show). tom win feels more believable than greg win but even less thematically relevant — what does tom CEO say, that the american dream is real and that even lowly midwesterners can achieve their capitalist fantasies? because to me succession thus far has very much been about the central failing of capitalism and that its fundamental purpose is to keep the rich rich and the poor a non-entity in the periphery. so to suddenly be like Surprise! Outsiders Can Become Insiders! The Promise Of American Capitalism Is Legitimate And Achievable! would just be…. so weird to me. like i just don’t really know what a tom ending would be trying to say — and yeah, art doesn’t always have to Say Things, but succession is clearly a show rooted in cultural commentary so it will inevitably always be saying things. i def agree that no one can “win” succession nor do i want them to, i just can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that technically someone will win and that someone could be, like, tom. maybe it can be done in a meaningful way that makes sense due to good writing etc, but as of right now, it’s not something i can picture? but who knows! it could work. maybe. somehow

#also if any kills themselves so will i. not even bc i’ll be sad but bc i’ll be fucking annoyed LOLLLL #like Input Tragic Shock Moment Here #the way i alr know we won’t be getting like any good new shiv or rome content this ep bc it will inevitably be ken focused…. #there’s so much more i wanna know thooooo #agh. wish they did more episodes #god the stress i feel for tonight….. LOL #but hey! literally cannot be worse than veep or GoT bc at least the rest of the szn has been good #succession #succession speculation #long post

[icyxmischief]

....HHHH lol as much as I love it smashing (haha) the entire dudebro incel culture, does anyone feel as conflicted as I do about the She-Hulk season finale?

Well played, Kevin Feige. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, TOO.

Oh God, what's Ambs blabbering about NOW?

Well, I'll tell you, lmao. Keep scrolling if you're annoyed, but I think you will ultimately like that I'm pointing this out.

The fourth-wall breaking narrative tool needs to be done well or not at all. Jen does this a little forcibly often. It works when she's making commentary on the absurdity of a capitalist, cis male centric audience and the over-used tropes that come along with it. I also like that she's reclaiming her own Narrative, capital N, the way Loki did in his own series.

BUT.

We are being had, folks. I learned about this way way back in grad school, so hear me out:

Yeah, we get it right? The Having the Institution™, the Big Cheese, the Exec, participating good-naturedly in their own ridicule, IS THEIR OWN BEST WEAPON AGAINST BEING CHECKED BY COUNTER-CULTURE.

WHEN "WOKENESS" GETS BRANDED, COMMODIFIED, AND SOLD LIKE THIS, IT PLACATES THE AUDIENCE INTO THINKING WE HAVE "DONE ENOUGH" ON BEHALF OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. (not yelling, caps just for emphasis).

It NORMALIZES problematic content.

Because, see, they've already "gone there" with all the Bad Content: --fridging, --male "equivalent" characters commandeering the show; --convoluted and hackneyed plots; --unnecessary glossy mega-production; --the underpayment of their CGI department; --preying on nostalgia and "vintage" content that "only True Fans get" for maximum emotional impact (Emil Blonsky's appearance as a throwback to the very old Hulk movie..whoops, you didn't realize that's why they did that? welp now ya know! it's a BIG thing mega-corporations are doing right now, and not just in entertainment); --the cheap marketing trick of having guest stars (like Bruce) who appear just to tie in plot points that tease the next big series or movie; --EVEN SAYING IT'S "CREEPY" TO WORSHIP THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND MAKING FUN OF THE "NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT" (this is a callback to the whole "Marvel snipers" joke about how the actors can't share any spoilers ever and aren't even told the whole plot of a film); --and so on; As a result: if an earnest media critic on the internet (which "K.E.V.I.N." also takes a smirking stab at) is still having qualms about the problematic content, they can be written off as fringe weirdos who need to "go outside in the sun and touch some grass."

I know, I know, "Ambs, enough. Just let me ENJOY shit already!"

And you totally can!!!! ALL I AM SAYING: Do I think that enjoying shows like She-Hulk makes a person immediately some kind of drooling passive slave to contemporary culture. No, obviously not. It's entirely possible to enjoy problematic things and still not emulate the problematic content in real life.

Frankly, I'll watch any show with Matt Murdock because he's sex on legs.

Just be AWARE of what the MCU creative team is really trying to do.

