Could you do a video on DreamWorks Trolls 3: Band Together? DreamWorks seems to be having a streak in their movies lately about emotional and mental growth. And I really relate to Veneer's battle he seems to show through his face expressions, and I would just like to know if I'm the only one who just thinks this way or not😅😅😅😭😭😭
One moment some people noticed - when he starts saying "yes, Valentino" and when he yells at Charlie his voice is much deeper and more accented than normal. Even his voice is a part of his persona, and only slips out in these moments of intense emotion. When Anthony is speaking, not Angel
I hate seeing people say that Husk is victim blaming during "Loser Baby." He's not. He's recognizing that they are both in a terrible situation with no obvious way out which was born from the choices they made and resolving to endure what they have to together. The power of not being alone in a traumatic situation is incredible and letting Angle know he's not alone and that someone else has a similar experience - as it says in the song - is very helpful.
Right?! He's also meeting Angel where he is. He's not telling him "you're not a loser! You're awesome!" because Angel isn't ready to believe that yet. Husk is saying "hey, yeah, you are a loser...and that's okay, I'm still here. You can still enjoy sex and drugs, that's fine, but just be yourself." When I've been at my lowest, it's been people who see my worst and accept me as I am that have been the most helpful.
@@moththechangeling8522Exactly. It takes out the fear of rejection at being seen because Husk is saying “I do see you, and I won’t abandon you because I can relate. Actually, tell me more!” That’s powerful and I love that.
Very few people noticed that during the song, when he begins to "dance", it is all in his head. In the background you can see on screens how his body is being forced into positions, and he is "dancing" in his head to mimic the poses. When he screams in real life he is shouting in song, when he is thrown to his knees he "falls over", etc. He is disassociating from reality. It is very painful to view that scene once you notice it.
Mmhhhh. That's a cool way to interpret it! I personally take the dance literally, like it is part of his work day. But it works as in a "You don't want to hear me, you just want to watch me dance". He smiles and moves for the camera, the same that films his pain. Everyone watches his performance while his anguish is literally and figuratively playing in the background and is getting ignored. He sexualises himself with flashes of his abuse and a perfect smile, reminding us what has happened just an hour ago.
No to mention the dancing switches to the screens when Valentino enters the scene, representing him making it impossible for Angel to pretend he's fine
As a human trafficking/abuse survivor it's HEARTBREAKING to watch how accurate angels story is. It sent me into almost a week of nightmares and flashbacks. But it's so important these stories get out there and be told so others can be rescued. Love this show for all these reasons alone. It's so well written.
I can agree with you . I got the same and this is also while I like it the Show much and the writting of the Story. And also Videos like this i like to inform people a little bit about what in this World exist.
"If I can ruin myself enough in the process, I won't be his favorite toy anymore." That line hits me like a truck when I watch it cuz that's really what it feels like to be controlled and used and abused for so damn long. Living in constant fear, always on the defensive, bending and breaking every aspect of who you are just to survive, if there was even a self to begin with... And it takes way too long to take back those puppet strings, let alone learn how to use them. Maybe one day, we'll have it all figured out... Angel and Husk are amazing characters and I love them so much
The really sad thing is, Charlie is only in any danger from Val _because_ she's so nice. She is massively more powerful than he is, both socially/politically and in actual supernatural strength. But Angel sees his abuser as the most terrifying thing in the world, which is saying something as he's in _Hell._ He can't imagine anything strong enough to stop Val.
She is more powerful than him phisically and politically, but not socially. Overlords are feared more than Charlie and it is implied that they even have more social capital that even Lucifer, mostly because he's been isolating himself. I agree with the rest though
@@arturouribebertolotti1169the thing is tho, if charlie killed an overlord as powerful as val or even hurt him, her social power would go up immediately and people would fear her. the only reason they don’t is because they haven’t seen her do anything powerful yet, so there’s not much to fear. they don’t think that she would do anything and don’t even know if she can, but if she just showed aggression, she’d be very feared
@@papeya_Pics that's not what i wanted to say. I was just correcting that person because they called angel dust a SHE. I wasn't saying that males can't be SA survivors.
I actually prefer "Loser, Baby" over how most shows portray abuse victims. Most shows go all "You're special! You've got the strength to break free! We believe in you!" Husk? He goes "Yes, your life is awful. But there are others like you, so don't wallow in self-pity and accept support when offered." One is false hope that can end very badly if followed through. The other is a bit of harsh reality mixed with the fact that there are still people who can help you.
I feel like you're not interpreting Loser, Baby correctly, specifically that Husk IS NOT saying that "Yes, your life is awful. But there are others like you, so don't wallow in self-pity and accept support when offered." He never tells Angel to stop wallowing in self-pity, Husk sits with Angel in self-pity and that act of self-pitying *with* someone else, is in and of itself healing. Husk specifically says he can't help Angel, it's the fact that both of them can't get out, but they can hug each other through it. The point of the song is that Angel CAN self-pity around Husk, Angel doesn't need to act tough, he can just do the self-pity without shame. Self-pity has to be shown to another human to get it out of the system so it doesn't internalise. Husk is saying "Stop HIDING your self-pity, you can let it out around me, you don't have to be strong. You can be weak, because I'm weak like you and I won't judge you for it."
@@SwordmaidenGwen "It's time to *_lose your self-loathing, excuse yourself, let hope in."_* Yeah, nothing about that says anything about stopping the self-pity and accepting help. Nothing at all. That was sarcasm, in case that wasn't obvious.
@@HunhowsShadowStalker Erm, you said self-pity. Self-loathing is different... in case you don't know. Though that explains why you misinterpreted it. Self-loathing is where you blame yourself for the bad that's happened to you. Husk tells Angel not to hate himself and parts of himself that have nothing to do with the action that he regrets. Husk never said self-pity, which is a completely different concept. Self-pity is feeling sad about the situation you've found yourself in. "Letting hope in" isn't the same as accepting support when offered or the "fact that people can help you." Husk explicitly says that he can't help because that's true. *No one can improve Angel's situation.* Angel's soul has been sold, but Angel doesn't need to give up on *feeling* better IN the bad situation. You can endure a bad situation with a smile when you know that the people who matter are safe in your heart and love you. Val can hate Angel and insult Angel all he wants, but if Angel doesn't care about Val's opinion, it'll be easier to endure the cruelty, knowing that no matter how destroyed Angel gets, he has Husk to love him and be there for Angel.
@@HunhowsShadowStalker Also, you might want to actually watch the video you're commenting on because the host actually says this as well. Husk showed Angel his injuries, showed Angel that he was weak and broken too. So Angel can be himself around Husk, and Husk will never judge Angel. That's the gift he gave Angel, which turned Angel's pain into the very thing that connects the two, and that's at least one upside to all the terrible agony. It's the cup half full perspective, you know?
I grew up with a sex worker as a mother and have seen and been around some really bad things. It definitely affected how I handle adult relationships and friendships. When Angel Dust broke down and said he has to act to feel ok with life I started sobbing. I love his character and I feel like people who don’t understand how traumatic the sex work industry can be and abusive relationships lack empathy for his character because they just can’t fathom the psychological damage done to a person.
the relationshhip is apparently inspired after a relationship Vivzie went through. I think i connected with Angel the most, that push and pull that Valentino does with his affections towards Angel is scary accurate and it was a dead ringer
Something that I loved about the scene at the studio was how they didn't have Charlie just swoop in and save him instantly. In real life, well-intentioned friends try to do this all the time, and like in the show, it often doesn't end well. Trying to get someone away from their abuser can be extremely difficult, and if not handled delicately, it can just end up causing more harm to the victim. Emotional abuse is so devastating.
Exactly, most of the time the victim is so dependent on their abuser they don't want to get away from them in the first place. Any direct meddling will just worsen the situation for them.
@@g.yad.4758 I think Angel would first have to ask for help directly, and considering Angel mentions that Val can do whatever in the Studio I assume destroying the Studio would work
i agee, my irl friend mentioned this; sometimes, sad as it is, you just can't help someone that fast, and sometimes that help, given the situation, just puts them in more danger.
Husk going to get Angel and telling him he's fucked up and to stop acting like everything is okay is what actual aggressive kindness looks like - only your truest friends will ever tell you when you're doing something wrong and to stop because they hate watching you destroy yourself.
Exactly, and furthermore he expresses that even if their experiences are different, their both “made deals” they can’t escape. Its a healthy dose of trauma bonding one that doesn’t make light of the other person’s experiences
This may be true but it can also be very toxic when you do so too aggressively when the other does not feel ready for it. At some point they will then just block up and that will destroy the relationship very quickly.
It happens with my gf tbh, i recognize their destructive behaviors and call out the behaviors but also constantly reassure them that it's okay, that no matter the problem things will get better and that they are perfect
I'll never get over the sheer lack of media literacy skills people have when talking about TV and film. People made such a big fuss over ONE clip of "Poison," and you think "oh it'll be better understood when the actual full episode comes out." But no. It got worse, and people said it glorified SA, and the people shouting either overlooked or outright discredited SA survivors who related to Poison. Media literacy is such an important skill to have in order to hone critical thinking.
@rach3092 It's 18+ for episode 4. Don't think it matters too much when people are so dense they don't understand abusive relationships look like a great deal at first. Once you realize something is wrong you're too deep in and it'll only get worse.
I think that's mainly because "showing" something is seen as glorifying and approving of that thing nowadays, which is a ridiculous notion. Showing is often the most effective way of educating on the bad elements of something.
I think people need more than to learn media literacy....I have IRL friends asking advice about their under 13 children watching this show. How it seems to be too much for them....and I'm like, why are you letting your kid watch an adult show? And they feel offended.
Personally, as a survivor, the images were pretty gratuitous. The meaning of the lyrics and stuff however I love and I can’t stop replaying the song. The only part of the imagery I can appreciate is just because of how gratuitous every scene is you can see just how long these work days are, as these different scenes are back to back. I’m kind of a fence sitter here, like on one hand idk if the imagery needed ALL of that, and on the other I do appreciate where it comes from,, it just could’ve been handled better
People also forget Angel is putting himself out there, because that is what he thinks hes only good at. Hes only known for that stuff and feels like he deserves it.
It makes sense for Val to feel like he was losing control when Charlie barged in. While it is difficult to quantify a demon's power level in this show, if I were to crudely break it down, Charlie is actually two power strata *higher* than Val. It's not something that is easily seen, because Charlie, (being a non-confrontational person) doesn't often use her immense power to push other people around. The thing is, Val *knows* he's way outclassed by Charlie, which is why he's so angry.
Power LEvels as laid out by Viv during the pilot production: Lucifer CHarlie & Lilith the other 6 of the Seven Deadly Sins (Asmodeus, Bee, Mammon, Satan etc.) Ars Goetia and other demon nobility Overlords Sinners Succubi etc. Imps and Hellhounds.
As a survivor who resonates DEEPLY with Angel and felt hurt by how much trash not only his character but this episode got made me feel like people just didn't want to see my pain. They just wanted to censor it out of existence because it hurt THEM to much to see the reality of it.
The only complain I have of this episode is this is the only episode about how toxic their relationship actually is, because a toxic relationship as a lot more complexity . But I get that it’s an adult cartoon and therefore have limited amount of episodes so I get why they did it like that.
@@anitaremenarova6662 minor spoilers: i recommend to any reading this to finish HH if you haven't alreadu agreed, the show was very rushed, it became most evident to me in the final episode because of how overwhelming yet unsatisfying it felt. they have too much to work with and not enough time to work with it all, it's pretty sad to see. not to mention how they just get all touchy feely and rebuilt the hotel at the end immediately, it didn't feel earned because everything happened so fast. i'm gonna assume the limited episode number of just eight was a legal thing but if it's not.. only having eight episodes for an overarching story with many characters like hazbin was a poor choice
@@paradoxtatorstudios9681 Ultimately, the platform decides how many episodes you get to work with, so we can probably lay the blame for this one squarely on Amazon
Not to mention, Angel Dust and Valentino’s relationship is based on an actual toxic relationship Vivzie went through, mixed with how her own fame became a double-edged sword, as she also has to deal with creeps or haters.
I realized that when Angel is talking to Valentino on the phone, Val is yelling and screaming but Angel is putting it out like it’s a normal conversation in front of the others. Anthony slowly showing with his less confident voice and mannerisms before slipping back into his Angel Dust persona when he hangs up the phone.
As an abuse/SA survivor, this is distressing and something noone should go through. I lost my daughter due to the abuse... I relate to angel because of his trauma and i love the show and how everything is portrayed, even with trigger warnings on episode 4, i watched it but the nightmares and flashbacks got worse but people should feel safe enough to speak up.
I'm so glad I have therapy tomorrow... I just broke from how accurate this is... "A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. If I can ruin myself enough in the process, I won't be his favorite toy anymore."
