#critical tag

[matt0044]

I think a problem with any kind of "Critical" faction of any given fandom comes down to, well, who criticizes the critics?

That is to say, so many who call out that supposed "plot hole" or that alleged "OOC moment" are less interested in discussions as they are laying the law. No ifs, ands or buts about it outside of a few willing to listen.

As such, when one scrutinizes their aggressive assessments and argues how little water they can hold, there's a snootiness in response at best. Oh, poor pitiful fanboy. Can't handle their favorite show being exposed for the sham that it is.

At worst, it's anger with them using progressive language and talking points to legitimize themselves. To them, "criticism" isn't a conversation. It's a conversation ender. Full stop. Period. The proverbial parental unit putting their foot down on their children's choices in life.

[infernothechaosgod]

Honestly with getting hooked by epic mickey games we often talk about how little oswald stuff we have and how that sucks but the other side i think we don't talk as much of is how little mickey content we have PUT DOWN THE SHOE LET ME EXPLAIN-

With epic mickey we have him with an accual coherent story and plot as well as accual backstory that's rooted in meta, with the thinner and pain route we get to explore his more negative and destructive older side while the paint path explores his more positive and caring for everyone side, sure it all could be more tied to him imo but it's there and he id a proper character for once instead of just being a mascot

And with oswald in? Mickey suddenly gains alot of layers and we raise alot of deep big questions, what does his family look like since oswalds his brother? Is it just him by that logic??

With his old friends litellary being erased by the world how does he feel about them? Those people he apparently has long intimate history with that he just can't remember? Doesnt that freak him out?

What his and oswalds relationship progresses to be? And how does it happen? No im not counting em 2 it glossed over that seriously with oswald hating mickey so much yet being some of his closest family how does it leave him feeling after the whole thing and how does it change?

This is more on fanon speculation but does mickey even know he's a cartoon? Sure entirety of wasteland is self aware but mickey is not from there, the progress of the game happends in around a day (if you belive it) ofc in the moment he probably assumes it's some magic of wasteland thing but after slowing down is he also self aware? And how much with the fact he forgot most of his own history is he allowed to look back? How much control did he have over himself before that????

and the most asked yet unansweared one of them all HOW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT BEING A REPLACEMENT?

Epic mickey raises thousands of questions about mickey while also giving him oswald who I will die on this Hill is the best chara to ballance him out while also being an amazing pararell WHILE ALSO having a long rootem history with him and after a healing arc id belive them to have the best dynamic as brothers

Then when u step out the epic mickey all that's suddenly gone and mickey is practicly only used as a mascot and a noneman that randomly slaps you with copaganda for some reason????? Half the time his cartoony and animal based world and characteristics turn into thin air

This was on a polish stream from long ass time ago about mystery magazine but someone once said " by trying to make mickey appeal and be relatable to everyone he is denied anything as a character, half the time they don't even want you to think he has friends outside goofy" it ofc was in a diff context and mainly was about how we were suprised sonny got introduces and was accualy a diff character that meet mickey in the past at collage instead of being a weird rewritten version of goofy but alas, i think abt that sometimes and despite how id like to to be false i don't have any arguments to it

After writing this post i rlly need to finish writing my disney doesn't care for oswald essay and write about them as brothers because they sure as hell won't, and if they'll tell you they do? Maybe there writing about characters mickey and oswald being brothers but there not talking about Them

[princesafilomena]

Yeah the fact that we didn't see Thomas reassuring Alastair after Alastair explicitly says 'Charles never used to say 'I love you'' was a bit jarring, I know he had already said it but I really expected for Thomas to just quickly but seriously say it to him at the close of that scene, like I'm glad they're happy but it did feel strange, tbh I felt like that kinda throughout the book, and idk if it's just the fact that it's obviously not gonna be exactly what I expected but I just wish we did see those moments like more grief for Kit, Cordelia and Alastair meeting the baby, I enjoyed the book and it made me laugh out loud but there were parts of it that don't quite feel real to me??

yessssss! I was expecting a quick scene after the roof one, with Thomas reassuring Alastair and Alastair finally accepting his love, but I was left waiting. their ending didn't feel earned! it wouldn't be that hard to include another three paragraphs to wrap up their storyline. I was so disappointed tbh

I'm inclined to say it was the best book of the series tbh, but it did come with its flaws. Charles' redemption arc didn't address the actual issues so it was jarring, Kit's death felt like it was there for the sake of killing someone, we spent so long waiting for the baby to be born and when it happened it wasn't all that impactful... also Grace's inclusion in the group felt like a cheap happy ending

plus, Thomas never got solaced for his sister's and cousin's death! There were two lines acknowledging it then it was brushed off!! and Alastair did get to talk about his traumas but it was also brushed off. like c'mon! we've been following these characters for years! don't they deserve better? don't we?!?!?

[matt0044]

I hate the pervasive, "If you enjoy this, then you're not engaging with it critically." It's this underhanded way of trying to instill shame in another for daring to like something without dissecting its "flaws" the way they would. It's like the whole, "You're all sheep," but done in a "rational" demeanor. Dude... I watch whatever the goddamn hell I want to. I have shit taste and proud of it. I'll watch The Rise of Skywalker with gleeful abandon and gladly flip off the internet's "consensus."

