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droogiesanddiscourse · 3 years

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HCs: Ice Cream Truck Driver Max Cady!AU

A/N: Happy day 1 of Max Cady week, starting off summer the only way I think we know how - with our scary, scary fave man. I’m gonna be giving you a week of Max Cady summer themed content, so I sure hope you’re ready for the nonsense about to ensue! Warning: while this is not outright smut, it is still extremely sexual, so 18+ ONLY

• To be honest, it’s kinda a miracle he can even have this job because of his criminal past, but who’s looking at that stuff anyways? I’m sure Max knows some people to clean up his record for him, it’s not that big of a deal. Whatever keeps him out of the slammer I guess, he’ll be a productive working member of society.

• Max isn’t one for children. Like, at all. So the idea of him being a harbinger of summer fun to children all over the county he resides in as a truck driver almost seems preposterous at first. The screaming kids, the brats, the whiners. He absolutely despises it.

• But, there is something that keeps him coming back summer after summer. It’s one of the easiest ways to flirt with all the pretty (legal age) girls and their beautiful mothers. That’s what he truly looks forward to.

• Max loves the way all the lovely ladies flock around his ice cream truck in their cute little babydoll dresses, their skin slightly tanned from being out in the sun all day, the freckles that start to adore their skin, how their faces are always flushed pink. Just, ugh. Perfect.

• He’ll always be sure to show off his tattoos as well, leaning his arm out the window so all the girls can “ooo” and “aaah” over the pretty pictures on his skin. Max will always get goosebumps if they trace his tattoos with their fingers too, his body shutters a bit despite the heat. Maybe he’ll flex a bit for them too, letting the ladies touch his big muscles. It fuels his already massive ego.

• But of course, you’ve always been his favorite customer no matter how many ladies hang around him. Everyone has to have a favorite.

• He’ll find himself driving past your place even when it’s not on his particular route for the day. He’ll always time his visit right during the hottest time of the day—when he knows you’ll be outside at the pool or tanning, usually just in your tiny bikini. When you hear that high-pitched jingle coming down your street, you practically drop everything. Max will watch as you run down your driveway towards him, attempting to cover up with a towel wrapped around your form.

• Max will catcall you no doubt, lowly whistling as he leans out the window, throwing some sickeningly sweet pickup line at you. Of course he knows your name (you’ve told him it too many times to count, and you’re very well acquainted with each other), but he always refers to you as his “angel” or “darlin’” no matter what you do.

• And of course from his angle looking down at you as you stand next to his truck inspecting the ice cream choices for the day, he can't help but stare at your breasts as well. If you've just come out of the pool, he can’t help but to watch as the tiny beads of water trickles down your skin towards your breasts. It makes his head spin every time.

• These advances, while might seem creepy in nature if they are unsolicited, are completely encouraged by you as well, as you will cheekily flirt back with him. It’s one of the things he likes most about you—how you keep each other on your toes, dancing around any actual serious confessions of your mutual attractions.

• He’ll touch you as much as he can feasibly get away with, even though you both know you desire more than just these chaste gestures. It might be his hand grazing yours when he hands you your ice cream cone, a touch on the shoulder, maybe play with a lock of your hair if he’s feeling a bit bold that day.

• Basically you play off each other’s energies, and as the summer starts to heat up, the temperature rises between you and Max as well.

• “Now, darlin’ let me let you in on a little secret between you and your face ice cream man, mhmm?” His voice drops a few octaves as he leans himself out of the window ever so slightly. He does anything he can to get even just the slightest bit closer to you. “Wanna know how you can get an extra scoop, free of charge?”

• Knowing how his little games work, you nod, standing forward on your tippy toes in an attempt to get closer to him too. “Really? That sounds like something I’d be interested in, Max.”

• “Well, it’s really simple. You just gotta do one thing.”

• “Uhhhh huhhhh...” you drag out the syllables innocently.

• Max eyes your body up and down, clad in one of those cute little two-piece swimsuits you seemed to love to wear so much. “Show me what’s under that cute little top you got on, and I’ll give you an extra scoop.”

You giggle, crossing your arms across your chest. “That what you get off to, you sicko?” You tease him back. Purposefully, you push your breasts together, making sure Max can get a good look at them from his angle. He shrugs, a smirk plastered across his face that would just not fade.

• “Well I guess you just don’t want that extra scoop that badly now, do you angel?” He smiles as you pout at him. This was more than just a playful flirtation at this point, Max was also challenging you to see juuuuusst how far he could push it with you.

• You look up and down the street, double checking just to make sure no one was outside or any cars were coming your way. “Okay, but only because I really want that extra ice cream,” you smile and give him a coy wink. “Not for any other reason.” Putting your hands underneath your bikini top, you lift it up to flash Max for a few seconds.

• His eyes are glued to you, as he whistles lowly. “You’re a damn fine woman if I do say so myself, Miss [Y/N]. A real wild girl. Ain’t nobody in the world like you.” He smiles, scooping you a generous heap of your favorite ice cream onto your cone. “Sure would do anything in the world to spend a night with you.”

• As he hands you your cone, a wicked thought begins to cross your mind. You cross your arms over your chest again, smiling a bit. “Maybe all you have to do is ask?”

• He’s a bit caught off guard by your rather direct approach, but he collects himself quickly. “Maybe I’d just have to take you up on that offer sometimes, angel.” Max smiles, shifting the truck in gear again, heading to his next destination. But not before he tells you one last thing.

• “Oh, and one more thing Miss [Y/N]. Everyone gets a free extra scoop today, It’s National Ice Cream Day.” He smirks, eyeing your body once more. “But I’m sure awful thankful for you showing me those nice tits.” He relishes in the way your face drops in shock.

• With a tip of his cap, he’s off, laughing as he hears you scream his name in a mix of laughter and frustration. You really were his favorite for a reason.

