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houlebubo · 1 year

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One day I'll probably do a 40-minute video essay on this topic, but the internet's misinterpretation of "Death of the Author" is just a real shame.

I frequently see the concept brought up in relation to a certain terf author. People attempt to 'separate the work and the author', but that is frankly not how it is intended to be used.

"Death of the Author" is supposed to be a tool for literary analysis. That's all it is. It is not a theory by itself, nor a political stance or a way to judge morality.

It is a tool to encourage readers to interpret the content of a text authentically, but you should use it critically, and be aware of why, how and when it is relevant. It is not an excuse to ignore context or paratext, as both of those should also be considered in a proper analysis.

The tool was developed during a time when the discourse was more favourable towards an author's intention rather than a reader's interpretation. People used intention to dismiss other readers' analysis of texts, using diary entries or letters by dead authors to counter less mainstream takes of canon texts. It was a period where the 'goal' of literary analysis was to uncover a text's true meaning. The original essay was a short controversial counterargument but the conversations it sparked over the following decades have led to the scale tipping more in favour of interpretation. It has also led to a 180 of the original problem.

Killing the author has the potential of empowering readers and encouraging deeper. Maybe even uncovering biases the author wasn't even aware of! However, (mostly outside of academic circles but not always) people are misusing the concept and use it to dismiss context and racist dog-whistles as well as discourage readings that rely more on subtext.

In simple terms we have gone from a mentality saying "AHA, I have evidence and it said you are wrong" to "AHA, it doesn't matter and therefore you are wrong". Neither is constructive in a conversation about art.

If you use the death of the author effectively while acknowledging intention and context you actually add a lot of nuance to your analysis, and doing so can demonstrate your analytical abilities. You will be able to distinguish what the text is saying plainly, what is said between the lines, and if the narrative effectively handles what it originally claimed. It is an effective 1-2 punch. Let me give you an ultra-short example:

On the surface level, '50 Shades of Grey' tells you that it is a sexy BDSM story. Throughout interviews and promotional material, E. L. James frames her story as a female-empowering book. But by critically examining how the books handle themes of consent, privacy, agency etc. we can argue that the narrative doesn't live up to proper BDSM conduct and that the protagonist is not empowered, and is instead displaying an unhealthy relationship. If we take the analysis further we could make an argument about what this says about society at large. Does it normalise boundary-breaking behaviour? Could it make someone romanticise stalking? The thesis statement is all up to you. (disclaimer I have not actually read these books, don't come for me, this is an example)

Here is what we just did: I presented a surface reading of a text. I presented the most likely intention of the author. I then argued for my interpretation by looking at literary themes and context. I used the conflict between Jame's intention, and my interpretation to illustrate a conflict. 1-2 punch. I am not killing James, I consider her opinion and intention to strengthen my argument, but I don't let her word of god determine or dismiss my reading. In just 3 simple sentences I use a variety of resources from my toolbox.

When people weaponise the author's intention it can look like this:

"Well, E. L. James said it is a female power fantasy, you're just reading too much into it" <- dismissing context and subtext by using 'word of god'. Weighing intention above interpretation.

"Does it really matter that E. L. James didn't research BDSM before publishing, can't it just be a sexy book?" <- dismissing context, subtext as well as author intention and accountability. Weighing their own interpretation and subtly killing the author

Simply exclaiming "I believe in death of the author" (which I have heard in Lit classes) means nothing. It's nothing. Except that you want to ignore context and only indulge in the parts of the text that you find enjoyable.

In the plainest way I can put it, the death of the author is supposed to make you say: "the author probably meant A, but the text and the context is saying B, therefore I conclude C". Don't just repeat what the author says. Don't just ignore context. And allow the feelings the text invokes in you to be there and let them be something you reflect on. The details you pick up on will be completely unique to you, the meaning you get will be just your own. You can do all of these things at once, I promise it doesn't have to be one or the other.

There has to be a balance. Intention matters. Interpretation matter. Watch out and pay attention. Are you only claiming the author is dead or alive when it serves your own narrative?

When you want to ignore an author ask why

When you don't want to read a book because you don't condone the actions of the author ask why

Examine how you dismiss arguments and how you further conversations.

#literature #lit #uni #death of the author #i don't write long tumblr posts what the fuck is this #i take constructive criticism but be nice about it #English is not my first language there are probably a ton of mistakes and weird things in this #analysis #i'll probably delete this thing #but i'll post it for now i guess because I have been writing on it for too long

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doshmanziari · 4 months

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Without a doubt, and by far, the most marginalizing development I've seen within media analysis over the past decade is a shift towards the production of long, flashy videos which tend to require the same for a dialogue to occur. Literally nothing which has been written about Elden Ring, for example, since its release has enjoyed even a fraction of the visibility as a one-hour-and-forty-minutes video by Joseph Smith, or another of similar length by NeverKnowsBest. I don't know when exactly the shift started to happen most obviously -- maybe 2016 or 2017 -- but, today, circumstances are such that pretty much the only way to get real discursive traction on your thoughts about a piece of media is to make a colossus of a video.

Although worried and worrying discourse has complemented the unveiling of newer public A.I. technologies, we've already done a perfectly fine job of out-dating other forms of media communication by way of the aforementioned analytic format; just as, of course, earlier methods of industrial production rendered a whole variety of professions or emphases as outmoded. If you don't have the relevant editing tools at your disposal and/or don't want to spend hundreds of hours cropping footage and making it fit with music and your own narration, well -- too bad! And even then, of course, there's no guarantee that your video will reach your desired scale of an audience. I've found dozens of such videos on YT channels with only a few thousand views, if that; and on each channel it's clear that the people finally gave up after the monumental task of assembling these videos had no equivalent payoff.

Personally, I do still believe in the primacy of the text (or the spoken word, with no competing stimuli); in text as the primary form of critical engagement. More than that -- if I'm going to read a non-fiction work, I want the paged book, and not a digital version. Now, this preference is just that: a preference. And it surely is a preference a good number of people share. I find that a paged book lends itself better to my own retention of the material; and I really enjoy making my notes on the book's paper with a pen. But I don't believe that the construction of multimedia behemoths should be a baseline requirement for discourse.

I wonder if we will, in the near future, start to see some resurgence of the valuation of unembellished textual analysis complementing a more general fatigue with Internet-derived overstimulation. I've already run across numerous channels with fairly sizable communities where there is an appreciation for the "simplicity" of the formats: a person in a room just talking to the camera. I think a lot of people like engaging analysis where the only barrier of significance is devising a good script. To be sure, this is a formidable barrier in itself. I find writing long-form pieces to be the most difficult of any of my creative practices (which include drawing, painting, and music composition). But if writing on media were my main passion or goal in life, I'd feel fairly crushed to know that these projects now required me to put in perhaps quadruple the amount of time to make a blip on the radar of engagement.

EDIT: Thinking on this -- I wonder if there's a parallel to be found in the realm of supplementing one's work with excess-entertainment via social media engagement; e.g., daily Instagram videos. "Excess-entertainment" refers to material that's being made not because everyone who's making it wants to make it, but because each person is now beholden to an abstractly instituted algorithm of engagement -- an algorithm reinforced by audiences who, also under algorithmic influence, will wonder what's going on if a week goes by without something from a Content Creator.

Most artists who I've talked to regarding their Instagram videos say they would be only too happy if they never had to do another upload showing them adding paint or linework to a work-in-progress with lo-fi beats. Similarly, I wonder how many people making these mega-videos actually want to make them, and if we're not rather seeing the production of this material under a mutual, and mutually untrue, assumption of necessity, and the demands of a largely imaginary audience; and how long they'll be able to keep the act up, given the certainly enormous time investments they require (while noting that I am sure the more successful people hire others to do most of the editing for them).

#multimedia #media criticism #technology #communications technology

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drdemonprince · 5 months

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How do you tell the difference between perfectly reasonable bitch sessions about people processing their problems with others/groups, as opposed to having ended up in a clique? I've been in situations a few times in my life where I ended up in a friend group whose complaining about others made me feel very irritated and/or uncomfortable. But I can't tell whether that's a reasonable reaction or whether my own tendencies towards people-pleasing and toxic positivity.

I don't want to give in to a bad impulse to "play devil's advocate" or anything, but my internal reaction tends to be "well, at the moment I'd rather be with them than you" and start looking for chances to make more distance so I won't be privy to those discussions anymore. But then I worry that distancing myself from people because of unexpressed discomfort isn't the right thing to do either.

To further complicate the matter: I also criticize people behind their backs sometimes! I feel like it can contribute to less charged, more robust relationships with those around me. My tolerance for this in general has gone up a bit over the years, and now someone else is doing it about a person whose flaws I've also seen doesn't bother me nearly as much. I can't tell if that's reasonable, hypocritical, or a secret third thing. I feel like I do it with the intention of ultimately getting to know/deal with them better, but maybe that's just toxic positivity talking again.

