4 March 2015-17 March 2015
Notices
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General Fandom
Eddie Redmayne And Hollywood's Cis Problem: Marcy Cook (blog) - "Who you cast is a representation of the story you want to tell. "
topic:transgender, topic:diversity
Chasing Utopia: Donovan Grant (blog) - "Everyone knows that black comic heroes hardly register as competition against white heroes for popularity."
fandom:comics, topic:race
The Case Against A Shared Superhero Universe: Chris Sims (blog) - "Q: What are the arguments against a shared universe? Like, would Hawkman be tolerable if he wasn't standing next to Superman?"
fandom:comics, topic:superheroes
Women Wronged by their Writers: Rachel A (blog) - "Today is International Women's Day, and in honor of this auspicious event, Feminist This is here to bring you a list of some of the female characters who have been most mistreated by their writers in recent years."
topic:femalecharacter
Why playing evil characters in video games isn't that appealing after all: Dennis Scimeca (blog) - "Game makers at the 2015 Game Developers Conference on Tuesday learned that pure-evil decision making might not be that appealing after all."
fandom:gaming, topic:morality
How #FilmDis is transforming the conversation about disability in film: Dominick Evans (blog) - "Film and disability don't have to be mutually exclusive, but you wouldn't know it from what Hollywood has to show you."
topic:disability, topic:movies
Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Villainy and Hope: stinekey (blog) - "Hope is one of the most powerful motivators, sustaining people through the worst of circumstances. But it's precisely that kind of power that makes hope such a dangerous weapon in the hands of a villain, and why any Hell-on-Earth must include some modicum of hope."
topic:villains
"Our Work Is Not For You" jae (DW) - "This part of ivyblossom's post has been going around and around in my head ever since then, and I've been thinking about the extent to which the "our work is not for you" tenet holds true for me (since my approach to fandom and fanfiction is often rather different from the approaches that are held up as "typical"). And the verdict is: it turns out it actually does hold somewhat true...more so than I might have expected at first."
topic:fanfic, topic:fandom
To FFNet or Not To FFNet:luvtheheaven (tumblr) - ""Is there a reason I should keep using FF (and it's fiddly interface and lack of inline editing) as well as AO3?"
topic:fanfic
Ableism In Post Apocalyptic Fiction: unsuborsuper (tumblr) - "The post apocalypse genre is inherently ableist."
topic:ableism, topic:fiction
Girls and Superheroes: iseulttoinjury (tumblr) - "Young girls that like superheroes - and they do and always have liked superheroes - are still being denied action figures and merchandise with female heroes on them."
topic:merchandise
These 3 webseries are redefining the 'C' word: Nayomi Reghay (blog) - "The Internet has no short history of calling women crazy."
topic:femalecharacter
Magical Mondays: Trading Magic and Disabilities: MadameAce (blog) - "What about when magic makes characters disabled instead of curing them?"
topic:magic, topic:disability
Target Demographics Can Be Wrong: brothadom (blog) - "But to more effectively have these discussions, I think it is important not to dismiss shows with a younger target demographic."
topic:television, topic:age
The Shapes Roleplay Takes From Its Rules: Stephan Gary (blog) - "All sorts of different incentives and relationships grow out of that game theory soil like a particularly stubborn weed."
fandom:gaming
The 'Vocal Minority' and Artistic Integrity in Comics: Janelle Asselin (blog) - "Things got interesting over the past few days for comics folks who keep their ear to online skirmishes over how welcoming comics is or isn't - and how welcoming comics should be in the first place."
fandom:comics
Are DC & Marvel Placating a "Vocal Minority" of Fans With Practical Female Character Costumes?: Jill Pantozzi (blog) - "Recent months have seen DC Comics' Batgirl get a new creative team and costume in an effort to revitalize the character and Marvel's Spider-Woman getting a new look as well, perhaps because of the massive backlash to one of their variant covers."
fandom:marvelcomics, fandom:dccomics, fandom:comics
How Video Game Breasts Are Made: Patricia Hernandez (blog) - "Plenty of people theorize about why games often feature bad breast physics, but there is little hard information about the actual breast-creation process."
fandom:videogames
Festivids Meta: seekingferret (DW) - "Notes on ghost_lingering's amazing "Silent Fandoms" vid/not!vid/experimental video/thing. "
topic:vids
Why I Write: tintamande (tumblr) - "I write for 'likes' and 'kudos'. I write for reblogs tagged 'I hate you' and 'aaaah they're perfect this is perfect' and 'huh never thought about this' and 'i don't think I agree but this is interesting'."
topic:fanfic, topic:feedback
Specific Fandoms
The 100
Untitled: thelovelylights (tumblr) - "When Lincoln first appeared to us I truly believed that he was going to fill the trope of The Stoic."
fandom:the100
History of The 100: kalena-henden (tumblr) - "On the eve of the battle for Mount Weather, let's first look at the history of this long conflict to fully appreciate what is truly at stake and how long the Mountain Men have really been after The 100."
fandom:the100
In Which Lexa Is All About Trust Part 1 and Part 2: k8video (tumblr) - "If you look back at all of Lexa's interactions since her introduction the main theme throughout has been trust."
fandom:the100
Untitled: laynemorgan (tumblr) - "As someone who is bisexual, I've spent my entire TV fan life watching shows and imagining what it would be like if my favorite character was with the person I wanted."
fandom:the100
Untitled: thelovelylights (tumblr) - "But one of the things I've stressed about Bellarke regardless of what way you seem them: romantically, platonically is that they are incredibly perceptive to each other in a way that's beautiful."
fandom:the100
Untitled:shadydreamdealer (tumblr) - "In season two, Clarke wakes up after a bloody battle in an unknown place with Monty who disappears soon after."
fandom:the100
Agent Carter
Why Marvel's 'Agent Carter' deserves a second season: Noah Brand (blog) - "Every fan of the show wants to see more of Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter, and so do I, but I want to take a few minutes to commend this show on its awesome male characters. Even the jerks."
fandom:agentcarter
Agent Carter (2015): marina (DW) - "I did not expect to enjoy this show as much as I did!"
fandom:agentcarter
Sites Of Transgression and Bisexual Themes in Agent Carter ladybusiness: (DW) - "But why are we (again) so excited about a white dude and his feels on a show that is, for once, explicitly about a woman?"
fandom:agentcarter
Agents of SHIELD
'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' is full of superpowers, but no one is a hero: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "Face it, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer a funny sci-fi procedural about a lovable team of misfits. It's a gritty dystopian drama with a handful of comic book references on the side."
