If you justify violence against a man simply because he's a man, you're becoming the same as those scumbags who…
Questioning who we mourn, and why, isn't heartless or violent
Men are the primary perpetrators of "violence" against women, men, and children. As a collective, they enjoy the privilege of a societal structure designed to impede the success of anyone they perceive to be weak, different, or abnormal
I'm not spending my days plotting their downfall, I'm avoiding them and refusing to extend sympathy to them. How does that equal sinking to their level?
Women: *harassed, assaulted, and degraded by men and "sexual" content* Society: *too busy profiting off women's bodies to listen to their voices* One man: *allegedly assaulted* Society: *gasps in horror and stops to mourn the perceived defilement of the almighty male butthole*
In the modern society that feasts on the exploitation of women, you'd think we'd be desensitized to all forms of assault by now. But the suggestion of a man experiencing a fraction of what women go through every day sends shockwaves through society. "Sodomized," they say. "Inhumane," they say. What is this, a biblical tragedy?
Women disclose their traumatic experiences of rape, and they're brushed aside as dishonest or opportunistic. "You asked for it." Reading or hearing this, they retreat into silence
I won’t waste my sympathy on men. They didn't have any for the women who bled before them
In Season 2 novel it's their beginning of their love. So in season 1 the ending is the beginning 😆 watch the…
"Why is it so boring??"
Because the drama drags with zero payoff
Given the uncertainty of a second season, sidelining the gay narrative in favor of a dragged-out heteronormative one was a misstep. The source material flows from set-up to romance in two arcs that could’ve been condensed into one season by creatively mixing and matching the strongest moments of Hee Su’s romance. But originality and creativity seem scarce in adaptations that cash in on existing fanbases
In Season 2 novel it's the beginning of their love story. If this drama have season 2 it would be very good...…
Given the uncertainty of a second season, sidelining the gay narrative in favor of a dragged-out heteronormative one was a misstep. The source material flows from set-up to romance in two arcs that could’ve been condensed into one season by creatively mixing and matching the strongest moments of Hee Su’s romance. But originality and creativity seem scarce in adaptations that cash in on existing fanbases
I'll refrain from going into depth about my thoughts on TQ+, out of consideration for your feelings (you've been a bit nicer to me than @Wonda447). However, I'll share a relevant observation
Within the online communities I participate in, there's a rising segment of LGB that's becoming disillusioned with and critical of TQ+. It's not rooted in fear or bigotry, it's a fundamental disagreement with the concept of gender identity
👏👏👏👏 You need read a book cause 🫢 like the way you write is beautiful bravo bravo👏👏
I can tell you're coming from a place of good intentions. You're making an effort to understand the other side and be courteous in your communications, which is a valuable quality to have
As you’re weary and exhausted, allow me to leave you with one parting thought: one man’s treasure is another man’s trash. The omegaverse prized and valued by its fans might hold little or no value in the eyes of others. No amount of labor or hard work can elevate the status of something lacking in value:
Underneath the polished frame, Lies the same old script, straight and plain
Fetish flames that flicker and wane, Chains of power still remain
"Kudos to your creative poetry too"
Your poetry was a joy to read , too. Thank you for sharing
The largest demographic in the creation and consumption of omegaverse content is "straight" identifying women. It's inappropriate and dismissive to deflect criticism by citing the preferences of a subgroup of "queer" fans
The LGB community isn't monolithic in its views on or attitudes towards omegaverse. There are examples of gay people changing their stance on the matter, evidenced by myself and an online gay acquaintance of mine who, after understanding the damaging implications, deleted his collection of omegaverse fanfiction
"Using terms like ‘pregnant man’ or depicting heat cycles doesn’t automatically make something biologically incoherent or lazy"
