multi fandom

24 | just a queer girl who watches an ungodly amount of tv and makes it everyone else’s problem

[tv-opinion]

grown ass fucking adults talking about “hetslop” “yaoislop” “pornslop” and calling the actors ugly to fuel an unnecessary fan war between heated rivalry and off campus when neither show includes sex and nudity in a gratuitous or degrading manner (in my opinion) instead of just saying “i like x show more than y show for xyz” like sam levinson is subjecting everyone to his fetishes weekly but these two shows are porn to you and let’s not forget the homophobic rhetoric around heated rivalry’s sex scenes as an added bonus

[tv-opinion]

i think some people are misconstruing the criticism of how the show approaches consent and intimacy to wanting these characters to be misogynists like no i don’t want to watch these male romantic heros be horrible people but a lot of the conversations sounded like they were reading off of a pamphlet and not how actual human beings speak especially 20 something straight men like sex and intimacy is vulnerable and messy and you wont always say or do the right thing even if you mean well and supporting a partner who has gone through sexual assault can also be a learning curve it’s okay to portray that messiness instead of unnatural “oh my god he’s a man written by a woman😍” after school special esque dialogue

[tv-opinion]

i think engaging with fandom spaces of your work and acknowledging the pro shippy type interpretations from the inherent and overt eroticism in the narrative does not mean that gadd didn’t channel his own experiences with grooming and sexual assault into ruben and niall’s dynamic and i think niall turning to self destructive hypersexual behaviors is very much conveying a trauma response to the audience and his desire to take on the dominant role ruben always slipped into easily (same with the monologue of him saying he wishes he could walk a day in his shoes) overall richard gadd’s ability to write very nuanced abuse stories and portray that victims are not always the “perfect victim” and can easily perpetuate the cycle of abuse themselves and also unhealthy codependency and attachment that can arise is very compelling and that’s all i have to say on that because i’m being irritated by 90% of this fan base

[tv-opinion]

feel free to disagree idgaf but my personal interpretation is that ruben and niall’s dynamic is homoerotic but I don’t think ruben is sexually attracted to niall but their relationship is homoerotic in the sense of how ruben needs to facilitate all of niall’s sexual development and his desire to be the only person who can enact violence onto niall and on behalf of niall but the relationship will always be physically and sexually abusive and it’s clear ruben also experienced sexual violence at some point and is now enacting that onto niall someone he sees as easy to dominate and control

[ahubofreadersandmagicians]

YES YES YES

Also Ruben is Niall’s single sexual abuser and serial sexual abuser. He doesn’t grasp he’s repeating onto Niall what he endured, not rationally. Ruben is intoxicated by Niall, yes. But all of his sex acts towards Niall are power plays. Sodomizing him with a car ornament? Come on.

Ruben doesn’t want to have sex with Niall. That’s too simple. Ruben wants to control Niall, to own Niall. He wants to be the massive dog to Niall’s Bambi. Even a protective sheepdog is still a predator. Ruben: “no one will hurt you, I chased them all away. Now I can control your body, and hurt you however I want. But only me.”

Now THAT is high-level toxic incest.

[tv-opinion]

feel free to disagree idgaf but my personal interpretation is that ruben and niall’s dynamic is homoerotic but I don’t think ruben is sexually attracted to niall but their relationship is homoerotic in the sense of how ruben needs to facilitate all of niall’s sexual development and his desire to be the only person who can enact violence onto niall and on behalf of niall but the relationship will always be physically and sexually abusive and it’s clear ruben also experienced sexual violence at some point and is now enacting that onto niall someone he sees as easy to dominate and control

[tv-opinion]

really sad seeing niall engage in all these hypersexual behaviors as a result of his trauma and sexual development as a teenager being completely enmeshed with ruben

[tv-opinion]

i think referring to any show that embraces sex and eroticism in a healthy way as porn is reductive but it is very telling that only one of these hockey smut shows has full frontal but it isn’t the one getting referred to as porn

[tv-opinion]

half man turning into a heartbreaking amazing show has a stupid fanbase because genuinely why is 80% of twitter talking about this like it’s a bdsm dom/sub fantasy alpha omega ao3 slay and not like its a story of the cycle of abuse, repressed sexuality, and sexual violence

