#lois’ tangents

[skullfacedfruitcakee]

Starting Gideon the ninth: wow, what a great book about complex lesbian necromancers being cool and emo and gay, with a great cast of supporting characters, and an interesting and mysterious plot! Cant wait to see what happens next!

Post Nona the ninth: this book is about humanity. It is about the soul. It is about love and It is about power and every devastating and wonderful emotion the human brain is capable of. It is about the meaningless bags of flesh that hold what is really important. It is about Christianity, and applying real human nature to its laws. It is about the end of the world. It is about a guy named John kickstarting the craziest butterfly effect ever. It is about

AND ITS NOT EVEN OVER YET!

#tldr #lois’ tangents #I’m so sleep deprived save me #the locked tomb #tlt #gideon the ninth #gtn #harrowhark nonagesimus #just throwing every tag in here right now it’s in my nature #griddlehark #nona the ninth spoilers #ig #gideon nav #nona the ninth #john gauis #jod #joddy daddy #now why did that come up when I typed jod you naughty hens #ledbian #lol #GAY #permeability of the soul #I’m done

[grimbluesins]

tangent time: secrets

hi! if you’re seeing this post it means you got stuck with ME and my insane ramblings!

——

today’s tangent is about character secrets, typically involving something important to the character and story. one such example is superman and clark kent being the same guy.

so i was watching ‘my adventures with superman’ and noticed the shit going down in episodes 5 and 6 about lois (and technically jimmy) learning clark’s secret. between jimmy and lois, there was a BIG difference in how they approached it.

jimmy was the approach everyone should take. he still knew shit was up with clark but figured clark would tell him when he was ready. he was patient. he was understandably upset about lois being told first (which was not clark’s fault and clark should have explained the situation better), but he was still understanding. he didn’t push. we should all strive to be jimmy.

however, lois made me unreasonably angry. she was impatient and pushy and nosey, and she was making clark visibly uncomfortable with her superman investigation. she didn’t seem to notice or care that clark was uncomfortable and hesitant.

what’s more, when first learning about superman, lois declared she would spill all his secrets to the world and clark was rightfully terrified of that. she didn’t even clarify that she WOULDN’T do that even after figuring out clark is superman. she just kept pushing and pushing and even forced clark to out himself by JUMPING OFF A BUILDING.

clark had perfectly valid and understandable reasons for keeping his identity secret from everyone. he should never have been forced to share anything with anyone ever. he should have been able to reasonably tell them on his own time, but lois fucked that up and i am actually so upset at her.

on top of everything, clark apologized for being scared to share the secret. he apologized for not being open. and to some degree, i can understand him. he probably just needed a bit of a nudge, a bit of encouragement, but not a forced outing of his identity.

this is a problem i’ve noticed within a lot of media, especially tv shows and movies.

character A has a secret vital to the story and choose to keep it, usually for entirely good reasons. character B figured it out and is angry at char. A for withholding information and not trusting B. instead of losing trust for B, A instead apologizes for the shit that B did. it doesn’t affect their relationship very much after that.

this just… doesn’t happen irl! and it makes me so angry whenever i see this trope! imo this needs to die…

alright, off you go. you’re free.

#my adventures with superman #lois lane #clark kent #superman #jimmy olsen #rant post #tangents #the name clark doesn’t feel real anymore #i hate lois lane #leave bro alone #who let her cook #who let me cook #i love jimmy olsen #i love clark kent #god i fucking hate this trope #kill it with fire #to the void #he didn’t even really get a chance to explain himself? #which just #literally makes me rage at my screen #let superman have a fucking life please #nobody should be harassed about their personal lives like how people treat him #i would personally move to the other side of the damn galaxy if that were me #that would be so cool #uninhabited planet bro? insane #nobody can stop me #nobody can do shit #i could have a random fucked up alien cat as a pet #imagine…

[mewtwo24]

MAWS - An Allegory for Autism, too?

God like…there have been so many amazing posts about maws right now, and I don’t want to detract from any of them because I absolutely agree with how powerful an allegory the show is in regards to being an immigrant/alien.

But at the same time I just. I have been literally losing my mind at how autistic Clark feels. And at this point I can’t tell if I’m seeing things that aren’t there or he really is just so god damn ‘tism it makes his experiences of being othered two- and triplefold.

Like. Okay. He keeps acting on what he thinks is just or morally right in the moment, but sometimes struggles to see the social signals (or bigger picture) that might indicate somebody is deceiving him. If he does realize he’s being deceived, he does the right thing anyway even if it’s to his detriment--because he can’t accept looking away from a problem he might have resolved. Helping someone, no matter how difficult or unreasonable.

Okay.

When he’s trying to protect himself from Lois. He tells the truth in the most evasive way humanly possible, and because he thinks she’ll find him dashing from saving people he comes off as dissembling. He is convinced that he has charmed her to no end with his alter ego since he’s Such A Super Cool Strong Normal Guy as Superman, and that she couldn’t possibly be suspicious any longer because he told the truth. Lois wants to throttle him for lying. He has no idea as to why that is--and is openly surprised that she’s upset.

This is not even touching the fact that he lived for YEARS with Jimmy and literally destroyed stuff in front of him by accident, and never once thought Jimmy knew some shit was going on with him. Jimmy, being subtle and considerate, didn’t snitch because he was a homie. Clark does not notice in the slightest. ‘IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE SCREWS’ ASS.

This also not touching on the “How did you know you were bulletproof?” “I didn’t. I just knew you weren’t.” Despite pervasive signs that his powers weren’t operating as they should in that area. Despite knowing Lois was still upset with him and may not forgive him, could hurt him with what she knew.

Okay.

I'm going to put the rest under a cut because I never go on short tangents:

In a lot of New Age illegitimate medicine and psychological constructs, autistics are often conceptualized as people with ‘special powers’ or religious enlightenment in accordance with some manifestations of their disability. Clark’s superspeed and strength and heat vision can EASILY be seen as an extension of that. However, what I really want to talk about is the latest episode’s super hearing. 

Most autistics have sensory issues, both with textures but also with hearing. A very common surprise for undiagnosed individuals, for example, is that they use music and headphones to stim in a more socially acceptable way. Particularly loud noises or constant loud chatter can cause distress otherwise, and having constant meltdowns/catatonia reactions isn’t feasible for survival. 

Of all his powers that might be a weakness I think it is a fascinating--and honestly, deliberate--choice that speaks volumes (please pardon the pun). Because that’s the horrible thing about having sensory overload with your hearing; you don’t always have a choice as to what you’re subjected to. Ear-piercing alarms can flare at any moment, people can play what they consider harmless pranks, or day to day fighting to focus can make every sound feel like nails on a chalkboard from the overstimulation. 

While Clark is able to distinguish voices if he knows what to look for, lack of sleep and rest tremendously weaken his ability to focus. I noticed that as the episode wore on, there was a distinct and exponential progression. At first, when he overdid it and didn’t sleep for a day or so, he still managed to operate without hurting himself or risking others. But as he kept pushing himself without rest to answer every cry for help, he grew progressively and sharply overwhelmed. He quickly became overstimulated by the mounting flurry of oncoming stimuli (e.g. the truck about to hit someone, dodging people around him, the relentless super hearing flooding in) and began to react in ways that were careless and random. 

Though his powers appear supernatural and inexhaustible, we are forced to face the fact that he still possesses hard limits. Even if autistics seem more capable than NTs at points, there is a reason “high-functioning” became an obsolete terminology with which to differentiate people on the spectrum ‘who seemed to be above average’. Because just as we see Clark forcing himself to exert his superpowers until his body collapses to prove he is good, autistics also push themselves to be useful/helpful/amenable/inobtrusive in order to be accepted as something not other/monstrous.

(Please note, by the way, towards the end of the newest episode--his power comes out in a flash of blue, overpowering light as the last of his strength begins to wane. A surefire sign that he was truly at the end of his endurance before he’s knocked unconscious.)

The fact that Clark starts to learn how to listen in for people so fast, but also doesn’t think to tune them out (if he can) adds even more to the first point too. Because he can’t turn it off in full, it means he has no way to ignore people who are hurting no matter how small--and for him that places the cognitive burden of making a choice. And he can’t choose not to help people.

Okay.

Clark’s incipient refusal to discover more about himself, the sheer overwhelmed look he had as a child--but also as an adult--at the prospect of having to rewrite and re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about himself. There is no excitement, no positive anticipation. When he chooses to face it, it’s because he perceives a kind of responsibility to better understand/control his powers to help more people. And it’s because his friends support him that he ever finds the will to do it. He has no desire to acknowledge or define his otherness head-on. (Once again, he can only act with courage on behalf of others and/or to ultimately win their acceptance.) 