I think part of the reason Angel was extra affected by the skit Charlie wrote is that the road to redemption is insinuated to be "don't be an addict and don't be promiscuous" and that are too things angel can't help, and seeing someone be praised for not being like HIM, that has to hurt the soul.
@@AnimeParentYeah, I noticed that, too. Charlie really didn't consider Angel's feelings. I wonder what was going through his head. Maybe he was comparing the script to how bad Val's are, too.
I just noticed something about Val's voicemails; the ones where he's sweet talking have waveforms made of hearts, the ones where he's vitriolic have ones made of snarling teeth.
The voicemail scene hit hard, myself coming from an abusive household. Flip-flops always, never really "saited", it's...just a cycle. Of hearts and teeth.
@@azazellon the worst part? this is a tactic is often by real life abusers. the scene where he has angel defend him from charlie is another one used in real life, and a favorite tactic by abusers none the less
I really really want Angel dust to be redeemed. I have a friend who's real life story is the earthly mirror of Angel dusts' life in hell. Thankfully she managed to get out from under that control. But it's taken a visible toll on her physical and mental health. She'll suffer severe ptsd the rest of her life. And she identifies with Angel so much, that seeing Angel redeemed would be cathartic for her.
I think it will be a while before hes redeemed (if he does get redeemed) vivzie confirmed that him and husk are going to have a slow burn relationship, so if he does get redeemed, hopefully they both get redeemed.
I mean define redeemed. I dunno if he'll be going to Heaven anytime soon, being a main character, especially while his soul is owned, but from a sheer character arc standpoint, there isn't even that much to "redeem" him from, moreso just freeing him from abuse.
I love how even thought Angel was being beaten and abused by Valentino he still was worried about Charlie and didn't want Valentino to hurt her. That was so sweet.
Ironically Charlie could annihilate val like nothing; but,I think this also says something about the abused mindset your abuser may be weaker than someone who wants to defend you but you may see them as an unstoppable force.
While you do have a point there's also another at play here. Angel sees Charlie as naive, innocent. Having someone like Val threaten her could show that all the power in the world won't protect her from the mental trauma Val can inflict. It shows that while Charlie is physically stronger than Val, Val is manipulative and cruel in a way Charlie just can't be because that's not who she is and Angel knows that. If Val is willing to hurt her then it shows he's more dangerous than he looks.
Val is completely in control there. It doesnt matter that she is stronger, she cant really do sht. Val can simply threaten her with torture of Angel which she cant prevent in any way. People should stop thinking about power levels as flat constant.
I heard that Angel Dust's Dad was a mob boss from the early 1900's which was a very homophobic time. I bet part of the reason he made that deal with Val was to get away from his dad
As a mob boss, Angel’s dad was very likely a charismatic but very violent and hostile man. So it does make sense that Angel would be drawn to Valentino, who shares similar characteristics to his father. Sadly, for many people who were abused/neglected by a dominant parent, they get involved with abusive people in later relationships.
He died from a overdose in the 1920s, his older brother Aracniss is seen in the background of the last episode...Angels twin Molly is in heaven, we see her in episode 6 Edit : Anthony's death date is debated, 20s, 40s, I legit can't comb though years of Viziepops scattered lore for the official time
What makes the character especially tragic is that he cannot just leave his abuser. Not only because of fear or threats but because he made a contract for his soul. So no matter how much Angel grows and makes the decision he doesn't want that anymore, he cannot go until someone ends Valentino or Valentino ends the contract. So either his abuser dies or his abuser lets him go. That's something you wouldn't get in a realistic setting and it makes it even more heartbreaking.
To be fair we don't know the nature of the contract. On one side it could be one step away from Val owning his soul, on the other side it could be powerless.
this is why i think angel actually wants to be redeemed. he's hoping that if he's redeemed, val won't own his soul anymore and the contract will be broken and he'll be free.
I honestly see him as the equivalent of a real world trafficking victim. They don’t technically own their victims legally, but they keep even tighter control of their victims than most abusive partners do
This hits hard. Not as a survivor of abuse. But seeing it happen to my mom when I was young. I didn’t truly know what she was going through, what he was doing to her, until I saw him slamming her in the car door as she tried to go to work. I have such a grudge against this guy. I had to skip a couple funerals because he was going to be there. It would’ve taken everything in me not to harm him for hurting her. She stayed with him to protect us. I’ve no doubt if he would’ve hurt us if she left. When she finally got away from him, she was so scared. He broke her windshield with a brick. A brick that was going to be used to hurt her. She had to call my bio dad to come and stay the night with us because she was so scared, tired, and weak mentally in that moment. She’s in a happy, loving relationship with my stepdad now. I love both of them very much. But seeing Angel go through this after watching my own mother go through something similar hurt.
18:00 poor Angel is so terrified he doesn’t stop to think, if Valentino did try to hurt Charlie, Lucifer would torture him beyond mortal comprehension and then end him completely. He’s the originator of Hell, the King, Valentino can’t even compare in terms of sheer power. No matter how many souls he collects, or allies he manages to draw in, he can’t overtake the Fallen One himself, especially if he’s triggered Lucifer’s biggest trigger, his one and only precious child.
something someone else pointed out its that abusers often brainwash their victim into thinking that they stronger, and more powerful that they really are
Thank you for actually being respectful and sensible of Angel's character. It seriously irks me everytime someone says Poison's scenes glorify SA when that isn't the case, or when Loser Baby is victim blaming, which it isn't. Angel is one of my comfort characters and he really speaks to me as a person ❤
100%. Poison teeters on the brink of Angels suffering and the facade he wants to put on, leaving the viewers feeling extremely uncomfortable due to its realism. I still have trouble rewatching episode 4 because of this
I don’t understand how people don’t get it. That song describes how it feels to be a victim. Is not glorying anything, all you feel during the song and while you see everything is complete discomfort. I always want to cry when I watch it is so organic. Is the first time I see an animated show tackle this subject so well, maybe besides Tuca and Bertie. The other song is about them both connecting through their situations and finding support. Is amazingly beautiful.
I love that you wear the same clothes and makeup as the character you are undertanding and explaining them to us, it really feels like you are seeing what they are seeing and saying what they can't. your work is awesome!
@@GeorgiaDow I agree, it is an excellent touch. I didn't even consciously notice until I saw this comment, aside from stupidly wondering why you were wearing that. But now it's obvious in hindsight. XD
What really stood out to me is that Valentino explicitly isn't intimidating to the audience. He looks, acts, and even sounds kinda goofy. Even the way he backhands Angel in the context of sinners getting literally dismembered every episode, doesn't make him look extremely intimidating or powerful. But *to Angel he is*. Angel is genuinely scared of Valentino not just for himself (since Val owns his soul) but for *Charlie* too. When Charlie makes a mess at the studio and Valentino is beating Angel up in the studio he's actually begging to Valentino "Don't hurt *her*". While, by virtue of being the literal princess of hell, Charlie could probably fold Valentino in half. This speaks for Angel being empathic, sure, but it's also a very clear mirror of a problem many abuse victims face in real life, or at least one of the most prominent I see: Your abuser feels like the most powerful person in the world to YOU. At the same time, the abuser often isn't seen as intimidating at all by the outside world. (Narcissists are VERY good at this) This divide between the victim's feelings and the perspective of the world around them often makes it very difficult for victims to actually get the support and confidence they need to get away.
Conversely, one thing that I think makes the scene hit so hard is its realism. Because it's such an over the top violent setting, it's easy to sort of tune out how violent it actually is, in a way. It's a cartoon, it's over the top to the point where violence can sometimes be goofy rather than scary. So, for this scene... It's utterly believable. There's no magic, no crazy weapons- just an abuser throwing around his victim. Also, kudos to the sound design and the voice acting. Angel's voice acting in particular is so heart wrenching- that little "ow" when he's being hurt in particular feels incredibly real. You can hear his panic and pain and just... Ugh. Val is such a well constructed character but man do I hate him for what he does to Angel
Another example of abuse I can think of is Ed from Ed Edd n Eddy. We just see hints of his parents abusing him, the active abuser we see is Sarah always lashing out with threats and physical violence.@vaughnhaney7020
@@rhondahoward8025 Yeah, I wonder if Eddy's brother got his abusive behavior from his and Eddy's dad. We see Eddy's hands being grabbed by his dad's beefy, giant hand while yanking him home.
A line that is very well written is "Wow, I had no idea. Guess that's why I'm an actor!" Because if you actually know about acting, you know that being an actor is the opposite of being fake. It's about being open and honest even when you're portraying someone else. Angel is just gaslighting himself.
Thank you YES! As an actor I've been thinking about this since my first watch, like acting is all about truth. Angel is truly just masking, which is a whole other thing
1:06 just to add on incase somebody missed it. The skit itself is tone deaf and insensitive to angel dusts trauma specificaly, *crackhead sells a Needle of weed to a toddler or whatever trope. like the whole skit is just throwing all of angels percived failures in his face, AND hes an actor, he's getting shamed in the one arena he ought to have confidence in. The point on this ep is pushing angel to a breaking point and they do it well. All in all great writing.
I'm sure it wasn't Charlie's intention but it literally says to Angel that everything about him is anti-redemption. It tells him he's bad for having addiction issues and being a sex worker and just continues this pattern where he's given no credit for his effort to improve.
I agree but he's also not putting in any effort. Sure, that whole thing was a dlck move from Charlie even if she doesn't realize it due to her tunnel vision but the previous exercise he has no excuse to ignore.
@@anitaremenarova6662 To be fair though the other excercises were dumb summer camp exercises. Charlie means well but she's not really in a position to offer the mental health help that Angel needs. I cant blame him for not wanting to participate in those activities because honestly those activities are for maybe teens at a summer camp. Not someone with deep rooted trauma. Part of helping redeem someone is giving them what they need individually and realistically yhe exercises she was doing wouldn't work on an abuse victim in real life either
@@lexyruse603 Again, I'm not saying Charlie knows what she's doing but every path to healing requires the participants to be willing. Angel wouldn't care to seriously engage with any of it even if she were the best shrink in the world.
@@lexyruse603 You know, I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but those exercises kinda reminded me of what I’d seen in a mental institution before. For an adult ward, the exercises meant to help those at their lowest seemed… oddly childish and inane. Coloring books, simplistic charts about feelings, worksheets written as though for preschoolers… Patronizing, to say the least. But to point out the pointlessness was to be seen as non compliant. In other words, ineligible for redemption. Even Charlie’s simplistic optimism resembles that of psych nurses (though Charlie is better because she goes out of her way to stick her neck out for people). Maybe I’m projecting but I’m curious to see what others think or if they have similar experiences.
I love the cinematography during Angel yelling at Charlie. You almost always see Valentino or it almost instantly includes Valentino in the shot, implying that this isn't what Angel wants to say but it's what Valentino wants to say and is getting Angel to say it for him.
As Sexual Assault survivor it's HEARTBREAKING to watch how accurate angels story is. It sent me into almost a week of nightmares and flashbacks. But it's so important these stories get out there and be told so others can be rescued. Love this show for all these reasons alone. It's so well written.
That’s very interesting how they play out the abuse cycle in the show. Like, angel definitely has that protectiveness over Charlie, because he cares for her. He tells Val not to hurt her. Angel may already know that Charlie cannot be hurt by Val (easily), but Angel might also know that he would hurt Charlie by hurting him. Angel knows that he can take the abuse the Val throws at him. He knows what Val is like, but he is so scared for her because seeing Angel in pain would ruin her emotionally. It’s an absolutely heartbreaking scene. But I’m glad that they showed it because that’s what it’s like. Either he is scared that Val can actually physically hurt her, or he knows that Val can emotionally hurt her. Either way, Angel is protecting his friend, and you get to see what Angel is really like. I’m just sad that he Goes through what he does.
There's also the possible idea that Val has traumatized Angel to such a point where he thinks Val will actually overpower and cause harm to Charlie (his impulsive nature would get him to fight with her even though there is a power gap between them). Just to show how truly terrified of Val Angel is and how he doesn't want to involve anyone else, pinning the blame and Val's anger all on him to protect Charlie.
@spaghtti yeah I think it's moreso that. He's so afraid of Val (and Charlie is generally so nice and harmless) that he is too afraid to rationally think about the situation.
@@brolytriplethreat @spaghtti I agree with both of you for sure. A lot of the time, abused people are so beaten down and scared of their abusers that they are gaslit into thinking that they (the abusers) are the most powerful, and scary, person in the world, and that they can hurt anyone. I’ve definitely seen it from people who have been through it. They often times think they’re completely powerless, when often times, the abusers don’t actually have a lot of power themselves.