fandom:agentsofshield
Catching Up with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Second Season: porluciernagas (blog) - "However, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first episode back gave me plenty of food for thought."
fandom:agentsofshield, warning:spoilers
Alien 3
The Internet hates 'Alien 3' - and this is why its critics are so wrong: Alex Gabriel (blog) - "Despite its developmental issues, the third installment is my favorite Alien film, and though it's much-maligned on the Internet, I'm not alone: WhatCulture's Percival Constantine once called it "a misunderstood masterpiece."
fandom:alien
The Americans
The Americans Episode 6 Joe Weisberg Joel Fields on Philip's Flirtation: Geoff Berkshire (blog) - "If watching Philip Jennings string along a 15-year-old girl clearly interested in sleeping with him has made "The Americans" a little more uncomfortable for viewers lately, that's exactly how the showrunners want it. It's the "will they or won't they" that just makes you go "ew.""
fandom:theamericans, warning:spoilers
Aquaman
Jason Momoa: Wet Naked Poster Child For The Narrative Revolution: J.A. Micheline (blog) - "But guys, I will keep screaming from the top of the hills until people understand that this casting and redesign might very well be one of the most inspired comics choices in the history of adaptations-and also that this is the version of the Atlantean King who should appear in the comics."
fandom:dccomics, fandom:dccu
Archie
Ask Chris #236: How I Learned To Love 'Archie': Chris Sims (blog) - "Can you help an Archie skeptic understand why it's so great?"
fandom:archie
Batgirl
DC Comics won't release this controversial 'Batgirl' variant cover: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "DC Comics has canceled a variant cover for Batgirl #41 amid controversy over its depiction of violence against women."
fandom:dccomics
That Batgirl Variant Cover: What It Means To New Readers: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "By now, you know that there is a series of variant covers that DC Comics is putting out across all their titles in June to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of their most popular villain, The Joker (like the one above by Javier Pulido for Catwoman #41)."
fandom:dccomics
Beauty And the Beast
Gaston Meta: leaper182 (tumblr) - "Yeah, the truly scary thing about Beauty and the Beast isn't that Gaston exists, but that society fucking loves him"
fandom:disney
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
At 18, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Still Revolutionary: Sophie Gilbert (journal) - "No show since has empowered its teenage heroine in such a subversive, engaging way."
fandom:btvs
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Does This AI Stuff Bother Anyone Else?: beccaelizabeth (DW) - "So, there's stuff about the AI in TWS that has been bothering me for ages, and I keep expecting fic on this premis to turn up, but maybe I'm reading in the wrong places."
fandom:mcu
Cinderella
Review: Cinderella Is Beautiful But Bibbity Bobbity Boring: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "All this to say, I didn't go in with good or bad expectations for Cinderella, but I certainly had expectations."
fandom:cinderella
Darkest Dungeon
A Burnt Torch: Darkest Dungeon, Mental Health and Lovecraftian Horror: Austin Walker (blog) - "But Darkest Dungeon's latticed systems of "stress," "quirks," "afflictions," and treatment go beyond the conventional depiction of "madness." The result is something critical and frightening."
fandom:gaming
Divergent/The Hunger Games
Divergent vs The Hunger Games: A Varying View:various authors (forum) - "So after seeing the Divergent movie I have noticed that the series is always compared to The Hunger Games to Divergent's detriment, generally by claiming that much about Divergent is just too hard to swallow."
fandom:divergent, fandom:thehungergames
Doctor Who
A Study in Pond: mewiet (tumblr) - "An argument that is repeatedly trotted out against Amy is that she's "unrealistic" for having so many "unrelated" professions."
fandom:doctorwho
Dragon Age
Ar lath ma, vhenan: Phthalo (AO3) - "A deconstruction that one sentence might hold clues to the nature of the Anchor, and the extent of the connection between Solas and the Inquisitor. Specifically focused on female Lavellan, because she's the only one who gets that close to the truth. Meta."
fandom:gaming
Dumbing of Age
Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Complexity of Faith in Dumbing of Age: syngraphea (blog) - "Today, my focus is going to be on the religious journey of Joyce, the comic's main character."
fandom:comics, topic:religion
Ever After
Despite Its Flaws, Ever After Holds Up As A Magical Cinderella Story: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "Our conclusion, ultimately, was that, while Cinderella might be a well-made movie, Ever After is both a more fun and engaging version of the classic story."
fandom:everafter
The Flash
Is Joe West Iris' father?: eaglesforthecup (tumblr) - "Ask the writers for more Joe and Iris, this seems odd to me to criticize the character for the show focusing more on Barry and Joe than Iris and Joe."
fandom:theflash
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones Actors Still Trying To Defend That Season 4 Rape Scene & This Time It's Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Turn: Alanna Bennett (blog) - "But one notable part of what was so disturbing about that rape scene last season (and it was a rape scene as it played out onscreen) was the way that the people involved in the scene (Lena Headey, director of the episode Alex Graves, etc.) made efforts to brush it off as at least arguably consensual, as if the final product of what we saw onscreen was not rape because their intents onset were not for it to come off that way."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:rape
Gotham
Why James Gordon Continues to Be Gotham's Biggest Problem: MadameAce (blog) - "Gotham is one of those shows that I find very polarizing. For everything I love about the story, it does something else that I hate."
fandom:gotham
Gravity Falls
Sexualized Saturdays: How Gravity Falls Dropped the Ball: Lady Saika (blog) - "I think that's why I was so disappointed with the episode "The Love God". I expected so much more from you, Gravity Falls."
fandom:gravityfalls
Harry Potter
Is it just me, or is the educational system in Harry Potter somewhat lacking?: ElrondsScribe (AO3) - "The original problem I thought of was this: why would Casey Conway (or any Muggle parent really, like the Grangers for example) even consider such a wild and wacky idea as a school that teaches magic for her son?"
fandom:harrypotter, topic:education
Rate Your DADA Professors: beaches_at_treasure_island (AO3) - "A comparison/contrast essay about Lupin and Umbridge as professors."
fandom:harrypotter, topic:education
The Bizarre, Unsolved Mystery of 'My Immortal': Abraham Riesman (blog) - "Like Stonehenge or the works of Shakespeare, we'll probably never know who was behind "My Immortal" - the massive Harry Potter-inspired text that is widely regarded as the worst piece of fanfiction ever written - but there's no shortage of theories."
