WHAT IF I CRIED. WHAT IF YOU JUST TORE MY ENTIRE HEART OPEN. WHAT IF I WAILED LIKE A LITTLE BABY.

I want to talk about Bob.

I want to talk about Bob and how fandom treats characters with mental illnesses, because I’m already seeing this shit.

Spoilers below the cut.

His arc is so good, and yet some people are really just focusing on making him into “UwU babygirl” material. I know, this is tumblr, home of the babygirlified characters.

But there’s heavier context here. We’re talking about someone who survived an abusive childhood and overcame the addiction he used to self-medicate for a wildly unrepresented/stigmatized illness.

His memory loss is not cute. It’s traumatic. He’s traumatized.

Yes, it’s important that he absolutely can be seen as a love interest, as a favorite blorbo, as a comfort character. In fact, I think he will be for many people with mental illnesses. His story resonates.

But there’s a systemic, historic pattern of treating mentally ill folks as children, or incapable.

The situation with Valentina is a metaphor for conservatorship. She handles him, makes decisions for him, all while talking down to him.

Don’t let fandom do that to him, too.

on my hands and knees. please stop infantilizing bob. not denying he has that sad wet cat energy because I see it too, but he’s also a grown-ass man.

there is a massive gap between “adult with mental health issues” and “child.” that gap is larger than the number of laws val broke. that gap is larger than john’s ego. that gap is smaller than the the amount of vodka alexei drinks on a daily basis, but only very slightly.

yes, bob has a wide assortment of mental health problems. yes, these were probably exacerbated by his newfound superpowers. yes, he’s still responsible for his own decision-making.

Yelena in Thunderbolts*:

And honestly, same.

As someone who has a bipolar parent and is bipolar themselves, Bob is SUCH an important rep of us. This is SO important to keep in mind. Bob is more than just a silly little guy. He's a grown man with severe trauma and a disorder that millions of people across the globe have too. He can still be the silly guy, just don't infantalize him or take away the disordered parts of him. REAL Bipolar people can't do that. We can't take the disorder out of us.

I want to talk about Bob.

I want to talk about Bob and how fandom treats characters with mental illnesses, because I’m already seeing this shit.

Spoilers below the cut.

His arc is so good, and yet some people are really just focusing on making him into “UwU babygirl” material. I know, this is tumblr, home of the babygirlified characters.

But there’s heavier context here. We’re talking about someone who survived an abusive childhood and overcame the addiction he used to self-medicate for a wildly unrepresented/stigmatized illness.

His memory loss is not cute. It’s traumatic. He’s traumatized.

Yes, it’s important that he absolutely can be seen as a love interest, as a favorite blorbo, as a comfort character. In fact, I think he will be for many people with mental illnesses. His story resonates.

But there’s a systemic, historic pattern of treating mentally ill folks as children, or incapable.

The situation with Valentina is a metaphor for conservatorship. She handles him, makes decisions for him, all while talking down to him.

Don’t let fandom do that to him, too.

peter parker: I think I'm going to do it.

tony stark: don't you dare.

peter: ... I'm going to--

tony: absolutely NOT, peter benjamin--

peter: I'm DOING IT !!!

peter: *submits college application to Caltec*

tony: ... you traitor.

peter: it's good to keep your backup options open just in case--

tony: you don't NEED backup options, you are GOING. TO. MIT. that's the END OF DISCUSSION. over my DEAD GRAVE are you going to CALTEC--

avengers found family walked so that thunderbolts found family could fucking sprint

Nazis will never be welcome in paganism. They have no space in our communities, we will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to nazis. You have no right to the cultures, gods and religions you hijack to spread your disgusting ideologies. You will find no refuge or comraderie amongst pagans.

Reblog to let nazis know they’re not welcome here.

Tony has been told his whole life that he’s selfish, narcissistic, not the type of person to lay down on the wire to let another person cross, not worthy of being a hero, nothing without his suit, overall a ‘bad person’. I think it would mean the world if someone he thought highly of (Peter) (the epitome of pure intentions, integrity, and love) was certain he was good too.

I wouldn’t think Tony’s usually told that he’s good. I think he would know it partly, because he’s not an idiot; he KNOWS he’s done good, but he would think he has done just as much bad. Realistically, I think a sentence with the words ‘you’ and ‘a good person’ is something he needs to hear.

Reed900 at it again what did they do

basically the vibe im getting from tb* so far

yelena, ava, john = siblings

alexei = cringe dad

bucky = tired babysitter

bob = new baby/nuclear bomb

taskmaster = dead