19:54 I think what solidifies that for me, is that in the song that Angel sings, he says "What's the worst part of this hell? I can only blame myself", he doesn't see his situation as "this person manipulated me to end up like this", more like the "i should have know" or "i am weak for keeping this situation going", again whit his song, he says "I shoulda guessed that this would happen". Annyways, love your content, specialy has a psicology major, kisses from the home of porotos con rienda and sopaipillas, Chile.
Considering his past in the mafia where they managed prostitution and the fact that his father abused him as well he feels like he should have seen what Val was like from the get-go
@@_toasty_- From what is known, considering that he had a previous "relationship" with Valentino, signing the contract may have been under the illusion that it was not going to be something really bad or, on the other hand, it may have been directly that with a relationship toxic already established, under threat. Personally, I understand that line as his relationship with him beyond the contract, of "letting himself be fooled" and continuing with him, including "selling" his soul. But idk
Something I saw pointed out during the fire scene, Angel does not even really notice the fire, all he see is the biggest danger in the room, Valentino.
It's typically children who shouldn't be watching the show making the accusations that misrepresent what's actually happening. Idk if it's cause I'm an artist, I sincerely doubt it, but the message is BLATANT this isn't romanticizing or glorifying the abuse. It's showing the pain and suffering of a victim, the same emotions a lot of us SA survivors felt after our attack.
An unfortunate irony is that I think Angel saved Val not once but twice. First when he stopped Charlie from attacking him and the second time when he interfered with Nifty. She may not be an overlord but I am sure that little gremlin would have found a way. Glad to hear Huskar will be getting a video. Hopefully we will be getting videos on Lucifer, Adam, Sera, and of course Alastor
@@anitaremenarova6662 I am very sure that I do NOT want to know what is going on Nifty's head but if she has the dagger and someone just so happens to say "Stab the mothman", I will not weep when she succeeds.
Even Val himself seems to realize that he dodged a bullet. He calls Angel lucky he makes him money when Val should consider himself lucky Angel's as dedicated to his friends as much as he is.
Val wasn't in danger in that scene. Why people think Charlie could do sht? He has control of Angel, Charlie cares about Angel, therefore he controls Charlie. Even if she kills him, he will just come back, and guess who will get tortured to no end? Also noone takes her seriously, noone thinks she is strong.
An incredible visual subtlety moment (this series doesn't get enough credit for those imo) is the way that throughout the series, Angel's had that matching golden tooth with Val, but then when he stands up to him in episode 6 and tells him "Yeah, you can do what you want to me, but you're not touching my friends.", the lighting shifts in a way to make the golden tooth look white like the rest of them, just a slight bit of the gold left on the edges until it cuts away.
12:38 there is a second aspect to this people don't notice/know without looking into the podcasts. Valentino's saliva and smoke is a literal roofie. His licking people or blowing smoke is him drugging and controlling them. In the videos we see he uses just a little bit to influence Angel. Such as the gang BDSM abuse scene, he blows into Angel's face to help him "disassociociate disappear." We also see Val's saliva used as drugs later in the episode. Val just SLATHERED Charlie in drugs, his power, and tried to influence her and he was DENIED hard. Charlie effortlessly blew his powers off without seeming to even know what she did. Val is powerless against Charlie, while Angel clearly holds power over her. Angel also has ties to the Lord of Greed. Anthony is a mafia blood member. Angel has just indirectly shown he could be stronger than Val. Val was just humiliated several times by Charlie's mere resistance to him.
The narcissism, the anger, the desire for absolute control and the insecurity. I know it all too well because I see it in my father. So when you brought it up, so many things were just clicking in my head that it made me feel dizzy.
One of the things that stuck out and really resonated with me. Was the moment Valentino grabbed Angel by the arm to lead him to the back room. Subtle enough to not fully tip off Charlie but clearly painful and done to make Angel feel small and powerless even before the beating began. I know that grip and have felt that grip, so that made me flinch even more than the punch. People, me included at times, only see Hazbin's Over-the-top moments. But the subtleness of those movements and moments really shows the passion these animators have for their art. And it keeps me coming back despite some of its rough edges.
When it came to Angel, I noticed most of the backlash he got was because people expected him to just make a complete turnaround in the pilot as if none of these people could tell he was obviously set up as part of the main cast, meaning it would have been weird for him to undergo a complete arc in his introductory episode. That brief moment where he actually shows sympathy towards Charlie, nope, that meant absolutely nothing.
Something interesting is that Charlie, while she doesn’t look it, has both more physical power and social status than Valentino, and could easily either kill him or politically ruin him if she wanted to. Angel should know this intellectually, but he’s more afraid of his abuser than he trusts Charlie, which is sad but realistic. Often victims of abuse see their abusers as stronger and scarier than they really are, because the abuser has conditioned the victim to see them as such
First of all, amazing costume yet again. Second, I love Angel so much. He's so much more than a flirtatiousadultfilm star. Beneath it all is a vulnerable person who's been through terrible treatment, and even so, genuinely cares for his friends and wants to protect them. I wish the best for this spider.
Finally, someone finally sees angel dust as a well developed character and not just a stereotype. Hazbin hotels characters put a spark of enjoyment in my soul because there’s finally a new show that has actual character depth and enjoyment for those characters.
I had a feeling Angel would be a favorite character of mine the first time I saw him look upset at not being praised for helping the hotel. You could tell there was so much more to him at that point, and when he stood up to Val for his friends was such an amazing moment. Watching him stand up to his abuser like that was so empowering and even though he's just a character I was so proud of him! I love how his character seems shallow but is actually one of the deepest ones.
Thank you for making this! I swear I could write an entire essay on the depiction of Angel's hypersexuality as a trauma response and how well it's done when hypersexuality is such a stigmatized trauma response. I love that he breaks the mold of the "perfect victim" and just actually feels human.
Angel also has the tendency to talk about how much he hates his work to Husk when he's gotten drunk enough. Another thing he did, was standing up to Valentino in a club because Nifty got close to him. Originally seeing him there made Angel want the group to leave, go somewhere else, but his care of Nifty was stronger, especially since he was trying to look out for her as it was her first time in the club and getting drunk. Which I think tells a lot, as someone who's been emotionally abused, I did end up dumping the friend who was causing it, because my love and loyalty to my other friends was stronger, and I didn't want to lose them.
A note on the skit Charlie had them do; Angel was addicted to the drug Angel Dust and signed with Valentino in order to satisfy that addiction… so the role Angel portrayed might have also led to him being upset as well. He’s playing someone who takes advantage of others just as he was taken advantage of… this coupled with the attention and praise Sir Pentious received really hit Angel’s self-esteem. That might also be one reason Angel accepts Valentino and went to check his messages. Valentino is both Angel’s biggest supporter and worst enemy. He will say the sweetest things while also constantly threatening Angel… in Angel’s eyes… at least episode 1-4, Valentino’s opinion on him is the only one that matters. It’s his identity and he must cope with that… play the part. It’s one of the reasons Angel is a very beloved character; he’s an accurate portrayal of a victim. He lies to himself, takes the abuser’s stance on his worth, and ultimately felt trapped. That’s what made episode 7 so exciting. We saw Angel stand up to his abuser~ I couldn’t have been more proud~
I feel that because when he argues with Husk in the bar he says the same things Val says to him, that he is worthy because some guys will pay to sleep with him and he is a loser for rejecting him after Husk calls him fake. That scene is so overlooked but it also shows much of the abuse he is in. He feels insulted because that personality is the thing he feels is keeping him safe.
Thank you for making this video. I’ve seen lots of people, including abuse/SA victims, saying that this show is fetishizing abusive relationships and that its inappropriate. As a SA victim I found it to be very real and extremely accurate and felt quite hurt seeing others saying it was bad. Even if uncomfortable, I think it is very important to push the media to show things like this WITHOUT making jokes about it.
Sometimes... familiar abuse is more reassuring than unfamiliar support. We take the attention we can get, and learn to never expect more, if the abuse is all we know.
In that first scene, I think it’s also that Angel recognizes but also doesn’t want to admit that he’s been putting in a pretty shoddy effort and now that someone else is doing what he’s supposed to be doing better than him, his worth and position in the group is being usurped.
I've known someone a lot like Valentino in many ways. Shared a living space with him. It was the single most terrifying experience of my life, and I've never seen someone like that portrayed this accurately, period. The mood swings, the insecurity, the pettiness. The way people like Valentino use their own mental instability as a weapon to terrorise everyone around them is horrifying. Not only because you have no idea what they're going to do next, but also because nothing is off the table for them. You get in their way, offend them (which is easy as breathing considering they already despise you), "make too much noise," remind them you exist when they want to pretend you don't, and they could do anything from make a mean, dismissive comment, yell and throw things, or actually beat the hell out of you, and you have no idea which it's going to be until it happens. They're also experts at turning people against each other. Isolating their victims by poisoning the relationships they have with others, or use threats of violence against one to gain control over the other. Keep yourselves safe everyone Edit: 22:39. I literally can't tell you how much I needed to hear that. Thanks Georgia
I honestly love Angel so much, not beacause of his sassiness or his cool desing, but rather how complex his character is. I relate to him so many times, (my dad is a narcisist) as an abuse survivor it really hits hard.
It's also very heart-warming that after this (spoiler alert) you can see how closer husk and angel become, angel starts acting more like his "true self" around husk and can actually talk to him as a friend who he can be real with and relate, rather than flirt and come onto him to further push his "persona". Awesome video Doc. Keep going cant wait for more content 🙏❤️
Also, he finally has someone he can vent to about Valentino, someone who understands and won't judge. That's exactly what people like Angel often need. Someone who helps them see they're not alone, and that will be there and have their back
One additional bit of fluff. You know how the eyes of a cat tend to be larger when they’re looking at something they like? Go back through and look at Husk’s eyes before and after this scene when he’s with Angel.
The scene after Poison, with Angel & Husk's confrontation at the Hotel bar, is worth highlighting as well; you can see the exact moment the tired, traumatized Anthony composes himself and put on the confident, overly-flirty persona mask of Angel Dust. Even with his back turned, I'm sure Husk noticed it as well, given he immediately focuses on getting Angel to drop the mask, only to lose patience with the spider's come-ons and start yelling.
As someone who has been in an abusive relationship, we often care so much because we don't want others to ever feel the way we did. We know how much it hurts and we don't want others we care about to suffer.
Episode 4 was one of the hardest ones to watch for me. Watching Angel being abused like that. I'm so glad that he found someone to be the shoulder he can cry on. In later episodes we do see him gaining confidence in himself, and starting the positive changes in his life.
One thing i think a lot of people don't understand about an abusive relationship is that it becomes addictive. In Hazbin Hotel it's very overt with Val's aphrodisiac saliva and literal chains on Anthony/Angel Dust, but in real life it's much harder to point out. People do go through withdrawls when they get out of an abusive relationship. They feel the need to go back for a lot of reasons, but part of it is so they can "normalize," the hormones in their brain. It's like clinical depression, or even just working a stressful job. Take away that hormonal default and everything feels wrong, even when it's not.
it is a strange way but has been how some say they feel. The area you know but yes perhaps they would say it differently when they are out of it as well
A lot of people who have been victims of abuse either as a child or later on in life tend to subconsciously seek out people who are also abusive because that is all you know and your limits of what you are willing to tolerate in a relationship are blown way out of proportion by what you are used to. It becomes easy for you to excuse a partner's abusive behavior later in life because you've been through worse So what you are going through now can't be that bad right which is how these people often tend to reason with it. This is coming from someone who grew up in an abusive household and then later on ended up in an abusive relationship and there are a lot of people like me who were abused as children and then end up in abusive relationships because of this and it is also something my mom did as well. Obviously this isn't going to be everyone's experience, but it is a common experience among past victims of abuse
I haven’t been through THIS kind of abuse, just emotional abuse, and I’d say yeah, I’ve used the word comfort many times to describe the familiarity of the situation, even if I know it’s not comfortable or nice at all.
Hoping for an Alastor video soon, I’d like to see particularly his narcissism/egotism being broken down, as well as his moments showing affection toward others (Mimzy, Niffty, Rosie). After his scene at the end of the finale, I’ve SOMEHOW gotten even MORE interested in him. He’s my favorite character so I’m excited for an analysis video about him and hoping it’ll be as long as this one.
I love Angel so much, he was always my favourite. Not only for how deep and complex his character is, but also how - unfortunately - relatable he is for the past me. He's just amazing, I almost cried when hearing "Poison" for the first time and then again hearing "You're a looser baby" because I was just happy for him finally dropping his mask and trusting someone, because he understands that Husk accepts his fragile side and is willing to be his true friend. They're gonna end up in a relationship, I think, basing on how Husk looks at him in the last episode.
