u/No_Hunter1978

Whether that be contractors, writers, martial artists, or anything else.

I just find it amusing.

I'm always a sucker for the bulky hoodies over formal suit combo, so I was already in a good position to enjoy the design. I also like the spades diamonds all over the body, especially how the ones on her face are akin to the Robin mask (I'll get to that later) and the single drop which evokes the imagery of a tear.

The main criticisms I've seen of her (at least the ones that aren't just "she's not hot") is that she just doesn't look like Harley and/or is quite boring when compared to the other Absolute designs.

On the first point, I can see it, but I also think it's kind of a given seeing as "wacky reimaginings" is kind of the main conceit of this series. That said, I think the design makes a lot more sense when you factor in that she's this Batman's Robin stand-in + she's a part of the "Red Hoods." That explains the hood (obviously) but it also goes a long way to showing why she got the "punk" makeover. Being rowdy, scrappy, and lanky are pretty common traits for the Robins, and the face paint evokes the Robin mask, as I said.

On the second point, I don't really see it. Sure, she's not bigger, but I'd hardly call her boring. She's just over-the-top exaggerated in other ways (most notably the demeanor). Also, I can't stress enough how giving her an AK and hunk of rebar as a hammer really pushes her over the edge into Absolute territory.

Don't Breathe: A couple young robbers attempt to rob a rich, blind veteran only to find out he isn't exactly an innocent old man.

You're Next: A group of >!contract killers!<break into a house during a family reunion and go on a killing spree. They didn't account for the fact that the son's new girlfriend grew up on a survivalist compound in the Australian outback.

The Flash [CW Show]: A random mugger decided to target Barry Allen of all people. He does it again a season or two later; he's either unlucky or stupid (probably both).

GoodFellas: In this scene, Tommy is telling a story in a room of mobsters - most of them laughing tensely in an attempt to get on his good side - when one of them say "You're a funny guy." At that moment, Tommy stops everything to ask "Funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you?" This is probably the most obvious example of this trope.

Black Friday: After setting up the conflict in Act 1, we cut to the oval office as the president and his advisers discuss the outbreak of riots. One of them pull out a Wiggly Doll to show them what the riots are over only for things to rapidly escalate as they begin fighting over the doll. It's intended to showcase that the mania isn't mundane; it's a result of Wiggly.

Doki Doki Literature Club: There's a slight argument between these two characters, but it starts out very anime. "You look down on me" --> *Boob joke* --> "MC likes ME more!" That said, it's a rather jarring switchup when it suddenly pivots into a much more personal, realistically heated verbal fight. The "wannabe edgy bitch" line cuts through the general cuteness that you would expect, but it very quickly spirals from there.

>!My dad (Real Life)!<

In the least fetishy way possible, I find the general trope rather interesting. And it's quite a bit less touchy than the more incesty alternative. General flirting also counts.

Narcissus [Greek Myth]: A dude who was cursed to fall in love with his reflection for the crime of rejecting the wrong mythological creature (or telling a suitor to kill himself depending on the version).

Patrick Bateman [American Psycho]: Bateman flexes and keeps his eyes on a mirror while hooking up with a woman. It's a bit different than the other examples (Bateman would have an aneurysm at the idea he finds a man attractive, even himself), but I have no doubt this was directly inspired by the myth of Narcissus.

Pagan Min [Far Cry]: A dictator, Pagan has a body double to prevent assassinations. A Far Cry 6 DLC shows that he has slept with past body doubles on multiple occasions.

Beth [Rick & Morty]: She starts an affair with her clone (or maybe the original).

Loki [Marvel]: This one is a bit more complex because, while Loki seems to be somewhere on the narcissism spectrum, he's also quite self-loathing. His burgeoning romance with Sylvie (an alternate version of himself) is less about narcissism and more about learning to love himself. I still think it works for the trope though because the show itself plays with the border between narcissism and self-love (and how those who are depressed conflate them).

I can see why there's some difficulty in writing a "cool" teacher that isn't inappropriate (probably because most real life "cool" teachers ARE inappropriate), but I feel that this trope shouldn't be so prevalent. Like, I had some teachers I would consider cool, and it wasn't because they made dirty jokes or hung out with me after school hours. If you just showed a teacher going out of their way to help students in a less creepy way - adjusting the curriculum for different students, remaining open between periods, maintaining some level of professionalism, etc. - it would work.

Unfortunately, this trope also occasionally comes along with a dose of student/teacher romance, so that's not so good.

