Good Omens

[lizluvscupcakes]

Well, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, so I’ll let you guys know something in confidence.

I feel a strange sense of schadenfreude watching the Gaiman situation. Not for the people who were Gaiman’s victims, but for the people who were fans of his and who loved his work.

Don’t get me wrong, I know this sucks. This absolutely sucks and I do sympathize, really I do. I know you feel devastated. Heartbroken even, because Gaiman was someone you thought was safe and who you were proud made a thing you liked, who made something that shaped who you are today and that you STILL love in spite of who created it.

And you know WHY I sympathize with all that?

Because Rowling was exactly the same way for me. And when she broke our hearts, when she finally took away all plausible deniability and outed herself as a bigot to people who adored and trusted her, you know what a certain subsection of people did?

All they could do, while I was in agonizing pain, was point me to Neil Fucking Gaiman. For months and months, all I heard (among how I should’ve somehow known she was secretly bigoted the whole time and how I was a horrible evil person for not turning all my most valued possessions into composting), was how wonderful and perfect and unproblematic and utterly godly Neil Gaiman was. All anyone could tell me, when they weren’t breathlessly trying to guess things about my character from my favourite book series, was that I had wasted any second I had lived before I read Neil Gaiman.

And I know good people, people I know and care about are heartbroken. I’m trying to be kind, really I am. But I can’t help feeling a little smug watching the same people who smugly watched my heartbreak years ago scrambling through the same coping mechanisms we all tried.

Yeah, they’re doing everything. We’re talking “I knew all along,” “drop it right now or you’re evil” we even got “Hatsune Miku made [thing]” for people who wanna enjoy stuff and don’t wanna fight about it (people have complaints about that one, I think it’s fine, whatever). And considering how Gaiman’s acolytes treated Harry Potter fans who employed these same tactics? I find this absolutely hysterical.

You know I don’t really know what the point of this little tantrum was. Maybe it was just a means to vent. Maybe it’s a five-year-old overdue snap at people who decided to shove alternatives at me while I was grieving, and then call me a bad person for not wanting them. Or maybe I just am a huge bitch and I just wanted to put that on display for you.

I won’t ask you not to be mad, because if you see me smugly staring at you like “not so fun, is it?” and you wanna hit me, that’s totally fair. If you read this hoping I’d have advice or sage wisdom, then, I’m sorry. I don’t. I don’t think there is any. I won’t tell you “you should’ve known” or “now you have to stop loving [thing]” or “you should never be a fan of anything ever at all,” because that’s all really stupid advice. It’s also all real advice I got during the Rowling incident.

But I will say, to you, fan of [thing Gaiman wrote], welcome to the club. You’re a member of this club now. It’s a shit club and no one wanted to be a member, but honestly, everyone is gonna be one eventually, so grab a bean bag chair and dig into the snacks before the other normies get here. I’m sorry a cringe harry potter fan is the one to welcome you.

[peacefulomens]

Yeah I was already a member because of Rowling. And I get the reaction to deny/grieve, as well as op’s vindictive satisfaction. Cause in both cases it’s demoralizing but misery does love company, especially when ppl were smug in the past.

I think because of my experience with Rowling (and other creators) I’m less surprised and more disappointed with Gaiman. Though actually in his case there’s a lot more darkness in his works, so again, not entirely surprised, more just sad. Cause now I can see how certain aspects of his work that made me uncomfortable, despite enjoying the overall text, align with his behavior. Hindsight is 20-20 and all that.

I’ve been processing this for several months now and I don’t think I have a conclusion. But at the end of the day, I think it’s important that we have these conversations within fandom. After all, this is just the neighbors reacting to a local atrocity (“he was always so sweet. How could we have known?”) on an international scale. Allowing space to process emotions is important, regardless of how that may present itself. So is acknowledging that it’s difficult to separate ourselves entirely from works that inspired us.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time nor will it be the last time an author turns out to be bigoted/ racist/ abusive/ etc. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, authors are people. And people are capable of some pretty messed up things, especially when put in positions where they have power over others.

———

N.B. I’m not planning on reading the most recent article, as I really don’t have the mental space. I’m perfectly fine getting the highlights online/ I already read one when the story first broke and that was horrifying enough

[the-uncanny-dag]

[shaggydogstail]

This tweet lives rent-free in my head now. Hands-down the best comment about the relationship between art and artist.