That's really the issue with Hbomber's RWBY video as far as I can tell. I do not want to dismiss the thought exercise of going through something you felt was lacking a certain aspect. You were hooked into a show but it doesn't feel like the ball's been rolling much. Fan works that describe how one would do a particular movie in a franchise or a season in a TV show is something that I can often indulge in. Keeping up with Power Rangers, some newer seasons definitely have been better than others.

It's when the person doing all this gets too big for their britches and shames anybody for daring to go against their opinion. It's not always in a vehement way so much as in a, "Pooh-pooh, how sad that you cannot engage in this very much flawed media with the critical intellect that I myself possess." It's a form of gaslighting that paints pissed off fans as "irrational" for taking issue with such bad faith criticisms, ones that they counter with awfully rational points if I might add.

Too many have a major ego problem where they think their idea of what RWBY should be are more important that what anybody feels contrary to them. It's like there has to be this compartmentalization when it comes to what's "bad" and what's "good" with no room for subjectivity. Everything's gotta be sorted out like they're just started at Hogwarts. No room for nuance. No room for anybody going against the vocal opinion of, "It's bad," or "It's good."

[matt0044]

Why are Critical communities a persistent thing? Is it not... weird to just hate, hate, hate all the time?

Well... the weirdness does make sense when you realize the real reason these communities form is because, well, they're friends with each other. Through the anger and vitriol they send to those who like the show, they find company in those who share their views.

Like what might've started out as fans nitpicking like fans always will morphed into something else when the show "betrayed" them because... well, insert any given anti-show talking point here. People hate to be alone and miserable because that leads to self-reflection they don't want to face.

Thus when a subreddit's worth of fans are speaking up all at once and find each other, they take solace in that they are not alone. They cling to that. To them, their "people" are what make bitching about a show they should really disengage from worthwhile.

So they keep on hating and being stubborn towards any opposing readings of the show that clash with their uncharitable takes. Because they fear it means the friend groups they have will dissolve.

[infernothechaosgod]

YOU!!!! GRABS YOU

Inferno please please go into depth (if you wanna ofc!!) on your thoughts on the Fanny redesign? I literally have not been able to stop thinking abt it ever since you told me. Also some things you speculate on what her character might’ve been like?? I fear in my heart they would’ve had a brother/sister dynamic which makes me ☹️☹️☹️

BUT I would love to hear your thoughts!!

I need you to know this is how I look thinking about this the whole time,

my thoughts on it are rather complex, I think we all agree that in og shorts fanny as well as her design were at their peak in "all wet" she started to look much diffrent from oswald and I said this before she was carring that short more than him witch was rlly fun

Fanny's old design looked alot more like a flapper and SHE WAS ONE I will not let go of the fact she was a nurse thefore a working woman ever ever I will be extremly annoying about it because I think it is a very important thing not just to her as a character but also to history of animation bc she could be a first working woman in animation and that thought makes me do backflips anyway back to the point-

I said this before but fanny had her own personality, mainly seen in all wet where she matched oswald in being a bit snobby, impulsive and mischievous but even before that in "the mechanical cow" we can see she also had some personality to her that matches with her later on, in mechanical cow she wasnt just kidnapped and started screaming helplessly but she FOUGHT BACK, she straight up started punching the guy when he grabbed her

then after that failed she did start screaming for oswalds help but even after that she wasnt just screaming helplessly she obviously still fought back and she almost got away on her own SHE JUMPED OUT OF A MOVING CAR

and I know those are not character defying things or anything but I do think that these are things building character for her even if you have to look between text for them

honestly personality wize I always thought fanny would mach personalities with- well uh- fanny

also on more fandom note [this is not atacking anyone but I dont want to leave it out because I think its important]

In the fandom space fanny's always been somewhat demonized when keept her more "divaish" traits , especialy in all wet, and I think it does play hard into the "sexy woman = evil" belief, especialy when you look at her in things that are meant to full on no hiding it demonize her, her head on atributes and trickiness and sultry self-presentation from shorts is then carried on but shown as entirely bad, shes sexy and she knows it and thats evil, shes still tricky and impulsive and thats evil, her being extremly outard is accualy just her being a bitct, etc im sure you know what I mean If you've went on any dive looking for stuff with her

then notice how in thing that do try pulling it back a bit and saying "no guys shes accualy a good guy" these atributes are suddenly either toned down or complatly gone, "oh no guys shes not accualy sexy on purpose" "no no guys shes not accualy tricky you just assued things" "guys shes not accualy so head on and shes not as outspoken that was just false impression!" and while I get these things are trying to lift her up and present her as "better" it does leave the question

what if she was those things?

like, what if she still matches oswald in trickiness and mischief? what then? what if shes aware of her appeal and plays into it on purpose does that mean something bad? does that mean shes evil...for some reason?

