#weaintashescollective

I could not be more fucking proud of the Caryl community right now. Excuse me while I go cry.

Did I do this right ?

Sidenote: my walking dead screenshot meme blog. Will continuing that hurt the waac cause or does it not matter since amc isn't getting money from it?

What's really devastating is all the shame being cast on long time fans who have been given every contradictory explanation in the book -- it was a creative decision, it happened suddenly, it happened months ago, Mel dropped out because of the location change, the location changed because Mel dropped out -- and are expected to give the network the benefit of the doubt. All they had to do was say from the very beginning and say consistently that Melissa wanted a break, no need to divulge details or invade her privacy, but I guarantee that would have been enough to accept it, pass along our love and support, and ultimately try to move on. But conflicting stories (some originating from set gossip) usually points to something being covered up. To what extent, we don't know and frankly never will. But who's saying Melissa shouldn't take a break? Who's saying Melissa should reconsider her decision? Who's saying Melissa's letting us down? Certainly not anyone from the collective who's advocated this whole time that Melissa's needs be prioritized over AMC's needs to shoot content out of a canon blaster after backing itself into a corner with this whole CRM/Rick fiasco and losing narrative integrity in the process. If we're fighting blind, that is not on us. It's AMC's fault for creating trust issues.

This is what's hitting really hard for me too, particularly today for some reason. It hurts a lot to be shamed for my dedication as a fan, especially when exactly none of that dedication has ever translated to attacking other fans, the actors, the EPs. In fact, if you know my blog, you know I have always spoken out against bullying and other inappropriate behavior. It hurts that I'm being crucified along with individual Carylers who have gone about this whole thing the wrong way, and that the show and the actors I love are alienating me because of it. It hurts that my efforts to express concern for institutionalized sexism is being twisted by people who have their own agendas, none of which involve caring about Melissa's wellbeing. Yet nobody calls THEM out for that. I know logically I have every right to be upset and I am not the bad guy here, but AMC needs a scapegoat so they'll do whatever it takes to invalidate my feelings. It feels like a betrayal honestly. There's a lot I want to come out of this movement, but one thing is proving that as a Caryl fan, my voice and my viewership matters.