The only relationships he has that matter in any way are the other Vees and Alastor, but he's not his friend so he doesn't count. I don't think I'm asking for too much here, just let him have someone else to talk to.
I don't know the source, sorry.
I have to say I'm surprised Y Tu Mama Tambien wasn't included in that Odyssey collection on the channel this month. I'm also surprised it's currently out of print. Or I should say out of print unless you're willing to buy that beefy box set, and maybe you are. It's definitely one you shouldn't neglect if you do own CC40 and haven't seen it. It's an amazing film, Gael Garcia Bernal was right about it being something that makes you wanna go live. It's also a very emotional film. For how sexy and funny it is the film has a lot of substance. Hopefully Criterion gives it a 4K release in the future.
Moonlight and The Handmaiden aren't part of the collection, but I want them to be. I love these films and can't believe they're now a decade old. Time really does fly. These are easily some of the most beautiful films I've seen and encourage seeing them if you can. The Handmaiden is in my letterboxd top 4 and basically had me in a chokehold for 10 years. Moonlight is one of my favorite Best Picture winners. If it doesn't already have a 4K disc it definitely deserves one.
I'm not sure I have anything to say that I haven't said before, but I need to get these stupid ships out of my face. God. I've reached a point where I can't tolerate them anymore. Like people DO know Vox's character exists outside their toxic yaoi, right? He doesn't revolve around Alastor and Valentino. He's not their accessory. His arc going forward shouldn't just about his relationships with these assholes. I want this to be done, but its never done is it?
The promise of more Radiostatic has just broken something in me. I can't even be bothered to make this look like an analysis post, I'm just annoyed.
So something that's always bothered me about season 2 is how it approached certain political topics through Vox. The blunt fascist references in Vox Populi and Vox Dei really take me out. Not only is it just not very clever word play, it feels strange with his character. I am not saying Vox is this very progressive guy, he IS a capitalist, but he is still meant to be forward thinking. Or at least forward thinking enough where I just don't buy the idea of him as a stand in for figures like Trump. Whatever internalized 1950s shit he has going on I just don't think of him like this. I remember Viv's weird tweets after the last election where she gave away what they'd be doing with Vox. That always felt odd to me because she made it seem like it was all accidental despite literally giving him lines like "make Hell great again". Regardless this all feels rather insisted upon. I'm trying to think of the best way to say this without sounding like I'm desperately trying to soften Vox. I just think forcing these fascist ideas onto him has always felt strange. The references are brief and superficial so if you just rewrote them then I don't really think you'd draw this conclusion. Unfortunately its all there and fans don't forget it. It's likely a big reason why so many people are unsympathetic towards Vox and think he's the most evil character in the show. And if only it was just this in terms of the strange politics with his character.
I've been saying it's a missed opportunity to not center season 2 on Charlie and Vox in a bigger way. One big area that this sticks out in is actually Vox's entire motivation. I think it could have been so interesting if instead of Vox lying about wanting to empower sinners he actually meant it. Have him do a lot of the same things, berate the angels, discredit the hotel, kidnap Lucifer, blow up the gates, but have it come from a place that isn't a self serving lie. Vox actually makes good arguments during season 2, but because he doesn't mean any of it the show is basically saying not to put value in them. He literally sings about being the consequence to Heaven's actions, but he's right. And it applies just as well to Lucifer too. Look, objectively speaking Lucifer is an awful king. I like his character, but he is a bad king. Even if Lilith ran everything and was behind the caste system developing or other key problems in Hell, his decision not to do anything still makes him a bad leader. I get it, he's depressed, had his powers stunted, and never wanted this in the first place. He's still responsible for an entire realm of people who he failed though. Per Charlie he approved the exterminations and he has yet to show remorse for that. The choice not to act is still in fact a choice, that's literally why Pentious went to Hell. If nobody in charge is providing a solution and even approved your own suffering then of coarse you'll flock to the first guy that says he'll do something about it.
How much stronger would this have been if Vox was just fed up with Lucifer and the monarchy and decided to take matters into his own hands? Not purely out of selfishness, but because he hates what is happening and believed he could actually do things a better way. Then you could have the clash between him and Charlie be about a difference in how they approach the same problem. Her pacifism verses his revolution. Charlie could truly be challenged on her methods, something Adam could have done but didn't. This could have been a very mature and fascinating way to further her and Vox as foils. That isn't what we got though. Everything Vox said was just bullshit to sway the public so he could advance his own selfish goals and become God. He didn't mean any of it so I guess we don't need to take any of that seriously beyond the fact that it hurt Charlie's feelings for a week. And even there we see him use hypnosis on the public which just undermines the need to do all this in the first place. I know Vox is a selfish character, but he's a character. His actions are choices being made by writers and I think it could have been great if they wrote him like this. He doesn't need to be totally wholesome in this scenario, him assuming he's right to lead entire realms still speaks to his own arrogance. You could still have him pushing the other Vees away or being aggressive in how he handles Charlie. You could still make him spiral and come away with the message that he lost control in the end, done in by his own hubris. There are ways I think this could work while still keeping his characterization in mind, but its not what they did and the message I take from the real story is really unpleasant to me.