GOD. AND. AND how he tells Lois how much she made him “come out of his shell” and forced him to face the world, to stop living in his formerly simple bubble. How autistics instinctively hate breaks in routine and the unknown and the horrible ordeal of change, especially if they have trauma linked to it. But he was trying because yeah, as people we need new and varying stimuli to be happy and healthy. To be alive is to change, whether one likes it or not. 

How part of the reason Lois is so dear to him is because she makes him feel capable and safe when he has to face the truth of his difference and change. (THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LATEST EPISODE. “CLARK, JUST TRY TO BE NORMAL”. I’M EATING MY SHIRT. THE ENDLESS OSCILLATION BETWEEN HIS DESPERATION TO BE NORMAL BUT ALSO STRIVE FOR MORE, AND HOW LOIS ANSWERS BOTH THOSE WARRING CALLS WITHIN HIM JUST BY BEING HERSELF.)

SCREAMS.

Okay.

The most recent episode being a direct result of Lois and Jimmy’s acceptance of his alter ego Superman. Because of course Superman is the preferred variation of himself. Everyone loves Superman. Everyone finds him cool and heroic and dazzling. Jimmy gets social media acclaim that he enjoys from it. Lois has a Cool Guy Boyfriend, and she told him outright she thinks he’s amazing in the last episode when he complained about being weird.

Why go back to being Clark? Under the unending burden of his new super hearing, he seems to be so drowned in voices that he forgets a very important one: Lois. She loved him as Clark long before Superman existed, the lumbering gentle giant who always treated people with dignity and respect was more than enough for her to fall in love. And that’s why it’s so poignant, but also so unbelievably devastating when she asks him to be normal in the newest episode.

Because what she was trying to say was “Please stop overexerting yourself, you’re hurting yourself. This is only going to end badly if you don’t rest and think about how you want to move forward. You’re enough as you are. You’re enough as Clark Kent.” She was trying to tell him that Superman isn’t all that matters, that Superman is a person with feelings and needs and vulnerabilities, just like anyone else. 

What makes this miscommunication so powerful to me is that it’s clear Clark’s ability to differentiate has become confused ever since Lois and Jimmy accepted him. How much of him is Clark, how much of him is Superman? Before, when he had decided Superman was too much for him to handle and something that needed to stay hidden, he knew how to behave day to day. But now that the aforementioned operating precept has been dismantled by their acceptance, what is his blueprint now? To be freed of his chains, but to be too afraid to leave the cage--he becomes so openly and rapidly lost. It was easier when he didn’t have to choose or think about it.

Okay.

Like. I can see how it could be construed as a result of his inexperience, right? He’s never met intergalactic beings, so how would he know? He only just unlocked his powers as Superman, so of course he’s clumsy about it. He wasn’t a born fighter or a trained one, so of course he’s going to be a little green when he’s in combat.

But that’s the thing for me. It’s not that he doesn’t always have the time to re-evaluate, or strategize, or notice he’s being deceived. He just has such an unwavering sensibility, this one-track sense of “I am strong. So I must protect. And to do that I need to act.” And a lot of times this is as far as his thinking goes. And if that isn’t the most autistic shit imaginable, I’m really not sure what is. 

The overshot clumsiness of his movements and occasional awkwardness, how he’s learned to smooth that over by being helpful to people or meek to be accepted. Like. I swear to god this show is going to kill me. 

So much of the reason he tanked so badly in this episode was because he was using a broken coping mechanism to its absolute extreme. And instead of listening to his bodily and mental signals that he could no longer sustain helping every single person in the world, he just forces himself to push through. He’s so desperate to prove he’s a good person and belong, he doesn’t notice that it’s literally destroying him from the inside. 

The mask that is Superman, and the unmasking that is the mindful and imperfect Clark Kent. That everyone adores Superman and wants him to fulfill their every need, no matter what it costs him to be that person. The fact that the moment they learn he’s an alien or see the raw extent of his power (pushed to unsustainable limits in desperation) he becomes a horrible, inhuman threat and a monster. The fact that it’s his friends and his family who see him unmasked as Clark and love him just as he is, that they care little for what Superman can give them because Clark is already enough. That they love Clark precisely BECAUSE he is somebody with weaknesses and flaws and imperfections, that adore his quirks and endearing fumbling.

The horrific reality that the more he leans into his masking out of desperation to be accepted, the more he estranges and incites violent rejection in the people around him. Even if he wants to do the right thing, he is so staunchly and too openly opposed to the malice of others that they hold grudges from the stark, exposing contrast. How choosing to be Superman can endanger and estrange the people who love Clark, isolating him even further. And yet when he is unmasked and acts like himself, he is hardly ever taken seriously or people take advantage of his meekness/willingness to help. 

The first episode. When he just keeps chanting ‘be normal be normal be normal’ and the more pressure he puts on himself, the more he hyperfixates and the less his actions align with his intentions. The way he can never do both and can only manage to sustain one at a time. The core conflict that’s ever present; the desire to be ordinary under the reality that you are extraordinary, with the agonizing knowledge that you never had the choice to live under so much difference and scrutiny.

The never-ending autistic battle of being socially acceptable to the detriment of your greatest virtues: your passion and your honesty. To be left feeling empty and drained despite your success, no closer to self-satisfaction or feelings of human camaraderie. The reality of being always forced to choose between one bad option and a worse one, that the only choice you have is what you’re willing to sacrifice. That people will toy with your vulnerabilities no matter how desperately you try to conceal them, how your weaknesses will be a game or a spectacle to the rest of the world.

How one has to wonder to what degree the Superman witnessed in Lois’ memory capsule was pushed to the very brink. Or the pointed lack of context: what brought him to such extremes, what could inspire so much indifference to the pain of others? How, while it is frightening, he is a person just like anyone else--who possesses the potential for raw good and raw bad. Why is it that everyone so easily believes that his potential will be negative? Why is it so difficult to have faith in someone who is trying so hard to be good?

The irony of Clark’s predicament, that the sincere fulfillment he feels upon helping others is precisely what inspires fear in those who insist on their comparative self-serving normality.

“What’s your angle!? What’s in it for you?” “Trust me, kids. Nobody puts on that big a show of being good. Unless they’re hiding something…All he wants is to pull cats out of trees? Yeah, I’m not buying it.” “He’s not normal like you and me….If he really wanted to hurt us, what could we do about it?...Just him having a bad day could spell the end for us…Well, not all of us share your faith.” “You want to be number one? You don’t get there by writing fluff. You go for blood. That’s something Perry never understood. Do you?”

The unbearable but inevitable fact that being autistic is a perpetual experience of loss. If you are not selfish or egocentric like the rest of the world, you are naive and weak. If you exhibit an ounce of self-centered desire or emotion, you are something that must be eradicated for the greater good. No amount of good that you accomplish can ever balance the scales of what has been lost or spent to sustain you, because at the end of the day your life is considered one without value. It is irrelevant that entire military regimes have collectively decimated and endangered thousands for their so-called “results”, because you as a sole actor are so much easier to blame and trample. 

The enduring fact, especially in a culture so absorbed in easy answers and harsh binaries, that the human mind does not care for the struggle of truth. 

Anyway if you need me I’ll be clawing at the walls thanks

#my adventures with superman #maws #i just haven't been able to stop thinking about this #its like the newest episode made it impossible to question any longer #i hope this made sense to someone???? other than me #is it obvious that this weeks episode made me cry a little haha #stares into the distance So Normally #the way experiencing maws clark kent can be something so personal...

[t00thpasteface]

my mom is SO autistic and SUCH a hater, like i was telling her about how i'm watching superman the animated series and she just pulled up the show's imdb page on her phone while i was talking, recognized lois' va, and got on a ten minute tangent ranting about how much she HATED the show china beach

#i'm visiting home for the weekend and she also had an identical rant about gray's anatomy bc my brother got into that #shebbz shoutz

[thefanciestborrower]

Hoi hoi! I was wondering if you could share more on your pred Super.Man? I'm really into DC rn and your one of the few people that has some vore for it, thx u for any you give!

Absolutely here you go!

Okay so Clark! My beloved! For my current vore headcannons I’ve decided the whole shrinking people and keeping them safe inside thing is just a natural extension of his abilities. After all, if he can shoot lasers out of his eyes and fly in space then I think vore powers really aren’t that out of the question lol. He’s pretty much always known about them and has likely even used them on Ma and Pa Kent a few times, but he really and I mean REALLY doesn’t want anyone else to know he can eat people. Even once he’s working as Superman he keeps that side of himself under wraps because he’s honestly still figuring out how to use those powers and they’re….scary to say the least. 

Jimmy and Lois absolutely end up finding out after they learn about the whole Superman thing though. He still didn’t really want to show them but Lois was in danger, he panicked, and Jimmy saw the whole thing. 

Clark was genuinely certain Lois would hate him for it but honestly, she was more surprised than properly scared and once she’d processed what happened she instantly became SO curious. Just absolutely bombarded him with question after question while poking at the walls and oh he got SO red. Things only got ‘worse’ once Jimmy caught up and practically tackled Clark to try and talk to Lois inside, figure out what happened, and maybe get himself eaten too. 

