Every Second Counts.

Caitlin. She/her. Teacher, Writer, Gardener, Mom. Fandom Obsessive.

[requiemforfandom]

I am utterly convinced they cast Joel McHale in this role for the height difference between them. Just look at him towering over Jeremy.

[gingerylangylang1979-deactivate]

I don’t think we talk enough about how Carmy’s height is a silent part of the character. Like, it just works. I wouldn’t want to see a tall Carmy. It’s like this unspoken element of otherness that factors into the insecurity and how he relates to others. Notice he’s kind of the runt in the family as well as being the baby brother. I know short men have to battle that all their life. Of course this chef used his stature to further torture Carmy. That line about him barely being able to reach was brutal.

Sidenote: aside from Short King (which is to call out the sexy), I really do hate how people think it’s cute and okay to make fun of short men, or to always point it out like they are zoo animals. If it was a woman’s weight people would be appalled. But if it’s a man’s height it’s somehow okay to ridicule for amusement. I dunno. Pet peeve.

[glitterslag]

saw this tweet and it made me sick thinking about them so i had to

[miredball]

sydney deserves this. this is something she deserves to have hanging off her arm. let her have this one thing.

[belassima]

Trolling

Tell me why each time Jeremy and Ayo reject Sydcarmy, we get photos of them together straight afterwards?

This one after Jeremy said the under table scene was beautiful but just platonic 🤨.

And now this one after Ayo said shippers are not going to get what they want 🤡 (source TMZ) #Iamtired #theyreinsane

[monsteraaureaqueen]

[annabelle--cane]

I've said this before but Why do people position "themes and analysis" and "shipping" as mutually exclusive opposites. maybe I find two characters thematically interesting and want them to analytically fuck about it.

[doctornerdington]

This is literally all I ever want. 

[monsteraaureaqueen]

OK but just saying, if I was a showrunner/producer, or an agent, or an Attractive Acting Person, and everyone was abuzz about my hit show, and there was Discourse about the will-they-won't they shipping possibilities of the characters played by the two Attractive Lead Acting People, denying it loudly at every turn while sending the Attractive Leads Acting People out to have lunch and hug it out in front of the paps is EXACTLY what I would do

[ithinkiliketvshows]

sydcarmy nation we come together in these hard times and we ignore and don't care, let's win the idgaf war

[louisegluckpdf]

might drive my chevy to the levy. it better not be dry tho

[louisegluckpdf]

you guys won't fucking believe this

[monsteraaureaqueen]

Where the show actually goes with Syd and Carmy does not matter.

So I'm a haggard fandom ancient who's been down this road more than once with plausible ships that seem so bloody obvious in terms of on-screen evidence but then never pan out.

From the very bottom of my heart: It doesn't matter.

The joy is in the fandom, the relationships, the art, the meta, the speculation. The joy is in the right now of it all.

Where I have gotten tripped up in the past is conflating what I see on the screen with what the creators have planned for the story arc. They may see the story and characters much differently than we do. Seeing a story differently, on whatever side of things, doesn't make anyone wrong or bad. They are just differences of vision and opinion, and not done out of indifference or ill will. People just...see things differently, and that's okay.

Listen, the last ship I was a part of crashed and burned in a manner so spectacular it has earned its own spot in toxic fandom lore. Five-ish years later, when I think about it all, I actually don't think about any of that. I think about the amazing fics and the inspired art and the cracked-out meta and the fact that I met my lifelong ride-or-die best friend in that fandom

We've been given the gift of a long, long hiatus where we can speculate, dream, and create without constraints. I can't stop anyone from using that time to fret over what the showrunners and actors are saying. But I'm going to live in the now, and be grateful for the journey.

I know how preachy this sounds, I do. But don't waste the now agonizing about a future we cannot predict or control.

(Also, worth pointing out that my OG fandom was The X-Files, and Gillian, David, and Chris Carter adamantly denied a romance would ever happen, literally up until the moment it did. NOT that they ended up doing it well. Just throwing it out there.)

[monsteraaureaqueen]

Sydney is not there to save Carmy. She is there to show him what his future can be if he figures out how to save himself.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[monsteraaureaqueen]

(Excerpt, fic in progress)

"I really think you need to work on..." Jimmy gestures, somewhat vaguely, in Carmy's direction. "On how you handle things."

"How I handle things?" Carmy echoes, defensiveness rising in his throat.

"Yeah. How you, you know, respond to negative events."

"Respond to negative events?"

