Akuma’s Nerd Cave

"Viv fetishizes gay men!" say antis ignoring the two queer men that also write the show, and also ignoring that all mlm couples are normal couples just like any other straight narrative

"Viv hates women!" say antis that proposely ignore everything good about her female characters, instead choose to excuse a character that is supposed to be an abuser and a villain (Stella), while hating Vivienne, a queer woman, and using sexist slurs like whore, bitch and others to insult her. Also Viv is a queer woman

"Viv doesn't care about SA victims!" say antis that unvalidate SA victims that related to Angel and Stolas

"Viv writes problematic characters and jokes!" say antis that praise everything Brandon Roggers do, despite it being the same type of joke

"Viv hates fat people!" Vivienne is literally chubby. Like, I know it sucks to talk about someone's body this way, but come on. Are they blind? Wishing there were more bodily diversity is one thing, this is completely different.

"Viv is excusing Stolas's actions! She's racist and classist!" no she isn't. Stolas is facing the consequences of his actions. He is flawed, but he is also a victim of many people and circunstamces. Also, he is a fictional character, the way Viv writes him doesn't define who she is.

"Viv treats her employees badly!" says the antis that harrass VA, make them sign prints of triggering videos unvalidating trauma, and harrass storyboard artists for writing canonical relationships that are in the show

"Viv is racist(?) for some reason idk" says the antis that ignore all her poc characters and her own identity as a Hispanic creator. HB constantly mocks US, specially LA, but because of one short representing another country (Mexico) in a funny steriotypical way like many other media do, then suddenly her whole culture and identity disappears

It's all about performative activism. Pretending to care when you actually don't, just for likes, attention and egocentrism. They fight for this sanitized space that queer people MUST fit in or else they're predators, creeps, evil, etc... this type of "activism" backfires and end up being extremely nasty.

And then on a more serious note--have they never struggled with mental illness, or had a close friend who did? Have they never been poor? Have they never been disadvantaged? Have they always had privilege and health? Have they never had to overcome hardships by doing things that weren't pretty?

Have they never developed a strong sense of empathy or compassion?

What I've been learning is that there seems to be an expectation that love is something that should only happen to the virtuous, that love is only for good people. That those who have done questionable things, those who are imperfect, those who are struggling, don't deserve love. That no one who is morally gray deserves love, no one who can't perform it to exacting standards deserves love--to receive it or to feel it.

But here's the thing.

Love isn't perfect. Love isn't logical. Love isn't a measure of virtue. Love isn't just for the beautiful. Love isn't just for the whole. Love isn't just for the 'well.'

To love someone doesn't automatically redeem someone, and it doesn't need to. A character doesn't have to be flawless to deserve to be loved, or to love others. The love of a bruised and battered heart can be just as meaningful as the love from some pure, innocent, sheltered soul who has never suffered or had to make a choice that hurt.

Love is a force, and a series of choices. Love is messy and flawed and can get ugly and illogical. It's not an aesthetic. It's not a thirty-second restock video where everything always looks perfect and it's easy to believe there's nothing but perfect lives attached to it. Love can be horrible. It can hurt. It isn't something that only perfect people deserve. It can also be wonderful. It can be redemptive in that it makes you want to be better for someone else. It can be so many things... but it isn't a measure of morality. It isn't just for the blameless. It isn't just for the perfect.

Perfect people don't exist.

Love does.