fandom:harrypotter, topic:fanfic
House of Cards
Why the sexuality on Netflix's 'House of Cards' isn't 'ambiguous' at all: Athena G. Csuti (blog) - "Though this conversation might appear to be progressive on the surface, it perpetuates the silence surrounding men's bisexual representation. You say ambiguous, I say bi-erasure."
fandom:houseofcards, topic:queer
Icon
Incoherent Icon: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "The first volume of Milestone Comics' Icon asks two provocative questions: "What would a black superhero be like?" and "What would happen if Superman landed on earth in the antebellum South and was found by an enslaved black woman?" Unfortunately, as it turns out, these two questions are antithetical; trying to answer them both at once results in storyline that, despite some intelligence, resolves into incoherence, it's most provocative possibilities drowned in genre default fisticuffs and capitulation to unexamined tropes."
fandom:comics, topic:race, topic:superheroes
The Imitation Game
Decoding Turing: Queer Superhero: Kristian Williams (blog) - "Socially awkward, personally abrasive, math-obsessed, "agnostic about violence," and gay-Alan Turing makes for an unlikely superhero. Yet the recent Oscar-winning film The Imitation Game gives us a biography largely assembled from tropes native to that genre: an origin story involving childhood trauma and the loss of loved ones, unusual gifts bringing extraordinary power, social persecution, and grave moral dilemmas."
fandom:theimitationgame
Into the Woods
Untitled: beatrice otter (DW) - "The only way the wolf is "nice" is if you assume that any male attention to a female automatically is "nice" regardless of what kind of attention or whether she wants it or not."
fandom:intothewoods, warning:rape
Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin Paves the Way for Better Diversity on TV: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "It's easy to bemoan the lack of representation of women or POCs on television, but when a show like Jane the Virgin gets it so right, it's important to celebrate that, too, especially when the show has a female showrunner, like Jane's Jennie Urman!"
fandom:janethevirgin, topic:representation
Jupiter Ascending
Untitled: geekmehard (tumblr) - "Do the folks in the Jupiter Ascending universe know that Regenex is made of people? If so, does that make a difference to them?"
fandom:jupiterascending
Russian fail in Jupiter Ascending marina (DW) - What it says in the title
fandom:jupiterascending
Some back of the envelope math about Jupiter Ascending's horrifying space capitalism: Ben Lehman (blog) - "
I cannot imagine that this is a setting where most people are getting paid enough, in a year, to buy a year's worth of rejuvenation, "
fandom:jupiterascending
The economic ethics of Jupiter Ascending: lucrezia-lannister (tumblr) - "The universe of Jupiter Ascending is horrifying, but it is only hyperbolic, not unprecedented. The Commonwealth's ethics are totally believable, because the Commonwealth is run by humans."
fandom:jupiterascending
Russian Fail In Jupiter Ascending: marina (DW) - "Let's pause for a moment and appreciate that none of the actors with speaking parts playing Jupiter's Russian relatives can speak a word of Russian."
fandom:jupiterascending
Legend of Korra
Bryke's Subtextual Take on 'Girl Love' in "Long Live the Queen": got-your-back-always-will (tumblr) - "When did this change occur? When did the friendship become a different kind of ship?"
fandom:legendofkorra
Legend of Zelda
"A soldier who has no heart": Understanding the Elegy of Emptiness: Aaron Suduiko (blog) - "In any analysis of "Majora's Mask" that purports to be comprehensive, there must be an account of the Elegy of Emptiness."
fandom:legendofzelda
Piece of Heart: It's Baptism… or Drowning: Alexis Anderson (blog) - "Basically, being submerged in water can represent a character's rebirth. The Wind Waker in its entirety comes immediately to mind, leading into the lands that emerge to make up new Hyrule in Spirit Tracks."
fandom:legendofzelda
The Madness of King George
The Madness of King George: Blue Urine and Bondage Chairs!: aelarsen (blog) - "The film examines an important incident in English history generally known as the Regency Crisis."
fandom:themadnessofkinggeorge, topic:history
The Madness of King George: The Regency Crisis: aelarsen (blog) - "The film presents Prince George as the central villain of the film. He loathes his father for what seem like minor reasons, and he schemes to push his father into a public breakdown so that he can become Regent."
fandom:themadnessofkinggeorge, topic:history
Maps to the Stars
Review: Maps to the Stars Is A Cruel Tinseltown Satire: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "Not only is it is bleak and gross and unpleasant, but Maps to the Stars is also not a thrill ride, nor is it an engrossing piece of cinema."
fandom:mapstothestars
Mass Effect
Queerness and Commander Shepard As The New Slash:bootleggirl (blog) - "The other night on Twitter, several trans women and I made jokes about how creating a female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect turned us into women."
fandom:masseffect
Once Upon A Time
Snow White Meta swatkat: (tumblr) - "Snow goes running to Regina at the first sign of trouble because she cannot solve her own problems, because she knows that if she asks, Regina won't say no."
fandom:onceuponatime
Orange Is the New Black
Prison and White People: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "After the first season of Orange Is the New Black, some writers like Yasmin Nair criticized the show for its focus on, and subtle bias towards, white women, especially towards star Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling)."
fandom:orangeisthenewblack, topic:race
Person of Interest
Do You Believe in the Machine: Artificial Intelligence in Person of Interest: cloudnoodle (blog) - "Artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to run amok has fascinated sci-fi enthusiasts since Isaac Asimov introduced The Three Laws Of Robotics."
fandom:personofinterest
The Rocketeer
Kay Returns to Nerd Lunch to Revisit The Rocketeer: Nerd Lunch (podcast) - "And this time the guys invited me on the podcast to talk about the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures movie, The Rocketeer. CT, Pax, and I cover the plot, cast, special effects, music, character relationships, as well as the movie's Dave Stevens comic-book origins."
fandom:therocketeer
Saving Hope
Daniel Gillies on the shocking Saving Hope Finale:The TV Junkies (blog) - "Well, damn. That just happened."
fandom:savinghope, warning:spoilers
Inside the Saving Hope Season 3 Finale with Benjamin Ayres:The TV Vixen (blog) - "Saving Hope fans … by this point, you've probably seen the heartbreaking Season 3 finale (and if you haven't, watch it first and then come back and read this). "
fandom:savinghope, warning:spoilers
Sherlock
Untitled: ArchipelagoArchaea (AO3) - "A writer's-perspective analysis of BBC Sherlock demonstrating the existence of a romantic arc between John and Sherlock. Long but not at all formal. There's jargon, but it's explained. This will ultimately be part of a series of metas, but to me it's the most solid and most important."
