the deepest dive into penny from stardew valley
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
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join me on a well-intentioned deep dive into penny from stardew valley!
this is the tenth video in my stardew valley deep dive series. subscribe to catch the next one!
all gameplay footage (except where credited) is my own. all music (except transitions) is from the stardew valley ost.
DISCORD!!
- / discord
check out my sister's Etsy shop, Invisible Illness Squad for super cute merch
- www.etsy.com/shop/invisibleil...
articles referenced:
- Stardew Valley Tries to Have a Better Conversation About Disability, But Does It? tinyurl.com/y84wack8
- Were you a ‘parentified child’? What happens when children have to behave like adults tinyurl.com/bdmajtah
DISCORD!!
- / discord
gameplay footage
- 2 heart event (Alarie) tinyurl.com/36judjrt
- 8 heart event (Naifrog Studio) tinyurl.com/3jj5tdun
misc sources
- web.archive.org/web/202403021...
- web.archive.org/web/202403091...
- web.archive.org/web/202403052...
- web.archive.org/web/202403062...
- web.archive.org/web/202402291...
- web.archive.org/web/202403021...
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popover
- www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...
- / d16zqdf
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic...
- www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/he...
- / re_pennys_2_scene_on_r...
- www.stardewvalley.net/stardew...
- / ihnjd5f
- / community_reminders_an...
- www.reddit.com/r/StardewValle...
- www.oblaw.co.uk/assault-v-bat...
0:00 intro
2:02 ad break
3:15 intro to penny
7:34 THE LEWIS CONSPIRACY
17:55 pam tangent
21:15 intro to penny cont.d
31:08 2 hearts
36:49 entire video essay about the 2h scene :)
1:09:53 4 hearts
1:35:22 6 hearts
1:45:14 8 hearts
1:54:48 emergency sam tangent
1:58:12 8 hearts cont.d
2:00:32 dating/10 hearts
2:07:29 marriage
2:16:42 14 hearts
2:25:17 closing thoughts
2:28:57 summit/divorce
2:32:31 outro 
Развлечения
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LETS GOOO FIONA !!!!!
GET. THAT. COIN. SISTAAAAH!!!!
Just brought a shirt from your sisters shop it’s all so pretty!
@@Pippa87Hi Pippa! Thank you so much for your support! Hope you love it 🥰
Thank you Surf Shark for bringing us the good content ❤ Congratulations Fiona 🎉
I have poured 700 hours into this game to only now realize Penny actually has space buns and not a singular bun thanks to Fiona👏
front facing penny isn’t real, she can’t hurt you-
To be fair, you only get the front facing Penny portraits if you date and/or marry her, so not everyone will have seen them in their gamethroughs.
I think space buns are specifically on top of the head. Penny just has double buns ❤ Regardless, I had no idea either 😂
@@casseroledragon3277 lol I honestly thought about this too but I couldn’t think of a better and concise name so thank you for giving me the term double buns (writing this while having my hair in legitimate space buns🫶)
That’s cause in the 3/4 view the perspective of her hair is broken. You should be able to see both buns at the 3/4 view, but for whatever reason the sprite artist or character artist decided to ignore the laws of perspective on her hair. I always thought she had a single low bun too.
Fiona: "I'm not a video essayist. I'm not citing like studies or academic papers or anything."
The video: contains multiple in-depth references to articles written by experts and people with lived experiences
I was thinking the same thing!
I'm not arguing that Penny shouldn't have rolled George, but I do think that maybe we're missing some nuance here. George has known Penny for presumably all her life, even if it's at a distance. He'll have heard Pam yelling at her in a drunken stupor. He'll be aware of the family's situation. And while George is grumpy, he isn't a monster. I see his apology not as him condoning what she did, but trying to not snuff out the little light Penny has that's keeping her from turning into her mother. Because you can be angry at what someone did, but still have some understanding toward them.
Ooh omggg I’ve been playing Stardew for like six years but I never thought about this angle. I always forget that all the townsfolk knew each other before our farmer arrived.
Then that has to be explicit. George saying something referencing that. The problem isnt the characters, they’re not real, the problem is the writing.
In light of your interpretation of his apology, what do you think about George referring to her as "miss" instead of calling her Penny? It always felt weird and very detached/formal for such small town, one where his wife tells you to call her granny immediately. And they've been direct neighbors for Penny's whole life, theoretically.
