I actually believe this is on purpose. You can see he has a 2016-ish blue filter on his 2016 self, and the lighting is purposefully more intense on his face. I think it was like a silly gag, and i really liked it lol
Contributing as anon because I'm still a part of active community groups and it still feels somewhat forbidden to talk about this and identify as a critter. Thomas just posted another Instagram story in his spiderman cosplay and each time he does it just feels like a weird excuse to have his package in frame without any sort of protective cup. It just makes me a bit uncomfortable and no one else really talks about it so I feel like I'm going sort of nuts. Is it just me????
It's strange, I don't ever shy away from sexual or suggestive content at all, and feel a bit like a hypocrite in part as someone who regularly engages with/writes SaSi-centric smut, but I think what bothers me most about this is the context it's in. Not only is SaSi smut self-contained in a little pocket and generally follows a tag system which allows fans to CHOOSE to engage with it, its also that the stories/shorts are so public in combination with how Thomas has made a big thing of having a family friendly platform open to tweens specifically! And although I personally outgrew that demographic a while ago --- as did most of the fans just because of the sheer amount of time that's passed since the last major SaSi update (sad in itself, but that's another can of worms for a different day...) --- I can't help but feel a sort of sinking feeling whenever I see him post stuff just shy of thirst-trapping?
At the same time, I feel all bad and conflicted about shaming someone for being sex and body positive, especially since he kinda pigeon-holed himself into a corner with the whole family-friendly Disney vine guy persona. I fully understand and support him wanting to branch out with raunchy/edgy or more mature content and not be trapped in the pg-13 corner of the internet forever, I just wish there was a steadier transition into it, you know? A chance for an adjustment to be made instead of what feels more and more like whiplash.
I almost feel like this sort of content became more prevalent when Remus was introduced, which seems almost thematically fitting up until you realize that true SaSi content basically came to a halt right as those themes started to be uncovered, and now the only content we do get is sprinkled in with these covert ass pinup posters.
And like, while we're on the topic lmao, I would have LOVED getting literal pinup poster merch of the sides, make no mistake!! That would be hilarious and nifty, in the same vain as the notorious sex-symbol DC character Nightwing got one (which Thomas coincidentally has also cosplayed as, sans the protective cup)
But that sort of merch/content direction would ONLY make sense if that's where the tone of the series as a while was headed, and if he and the team had made more of an effort after Remus to weave those mature themes in and make it clear to any parents watching that the rating was about to change. It could have been a careful and PURPOSEFUL transition into that sort of genre, and it would have made sense with how the show's themes are already suited to discuss pride in your identity and sexual expression. But there has been no attempt at a gradual transition, and it doesn't even seem like it's the characters he seems to be sexualizing.
With his audience including tweens, some of whom are still figuring out what’s appropriate and how consent works, it just feels irresponsible and almost selfish.
Sure, you could argue that most of the general audience isn’t as young as they used to be when fans like me joined, but here’s how I see it: Thomas has a history of spicy pictures but consciously adjusted his image to be family-friendly, even poking fun at how childish his content had become. You follow him during that family-friendly phase. He’s funny, chill, relatable, not overtly sexual which is a breath of fresh air compared to how sexualized the media seemed. Then you check his Instagram stories for updates on his main series and suddenly it’s four consecutive pictures of him shoving his ass into a Nightwing spandex suit. Right in front of your salad...
Some might also argue that his content isn’t sexual, that it’s just a man celebrating his body but that’s not really the point. He can do whatever he wants with his body around people who consent to see it. If a guy you don’t know sent you an unsolicited picture of his ass, would that be okay? No. It would be frowned upon. Another issue is that this content is the minority, so the usual “don’t like it, unfollow” defense doesn’t hold.
I’m not one of those purists who thinks discomfort automatically equals wrong, but this is about consistency and respect for your audience. He already understands this concept considering he made a separate channel for group and unscripted content that didn’t fit the vibe of his main account. So why is this any different? Followers follow for a reason. I wasn’t following Thomas to watch videos about random friends I don’t know so I don't follow Thomas Sanders and Friends. And as a woman, I am definitely not following a gay man to admire his ass.
Honestly I kind of felt this way about his obsession with shirtless selfies. Obv it’s not as bad as ass shots or dick prints, but I really do feel uncomfortable with the amount of times I’ve seen that man’s nipples. Especially considering how I used to view him as a role model or a pseudo father-figure when I was younger. Maybe he’s calmed down since I was more active in his Twitter comments, idk.
And he definitely knows what he’s doing, he’d be deaf or blind not to. I remember seeing him post videos on tiktok in a Spider-Man costume, and all anyone could talk about how It Was Very Obvious. The average comment was along the lines of “Thomas Sanders?? I didn’t know you were packing all that!!” And like. I would like to not know please.
If I had a nickel every time Thomas posted an ass shot or shirtless selfie over the past few years I’d have enough money to commission fan artists to make the finale 😭
I don't like shitting on fanders who are just fans of TSS because they're just people but every time there's a small update on the new TSS episode they look so pathetic.
