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chirpsythismorning · 2 years

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I just wanna talk about this quick and then I’ll shut up forever.

I HATE byler kiss manips (not talking about fan-art, I’m talking about photoshopped byler edits using milkvan scenes). I hate them with a burning passion. The only exception to this would be when bylers use them as a response to homophobic anon asks... now that’s funny. But that’s it 🤣

Like I get it. It’s mostly all a big joke, but it’s just cringy to me..? And weird?? Why can’t we wait for the real thing???

AND YET! AND YET!… Even though I’m kind of contradicting myself by making this post in the first place, I honestly don’t see much value in confronting fans who do this or staging a whole call out about how it makes me personally feel uncomfortable for reasons x y z.

Because that’s just me. I’m sure there are some fans who agree with me and I’m sure there are plenty who don’t. But still, I don’t see the point in policing anyone that disagrees with me on this, to make them feel bad for engaging in fandom differently than me, to make a big spectacle about how it upsets me, bc the reality is, nuance exists!!!

While there are some people out there with horrible, even offensive or concerning takes, not every single disagreement of opinion needs to be put on blast as if that person is bad for whatever point they’re trying to make. Because now suddenly everyone is giving their two cents, clogging the tag to the point where no one can escape it. Now we’re all uncomfortable. Who is that helping?? No one!

So if you’re like me and there’s certain things that make you uncomfortable, no matter how small or even major, BLOCK.

Maybe you are just like me and you give someone a few chances, only to finally block them after one too many posts that are just 😬

Or maybe you block right away the moment you see something you didn’t want to and don’t want to risk seeing again.

I just hate this tendency fandoms (it’s all fandoms, not just st or byler) have to attribute one or even a couple hundreds of fans opinions, to the entire fandom… and then project that onto the rest of us like “IF YOU THINK THIS! YOU ARE BAD!” Like be real, there are hundreds of thousands of us, exponentially chances are there are gonna be a great deal of people you won’t agree with. That doesn’t mean we have to ruin this space for everyone.

I really don’t want to do this again, bc like I said, im basically contributing to the very thing I hate. I hate that I feel this need to voice my feelings on something everyone is already talking about, and now i’m also taking away from the aspects of fandom that can be fun and welcoming and worthwhile.

It’s just unfortunate how all fandoms put themselves in this situation. We allow one or a few to control the vibe of the tag and suddenly you can’t find theories or headcanons or just fun banter between fans. All you see is virtue signaling and people trying to find someone to blame. And then we wonder why fandoms fizzle out with resentment. Because we ruin it for ourselves. We turn on each other for the sake of being right. And it just sucks.

At the end of the day, everyone has the right to say how they feel. By all means, that is your choice and you can do whatever feels right to you. But just know that not everyone is going to agree. And that’s not always a bad thing. And even if and when it is, we don’t have to make it EVERYONES business.

#byler #honestly this could apply to literally any fandom drama #recently with the whole hose joke…#or the hc that Mike has an Ed #fans discussing these concepts aren’t inherently bad or wrong #that’s my opinion #you can feel differently and voice it and that’s your choice #but let’s not turn it into a war of you must think/feel this way bc that’s how I feel #some of us are more sensitive #some of us are more confrontational #if we were all the same there wouldn’t be much to talk about #there are pros and cons that come with fandom #it comes with a territory #if you see something disturbing and want to call it out! go right ahead!!#but also.#BLOCK #and let’s move on.#let’s not make it everyone in the tags problem to contend with #or else this isn’t going to be a space anyone will want to be apart of if we have to all agree about everything #sometimes you disagree with mutuals takes but that doesn’t mean you need to put them on blast #i disagree with ppl I love sometimes #we exist #i love u all #might delete l8r #but still I just had to get this off my chest even tho i contradicted myself by posting it in the first place 😭#the byler tag is already over it too so pls ignore this post and let’s all move on 😅

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pholiabanna · 1 year

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Sloppy seconds byler aren’t endgame angels with a nightmare is a fool a 25+ year old women with fantasies about teen boys being gay how’s that any different to men’s fantasies about lesbians?

Y’all are so caught up in you’re echo chambers you can’t see it and it’s gonna crash and burn so badly it’s not the byler show either it’s stranger things

Omg I feel so honored to get my first real hate ask!

There's so many things to unpack here, so I think Im gonna go one by one.

First of all, I assume you either ship Mleven or at least you despise byler, but my last post was only tagged as byler so there was no reason for you to see it unless you were stalking the byler tag, which in that case I'm glad you're such a dedicated fan!

Second of all, I'm assuming you're the same anon who has been sending around other anon asks the past couple of weeks always mentioned the words "sloppy seconds". Now, I know nothing about you or about your life enough to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but I think I'd should let you know how disgusting of a term that is, and what it implies. I'm assuming if you like Mileleven you like Mike too, since he's one half of the ship. That's why it's shocking to me how you seem so adamant of thinking of him as nothing but El's leftovers, as if he wasn't his own person with his self worth! Also, someone's worth doesn't lessen just because they've already been kissed or touched by someone else. That's a sad outlook on life, and I'm not telling you to be mean, but because I think you'll live happier if you leave such toxic mentalities behind. They really do no good to someone's self esteem.

About the women fantasies about gay men, please notice how most people in this tag are underage people of all genders. This is not a sexual fantasy, as these characters aren't even portrayed sexually in the show to begin with. This is people who want to see good stories about themselves being written, and I think that's a really valid thing to wish for. Even if you've seen a couple weirdos out there on the internet, that's not the case for almost the whole of the fanbase. There's creepy people everywhere in every fandom. Also may I add that if you prefer Mike and El (which is completely valid if you do, you're allowed to have your preferences!) they are the same age as Mike and Will. Wouldn't you be predatory as well if you ship them? No you wouldn't, because they're kids and their relationship has never been sexual. Just like with Will and Mike. Assuming that every gay romance is automatically sexual is a very homophobic mindset ingrained in our society. If you really see gay people this way, probably you've been conditioned by society to do so, in that case it's not your fault but it's never too late to educate yourself. You'll be happier, seriously.

Finally, I wouldn't say an echo chamber is a ship community that has more Billions of wievs on TikTok that the other ship and surpasses it on every other platform, and that has general audience filmmakers and professional writers say themselves that they also understand how it's set up to happen in the final season. But again, it is not my job to convince you and you're not forced to change your mind. We will all have to wait until the final season to see who was actually right, only the Duffer brothers know what will happen.

Finally, Stranger Things is obviously not the byler show. However, one of the most important rules of storytelling is writing personal arcs and relationships for the characters to serve as subplots to the main story, so that the characters become full fleshed and realistic. The fact that you can relate to fictional characters, even though you've probably never time travelled done magic, lived in a post apocalyptic time or wathever you wanna imagine, is because you relate to their personal stories. A story isn't good without personal arcs, every professional writer you ask will tell you this. So yes, relationships are an episode aspect of stranger things that people can discuss if they want to. And the byler tag, or any other ship tags exists precisely to focus on those relationships. It doesn't mean that people don't like any other aspects of the show.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my little rant anon. I wish you have a great day!