The implication that armed resistance is immoral and a tool used by charlatans to lead people into fascism is a terrible message. And if I'm not to take that away from season 2 then why make Vox be the only one promoting resistance just for it to be complete bullshit? What else am I supposed to think of this? Charlie harps on about how wrong he is, but never interrogates why the public would even choose that option over redemption. Him standing up to the angels is presented as menacing and that we should feel bad for them. The sinners are quite literally brainwashed by Vox. It's obvious the show pushes non violence a lot. Just look at how Lute was shot down by Emily for wanting to retaliate against Vox's declaration of war. Lute is actually correct that they can't let this happen and do nothing, but Emily scolds her about how they need to be "the good guys" and the show doesn't challenge this. Yes let's all take leadership advice from Lil Miss Gift Basket. I like Emily, but this was ridiculous. What this tells me is Viv is taking things in a more black and white way than I would like her to. We are still challenged to have empathy for amoral characters, but on complex topics like this it's very simplistic. Sure they give us fight scenes, but the idea of resolving Hell's problems through force definitely feels discouraged. We still need to have the hotel be the real answer. Why else would they associate the concept of fighting back against the system with bad actors only looking out for themselves?
I know, I know, accept that the show has different goals in mind. It doesn't have to do things the way I'd want. I get that. I'm not even sure Viv wants Hazbin Hotel to be dissected like this. Those tweets I was referring to gave me the impression she just isn't thinking of these things in the moment. A lot of the answers we've been getting to burning questions have felt rather small compared to the expectations. Trust me though, I don't like analyzing the show like I am here. I do in fact enjoy watching season 2 and just try not to get too hung up on the politics. It's just not only do I see a major missed opportunity to tell a deeper story, in the end I'm being fed a message that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And I don't know what any of this could mean for Vox's future.
This might be my most controversial piece yet. So as the title says, I don't take issue with fanart of Vox hypnotizing Charlie. I honestly like some of it. I know it's a fetish, I know graphic fanart and fanfic of this exists, but majority of the hypno fanart posted to reddit that I've encountered is tame. In these drawings he isn't performing sexual acts on Charlie, she isn't stripped naked, he isn't violent, he isn't even kissing her in the ones I see. And a lot of the time I feel like this art gets reposted to reddit specifically to upset people, which is honestly a mean thing to do to the artists whether they see it or not.
​
People get very angry at this fanart and hold it against Staticbelle as a ship, I don't like seeing that. I know the reason it makes people uncomfortable, but there's no need to reduce this ship to one specific kink and guilt fans over it. Especially when some of these artists have made cute art for them that I see shared and reposted all the time. Staticbelle isn't just a dom / sub dark ship, but even if it was largely that I don't think insulting the shippers is productive. Meanwhile I've seen highly sexualized fanart of Vox hypnotizing Alastor and Angel and nobody says a thing. I can't sit here and feign outrage over drawings of Vox draping a hypnotized and fully dressed Charlie in his arms when this same fandom is literally posting Radiostatic rape comics in the main sub. I just can't.
​
I wasn't expecting to write about this scene because it's been picked very clean. I think a lot of the posts analyzing it can be tedious. That said it's always been weird to me. Viv really built up this idea that Vox had this brutal backstory to him and I was confused by this being what we got. I get that the point is he was vulnerable and had his feelings wrecked, but I just expected something more. On paper it even sounds like a joke, Alastor didn't want to be Vox's friend and that's why Vox is so mean. I'm simplifying it, but I expected a lot more than this. The scene also plays out weird, at first I didn't know how seriously I should take it. There's this big tonal whiplash of Alastor having the most over the top reaction to his offer and being called his friend to Vox being sad about it seconds later. You literally recreated a meme in this scene and unfortunately Alastor still gets a laugh out of me here. I'm not sure why they couldn't just play it completely serious.
