oh bother

Deena. she/her. Canada. I seem to only post about dnd shows now oops

[ngoziu]

Actually, we need to talk about fandom and the NHL's conservative politics

You just finished reading every queer hockey story available to man—and holy Wayne Gretzky—you're a newly minted hockey fan. You love the gays; you want to watch the sexy men zoom around in the boy aquarium, and it's Friday night. So you tune into an NHL game.

You're a brand new hockey fan and you can see that there's twelve men on the ice, a bunch of others on the bench, there's coaches, assistant coaches, goalie coaches, referees, retired NHL players doing analysis and color commentary. You scan the faces, and all are consumed by the reason for tonight's gathering: working together to get a vulcanized piece of rubber into a goddamn net. We've left the outside world behind; color, creed, orientation, immigration status, and gender matter not. All that matters is the effort these athletes put out on the ice.

Yet, as a new, leftist hockey fan, pick any one of these people, and flip a coin—and there's a decent chance that this player has conservative politics. If they're American and registered to vote, there's a 43.9% chance they are registered as a Republican and if they voted, they voted for Donald J. Trump.

src: From Peter Lutz on Vote Hub

And I'm sure if you asked the other 38.5% of NHL players, they'd say something along the lines of "I don't really do politics." You know, the type of "uh...I think everyone should stop fighting" response that the willfully under-informed offer when you bring up genocides.

Oh man. Oh gosh. That's so weird. You got into hockey because of the myriad of stories that celebrate queerness and marginalized identities and intersectional feminism—so what is up with this league? Why is it so different from the stories that use it as an athletic backdrop? Has it always been like this? And how did you end up here? Why are so many other fannish/bookish left-leaning people like yourself finding solace in a league where there are millionaires who will gladly win it all and shake hands with a self-proclaimed fascist?

If you're at all like me, a leftist Black woman, it's a simple cycle.

You discover the world of hockey and the NHL which is strange and fascinating. The blood, sweat, and tears compel you. Yes, it's filled with white people—like it's mostly white people whatthefuckisupwiththat—but they're a different sort of people because this niche underground culture is...strange and fascinating! They have slang and enormous asses! (edit: I speak on hockey and whiteness in this Vanity Fair article.)

It is very gay. The homosociality of hockey breeds a male repression unmatched by any other form of physical exertion. You feel safe here now; you feel justified. Nevermind the fact that toxic masculinity is the thing you're actually observing. You were born with slash goggles on. If these men can't untie the bow on their unconscious desires and unrealized tenderness, you can do it for them.

Reality strikes. A good rule of writing is that characters are what they do. And whenever you peek into the real world of the NHL...you see what the league and its players do—or don't do. Time after time again you're presented with political inaction from the league, racism, misogyny, transphobia, and apathy towards the things you really care about. You learn slowly, that the NHL is a league that moves at glacial speeds, pun intended. It is, simply, not progressive.

Well, at least you have hockey romance and that is progressive! You don't need professional men's hockey! You can make a difference! Yay!

...But oh good God, now you've spread the gospel of hockey to dozens—maybe hundreds of people with your hockey fandom. And some of the people with whom you shared your fandom? They may never make it to step three. (Picture me running from laptop to laptop, closing the Word documents of various hockey romance writers. I kind of sound like Jimmy Stewart: "Stop! St-stop it now! We're spreading it! Dontcha know we're spreading it, huh? You're sending 'em down to the boy aquarium, but that's no boy aquarium! That's MAGA territory, you see! These people think Bernie Sanders is crazy!")

Am I saying that watching an NHL game is like buying a signed copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? No. (But someone do the math on that.) Any time we engage with any of the major sports we put money in the coffers of billionaires. (The PWHL is owned by billionaire Mark Walters, who is the owner the Lakers, Dodgers, and Sparks. He donated to Obama and the DNC and is always happy to visit the White House—even if it's to hang out with Trump when his sports team does well. Do NOT get me started on the MLB)

All I am saying is that, you, new hockey fan, can save yourself a lot of time and frustration by knowing precisely the league that is being marketed to you. You will be disappointed with player politics. You will be lulled by the basest forms of rainbow capitalism. 43.9% of American NHL players are registered Republicans. You will find yourself accepting the bare-minimum. (I was way too proud of Sidney Crosby for like, knowing a gay person?)

