warning: a lot of barely filtered aggression that I had to get out of my system
I personally hate and loathe every single shithead who justifies Marauders with "oh but there was a war, they did it because they were on different sides of the war, because Snape was a nazi and they were against nazis, it wasn't the normal situation but a war so it's different", or whatever garbage like that. not even because it's not canon compliant and the text very explicitly disproves it multiple times, tho it does, and every dumbass who says this clearly hadn't bothered to read an actual sourse material with eyes opened. not even because it's victimblaming, although it is, and I can't stand victimblaming that reinforces the sickening idea of a "perfect victim". not because they throw "nazi" and "racist" around without understanding what those words mean and trivialising them, even tho it's harmful and hypocritical, and I am deeply troubled that people who consider themselves progressive have so little understanding of how irresponsible and uneducated it is to call everything they dislike "nazism". not because this ignores the basic cause-and-effect connection, ignoring the systematic issues and the common sence to whitewash sadists, which is a peak neoliberal bullshit and leads to a lot of people irl getting radicalised because those SJWs don't consider them worthy of support.
I am usually trying to not get personal online and not take dumb opinions close to heart, but a significant part of my childhood and youth was spent in a region with an ACTUAL WAR going on. with people actually seeing violence every day and becoming decenticized to it – unlike the Marauders; with people expieriencing constant danger and economic struggles and serious mental health problems connected to those – unlike the Marauders; and guess what, EVERYONE STILL KNEW THAT YOU CAN'T UNDRESS PEOPLE WITHOUT CONSENT CAUSE IT'S TORTURE. JUST LIKE EVEN FUCKING VOLDEMORT KNOWS THAT IN HP. people from the USA or whatever are going to tell me with a straight face that Marauders were entitied to torture Snape, because "the war" erases the abuse and allows the privileged to prey on the disprivileged. you think you do war victims a favour with that? you think your shallow excuses for sadism don't harm people who actually experience abuse and bullying in the war-torn countries? since fucking when being cruel and ignorant gives one moral high ground?
so I am unironically hating every idiot who says this. you have no idea what you are talking about, so keep your mouth shut.
Guess what, bitches? Mama bear's back and angry all over again. Remember when I said I might dive into a ragepost about how Bucky's treated after completing the one about Loki? This is it. This is the post. Welcome to fucking Thunderdome.
I will actually try to keep it civil. No promises, but I'll try. and I will not be accepting "constructive criticism" about my rage. Just so we're clear.
Got it? Good. Let's dive in.
In case you don't want to read the whole thing (I know I get wordy) here's what this whole post will boil down to: BUCKY NEVER HAD A FUCKING CHOICE. NEVER. NOT ONCE IN HIS ENTIRE ADULT LIFE.
Now, quick reminder: I don't read comics. I know nothing about Bucky's comic canon, except what Sebastian liked to bring up as often as possible during TWS/CW promotions: at some point, Bucky boned Nat. XD Since Bucky only exists as a Marvel property, I won't be bitching about other source material being disrespected like I did with Loki. This is all MCU, my dudes. And honestly? That's enough, because though we don't see nearly enough of Bucky for my liking, we do manage to get a rich, deep backstory to him in the material we're given, partly thanks to better writing in the early days of the MCU, and partly thanks to Sebastian Stan's phenomenal acting. Unlike the writers of the Loki series, Seb knows how to show, not tell. And gods, what stories those eyes show...
Let's start with the army. In an old post illustrating what an absolute BAMF Bucky Barnes truly is, I mistakenly said he enlisted, and a kind soul educated me on the incredible attention to detail Marvel used to pay - in this case, Bucky's ID number. 32557038. As this kind, eagle-eyed soul pointed out to me, the first two digits of that number - 32 - signify that Bucky was drafted, specifically from the NY, NJ, DE area (that last part is rather obvious, as Bucky and Steve are from Brooklyn lol). Bucky didn't choose to go to war. He was drafted. He was forced to fight, or go to prison.
Bucky was born in 1917, which means - again, as someone pointed out to me a while back - he came of age during the Great Depression. As a child, he would likely have seen his parents living comfortably and able to shower each other and him and his sister with gifts and fun memories, and then POOF. Stock market crashes when he's only 12-years-old, and life becomes brutal and painful. He manages to have some fun with his best friend Steve, and spends his teens/early 20s chasing girls and keeping his stupid, stubborn, tiny friend from getting beaten to death.
Steve constantly has something to prove. He's absolutely got what my mom always called "little man's disease", and Bucky's just doing his best not to roll his eyes too much at this asthmatic chihuahua constantly trying to beat up Tibetan mastiffs. While Steve keeps lying on his enlistment forms (an actual crime) trying again and again to get into the army and prove what a badass he is (definitely not), Bucky's had enough trauma and upheaval in his life and he just wants his stupid friend to calm tf down and live. Enjoy the fact that he doesn't have to go to war and get his limbs blown off.