​
I sometimes have an awkward time reconciling Vox in this flashback with him in the rest of the show. The implication is he's never been vulnerable with somebody in his entire life. I think that's silly. Yes he was ruthless in life and most likely closed off to keep his secrets, but really? He never felt warmth outside when he was with Alastor? I hate to say this, except no I actually don't, why is Vox so attached to him in the first place? I know why he's obsessed with him in the present, but what was so special about Alastor to him back then? What did he like about him? This is also where things start to slide into this idea I don't like where Alastor is essential to Vox in a way nobody else is. That nobody else matters to him, he will never feel anything like this again because it was just for him. Puke.
​
I honestly thought this was an act at first. The little sweater, complimenting him about radios, his self depreciation, the touching. I know it was sincere now, but initially this seemed so jarring I just assumed it was manipulation. I'm not trying to accuse Vox of being fake, I accept this softness is part of who he is, it's just a weird scene to contextualize with the rest of him right now. Brighter exists to reinforce that he was always a villain and he's so messed up in the present that he only ever appears sweet when he baby talks his sharkie. Even when he's alone he doesn't allow himself to be any other way. Yes this speaks to his myriad of issues, but it makes this behavior in the flashback feel like a weird isolated incident. I would like to see something in the future that helps bridge these sides of Vox, I hope we see it. I'm not sure how we'll see it. But I think this weirdness is kinda why I see so many bad reads of the scene, that and people refusing to accept Alastor is a bastard.
​
People accuse Vox of wanting to use Alastor to kill him later, of trying to get Alastor drunk, they say he's a bad person so his feelings don't matter, that Alastor did nothing wrong, that Vox is just mad he got told "no". Jeez guys. And its been implied Vox and Alastor remember their relationship differently and I don't like where that seems to be going. I don't want this to have a Rashomon effect. We don't have a reason to doubt the legitimacy of the flashbacks we see, but we're supposed to do it here? And with how the show positions Alastor I dread a flashback for him because I just think it will invalidate Vox. Some people would rather believe Alastor is exposing who Vox really is than believe he's just plain mean. I don't want the show to do anything that leans in that direction. I'm also just really put off by their whole beef and this ship. I say that a lot because it's true. This whole thing became a tumor in season 2 even if I think Alastor was funny during it. The pandering merch and my social media being flooded by it doesn't help either. I want this part of Vox's story to be over, but we all know it won't be.
​
I'll provide a proper link in a comment below, but just know I use Tidal. My goal was to make a new wave playlist of songs that either remind me of Vox or that I think he'd like. I'm happy with it so enjoy!
​
https://tidal.com/playlist/349f43bf-00ae-4229-9d18-8dc82c3d6fe0
I feel like talking a little bit about this, if I can. While The Piano Teacher has been one of my favorite films for some time now, I only just finished reading the novel for the first time. I think Michael Haneke did a beautiful job at adapting it. The film does go to disturbing places, but to my surprise the novel presents them in higher detail. The self harming in the novel was some of the most unsettling material I've read in a while and I appreciate Haneke's restrained approach to showing that. If a different type of director, one with a more salacious style, were adapting it then it would have felt exploitative. I don't want to get too far into my own business, but there's aspects of Erika that really speak to me. Isabelle Huppert is phenomenal, she really understood this character. I love her. I am rather tired of constantly seeing that one scene from Sentimental Value when I search The Piano Teacher, but Stellan's character was right. It has a lot to say about certain female experiences and mothers. Just don't gift it to a child.
​
I know Haneke isn't for everyone, but I think he's exceptional. I also know this film gets some criticisms I find to be frustrating and in bad faith. So sorry you thought you were going to live some kinky fantasy through Erika, I guess? No idea why you'd expect that from the man who made Funny Games. At the same time reading the novel felt very reaffirming for my relationship with this story. I need to watch the film again soon and I recommend this book to anybody that appreciated it.
So I am very much a Vox redemption arc fan, I love it. Sometimes my confidence in it happening can waver because I tend to overthink so much and already lost out on sinner Adam happening, but I know I need to try not to be so negative. This is the direction I most want Vox's story to move in, especially if it involves him and Charlie building a meaningful relationship. And I've noticed weird trends in some fans when it comes to this concept. And I wanna preface that I know it isn't every fan, but its still happening with some.
There have been some Alastor fans that are really bothered by ideas like Vox getting positive development and even moving to the hotel. I've seen them act like if Vox gets redemption then Alastor is entitled to it too. Somehow. Between the two Alastor has the least amount of reasons to change. He has everything he wanted and now we have to see what he intends on doing with it. Vox is a talking head, lost his power and influence, and the other Vees are mad at him. Everyone likes to highlight them saving him, but they overlook that Val pretends he doesn't know him during that interview and what that could imply for the future. Val throws his head through the door like a Frisbee, I doubt things are fine between Staticmoth. Velvette rolls her eyes and scoffs at Vox for trying to deflect in the finale. Which is valid, but doesn't look like she's exactly good with him right now either. My point is Vox has reasons to reconsider the direction of his life and Alastor doesn't. So why does him potentially changing mean Alastor is entitled to it too?