fandom:bbcsherlock
Sherlock/Elementary
Sherlock and Elementary: I've Changed My Mind: Jennifer Crusie (blog) - "seeing all the episodes together emphasized that this show has what Sherlock lacks: characters I care deeply about who change over time."
fandom:bbcsherlock, fandom:elementary
A Song of Ice and Fire
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER ANALYSIS: TYRION VII: racefortheironthrone (blog) - "After directing our attention to Lancel in the previous chapter, we now get an up-close and personal portrait of the young knight, and what we get isn't pretty"
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part III: Steven Attewell (blog) - "Now Steve turns his attention toward the Blackfyre Rebellions. In Part III: The Kings over the Seas, Steve attempts to survey the rest of the conflict, from Daemon II's ill-fated tourney at Whitewalls to Daemon III's death at Wendwater Bridge."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #27 Victarion Greyjoy: theBloodRaven (blog) - "Victarion Greyjoy was born the third son to Lord Quellon Greyjoy by his second wife, Lady Sunderly."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #26 Catelyn Stark: slychd (blog) - "Family, Duty, Honor. These are the words of House Tully and words that define Catelyn."
fandom:asoiaf
http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/112345599545/given-that-there-is-no-way-jaqen-could-have-gotten:asoiafuniversity (tumblr) - "Given that there is no way Jaqen could have gotten captured without his wanting to, do you think his purpose was to recruit Arya all along or what?"
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part IV: Steven Attewell (blog) - "In this, the final essay in the Blacks and Reds, I will be exploring the origins of the Golden Company, its structure and function as a military force, its role in shaping the politics of Essos, the War of Ninepenny Kings, and the Golden Company's role in the War of the Five Kings."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #25 Jorah Mormont: zvansice (blog) - "In a series full of them, Ser Jorah Mormont might be the epitome of a conflicted character."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #24 Cersei Lannister: VegSkagosi (blog) - "Why do we hate her so much? Does she deserve it? Does she deserve any pity or empathy?"
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #23 Asha Greyjoy: seabitch (blog) - "Undeniably one of the strongest female characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, Asha is comparable only to a few: the Mormont women, the Sand Snakes, and Brienne."
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part IV: StevenAttewell (blog) - "In Part IV: The Golden Company, Then and Now, Steve focuses on how the Golden Company was formed, what makes it special, and how it has structured Essosi politics for almost a hundred years."
fandom:asoiaf
Star Trek
Throwback Thursdays: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home aka "The One with the Whales": Lady Geek Girl (blog) - "I'm still grieving Leonard Nimoy and watching all things Trek, so it seemed only logical to review my favorite Star Trek film-one that Nimoy directed-for today's Throwback Thursday."
fandom:startrek
Star Wars
'Star Wars' debuts first LGBT character of the new canon: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "Star Wars is introducing its first LGBT character in the form of Imperial officer Moff Mors, a supporting character in the upcoming novel Lords of the Sith."
fandom:starwars, topic:lgbt
Untitled: phil-the-stone (tumblr) - "lemme tell you why The Phantom Menace is a shoddily-wrapped gift to human kind"
fandom:starwars
Untitled: panharmonium (tumblr) - "I kind of really love Obi-Wan, okay?"
fandom:starwars
Legal Status of Clones During The Old Republic: various authors (forum) - "We know that before the Clone Wars slavery was illegal and cloning was legal."
fandom:starwars
Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka Tano, and Aesthetics: MadameAce - "The one criticism the new Ahsoka has faced that I really want to talk about is that she's been whitewashed."
fandom:starwars
How much does the galaxy know about Darth Vader in the new canon: Dunc (blog) - "There are several issues with the old Expanded Universe that I was hopeful would be addressed in the new Star Wars canon, and chief among them is how much the general public knew about Darth Vader and his connection to the Skywalkers."
fandom:starwars
Why Does Anakin Become Darth Vader?:various authors (forum) - "So one of my biggest annoyances with the prequel trilogy was that I never felt it gave a plausible reason for Anakin to become Darth Vader"
fandom:starwars
Steven Universe
Steven Universe and Grief: Tsunderin (blog) - "Steven Universe is, of course, not the first show to tackle the subject of grief. Yet the way it's approached in this show is so nuanced that I'm left feeling it in the pit of my stomach long after the episodes have ended."
fandom:stevenuniverse
Tolkien
Tolkien's Most Beautiful Relationships: askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "What is in your opinion the most beautiful relationship Tolkien has ever written?"
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:relationship
Arafinwe:tintamande (tumblr) - "We do not get many details about Finwë and Indis' youngest son but the ones we do get paint a very interesting picture and I've wanted to write for a while about why."
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:character
Motives In The Silmarillion:askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "What are, in your opinion, the main motives in The Silmarillion"
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:canon
The Consequences Of Making Middle Earth Round mapsburgh: (tumblr) - "According to The Silmarillion, Middle-earth was originally located on a flat earth."
fandom:jrrtolkien
Gothmod And Ecthelion: askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "I think it's important to remember that Tolkien wrote the story of the Fall of Gondolin before he wrote almost anything else about Middle Earth"
fandom:jrrtolkien
The Oath Of Feanor tintamande: (tumblr) - "So I spent today trying to track down different versions of the Oath of Fëanor."
fandom:jrrtolkien
Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey
Sexualized Saturdays: Twilight and Fifty Shades of Abusive Relationships: MadameAce (blog) - "Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey are two of the most polarizing books that I have ever been unfortunate enough to read."
fandom:twilight, fandom:fiftyshadesofgrey
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Netflix's 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' and the danger of the sassy gay friend: EJ Dickson (blog) - "The GBF is omnipresent in popular culture, from Elijah in Girls to Luther in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 to Jack in Will and Grace to the eponymous 2013 film lightly poking fun at the trope."
fandom:unbreakablekimmyschmidt, topic:lgbt
The Walking Dead
Human Remains And The Walking Dead:Lawrence M Friedman (blog) - "have been seeing a lot of images of corpses, both animate and inanimate. That reminded me that there is a specific provision in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States ("HTSUS") for the importation of corpses."
fandom:thewalkingdead
If you have meta to submit or rec, please comment to this post or to the screened Submissions Post. If you'd like to give us blanket permission to link your meta please comment to the Blanket Permissions Post. If you have feedback or questions, check out our FAQ, Contact the Mods, or PM/email. If you'd like to volunteer to link-find or mod, please comment to the Volunteers Post.