There's so many new posts of fanders being like "OMG THE EPISODE IS IN THE EDITING STAGE" as if that means something.
The season 2 finale has been in the "final" script stage for at least a year. These stages mean nothing. In fact Thomas saying filming/editing is done doesn't mean much because oops he wanted to add a few more touches so now its delayed a week ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Does anyone remember the Sanders Sides fanfic archive account here on tumblr? It was like a library that was active back in 2019~ that had a million sanders sides fics organized with links I think. I also remember you could submit an ask about a fic you couldn’t remember and the creators of the acc would find it for you. that’s how I found so many of my fav sasi fanfiction LOL I really wanted to work on that account…
It was a light blue and white color palette I think but I barely remember anything else. I think “library” was in the name
To me and many others fans (even ex-fans) it’s truly so unfortunate how SaSi fell from grace.
The characters grew flat, the new “videos” are lifeless, the fandom is past dead - this isn’t just hurting the series but his previous controversies hurt his image as well. Joan leaving was when it all began to fell apart, and I really hope they bear SOME influence over the delayed finale. I still get upset thinking about how the character assassinations wouldn’t have happened if Joan was still a writer.
Another thing that irks me is it is NEVER a good idea to announce a release date if you don’t think it’s possible. That sets up your entire project for failure. “Soon” is not a release date, it’s an empty promise. Lying to the people who pay you to see updates is low. I left the fandom a few years ago, but I’d be lying if I said I still dont want the finale, because I do. But to be quite frank, I don’t believe it’ll be the best version it could possibly be. Something that’s been making me not think about SaSi is the high possibility of the finale just… not being all that great.
Thomas is scummy, can’t write, and his heavy reliance on shitty fanon interpretation hindered any possible development for its characters or the series.
I genuinely don't understand how he has kept this up for so long. How is he happy? How does he look at where he is now compared to how he used to be and think this is ok? He hasn't even made a video that could even sorta suggest he feels any type of way about the quality of content he makes now.
The only realistic answer is money. He can read all of the critic blogs while counting his revenue from Patreon ig
It probably isn’t greed that’s forcing his hand, but something else that’s hindering him from actually writing the finale. Like problems with his team, or just not having the ability to actually write a good enough script. But if that’s the case, why not come clean??
Recently Ive been thinking back to the segment in My Negative Thinking when he was stressing over whether it was the “beginning of the end” for his YouTube career and just….wince a little bit at the irony. There’s no way he doesn’t see what he’s doing to his brand, so why doesn’t he address it???
You can’t keep trying to cover up the fact that the finale isn’t coming any time soon. You need to address where it is in production, and any possible issues that have delayed its production or release.
A fandom can’t be sustained on filler content alone.
honestly, the criticism helped me understand what the problem with the newer episodes are. I’m new to sanders sides (binged all the episodes in a week) but I could see the shift in the characters. I liked Roman before, his depth, but then that plot line was cut and I was wondering where it went. I also liked Virgil, and I really didn’t understand why I didn’t like him as much in the Asides and stuff. And Janus. He was so complex and they threw that away!! I liked wine aunt Janus but I’d rather that be in fanfics or whatever, not butchering his character for idk laughs or whatever. I know this is all probably said before and nothing new, but I’m just kinda frustrated, and this is all probably emotion driven.
The character changes aren't as minor as a lot of defenders make them out to be. If you actually watch the show from start to finish without fanfiction clouding your view, it's pretty clear when the characters start losing depth.
This is what frustrates me abt newer sasi eps, cuz u can clearly see what happened when Joan left the team. I remember in a livestream a few years ago they talked abt how they wouldn’t allow themselves to read fanfiction or fan comics because it would warp their perceptions of the characters. But Thomas clearly is both way too enthusiastic abt fan content and way too careless to realize that it’s had a huge impact on the series. I want a series to make fan content out of; I don’t want the series in itself to be fan content.
“Dee where did you go?” I was thinking about Sanders Sides’ fall from grace, and thought so hard that I wrote an essay about it.
A critical examination of the current state of Sanders Sides, from a fan that has been with the series since 2018. Please do not use this a
It’s 1.4K words, lowkey unedited, and I finished it at midnight so if it doesn’t make sense that’s why. But I hope you read it, and if you read it, I hope you enjoy/understand my points LOL. This will prob be edited in the morning so check back if ur interested
This isn’t to say that I hate SaSi or I hate Thomas and his team, I still adore SaSi and I acknowledge that Thomas&Co are people too who are probably struggling about how to continue the series. However that doesn’t mean the problem doesn’t exist, and I rly wanted to write about it…so…yuh. Enjoy!!
Hello! I need your guys help. If you’re a current fander, an ex fander, whatever it be.
I wanna make a video talking all about the hype cycle basically for “can lying be good” especially the speculation before and the fandom after. I have most of the script written but I want a lot of visuals from this era.
I know there’s not a lot of fanders left in the fandom actively who were there for that time/posted about that. BUT IF YOU ARE OR KNOW OF ANY POSTS. Please send links or screenshots my way of anything during that era of the fandom. So any theories about what the episode was gonna be (I remember people thinking it was gonna be about Roman’s room) or after the video and stuff about Janus. Luckily I do remember this time very vividly and that’s why I wanna make this video, I found it so fascinating and a great time in the fandom.