#max cady x reader #max cady imagine #cape fear imagine #cape fear 1991 imagine #robert de niro imagine #robert de niro x reader #droogiesanddiscourse presents: Max Cady week

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justoneday-namjoonii · 4 years

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forgive me

anon request: “I really love the way you write angsty stuff so if u want, can u write a scene where jungkook is like involved in illegal stuff like drugs or maybe he's a hitman, Y/N and Jungkook have a conflict about that because she's not happy with what he does, he gets hurt a lot but he enjoys his job and doesn't wanna give it up cuz he loves the thrill. It can be an emotional scene where Y/N tells him that she's afraid of losing him because of what he does. Honestly come up with anything, I don't mind 😂”

prompt: Jungkook is a druglord, you’re a waitress at a shabby burger place. He loves what he does and even though you try to ignore it, it scares you. You fear you’ll lose him if he doesn’t quit and he’s all you have. Your so called family are full of lies and if it wasn’t for Jungkook, you don’t know where you’d be. You wonder every night if the sirens you hear are for him—you pray it’s not for him. Secretly, he feels the same about you.

pairing: Jungkook x reader

genre: angst, drabble, mental health issues, mentions of murder, mature subject matter

author’s note: For the anon who requested this, this is for you! I hope you enjoy~ did i watch Truth be Told and decide to make the OC a twin? yes, yes i did

When you opened your eyes, you started to feel around for your cellphone. When you couldn't feel for it, you rolled over and yawned, it's probably under the bed. That's where its gonna stay too. As soon as you got home from work, you fell face-first into your bed and taking a shower was the last thing on your mind. But now you're feeling the stale department store smell on your clothes. It takes about two minutes for you to roll out of bed and realize you that Jungkook should have been here by now. You grab your phone and see two missed calls and a text from 2 hours ago.

jungkook💖💫: im sorry ill be over a little later baby, something came up

jungkook💖💫: i miss you angel

You smile, he always misses you. And you miss him too, but you know he's probably out there in the slums of the city, doing what he does. How you lucked out with him, you have no idea. One night you were trying to call an Uber to get home from a birthday party at the club. It was around midnight and you had to work so you couldn't hang with the hardcore crowd. You went outside to call for a ride but you were being watched. Some guy kept catcalling, just outright harassing you. It was the scariest night of your life. You were telling him to leave you alone but he was drunk or high, either way, he wasn't all there. He snatched your phone. Just when you thought he was going to grab you, a black sports car, one you would have had to work two lifetimes to afford, stopped at the light. And before you know it, the man trying to get you is being dragged into the alley where he probably would have taken you. You remember being frozen, all you could hear was cursing and blunt force. The mystery man, whose car is still in the middle of the road, emerges from the dark corner between the buildings.

You were completely taken. The smile, the hair, the tattoos, and dangling earrings, paired with a striking gaze—he was an angel. He was so beautiful and he was just looking at you stand there with your mouth open.

"If there's one thing I hate, oh here you go," He hands you your phone and you get a nice look at his hand tattoo, "it's motherfuckers who can't leave women the fuck alone. Sorry you had to deal with that, but he won't be bothering you or anyone else after tonight, or use his hands again," He sighs, fixing his clothes a bit and wiping the blood from the corner of his lip, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, thank you," You slip the phone in your bomber jacket pockets, "not a lot of people would stop a stupid guy from bothering a girl they don't even know."

"Yeah, I'm Jungkook by the way," He introduces himself with a smile, situating his nice clothes, "do you- Um, did you need a ride? I'm not a creep I swear," He holds his hands up in surrender when you furrow your brows at the suggesting—great, now she thinks I'm a pervert.

"I didn't stop that guy as blackmail to get laid, I just-" He pauses to grapple for the right words, "I saw you just standing on the curb and I know it's not safe out here-"

"If it's not any trouble," You interrupt his rambling, "I live about 15 minutes away, I was gonna call a ride but if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it. My name is Y/n, by the way."

That night changed your life forever. It was the first time you had wanted to kiss a stranger, the first night you ever came close to a soulmate. He confesses to having seen you in the club, he was at the bar, refusing offers from every girl from the bartenders to cougars out on the town, at least that's what you always thought. In that little fifteen minutes, you got to know very little about him but you felt so comfortable sharing things about yourself when he asked. He dropped you off and said if you ever needed anything, to give him a call.

You never got to use the number because you ended up seeing him again. He showed up to your job, but he wasn't there for you, he was there for one of your money laundering and pill-popping associates. You were taking a break and for some reason, the break room was eerily empty. After you heard gunshots and the whole store went into chaos. You remember trying to leave and suddenly being swept away and into an outside electrical room apart of the building. You calmed down enough to realize that it was him but you were baffled.

"What're the odds that you would work at the same place as that bastard," He fiddles with the gun, tucking it to his side and flipping on the safety and pulling off his mask with a toothy grin, "do you remember me?"

"You?... Jungkook, how did you- Why are you-..." You make a small step back and swallow, scrambling to think of something to say. "Have you been following me like some creep?!"

"No! this is just a run-in by fate, I swear I didn't plan it. I'm not even supposed to still be here but I couldn't just leave, not without saying something to you."

"Okay...What do you want to say? I have to get back on the clock." You look him up and down, his all-black clothes and heavy boots intimidating but alluring in many ways.

"Wanna grab a coffee?"

For some reason, you said yes to the familiar stranger.

"Sure- I mean no! No, I can't Jungkook, I have to get back to work-"

"Trust me, just come with me," He extends his hand for you to take and smiles, "you won't regret it."

You took his hand and never looked back.

* * *

Nights like this.

When it's too early to ruin his life and too late to pretend like he wouldn't care. So when he shows up to the lounge to enforce an unpaid debt from a client, he leaves with bruised knuckles, two grand, and a rush of adrenaline. He went a little hard on the guy, but can you blame him? He messed up his plans. Tonight is date night, also known as 'crash at your place' night. It worked out though, you had to work late so he wouldn't be too tardy. Judging by the fact that you haven't answered your phone, you must be knocked out.

He slips his hand into his pocket and fumbles with his keys until he finds the one to your apartment. When he walks inside he hears the sink on and smiles to himself, you must've just woken up.

"Baby, it's me," He announces himself, "how was your day?"

"Fine," You step out in your work clothes, still trying to get your earrings out, "as fine as a day working for the devil could be."

"That bad?" You take note of the silk black shirt that's rolled up to his elbows, letting you see his beautiful sleeve of tattoos. When he comes dressed like this, and smelling like smoke you know he's been out into high-end clubs. The way some of the women look at him makes you feel small and a little self-conscious. But he always reassures you that you're who he wants, not some woman who sees him as an experimental one-night stand. When he tells you to meet him in the restroom because he needs to tell you something, you're reminded that you're all he wants.

"She screwed the schedule. My only day off was taken because her favorite, Kasey, has to go out of town."

He unbuttons the buttons on his shirt with deliberate fingers. "You walked out on a job for me before, remember that?" He smiles, letting his shirt fall from his shoulders like a dream. A bruise on his upper arm catches your attention but you don't say anything. "If you're not happy, just leave. I can take care of you, you can be my sugar baby."

"Yeah, my step-mom would love that, I could see it now," You cringe at the thought, "Hey, just a heads up, I'm not working or married but I have a sugar daddy who pays all my bills and lets me use his money for free, oh, he's also a drug lord. She'd really think highly of me then."

"Fuck Carol, she's a judgmental priss anyway," He comes up to you, hands finding your waist, "why do you care what she thinks about you?"

"I don't care what she thinks, but if she finds out she'll tell my dad and I don't want to hear it from him. If he pretends to not be disappointed by the lesser-twin one more time, I'll actually cuss him out...He's such a liar, he lied to my mom and he lies to me.”

