#antibyler

[mileven11forever]

Stranger Things the only fandom where you get gaslit and called delusional for enjoying a ship that has been canon since the first season of the show 💀

Literally.

[miwiromantics]

I’m actually so glad Will and El are completely free from that piece of shit human being that is Mike wheeler and out of the hands of those pathetic coward writers.

Oh Willel, you were bigger than the whole sky

[roguealmondfort]

there's something really sinister to me about the way byler shippers twist mileven into this horrible, abusive relationship and the way they infantilize el, take away el's agency, and try to erase how important el is to both mike & the show's narrative. i constantly see them say things like mileven is "conformant", that mike groomed el into a romantic relationship, that mike doesn't truly love el, that el's not smart enough to want/have a romantic relationship, that el's not truly a main character of the show, and that el's story/trauma isn't as important as will's. they are so insanely ableist & misogynistic towards el and then have the gall to turn around and accuse mileven shippers of being bigoted just for not agreeing with their view points. it's very awful to mike too, to claim that he's this horrible boyfriend when the show clearly shows the opposite.

el is a neurodivergent abuse victim who grew up being treated like a lab rat, mike has been bullied his whole life & has insecurities due to his parents' strained relationship, and they both defy the stereotypical roles in a m/f romantic relationship; there is nothing conformant or insignificant about them and to insist that there is & try to erase the importance of these details is disgusting, especially on el's part.

it's actually scary to me how much these blatantly false takes on el/mike/mileven have spread and are just constantly regurgitated without a second thought & ppl will double down on them even when they're proven false. i honestly feel like this is an example of how susceptible a lot of ppl are to falling into bigoted echo chambers. you might say i'm overreacting and maybe i am, idk, but tbh i don't feel like i am; everything i see bylers claim about el, mike, and/or mileven is just is ableist, misogynistic, and not at all based in reality with what is said/shown in the show.

el is in love with mike, mike is in love with el, and their romantic relationship is a very sweet, realistic, well written one. it's such a beautiful story of two outcasts finding someone who truly sees & loves the other for who they are and the fact it's been slandered like this is so devastating

[friedobservationdeer]

Bylers: “Season 2 Mike was at his peak!”

Season 2 Mike was canonically depressed, referred to as emo Mike by the people on set, was graffitiing bathroom walls, plagiarizing essays and cursing at teachers as well as stealing from his sister, and being hard to talk to according to Lucas and Dustin.

His mother, Lucas and Dustin were worried about his wellbeing, and clearly affected by it. Hopper immediately drags him out believing he was going to blow up with anger at El and Nancy attempts to step in when he hits Hopper. El is also worried about him (“He says he needs me”)

The only person who can’t seem to see it is funnily enough, Will himself, who probably enjoyed Mike’s attention as much as the byler shippers.

And this idea that Mike was at his intellectual or leadership peak is also false. Let’s compare

In season one Mike leads the charge to find Will, he gives the orders and takes action when push comes to shove. He is the one to bring up the HealthKit ham shack, he has the supercomm when Nancy and Hopper call, he jumps off a cliff for Dustin, he is the first one to stand up to Dr Brenner and he is the one who tells Lucas to shoot the demogorgon when it enters.

In season 3, he is the one to come up with the sauna test, he warns Max to stay away from the door, keeping her from being seriously injured and hits Billy when he chokes El saving her life. He is the only one who correctly predicts the danger El would be in if she went to find Billy, (she loses her powers and Vecna is able to open the gates using them in season 4). He uses physics to push the car over when El is unable to, giving the others an escape with the car, and attempts to defend El from Billy again.

In season 4, he is the one to realize where the secret message was, how to solve the code, and who to ask. He comes up with a cover story for why he needs the code finds El and gives El the strength to save Hawkins

In season 5 he is the one who comes up with the turnbow trap, beats a demogorgon with a shovel, helps realizes Will could have dormant powers, helps with the plan to get the kids out, defends said kids with his life and attempts to shield them from the gore, and he creates the bomb that destroys the upside down

When you think about it, Mike is useful in season 2, but not really at the levels of the other seasons. He is stuck at the hospital for most of it, by Will’s side. I’m not saying he was useless but saying he was at his peak then is a lie. He does however become leader Mike again, with the tunnel plan in the finale, conveniently when Will is no longer the damsel in distress he needs to comfort.

And the other thing, the idea that byler was at its peak in season 2 is also false. Because I see things like this on twitter

Referring to tales from 85 focusing on mileven

Mind you this is the “crazy together Mike” in question

Bottom line: Lying is a sin.

[elcorhamletlive]

to each their own etc, but the concept of midgame bychance for endgame bylr, or of will breaking up with his epilogue boyfriend for mike, is incomprehensible to me. in an universe where will has options, where he actually gets to meet a guy who is interested in him romantically and behaves accordingly, the thought of him still ending up with mike is bizarre. like offering a five star meal to a starving person and hoping they still prefer to eat the crumbs from the floor

[karmaspidr]

"At least we are in this together. Both Byler and Mileven have lost."

Bitch, who the fuck is WE?!

I'm here laughing my ass off because your precious baby Will has just said what has been staring at you since the beginning, and you still can't accept it.

Mileven Engame is guaranteed, even if El dies (which I really hope isn't the case. I want her and Mike to have their happily ever after).

[forevermi11]

the sheer amount of anti el/milevens who want mike to cheat on eleven with will while she is in UD trying to save them all is an ironic combination of misogyny and hypocrisy BECAUSE as b/lers are fond of saying "if will was a girl, this that" let me tell you IF will was a girl, bylers would be her biggest haters after s/he tried to flirt (and failed ~ "which mike does not return" ~ script of ep 4) with her stepsister's boyfriend of three years. they would hate her guts and call her the worst names imaginable ... the benevolent misogyny would become blatant if female-will tried to hit on her committed friend behind her stepsister's back.

but because will is a guy (and they hc mike is gay and in love with him), it's all well and good for them if he behaves snakey behind el's back. infact they love it BUT want me to believe they like el? stfu.

[darklinaforever]

Exactly.