TL;DR any tips for how to a) identify constructive vs. destructive talking about people behind their backs when I'm privy to it, and b) respond if it seems like the destructive kind?

I think the search for an over-arching rule of what should be acceptable here is the wrong tactic! Rather than worrying so much about whether what you are doing is okay, or hypocritical, or too devils-advocatey, or too fawning, or what's the optimal level and form of talking about other people to which you should permit in yourself and others.... please just let yourself actually trust how you feel! This is an interpersonal vibe issue and how you feel and what you want matters.

It annoys you to be around people who are super negative and judgmental toward others. You think the judgements this person is making of a third party are needless. Just say that! You don't have to have some grand unified theory of why it's not acceptable for them to speak in this way or some established rule set to justify how you feel. How you feel is the point! These are your relationships and you get to decide how you feel about them!

Here are some statements that are totally acceptable to say in this situation:

"I don't really like hearing you talking so negatively about people."

"Can we talk about something else? This is not interesting to me."

"I don't have any problem with them, let's move on."

"When you talk about other people like this, it makes me wonder how you see me."

"Yeah yeah I get it the picture, you don't like them. Played any good video games lately?"

Or, if they are insistent in continuing to complain about people or talk negatively in ways that you dislike and don't listen when you say it's unpleasant for you, you could just not hang out with this person! This is a very legitimate reason to not like somebody.

I had a partner for a while who would constantly talk shit about other people. I'm a hater in a great many ways so at first I thought it was fine. I'm used to people thinking I'm too analytical and too critical so sometimes being around negative people feels safe and accepting to me! And I love a good bitching sesh -- especially in person discussions about online people who are never gonna be hurt or affected by me privately talking shit with my friends.

But I noticed this person I was seeing constantly would pick apart every one else's flaws, including random people they'd only just met, while also complaining often about how they didn't get enough affection or attention themselves... it frankly disgusted me because they could not see that their shitty attitude toward others was the sole cause of their own isolation. I had to end things because it was so viscerally off-putting. This person was always perfectly nice to me. Very generous, affectionate, complimentary, and attentive. It didn't matter because I didn't like how they spoke about others and how much time they devoted to being petty. It was a huge turn off and it can be a massive friendship deal-breaker too. If you don't like it, you don't like it! that's enough.

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p3ski · 28 days

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Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed

Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/ Comfort

Previous Chapter

Read on AO3 here:

Summary: In the aftermath of Detroit's android revolution, Nines grapples with the complexities of his newfound deviancy. As he seeks to establish his place in a newly transformed society, his resolve is put to the ultimate test when he is paired with Detective Gavin Reed-a notoriously volatile human with a well-established hatred for androids-to investigate a series of murders.

While initial impressions of his partner seem to suggest his reputation is well-deserved, the more time Nines spends with him, the more he is forced to challenge his judgments. As they form an unexpected bond, the RK900 is also pushed to examine truths about himself he would much rather seek to forget. (A Retelling of 'More Than Our Parts' from the POV of Nines.)

Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self, Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut

Word Count: 5.2K

Tag List (I forgot - sorry!) : @sweeteatercat @wedonthaveawhile @ladyj-pl @tentoriumcerebelli @negative-citadel

♡If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know♡

Nines sat at his workstation, methodically sifting through the findings from yesterday's case. He scrutinised each gruesome detail, hoping to discern anything that might have been overlooked. Sander's Team would need time to analyse the forensic samples, but he doubted this would amount to anything significant.

The attack had been frustratingly contained, with the culprit leaving little trace of themself—save a deliberately constructed path of carnage. To avoid wasting time, Nines decided to utilise what limited information they had available to craft a more detailed suspect profile:

> ACCESSING FILE 'HARTWELL SUSPECT.'

> COMMENCING PROCESS — CRIMINOLOGICAL ANALYSIS…

> PATH ESTABLISHED.

> ASSAILANT POSED AS CLIENT — SUSPICION OF VICTIM NOT IMMEDIATELY TRIGGERED.

[ REFER TO INTERNAL FILE 'jason_Hr400_personalorganiser']

> ALIAS' THOD GRAWS' — SINGLE INDIVIDUAL STATED — SCENE EVIDENCE INCONSISTENT WITH ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLICES.

> SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO LIFT AND MANEUVER MODEL HR400 ANDROID.

> ANTI-ANDROID RHETORIC EXPRESSED IN THE FORM OF VANDALISM — THIRIUM MESSAGE LEFT FOR DISCOVERY BY INVESTIGATIVE UNIT.

With consideration for all relevant details, an overview was starting to take shape—outlined in the expanding BIOS filling the scope of his optical field:

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE — UPDATE IN PROGRESS.

> ANALYTICAL HYPOTHESIS COMMENCED.

> GENERATING RESULTS…

> HUMAN MALE. 20 — 40 YRS.

[ MATCHES TYPICAL CLIENTELE PROFILE ]

> ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES — LARGE OR MUSCULAR BUILD.

> PRE-ESTABLISHED KNOWLEDGE OF ROBOTICS / CYBERNETICS — INCLUDING MECHANICS OF CYBERLIFE ANDROIDS.

> PREDICTING MOTIVATION…

The RK900 felt his neural functions stall temporarily as he decided on the trajectory of his ongoing analysis. Of course, the primary motivation seemed obvious. There was little room for interpretation left in the culprit's messages.

However, there seemed to be a little more at play. A deeper lining prejudice, far more implicit than might have been initially apparent. He considered the killer's choice of language, as well as the positioning used when presenting the body for discovery…

> BASED ON RHETORICAL EVIDENCE LEFT AT THE SCENE :

> SUSPECTS HOLD STRONG ANTI-ANDROID SENTIMENTS.

> STANCE MAY BE INFLUENCED BY ESTABLISHED RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR SIMILAR IDEOLOGIES.

> POSSIBLE DISILLUSIONMENT WITH CYBERLIFE AS A WIDER INSTITUTION? EVIDENCE INSUFFICIENT — TO BE DETERMINED.

> HARTWELL SUSPECT PROFILE UPDATED.

Of course, the more detailed nuances of the killer's motivation were far from their primary concern right now. More pressing was the growing indication of prior offences—as if the same degree of care had been applied to their previous attacks, Nines could only wonder just how long they had been operating whilst evading detainment.

With the suspect profile at the forefront of his mind, Nines scanned his hand on the terminal and began cross-referencing the findings with recent DPD records of android-focused attacks. If any patterns could be established, which he suspected was likely, he at the very least hoped it would shed some light on their killer's operations, making catching up to them easier—

"—Shit!"

Unsurprisingly, the urgency of this task appeared to have eluded his partner.

With a survey of their shared workstation, he observed as the man fumbled callously with his third caffeinated beverage of the morning. A viscous glob of brown liquid dribbled down his chin as a reddened hand frantically swatted at his protruding tongue. It would appear the beverage had been hot, an observation only made after testing it with his mouth.

Even amidst the continuous bustle of the precinct, Reed's antics proved a prominent distraction. It might have been considered impressive, were it not so irritating.

"I sense that you are stressed, Detective," the android coolly remarked, averting his attention from the tragic display. "Perhaps a walk around the station may help to relieve some tension."

In all honesty, concern for the man's well-being formed very little part of this suggestion. He simply hoped that the time it would take for him to walk around the building would prove sufficient for him to filter the pungent aromatic compounds jamming his olfactory processors.

Regrettably, Reed proved less than receptive in granting him such relief. "Go fuck yourself."

Nines could only assume this rejection was made purely out of spite. The mantra he had been fighting to maintain up until this point, 'making the most' of his current situation, was becoming less of a persistent challenge and more of a statistical impossibility.

His partner's presence grated on him like an unbearable itch, and it seemed to matter little if he chose to scratch or endure. Gavin Reed was an affliction that refused to be managed.

Even after the coffee debacle, the android found his receptors barraged with multiple other nuisances. Constant physical and verbal tics—including the perpetual bounce of his leg, as well as frequent grumbled vulgarities. It inspired fantasies of reaching across the desk, robbing the man's ability to engage in such behaviours with targeted pressure to his neck.

With considerable personal restraint, he managed to resist the urge. Unlike his partner, he wished to keep his records clear of extraneous assault charges. There was also no way of confirming what passive enjoyment Reed might garner from such a reaction—perhaps some twisted sense of pride or a masochistic thrill.

rA9 knew humans derived pleasure from the strangest of things. After all the material he had been unwittingly subjected to via the Hartwell victim's personal organiser, the android concluded he'd rather not delve into that particular aspect of his partner's psyche.