#meta #she hulk spoilers #she-hulk spoilers #spoilers

[jjraderftw]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

I freaking love Cyberpunk Edgerunners. I watched this bad boy on release and felt high on life for the first 5 episodes and extremely depressed for the latter 5. The anime is a rollercoaster of emotion with an insane soundtrack and awesome visuals, kudos to Trigger. The show tells an interesting story littered with critiques on modern society such as: class difference, capitalism’s takeover, and the unforgiving nature of life. The power system is really fun and enticing, making you want to play the game the anime serves as a prequel for (the trap, as some would say). Regardless, the show is fire and finishes off with probably one the biggest L’s any main character takes in a show, with hardly anything to show for at the end of the series, including the loss of his own life.

The idea of the large class division is super prominent in Cyberpunk. The difference between Arasaka employees and average Joe’s like David and his mom is drastic. Someone who works manual labor, long hours, and busts their butt every day is rewarded with minimal pay and starving mouths. There is no option nor legal route for escape from the lower class rabbit hole people like David are born into. No one has a say in the matter of where they are born. If you’re lucky, you are born into a rich and noble family, but others aren’t so lucky and have to result to long methods of labor to make do and still live in poverty. Furthermore, the lifestyles depicted in cyberpunk often critique the idea of who gets paid more in our world. Someone who simply manages a few things and can afford to lounge around all day (like Arasaka officials) make millions while first responders and medical specialists who physically work all day around the clock in a field that also requires intellectual prowess get nothing in comparison. This is similar to how many jobs in our world, like influencers, make almost double or even triple the amount something like an average engineer or even doctor would make, despite the latter professions requiring a bit more physical and mental work than the former.

Cyberpunk also critiques capitalism. The very idea that every person is linked up to some network and has cybernetic enhancements comments on the idea that we are all integrating with technology and having it become an essential part of our lives. The internet of things, smart devices, and our phones are all ways we are constantly connected to the internet. We can no longer fathom a world without it because it's our main form of communication, knowledge, and entertainment. Think of it. Teachers, professors, and other instructors provide class material, books and work that all require you to have some form of digital device to work, without it you’d fail. Video games and shows/movies run the entertainment world and what used to be physically present material (like books) are being slowly replaced with ebooks, audiobooks, and digital versions of the source material. We rely on phone calls and messages to communicate with people at all times (even those right next door). We are living in a world that is highly connected. This is not to say technological innovation is bad (trust me I’m all for it), it’s just that we cannot forget our humanity and let tech become more of the human identity than social/soft skills. In addition, Cyberpunks' focus on tech and social class also provides a commentary on the idea of consumerism. Everything is a commodity in Night City, even using your own laundry. This resembles how capitalism can make a product of anything in our world, and how it is hard to escape. Similar to A Place Further than the University, Lucy tries to escape the capitalistic world and go to the Moon. But just like Antarctica (which was believed to be the exterior of the world of consumerism), the Moon became a commodity and was already integrated into the world of capitalism, implying how we cannot escape it just yet.

The final point I want to make is that anime explains how life isn’t fair nor perfect. The real world is filled with challenges and difficulties. No one is the epic anime hero that will live a perfect life and always “get the girl” in the end. Sometimes, life takes a sudden turn no one sees coming and can result in some tough stuff. Though there is no recipe for success as some online gurus would say, the show does comment on the subject by saying to keep your head high. Don’t let the sacrifices of those you are close to be in vain. Carry your torch and use the tools at your disposal well to achieve the best life you can make for yourself.

[cornylilguy]

Hiya! I'm trying to find an rp partner! Pls message me if you're interested in chatting about it.

About me: Hi, I'm Cherri, I'm 20 and go by they/them. I work part time right now and I will try to be as fast as possible when replying, but I do tire socially, so if I need a break I will let you know!

My style: Don't let my usage of shortened versions of words and general dumbness fool you; I'm semi-literate to novella when it comes to writing. I like being descriptive even in the most minute of details. What can I say? I love really getting into the guts of a world and it's characters! I'm a huge nerd when it comes to story analysis and character analysis, if that's not your thing exactly that's cool, but I am a big planner when it comes to this stuff, so if you aren't I may not be your cup of tea. Also I only work in third person, any other way just feels weird for me.

What I look for in a partner: Preferably someone who can match me in both enthusiasm of the world, the characters, writing length and style. And I know that can be a tall order for some, so if you can't write a whole five paragraphs and just stick to one, or maybe prefer first person; again it's fine but I will let you know if ultimately I'm not feeling it. Also pls be 18+ in case there is ever eventually nsfw, I don't generally feel comfortable if minors talk about those subjects with me considering my age, but I understand since I was a teen not too long ago that nsfw topics can come up in conversation. If you are a minor, please keep these subjects to a minimum.

