Ask The Circus Six (and Jax)

#1 Abstragedy Fan, #1 Jax Hater.

[afterthecircus]

coool now that everyone is munchung on snacks and are CHILL (looking at you gangle) Zooble can you blow bubbles with that striped attachment on ya head? also, what are yall's plan for the circus? anymore adventure ideas caine?

Zooble, you know what they mean...

[builderlife]

"Jax is canonically transfem!!"

Okay.

Cool.

Can we stop acting like everyone who doesn't immediately agree is committing a federal crime against media literacy?

Because apparently we've reached the point where saying "I don't personally consider that canon" gets you treated like you just kicked a puppy.

Here's the thing: People keep throwing around the word canon like it only has one universally accepted definition.

It doesn't.

Never has.

Fandom has been arguing about "Word of God" versus "Death of the Author" since fandoms exist.

Some people believe that if the creator says something outside the work, it's canon.

Some people believe the only canon is what's actually in the work itself.

Neither side invented this debate.

This is not a brand-new TADC-exclusive phenomenon.

It's literally one of the oldest fandom discussions on the internet

"But Gooseworx said—"

Yes.

I know.

Some people count creator statements as canon.

Some don't.

Congratulations 🎉 , you've discovered that fandom philosophy exists.

Now let's look at the actual show:

Where does anyone say Jax is trans?

Where does anyone mention transitioning?

Where does anyone reference another name?

Where does anyone use different pronouns?

Where does anyone say ANYTHING that explicitly tells the audience this?

...

Exactly.

So maybe, just maybe, the people who watched the show and concluded "Jax is a another gender than transfem" aren't actually delusional.

Maybe they just …watched the show.

Wild concept, I know.

"But the art!!"

Do you know how many artists post doodles?

Alternate universes?

Jokes?

"What if" scenarios?

Character redesigns?

Concept sketches?

Congratulations.

You have discovered artists 👍

When an artist posts an illustration, people asking "Is this canon?" is a completely normal question.

Not every drawing uploaded to social media is automatically in the show.

"But the VA said—"

Cool.

Voice actors are awesome.

Voice actors also aren't automatically the final authority on lore.

Sometimes they know everything.

Sometimes they know almost nothing.

Sometimes they joke.

Sometimes they accidentally spoil things.

Sometimes they misunderstand things.

It's perfectly reasonable for fans to ask where information comes from instead of treating every convention quote like it's carved into stone tablets by God.

"But it was supposed to be subtle!"

Okay...

Then why is everyone acting shocked that people didn't notice?

If your audience needs Bluesky posts, screenshots, Tumblr essays, reposted Discord messages, fourteen YouTube breakdowns, and a PowerPoint presentation to understand something...

...perhaps people missing it isn't the moral failure everyone keeps pretending it is.

The funniest part of this entire situation isn't even the discussion.

It's the absolute Olympic-level mental gymnastics some people are doing:

Person A: "I personally don't see it as canon."

Fandom: "So you hate trans people."

HUH???

How did we get from discussing fictional clowns to assigning strangers entire political identities because they have a different opinion about storytelling?

Do you know what's actually exhausting and maddening?

Watching people use "canon" like a gun.

Watching people tell artists to change fanart.

Watching people correct pronouns on fanworks that were made before any external statements.

Watching people dogpile someone because they said "I only follow what's in the show."

Watching people tell writers to change their fanfics

Watching people act like every disagreement is malicious.

You know what this fandom used to do?

Debate.

Now apparently every discussion has to end with someone getting called media illiterate, a bigot, or "problematic."

Can we maybe...not?

You think Trans Jax is canon?

Awesome.

You think creator statements count as canon?

Awesome.

You think only the episodes count?

Awesome.

You think the reveal should've been clearer?

Also awesome.

Those are all completely normal opinions to have about fiction.

The only opinion that isn't normal is deciding someone deserves harassment because they interpreted an intentionally subtle character differently than you did.

Touch some grass.

Drink some water.

Go draw your favorite rabbit

The internet will survive if some people says "I still read Jax as another gender."

I promise.

[bigmaddraco]

Your definition of Canon is so narrow that by that standard Queenie isn't canonically Kinger's Wife nor are Gangle and Zooble a couple by series's end.

[builderlife]

That comparison doesn't really work. Queenie being Kinger's wife is explicitly established in the show. Gangle and Zooble, I ship them, but they also aren't canonically a couple by the end of ep9 as it’s in the credit, so I'm not sure why you're using that as an example. My standard isn't "characters have to stare into the camera and explain everything." It's simply that I distinguish between what's established in the work itself and what's established outside of it. Those examples are either explicitly in the show or factually incorrect. They don't contradict the point I was making.

[afterthecircus]

Can you please shut the fuck up?

[afterthecircus]

okay, well um....Everyone I gift you a HOT TUB!!! and snacks, hope...y'all feel a little better after everything.... ummm hmmm what is everyone's favorite snacks?

[afterthecircus]

uMMM ZOOBLE RUNNN I MESSEd UPPp

(0-0)

have a bee shaped cookie caine while watching gangle chase after zooble Pomni and ragatha and kinger How y'all doing ?

Oh no, Gangle's pissed...

[afterthecircus]

CAINE YOU LOOK SO CUTE IN UR BEE SUIT <3 IS it FUZZY? also

gangle

ummmmm

i think you might be PREGNANT

G: Zooble, you are so dead!

[afterthecircus]

How is everyone after episode 9 how are you personally gangle

Caine do you have a bee suit?

P: Nauseous?

G: Yeah.

Ever since that night with Zooble, I've been feeling...off...

K: So that's why there was so much noise from their room last night...

G: You heard that?

P: Everyone heard it...

R: CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE?

(ooc) Anyway do y'all like Caine's bee suit?

[afterthecircus]

Asks are open

Available for asks:

Caine

Pomni

Zooble

Ragatha

Kinger

Gangle

(Jax is sleeping)