Re: Random Thoughts

[Blackcyclops]

My comic related tiktoks are all gay centered or they frame the X-Men in gang terms.

Gang terms? Lmaooooo

[Spectral Knight]

Anybody else ever see people on social media talk about comics and just…not to sound elitist…but just don’t come across like they understand them? Like on Twitter it tends to be better, especially when its an older dude or a woman posting. But on Tiktok? Everything seems to be framed in power and who can beat up who…and so things get exaggerated, distorted or ignored and it just paints characters, to me, in such weird light.

Like Idk, it’s hard to explain…

I don't do a lot of comic social media (occasionally browsing what might be trending on Twitter on any given day) but the level of discourse I've seen has been generally... infantile, I guess.

What I like about the UM / UXM boards (it's been UM for so long now but still is primarily X-fans) is we (as a "community") are not afraid of long form conversations. Even when posters disagree you can normally see the the thought processes and where posters are coming from in their takes, and I think the level of interaction is generally of a higher quality. You couldn't do our conversation on the PoX / HoX directions on Twitter, for example...!

I don't mind if this comes off as sounding elite. Collectively we are elite

[das_boot]

There’s a Facebook group I’m part of for random X-Meme shit posting and there was a guy on there who kept posting his comics critique TikToks and saying it was “definitive”, and I kept commenting saying that his views were actually a really shallow interpretation of the text because he was getting things so wrong and he ended up blocking me, but that’s fine because I don’t need that negativity in my life.

Also I don’t have TikTok because I don’t understand it.

[Milkshake08]

There’s a Facebook group I’m part of for random X-Meme shit posting and there was a guy on there who kept posting his comics critique TikToks and saying it was “definitive”, and I kept commenting saying that his views were actually a really shallow interpretation of the text because he was getting things so wrong and he ended up blocking me, but that’s fine because I don’t need that negativity in my life.

Also I don’t have TikTok because I don’t understand it.

OMG I have TikTok and never use it because I don't think the algorithm gets me. I have no interest in being condescendingly talked down to by "experts" in fields, or get advice from teenagers, or watch people dance.

X-Twitter is hit and miss. I follow a lot of people, but even ones I like I find have extremely bad taste sometimes, like a person I follow who is obsessed with the art on Marauders and wants it on the main X-Title. Don't ever go to an official Marvel comment section tho, that's all the crazy sexist/racist/homophobe/transphobe jerks who shout into the void about how they want every female/POC writer fired and how X-Men has gone woke etc etc etc. Very exhausting.

[Blackcyclops]

I’m a sucker for people dancing and singing lol…my algorithm is pretty good after some time. It’s usually anime/manga jokes and cosplay, some Power Scalers that I ignore, dancing, puppies/kid videos and older Black ladies making observational humor lol

[Spectral Knight]

Also I don’t have TikTok because I don’t understand it.

This.

I barely use Insta, but TikTok is totally vapid. I don't understand it, and more importantly I don't want to understand it.

I'm quite happy being a dinosaur on this.

[das_boot]

Honestly I went through a phase of trolling the X-Fans on Twitter complaining about the books being too “woke” now and asked them if they understood the literary term of “metaphor” and how X-Men/Mutants have always been a stand-in for any kind of minority group. Like honestly I get that people don’t understand the nuances of day-to-day life as a POC/LGBTQIA+/woman if they’re a cishet white person who dwells in their mother’s basement and have never known the touch of a woman, but saying that the X-Line has BECOME woke is just the hottest of hot takes

[Spectral Knight]

I'm a white het person (I kinda hate the term cis, only as I've done more and more academic reading on gender identity/gender expression, I'm not convinced that it isn't a hot load of bullshit, in that it seems to almost reinforce stereotypes around the differences between the sexes) but thankfully was never confined to the basement (probably cos we never had one - if we did, I'm sure I'd have been relegated down there at some point...!)

That said, it's kinda obvious that the X-Men can certainly act as a metaphor for minorities (or at least the belief that you're somehow 'different') - but this is where I think the books have always acted as more than just the minority metaphor, certainly in the early O5 years when it was almost a mirror of puberty - your body changing against your will, growing into the comfort of your own skin etc and why there's always been 'junior' members around to tell that part of the X-Men story.

Plus... the X-books are at their best when creative teams understand the blend between this metaphor AND other super heroic hijinks in their runs. Space-aliens, time-travel, over-sized robots, Limbo-dwelling demons, TV obsessed monstrosities from other dimensions, cyborgs, evil clones, etc. Sometimes these will be tied into the metaphors, other times it's just a really exciting super villain threat. Whilst Claremont was probably the first writer to really tune in on the minority metaphors (far more than in the first run O5 at least), let's be honest, his run was pretty esoteric in the threats faced.

[hotknives]

Yeah, I mainly see TikToks when people share them on Twitter, because I'm old
Although still a spring chicken compared to booty, of course.