Then there's another thing I see. They think Vox moving in and potentially doing good at the hotel means he's replacing Alastor. This is more under the context of Alastor betraying Charlie to be a villain and Vox moving in, but they're weirdly threatened by this. I think deep down Alastor stans know he never had good intentions and will inevitably hurt Charlie. He didn't even want to be at the hotel in the first place. So the idea of Alastor following through on the things set up for him by screwing her over and then having Vox come in and stay with Charlie probably triggers an insecurity. The same insecurity that makes them think Alastor is owed a redemption arc if Vox gets to have it. A lot of Alastor fans are thin skinned over the idea of Vox having things Alastor doesn't and probably won't ever have. You see it when they use Niffty and Mimzy as props to prove he can make meaningful relationships like Vox. You see it when people run with Viv's idea that Val and Velvette would get along with him by making fanart of them explicitly choosing him over Vox. So the thought that Vox could move in and even do better than Alastor did seems to piss them off. I've seen plenty of cute fanart of Vox getting along with Charlie where someone comments with the gif of Alastor saying "not going to happen". As a Staticbelle shipper it's very annoying. Vox in this context wouldn't be a stand in for Alastor, he'd still be his own character serving his own purpose. And some of these people are even in deep denial that Vox is Charlie's foil. God forbid Vox have a unique relationship to our protagonist. If Vox is her foil then that means he has importance to her that Alastor doesn't have and that's just unfair! I guess when you're an Alastor stan that only sees Vox as not!Alastor you can't handle the idea of him being his own character. But that's just my opinion.
Season 1 has Vox explicitly say he doesn't want Alastor making a deal with Charlie. And it never comes up again. He just didn't give a shit during season 2. Oh well. Alastor blew that deal away to make my most frustrating part of season 2 happen. So this isn't important I guess.
I said it before and I'll say it again, Vox having a difficult relationship with his sexuality is an interesting flaw to give him. My problem is I don't understand why he's the only character like this.
People tell me its because he's from the 1950s, but that doesn't account for the characters that died in decades before him. Alastor while biracial and ace is still a southern man from the 1930s. Angel is gay, but he was part of the mafia (most likely the Italian mafia) in the 1940s. Pentious straight up lived in a different century. None of these characters appear to have internalized negative perspectives from the eras they come from though. So why is it only Vox? People told me it's because the 50s were more conservative, a sentiment I find very dubious honestly. However, that doesn't factor in that Vincent was still an adult during the 30s and 40s. He didn't just live during the 50s. Ultimately the issue isn't Vox having problems that carried over from his lifetime, it's that we aren't seeing it in anyone else. Alastor is supposed to be a traditionalist personality, but he doesn't show any negative aspects that come with this like sexism, homophobia, or even internalized racism. In the pride merch Vox is the only one that is visibly unhappy to be there. Angel's discomfort in this year's merch isn't about his queerness, it's because he's with the Vees. But Vox is visibly unhappy in last year's collection and this year he's faking a smile and keeping his flag behind his back. I just think it's strange to only do this with him, especially given his forward-thinking personality. Maybe season 3 will do a little something like this with other characters, but right now they really aren't.
I told you guys he's unhappy in merch.
This is hard for me to explain, but I'm going to try my best. I am an Angel fan, he is one of my favorite characters. From the perspective of an Angel fan I think recontextualizing Poison flattens things. What initially was a sequence showing us the ways Angel suffers on a daily basis through Val is now just a piece to one of season 2's weakest story elements, the spy stuff. I saw the events of Poison to be about how he disassociates to just get through each day (the lyrics literally say this) and that Angel turns to harmful things like drugs just to function (again he literally says that). But now it just feels like they're reframing it to all be that Angel was being Vox's unknowing spy and blacking out. So all of the scenes of him being unwell actually have nothing to do with Angel self destructing? He's just a perpetual damsel in distress with no agency? It's just so weird to me. The spy arc sucks and is just tossed in there. To try and twist the Poison scenes to now be about something else entirely just cheapens and dumbs down what used to be a very complex part of season 1.
Okay now for how I feel as a Vox fan. This whole thing is awful. He always hated Angel and was complicit in his abuse, but the idea that he's this tied up in his suffering leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Especially when we see Val is unhappy about allowing it, I think this is why I started seeing people say Vox was more evil than him. Because if Valentino is against this and visibly upset that must mean Vox went too far! Yup, it has nothing to do with Val seeing Angel as HIS property that only HE should use. This is more a fandom problem than a show problem, but let's keep walking.