"Quit saying that," Jungkook grabs you under your thighs, wrapping your legs around his waist so he can sit on the edge of your bed, "you're not the lesser-twin, you're the cute and sexy twin." You sit back on his thighs and you both laugh at his attempt to lighten your mood.

"Well, I'm not a successful surgeon and I'm broke as hell, but at least my boyfriend thinks I'm cute." His hands find their way to the hem of your shirt and pull it over your head, revealing a disappointing tank top.

"See, this is disappointing. Why are you wearing a tank top? It's a hundred degrees outside." He sighs, looking up at you like a pouting little kid.

"Because I want to," You grin, brushing his hair from his brows, revealing a scratch, "you're cut."

"Yeah, had a run-in with an old friend, we're obviously not friends anymore."

"You should take me with you on these deals and stuff, I'd make a great bodyguard for you," You joke, "if you showed me how to use a gun."

"You?" He giggles at the image of you secretly acting as a bodyguard, a dagger, and a gun in a garter under a skintight dress. "That's not a bad idea, they'd be too distracted looking at how fucking beautiful you are to see you as a threat."

"Yeah, I always saw as the Bonnie & Clyde type of couple," He leans up to kiss you and you smile through it before he pulls away, "eh, you need to shower, you smell like weed."

He furrows his brows, a snarky smile on his mouth. "And you smell like French fries, but I still kissed you.”

"Touche." You can't argue with that, the French fries smell gets to you too.

He picks you up, carrying you to the bathroom with a beaming smile.

"Let's shower then."

* * *

A deal went bad, he got grazed by a bullet and spent a few hours at the emergency room.

When he pulled in to the driveway and saw your car, he sighed in relief—he was hoping you'd come. After work, you had come by earlier to clear your head and take a breather from your cramped apartment and rowdy neighbors. Ever since his 'new position' he was put up in this huge mansion, equipped with a full staff. Luckily, they were off tonight so no need to keep quiet.

It's getting late and you've been trying to watch a baking show to stay awake but it was getting difficult. He hadn't called or answered any of your calls or texts. When you hear the garage door open, your heavy lids lift and you yawn, trying to wake up so you can tell him how your day has been.

He opens the door with a deep sigh and he's glad you can't see the thick white bandage on his upper arm and tired shadows under his eyes because of the dim lights. "Jungkook, it's so late..." You mumble, sitting up. "what took you so long?"

"Yeah, baby, I just had a mix up with someone who owed the group a lot of money, they, uh- They opened fire and we had a lot to clean up." He offhandedly mentions that and goes to the bathroom to change and you just wait for him.

The painkiller is wearing off but he manages to brush his teeth and slip into some sweats and a t-shirt. After flicking the light switch off, he falls into bed with a heavy exhale. Glad to finally have him close so you can tell him about your terrible day, you turn to hug him, and instantly a wince of pain leaves his mouth.

"Sorry," You giggled, thinking he was just kidding until you see the bandage on his arm, "Oh my gosh," You sit up, hand reaching for his bandage with concern in your brows, "what happened?"

"It's nothing baby, I was grazed by a bullet and had to go to the ER," He spares you a weak grin, hand rustling through his damp locks, "but it's nothing, I feel fine."

It's always nothing to him. You lean down and place a gentle kiss on his forehead, one he would normally place on you. Nights go by and you know he's out there risking his life, not thinking how devastated you would be if one night he doesn't come back.

He caresses the apple of your cheek, lips parting when sits up to try to kiss you, but you pull away.

"Hey, I've had a long day I just want to kiss you," He sits up now, "talk to me."

"Talk to yourself, I'm going to sleep."

"Where the fuck is this coming from?" He glares at you, tone firmer than before. "Y/n, cut the crap. What's the problem?"

"Jungkook, there's no problem I just worry about you."

"I don't mean to make you worry," He speaks softly, "but you know this is what I do, I can't stop now, even if I wanted to."

"I know," Sadly, "but you're all I have."

He tilts his head, a bit confused. "What happened?"

"My sister called when I got off of work. My dad isn't doing well, his liver is in terrible condition and he needs a transplant...He's on a wait-list now."

Knowing the severed relationship you have with your family, he treads lightly when requesting this. "Do you want to go see him?-"

"No!" You snap. "Why would I want to see him? This is what he gets for killing my mother."

"Y/n, you don't mean that..." Jungkook gets uncomfortable when you enter that head-space, you become ruthless in your words and your eyes glaze over with something he has yet to understand.

"Why not? It's true. He was cheating on her, that's why he never came home and she thought something was wrong. So drove out in the middle of the night during a storm and ended up crashing into a tree, because of him. My sister has always defended him, but I think it's because she didn't like mom either...The two of them may have cried at the funeral but I know them, they were glad she left us. That's why I need you, Jungkook, I don't have them or want them..."

"Y/n, you have to learn to forgive them for whatever you think they did, it's going to drive you insane if you don't...Fuck them, spend your energy on us, okay?"

"I'm already insane, I'm with you, aren't I? You come close to being killed every week, and it bothers me to think you might not come home...But I'll go through that if it means I get to have you, I love you, I only love you..." You lay your head on his shoulder.

He’s your angel.

You aren’t sure what you are to him.

#jungkook scenario #bts drabble #jungkook drabble #jungkook smut #jungkook angst #Bts angst #bts fluff #jungkook fluff #jungkook mafia #jungkook hitman #bts hitman au #jungkook fanfic #bts fanfic #this wasn't supposed to be a murder mystery but idk #i was getting unhinged vibes #like the oc #shes a little crazy

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souryogurt64 · 3 years

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wasn't ever a huge part of that bandom so thank you for pointing that out...that's my main complaint with bandoms as a whole, people will just excuse outright heinous actions because they uwu like the music, not the artist uwu separate things uwu until they suddenly Don't like their music and then because the album sucks so does the person like! Which one is it!!

its all very reactionary. with brendon specifically a bunch of stuff happened much, much more recently than 2010 like his bodyguard/best friend soliciting nudes en masse and posting them to twitter, as well as doing things like photographing fans without consent to make fun of their weight on twitter, catcalling fans during m&gs, confiscating medication and insulin from disabled fans and making degrading comments about drug use (against policy of all venues), and sexually harassing the wife of dallon weekes, their former bass player. and a bunch of almost certainly fake accusations against brendon himself. but all of that stuff was over a period of the last 5-7 years and reached a boiling point. it definitely wasnt just about the video but also the fact that his album was bad had a lot to do with it

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og-danny-dorito · 4 years

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Hellboy Headcanons

it's MY blog and I get to choose the hyperfixation (also it’s yearning hours)

S F W :

- big man big man big man big man big man b

- i love big man v much, and let me tell u smthn it's not for no reason

- so, let's just get a few things straight, the dude is canonically 7 feet tall, meaning that he towers over pretty much anyone. on top of that's he's got horns, a tail, a big ass rock hand thing, and on top of it all a fiery temper. at this you may be asking yourself “danny, if the man hasn't like no redeemable qualities why do you like him so much?” unless you're here because you ALSO like him and know he has a lot of them. let me explain