#byler #hate asks #anti mileven

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mayahawkins · 1 year

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no one asked me to list my fav blogs but i’m just gonna make my own end of year follow forever bc i wanna rant abt my talented friends, beloved mutuals, and just people i follow that i have never spoken to but who are such a joy to see on my dash. so, without further ado, maddy’s 2022 follow forever:

@strangeswift abby strangeswift, my beloved. you were the first person i talked to in this fandom and i’m so glad u were bc u are the sweetest most kind person ever. you are so supportive of all your friends and mutuals and u make me wanna be a more outwardly loving and supportive person fr. i remember when u wrote that lil ficlet based on my text post and i’m p sure i almost cried bc i felt so special that someone had been inspired by something i had said to write smth so wonderful. you’re an incredible writer and i am always so excited anytime you post any of your writing. i can’t wait to read more of your fics and am so patiently waiting for MilevenVision (as much as i may bug u for crumbs). i’m so glad to call you a friend <3

@elekinetic ella ella, bonded in shared discord trauma so ur never getting rid of me. i feel so honoured to call you a friend bc you are one of the best people i know. you are so smart and level-headed and loyal as hell to your friends. you are also so kind and you're so deliberate with what you say and how you say it. you defs intimidated me the first few times we talked but now im like oh ya ella, my amazing talented friend ella. your scripts give me so much life. and not just your st ones but your original ones as well. can't wait to one day see "ella elekinetic hexagirl" in movie credits (bc obviously ur last name is ur url). and your OCs?? i have never once become obsessed with someone's OCs the way i can't stop thinking abt yours. that's what you've done to me. you are so incredibly talented and ily <3

@andiwriteordie ANNDDIIIIII ILY FR <3 u are so insanely talented and kind and wonderful. i’m so happy we started talking recently bc u have truly brightened the last few weeks of the year. u got me back into watching merlin so thank u for the pain u will surely cause me as i rewatch this show i haven’t seen in almost a decade. ur fics were some of the first that i read in the byler fandom and that means u will always hold a special place in my heart. i remember the first time i read your let's hear it for the boys series and i was just like omg i'm obsessed with this. i have absolutely adored every single one i’ve read (even though i’m a lil behind on them rn oops but i will catch up) and can’t wait to see what else you write. your atla!au (and the newly brainstormed merlin!au) live in my head rent free and i can’t wait to read them if you write them.

@nnilkyway my fellow emo will truther <3 yvie i love you dearly. you are so incredibly talented i could scream abt ur artwork literally for days. your fanworks and your original art and your doodles are all beautiful and stunning. the day we started talking and you sent me the lil doodle you did of emo will byers i think i actually cried at how much i loved it and that it had come from our conversation about it. i saved it onto my camera roll so i can come back to it easier that's how much i love it. you are also one of the funniest people on here, your tags almost always have me rolling. i can't wait to see what beautiful art you draw in the new year.

@finalgirlbyers sierra lovqbrl madcleradin finalgirlbyers!!!! i know we haven’t talked much but i love seeing u on my dash and u always have the best takes and theories and just posts in general. i know i've said that literally multiple times to you but it cannot be overstated how correct you always are. one of my fav people to follow on here.

people i don't talk to but whose presence is a joy to have on my dash:

@astrobei an absolutely incredible writer that wrote some of my fav fics. one of the best will fics, not all the prayers, that truly is just so unbelievably amazing. like the care that you can just tell went into that fic is just incredible. Some absolutely incredible lines that will punch you right in the gut in the best way possible.

@blueeandyellowmakesgreen jade! one of the coolest people, has some of the most amazing art over on @azuries, like it's actually so amazing and people need to go look at it and reblog it now immediately

@mlchaelwheeler an absolute joy to follow. so many good posts and im fr rooting for mike with a sword in s5 just for her

@elmaxed their fics were some of the first i read in the byler fandom and i absolutely fell in love with them. they hold such a dear place in my heart. also one of the sweetest people fr, one of the first to compliment my gifs and so they are forever in my mind for that <3

@smoosnoom omg their fics!!! are!!!! incredible!!!! so many wonderful fics, i was just looking through my bookmarks and i swear half of them are theirs. the one about mike's will voice has my whole heart.

@wiseatom another lovely fic writer, and one who titles her fics with taylor swift lyrics bc she Gets It!!! also one of the sweetest people in the fandom, always seems to be supporting other people.

@kidovna one of the most talented artists in this fandom oh my GOD. i cannot praise her and her art enough idk how what else to even say besides amazing incredible talented showstopping

@byeler wrote one of my all time fav fics, Heavy Hopes, with my beloved trope, oblivious jealous mike, which is truly *chef's kiss*. such a good writer like it cannot be overstated

@ice-sculptures a truly amazing gifmaker. gifs so many little byler moments that are so precious that i've definitely missed when watching the show.

@william-byers an absolutely incredible gif maker. taylor swift and stranger things together on one blog, what more could you want?

@padme-amidala makes some of the most beautiful gifs ever oh my goodness, her gifs are part of what inspired me to start making gifs and to challenge my gifmaking. i hope to one day be as good as she is.

@robiinbuckley also makes some of the most beautiful gifs, literally in awe of her gifs. also inspired my gifmaking journey and has inspired me to challenge myself when it comes to gifmaking.

#personal #follow forever #blog recs

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campbyler · 10 months

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i left a little ramble in the comment section of chapter one but jfhslghskf that was so so good again i just loved how summery and warm it was and the atmosphere and tone was just. !!!!! ykwim . probably

i was reading in the car n there were multiple instances i was just grinning super fuckin wide at my phone abt will & maxs banter or the weird "rivals slash strangely soft at moments ??" vibe or the partys whole dynamic they just fit together like puzzle pieces its so <3 super duper excited for ch2 and so on forth im a sucker for summer romance

(sorry for the spam the fic is so good im ascending aha) anyways im just imagining mikes internal reaction thats not v internal actually to wills glasses jurt like. short circuiting and Obviously people notice but will doesnt bcs uhh ao3 tag idiots in love & also i love the whole internal monologue about mikes shorts i feel like will would call unnecessary attention to them in a "we can see everything you whore" because at some point pointedly looking away isnt enough because that is too much leg for will to have any coherent thoughts ever & he just needs mike to cover up because Holy Shit . dammit you guys have gotten the ball rolling acswy byler is gonna be living rent free in my brain now. not complaining though

HELP NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR SPAM!!!!!!! thank you thank you thank you for your many kind words <3 i have said it before, but i am so incredibly relieved that the summer vibes and the party dynamics translated the way that i needed them to, because this universe is a bit of a beast so having the introductory chapter was stressful! i'm so glad that you loved them and that their idiocy came across and also that they live in your brain rent free because they live in ours rent free too!!!!!! i hope you enjoy what's to come just as much as you enjoyed the first chapter :D

#asks #ch01 #seriously thank you so much for all of this n for your comment on ao3 #feeling OVERWHELMED BY EVERYONE'S REACTIONS .

