#my helluva meta

[tealvenetianmask]

It turns out the drug H8, which Barbie is fighting her addiction to in the new short, has a very literal name. It seems to bring out rage (or hate) in the demons who take it.

But why would someone grow dependent on something with that effect, or even enjoy it in the first place?

Anger is a negative emotion, right?

The thing is, if you're spending a lot of time feeling things that are worse, anger is a better alternative sometimes. Walking around feeling grief-laden, depressed, scared, sorry for letting people you love down ... it's hard to get any relief for those feelings.

Rage simplifies what's hurting a person and allows them to fight it. It's not happy, but adrenaline comes with it, and it's the sort of adrenaline that can make you feel like you're right, and those you're facing down are entirely wrong. It's simple and explosive. It can even give you a kind of high. It can feel like you finally have agency.

Rage can be addictive.

Let's look at Barbie. Barb tries to distract herself with positive things- a good sandwich, make-outs with her adorable girlfriend, Kendra... and she summons some significant but hollow anger here and there (rightfully) as her day gets worse and worse.

BUT look at our girl during the quietest moments in the short.

Her anger, righteous or otherwise, is gone, and she's just miserable.

And when she's angry, her face keeps betraying her. She feels hurt and betrayed and guilty and worried underneath. She uses anger just like her brother does as a shield. Between herself and others' ability to hurt her if she shows vulnerability maybe, but also between herself and The Bad Emotions ™️.

The thing is, acting out of rage has consequences. And Kendra doesn't walk out on her over the job, or over the drugs she finds. She does it when Barbie lashes out at her, and from "don't give me attitude," one can assume that this is a bit of a pattern whenever this couple fights.

I suspect that this is why Barbie is so committed to getting off the drugs.

The H8 itself is.. I know... kind of a joke and a hopeful moment at the end of the episode. But it also brings to light a lot of complicated things: the way anger can turn into a crutch and a protective outer shell, how people don't always get addicted to things that make them feel "good," and how trying is a hopeful act, even if you're far from perfect.

[tealvenetianmask]

The "old movies" of Blitz's traumatic memories went by really fast, so I slowed it down to .25 and watched it frame by frame to see what I could find. Here are the frames I found interesting.

The necklace. It's confirmed that this is the same one that his mother wore, and he found it in the fire. Maybe it fell off while she tried to escape the flames? We also see how it haunts him when her eyeball turns into it in his hallucination.

Cash throwing a hard fucking smack. Maybe after the fire? It kind of follows narratively, but I couldn't get much from the background. Or maybe it's earlier? Either way, our theories that Cash was physically abusive are confirmed. Fuck him.

Two cute M&M moments. I've felt for a while that when they got together it really messed with Blitz's world. The second one looks familiar. Is it from Exes and Oh's right before he hugs them and acts invasive about Chaz? Either way, his hands are reached out. He feels like a third wheel since they became a couple. So it seems like a lot of his creepy behavior comes down to feeling abandoned by his friends and trying to SOMEHOW be close to them in the only way he knows how to do so safely (being sexual and joking).

This moment with Loona at the end of Seeing Stars. The rage in her face. This was played for laughs mostly (Loona refusing the hug and kicking him in the balls) but maybe it was actually hurtful? Seems like it stuck with him. Seems like he fears that Loona actually resents him (so these two need a talk too eeek).

Barbie. Yepppppp. I can't decide whether this is in Unhappy Campers or from an earlier time.

ALL the Stolas moments. Is it reading into it too much to notice that in all of the moments before Blitz raged in The Full Moon, Stolas is looking at him, and in all of the moments after, he's looking away? Regardless, these are all really upsetting moments for Blitz. And the sheer number of them says something about how fresh and painful the breakup still is for him. HOPING they reunite and make some progress on this next episode. :(

I love the role that Blitz's HANDS play in these glimpses into his traumatic moments. He's never touching anyone, and often reaching or pulling back, or touching an object instead. He has so much love in him, and he's so lonely.

Updates, for anyone who's seeing this from the original post. Thanks to those who pointed these out.

Blitz's hands are burned when Cash smacks him, so it's from after the fire.

The M&M moments are from Murder Family and Truth Seekers.

[tealvenetianmask]

Blitz is going to be the death of me.

Right before the crystal, when he thinks that Stolas is really breaking up with him, he straight up begs.

"Stolas, please, I need this book. Please."

Uh huh the book . . .

"I need this book, Stolas. I will do anything.