I'm a recovering addict who has survived an All-For-One bundle of abuse. When I started watching HH I didn't expect to find a character that would really speak to me on such a deep personal level. While I wasn't in that industry for work, everything else was like looking in a mirror of my past and present.
As someone who was in an emotionally abusive relationship, it is VERY hard to see this scene, but I'm glad that things like this are being brought to light. And thank YOU for going into such detail about such a serious topic. I've been out of that relationship for about three years and I've recently found the love of my life. He has treated me with nothing but love and respect, I personally couldn't be happier! Cheers!❤
One thing I've noticed is that every time Angel's voice cracks is like the mask cracks and Anthony's showing. From the more emotional scenes like in the studio to the song where the voice cracks as well. Another thing is his design is his eyes. Both have the pink pupils but one is black while the other is yellow-ish. I interpret this as Angel and Anthony. Angel being the dark eye AKA empty and Anthony having a different color. Lastly his holden tooth is the same as Val's, I interpret this as Val marking what's his, like how a child might write down their name on their favorite toy or thing. Just simply how I interpret Angel and his design (he's probably my favorite character after Alistor).
@@Ra1ndr0p666 I wish I could do something else other than say sweet words but as the "Loser, Baby" song says: while you are in a bad situation, remember that you're not alone and that even myself can relate to yours and Angel's story. Despite this I urge you to become the best version you can be, be strong for yourself and never lose hope of better days. If you can, try to seek help online or locally and tell about your situation with a professional. I can even suggest record everything you can through audios or videos with your phone and use them as an evidence against them both but don't be too obvious about it. And don't worry: the sun will shine to us both again someday.
The voice acting on these characters is outstanding. They captured all the subtle changes in tones, the slipping of the character persona when he's distressed, and it's something that should not be easy to do. I think they should get more recognition.
Twitter says Loser, Baby song is victim blaming, They dont REALIZE that the ONLY way YOU'D FORGIVE YOURSELF, is to understand whats wrong with you, what's downing you, what's holding you back from forgiving yourself.
Ironically when Anthony blew up at Charlie he does start to get a feel of his own power and thus Set a Boundary for Charlie to respect... Its important when trying to get someone out of an abusive relationship that you don't make the situation worse by escalating the cycle of abuse.
I love that Charlie's take away from all of this was that she crossed a boundary. Sure she was hurt and Angel forgave her but she intruded where she wasn't invited and could have been hurt. I think she knows that. I think she knows, deep down, that he was trying to protect her just as he knows that she didn't mean any harm and was only trying to help.
Angel Dust is such a comfort character as someone who's been in an abusive relationship in the past. I really adore how much care and love went into your analysis of this, lots of love.
Angel´s kindness and protectiveness were what made me like him most in the whole series. I absolutely love your video, these are exactly the things I saw as well.
Honestly thanks sm for this video, I figured out years ago that I had narcissistic, controlling, and abusive tendencies. I've taken many steps to adress them and improve, but every time I hear stuff in media adressing this I still feel insulted, offended, and angry. In a way I was like both Angel and Val, telling myself through a persona that my life is perfect, and I'm perfect, so I never have to hate myself for my mistakes and I never have a bad day. And when I get called out, I justify it and try to fix it and turn the critic into an enemy for shattering that persona. That's why Loser Baby was such a healing song.
thank you for sharing this. It is a difficult cycle to break and it is wonderful you are working towards living better for yourself and those around you. Keep it up
You are not alone in this and I have let myself become my own worst enemy and lose myself because I was afraid and anxious of losing friends thinking that they would not want me contacting them anymore at all. But somewhere deep down I need to do better and hopefully I can redeem myself and heal and they too heal.
He would rather people reject Angel, not Anthony. His line about "if I can ruin myself enough in the process" reminds me of a book I read about three years ago, in high school. The book "I only said I was telling the truth." In this book, a young girl suffers sexual abuse from her father, and she narrates all of her mental struggles, including this self-destructive process of trying to make herself less appealing. The story does have a happy ending, but the journey was a difficult one
I really appreciate this video. I hate seeing the comments that Hazbin Hotel is “glorifying” or “romanticizing” SA. Not once has Angel dusts abuse been depicted as a good thing. Poison clearly spells out how Angel knows this lifestyle is dangerous for him but he can’t leave. Not only because he’s under contract, but because he’s terrified to leave. He doesn’t want his friends to get hurt so he takes all the hurt to save them. I’ve been through SA and abusive relationships. It’s ridiculous when the internet wants to jump on the bandwagon of hate just because they don’t like a show or its creator. Demanding that a characters very real trauma is hidden from the audience just because people are angry about it or find it distasteful is hiding the lives of abuse survivors and removing their representation in media. That’s the real harm that’s being done to SA survivors, not Hazbin Hotel.
The Hazbin Hotel fandom is absolutely loving and feel really grateful you made this video to express the complexities of abuse and trauma. Thank you so much for giving Hazbin a chance. Blitzo be great because he is BPD coded and a lot of people say he is straight up selfish and abusive
I’ve been waiting for this one. Thank you so much. I never expected Angel Dust to become my favorite character in the show but I ended up loving him so much. The fourth episode of this show as a whole in particular is what helped me come out as Bi, so I really appreciate it for that. Thank you again for doing a video on Angel Dust!
One thing I would mention is that when Val says he owns Angel he is being literal. Angel literally can’t leave even if he chose to because of the deal. It is an abusive relationship but I think Angel would take those steps to leave if he could, but he can’t.
He already did start taking those steps. Yes, there's the whole fantastical aspect but at the end of the day all abusive relationships are about one's mental state. Now that Angel has a support network with people that genuinely care about him and can be there for him Valentino no longer owns his entire being, just his body which means he's halfway through healing.
An Angel Dust video! It honestly nice to see it broken down as it truly shows the abuse that he endured and how he struggled severely. Him trying to protect Charlie even if Charlie likely would be able to defend herself, but who to say Val wouldn't try to emotionally hurt her using Angel? We legit don't know and likely Angel doesn't either and not knowing what he might do would be terrifying to him so was willing to seem like the bad guy. He always cares about his friends and it great to see his progress in the series.
When you talked about angels addiction not just being an addiction but one that is very effective at keeping him going...That's what I wish more people understood about the alcoholism I experienced when I was in an abusive relationship. It's not that I'm just genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. Alcohol and my cat were the only two things keeping me alive and getting me through the torture my ex would put me through on a daily basis.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that there’s a lot of overlap between all kinds of abuse. I was never a victim of sexual abuse or pimps, but I was severely bullied as a kid and teenager by someone who I believed was my friend. One thing I actually wanted to say was that something I do (but I’m working on) is I tell lies about myself. What I did last night, what tv shows I watch, how much about certain topics I know. The reason is what you talked about, where you hide yourself because it’s not so scary to face judgement or rejection if what’s being judged or rejected isn’t really you
I don't understand how anyone thought Angel's episode fetishized abuse. Viziepop made jokes in the episode, but she never made out the abuse to be a joke. Things like murder and cannibalism are downplayed, since Hell, but exploitation is treated seriously. She did the same thing in Hell of a Boss. There's a clear line drawn for those who bother to look.
I have always loved Angel long before the show came out. To see him go through such abuse...it breaks my heart. He's a sweet soul who got pulled, thrown around and treated like dirt. I'm happy you covered Angel and the abuse he's going through.
angel has such a good heart under all the pain and trauma he goes through, him trying to selfdestruct hopeing itll make val let him go is painfull to see , its so sad he feels like he has to push others away
I love Angel Dust. He's been my favorite character since the pilot, and it's taken a long time for me to figure out why. I resonate with his character a lot. His trauma, the way he self medicates to deal with all of it. The way he plays off the darkness as a joke and/or part of who he is because you can't hurt me with who I am if I'm 'proud' of it. Yet how he would throw himself into the fire to protect his friends. Watching Angel's story is like looking in a mirror and finally feeling seen. I love that they wrote him how they did, because it's a side of being an SA survivor that doesn't get a lot of attention, isn't done well, or people say isn't a real response for people who go through SA.
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Who is your favorite Hazbin hotel character so far
@@galaxy_cat9575 they are cosplaying Angel. Who do you think?
@@TheDimensionalArtist she cosplays every character
Will you be talking about their duet in Husk's video?
Could you do a video on DreamWorks Trolls 3: Band Together? DreamWorks seems to be having a streak in their movies lately about emotional and mental growth. And I really relate to Veneer's battle he seems to show through his face expressions, and I would just like to know if I'm the only one who just thinks this way or not😅😅😅😭😭😭
One moment some people noticed - when he starts saying "yes, Valentino" and when he yells at Charlie his voice is much deeper and more accented than normal. Even his voice is a part of his persona, and only slips out in these moments of intense emotion. When Anthony is speaking, not Angel
This was also pointed out in his song Poison too, at the ending his voice changes back into "Anthony"
He has several vocal slips and they are all very nice. Even in the last episode when he's speaking to Husk there's an ever so slight one.
This is why I love insincere characters. It makes the moments when they are honest so much better.
He also has drool coming out of his mouth.
I always noticed and always love thoses moments where his real voice comes out.
I hate seeing people say that Husk is victim blaming during "Loser Baby."
He's not. He's recognizing that they are both in a terrible situation with no obvious way out which was born from the choices they made and resolving to endure what they have to together. The power of not being alone in a traumatic situation is incredible and letting Angle know he's not alone and that someone else has a similar experience - as it says in the song - is very helpful.
Right?! He's also meeting Angel where he is. He's not telling him "you're not a loser! You're awesome!" because Angel isn't ready to believe that yet. Husk is saying "hey, yeah, you are a loser...and that's okay, I'm still here. You can still enjoy sex and drugs, that's fine, but just be yourself." When I've been at my lowest, it's been people who see my worst and accept me as I am that have been the most helpful.
@@moththechangeling8522Exactly. It takes out the fear of rejection at being seen because Husk is saying “I do see you, and I won’t abandon you because I can relate. Actually, tell me more!” That’s powerful and I love that.
That's exactly how I saw the song. Solidarity.
THIS
So much this! It's why Loser, Baby is my favorite song of the season. Sometimes, just knowing you're not alone makes all the difference.
Very few people noticed that during the song, when he begins to "dance", it is all in his head.
In the background you can see on screens how his body is being forced into positions, and he is "dancing" in his head to mimic the poses.
When he screams in real life he is shouting in song, when he is thrown to his knees he "falls over", etc.
He is disassociating from reality. It is very painful to view that scene once you notice it.
Mmhhhh. That's a cool way to interpret it!
I personally take the dance literally, like it is part of his work day. But it works as in a "You don't want to hear me, you just want to watch me dance". He smiles and moves for the camera, the same that films his pain. Everyone watches his performance while his anguish is literally and figuratively playing in the background and is getting ignored. He sexualises himself with flashes of his abuse and a perfect smile, reminding us what has happened just an hour ago.
He even mentions disassociating and disappearing. He means within himself. His body doesnt matter, he protects his mind however he can.
No to mention the dancing switches to the screens when Valentino enters the scene, representing him making it impossible for Angel to pretend he's fine
Poison?
@@Kira_GPZIt’s a song from the show!
As a human trafficking/abuse survivor it's HEARTBREAKING to watch how accurate angels story is. It sent me into almost a week of nightmares and flashbacks. But it's so important these stories get out there and be told so others can be rescued. Love this show for all these reasons alone. It's so well written.
Dude are you like, alright o_o
@@azazellon it was a long time ago and therapy helps. It just wasn't something I ever expected to see in a show.
I can agree with you . I got the same and this is also while I like it the Show much and the writting of the Story. And also Videos like this i like to inform people a little bit about what in this World exist.
This and Addict go hand in hand, and are both 💯 accurate. It's heartbreaking, and yet empowering.
@@angelasmith4325 agreed
"If I can ruin myself enough in the process, I won't be his favorite toy anymore." That line hits me like a truck when I watch it cuz that's really what it feels like to be controlled and used and abused for so damn long. Living in constant fear, always on the defensive, bending and breaking every aspect of who you are just to survive, if there was even a self to begin with... And it takes way too long to take back those puppet strings, let alone learn how to use them. Maybe one day, we'll have it all figured out... Angel and Husk are amazing characters and I love them so much
U explain my life...
Finally I learned that they prefer you broken, broken toys don't try to run away.
Cue me not showering for a month
The really sad thing is, Charlie is only in any danger from Val _because_ she's so nice. She is massively more powerful than he is, both socially/politically and in actual supernatural strength. But Angel sees his abuser as the most terrifying thing in the world, which is saying something as he's in _Hell._ He can't imagine anything strong enough to stop Val.
Yeah Val would be annihilated by Charlie and he knows it. And Angel would know it too if he was in a state to think calmly and rationally about it.
