#it's just a question

[alexanaraxadel]

does anyone else obsessively spiral about the ethics & morality of *gestures vaguely* existence or did i just grow up on twitter

#it's just a question

[here2bbtstrash]

GOOD MORNING

#mposting #thinking abt: yoongi balls #would y'all disown me if i wrote subby yoongi cbt #nothing crazy but like. just a lil. ya know #it's just a question #discord out of context

[rosstrytobe]

"Did you leave her house in the middle of the night?"

"Did you wish you'd put a little more of a fight?"

"When she said it was too much"

"Did you wish you could still touch her?"

#it's just a question #question #taylor swift #midnights #byler #byler s3 #byler s4 #mike x will #stranger things s4 #stranger things s3

[ailix]

Can I ask you a question...?

Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room? And every single one of your friends was making fun of you? But fifteen seconds later they were clapping too? Then, what did you do? Did you leave her house in the middle of the night? Oh. Did you wish you'd put up more of a fight? Oh. When she said it was too much, do you wish you could still touch her? It's just a question.

#it's just a question #taylor swift #the chorus genuinely feels like a tumblr post

[yourivygrows13]

Ticketmaster, Monopolies, and why The Eras Tour shitshow is not Taylor's fault, but Ronald Reagan's

Alright tumblr. I'm not an economist, but I took IB Econ SL in High School and still talk to my teacher so I'm enough of one for tumblr. I also have ADHD, and my hyperfocus loves to research, and I have been an obsessive music fan since birth and have been going to concerts regularly since my dad deemed me old enough to sit through one. I've also worked in radio for many years and I'm a music journalist. There are my credentials.

So strap in and let's discuss what the fuck is happening right now with Ticketmaster, The Eras Tour, and the outrage. This is gonna be a long one.

Ticketmaster as it stands now is the result of a merger (With Live Nation) that shouldn't have happened and is a capitalistic monster that needs to be taken down. Full stop. So why did Taylor Swift choose to use them for her tour? The simple answer is she had no choice if she wanted to tour venues that could adequately meet the demand she generates. Ticketmaster has such a chokehold on the ticketing industry, that venues are incentivized to use them as their ticketing service because Ticketmaster sells the most tickets. Yes, venues can use other services or even their own, but a massive stadium probably doesn't have the developers and engineers needed to handle events with 60k+ capacities. Pre-merger with Live Nation, these larger venues had more options. But since the merger in 2010, there is not a single ticketing service that can touch Ticketmaster. When Taylor is planning a tour, she and her event promoter (AEG) have control over some things like stage design and ticket prices (which, the face value of the tickets for The Eras Tour was very reasonable BEFORE FEES and BEFORE DYNAMIC PRICING. When you take into account just how much putting a tour on costs just in the sheer amount of people you have to employ $899 for the most expensive VIP level ticket is a lot of money, but it's 2022 and there is serious inflation going on. Taylor doesn't control the entire global economy. Dynamic pricing shouldn't be allowed in my opinion and artists should not opt in for it in my opinion. I have no idea what logistics go into opting out and I'm sure Ticketmaster does everything they can to incentivize people not to. But yes, as far as I am aware, dynamic pricing is a choice artists make so if Taylor had dynamic pricing, that was a decision made internally. I can't say I would make the same choice, but I'm not a touring musician. Also, I say IF she had, because in my experience of trying to buy tickets for this tour my friends and I did not encounter any dynamic price shifts for any of the shows we attempted to get tickets for.) She and her event promoters do not have a say in who sells the tickets. That is decided by the venue. Taylor is at the point in her career where she can't not play stadiums. There is just too much demand. For example, she's playing three dates at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. On her reputation tour she played to a total (across 2 nights) of 107,378 people. (Her stage for The Eras Tour is much bigger than the rep stage, so that capacity goes down a bit). But using that as a number: For The Eras Tour, by selling out 3 dates she'd play for roughly161,067 people. If she were to play Wells Fargo Center (the arena in Philadelphia. She started playing stadiums during speak now. She hasn't played places this small in the US in YEARS) she'd have to play 7.5 shows in Philly alone to play to the same number of people.

And most arenas still use Ticketmaster. But you get my point. She would have to basically never stop touring if she wanted to play for the same number of people on a stadium tour, in smaller venues. Using Philadelphia as an example, as that's a mid tier venue for her capacity wise: To play to roughly the same amount of people on The Eras Tour if she did arenas instead of stadiums she'd have to play 390 shows in the United States alone. She's incredible, but that's unreasonable to ask of ANYONE. She has to sell her tickets through whatever service the venues use. The vast majority of NFL stadiums use Ticketmaster. Her hands are tied. Could she straight up not tour? Yes. But if you actually expect her to do that, or any artist for that matter, you need to lower your expectations. It's her job. That argument is going to get people nowhere. We live in a capitalist society. That needs fixing before we can expect people to operate outside of it. So. Anyway. Why can any of this bullshit happen at all? Great. Fucking. Question. In the 1890s, The Sherman Act was put into place to essentially keep big corporations from gaining a monopoly over the market. It was decided that for everyone's best interest, we needed policies in place that would keep prices as low as possible by fostering healthy competition. Yes, this largely concerned things like oil and other big shit that controls our society. It all goes back to that shit. There have been other acts as well, btw. But for the sake of tumblr I'm sticking with a high level overview.

