It’s 2016 and I am still trying to figure out why in God’s name so many people hate Ronald Weasley.
Because just-
For a moment, just think.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley both have what the other desperately wants and needs. It’s right there in the Mirror of Erised from the VERY FIRST BOOK.
Harry is desperate for a family, a loving, caring FAMILY.
Ron is desperate to just be freaking NOTICED for once.
Ron is a part of the most incredible loving family ever.
Harry is famous before he can walk and talk, and gets bowed to by strangers in a shop.
One of the things that makes their friendship so beautiful is this stupid IRONY, and how they are friends despite this.
But Harry cannot ever give Ron what Ron needs. All Harry can do is make the matter WORSE, however hard he tries to do the opposite, because he’s HARRY JAMES POTTER and any friend of his is not going to get a look in, no matter whether they deserve it.
And then we have Ron, who is able to provide for Harry the next best thing to a family of his own, a chance to become part of a family who will treat him as if the only difference between them and him is red hair and freckles.
And Ron knows that if he does this, if he gives Harry what he needs, it will make his own need EVEN MORE UNATTAINABLE.
Because the fact that he has so many brothers and sisters is what gives him that need in the first place.
And welcoming ANOTHER damn brother?
An extraordinarily FAMOUS extra brother?
Can we just consider how selfless an action that is?
And yet he still does it, he still writes to his mum for a Christmas present for Harry, he still invites him to his overcrowded, rickety house ever summer, he STILL flies a car to SURREY just to give his friend a family, the thing he so desperately needs.
Just-
How can you hate someone like that?
How?
Yes!!!
So now let’s talk about the event that most Ron-haters use against him, his leaving during the horcrux hunt.
Now, as much as Steve Kloves wants you to think that it was because of a warped love triangle, it was not.
Ron has shared his family with Harry, the most precious thing, the only thing, he has. This action has put them in even more jeopardy than they might have been in. Ron is sick with worry about them, but Harry seems to not share this concern (he does, but he is not showing it at the moment for a myriad of reasons).
To Ron this is the ultimate betrayal. Here is Harry, who risked his own life, and the lives of others, to save Sirius when he thought he was in danger, but now he is doing nothing to ensure the safety of their family. They are making no progress and Harry seems not to have no urgency to do so.
Does Ron have insecurities? Yes (who doesn’t? especially at 17?)! But he has always dealt with them far better than most; it is only under the influence of the darkest magic that he falters. But, despite it all, he returns. How can you not love someone who would do all that?
I LOVE MY SON
So people who are mad that Ron left… like, totally missed the point of that whole sequence? Like, the feeling of Ron leaving was not at all, “Ron, how dare you leave.” It was, “Ron, please come back.” The entire purpose of that whole business is to show how indispensable Ron is. To show that Ron is wrong to undervalue himself. Everything Harry and Hermione undertake in his absence is doomed. Without him they are brittle and prone to despair. When he comes back, hope comes back.
Depriving Harry of Ron is an incredibly successful attack by the Horcrux; he can’t be held responsible any more than Ginny is responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets. But we hold him responsible, because he holds himself responsible, and sets out to atone.
Ron comes through like a Gryffindor in that entire business. Coming back and making amends is one of the bravest actions in the entire series.
look it’s a well known matter of fact that each and every single boy in homestuck is a weenie baby when it comes down to it
open your eyes people! they’re all weenies! your fave could never and i know it hurts but you just need to accept and understand that they absolutely have not and never will match even a fourth of the tenacity literally any other homestuck girl has in their right pinkies alone
“Not even Dirk?” is what I’d ask if I didn’t know better.
dirk “im going to dissipate into a cloud of pixels due to my sheer manpain” strider is one of the biggest weenies of them all
I will never forget the moment my abusive father used the “I turned out fine!” to defend his upbringing.
Anyone who wants kids, I want you to spend real time every day preparing yourself for what you’ll do when your child backtalks. When your child points out something you hoped they were too naive to notice. When your child is completely aware of your insecurity and fallability. When your child may exceed your capabilities academically. When your child is not just hurt but angry with you. When your child won’t take ‘no’ for a sufficient answer. When you must explain yourself to a child.
When the authority you imagined you had over them begins to waver, and they become someone so different than the fantasy you had of them before they were born.
That is going to matter the most. What will you do?
So like I used to like the idea of The Office Type. It wasn’t perfect, but I defended it for its well-meaning presentation. Then I kinda fell out of love with it for its (likely accidentally but still) racist caricatures and hadn’t heard from it in months.
Recently however, I got to thinking about it again, and wondered if it was still even in development after the massive backlash it got for the aforementioned racist character depictions (among a few other things). And to my surprise, it was!
And all I can say is… wow. They really stepped up their game and took the criticisms to heart, with I think great results.
The character designs are all varying even if they’re the same type (ex. The pencils, who were once all the same pink, yellow, green color scheme, are now all different).
The black characters have had all their previous aggressive demeanors and other stereotypical character traits removed, or incorporated into less “violent”, but still physical activities, like sports.
(Also they went from three hole punches to binders bc everyone thought people with three holes in them was just… stupid.)
The non-binary characters all now have more identity outside of being just “non-binary”, actually exploring the different genders under the nb umbrella, rather than just treating “non-binary” as a “third gender”.
The trans characters are also treated and designed respectfully and unfetishized (cough rcdart cough).
All in all, I’d say, despite a very rocky start, the people at Heavy Thoughts Studios have taken the criticisms of The Office Type’s early phases and applied them to the best of their ability. Hopefully this upward trend will continue, and The Office Type can be a respectable game depicting different LGBTQ elements.
Redemption arc
Man I had totally forgotten about this game after the whole thing with the racist character designs. All I can say is… wow. THIS is how you take criticism to heart and listen to issues people have.
I spent a good half day being boggled over the fact that Uncle Iroh from A:TLA’s title was (and probably continued to officially be, among several others) Prince Iroh. Like, no, his official title is “Uncle”. Uncle of the Fire Nation.
backup blog in case tumblr explodes 