Side tangent about Jimmy. I absolutely think he’d not only know what vore is, but low key be kind of fascinated by it too. It goes hand in hand with some of his conspiracy theories and I feel like he’d give anything to be eaten by like. Mothman or something. 

Anyways once his eating people abilities become something his friends know about Clark starts to loosen up about the whole thing. He’s still embarrassed about eating people of course, but he’s gradually begun to enjoy it as well. Lois and Jimmy have made so many little games out of it and slowly but surely have gotten Clark far more comfortable and even a bit silly when the situation calls for it. He always has a bowl of warm water and a toasty fluffy towel ready whenever he spits someone back up and there’s no way to stop him from doting on them for a solid half hour at least once they’re out lol. 

Clark also has a massive appetite and insane metabolism because I mean look at him, he has to. It’s not really something he’s thought a ton about I wager, but it means he’s got a pretty bit capacity and could genuinely fit quite a few people down if he had to. Not that he wants to test that theory of course. What it does mean though is, since the default size he’ll shrink his friends down to is maybe six inches at the most, he’s usually still a bit hungry after downing them. Lois picked up on that FAST and was the one who finally managed to persuade him to eat a little food with her every now and then. He’ll say he only does it for her, but he likes it too. 

More often than not now the group’s little movie nights or camping trips will end with Lois and Jimmy tucked away in Clark’s stomach, and as much as that embarrasses him, he also LOVES feeling so trusted and accepted. It means a lot to him that they still like him despite all the weirdness.

#I have so. many thoughts about him you have no idea anon #he is so perfect so sweet the best pred material ever #I will never run out of ideas #soft vore #safe vore #fandom vore #ask #g/t vore #anon ask #dc vore

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Hmmm odd duck!reader falling into a rabbit hole and without noticing starting some investigation (she was just fact checking history but oh well) and getting in deep shit but at the same time solving everything and "oh wait isn't that batman? Why is he here? Maybe he likes this stuff too?oooh"

She already knows he's batman... but here's this.

"What on earth-"

Alfred stopped at the table you were working on and tried to make heads or tails of what you were working on. Unsnarling a tangle Bruce had made in his latest case.

"Lois calls them Unabomber Boards," you answer, not looking up, "I hope it's okay I moved a table over to-"

"My dear," Alfred started, a little flabergasted as he tracked your train of thought from one loop to another and from one tangent to the next; "You can move whatever you like."

"I'll put it back-"

"Nonsense," Alfred snorted, amused that you still hadn't looked up and were reading and writing at the same time. "What good is it for Master Bruce to lift all those blasted weights if not for me to bully him into moving furniture for me."

That does make you look up at him, and when your eyes twinkle with mischief, he favored you with a conspiratorial smile. "Tea or Coffee?" he asked simply.

"Coffee, please," you answer smiling, "Tea just tastes like liking a wrought iron fence."

"I'll forgive that heresy so long as you can pronounce 'espresso' properly," Alfred sighed, giving you a wink before he shook his head. "But I'd like to know how you know what an iron fence tastes like."

"I wanted to know if my tongue would stick like my mom said," you answer innocently.

And the butler could only shake his head. "Some people's children," he sighed. "I'll be right back with coffee, my dear."

"Thank you," you tell him, scrubbing your hand over your face and turning back to your files.

#Bruce Wayne #Bruce Wayne x reader #odd duck! reader #ask answered #minors dni

[darcymariaphoster]

🔪🦴 and 🎨!

From this ask.

I am so sorry that this took me literally forever to answer. The fanart question kind of gave me pause and so this sat in my drafts for like ever. 😅 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

🤔 Honestly, I think most of my stuff is pretty benign. It's probably something like "did they have bathrooms in [such and such year]?" I am notorious for going on tangent searches, though. Like, "Oh, is it plausible for them to have this career and also buy a house?" And then I just start looking at jobs in another country and real estate. 🤷

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Always music. I use it for pretty much everything. Not so much TV or movies. Sometimes to set a tone... It's really books and fanfic. I think The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald has been an inspiration, as well as The Giver by Lois Lowry. And it's really just their styles of writing, the points they can make in a short story. There's so much in them that I can't quite pinpoint but I have always admired and loved.

The next question is a bit longer, so I'll drop it under the cut!

🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it.

Ugh, lemme just plug in the artists really quick... In order. @ifindus and @gybas-blog along with @tolyys.

Okay, so this is not only just stunning, it was the first time I'd ever had artwork done on one of my stories!! It holds a special place in my heart for that reason.

Another one like that. It's also so pretty, honestly. But it was art of one of my fanfics and I just love it. There's a reason that these two pieces are my banner and profile pic!

This is my wallpaper on my phone again. It's bright and hopeful and there are most definitely days when it's nice to see it because I need all of that.

And there are so many more! I love all the artists on here that bring so much life and color to the fandom!! ❤️

#my asks #ask game #hetalia #tysm! #these are fun but i am just terrible with asks lately #lmao #i appreciate it tho!

[evilwickedme]

I remember getting into a near-argument w my father because I pointed out that Superman was a Moses allegory, and he was INSISTENT that it was Jesus... and like. yeah there are similarities. because Jesus was also a Moses allegory. the character was literally created by Jews for Jewish reasons it's insane that people think he HAS to REALLY be jesus

I mean I don't know that Jesus was a Moses allegory, but let's put that aside. Superman is NOT a Jesus allegory, specifically, because he is not a God. That's the problem with Snyder's "interpretation" of Superman in the first place - he forgets that Clark is just as important as Kal-El. He's a man of the people, a champion of justice and truth, a journalist - actually, can we talk for a sec about how important it is that he's a journalist? Comics love journalists, they have such a pro-journalist agenda. In superhero comics, journalists are the people who bring truth to light, who keep superheros honest, who help them stay on the right path and do good. J Jonah Jameson reminds Spiderman that he has responsibility to do good and that he needs to be held accountable if he does something wrong; Ben Urich uncovers Daredevil's identity but still helps him and is an all around good person; Lois Lane pursues the truth at all costs, helps Superman because she believes in him even before she knows his identity. Clark is a journalist because it's a good excuse to be first on the scene, to hear about things as they happen, but also because he is a representative of truth and justice and that's what journalists stand for in comic books.

Okay, sorry for the tangent, but like... The whole point is that Clark is as important as Kal-El is. He's a good person. I just yesterday reblogged this panel:

"He could be anyone... and he chooses to be kind." That's the entire goddamn point. Jesus sacrifices himself and fucks off. He's there to teach (and destroy the sacrifices being sold in front of the Temple for no reason except to ruin it for everyone else, but I digress). He copies some shit from Elijah and then dies and, again, once he comes back to life he just fucks off. Superman would never, ever do that. He wouldn't sacrifice himself needlessly - how would he be able to help people? He wouldn't fuck off - why would he? He has human connections, Lois and Jonathan and Kon (sort of) and his parents and Jimmy and so many others. He cooperates with the justice league as an equal. If you're viewing him as detached from humanity, as something to be worshipped... Well, you'd be wrong. And it's exhausting to see happen in adaptation time and time again.

#superman #dc #dc comics #the justice league #clois #comics #clark kent #lois lane #marvel #spiderman #daredevil #jew tag #jumblr #moses #jesus #ask #anonymous

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Revisiting my Tangent-2 ideas. Like the canon Tangent Universe, it's all different characters with familiar names, but I've tweaked them again since last time:

John Jet is Batman, an exile from the Vampire World of Zur-En-Arrh stranded on Earth after the death of his father, the Vampire-King Barbatos.

Kimiyo Hoshi is The Flash, a fifth-dimensional imp inhabiting the body of depressed Japanese office worker, working against the machinations of Z.O.O.M.

Etta Candy is Wonder Woman, a Metahuman Pro Wrestler from Australia working to win the Olympian Title Belt back from Maxie "Zeus" Lord.

The Superman Machine is a mechanical golem discovered by young sci-fi fantasy nerd Clark "Doomsday" Kent and his Legion of Superheroes: Elastic Lad, Turtle Boy, Insect Queen, and Front Page (Pete Ross, Jim Olsen, Lana Lang, and Lois Lane), all non-powered kids suddenly involved in an ancient war on the side of its deadliest weapon.

The Green Lantern is a Wood Elemental, each of the tree rings on his body holding the preserved life energy of a forest or jungle. As land developers encroach on the land it calls home, The Green Lantern prepares to go to war with humanity...