Right now I’m specifically looking for two main things, but of course I want anything I can get. I remember Thomas posting maybe a tweet or Instagram story perhaps of him saying he was filming at a theatre and I remember everyone thinking it meant it was Roman’s room. There was also a post Joan made on their tumblr (which I believe their tumblr has been deleted) about the notes they made about the episode including like oh Patton is wearing the wrong cardigan to show it’s Janus. Stuff like that. If you can find these posts especially PLEASEEEE send me them.
But yeah! If you have any questions lmk, please share anything you have. If you can, share this post as I wanna get as much information and data as I can. Thank you!!
I don't have much BTS content for the filming of the episode (i joined the fandom a few months after it dropped) BUT I was always on the fanfiction side, and boy were there a lot of name speculations. I remember so much of the fandom's reaction to the reveal of Deceit's character, so I can tell you lots about that. Maybe its not what you're looking for, but its an excuse for me to reminisce, so i hope you find this interesting!!
Under cut:
Popular names for Deceit
"Sympathetic" Deceit Sanders (the OOC beam hits him hard)
TLDR and my closing thoughts LOL
Popular names for pre-name-drop Deceit (and fanfics that they appeared in)
Ethan (lots of people thought he would be Ethos, like Logan and Patton are Logos and Pathos respectively) Love and Wounds
Dante (started with a D, and also a reference to Dante's Inferno, which relates to Virgil's name) care (for both self and others)
Damien, Dee, anything starting with a D really (I used these as placeholder names, sort of) Destined
Melas (means "black/dark" and was used in really only a handful of fics, but I encountered it a few times) Mortality's Remorse
Often these names would be used in AUs, like modern or school. A situation in which "Deceit" didn't work as an actual name. I remember it was so fun scrolling through all these fics because everyone had their own take on what Deceit's name would be, and really cool justification for it. (Fun fact, my friend actually guessed that his name would be Janus literally a day before SvsS dropped, and we were screaming when it was finally revealed.)
"Sympathetic" Deceit Sanders vs the Fander community
This part I remember SO vividly. We had an antagonistic character with little to no backstory or screentime actually acting as himself. He was ripe for mischaracterization, and mischaracterize the fandom did lmao!! Not saying that this is a bad thing, I definitely partook in it myself and had a lot of fun, but its an interesting phenomenon I havent really seen occur elsewhere.
At first, Deceit was mean and almost "evil" in a lot of fanfictions. But in the span of a few months, people began to adapt him to seem like- softer, more fragile in a way. I can't really explain it, other than to say it was the complete opposite of his character, both then and now. He was helpless in a way, often suffering alone, and he would be so far changed that he'd almost become like a punching bag 😭 (The amount of abuse in all that fanfiction...) You could find this kind of Deceit most often in works tagged with "Sympathetic Deceit Sanders" on AO3, I think there was a whole week for it at one point too. Of course, not all fanfics using the Sympathetic Deceit tag portrayed him like this, but the bulk of them from 2018-2020 did, imo.
I loved me a lonely, unredeemed villain, and I loved angst, so I latched onto Deceit near immediately. And because we didnt see him for a long time, the fandom kind of went down a rabbit hole making OOC Deceit content (once again, this isnt a bad thing! Just let people have fun lol). But it got to the point where I had read so many OOC Deceit fics and developed this warped version of his character in my head, that when I went back and actually rewatched CLBG? I got a weird sense of whiplash. It was like there was a clash between canon!Deceit and fanon!Deceit in my brain. And that kind of kicked me into gear to really go back and analyze his character, rather than continue to write the warped version the fandom had made him.
I think the fact that there was a bit of a content drought encouraged this kind of OOC-ification, because at the same time there was an increase in Unsympathetic Patton works. People would essentially switch Patton and Deceit's roles and go "but what if Patton bad and Deceit good?" Which in itself is interesting because what would happen if Patton was "bad"...? Anyway thats a tangent.
If you want some more fics demonstrating this I will totally give some to you!! I have a few in mind, but I dont want this to be longer than it is LOL
TLDR:
The fandom sort of watered Deceit's character down a LOT after the episode dropped, because we hadn't seen him interact in any other way with anyone else. Especially not with real Patton. Lots of angst and whump was made, but it was a fun fun time, and I miss it.
Misc:
Once again, I don't think that any of this is "bad". Was it cringy? Kinda, but that was what made it fun. So imo this period shouldnt be looked at as bad in any way, just a bunch of people (middle schoolers, in my case,) having fun and experimenting with writing. Yeah :)
God I love sanders sides so much. It’s literally so nuanced and so educational but also so entertaining.
I’m kind of worried it’s losing its value though with all the filler episodes but ykw I understand why they are there and I trust Thomas and Co to keep th story consistent
Patton talking about Remus and Janus’s relationship from the first Sally Face stream!! Maybe this isn’t as canon as anything else but I still think it’s cute how he described them XD
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