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ohfallingdisco · 1 year

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I’ve been scrolling on the byler tag and like I don’t understand something.

why is it delusional for Mike and Will to have similar internalized homophobia or similar queer stories. Straight characters literally have similar and/or the same stories.

And besides it’ll never be the same experiences between them.

While Will had Lonnie and the bullies making him feel like being queer is wrong, he was also surrounded by Joyce and Jonathan who made him feel like being different is good. I mean his speech in the van to Mike, saying that Mike makes him feel like being different is a good thing and that it makes him fight on. so yes, Will has internalized homophobia but it’s the 80s, im sure even Robin has it too. Like it was basically shamed if you were queer, who wouldn’t have internalized homophobia.

Mike had his dad and the bullies too making him feel like being queer will get you killed or that it’s a bad thing. Except he didn’t have a older sibling to tell him that it’s okay to be different because Nancy was going through something similar with how she thought she had to act a certain way. And his mom, though she told him in s1 that he can tell her anything and had a queer coded scene, she hasn’t since after. So he’s gonna have some internalized homophobia no matter what. But unlike Will he doesn’t have the side that tells him it’s okay and even better being different. So he conforms to the society norms and hides that part of himself, and even to himself he hides it. But in s4 he has Eddie. Someone had pointed out this so credits to them, that Eddie made Mike feel like being different, liking D&D and not conforming to the norms is cool. I mean Eddie’s speech about how “forced conformity is what’s killing the kids” probably wasn’t the first time he brought it up. And we even see it in Mike’s clothes. He finding out who he is and not hiding so much from it.

All to say is, everyone is allowed to think what they want about a character. What I don’t like seeing is people saying it’s delusional to think that Mike and Will are on similar queer storylines.

Why is it delusional??

They aren’t the same story anyways. They definitely would parallel each other but it’s different. parallel doesn’t mean exactly exactly the same. it’s just similar.

seriously. we need to stop throwing around the words crazy delusional or even weird, because like at the end of the day we all agree that Mike is queer. and that Byler is endgame.

we keep saying we all can have our own opinions and then see posts that call eachother delusional or weird. Like stop.

we’re not even fighting about different things. It’s like we’re yelling at eachother but we agree on things.

Oh anon, you and me both, I completely agree

I’ve seen people get really defensive about any other characters mirroring Will’s story, which I think I understand where they’re coming from when they say stuff like “he’s the only one with X trauma so don’t take it from him,” but also—a lot of queer people grow up with similar experiences? And he’s not the only queer character we have anymore. Their stores all parallel each other, even if they are wildly different.

Will is gay, in love with his best friend, a young teenager figuring himself out, has experienced homophobia onscreen, and has found one or more outlets for negative feelings as a result of his queerness.

In addition to, all under 18:

Robin, a lesbian, who likes someone from band she’s been shown to be very friendly with, and has shown expectation of homophobia onscreen—and has verbally expressed fear over being outed to the wrong person. Steve has narratively and thematically been built to be her queer support by s4: he’s not going through the same problems as she is, but he loves her unconditionally and supports her for who she is.

Vickie, heavily implied to be bisexual or somewhere under that umbrella, whose boyfriend was someone she wanted to go to a weapons store of all places with, and who now likes Robin now, a girl from band she’s been shown to be very friendly with and interested in getting along with. Her experiences with homophobia are more subtle, but we see her really jittery when it’s hinted she could be queer. I say that counts. Her queer support comes most obviously in the pb&j talk with Robin at the end of s4, though she seems well-adjusted enough to reasonably have more, honestly.

And, Mike—surprise!—follows the pattern, too. I personally think it makes the most narrative sense with the queercoding established if he was gay, but bi Mike and other interpretations are valid and cool, too. We agree he’s in love with his best friend, of course, and from the very first season, we saw Troy and his squad targeting most of their taunts about Will being a “fairy” etc. at Mike, and anti-gay propaganda being spread avidly around him. His queer support, like you said, despite the few others who’ve offered, was definitely Eddie. S4 was the first time we’ve seen Mike openly embracing his true self, and his one episode in Hawkins carried queer Mike being happy for most of the show. Of course, Will would’ve probably loved to have been support for Mike, but he has no clue Mike is queer, obviously.

So, yeah, that’s a long-winded way to say I agree lol. Straight cis allosexual people even go through a lot of the same experiences during adolescence, so why would it be any different for queer people? Hell, honestly, with the way the show’s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if we got queer Henry Creel in flashbacks, too.

I really appreciate the ask!! You’ve clearly thought about this and brought some really interesting points to the table, so cheers for that lol. I don’t know why there’s so much division about queer experiences needing to be totally different for them to be unique, but hopefully people will come around soon. Frustration is normal, but it always ends eventually, in good situations.

I don’t know how much I answered your question, exactly, but hope this was at least entertaining anon lmao 💜

#ask #queer experience #stranger things parallels #will is will and every other queer character is themselves but their uniqueness doesn’t mean they haven’t shared experiences <3

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allhallowstiel · 2 years

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so, i’m gonna try to provide an explanation as to why people are upset about will rn, because there seems to be some misinterpretation going on. if you read through what i have to say and you still don’t agree, cool. i just think it’s understandable why people are hurt and wanted to explain that a bit more.

(explanation under the cut bc this post is long):

first and foremost, we know that the show itself did not queerbait with byler. although the show heavily implied that will had feelings for mike, they never strongly suggested that mike felt the same. most of the “evidence” that byler had was mostly just theories put together based on crumbs- and i say this as a byler shipper.

the reason people are saying they were queerbaited is mostly because of netflixgeeked.

egging fans on on twitter:

using the byler tag on their tiktoks:

being unhinged on instagram:

“but netflixgeeked is just a glorified fan account” true! but they have that checkmark and they’re affiliated with netflix

but rest assured, the official netflix accounts also got in on the action!

(i borrowed some of these screenshots from hypnct1c2.0 on tiktok)

for those of you who witnessed the voltron mess, you might notice that this all seems rather familiar. netflix has a bit of a history of baiting fans.

now there’s a bit of a debate on whether noah is also to blame considering what he’s said about byler- and while for the most part i think actors are just people who read a script, i do think it was kind of odd that he would tell people to ship byler knowing that it only ends in heartbreak for will. i also don’t know why he would say that they’re building up byler when the only thing volume 2 did was break it down. i’d like to think it was just poor wording on his part- he’s a kid and probably doesn’t even know what queerbaiting really is, but i do wish he had chosen his words better because i think they gave a lot of people hope.