I was thinking of Black Canary as an undead magic user and Plastic Man as a living action figure as well, but we'll see

#dc #tangent headverse #fanart #au #redesign #superman #batman #the flash #green lantern #wonder woman

[cdelphiki]

1. A Rock in a Weary Place

I shared a snipped of the draft earlier, but here's another! It's setting up the conflict the fic has to solve. 😄

Lois says something about how they should do some scouting that evening. Listen to the police scanner, a la their early Superman days, to see if they can find where he’s saving people and get some more info on him. Clark is nodding absently then thinks, he can’t. He has to go home to feed Billy. Also, Billy probably won't be out and about that time, anyway. He usually does his work during the daylight. He hasn’t seen him venture out at night much yet, even before he came to live in metropolis. “Oh, I can’t, sorry.” “Can’t? Why not?” “I have plans” “Plans with who" she demands. "You haven’t been available all week.” He splutters. “It’s not like that, I’m just busy. Besides, has Captain Marvel been seen after dark much anyway?” Maybe she narrows her eyes, then thinks about it. “Hm. I wonder if he gets his strength from the sun or something,” she mutters. Clark gets up and gets his coat, bids her farewell. Feels mildly bad he’s blown her off three times already. They used to spent almost all day together. He missed that… He gets home and finds Billy sitting on the couch, watching TV. He did finally give in and start perusing Clark’s Hulu. “Hey Billy,” he says, as he puts his coat on the hook and kicks off his boots, “How was your day?” he asks. “Hi Clark,” Billy responds, “It was good.” He doesn’t elaborate. He never does. He used to be so chatty. Clark could ask him one question and off he’d go for several minutes down multiple tangents, telling Clark everything about everything. Now he barely responds in full sentences. “Yeah?” he asks. He puts his bag against the wall near the door, and trods over toward the kitchen. He’s pretty sure he has the stuff for chicken alfredo for dinner. “Did you do anything interesting?” Billy shrugs. "Some thugs tried robbing a bank in Faucett," he mumbles. "You stopped them?" "Captain Marvel did, yeah," He says. "Were they any trouble?" He asks. Billy shrugs again, so he goes about getting a pot filled with water, turns the eye on, and uses his heat vision to get the water to boiling. Once he has the pasta in the pot, he tries to get the conversation going again. "What did you eat for lunch?” he asks. He’s been giving Billy money to purchase lunch every day. There’s also sandwich stuff in the apartment and a few microwavable things, if he happens to be home. He never is. And it’s not because he’s in school. Because Billy hasn’t been in school. Not since last year. He’d asked Billy about that on day two. "The school wouldn’t let me register myself," he’d said, "they said my adult had to do it." Clark still couldn’t believe no one followed up on that. Clark looks up when Billy doesn’t answer and asks, “Billy?” Billy scowls and says “I ate.” Clark pauses, isn’t quite sure how to respond. “Yes, I figured you did,” Clark says slowly. He isn’t sure why he’s getting attitude. He was just trying to make conversation. “Lois and I went to some salad place for lunch,” he says, as if nothing happened. Billy is still scowling, but he at least sinks back into the couch a little.

[quetzalqueen]

Portal 2 Through a Critical Feminist Lens

An essay I wrote on how the plot and characters of Portal 2 can be viewed through a critical feminist and queer lens. Essential background reading for any of my Portal fics, as it establishes what I believe are GLaDOS' real motivations for testing and other very important details about the characters in my stories.

Can also be read on A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41351046

⚠️Content Warning ⚠️ This essay discusses the oppression of women through sexual, emotional, and physical violence, both real and in-game. It also contains a mention of suicide. Nothing in this essay is described in graphic detail, although it may still be upsetting. I understand that these themes are triggering for many people.

Feminist theory is a critical lens dedicated to studying the depiction of women in media in a world where those who identify with the female gender are discriminated, humilated, and put in lesser positions of power than men. It aims to expose how real-world misogyny in the real world seeps into literature, and show us more progressive forms of uplifting women through media. Valve’s 2011 video game Portal 2 features two characters, that, when studied via a feminist critical lens, challenge norms of male political domination and heteronormativity. Chell and GLaDOS also subvert traditional gender expectations, and work in tangent to take down men that are abusing their power. Such a story is very relevant to human nature and wider society through the feminist lens.

Lois Tyson, a feminist critical scholar, defines the critical theory as examining

 ‘ "...the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women" [1] 

It identifies and analyses various positive and negative depictions of women, ranging on the scale from featuring modern female characters that stand up for the rights of themselves and others, to presentation of women as being ‘meant to stay in the kitchen’ to unnecessary objectification. Critical feminism also reveals damaging discrimination of women and compares to real life issues, such as the lack of women directing top-grossing movies, to draw attention to social injustice. Critical feminism is split into camps with slightly to significantly different motives, viewpoints, and actions. A general consensus on core beliefs in critical feminism, however, was concluded upon by Tyson:

Women are oppressed by patriarchy economically, politically, socially, and psychologically; patriarchal ideology is the primary means by which women are oppressed. In every domain where patriarchy reigns, woman is other: she is marginalized, defined only by her difference from male norms and values. All of Western (Anglo-European) civilization is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideology, for example, in the Biblical portrayal of Eve as the origin of sin and death in the world. While biology determines our sex (male or female), culture determines our gender (scales of masculine and feminine).

All feminist activity, including feminist theory and literary criticism, has as its ultimate goal to change the world by prompting gender equality. Gender issues play a part in every aspect of human production and experience, including the production and experience of literature, whether we are consciously aware of these issues or not. No educated person can deny the fact that rape, objectification, stereotyping, lack of freedom of speech or movement, and other forms of discrimination are a major issue for women across the world. For example, a man in the United States pleaded guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl, yet got no jail time. [2] The newly imposed abortion laws in the US restrict women’s right to bodily autonomy. [3] Moreover, a lesbian couple in London were brutally attacked on the bus, simply for refusing to entertain a gang of teenage boys.[4] Critical feminism exposes how forms of discrimination seep into media, and analyses how women can be better represented and empowered through literature. Such an example of oppression of women in fiction is the common occurrence of female characters being written with less depth than their male counterparts.

Contrary to popular belief, this critical theory doesn’t always brand a text as purely ‘feminist’ or ‘not feminist’. Novels, films, plays, music videos, and other forms of creative expression are made up of a complex web of features, and some aspects of a text may empower women in some way or another, while another may reinforce typical patriarchal oppression. Portal 2 is a prime example of this. Interpretation of the video game’s story may differ depending on what critical lens it is viewed from.

How does Portal 2 relate to feminist theory? Portal 2 is led by two female characters, and takes place in an unspecified (but implied to be very long) after the events of the first instalment. Portal introduces the story with Chell, a woman who is used as a test subject for experiments testing the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Gun Device, and GLaDOS, a sarcastic, sly, and vengeful robot who was built to monitor testing. The dynamic between these characters is integral to the development of plot and theme from the beginning of the series.

GLaDOS appears to be with helpful intentions at first, but as Chell completes more and more tests without dying, she reveals her hatred of the test subject’s existence. Despite the fact that Chell cannnot speak, we can tell through her actions that she will do almost anything to take down GLaDOS and escape from the hellish labs of Aperture. The game concludes with Chell’s murder of the machine and her subsequent ‘cryosleep.’ None of the motivations for GLaDOS’ cruelty are touched upon until the sequel, however; and Portal 2 has a deeper story that allows for a much more interesting analysis through the critical feminist lens. For these reasons, I will be focusing on the second instalment for this essay.

Later on, Chell and GLaDOS are forced to work together to take down past and present patriarchal oppression. They still have their points of conflict, but when they are confronted by the reality of what two men are doing to them, they are no longer enemies. Most players, who originally disliked GLaDOS for her seeming lack of sanctity for human life, find themselves strongly supporting both female characters, feeling angry when the enemy gains power, and sorrow when they experience unnecessary suffering. By the conclusion of the game, the audience can closely identify with who was once the brutal antagonist. Her bitterness towards humans is revealed to be motivated by the fact she was enslaved as an immortal overseer of pointless experiments. We find out that GLaDOS was once human, and that she despises patriarchal ideology. Men robbed her of the freedom to pursue anything that is not for their scientific benefit and the opportunity to die against her will. Therefore, it is clear why she used to show no remorse murdering humans.

When viewed through the critical feminist lens, this part of the game shows us the themes of patriarchal oppression, hegemonic masculinity, and the ownership of women by men. At a cursory glance, the power that men exert over women in Portal 2 appears to be a reinforcement of sexist gender stereotypes. However, the way in Portal 2 depicts patriarchal ideology and gender stereotypes does not praise them. It shreds them apart. Disturbing impacts of toxic masculinity left unhinged are shown front and centre. Such evil has a profound influence on Chell and GLaDOS in particular. A dead man’s craving for power is the reason why Chell has been stuck in a hellish laboratory she’s been trying to escape from for hundreds of years. Even more jarringly, Chell is the only human she loves, yet GLaDOS can’t express her feelings because the Perpetual Testing Initiative installed into her may involuntarily compel her to kill Chell in the name of science at any point. She makes the choice to set Chell free, since the human wants nothing more than to escape, but also because she is frightened that the instinct to test that was forced upon her (by men) will cause her to hurt Chell even more than she already has. Feminism is portrayed as morally right, and patriarchal ideology is shown as being very wrong. As a result, Portal 2 is a feminist text.

