Also The Amount Of Billy Hate I’ve Seen The Past Few Weeks Is Insane. It Looks Like We Are Back At

I’ve been a stan since the first 3 seconds we were introduced to him.

actually a hardcore argyle stan now after seeing how many people are so fuckin vile towards eduardo

The world should have protected you.

With the general consensus around James Potter being “ yeah he was an ass in school but he grew out of it and changed for the better”, I often wonder if that would still hold true if the entirety of Snape’s Worst Memory was shown in the movie. And I mean everything.

Not just Snape being verbally humiliated and emasculated in front of all his peers, but being (the equivalent of) tied up and gagged, and forcibly putting him in a position that exposes his underwear and threatened even further with exposing his private areas.

Reading the scene should be enough to leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth but to see it play out visually, it would be harder to brush it off as “boyish behavior or horseplay” imo.

just would like to bring up again that billy hargrove was 100% correct when he said “my 13-year-old sister goes missing all day, and then i find her with you—at a stranger’s house—and you lie to me about it.”

Stranger Things spoilers ahead but I need to talk about Jonathan Byers.

Jonathan, who took it upon himself to organize his baby brother’s funeral because his mother wasn’t doing it.

Jonathan, who dropped everything to *save* Will when he was presented with evidence that he wasn’t dead.

Jonathan, who could not physically bear to watch Will in pain even if it was necessary to free him from the mindflayer, and had to turn away so he didn’t have to see him suffer.

Jonathan, who never treated Will like he was annoying like Mike and Nancy or Lucas and Erica.

Jonathan, who truly *saw* how Will was acting around Mike and knew what it meant.

Jonathan, who admitted he had been distant and chose to be the one to reach across the distance and tell Will he would always love him no matter what.

Jonathan, who gave Will acceptance and reassurance without asking anything of him.

Jonathan, who realized in 1986 that his baby brother was queer and made sure he knew he was explicitly supported without outing him before he was ready.

Just. Jonathan Byers y’all.

Warning: flashing lights/bright colors/Sonic Prime spoilers

This is the plot of Sonic Prime, right?

The Silenced Victims Meta

Similar to both Severus Snape and Ben Solo, Billy got the same narrative treatment of an abuse victim who didn’t “cope properly” being punished by no one giving a shit except that one “special person” bullshit and I hate it.

Because what a backhanded ass concept. 

Harry for Severus: Harry is literally the only person alive who knows or cares about everything Severus did in the background for years to stop Voldemort. The only one who gave a shit about his own father’s bullying of Severus and showed to be disgusted with it.

Rey for Ben Solo: Again, the only person left alive who knows about Ben’s abuse by Snoke and him sacrificing his life for her. Hell, it’s not even known if Ray told anyone about it. She’s the only one who mourned his death (thanks novels) and saw him as a human and not a monster.

Max for Billy: Once again, only person that gives a shit that he’s dead (yeah know besides his abuser) only person that seems to care about his sacrifice. Oh, and let’s not forget the kick in the face line of “Your braver than you’re brother.” You know your brother who tried to fight off an interdimensional mind controlling monster for weeks alone. The one who sacrificed his life to stop it from, who knows taking over the world. But who cares about that, the writers clearly don’t.

So, have you guys noticed a fucked up pattern here?

Abuse victim who did not cope properly must sacrifice their life for some great or good, and even than what they did will never fully be recognized.

Even in death the narrative is still actively punishing them, by either lack of acknowledgement or their sacrifice being reduced. Similar to the very abuse they faced.

Notice something else these three all have in common? No support system. No one to turn to, no one to acknowledge their abuse, no one to help them. And yet this itself isn’t even acknowledged or even brought to attention in the story.

Now in the end am I saying all these writers planned this narrative? No

But am I pointing out how strangely common this formula is? Yes

Because it gives a message. Those who react badly to their abuse via anger or bad coping mechanisms deserve the bare minimum in storytelling.

They don’t get redemption arcs. You don’t get to see them heal, see them progress. Because they’re sacrifice was all they were in the end and even that won’t be acknowledged. Even in death they’re silenced once again.

New headcanon: As a way to make amends with Max for how he behaved at the Byers’, he would give her and the party rides to the arcade whenever needed 🥹

I'll never get over the fact the year book implies Billy used to drop off a bunch of the kids at the arcade

Friendly reminder that Billy was teaching kids how to swim in Season 3. I can’t get over the image of Hawkins’ resident bad boy, standing waist deep in the shallow end of the pool as he teaches a kid with floaties around their arms how to swim.

Check out my playlist I made for everyone’s favorite anti-couple!

The fact that they only appeared in like 10 episodes is a sin