THAT is where the queerbaiting accusations are coming from. people are for the most part pissed off at netflix.

will’s sexuality

people are also upset because they didn’t feel that will’s sexuality was addressed properly. i think the van scene was clear as day to people who can read subtext, but the fact that i still see people insisting that will has been acting weird because he’s secretly in love with eleven and upset that mike is with her is... frustrating. at this point, the general audience should get it, and they don’t.

i mean, look at this screenshot i took from an article today talking about unanswered questions in volume 2.

“it’s unclear”. we have people who are writing about stranger things and covering it in their articles that were left feeling like it wasn’t clear. personally im flabbergasted since, again- that van scene was incredibly loud to me, but then i remember that not everyone automatically reads into byler shit. like i mentioned before- there are people who still think will is in love with el, even after david harbour shot that idea down.

but the general audience doesn’t typically watch or read interviews, or read into things with a byler lens. but- aside from a few idiots that desperately want to ship robin with steve for some reason- most people in the ga do know and understand that robin is a lesbian. she never explicitly said the word lesbian, she didn’t get up and wave a pride flag around- but we all got it. for some reason, the message that will is gay isn’t getting to people. we still have people insisting that he’s in love with el, or that he just “doesn’t wanna grow up”.

now it’s important to note here that will isn’t any less valid just because he’s not out, but there is more than one way to indicate that a character is gay. no one is asking for will to start waving a pride flag around in indiana in the 80′s. but i think that this is the main reason people wanted will to get vecna’d- we would likely see vecna taunting will over his feelings for mike, which would confirm his sexuality without having him come out to anyone. i think what fans wanted was more of something along those lines- no one wants will to put his safety at risk and no one thinks will is any less valid for not being out. the anger all comes out of love for the character- it’s just that sometimes that anger ends up being misdirected because people don’t know who to be angry at.

there are some fans that feel represented by will, since having a crush on your straight best friend is a relatable and common experience for closeted kids. there are others who are frustrated with the ambiguity. both of these feelings are valid and i believe they can coexist.

what i think is going on with this is that the duffers assumed the van scene and that hug with jonathan would be enough to clue the general audience in. it wasn’t, and now will fans are frustrated at having to defend will being gay for another two or three years while we wait for season 5.

but i will say that anyone saying “we got the van scene, what more do you want” needs to just Not, because despite how loud that scene was, his struggle with his sexuality is far from over, and there are some things that i think season 5 needs to deliver on. it just fucking sucks that it turns out we have to wait again- and we have to hope that what we get is worth the wait.

the painting

now this is the biggest thing that most people are angry about. people are angry that will’s feelings for mike were essentially used to push mike and el back together.

yes, will made the choice to lie about the painting. but i honestly don’t think mike would’ve put it together even if will hadn’t lied. he clearly doesn’t remember the letter, because if he did, he would’ve seen through will’s lie right away. if he can’t remember what el said in the letter, then i don’t think he would read into the painting if im being honest.

but even putting the painting aside- which is beyond frustrating since it was hyped up as this important thing between mike and will, not mike and el- all of mike and will’s scenes this season were just them talking about el. will spent the entire season trying to fix mike and el’s relationship despite how much it’s absolutely breaking him- and he doesn’t get jack fucking shit for it. no closure, no self-acceptance, no character growth- just angst for the sake of angst.

and the worst part is that he’s always going to be exposed to their relationship because el is now his sister. he’s trapped. he’s always going to see them together and wish it could be him in el’s place. it feels like they’ve made him miserable and they’re never gonna let him move on.

queer characters should never be used to strengthen or push a straight relationship. mike did not need to be involved in will’s coming out storyline. that’s why i feel like they only did it for the drama. will could’ve easily started having feelings for a guy at his new school. but honestly, at the rate they’re going, i feel like the most we’ll get is a five second shot in the last episode of him and his boyfriend.

it’s disgusting that will’s feelings were used for mlvn. his feelings were not treated with any sort of respect or decency. we deserved at least one fucking scene of them this season that wasn’t will pushing mike to be with el.

so, yeah. hopefully this post gives you some insight on the real reasons people are upset, because a lot of things are being wildly misinterpreted rn and i wanted to set the record straight.

#stranger things #will byers #byler #just trying to clear some things up #bc some of yall..... wow. you are not getting it at all #also people's hurt feelings are incredibly valid so... maybe stop trying to tell people they don't have the right to feel sad??#ultimately we all just want the best for will #and we don't feel like he's gonna get it at this rate

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henrysglock · 1 year

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I posted 7,655 times in 2022

That's 7,655 more posts than 2021!

1,341 posts created (18%)

6,314 posts reblogged (82%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@heroesbyler

@aemiron-main

@magentamee

@octobergrae

@laozuspo

I tagged 2,630 of my posts in 2022

#byler - 659 posts

#will byers - 547 posts

#stranger things - 515 posts

#mike wheeler - 457 posts

#asks - 427 posts

#personal - 235 posts

#henry/vecna/001 - 131 posts

#paper faces - 120 posts

#byler tumblr - 101 posts

#@prev - 84 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#please put your hands through the pats of my cage i promise i won’t bite you i promise i won’t rip you to shreds please please please put—

My Top Posts in 2022:

guys i hate to break it to you but i found a leaked pic of mikhail and—

1,250 notes - Posted August 26, 2022

i still can’t believe Will made fucking self-insert OC fanart of Mike and him and their friends and had the guts to not only show it to Mike but also to use it as a means to give Mike a thinly-veiled love confession.

who the fuck is doing it like Will Byers? the man is fucking insane??? the ClA couldn’t force me to do something that fucking cringe. like Will I love you man, and that was precious!! but that was also one of the single most cringe things i’ve ever witnessed 😭😭😭

like ok imagine making (sfw) furry art of your crush and you and showing it to them like “haha yeah man these are our fursonas,, no no yeah your girlfriend commissioned it actually lol— but see how you’ve got a white, heart shaped patch of fur? that’s because you’re the heart of the clan—”

IM SHAKING AND SOBBINF—

1,451 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

Can we all, just for a moment, sit and think how much of a menace Will and Mike are going to be in s5?

Will is 200% snarkier now than he was before. Mike is a known menace already. I need to see some quality judgmental tag-teaming. I need them to share Looks™ and make Comments™. I need to see them piggyback off each other to roast the shit out of people.

Will "Friends? What friends?" Byers and Mike "Cursed out his teachers at age 13" Wheeler.

Will "😐🙄🫢" Byers and Mike "🤨😪🤢" Wheeler.

They're 15-17 years old. They're finally back together. Both of them are bored and quarantined in Hawkins. sheeeeeeesh.