Hegemonic Masculinity and control of Women and its role in Portal

During the 50s to 70s, Cave Johnson was the CEO of Aperture Science. He speaks on pre recorded lines addressed to the test subjects in his laboratory, and is heard speaking when Chell traipses through old Aperture with GLaDOS. He conducted questionable experiments on people, such as turning blood into gasoline and injecting test subjects with mantis DNA. [5] Only recordings of his voice are heard. However, it is clear that from his first announcement that he abuses his power in the name of science. He fires an employee who uses a wheelchair because ‘ramps are expensive.’ His lust for scientific knowledge is shown to be bordering on sadistic when he says:

"Good news is, the lab boys say the symptoms of asbestos poisoning show a median latency of forty-four point six years, so if you're thirty or older, you're laughing. Worst case scenario, you miss out on a few rounds of canasta, plus you forwarded the cause of science by three centuries. I punch those numbers into my calculator, it makes a happy face."

From just several quotes, it is obvious he will let very little stop him in his quest to satisfy his curiosity. Cave displays little respect for women and several traits which are integral to the concept of hegemonic masculinity:

Hegemonic masculinities are at the top of the gender hierarchy and exist in relation to subordinated gender constructs. Traditional constructions of hegemonic masculinities include risk-taking, self-discipline, physical toughness and/or muscular development, aggression, violence, emotional control, and overt heterosexual desire. [6]

‘Hegemonic’ is defined as ‘ruling or dominant in a social or political context’ which his masculinity most definitely was over Aperture. His actions and power over the facility also line up with Lois Tyson’s first two uniting beliefs of critical feminism and reinforce traditional gender roles. He says ‘I’m Cave Johnson. I own this place’ implying that his masculinity gives him the right to do what he wants, regardless of whether or not it is morally stable. He also shows significant arrogance, a common trait of the patriarchal ideology and hegemonic masculinity. He insinuates that people identifying as feminine, or expressing themselves as female, are weak and pitiful, a problematic gender stereotype:

"I'm no psychiatrist, but coming from a bunch of eggheads who wouldn't recognize the thrill of danger if it walked up and snapped their little pink bras, that sounds like 'projection'."

It is implied that he has a partner named Caroline. She served as his assistant. Although a relationship between the two was never directly stated, he speaks of her as if he finds her physically attractive (She’s pretty as a postcard’.) A portrait of them is also located in old Aperture. During the time period Cave was alive, it was unusual for a man and a woman to feature in a painting together unless they were in a relationship. Professor G. Christopher Williams, Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin makes a statement on this:

"By fulfilling the expected obligations of a 1950s 'wife,' Caroline sounds as if she might as well be married to Johnson, and after all, given Johnson's alignment with American exceptionalism and what it can achieve through technology, he is the 'science' that she has married herself to." —G. Christopher Williams, Associate Professor of English at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.[7]

Sadly, the full brunt of Cave’s abuse of his masculinity and power is forced upon this woman.

In the 1950s, Cave acts in a gentle manner towards her, and holds her in high regard (‘She’s the backbone of this facility,’ ‘She’s a gem.’) His complimenting and allowance of her to hold such a high role is most likely what caused Caroline to gain trust in him. As he is dying of an experiment gone awry in the 70s, however, he becomes aggressive in desperate efforts to continue his research after he is gone.

The point is: if we can store music on a compact disc, why can’t we store a man’s intelligence and personality on one? So I have the engineers figuring that out now. Brain Mapping. Artificial Intelligence. We should have been working on it thirty years ago. But I guess it’s too late for should haves and what ifs. I will say this - and I’m gonna say it on tape so everybody hears it a hundred times a day: if I die before you people can pour me into a computer, I want Caroline to run this place. (Now) she’ll argue. She’ll say she can’t. She’s modest like that. But you make her. Treat her just like you’d treat me. Hell, put her in my computer. I don’t care. Just make sure she’s taken care of. Allright, test’s over. You can head on back to your desk.

Cave’s main motivation for uploading Caroline’s consciousness is not because she cares about her as a person. It is expanding his regime of relentless and dangerous scientific research, blind to moral consequences, after he is dead. If he truly cared about her, he would have offered her the choice to die a natural death. Cave chose Caroline as the most capable candidate for his replacement and gradually manipulated her into her trust until he had the legal power to force her consciousness into a machine in the worst act of his hegemonic masculinity. Caroline assertively states ‘I don’t want this’, but he doesn’t listen to her. Afraid, she says again, ‘Mr Johnson, I don’t want this.’ This has no effect on him, and she is still installed into GLaDOS. He is abusing his power and showing the worst integral traits of hegemonic masculinity: aggression, violence, and emotional control. From the context of the previous quotes, we know that Cave justifies his actions towards Caroline with his status, masculinity, power, and scientific prowess. Perhaps even more disturbingly, it is possible that Caroline was murdered for this purpose, as Cave was still alive briefly after GLaDOS was activated. These events compel the audience to feel loathing for Mr. Johnson. They also draw to our attention the injustice of abuse of power and masculinity. Cave used his hegemonic masculinity as an excuse to abuse, control, manipulate, and gain property rights over women.

Cave also displays ownership over Caroline by forcing her to become GLaDOS for his own ambitions, and Caroline is very passive to this until he tells her what he plans to do. He is determined for his research to continue after his own death, and therefore is very possessive of her. She only speaks to and as a response to Cave. Her tone of voice and the ways in which she addressed him show submission and a sense of being lower in the patriarchal structure of Aperture than he is (‘Yes, sir, Mr Johnson.’) She never gains an opportunity to express her personality, beliefs, morals, or emotions outside of the context of her partner and his actions. From a patriarchal point of view, Caroline is nothing more than a shadow, an assistant to a man who would be useless if not working with Cave. In What’s the story? Feminist story, narrative, address, we can find striking insight into how patriarchy reinforces the idea that women in relationships are owned, controlled, and defined by their partners through a real life suicide account: [8]

Bhuvaneswari had known that her death would be diagnosed as the outcome of illegitimate passion. She had therefore waited for the onset of menstruation. While waiting, Bhuvaneswari, the brahmacarini who was no doubt looking forward to good wifehood, perhaps rewrote the social text of sati-suicide in an interventionist way . . . She generalized the sanctioned motive for female suicide by taking immense trouble to displace (not merely deny) in the physiological inscription of her body, its imprisonment within legitimate passion by a single male. . . . In this reading, Bhuvaneswari Bhaduri's suicide is an unemphatic, ad hoc, subaltern rewriting of the social text of sati-suicide. (308)

The line ‘imprisonment within legitimate passion by a single male’ is especially relevant. We see that by simply being in a relationship with a man, her individual identity was erased, and her right to freedom became restricted by the desires of her partner. She became mentally, and later literally, imprisoned by the hegemonic masculinity and scientific ambitions of Cave, and the audience is angered that the patriarchal system deemed Caroline as worthless without Cave. Caroline would not at first anticipated that he would begin taking control of her for science; for if she did know, why would she be in a relationship with him? As he succumbed to illness, he gradually became more and more crazed about science, and desperate to control her. In 1952, She most likely would have been able to pick up on the warning signs of a heightened desire for control later on in their relationship, but was too frightened to confront him, noting her extreme submission to him in her voice lines. Bhuvaneswari commited suicide because she wanted to free of men controlling and defining her identity on the basis that she had a sexual relationship with a man once. Perhaps Caroline’s fervent distress upon being told Cave desired to transfer her consciousness to a robot after she died was motivated by something similar. It is evident that, for one thing, Caroline is utterly petrified at the prospect of becoming a hyper-intelligent, all-powerful, immortal supercomputer. And rightfully so! Decades of witnessing alarming experiments may have decreased her sensitivity to moral ambiguity; but little apart from Cave’s signs of gradually sliding into insanity could have prepared her for this. In the context of Bhuvaneswari and Portal 2, it is also feasible that she opposed becoming GLaDOS because she did not want to be controlled by the motives of her husband and essentially be owned by him for the rest of her existence. Such a motivation is likely, considering that GLaDOS kills all of the scientists (possibly including her husband) with neurotoxin shortly after she is activated, murders every test subject except for Chell, and states outright that she loves revenge. She also attempts to poison and incinerate Chell multiple times in the first game, and doesn’t begin to show respect for her until memories of being Caroline are triggered, and realises they are both fighting the same ultimate enemy - the patriarchy. Only at the conclusion of Portal 2 does she finally gain the chance to displace (not merely deny) in the physiological inscription of her body, its imprisonment within legitimate passion by a single male.

