allhailthequeenuwu (who you might know as the creator of the tadc fan game) took a break from the internet for a few reasons including mental health and fandom toxicity
and recently she came back and only a few minutes ago she started her first EVER livestream to watch tadc episode 8 with her viewers
aaaaand someone sent her a dm on bsky with her exact location and a rape threat
i am so pissed this happened to her and i don’t know what to say but i hope she stays safe
I don't like responding straight to controversy because I don't like kicking up a fuss but man, I get really upset when people try to take Mike or Will's "side". Like I know it's a show and all and one of them is gonna be your favourite but do you have to shit on the other? Personally, I went through a HUGE Will Byers faze first way back when I didn't believe in byler. Then my monstrous Mike Wheeler hyperfixation came when I started looking at all the queercoding people had found. The point is, they're both equally interesting characters (before s5 at least) and it's okay to like one more, but do we have to make a war out of it? Personally, I think my favourite right now is byler.
I know about everything Mike's done, and I don't excuse it. Yes, the tower scene was fucking dumb. Now can we all realise that wasn't Mike and was actually just the Duffers writing a last minute gotcha on the bylers? That's literally what they did and us fighting over it is exactly what they would want.
You're allowed to think that Will should move on, just like other people think he'd be happy with Mike.
Its about perspective. What Mike did in the rain scene was so horrible, and it hurt Will so much. We can say that much, why can't we add nuance? Yes, canon Mike is apparently just a homophobic asshole who makes shitty last minute apologies. But the Mike we interpret can and should have a wider range of emotions than that. Even if they're bottled way up inside.
I didn't like how Will glazed Mike on the tower scene. Like at least in the bedroom scene he was a little sassy and Mike's apology was actually from the heart and they made up in the satisfying way, but the tower scene is only meant to break us, guys. Don't fight over it. Taking it into your perspective is fine, but acknowledge the way it was written: by two straight dudes lazily putting together any sort of closure for a relationship that's been at the heart of the series since the beginning. Of course Mike's gonna come off as a fucking asshole who should be shoved off that tower. Of course Wills gonna come off as some sort of fucking therapist for Mike's problems. That's the point. It's what they want. To shove a mischarachterization in our face and say "Huh? You liked this guys? Why? This is what they were like the whole time."
Well it fucking wasn't. Don't let them make you believe that. Make your own fucking canon. Write an awesome fanfic where you give cardboard cut out Mike turmoil, suffering, emotion. Because that's what a good character is, and they can't take that away from you.
Write a fic where Will overcomes his internalised homophobia and comes out to his friends and family on his own terms. Don't let them fucking ruin that for you.
The only thing I can say about the recent Tadc controversy is this
 ''As nervously as many writers sing the praises of their fans, do you begin to perceive; they're afraid of you, afraid of what you're capable of doing, as lark, as gag, as obsessive self-amusement... Or haven't you wondered why you never see Stephen King at conventions these days?..." -Harlan Ellison, Xenogenesis (essay link below)
NO! I do not think your racist if you dislike Eurylochus.
Introduction
Something in Zippys post has come to light that I want to discuss as I take full responsibility for any harm caused. As a mod on the Eurylochus Discord server I feel personally responsible for causing any toxicity and guilt has been weighing on my mind as a result.
Unfortunately it is with my deepest sorrows after conversing with op that this part specifically is confirmed to be me. It is all a massive misunderstanding that I unfortunately wasn't able to clear up all those months ago because I got heated and defensive about being tagged. They came across a vent post of mine and completely misinterpreted it.
I've made several posts venting my fustration about Eurylochus and how the reactions to his character feel racist point blank without clarifying my words which is dangerous and reckless as unfortunately this person seems to have gotten the impression that I think your racist for not liking Eurylochus which is far from the case.
I deeply regret any harm I may have caused so in this post I want to clarify what I mean when I say that the Epic fandom has a racism problem. As someone who has witnessed toxic fandom I would never want to create that space. When I'm discussing the racism problem I share as a concerned parent.
So let's dig into this so I can hopefully clear up any harm my comments have caused once and for all.
Conscious Vs Unconscious
Bias/Racism
I am nowhere near qualified so I'll link an article below that explains this better than I could.
Conscious Bias- Those with a conscious bias are people who openly hold bigoted beliefs. When they attack are marginalised person it is very intentional. As the article puts it...