Boundaries: I'm okay with a lot of dark topics, heavy gore, torture, horror elements, etc. Granted they aren't what I'm going for in the roleplays I'm pitching, but for future reference they are fine. I'm not looking for any smutty plotlines either. Eventually maybe one can be worked out for a different story, or even added eventually between characters in an rp, but I'm more interested in building up chemistry between characters. Also a big trigger for me is sexual assault or csa mentions or otherwise. Granted in some context it's not as bad, but as a general rule please avoid mentioning this as a part of a character.

Rp Ideas!

MHA: I would really love to do an ocxcanon or ocxoc with double ups. By this I mean either our OCs can date a canon character, or if the chemistry is good enough, then each other! But the basics of this rp is plopping our two OCs into this world, whether it be a foreign exchange student program, Isekai situation, or some other circumstance. The plot will be similar, but paced down, and will be more character driven instead of action driven, and exploring the social commentary of the universe. I know, nerd shit, but I do want to explore topics of inequality, idolism of celebrities, how society pushes people to extremism, stigma around mental illness, and a number of other topics. Oh and a critique of the capitalist system overall. We can discuss details on things in DMS, preferably over discord!

Fantasy Gothic School: This one is loosely based on Wednesday considering it takes place at a school for the occult. No characters from the show would be used however and all characters would be OCs. This one would also be more involved with mystery, world, and character building. Each of us trying to make and somewhat keep mysteries from each other and having control of up to three OCs if either of us wish. It's hard to explain without adding a wall of text, so I'll explain further if you express an interest in it!

Please dm me if you're interested, or interact with this post. Dming is easier for me so there's no mixed signals, and I promise I am pretty nice, if a little strange.

#1x1 roleplay #1x1 rp #mha rp #mha roleplay #rp search #pls its so hard to find people #i just want to roleplay

[gugf]

How would you ranked the dr Seuss movies?

OH oh thanks for that question!!!

You mean all or just the feature length ones?

Ah, my top tiers are not feature length, anyway.

Maybe I'm just really into old cartoons...

I'll do top 5 on both.

1) Lorax (1972). I can't help it, when I'm sucker for dark things I'm sucker.

I adore the aesthetic all throughout the movie. Animation, color choices, songs, steampunk architecture cheffs kiss. They find so many ways not to show not only Onceler's face but his whole body. This man just feels like an eldritch capitalistic creature.... And this suits the whole thing so well.... Not to mention the changes they made for his character overall.

What can i say, it's the darkest and saddest out of them all. Story vise and visually. No wonder it got such strong emotional response. Poor Lorax, poor Onceler (I mean, of course, he deserved all this, but also on top of that family just leaves after he became useless, seriously, PRICKS), poor animals, poor everything.

The message just enhances from the whole animated potrayal, and these segments just ooze misery and despair from the screen. Wow, i sure am relieved that climate just whipes us all, and we wouldn't be stuck for long in this horrible mud and fumes.

2) Horton Hears A Who (1970)

It's eldritch. It's magnificent. I can't how after all these years it's still right on spot. I guess that's how you make a timeless story.

Ah, yes, adaptation. The animation is some places is outstanding and SONGS SLAP SOOO HARD. They slap in every movie, but here I just adore every one of them. I prefer this version to movie, because of more consistent tone. It remains this seriousness and sence of dread, poor Horton can't even rest most of the time. For me it just makes it more inspiring. Fighting is hard, and may be even exhausting, but in the end, all more worth it when people finally standing by your side. Always make sure you are heard.

I mean, at least that's how i read it.

3) How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Out of all three adaptations, of course, it's still my favorite. This version just hits that core for me. It's really cute. It worms my heart. Tony was totally his ex.

Grinch is just right amount of mean. He's malicious, but in a believable and calculated way. Not in obnoxious manner. A grumpy old person, who also constantly abuses his dog for some reason level. He steals the breadcrumbs, guys, what a man! They added a lot of fun and cute details like these. And the whole mountain slide scene is so iconic, why is he so needlessly cruel omg? I guess the failed business and relationships really messed him up...

This movie is really full of imagination and cute stuff. It easily lighters my mood, and also didn't screw up commentary on a holiday itself, what's not to love?

4) Cat In A Hat (1971)

Oh look, all classics in a row. I guess, I'm really that predictable. I really really like how it looks, the colors, and how characters move. It's so adorable...

But I still feel bad for the fish, I mean, not like concerns weren't valid?

Characters are just really fun, i'll say. This movie is just comfy.

(It's unrelated information, but they really butchered russian in that language song. What they said is basically "Hat in a hat". The right way would be pronounced like "Kot v shlape" or "Koshak v shlape" if it needs to rhyme, but that's just a pet peeve).

5) Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977).

