penguins and bats

But they are abusive. Abuse is pretty much an entry level requirement for the gothic genre. It’s all about exploring taboo subjects but not necessarily imposing judgement on them and that’s precisely what she did. It doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person if you like her characters. I actually wish passive exploration of abuse was more common than it is because it is fascinating.

In Anne’s work, there is constant abuse, and that is what it is. That is the word we’ve coined for dynamics like the ones she writes about. She just writes about them as if she were a passive observer, which is where half the appeal of the books comes from imo. It’s far more interesting to read about how characters respond to toxic dynamics rather than for author to hold your hand and tell you they’re bad. Labelling it abuse isn’t passing judgment on the books or the characters. It’s just a clearer word for what’s going on.

We know Armand is being abused by Marius because his emotional outbursts (amongst other examples) are the most obvious kinds you’d witness in a real child being abused as he was.

We know Gabrielle is abusing Lestat (neglect is abuse) because Lestat desperately fawns over her whenever she’s around to try and prevent her from leaving again. We also know because Anne had a real issue with how neglectful Gabi was and said so directly.

The characters give real life responses that abused people exhibit and the story only benefits from this. Anne’s vampires are so heightened yet they’re still so terribly human which is why they’re so powerful. She doesn’t need to tell you it’s bad because it’s horror. That’s sort of a given.

And there are obviously a thousand other examples. You can pick any character and analyse their actions and intentions and you’ll find abuse. Louis and Claudia is in an underrated example. That’s what the series is about. Ironically, the readers who insist this isn’t the case could probably benefit from Anne being a little more direct in her framing of it, but I don’t think she needed to be necessarily. I actually love when a book or other piece of media doesn’t directly call out whatever issues it’s dealing with. It’s far more elegant to explore the impact this behaviour has on the characters rather than to just say it.

And what cracks me up is how people will say "B-b-but trauma is different from abuse~!" 😩 and I'm like....? 🤨 As if trauma can't be caused by abuse? 🙄😒

All of these vamps live a long time, so their PTSD comes from a whole cocktail of abuses--physical, verbal, emotional, psychological/mental, neglectful, grooming, sexual, even substance abuse, etc. And like you said, Anne Rice has a way of not really stating the obvious--esp. because so many of her characters ARE traumatized, but trying to not dwell on it. And ofc Armand & Lestat are the best examples.

I was literally *just* talking about Dr Fareed giving Maharet new eyes, and there's a passage in Prince Lestat where you literally SEE Lestat get triggered and try to quickly push past it:

He's trying his hardest to not dwell on what was obviously a trauma-response to the rape (sexual abuse) he suffered under Magnus, when Magnus picked Lestat as his victim strictly because he had "the proper-color eyes" and hair. It's blink and you miss it, but it's there. Lestat is being triggered by things 200+ yrs after they happened; but folks wanna act like vampires have no concept of moral/ethical right & wrongs that they do to others, or are done TO them by others; and that people are crazy for calling out the things they do as abusive? 🙄🤦‍♂️

there's something about his happy trail and two symmetrical moles on each side of it

You are not going to pass a skillcheck against a rip current once it has you.

Waves will not bow to your physical prowess no matter how impressive.

Shock does not care that you used to be on your school swim team.

If you hit your head, being good at swimming isn't going to turn you face-up while you're unconscious.

Kiefer Sutherland - David

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

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Ali Louis Bourzgui winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical at the 79th Tony Awards