"You're just gonna repeat what I say? I feel like I'm training a fucking parrot here. All I'm saying is, this place is clearly stressful as fuck and I think you need to work on managing your stress."

Carmen huffs a mirthless laugh of disbelief and crosses his arms.  “Managing my stress. That’s rich, that's fuckin’ precious, Jimmy, coming from the guy who’s holding all the chits, the guy waiting in the wings for me to fail so he can get his mitts on this property so he turn it into a-- a--  I dunno, into a fuckin' Firehouse Subs.”

Jimmy doesn't reply at first. He stares at Carmy for a long moment, then closes his eyes briefly before exhaling audibly. He opens his eyes again, fixing Carmy with a level stare.

"Carmen," he says. His voice is low, controlled, cordial. Carmy, already knowing he overstepped, finds it actually way more terrifying than shouting could ever be.

"Jimmy," he replies, endeavoring if not quite succeeding in keeping his own voice equally calm.

“First of all,” Jimmy begins, “and I say this with all the familial love and loyalty in my heart, we’re only sitting here in your fancy-ass restaurant because of my ongoing and generous financial assistance. I know it’s lunch time but can you maybe not devour the hand that fucking feeds you?” 

Carmy opens his mouth to speak, to defend himself, but Jimmy raises a hand, eyes steely.

Carmy closes his mouth.

“Every single piece of overpriced fucking furniture in this room –”  Jimmy looks around. “-- what is this, Danish Modern?”

“It’s not Danish Modern,” Carmen mutters, feeling sulky and shitty and smaller with every passing moment.

“Well,” Jimmy replies evenly, “I think we can agree it’s Scandinavian-influenced, yes?” 

Carmy knows he’s not supposed to answer, so he doesn’t. He stares at the wall behind Jimmy's head, unwilling (unable) to meet his gaze.

“As I was saying," Jimmy continues, "Let us remember that every single thing in this room – every single thing this entire goddamn restaurant, down those fucking brushed nickel dimmer switches over there – is here because I have spent very close to a million fucking dollars of my money in order to help you succeed, against both my own better judgment and a veritable Everest of irrefutable evidence that statistically you are absolutely certain to fail, and spectacularly at that.

“And second of all, nephew, I want you to understand something very important.” Jimmy leans forward, serious, intent. “I promise you, from the very bottom of my blackened heart, that no matter what happens, no matter how all of this turns out, when I get my mitts on this place I will never, ever turn it into a fucking Firehouse Subs.” Jimmy sits back and shakes his head, mouth turned down in distaste. “Jesus Christ, Carmen, what kind of a monster do you think I am?”'

****

God I really, really love writing Jimmy, he's a blast.

[poetry-protest-pornography]

When you miss a tag on ao3 and run into an oh-no like a brick wall:

[sashafiercer-deactivated2023102]

That time I clicked on a Sydney Carmy Claire threesome? Yeah I'll never forget that moment for sure 😃

[monsteraaureaqueen]

[featuresofinterest]

yes it's 2023 yes it sounds delusional to most people on this website but sherlock s4 episode the final problem is in fact purposefully bad and there's no way around it i'm sorry!!!!

[monsteraaureaqueen]

Honestly, so much of creative people's output is absolute garbage. True genius lies in recognizing the gems that occasionally emerge, but those rough stones require feedback, friction, reassessing, and shaping to create a thoughtful finished product. 

In other words, TFP was uniquely and utterly horrible because two talented people disappeared up their own asses so far no one else could reach them. Yes, it was purposeful...but I believe they truly thought it was genius.

[monsteraaureaqueen]

I had a long post that I erased but the main point is two people I really care about and have each been so good to me were about to get married (next week!) and...now they aren't and I am so sad for everyone involved.

And they're work friends and I can't say ANYTHING because I don't want to be the school gossip so y'all get to hear about it I guess.

[lild3m0nsworld]

reblog to send your mutuals a hug. maybe just the thought is enough to cheer them up 🥺

[dreadfuldevotee-deactivated2023]

holding the hands of The Bear fanartists and fic writers everywhere: carmy berzatto is not taller than sydney, and thats okay. that man, is 5'6 theres no shame in that, short king!

[monsteraaureaqueen]

One of the reasons I vibe with this show is that my real-life Hot Italian Spouse is an inch shorter than me, what I'm saying is the allure of the Pocket Paisano is real and relevant to my interests

[penandinkprincess]

it’s very funny to grow up and become the age you used to think adults were so old and wise at and realize that their inner monologue was ABSOLUTELY “shit shit shit shit shit shit” the whole time