- so let me start off with some simple facts; he LOVES cats. he loves cats so much so that he actually has a fuckton of them, as seen in the first and second movies (not the one directed by david harbor because i'm not even going to look in that general direction)

- in fact, he loves cats so much that he probably wants to go to a cat café. the issue is that his hulking figure would probably scare away any other patrons at the cafés, so sadly he can't go. as an alternative he just has a whole lot of cats. a lot of the time he'll find himself taking pity on the cats on the street and thus leaving out cans of tuna or cat food in places he might frequent

- he also has a pajama set with cats printed on them but NEVER tell him that it's cute or he may not make eye contact with you for a week

- ah, on that subject matter, he actually gets flustered pretty easily. the only issue is that it's not easy to tell when he does, and when he allows himself to feel like that. it's usually when he's sitting in his room and not really thinking about much of anything (aka: relaxed)

- you can tell by how his face somehow turns a slightly darker shade of red, and the frown and gruff grunt he gives as a response imply an almost evasive nature. he doesn't get how you can say something so innocent about him of all people, but regardless it makes him feel a little bit a somethin

- i know he LOOKS like he will crush your skull, but he's a huge softie. yeah, he comes back to the BPRD base looking like he just fought god bare handed and butt ass naked, but that doesn't mean he's a huge meanie. in FACT, if he really does like you that much he's probably going to treat you like the exact opposite of his stereotype

- he tends to be attracted to anyone who can make him laugh, which is pretty easy considering his biggest weakness is puns. yes, you read that correctly, puns

- catch this dude loosing his shit because you walked in to his room, saw his cats piled up on his torso to absorb his body heat, and said “Wow, looks like you've got a MEOWntain on you, Red.” seriously he won't be able to breathe for a good few seconds

- his laugh is pretty hearty and rumbles in his chest like a washing machine on spin cycle, ending with a dry heave. if you've cracked him up that much he will snort. tiny little piggy snort. and then deny it directly afterwards like a big baby

- he himself is a pretty funny dude, the only issue is that he's selectively funny. usually when he's relaxed and just chillin out he finds himself cracking more jokes than he normally would. making someone he likes laugh motivates him to make more jokes, especially if their laughter is contagious. seriously, he's weak against funny laughs he can't MAKE himself NOT laugh if you sound like a dying horse when you laugh

- he's also pretty affected by other people’s moods even though like 90% of the time he feels shitty. if you're in a good mood then he can't help but feel a little bit better. the positiivty is contagious and not even hellboy can resist it

- thus why he can't for the life of him resist any ounce of cuteness or innocence or impenetrable positivity. like, he just can't help but feel the immediate need to protect

- yeah he likes goth chicks (have you SEEN liz) but have you ever walked around with a literal ray of sunshine glued to your hip? cause big man can't handle the amount of joy it brings him to have someone so happy all the time next to him. it just,,, makes him weak

- that and he's a huge dummy for anyone who's smaller than average but also tends to be fiery and hotheaded like him

- like he doesn't even have a “type” appearance wise but catch him falling head over heels for a positive, firey, and outright goofy person to match his dry and dull attitude towards most things

- he tries to act like he's above it, but the man likes cute stuff. even when he gets caught red-handed petting a litter of kittens he'll just be like “what? never seen a demon before?” and continue with his activities

- if you do end up being his s/o you may very well be the person who has to take care of his wounds because he barely trusts anyone in the med bay to take care of him without trying to experiment or take weird samples without his knowing. that said, he really hates going to the doctor

- you'd be susprized how uncomfortable it makes him, really. so you're probably the one to actually make sure he doesn't fucking die

- it's rare he'll come from work unscathed. in fact, a good portion of the time there's a new scar to add to the count. when asked he'll play it off with some dry humor, barely addressing the fact that his muscles ache like hell and his joints are killing him. you'll have to pressure him into letting you take care of him, which results in a pout and grumbles of protest as he removes his shirt. if he has any injuries near his thighs he'll probably be really hesitant to let you take care of them until you've been with each other for like a month or so

- that and he lowkey would die of embarrassment if you were trying to tend to his thigh wounds and just saw how HUNG he is but i'm gonna save that content for possible NSFW headcanons in the future

- mans super gentle with his s/o, like SUPER gentle. he doesn't want to hurt them, honestly, and just leaving a small bruise from getting frisky or play fighting makes him feel like a fucking monster. in fact, it makes his self-esteem issues worse. he might not touch you for a while if you happen to get a particularly bad injury, on or off the field (implying that you work at the BPRD- if you don't he still feels like shit)

- which means that he probably would like some validation if he does start to feel like complete shit. his skin is thick from his experience over the years, but shit still happens and it always will. he's reminded every day that he doesn't deserve you just by seeing your visual differences. he knows he's a danger to you and the people around him, and it makes him want to avoid everyone. but some gentle words of affirmation and kisses all over make him feel 10x better. it isn't hard to get him out of a funk if he knows you love him too much to find disgust in him

- he doesn't seem very affectionate, but once he knows it's okay to touch up on his s/o like it's no tomorrow he will most definitely release all his touch-starved cravings and be attatched to you all the fucking time

- he's pretty much always holding your hand (although his hands are pretty big so he might just resort to having your and in his without linking fingers) or got his arm around you or, his favorite, having you sit in his lap. he tends to be pretty up close and personal with you if you're all about it

- the only real problems i can see with this are personal distaste or maybe the fact that he's a walking space heater. seriously, hellboy is quite literally hot as hell regardless of the environment, and turns his heater up crazy high. he thrives best in the heat and remains pretty much unaffected by all temperatures. he hates the cold because it makes the tips of his tail and ears cold, but that's pretty much all it does

- you could be in a freezer and the most discomfort he'll feel is that his ears are like a little 👌🏼 bit cold

- so yes, space heater, and it's great if you live in heat like he does. sleeping with him means you'll never get cold again, and since he takes up a lot of space in his bed it's very likely that you'll be sleeping on top of him or at least somewhat touching him. so win win for him, obviously

- he also likes to crank the heater up because it causes you to shed more clothes, probably leaving you in a tank top and shorts while a sheen of sweat forms on your skin and your hair sticks to your face. and if that ain't hot, he doesn't know what is (pun intended). he'll put it down if you ask him to though, begrudgingly. he just likes seeing you breathless is all- ow, don't punch his arm like that

- god forbid anyone look at you like that though. you're wearing something mildly revealing? hell no. there are some bad people out there with even worse intentions and he is not letting some asshole look at you like you're a piece of meat at a butcher's shop

- so obviously he's a bit jealous. well, he's actually a lot jealous, but he won't admit it. just like he won't admit that he was about to kill the guy that catcalled you while you were walking down the street. or that he glared down at the person chatting casually to you about your dress. or that he- you get the picture. he's very protective of you and wants everyone else to know, although it may be because of an inherent self-doubt that says you might leave him

- maybe one day you'll see that you've been dating a demon all this time and be horrified and scared of him, leaving him in the dust for good. it's probably best for you, he thinks, but you'd never do that...right?