After an extended period of scrolling on his phone, Reed's concentration moved reluctantly to his neglected terminal—albeit 'concentrating' could be considered a generous descriptor. Nothing about his actions demonstrated any degree of motivation beyond upholding a flimsy facade of appearing to be working. He lounged lazily in his chair, tapping his fingers in listless plods against his keyboard.

With each monotonous clack, Nines could feel the weight of his complacency bearing heavily on his shoulders. Were he to delay the finalising of their reports any longer, the RK900 would simply be forced to—

"What is your name anyway?" Reed said suddenly. His eyes flitted towards the android, honed attentively whilst paradoxically devoid of any meaningful thought or engagement. "Don't think you ever bothered to tell me."

In contrast to the man's slackened jaw, Nines felt his own lock in exasperation. Rather than waste time on the question, he could have easily secured the desired information from the readily accessible staff records. Clearly, the process of opening a second tab on his computer proved far too mentally tasking.

"My model number is sufficient," he responded, in a far greater show of agreeability than was deserved.

Despite this, the answer failed to satisfy his partner. He could not help but notice that Reed had proceeded to mimic his words, jutting his chin towards the ceiling as he flapped his lips in large, animated movements. It was a bizarre performance—for which Nines was uncertain who the intended audience had been.

He prevented the pantomime from encroaching further into his optical field as he returned focus to the still-opened pathways pertaining to their case. The next logical step seemed to be comparing the Hartwell case to similar unsolved incidents. If any comparisons could be drawn, it may allow them to discern patterns in the killer's activities and determine an area of operation in which to focus their search.

With the criteria calibrated, the Hartwell documents were procedurally checked against the wider criminal database. A surreal kaleidoscope of shattered plastic, detached limbs and vibrant streaks of blue filled his vision—blinding him periodically. Their prevalence was alarming, as were the many parallels he was swiftly able to draw.

It had become apparent that the killer hadn't just committed crimes against androids before, he was a seasoned professional.

"When looking at the findings from the HR400 case, there are seven near-identical homicides that have occurred within a 10-mile radius." He directed his attention to Reed as the data faded from view, confining itself to his terminal monitor. "As well as fifteen further assault or harassment reports with notable similarities."

The man raised his brows at the revelation before his eyes rolled in a curt dismissal. "So what? Doesn't mean they're connected."

Nines felt his tested patience dwindle further as he was taken by an impulse to thump a head onto the table. Either his own or Reed's—he hadn't decided yet. Perhaps if he were to opt for the latter, it may inadvertently knock some sense into the thoroughly detestable man.

"Our suspect works carefully not to incriminate themselves, leaving little to no DNA evidence." In hopes a visual may circumvent his partner's inability to employ basic reasoning, he turned his monitor in his direction. "They do, however, enjoy leaving calling cards for the police..."

He descended through the contents of the page, watching as Reed's expression fell in line with the grotesque text and images. Reflections of synthetic gore shone ominously against his pupils, until they started to narrow, focusing on the images. No doubt some form of dormant reflex developed from his time of the force. An understanding that he ought to pay attention, even if he didn't want to.

Hoping it might prove the catalyst for progress, Nines pressed a little further. "The handwriting is consistent across the crime scenes." He pointed his finger in line with a few of the killer's scrawlings, outlining the similarities in the gnarled letters.

"... That's all well and good, but the fuck are we supposed to do with a handwriting sample in 2039?" His tenuously held interest had already waned. Reed began picking at the corner of his mouse mat, rolling a ball of dislodged foam between his fingertips. "If that's all we have to work with, then we're royally screwed."

Nines slumped back in his seat, feeling entirely defeated. His grip tightened on the screen as he forcefully returned it to its original position. As his fingers burrowed into the flimsy chrome plating, it began to warp beneath his hold. By the time he realised what he had done, he was dismayed to discover that the action had left a series of prominent indents.

"If you were to review the files yourself, perhaps you might find something of greater significance."

There was a brief hush as Reed stilled completely. The ambient sounds of the precinct became the only noise shared between them—methodic typing and the mumbled chatter between co-workers. Then, a harsh demand cut through, like a final stone cast at the crumbling foundations of the android's composure.

"Come again?"

If their short partnership had demonstrated anything, it was that Reed's contentious reputation was more than deserved. First impressions could be misleading, but in his partner's case, they had proved incredibly efficient in demonstrating the calibre of man he was.

Were Reed an android, he would have been deactivated long ago—the only consistency in his erraticism being his enduring cruelty and arrogance. No doubt this stemmed from some perceived dissatisfaction in his own personal or professional life, the fault for which was undoubtedly his.

"You have worked here for significantly longer than me, yet you seem to lack all the prerequisite skills to fulfil your duties." There was a stir of movement as the android detected a steady rise in the man's respiratory rate. "Perhaps this would explain why you are so consistently passed up for progression opportunities, not to mention promotion—"

There was a harsh strike against the desk, rattling its already unsteady foundations. Reed sat with his palms sprawled on the scuffed veneer surface, before he pushed against it, hauling himself to his feet. Leaving his chair, the man was practically foaming at the mouth with ill-concealed anger. His nostrils flared wide, and his head bucked forward, similar to an irate bull.

"Where do you get off telling me how to do my job?"

Nines was more than happy to elaborate on the less-than-stellar overview he had constructed of Detective Reed. Perhaps it might provide the man with some valuable self insight, of which he clearly lacked any.

"I am the most advanced model that CyberLife has ever created. I was programmed to assist in police investigations, with my performance continuously adjusted and monitored to uphold exceptionally high standards. I know incompetence when I see it."

Reed took immediate and hostile issue with the criticism. Even if Nines had not been able to detect the change in his vitals, the reflective tensing of his muscles—in particular the hostile curling of fingers against his palms—was more than telling of his intentions.

"Is it in your damn programming to be such a prick all the time?"

"I am simply being honest."

The warning signs soon came to fruition, with almost comedic predictability. "They should have left you in the warehouse to rot, you fucking machine—"

As Reed's fist hurtled towards him, Nines intercepted it in a fluid motion. His hand closed around the man's wrist, applying pressure like the centralised force of a hydraulic press. He then pinned it firmly to the desk, preventing any further momentum.

Clearly, the human had been spoiled by the restraint shown by his previous android targets. His rush of adrenaline seemed to taper instantly, as he took note of the wrenching hold riveting him in place.

Nines observed with curiosity as signals of pain sent twitches through the human's muscles. His skin felt spongey and delicate, melding itself to his tightly wound fingers with remarkable ease. He could feel the beat of his pulse racing through the fleshy guard. A final, damning confirmation of just how fragile he truly was.

"Let go of me, you piece of—!"

"You are fortunate that I am not willing to fight you," the android interrupted, his contemptuous tone laden with ice. "Had I been, your hand would be broken."

It was clear Reed had started to realise the gravity of his mistake as his scornful eyes widened in wake of the threat. The machine restraining him possessed more control over the situation than he could have ever comprehended. It could not be swayed by insults or threats, nor overpowered by any degree of force.

Despite his continued resistance, there was fear brimming in his gaze. It eclipsed all traces of zeal and bravado, as he realised just how easily Nines could have destroyed him in the pursuit of defending himself.

"...Let go."

To ensure the message was well received and that no further aggression was attempted, Nines leaned forward—positioning his mouth just above the shell of the man's ear.

"Even if I were to let you hit me, is the fleeting satisfaction you would feel worth losing your career over? People are watching Detective Reed. I would consider your next move carefully."

His pride had been wounded, remnants leaking through the cracks of his narrowed eyes. He didn't want to stop fighting; that much was obvious, but even Reed—in all his irrationality—could recognise its futility.

Once his body was completely still, and the beat of the pulse against his sensor pads had begun to slow, Nines decided to release him. The man yanked his arm back quickly as he pawed at the reddened imprints left on his wrist.

Anger permeated his every syllable once he had regained the needed composure to speak. The words slicing the air like a guillotine, spurred by the cutting edge of his tongue. "If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I don't care what happens to me. I will fucking murder you."

It was clear how desperately the man wished for his threats to hold any weight. Nines, on the other hand, have never felt less intimidated in his life. He smoothly dismissed the notion, resisting the assured smirk threatening to curl his lips. "As we have just established, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried."

> INCOMING TRANSMISSION.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

I haven't heard from you in a while.

Is everything okay?

His encroaching smile vanished completely as a new irritation presented itself—formed in the sudden pop-up on his HUD. Naturally, RK800 would feel inclined to check in. He'd want to know how things were progressing with Nines and his new partner.

As much as Nines appreciated the vigilance came from a place of concern, he couldn't help but find it a little intrusive. Like he was a small child, being kept under constant check by a protective older sibling.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

Everything is fine.

I am currently discussing case findings with Detective Reed.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Are you sure about that?

Seems like quite a violent discussion.

RK900 #313 248 317 - 87 >> RK800 #313 248 317 - 51

I have no idea what you are talking about.

