u/Anthro-Elephant-98

In the episode, "iLook Alike", Carly, Sam, and Freddy get invited to interview the MMA fighter, Jackson Colt, backstage at an MMA fight. However, Freddy's mom doesn't let him go, which is pretty predictable because her whole persona is the archetypical overprotective mother. But when, Carly asks Spencer to talk to Mrs. Benson to try change her mind, Spencer actually agrees with Mrs. Benson, saying he also doesn't want Carly going to the fight.

I'm not trying to argue that Spencer was wrong to not let them go. And I actually think it was good that there was an episode that showed that he is capable of being a responsible guardian where it's not the main focus of the episode (e.g. "iWant To Stay With Spencer").

However, I did think it seemed out of character for Spencer. Plus, going backstage to an MMA fight and interviewing an A(or at least B)-list celebrity would have been great publicity for their web show! If Spencer was so concerned for their safety, why did he not just offer to go with them as a chaperone to make sure nothing bad happened?

All in all, I did not like this episode for a few reasons. The main one being that it was one of the few times where Spencer was shown that he is capable of being a responsible guardian and he gets physically assaulted for it. Also, if Jackson Colt was such a massive iCarly fan as he had claimed, how the hell did he not recognize who Spencer was? Especially considering that Spencer had appeared on the show multiple times by this point. The fact that Jackson knew about the haunted bra and "random dancing", but didn't recognize Spencer was a major plot hole for me. In addition, if Freddy filmed Spencer getting assaulted, Jackson would've easily been charged with assault and battery (though, maybe this happened off-screen), and put behind bars.

So what does everyone else think? I thought it was weird that out of all times for Spencer to prove himself as a responsible guardian, he chose NOW.

Side note: When Mrs. Benson told Freddy that he couldn't go to the fight, and then Carter Ford shows up and assaults them with a basketball, if I were Mrs. Benson, that would've convinced me to let him go! I would say, "On second thought, go to that fight, and then start learning MMA! Then if that asshole comes to bully you again, you'll be prepared!"

I mean, are you serious right now? Imagine essentially complaining about having too many friends or too many people who consider you close with enough that they want you to be part of their special day. I should be so lucky. It’s basically the same thing as complaining about your steak being too juicy, your lobster being too buttery, and your champagne being too fizzy.

It’s that time of year when everyone I know is posting about the weddings they go to. I wish I had more people that I was close enough with that they want me there on their special day, where I get to dress nicely, eat great food, and more importantly attend a fun party with all my pals and have something to look back on.

I’m already prepared for the downvotes and the “Bitter, much?” comments. Yeah, I am jealous and I’m completely honest about it. I just hate hearing people basically complain about having too many friends. It’s probably way better than not having enough friends.

Well, maybe not always a date date per se. But at least a pre-cursor to a date. A chance for a guy and a girl to meet up in a casual setting, often to figure out if there is something there? Because in my experience, usually when someone asks a girl for coffee, the implication is that he likes her and wants to get to know her better, and it is usually understood as a date without anybody actually saying it's a date. In short (at least for me), coffee is almost always understood as a date unless specified otherwise, whereas an activity such as studying or hiking isn't a date unless specified otherwise.

Case in point:

Ok, so this happened a few months ago. There was this girl I knew for a while. I always had kind of a crush on her, but it was more of a passive crush, meaning I thought she was pretty, and I enjoyed hanging out with her, and I was open to being in a relationship with her. As opposed to the type of crush where you think about them 24/7, and get hearts in your eyes whenever you see them. Not literally, of course! But this girl had a boyfriend for most of the time I knew her, so obviously I had previously never attempted to pursue her.

Anyway, so I went to this dinner event where she and a bunch of my other friends were, and after the event, she invited me to come with her to this 24 hour bakery/cafe with two other people. She also offered to give me a ride home because I lived in the town next to hers. I told her that where I lived was quite a bit away from where she lived, but she kept insisting that "I already promised you I would give you a ride home!" And I kept saying, "Okay. But right now, I am giving you an out! I am more than happy to get an Uber home." Once again, she insisted that she had promised to take me home, so I accepted. Before we left, though, she had casually mentioned that she had just broken up with her boyfriend.

On the drive home, we talked a lot, and I got to know her better, and I realized that she was very pretty, but not only that, I genuinely was enjoying talking to her and spending time with her. During the drive home, she told me about this one coffee shop she really likes and how she likes getting coffee and going for walks. From where I was standing (or sitting in this case), it sounded like she was hinting at what she likes to do for dates. I suggested that we should meet up some time after this just the two of us, and she sounded very keen. When she dropped me off, I thanked her once again, and told her that we should get coffee like she suggested and to text me when she got home safe, which she did.