I deeply regret having made Jack Zimmermann's "uncle" Wayne Gretzky. I didn't know the guy would go to Trump's inauguration... He's not even American.

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

I see everyone comparing Jack Zimmerman and Shane Hollander and I now need someone to redraw this scene, but it’s Harris asking Shane about Ilya.

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

Can I just say that “Ready Now” by dodie is so fitting for Dan’s video….like I was just listening to it and I started thinking about all of the messages we have sent to Dan and Phil.

If u haven’t heard it here it is:

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

Bringing this back for feral reasons. I see your playlists and need y’all to add this thanks.

[brainrockets]

Murph getting madder and madder about Bear Hell had me doubled over laughing. It just got funnier every time. An all timer.

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

I swear, everytime Beardsley shows up on dnd court, it leads to Murph freaking out on someone for nonsense. First it was at Jake for tall Barney, now this.

Beardsley is real harbinger of chaotic Murph

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

This demonstrates the beauty of game changer and Sam’s conniving mind, but also how inspiring it is to see Brennan win at losing ❤️

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

new Emily Axford album about Greek mythology ?!???

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

Spearmint & Tea Leaves is now one of my most favourite Emily Axford songs. Cracked voiced Calliope talking to a mother who isn’t fully there…Callie’s story continues to hit different

go ahead and listen from 25:00 in C3E57 and thank me.

[charlilil]

Thinking about Sandra Lynn (inspired by this edit!!)

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

There are two wolves inside you: one has magic and the other is a pirate. They are both queer as fuck.

[southerngothspell]

The Four Jacobhorsemen of the Drawfpocalypse

[riverblujay]

thing i would DESPERATELY love to see/make (if i had more time lol) is a comp like the one of jacob drawfee hard stances but it's emily axford's WILD takes

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Remember that this is not the proof that they love each other

That was a last-ditch attempt from Crowley to get Aziraphale to stay

This is the proof that they love each other

Their love wasn't just made real because they kissed

It always existed

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

“I think our parents have had longer lives than us, so they’ve had a lot more time to fuck up. And so, their accumulated fuck ups are just bigger than ours. I think I have empathy for that.”

Damn Emily Axford really wanted to kill me on my way to work…esp after that messaging scene ugh. And ain’t that the a constant theme in NADDPOD? The Stormborns, Bev Sr., Hank, Stella, Krugen. Understanding but not forgiving.

[amu-says-hav-says]

I can’t believe I went through all of Season 2 assuming Nina was the stand-in for Crowley when you actually pay attention it’s so CLEAR that she’s Aziraphale. I was tricked by her spiky, sarcastic, cynical outer shell and lulled into a false sense of security by Maggie’s bubbly optimism and wholesome goodness, because on the surface they reflect the ineffable husbands perfectly, in their personalities, their aesthetics, even many of their actions and morals. but not, and this is the real key, when it comes to their “relationship”. but those first impressions really had me damn fooled. 

I missed the blatantness of Nina’s “we’re just friends. actually we’re not friends. we barely know each other.” the same thing Aziraphale said in season 1.  the way he still struggles to quantify their friendship when Nina asks. Nina’s sarcasm when Crowley asks about rain and awnings because it worked for him (we all know it LMAO). hell, that whole convo the girls have in the rain is so AziraCrow (“I know. I’m not your type” “…You have no idea” hits so much harder the second time, help meeeee.) “Lindsay” maybe being symbolic of Heaven and Aziraphale’s toxic relationship with them and their abuse? (the handwritten text messages in red pen make me think of angry notes on paperwork, anyone else?) because Crowley has never actually cared about what Hell thinks of him, just not getting into trouble (or him or Aziraphale getting hurt). Maggie is always chasing Nina. NINA NEVER GOES IN THE RECORD STORE. Just like Crowley always goes to the bookstore, to Aziraphale, Zira NEVER WENT TO THE FLAT (apart from The Swap but that doesn’t count imo). Crowley has always chased Zira, not the other way around. Always there to rescue him, always going to him for company, always relying on their shared connection, always US. OUR SIDE. All through season one, he comes to Zira every time to work together, never trying to work alongside Hell in any way that isn’t to save their skins or Earth, while Zira hides things from Crowley because he STILL thinks Heaven is ultimately good and will do the right thing if he can just show them. fix it from the inside. 