General Fandom
Eddie Redmayne And Hollywood's Cis Problem: Marcy Cook (blog) - "Who you cast is a representation of the story you want to tell. "
topic:transgender, topic:diversity
Chasing Utopia: Donovan Grant (blog) - "Everyone knows that black comic heroes hardly register as competition against white heroes for popularity."
fandom:comics, topic:race
The Case Against A Shared Superhero Universe: Chris Sims (blog) - "Q: What are the arguments against a shared universe? Like, would Hawkman be tolerable if he wasn't standing next to Superman?"
fandom:comics, topic:superheroes
Women Wronged by their Writers: Rachel A (blog) - "Today is International Women's Day, and in honor of this auspicious event, Feminist This is here to bring you a list of some of the female characters who have been most mistreated by their writers in recent years."
topic:femalecharacter
Why playing evil characters in video games isn't that appealing after all: Dennis Scimeca (blog) - "Game makers at the 2015 Game Developers Conference on Tuesday learned that pure-evil decision making might not be that appealing after all."
fandom:gaming, topic:morality
How #FilmDis is transforming the conversation about disability in film: Dominick Evans (blog) - "Film and disability don't have to be mutually exclusive, but you wouldn't know it from what Hollywood has to show you."
topic:disability, topic:movies
Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Villainy and Hope: stinekey (blog) - "Hope is one of the most powerful motivators, sustaining people through the worst of circumstances. But it's precisely that kind of power that makes hope such a dangerous weapon in the hands of a villain, and why any Hell-on-Earth must include some modicum of hope."
topic:villains
"Our Work Is Not For You" jae (DW) - "This part of ivyblossom's post has been going around and around in my head ever since then, and I've been thinking about the extent to which the "our work is not for you" tenet holds true for me (since my approach to fandom and fanfiction is often rather different from the approaches that are held up as "typical"). And the verdict is: it turns out it actually does hold somewhat true...more so than I might have expected at first."
topic:fanfic, topic:fandom
To FFNet or Not To FFNet:luvtheheaven (tumblr) - ""Is there a reason I should keep using FF (and it's fiddly interface and lack of inline editing) as well as AO3?"
topic:fanfic
Ableism In Post Apocalyptic Fiction: unsuborsuper (tumblr) - "The post apocalypse genre is inherently ableist."
topic:ableism, topic:fiction
Girls and Superheroes: iseulttoinjury (tumblr) - "Young girls that like superheroes - and they do and always have liked superheroes - are still being denied action figures and merchandise with female heroes on them."
topic:merchandise
These 3 webseries are redefining the 'C' word: Nayomi Reghay (blog) - "The Internet has no short history of calling women crazy."
topic:femalecharacter
Magical Mondays: Trading Magic and Disabilities: MadameAce (blog) - "What about when magic makes characters disabled instead of curing them?"
topic:magic, topic:disability
Target Demographics Can Be Wrong: brothadom (blog) - "But to more effectively have these discussions, I think it is important not to dismiss shows with a younger target demographic."
topic:television, topic:age
The Shapes Roleplay Takes From Its Rules: Stephan Gary (blog) - "All sorts of different incentives and relationships grow out of that game theory soil like a particularly stubborn weed."
fandom:gaming
The 'Vocal Minority' and Artistic Integrity in Comics: Janelle Asselin (blog) - "Things got interesting over the past few days for comics folks who keep their ear to online skirmishes over how welcoming comics is or isn't - and how welcoming comics should be in the first place."
fandom:comics
Are DC & Marvel Placating a "Vocal Minority" of Fans With Practical Female Character Costumes?: Jill Pantozzi (blog) - "Recent months have seen DC Comics' Batgirl get a new creative team and costume in an effort to revitalize the character and Marvel's Spider-Woman getting a new look as well, perhaps because of the massive backlash to one of their variant covers."
fandom:marvelcomics, fandom:dccomics, fandom:comics
How Video Game Breasts Are Made: Patricia Hernandez (blog) - "Plenty of people theorize about why games often feature bad breast physics, but there is little hard information about the actual breast-creation process."
fandom:videogames
Festivids Meta: seekingferret (DW) - "Notes on ghost_lingering's amazing "Silent Fandoms" vid/not!vid/experimental video/thing. "
topic:vids
Why I Write: tintamande (tumblr) - "I write for 'likes' and 'kudos'. I write for reblogs tagged 'I hate you' and 'aaaah they're perfect this is perfect' and 'huh never thought about this' and 'i don't think I agree but this is interesting'."
topic:fanfic, topic:feedback
Specific Fandoms
The 100
Untitled: thelovelylights (tumblr) - "When Lincoln first appeared to us I truly believed that he was going to fill the trope of The Stoic."
fandom:the100
History of The 100: kalena-henden (tumblr) - "On the eve of the battle for Mount Weather, let's first look at the history of this long conflict to fully appreciate what is truly at stake and how long the Mountain Men have really been after The 100."
fandom:the100
In Which Lexa Is All About Trust Part 1 and Part 2: k8video (tumblr) - "If you look back at all of Lexa's interactions since her introduction the main theme throughout has been trust."
fandom:the100
Untitled: laynemorgan (tumblr) - "As someone who is bisexual, I've spent my entire TV fan life watching shows and imagining what it would be like if my favorite character was with the person I wanted."
fandom:the100
Untitled: thelovelylights (tumblr) - "But one of the things I've stressed about Bellarke regardless of what way you seem them: romantically, platonically is that they are incredibly perceptive to each other in a way that's beautiful."
fandom:the100
Untitled:shadydreamdealer (tumblr) - "In season two, Clarke wakes up after a bloody battle in an unknown place with Monty who disappears soon after."
fandom:the100
Agent Carter
Why Marvel's 'Agent Carter' deserves a second season: Noah Brand (blog) - "Every fan of the show wants to see more of Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter, and so do I, but I want to take a few minutes to commend this show on its awesome male characters. Even the jerks."
fandom:agentcarter
Agent Carter (2015): marina (DW) - "I did not expect to enjoy this show as much as I did!"
fandom:agentcarter
Sites Of Transgression and Bisexual Themes in Agent Carter ladybusiness: (DW) - "But why are we (again) so excited about a white dude and his feels on a show that is, for once, explicitly about a woman?"