2,271 notes - Posted September 12, 2022

I love how rink-o-mania can literally just be summed up in

will: *sigh* 🙄 😔 🛼 👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻 😐🫡 🫥

mike: 👁👁 🤨 🤔 ??? *visibly shaking because he hasn't filled his daily quota of William Byers Interactions and Affection*

2,414 notes - Posted September 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

the funniest part of byler and byler doubt is that...Mike is literally written in such a way that Will couldn't get a boyfriend. Mike threw a fit in S4 when Will wasn't paying him enough attention.

if Will ever mentioned anyone else Mike would go insane like

Will: So there's this gu-- Mike: What guy? He's not good enough for you. I'll kick his ass. Tell me his name I'm gonna kick his ass. Will: Mike: Will: Mike: Seriously tell me about this gu-- Will: How about we have some quiet time, actually.

3,208 notes - Posted October 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #all is right in the world #this sums up Aug-Dec perfectly

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aphlys88 · 2 years

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a mileven analysis/rant in relation to the other main ships in the show + me going off topic

Before you start this is not a pro-Mileven post or anything. Im going to analyze(or at least try) their relationship in relation to others, and relate that to how they're not making it out of s4 vol 2. STRANGER THINGS S4 SPOILERS IN THIS POST

This is also my first analysis of anything. if I get anything wrong pls correct me. this analysis/rant is all over the place lmao. I'm also writing this cus my stranger things brain rot is crazy rn.

I'd like to start out by saying I do think Mike loved/liked El in a romantic way at some point, most likely being in seasons 1 and 2. What the two of them had in the first two seasons is highly reminiscent of first love, or puppy love, because that's what it was Mike has never been in a relationship or really had a friendship(to my knowledge) with a girl. El was raised in a lab, Mike was one of the first people she met, he took her in, and the story goes from there.

I think the circumstances of their relationship also play a factor in their later relationships and eventually lead to their downfall. Mileven is very much a middle school, first love, puppy love relationship like I said before. 9/10 these don't work out. They're also kind of codependent on each other which isn't always good in s3. Milevens point out that Lumax and Dustin x Susie are other middle schools/first love relationships that work. However, these ships have many things in common as well as different from each other.

Lumax

Lucas and Max are a relationship that people like to bring up concerning Mileven. Like Mileven, they have their rough patches, but ultimately, they end up making up together in the end. In season 4, the obstacle facing Lumax is that Max doesn't want to open up to others, she shuts herself and her emotions off from people in her life, and doesn't let anyone know what's going on with her, or her life and Lucas not exactly "seeing her". This brings a problem that leads to their breakup, (Max is going through a lot, and doesn't feel fit for a relationship with anyone right now). However, we see that both of them try to take steps to fix the rift that is caused between them. Lucas admits that he wasn't there, and Max feels regretful for closing herself off. Although they haven't gotten back together in vol.1 This sets up the likely possibility of them getting back together in vol. 2.

Communication is what helped fixed the rift between them. Communication is something Mileven doesn't really have in this season.

Mileven + Me getting off track and ranting a little.

Mileven has essentially 3 rifts this season that are pushing them apart.

Mike not being able to say I love you/not listening.

El's lie

Mike's view of El.

Mike not being able to say I love you has been debated a lot since this season came out. Mike isn't the best at expressing himself, and it's also true that his parents are in a loveless relationship thus making it harder for him to say it, he can't even write it either. Which I think is important. Being able to write simply, "love Mike" should be something extremely simple for Mike to do. He doesn't even write it on the flowers that he's given El. It's because the love isn't there. Also, I don't like the argument that Mike and Nancy can't say I love you because of their parent's loveless relationship because Nancy can tell Jonathan "I love you" and tell other people she loves Jonathan. Mike can't even do this. She couldn't tell Steve she loved him, because she didn't love Steve. Simple. Stancy parallels Mileven also, but this has been discussed a lot on the Byler tag so I'm not gonna get into it.

El also lied to Mike. She didn't tell him about how bad things were for her and Will in California, which obviously makes Mike upset. It's understandable as to why she would lie, but in the end, it's still wrong. It's also interesting because her whole motto is "Friends don't lie,", and she finally lied. This isn't a small lie like what they broke up over in season 3, it's kinda major. It's also like the lie/secret with Jancy currently, where he didn't tell Nancy about not applying to their dream college, and lying and saying he didn't get a letter. These are both major things that could tear apart their relationship.

The final rift is Mike seeing her as a monster, and how his view of her has changed. In El's mind, the way Mike reacted toward the Angela debacle, is how Brenner reacted to her when he found her after she banished 001. He was scared, disappointed, and genuinely saw her as a monster, since he thought she caused all of this. I don't think Mike really saw her as a monster, it wouldn't make sense because he's seen her do so many worse things. Also, his view towards El has changed this season. He sees her more as someone who saved him, someone great, someone amazing who has superpowers. He idolizes her in a sense. It's seen in their fight in episode 3. He calls her a superhero, he feels as if other people are trying to ruin them, tearing them apart, etc. He obviously cares for her and loves her because he's hellbent on trying to get her back, but not because he loves her in that way. Idk I'm not good at explaining this. but anyways.

Also the take "The duffers aren't gonna make Byler canon because they spent 3 seasons building up Mileven, they're not gonna break them up for Will" is a bad excuse cus writers do it all the time in shows. (Riverdale, Bojack Horseman, You, Greys Anatomy, just to name a few). Also! When writers do this, it's to show over time the flaws in the relationship. It's to show that they weren't a perfect fit for each other, no matter how much the fans think it is. also queerbait but that's another rant.

Dustin and Suzie.

I'm making this section short cus there isn't much to say about/for them in relation to Mileven. In s3 and s4 Dustin and Suzie are on good terms. They're in a long-distance relationship along with Jancy and Mileven. Dustin also looks up to his girlfriend and has high praise for her, like Mike. Though he loves her for other reasons, and her being a "superhero" isn't a big thing about their relationship, why they got together, etc etc. Also, it seems that Dustin and Suzie communicated frequently(before she lost her stuff) and affirm their love for each other a lot that way. All Mike and El had were letters.

Season's 4 runtime is Just 5 minutes short of 4 hours. That's essentially 4 extra episodes fitting into Vol. 2. Though, even though this is a long time, most of this time will go to the storylines intertwining, and defeating Vecna. This isn't enough time to fix all the problems Mike and El have going on. I personally don't think the breakup will happen until everything's over and dealt with. I see it as a mutually healthy breakup, where they realize that they weren't the same 12/11-year-olds and have grown apart. El is growing and becoming her own person, Mike is probably trying to work out or realize his feelings for Will, and is coming to terms with the difference between loving and caring for someone. It would be best for them to part here and spend some time apart, which would set up perfectly for Byler in s5.

Where does Byler relate to all this?

Definitely endgame. I don't think it'll become canon in season 4, but I feel like realistically, the building blocks will be there for canonization in s5.

But in all actuality, I don't think Will is going to try and confess this season unless it gets vecna'd outta him. Since it's practically confirmed that he's gonna be a victim of Vecna. What I see happening, is Mike realizing his feelings towards Will while he's in danger, a scene with the painting after, which will affirm yeah he probably likes Will. Which will then push Mike and El to breakup, and for Mike to spend time to himself to try and figure out where he'll go from here.