I agree that the combination of minority metaphor and plots/interesting storylines is what has always made the X-Men great. I felt when things have veered into straightforward 'THIS IS A METAPHOR' plots, they're not nearly as effective when these things are done more subtly. For example - some of the Legacy Virus stuff was way too on the nose sometimes, and Beast's random "I might as well come out as gay because why not?" moment in Morrison's run, felt not nearly as effective as the longer form moments

[Blackcyclops]

Yeah, I mainly see TikToks when people share them on Twitter, because I'm old
Although still a spring chicken compared to booty, of course.

I agree that the combination of minority metaphor and plots/interesting storylines is what has always made the X-Men great. I felt when things have veered into straightforward 'THIS IS A METAPHOR' plots, they're not nearly as effective when these things are done more subtly. For example - some of the Legacy Virus stuff was way too on the nose sometimes, and Beast's random "I might as well come out as gay because why not?" moment in Morrison's run, felt not nearly as effective as the longer form moments

I agree! I like it better when the allegory is not so obvious. Or if it’s obvious but deconstructed in some way.

[Blackcyclops]

Now I talked all that ish but a pretty good IG page I follow is doing their annual X-Men VS thing and it’s funny seeing people’s ideas on who win. The most recent one was Pixie vs Husk (I picked Pixie to barely squeak out a win but could go either way) and now he just posted Blink (AoA) vs Sunfire and soooooooo many people think Sunfire takes it and I just don’t see how. That version of Blink is incredibly resourceful, has a very usual powerset and more importantly, isn’t afraid to go all out against a powerful foe. Sunfire has a relatively small number of decisive battles given how long he’s been around, whereas Blink has gone against King Hyperion and Holocaust and lived to tell the tale.

[P-90]

Now I talked all that ish but a pretty good IG page I follow is doing their annual X-Men VS thing and it’s funny seeing people’s ideas on who win. The most recent one was Pixie vs Husk (I picked Pixie to barely squeak out a win but could go either way) and now he just posted Blink (AoA) vs Sunfire and soooooooo many people think Sunfire takes it and I just don’t see how. That version of Blink is incredibly resourceful, has a very usual powerset and more importantly, isn’t afraid to go all out against a powerful foe. Sunfire has a relatively small number of decisive battles given how long he’s been around, whereas Blink has gone against King Hyperion and Holocaust and lived to tell the tale.

Could Shiro win? yes he could, but that word 'could' is a big part of it. As with many of these VS fights it depends on the situation on the day, would he beat her every time in every situation? no of course not, could he beat her, given his power, skill and experience? yeah definitely.

This may help
www.reddit.com/r/respectthreads/comment ... arvel_616/

[Blackcyclops]

No shade but I don’t need a Reddit thread of feats to try and convince me that more times than not that Sunfire would beat Blink, because I just don’t think so. Especially given that this person’s page does their annual VS brawl with characters being “in-character” and no way do I believe more times than not (I know a writer can obviously choose who would win) that he’a beating AoA Blink.

As an aside, I looked back at all of their Brawl match-ups over the years (results are determined by votes) and I stated on their page that really, in most instances of X-Battles, if you pit a male X-Man vs a female X-man, you have a 70-80% chance of being right if you say the female without really even knowing who the contestants. And it appeared that for the most part, looking at their results, the average IG X-fan agrees. I mean in other franchises I think it’s prolly flipped (or close to 50-50) but the X-Men just have way more female characters who would win against their male contemporaries in a one-on-one battle.

[P-90]

No shade but I don’t need a Reddit thread of feats to try and convince me that more times than not that Sunfire would beat Blink, because I just don’t think so. Especially given that this person’s page does their annual VS brawl with characters being “in-character” and no way do I believe more times than not (I know a writer can obviously choose who would win) that he’a beating AoA Blink.

As an aside, I looked back at all of their Brawl match-ups over the years (results are determined by votes) and I stated on their page that really, in most instances of X-Battles, if you pit a male X-Man vs a female X-man, you have a 70-80% chance of being right if you say the female without really even knowing who the contestants. And it appeared that for the most part, looking at their results, the average IG X-fan agrees. I mean in other franchises I think it’s prolly flipped (or close to 50-50) but the X-Men just have way more female characters who would win against their male contemporaries in a one-on-one battle.

I've never actually scrolled through comments on Reddit, well not that I can remember anyway, but I've read a few 'respect threads' for various characters in the past so I just typed 'Sunfire respect thread' into Google and that's what came up. The purpose of posting the link was just to show why some people may choose Shiro over Blink. IMHO I believe he could beat her, again I'll say he 'could' beat her, as I stated before, as with most of these VS battles (which I've only read on Deviantart) many of them could go either way.

And yeah sadly a lot of the responses that I've read to these battles are posted by fan-boys/fan-girls who won't ever believe that their 'fave' could lose. I've noticed, for example, that Superman fans can be fanatical. Now I don't know its that's true of the majority Superman fans in general or just the ones who comment of these battles.

[das_boot]

My comic related tiktoks are all gay centered or they frame the X-Men in gang terms.