The situation is under control. You've no cause for concern.

RK800 #313 248 317 - 51 >> RK900 #313 248 317 - 87

Nines, I am standing by your desk.

"Detective Reed, RK900."

RK800 then spoke aloud, allowing the human to be privy to their ongoing interactions. Nines wished he hadn't bothered.

As if Reed wasn't already in a foul enough mood, the introduction of a second android seemed to tip him over the edge. He looked ready to lash out again or, at the very least, attempt to, with RK800 his new target of focus. "What the fuck do you want, dipshit?"

A small step was made away from Nines and towards his predecessor, to which the former was immediately on guard. It was clear the man had learnt nothing from their recent exchange, the exercise in synthetic superiority unable to pierce his long-standing fog of prejudice.

That being said, should the man attempt to lay hands on RK800, Nines would resolve to make sure the lesson was learned—in spite of any concerns regarding his behavioural record.

RK800 glanced at the younger android before subtly shaking his head, an assurance he had things under control. He then focused his attention on Reed, tracking his movements with a cranial tilt as a polite smile spread on his lips.

"I understand that you've been assigned to investigate the murder of a former Traci. I was wondering what you'd learnt so far."

"What's it to ya?" the man spat back, his growing disdain more than apparent in the unsightly wrinkle of his nose. "Don't you and Anderson have your own cases you need to work on?"

"We do…but I will admit I have taken an interest in this particular crime."

RK800 paused, his LED flickering yellow as he deliberated on his ongoing approach. Then his dark eyes began to soften, the product of a manipulation protocol Nines was certain had served him well in many previous interactions.

"I understand that it shares similarities with other recent attacks?" His voice was smooth and honeyed as he continued to speak, tinged with an endearing curiosity.

It seemed Reed was entirely immune to its appeal. He crossed his arms, as his lips pulled shut in a tightly pinched grimace. A firm indication that he would not be sharing any information with the android, regardless of how personable his approach may be.

Before RK800 had a chance to start batting his eyelashes, Nines spared them all the performance by firmly stepping forward, positioning himself between the detective and his predecessor.

"Several." He then retracted the skin of his palm, holding it upright as a silent indication of his intended exchange method. While RK800 eventually complied, he did so with an uncertain glance at the man beside them.

Their palms met, and the precinct was gone—disappearing from sight

#dbh #reed900 #detroit become human #dbh nines #dbh gavin #dbh rk900 #dbh fanfiction #dbh fanfic #gavin reed x rk900 #gavin900 #g9 #dbh fic #detroitbecomehuman

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vernadskova · 1 month

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Agree about the fan thing, I have to admit that I am very annoyed that people do not intellectually engage with the game and just meme-ify it and draw ship art because that's seemingly the way western young adults engage with everything. I'd love to see more historical and ideological parallels and real-life concepts applied to the game. Its breakdown of fate and the restrictions of video games is still better than most "meta" games made today because it actually has something to say for itself and its world rather than relying on a shock value ending. Please do talk about the endings and their implications or characters if you'd like. Also, have you played or considered playing The Void i.e. Turgor? It's another IPL game, even more difficult than Pathologic and absolutely loaded with subtext and philosophy that never gets discussed because it flew under most people's radars.

I've not played Turgor, I ought to get on it once I have time.

And yes, while the explosive popularity it has achieved in recent years has lead to a few analytical skimmings I've never seen as much as a video essay get into interpreting the subtext and worldbuilding. What's much overlooked is that the characters and their fates are the way they are because of the way the world is - and vice versa. The Town is an anachronous construct, lost in history much like the wider eastern block at the time. It's failing to reconcile its past and future, both industrial, colonial, and entangled in a parochial social contract, both mystical and demystified, trapped in an indeterminate past. This is exemplified by the visuals of the world, the reactionary and revolutionary relations between the three groups of the bound.

In short, the social and political landscape of the town is the Russian Empire - an industrialized colonial hellscape of serfdom - but it is also the Soviet Union - a visionary state that sought to turn the former into a coherent, progressive reality, but remained bent and dwindled into, well, you know. The town is subdivided into triptychs, the triptych of chronology, the fractions of the bound and ideologically opposed doctors, and of the town itself. There's a healer for every side, trying to save this disjointed slice of the world, but in the end, it's completely out of our control.

This may come across as a very unorthodox interpretation, but the *true* ending, the revelation that the town was but a game and the efforts and ideological struggle between the healers meaningless is part of a wider political and philosophical critique everyone seems to overlook. It's a criticism of a parochial, inward and in-group focused society that is afraid of death, personal death and the death of narratives.

You see this a lot in the approach to religion and conservatism in this social sphere (a remote town in east europe, for one). The people have no faith in God, but zealously upholds religion to preserve social norms. The people avoid tragedy, any attempt at a deeper insight is mocked, "philosophizing" is frowned upon, the in-group must remain static and timeless in a chaotic world to avert the fear of revelations, of death. A narrative must be upheld.

The town is a closed circle, and the world outside is heard of only in whispers and chatter.

The ending is your first meeting with the real agents of the outside world, The Powers That Be. You find out this closed circle was a sham. It's not a shock-twist, it's mocking the player, the town, the townspeople for believing their bubble mattered, for deluding themselves into intrigue and self-importance trying to avoid the human condition and unpredictable nature of the world - for trying to adhere to a single narrative.

This could be phrased much, much, much better. I'm tired after work though.

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accirax · 2 months

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Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round "5")

Hey everybody! So, I've recently gotten into Disventure Camp, just in time to catch the third season near its beginning. As it's been occupying a good chunk of my brain activity for the past couple of weeks, I've really wanted to write something about it just to let some of the brain worms out. Coincidentally, I also started watching Gordon Holmes' Survivor Power Ranking series as season 46 has been airing (although I've watched Survivor since I was a kid), and really enjoyed the format and the questions it incited. So, I figured, why not mash them up?

The Power Ranking format is essentially a way of ranking how well each player is doing in the game. So, in essence, this is a long form way of predicting who I think will be eliminated from the competition in the next episode. If that sounds interesting, I invite you to read on!

Alright, now that we've made it past the Read More, I'll explain the game in a bit more detail, given that this is the first time I'm posting a "theory" like this. (It's "Round 5" because this is off the heels of the 5th episode, but there are no power rankings prior to this one.) The way Gordon's Power Rankings work, you rank each player not based on how likely they are to win overall, but how likely they are to survive the next episode. For the sake of example, let's say I've ranked Kristal as #1 (least likely to go home), Derek as #2, Trevor as #3, Emily as #4, and Oliver as #5 (most likely to go home). When the next episode comes out, you go back and lock in the score of the person who was eliminated. So, back to our example, if it's Derek who winds up going home, then I get 2 points. Bigger scores are better, so, as you can see, it would have been better if I'd ranked Derek lower. Derek's score is the only one that matters for the week, so the rest of my placements don't factor into my score at all.

This format makes more sense when you can compare your score against someone else's (as what happens in Gordon's videos). But, I still think it's a fun format to use, and it'll be interesting to me to see if I perform better or worse than average at the end of the season. Also, if anyone wants to make their own version of the power ranking and fight me, I'd love to see that! (You don't have to write as much as I will, if you don't want to.) I'm actively trying to mansplain manipulate malewife my way into convincing people to watch this show, so the more the merrier in analysis land.

Although I will be making some of the same analytical remarks that Gordon and co. do for the Survivor season, I want to point out that I will be actively acknowledging that Disventure Camp is a work of fiction. Both Survivor and DC create an "edit" by budgeting their screen time towards specific characters and plot lines, so both can be analyzed in that way. However, Survivor is a story constructed in retrospect, based on the reality of who happened to win the game. DC has been a fictional story since the very beginning, and therefore an episode of the cartoon may be more... "controlled" than an episode of Reality TV. For instance, Survivor players irl might not manage to keep all of their tribes at roughly the same number of people, but Odd Nation Cartoons may have built the season in a way that doesn't eradicate one team of All Stars at the very start.

I bring this up because, for this week in particular, I think that a character originating from Season 1 will likely be packing their bags. We've had four eliminations so far, one from the Season 1 cast (Miriam) and three from the Season 2 cast (James, Lake, and Hunter). Given that both casts started out with 9 competitors, this means that 33% of the Season 2 cast is already gone. I don't think it's impossible that a Season 2 character could be eliminated this week, but I'm definitely inclined to believe that it'll be a season 1 character that bites the dust.

Also, as the contestants on Gordon's show are able to use the "Next Time on Survivor" segment in their analyses, I think that using the trailer for next episode is entirely fair game! Spoilers for the Episode 6 trailer, if you're trying to ignore that. I don't know how much I'm going to reference it, but it'll probably be at least a little bit.

With that out of the way, let's start with the character who I think is the least likely to go home!