Looking down (maybe telling himself, "I knew this was coming eventually") and then looking up, trying not to cry.

Despite . . . his everything here, I'm pretty scared that half the audience will think this is really about the book, and I'm not ready for the bad takes yet.

[tealvenetianmask]

Stolas still doesn't understand social class

And I love it.

When the clip starts, we get thrown into a classic romance novel trope.

Stolas wears flowy clothes, literally all buttoned up. He smells flowers and wanders his world with a type of bright-eyed awe often reserved in media for children and Disney princesses. We take in a make-believe castle landscape that seems to . . . strangely have a lot in common with his actual palace and garden that he's been banished from.

He wanders into a stable which seems to be located on his driveway. There, he runs into Blitz, the stable boy. Is stable boy a little on the nose with the class stuff? No one actually calls him that. But look- based on what Blitz is wearing, and the context, and what does get said . . .

Okay, but am I reading into this a bit much? Doesn't Stolas just love Romance novels? It doesn't have to be about their real social positions.

It's a stereotype that came out of the Fabio era of romance novels (which Blitz's hair and general look in the fantasy is a direct reference to) that women who read romance fiction fantasize about being prim, proper, virginal noblewomen, who get ravished, sometimes in dub-con situations, by strong, tough, rough-around-the-edges, lower class dudes.

And yeah, there are exceptions, but the class thing is big in this trope. And not the only thing that's big. SNL knew it. Check out this Aidy Bryant sketch with John Cena and Kenan Thompson circa 2015. The entire joke is that we know this trope, and it's absurd.

The appeal, assuming the stereotypical audience is heterosexual women. . . is something about being desirable and repressed and pursued, and being so overwhelmed by the raw appeal of this sexy brute man that you give into something primal and animalistic and um . . . being freed. Notice Blitz literally opening up Stolas's shirt and letting all the chest fluff out.

The trope is as society-laden as any other trope. Which is to say, I fully support enjoying it, and I kind of get the appeal but. Social class is there. And I don't really think Blitz would like learning that in at least some of Stolas's fantasies, after everything, he's an actual stable boy, a servant, with his big hands and big bulge and big abs doing some serious heavy lifting when it comes to his look.

The problem is that Stolas actually is a prince, and no amount of banishment can make Blitz his social equal. It's no mistake on the part of the writers that the fantasy setting is just a transformed version of Stolas's own house.

Is Stolas aware? Not at all. If Blitz were to ask, Stolas would probably say that he understands now. He doesn't.

Now. Some good news. Stolas's fantasy world is unstable as it meets the reality of Blitz's life and the new situation Stolas finds himself in and the trauma and emotional baggage that Stolas is having trouble keeping separate.

I say good news because, while I'm sure it will be a long road with ups and probably devastating I'm not scared who's scared?? downs, Stolas's framework for understanding the world is crumbling, and he's going to have to rebuild something new.

This aspect of the clip just signals to me that addressing The Class Thing™️, really addressing it and the way it lingers in the corners of a mind that means well, is going to have to be part of that journey, and I'm so glad.

[tealvenetianmask]

Idiotsville, population 2 (affectionate):

These two really stumbled ass backwards into a deal that neither of them wanted, huh?

Stolas: Convinced that Blitz had as much fun as he did and wants more too, has no idea how to flirt besides what he's seen in overly suggestive/dramatic TV and books, and is SO EXCITED to finally get to express himself sexually for once in his life. Also in those books and shows, no one says anything directly or earnestly, and sex/flirting is always a game. Is Blitz not actually into him? Was he just there to steal the book? NO that doesn't fit what Stolas NEEDS to be true. Blitz crashed into Stella's tea time, and now Stolas has to deal with the consequences. It will be okay. He's wanted. He has a chance to be sexually and emotionally fulfilled and maybe even not be alone in the world because SOMEONE WANTS TO SEE HIM. Blitz must just be playing a game, taking the grimoire as AN EXCUSE TO SEE HIM AGAIN.

Oh, Blitz wants to keep the book as an excuse again? He doesn't need one to stop by and hook up, but okay. Book as an excuse. They're both in on this little flirty joke anyway. This is how people flirt. Right?

Blitz: Okay so he feels a little bad about running out on Stolas with the book like that (he was so nice to hold all night and cute when he slept). But Blitz's found family is counting on him, and he's always wanted to do something MORE than what's expected of an imp in Hell. It's okay. This bird has so much fancy shit, he can probably just get a new one. And there's no way Stolas knows where Blitz lives or works or anything. Blitz is WAY TOO CLOSE to starting his business the way he wants to give up on it now.