A few days later, I bumped into one of our mutual friends, and I mentioned to her how this girl gave me a ride home. Our friend said, "Yes! She told me! And she told me that she really enjoyed hanging out with you!" I told her that I thought I would invite her for coffee to pay her back for giving me a ride home. The next night, our mutual friend texted me and said, "I talked to X. She said that she does want to get coffee with you! She also said, you don't have to be nervous!" I thought to myself, "Oh wow! She wants me to ask her out!" The next day, I get a message from this girl, who asked me, "By the way, did you get your backpack back?" I had casually mentioned that I left my backpack at the event, the other day. But here, it seemed like she was looking for a reason to message me! I told her, "Yes." and we spoke for a bit over Instagram DMs. I decided not to beat around the bush and I asked her for coffee, which she accepted.

The next week, we met up, but by then (early evening), most of the coffee shops were closed. So, we decided to get sushi instead (which to me, if anything, feels even MORE romantic). She took me to this place that she really liked, and we got sushi. I offered to pay for the entire meal, just as a way to pay her back for giving me a ride home, the previous week. I was so excited. Finally! I was actually on a date with this girl whom I liked for a long time... or so I thought. I suggested near the end that we should do this again sometime, and she said, "Yeah! Absolutely! I really had a great time!"

I told her something on the lines of, "I must admit that I was pretty nervous going into this." And she asked why I would be nervous. I told her that I just really wanted to make a good first impression on her. She asked why I would be so nervous about that? Then I said, "Look. I know how tough first dates can be, and I-"

And then she cut me off, she covered her mouth with both hands, and said, "Oh my God. Awww... did you think this was a date?"

I said half-stuttering, "Well... I mean... yeah. Kind of."

She said, "Listen, I think you're a really great guy and I really did enjoy hanging out with you today. I just don't know if I see you like that."

Immediately, a glass bottle shattering sound effect played at the back of my mind. I didn't even know what to say. It felt like I had just been punched in the gut at full force by prime Mike Tyson. I still offered to pay, just because I said I would. And I didn't get mad or yell at her. I just went, "Oh my God. I am so embarrassed, right now."

Fast forward to now. I am still good friends with this girl. We kind of wrote it off as a character building experience. But at the time, it was very embarrassing for me. And kind of heart breaking. And I get it, some people just aren't meant to be together. But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. However, my brother, and most of my friends, guys AND girls, all told me, "Oh wow! I totally would've thought that was a date." It's like the duck test: "If it looks like a date, sounds like a date, and feels like a date, then it is probably a date." Looking back, I think I can be forgiven for thinking that this was a date. Yes, maybe I should've clarified. But with all those signs, I didn't think I had to, this time. Keep in mind, it wasn't like I was trying to trick her into going out on a date with me. I genuinely thought this was a date. I am pretty new to dating, and I always thought that "coffee" meant date (or at least a pre-cursor to a date).

TL;DR: Has anything like this ever happened to anybody else, here? You go on what you thought was a date, but they thought you were just hanging out as friends? Also, does coffee usually mean date or at least pre-cursor to date? Or should one of us have clarified?

For example, I have seen some photos on social media that will say things like #blackfamilies, or #interraciallove, or #mixedbaby.

My question is why? I'm not against families or couples posting photos, but why make it about race?

For instance, I am Jewish, but I would never post a hashtag that says #jewishfamilies (except if it was for a Jewish holiday, MAYBE) or #interfaithlove. From my perspective, it seems slightly performative.

I'm not trying to hate on people. I'm just here to ask what is the point of making hashtags like that?

God I hate this. For example, this one couple I know just got engaged about a month ago. But the guy who was proposing invited a bunch of their friends to come out as soon as she said yes. But some of the people there were talking about how "Ohhh, it was soooo romantic!" and said it in that voice I'm describing. Kind of like, they pronounce their Ls and Rs as Ws. One even got teary eyed while talking about how romantic and sweet it was.

Eugggghhh. Look, I love love as much as the next guy, but the voice that these people get when describing it is soooooooo annoying! They get that goo goo baby voice and will say, "Awww, they'we so in wove!" (Yes, I typed those as Ws on purpose)

It's like come on, man! I'm eating!

They also do this voice when describing a "ship" name. Romantic "ship" names (Brangelina, Bennifer, Traylor, Seddie/Creddie, etc.) are cringe enough as is, but add the goo goo baby voice, and it's an ultimate cringe-fest.

And before everyone downvotes me for sounding bitter and accusing me of being jealous for not being in love, I'm not bitter about other people falling in love. I am specifically criticizing the baby voice.