TLDR: mileven isn't gonna workout and you cant use ships like lumax jancy stancy Dustin x Suzie etc to affirm how its gonna work out cus it's not lmao. also, Byler is def endgame, iont think it'll be canon in s4, but I do def see mike realizing his feelings towards will by the end of volume 2. byler canon byler real

#byler rights #byler tumblr #byler #byler is endgame #will byers #mike wheeler #byler is real #byler season 4 #mike and will #stranger things 4 spoilers #stranger things 4 #stranger things

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demadogs · 2 years

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Like I get all popular gay ships have a certain percentage of straight people shipping them and the more popular the ship, the more straights will be in there, statistically speaking, but as someone who is gay, "x ship is a gay ship for straights" is starting to rub me off the wrong way 😶

It was funny the first 10 times I heard it, but as a gay person on the other end, do you see how it might feel really shit to be told your interests are straight people things?

im gay and i absolutely love steddie. i think it had so much potential and i love the concept of bi steve so much. but in comparison to byler i said steddie was for straights as kinda a joke bc millions of queer people can identify with byler and seeing a a queer best friends to lovers slow burn in a scifi horror show especially one this popular is just so rare and its such a beautiful thing that its actually happen.

whereas steddie, eddie showed up for one season and steve eddie have become the biggest ao3 tag of the whole show and people voted for them in the script polls as if it’ll reveal anything? steddies so fun but we all know its not gonna happen.

and it kinda drives me crazy when people ship steddie but not byler. like ship wars are dumb and it shouldnt bother me, i know, but how do you ship a queer ship so hard core after just one season with barely any interactions, and the “gayest” interactions were improv, but are still oblivious and in denial of the COUNTLESS hints and clues and queercoding for byler? the answer i usually find is that theyre straight and still excruciatingly heteronormative. they’ll lose their shit over the improv’d line “dont ya big boy” but still use “we’re friends! we’re friends.” as evidence for mike not reciprocating his feelings and think we’re delusional.

it was a post criticizing some straight steddie fans, not steddie alone as a ship. i love steddie.

#im mostly talking about people on twitter i havent seen any annoying steddie fans here but that might be bc we’re all gay lmao #stranger things #byler #steddie #eden answers

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nyxi-pixie · 2 years

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microwave viability surverys being like 'mike doesnt like will back theres no evidence' is so funny bc it really proves my theory that the st general audience is.. fucking stupid

almost Every Single Canon Couple (and non canon too) on the fucking show has to be set up Through Other Characters bc the gen audience straight up wont understand otherwise

genuinely the only cases of this not happening that i can think of is susie and dustin (who got tgthr off screen and we as the audience are just told theyre tgthr) and lumax(arguably bc they were def getting there anyway but we do have dustins 'i felt the electricity' thing so??)

like does someone have to bonk mike on the head and be like "YOURE GAY FOR WILL" before the general audience agrees that theres proof for reciprocated byler😭😭😭

#byler #mike wheeler is gay #im so srs abt this literally every couple #jopper get murrayd #jancy also get murrayd and nance gets told to date jon by bestie flo #stancy are a classic case of expectation relationship bc it 'makes sense' in s1 and then in s4 #Three Seperate Characters tell them to get back tgthr(unsuccessfully but still)#on the topic of steve dustin is the one that tells him he likes robin #mikes told by various people that he has feelings for el #literally the only cases i can think of that are this doesnt happen at all is with suzie and dustin and with bob and joyce #and in both of these cases theres no development we are just told theyre together #lumax is a weird case of like it was gonna happen anyway but lucas does also get told that thats where its going by dustin #so 50/50 on them #anyway funny that the last 3 ships i mentioned. where theyre not told by anyone to get tgthr. are the healthiest. hmm #i mean aside from jopper maybe but they do also argue a lot and like hop is unreasonably jealous abt every man in a 50mile radius of joyce #love them tho but like #sorry the tags ran away from me again #to summarise #but ships shldnt need to be aggressively shoved into being by other people ¿pressuring? them #u shld be able to see mikes a fruit salad without someone like. calling him slurs or smthn💀💀#ik thats how they did it w will but noy every queer character has to get hatecrimed to be queercoded💀💀💀💀💀

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kiirotoao · 1 year

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Ok so I actually don't know if it was plural bc I can't find you anymore in my notifs (tiktok is weird as u know), but i do know you liked at least one video and one of my comments so I'll take it as we're bffs 😌 (also do you get hate at all? I love making silly vids but im also kinda new to tiktok and a little terrified)

HAHA omg !! And yeah TikTok can be finicky, especially as everyone has their own customizable settings on who can view what. I think that might be why the app is kinda wonky sometimes.

Anyway! About hate, I do get some innocuous ‘byler sucks’ type comments that I ignore, and I’ve gotten a couple rants, but otherwise, you guys are so lovely! I honestly get so many positive comments that they completely drown out the hate and I don’t even see it if it’s there anymore 😭💕.

Okay and I know this is a mouthful of a post/reply lol but I think it’s kinda important.

Some word of advice if you wish to be a regular content creator on TikTok: try and keep your content in the space of people who want it; for example, I like to add a bunch of different byler tags (like beyond #byler I also add #bylerisendgame, #bylerrights, etc.) so that I hopefully only reach fellow bylers. Pair this with a #fyp, and you will probably attract viewers who like byler (or whatever else you want to post about) through their for you page. And if you do receive hate, I believe that if someone watches your content, that was their decision. Sure, your video may have showed up on their fyp, but there’s an easy way to change the content you view and consume by using the “not interested” feature. The feature isn’t perfect, but it’s helpful, for sure. I know that some healthy education on the feature can be of good use to people who may not know about it, but for the most part, I expect people to just scroll if they don’t like what I say. I think that I’m responsible for what I write/say in my videos and what I tag, and anyone who watches my stuff is responsible for their consumption of it. So unless people are calling you out on something worth discussing, I think it’s best to just not engage with hate. Especially if it’s as unfounded and simple as “I hate x thing” or “I hate you” without any explanation. I’ve also noticed that my more viewed videos have more hate, which I think is a general truth of anything. The more popular something is, the more people know about it, the higher the chances that there are gonna be people who don’t like it. So yes! I receive some hate, but I choose to respond according to the situation.

Sorry the educator in me came out 😂

#byler tiktok

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rotessaboggs · 1 year

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I posted 1,060 times in 2022

That's 1,025 more posts than 2021!

21 posts created (2%)

1,039 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mlchaelwheeler

@andiwriteordie

@willel

@queerxqueen

@new-ronantics

I tagged 54 of my posts in 2022

#byler - 27 posts

#will byers - 16 posts

#stranger things - 15 posts

#theories - 6 posts

#analysis - 5 posts

#sorry this turns into a rant - 1 post

#y'all making me emotional - 1 post

#share this again - 1 post

#im crying rn - 1 post

#south-east asian - 1 post

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#but like i can't imagine how they are gonna defeat vecna in any other ways except for taking what he preys on and uses it against him

My Top Posts in 2022:

I'm so disappointed to the point that I can't feel anything but empty right now. Will, you don't deserve this treatment.