- regardless, he's protective of you and thus gets jealous easily. one way to tell is that he tends to become somehow even more attached to you with the person in question nearby. if it gets bad enough he'll just scoop you up and leave, no questions asked. maybe for the sake of your pride and protecting your embarrassment he'll make up some excuse, but as soon as you can tell that he's following you around like a lost puppy it's clear to see that something is up

- if he's getting particularly annoyed though or just wants to tease you, he'll slide his tail up your leg and watch you squeak and jump until pretending he did nothing wrong. the only real way to one-up this is to pinch the head of his tail softly and watch him tense up and give you a look of betrayal because he's crazy sensitive there and gets super unscrewed if you mess with him like that

- of course, looking at him innocently and letting him go once he finally retaliates is always entertaining enough to do again. it may even become a competition between you two to see who looses it and gives out the quickest (spoiler: you're probably going to loose if your relationship is sexual- dude knows his way around the human body and WILL use it against you)

- but it's kind of cute how much he craves your attention, considering it seems he'll do anything to get you to stay by him most of the time. he hates being apart from you and hates knowing you could get hurt at the same time, so it's very likely that you'll have protection wherever you go (if you're in his line of work though he may consider making you his partner, but when he brings this up to Abe the fish man automatically is baffled that a person could bring this kind of reaction out of his stoic and dry-humored friend)

- now for my FAVORITE part; Miscellaneous Headcanons :

he finds it hot as fuck when you wield weapons of any kind. like yeah you might be his soft precious angel and no one is allowed to touch you but him, but seeing you with a weapon of any sort makes him think about things he's guilty to even know to have though

oh i forgot to add that he's probably pansexual but is more attracted to feminine body types. doesn't mean he won't fuck someone with a dick, but it does mean that he's a big dom and he likes tiny feminine figures so he's more well-rounded and comfortable with women

calls you pet names all the time, including Doll, Kitten, Darlin, Sweet-cheeks, and maybe a shorter version of your name or a play at one of your defining traits (for instance, if your hair is red he might call you Little Red as a joke cause he's Big Red ahaha size joke funnyyyy). calling him a nickname in turn that isn't one of the usual like Sweetheart or Honey Bunches gets him blushing like he's got a fever. don't mention that to him though, or he'll get even more flustered (or do, your choice)

tends to be super flirty with you for shits and giggles, but gets a little riled up if you hit him with an equally witty and flirtatious remark. a little bite never hurt anyone, and he enjoys it more than most

he really likes spicy stuff, and is currently the champion of "The BPRD Fire-Eating Contest" which didn't involve actual fire from hell (opposed to popular belief) but rather various spicy foods from all over the place and even some from different realms. he won when he ate a concoction Abe made that involved multiple peppers that probably would kill a normal human if eaten all at once but just made Hellboy tear up a little bit and have a runny nose. anything else doesn't affect him at all, and thus why he puts insane amounts of hot sauce in food just to get a tiny sting from it

his love language is physical contact

- and that's all! hellboy is an affectionate dude with a slew of insecurities. under those scars and rough exterior he can't help but feel his whole day brightened when he sees his s/o and/or best bud, regardless of his mood that day. as a goofball at heart and dad of a thousand cats, the guy is really just misunderstood. take a few minutes out of your day to get to know him over a beer or two and maybe you'll even get a new friend till the end of the line. once he likes you though, there's no way you're getting rid of this big teddy bear

#hellboy #hellboy the golden army #hellboy (2004)#hellboy comics #hellboy headcanon #hellboy headcanons #hellboy imagine #hellboy imagines #dark horse comics #abe sapien

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musicprincess655 · 5 years

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Hey Itsuki,

You didn’t respond last time, and I kind of hope it’s just because I didn’t take it that seriously and not because you’ve already blocked me. So I’m trying again, and this time, I’ll do it properly.

I’m sorry. I should’ve said that to you a long time ago. I’m sorry I hid things from you for so long. I wish I could say I don’t know why I did it, but I do. I was scared I was going to lose you. Kind of stupid, right? I lost you anyway.

So, yeah. I’m sorry. I fucked up, and you deserved much better.

Mei

Mei stared at his email in disappointment. He’d sent his message days ago, and there was no response. No indication that Itsuki had read it at all.

So he really had been blocked, then.

Still, Mei had expected this from the start. He’d hoped for better, but this was exactly what he’d thought would happen. It didn’t mean he had to change his plans. He still had things to say to Itsuki, after all, even if Itsuki would never see them.

He opened a new message.

Dear Itsuki,

I guess this is it, huh? You’re not listening. I didn’t really think you would. So I’m just going to say whatever I want. I’d say tell me to stop if you don’t like it, but you won’t, will you?

You never did, now that I think about it. You pushed me back on the field, but I don’t remember you ever telling me no when we were together. Is that just because you were okay with everything? Did you feel like you couldn’t? If that’s true, I guess that’s something else I have to apologize for. I know I have a lot of things to apologize for. Give me time. I’ll get to them. I still have my own pride, though.

You’ve never been to America, have you? You hadn’t when I knew you last, but maybe you went after I left. I’m almost sure you’ve never been to Pittsburgh, though. How do I describe Pittsburgh to you? It rains all the time, for one. Like, seriously, all the time. I don’t know how the rivers don’t flood the city from all the rain (spoiler alert: sometimes they do). It’s louder here than it is in Japan, but I think that’s true of just about any American city. The accent isn’t quite what I expected. I guess the accent here isn’t in movies a lot. They call it the “yinzer” accent. Apparently you can say “yinz” to mean a group of people. I’m determined not to pick that one up.

Americans are friendly. I was warned about that coming in. Some people suck because they hear my accent or see my face and that means I’m not one of them, but most people are really nice. I think I fit in here. I can be as childish as I want in public and no one tells me to stop. People just ignore it and keep going. I’m definitely not the weirdest thing they’ve seen today. So take that! I never did have to grow up.

Write back soon :p

Mei

Mei didn’t have long to dwell on the emails, though. It was time to go back to practice.

He walked onto the field to catcalls of traitor! and betrayal! and felt a grin stretch across his face. Being back on his home field felt a little like holding court, and the insults and jeers were friendly, welcoming. It had taken Mei a while to get used to the idea that Americans loved insulting their friends, and to learn to distinguish when it was friendly and when it was serious.

With all the grins coming at him, with the arm around his shoulders and the hands slapping his back, this couldn’t be anything but friendly.