Fun fact: At the time, and into the "Golden Age" of antitrust policy (the 1940s to late 1970s), keeping competition in the market was seen as a remedy for fascism, and antitrust laws enabled that remedy. Antitrust policies started to fall in the late 1970s. Another fun fact: Ticketmaster started in 1976. I have no proof to back this being more than a coincidence, but do with that information what you will. In the late 70s, the Chicago School of Economics(/Antitrust Laws) began to popularize the idea that courts weren't super efficient at regulating these things and that inefficiency was holding us back and bigger wasn't necessarily bad. I'm simplifying. But that's it in a nutshell. Their school of thought became known as the "consumer welfare standard." If the whole purpose of antitrust policy was to keep prices low--which, at the time, was seen to equate maximum output, efficient allocation of resources, and thriving competition--then why did that mean that every single move that increased the price of goods had to be deemed unlawful if markets could self-correct? Which is how the Chicago School viewed them.

So in their eyes, only the most outrageous monopolies and forms of "anti-competitive conduct," basically anything that would keep markets from self-correcting, needed to be regulated. Their thinking was that some large mergers would indeed result in lower prices and efficient allocation of resources, and blocking everything was actually hindering that. Reagan was super on board with this, and his administration did a lot to reduce government regulation in business affairs. Now, the US presidents following Reagan didn't do much, if anything at all, to revert the changes that happened during this administration. And guess what? Markets do self-correct, but if a monopoly is big enough and if enough are allowed to happen, the market can't self-correct. Look at Ticketmaster/Live Nation. They are so large and control so much of the live events industry from owning venues to intense contracts that eat up entire cities, that there is literally nothing that can become enough of a competitor to correct the market to any level of "consumer welfare standard." Live Nation/Ticketmaster has absolutely zero incentive to do anything to improve customer experience, lower prices, loosen contracts, or put any measures in place to stop scalpers. Literally zero. Because no matter what, at the end of the day, if artists want to tour and if sports teams want to play and the general public wants to experience a live event of any kind in the United States, it is almost impossible to do so without involving LN/TM. There isn't an artist in this world big enough to take them down. Taylor Swift has a massive platform and a lot of influence. She cannot do anything about this alone. BTS don't have enough power to make a difference to an American based company. The Department of Justice and demanding governing officials and legislators to investigate and break up Ticketmaster is the only way this will ever change.

What the Reagan administration did in the 70s and what US Presidents have continued to do since, makes blocking these mergers from happening extremely difficult and not worth the time and energy. The fact that the Penguin Random House/Simon & Schuster merger was blocked is a miracle (and the Penguin/Random House merger should have never been allowed to happen!! The Kroger/Albertson's merger shouldn't have happened!!) So breaking up an already existing merger that created an unstoppable monopoly? That's even more impossible. So where does that leave us? Well, tired. Upset. Wondering how the hell Ticketmaster could just cancel the general on-sale for The Eras Tour when they explicitly state that there are still tickets left. But we can do something about it. Sign petitions. Call local legislators. Back the Tennessee District Attorney looking into it. Back AOC if she makes moves to do something about it. Our world is completely different than it was in the 1890s when The Sherman Act was put into place. It's completely different than it was in the Reagan Administration. It may seem silly to put effort into something like this when there are so many other things we have to fight for as well. But fighting for monopolies to be broken and blocked and fighting for antitrust policies to actually be upheld in ways that benefit TODAY'S society is important. You can be mad. You can scream. But at the end of the day, directing that anger and energy toward anyone but Live Nation/Ticketmaster isn't going to do anything. Let's fucking take down The Man. Resources if you want to learn more: Federal Trade Commission Department of Justice WP Article LA Times article from 1986 when shit was happening Rolling Stone article from 1995 about Pearl Jam's fight against Ticketmaster

#Taylor Swift #Ticketmaster #The Eras Tour #Taylor Swift Tix #Fuck Ticketmaster #Economics 101 #did the board game monopoly fuck up our society? #it's just a question #did a board game give us brain worms thinking monopolies are good #taylor swift the eras tour #taylor nation #live nation #break up ticketmaster #take them down #we got her to give us the all too well 10 minute version #we can make the government finally do something about this monopoly #swifties are a powerful group

[asteracaea]

why is the double disc vinyl of lover $25 on her website but single disc midnights are $29.99

#it's just a question

[foolsgender]

Like did you pay for tumblr plus? Genuinely curious because I've spent like two weeks off

If you're talking about the check marks it's a joke that tumblr did to make fun of twitter. You can pay $8 for two blue check marks that do nothing, simply for the goof of it all

#d.ask #it took me like 3 attempts not to read this in a hostile tone because i got a rude anon today and then i reread again and i was like oh #it's just a question #aslkdjfkalsdjf

[one-winged-dreams]

Hey quick question, why is Maxima so tall and megane, asking for a friend

#don't question my motives #it's just a question

[xiaq]

So my bike was stolen from our garage last night. My beloved, custom, carbon fiber, most-expensive-thing-I-own-aside-from-my-car bike. I just found it listed on FB marketplace. Shit is about to go down.