The consequences of patriarchal ideology given far too much power are portrayed as being very negative, and from this we can uncover a subtext about how men must regulate their hegemonic masculinity. Cave’s actions were justified by his status and power as a male CEO, and his desire to extend his research for his own sake after his own death resulted in an almost constantly tortured existence for his wife. The Perpetual Testing Initiative installed into the mainframe is a notably disturbing action Cave took in the wake of his hegemonic masculinity taking over. During her short time disconnected from the mainframe, GLaDOS’ behaviour changes drastically. She uses less sarcastic, bitter remarks against Chell simply for being human, and instead displays amiability towards working with Chell and a determination to overcome another character reinforcing the patriarchal ideology -- Wheatley -- albeit to a lesser extent than Cave did. A typical statement from GLaDOS regarding Chell before she was taken off the mainframe is:

"This next test involves turrets. You remember them, right? They're the pale spherical things that are full of bullets. Oh wait. That's you in five seconds. Good luck."

GLaDOS is still very frustrated and angry, as she usually feels, as she travels with Chell outside of the mainframe. However, she is strikingly less hostile towards Chell, and even displays concerns for her safety (‘Just remember to land on one foot…’) Co-operating with her was probably something she would very rarely consider under Cave’s mainframe programming, even in dangerous situations where she required help from Chell. As she begins to recognise the recordings of Cave’s voice, she is overwhelmed with memories, and uncovers the emotional part of her - Caroline - that had been buried for thousands of years.

"Look, you're... doing a great job. Can you handle things for yourself for a while? I need to think."

At first, she seems wary of this man, but the recording of Cave shouting about combustible lemons excites her (“I like this guy!”) After hearing about how he abused his employees, possibly dredged up the forgotten trauma of being forced to become GLaDOS, and bringing up to Chell the ‘testing euphoria’ installed in the mainframe, so strong that it often overtakes the conscience, she still wants to return to it.

"The body he's (Wheatley - the secondary antagonist) squatting in - MY body - has a built-in euphoric response to testing. Eventually you build up a resistance to it, and it can get a little... unbearable. Unless you have the mental capacity to push past it."

However, as she makes clear, GLaDOS has some resistance to the euphoria, and therefore has a small degree of free will while attached to it. Her motivation to get back is also motivated by the fact that she is attached to a potato at this point, and must regain her power as soon as possible to stop Aperture from being ripped apart. Wheatley, like Cave, was going insane with lust for power. She had reattach to the mainframe in order to save Chell’s, as well as her own, life. Cave installed the test solution euphoria response in an aim to make GLaDOS do almost anything to achieve what were ultimately not her own goals and desires, but his. This alone is very disturbing. Not until the end of the game do we discover GLaDOS’ true feelings for Chell, and the utterly tragic extent to that a dead man’s selfish hegemonic masculinity affected her.

After Wheatley is defeated by Chell, she shoots a portal at the moon and scrambles through it. Instead of being sucked out into space and dying, GLaDOS, returned to her enormous serpent-like body, yanks her back through the portal and saves her life. This action alone shows us that GLaDOS has enough willpower and determination to overcome the urge to use her for science and listen to her moral conscience instead, at least temporarily. We then are transported to GLaDOS’ chamber, where she composes a heartfelt and touching confession of how she feels for Chell before setting her free.

“Oh thank god, you're alright. You know, being Caroline taught me a valuable lesson. I thought you were my greatest enemy. When all along you were my best friend. The surge of emotion that shot through me when I saved your life taught me an even more valuable lesson: where Caroline lives in my brain."

This is truly feels about Chell without the influence of Cave’s Perpetual Testing Initiative. The identities and emotions of Caroline and GLaDOS, which form one self, both feel immense caring for Chell. She doesn’t want her to get hurt ever again as a result of the desire to do almost anything for science that Cave installed in her. In an act of unconditional love, she decides to let her best friend free. Supposedly, she deletes Caroline, and her voice shifts from oozing with affection to sharp with hostility.

"And then you showed up. You dangerous, mute lunatic. So you know what?" "You win." Just go." [gentle laughter] It's been fun. Don't come back."

Further insight into her next actions reveal to us that it is unlikely she actually deleted Caroline. Instead of shooting her with the turrets, GLaDOS sings a spectacular and compelling Italian opera devoted to her as she ascends to the surface. This is the English translation:

Beautiful dear, my darling beauty! My child, oh heavens (Chell)![note 4] How I adore you![note 5] How I adore you! Oh my dear, farewell! My dear child... Why don't you walk far away? So far away from Science! My dear, dear baby... Ah, my beloved! Ah, my dear! Ah, my dear! Ah, my dear! Ah, my little girl! Oh dear, my dear...

GLaDOS clearly is experiencing great suffering at the loss of Chell, and doesn’t want her to leave, but knows that she must be set free for her own safety. She acts as if all of her emotion has disappeared after she supposedly deletes Caroline because she wants to make Chell feel motivated by fear to step onto the elevator. Once she is inside, there is no going back. GLaDOS, surrendering to her sorrow, takes her last chance to express her love for Chell and let her know she cares before she reaches the surface.

What is particularly incredible about this is the use of the term ‘Mia bambina.’ It directly translates to ‘my child’ from Italian to English. It may seem to imply that Caroline is remembering that Chell is her daughter, but it is not. The context of this term in Italian with the context of the other actions GLaDOS takes towards her tell a different story. ‘Bambina’ is an Italian slang term that can also be used like English-speaking say ‘baby’ to refer to their significant other, and Ellen McLain, GLaDOS’ voice actress, uses ‘bambina’ in the same way. In addition, producers of the game at Valve discuss multiple times GLaDOS’ more than platonically inclined relationship with Chell in the ebook ‘The Last Hours of Portal 2.’

“And the dysfunctional romance that builds between the player’s game avatar and GLaDOS…” chapter 3, page 10

“But part of the charm of Aperture is the sterility of the world and the intimacy of the player’s relationship with GLaDOS” chapter 6, page 5

“Everyone agreed that Portal 2 was going to end with the AI GLaDOS breaking up with Chell” - chapter 11, page 4

It is made evident that GLaDOS has romantic feelings for Chell, at least on her part. This is very significant in the critical feminist lens. In the patriarchal system of old Aperture, a woman loving another woman would have been scorned and prosecuted. Overt heterosexual desire , according to Hinojosa, is a common trait of hegemonic masculinity. In society today, men frequently feel and act as if they are entitled to relationships with women on absolutely no other basis aside from the fact they are men. They attack lesbian and other LGBT+ women due to their own insecurity and jealousy. Some people, particularly men, abuse the rainbow community because they think that their orientations are disgusting, when really their relationships are not much different from those of heterosexual people, okay as long as it is consensual and safe for people involved. The incident on the bus is just one of many cases of homophobia running rampant in the modern world. Most critical feminists stand up for the rights of the rainbow community, regardless of whether or not the people they are fighting for identify as female. The conclusion of the game is where the consequences of Cave’s hegemonic masculinity are made the most evident. GLaDOS is never allowed to fully express her love for Chell because of the constant looming danger of the Perpetual Testing Initiative that Cave installed in her. She is frightened that the partially involuntary and intense pre programmed desire to gain new scientific knowledge will put Chell in danger if she is to stay with her. As a result, GLaDOS realises that the most morally sound and unconditionally loving option is to let Chell free. The crazed lust for knowledge is essentially not hers; it is Cave’s. The heartbreaking effects of hegemonic masculinity and control on GLaDOS is a striking example of how patriarchy can ruin lives if given too much power. Mary Eagleton articulates this incredibly well.[9]

Men must learn to be silent. This is probably very painful for them. To quell their theoretical voice, the exercise of theoretical interpretation. One has scarcely the time to experience an event as important as May 1968 before men begin to speak out, to formulate theoretical epilogues, to break out and to break the silence. Yes, these prating men were up to their old tricks during May 68. They are the ones that started to speak, to speak alone and for everyone else, on behalf of everyone else, as they put it. They immediately forced women to stay silent. They activated the old language, enlisted the aid of the old way of theorizing, in order to relate, to recount, to explain this new situation. May 68. Feminist Literary Criticism - Mary Eagleton

Portal 2 also wants to show us that indeed, men must learn to be silent-- or, rather, they must take control of their worse traits -- arrogance, impulsive and unjustified aggression and violence, and abuse of power for the moral rights of others. This crucial message is becoming alarmingly and increasingly relevant in today’s world. Many men, especially in America, have abused their power and attacked the rights of women, the rainbow community, those with disabilities, and others. Multiple US states have greatly restricted the right of pregnant women to bodily autonomy if they become pregnant, some not allowing abortions if they were raped, or not allowing abortions at six weeks when a baby is very underdeveloped and incapable of feeling pain. The abortion law in Alabama was written into law by a woman and signed by another woman. It is worth noting that patriarchal ideology is not only spread by men; toxic ideas that are ultimately damaging to women and others can also be advocated by those who identify as female. Patriarchy is about demeaning the rights of women and other groups socially, economically, politically, and emotionally, but it does not have to be used by men in order to be harmful.