I really like the aesthetic. Mc with round glasses might be one of my favorite genders. Easily the Halloween classic.

A lot of really cool surrealism (Gives me particular Yume Nikki vibes).

But I kinda question Grinch's motives. If his concern is really the sound, than what's with the time limit? Looks like he just needs a justification, huh.

And for feature length:

1) Horton (2008). I mean, it's kinda cute. Even enjoyable as an adaptation.

2) Lorax (2012). Purely for memes, the biggering and tumblr sexy man (original was hotter though). So bad it's good, but as an adaptation strongly won't recommend.

4) Grinch (2019). Snow looked pretty and they added that scene at the end, but oh boy how they massacred my boy. Had an untapped potential.

3) Grinch (2000). I liked costuming (but still feel bad for the actors) and set design but not really a color palette. My mom likes it, but not for me. Too noisy.... And i just can't stand some scenes.

5) I needed to fill the gap so Cat (2003) goes here. Set design was neat.

#dr seuss #ranking

[ettadunham]

the dontnod game that's... fine? i guess.

harmony: the fall of reverie is a 2023 visual novel type of narrative game from the studio that's most well-known for the mainline life is strange series. (making it the most recent title that came up during my random generated game picks so far.) despite the mainstream attention on those games, dontnod's independently published games don't always get much attention, so it's not all that surprising that this one managed to mostly fly under the radar.

...perhaps it's also just not a game that has the power to gain any additional buzz beyond its existing niche audience, but we'll get there.

the game's story is somewhat convoluted to explain, but it goes something like this. you play as a character with mommy issues, who returns home after 5 years to find your mom missing. upon finding a necklace, you get transported into an alternative world, where you can talk to the so-called aspirations, the physical manifestation of concepts like bliss, truth, chaos, etc. turns out, their world is in danger, and it's all somehow connected to your mom's disappearance and possibly an evil corporation. plot ensues.

let's start with the positives! harmony has a very colorful art style that's a joy to see in the bleary washed out world of modern gaming. as a visual novel, it also delivers on the character models - the aspiration of chaos for instance is portrayed as this nonbinary twink wearing a crown, and i have no notes! great job, everyone!

another thing i really enjoyed was the game's mechanics. most of the gameplay consists of small choices you can make in the story, which is displayed by a decision tree you can navigate. you can not only follow through where a choice would lead you, but if it locks you out of other choices in a given chapter, if it gives you items you can later use, etc. ultimately, the decision tree usually merges back together, so there's seemingly not that much of an impact you can make on the main storyline, but there are also consequences to your choices in later chapters, and it all adds together to determine your eventual ending.

in any case, i spent most of my time playing the game just looking at that decision tree, trying to figure out how to get the outcomes and scenes i want, and i had a blast with it! in a meta way, it's like looking directly at the algorithm tree that's behind the game itself, with its different twists and rules, that are fun to follow through and figure out - at least to someone who's just as puzzle-brained as me.

the game also has a very blatant and progressive political view, which is great, although it doesn't offer much incisive commentary in my opinion. in theory, i love that you and your gay leftist buddies are mostly just arguing between different anarchist methods to bring down the evil capitalist corporation that's literally called mono konzern - on the other, maybe bringing in some characters who are pilled on the capitalist propaganda would have helped open up the world, and make the struggle more tangible? idk, i'm not even sure, because the truth is, that's not the real problem with this or any other part of the game.

it's the writing.

and i know what you might be saying. 'a dontnod game with bad writing? gasp! never heard of such a thing!' but i don't think you understand. my issue with this game isn't that it has some cringey dialogue that is an acquired taste. no, my issue with this game, is that i don't think it does a good job communicating its own narrative through its writing.

for instance, there were situations where my impression of a scene was completely different from what the narration was telling me. i'm pretty sure that there were also contradictions in the story, that were just subtle enough that it drove me up the wall, because i wasn't sure if it was just me, misunderstanding something previously stated. our mother is simultaneously someone that nobody knew or cared about in the community, and a well-known poet whose work is taught in universities. also, she IS a big influential figure in the community after all. it may sound like a small detail, but for me, these small discrepancies kept adding up, and it took me out of the story again and again.

there was also a point early on that stayed with me, where i had to look up the game's 'codex' to figure out the relationship between two characters, because the game was trying to show-don't-tell-me but... sometimes you need some exposition, okay? if i spend an entire scene trying to figure out how two people are related instead of focusing on the scene itself, then you've done a bad job. (the relationship between the two characters btw was that our mother and her grandfather were living together and had a somewhat open relationship on our mother's end. good luck trying to write that organically into the scene.)

overall, it kind of felt like a script that was written by a freshman college student as a first draft. great achievement and all, but maybe do a few more edits? idk, i'm not a writer, you probably shouldn't listen to my professional advice, lol.

and to be fair, by the end, i think i actually got used to all the quirks, so it's not all that bad, but... yeah, i don't know how much i'd recommend this one. it takes a while to grow on you.

but hey, if you do decide to give it a shot, there is a bit of a surprise for the youtube video essay heads in the form of one of the actors voicing a pretty major role. so there's that.

the moral of the story is that girls don't want a career, they want a revolution and an nb twink chaos.