“You son of a bitch, you stole the medal from us!” Stallings complained with his arm around Mei’s shoulders. “Don’t you have any sense of loyalty?”

“Obviously I just wanted to throw you specifically under the bus,” Mei shot back. Stallings laughed, moving Mei’s whole body with the force of it.

“You’re so hard on your catchers. I hope you gave those Japanese players a hard time,” he said. “They might have won the medal, but they had to put up with your bitch ass for months.”

“I am a delight,” Mei said.

“Come on, be nicer to Narumiya,” Vázquez cut in. “It’s no fun being main pitcher if I didn’t beat him fair and square for it.”

“Speaking of which, I’ll be taking that mound back now, please,” Mei said.

“Careful, you’ll let that gold medal go to your head,” Vázquez warned with a fond smile.

“It’s gone to my head the right amount.”

“Alright, alright.” The pitching coach had come over to break them up. “Everyone quit harassing Narumiya. We still have practice.”

Mei ran himself ragged trying to catch back up to everyone else. He’d been playing at a high level in Japan, but it wasn’t the same as being on this team, and the season was in full swing. No one was waiting for him, and he wouldn’t make them.

He was so exhausted when he got home that he didn’t even check for a reply he knew wouldn’t be there.

Dear Itsuki,

For the record, this feels a lot like a diary. I’m writing to someone who never reads the letters. Maybe I should just invest in a journal and save us both the storage in our inboxes. But I don’t think I’m going to do that.

I’m really trying to enjoy the last of the sun here. Summers aren’t all that different. It’s not until the autumn that the rain starts and then it doesn’t stop until summer comes back. Well, it stops for the snow, but that doesn’t count.

Did you ever learn how to drive? I did. You really can’t live in America without driving. Public transit sucks, and most places are hard to walk to. A lot of neighborhoods don’t even have sidewalks.

I can’t imagine you like driving all that much, if you ever did learn. You were never that good at sitting still. I remember you on the bus to games, all keyed up and restless, and I remember the only way you made it through the ride home was because you were asleep. I love driving, though. I love being able to get in a car and go anywhere, no strings attached. Sometimes just the knowledge that I have the power to get up and go is what makes me stay. Like I have an emergency brake or something.

Sometimes I do just get in the car and start going, though. I’ve found some cool stuff that way. America is a big place, and no one person can ever see all of it, but the only way to try is by driving. I wish I could show you sometime.

Mei

They got knocked out of post season play early. It wasn’t all that surprising. They built their team on the backs of Mei and a few other young players. Remove one, and the entire team shakes. At least they made it to bracket play at all, or so they told themselves.

The entire team crammed into a bar to drink more than is reasonable, and Mei couldn’t help feeling a weird kind of parallel. He’d drunk himself silly after winning a gold medal at the Olympics, but here he was after a loss, nursing a beer. He was disappointed by the loss, but he was already planning for next year, for how they could come back. This was fixable.

A woman came up to flirt with him, and Mei just couldn’t feel any interest in taking her home. Now that he knew exactly what kind of wound he’d been patching with the band aid of one night stands, he couldn’t go back to using them to get out of this. It just didn’t seem worth the effort.

He still left the bar more drunk than he’d been in weeks, and instead of drunk calling his ex, he drunk emailed an ex that wouldn’t be listening anyway.

Dear Itsuki,

Since you’re not listening anyway, I’m allowed to say this: I still care about you. A lot. And maybe that’s not fair, because I’m the one that ruined everything, but it’s still the truth. I have to love a memory, though, because I don’t actually know who you are anymore. That might be my biggest regret. I don’t get to know the adult you grew into. I just have to love the teenager you used to be. Maybe you’re a really cool adult. Maybe you suck. I don’t get to know, though, and I have no one to blame but myself.

We lost in the playoffs. I bet you can see that without me telling you. Maybe you don’t follow American baseball at all, though. So. We lost.

Mei

Mei sighed as his phone gave him another low storage warning. He knew he should delete some of his sent emails, but instead, he’d been making sure none of them got deleted. It had been months without a word from Itsuki, and it was stupid to hold onto them, but they weren’t just for Itsuki. They were for him too, and he wanted them.

Knowing that Itsuki wasn’t reading them had been a freeing experience, in a way. Mei didn’t have to perform for anyone, and he wasn’t. Slowly, he’d let his walls of pride come down until he was spilling his guts into an email server, and it helped. A little. He was more honest with himself now, and even if it didn’t hurt less, maybe it would over time. Maybe this was a necessary pain.

Dear Itsuki,

I think what I miss most is your friendship. I miss sitting around doing homework together. I miss playing that idol game you used to like so much. I miss being on the same team as you, and being in a battery with you. I miss all the stuff we had before I was ever interested in kissing you.

Is that stupid? I’m all heartbroken over you, and what I want back the most isn’t a relationship. Although, to be fair, apparently everyone’s into recognizing platonic friendships are as important as romantic relationships now, so maybe it’s not all that stupid.

You were one of my best friends. Maybe my best friend. Even if I never get your love back, I wish I could have that back. It meant the most to me. You were important to me. I never told you that outright, and I wish I had. Even if you’d never wanted to kiss me or anything else, you still would’ve been important to me. I regret breaking that the most.

I miss you.

Mei

That was the hardest thing to admit, because he had to admit it to himself. He missed Itsuki. He missed him like a limb. He missed the effortless battery they’d had, the way Itsuki couldn’t keep his hands still on the bus, the way he’d argue with a senpai even while he respected authority to a ridiculous degree. Mei had loved him, and maybe still did, but the most important part of Itsuki, to Mei, had always been their friendship.

Mei strategically deleted other emails in his inbox to make room for his archive. He wasn’t giving up all these letters to Itsuki, not now, and maybe not ever. Maybe someday this wound he’d torn back open would be healed for real, and then he could delete these and finally let Itsuki go. But for now, he was still trying to stitch himself back together, and he was trying to do it the right way this time. All he could do was hope that it would be worth it, in the end, that knowing and healing would be better than the willful ignorance he’d forced himself into for eight years.

Time was supposed to heal all wounds. Mei hoped it would heal this one.

#itsumei #daiya no a #dna #my writing #bos

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i-wish-i-was-a-50s-housewife · 5 years

Text

My social anxiety doesn't just ruin basic social interactions for me, it puts me into dangerous and violating situations.

If I were to get catcalled and harassed on the street I will not be able to defend myself or be remotely assertive. I can't even muster up the courage to outright tell people to fucking stop when I am in gross and uncomfortable situations. I just try to be polite to them. How fucking ridiculous that I try to be polite to people who don't even respect me as a person.