Maggie working up the courage to finally say something, to put herself out there, while Nina is utterly oblivious and then when she does realise Maggie has feelings, becoming standoffish, putting up that barrier, fighting it, denying it, ITS SO CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE IN THAT ORDER. the way I was fooled into thinking Nina’s trust issues are Crowley because he does have trust issues ofc he does BUT Crowley has ALWAYS TRUSTED AZIRAPHALE. has always relied on him. has always been hurt when Aziraphale doesn’t immediately reciprocate the way he expects (the holy water request, the bandstand, the “off in the stars” etc). he’s always the one putting himself forward. Aziraphale has always been the one to second guess everything, to fight their connection, their similarities, their friendship. the girls really made me think it was going to be okay when they sat Crowley down, even as my inner sirens were going haywire about Metatron interfering, they were telling Crowley he just needs to open up and it’ll all work out BUT HE’S ALREADY AT THAT POINT. he may not say it, and by gosh is that part of their damn problem, but he’s always SHOWN IT. he’s not Nina who needs time to heal and recover from her broken trust, he’s always been Maggie believing it doesn’t matter, they’ll end up together in the end anyway AND I WALKED RIGHT INTO THE TRAP THAT THIS MEANT THEY WERE GOING TO BE OKAYYYYYYYYYYY

[irispurpurea]

So here’s what I’m thinking.

Good Omens was about Crowley being charged with delivering the Antichrist to earth and overseeing his upbringing.

The sequel, then, would’ve been about Aziraphale being charged with bringing about the Second Coming. A nice parallel to the first book.

But in order to get there, we would need a reason as to why it was Aziraphale, not Gabriel, who was charged with that. Traditionally it would’ve been Gabriel, right?

So Gabriel had to go away somehow, and Aziraphale had to become Supreme Archangel after rejecting and being rejected by Heaven. Hence, season 2, connecting the two stories.

And I love how Season 2 did this.

(and I have a lot of thoughts, so putting the rest of this long post beneath the cut)

Keep reading

[sonseulsoleil]

WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE

IT'S FUCKING PERSUASION

Persuasion is about choice and how the rigidity of class structure can hold people back from what will actually make them happy. It is specifically about the intersection of class structure and family pressures. Anne Elliot's arc is all about seeing past her family and friends' persuasions and incorrect judgements towards Wentworth, and learning to stand up for herself and her desires.

Wentworth is quite wealthy by the end, and therefore ultimately earns approval from Anne's family and friends, but Anne would've married him poor. Anne never stops loving him for a single moment of the eight years they spend apart. But she believes she has ruined everything by breaking off their engagement. She doesn't think he loves her anymore.

Aziraphale has been persuaded to leave Crowley, despite them clearly being in love with each other, because that's not suitable to Heaven. Heaven sees Crowley (and the other demons) as beneath them, just as Anne Elliot's circle believes Wentworth to be unworthy of her affections. Season 3 (if we get it) will be Aziraphale and Crowley's 7 years later. It will be Aziraphale seeing the error of his ways, and realizing he has been lead astray by Heaven. But it will also be Aziraphale being unsure if Crowley would take him back. In other words? The pining is going to be horrific.

And ultimately, it will be Wentworth's letter: "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever."

[littlebearwithlittlebrain]

So many people are comparing aziraphale and crowley’s ending with beelzebub and gabriel’s—wondering why they couldn’t have that story. I would say that their story is far more similar to nina and maggie’s. It’s because of the manipulation of others that led to a bittersweet ending for the couples in season 2. Gabriel and Beelzebub were in a position with a bit more power, people were not suspicious of them until they stood out purposely. Someone once described crowley and aziraphale’s story as one about the workers and that continues to be true….