If you're using gen AI because "you want to make art but don't know how/can't learn/it's easier/whatever"
You don't want to make art.
You want someone to make art for you, but you don't want to pay or exchange anything of equal value for it, and also you want it right now, in whatever style you fancy that moment, and in whatever quantity you want. You're greedy and entitled and it is just that simple. You don't want to make anything.
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The tiktok Phantom of the Opera fandom is terrifying. Saw someone say that book Raoul is verbally and emotionally abusive to Christine, and that's why they're team Phantom. Y'all stay safe out there.
In all honesty, if these are new readers of the book who only know the show so far they might have just realised that in the original story Raoul accuses Christine of cheating on him after talking to her for the first time in 6 years, implies she's a whole and asks her guardian if she's "still pure". That's quite a change from how he is portrayed in the show ...
I can see how that would rub people the wrong way. No one accused him of being a perfect man. He is as flawed as the rest of them, certainly. But abuse? Definitely not. Especially not when compared to Erik. Calling it abuse or saying he was a manipulator also strips Christine of her agency. She *wanted* Raoul. Didn't choose him out of a sense of obligation. Otherwise, she wouldn't give him the time of day. He isn't a necessary part of the story. She cared for him, though, and certainty didn't put up with his bullshit.
'I am mistress of my own actions, M. de Chagny: You have no right to control them, and I will beg you to desist henceforth.'
(Moving this out of the comments into a reblog. Not targeted at you, more so general frustration!)
Things I love about the book is the fact every character is a critique on a common archetype (especially for the time).
Rahul is prince charming who is totally incapable, and rather an entitled complainer (despite his best efforts). He starts the story thinking he’s entitled to X Y Z (including thinking he’s entitled to being the hero if the narrative) only to learn he’s not.
Christine is your ‘damsel in distress’ but she’s also coo-coo for coco-puffs (what a catch huh?). She’s doomed to be not taken seriously for no reason other than because she’s a woman from the 1800s (surrounded by idiots). Yes, sure it’s probably all that lead paint in the wallpapers making you ‘hysterical’ not really a man in your walls. THEN she’s one of the more actionable characters (outshining many of the men).
Erik presents through multiple plot twists designed to change your perception of him. He is at first seemingly the only entity who actually listens to Christine, then your jovial prankster, then your ‘actually this guy may be a serious red-flag manipulator’ — and by that point he has all the power. I love that you’re left to wonder if if he’s a twirly moustache villain, or if his depth is genuine. ‘i’ll die without you’ / ‘teehee twas but a joke you fools’.
Speaking of unreliable narrators, best of all (and criminally cut from so many adaptations) is the Daroga (the Persian) who is a shockingly positive representation of a POC for the time. Quite possibly the only consistently sane and capable character in the book who has to hand-hold Rahul into his hero role. He’s disregarded for his value because he’s a ‘foreigner’ (both by the managers and the lense of the story) but my god he is essentially banging his head against the plot mumbling ‘i’m surrounded by idiots’ the whole way through. It’s also hilarious that he’s essentially the narrator but questionably senile by the time he is recounting the tale so after all is said and done we still don’t know what the absolute truth of this strange tale is.
The POTO book is worth so much more than just ‘who should Christine end up with’ it’s a beautiful critique and circumvention of literary tropes of the time. Plz go read the book
I would go so far as to say that Raoul falls into the damsel role more than Christine ever did. He lacks the most agency in the story. He's terrified out of his wits, his brother is breathing down his neck, and he's about to be thrown back on a boat for god knows how long. None of which he has any control over and most of the book he is spiraling because of it. By the end of the book he has nothing, his brother is dead, he will likely be framed for the murder in the absence of any concrete killer, and with that he will be completely alienated from his family and fortune.
Christine, on the other hand, fills that hero role. She saves herself in the end without cruelty or malice but a promise of kindness to her teacher and mentor whom she did care deeply for and pity.
Erik is an enigma, the only character who doesn't tell any portion of the story from his own perspective. Such a fun way to present such a complex and amorphous character.
And Daroga, my beloved. My favorite literary character of all time. He is the key witness in this mess of a piece of journalism presented by the character that is Gaston Leroux himself.
I truly didn't intend for this post to turn into literary analysis. Read the damn book. Come to your own conclusions. Keep them away from me tbh. After 10 years of reading and re reading this book, I have endless appreciation for it, but there are too many of you who can not have civilized discussions.
Reblogged
The tiktok Phantom of the Opera fandom is terrifying. Saw someone say that book Raoul is verbally and emotionally abusive to Christine, and that's why they're team Phantom. Y'all stay safe out there.
In all honesty, if these are new readers of the book who only know the show so far they might have just realised that in the original story Raoul accuses Christine of cheating on him after talking to her for the first time in 6 years, implies she's a whole and asks her guardian if she's "still pure". That's quite a change from how he is portrayed in the show ...
I can see how that would rub people the wrong way. No one accused him of being a perfect man. He is as flawed as the rest of them, certainly. But abuse? Definitely not. Especially not when compared to Erik. Calling it abuse or saying he was a manipulator also strips Christine of her agency. She *wanted* Raoul. Didn't choose him out of a sense of obligation. Otherwise, she wouldn't give him the time of day. He isn't a necessary part of the story. She cared for him, though, and certainty didn't put up with his bullshit.
'I am mistress of my own actions, M. de Chagny: You have no right to control them, and I will beg you to desist henceforth.'
(Moving this out of the comments into a reblog. Not targeted at you, more so general frustration!)
top-tier moment in the phantom of the opera novel is when raoul goes to the opera looking horridddddddd and the managers are hanging out in box five and moncharmin is like 'that's the vicomte? he looks ill and should be in bed.' and he was so so right because approximately two minutes later christine looks at raoul and he begins sobbing directly into his hands
Reblogged mctreeleth
pumpkinspicedcoochie-deactivate
it really does only take one basket of laundry you procrastinate putting away before your whole life turns to shit huh