The same goes for online interactions, when I recieve uncomfortable lewd private messages from strangers who have no right to say that stuff to me I just panic. The rational thing to do would be to tell the bloke to fuck off or to block them but I cannot bring myself to be "mean" or to feel mean, even though the situation requires it. I just try to politely decline over and over and it gets me nowhere and results in embarrassing repatative interactions.

When I was younger it was much more serious, at 14 I allowed myself to be pressured easily into complying with what men (pedos) online wanted from me, it ruined me. I'd go to bed every night crying, I started losing a bit of hair over it (since recovered), I'd repeatedly shower. It never fails to make me feel dirty, because I just did not how to say no.

Thankfully it is not as bad anymore now that I am older. I no longer give in to the pressure put on me as I did as a child, instead I just give the same thing over and over "oh no thanks, how was your day? No, sorry, I'm sorry, no, please may we talk about something else etc". When I just want to escape, I want to leave the conversation.

I shouldn't be apologizing to these people, I shouldn't dignify it with a response. But I do because I am so fucking scared of standing up for myself in any way and it has tormented me for my whole life.

I don't want to be like this.

I feel so stupid and helpless to it all.

I feel like I have no defence and I just allow people to do and say things to me that I don't want to happen and it is never going to stop.

I will never be able to tell a man "Stop making those sexual comments about me it's fucking creepy", I will always say stupid bullcrap like "oh alright. Thankyou but I am not interested, sorry" over and over even when that no isn't taken as an answer.

I am a human doormat, and it really hurts

#tw #social anxiety #uncomfortable #catcalling #unwanted

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vitavitale · 4 years

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ship edition

So, thinking about how V is uncomfortable with flirting and how he generally deals with it. I’ve talked before about him being catcalled and manhandled, though not at any great length---but now I think about how Daemon is ever the only exception (pre-game and during it) to V’s established feelings toward being flirted with. Granted, Daemon has shown restraint and his flirtation did not go beyond playful, harmless words, but even words are enough to annoy and discomfort V if he’s spoken to by anyone he doesn’t want the attention from to begin with. And at the start, he didn’t want that attention from Daemon. In fact, Daemon gave him the wrong first impression, not at all the kind to build good faith on. He wanted as little to do with him as was possible as he judged him to be exactly the kind of unsavory character he wanted no association with. Daemon basically called him “pretty” right off the bat and that was really all V needed to figure, Nope, I know his kind and I don’t need his help. But V did need his help. He let him join them and he tolerated the demon for a greater good he aimed to serve; and it was through this time shared together that he bristled less at flirtation, found it more amusing and entertaining, and he was surprised to find that he hadn’t a thing to fear from it. He found that Daemon was all talk, and it wasn’t an offensive or overtly lecherous kind either. It was easy to dismiss, and soon enough V took to ignoring it almost outright. But he didn’t fully, so the furthest he went was to, really, offer no acknowledgement, no response. But he heard it all and his brain held on to whatever was purred at him.

He wasn’t disgusted. He wasn’t inconvenienced. And, you know, Daemon had been attractive from the start...

So, thinking about how V came to accept and even welcome Daemon’s behavior is really something. ‘Cause it points to an evolution in their relationship (on V’s part) that’s largely silent but you can totally tell that V’s all right with being flirted with, being called “pretty boy,” all that stuff when it comes from Daemon. It’s helped along mainly because they get to know each other better from working closely toward the same goal, so V’s opinion of him improves rather quickly. V doesn’t really tell him to stop; or, at least, not forcefully enough to have it come through like an order. Deep down, he grows to like the attention. There comes a point when he starts to believe he’ll miss it if/when Daemon leaves. All in all, Daemon proves to be refreshing company. He’s a bit of a jackass, but he’s good. Early on, V opts to give him the benefit of the doubt---even rejecting Griffon’s belief that Daemon is only a turncoat, in it for himself, and wouldn’t care if he ultimately harms his allies. That never turns out to be the case, and V knew it from the start.

I’m straying far from my main point and that is, essentially, that V not once reacted fearfully or angrily toward Daemon for his awful tongue. Not in the sort of way he would have if engaged by someone he really didn’t want anything to do with. It made him groan inwardly at first, sure, but his distaste for it never really went beyond that. Never felt creeped out or sickened. And of course I needn’t talk about how V responds to flirtation once he and Garrett are an item: he loves it, it just goes without saying. Shit, this whole thing sounds a little confusing even to me but from my perspective it’s just further proof that Garrett was always the one wonderful exception to every one of V’s rules and that, no matter what, V would wind up liking him. A little or a lot, but he would get a pass from V regardless.

(And I don’t know about you but that smells like soul mate material to me. First person he opens up to, first person he gets attached to, first person to get V really thinking about and feeling certain things---and with Garrett that’s pretty much mirrored. They’re both important to each other before becoming important to each other. You get me. Soul mates. Goodbye.)

#headcanon ;#// hi I'm Ooze and I really don't know what this post is for #// but if I don't talk about these freaks at least once daily I will go mental

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smartwebhostingblog · 5 years

Text

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

New Post has been published on http://webhostingtop3.com/gillettes-ad-proves-the-definition-of-a-good-man-has-changed/

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

Once again, the country seems divided. This time, it’s not a border wall or a health care proposal driving the animus, but an online ad for a men’s razor, because, of course. But underneath the controversy lies something much more important: signs of real change.

On January 13, Gillette released a new ad that takes the company’s 30-year-old slogan, “The Best a Man Can Get,” and turns it into an introspective reflection on toxic masculinity very much of this cultural moment. Titled “We Believe,” the nearly two-minute video features a diverse cast of boys getting bullied, of teens watching media representatives of macho guys objectifying women, and of men looking into the mirror while news reports of #MeToo and toxic masculinity play in the background. A voiceover asks “Is this the best a man can get?” The answer is no, and the film shows how men can do better by actively pointing out toxic behavior, intervening when other men catcall or sexually harass, and helping protect their children from bullies. The ad blew up; as of Wednesday afternoon it has more than 12 million views on YouTube, and #GilletteAd has trended on Twitter nationwide. Parents across Facebook shared the YouTube link in droves, many mentioning how the ad brought them to tears.

youtube

And then, with perfect internet timing, the backlash came. The ad played differently with men’s rights activists, Fox News, and the Piers Morgans of the world. People shared videos and photos throwing disposable razors into the toilet (not a good idea—they aren’t exactly flushable). Men argued that the ad was anti-male, that it lumped all men in together as sexists, and that it denigrated traditional masculine qualities. But whatever noise has surrounded it, the fact that “We Believe” exists at all is an undeniable sign of progress.

“Advertising reflects society,” says Henry Assael, professor of marketing at NYU Stern School of Business. They’ve also become yet another battleground in the country’s larger culture wars. Though some people have made hay on Twitter about never using Gillette again, Assael says buying habits, particularly with something as habitual as a razor, are hard to break. He estimates most people don’t really follow through with their threats to abandon a brand over controversies like this. Take Nike and its ads featuring Colin Kaepernick last year: While there were vocal calls for boycotting the company at the time, it wound up reporting stronger than expected growth in its most recent earnings report.

