Liаm

The most hilarious thing about the whole "snowflakes, everyone is so easily offended!1!1" thing is how the people spouting that crap every time are the ones getting so wound up. If it's "just a word" or "not worth getting offended about", why do you feel the need to insult and belittle over it?! It is never for you, whether you are gay or straight, to dictate what experiences might render something as offensive. If you lack that basic empathy to see that perhaps a slur might trigger god knows what for somebody, having had it shouted at them all their lives, then I'm sorry for you to be honest.

 

It absolutely baffles me that it's always "just a joke" or "just a word" until it doesn't go the way of the (usually) straight, white, male majority and then it's "SNOWFLAKES!1!!" :rolleyes:

Do you ever like any male contestants from any reality shows? :lol: Just an observation

Yes.... :lol: Sorry but what a ridiculous comment. The males in this particular series were very lacking, but then the only ones I particularly cared about were Shan/Bella/Scarlett and I guess LMA Choir for the two live shows they were in after thinking nothing of them.

 

I don't not like Dalton, the overhype was just ridiculous. Just from recent ones, I like John/Nick, liked Malique in I'm A Celeb at the moment, Charles in Strictly who just went and a couple of others who've gone, a fair chunk of the males from the most recent Big Brother.

I actually like this a lot more than I expected having had it for a week! :lol: It's not really *that* hand-holdingly easy in terms of the actual games, as I said Pokemon has always been easy. The partner is quite OP at the start but I think it balances out a bit as the game goes on, and I try not to just spam my partner's OP tutor moves for everything (I have Sizzly Slide and Baddy Bad of those on it atm). It's easy, but no more easy than SM/USUM was (save for that bloody Totem Lurantis if you didn't choose Litten at the start). It's just a fun, nostalgic trip into Gen 1, and I'm trying to not take it as anything other than that.

 

 

 

 

Having said that, I can't see it having any replay value for me. It's not that the games are easy which has put me off, but as obviously a big Pokemon fan I just find the amount that's been cut out pretty jarring. I keep thinking of moves that could be good on my team, only to remember they've been taken out :lol: The movesets are quite limiting, I also keep thinking of held items, of course they can't be used in this game, and my head is programmed to abilities (I keep not using Dig on the Gastly and Koffing lines when they'd go down so easily to a Nidoking Dig). Grinding is also a bitch, you don't really need to tbh as there are enough trainers in a normal playthrough between gyms or big battles but I got a Dratini when I got the Surf technique and it's level 20, whereas my team is around level 40 at the moment so I want to put it on my team but as you can't rebattle trainers it's hard to train it up without the rest of my team getting too many levels and the Dratini always being far behind :lol: I tried taking all my team off bar Dratini and going to Diglett Cave to chain until I get a Chansey (they're quite common if you chain, I've got one every time I've got to the 10-20 range) but grinding that way is SO tedious. I know using the VS Seeker for example was hardly the biggest thrill, but it's legit just swinging your controller at the right time at Digletts for what feels like hours on end. It's ok if your team sort of naturally comes together (the Alolan forms you trade for always happened to be around the right level when I got them, and I've had Nidoran/Eevee since the start), but once you get a low leveled Pokemon later in the game and want to add it, it becomes a slight issue. Grinding is never the most fun thing but it's so so tedious, I'm very close to just ditching the Dratini and sticking with Gyarados...

 

Also, being limited to just Kanto Pokemon means that there is a limit to the teams you can build around the starter you get. I have the partner Eevee, Alolan Raichu, Alolan Ninetails, Nidoking, Venusaur and Dratini atm, I know that's two Poison types so I might swap out Nidoking for a water type idk. I didn't want to use all the starters so I haven't got a water or fire type atm, I did have a Gyarados but swapped it for the Dratini for now as that can learn Water moves although it ofc doesn't have STAB for them. I guess I could have Rapidash or Alolan Marowak (which doesn't actually get a physical ghost STAB...) for fire, Growlithe/Arcanine are only available in Pikachu version, but the Eevee tutor moves can cover whatever gaps you have if you don't feel like using certain Pokemon so I don't feel limited to having to have one of each of the core types, I usually tend to make sure I do. Idk, I just can't think of many more Pokemon I'm that desperate to use that would make a viable team with enough coverage, it's hard when you're limited to the original 151 + Meltan/Melmetal (which I can't even have bc cba playing Pokemon Go enough to unlock them) and don't want to keep using the same Pokemon I've used in so many playthroughs of Red/Fire Red.

Yes Fleur *.*

And a lot of people who are "silent" homophobes will just revel in the free pass to say the word every Xmas....