Omegaverse is a pattern of expression and coping that's unhealthy and lazy, favoring a retreat into an incoherent fictional world over a mature engagement with reality
“Critiquing it for not using new sci-fi words is like saying Star Trek should have invented a new term for ‘teleportation’ instead of using one we already know. Language evolves. Fiction repurposes. That’s not a flaw. It’s a tool"
"Teleportation" is an extension of an existing concept (movement)
Omegaverse borrows from reality and breaks the meanings of familiar terms in a manner that unsettles their semantic framework. It's a significant shortcoming I wouldn't compare to the shortcomings of other fictional worlds
Authors in general should coin new terminologies that complement their logic-averse fictional worlds. Language distorted/twisted beyond recognition (e.g., "pregnant man") represents not its evolution, but a decline under the burden of unimaginative, illogical storytelling
"Omegaverse operates within its own internal logic"
It’s logical if you never ask questions
"But calling it regressive or harmful across the board ignores the many ways fans use it to explore queerness, gender roles, and consent on their own terms"
"Tell me you've never met an actual queer person without telling me"
Living as a gay person within a religious, homophobic country, it's not necessary for me to personally know a "queer" person or to have experienced the AIDS crisis firsthand in order to understand the realities of the gay experience
"Dracula is just abstinence propaganda with fangs. The Handmaid’s Tale is just misogyny with bonnets"
The subtext of abstinence in "Dracula" is a commentary on Victorian society. It doesn't fetishize garlic and celibacy. Along similar lines, "The Handmaid’s Tale" exposes and denounces misogyny. It doesn't fetishize it or manipulate involuntary maternity into a fable of destined "romance"
Omegaverse fetishizes the gender-based power imbalances seen in patriarchal systems, manipulating the sense of helplessness and loss of agency into a tantalizing narrative device for the audience's gratification. Very few examples would provoke a thoughtful examination of the trope
"Ah yes, because Star Trek should’ve called warp drive "zoomy zoom tubes" to avoid appropriating real physics"
You're confusing the development of fictional terminology with lobotomized baby talk. Fiction has the potential to introduce new language that distinguishes its worlds from reality. Ever heard of "cyberpunk?" "Muggle?" It was in Thomas More's 1516 novel, "Utopia," that the term "utopia" was first introduced, etc
"Pregnant man" is an oxymoron. The deficiency in developing new language to describe the divergent non-human social orders and power dynamics of omegaverse points towards insufficient world-building and a lazy over-dependence on gender identity politics
"Funny how the gayest damn trope in fanfiction ..."
Excuse me? Omegaverse is one of the "straightest" tropes in fiction
"Reducing gay men to their sexual roles"
Omegaverse is the one reducing characters to walking wombs/sorting characters into rigid gender roles based on how breedable they are
"Policing how queer people explore gender in fiction"
Criticism isn’t policing
"Maybe examine why the idea of men stepping outside rigid gender roles triggers you so much"
It's not regressive to associate heat and pregnancy with women or the female body. They're female bodily functions, separate from gender identity and societal expectations. Men, feminine or masculine, are incapable of undergoing heat cycles or carrying a pregnancy
Timing is this drama’s greatest weakness. Had it aired after wrapping up filming 3-4 years ago (2021-2022),…
"Realism" in media is subjective and varies from person to person, depending on their experiences and perspectives
I know firsthand the sense of loneliness/solitude that can come with being gay. Even so, I believe it's wrong to change an uplifting gay story to center it on straight joy and gay trauma. That'd undermine the joy the source material brings to its audiences who desire to see it translated to a new medium with respect for what it is, and fuel the damaging belief that a "real" gay experience is one defined by trauma
To capture the complexity of our lives, we need to write new stories that explore a range of emotions, sad and happy
"I think I blushed more watching “Stay With Me” than during many a spicy BL NC scene!"