Gillette’s ad plays on the feeling that men right now want to be better, but don’t necessarily know how. When Gillette was researching market trends last year, in the wake of #MeToo and a national conversation about the behavior of some of the country’s most powerful men, the company asked men how to define being a great man, according to Pankaj Bhalla, North American brand director for Gillette. The company conducted focus groups with men and women across the country, in their homes, and in online surveys. What Bhalla says the team heard over and over again was men saying: “I know I’m not a bad guy. I’m not that person. I know that, but what I don’t know is how can I be the best version of ourselves?”

“And literally we asked ourselves the same question as a brand. How can we be a better version of ourselves?” Bhalla adds. The answer is this ad campaign, and a promise to donate $ 1 million a year for three years to nonprofits that support boys and men being positive role models.

There’s broader evidence as well that the mainstream concept of masculinity is evolving. Last summer, the American Psychological Association issued guidelines saying that “traditional masculinity ideology” can be harmful for boys and men. When the guidelines got media attention last week, they received a fair share of criticism from conservatives, who viewed them as an attack on long-standing male traits.

Since the #MeToo era ramped up in 2017, the question has been: Will this change anything? Advertising can be a litmus test for where a culture is—an imperfect one at times, but a useful one. Companies run ads to make money, so they wouldn’t knowingly risk espousing beliefs that the majority abhor. Advertising is not so much about creating a new desire as it is about playing into what people already want.

“Advertising is in the business of reading cultural trends, that’s what they do,” says Lisa Jacobson, professor of history at the University of California Santa Barbara who focuses on the history of consumer culture. “They spend a lot of time reading culture, thinking about culture, focus-grouping cultural shifts, so they are attuned to it.”

Gillette’s Bhalla acknowledges that the company would not have made this ad a decade ago. “The insight that ‘I am not the bad guy but I don’t know how to be a great guy,’ that insight wouldn’t have come 10 years ago, because this wasn’t in our ether. It wasn’t in our society at the time,” he says.

Even today, Bhalla and his team knew the ad would not please everyone. An ad addressing such overtly controversial ideas is inherently risky. It could backfire and appear craven, as Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner ad did when it seemed to trivialize Black Lives Matter, and it could alienate existing and future customers. “We Believe” has about 713,000 dislikes on YouTube.

At the same time, thousands of people are talking about the ad online, and the campaign has prominent coverage in media outlets like this one. “It’s a calculated gamble,” says Jacobson. Even if Gillette does lose a few MRA activists, it stands to gain more new customers than it will lose.

Daniel Pope, a historian who has written extensively about advertising in America, says that although this ad is clearly speaking to certain anxieties and desires in the culture, it’s a classically segmented or targeted ad. “Given the hostility that it’s brought forth from conservatives and anti-feminist circles, [it’s clear] they are not appealing to everybody here. They are looking to a particular demographic based on perhaps political beliefs, education levels, feelings of gender equality.”

Jacobson also notes the tropes of the ad appear to make an explicit play for millennial and Generation Z men, who are the generations most embracing and driving the change in masculinity. It’s similarly an appeal to the mothers who buy their sons their first razors. Going after women is a smart business move, since women often do a majority of the household shopping, and Pope notes women also make up a good percentage of Gillette’s customer base. (Bhalla told WIRED the gender breakdown of Gillette customers is roughly 60 percent to 70 percent male, but that doesn’t necessarily capture cases where women are buying products for the men in their lives.)

Though Gillette didn’t say this outright, the ad also works as a sort of corporate prophylactic against allegations of sexism or insensitivity, which many corporations have faced lately. Gillette is a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, which sells many family and women-focused products in its other brand lines. “I have a feeling it was very much a corporate decision,” says Assael.

Gillette’s older ads showed clean-shaven men kissing women, sending the message that the right shave can win you the girl. In 2013, the company launched a campaign called “Kiss and Tell,” which asked couples to make out before and after the man had shaved and then report back.

The company is not alone in abandoning ad campaigns based on this kind of “women as object and reward” messaging. In fact, it’s following in the footsteps of Axe Body Spray, which for years relied on the idea that if you sprayed the stuff on women would come running. In 2017, Axe parent company Unilever unveiled a new ad campaign called “It’s OK for Guys,” which fought the idea of toxic masculinity by making it clear that it’s OK for men to have emotions, or be skinny, or not like sports. Like Procter & Gamble, Unilever has many family brands under its umbrella, and it was perhaps no longer appropriate to have Axe’s brand out there selling stereotypical machismo.

It’s not only stereotypical gender roles that the Gillette ad attempts to dismantle; it also subverts harmful racial stereotypes. The ad opens with an African American man contemplating his face in the mirror, and it highlights Terry Crews’ congressional testimony in which he advocated for men to stand up and intervene in toxic culture. It goes on to show African American fathers supporting their daughters, educating other men about sexist behavior, and protecting women from catcalling.

“I think this is a subconscious reason why this is getting under the skin of Piers Morgan and Fox and Friends,” says Jacobson. “It’s because this is inverting an old narrative in which white supremacists or just casual racists have attributed toxic masculinity to African American men.”

She’s talking about the racist stereotypes that paint African American males as prone to criminal behavior like sexual assault, or as absentee fathers. By showing black men intervening to stop these behaviors—which the ad shows largely being undertaken by white men—it subtly rejects those harmful tropes.

This careful treatment of race is not necessarily the norm in advertising. According to Assael, the industry was slow to adopt racial inclusiveness and diversity even after the civil rights movement. Gillette’s ad was handled with uncharacteristic thoughtfulness.

Much of the reaction to Gillette’s ad has been positive. Across the board, media and ad experts WIRED spoke to agreed the commercial was clever and as emotionally moving as an ad can really ever hope to be. Though the backlash to it clearly shows that the cultural divisions in America persist, its very existence is proof that the old definitions are masculinity are changing.

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#Changed #Definition #Gillette&039s #Good #Proves

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awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat · 5 years

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Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

New Post has been published on http://webhostingtop3.com/gillettes-ad-proves-the-definition-of-a-good-man-has-changed/

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

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#Changed #Definition #Gillette&039s #Good #Proves

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lazilysillyprince · 5 years

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Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

New Post has been published on http://webhostingtop3.com/gillettes-ad-proves-the-definition-of-a-good-man-has-changed/

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

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#Changed #Definition #Gillette&039s #Good #Proves

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hostingnewsfeed · 5 years

Text

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

New Post has been published on http://webhostingtop3.com/gillettes-ad-proves-the-definition-of-a-good-man-has-changed/

Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed

youtube

More Great WIRED Stories

Tech

#Changed #Definition #Gillette&039s #Good #Proves

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