VICTORY
I was raised by scientifically conscientious parents, real big on logic and empiricism and all that jazz, and I really took it to heart. So when I first heard about the birthday candle wishes thing, I did what came naturally. I tried to test it empirically. I invited this kid in my first grade class who was kind of a dick, called me names, tripped me when the teachers weren’t looking, penny-ante schoolyard bully shit. And when they brought the cake out, they told me to close my eyes and make a wish, and I did, and when I opened my eyes the kid hadn’t exploded. Not even a little. At this point I was kind of tempted to write it off, but even then I had an eye towards the replicability crisis, and I knew one failure wasn’t publishable. So next year I invited the same kid, wished again, he didn’t explode that year, either. Or the year after that. Or the year after that. I mean I really sacrificed for this project. My parents had a hard capacity of five guests per party, and every year he took a slot that could have gone to a person who wouldn’t declare open season on the other three guests. And even though I don’t even like pottery, I kept asking to have the parties at the DIY pottery place because that was the only non-suspicious way to have get everyone in smocks and googles when they brought out the cake. But one of the really insidious things I had to deal with was the sense of, I dunno, moral corrosion. Because, you invite a guy you don’t even like to a birthday party six years running with ulterior motives, humoring him, making him think you consistently want him around… you’re leading the guy on! And moreover I know what it’s like to be on the other side of that, I used to get invited to birthday parties because people wanted to copy my notes. And it’s shitty to wake up one morning and realize you’ve become a bad guy in the same creeping way, and that just must be how that happens. I mean right up until the guy spontaneously combusted at the cake-cutting at my cousin’s birthday party in 2013, I genuinely think he thought we were friends. All to say that this is why research ethics courses are, like, super foundational. Can’t cut corners on that!
i like this story where rob paulsen talk about meeting these big tough army dudes & as soon as he does pinky’s voice they turn into fangirls
can we talk about how literally 64% of people wear glasses, and yet we NEVER see them in movies/tv unless it’s on some nerdy or uncool character? why do we adhere to such a weird beauty standard that subconsciously makes us feel bad for,, not being able to see???
I used to work for LensCrafters and I can tell you for a fact that they make a big deal out of wanting as many customers as possible to want to get contacts. Every meeting there was a reminder that we were to push contacts. Hell, the other employees /managers repeatedly tried to push contacts on me even after I informed them that there was no way that I would ever shove a piece of plastic into my eye.
To them, the difference between selling glasses and getting a customer to sign up for contacts is like the difference between selling a video game and getting a player to get a monthly subscription. And failing that their next big sell is for frames that cost twice to three times as much, but have little to no frame (and thus almost look like you aren’t wearing glasses at all) and are fragile as all hell (and thus are likely to break and have to be replaced).
They can’t rely solely on our prescription getting heavier or otherwise changing to the point that we have to buy a new pair every year. They want to push you to buy their product every time that you visit the optometrist and then some more in between.
As counter-intuitive as it might seem, it is in Big Optic’s best interest to convince us that we look terrible if we wear glasses.
At this point I’m convinced most standards are just capitalistic bullshit and figuring out how to get people, especially women, to buy as much shit as possible.
cant stop thinking abt ursula k. le guin’s essay abt the carrier bag theory….. she’s like, maybe the first human tool was not a weapon, but rather something that holds, a bag, a pouch, a vessel, something for gathering and storing and sharing. let’s shift the narrative of humanity from that of violence to that of safekeeping. and i’m like
renaissance in the 21st century
this is fascinating
luluhakusho-deactivated20210221
Ugh, art.
Harvey busting Bruce out of GCPD lockup, from the novel Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu, comic adaptation by Stuart Moore and Chris Wildgoose.
My favorite form of redemption arc is “I hate that I have morals now”
Like “I realized that I was in the wrong and now I will work hard to atone” is good and all, but “how dare you infect me with morals” will always be so much more entertaining
pactmagic
That moment the former baddie starts to walk away from some bad situation, almost gets out, and then just stops, curses, and turns around to go help?
*chef’s kiss* delicious
This one gets it
And like when they say “I’m only helping you because of [selfish reason that’s not truly the reason]”
“I assure you, my motives are completely selfish” they yell at the group as they fling themself between a giant fuck off monster and an unconscious guy they don’t even like
simplelittlepaperyanon
“Only I get to kill you! That’s it! That’s the only reason! I’m healing you and tending to your wounds because I HATE YOU!”
