#queerbaiting

[phosphorusab]

“Byler wasn’t queerbait” mfs when I pull up receipts

[bi-disaster-kit-herondale]

the fact that they could’ve showed future Will in an apartment making art or having a career as an illustrator, and then a guy walks in and leans over his shoulder and they kiss. but no. half-assed ending in a gay bar. and mike was imagining it too, where is my creative out-of-the-box storyteller, MY mike would always picture Will as an artist and see that side of him.

[90sclubbingbyler]

byler was infact queerbait and if you disagree, you're wrong.

queerbait is when the creators deliberately frame same-gender relationships using romantic or queer-coded tropes to attract queer audiences, but never follow through with it. so basically byler.

if byler didn't have a chance of being endgame, they would've made a statement years ago. they know their fanbase and they know majority of it is filled with bylers. and before u say, "if they made a statement it would've spoiled it." exactly. if it would've spoiled the show, that means there was a VERY CLEAR chance of it happening.

byler was 100% queerbait, it wasn't just us getting our hopes up.

not to mention, they dragged out will's love for mike for 5 seasons straight and then watered it down to a silly hallway crush only a couple days later of him asking robin how she knew vickie wanted to date.

netflix has used byler as promotion MULTIPLE TIMES! such as using the crazy together scene in a slideshow of "ways to say i love you without saying it", using mike and will for 'bf' slideshows, and calling el a thirdwheel and saying byler was the real couple? that IS queerbait. it's relationship framing and they framed byler romantically.

[glittergluekintsugi]

can't believe no one's done this one yet

[nasgard]

Playing “Heroes” at the end was basically spitting in our faces.

The Duffers really did make history. They managed to pull off the Biggest Queerbait in History.

Not only did they take over six years to deny the ending they never intended to give these characters, but they also made sure this awful memory would be burned into everyone’s minds, not on some random date, but on every December 25th and 31st for the rest of our lives.

Congratulations, Duffers, on this shitty ending!

Vecna defeated in two minutes, the Mind Flayer was all size and no threat, and Will’s powers and his connection to Vecna ended up being completely useless.

And SEVERAL plot holes were left wide open. SEVERAL!

Congrats on fooling people for so long and ruining two “festive dates” for so many fans.

Everyone can now go ahead and give episodes 7 and 8 the solid 0NE they deserve.

[danseuse-de-ballet]

As a 31-year-old queer woman who has struggled with internalized homophobia, self-hatred, fear of rejection by society, and communication difficulties, I thought I had long outgrown these feelings. But today, I spent the entire day breaking down into uncontrollable sobs. So, I guess the hurt still runs deep.

I want to speak directly to the queer audience here today—especially the young ones.

THIS WAS NOT YOUR FAULT.

You saw it correctly. You read the subtext right. The feelings you had along the way were real and important. What you felt was by design—a calculated narrative strategy to make people like us feel included and seen.

Do not give anyone the power to belittle your experience, to convince you otherwise, to change your mind, or to make you feel wrong. Trust your perception. That ache of recognition was yours, and it was valid.

They borrowed your hope to sell a product. Now, take that hope back. Use it to find stories that deserve you, to create your own, and to connect with a community that sees you without games. Your insight isn't a flaw; it's your strength. Don't let them weaponize it against you.

You were never "delusional." You were targeted. And now, you are free.

[queer-dancing-fandom-nerd]

I’ve seen too much discourse on whether Supernatural is queer or queerbait or what have you and I’m really out of it but through my vaccination induced haze and near dead-to-the-world state I have produced one (1) enlightened thought:

Supernatural, as a tv show, suffers from internalized homophobia

[sayu-nari]

Byler Therapy

I fear I’m still on the tower… Mike fumbler took it way too far with this one…