#1: Tess

Tess is in a really good position right now as the Cyan Team's swing vote. Aiden will want to take out Ellie as a member of the villains alliance and the one behind Lake's elimination. While it's unknown how much stock Ellie will continue to place in the girls' alliance, she still sees Tess as her friend, and therefore the best option to reach out to for a third vote to take out Aiden or Tom. Therefore, neither Aiden and Tom nor Ellie and Gabby should be looking to eliminate her.

I also feel like they're going to want to have Tess reunite with Ally at the merge, which is another reason why she might stick around. Then again, I might've thought the same of Hunter, and we saw how that went for him last episode. Still, as both Tess and Ally's characterizations revolved around Hunter in Season 2, I at least have interest in seeing how the two girls would progress without their collective crush around.

And, on top of all that, Tess is a Season 2 character. I find it very hard to believe that Tess will be eliminated next episode.

#2: Aiden

Alright, this choice is definitely leaning more on the meta side than the gameplay side. Gameplay wise, if Tess decided to side with Ellie and Gabby, it could be very easy for Aiden to be the target of their votes. But, I just don't think that Odd Nation Cartoons would want to eliminate Aiden at this point in the competition. The man is a fan favorite!

Of course, that was true of James as well... but, that only furthers my point. Given that James and Lake have already been eliminated from the competition, getting rid of Aiden would wipe that entire friend group of characters out. In my opinion, it would be odd for Aiden to have that confessional about playing for James, Lake, and himself, only to be eliminated three episodes after Lake. Aiden is also still a major plot point in the Jake/Tom romance that I think they'll want to keep around for a little longer.

Also, if the theory that James will return to the competition at some point (because he hasn't had a "reading the patrons names" segment yet) turns out to be true, I suspect that they'd want Aiden to still be in the competition for his return. Aiden should be safe.

#3: Jake

You know who else is a part of the Jake/Tom plotline? Jake. I don't think our favorite(?) whiny idiot has his head on the chopping block right now, despite being a S1 character.

Although, Jake's safety is actually mostly not a meta read. I just straight up think that his elimination would be the most baffling on the Magenta Team. Ally could go home if the Jake/Ashley/Fiore alliance decides to finish what they started when they eliminated Hunter. Fiore could go home if, now that the couple has been split up, Jake and Ashley unite with Ally to take out one of the villains. Even if Ally and Fiore somehow had the power to band together and use a totem or something to send one of Jake or Ashley home... I still think it would be Ashley. That's partially based on meta logic of considering Jake a more important character than Ashley, but there are in-universe reasons why they might choose to eliminate Ashley over Jake, too. For Fiore's sake, Ashley has more of a vendetta against her specifically. Ashley is also an athletic and friendly person who could situate herself very well if she made the merge, whereas Jake (who's already demoralized at Miriam's exit) would likely only incite more conflict and use his vote in petty ways. (Sorry to Jake fans lol, I'm kinda slandering your boy.)

Anyways, any other Magenta elimination makes more sense to me than Jake, so I think he's pretty safe.

#4: Tom

Rounding out the Jake/Tom/Aiden love triangle, we have Tom at #4. It's a lot of what I've already covered with Jake and Aiden. There's so much drama yet to be had with this trio that knocking down one of its legs (specifically, the central leg) at this point feels like a loss. Also, I really don't understand why the Cyan girls would choose to eliminate Tom instead of Aiden, which means I'm basically predicting that both of the Cyan boys are safe. That includes Tom, so, good for him!

#5: Ally

And once again, we're looping back to a prior entry. For Tess to reunite with Ally at the merge, Ally has to make it there, too. So, despite her boyfriend's fate, I think Ally will be sticking around for a little while longer.

It's a bit counterintuitive, but I sort of think that Ally will stay because it would be too obvious if she went home. Jake, Ashley, and Fiore eliminating Ally in a 3-1 vote is exactly what you would predict would happen looking at the tribe on the surface. So, for the sake of intrigue, I feel like something would happen to prevent it. In the preview, we see her having one-on-one conversations with Ashley and Jake, so maybe they would feel bad for her and decide to flip on Fiore. Maybe Ally could pull an epic gamer move and find an idol to play on herself. That could be in conjunction with Fiore and her connections to the villains alliance, or it could not.

Tess, Aiden, Jake, and Tom I was pretty confident about, so Ally is the first entry where I'm a little worried putting her this high. But, I have faith in her (especially as a S2 character) to not get the boot in this upcoming episode.

#6: Fiore

This might just be the Fiore stan in me, but I don't think she'll be going home next episode. I mean, she's literally been blessed by the gods! What am I supposed to do against that?

Fiore is in a pretty decent position, being allied with Jake and Ashley while also being on pretty decent terms with Ally. She's also just, like, way smarter than the majority of the competition, so if she found herself in a tight spot, I could see her manipulating someone to weasel her way out of it. Fiore is also a potential winner pick of mine (again, I'm a Fiore stan), and her elimination at this stage could prevent her from making the deep run that would result in her return to the Final 2.

Despite all of this-- and this is a slight aside-- I actually think that Jake and Ashley may have made a mistake in eliminating Hunter over Fiore last episode? They said it was better for their strategy, but I don't think that's necessarily true. It would be a good move for their strategy if they could count on Fiore being a solid alliance member at the merge, but it's pretty obvious she has no allegiance to the S1 duo. She literally already has an alliance-- the villains alliance-- that she would most likely bail to if she makes it to the merge. If Jake, Ashley, Hunter, and Ally all voted to eliminate Fiore, they could diminish the threat of the villains alliance and put their own feud on pause. If Hunter is correct, and getting rid of Fiore prevents them from losing any more challenges, than the feud never has to be unpaused, and all four of them make the merge. The only way that Jake and Ashley could run into trouble is if Magenta does have to go back to Tribal as a foursome. Then, it could be problematic for them if they were forced to turn on each other at Hunter and Ally's whim, because the couple (who were already fighting with each other!!!) could be unwilling to turn on one another, preferring to leave things to chance.

It feels like the narrative has already saved Fiore twice-- once via Alec and once via Jake and Ashley's "strategy"-- so I believe that the narrative has greater plans for Fiore yet. It could be reuniting with Alec. Who knows? (Please be reuniting with Alec. Please be reuniting with Alec--)

#7: Ashley

Um... so I just straight up don't think that Magenta is headed back to Tribal next episode. Surprise!

Like I said, these predictions are just about the next episode. And, given that Magenta just went to Tribal and is low on numbers, I don't think that they'll be headed back there. Therefore, none of them would be next episode's boot.

It's not a given, as the Purple Tribe got pretty demolished in S1, but for an All Stars season, I don't think Odd Nation would want the eliminations to be so unfairly stacked in one direction. I could be making an incorrect call here, because, logically, I really don't know why the Magenta Team would be any good at the musical challenge that's shown in the preview...? I just believe in them, I guess. You can retroactively apply this same reasoning for bonus points on Jake, Ally, and Fiore's entries as well.

Anyways, Ashley! Out of the Magenta Team, I do feel like she's the most expendable, perhaps because she was the earliest elimination from S1, and came back without most of her allies from S1 (Will, Lill, Nick). We also already got the resolution to the fire plotline that was left dangling in S1, which means there aren't many more questions I have about her character.

On the other hand, why bring Ashley back if you didn't have bigger plans for her this time around? They've eliminated a lot of people who made it close to the end at the beginning this time, so it would stand to reason that some of the people who were eliminated closer to the beginning might make it closer to the end. The potential of Ashley bonding with some of the S2 competitors at the merge is great for bringing some new iconic relationships to life.

Even if I think Ashley may be the most expendable, I don't really think that any of the Magenta players are narratively expendable, which is why I placed them all so high. I'll be eating my words if they're headed to Tribal next time, so these guys had better rock on at the immunity challenge!

#8: Riya

And now, for Magenta's counterpart, a team composed of people that I feel like all have an argument for leaving sooner rather than later... the Yellow Team.

I don't remember if it was on YouTube or Tumblr, but I recall seeing someone theorize that Riya might be the next boot because of how much she's annoying her team. She's pushed Connor away, stirred up drama with Yul, and is shown hogging the team's shower in the episode preview. It would make sense if Riya's selfish and villainous actions led to her downfall, so, at first, I liked this logic, and planned to put Riya near the bottom.

However, when I actually started counting votes... I just didn't see it. Even if Connor and Riya's relationship is strained, I don't know if he would be willing to eliminate someone he cares about. Yul believes that Connor voted for him last time, so he'll probably be out to take revenge on Connor. Grett, at this point, would most likely vote with him. Alec too, as long as he lets his strategy of keeping the villains team in power beat out the friendship he's begun to form with Connor. Where are the Riya votes? I'm not really sure.

