Pride Month Art Challenge: Day 7

“Just pretend I’m not here.” - HIM 

Ice! Ace and Hypnotized! 2D 

For @acestu‘s 2dace week

Maybe we can start the new year off with some challenges. Tell me what character you want me to draw and what facial expression. The choice is yours!

An expression sheet of my own! Feel free to reblog and try for yourself! :>

(Suggest an expression and character! I’ll doodle ‘em up for ya!!)

I reblogged your post Article 13 but if i may ask, which country is this article for?? you said if you live in Europe so is this something currently happening in Europe? im sorry if this is a dumb question, i just assumed automatically that this was something happening in the US due to our recent scare with internet freedom/neutrality and i just want to be clear where this is happening so i dont spread misinformation! Thank you for answering and have an awesome day!

That’s not a dumb question at all! Article 13 was passed by a group called EU, the European Union. It’s main use is to protect people that fall under the European copyright law. Unfortunately however the European copyright laws are a lot stricter and different than copyright laws in America. The difference being in America, we have the “Fair Use” law while Europe has the “Permitted Use” law. Which sounds relatively the same but there’s a big difference with Europe’s law. With “Permitted Use” you need to have permission from a company, government, or artist to post something on the internet. In the U.S, “Fair Use” is used when someone uses/talks about a product for educational, commentary/criticism, research, or journalism. But the reason why there are so many loopholes in “Fair Use” is so that it can remain flexible for the following generations. “Permitted Use” is only meant for parody, quotation, private copying, or classroom use. Again, it might sound similar but it’s not. Europe doesn’t allow that kind of flexibility that the U.S does. Their politics simply doesn’t allow for it since their policies are much, much stricter. For example, if you were to use a meme about Super Smash Bros., the US would say “Well it’s not really based commentary or criticism but it’s not like this person is trying to steal Nintendo’s video game and trying to pass it off as their own so it’s Fair Use.” But Europe would say (as the doctrine is written) “Is this meant for educational purposes? Does it quote something? Is it a parody? No? Then you get a copystrike.” (I know the “parody” part sounds confusing but in the Copyright in the Information Society Directive [2001], it’s only considered parody if it’s in the same formula like in a parody song. Think of Weird Al Yankovic. It needs to have lyrics that are in the same melody and it needs to make fun of the original work.) The reason why this affects the U.S as well is because websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. are used in places around the world, including Europe. So when different countries have different laws, big social media companies will go for the strictest laws to keep every internet user equal instead of going through the hard labor of making completely different polices for different versions of said site to other countries. That’s the reason why you’ve probably gotten the “We’ve updated our privacy policy” email from all your social media accounts in September. Why? Because the EU just decided to pass Article 13 and everyone of those sites are going to comply with those new rules in order to stay alive. I think the biggest problem with all these new internet laws that are popping up like what happened with the FCC last year with “Net Neutrality” and now EU with “Article 13” is that we have these older generations of political figures that just simply don’t understand what the internet is meant to do and why the rules we have now are completely fine the way they are. Really makes you think. Anyway, sorry for the long post but I hope I answered your question! Also, I hope you have a nice day today too! If you have more questions feel free to DM me.

Hey @therealjacksepticeye. I think I know who stole your shorts. 

Shoelace Superhell sounds like Death Grips song mixed with 100 gecs…. Damn it, now I want it to be real.

STAY TUNED Y’ALL!!

love the rejects and all but how’s gorillaz doing with 2d gone

Uploading to mainframe ————————————— Generating message ——————————————

Music Video coming soon :)

TLDR: I think they’re relationship is very interesting because of the fact of how morally gray the two of them are. I don’t support them being together in current phases but I believe they were together at some point in phases 1 and 2. Those guys have too many instances of blatant queercoded flirting where they could not not have feelings towards one another. I also believe the roles that were once present in their relationship (2-D has crush on Murdoc but Murdoc rejects him.) are now in the midst of being reversed, (Murdoc has a crush on 2-D but 2-D rejects him.) most likely as the result of the ending we got during the Lost Chord MV.

Oh definitely. Although, I’d like to say while I’m not the biggest 2doc fan, I definitely believe that they probably had a relationship at some point in the lore. A majority of their interactions within phase 1 to 2 just doesn’t make sense if they didn’t, but that’s entirely my opinion. However, I don’t like how some people within the Gorillaz fandom tend to paint their relationship as a completely black and white thing. Like I feel like many just say “the two of them of them are deeply in love and have always been together” or “the relationship is toxic and it’s gross” but like with how nuanced the lore has been up to this point, wouldn’t it make more sense if it was both? Like, relationships are much more complicated than just being in love or being toxic, and I feel like it’s been clearly shown how gray their relationship is.