1. Mr. Schue [Glee]: Okay, I know this topic is a bit of a meme in the fandom, and the show is a bit more comedic than my other examples. That said - despite being portrayed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" teacher - he constantly pushes boundaries. He had clear favoritism, let his personal problems invade the classroom, and - you know - planted weed on a student so they'd join his club.
2. Ezra Fitz [Pretty Little Liars]: I could talk about his general poor behavior as a teacher, but I think all that I really need to point out is his romantic relationship with a student. It wasn't even really portrayed in a particularly bad light either; their ending is somewhat "cozy" and shows him married to and adopting a child with that same ex-student
3. Max Medina [Gilmore Girls]: He isn't as bad as the others in my opinion, but he still comes off as weird on many instances. He shows favoritism with one character, keeps said character after class to speak on her recent break-up, and actively pursues a relationship with the same student's mother.

Okay, I know this may be controversial, but a part of me... kind of likes this trope. Don't get me wrong - serious showcases of queer relationships are usually better - but, I mean, at least these tropes exist, right? It allows some media to slip in representation where it would otherwise be sanded over by publishers, and sometimes I think it's better than the exaggerated corpo representation that almost feels patronizing, objectifying, or exploitive.

That said, some media does this better than others. I think it works best when the gayness isn't the punchline but rather sets up a joke. Also, some consistency and/or outside acknowledgment makes it better; certain series treat this joke as a cutaway (that's the best way I can think to describe it) which isn't the best.

I'll explain more along with my examples:

1. Deadpool [Marvel]: Of course, this varies from writer to writer, but Deadpool is often written as a straight dude who just so happens to make sex jokes about men. There's typically a very clear divide between "quip" and the "romance" you're supposed to take seriously. It's not too bad because it's a constant aspect of the character (if just because Deadpool is constantly quipping), and it's kind of the middle-ground of the trope.
2. Rory [My Babysitter's A Vampire]: This one - despite how much nostalgia I have for the show - is probably my least favorite use of this trope. Rory is your stereotypical "wannabe cassanova" character whose entire motivation revolves around hot women. That said, there's a couple moments that imply he at least finds some men attractive Notably, he sees a girl in his friend's room and says "you're much hotter than Ethan; additionally, he does the "floating in horniness" for 2 characters - one is his main love interest and the other is the hot werewolf dude. It doesn't go much beyond this, the joke is that Rory finds men hot, so I can't really sing its praises.
3. Owen [Total Drama Island]: There's a running bit in the show that Owen has a crush on Justin, and much like Rory, it doesn't really go beyond that. It's supposed to be funny cause the hefty, dorky dude is right along the women in the panning shot of people lusting over him.
4. Miyamura [Horimiya]: Honestly, this may be favorite example of those included in this post, and it's treading the line of even matching the trope. Miyamura is implied to be bi or pan several times including the very first episode of the anime. He calls other dudes hot, gets bashful in a "anime crush" way, and is confused for being gay several times. There's even a bit about how Hori (after they become official) gets jealous of his male friends, leading to the fandom joke of "Homophobic Hori."

Honestly surprised it hasn't been posted here yet. It's so extremely angsty, and I rarely can get enough.

Will Byers [Stranger Things]: It was implied that Will was gay in Season 1, and essentially confirmed he had a developing crush on Mike by Season 3. Probably the most mainstream example.

Terry Berg [DC]: Terry had a long-time crush on Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern's alter ego) in the comics. In the current comics - I think - Terry has moved on while Kyle remains a supportive friend.

Michael [Be More Chill]: I don't think it's technically confirmed that Michael has a crush on Jeremy, but he is into dudes + gets embarrassed when asked if he "loves" him. I take that as a pretty clear implication.

Eve [Left Right Game]: Eve (real name "Sarah") is a student and vlogger with Lilith (real name "Jen"). She has a crush on her friend... which Jen exploits to keep Sarah coming along on their paranormal investigations. Lesson to all y'all out there: don't take Craigslist ads to travel into figurative Hell because your crush asks you to go with.

I'm personally looking into my next tat, and it'll probably be one that involves a piece of media I enjoy. This has gotten me thinking about what makes a "good" nerd tattoo, and I think I've come up with a personal preference. My favorite tattoos of these type are ones that - while those in the know will get the reference - are cool pieces on their own.