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Yakko sleeps canonically in a kiddie pool ball pit decorated with stars now.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli BIRDS OF PREY (2020) dir. Cathy Yan
so, once upon a time, there were a bunch of super-powered babies all born on the same day. seven of these lucky little weirdos got adopted by a genius billionaire developed some daddy issues.
now, let’s try to get over it and save the world.
Luther’s arc is so tragic and it kills me that most of the fandom doesn’t see it.
- He believed in his father’s goal. He wanted to make the world a better place. He 100% believed that it was their duty to be “the good guys.” He thought he was a superhero. He grew up believing in the greater good, believing that giving up their childhoods was worth it because they could protect people.
- We see that when he tries to help his siblings, when he tries to solve his father’s murder. His dad can’t have died because that’s too simple. Because he was trained from an early age to believe that everything bad is evil, that it’s their duty to stop it. He thinks he’s failed when his father dies but he also thinks he can fix it. It’s simple: correct the balance. Bring justice to his father. But it’s not that simple.
- And when he realizes his entire life has been a lie? Of course he breaks down! Because he’s given up everything!! He gave up Allison (I don’t agree with the incest but she was still his love interest. He gave up their happy ending for the greater good which never existed!)
- He gave up his body. HIS BODY!! His body was changed against his will but he didn’t argue because it was for the greater good. Always for the greater good.
- He was imprisoned and isolated on the moon. Why? The greater good! It’s his duty to be good. It’s his birthright to be good. There’s evil on the moon? Then he has to go there. He can’t let himself question what evil or why, because the answers at that point are too glaringly obvious. But he can’t admit that to himself even though he knows because that means he gave up everything for nothing. He gave up Allison, he gave up a future, he gave his life and his body for nothing.
- Then he finds out that nothing was real. It’s comes to a point where he can’t ignore the truth any longer. He gave up everything because his father asked him to. For nothing.
- Why does he want to be like Klaus? Because the truth is, even Klaus is closer to happiness than Luther is. Klaus knows what makes him happy, knows what he wants to live for. Those should be simple to answer but for Luther they’re not. He is a stranger to himself! He doesn’t know these answers. Luther doesn’t know what’ll make him happy, doesn’t know what to live for. Because he’s been living for his father the entire time.
- More than that... Klaus NEVER bought into the bullshit of the greater good! He never believed in their father. So of course Luther wants to be like Klaus. Klaus never wasted any time on their father. Luther wants that time back. Every minute wasted on worry about their father or the greater good. He wants Klaus’ selfish moments, his mistakes. Because Luther was never allowed to make mistakes. He was never allowed to learn from them either.
- Luther is the greatest tragedy in the umbrella academy but the fandom hate him because his trauma isn’t cute.
I’m sorry this post doesn’t make any sense. I’m drunk and I have feelings
We as a society must stop reducing Ben to quiet shy kid. He is a younger brother (theyre all the same age but unfortuantely he does have youngest but smart brother energy). He is a little shit just like the rest, he is just also a dweeb. Absolute dork energy. We now know he is the kind of kid brother who does shit like make his sister’s Teddy say: “Luther sniffs dads underwear.” He went ‘weeee’ during the Ride of the Valkeries ice cream truck moment. He gets tried of Klaus’ shit and despite the fact they were both trained in physical combat- they literally just flap hands at eachother.
he quoted. the backstreet boys. in panic.
He did! And it was so suprising and funny! Makes me wonder, before the cult became overwhelming... did Klaus and Ben brainstorm or play around with which song quotes to give? Did Ben let out a quip or two that got incorporated in? Or did Klaus play and Ben just stewed on what he’d rip if he had the chance
The thing about Luther and being a himbo is that he absolutely is dumb and kind and cute.
However the fun thing with Luther is his flavor of himbo, differing him from Diego, is that it comes as a direct response to being sensitive emotionally, along with his isolation giving him no social or practical life experiences. He trusts authority figures who give him any shred of kindness to a fault, and knows the basics of social nicities but has no awareness of when and how to deploy them. He is often confused by other people.
Luther reminds me of the academically smart student with absolutely no common sense. Because he has been doing research in space, is a poet, he has been trained with all the rest to a high academic level, and he was raised to lead his siblings into battle. He is just slower on connecting dots and is still figuring out society.