She is more powerful than him phisically and politically, but not socially. Overlords are feared more than Charlie and it is implied that they even have more social capital that even Lucifer, mostly because he's been isolating himself.
I agree with the rest though
if Angel hadn't stopped her an enraged Charlie could have easily turned Val inside out.
Alastor: 👁️ 👄 👁️
@@arturouribebertolotti1169the thing is tho, if charlie killed an overlord as powerful as val or even hurt him, her social power would go up immediately and people would fear her. the only reason they don’t is because they haven’t seen her do anything powerful yet, so there’s not much to fear. they don’t think that she would do anything and don’t even know if she can, but if she just showed aggression, she’d be very feared
Angeldust is one of the best written characters in the series.
Because hes based off of vivs irl experiences
@@darkwolfstudioesyeah she’s viv personified into a cartoon
@@MinatotheGreenLanternangel dust is a male
@@vukogamer6198doesn’t change the experiences and feelings that came with that history
@@papeya_Pics that's not what i wanted to say.
I was just correcting that person because they called angel dust a SHE.
I wasn't saying that males can't be SA survivors.
I actually prefer "Loser, Baby" over how most shows portray abuse victims.
Most shows go all "You're special! You've got the strength to break free! We believe in you!"
Husk? He goes "Yes, your life is awful. But there are others like you, so don't wallow in self-pity and accept support when offered."
One is false hope that can end very badly if followed through. The other is a bit of harsh reality mixed with the fact that there are still people who can help you.
I feel like you're not interpreting Loser, Baby correctly, specifically that Husk IS NOT saying that "Yes, your life is awful. But there are others like you, so don't wallow in self-pity and accept support when offered."
He never tells Angel to stop wallowing in self-pity, Husk sits with Angel in self-pity and that act of self-pitying *with* someone else, is in and of itself healing. Husk specifically says he can't help Angel, it's the fact that both of them can't get out, but they can hug each other through it. The point of the song is that Angel CAN self-pity around Husk, Angel doesn't need to act tough, he can just do the self-pity without shame. Self-pity has to be shown to another human to get it out of the system so it doesn't internalise.
Husk is saying "Stop HIDING your self-pity, you can let it out around me, you don't have to be strong. You can be weak, because I'm weak like you and I won't judge you for it."
@@SwordmaidenGwen "It's time to *_lose your self-loathing, excuse yourself, let hope in."_*
Yeah, nothing about that says anything about stopping the self-pity and accepting help. Nothing at all.
That was sarcasm, in case that wasn't obvious.
@@HunhowsShadowStalker Erm, you said self-pity. Self-loathing is different... in case you don't know. Though that explains why you misinterpreted it.
Self-loathing is where you blame yourself for the bad that's happened to you. Husk tells Angel not to hate himself and parts of himself that have nothing to do with the action that he regrets. Husk never said self-pity, which is a completely different concept. Self-pity is feeling sad about the situation you've found yourself in.
"Letting hope in" isn't the same as accepting support when offered or the "fact that people can help you." Husk explicitly says that he can't help because that's true. *No one can improve Angel's situation.* Angel's soul has been sold, but Angel doesn't need to give up on *feeling* better IN the bad situation.
You can endure a bad situation with a smile when you know that the people who matter are safe in your heart and love you. Val can hate Angel and insult Angel all he wants, but if Angel doesn't care about Val's opinion, it'll be easier to endure the cruelty, knowing that no matter how destroyed Angel gets, he has Husk to love him and be there for Angel.
@@HunhowsShadowStalker Also, you might want to actually watch the video you're commenting on because the host actually says this as well. Husk showed Angel his injuries, showed Angel that he was weak and broken too. So Angel can be himself around Husk, and Husk will never judge Angel.
That's the gift he gave Angel, which turned Angel's pain into the very thing that connects the two, and that's at least one upside to all the terrible agony. It's the cup half full perspective, you know?
EXACTLY, ngl as someone who went through something bad it is a song that is just really comforting.
I grew up with a sex worker as a mother and have seen and been around some really bad things. It definitely affected how I handle adult relationships and friendships. When Angel Dust broke down and said he has to act to feel ok with life I started sobbing. I love his character and I feel like people who don’t understand how traumatic the sex work industry can be and abusive relationships lack empathy for his character because they just can’t fathom the psychological damage done to a person.
You will perish alone and forgotten, having made no legacy for yourself@@Mortablunt
Why tf are you in every comment? Do u gotta life? @@Mortablunt
@DeEchoVibeWontDie ignore them dudes probably a attention seeker.
Whoever wrote Angel and Val had close, probably personal experience with abuse. It was so well written.
the relationshhip is apparently inspired after a relationship Vivzie went through.
I think i connected with Angel the most, that push and pull that Valentino does with his affections towards Angel is scary accurate and it was a dead ringer
I'd be willing to bet money that multiple people involved in production had been through something similar.
Something that I loved about the scene at the studio was how they didn't have Charlie just swoop in and save him instantly. In real life, well-intentioned friends try to do this all the time, and like in the show, it often doesn't end well. Trying to get someone away from their abuser can be extremely difficult, and if not handled delicately, it can just end up causing more harm to the victim. Emotional abuse is so devastating.
Exactly, most of the time the victim is so dependent on their abuser they don't want to get away from them in the first place. Any direct meddling will just worsen the situation for them.
I'd like to see her try though; hope there will be an arc about hotel team figuring out how to make Valentino drop the contract in season two
@@g.yad.4758 I think Angel would first have to ask for help directly, and considering Angel mentions that Val can do whatever in the Studio I assume destroying the Studio would work
i agee, my irl friend mentioned this; sometimes, sad as it is, you just can't help someone that fast, and sometimes that help, given the situation, just puts them in more danger.
@@MM4TuT that's an interesting theory!
Husk going to get Angel and telling him he's fucked up and to stop acting like everything is okay is what actual aggressive kindness looks like - only your truest friends will ever tell you when you're doing something wrong and to stop because they hate watching you destroy yourself.
Nema.
This is why I love the "You're a Loser, Baby" song lol my friends all do this for each other and it's so relatable.
Exactly, and furthermore he expresses that even if their experiences are different, their both “made deals” they can’t escape. Its a healthy dose of trauma bonding one that doesn’t make light of the other person’s experiences
This may be true but it can also be very toxic when you do so too aggressively when the other does not feel ready for it. At some point they will then just block up and that will destroy the relationship very quickly.
It happens with my gf tbh, i recognize their destructive behaviors and call out the behaviors but also constantly reassure them that it's okay, that no matter the problem things will get better and that they are perfect
I'll never get over the sheer lack of media literacy skills people have when talking about TV and film. People made such a big fuss over ONE clip of "Poison," and you think "oh it'll be better understood when the actual full episode comes out."
But no. It got worse, and people said it glorified SA, and the people shouting either overlooked or outright discredited SA survivors who related to Poison. Media literacy is such an important skill to have in order to hone critical thinking.
@rach3092 It's 18+ for episode 4. Don't think it matters too much when people are so dense they don't understand abusive relationships look like a great deal at first. Once you realize something is wrong you're too deep in and it'll only get worse.
I think that's mainly because "showing" something is seen as glorifying and approving of that thing nowadays, which is a ridiculous notion. Showing is often the most effective way of educating on the bad elements of something.
I think people need more than to learn media literacy....I have IRL friends asking advice about their under 13 children watching this show. How it seems to be too much for them....and I'm like, why are you letting your kid watch an adult show? And they feel offended.
@Chihirolee3 Ah yes, the crux of the 21st Century, nothing is ever the parents' fault
Personally, as a survivor, the images were pretty gratuitous. The meaning of the lyrics and stuff however I love and I can’t stop replaying the song. The only part of the imagery I can appreciate is just because of how gratuitous every scene is you can see just how long these work days are, as these different scenes are back to back. I’m kind of a fence sitter here, like on one hand idk if the imagery needed ALL of that, and on the other I do appreciate where it comes from,, it just could’ve been handled better
I am absolutely SHOCKED that you didnt cover the bar scene between Husket and Angel where Angel basically breaks down completely
same
People also forget Angel is putting himself out there, because that is what he thinks hes only good at. Hes only known for that stuff and feels like he deserves it.
It makes sense for Val to feel like he was losing control when Charlie barged in. While it is difficult to quantify a demon's power level in this show, if I were to crudely break it down, Charlie is actually two power strata *higher* than Val. It's not something that is easily seen, because Charlie, (being a non-confrontational person) doesn't often use her immense power to push other people around. The thing is, Val *knows* he's way outclassed by Charlie, which is why he's so angry.
All three of the Vees are expert manipulators. Val knew the only chance he had was to get Angel to make Charlie back off.
Is Stolas can beat Alastor I'm pretty sure Charlie can take Val
Actually three power strata, Valentino isn't even close
Power LEvels as laid out by Viv during the pilot production:
Lucifer
CHarlie & Lilith
the other 6 of the Seven Deadly Sins (Asmodeus, Bee, Mammon, Satan etc.)
Ars Goetia and other demon nobility
Overlords
Sinners
Succubi etc.
Imps and Hellhounds.
another thing to consider is Lucifer. If Val hurts Charlie in any capacity, Lucifer would return it tenfold
As a survivor who resonates DEEPLY with Angel and felt hurt by how much trash not only his character but this episode got made me feel like people just didn't want to see my pain. They just wanted to censor it out of existence because it hurt THEM to much to see the reality of it.
The only complain I have of this episode is this is the only episode about how toxic their relationship actually is, because a toxic relationship as a lot more complexity . But I get that it’s an adult cartoon and therefore have limited amount of episodes so I get why they did it like that.
@@TrashyWaffle The show is rushed but that's a general issue that affects everything, not exclusive to Angel.
"hurt _them_ to see the reality" .. i haven't heard a better phrase for the internet nowadays
@@anitaremenarova6662
minor spoilers: i recommend to any reading this to finish HH if you haven't alreadu
agreed, the show was very rushed, it became most evident to me in the final episode because of how overwhelming yet unsatisfying it felt. they have too much to work with and not enough time to work with it all, it's pretty sad to see. not to mention how they just get all touchy feely and rebuilt the hotel at the end immediately, it didn't feel earned because everything happened so fast. i'm gonna assume the limited episode number of just eight was a legal thing but if it's not.. only having eight episodes for an overarching story with many characters like hazbin was a poor choice
@@paradoxtatorstudios9681 Ultimately, the platform decides how many episodes you get to work with, so we can probably lay the blame for this one squarely on Amazon
Not to mention, Angel Dust and Valentino’s relationship is based on an actual toxic relationship Vivzie went through, mixed with how her own fame became a double-edged sword, as she also has to deal with creeps or haters.
It is?!
@@hannahguilding1338 yup. Sometimes reality surpasses fantasy
I can believe that
That's just awful. Can't believe she had to go through something like that.
@@jaxcraft2848 neither did i. i feel so sorry for vivienne
I realized that when Angel is talking to Valentino on the phone, Val is yelling and screaming but Angel is putting it out like it’s a normal conversation in front of the others. Anthony slowly showing with his less confident voice and mannerisms before slipping back into his Angel Dust persona when he hangs up the phone.
As an abuse/SA survivor, this is distressing and something noone should go through. I lost my daughter due to the abuse... I relate to angel because of his trauma and i love the show and how everything is portrayed, even with trigger warnings on episode 4, i watched it but the nightmares and flashbacks got worse but people should feel safe enough to speak up.
I'm so glad I have therapy tomorrow... I just broke from how accurate this is... "A place where I can get high and not have to think about how much it hurts. If I can ruin myself enough in the process, I won't be his favorite toy anymore."
I think part of the reason Angel was extra affected by the skit Charlie wrote is that the road to redemption is insinuated to be "don't be an addict and don't be promiscuous" and that are too things angel can't help, and seeing someone be praised for not being like HIM, that has to hurt the soul.
It also feels like Charlie put Angel into the role of Val, corrupting others by getting them addicted.
And then being judged for the role he was made to play. That definitely symbolises something
@@AnimeParentYeah, I noticed that, too. Charlie really didn't consider Angel's feelings.
I wonder what was going through his head. Maybe he was comparing the script to how bad Val's are, too.
I just noticed something about Val's voicemails; the ones where he's sweet talking have waveforms made of hearts, the ones where he's vitriolic have ones made of snarling teeth.
The voicemail scene hit hard, myself coming from an abusive household. Flip-flops always, never really "saited", it's...just a cycle. Of hearts and teeth.
@@azazellon the worst part? this is a tactic is often by real life abusers. the scene where he has angel defend him from charlie is another one used in real life, and a favorite tactic by abusers none the less
I am going to have to go back and watch all of season one again, just to try to catch all these super subtle little details.
