I really need to make up my mind.

So one of my favorite things about WALL-E is how, even though it takes place in a future where humans have screwed up the Earth big-time, and we’re living in this impersonal complacency dystopia and everything, all the human characters (or at least the ones we meet at the time of the narrative) are good people.

And like, in that vein, I love Captain McCrea’s arc—his sense of wonder at discovering the vast, complicated beauty of our Earth; his shift, when his romantic notions are shattered, not to despair but to heroism; the way he takes on the true meaning of what has been a cushy figurehead position, and becomes a real decision-maker and leader.

But another thing that always really catches my attention is the little scenes when WALL-E meets John and Mary.  WALL-E doesn’t look or act like the Axiom robots, so they both react to him with some confusion—but at the same time, they automatically return his politeness.  Just by the simple act of exchanging names, they accept WALL-E’s invitation to engage with him, and they begin to count him as a friend.  John and Mary don’t do anything big to impact the main conflict or anything.  But it means a lot that when their routines are interrupted by a strange robot, their first impulse isn’t to be annoyed or suspicious, but to be friendly and nice without a second thought.

And these positive qualities aren’t limited to the humans that have been directly touched by WALL-E’s eccentricity.  When the deck tilts in the climactic scene, everyone reaches out and tries to help each other.  Everyone cheers for the captain when he stands up to AUTO; everyone feels for WALL-E and EVE in their moment of tragedy.  And everyone seems excited and hopeful about the prospect of returning to Earth and starting something new.

Ultra Magnus doing Ultra Magnus-y things makes me happy

Ultra Magnus makes me happy

having to produce something and have a use is a capitalist ideal and not an intrinsic part of humanity

People will love you if you make yourself useful.

It's not harmless. As a kid, I was bullied for 7 years, non-stop. And I clung to this carol and other similar naratives, I believed them. I believed that if I made myself useful, that if I saved the day, I would be loved and other kid would stop bullying me. I was so lucky not to be abused of because of this belief. It's these kinds of narratives that lead to toxic friendships and other toxic relationships. It's that kind of narrative that leads to that typical situation in fiction where the nerd does the bully's homeworks, and gets used in all other ways. You cling to the hope of being accepted if you're useful, and other people know this very well and use it to their own advantage.

what is sleep