Ok, so this happened a few months ago. There was this girl I knew for a while. I always had kind of a crush on her, but it was more of a passive crush, meaning I thought she was pretty, and I enjoyed hanging out with her, and I was open to being in a relationship with her. As opposed to the type of crush where you think about them 24/7, and get hearts in your eyes whenever you see them. Not literally, of course!

Anyway, so I went to this dinner event where she and a bunch of my other friends were, and after the event, she invited me to come with her to this 24 hour bakery/cafe with two other people. She also offered to give me a ride home because I lived in the town next to hers. I told her that where I lived was quite a bit away from where she lived, but she kept insisting that "I already promised you I would give you a ride home!" And I kept saying, "Okay. But right now, I am giving you an out! I am more than happy to get an Uber home." Once again, she insisted that she had promised to take me home, so I accepted. Before we left, though, she had casually mentioned that she had just broken up with her boyfriend.

On the drive home, we talked a lot, and I got to know her better, and I realized that she was very pretty, but not only that, I genuinely was enjoying talking to her and spending time with her. During the drive home, she told me about this one coffee shop she really likes and how she likes getting coffee and going for walks. From where I was standing (or sitting in this case), it sounded like she was hinting about what she likes to do for dates. I suggested that we should hang out some time after this, and she sounded very keen. When she dropped me off, I thanked her once again, and told her that we should get coffee like she suggested and to text me when she got home safe, which she did.

A few days later, I bumped into one of our mutual friends, and I mentioned to her how this girl gave me a ride home. Our friend said, "Yes! She told me! And she told me that she really enjoyed hanging out with you!" I told her that I thought I should invite her for coffee to pay her back for giving me a ride home. The next night, our mutual friend texted me and said, "I talked to X. She said that she does want to get coffee with you! She also said, you don't have to be nervous!" I thought to myself, "Oh wow! She wants me to ask her out!"The next day, I get a message from this girl, who asked me, "By the way, did you get your backpack back?" I had casually mentioned that I left my backpack at the event, the other day. But here, it seemed like she was looking for a reason to message me! I told her, "Yes." and we spoke for a bit over Instagram DMs. I decided not to beat around the bush and I asked her for coffee, which she accepted.

The next week, we met up, but by then (early evening), most of the coffee shops were closed. So, we decided to get sushi instead. She took me to this place that she really liked, and we got sushi. I offered to pay for the entire meal, just as a way to pay her back for giving me a ride home, the previous week. I was so excited. Finally! I was actually on a date with this girl whom I liked for a long time... or so I thought. I suggested near the end that we should do this again sometime, and she said, "Yeah! Absolutely! I really had a great time!"

I told her something on the lines of, "I must admit that I was pretty nervous going into this." And she asked why I would be nervous. I told her that I just really wanted to make a good first impression on her. She asked why I would be so nervous about that? Then I said, "Look. I know how tough first dates can be, and I-"

And then she cut me off, she covered her mouth with both hands, and said, "Oh my God. Awww... did you think this was a date?"

I said half-stuttering, "Well... I mean... yeah. Kind of."

She said, "Listen, I think you're a really great guy and I really did enjoy hanging out with you today. I just don't know if I see you like that."

Immediately, a glass bottle shattering sound effect played at the back of my mind. I didn't even know what to say. It felt like I had just been punched in the gut at full force by prime Mike Tyson. I still offered to pay, just because I said I would. And I didn't get mad or yell at her. I just went, "Oh my God. I am so embarrassed, right now."

Fast forward to now. I am still good friends with this girl. We kind of wrote it off as a character building experience. But at the time, it was very embarrassing for me. And kind of heart breaking. And I get it, some people just aren't meant to be together. But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. However, my brother, and most of my friends, guys AND girls, all told me, "Oh wow! I totally would've thought that was a date." It's like the duck test: "If it looks like a date, sounds like a date, and feels like a date, then it is probably a date. Looking back, I think I can be forgiven for thinking that this was a date. Yes, maybe I should've clarified. But with all those signs, I didn't think I had to, this time.

TL;DR: So, has anyone here ever been on what they thought was a date, but it turned out, the other person thought you were just hanging out as friends? If so, I'd love to hear your stories!

For example, if you ever tell somebody a story or reference something that happened in the past, often because it’s relevant to the conversation, and then they respond with “it’s time to move on”, or “it’s better not to dwell on that”, or “sorry, that was how long ago?”

I DON’T FUCKING DWELL ON IT! AM I SERIOUSLY NOT ALLOWED TO REFERENCE SOMETHING THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CONVERSATION JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENED IN THE PAST?????