I don't blame you, the male leads have a magnetic connection in "Stay With Me"
Trigger Warning: I thought this was a fantastic series…Without the weight of familiarity with the original/adapted…
Timing is this drama’s greatest weakness. Had it aired after wrapping up filming 3-4 years ago (2021-2022), we'd have been understanding. Now it’s passé/old news, and lags behind even China’s subtle yet effective handling of gay content. With censorship, "Stay With Me" (2023) gave off more of a gay vibe than this straight supposedly gay drama. Imagine how much gayer it'd have been without homophobic censorship laws getting in the way
It's not that Korea can't do better, it decides not to
"I put too much salt. Maybe it'll taste better on the second bite ..." (episode 1, 20:37)
That "food" was inedible! It's comforting to know there's someone out there who's more kitchen-challenged than me
Breaking the fourth wall by having the female leads speak directly to the audience was a clever way to create an immersive experience. I felt like an active participant in the narrative!
Men are the primary perpetrators of "violence" against women, men, and children. As a collective, they enjoy the privilege of a societal structure designed to impede the success of anyone they perceive to be weak, different, or abnormal
I'm not spending my days plotting their downfall, I'm avoiding them and refusing to extend sympathy to them. How does that equal sinking to their level?
Society: *too busy profiting off women's bodies to listen to their voices*
One man: *allegedly assaulted*
Society: *gasps in horror and stops to mourn the perceived defilement of the almighty male butthole*
In the modern society that feasts on the exploitation of women, you'd think we'd be desensitized to all forms of assault by now. But the suggestion of a man experiencing a fraction of what women go through every day sends shockwaves through society. "Sodomized," they say. "Inhumane," they say. What is this, a biblical tragedy?
Women disclose their traumatic experiences of rape, and they're brushed aside as dishonest or opportunistic. "You asked for it." Reading or hearing this, they retreat into silence
I won’t waste my sympathy on men. They didn't have any for the women who bled before them
Because the drama drags with zero payoff
Given the uncertainty of a second season, sidelining the gay narrative in favor of a dragged-out heteronormative one was a misstep. The source material flows from set-up to romance in two arcs that could’ve been condensed into one season by creatively mixing and matching the strongest moments of Hee Su’s romance. But originality and creativity seem scarce in adaptations that cash in on existing fanbases
I've noticed you have different approaches to things
I'll refrain from going into depth about my thoughts on TQ+, out of consideration for your feelings (you've been a bit nicer to me than @Wonda447). However, I'll share a relevant observation
Within the online communities I participate in, there's a rising segment of LGB that's becoming disillusioned with and critical of TQ+. It's not rooted in fear or bigotry, it's a fundamental disagreement with the concept of gender identity
As you’re weary and exhausted, allow me to leave you with one parting thought: one man’s treasure is another man’s trash. The omegaverse prized and valued by its fans might hold little or no value in the eyes of others. No amount of labor or hard work can elevate the status of something lacking in value:
Underneath the polished frame,
Lies the same old script, straight and plain
Fetish flames that flicker and wane,
Chains of power still remain
"Kudos to your creative poetry too"
Your poetry was a joy to read , too. Thank you for sharing
I'll respectfully decline to support the TQ+ due to the negative effects I believe they've had on the LGB community
"The whole Omegaverse scene is a bit on the fetish side, and fetishes are rarely politically correct"
Silence won’t fix a problem this obvious. Pushing for better representation and morals is how real change happens
The LGB community isn't monolithic in its views on or attitudes towards omegaverse. There are examples of gay people changing their stance on the matter, evidenced by myself and an online gay acquaintance of mine who, after understanding the damaging implications, deleted his collection of omegaverse fanfiction
"Using terms like ‘pregnant man’ or depicting heat cycles doesn’t automatically make something biologically incoherent or lazy"
Omegaverse is a pattern of expression and coping that's unhealthy and lazy, favoring a retreat into an incoherent fictional world over a mature engagement with reality
