biographies as Tumblr posts
Historical biographies are great and also terrible because I feel like a lot of them follow the same pattern as fandom discourse. The five types I’ve seen:
-Tagging Ur Hate: You are not sure why the biographer decided to write about this person, because they do not appear to have any fondness for them whatsoever. Ranging from dismissive to outright hostile, the author goes beyond criticism and spends most of the book denigrating their subject on a personal level. Speculative headcanons sound like entries in Regina George’s Burn Book, likely with gross -isms.
-Callout Post: This biographer wants you all to know that their subject is a douchebag, but via criticism rather than attack. Unlike Tagging Ur Hate, this biographer provides sources for their subject’s horrible choices, and in the absence of evidence focuses more on the public than the personal. Speculative headcanons are not unilaterally negative, but they cut the subject very little slack.
-Look At My Garbage Child: This biographer tells you outright that their subject is a flawed, but nonetheless has a soft spot for them that they express through snark. They are as likely to defend their subject as they are to call them on their shit. The general vibe of these works is “oh u” accompanied by an affectionate eyeroll. The biographer’s speculative headcanons are often accompanied by a reminder that we cannot know for sure, and their level of sympathy varies depending on the situation.
-MY CHILD WOULD NEVER: This biographer knows their fave is problematic and are willing to criticize them… but they also have A Lot Of Feelings. Like Tagging Ur Hate, they will focus on the personal, but with a sympathetic bent. They may go to great lengths to contextualize the subject’s bad choices, with the disclaimer that explaining and excusing are not the same. Speculative headcanons read like tagmeta starting with “okay but” and ending with “I JUST.”
-FLAWLESS!!: The equally toxic counterpart of Tagging Ur Hate, this biographer genuinely believes that their subject is a fantastic human being beyond reproach. Their opponents are vilified (often with the same gross -isms–sound familiar?) and the subject’s problematic actions either excused or outright ignored. Speculative headcanons are unilaterally positive in the sort of way that would show up on a candidate’s campaign ad.
stormborns
janainaart
yousharknotpass
vaporwave
dailybridgerton
2087