@@ostlandr do that. It’s interestingly heartbreaking to see, if that makes sense
I really really want Angel dust to be redeemed. I have a friend who's real life story is the earthly mirror of Angel dusts' life in hell. Thankfully she managed to get out from under that control. But it's taken a visible toll on her physical and mental health. She'll suffer severe ptsd the rest of her life. And she identifies with Angel so much, that seeing Angel redeemed would be cathartic for her.
His name is angel, that’s some pretty heavy handed foreshadowing that he will end up as an angel and be redeemed. I just hope husk/cherry go with him.
Angel Dust refers to a drug though. Phencyclidin
I think it will be a while before hes redeemed (if he does get redeemed) vivzie confirmed that him and husk are going to have a slow burn relationship, so if he does get redeemed, hopefully they both get redeemed.
@@willbunch01
Angel is short for angel dust, which is a drug, hes simply named after a drug.
I mean define redeemed. I dunno if he'll be going to Heaven anytime soon, being a main character, especially while his soul is owned, but from a sheer character arc standpoint, there isn't even that much to "redeem" him from, moreso just freeing him from abuse.
I love how even thought Angel was being beaten and abused by Valentino he still was worried about Charlie and didn't want Valentino to hurt her. That was so sweet.
Did yall notice that Valentino’s “nice” voicemails are all made out of hearts, while his more aggressive ones are all distorted/chaotic
Ironically Charlie could annihilate val like nothing; but,I think this also says something about the abused mindset your abuser may be weaker than someone who wants to defend you but you may see them as an unstoppable force.
While you do have a point there's also another at play here. Angel sees Charlie as naive, innocent. Having someone like Val threaten her could show that all the power in the world won't protect her from the mental trauma Val can inflict. It shows that while Charlie is physically stronger than Val, Val is manipulative and cruel in a way Charlie just can't be because that's not who she is and Angel knows that. If Val is willing to hurt her then it shows he's more dangerous than he looks.
@@Stargazer_Ley exactly!!
Val is completely in control there. It doesnt matter that she is stronger, she cant really do sht. Val can simply threaten her with torture of Angel which she cant prevent in any way. People should stop thinking about power levels as flat constant.
I misread annihilate as “inhale“ 😭😭😭
Exactly
I heard that Angel Dust's Dad was a mob boss from the early 1900's which was a very homophobic time. I bet part of the reason he made that deal with Val was to get away from his dad
As a mob boss, Angel’s dad was very likely a charismatic but very violent and hostile man. So it does make sense that Angel would be drawn to Valentino, who shares similar characteristics to his father. Sadly, for many people who were abused/neglected by a dominant parent, they get involved with abusive people in later relationships.
The subtext is pretty strong here. "I didn't ask to be this way!" when speaking to Husk made me really sad.
He died from a overdose in the 1920s, his older brother Aracniss is seen in the background of the last episode...Angels twin Molly is in heaven, we see her in episode 6
Edit : Anthony's death date is debated, 20s, 40s, I legit can't comb though years of Viziepops scattered lore for the official time
@@ronniemcnuggit9718 I thought the wiki said he died in 1947
yes im pretty sure its canon
What makes the character especially tragic is that he cannot just leave his abuser. Not only because of fear or threats but because he made a contract for his soul. So no matter how much Angel grows and makes the decision he doesn't want that anymore, he cannot go until someone ends Valentino or Valentino ends the contract. So either his abuser dies or his abuser lets him go. That's something you wouldn't get in a realistic setting and it makes it even more heartbreaking.
To be fair we don't know the nature of the contract. On one side it could be one step away from Val owning his soul, on the other side it could be powerless.
this is why i think angel actually wants to be redeemed. he's hoping that if he's redeemed, val won't own his soul anymore and the contract will be broken and he'll be free.
People being abused might think that way even if it's not real, they might think that passing is the only way out
That and the sad thing is Angel said if I keep slowly doing what I’m doing now, I won’t be his favorite toy and maybe he’ll let me go.
I honestly see him as the equivalent of a real world trafficking victim. They don’t technically own their victims legally, but they keep even tighter control of their victims than most abusive partners do
This hits hard. Not as a survivor of abuse. But seeing it happen to my mom when I was young. I didn’t truly know what she was going through, what he was doing to her, until I saw him slamming her in the car door as she tried to go to work.
I have such a grudge against this guy. I had to skip a couple funerals because he was going to be there. It would’ve taken everything in me not to harm him for hurting her. She stayed with him to protect us. I’ve no doubt if he would’ve hurt us if she left.
When she finally got away from him, she was so scared. He broke her windshield with a brick. A brick that was going to be used to hurt her. She had to call my bio dad to come and stay the night with us because she was so scared, tired, and weak mentally in that moment.
She’s in a happy, loving relationship with my stepdad now. I love both of them very much. But seeing Angel go through this after watching my own mother go through something similar hurt.
I’m so sorry that happened to your mother. I am glad she is alright now ❤
18:00 poor Angel is so terrified he doesn’t stop to think, if Valentino did try to hurt Charlie, Lucifer would torture him beyond mortal comprehension and then end him completely. He’s the originator of Hell, the King, Valentino can’t even compare in terms of sheer power. No matter how many souls he collects, or allies he manages to draw in, he can’t overtake the Fallen One himself, especially if he’s triggered Lucifer’s biggest trigger, his one and only precious child.
Yeah, but Angel doesn't know that Luci is the way he is yet. For all he knows, Luci is a straight-up deadbeat who never interacts with Charlie at all.
something someone else pointed out its that abusers often brainwash their victim into thinking that they stronger, and more powerful that they really are
Thank you for actually being respectful and sensible of Angel's character. It seriously irks me everytime someone says Poison's scenes glorify SA when that isn't the case, or when Loser Baby is victim blaming, which it isn't. Angel is one of my comfort characters and he really speaks to me as a person ❤
100%. Poison teeters on the brink of Angels suffering and the facade he wants to put on, leaving the viewers feeling extremely uncomfortable due to its realism. I still have trouble rewatching episode 4 because of this
People who say that are media-illiterate.
I don’t understand how people don’t get it. That song describes how it feels to be a victim. Is not glorying anything, all you feel during the song and while you see everything is complete discomfort. I always want to cry when I watch it is so organic. Is the first time I see an animated show tackle this subject so well, maybe besides Tuca and Bertie. The other song is about them both connecting through their situations and finding support. Is amazingly beautiful.
I love that you wear the same clothes and makeup as the character you are undertanding and explaining them to us, it really feels like you are seeing what they are seeing and saying what they can't. your work is awesome!
So happy you notice and appreciate i try to walk in their shoes when I discuss it.
@@GeorgiaDow Agreed! And yeah, the choice of outfits is awesome, heh
@@GeorgiaDow I agree, it is an excellent touch. I didn't even consciously notice until I saw this comment, aside from stupidly wondering why you were wearing that. But now it's obvious in hindsight. XD
should that be a new kind of cosplay? or is that most of cosplay?@@GeorgiaDow
@@GeorgiaDow I noticed that but I thought someone else already pointed that out
What really stood out to me is that Valentino explicitly isn't intimidating to the audience. He looks, acts, and even sounds kinda goofy. Even the way he backhands Angel in the context of sinners getting literally dismembered every episode, doesn't make him look extremely intimidating or powerful.
But *to Angel he is*. Angel is genuinely scared of Valentino not just for himself (since Val owns his soul) but for *Charlie* too. When Charlie makes a mess at the studio and Valentino is beating Angel up in the studio he's actually begging to Valentino "Don't hurt *her*". While, by virtue of being the literal princess of hell, Charlie could probably fold Valentino in half.
This speaks for Angel being empathic, sure, but it's also a very clear mirror of a problem many abuse victims face in real life, or at least one of the most prominent I see:
Your abuser feels like the most powerful person in the world to YOU. At the same time, the abuser often isn't seen as intimidating at all by the outside world. (Narcissists are VERY good at this)
This divide between the victim's feelings and the perspective of the world around them often makes it very difficult for victims to actually get the support and confidence they need to get away.
Conversely, one thing that I think makes the scene hit so hard is its realism. Because it's such an over the top violent setting, it's easy to sort of tune out how violent it actually is, in a way. It's a cartoon, it's over the top to the point where violence can sometimes be goofy rather than scary. So, for this scene... It's utterly believable. There's no magic, no crazy weapons- just an abuser throwing around his victim.
Also, kudos to the sound design and the voice acting. Angel's voice acting in particular is so heart wrenching- that little "ow" when he's being hurt in particular feels incredibly real. You can hear his panic and pain and just... Ugh. Val is such a well constructed character but man do I hate him for what he does to Angel
Another example of abuse I can think of is Ed from Ed Edd n Eddy. We just see hints of his parents abusing him, the active abuser we see is Sarah always lashing out with threats and physical violence.@vaughnhaney7020
I find Valentino absolutely terrifying. But then I'm a victim of abuse. Everything else is melodrama and cheese.
Valentino is real.
@@Neku628Don’t forget Eddy’s brother who was his abuser in childhood and whose true colors are revealed in the movie.
@@rhondahoward8025 Yeah, I wonder if Eddy's brother got his abusive behavior from his and Eddy's dad. We see Eddy's hands being grabbed by his dad's beefy, giant hand while yanking him home.
The fact that Angel stood up to Val to protect Nifty is great.
Angel in full Older Brother Protects mode was great. :)
That said, Niffty would clean the floor with Val. Possibly literally.
One of my favorite phrases for negative and hurtful behaviors that also have a reason to be present is "It's an explanation, not an excuse."
A line that is very well written is "Wow, I had no idea. Guess that's why I'm an actor!"
Because if you actually know about acting, you know that being an actor is the opposite of being fake. It's about being open and honest even when you're portraying someone else. Angel is just gaslighting himself.
Thank you YES! As an actor I've been thinking about this since my first watch, like acting is all about truth. Angel is truly just masking, which is a whole other thing
When Val said “you know how crazy you make me” it’s like victim blaming and gas lighting at the same time and it’s so manipulative and toxic.
1:06 just to add on incase somebody missed it.
The skit itself is tone deaf and insensitive to angel dusts trauma specificaly, *crackhead sells a Needle of weed to a toddler or whatever trope.
like the whole skit is just throwing all of angels percived failures in his face, AND hes an actor, he's getting shamed in the one arena he ought to have confidence in.
The point on this ep is pushing angel to a breaking point and they do it well.
All in all great writing.
I'm sure it wasn't Charlie's intention but it literally says to Angel that everything about him is anti-redemption. It tells him he's bad for having addiction issues and being a sex worker and just continues this pattern where he's given no credit for his effort to improve.
I agree but he's also not putting in any effort. Sure, that whole thing was a dlck move from Charlie even if she doesn't realize it due to her tunnel vision but the previous exercise he has no excuse to ignore.
@@anitaremenarova6662 To be fair though the other excercises were dumb summer camp exercises. Charlie means well but she's not really in a position to offer the mental health help that Angel needs. I cant blame him for not wanting to participate in those activities because honestly those activities are for maybe teens at a summer camp. Not someone with deep rooted trauma. Part of helping redeem someone is giving them what they need individually and realistically yhe exercises she was doing wouldn't work on an abuse victim in real life either
@@lexyruse603 Again, I'm not saying Charlie knows what she's doing but every path to healing requires the participants to be willing. Angel wouldn't care to seriously engage with any of it even if she were the best shrink in the world.
@@lexyruse603 You know, I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not but those exercises kinda reminded me of what I’d seen in a mental institution before. For an adult ward, the exercises meant to help those at their lowest seemed… oddly childish and inane. Coloring books, simplistic charts about feelings, worksheets written as though for preschoolers… Patronizing, to say the least. But to point out the pointlessness was to be seen as non compliant. In other words, ineligible for redemption. Even Charlie’s simplistic optimism resembles that of psych nurses (though Charlie is better because she goes out of her way to stick her neck out for people). Maybe I’m projecting but I’m curious to see what others think or if they have similar experiences.
I love the cinematography during Angel yelling at Charlie. You almost always see Valentino or it almost instantly includes Valentino in the shot, implying that this isn't what Angel wants to say but it's what Valentino wants to say and is getting Angel to say it for him.
As Sexual Assault survivor it's
HEARTBREAKING to watch how accurate angels story is. It sent me into almost a week of nightmares and flashbacks. But it's so important these stories get out there and be told so others can be rescued. Love this show for all these reasons alone. It's so well written.
That’s very interesting how they play out the abuse cycle in the show. Like, angel definitely has that protectiveness over Charlie, because he cares for her. He tells Val not to hurt her.
Angel may already know that Charlie cannot be hurt by Val (easily), but Angel might also know that he would hurt Charlie by hurting him.
Angel knows that he can take the abuse the Val throws at him. He knows what Val is like, but he is so scared for her because seeing Angel in pain would ruin her emotionally.