"An individual with conscious bias is likely to be explicit with their beliefs and attitudes and behave with clear intent."
The Epic fandom do not fall into this camp at all. I do not believe any of the racism in the fandom or the stereotyping of Eurylochus as a character is intentional. At the end of the day the Epic fandom is full of young impressionable teenagers who have not learned fandom etiquette.
So me saying blanket statements like "I find the racism towards Eurylochus." has been very irresponsible on my part and for that I cannot apologise enough.
Now here's the form I do believe applies to the Epic Fandom.
Unconscious Bias- Those with unconsious bias will hold unconscious prejudices without releasing.
As the article I've used puts it....
"Unconscious biases can be more difficult to identify because it implies that we’re unaware of their existence."
“Unconscious bias refers to the deep-seated prejudices we all absorb due to living in deeply unequal societies."
The article adds...
“Unconscious or implicit bias can lead to instinctive assumptions that a nurse must be a woman or an engineer must be a man [a myth often debunked by our members!] ...”
This is the camp I believe the Epic fandom falls into. With Eurylochus there is a lot of unconscious racism involved with him being treated as less sympathetic compared to characters like Odysseus as well as him being constantly pushed into the black man stereotype.
None of the reactions are intentional or purposeful.
Also I just want to add that having unconsious bias is nothing to be ashamed of and I'm sorry if that has also come across in my posts. Also we all carry unconscious bias so its something we need to learn from.
As this fandom is young I've made posts and discussions due to wanting to call out the behaviour and raise awareness but never have I ever done it because I want to blankly spread toxicity.
I also want to add that if you don't like Eurylochus or he's not your cup of tea, no you are not racist. I myself do not like Calypso or Antinous as well as Zeus and Antinous.
So breaking it down let's talk about who my comments are actually addressed too.
Which Epic Fans Do I Think Hold Unconscious Bias?
When I make my rants I am specifically talking about the fans who actively blame Eurylochus for everything in Epic whilst ignoring Poseidon and Zeus who have committed worse actions. It also applies to those who are sympathetic to Odysseus and his monstrous actions but are disgusted by Eurylochus.
This section of a post I made on my account should help (I'll link it at the end)
TW: Mentions of SA, Murder, Fatphobia and Suicide.
(Skip to conclusion if this could trigger you)
Im also talking about fans who say Eurylochus is aggressive and violent and push Eury into the angry black man stereotype.
I'm talking about the fans who mock Eurylochus's death in Thunderbringer when there are many suicide interpretations of his death and Eurylochus's va confirmed the crew had given up.
I'm talking about the fans who claim Eurylochus is so evil that he deserves to be sa'd as well as murdered for his actions.
Im also addressing the portion of the fandom who have got way to comfortable being fatphobic by calling Eurylochus fat and greedy as well as mocking him with nicknames like big back. Unintentional or not fatphobia and racism are linked so its very harmful.
Anyway those are the fans who I think hold unconscious bias. People who don't vibe with Eury are not in this camp.
What Will I Do?
Something I don't disclose is that I have adhd and autism and am very passionate which sometimes comes across wrong but it is no excuse for the harm my actions have caused.
Emotions happen but alas I am an adult and it is very important to make sure I don't post irresponsible blanket statements that can be misinterpreted.
So from now on any posts or comments I make discussing the unconscious bias in the fandom....
Will have a disclaimer including future posts I make discussing the bias of the Epic Fandom.
I will also make sure to make sure I say the fandom has an unconsious bias instead of racism as whilst it is important to have these uncomfortable discussions I do not wish to give off damaging impressions.
I promise to try be more responsible in the future.
Conclusion
I am very disgusted with myself and vow to do better as in all of my posts I do not wish for people to feel uncomfortable, I also do not wish to scare people into thinking they can't express their dislike for a fictional character.
In a very toxic fandom I wish to be a beacon of positivity.
So with that being said as a former victim I do not condone cyberbullying. Please block anybody who makes you feel uncomfortable and if one of my posts ever make you feel uncomfortable because ive used irresponsible language please don't be afraid to let me know.
Moving on from this, I vow to do better and I hope this posts has clarified things.