Donald Trump, former president of the United States, has made multiple misogynistic comments [10] and has been accused by many women of sexual misconduct, [11] but some continue to support him. He is an example of hegemonic masculinity given too much power to hurt others.

These supporters of the patriarchy should learn to regulate their hegemonic masculinity, although with extremists, it is unlikely to happen. Instead, feminists must fight for equity and just social rights across the world, and continue pressing for change when unjustified, bigoted, blind criticism and hatred is thrown at us from those who fail to make an effort to understand why patriacrhal ideology is not right. Portal 2 is a compelling reminder of the importance of feminism. It is a story that will remain relevant now as a telling of what happens when patriarchy takes over, and in the future where this ideology is no longer so common, as a cautionary story warning us not to fall back into the old ways. Portal 2 is more than just a video game. It is a storytelling masterpiece, a work of art, one that also serves as an esoteric statement of why patriarchal ideology needs to be fought against.

Bibliography: 

1. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and_schools_of_criticism/feminist_criticism.html

2. https://abcnews.go.com/US/bus-driver-raped-14-year-girl-prison-time/story?id=62726773

3. https://time.com/5591166/state-abortion-laws-explained/

4. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/homophobic-attack-london-bus-lesbian-couple-speaks-out-after-alleged-hate-crime-melania-geymonat-2019-06-08/

5. https://theportalwiki.com/wiki/Cave_Johnson_voice_lines

6. Hinojosa, R. (2010). Doing hegemony: military, men, and constructing a hegemonic masculinity. The Journal of Men's Studies, 18(2), 179+

7. G. Christopher Williams. ""Her Name Is Caroline": Identifying the Misbehaving Woman in 'Portal 2' < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2011-05-05.

8. Rooney, E. (1996). What's the story? Feminist theory, narrative, address. differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 8(1), 1+.

9. Eagleton, Mary. (1991) Feminist Literary Criticism. Page 5.

10. https://www.self.com/story/sexist-president-donald-trump-comments

11. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/06/trump-allies-react-e-jean-carrolls-allegation/592870/

#Portal 2 #Critical Feminist Theory #feminism #feminist theory #Portal #GLaDOS #feminist GLaDOS #essay #Portal essay #Wheatley #Chell #Cave Johnson #Caroline #human-AI relationships #human-robot relationships #artificial intelligence #robots #Portal analysis #feminist themes #i am obsessed with glados and chell can't you tell

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

NBD just crying over Action Comics 1060 (in a good way but also a sad way because DC is being VERY DUMB and ending PKJ’s run in favor of a Jason Aaron Bizarro filler arc ohhhhhh how I weep bitter tears of frustration)

…Anyways, spoilers!

So 1060 is the penultimate installment of PKJ’s (stellar, spectacular, phenomenal, brilliant, top-tier) run on Action Comics and I just want to applaud him—for a lot of things, really, but in *this* specific case, I wanna stand and cheer because he’s making it EXTREMELY CLEAR that the twins (who are not actually twins) are in fact, Clark’s kids. No question, no ambiguity; Otho calls him papa, Clark refers to her as his daughter, and he’s willing to travel through LITERAL HELL to get her back.

It’s entirely possible that future writers will try to get rid of these kids, but I appreciate that PKJ has made it *very* difficult for them. XD Any retcon they’d come up with would be so messy. (Of course, saying this, I realize that the more depressingly realistic outcome here isn’t that writers actively try to erase them, but rather, will probably sideline/ignore them, trot them out for generic precocious kids stuff every now and then, and wait for the next line-wide reboot to ‘streamline’ Clark aka toss out anything mildly interesting and/or additive to Clark’s corner of the DCU.)

Right. Sorry. Salty tangent. XD

So anyways here’s some panels that tugged on my ‘Aunt Kara’ heartstrings.

‘I know sweetie. I know. It’s so hard, not knowing.’ HOW VERY DARE.

There’s also a really great page wherein Kara gets Osul to calm down by reminding him of a…I think Phaelosian legend? Or possibly Kryptonian, I know she was trying to find stuff for them in a previous issue.

(Went back and it’s actually the House of Ra fable; the House of El’s is ‘Nightwing and Flamebird’, Ra’s is ‘Red Son and Starchild’.)

I love that Lois lets Kara and Osul have that moment, that space; I maintain that while Clark has a better handle on getting what the kids went through on Warworld given that he was there, and Lois obviously has more experience with raising kids that have unique needs thanks to Jon being half alien, but *Kara* is more readily equipped to sympathize with Otho and Osul’s struggles with transitioning to Earth life, based on her current, canon characterization. (Which is, uhhhh…Woman of Tomorrow and alsoooooo…Rebirth? Maybe? WoT is def canon, the recent SG one shot visually referenced Kara’s departure from Argo.) But I digress!

Speaking of the kids’ struggles…Otho is Going Through It. The stuff with Sister Shadow (AKA Norah Stone AKA evil daughter of an alt universe Bruce and Talia) trying to tempt her to the dark side by preying on her trauma/difficulty adapting to her new home and revealing a future, tyrannical version of herself is some wonderfully juicy character work, both from the perspective of fleshing out Otho AND being additive to Superman’s roster of villains; that’s something I love about PKJ’s approach to world building overall. Yes, he’s revamped some of Superman’s established bad guys (Metallo, Mongul) but he’s also added awesome new foes, like Norah Stone, and Pyrrhos.

I really hope DC lets him do like. A mini series on his original Kryptonian/House of El characters. I would honestly love to read about all these cool new, additive elements, than deal with the Luthor cameo fest over in Superman rn. XD

In conclusion: DC once again shying away from anything interesting and new with Superman in favor of the safe status quo. -_- I mean, I hope I’m wrong. I hope the new ‘Superman Superstars’ opt to build on the solid foundation PKJ has set up. But given what happened with Bendis? Creators’ absolute refusal to incorporate any of the canon he built, because they knew DC would walk it back ASAP? (And the Superman group editor openly admitting that was his number one priority as soon as he GOT THE JOB???) Just shows a complete lack of faith in your creators, and doesn’t really give me too much hope for one of the few remaining titles I look forward to each month.

…but hey, hopefully Marilyn Moonlight will be neat??? XD

(Also LET A WOMAN WRITE A MAIN SUPERMAN BOOK YOU COWARDS.)

#long post #dc comics #action comics #action comics spoilers #sg post #kinda #I was enjoying the flagship Superman title… #and then Campbell left and Williamson doubled down on Luthors XD #so yeeeeah it’s firmly back in ‘meh’ territory

[thevindicativevordan]

Any thoughts on Rebirth era of Superman?

Short answer is that it brought me back to the character after I had stopped reading, due to an unending stream of low quality crossovers derailing everything. The long answer is more complicated.

Tomasi's Superman run is like a Yin-Yang symbol. First half is all good except for one bad arc. The back half is all terrible except for the finale. First half does a great job of balancing the wholesome family vibes with horror and action to keep the tension high. Yes you got Jon Kent as a cute kid - Jurgens may have been Jon's father but Tomasi was his daddy in terms of fleshing him out, the Jonathan Kent to Jurgens Jor-El - but Tomasi really put the kid through hell. He accidentally kills his own cat with heat vision, and boy were some people butthurt about that. Personally I loved it, events like that sold me on the struggle of raising a kid who has Superman's powers but not Superman's control.

Jon had a lot of fire and spunk to him, not as much of Lois as I liked (I still firmly believe he should be a Spider-Man type shit talker because of Lois, not a "I know you're better than this" like his dad), but him slugging Damian was a hoot. Tomasi's Clark for the most part was fine, he got that Clark could be an angry dude like when Clark was ready to kick Bruce and Damian's asses after they kidnapped Jon, but Tomasi's Clark was usually pretty flat and Jon was the clear main character. The weirdness of Hamilton simmering under the surface that culminated in Black Dawn was great, like Stranger Things before Stranger Things. Kathy and Jon were cute together. Oh and Tomasi writes a great Manchester Black, that scene of Black freezing Supes heat vision midair to light a cig then sending it back in his face? Hilarious! That his master plan involved trying to corrupt Jon into being the Superman he wanted made sense, and fit with the run's focus on Clark attempting to guide his son into becoming a hero.

The bad arc for the first half was Multiplicity, terrible story with boring filler art. I defy any of you to tell me who the big bad of that story was without looking it up. A multiversal Supermen team up should've been one of the standout arcs, but instead it became a precursor to the back half of the run. Whenever Tomasi tried to focus on just Clark, he clearly didn't have much to say, and the whole story ended up as a weird tangent that went nowhere and never amounted to anything.