20 notes - Posted July 1, 2022

79k!!! I remember when I first started to follow the tag, it was like 20k something or even less. And now we are 21k away from 100k??? Oh man that's crazy to think about.

22 notes - Posted August 4, 2022

No matter what is gonna happen in vol 2, I just wanna say that I had a time of my life reading all the theories and analysis of you guys. Some people may say “it’s not that deep” but to me, what makes a work of fiction have a lasting impact is the fact that we can dive deep into the story, decipher the smaller details and see how it contributes to the larger picture. Arts continue to live on because we, as the audience, never cease to analyze and interpret it with different angles and layers.

In the months leading up to the release of reputation back in 2017, I read tons of amazing theories. Although many of them ended up not being accurate but looking back, I never regretted being invested in them because they gave me the thrills that only a well-done work of art can do: that there is always something more to what we see on the surface.

I’m not sure if what I’m saying makes sense or not because I’m so stressed out right now and English is not my native language. So in short, thank you so much for all the theories, analysis, and memes that you guys have posted in the last month. I will remember June 2022 for the rest of my life <3

37 notes - Posted July 1, 2022

How realistic should a work of fiction be? ~aka this is me rambling~

Warning: This is going to be more like me getting all of my messy thoughts out of my head than a coherent in-depth analysis. So read it at your own expense lol. Still, I would really love to read you guys’ thoughts and opinions on this topic. This is something I have been pondering upon for quite some time but I didn’t have the urge to write it down until I saw people on Twitter “arguing” over what a therapist said about Mike.

Also, English is not my native language so sorry in advance for any spelling/ grammatical mistakes or ambiguous/ confusing word choices. I won’t mind if you guys point it out for me.

First of all, let me start off with some chit-chats (you guys can skip it if you like). I have no intention of “forcing” my opinions on others so I want to make it clear how I am like which can affect my viewpoint intrinsically.

A few years ago, I generally didn’t care much about films or TV shows, to be honest. I did watch movie analysis for fun but I have always been a book lover and I tend to gravitate towards classic literature because they usually make heavier impacts on me (I may use some examples of classic lit later on). I usually opt for classic lit because I feel more certain that it has the thing I love - a character-driven narrative in which we get to dive deep into a character’s inner self, explore all their turmoils in exquisite detail, and observe a natural progression in their thoughts and feelings.

It was in late 2017 or early 2018 that I watched a video explaining the first two seasons of Stranger Things that I got interested in the show. It was specifically Noah’s acting and Will’s possession arc in season 2 that made me become a fan, not gonna lie. I was super excited to watch season 3 right when it came out. And … It made me so disappointed that I felt weirdly left out when other people all seemed to enjoy it. I thought maybe it was just me and I didn’t think of the show at all during the three-year period between season 3 and 4. I clearly didn’t know that Will is gay or pay any attention to the underlying problem in mlvn’s relationship. That kinda qualifies me as one of the general audience, right? Volume 1 blew me away and made me hooked on this show again. And then I came across posts and analyses about Will and Mike (in season 4 and other seasons) and I was even more blown away by all the subtexts and parallels (you guys are AMAZING!). In one way or another, I support byler because if it is really the direction the show is heading towards, it proves that the piece of entertainment I am consuming at the moment has so much depth, breadth, and width. And that has always been the thing that gives me an amazing sensation of blissfulness and satisfaction when I enjoy art. It makes me feel like a diver making her way down the mysterious depth of the ocean, being fascinated by all the questions and wonders.

Thank you for getting through that. Let me get to the main question now.

How realistic should a work of fiction be?

I have seen a lot of people say things like “Stranger Things is a show about a girl who throws off a car with her mind and alternate dimensions with monsters but gay characters in the 80s is where you draw the line, really?” Although I agree with the overall sentiment here, there is always something irking in the back of my mind about this argument, about when things should be realistic and when the writers can just do anything they want.

In this case, I won’t bring all the supernatural things into this discussion because I think the matter is not whether things are realistic or not, it’s more about whether all the supernatural elements really align with each other in the grand scheme of things, whether later discoveries explain or disrupt the set of established rules and norms (which can be absurdly unrealistic) we have from earlier seasons. Although there have been quite a few inconsistencies, especially in regard to the Upside Down as people pointed out, there is still the last season 5 in which more will be explained so yeah … let’s wait and see how it will pan out.

What I do care though is the characters, their personal developments, and the dynamics they have with each other.

Back to the therapist I mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly what she said but as far as I hear from other people, she explained Mike’s behaviors in a way that is favorable to mvln so undoubtedly, mlvn shippers use it as their proof. Meanwhile, they are pretty much against an analysis of a person with film degrees and experience in media literacy. On the side of byler, there is an opposite response: more in favor of the latter, of course.

In my opinion, this is pretty much a gray area. On the one hand, I can see why people cling to the analysis of the therapist because characters are humans and their behaviors and thought process can be explained through the lens of psychology just as normal human beings. On the other hand, they are also fictional entities who play a part in a story, directly engage the audience into a narrative, and are the means through which the emotional impacts are created. Rather than seeing this in a black-and-white manner like “it’s not realistic to do this or that” or “oh come on it’s fiction,” I would say the boundary between the realistic and creative aspects is pretty blurry, especially when people are just talking generally about the show without specifically focusing on a character, relationship, or plotline.

A basic opinion that I first had about this is that: the journey that a character goes through should make sense and make the audience feel like it’s relatable to a certain extent (or at least understandable). But to adhere strictly to reality for the sake of being realistic isn’t it. That personal journey, with its progression, climax, resolution, and aftermath, has to serve a purpose, or in another word, it has to be purposeful and consequential.

People argue that Will being gay, in love with Mike and potentially having his feeling reciprocated + having a happy ending isn’t realistic because it’s the 1980s - a really homophobic period. They believe that it would be more realistic and accurate for Will to be rejected or something along the line. But if it is the path his arc is heading towards, then I wonder for what purpose then?

(This thought came after I finished this whole writing so I don’t know where to put it except here. Consider it an irrelevant note if you like) So … When I think of the word “realistic” when talking about fiction, I recall a quote that one of my professors mentioned in our class: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” I question if it can be applied in this case. Although the 1980s was not a great period of time for gay people, was there anyone who actually got to have a happy ending? If those people exist, is it “unrealistic” for us to tell their stories instead of the conventional one - the one with no joy and happy ending at all? OK maybe that’s not what realistic actually means and maybe I’m way off base.

To be as close as the reality of the time is an obvious answer that some people may cling to but is it enough to be the drive of the arc of a main character?