All the best,
-Melody-
They/Them
💬 33 🔁 40 ❤️ 205 · Antinous, Calypso and Eurylochus: The Unholy Trinity Of A Fandoms Racism · Disclaimer: I am not excusing anybody of bei
every fandom im in has some kind of controversy going on whether it be with the source itself, the creator of the source, some kind of au that looked interesting but had a really bad creator (iykyk), someone who worked on the source, or something else
hello there chat i am here to HUMBLY share my opinion on something that is. slightly wrong with the dsaf fandom and its absolutely not an unheard topic. its...... the overrated ship itself, DAVESPORT!! WOO!! yeah im gonna.... dip my toes into this ice cold water and share my take.
so! why the hell does everyone worship this ship like it saved their firstborn child. why do people BLOCK others who ship anythin besides davesport instead of just. i dunno..... blocking the other ship tags? instead of going out of their way to block several people over. a ship. that they find a little gross. ALSO! can we not act like davesport is an uncommon thing to find in this fandom and seem shocked when you find another person who ships it like its. a rare find? CAUSE ITS NOT. in the words of my awesome friend "if there werent davesport shippers how much content would this fandom have" which is a GREAT way of putting this i think.
not trying to stir controversy or anything jus. sharin my thoughts yknow? thank ya for comin to my fly talk.
A small talk about the creepypasta Sally williams and the fandom itself.
( TW: OPINION?!?!?! )
As we all know the creepypasta fandom was never perfect, it had its ups and downs. Thus I wanna talk about a character that we all love. Sally.
Sally was created in 2012 and she is a young girl at the age of 12. She firstly was 8 but her creator changed her age to 12 to reasons that I don't want to discuss since they're messed up. Her backstory is truly heartbreaking. She is represented to be a lively, happy and caring young child. She has a teddy bear that's she loves and loves sweets and the color pink.
Now that you know a little information about her, what I wanna talk about is the fandoms problem. The fandom has always been broken, there has always been questionable and wrong stuff in it about litterly anything, even about the characters themselves. And Sally is a victim to that.
From the first time I came into the fandom I saw weird stuff about Sally, questionable art, weird headcannons, wrong ships and the list goes on. She is a child, a minor, she's 12.
"She's a fictional character! " she's still a minor, her being fictional doesn't excuse your weird posts about her nor your weird ships.
Also the ships, she shouldn't be shippen with anyone.
"Sally x Ben" "Sally x toby" "Sally x Jeff" all of those are problematic and any ships with Sally is problematic. Be better and do better and actually make this fandom be an enjoyable place because it can also influence new comers. If a new person joins the fandom and they see wrong stuff they're gonna think it's normal when it's not.
Some people need to realise that "Sally x Ben" is extremely problematic since there is an age difference and also any ship with her is. Also some people need to stop condoning and supporting people that do these stuff, it's sick and wrong.
This isn't a thing that happens to only Sally, it has happened to more characters sadly, it is one of the reasons people leave the Fandom.
The fandom has became a toxic place and there are a lot of new people coming in, mostly children, that want to be in a friendly fandom but all they get is a hit in the face with the cruelty of it. It is not the first time it has been toxic and won't be the last but can we at least try to make it a place we can enjoy? New fans are mostly children, like I said, if they see this kind of behavior and these kind of posts they're going to think it's normal and that'll be a bad influence on them. I know every fandom has its ups and downs and not everyone can be pleased but the fandom used to be so lively and so open minded.
I've seen people judging one another for "wrong headcannons" like... That's what a headcannons is, what YOU think the character does. According to the fandom:
Toby can't be happy ( or any happy emotion )
The creeps can't have a stable relationship
The creeps are abusive
You're not allowed to ship characters that aren't canonical partners
If you don't add Toby's stutter and tics ( in a fic or somewhere else ) apparently you're äbléist
^ BUT if you do somehow you're cringe
If you don't laugh at the fanon jokes you aren't a real fan
You aren't allowed to remind ppl that Sally is a killer too
I'm sorry but what. All of these things are ruining the fandom and that's why many people leave. We wonder why the place is so bad but no one is speaking up nor doing anything about it and the people that do get torn to shreds ( not actually ) by the "fans".
Like I wanted to start this small rant with Sally cuz sadly she is one of the most séggsualized characters in the fandom.
I also want to bring awareness to the MASSIVE BULLYING IN THIS PLACE. Like I said a thousand times already, literal children join the fandom and instead of being greeted warmly they get bullied. They are new, they aren't going to know everything from 2016 to now because frankly I wouldn't know either in a new fandom. Instead of bullying them why not help them? Tell them fun facts about their fav char or help them not spread misinformation.