Like, the two of them aren’t angels. (especially Murdoc)

Murdoc, even though he was a victim of both child and sexual abuse, he later became an abuser. Whether it be because of:

His alcoholism, which has been made clear he uses as a coping mechanism for his abuse.

A lack of treatment of his trauma, especially due to the generation his was born in, wherein it was expected for men not to share their feelings or trauma due to societal pressure, aka: toxic masculinity or his refusal to acknowledge said problems due to not wanting to revisit those memories.

He has learned to hate himself so much that he has become the thing he hated. In his own words from the Plastic Beach interview, “In order to fight monsters, you have to become a monster of some sort yourself. Take out all the soft, fluffy bits and become empty.”

His overall need to control every aspect of his life and those around him since he wasn’t able to stop the abuse as a child. (Ex: He pursued music because he wanted to make it the way he wanted to and not let his father control which road he went down. He considers himself the leader of Gorillaz so no one else can control what he does with them. Murdoc hyper-sexualizing himself in some instances might be the result of another coping mechanism. If he controls what he does with his body he doesn’t have to think about his trauma associated with sex, which is a rare but not uncommon trait amongst victims of sexual assault.)

It’s most likely a combination of some, if not all of the above.

2-D has his own fair share of problems as well.

He is a well-known drug addict with a liking to painkillers and references to him also doing cocaine. His addiction only amping up after meeting Murdoc, however it’s questionable as to whether or not this was because Murdoc helped enable his pre-existing addiction to painkillers or if this was a result of 2-D’s own codependency.

He’s both a victim and enabler as he consistently, from Phase 1 to 2 and some instances in 4, makes excuses for or straight up doesn’t acknowledge Murdoc’s abuse towards him and the other band members and allows it to continue for nearly 20 years.

While known to be quite humble and kind, he can be quite petty and can have quite the ego. (Ex: Literally look at his behavior in several interviews and how he treated the band during Phase 5. Also, in We Are The Dury, 2-D makes a joke about Murdoc as he recounts his time being imprisoned Mexico saying, “I don’t think I could eat another burrito in my life.” To which 2-D responds with “But you still like a bit of Mexican sausage, ay man?” and proceeds to laugh. This is most likely in reference to the MTV Mexican Jail ident where a prisoner is about to sexually assault Murdoc as the video cuts off. Murdoc, upset by 2-D’s remark, he tells him to shut up and calls him the f-slur.)

He has been shown to become physically abusive towards Murdoc, however this is only when pushed to his very limits. (Ex: During the infamous Plastic Beach Interview, he can be heard attacking Murdoc after he mentioned Paula Cracker before Murdoc managed to overpower and chloroform 2-D into submission.)

Now, of course. This doesn’t mean that one of them is entirely the villain and the other is a complete saint. That just isn’t the true nature of their relationship. The two of them are innately complex and thus their relationship is filled to the brim with ambiguity. They are neither good or bad people. They are simply characters with very human problems and emotions. The both of them are simply too fucked up with each other to continue a healthy dynamic.

Personally, I think they did love each other at some point, probably more around phase 1 or 2 but it certainly wasn’t overtly romantic or happy. The two of them were clearly codependent. Whether it’s 2-D who comes crawling back to Murdoc because he feels he could fix his problems if he stays with him or forgives him, believing he could change and they could be happy together only for that thought come crashing down once the El Mañana incident occurred. Or Murdoc, who not only continues this stringing 2-D along, especially with that fact that he not only needs him for the band to keep existing but also, in a more sad twist, he’s probably the only person that has outwardly shown any kind of genuine affection towards him. 2-D’s essentially his safety net, an excuse for him to continue being shitty because he keeps forgiving him. For the longest time, he didn’t want forgiveness for his actions, he just doesn’t want to believe that he’s a bad person. No one wants to believe they’re a bad person unless they’re put into a situation that makes them actively question their own actions. And for a long time Murdoc refused to do that. Possibly another reason as to why he showed so much vitriol towards 2-D is because of how lucky he felt he was.

I’m surprised this doesn’t get brought up more often when discussing their relationship. Like, 2-D literally lived the life that Murdoc never had. He’s part of a loving nuclear family that accepts him for who he is, he was popular in school, probably was never bullied, had good looks, and a job. His life was practically given to him on a silver platter while Murdoc got to live with the scraps. His whole life, Murdoc suffered to get where he is. Why did he get to live such a happy, carefree life but not him? He wanted to hate 2-D for all of those reasons, but couldn’t because he didn’t want to let go of the one person who cared about him. And now, due to his actions, has to face the consequences of 2-D leaving him behind.

