I need people to understand how S&P (standards and practices) works in television and how much influence they have over what gets to stay IN an episode of a show and how the big time network execs are the ones holding the purse strings and making final decisions on a show's content, not the writers / showrunners / creatives involved.
So many creators have shared S&P notes over the years of the wild and nonsensical things networks wanted them to omit / change / forbid. Most famously on tumblr, I've seen it so many times, is the notes from Gravity Falls. But here's a post compiling a bunch of particularly bad ones from various networks too. Do you see the things they're asking to be changed / cut ?
Now imagine, anything you want to get into your show and actually air has to get through S&P and the network execs. A lot of creators have had to resort to underhanded methods. A lot of creators have had to relegate things to subtext and innuendo and scenes that are "open to interpretation" instead of explicit in meaning. Things have had to be coded and symbolized. And they're relying on their audience to be good readers, good at media literacy, to notice and get it. This stuff isn't the ramblings of conspiracy theorists, it's the true practices creatives have had to use to be able to tell diverse stories for ages. The Hays Code is pretty well known, it exists because of censorship. It was a way to symbolize certain things and get past censors.
Queercoding, in particular, has been used for ages in both visual media and literature do signal to queer audiences that yes, this character is one of us, but no, we can't be explicit about it because TPTB won't allow it. It's a wink-wink, nudge-nudge to those in the know. It's the deliberate use of certain queer imagery / clothing / mannerisms / phrases / references to other queer media / subtle glances and lingering touches. Things that offer plausible deniability and can be explained away or go unnoticed by straight audiences to get past those network censors. But that queer viewers WILL (hopefully) pick up on.
Because, unfortunately, still to this day, a lot of antiquated network execs don't think queer narratives are profitable. They don't think they'll appeal to general audiences, because that's what matters, whatever appeals to most of the audience demographic so they can keep watching and keep making the network more money. The networks don't care about telling good stories! Most of them are old white cishet business men, not creatives. They don't care about character arcs and what will make fans happy. They don't care about storytelling. What they care about is profit and they're basing their ideas of what's profitable on what they believe is the predominate target demographic, usually white cis heterosexual audiences.
So, imagine a show that started airing in the early 2000s. Imagine a show where the two main characters are based on two characters from a famous Beat Generation novel, where one of the characters is queer! based on a real like bisexual man! The creator is aware of this, most definitely. And sure, it's 2005, there's no way they were thinking of making that explicit about Dean in the text because it just wouldn't fly back then to have a main character be queer. But! it's made subtext. And there are nods to that queerness placed in the text. Things that are open to interpretation. Things that are drenched in metaphor (looking at you 1x06 Skin "I know I'm a freak" "maybe this thing was born human but was different...hated. Until he learned to become someone else.") Things that are blink-and-you-miss-it and left to plausible deniability (things like seemingly spending an hour in the men's bathroom, or always reacting a little vulnerable and awkward when you're clocked instead of laughing it off and making a homophobic joke abt it)
And then, years later there's a ship! It's popular and at first the writers aren't really seriously thinking about it but they'll throw the fans a bone here and there. Then, some writers do get on the destiel train and start actively writing scenes for them that are suggestive. And only a fraction of what they write actually makes it into the text. So many lines left on the cutting room floor: i love past you. i forgive you i love you. i lost cas and it damn near broke me. spread cas's ashes alone. of course i wanted you to stay. if cas were here. -- etc. Everything cut was not cut by the writers! Why would a writer write something to then sabotage their own story and cut it? No, these are things that didn't make it past the network. Somewhere a note was made maybe "too gay" or "don't feed the shippers" or simply "no destiel."
So, "no destiel." That's pretty clearly the message we got from the CW for years. "No destiel. Destiel will alienate our general audience. Two of our main characters being queer? And in a relationship? No way." So what can the pro-destiel creatives involved do, if the network is saying no? What can the writers do if most of their explicit destiel (or queer dean) lines / moments are getting cut? Relegate things to subtext. Make jokes that straight people can wave off but queer people can read into. Make costuming and set design choices that the hardcore fans who are already looking will notice while the general audience and the out-of-touch network execs won't blink and eye at (I'm looking at you Jerry and your lamps and disappearing second nightstands and your gay flamingo bar!)