Exactly! It's akin to when you're a kid and you'd say shih-tzu and be like "I can say shit because it's a dog!!!!" :lol:

Whether it was or wasn’t intended as a homophobic slur in the context of the song is debatable - when the song was written it was very much a common homophobic slur. The writers of the song were very much aware of the implications, even to the point where they changed it when singing it live in later years. If you’re not in favour of censoring, would you be in favour of hearing racial or antisemetic slurs on Radio 1 during the day, out of interest?

 

The more pressing issue is how it’s perceived at the moment. I can tell you that when you’re a gay guy in a room with a bunch of straight people and they’re singing the lyrics with glee, they aren’t taking the word as anything other than a homophobic slur, which they’re now given licence to say, because, hey, it’s played on Radio 1 at 3pm on a Sunday.

 

As a gay person, it’s exhausting having to continually explain why this word is offensive. But I’m over just “ignoring it”. This is 2018, there really is no excuse for people to pretend not to understand, or even acknowledge, how this word has been used to humiliate and degrade gay people over the last few decades.

YAAASS this!

 

As a white person, I would never sing along with the N word in a song just because it was played in a public place (for example, in the case of Bodak Yellow when I've heard that out), it's not suddenly acceptable in that situation. It's the same with this word, you can say all you want it's just a word but you cannot dictate to others that it's "just a word", particularly when you are a straight person (or a white person in the case of the N word) who hasn't had these experiences. If it's "just a word", who on earth cares if it is censored or you just have to be mindful of screaming it out loud?! It's always "just a word" or "just a joke" until something doesn't go the way of the straight, white, male majority, and then they scream snowflakes ad nauseam, when really they're getting more offended about simply being decent mindful people than anyone is of anything else.

 

As said by others, having had the word targeted at me as a teenager particularly, it's just one of those words that goes right through and I find it really jarring in songs, or in any piece of media, whether it's by a straight or gay person. I don't think we're at a stage where it's been "properly" reclaimed so a lot of us still find it stings a bit to be used so flippantly.

Glad Sair stayed, I think James easily should have gone over Malique or her though, he is really bringing absolutely nothing. I'm sure he's lovely but at least the other two are good in trials, seem likeable when shown, he's just there. Sam Quek teas x

 

YAS Fleur tho *.* I hope she can challenge for the win, certain other forums will say she's showing off or trying hard but I feel like she's just naturally fun and thus gets a lot of the confessionals parts as she's naturally funny and amusing commentating on things. She's coming across brilliantly, really likeable and up for anything when I think people might have expected she'd be a bit full of herself or a diva.

It wouldn’t be acceptable for white people to be dropping the N bomb in music (it’s even blurred out for people of colour on the radio). So I don’t get why an offensive gay slur can be used in that song, even if it wasn’t originally used as a slur. It always seems like straight people who say it’s ‘not offensive,’ and it’s not really something they get a say on whether it’s triggering for LGBT+ groups or not.

100% agreed! It's almost always straight white people deciding that racial slurs, gay slurs, or sexist language "isn't offensive" and it's legit so tedious. You don't get to say what is and isn't offensive for somebody else, especially when said people are the same who'd be the first to get incredibly offended by a Paul Walker joke or someone not wearing a poppy.

 

I don't usually buy into this whole finding everything offensive thing necessarily but I think this is such a valid point.

Mark Vincent aahhahha LORD

 

Sheppard and Kate are a VERY promising start though as I said :wub:

why does the X factor act as if James Arthur is the best thing since fresh bread, like he had ONE good song (maybe two and that’s a stretch) and that’s it

Fitting for the nauseating overhype they gave Dalton every week :lol:

That trial was VILE, Fleur is an absolute trooper for nailing that one!!

Sheppard confirmed!! A great first name :o

 

Kate Miller-Heidke appears to be doing it too, she's brilliant and I'm looking forward to what she might bring. A new duo called Electric Fields also look like they're doing it.

I've got a horrible feeling it'll be Ashley vs. Faye next week :drama:

Absolute dirge :lol: I can see it maybe doing like #5, it won't do as well as Rak-Su.

I'll eat my hat if he does any better than Matt Terry. Great voice, you can't dispute that, but there is just no personality or dazzling star quality, I'm totally baffled as to how people think he's "outstanding" "sensational" and all that. Completely and utterly overhyped, to a ridiculous level, as I've said. Didn't watch a second of this weekend because it just felt so obvious that he'd walk it :/

 

Thank god Anthony didn't pip Scarlett to second though :lol:

I'm A Celeb starts again Sunday 13th Jan *.* It's reduced to a four week run rather than six, not mad tbh as I think at times, it does feel like it runs for a bit too long.