I think that the theorizer is on the right track with predicting that Riya's bad attitude will eventually lead to her elimination. However, I don't think she'll be off the Yellow Team just yet, so she lands at #8 for me.

#9: Connor

Counting votes made it seem like Connor would be the next boot from the Yellow Team... so why do I have him as the second least likely to go?

Well, much like Ally, I feel that Connor's elimination is so obvious that it wouldn't pan out that way if a Yellow Tribal actually happened. There are definite cracks in the seams that could lead to votes not going in an obvious direction-- with Miriam's blow to the alliance, Alec might see Connor as a better confidant than any of the villains, and/or Grett might see what a terrible boyfriend Yul is and decide to flip on the villains. We also don't know exactly how Riya feels. She certainly acts as if she doesn't care if Connor stays or goes, but the truth is that she hasn't actually been "forced" to vote for him yet by her alliance. If push came to shove, who knows what she'd choose?

Combined with the fact that he (and Riya) are S2 characters, I think Connor would manage to survive a vote if Yellow is headed to Tribal. I'm not that confident about it, though, so he lands at #9.

#10: Yul

And here's Yul, our lowest placed S2 competitor in this ranking. If a S2 character is headed home this week, I think it would probably be him. He was a terrible person in S2, and has continued to be a terrible person in All Stars, so it's easy to see why the players (and the audience) might want him out of the game. Grett, my beloved, please lead the charge in kicking this asshole off the tribe.

However... there's also evidence to suggest that Yul won't be going home so easily. Beyond just being a S2 character, the end of this episode (and part of the preview) established that Yul has some sort of connection with Emily, our mysterious new staff member. I don't know exactly what this relationship is-- my original guess was that Emily could be Yul's manager, but their interactions in Episode 1 (as well as Grett's interactions with Emily in Episode 1) make me feel like that wouldn't be the case. Regardless, there's something going on between him and Emily, which adds some intrigue to Yul's character.

I have also considered that this relationship with Emily might be a one-episode thing, an interaction that actually spells doom for Yul instead of longevity. However, as this is one of the first major things we've seen Emily do, I feel like her connection to Yul may be a major aspect of her character and even why she exists. If that's the case, Yul may be quite important to the season, and be set up to make a very deep run.

However, my uncertainty on why Emily has summoned Yul and belief that the Yellow Team has good reason to eliminate him prevents him from taking one of the top spots. ...There's still a good amount of space below him, though.

#11: Gabby

A good part of why Gabby is ranked this low is because she's a S1 character, I'm not gonna lie. But I do genuinely believe she could be in trouble next episode, and here's why.

As opposed to S1, in which she was a staunch defender of the environment, insecure and petty, and a little bit insane, Gabby's character in All Stars seems to have been simplified to "Ellie's peppy girlfriend." She did refuse to eat the chicken last episode, but I feel like S1 Gabby would have, like, threatened to take their heads off if they beheaded the chicken. The portion of the preview for next episode where Gabby has the crazy eyes makes me hopeful that that aspect of her character will be making a comeback, but we'll have to see what happens.

For now, her role has been pretty limited, which makes me think that she could be an early boot from the season. She doesn't seem to have any new plot threads introduced, new developments in her character as a result of what happened in S1, or important relationships, other than with Ellie. If she were eliminated next episode, that could be because Gabby is in little enough of the show that there wasn't enough time to give her a proper character arc.

The reasons behind why the Tribe (presumably minus Ellie) would unite to eliminate Gabby are a little fuzzy, but not completely implausible. If Gabby were to be eliminated, I think it would be as a blow to Ellie, getting rid of her closest ally. That could tie in to why so much of her characterization this season has been linked to Ellie-- if being in a relationship with Ellie is the reason why Gabby is eliminated, then that's all we need to know about her in All Stars.

#12: Alec

Oh Alec... I hope you make it out of this episode alive.

This may come as a surprise to some people, as I've seen speculations that Alec may be set up to be the season's main villain. However, I'm worried that his strong entrance may be a front intended to get him some screen time before he exits the competition shockingly early.

You see, while Alec is currently the mastermind of the Yellow Team, it's a rather precarious position to be in. The villains alliance seems to have remained stable enough to near-unanimously take out Miriam last time they went to Tribal (even though Riya didn't wind up voting for Miriam, she was conceptually fine with it). However, I doubt that Miriam's silver "Alec is untrustworthy" bullet will go unused. If Alec attempts to push his luck by trying to force people into votes they don't want to make, or if his friendship with Connor causes others on the team to suspect that he's playing both sides, the alliance could revolt against its leader.

I still think that Alec will probably survive until the merge, just so that we can see his relationship with Fiore evolve further. Who knows, maybe he really is the season's main villain, and will finally make it to the final 3 he feels he was robbed of in S1. However, I think that Alec's vote could be a reasonable blindside on the audience, which makes me worry that it's the right narrative move to take.

#13: Grett

Oh Grett... I'm even more worried about you than Alec. Clearly. Because you're directly beneath him.

Look, I really want to believe that Grett will be able to stand up for herself this season and absolutely demolish Yul, getting to play the rest of her game after his departure in whichever way she sees fit. However, sometimes the villains have to win in order to create stakes, and I could see a temporary Yul-over-Grett victory doing just that.

An unfortunate step in her journey to becoming a better person, Grett has totally tethered herself to Yul, a relationship in which she seems far more invested than he. As opposed to her bossy demeanor in S1, she's taken too many steps back, and seems to automatically yield to whatever Yul has to say. Her characterization this season is very linked to his presence, which makes me wonder what she would do if he left the show. She could go align with the villains alliance herself, but... is she really that much of a villain anymore without Yul?

And, that's part of the problem. I can very easily see a plot line where, next episode, Yul continues to put Grett down, and does so increasingly after Yellow loses the challenge. Grett finally musters some of her old courage and lashes back at Yul a little, saying that it's not her fault that they lost. Then, Yul reports to Alec and Riya that Grett tried to backstab him, and doesn't want to work with the villains anymore. Alec and Riya, who both didn't really want to vote for Connor anyways, agree to take out Grett to 1) split up a potentially problematic duo and 2) make their alliance look like it's weakened. Grett goes home with a broken heart, but has at least learned that she shouldn't stand by Yul any longer. Maybe she could get some revenge from beyond the grave later on in the season somehow, like cancelling him during the finale or something like that.

Really, the biggest flaw I can see is that... I don't know if Yellow is going to be losing the immunity challenge. Part of their performance was in the preview for next episode, and it looked pretty good! I feel like Odd Nation Cartoons wanted to show us something super cool to get us hyped for the next episode, so getting us really excited over the team that turns out to be the losers would be a little confusing. Who knows, maybe there could be some level of sabotage for the Yellow Team that causes their otherwise excellent performance to fail.

I don't know if I would have come to the conclusion of Grett being a possible boot if I didn't think a S1 character was going home... but now that I have, I'm afraid that I've seen the writing on the wall.

#14: Ellie

And yet, Grett is not in last place, because Ellie is.

Call it a gut feeling, but I kinda get the vibes that Ellie might be the season's next boot. It doesn't make sense, right? Ellie has strong relationships with so many characters, from Tess to Alec to Jake. She, too, could be in contention for the title of season villain. Why would they get rid of her so early?

Well, much like Alec, I fear she may have been too villainous too fast. Her negative connections to so many different characters leads to it making a lot of sense to vote Ellie for a lot of reasons. Does Tom want to get revenge for his and Jake's breakup last season? Vote Ellie. Does Aiden want to avenge Lake and keep himself and Tom in the game? Vote Ellie. Does Tess want to decrease the numbers of the villains alliance? Vote Ellie. That's three votes for Ellie, and Ellie is eliminated. I don't even think she would be saved by a totem, given that Ellie has already been saved by a totem once before, and it would be kind of repetitive for Gabby and Ellie to do that again.

Now, you could argue that eliminating Ellie here would cause the same problems for Gabby as it would eliminating Yul for Grett. I struggled to see what Grett would do in the game if Yul was eliminated. Wouldn't Gabby be the same, after I detailed why I thought her character had been simplified to be tied to Ellie?

Not exactly. A post-Yul Grett confuses me a little because I think that getting rid of Yul would uplift Grett. It would remove the struggles that her character is facing, and leave her characterization less complex for it. On the other hand, a post-Ellie Gabby makes sense because getting rid of Ellie would create more problems for Gabby. Once again, she would have been stabbed in the back by her tribemates (including Tom and Tess, who she considers friends), but not even have Ellie or a totem to lean back on this time. She might want to burn her tribemates to the ground, but if she acts up too much, she could be next in line. And despite her desire for revenge, she would have to wonder... who was really the bad guy in the elimination, her tribemates or her girlfriend?

