So we’ve had two articles from Jez asking us not to shame or side-eye people during Covid for getting on with their lives and here’s an article shaming white people for going to a SoulCycle class.

Counterpoint

Strong disagree. Ardyn is one of the most interesting Final Fantasy villains in a long time. Maybe my second favorite to Exdeath (they’re actually kinda similar). But I also think Kefka is the most boring FF villain of all time, so what do I know.

Strongly disagree with this, as I would consider Ardyn the only worthwhile FF villain since Kefka.

I liked Ardyn as a villain, and I think all the Kefka comparisons to him are somewhat disingenuous. Kefka has no motive except screwing everyone over because he’s insane. Ardyn isn’t insane, but his time stewing in his own thoughts has clearly left him with very little but his own dark thoughts.

I don’t think so. He’s not really relevant outside 90s kids wanting to shock their dads, is he? Absolutely nothing is more dated than something that was once a controversy.

I was never a diehard but I LOVED mechanical animals. More of a NIN guy.

It’s been 5 years since I played. But something I did enjoy about Ardyn’s portrayal was how his omnipotence was revealed. An escalation of his powers, to the point where it became a sort of psychological horror, for a short while. The fact that you don’t even see him take over Niflheim I found effective because there’s…

Yes, please let’s not let this discussion devolve into kink-shaming. Manson is not a BDSM practioner of any kind. He’s a violent abusive whackjob. Period. EVR was not an informed, consenting partner, she was the victim of multiple crimes. There is no blurred line here.

I get that you may have a personal preference to avoid BDSM dynamics in a relationship but in the right relationship and setting it can be very loving and not at all something to mistrust. Not every guy into BDSM is a psychopath. Just like every women who is on the receiving end isn’t naive and being manipulated.…

It’s fine, much better than being one of those people that shits on others for liking something they don’t. Those are the ones I feel truly awful for.

David Lynch already made this announcement before. He did it in your house. Don’t you remember? He’s there right now.

I don’t understand when people do this, but I was super into this game and paid attention. I didn’t even know anybody could die til a couple weeks later, I was discussing this with friends. They all lost one character, different ones.

It’s faded with time, but I remember thinking every choice was obvious.

I think Wanda could make a great villain. I’m not familiar with the comicbook trope of “emotional” women, but I think the MCU deserves a pass because they already have a majority of female characters that aren’t that. “Women shouldn’t ever play villains” is not at all a good corrective to sexism in media; villains are…

Yeah. Say what you will about the Marvel formula, but it was basically a master class in “always leave them wanting more.”

Especially since on of the criticisms lobbed at the DCEU is that they don’t have the patience of the MCU for building characters before bringing them together. The Avengers themselves were the payoff of withholding the team-up until the characters were established, and even the author admits that the hammer wobble of…

exactly. I’m pretty sure this was planned as a 9 episode 1 season show sooooo I’m pretty sure the entire thing is perfectly pre-planned by Marvel.... This is more like a limited mini series than a “TV Show” just chill out and wait for the finale like us sane people who don’t have unrealistic expectations of random…

“To withhold information—to withhold anything—is counter to what turned these films into a pop culture institution”

Congrats, you just earned the world's biggest "Sure, Jan."

Uh...since when is David Lynch a fascist?