And then he gets fucking drafted. This sweet, resigned realist who knows exactly how dangerous the war really is, is forced to put on a uniform and go fight strangers alongside other strangers thousands of miles from everything he knows. And on his last night of freedom, when he just wants to hang out with his friend, see some cool gadgets, and dance with a pretty girl, his stupid angry chihuahua friend feels the need to lie and try to enlist again.
Okay. Gotta get back on track. Ragepost about mistreatment of Bucky, not how much Steve annoys me. Sorry. Anyway...
Bucky's drafted, accepts his shitty lot with a brave smile, and is shipped off to Europe, where he is captured by HYDRA and presumed by the Allies to be KIA. Instead, he's strapped down, tortured, and given the HYDRA version of the super serum against his will. Steve rescues him, and Bucky knows he can't leave his idiot friend to his own devices to get his head blown off, so he dives right back into the fray. And then he falls off a cliff, loses most of his left arm, and is declared dead...again. This one's pretty damn valid, though lol. Without the serum no one knew he'd been shot up with, there is no way he would have survived that fall.
Here is where Bucky's story gets truly heartbreaking: His autonomy, his ability to consent is stripped from him through electroshock torture/brainwashing. The trigger words are conditioned into him during this process, and boom. Ten words in Russian, and Bucky Barnes is gone. Even the confused, hurting shadow of him is gone, leaving only a perfectly obedient killing machine, with Bucky's pretty face. He's strong as all hell, though, so they can't keep him fully under their control for long, not without more torture, when the disorientation of being fucking frozen wears off on longer missions.
I cannot stress this point enough, guys: Bucky. Had. No. Choice. Not like the draft, where his choices (go and get shot at, refuse and go to jail, or dodge and run to Canada) just suck. No, he literally didn't have a choice. He had his ability to choose stripped from him. If that's too complex a concept to really sink in, try this: His brain was fucking raped. Repeatedly. For decades. Nothing the Winter Soldier ever did was Bucky's fault. Nothing. Ever. Not remotely, no matter how you fucking slice it. Bucky is not an assassin. I almost said "not a killer", but he was a soldier, and a sharpshooter. He definitely killed when he was himself, but that was in a war, not a series of assassinations.
So far, imo, so good. This is just a rundown of Bucky's pre-show backstory. I don't love what he had to suffer, but I do love how it was treated in the movies. People were afraid of him, but when they knew the whole situation, Steve, Nat, and Sam rallied behind him. Natasha had plenty of reason to want the Winter Soldier dead; he'd tried to kill her multiple times and almost succeeded. Sam had no reason to help Bucky at all; he didn't know him, didn't trust him, and again, TWS had tried to kill him. But he stood by Steve, and when Bucky showed the clear difference between himself and TWS, Sam stood by him, too, and fought alongside him.
And it's very realistic, imo, that Tony didn't give a single fuck that Bucky had no choice. He watched this man murder both of his parents on tape. If TWS had killed my dad and I saw proof of it, I'd try to kill Bucky, too. Grief wins out over logic. Most emotions usually do. And that's a very important point we're going to come back to in a few minutes.
Bucky was really only in like ten minutes at most of IW and Endgame, and for multiple reasons I hate those movies, so I'm just gonna skip them, kay? Kay. On to the main event!
Here's where I get pissed off. Even if I didn't have an unhealthy attachment to this character, or the depth of appreciation for his tragic backstory that I do, the lack of continuity between the movies and the show alone would still piss me off. It always does. Don't even get me started on Joss "Continuity? What continuity?" Whedon and his (iconic, but flawed) shows. Ahem. Back on track...
Let me just get one little thing out of the way real quick: I fucking LOVE The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I love it. This show amazed me when I first watched it, and I still love it after many more viewings lol. I have only ever watched it all the way through without skipping over as much John Walker shit as possible the one time lol but I love how Sam and Bucky interact, and I fucking adore how Sam's arc was treated. I just wish they'd show the same care and attention to Bucky.
Because what they did to Bucky in this show is a fucking travesty. There was a tiny ray of hope in the pilot, when he called out Dr. Bitchface for being a terrible shrink. I thought that would be the start of him realizing he needed to find someone else and ignore the damaging shit that woman was telling him. But...nope. No such luck.
The show really had a strong start, I'll give it that. We see Bucky having nightmares of his time as TWS and struggling to hide how his traumatic memories are affecting him as he tries to live in the world again. He befriends the father of one of HYDRA's victims, which can't be good for Bucky (and we're shown it's definitely not when he sees the shrine in Yori's home to his late son) but it's sweet, how he's trying to connect and reach out to someone who's hurting and lonely.