[tv-opinion]

connor storrie and david jonsson starring in a film directed by the bodies, bodies, bodies director

[tv-opinion]

it’s really just horrifying seeing how this show depicts the cycle of abuse it’s very clear ruben has been a victim of sexual violence and now he’s inflicting that onto others it’s very telling one of the first things we see in the show is ruben groping niall

[tv-opinion]

seeing the discourse turn into a ship war between niall and alby and niall and ruben y’all truly got it

[tv-opinion]

sources tell me bella playing another sapphic character is not stable but i will be there for sunny dancer to support my beloved niecephew

[tv-opinion]

jacob what the fuck do you mean there’s entire episode next season done almost entirely to mozart’s requiem

[tv-opinion]

When I first watched Half Man I was sooo excited for the nuanced takes and the like, but also wanted to save gifsets so I came on here for that, but forgot this place is a hellsite. So many people on here have kinks for incest that they forgot (or ignore) that the show is telling us that it's bad. Niall and Reuben's relationship is bad.

Pretty guffawing, but I wasn't that surprised. This show needs fans but it also doesn't need anyone to look at the story, eyes open, audio enabled, and come to the conclusion that they're "toxic yaoi" or root for the incestual undertones. (overtones?)

I think it's insulting! To the narrative, to the moral of the story, to what Gadd is trying to tell us, and for people who have been through what Niall has.

Tumblr is doing as it always does, which is why I don't come on here for media takes if I know they’re gonna be like this. I suppose it’s just frustrating to see their relationship boiled to a traumatic experience, but only because people here find it sexually exciting. 

Apologies for the tirade, but your posts were such fresh breaths of air for me. I think it’s very telling that you got hate asks for your very normal and refreshing opinion. 

If it matters, I’m mlm and think your take was the best I'd seen on here. 

(also i tried to ask this before by my tumblr glitched, idk if it went through)

i’m glad someone else is on the same wavelength as me. i think niall finds solace in the power and protection ruben gives him which i think some people are reading as “niall is equally as freaky” or “niall is enjoying this” i think niall is stuck in this abusive cycle where he knows ruben is violent and he knows ruben has control over him but he also craves the protection proximity to that type of dominant masculinity can give him. idk if i’m making sense but yeah i just feel like 2 episodes in and online discussions are reducing the narrative. i was seeing people saying they were rooting for niall and ruben over niall and alby like NOT THE POINT😭

[tv-opinion]

Hi!! Started watching Half Man because of your posts, its so good but so intense. Very compelling how Ruben shows up as a saviour for Niall but only in the way toxic masculinity can be 'saving' wherin you just dominate and enact violence instead of being the one that violence is enacted upon

so glad you’re loving the show! and i totally agree with you this show has a very interesting perspective on male violence.

[tv-opinion]

You should keep watching the show!! Just so you know heated rivalry fans are also causing trouble on reddit.

This is not a queer show in the sense of like we are getting to get this cutesy love story. Heartstopper is on other direction.

This is an exploration of toxic masculinity and the shields we use to protect ourselves from what we desire. And how repressed desire comes out as violence.

People insistently asking if the show is queerbaiting or not; or asking if they kiss or not; just shouldn't be near this show at all !!

Like someone posted a Half Man playlist here and the first song is from Taylor Swift be fucking for real lmao

this is exactly what has been irking me about online discussions of the show. i’ve even been seeing people call them their “heated rivalry”😭 and the thing is i’m a fan of heated rivalry it’s evident on my blog but me pointing out how half man is very much a story on abuse, repressed sexuality, and male violence and not some dark romance and I’m getting people in my ask box saying i’m stupid and homophobic like pov making sure everyone is real.

[oldbutchdanielmolloy]

lad culture so awesome there's something incredible about the way ruben upon his return is designing his and niall's room to appear appropriately masculine and that involves putting up a poster of half naked guys. there's such a push and pull between homoeroticism and homophobia wherein certain personality traits make one "gay" but actual same sex lust/attraction are fine in the same way homoeroticism often serves as a thin veil for misogyny (ie that the masculine relationship, whatever its form, is most important culturally)