Gang terms? Lmaooooo

There’s a Twitter called Black Nerd Things (I think) and honestly they do the funniest takes of Storm and Cyclops basically demanding that the X-Men become a gang. My favourites are when they have Storm sassing folk because honestly I nearly die laughing each time.

[Cable]

@Anna Raven Exactly. Hopefully the Jags won't lose the first round of the Playoffs. Never made it to the Super Bowl so every year they get this far my hopes get up that this will be THE year.

Well that was a hell of a comeback last night! I hope you didn't turn it off at halftime

[Anna Raven]

@Anna Raven Exactly. Hopefully the Jags won't lose the first round of the Playoffs. Never made it to the Super Bowl so every year they get this far my hopes get up that this will be THE year.

Well that was a hell of a comeback last night! I hope you didn't turn it off at halftime

That was crazy!! I wonder if @BardicOne is still sleeping in after the hangover following that victory!

[Blackcyclops]

I haven’t this level of anxiety watching a TV show since episode 1 of Chernobyl or even that very first season of The Walking Dead…The Last of Us was ALOT.

[Cable]

I haven’t this level of anxiety watching a TV show since episode 1 of Chernobyl or even that very first season of The Walking Dead…The Last of Us was ALOT.

I'm afraid to watch it. I fear there is no chance they will do the source material justice.

[Blackcyclops]

I haven’t this level of anxiety watching a TV show since episode 1 of Chernobyl or even that very first season of The Walking Dead…The Last of Us was ALOT.

I'm afraid to watch it. I fear there is no chance they will do the source material justice.

Watch it.

[EphemeristX]

Agreed. Watch it.

[Cable]

Cowboys made the playoffs but the eventual collapse is coming, I have no doubt.

There is an episode of South Park where the kids want to enjoy summer so they intentionally try to lose at baseball so they don't have to keep playing postseason games, but somehow they keep winning. This clearly brings to mind the kicker of the Dallas Cowboys

[Anna Raven]

Cowboys made the playoffs but the eventual collapse is coming, I have no doubt.

There is an episode of South Park where the kids want to enjoy summer so they intentionally try to lose at baseball so they don't have to keep playing postseason games, but somehow they keep winning. This clearly brings to mind the kicker of the Dallas Cowboys

At least his points weren't needed! I felt pretty bad for him, he's a good kicker overall.

[BardicOne]

@Anna Raven Exactly. Hopefully the Jags won't lose the first round of the Playoffs. Never made it to the Super Bowl so every year they get this far my hopes get up that this will be THE year.

Well that was a hell of a comeback last night! I hope you didn't turn it off at halftime

That was crazy!! I wonder if @BardicOne is still sleeping in after the hangover following that victory!

No hangover. Had to work the next day. I'm saving that misery for Super Bowl.

[tokenBG1009]

All I wanted was for somehow the Cowboys AND Tom Brady to lose. Hopefully the Cowboys get their bells rung this week. (Side note, trying to be more PC in my life means I can no longer use my favorite insult towards the Cowboys and now I cringe when my dad uses it.)

Anybody else ever see people on social media talk about comics and just…not to sound elitist…but just don’t come across like they understand them? Like on Twitter it tends to be better, especially when its an older dude or a woman posting. But on Tiktok? Everything seems to be framed in power and who can beat up who…and so things get exaggerated, distorted or ignored and it just paints characters, to me, in such weird light.

Like Idk, it’s hard to explain…

Every time a motherf***er decides to sound off about how Bruce Wayne is terrible and how he has billions to help Gotham but rather beat up poor people for buying drugs I get enraged. I have NEVER liked Batman. Then these idiots make me have to defend him? It's the worse. Same with "Reed Richards is an awful father/husband" arguments.

So many people like to read a panel or page and then make a comment on the entire history of a character. Pisses me off because then they have thousands going "u so right!" and they're not.

...this is why I'm no longer on social media. I can't help but argue with people.

No shade but I don’t need a Reddit thread of feats to try and convince me that more times than not that Sunfire would beat Blink, because I just don’t think so. Especially given that this person’s page does their annual VS brawl with characters being “in-character” and no way do I believe more times than not (I know a writer can obviously choose who would win) that he’a beating AoA Blink.

As an aside, I looked back at all of their Brawl match-ups over the years (results are determined by votes) and I stated on their page that really, in most instances of X-Battles, if you pit a male X-Man vs a female X-man, you have a 70-80% chance of being right if you say the female without really even knowing who the contestants. And it appeared that for the most part, looking at their results, the average IG X-fan agrees. I mean in other franchises I think it’s prolly flipped (or close to 50-50) but the X-Men just have way more female characters who would win against their male contemporaries in a one-on-one battle.

2 things
1. The Female X-Men are, as a whole, FAR more powerful than the Males. Outside of Legion and Magneto it's not remotely a fair fight.
2. The Female X-Men are, without a doubt, FAR more popular among comic fans than the Males. Any fan vote is going to HARDCORE lean female unless it's painfully obvious. (Melody Guthrie isn't beating TMFKA in a fan vote any more than she is a fist fight)