And then, when the audience asks, "is destiel real? is this proof of destiel?" what can the creatives do but deny? Yes, it hurts, to be told "No no I don't know what you're talking about. There's no destiel in supernatural" a la "there is no war in Ba Sing Se" but! if the network said "no destiel!" and you and your creative team have been working to keep putting destiel in the subtext of the narrative in a way that will get past censors, you can't just go "Yes, actually, all that subtext and symbolism you're picking up, yea it's because destiel is actually in the narrative."
But, there's a BIG difference between actively putting queer themes and subtext into the narrative and then saying it's not there (but it is! and the audience sees it!) versus NOT putting any queer content into the text but SAYING it is there to entice queer fans to continue watching. The latter, is textbook queerbaiting. The former? Is not. The former is the tactics so many creatives have had to use for years, decades, centuries, to get past censorship and signal to those in the know that yea, characters like you are here, they exist in this story.
Were the spn writers perfect? No, absolutely not. And I don't think every instance of queer content was a secret signal. Some stuff, depending on the writer, might've been a period-typical gay joke. These writers are flawed. But it's no secret that there were pro-destiel writers in the writing room throughout the years, and that efforts were made to make it explicitly canon (the market research!)
So no, the writers weren't ever perfect or a homogeneous entity. But they definitely were fighting an uphill battle constantly for 15 yrs against S&P and network execs with antiquated ideas of what's profitable / appealing.
Spn even called out the networks before, on the show, using a silly example of complaints abt the lighting of the show and how dark the early seasons were. Brightening the later seasons wasn't a creative choice, but a network choice. And if the networks can complain abt and change something as trivial as the lighting of a show, they definitely are having a hand in influencing the content of the show, especially queer content.
Even in s15, (seasons fifteen!!!) Misha has said he worried Castiel's confession would not air. In 2020!!! And Jensen recorded that scene on his personal phone! Why? Sure, for the memories. But also, I do not doubt for a second that part of it was for insurance, should the scene mysteriously disappear completely. We've seen the finale script. We've seen the omitted omitted omitted scenes. We all saw how they hacked the confession scene to bits. The weird cuts and close-ups. That's not the writers doing. That's likely not even the editors (willingly). That's orders from on high. All of the fuckery we saw in s15 reeks of network interference. Writers are not trying to sabotage their own stories, believe me.
Anyways, TLDR: Networks have a lot more power than many think and they get final say in what makes it to air. And for years creative teams have had to find ways to get past network censorship if they want "banned" or "unapproved" "unprofitable" "unwanted" content to make it into the show. That means relying on techniques like symbolism, subtext, and queercoding, and then shutting up about it. Denying its there, saying it's all "open to interpretation" all while they continue to put that open to interpretation content into the show. And that's not queerbaiting, as frustrating as it might be for queer audiences to be told that what they're seeing isn't there, it's still not queerbaiting. Queerbaiting is a marketing technique to draw in queer fans by baiting them with the promise of queer content and then having no queer content in said media. But if you are picking up on queer themes / subtext / symbolism / coding that is in front of your face IN the text, that's not queerbaiting. It's there, covertly, for you, because someone higher up didn't want it to be there explicitly or at all.
314 notes
·
View notes
I saw the other anons ask sayin that Leon would want to settle down and you saying smth about h8k being protective with his daughter? What do you think would he do when a boy breaks his princess' heart? It would be so funny because he's dealt with lots of bad things and now boys are his no. 1 problems 😭
RAHHHHH BANGING MY FISTS ON THE TABLE such a complete 180° from the last anon and I’m so excited to write this up hehehe
Reader is gender neutral
Leon is a special government agent, so of course he has connections, and with those connections, he has a lot of information at his fingertips. He can easily look into someone’s history or records.
Which includes anyone who interacts with his daughter. Be that crushes or friends, he’ll ask her for their names and being Leon… he’ll do a little bit of digging. Just a small check of their backgrounds, scoping out their families. Nothing too wild.