[fastenyourseatbelts]

I would reblog this a thousand times if I had the strength to

[peacefulomens]

It’s put it into words much more eloquently and succinctly than I could

[peacefulomens]

I saw a post somewhere talking about how the last time Crowley had seen Aziraphale perform magic was when he had to shoot at him with a gun without miracles & then the next time Aziraphale mentions doing a magic show is Warlock’s birthday, so of course Crowley wasn’t enthusiastic about it.

But THEN. AT THE PARTY. THERE WAS ALSO A GUN. SHOT AT AZIRAPHALE.

No wonder Crowley isn’t okay

[neil-gaiman]

(first off: I'm not an astronomer, and I may be wildly off, but…) I had always assumed that "This too was incorrect. By almost a quarter of an hour", on the first page of Good Omens, was a throwaway joke. Today I realised it might actually be a reference; was it?

AIUI, Ussher said that although the creation occurred on the autumn equinox (22 September), he gave the date as 21 October to account for the drift caused by the Julian calendar, which was in use in Ireland at that time. I think he also said that it occurred at 9am Irish time, because that's noon in Jerusalem.

What just occurred to me is that Irish civil time is calculated from the Greenwich meridian. But Ussher lived in Armagh, 6.55° west of Greenwich. The solar time in Armagh at noon in Jerusalem is 9:19am and on 21 October is 9:11am. So 9am is off by almost a quarter of an hour.

Thanks for all the happy memories and the solidarity over the years.

I just want to show this to Terry Pratchett.

[peacefulomens]

I finished season 2! I think I’m not as wrecked as I thought I might be based on the spoilers I’ve seen partially because of the spoilers. But also because it makes so much sense for it to end the way it ended. I’m still processing, but will definitely have Thoughts

There was a lot of tragic moments in the last episode.

Slight spoilers:

The tragedy is that while Crowley & Aziraphale have been essentially married for centuries, it’s never been spoken. Nina & Maggie were so valid for telling Crowley they needed to talk. And it had to be Crowley, not Aziraphale, because Crowley could actually listen while Aziraphale wouldn’t pay attention.

The tragedy is that Gabriel & Beelzebub were able to be happy together because they were willing to let everything else go, while Aziraphale still optimistically believes he can change things for the better. Crowley’s absolutely right about Heaven & Hell being toxic. I’m so glad he finally said it.

Honestly the look on Crowley’s face when he suggested Alpha Centuri was worse than Aziraphale saying he forgave him. And that call back is so fascinating, as the context of the first season is so different

Oh yeah: “We call it the Second Coming”??? Jesus???

I can totally see Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett talking about a sequel where JC comes back to Earth & how the disaster husbands would manage it

[peacefulomens]

I finally have time to watch the second season of Good Omens (watched the first 2 episodes tonight) and how come I didn’t see anyone talking about Jim’s method for organizing the books?? Alphabetical by the first sentence is an incredible system and I want to see his finished product. The brief shot they had of the “I”s had the Bible and The Catcher in the Rye very close to each other and I’d love to see more. Plus the Good Omens cameo? Fantastic.

I have other thoughts (mostly that they are married and it’s hilarious) but that’s the current favorite

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The Globe is a Good Omens fan bc of course they are! :D ❤

[peacefulomens]

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

Pt II good omens but i've still never watched it

so you crazies blew up the other post, and many of you tried to explain the plot to me. many others said there is no plot. many said i was accurate. many said i wasn't. and then i watched a few youtube edits of the angel and the demon.

I'm convinced that I know at least a little bit more now, so like the great guy I am, I decided to share how well you've educated me.

the plot is an angel and demon become alcoholics together while doing the good ol' animal husbandry

neil gaiman doesn't have social media

everyone is crying because the angel wanted to go to heaven and the demon said no

and then the demon did the kissy smoochy to make the angel stay and the angel said no

they were not married for 6000 years but they were more married than married

there is a car. it is silver and crowley likes it.

the car is then yellow. crowley doesn't like it. aziraphale does.

there's some kind of Jane Austen ball and dance

oh but also crowley gives aziraphale a more private dance in their home and he bows while making intensely sexual eye contact with the angel who is turned on and says nice and everyone is gasping about it

no one knows about god, not the fandom, not the characters, not god herself. god is ineffable. hey mum i learned a new word!