I am currently reading “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'' by Anne Bronte and I am pleasantly surprised by how progressive the book’s ideology is considering that at the time it was published, women were devoid of any independence of their own and viewed as the properties of their husbands. To see a woman of that time (not only the heroine of the book but also the very author) deliberately going against that mindset is empowering indeed. The things happening in the book aren't necessarily “realistic” but sometimes we have to defy reality to get a message across and to create an emotional impact. Particularly when it comes to a progressive ideology like feminism or LGBT+ rights, by defying the reality, the writers are able to create a work that continues to be impactful decades or centuries later on. Or on a much more personal scale, we may say it’s a way of self-fulfillment for the authors who didn’t get a chance to live a better life (like Jane Austen with all of her books). Either way, there is a purpose.

On the other hand, there are also authors who don’t defy the rules and norms of the time and try to make their stories realistic. I always think about “Tess of the d’Urbervilles'' by Thomas Hardy in regard to this because that book hurts me like hell with its pessimistic progression and devastating ending. Spoiler alert, the main protagonist of the book doesn’t get a chance to escape the bleak reality of her life and the love story in the book doesn’t have a happy ending at all. Upsetting as it is, it makes sense when we learn more about Thomas Hardy. He is a person who is known for “his stoical pessimism and his sense of the inevitable tragedy of life.” Although one of his most popular books “Far from the madding crowd” has a happy ending, there are still a whole lot of pessimistic things and tragedies that plague nearly all the portions of the book. Also, sticking to a realistic portrayal of the society and having the characters suffer immensely can be a way of social critique, having the general audience confronted with unfairness and cruelty of this world, to encourage them to actually think about justice and equality instead of being indifferent towards those matters.

Now, based on what we know of the Duffer brothers (there are other writers as well, but overall, they created the whole thing in the first place so let’s just narrow it down to them), which side would you think they gravitate towards?

Depressing as the show can get sometimes, it still offers us a message of hope and optimism, as well as emphasizing the power of self-esteem, friendship, and love. As someone who has always felt like an outcast, a second thought, and someone who tried to seek validation from other people to feel worthy in high school, I find the show relatable and inspiring, and I believe that it’s the effect the show creators want to bring about.

If Will’s feeling for Mike is not reciprocated and he somehow ends up sacrificing not only his heart but also himself in season 5, what message and effect do you think that would bring? Not just in the LGBT+ community but also people who find themselves resonate with Will in any certain ways.

Counter arguments

One may argue that well, if you want Mike and El to break up, it would still suck because she has suffered a lot and deserves love and happiness. Now I would support this if it were not for the things happening in episode 9 and her overall character arc. To be honest, I didn’t really care about El in earlier seasons because I tend to just hyper-fixate on one character at a time. But there are aspects of her arc this season that I find particularly relatable and touching. It’s her need to feel accepted, validated, and loved.

At the beginning of the season, the foundation upon which she depends her self-esteem comes from the outside, which as we have all seen, causes even a lot more trouble to her mental health. All the bullies and harassment and then the lack of love received from Mike - all contribute to pushing her closer to the edge. At first, her coping mechanism is shrugging it off, putting it aside and pretending that all is good. It really doesn’t help that she can’t be honest with Mike about her struggles although hypothetically, they should be able to be so if their relationship is healthy and advantageous to both sides. I think all the lies are pretty much rooted in insecurity as she is an original person now without any superpower. She has been trying to find herself for several seasons but this is the first time there is no “superpower” - the main thing that many people see when they see El: a thing that they may depend upon in dire circumstances, or at worst weaponize for their own benefit. Her being left without it makes the issue of finding herself even more pressing because it seems now to her that she is no longer as helpful as before.

Despite the facade of happiness, all the distress is still there, waiting to surge up, breaking the dam when the time comes. That time being at the Rink-O-Mania. After that, we finally get the chance to see her true thoughts and feelings. We see that under the facade of happiness, those demeaning labels and names have really caught up to her and affected the way she defines her self-worth. It doesn’t just stop at “I’m different. I don’t fit in.” She literally sees herself in the worst light possible - a monster - something that brings destruction and death.

So the main character arc of El for the rest of the season (and I believe it will continue in season 5) revolves a lot around her defining her very self-worth (she alone knows herself best, not anyone around her; not Hopper, not Mike, her), making her own decisions despite the biggest authority figure in her life - Papa - saying “NO,” and most importantly, accepting herself (and her abilities) for what things are. If need be, she is going to use them in a violent way, like fighting against Vecna or the military, or use it to save Max - her dearest friend. When I first watched episode 9, I was a bit annoyed by the fact that they have El revive Max in such a way because it feels like they want to avoid a main character’s death. But when I ponder upon it a bit more, I see it as a beautiful contradiction with how her power has been used continuously in every season - something that causes damage and death vs. something that can revive life. There is no clear-cut definition like the monster or the superhero because these words imply certain qualities that completely contradict each other and cannot co-exist in one entity, that entity being El. She is Eleven and she is more complex than what those labels can ever describe.

Now this is exactly where I have issues with Mike’s monologue. Because he keeps going on and on about her power (a lot of which isn’t even accurate) and calls her a superhero. Many people have talked about this but let me put it down here just to make things clear: Mike is holding El back from her personal development. She cannot open up to Mike about her life in California, suppressing her negative feelings and thoughts all the way, because he has always looked up to her for her abilities and she can’t bear his pity if he knows the truth. She feels unloved because Mike cannot write the word “love” to her but once again she tries to put that aside. Mike’s words after she hits Angela triggers her traumatic experience at the lab - the one which makes her feel like a monster. And then when she finally gets to see that there is no such thing as a monster or hero, she being way more complicated than what others dictate her to be, Mike once again brings back the word “superhero.”

OK I didn’t intend to write that much about El, which is a bit funny considering that my favorite character is Will. I am feeling like I am driving at night without any headlight so let me end this part with a question: If she continues her relationship with Mike in season 5 without both resolving all the underlying problems in their relationship, it being the fact that they cannot really be themselves around each other and therefore, hindering their own personal development due to each being the main source of validation for the other, what purpose would it serve? What emotional impact and message can that bring about at the end of the day? What is potentially the climax of resolution of all these underlying issues that have lain around for seasons?

The psychological (realistic) and narrative (fictional) aspect of a character’s personal arc is so intricately interwoven to each other that to me, to erase one side from the argument (to completely cling to the analysis of a therapist) portrays a black-and-white way of looking at the show. I still love listening to character analysis of people who have knowledge of psychology though, because I love psychology a lot but I’m not going to forget that I’m watching a show in which everything has a sense of purpose and has to fit into a narrative. At the moment, we still have a whole season left and none of the characters have completed their arc yet, not to mention we are kept in the dark about some of the character’s actual thoughts and feelings and the only thing we can do now is deducing from what we see or hear from the show and other related sources of hint.

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42 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

PREACH!!!! OMG I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!

70 notes - Posted July 17, 2022

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