and I dont mean to throw hands around the fandom or anything like that really like I said YOU CAN charactarize her as evil but I do wish we could pull on the breaks and look at it from the bigger picture and notice how these "evil" traits arent accualy root flaws [and how she shares many things with oswald characterization wise lots of times but these things are cool and funny on him but there to demonize her] because I do feel like many times shes just kinda left hanging with the evil sticky note on her

but yeah we kinda have the established personality of fanny and how shes been seen by the ppl above, I personaly cranked the femme fatale part alot and decided on exploring it more in my versions so I definitley am biast towards a certain image of her in my head but even without it, we kinda get what she was suppoust to be like especialy after the redesign in all wet that drove some ideas home even more

and this is the redesign they made of her for the show

and like...that is a cute design, the glasses are cute I like the yellow-green combo and how they accualy used a pretty shade of yellow to make her blonde instead of the piss wig color, the ears are a nice touch it is a well know by everyone ever fact that I love ears down fanny not only bc it makes her look diffrent from oswald but also bc I think it adds character, the outfit is somewhat nice its simple gets the characterization done and I do have to say seeing her ears on the left image it does make her look more like a rabbit, I like how not only are the ears down but also they have those little ending bits to them

but heres the thing

wheres the fanny?

like okay I get that they obviously were more looking at her cuter side but like wheres the cuntiness, where did the shyess come out? because we can see she was obviously meant to come off as a shy girl i mean look at her, where did her matching oswald stupidity and freak go [I dont even mean romanticly]

this is a cute desing and this is a nice character idea really but this is not fanny cottontail man, like even when you divorce her history in the fandom as well as for some reason ignore all wet she still had some of that hard ass energy to her [went into an active feild to pick up oswald in great guns not even knowing it was him,recruted herself as a nurse off screen, again STARTED PUNCHING A GUY WHEN HE GRABBED HER, jumped out of a moving car you name it]

like she did appear a bit shy in the mechanical cow when oswald started to talk w her but like I think that was more because she had a guy clearly hit on her and that resolved in that moment of shyness rather than being an active trait

also this is more disconnected from other stuff but I dont like how they changed her body type to be less curvy not even bc of the implication but also because I dont like how disney seem to be allergic to more fem body types, like

they took away her hrt rip legend

also I said this before on here and I think I will accualy end up writing an essay about it but again this design turns her into a "good girl" by taking away some of her atributes that honestly should have stayed there- this honestly brings even more attention to how fem characters often either get the "shy, honey, sweetheart girl" card or the "evil saultry witch women" card

do notice how with the "good one" I said girls but with the "evil one" I said women-

but yeah thats a whole diffrent thing back to fanny and the show and onto the uh...later worry-

I do have to agree I also worry they could have have them more sibling like relationship with I hateeeee typing this made my heart do a twist I think like no no no no no no I am not dancing this dance aint no way-

and like we dont essencialy know if thats true like we have only few images and while ofc their relationship could have been something else I do also very deeply fear that they could have tried pulling that and straw if ur still reading through this I need you to imagine how uncomfortable that thought makes me I think I would start biting the walls if that were the case straw-

if she was the "shy but responcible" older friend-sister trope and he was the "youger chaotic outward" younger friend-brother I think I would have thrown up for suprisingly big amount of reasons like no- nononono

but overall in complete nutsel, the design is cute but this is not francine fanny cottontail accualy this little rabbit lady accidently broke the law in kentucky and has been on the lam ever since and accual fanny allowed her use her full name as a cover up and shes chilling somewhere on the other end of the city/world

[matt0044]

I feel like this Fandom phenomenon partly (there are many factors to this I may overlook) comes from this need to both act on your gut reaction to something that really ticked you off. While good analysis involves taking a step back and maybe consider other factors, salters aren't looking to analyze so much as vindicate those gut feelings.

There's... a reluctance to being "wrong" so some double down to marinate in these feelings of discontent. Especially in this weird mentality of treating the characters like they are actual people they know personally. It's a weird adherence to a Watsonian perspective to a ludicrous degree. Particularly when the show is female led.

It's why disputing with any other them with get you hostility in turn and claims that you're "invading their space." They gish-gallop you so much that the hoove-print will be on your for weeks. Thus you can't repute all of them and your only recourse is to walk away, allowing them to fester like actual salt in the wounds.

[turbocam-frmly-sloppypears]

Pick Your Poison (mini WDY rant)

I watched a good chunk of Sam's story today. It made me think.

I can't really think of much of anything else besides "he's basically omniscient (all-knowing)."

How did Kyle know anything about Sam OR who even got his Wii prior to her even MEETING him?

(Shoutout to UmbraticStickerz for pointing this out!)

Sam... oh, Sam. I got a love-hate relationship with you.

Love how you're more tolerable than Kyle, hate how being oblivious and caring for Eteled are basically your ONLY personality traits.

I mean, when you REALLY look at it, they're both badly written, but to two very different extremes.

(One-dimensional character who knows everything vs. one who knows nothing)

I may be looking a bit too far into it, but that's just my two cents.

Shoutout to my brother for the "Sam is incredibly oblivious" part.