I know that I am not the first person to note that the era of mainstream raunchy comedies (Step Brothers, Superbad, The Hangover, Borat, Knocked Up, etc.) has been dead for a while. For me personally, I feel like the last great comedy from that era was 22 Jump Street which came out in 2014. I'm not saying that comedy in and of itself is dead, but the comedy that came after that era that I just described seemed to take on a much more depressing, absurdist, and nihilistic tone.

Some of the big examples are Rick and Morty (2013-Present), Bojack Horseman (2014-2020), Deadpool (2016), and many others. Rick Sanchez and Bojack Horseman often reference the fact that there is no God and that nothing matters and everything is pointless. Deadpool derives his humour often from breaking the fourth wall, a famous trademark of the German playright, Bertolt Brecht, thus reminding the audience that they are watching a play/movie. One of the major examples was the 2020 film, Palm Springs, where the male lead, Nyles (yes, his name is a play on nihilism) proudly declares, "Just kidding, there is no God!"

You get my point. A lot of media that I have referenced from recent years seem to derive a lot of it's humour in absurdity, nihilism, and the idea that "There is no God". No wonder everybody in my generation (Gen Z) seems so depressed.

So in “Work Experience” at the beginning of the episode, Will and Neil’s work experience placements got mixed up. Mr. Gilbert even acknowledged that there was a mistake, and it seemed as though he actually was going to change the placements, even if reluctantly.

Then, Will said, “That’s okay! Mistakes happen! Shall I just go to the paper, then?” Mr. Gilbert gives him a stink eye and says, “No. You go to the garage. It’s all booked.”

In that instance, it seemed like Mr. Gilbert was going to let Will go to the paper, but then when Will spoke up, Mr. Gilbert got annoyed and sent him to the garage just to spite him. Why? What is wrong with what Will said? As much as Will was a dick to the mechanics in this episode, Will at least did go to the trouble of taking all the right steps to go work at the newspaper. So would it really have been much effort for Mr. Gilbert to say to Will, “Ohhhh… fuck it, just go to the paper!”

Only asking because I am currently making an African-inspired continent, and one of the major cities, Idolobha Lamakhosi (City of Kings) in the nation, Izwe Lomcebo (Land of Wealth) is built within a crater and the nation itself is well-known for its large deposits of diamonds and gold (hence, "city of wealth"). I did a painting of an earlier concept of the city, which had houses with thatched roofs (heavily inspired by southern African cultures), and the roads were paved with intricately designed stone and concrete.

However, I had people commenting asking why a wealthy city would have intricate stone paved ground, while also having buildings with thatched roofs. Because thatch is actually a very underrated material, and it effectively keeps rain out. Especially considering that Africa is very prone to torrential downpours. I think the implication is that thatch is not so highly advanced, and people were also wondering where the people would get all the stone from.

In addition, I think it's worth noting that Idolobha Lamakhosi is situated within a floodplain crater (modelled from the real-life Ngorongoro Crater and Crater Lake). The walls of the crater act as a natural citadel against potential invaders. The inhabitants of the city expertly engineered the floodplain to act as a series of interconnected canals. People often get around the city via canoes.

The design choice for the architecture was heavily inspired by Nguni tribes. Also, the city itself has stone walls which were inspired by Great Zimbabwe. But again, does it make sense to have stone-paved roads AND buildings with thatched roofs?

I really want magic in my world, but it is very difficult to come up with a proper system. For you guys, how many people are actually able to use magic? Surely, you can't just have any Tom, Dick, and Harry be able to become a wizard, otherwise magic would lose it's value. In Dungeons and Dragons, it seems like anyone can just become a wizard with the proper training, but this goes back to my point.

In Harry Potter only some people are born to possess magic, usually if one (or both) of their parents are wizards. In Lord of the Rings, there are exactly five wizards who are actually magical beings (Istari) who are sent to Middle Earth to use magic. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, nobody knows exactly who can and can't bend. It's implied that it's genetic, but the rules are inconsistent since we learn from one episode that there are cases even in identical twins where one twin can bend and the other can't.

So how about this? A magic system akin to an LSAT or MCAT. A system where almost all mortals can possess some magic ability, but in order to actually be able to train to enhance their gifts, they must study intensely for months if not years, and by the end of their training, they appear before a council to demonstrate their training. If the council decides they are worthy, they have the option to attend a magic institution. However, there are some (yet few) who are born with very powerful abilities, and don't need training but some choose to do it anyway.

I want to hear how you guys have planned yours out.

Seriously. It seems as though couples mostly seem to hang out with other couples, which makes it harder to meet people. But then you have people that ditch their single friends as soon as they start dating someone. It makes you wonder if they only got into a relationship because they liked the status of being able to say, “I am in a relationship”.

Maybe part of this is simply jealousy, which I’m willing to admit to. Still. Don’t take your friends for granted.