That’s probably why we’re getting bits of his reputation arc now. He’s in the midst of addressing his problems. Not all of them, of course. He is one stubborn bastard after all. But I believe that after breaking out of prison in Phase 5, he realized how much 2-D and by extension, the band, really meant to him. While yes, he did go to prison and later lied when the attention was off him. In response, he started the Free Murdoc movement. It was only after seeing Noodle run to Patagonia, believing his lies and putting herself in danger because of his fib, he began to realize that he was in the wrong. Not just then but for everything. He said it himself at the end of the Free Murdoc chat;

“Cos in the end, the experience DID free me. Not from Wormwood Scrubs — but from that other far worse prison I was in… MYSELF. The worst prison a person can be in… I was in a prison of my own making, but thanks to you — I’ve busted out. This long, long journey has made me a better man.”

And with that he swore to change. We even see him realizing how much his actions had impact in Phase 6. Since making the Now Now, 2-D has finally learned to move on without him. Plastic Beach might have been the moment he realized how fucked up their relationship was but the Now Now was the moment he stood up against the abuse and won. Murdoc noticing this, did everything to get his attention at first. He made him tea and even went out with him but nothing worked. That’s why we see him crying in Desole, he knows that whatever relationship he and 2-D or the band before will never be the same. It’s only when he actively proved himself to the band and that he did care for them that 2-D reached out of the portal to rescue him in Lost Chord. I don’t think he forgave him for what he put him through or that they’re gonna start over again, but it’s a sign that the two of them are improving themselves and that’s good!

I do have to wonder with this current phase though if their roles are reversed because before, 2-D was the one that was openly showed love for Murdoc while he rejected 2-D’s advances at nearly every turn. But now I think that’s been switched. Now Murdoc, of all people, is chasing him while 2-D, someone who’s been idolizing Murdoc for years, doesn’t acknowledge him. I mean, look at their playlists on Spotify right now. In G-Mix 17, almost all of Murdoc’s songs have been about UNREQUITED LOVE (the strongest examples being R&B by English Teacher, Security by Amyl and the Sniffers, Hung Up by The Mysterines, and Landline by Binki) whereas 2-D’s have been about FALLING OUT OF IT. (Examples being YKWIM by Yot Club, Not Into You by Brooksie, and Anybody Else But U by poolsideconvo) It’s almost like they are finally beginning to meet in the middle and mend somewhat but Murdoc has (at least so far) been slowly beginning to accept that he actually likes him but knows that 2-D has already moved on?? I’m really excited to see how their relationship improves going forward as it’s been really interesting to see their development in the last two phases so far.

Sorry about the incredibly long rant, I just love it when there’s genuinely good subtext and complex nuance into characters’ psyches, especially when done well.

Love how in past phases 2D admired Murdoc but in certain interviews I feel like Murdoc is (not so) secretly attracted to 2D as in lust. While 2D is just completely oblivious most of the time

Oh no yeah facts, you don't call someone A LITERAL GOD and a pretty boy if you feel normally about them. 2-D is definitely oblivious, but so is Murdoc I think. Their dynamic was always stupidly complicated, and it only spiraled further phases 3 and 5. They don't even know what they have going on, really- and that's okay! relationships don't have to be perfect. to deny those kinds of relationships are real and normal is immature and only stifles awareness and enables people not to recognize toxic behaviour.

anyway I went off but that's my hot take on 2doc

Guess what?? Another U13 au sketch dump lmao

Also for those wondering about the earrings they have on, no they’re not destroyer earrings. They’re wedding earrings! This concept was inspired by @nessguts but I decided to add some more world-building because who doesn’t like more Saiyan lore? :D I might make a separate post about it later so I don’t make this one too long lol but in the meantime, enjoy this fluff of U7 meeting their U13 counterparts.

Hey, here’s a neat thought.

What if in the new Gorillaz TV show (or comic book, either one is fine), 2D is fed up with Murdoc’s “tranzformation” B.S— believing his new mood is really fishy, because he’s not used to such kind behavior from him. (Not to mention Mudz has tricked him before.) So in response, he leaves home to America. 

I mean it would explain this photo from Jamie’s Instagram in 2017. 

I also think someone on there asked him where 2D was going and Hewlett did answer saying “He’s leaving home.” But I looked through it and I think he deleted the response or— for all I know— it was fake and he didn’t actually say that. 🤔 

But THEN I got to thinking about that poster of The Rejects. Y’know, the one with Cyborg Noodle and that big Frankenstein looking guy? What if, in spite of Murdoc, 2D wanted to get them off the ground. I mean, just by the poster at Demon Dayz ALONE, it doesn’t look like they’re doing so good with getting gigs. 

And hell. Since Jamie did say in the interview at Demon Dayz that he’d want to use Ace again in the future, so who’s to say we won’t see Ace either? I dunno. I think it’d be pretty cool.

Kakavege Week: Day 3 — Hot Tub

@kakavegeweek