After Black Dawn however, we got months of boring filler where Supes clashed with Sinestro and went on a vacation to D.C. with Jon and Lois where Tomasi unleashed his inner boomer to complain about kids not respecting the troops enough. Imperius Lex was a lame way to wrap up the SuperLex storyline, that should've come as a result of Lex refusing to accept that there are lines heroes don't cross because his ego won't accept anything bigger than his own wants. What should have unfolded as a slow disillusionment on Lex's part over the limitations being a hero in the Superman mold places on him, instead became a rushed arc where Lex rage quits because Supes doesn't trust him enough. Thankfully the finale was strong, the Bizarroverse arc was great, Tomasi found that balance of humor, wholesomeness, action, and horror right at the end. Scene where Bizarro bails on his son hit hard for me, and all of the Bizarros were funny to read. Issue 45 where the Kents leave Hamilton hit hard even though I was ready for a change.

Jurgens Action meanwhile was mostly mediocre. Only two arcs stand out in my memory, one good, one awful. The good one was the Godslayers arc where Jurgens amusingly did a better job of handling the Civil War 2 premise than his soon-to-be successor Bendis did. A nice story about Supes grappling with his distaste and distrust of Lex vs. his want to believe Lex can actually change. The other arc solidified Jurgens as the worst Zod writer for me, it's the Booster Gold one right before Action 1000. He loves MoS so why the hell does he insist on writing Zod as only being able to scream KNEEL instead of going with the much more nuanced Shannon portrayal? I am a fan of evil family man Zod though, kudos to Jurgens for that. Other big problem is that the Booster Gold arc is all about Gold stopping Supes from going back and changing things because he needs to accept that the past is the past... except when Lois, Jon, and Sam all get killed while Superman is away, then Gold goes back in time and prevents their deaths without any acknowledgement of how hypocritical that is! It's feebly justified by Gold with Supes already giving up so much (which I guess amounts to Gold being ok with time travel changes if the scale is small enough), but come on Jurgens, way to undermine your very own story! Jurgens Lois & Clark mini remains his best post-Triangle Era Superman work imo.

Of the two major crossovers, Super Sons of Tomorrow was awful while Superman Reborn managed the impressive feat of making none of Superman's origins canon (because Johns dragging his feet with Doomsday Clock meant they couldn't recanonize the Legion of Superheroes), but at least Gleason and Mahkne's art was great. Last time Mxy got to play a major role in anything, and I remain amused that Jurgens of all people ended up using Mxy for a similar purpose to what the Superman 2000 crew wanted to do to his era. Man got the last laugh on Morrison, using Mxy to wipe out New 52 Superman until Morrison and PKJ folded some of that era's ideas back in.

By the end Rebirth was in the same spot the New 52 was where I welcomed another change. Some good ideas - namely Jon, Kenan and the Reborn suit (God I miss that suit) - came out of this era and for that I am thankful. But it's not the ideal era for me the way it is for some, and nostalgia has made people forget that it often stumbled in the same way the New 52 did.

#superman #superman rebirth #peter tomasi #patrick gleason #dan jurgens

[havendance]

Infinite Crisis Thoughts

At long last, I am sitting down and writing these out. Under a cut because it's a big event and required lots of words.

Overall I had fun and I’m glad I read it. It was huge and sprawling and had a couple hundred tie-ins of varying relevance that doubled back on plot points. It felt like the embodiment of everything a comics event could be and it was epic for it. It’s got a scope to it! Crossover your entire universe! It’s the sort of thing you can do with comics and the interconnectedness of it all.

In terms of plots I read the OMAC project stuff and the Villains United stuff, and largely ignored/didn’t seek out the Rann-Thangar War and Day of Judgement plotlines

The Wonder Woman storyline was by far the standout. (Greg Rucka my beloved. I am looking forward to getting to his run in my Wonder Woman readthrough).

Something that I did think was interesting was the fact that it ends with Themiscyra gone, sealed away, and Diana left alone in Man’s World. Rucka pulls the same move in his rebirth Wonder Woman run. (Though that one was also doing some heavy duty work to retcon whatever was going on with the new 52 amazons. (I don’t know, I didn’t read it. But I can that it was bad from how much they had to retcon it away.)).

It is, I think, a very compelling place to put Diana in. At least, I find it compelling. And he was able to build off of the idea more in his rebirth run whereas I don’t know how it’s followed up on in post-crisis.

Anyway, if I had a nickel for every time…

The OMAC stuff was also fun (Thanks again Rucka.) We get more Sasha. We get Bruce ruining things for everyone.

Just the whole ‘Everything’s going wrong for everyone at once.’ that was going on the whole event. That’s what makes it a crisis! It was just really neat seeing how it built up bit by bit.

And then you also have the meta aspect with the earth two heroes and them watching everything go wrong and using that as their basis to rewrite everything ever.

Superboy prime is punching reality and there are clearly retcons going down in real time but sue me if I can’t figure out what any of them are.

Uhhh what else

RIP to Ratcatcher for being the first random person to get killed off in Infinite Crisis #1. No one’s going to miss you.

My favorite superman comic from the event was the one where got nuked and it did this thing I absolutely love where they put the in universe characters alongside the actual creators in the credits:

Of course it was written by Lois Lane… Rucka just gave her a voice…

I read exactly one Firestorm issues (#20). I found that I did not care about the new Firestorm (unsurprisingly) but this was also the first time I’d encountered Animal Man and I came out of the comic seized by the need to read more of his comics

Anyway I’m like 7 issues in Morrison’s Animal Man run and while I found his JLA run boring and have heard, uh, many things most of them poor about his Batman writing, his Animal Man writing is very fun so far!

Animal Man tangent over

I did not get around to reading the Green Arrow tie ins which I probably should’ve. Oh well, I’ll come back to that whenever I get around to reading Green Arrow Comics again.

I also skipped the Aquaman (some day I will figure out how to dip my toes in there) and Hawkman comics

And also probably others but those are the ones that come to mind

I also liked the teen titans Nightwing and Superboy team up issue.

I am confused as to what all went down with Bart and the Flash side of things but also maybe some day I will read flash comics

So many comics to read so little time

I am curious as to the logistics of the swapping out Kon to die for Nightwing thing that I know happened. Because in Infinite Crisis #6 Superboy directly stops superboy prime from killing Nightwing. But then Nightwing also jumps in front of Bruce to save him later which also could’ve been a prime moment for him to die. Don’t know if anyone knows anything about that.

But yeah! Infinite Crisis! Now it’s time for me to meander my way through one year later stuff.

#dc #infinite crisis #havendance reads comics #carthago delenda est

[mostcursedofpastas]

December Recs #11

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

I have a little tangent to go on first. The first time I read The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold I left a salty Goodreads review like "oh yay now everything's fine because the *good* hereditary rulers are in charge." And while I do still agree with that sentiment, I'm also generally perfectly happy with fantasy that follows those lines (*cough*Nirvanainfire*cough*Thegoblinemperor*cough*)

HOWMEVER I do in my heart of hearts want a fantasy book about dismantling an empire and making it more just and equal....and The Hands of the Emperor is that book. Well, half of that book. They're getting there.

It's also about friendships and family and duty and striking a balance between remaining true to yourself and your culture while also bending enough that you can work within the confines of the dominant culture to make radical changes.  

The sequel just came out recently and I've already ordered it from my local bookstore. I'm very excited to see where things go next!

#decrecs #the hands of the emperor #victoria goddard #this was a great impulse read #i was initially a bit #worried #when i picked it up from the library and was it was almost 900 pages #i have sadly not been reading many books these past couple years #but i became very emotionally invested in the characters #and had trouble putting it down

[ambipolis]

Samedi 17 décembre 2022

Z et la reconquête médiatique 

Électoralement Eric Zemmour a perdu et son parti Reconquête aussi. Pas médiatiquement car il reste incontournable en ce qui concerne le débat des idées.

Qui a immédiatement répondu au président Macron quand ce dernier a prétendu que la France était une terre d’immigration ? Quelle est l’obsession du ministre de l’Éducation nationale ? Attaquer Eric Zemmour considéré comme le chef de file de l’opposition à l’endoctrinement wokiste, LGGT et islamiste à l’école. Sans être capable de répondre sur le fond et préférant prendre la tangente en revenant sur des écrits anciens relatifs aux responsabilités du maréchal Pétain à l’égard des juifs que le président de Reconquête n’aurait pas dû, en tant qu’homme politique, reprendre ou commenter.

Ses détracteurs auront beau jeu de faire observer que les propositions d’Eric Zemmour sur l’immigration exprimées parfois de façon brutale, provocatrice et sommaire ne seront pas reprises dans le projet de loi qui sera discuté en 2023. C’est vrai.

Le combat d’Eric Zemmour et de Reconquête ne saurait se situer dans l’immédiat court terme. C’est un rendez-vous avec l’Histoire qui dépasse la personne d’Eric Zemmour mais que d’autres, et Marion Maréchal Le Pen en tête, continueront de mener dans les prochaines décennies.

François BAUDILLON *