It’s honestly a good things he does this, it helps him sleep easier at night knowing the ones that his daughter has grown close to are not there for nefarious reasons or to use her as leverage against him.
Now when it comes to relationships/her being heartbroken?
Leon would find her sobbing one day, her face red and splotchy. His heart would seize in his chest, and he’d rush over to her and fire off a hundred questions, holding her close. She’d tell him all that’s happened, confiding in you and Leon easily and without hesitation.
She had told her crush how she felt, and said crush not only turned her down but laughed at her confession. The rage would simmer in Leon’s body but he would keep his composure, knowing these are teenagers he’s dealing with and is a disheartening part of life.
He’d rub her back and let her cry into him, frustrated and apologizing that he cannot do more.
Then, an idea.
“Hey, bug, why don’t we go to the store, get some snacks, and we can all watch your favorite movie together, yeah?“ he suggests, pulling her away and wiping her tears from her face.
She gives a small smile and nods, sniffling. “Yeah, that’d be cool.” He nods, grinning down at her and helping her to her feet, before making his way through the house to explain what’s happened.
Your heart aches for your child, finding her and pulling her into an embrace. Once you’ve doted on her yourself, the three of you make the trip to the store, grabbing all sorts of confections.
Once home, you settle on the couch, your daughter between the two of you, and let her pick out her choice of media. She settles on a funny, light-hearted one.
About half way into the movie, you began to hear light snoring. Looking over to see your daughter’s head resting against Leon’s arm.
Your eyes meet and you grin at each other. You pick up the remote and pause the movie, and Leon slowly maneuvers her onto his lap before standing up and carrying her to her bedroom.
You follow behind, heart warming at the sight of them. She’ll never be too old to be his little girl. Never too old to have her scrapes and bruises kissed and bandaged.
After Leon tucks her into her bed and her door is shut, he pulls you into an embrace, kissing the top of your head.
“Let’s plan something fun for the weekend, I don’t have to be at work until Tuesday,” he whispers against your hair while stroking your back.
Enthusiastically you agree, wrapping your arms around his frame, excited for the plans ahead with the people you love most in your life.
88 notes
·
View notes
Right today made my brain start thinking about demon lore so I did some research:
- BBH has hinted at being a fallen angel and is now a demon/grim reaper and while not ashamed, is secretive about it
- Tina basically confirmed she's a fallen angel or at least wasn't always a demon today and she is heavily ashamed of it and her "past of sin"
- Mouse is very comfortable and considers herself a natural demon with the Nether as her home (specifically Puerto Rico, canonically in hell)
And Mouse today said that natural demons aren't evil because that's just who they are while those turned demon are evil. And Tina basically implied that that was why she wasn't open about her identity because even other demons have those beliefs so how can she trust humans to not think of her like that.
However, cc!Mouse as a vtuber has demon lore that states she has an angelic form and the qsmp wiki states that shes a fallen angel of sorts (had a disagreement with god and was cast out) so if they are intertwined in some way:
1. We know more about Mouse Demon lore
And 2. All three of them are fallen angels (fell at different times: Bad the eldest, Mouse middle and Tina youngest)
So I think what Mouse means is that 'natural' demons also include fallen angels, since demons and angels are two sides of the same coin, and are just who they are, not inherently evil, but those that turn demon, like what happens when you get infected by black concrete, are evil. But because she has never explained about her potentially being a fallen angel and (while Tina does refer to the Nether as 'home') Tina doesn't think of herself as a natural demon like Mouse, there is a miscommunication and it's putting her into an even deeper well of internalised hate because even other demons would think of her as evil if they knew the truth of her past.
Also after today definitely it means that Tina is either lying about how much she knows of her past (which wouldn't be too much of a reach because she's hiding a major part of her identity that would be kind of hard to ignore) or they couldn't wipe the memories of the distant past so she remembers falling.
Today was a lot and I feel like I'm missing stuff but also it's 6am so I should sleep before this consumes my every waking thought.
86 notes
·
View notes