They drop the ball a little with the whole... Bucky can hack a fucking car, but can't figure out Tinder thing. Had they just run with the fandom interpretation of the tiger photos line, that it shows that Bucky is bi and left it at that, I'd have been okay with it (and no, that is not because I ship Sam/Bucky. it's because Bucky is and always has been a certified nerd who loves technology and has consistently shown very little issue learning to use new gadgets). The outdated flip phone he handed his terrible court-mandated shrink was a burner; I liked that theory when I read it, especially since it's the only time we see him even holding a phone that old lol. This all could have fit the "Bucky is a sassy bisexual nerd" narrative and it'd be okay. Instead, the director was like "NOOOOOO that line was just to show how old he is and how he can't figure out all this newfangled technology!" Woman, you had him remotely driving someone else's vehicle with a tablet. That is NOT a man who can't figure out a damn smart phone!
But that's just a minor annoyance. What fills me with absolute rage is how everyone - not just the shitty therapist who lashes out at and purposely triggers her traumatized patients, but EVERYONE - Sam, Zemo, people who should fucking know better ALL treat him like he's a psychopath and a ticking time bomb. Like he chose to take the serum and he chose to kill for HYDRA, and he's just seen the error of his ways. *barf*
Bucky in the movies is established to be a victim, through and through. His guilt over what he was forced to do is natural, and that he sees himself as a monster makes sense... but that doesn't mean it's correct. The one and only thing I ever liked about Steve Rogers is at least he got it. He pointed out that none of it was Bucky's fault, he tried to show him that he was worth saving. That's the other reason I refuse to talk about Endgame. This post will get a WHOLE LOT LONGER and a lot fucking angrier if I open that door.
Zemo supposedly knows everything about HYDRA and super soldiers... So why does he treat Bucky like he's a corrupt serial killer? (this, for the record, is why I don't like Zemo) Why does he never point out that Bucky was given the serum against his will, or that his actions, when he had control of them, proved that he was never corrupted? Bucky never wanted to become superhuman. Bucky didn't even want to fucking fight!
Sam, despite constantly resisting the label, is shown very clearly to be Bucky's friend. By episode 3, he cares. He worries about how Bucky is getting lumped in with the other super soldiers in Zemo's speech... But he never really defends him. He says "what about Bucky?" but he doesn't point out that Bucky's a good man, he's fought so hard to help people, he does everything he can to avoid killing... And that fucking speech in episode 5. I was with him on "you gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are." I was like "YEAH! Tell him, Sam! Bucky, you're WORTH SAVING, boo! Your value does not hinge on someone else's opinion of you!" And then... Sam dropped the ball.
He not only continued the disturbing pattern of victim-blaming in this show, and in Marvel/Disney properties in general, but he gave really dangerously bad advice! No one in their right mind, mental health professional or no, would EVER tell a traumatized former assassin (whether he was responsible for his actions or not) to go confront his victims' families out of the blue with no warning and no one to mediate and keep things from going to shit. Yori already knew his son had been murdered because he was in the "wrong place, wrong time." How is it being "of service" to tell him you're the one who killed him?! Remember how I said Tony's reaction to learning the full truth about his parents' deaths was valid and would be an important point later? Hi! Welcome to later. THAT is the natural reaction to facing the man who murdered your loved one(s). And even if Yori didn't get angry and lash out, HOW IS IT "HELPING" HIM OR BRINGING HIM "CLOSURE" TO KNOW THAT HIS FRIEND KILLED HIS FUCKING SON?!?!?! This man befriended him, bonded with him, watched him grieve... And now he's learning this is the man who caused all his pain and heartache to begin with? That is so toxic and psycho I just... I can't even... UGH.
And then there's the equally toxic and damaging "deeply traumatized person just needed a stern talking to and a hug to be ALL BETTER AGAIN" ending. I loved seeing Bucky happy and socializing, but it was too soon, and it was unearned. And it sends a fucking awful message to people actually struggling with PTSD, and to their loved ones who don't know how to help them. Heaping more blame on them and then hugging it out is NOT helpful!
This show could have been damn near perfect with just two changes. That's all. Just two.
1) Someone, anyone, bringing up the reasons why Bucky was never a villain in his presence. Someone being in his corner and reminding him, like Steve did, that it wasn't his fault and he's not going to "snap".
2) More time devoted to Bucky's healing. Actual fucking healing, not the shit they tried to pass off as a magic fix-all. He can have his happy barbecue moment, just don't frame it as "everything's great now!" Healing isn't linear, and there will be both good days and bad. Some of the most fragile people in the world have the brightest smiles.