they run over an american witch

the angel likes books in a way bordering on obsessive and worshipful

the demon likes the angel in a way bordering on obsessive and worshipful

there's a gramophone

crowley says sorry a bunch of times

aziraphale keeps getting flustered and dying coz of crowley, and the fandom dies every time. crowley is also dying. everyone is dying. hopefully not literally, im now scared of this fandom.

there's a psychedelic drug trip at some point that's in the edits where crowley goes whee down a chute. either that or the sleep deprivation is getting to me. fuck you, good omens fandom.

terry pratchett is a guy

whether he is real, or a character, or like neil gaiman he is neither real nor a character, i am unsure, but he is important and people want me to remember him

crowley likes speeding

[peacefulomens]

I still haven’t seen the second season, but all of this is pretty accurate from what spoilers I’ve seen. Except that Neil Gaiman’s actually pretty active on tumblr & Terry Pratchett co-wrote the book w/ him and they talked about how they’d adapt it into a tv show before Sir Pratchett died

Fun fact about Sir Terry Pratchett: he forged a sword after he was knighted, which is pretty damn cool

[rubberchickenarmy123]

My favorite thing about Aziraphale and Crowley not being toward heaven and hell is the magic show.

Crowley didn't know how to use a gun (a murderous weapon), and Aziraphale expected him to know how to because he's a demon.

Aziraphale did know how to use a gun (a murderous weapon), and Crowley expected him not to because he's an angel.

[peacefulomens]

Oooo this is a very good point! And also ties into when they thought they’d been shot (one of my favorite scenes in the book), as it took both of them waay too long to realize

[mil0af]

[Stay still, angel]

I think Aziraphale isn't having too much trouble with that 🤭

I once saw a tiktok of a fanfic where Crowley was putting on Aziraphale's eyeliner, so I wanted to draw them in that scene SO SO BAD‼️

I don't think I'll be loosened from their grip any time soon

[peacefulomens]

I’d love to see the full outfit!

[peacefulomens]

I just saw a post on Pinterest about how Crowley has unintentionally inspired musicians for millennia with his pining and Aziraphale & Crowley went to concerts together (in the book), where Aziraphale was unaware that he was the original inspiration.

I disagree. There’s no way Aziraphale was entirely oblivious. He’s the reason Soho is the queer locus of London and you want me to believe there was never a moment when one of those composers (because let’s be real not all of them were straight/ cis and Aziraphale was totally involved in all the art scenes) didn’t moan to him about finding inspiration and then come back and say that they found it from a redhead in the pub down the street?

Aziraphale’s vaguely aware of Crowley’s pining, but only because he thinks they’ve been in a relationship for millennia. So of course he thinks it’s just Crowley being over dramatic. Look what happened with Hamlet, after all. Aziraphale knows Crowley gets soppy and overshares when he’s drunk and if he isn’t near his angel, then it follows that he would gush about him. Because Aziraphale totally does the same, even when sober. He doesn’t need to tell Crowley because surely Crowley knows, so he can tell everyone about his partner behind his back.

And then Aziraphale realizes that oh, no, Crowley doesn’t know. Crowley’s aware that Aziraphale cares, after all, more than the average angel, but hasn’t realized that Aziraphale also thinks they’re in a relationship.

They’re just two idiots inspiring art about their perceived crush that’s only platonically (so they think) requited.

[tsekel]

I have this in my head for too long... Hope you like it !

Thank you very much @KojiDub for the translation ! =D

[peacefulomens]

Still need to watch it but I love this!

[hoshioyoo]

leisure drive down the streets of central london! 💨

well. a leisure drive for one of them anyway.

[hoshioyoo]

Mr. Fell's Guide to the Gavotte! 🪽

he's trying his best, okay?

[peacefulomens]

Awe so lovely

[pien-art]

good omens posting !!! (click image for optimal quality)

prints available here

[peacefulomens]

Wow this is gorgeous!

[morgangalaxy43]

Loki and Mobius being Crowley and Aziraphale in Good Omens au makes perfect sense because Loki and Crowley are two genderfluid and dark haired almost immortal beings who love their best friends and Mobius and Aziraphale are both lighter haired soft guys who are part of a overly controlling organization that is involved with everything about space and time (Heaven and the TVA)

[peacefulomens]

Yeah I find it interesting that OFMD is compared to Good Omens constantly (I don’t disagree) but Loki isn’t. It’s probably because Loki came out a couple years ago, but I do find the parallels more obvious