It’s an absolutely heartbreaking scene. But I’m glad that they showed it because that’s what it’s like. Either he is scared that Val can actually physically hurt her, or he knows that Val can emotionally hurt her. Either way, Angel is protecting his friend, and you get to see what Angel is really like. I’m just sad that he Goes through what he does.
There's also the possible idea that Val has traumatized Angel to such a point where he thinks Val will actually overpower and cause harm to Charlie (his impulsive nature would get him to fight with her even though there is a power gap between them). Just to show how truly terrified of Val Angel is and how he doesn't want to involve anyone else, pinning the blame and Val's anger all on him to protect Charlie.
@spaghtti yeah I think it's moreso that. He's so afraid of Val (and Charlie is generally so nice and harmless) that he is too afraid to rationally think about the situation.
@@brolytriplethreat @spaghtti I agree with both of you for sure. A lot of the time, abused people are so beaten down and scared of their abusers that they are gaslit into thinking that they (the abusers) are the most powerful, and scary, person in the world, and that they can hurt anyone.
I’ve definitely seen it from people who have been through it. They often times think they’re completely powerless, when often times, the abusers don’t actually have a lot of power themselves.
19:54
I think what solidifies that for me, is that in the song that Angel sings, he says "What's the worst part of this hell? I can only blame myself", he doesn't see his situation as "this person manipulated me to end up like this", more like the "i should have know" or "i am weak for keeping this situation going", again whit his song, he says "I shoulda guessed that this would happen".
Annyways, love your content, specialy has a psicology major, kisses from the home of porotos con rienda and sopaipillas, Chile.
Considering his past in the mafia where they managed prostitution and the fact that his father abused him as well he feels like he should have seen what Val was like from the get-go
angel believes it’s his fault because he signed the contract, causing all of this to happen
@@_toasty_- From what is known, considering that he had a previous "relationship" with Valentino, signing the contract may have been under the illusion that it was not going to be something really bad or, on the other hand, it may have been directly that with a relationship toxic already established, under threat. Personally, I understand that line as his relationship with him beyond the contract, of "letting himself be fooled" and continuing with him, including "selling" his soul. But idk
Dios,esas partes realmente duelen
@@sammwaisman3638 I think you are most likely correct
Oooh, yesss, I was wondering when therapists would analyze Hazbin Hotel characters, specifically Angel Dust
Cursed Wallace, is that you?!
Something I saw pointed out during the fire scene, Angel does not even really notice the fire, all he see is the biggest danger in the room, Valentino.
Yeah...
It's typically children who shouldn't be watching the show making the accusations that misrepresent what's actually happening. Idk if it's cause I'm an artist, I sincerely doubt it, but the message is BLATANT this isn't romanticizing or glorifying the abuse. It's showing the pain and suffering of a victim, the same emotions a lot of us SA survivors felt after our attack.
and you need to know of something to know how to be aware of the ways not to get siphoned into it.
An unfortunate irony is that I think Angel saved Val not once but twice. First when he stopped Charlie from attacking him and the second time when he interfered with Nifty. She may not be an overlord but I am sure that little gremlin would have found a way.
Glad to hear Huskar will be getting a video. Hopefully we will be getting videos on Lucifer, Adam, Sera, and of course Alastor
I don't think they took the angelic steel dagger from her, we can only hope.
@@anitaremenarova6662 I am very sure that I do NOT want to know what is going on Nifty's head but if she has the dagger and someone just so happens to say "Stab the mothman", I will not weep when she succeeds.
Even Val himself seems to realize that he dodged a bullet. He calls Angel lucky he makes him money when Val should consider himself lucky Angel's as dedicated to his friends as much as he is.
Val wasn't in danger in that scene. Why people think Charlie could do sht? He has control of Angel, Charlie cares about Angel, therefore he controls Charlie. Even if she kills him, he will just come back, and guess who will get tortured to no end?
Also noone takes her seriously, noone thinks she is strong.
@@mathewunknown8266 Val wouldn't come back, I'm pretty sure her power is the equivalent of an angelic weapon if I recall correctly.
An incredible visual subtlety moment (this series doesn't get enough credit for those imo) is the way that throughout the series, Angel's had that matching golden tooth with Val, but then when he stands up to him in episode 6 and tells him "Yeah, you can do what you want to me, but you're not touching my friends.", the lighting shifts in a way to make the golden tooth look white like the rest of them, just a slight bit of the gold left on the edges until it cuts away.
I noticed that, made the connection once I realized they both had the gold tooth.
Is it yet another mark Val's put on Angel? To claim him as his own?
@@azazellonProbably. That tooth is on all of val’s actors.
12:38 there is a second aspect to this people don't notice/know without looking into the podcasts. Valentino's saliva and smoke is a literal roofie. His licking people or blowing smoke is him drugging and controlling them. In the videos we see he uses just a little bit to influence Angel. Such as the gang BDSM abuse scene, he blows into Angel's face to help him "disassociociate disappear." We also see Val's saliva used as drugs later in the episode. Val just SLATHERED Charlie in drugs, his power, and tried to influence her and he was DENIED hard. Charlie effortlessly blew his powers off without seeming to even know what she did. Val is powerless against Charlie, while Angel clearly holds power over her. Angel also has ties to the Lord of Greed. Anthony is a mafia blood member. Angel has just indirectly shown he could be stronger than Val. Val was just humiliated several times by Charlie's mere resistance to him.
Oh thanks for sharing, I didn't know that at all. It adds even more awful layers to the situation! 🥺
The narcissism, the anger, the desire for absolute control and the insecurity. I know it all too well because I see it in my father. So when you brought it up, so many things were just clicking in my head that it made me feel dizzy.
holy shit im so sorry. i hope youre okay.
One of the things that stuck out and really resonated with me. Was the moment Valentino grabbed Angel by the arm to lead him to the back room. Subtle enough to not fully tip off Charlie but clearly painful and done to make Angel feel small and powerless even before the beating began. I know that grip and have felt that grip, so that made me flinch even more than the punch. People, me included at times, only see Hazbin's Over-the-top moments. But the subtleness of those movements and moments really shows the passion these animators have for their art. And it keeps me coming back despite some of its rough edges.
When it came to Angel, I noticed most of the backlash he got was because people expected him to just make a complete turnaround in the pilot as if none of these people could tell he was obviously set up as part of the main cast, meaning it would have been weird for him to undergo a complete arc in his introductory episode. That brief moment where he actually shows sympathy towards Charlie, nope, that meant absolutely nothing.
Something interesting is that Charlie, while she doesn’t look it, has both more physical power and social status than Valentino, and could easily either kill him or politically ruin him if she wanted to. Angel should know this intellectually, but he’s more afraid of his abuser than he trusts Charlie, which is sad but realistic. Often victims of abuse see their abusers as stronger and scarier than they really are, because the abuser has conditioned the victim to see them as such
This is so true.
First of all, amazing costume yet again. Second, I love Angel so much. He's so much more than a flirtatiousadultfilm star. Beneath it all is a vulnerable person who's been through terrible treatment, and even so, genuinely cares for his friends and wants to protect them. I wish the best for this spider.
Very much agreed. He has so many layers to peel back and cry from.
I respect him for surviving all this.
Thank you so much for the support and agree with you on Angel
No matter what happens, I'm routing for him.
@@waterbullstudios9195 hear hear!
Finally, someone finally sees angel dust as a well developed character and not just a stereotype. Hazbin hotels characters put a spark of enjoyment in my soul because there’s finally a new show that has actual character depth and enjoyment for those characters.
I had a feeling Angel would be a favorite character of mine the first time I saw him look upset at not being praised for helping the hotel. You could tell there was so much more to him at that point, and when he stood up to Val for his friends was such an amazing moment. Watching him stand up to his abuser like that was so empowering and even though he's just a character I was so proud of him! I love how his character seems shallow but is actually one of the deepest ones.
Thank you for making this! I swear I could write an entire essay on the depiction of Angel's hypersexuality as a trauma response and how well it's done when hypersexuality is such a stigmatized trauma response. I love that he breaks the mold of the "perfect victim" and just actually feels human.
Angel also has the tendency to talk about how much he hates his work to Husk when he's gotten drunk enough. Another thing he did, was standing up to Valentino in a club because Nifty got close to him. Originally seeing him there made Angel want the group to leave, go somewhere else, but his care of Nifty was stronger, especially since he was trying to look out for her as it was her first time in the club and getting drunk. Which I think tells a lot, as someone who's been emotionally abused, I did end up dumping the friend who was causing it, because my love and loyalty to my other friends was stronger, and I didn't want to lose them.
A note on the skit Charlie had them do; Angel was addicted to the drug Angel Dust and signed with Valentino in order to satisfy that addiction… so the role Angel portrayed might have also led to him being upset as well. He’s playing someone who takes advantage of others just as he was taken advantage of… this coupled with the attention and praise Sir Pentious received really hit Angel’s self-esteem. That might also be one reason Angel accepts Valentino and went to check his messages. Valentino is both Angel’s biggest supporter and worst enemy. He will say the sweetest things while also constantly threatening Angel… in Angel’s eyes… at least episode 1-4, Valentino’s opinion on him is the only one that matters. It’s his identity and he must cope with that… play the part. It’s one of the reasons Angel is a very beloved character; he’s an accurate portrayal of a victim. He lies to himself, takes the abuser’s stance on his worth, and ultimately felt trapped. That’s what made episode 7 so exciting. We saw Angel stand up to his abuser~ I couldn’t have been more proud~
yes that is so true it was charlie having a blinder to where angel really is
I feel that because when he argues with Husk in the bar he says the same things Val says to him, that he is worthy because some guys will pay to sleep with him and he is a loser for rejecting him after Husk calls him fake. That scene is so overlooked but it also shows much of the abuse he is in. He feels insulted because that personality is the thing he feels is keeping him safe.
Thank you for making this video. I’ve seen lots of people, including abuse/SA victims, saying that this show is fetishizing abusive relationships and that its inappropriate. As a SA victim I found it to be very real and extremely accurate and felt quite hurt seeing others saying it was bad. Even if uncomfortable, I think it is very important to push the media to show things like this WITHOUT making jokes about it.
Yet....the show jokes about it
Sometimes... familiar abuse is more reassuring than unfamiliar support. We take the attention we can get, and learn to never expect more, if the abuse is all we know.
In that first scene, I think it’s also that Angel recognizes but also doesn’t want to admit that he’s been putting in a pretty shoddy effort and now that someone else is doing what he’s supposed to be doing better than him, his worth and position in the group is being usurped.
I've known someone a lot like Valentino in many ways. Shared a living space with him. It was the single most terrifying experience of my life, and I've never seen someone like that portrayed this accurately, period. The mood swings, the insecurity, the pettiness. The way people like Valentino use their own mental instability as a weapon to terrorise everyone around them is horrifying. Not only because you have no idea what they're going to do next, but also because nothing is off the table for them.
You get in their way, offend them (which is easy as breathing considering they already despise you), "make too much noise," remind them you exist when they want to pretend you don't, and they could do anything from make a mean, dismissive comment, yell and throw things, or actually beat the hell out of you, and you have no idea which it's going to be until it happens.
They're also experts at turning people against each other. Isolating their victims by poisoning the relationships they have with others, or use threats of violence against one to gain control over the other.
Keep yourselves safe everyone
Edit: 22:39. I literally can't tell you how much I needed to hear that. Thanks Georgia
Felt that. My mum is kinda like that
@@rosarolli I'm so sorry you have to deal with that. It's always so much harder when they're family. Hope you're doing okay
I can't stand abusers. I say we form an armed vigilante group and go after these vampires.
3:10 my cousin once said "sometimes the red flags can be like cozy blankets"
I honestly love Angel so much, not beacause of his sassiness or his cool desing, but rather how complex his character is. I relate to him so many times, (my dad is a narcisist) as an abuse survivor it really hits hard.
This actually hit so hard cuz my dad emotionally abused my mom for years and almost everything you said I recognized A LOT
i hope it helped with being seen
It's also very heart-warming that after this (spoiler alert) you can see how closer husk and angel become, angel starts acting more like his "true self" around husk and can actually talk to him as a friend who he can be real with and relate, rather than flirt and come onto him to further push his "persona". Awesome video Doc. Keep going cant wait for more content 🙏❤️
Yes!!
Also, he finally has someone he can vent to about Valentino, someone who understands and won't judge.
That's exactly what people like Angel often need. Someone who helps them see they're not alone, and that will be there and have their back
One additional bit of fluff. You know how the eyes of a cat tend to be larger when they’re looking at something they like? Go back through and look at Husk’s eyes before and after this scene when he’s with Angel.
Can’t believe how quickly you’re cranking out the Hazbin Hotel related videos.
To be fair, the show's characters have plenty to analyze and unpack.