Oh shit. He knows, and it turns out it's really easy for Stolas to find Blitz. But it sounds like he's horny, not mad. Stolas must know exactly what's going on . . . he's taking advantage of the situation to get sex.

It's obnoxious, but again. Blitz doesn't want to give up on his business plan, not after throwing all that money into the jingle, and he definitely doesn't want a fight with a fucking prince anyway. AND THEN STOLAS ACTS READY TO JUST LEAVE AND TAKE THE BOOK. Manipulative son of a bitch. It's demeaning to be forced into it like this, but lots of people do sex work for all sorts of reasons. And he did just ruin Stolas's life anyway, so maybe he deserves it? He's fucking Stolas for the book now . . . sigh.

Bonus: this line:

Blitz is testing out the transactional language, and Stolas is inadvertently confirming that this is what he's into. "I gave you my time, so you should give me the book." Meanwhile Stolas is just glad that Blitz is still flirting back and willing to see him again.

I love them so much. They make me want to tear my hair out.

[tealvenetianmask]

Usually not one to repeat myself, but let me say it louder for those in the back. Putting on my Stolas defender hat.

Stolas has ultimate responsibility for the deal, but he does not have malicious intent.

Stolas never intentionally manipulates Blitz in Mission Zero.

He never thinks for a single moment with his two braincells rubbing together that Blitz might be scared of him and feel like he can't refuse.

It never occurs to him until later that Blitz wants the book for his work, and once he figures it out (seemingly in Murder Family), he thinks he's fully communicated that it's fine with him if Blitz uses it. He thinks their relationship is fully consensual.

But because of their power imbalance, there is a problem with consent.

Does this absolve Stolas of all responsibility? No.

He should have known better. He should have realized that, because of the basic rules of Hell's society, Blitz couldn't really feel safe saying no. He should have realized that because of this (and honestly in general), clear communication was key to any sexual or romantic interaction between them. The tragedy is that he doesn't know better. He's privileged and sheltered and in his own head.

Should he feel bad for this once he realizes? Yes. He spends a lot of season 2 doing this. Should he be cast as an evil manipulator? Absolutely not.

Be frustrated with/mad at this smitten, horny, self-absorbed idiot? Sure. But don't ascribe motivations he doesn't have. K? Thanks.

[tealvenetianmask]

Some things I like about Stolas's eye makeup

It's so pretty and cute! I think his eyeliner emphasizes his natural black waterlines. And sometimes he draws on cute little wing tips!

Like . . . let's just normalize makeup for male characters in general. It looks great.

He seems to wear eyeliner in his human form too:

There's sort of an early 2000's emo kid feel to the look, but like-- grown up. Once again, I just really dig the whole Stolas aesthetic.

When he cries, the running makeup is just . . . the peak of dramatic expression. Black lines dripping down his face, emphasizing his anguish. YUM.

There's a metaphorical side to it too. We see that Stolas doesn't like to cry in front of people, has a facade that he's been taught to keep up from an early age.

And then when Stolas cries it's like the facade is literally melting off and making a mess because his emotions are too powerful to be contained.

[tealvenetianmask]

Let's take a moment to appreciate Moxxie for his incredible, stubborn, irritating, independent sense of justice.

Moxxie arrives determined to carry out his solo mission.

But when he finds out that his target (apparently) has been wronged in the same way he has . . .

He doesn't passively change his mind. He focuses his energy on finding out who is in the wrong here. Where is the injustice really? And, yeah, he's biased by his personal experiences.

He changes his mission to freeing his target from his mob boss dad because, based on his own worldview and the information he's gathered, that's the right thing to do.

He's sure about his decision, but he's also willing to change it when he gets new information.

And his wrath turns on the guy he first identified with because he learns that this guy . . . well . . . has a father who loves him but is throwing that person away for money and power.

He quickly does what he knows is right, and feels entirely validated in it.

He even bothers to save the mob boss who cared for his son. 😭

I love the angel motif. It's funny and . . . Moxxie is acting here as a judge of right and wrong, and a genuinely good person (even if the motivating factors are personal trauma).

The guy wears his heart on his sleeve, and it's not a bad thing. He's vulnerable but he's also a walking moral litmus test, and someone we can trust to stand up for what he believes is right.

It was also just good to see Moxxie working alone and coming into his own a bit. He's getting more comfortable calling the shots without Blitz.

And also, Millie . . . I'm starting to understand you. This is kind of hot.