“Critiquing it for not using new sci-fi words is like saying Star Trek should have invented a new term for ‘teleportation’ instead of using one we already know. Language evolves. Fiction repurposes. That’s not a flaw. It’s a tool"
"Teleportation" is an extension of an existing concept (movement)
Omegaverse borrows from reality and breaks the meanings of familiar terms in a manner that unsettles their semantic framework. It's a significant shortcoming I wouldn't compare to the shortcomings of other fictional worlds
Authors in general should coin new terminologies that complement their logic-averse fictional worlds. Language distorted/twisted beyond recognition (e.g., "pregnant man") represents not its evolution, but a decline under the burden of unimaginative, illogical storytelling
"Omegaverse operates within its own internal logic"
It’s logical if you never ask questions
"But calling it regressive or harmful across the board ignores the many ways fans use it to explore queerness, gender roles, and consent on their own terms"
They find meaning, I find flaws
You crown it daring, wild, and free,
Yet chain it tight in heteronormativity and monotony
Not all criticism is born from fear,
Nor silent lips hold praise sincere
Don’t dress up omegaverse in silk so fine,
Then call it grand, a work divine
Let others dislike and shun what leaves them cold,
Their taste is theirs, not yours to shame or mold
Living as a gay person within a religious, homophobic country, it's not necessary for me to personally know a "queer" person or to have experienced the AIDS crisis firsthand in order to understand the realities of the gay experience
"Dracula is just abstinence propaganda with fangs. The Handmaid’s Tale is just misogyny with bonnets"
The subtext of abstinence in "Dracula" is a commentary on Victorian society. It doesn't fetishize garlic and celibacy. Along similar lines, "The Handmaid’s Tale" exposes and denounces misogyny. It doesn't fetishize it or manipulate involuntary maternity into a fable of destined "romance"
Omegaverse fetishizes the gender-based power imbalances seen in patriarchal systems, manipulating the sense of helplessness and loss of agency into a tantalizing narrative device for the audience's gratification. Very few examples would provoke a thoughtful examination of the trope
"Ah yes, because Star Trek should’ve called warp drive "zoomy zoom tubes" to avoid appropriating real physics"
You're confusing the development of fictional terminology with lobotomized baby talk. Fiction has the potential to introduce new language that distinguishes its worlds from reality. Ever heard of "cyberpunk?" "Muggle?" It was in Thomas More's 1516 novel, "Utopia," that the term "utopia" was first introduced, etc
"Pregnant man" is an oxymoron. The deficiency in developing new language to describe the divergent non-human social orders and power dynamics of omegaverse points towards insufficient world-building and a lazy over-dependence on gender identity politics
"Funny how the gayest damn trope in fanfiction ..."
Excuse me? Omegaverse is one of the "straightest" tropes in fiction
"Reducing gay men to their sexual roles"
Omegaverse is the one reducing characters to walking wombs/sorting characters into rigid gender roles based on how breedable they are
"Policing how queer people explore gender in fiction"
Criticism isn’t policing
"Maybe examine why the idea of men stepping outside rigid gender roles triggers you so much"
It's not regressive to associate heat and pregnancy with women or the female body. They're female bodily functions, separate from gender identity and societal expectations. Men, feminine or masculine, are incapable of undergoing heat cycles or carrying a pregnancy
I know firsthand the sense of loneliness/solitude that can come with being gay. Even so, I believe it's wrong to change an uplifting gay story to center it on straight joy and gay trauma. That'd undermine the joy the source material brings to its audiences who desire to see it translated to a new medium with respect for what it is, and fuel the damaging belief that a "real" gay experience is one defined by trauma
To capture the complexity of our lives, we need to write new stories that explore a range of emotions, sad and happy
"I think I blushed more watching “Stay With Me” than during many a spicy BL NC scene!"
I don't blame you, the male leads have a magnetic connection in "Stay With Me"
It's not that Korea can't do better, it decides not to
That "food" was inedible! It's comforting to know there's someone out there who's more kitchen-challenged than me
Breaking the fourth wall by having the female leads speak directly to the audience was a clever way to create an immersive experience. I felt like an active participant in the narrative!