fandom:agentcarter
Agents of SHIELD
'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' is full of superpowers, but no one is a hero: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "Face it, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer a funny sci-fi procedural about a lovable team of misfits. It's a gritty dystopian drama with a handful of comic book references on the side."
fandom:agentsofshield
Catching Up with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Second Season: porluciernagas (blog) - "However, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first episode back gave me plenty of food for thought."
fandom:agentsofshield, warning:spoilers
Alien 3
The Internet hates 'Alien 3' - and this is why its critics are so wrong: Alex Gabriel (blog) - "Despite its developmental issues, the third installment is my favorite Alien film, and though it's much-maligned on the Internet, I'm not alone: WhatCulture's Percival Constantine once called it "a misunderstood masterpiece."
fandom:alien
The Americans
The Americans Episode 6 Joe Weisberg Joel Fields on Philip's Flirtation: Geoff Berkshire (blog) - "If watching Philip Jennings string along a 15-year-old girl clearly interested in sleeping with him has made "The Americans" a little more uncomfortable for viewers lately, that's exactly how the showrunners want it. It's the "will they or won't they" that just makes you go "ew.""
fandom:theamericans, warning:spoilers
Aquaman
Jason Momoa: Wet Naked Poster Child For The Narrative Revolution: J.A. Micheline (blog) - "But guys, I will keep screaming from the top of the hills until people understand that this casting and redesign might very well be one of the most inspired comics choices in the history of adaptations-and also that this is the version of the Atlantean King who should appear in the comics."
fandom:dccomics, fandom:dccu
Archie
Ask Chris #236: How I Learned To Love 'Archie': Chris Sims (blog) - "Can you help an Archie skeptic understand why it's so great?"
fandom:archie
Batgirl
DC Comics won't release this controversial 'Batgirl' variant cover: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "DC Comics has canceled a variant cover for Batgirl #41 amid controversy over its depiction of violence against women."
fandom:dccomics
That Batgirl Variant Cover: What It Means To New Readers: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "By now, you know that there is a series of variant covers that DC Comics is putting out across all their titles in June to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of their most popular villain, The Joker (like the one above by Javier Pulido for Catwoman #41)."
fandom:dccomics
Beauty And the Beast
Gaston Meta: leaper182 (tumblr) - "Yeah, the truly scary thing about Beauty and the Beast isn't that Gaston exists, but that society fucking loves him"
fandom:disney
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
At 18, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Still Revolutionary: Sophie Gilbert (journal) - "No show since has empowered its teenage heroine in such a subversive, engaging way."
fandom:btvs
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Does This AI Stuff Bother Anyone Else?: beccaelizabeth (DW) - "So, there's stuff about the AI in TWS that has been bothering me for ages, and I keep expecting fic on this premis to turn up, but maybe I'm reading in the wrong places."
fandom:mcu
Cinderella
Review: Cinderella Is Beautiful But Bibbity Bobbity Boring: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "All this to say, I didn't go in with good or bad expectations for Cinderella, but I certainly had expectations."
fandom:cinderella
Darkest Dungeon
A Burnt Torch: Darkest Dungeon, Mental Health and Lovecraftian Horror: Austin Walker (blog) - "But Darkest Dungeon's latticed systems of "stress," "quirks," "afflictions," and treatment go beyond the conventional depiction of "madness." The result is something critical and frightening."
fandom:gaming
Divergent/The Hunger Games
Divergent vs The Hunger Games: A Varying View:various authors (forum) - "So after seeing the Divergent movie I have noticed that the series is always compared to The Hunger Games to Divergent's detriment, generally by claiming that much about Divergent is just too hard to swallow."
fandom:divergent, fandom:thehungergames
Doctor Who
A Study in Pond: mewiet (tumblr) - "An argument that is repeatedly trotted out against Amy is that she's "unrealistic" for having so many "unrelated" professions."
fandom:doctorwho
Dragon Age
Ar lath ma, vhenan: Phthalo (AO3) - "A deconstruction that one sentence might hold clues to the nature of the Anchor, and the extent of the connection between Solas and the Inquisitor. Specifically focused on female Lavellan, because she's the only one who gets that close to the truth. Meta."
fandom:gaming
Dumbing of Age
Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Complexity of Faith in Dumbing of Age: syngraphea (blog) - "Today, my focus is going to be on the religious journey of Joyce, the comic's main character."
fandom:comics, topic:religion
Ever After
Despite Its Flaws, Ever After Holds Up As A Magical Cinderella Story: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "Our conclusion, ultimately, was that, while Cinderella might be a well-made movie, Ever After is both a more fun and engaging version of the classic story."
fandom:everafter
The Flash
Is Joe West Iris' father?: eaglesforthecup (tumblr) - "Ask the writers for more Joe and Iris, this seems odd to me to criticize the character for the show focusing more on Barry and Joe than Iris and Joe."
fandom:theflash
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones Actors Still Trying To Defend That Season 4 Rape Scene & This Time It's Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Turn: Alanna Bennett (blog) - "But one notable part of what was so disturbing about that rape scene last season (and it was a rape scene as it played out onscreen) was the way that the people involved in the scene (Lena Headey, director of the episode Alex Graves, etc.) made efforts to brush it off as at least arguably consensual, as if the final product of what we saw onscreen was not rape because their intents onset were not for it to come off that way."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:rape
Gotham
Why James Gordon Continues to Be Gotham's Biggest Problem: MadameAce (blog) - "Gotham is one of those shows that I find very polarizing. For everything I love about the story, it does something else that I hate."
fandom:gotham
Gravity Falls
Sexualized Saturdays: How Gravity Falls Dropped the Ball: Lady Saika (blog) - "I think that's why I was so disappointed with the episode "The Love God". I expected so much more from you, Gravity Falls."
fandom:gravityfalls
Harry Potter
Is it just me, or is the educational system in Harry Potter somewhat lacking?: ElrondsScribe (AO3) - "The original problem I thought of was this: why would Casey Conway (or any Muggle parent really, like the Grangers for example) even consider such a wild and wacky idea as a school that teaches magic for her son?"
fandom:harrypotter, topic:education
Rate Your DADA Professors: beaches_at_treasure_island (AO3) - "A comparison/contrast essay about Lupin and Umbridge as professors."
fandom:harrypotter, topic:education
The Bizarre, Unsolved Mystery of 'My Immortal': Abraham Riesman (blog) - "Like Stonehenge or the works of Shakespeare, we'll probably never know who was behind "My Immortal" - the massive Harry Potter-inspired text that is widely regarded as the worst piece of fanfiction ever written - but there's no shortage of theories."