If we get a season 2, which this amazing show absolutely deserves, and they address this stuff, all will be forgiven in my book. Expanding on his story and his journey toward healing will help to reframe that "happily ever after" garbage as something more realistic. But as it stands now... Fuck Marvel.
I want to have a new finished concept art piece for fresh banners so bad I could SCREAM but every time I try to work on one it's HOT GARBAGE and I dOn'T UnderSTAND why the epic vistas in my head WILL NoT translate into the visuals I NEED to see with my REAL EYEBALLS because I've been doing this for YEARS damnit and technically I know I have the skills but AAAAAAGH! LOOK AT THIS SH*T
NOW LOOK AT THIS PIECE I DID 7 YEARS AGO
I'm GOING InSane! Every new Layout I Try Is Worse Than The Last so I will TYPE a STUPID POST on this stupid SITE and angrily eat my jellybeans and YELL!!!!!!
felnezek ide, mar mennek a politikai toltetu rakthreadek mintha kotelezo lenne.
A posztolok 99 szazaleka, legyen az a szelsojobbtol a szelsobalig a spektrum barmelyik pontjan, annyira NPC hogy hihetetlen, ropkodnek az ures maszlagok, meg valosagosnak hitt politikai delibabok.
Legyen az Transforming edgy-nek hitt jobbos hadovalasa, vagy a naiv Annacsii vak fideszgyulolete, gyonyoruen vivjatok a kis Oceania - Eurazsia haborutokat, a sulytalan egymas nyakanak esestol gyonyoruen elveszti mindenki a ralatast a fontos dolgokrol. Valojaban csak onallo gondolatoktol mentes katonak vagytok a politikai oligarchak sakktablajan. Be vagytok idomitva, es mindent felulir az en istenem vs te istenem frame es csak ebben tudtok gondolkodni.
Amazing how parents will be like: "I raised you to do the tasks I don't want to do and be my personal chef and also waiter"
Like? What the hell? Am I the only person in this house with functionly limbs? Want me to change your diaper while I'm at it? Goo goo ga ga bitch?
You may go to work but so do I AND I still attend schooling, I don't want to hear it go suck on your binkie while I deal with the debt your generation put us in
The hilarious irony of working in Retail during this global pandemic...
Any other time, everyone treats us all like shit. Like we’re the lowest tier of labor in the world, saying shit like “Study hard or you’ll end up stocking shelves” and scoffing at people who have these jobs, but when there’s a pandemic, suddenly we’re ‘essential workers’ and ‘emergency personnel’ and everyone wants to ‘support us’. Man, everyone can kiss my ass during this whole Corona virus thing.
IHAN MIKÄ TAHANSA MUU ILMAISU KUN LESBO/BI/PAN IHAN MITÄ TAHANSA
fakta on että biseksuaalisuus on yleisin seksuaalinen suuntaumus vaikka jengi ei sitä myöntää haluakaan, ettei vaan kukaan heitä sateenkaariväestöksi menisi lokeroimaan.
Tää artikkeli edustaa vaan nykyaikasta homofobiaa. "Voit vielä kääntyy takasin heteroksi, bi/pan! sano vaan että oot seksuaalisesti joustava hetero! Voit kyllä olla miehesi mieliksi kolmiossa osana ilman että sun tarvii kuulua niihin homofriikkeihin"
siellä sanotaan myös että naiset on alkanut haluamaan enemmän toisia naisia.
EI OLE. NYKYÄÄN VAAN HYVÄKSYTÄÄN HOMOUS TOISIN KUN ENNEN.
Ja äkkiä perään että tää ei silti tarkota että ne ois seksuaalivähemmistöihin kuuluvia hyi ei, ihan normiheteroita jotka välillä haluaa syödä pillua, ei kerta homoks tee jne.
Koko artikkelissa paistaa koko ajan se että EI OLLA MITÄÄN SATEENKAARIJENGIÄ.
kokoajan näkyy taustalla ajatus siitä että nää naiset on silti "normaaleja heteroja" vaikka onkin selkeästi bi/panseksuaaleja ja sitä yritetään peitellä keksimällä ties mitä selityksiä, koska jotenkin ajatuksessa on, että bi/pan on välittömästi paha.
anteeksi olen taas humalassa ja vihainen kun mun seksuaalisuutta vähätellään taas iltalehden mukaseksipositiivisuus-uutisilla.
Työtuttu linkkasi tän artikkelin ja ehdotti että tää voisi olla mun juttu.
ihan niinkun bit olisi jotain seksifriikkejä jotka vaan joustaa heteroudesta. En mä oo joustava. Mulla on vakaa seksuaalisuus vaikka haluan välillä naisia ja välillä miehiä ja välillä molempia samaan aikaan ilman mitään logiikkaa.
