REAL TALK: WE ALL NEED TO STOP SHOPPING AT HOT TOPIC
THEY STEAL ART
THEIR SIZING IS PRETTY RIDICULOUS.
THEY QUIT SELLING GOTH AND PUNK SHIT ALTOGETHER.
AND THIS LATEST SHIT STORM
MARKETING ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. HOW LOVELY.
Hot topic went down the shitter long ago and it’s time to find a new place to get your totally awesome fandom inspired t-shirts and goth gear. Here are some sites where you can get your expressive clothing without feeding into this corporate shit monster of a store. Most if not all of the art on these sites are posted by the original artist. (I’m not sure about the goth stuff, you might have to check, some are brand name though so it should be fine)
From now on I will only accept love triangles if they end in:
Polyamory
The main character rejecting both love interests and staying single
The two love interests giving up on the main character because how hard is it to make a damn choice?
4. The two love interests realizing they love each other more than the main character and the main character getting together with someone that wasn’t even part of the triangle proper.
5. All three characters realizing they’re better as friends and going go kart racing
6. Main character is in a loveless political royal marriage and her philandering yet handsome husband doesn’t want her until halfway through the book, in which time she’s fallen in love with a brave commoner boy. The conflict is resolved when they both die and she goes on to rule her new kingdom with grace and compassion.
7. Main character Frankensteins the shit out of the two love interests because why not combine the best parts that you love in each?
i really really mean it please write muslim characters, it’s really not that daunting literally all you have to do is throw in a few casual qualities.
have them squint uncertainly at the meat options in a restaurant and ask if there’s pork in the sandwich. have them mention on the phone “oh, i’m gonna stop by the mosque first for prayer but i’ll be there soon.” have your hijabi girls squeal over cute scarves in mall store windows and swoon over sparkly pins. have them kindly reject a glass of water and say “oh, i’m fasting today.”
just don’t make their religion their only defining aspect. like??
for most women, wearing hijab is about as casual as wearing a shirt or pants. give me a badass woman on a mission to save the world just like you’d write literally any other badass woman on a mission to save the world— this one just happens to keep her hair in a headscarf and is careful not to eat certain foods?
and not all muslim women wear scarves, a lot of them just choose not to or they decide not right now but they’ll do it later? like, give me a girl who’s absolutely determined to break a world record and halfway through the story she shows up in a headscarf for the first time and it’s no big deal.
give me a kid who’s on the search for an ancient magical artifact and also they get anxious at some point cause they’re busy but prayer’s gonna start soon and they don’t wanna miss it. have them whip out their phone and search for the nearest mosque. have them find some quiet place to pray alone, like in the corner of a hotel room they just booked while their travel companion’s watching TV with the volume turned down low.
just?? do a bit of research (when are the prayer times, when is ramadan, what are halal foods, mosques in texas, etc.) and write!!! muslim!!! characters!!!
T’challa is a Good Male Protagonist ™ mainly because he is humble and without the ego you see from so so many other male protagonists in blockbuster films
He defers to the wisdom of his mother, his sister, his general, his love, the women around him. He was a sweet and loving son who expressed and enjoyed physical and emotional tenderness from his father.
He’s proud but doesn’t ever disrespect anybody. He values family, affection and emotion and expresses it freely, but still retains the poise of a king.
That’s kind of rare in a lot of the mostly white, mostly male Hollywood protagonist lineup.
What a death sentence it would be for art if everyone strived to create Good Male Protagonists. Do you really believe that fictional characters should exist to embody admirable traits? Drama comes from flaws.
Aye…nobody asked you.
… What?
How would it be a death sentence for art of everyone strove to create good male protagonists when clearly black panther had one and was a really good movie? Did this person even bother reading the post?
“Drama comes from flaws” no drama comes from conflict which is not the same thing.
T’Challa is humble, respectful, gracious, kind, altruistic, all these wonderful things. His drama comes from trying to apply these noble traits to the world and figuring out the best way to do it. Should he focus on running his own country? Should he reach out to diaspora communities? Should he accept refugees? Which argument is compelling enough to him to cement his decisions? How should he handle people who disagree with his decisions? How will his enemies use his good traits against him? How will he recover from setbacks?
Yes drama can stem from flawed individuals, but you don’t have to write a dickhead as your protagonist in order to get an interesting story out of it.
And you know what? T’Challa is flawed. He’s indecisive. He’s inexperienced. He can get emotional, and that distracts him and clouds his judgement.
Those flaws are enough to help drive a story. Your character doesn’t need to be amoral or callous to be “flawed”. You don’t need someone who kills indiscriminately. You don’t need someone who is arrogant or cruel or self-centered. “Flawed” doesn’t have to mean “grimdark,” and “grimdark” does not always mean “good drama” anyway.
getting food poisoning is a sick irony. sandwich, you were supposed to nourish my fragile meat body, not conspire with one section of it to kill the rest. you edible brutus, you fredo, you fucking intestinal quisling
this post shows true literary prowess but i wish i hadn’t read it while finishing my sandwich
wupacing 