I think it's possible that Gabby's character may have been simplified for now because the inciting incident of Gabby's All Stars characterization is Ellie's elimination. Prior to that episode, we establish how much Gabby cares about Ellie, so that when Ellie exits, we feel how much it hurts Gabby. We've seen how Ellie acts after Gabby was eliminated before, so I think it would be far more interesting to see the opposite in All Stars. Also, Ellie has made it to the final before-- twice, if you count the original "Adventure Camp" season-- so it would make sense if, this time, she was kicked out closer to the beginning.

Much like with Grett, the main issue I have here is that I don't know if the Cyan Team would lose this competition, either. They have a lot of artistic people on their team, which makes it seem like they would thrive. However, if Cyan isn't losing, and Yellow isn't losing, that would mean that Magenta is losing, and I've already said why I don't think Magenta is going to lose. So, maybe Cyan is overconfident in their performance, or maybe another team (Magenta?) tries to sabotage them so that the team can take out Ellie (or Aiden, if it's Jake's idea). Maybe the performance has to be a rock song, and the Cyan team is all really bad singers. (Okay I just learned that apparently Aiden's VA is a very talented singer. Maybe Aiden won't sing or something.) I don't have enough details yet.

And, that's the end! I've never done a power ranking before-- not even for Survivor, which I've been watching for years, as opposed to Disventure Camp's "less than one month"-- so I have no idea how well I'll do. Are my instincts good, or are my expectations and the writers' decisions worlds apart? I guess I'll have to see when the next episode airs, and create my round 6 predictions accordingly. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this new project of mine!

#disventure camp #disventure camp spoilers #dcas #dcas power ranking #okay. hopefully this will keep the brain worms at bay. hopefully #you don't understand i've been thinking about this post for DAYS i had to expell it from my mind #but it was fun. and i hope to do it again after e6 >:)#btw i promise i am still working on time loop stuff i just got distracted by this new (to me) series and this is a lot easier to write #this is not a change of fandoms moment. i just like to be in multiple fandoms at once #step 1 is to force people to watch dc step 2 is to force people to watch survivor itself. i believe #ally disventure camp #ashley disventure camp #fiore disventure camp #jake disventure camp #aiden disventure camp #ellie disventure camp #gabby disventure camp #tess disventure camp #tom disventure camp #alec disventure camp #connor disventure camp #grett disventure camp #riya disventure camp #yul disventure camp

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sp-epari-digitalmedia · 5 months

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The Simulation in Ghost-Runner Through Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra

BLOG 4: SIMULATION IN GAME

While exploring the wide world of video games, I became aware of an odd phenomenon: the differing levels of relatability between different games. Some felt strangely detached to me, despite being deeply rooted in or inspired by our reality. Conversely, there were some that I could really relate to that were only found in the world of fiction. Of these, Ghost-Runner stood out as an intriguing outlier. Paradoxically, it held me in a manner that few others could. It was strikingly devoid of any concrete connection to the outside world.

Until I came across the theories of Simulation and Simulacra, the mystery remained. With my newfound understanding, I set out on an analytical journey using the Spectacle of Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard as my compass. The objective was to ascertain what in Ghost-Runner's virtual world prompted such a feeling of familiarity. Come along as we investigate the relationship between philosophy and gaming, trying to find the answer to the fascinating question that has been bothering me: What aspects of the game's portrayal resonate so deeply with me?

About Ghost-Runner

Ghost-Runner is a dynamic first-person action slasher game, where players step into the shoes of an agile android ninja armed with a katana. With slick parkour-inspired moves like wall running, sliding, and time manipulation, players ascend neon cyberpunk skyscrapers, confronting foes with each potent swing. Set in a dystopian city governed by the oppressive Key-master and plagued by violence, poverty, and class inequality, players aim to reach the top, uncovering the technology to stand against enemies and revealing the secrets of their identity. This cyberpunk adventure delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience, seamlessly blending abilities and melee combat for ultimate satisfaction in a futuristic world torn by conflict.

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Academic Standpoint

Two key studies have shaped my perception of how media is portrayed through simulation.

First of all, a fundamental framework is provided by Jean Baudrillard's investigation of simulacra. According to Baudrillard, reflection is exploring ideas in order to offer different points of view—basically, trying to reflect the real picture of the social or natural world that is bounded by preexisting boundaries. He breaks down the simulation process into three essential steps: simulation, which indicates copies without the original; series, which indicates copies of copies of the original; and counterfeit, which indicates copies of the original. (Grandy and Mills, 2004)

Additionally, the work of Mark J.P Wolf and Bernard Perron, outlined in their book, introduces the idea that to simulate is to model a source system through a different system while retaining some of the behavior from the original system. This perspective adds another layer to the examination of Ghost-Runner, allowing for a nuanced understanding of how the game constructs its virtual reality and the implications of this simulated environment on player experience. These academic foundations serve as guideposts in unraveling the intricacies of Ghost-Runner's portrayal and its alignment with theories surrounding simulation in media studies. (Perron and Wolf, 2013)

Noticeable Game Features and Analysis

In dissecting the notable features of Ghost-Runner, various elements come to the fore, providing rich material for analysis.

Cultural Reference Points

Swords and Katana

The game uses swords and katanas that are typically associated with ronin or samurais, drawing inspiration from the rich cultural history of mediaeval Japan. This representation, which was assembled from various video games, websites, and gaming platforms, turns historical allusions into entertaining content for viewers.

Conceptual Synonymity

Self-Sufficient Building

The primary theme centers on an autonomous building, a notion that finds resonance in the ongoing development of The Line in Saudi Arabia, which is an independent city housed inside a structure. This real-world parallel fits with modern architectural advancements and lends credibility to the game's story.

Hierarchy within the Building

The in-game societal organization is conceptually underpinned by the hierarchical settlement of elites on upper floors and the less fortunate on lower levels, which is modelled after historical social structures such as the French feudal system or the Hindu caste system.

Hyper-real Environment

Japanese Elements

The backdrop, which has a lot of Japanese aesthetics and is reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077, is another example of how various media forms work together to create an environment that seems extremely real. The gaming experience is enhanced by this intertextuality.

Post-apocalyptic Elements

The post-apocalyptic setting, a recurring motif in television shows and films like Wall-E and The Walking Dead, adds to the hyper-real setting by portraying a world that has been completely destroyed and altered by terrible events.

Simulated Identities

Android Protagonist

The game joins the conversation about human-machine hybrids by introducing an android protagonist. With allusions to a variety of media, including Iron Man, Chappie, Terminator, DC Cyborg, and Chappie, Ghost-Runner delves into the complex effects of technological progress on identity.

Prosthetic Limbs

The development of prosthetic limbs in real life serves as the basis for the animation of the hand in the first-person perspective. This integration bridges the gap between speculative fiction and current technological possibilities and gives the character an additional layer of authenticity.

Conclusion

Essentially, Ghost-Runner is a game that goes beyond traditional gaming experiences because it skillfully combines historical, cultural, and hyper-real elements. It does this by providing an insightful journey that can be viewed through the prism of Jean Baudrillard's Spectacle of Simulacra. The game creates a visually stunning and emotionally impactful hyper-real environment by fusing references to mediaeval Japan with a post-apocalyptic, futuristic story. From a conceptual standpoint, Ghost-Runner draws inspiration from actual events, like Saudi Arabia's The Line, which gives the story more plausibility. The game's artificial intelligence (AI)-driven hierarchy and exploration of simulated identities, which include an android protagonist and prosthetic limbs are modelled after historical counterparts. In addition to being a game, Ghost-Runner is a sophisticated investigation of simulation and reality that challenges players to consider how the boundaries between the virtual and the real might become hazier in the constantly changing world of digital storytelling.

Reference

Grandy, G. and Mills, A.J. (2004) 'Strategy as Simulacra? A radical reflexive look at the discipline and practice of strategy*,' Journal of Management Studies, 41(7), pp. 1153–1170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00470.x.

Perron, B. and Wolf, M.J.P. (2013) The Video Game Theory Reader, Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203700457.

PlayStation (2020b) Ghostrunner - Launch Trailer | PS4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt8yOLn8vmo.

#video games #gaming #game #game design #game of the year #game theory #game art #videogame #gamers #fps #ghostrunner #ps4 #pc games

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dystini · 1 year

Text

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

Callum Benjamin Ilott

Birthdate: Nov. 11, 1998 Hometown: Cambridge, England Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana Height/Weight: 5’10”/136lbs

Rookie Year: 2022

Team: Super Sub (The first driver teams call when they need a substitute driver.)