The idea that Vox is just as directly involved in Angel's misery feels so unnecessary. It just kinda feels like it was done to reinforce Vox is an awful person. Did Viv think we forgot? A villain doing villainous things isn't an issue, but in this case I feel like it adds nothing of value to Vox or the story. Again the execution of this sub plot is a mess, it's an answer to a question nobody asked. And we know Vox is doing terrible things to people that don't deserve it in direct and indirect ways. But by recontextualizing Poison the way they did it hoists all this blame onto Vox that we didn't need. That look at the end of the song said plenty. Powerful people like Vox know what goes on and allow it to happen. There was also the added subtext about how Val is openly unfaithful to Angel on top of abusing him. But now it just means it's actually all about this poorly cobbled together sub plot where it's Vox's fault. And the fans just love to shove it in my face as proof Vox will only ever be a monster and doesn't deserve growth. I really wish this didn't happen.
I feel like being positive right now. Vox is the most interesting character in all of the Hellaverse, it's not even a question to me. I think a large part of this is despite being cruel and vindictive he's also a figure of real pathos. Fans can say what they want about him looking pathetic or stupid, but seeing his mistakes does make him feel more human. Vox always has reasons behind what he does. They may not always be good reasons, but we understand it comes from a very human place of insecurity and hurt feelings. Viv might think he doesn't deserve much sympathy, but he's connected to fans in a very special way because of this. This is why the bar scene continues to be discussed months later and why people like me want Vox to heal from everything.
A character that always wins and gets everything they want is boring. I need to be forward and admit Alastor isn't interesting to me because of how much the show tries to sell me on the idea of him being SO cool and SO smart and he just gets everything he wants by the end of season 2. Vox might be framed as being impulsive and immature by comparison, but that does make him feel like a dimensional character while Alastor doesn't. We also get to see hints at a sweeter more affectionate part of Vox in a few scenes, he isn't just one thing. Vox really can go in a lot of different directions right now, I hope its in a positive direction. And I hope that this post doesn't age poorly. I'm rooting for you TV man.
I want to preface by saying I sincerely enjoy season 2 and like it more than season 1. But I won't pretend there aren't things I wish were different.
I can't shake the feeling there were missed opportunities here, even though I do love a lot about season 2. They built up Charlie and Vox to be foils, but did nothing meaningful with that. It felt like they were going to be more important to each other for this exact reason. At no point does Charlie reckon with the fact that the man trying to ruin her dream is almost a mirror into who she'd be if she was a villain. She could have had such a fascinating arc if this was actually part of it. Charlie wants to be a counselor and rehabilitate people, so how would she handle having to confront her own flaws through Vox? How would she feel recognizing her good qualities in him? From his point of view I think Charlie could actually make him jealous. Unlike him she's comfortable being openly bi, is in a committed relationship, comes from privilege, has Alastor actually working with her (whatever ulterior motives Alastor has notwithstanding). I don't think its a stretch to say that areas in which they diverge could trigger his insecurities. I also feel like she'd remind him of sides of himself he's embarrassed of like that neediness that drives them both. They could have both had their characters explored in interesting ways if the show actually put their parallels to narrative use. It's all just sitting there right now, and it doesn't mean anything. Yes there's always a chance future seasons will do something, but season 2 was an ideal moment for this to start. I don't even know how confident I am that Vox and Charlie will have their stories intersect like this again. Next season sounds like they'll be in separate storylines. I swear none of this is about shipping Staticbelle, it's about how the relationship and conflict between our protagonist and her narrative foil felt ignored.
I also feel like complaining about this right now, but I hate the way Alastor broke his deals. The whole thing with Charlie announcing Vox as the strongest sinner somehow making it real despite Alastor forcing it out of her is stupid. I genuinely get mad over this because it just doesn't make sense to me. People have tried arguing with me its because she's the princess, but nobody actually gives a shit about that in the show. Why have it matter now? (I don't really want to debate this again, I just really need to vent.) It's not helped by the shoulder touch that I saw coming a mile away, this entire part of season 2 is so contrived I hate it. Vox is made to look stupid and Charlie is just a pawn to make Alastor look smarter. The worst for me is we jump right into their big dumb fight while Charlie is just off doing other things. So sorry I wanted her to be the one who defeats him, not like they're foils or anything! And while Alastor effectively won their beef the actual fight ended in a draw. So I guess we're gonna see them fight AGAIN! Yay.