 

It's sooo much better than our season it's unreal. Not many rumours so far but I've seen whispers of Tayla/Grant from Love Island (ngl putting them in together after what happened would be GOLDEN, can't say I'd be that fussed on either of them alone) as well as some guy off Married At First Sight (but there were various MAFS rumours last season that turned out to be wrong). I'm sure there'll also be some Bachelor(ette) types.

This was on in work yesterday and having heard it I can't say I want to seek it out again for myself, what a dreadfully disappointing album :/ I wouldn't say it was completely abysmal because the first 5 singles are all 10s and then Baby is right up there too, plus Mama, Last Goodbye and Playboy Style are great, but that's it. The rest of the songs just have nothing to them and blend into one a lot as said. They can do SO much more and are capable of really standing out, but it feels like they felt that the singles were pretty much enough, didn't put a lot into any of the other songs and thought that Spotify playlist filler could pad out the album.

From what I see on Twitter, people do generally seem to like Fleur - although maybe I just follow the right people! She just kind of gets on with things and I think she's appreciating and enjoying the experience for what it is, grabbing every chance and making the most of it, people respect that about her I think. I'm not sure that's as much of a vote getter as Harry being """""hilarious""""" seemingly by merely existing but hopefully she gets top 5 or so :wub:

It doesn't have to be powerful, of course in making it portable (ie smaller, as it needs to be to fit that purpose) it won't have the same power as say a PS4 or Xbox One, but for the kind of games on it, it doesn't need that. It's not just portable, it's flexible, you can play it in any way you want or need and for games like Mario Kart, Pokemon Let's Go, Mario Party, that kind of thing is perfect. The fact you can take it with you to someone's house, between rooms, or while travelling, is really great and makes up for the fact it doesn't have the power of other consoles. Nintendo has always been a bit more about those big franchises, but they so rarely get it wrong that they're enough to hook you onto a system and then there's so many hidden gems too. "For kids" is wrong, "for casual gamers" is probably more like it. Of course, a lot of hardcore gaming fans like myself have one too, but I think the reason it's done so well is that flexibility, people can use it on whatever level they want or need, and it has a lot of accessible games from familiar franchises - there's something for everyone.

 

You can't really compare the two directly, as in to say one is better than the other, they're totally different systems with a different target audience and mostly different types of game for them. Not that Dexton's point in making this thread was to do that anyway, he just wanted to know which to get. I have both and love both, the Switch is so so easy to pick up and get used to though! I was a bit worried I might find it difficult to adjust from a PS4 with a "proper" controller (I know you can get the Switch Pro controller but that's like £55) but it's so intuitive and it works in so many different ways for each game, as I said that portability and flexibility is a huge edge, and it depends what you want. I like a bit of both and so have both, I use them for totally different things. Both have some great exclusives which swings me too, compared to say an Xbox which doesn't really have any exclusives I'd want, all the games I'd get I can just have on PS4 anyway.

Sair is becoming one of my favourites, quietly competent and just gets on with it but seems really fun and down to earth. Shame there's no vote off today, she won't get the boost for that and will probably go next :( She can't win mind, one minute she's "boring" and "does nothing" then she does two trials and Twitter is like "let someone else do something!11"....

 

Definitely her just behind Emily and Fleur for me, I adore Anne but I'm not that bothered if she goes as sit's what she wants really.

Ben Haenow is the highest ever, 57.2% of the 3 in th final. It's hard to tell though, Joe McElderry has the highest actual % (62) but that was counted out of him and Olly, Alexandra also got 58% but that was out of two. We don't have pre-2007 data, I'd imagine Leona smashed it :lol: Proportionally, Ben is the highest I believe. Dalton is so smashing that :drama: Not that he'll be much more successful than about Ben's level, if that at this point.

 

I didn't watch a second of that final, had 0 interest and just can't be bothered :/

FAYE'S CHARLESTON!!! That was so refreshingly great, I always love a Charleston but Giovanni did a brilliant job at making one quite unlike a lot of Charlestons we've seen before. Fully deserved that 40 :wub:

Why does everyone stan Doing It so hard? It’s so basic and annoying. :(

omg this xx

 

 

WHAT ON EARTH AHAHAHAH :rofl:

I'm like 99% sure Dalton is going to storm it, most likely with the biggest % ever, but there's definitely that small niggle that Anthony will snatch it and I think he'd be the worst winner of any music talent show I can recall :/ I'd be very very surprised if Scarlett broke top 2 anyway, unfortunately.