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter Twitch YouTube

Career Stats

2021: 3 races with Juncos Hollinger Racing - 38th Overall 2022: Juncos Hollinger Racing - 20th Overall 2023: Juncos Hollinger Racing - 16th Overall

The Side Pod (with Marcus Armstrong) You Tube

WEC 2024 Hertz Team Jota Hypercar

Callum and Tatiana Calderón were team mates in 2015 with George Russell in European F3. Felix Rosenqvist was the series champion that year

Felix worked with the Prema F3 team in 2017 which was the year Callum raced with Prema in F3

he went to the same school as Devlin DeFrancesco and Enaam Ahmed who drives with Juncos in Indy pro 200 (for anyone interested in F1/F2 Oscar Piastri, Jehan Daruvala and Clem Novalak went there too)

He first met Conor Daly in 2013

he was meant to drive Romain’s Haas car during an FP1 session in 2020 but it was rained off

at the end of April 2022 he was asked on twitch who his friends in IndyCar were and he could only name Conor and Christian Lundgaard

he was karting rivals with Alex Palou

Competing in his second full season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Member of the Ferrari Driver Academy who served as Scuderia Ferrari’s test driver and one of Alfa Romeo’s reserve drivers in 2021. Also raced in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Iron Lynx and co-drove an Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 to LM GTE AM class podium at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Finished second in FIA Formula 2 in 2020 with three wins and five pole positions.

Enjoys swimming, climbing, building remote-controlled cars and video games.

Looking forward to learning American sports.

Favorites - TV Show: "Money Heist;" Movie Star: Chris Hemsworth

Says racing heroes are Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

Allergic to cats

Iconic/memorable moments 2022 INSIDE THE RACE // CALLUM ILOTT AT MID-OHIO 'It was a CHAOTIC race!' | Sky IndyCar Vodcast: Callum Ilott Indy 500 Open Test Day 1 Report with Callum Ilott Calum Ilott INDY 500 CRASH - 2022 Indianapolis 500 Screaming Meals - Episode 002 - Callum Ilott Screaming Meals - INDYCAR! ft. Callum Ilott St.Pete IndyCar Race Recap with Callum Illott and Marshall Pruett TRACK WALK // GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND CALLUM ILOTT GIVES PACERS DRAFT PICKS TOUR OF IMS CALLUM ILOTT: The F2 Star Talks F1, Indy, and Rolling w/the Punches | THE RED FLAGS PODCAST Interview with INDYCAR Driver Callum Ilott from Juncos Hollinger Racing Aeroscreen saves Callum Ilott from debris! | Onboard IndyCar Texas 2022 Callum Ilott Talks About His Indy500 Debut | KC Happy Hour Callum Ilott Interview After Topping Final Practice | 2022 NTT IndyCar Series at Barber ‘How do racing drivers wee?’: Watch IndyCar Ace Callum Ilott Answer Your Questions Callum Ilott becomes friends with a frog…

Callum is easygoing and happy, with a ready grin. He’s one of the friendliest people in the paddock with fans and other drivers alike. He’s got the typical dry British sense of humor and can be self-depreciating, except when it comes to his racing. In that area, he is analytical, confident in his own abilities and ready to offer constructive criticism to his team every time he gets out of the car. He built his team up from scratch in 2022, often finishing races higher than his car was capable of and with the addition of a second car and driver, is continuing to lead the way. Rumors abound that he is headed for a bigger and better team in the near future. While his current contract is for several years, only 2023 is guaranteed and there are likely several different options available to him and the team concerning where he will drive.

Fanfic Lore

Paired with Kyle Kirkwood. Ship name kirklott Paired with Marcus Armstrong due to their time together as roommates and in F2. Members of the Ferrari Acadamy together.

Paired with Mick Schumacher (F1). They raced together in F2. Members of the Ferrari Acadamy together.

#indycar rpf #indycar #fanfic #driver lore #callum ilott

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stillfruit · 3 months

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It takes me a long time to understand some things if they're not too obvious so I had a difficult time watching true detective a few years ago. Do you have any tips to rewatch it and maybe understand a little more? 👉👈

omg of course, i love to hear that you would want to rewatch true detective (applies to s1 only i haven't watched beyond that)!!

to base this a little, please don't worry over understanding and not understanding something too much. everyone thinks, experiences and processes media differently, and our understandings of what counts as 'understanding media' also differ (understanding in different contexts can mean an analytical understanding of the core themes identified through a specific framework, or an emotional reaction and a feeling of connection to the thing that's difficul to articulate, and so on and so forth). there's no universal objective level of 'understanding' and what you deem is enough for you is enough! being comfortable and confident enough to interpret things yourself while remaining receptive of other perspectives (including the perspectives of the story and its author) is what's most important in 'understanding' things. also secondly, not everything is for everyone and sometimes something just doesn't click because of that.

i'm not sure what aspects specifically you would want to understand more, but here are few things on how i approach the story:

there are overall themes i find interesting in true detective such as (toxic) masculinity (it's about men who are bad in specifc and systemic ways), narratives (internal as in how you construct yourself, like marty consistently justifying cheating on maggie; and external and institutional, like religion), power and autonomy (police and people with money have the power to do what they want), and existentialism (rust lacks overall meaning of why he is alive). they serve as lenses through which you interpret the story - kind of like picking an academic framework (theory) and looking at the data (story) through that.

there are many things that happen in the story and because s1 was so big back in 2014 there are numerous thinkpieces and video essays about it, all of them picking various aspects they see as central. because true detective is what it is (surface level edgy dudebro nihilist police man annihilates everyone around him by being so nihilist and cool show), some are very bad. i'm not that interested in the kind of analysis that looks super closely at the intertextual aspects of the story, for instance, or "the philosophy" of it (if that means looking at what rust says, taking that at face value, and connecting the story to existentialist philosophy based on that). just reflect on what interests you and see how the story looks and feels when examined through those perspectives.

a lot of the time i like looking at things through and by focusing on characters, and i think this is especially crucial when it comes to true detective (which is a heavily character driven story. sure it of course matters that they are police and that they are in louisiana and that there are murders etc but those things are not what the story is about). looking at a character contextualizes that character (what they say and do and represent) and rust is an excellent example of this. he talks in a cynical and pessimistic manner, looks down upon others, is very capable in terms of violence, is alienated and alienates other people, is obsessive, has issues with substance abuse, and his house is the definition of that one r/malelivingspace meme.

however, when you look at what he has been through and how he behaves (as well as how the narrative treats him) these things are contextualized not as 'behaviour you should look up to and which is good and correct from the perspective of the story, or at the very least is very cool and/or edgy, because he's the protagonist' (media analysis 101) but behavior of someone who struggles with ptsd, trauma and his own feelings of empathy in a world that has been very unkind to him since his childhood. when rust is saying things like 'time is a flat circle nothing can change' he's coping and trying to make himself believe it because he's incapable of processing, realizing, or externalizing any of the trauma he's been through or any of the care he feels in a healthy manner (which is quite explicit in, for example, how he empathizes so intensely with people who are dead). he's brilliant at rationalizing everything and it's terrible for him. the ways in which marty constantly lies to himself are quite explicit and rust is one of the people pointing them out, but rust is coping by creating his own narrative of his self and the reality all the same.

(better articulations of his character specifically are to be found eg here, here, and here)

so, maybe if i were to articulate the core thing for understanding true detective (or really any media) it would be looking at what happens on screen in the story in terms of actions and speech and then reflecting on how that relates to what's 'actually' going on, what kinds of things are being left unsaid, and why. there are various explicit examples of the theme of narratives and unreliable narrators as well that tell you that this is what's important (such as the interrogation narration of the ledoux confrontation and showing on screen what actually happened).

something i do when i watch or read media (that is engaging enough in a good or a bad sense to warrant this) is writing about it on my personal notes app (now obsidian so i can organize everything) in the same way i would talk about it to someone else. i also save interesting writings etc there so i remember and find them later, and write my own thoughts on those things there as well, having my own private discussion with them (which. is a lonely thing to do but shh).

few blogs who have written super interesting things about true detective which i highly recommend you check out (because seeing the perspectives of others is inherently one of the most enriching experiences and helps you understand so much) include @inkandcayenne and @sketiana. iirc there are some good video essays on youtube as well but i can't name any because it's been too many years since i watched any.

a central thing that makes true detective so meaningful to me personally is exactly the fact that many of the themes i care about in it are not super explicit or vocalized in obvious ways (saying 'i want to die because i'm sad' doesn't hit but describing death as a warm and welcoming substance does). i hope you have fun looking into where you find emotion and meaning <3

sorry this went a bit off track tldr have fun and be yourself, lmk how you feel about the story afterwards if you want!

#and to be clear another key is to enjoy stories for what they are and knowing you can find 'problematic media' compelling #true detective represents the kind of story that examines its themes largely through showing something and saying 'that's bad' and #the effectiveness of that as a tool for writing actually transformative narratives instead of contributions to the original things #you say you criticize is questionable. proven by everyone who watched s1 and went wow he's just like me fr the world needs bad men indeed #all of which is to say i fully understand why everyone doesn't like it or finds it boring. i got +5k words of notes out of it though #crystal ball #true detective

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