fandom:harrypotter, topic:fanfic
House of Cards
Why the sexuality on Netflix's 'House of Cards' isn't 'ambiguous' at all: Athena G. Csuti (blog) - "Though this conversation might appear to be progressive on the surface, it perpetuates the silence surrounding men's bisexual representation. You say ambiguous, I say bi-erasure."
fandom:houseofcards, topic:queer
Icon
Incoherent Icon: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "The first volume of Milestone Comics' Icon asks two provocative questions: "What would a black superhero be like?" and "What would happen if Superman landed on earth in the antebellum South and was found by an enslaved black woman?" Unfortunately, as it turns out, these two questions are antithetical; trying to answer them both at once results in storyline that, despite some intelligence, resolves into incoherence, it's most provocative possibilities drowned in genre default fisticuffs and capitulation to unexamined tropes."
fandom:comics, topic:race, topic:superheroes
The Imitation Game
Decoding Turing: Queer Superhero: Kristian Williams (blog) - "Socially awkward, personally abrasive, math-obsessed, "agnostic about violence," and gay-Alan Turing makes for an unlikely superhero. Yet the recent Oscar-winning film The Imitation Game gives us a biography largely assembled from tropes native to that genre: an origin story involving childhood trauma and the loss of loved ones, unusual gifts bringing extraordinary power, social persecution, and grave moral dilemmas."
fandom:theimitationgame
Into the Woods
Untitled: beatrice otter (DW) - "The only way the wolf is "nice" is if you assume that any male attention to a female automatically is "nice" regardless of what kind of attention or whether she wants it or not."
fandom:intothewoods, warning:rape
Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin Paves the Way for Better Diversity on TV: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "It's easy to bemoan the lack of representation of women or POCs on television, but when a show like Jane the Virgin gets it so right, it's important to celebrate that, too, especially when the show has a female showrunner, like Jane's Jennie Urman!"
fandom:janethevirgin, topic:representation
Jupiter Ascending
Untitled: geekmehard (tumblr) - "Do the folks in the Jupiter Ascending universe know that Regenex is made of people? If so, does that make a difference to them?"
fandom:jupiterascending
Russian fail in Jupiter Ascending marina (DW) - What it says in the title
fandom:jupiterascending
Some back of the envelope math about Jupiter Ascending's horrifying space capitalism: Ben Lehman (blog) - "
I cannot imagine that this is a setting where most people are getting paid enough, in a year, to buy a year's worth of rejuvenation, "
fandom:jupiterascending
The economic ethics of Jupiter Ascending: lucrezia-lannister (tumblr) - "The universe of Jupiter Ascending is horrifying, but it is only hyperbolic, not unprecedented. The Commonwealth's ethics are totally believable, because the Commonwealth is run by humans."
fandom:jupiterascending
Russian Fail In Jupiter Ascending: marina (DW) - "Let's pause for a moment and appreciate that none of the actors with speaking parts playing Jupiter's Russian relatives can speak a word of Russian."
fandom:jupiterascending
Legend of Korra
Bryke's Subtextual Take on 'Girl Love' in "Long Live the Queen": got-your-back-always-will (tumblr) - "When did this change occur? When did the friendship become a different kind of ship?"
fandom:legendofkorra
Legend of Zelda
"A soldier who has no heart": Understanding the Elegy of Emptiness: Aaron Suduiko (blog) - "In any analysis of "Majora's Mask" that purports to be comprehensive, there must be an account of the Elegy of Emptiness."
fandom:legendofzelda
Piece of Heart: It's Baptism… or Drowning: Alexis Anderson (blog) - "Basically, being submerged in water can represent a character's rebirth. The Wind Waker in its entirety comes immediately to mind, leading into the lands that emerge to make up new Hyrule in Spirit Tracks."
fandom:legendofzelda
The Madness of King George
The Madness of King George: Blue Urine and Bondage Chairs!: aelarsen (blog) - "The film examines an important incident in English history generally known as the Regency Crisis."
fandom:themadnessofkinggeorge, topic:history
The Madness of King George: The Regency Crisis: aelarsen (blog) - "The film presents Prince George as the central villain of the film. He loathes his father for what seem like minor reasons, and he schemes to push his father into a public breakdown so that he can become Regent."
fandom:themadnessofkinggeorge, topic:history
Maps to the Stars
Review: Maps to the Stars Is A Cruel Tinseltown Satire: Lesley Coffin (blog) - "Not only is it is bleak and gross and unpleasant, but Maps to the Stars is also not a thrill ride, nor is it an engrossing piece of cinema."
fandom:mapstothestars
Mass Effect
Queerness and Commander Shepard As The New Slash:bootleggirl (blog) - "The other night on Twitter, several trans women and I made jokes about how creating a female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect turned us into women."
fandom:masseffect
Once Upon A Time
Snow White Meta swatkat: (tumblr) - "Snow goes running to Regina at the first sign of trouble because she cannot solve her own problems, because she knows that if she asks, Regina won't say no."
fandom:onceuponatime
Orange Is the New Black
Prison and White People: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "After the first season of Orange Is the New Black, some writers like Yasmin Nair criticized the show for its focus on, and subtle bias towards, white women, especially towards star Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling)."
fandom:orangeisthenewblack, topic:race
Person of Interest
Do You Believe in the Machine: Artificial Intelligence in Person of Interest: cloudnoodle (blog) - "Artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to run amok has fascinated sci-fi enthusiasts since Isaac Asimov introduced The Three Laws Of Robotics."
fandom:personofinterest
The Rocketeer
Kay Returns to Nerd Lunch to Revisit The Rocketeer: Nerd Lunch (podcast) - "And this time the guys invited me on the podcast to talk about the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures movie, The Rocketeer. CT, Pax, and I cover the plot, cast, special effects, music, character relationships, as well as the movie's Dave Stevens comic-book origins."
fandom:therocketeer
Saving Hope
Daniel Gillies on the shocking Saving Hope Finale:The TV Junkies (blog) - "Well, damn. That just happened."
fandom:savinghope, warning:spoilers
Inside the Saving Hope Season 3 Finale with Benjamin Ayres:The TV Vixen (blog) - "Saving Hope fans … by this point, you've probably seen the heartbreaking Season 3 finale (and if you haven't, watch it first and then come back and read this). "
fandom:savinghope, warning:spoilers
Sherlock
Untitled: ArchipelagoArchaea (AO3) - "A writer's-perspective analysis of BBC Sherlock demonstrating the existence of a romantic arc between John and Sherlock. Long but not at all formal. There's jargon, but it's explained. This will ultimately be part of a series of metas, but to me it's the most solid and most important."