I'm more impressed how quick she makes these little cosplays she wears for the videos.
The scene after Poison, with Angel & Husk's confrontation at the Hotel bar, is worth highlighting as well; you can see the exact moment the tired, traumatized Anthony composes himself and put on the confident, overly-flirty persona mask of Angel Dust. Even with his back turned, I'm sure Husk noticed it as well, given he immediately focuses on getting Angel to drop the mask, only to lose patience with the spider's come-ons and start yelling.
As someone who has been in an abusive relationship, we often care so much because we don't want others to ever feel the way we did. We know how much it hurts and we don't want others we care about to suffer.
Episode 4 was one of the hardest ones to watch for me. Watching Angel being abused like that. I'm so glad that he found someone to be the shoulder he can cry on. In later episodes we do see him gaining confidence in himself, and starting the positive changes in his life.
One thing i think a lot of people don't understand about an abusive relationship is that it becomes addictive. In Hazbin Hotel it's very overt with Val's aphrodisiac saliva and literal chains on Anthony/Angel Dust, but in real life it's much harder to point out.
People do go through withdrawls when they get out of an abusive relationship. They feel the need to go back for a lot of reasons, but part of it is so they can "normalize," the hormones in their brain.
It's like clinical depression, or even just working a stressful job. Take away that hormonal default and everything feels wrong, even when it's not.
Yup. I had a toxic relationship that lasted only two weeks, but the want to message them didnt go away for months.
Even now, 2 years later...
@@WinterPains
Stay strong.
Play some League of Legends. Get that toxicity fix elsewhere. It's like a nicotine patch, but for toxicity.
I wouldn't say "comfort" in the regular patterns of abuse, but maybe consistency? Predictability?
it is a strange way but has been how some say they feel. The area you know but yes perhaps they would say it differently when they are out of it as well
Would "familiarity" be a better fit? "The same old familiar poison" type vibe? (Pun not intended, but enjoyed)
Maybe familiarity would be a better word for it.
A lot of people who have been victims of abuse either as a child or later on in life tend to subconsciously seek out people who are also abusive because that is all you know and your limits of what you are willing to tolerate in a relationship are blown way out of proportion by what you are used to. It becomes easy for you to excuse a partner's abusive behavior later in life because you've been through worse So what you are going through now can't be that bad right which is how these people often tend to reason with it.
This is coming from someone who grew up in an abusive household and then later on ended up in an abusive relationship and there are a lot of people like me who were abused as children and then end up in abusive relationships because of this and it is also something my mom did as well.
Obviously this isn't going to be everyone's experience, but it is a common experience among past victims of abuse
I haven’t been through THIS kind of abuse, just emotional abuse, and I’d say yeah, I’ve used the word comfort many times to describe the familiarity of the situation, even if I know it’s not comfortable or nice at all.
Hoping for an Alastor video soon, I’d like to see particularly his narcissism/egotism being broken down, as well as his moments showing affection toward others (Mimzy, Niffty, Rosie).
After his scene at the end of the finale, I’ve SOMEHOW gotten even MORE interested in him. He’s my favorite character so I’m excited for an analysis video about him and hoping it’ll be as long as this one.
Oh my god PLEEEEEEAAAASE
We know next to nothing about him. There is no point speculating on him until we know more.
@@mathewunknown8266 Have you changed your mind after watching her video on him?
@@SauceyRedHN No
I love Angel so much, he was always my favourite. Not only for how deep and complex his character is, but also how - unfortunately - relatable he is for the past me. He's just amazing, I almost cried when hearing "Poison" for the first time and then again hearing "You're a looser baby" because I was just happy for him finally dropping his mask and trusting someone, because he understands that Husk accepts his fragile side and is willing to be his true friend. They're gonna end up in a relationship, I think, basing on how Husk looks at him in the last episode.
I'm a recovering addict who has survived an All-For-One bundle of abuse. When I started watching HH I didn't expect to find a character that would really speak to me on such a deep personal level. While I wasn't in that industry for work, everything else was like looking in a mirror of my past and present.
As someone who was in an emotionally abusive relationship, it is VERY hard to see this scene, but I'm glad that things like this are being brought to light. And thank YOU for going into such detail about such a serious topic. I've been out of that relationship for about three years and I've recently found the love of my life. He has treated me with nothing but love and respect, I personally couldn't be happier! Cheers!❤
One thing I've noticed is that every time Angel's voice cracks is like the mask cracks and Anthony's showing. From the more emotional scenes like in the studio to the song where the voice cracks as well. Another thing is his design is his eyes. Both have the pink pupils but one is black while the other is yellow-ish. I interpret this as Angel and Anthony. Angel being the dark eye AKA empty and Anthony having a different color. Lastly his holden tooth is the same as Val's, I interpret this as Val marking what's his, like how a child might write down their name on their favorite toy or thing. Just simply how I interpret Angel and his design (he's probably my favorite character after Alistor).
That is really perceptive, i will take notice to this on my next watch through
@@GeorgiaDow sounds gud 👍
Literally made me cry. I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain the type of abuse my father would use against me. This hit it word for word.
I can relate to angel because my uncle and grandma abuses me emotionally and my uncle abuses me physically and mentally...
@@Ra1ndr0p666 I wish I could do something else other than say sweet words but as the "Loser, Baby" song says: while you are in a bad situation, remember that you're not alone and that even myself can relate to yours and Angel's story. Despite this I urge you to become the best version you can be, be strong for yourself and never lose hope of better days.
If you can, try to seek help online or locally and tell about your situation with a professional. I can even suggest record everything you can through audios or videos with your phone and use them as an evidence against them both but don't be too obvious about it.
And don't worry: the sun will shine to us both again someday.
@@Ra1ndr0p666 Are you still being abused?
@@Cacowninja have been my whole life but it doesn't matter LOL
@@TheJesterGuy_ thx
The voice acting on these characters is outstanding. They captured all the subtle changes in tones, the slipping of the character persona when he's distressed, and it's something that should not be easy to do. I think they should get more recognition.
Coming from a young SA survivor this hurts so much.. Its also nice to see actual representation and psychology involved in shows like this.
Twitter says Loser, Baby song is victim blaming, They dont REALIZE that the ONLY way YOU'D FORGIVE YOURSELF, is to understand whats wrong with you, what's downing you, what's holding you back from forgiving yourself.
Ironically when Anthony blew up at Charlie he does start to get a feel of his own power and thus Set a Boundary for Charlie to respect... Its important when trying to get someone out of an abusive relationship that you don't make the situation worse by escalating the cycle of abuse.
I love that Charlie's take away from all of this was that she crossed a boundary. Sure she was hurt and Angel forgave her but she intruded where she wasn't invited and could have been hurt. I think she knows that. I think she knows, deep down, that he was trying to protect her just as he knows that she didn't mean any harm and was only trying to help.
Angel Dust is such a comfort character as someone who's been in an abusive relationship in the past. I really adore how much care and love went into your analysis of this, lots of love.
Angel´s kindness and protectiveness were what made me like him most in the whole series.
I absolutely love your video, these are exactly the things I saw as well.
Dressing room scene broke my heart 💔 to see angel so vulnerable and getting hurt was the worst 😢
I hope this video gets put at the top of everyone's recommendations. Thorough and thoughtful video that will make anyone a better person.
That means so much to me = )
Honestly thanks sm for this video, I figured out years ago that I had narcissistic, controlling, and abusive tendencies. I've taken many steps to adress them and improve, but every time I hear stuff in media adressing this I still feel insulted, offended, and angry. In a way I was like both Angel and Val, telling myself through a persona that my life is perfect, and I'm perfect, so I never have to hate myself for my mistakes and I never have a bad day. And when I get called out, I justify it and try to fix it and turn the critic into an enemy for shattering that persona. That's why Loser Baby was such a healing song.
thank you for sharing this. It is a difficult cycle to break and it is wonderful you are working towards living better for yourself and those around you. Keep it up
You are not alone in this and I have let myself become my own worst enemy and lose myself because I was afraid and anxious of losing friends thinking that they would not want me contacting them anymore at all. But somewhere deep down I need to do better and hopefully I can redeem myself and heal and they too heal.
He would rather people reject Angel, not Anthony.
His line about "if I can ruin myself enough in the process" reminds me of a book I read about three years ago, in high school. The book "I only said I was telling the truth." In this book, a young girl suffers sexual abuse from her father, and she narrates all of her mental struggles, including this self-destructive process of trying to make herself less appealing. The story does have a happy ending, but the journey was a difficult one
What's the book?
@@Cacowninja Dude, I said the title in my comment
@@bloodybee3553 Oh sorry I see it now.
I really appreciate this video. I hate seeing the comments that Hazbin Hotel is “glorifying” or “romanticizing” SA. Not once has Angel dusts abuse been depicted as a good thing. Poison clearly spells out how Angel knows this lifestyle is dangerous for him but he can’t leave. Not only because he’s under contract, but because he’s terrified to leave. He doesn’t want his friends to get hurt so he takes all the hurt to save them.
I’ve been through SA and abusive relationships. It’s ridiculous when the internet wants to jump on the bandwagon of hate just because they don’t like a show or its creator. Demanding that a characters very real trauma is hidden from the audience just because people are angry about it or find it distasteful is hiding the lives of abuse survivors and removing their representation in media. That’s the real harm that’s being done to SA survivors, not Hazbin Hotel.
The Hazbin Hotel fandom is absolutely loving and feel really grateful you made this video to express the complexities of abuse and trauma. Thank you so much for giving Hazbin a chance.
Blitzo be great because he is BPD coded and a lot of people say he is straight up selfish and abusive
"The "o" is silent" - Blitz
I’ve been waiting for this one. Thank you so much. I never expected Angel Dust to become my favorite character in the show but I ended up loving him so much. The fourth episode of this show as a whole in particular is what helped me come out as Bi, so I really appreciate it for that. Thank you again for doing a video on Angel Dust!
One thing I would mention is that when Val says he owns Angel he is being literal. Angel literally can’t leave even if he chose to because of the deal. It is an abusive relationship but I think Angel would take those steps to leave if he could, but he can’t.
He already did start taking those steps. Yes, there's the whole fantastical aspect but at the end of the day all abusive relationships are about one's mental state. Now that Angel has a support network with people that genuinely care about him and can be there for him Valentino no longer owns his entire being, just his body which means he's halfway through healing.
@@anitaremenarova6662he owns his SOUL, body attached.
An Angel Dust video! It honestly nice to see it broken down as it truly shows the abuse that he endured and how he struggled severely. Him trying to protect Charlie even if Charlie likely would be able to defend herself, but who to say Val wouldn't try to emotionally hurt her using Angel? We legit don't know and likely Angel doesn't either and not knowing what he might do would be terrifying to him so was willing to seem like the bad guy.
He always cares about his friends and it great to see his progress in the series.
When you talked about angels addiction not just being an addiction but one that is very effective at keeping him going...That's what I wish more people understood about the alcoholism I experienced when I was in an abusive relationship. It's not that I'm just genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. Alcohol and my cat were the only two things keeping me alive and getting me through the torture my ex would put me through on a daily basis.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that there’s a lot of overlap between all kinds of abuse. I was never a victim of sexual abuse or pimps, but I was severely bullied as a kid and teenager by someone who I believed was my friend. One thing I actually wanted to say was that something I do (but I’m working on) is I tell lies about myself. What I did last night, what tv shows I watch, how much about certain topics I know. The reason is what you talked about, where you hide yourself because it’s not so scary to face judgement or rejection if what’s being judged or rejected isn’t really you
I don't understand how anyone thought Angel's episode fetishized abuse. Viziepop made jokes in the episode, but she never made out the abuse to be a joke. Things like murder and cannibalism are downplayed, since Hell, but exploitation is treated seriously. She did the same thing in Hell of a Boss. There's a clear line drawn for those who bother to look.
I have always loved Angel long before the show came out. To see him go through such abuse...it breaks my heart. He's a sweet soul who got pulled, thrown around and treated like dirt. I'm happy you covered Angel and the abuse he's going through.
angel has such a good heart under all the pain and trauma he goes through, him trying to selfdestruct hopeing itll make val let him go is painfull to see , its so sad he feels like he has to push others away
I love Angel Dust. He's been my favorite character since the pilot, and it's taken a long time for me to figure out why. I resonate with his character a lot. His trauma, the way he self medicates to deal with all of it. The way he plays off the darkness as a joke and/or part of who he is because you can't hurt me with who I am if I'm 'proud' of it. Yet how he would throw himself into the fire to protect his friends. Watching Angel's story is like looking in a mirror and finally feeling seen. I love that they wrote him how they did, because it's a side of being an SA survivor that doesn't get a lot of attention, isn't done well, or people say isn't a real response for people who go through SA.