#adventure game extravaganza #mse's playing adventure games #mse's playing harmony: the fall of reverie #harmony: the fall of reverie #video game

[4kdegreeskelvin]

clarkesworld #205

possibly just about a couch by suzanne palmer: take a journey from the dawn of the universe to the heat death of our solar system and beyond through the context of a primordial, indestructible red sofa. this was an interesting little story, with a wordy writing style i really like for doing that thing where some portions are written vaguely and distantly, never touching on much in great detail, and other portions zoom in seemingly at random to describe and focus on singular, random beings and their time spent with the couch. the couch holds memories of everything but doesn’t think anything of it all because, after all, it’s just a couch. the writing feels sincere but not cheesy, with a fun circular ending. it’s abstract and doesn’t seem to care whether or not you choose to interpret it all as a metaphor. enjoyed it :)

the blaumilch by lavie tidhar: a citizen of a small town on mars struggles with his lack of purpose, until he meets an odd, canal-digging individual who changes his perspective. this was a fine story; i didn’t dislike any part of it aside from a few small tense-changes that i found strange. it definitely wasn’t bad but didn’t blow me away in any sense of the word, either. i did think the themes of purpose and identity and doing things you enjoy were fairly interesting!

down to the root by lisa papademetriou: cute little story about rebirth and the nature of death and rebirth. idk, i personally kinda felt like the ending betrayed the character’s wishes of not being reborn after his death? but that’s ok ig. this one was fine as well. not bad, not amazing. didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. an interesting plot idea and generally well written so i can’t complain much but it didn’t really grip my attention either

such is my idea of happiness by david goodman: a story about the way capitalist grind culture will consume everything necessary for a person to live a decent life, including the chance to rest and recuperate. this was a good one! not amazing, but the writing style was enjoyable to read, the characters were sympathetic, and i love a good anticapitalist message. andrew just wants to get some sleep 😔

de profundis, a space love letter by bella han: i didn’t like this one. it’s hard for me to express exactly why without just coming across as a hater, but it felt extremely shallow and fake deep to me (and those are things i generally will go out of my way to not describe art as). it seems to be about a spacefaring traveller in the distant future who finds a “mausoleum of poetry”, in which he quickly becomes addicted to reading real, actual novels (that have slightly radioactive ink, so they’re slowly killing him all the while) instead of the slush produced by machines (sound relevant?). i’m not entirely sure how to feel about the obvious anti-ai art stance because frankly i’m not well versed enough in that whole world to have a solid opinion, but my problems mostly lie with the fact that it leans into the “machine-produced stories don’t have the SOUL that this human-made work does” argument rather than any interesting commentary on workers’ rights or art theft and the like. the writing style was difficult to parse in my opinion and the characters weren’t interesting in the slightest, but mostly the entire thing felt too saccharine while trying very, very hard to be ~profound~.

post hacking for the uninitiated by grace chan: this one was good! the characters were interesting and it held my attention all the way through. the writing style was really immersive and visceral, and is great at making you feel like you really understand what the main character is going through even though it’s something you’ve probably never experienced yourself—unless, of course, you’ve had your semisynthetic mind hacked and all your primary functions slowly stripped away from yourself by a mental invader. i would say this is one of the two strongest stories in this collection, up there with the couch one.

rafi by amal singh: in a tightly controlled dystopia where mechas pulverize civilians’ homes and streets in response to contraband or dissent, rebellion is sparked by a cactus-human creature raised in secret, who sings forbidden songs and wants to be allowed outside. i didn’t dislike this! the writing style felt a tad bit surface level, and stories about rebellion against dystopian governments are hardly unique, but the characters were enjoyable to read about, especially rafi itself. i’m not immune to a story about music as a moving force that can bring people together, and the plot about a woman raising something inhuman that seems to exist largely to set them free is a bit vague but still touching. this was a solid, not half bad story that i’m not going to complain too much about.

you can read clarkesworld #205 for free online or purchase this issue here

#bookblr #reading #clarkesworld #short story review #literary magazine #sci fi #science fiction #long post #avireviews