fandom:bbcsherlock
Sherlock/Elementary
Sherlock and Elementary: I've Changed My Mind: Jennifer Crusie (blog) - "seeing all the episodes together emphasized that this show has what Sherlock lacks: characters I care deeply about who change over time."
fandom:bbcsherlock, fandom:elementary
A Song of Ice and Fire
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER ANALYSIS: TYRION VII: racefortheironthrone (blog) - "After directing our attention to Lancel in the previous chapter, we now get an up-close and personal portrait of the young knight, and what we get isn't pretty"
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part III: Steven Attewell (blog) - "Now Steve turns his attention toward the Blackfyre Rebellions. In Part III: The Kings over the Seas, Steve attempts to survey the rest of the conflict, from Daemon II's ill-fated tourney at Whitewalls to Daemon III's death at Wendwater Bridge."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #27 Victarion Greyjoy: theBloodRaven (blog) - "Victarion Greyjoy was born the third son to Lord Quellon Greyjoy by his second wife, Lady Sunderly."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #26 Catelyn Stark: slychd (blog) - "Family, Duty, Honor. These are the words of House Tully and words that define Catelyn."
fandom:asoiaf
http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/112345599545/given-that-there-is-no-way-jaqen-could-have-gotten:asoiafuniversity (tumblr) - "Given that there is no way Jaqen could have gotten captured without his wanting to, do you think his purpose was to recruit Arya all along or what?"
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part IV: Steven Attewell (blog) - "In this, the final essay in the Blacks and Reds, I will be exploring the origins of the Golden Company, its structure and function as a military force, its role in shaping the politics of Essos, the War of Ninepenny Kings, and the Golden Company's role in the War of the Five Kings."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #25 Jorah Mormont: zvansice (blog) - "In a series full of them, Ser Jorah Mormont might be the epitome of a conflicted character."
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #24 Cersei Lannister: VegSkagosi (blog) - "Why do we hate her so much? Does she deserve it? Does she deserve any pity or empathy?"
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #23 Asha Greyjoy: seabitch (blog) - "Undeniably one of the strongest female characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, Asha is comparable only to a few: the Mormont women, the Sand Snakes, and Brienne."
fandom:asoiaf
The Blacks and Reds Part IV: StevenAttewell (blog) - "In Part IV: The Golden Company, Then and Now, Steve focuses on how the Golden Company was formed, what makes it special, and how it has structured Essosi politics for almost a hundred years."
fandom:asoiaf
Star Trek
Throwback Thursdays: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home aka "The One with the Whales": Lady Geek Girl (blog) - "I'm still grieving Leonard Nimoy and watching all things Trek, so it seemed only logical to review my favorite Star Trek film-one that Nimoy directed-for today's Throwback Thursday."
fandom:startrek
Star Wars
'Star Wars' debuts first LGBT character of the new canon: Gavia Baker-Whitelaw (blog) - "Star Wars is introducing its first LGBT character in the form of Imperial officer Moff Mors, a supporting character in the upcoming novel Lords of the Sith."
fandom:starwars, topic:lgbt
Untitled: phil-the-stone (tumblr) - "lemme tell you why The Phantom Menace is a shoddily-wrapped gift to human kind"
fandom:starwars
Untitled: panharmonium (tumblr) - "I kind of really love Obi-Wan, okay?"
fandom:starwars
Legal Status of Clones During The Old Republic: various authors (forum) - "We know that before the Clone Wars slavery was illegal and cloning was legal."
fandom:starwars
Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka Tano, and Aesthetics: MadameAce - "The one criticism the new Ahsoka has faced that I really want to talk about is that she's been whitewashed."
fandom:starwars
How much does the galaxy know about Darth Vader in the new canon: Dunc (blog) - "There are several issues with the old Expanded Universe that I was hopeful would be addressed in the new Star Wars canon, and chief among them is how much the general public knew about Darth Vader and his connection to the Skywalkers."
fandom:starwars
Why Does Anakin Become Darth Vader?:various authors (forum) - "So one of my biggest annoyances with the prequel trilogy was that I never felt it gave a plausible reason for Anakin to become Darth Vader"
fandom:starwars
Steven Universe
Steven Universe and Grief: Tsunderin (blog) - "Steven Universe is, of course, not the first show to tackle the subject of grief. Yet the way it's approached in this show is so nuanced that I'm left feeling it in the pit of my stomach long after the episodes have ended."
fandom:stevenuniverse
Tolkien
Tolkien's Most Beautiful Relationships: askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "What is in your opinion the most beautiful relationship Tolkien has ever written?"
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:relationship
Arafinwe:tintamande (tumblr) - "We do not get many details about Finwë and Indis' youngest son but the ones we do get paint a very interesting picture and I've wanted to write for a while about why."
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:character
Motives In The Silmarillion:askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "What are, in your opinion, the main motives in The Silmarillion"
fandom:jrrtolkien, topic:canon
The Consequences Of Making Middle Earth Round mapsburgh: (tumblr) - "According to The Silmarillion, Middle-earth was originally located on a flat earth."
fandom:jrrtolkien
Gothmod And Ecthelion: askmiddlearth (tumblr) - "I think it's important to remember that Tolkien wrote the story of the Fall of Gondolin before he wrote almost anything else about Middle Earth"
fandom:jrrtolkien
The Oath Of Feanor tintamande: (tumblr) - "So I spent today trying to track down different versions of the Oath of Fëanor."
fandom:jrrtolkien
Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey
Sexualized Saturdays: Twilight and Fifty Shades of Abusive Relationships: MadameAce (blog) - "Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey are two of the most polarizing books that I have ever been unfortunate enough to read."
fandom:twilight, fandom:fiftyshadesofgrey
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Netflix's 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' and the danger of the sassy gay friend: EJ Dickson (blog) - "The GBF is omnipresent in popular culture, from Elijah in Girls to Luther in Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 to Jack in Will and Grace to the eponymous 2013 film lightly poking fun at the trope."
fandom:unbreakablekimmyschmidt, topic:lgbt
The Walking Dead
Human Remains And The Walking Dead:Lawrence M Friedman (blog) - "have been seeing a lot of images of corpses, both animate and inanimate. That reminded me that there is a specific provision in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States ("HTSUS") for the importation of corpses."
fandom:thewalkingdead