1. Chainsaw Man (specifically Makima). It's u/Floopjoop's tattoo, and the design inspiration was art made by "marlboroshi1" on Instagram.
2. DDLC (referencing each of the girls in different ways). It's u/PrinceTheUnicorn's tattoo and designed by u/LoliSakuya.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 (the high-honor buck and low-honor coyote). It's u/onlyonebell's tattoo, but I'm not sure who the designer is.
4. Elden Ring, Bloodborne, AND Dark Souls (each games' symbol interlocks). It's u/onlyonebell's tattoo, and the individual pieces are from their respective games. That said, I think the way they're incorporated into the entire piece is extremely cool.

(I've been informed that what I thought was the Hunter's Mark from Bloodborne was actually a symbol from Berserk; I apologize for my grave misdeed)

>!This is a joke. Don't take it too seriously.!<

I'm looking into my next tat, and it's just on my mind. Don't know if that's the type of thing usually posted on this sub.

Also, in case anyone's looking for context:

1. Chainsaw Man
2. DDLC
3. Red Dead Redemption
4. Dark Souls

1. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners - Intense sadness when I even hear this phrase, and the song associated with it can cause tears on a bad (good?) day despite not having watched the show in years.
2. Far Cry 5 - I get legitimately anxious upon hearing this phrase, but it's a bit too common to activate me every time. When it's spoken in a sing-song voice or in isolation though, it reinforces the entire point of the section in the game.
3. Doki Doki Literature Club - Again, I flinch like an abused dog when hearing this phrase. Out of all the inclusions to this post, this example is the one that is most attributed to the fandom rather than game itself. That said, it was repeated once before the "big moment," and that moment was pretty big. I don't think it takes much to cement it into mind.
4. Bioshock - So, this one doesn't have the same visceral reaction as the others, but I'd be lying if I didn't find people using it to be subconsciously less trustworthy.

I also want to make my case as to why this is, in fact, a trope and not just a trend; creators (oftentimes with songs in particular) can enforce a certain feeling through repetition. Other times it's less meta and a plot point in-universe. I think that's a trope that involves the media directly.

Not really much to add. I was just glancing at the map (wondering if there was a pattern to the naming scheme), and it finally hit me that the districts are built in a spiral with A-Corp/District 1 in the center.

This trope is extremely... anime. I do wonder how many "Western" examples there are; I feel like I certainly missed some.

This Russian Dude [Real Life]: I - despite looking - can not find the origin of this meme. That said, it fits the prompt far too well not to mention him.

Deadpool [Marvel]: Sometimes it's because of his 4th-wall breaking, and sometimes it's do to an array of "magical pouches." The result is the same; Deadpool has an array of guns and katanas on hand at all times.

The Protagonists [GTA IV]: This could technically include most video game protagonists, but I think the GTA 5 protagonists fit the prompt especially well. In previous games, you could only hold one weapon per type, and though that's still a lot, it has nothing on the dozens of guns you can carry and swap between in this game. And unlike others, there is no weight or inventory limit.

Benkei [Nioh 2]: The real life Benkei was known for having seven weapons on his person at a time, switching between them in battle. In this game though, that concept is cranked up to 100, pulling out a seemingly endless supply of weapons from the urn on his back. There's one specific attack where he throws an entire polearm at you before pulling out an exact copy.

Noctis [Final Fantasy]: Kind of cheating because the weapons quickly disappear after use, but I still think it works. He forms weapons out of magic and uses them in battle.

Gilgamesh [Fate]: The "bat-themed heroes" of this trope, his ability allows him access to an extradimensional armory containing an effectively infinite supply of weapons.

Mami & Homura [Madoka Magica]: Neither of these characters have abilities related to guns, but that doesn't stop them. Mami (yellow hair) can control ribbons and somehow figured out how to shape them into guns. Homura (black hair) has >!time stop!<abilites, and a bag of holding style storage space. Combining those powers leads to the walking armory that she is.

The base layout is generally fun. I like robot dinosaurs, and robot dinosaur bones is even better. Where it really shines, however, is the fleshy bits.

I like that the intestine-looking appendages seem to emerge from nothing; it gives the character a generally unnatural look that even your typical flesh-mechs don't reach. Then you add on the somewhat derpy face and half-assimilated hands (the latter of which unfortunately don't come across in the animatic's sketchy style), and you have a remarkably striking design.

• Link to their tumblr account: https://www.tumblr.com/eggtomatosoup
• Link to their "Extension of You" OC animatic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gyAbQGPrxI&list=RD7gyAbQGPrxI&start_radio=1