I'm Running Out of Things to Call These

A sad and deeply fond farewell to Bonnie Tyler (1951–2026). May somersaulting ninja schoolboys sing you to your rest.

I’ve listened to this song about six times today to honor Ms. Tyler. This is legitimately one of my favorite songs ever and definitely my #1 power ballad ever.

Not to be cliche, but Jane Austen's novels are a lot about how great power & wealth should come with great responsibility, and how most of the wealthy and powerful fail at that. She's asking questions like, "Is that insanely wealthy person polite, charitable, and considerate in a way that befits his station in life?" and she's finding most of them wanting.

Darcy being rude at a party matters because he's so wealthy. Emma insulting Miss Bates is so horrible because she's so wealthy. Those in power were supposed to set a higher standard and be an example of morality and correct conduct to those of the lower classes. While we might not totally agree with this concept today, that is why their behaviour matters so much to Jane Austen. And it's valid because a person who is careless with that much wealth and power can cause a lot of damage. What if everyone in Highbury decided it was now acceptable to shun Miss Bates? It would be diasterious for her. Darcy could easily ruin a woman's marriage prospects. It mattered.

This is why I get so annoyed when people are all, "Of course Darcy was rude! All these women are throwing themselves at him all the time. He's tired of it. His life is so sad!" because that's the price of being an heir to a massive fortune. The poor poor little baby is in the top 1% of the 1% just because he was born male into the right family. As a balance for this insane luck, he's expected to be benevolent, charitable, and polite. It's a pretty small ask, and he's not doing it. (Though he is great at the charity part, which Elizabeth discovers when she visits Pemberley). "But he never knows if someone actually loves him for him!" Then he can give his entire fortune to me. Problem solved. Sorry, if he wants to be filthy rich he has freaking obligations.

ⓘ This user just wanna sit in front of the ocean and listen to the waves.

the horrors persist but so do books, art, hot chocolate, winter nights, the moon, the sea, the stars, sunsets, literature, libraries, cats, flowers, stories, love and the wistful feeling you get when you finally return home