#im so mad i'm shaking #asking questions about it and he's just making shit up #fucking asshole

[spectralsleuth]

Reblog and put your rare pair in the tags/comments! I want to see the depths people will go to create, for the most random two characters in the most obscure media.

#poll #fanfiction #writing #ao3 #my answer is 4 i am curious if anyone can beat that #rare pair #fic #rare pair in question is Iron Bull/Carver Hawke just ftr #unhinged

[blueskittlesart]

sharing mana

#just watched the new episode. feeling normal #wjere is. the falin to my marcille. someone die for me so i can revive you through questionably ethical methods #dungeon meshi #farcille #skribbles #can i avoid getting this marked as explicit? im toeing the line here. we shall see

[officialspec]

can i say something. for years i thought the joke of the song short skirt/long jacket by cake was that he wanted a woman who was hung like a horse. like i thought when he says jacket it was a last-second fakeout because he very obviously meant to say cock. and the rest of the things in the song were just her personality and interests. which were secondary to her awesome penis

#is anyone else doing this. or am i stupid #i didnt question it at all i thought that was just the obviously intended meaning of the song #and i was like damn this is pretty progressive for the 90s i wonder why no one talks about this song when theyre talking abt #popular songs about trans women at the time. i guess some of the stuff mentioned could potentially rub people the wrong way- #OH. SO IT WAS JUST ABOUT A WOMAN WHOIS PRAGMATIC AND BUSINESS CASUAL WITH IT. I SEE #EDIT THE LINE 'a voice that is dark like tinted glass' LIKE....U GET WHAT I MEAN

[astrhae]

crowley used the metal tool in season 1 to start time, and we learn that he's used it first to start space. to create the stars -- he still remembers how. he still remembers all of heaven's passwords: in the book crowley is described as an optimist because he has the "utter surety... that the universe would look after him". not god, but the universe. and of course he does: he helped create it and he's looking after it, too.

think about it: aziraphale had a sword, but crowley is about to face satan who wants to destroy the world, and crowley's only weapon is a tool of creation

#more importantly it's always been noted that his imagination #is why he stands out from the other demons #it was his imaginative questions that kicked him out of heaven #but it was also his imagination that was always his weapon #and his saving grace that got him out of scrapes #that kept his bentley together #and i just. crowley and creation akkdssdkf #he also still has a goddamn book about stars #do you understand #he didn't just keep the metal tool #he also keeps with him a book #about all the nebulae #he created #my edits #i'm still not okay #once again neil gaiman was insane for this #good omens #good omens 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens 2 spoilers #goodomensedit #tw: flashing gif #good omens meta #tw: flashing lights #tw: eyestrain

[starr-ofthevoids]

I love the “Mumbo’s some kind of supernatural creature” headcanons, and I love the “Mumbo’s just a guy” headcanons, but may I propose: “everyone thinks Mumbo is some sort of creature thing but he’s actually just a bit strange”

“His eyes are so red they basically glow!” My guy inhales enough redstone to power a small machine on the daily.

“He’s nocturnal! He’s always up at night!” Insomnia.

“It’s like he teleports! He just appears behind people” he’s just naturally very quiet and people don’t hear him walking up.

“He knows so many random facts, there has to have been around for ages to learn all that” he’s just a nerd.

Mumbo gets nervous anytime someone tries to interrogate him, making the hermits even more suspicious, but in actuality he’s just worried they’ll be disappointed and he’s starting to realise they probably won’t believe him no matter what answer he gives.

There’s a server-wide bet going for who can figure out what he actually is. Grian, who’s known him for years and knows full well that’s he’s 100% mortal and human, shows up and starts egging the hermits on by “dropping hints” as to what he may be, much to Mumbo’s dismay. Grian thinks the bet is utterly hilarious.

#I know this definitely is not an original thought but I still thinks is silly #hes just a silly lil guy #Grian is a menace ofc #feel free to add on #I like this hc I think it’s silly goofy #mumbo jumbo #hermitcraft mumbo #hermitblr #hermitcraft #headcanon #Hermitcraft headcanons #def not projecting from my bsf #who I also question if he’s a creature sometimes #starr ramblings

[ineffablelunatics]

Aziraphale pulls down when doing a miracle, because he’s pulling down from Heaven

Post-Fall Crowley pulls up then snaps. Showing that he is pulling power from Hell

Pre-Fall Crowley does both. He pulls down and slightly up then pushes forward because there isn’t an Earth yet. He would be pulling power from anywhere and everywhere. There would only be the divine.

When they perform the Jim miracle together, they both slowly pull respectively from their “own” sides

#good omens #good omens 2 #crowley #aziraphale #good omens spoilers #ineffable husbands #go2 #someone’s definitely done this #just wanted visual representation #this really just makes more questions when it comes to the big miracle #does hell have dials?