@@user-fp8tr8sh1f honestly that bit reminds me of Elliot calling Gus "barkeep" in his 4 heart (2 heart? the one where you get a drink together) event. Both are instances of very bizarrely formal interactions between people that know each other. Elliot has known Gus a much shorter time than George has known Penny, but he's not brand new to town as of the player arriving. It's so bizarre.
@@user-fp8tr8sh1f George also only leaves his house to go to church and the clinic. I can't imagine he's done much differently in the past 30 years. Penny also calls him "Mr. Mullner," not "George." I don't imagine they're close. I don't imagine they've spoken much. But they HAVE been neighbors all Penny's life, so I also can't imagine George not having some inkling of her situation.
My first thought was "finally!", the second one "We both have autism, haven't we."
Game recognizes Game ✧˖°
Same tho same😂😂😂
help same
You find the sandfish in the desert, right? Maybe Penny likes it because it's a reminder that her mom has a job again!
Thats so cute, headcannon accepted
This is an adorable take, I love it
I like to think that it reminds her of trips to the desert that she would take as a child with Pam when she was driving the bus.
Edit: also, regarding Penny’s hatred of the rabbits foot, it could once again have to do with the desert and Pam. The casino is in the desert, and gambling and heavy drinking do tend to go hand in hand. Gambling is often encouraged by casinos through the supply of free drinks which has the added benefit of lowering inhibitions and self control. The sand fish is an example of a happy memory, perhaps a favorite meal or just time spent together at the pond; and the rabbit’s foot represents the destruction of that peace. Ok I have to get back to watching the video lol, perhaps I’m off the mark 😅
@@GrimmeSharkey i was thinking the same when I saw that! Either Pam maybe took her along on some days, or considering that Pam in game spends most of the day waiting at the Desert, maybe she'd fish and bring home sandfish for dinner.
I always thought it was because she talks about how she’s never been outside of Pelican Town and this was a way to see the outside world.
this is so off topic but everytime your sister called George “the Gentleman” it makes my heart so happy bc he really is he only seems grumpy because he is shy and old fashioned. after a few leeks he is one of my favorite non marriage npc💗💗
I realize this is based on a mod (I'm pretty sure this is not dialogue in the real game) but in SVE after you restore the Community Center, Evelyn has a line on Community Day about how George may verbally dismiss Community Day, but he had trouble going to sleep the night before because he was so excited to hang out with everyone and I literally cried. When I first decided to actually pursue friendship with him I was so thoroughly touched and pleased by the writing in his actual heart events and his new dialogue. He's just brusque in how he talks but he really is a sweetheart. His default setting is "grumpy" but you can often see his intention even through the "rough" dialogue.
no really! he has his moments but he's not any meaner than shane was. and i have times where i genuinely enjoy the guy. he mentions that his grandpa was a farmer, so he was raised around that kind of lifestyle and could probably teach you (the player) a thing or two. so now i headcanon he and my farmer are besties and drink a root beer out in the barn now and again, lol.
no one could ever make me hate george.. he’s literally such a nice guy after you get to know him- i usually slip up giving everyone gifts but i ALWAYS make sure the mullners get their fairy roses and fried mushrooms and complete breakfasts.
He might also suffer from chronic pain from the mines injury.
[My Longest Yeah Boy Ever]
hahahaha
yeah boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
@@fionasangsteryou’re my best friend I really like you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
My sweet 6yo son loves Penny. He also wants to be a librarian when he grows up. And wears flowers in his hair and dresses. I love that Penny is his favorite.
Yes! More parents letting their boys do 'girl' things! Good on you!
Wanted to say I'm a 30yr old trans man that used to love wearing flowers in my hair :) I sadly inherited all the balding genes it seems, but this has inspired me to still sometimes tuck a flower behind my ear at least
That is very sweet, best of wishes to you both.
Ohh has he watched Matilda, yet? I bet he'd be all about Miss Honey
I haven’t gotten through the whole thing but this weighs on my mind. It makes sense so many ppl find penny to be boring. Many children of addicts will end up being “boring” or acting invisible because it’s the easiest way getting by in a home like that. Just wanted to say that ❤️
IS THAT WHY I ACT HOW I DO?? both my parents are/were addicts (my mom has since recovered, my dad is still an alcoholic)
Yeah and it’s normal to try to make yourself small, coming off as shy. Penny isn’t my favorite character but I understand why she is the way she is
I think this is why I am the way that I am. I was always my dads favorite kid because I learned from a young age to be quite, don't ask for anything, avoid making him upset at any cost, ect. I think this is why I relate to penny so much. I went no contact with him a year and a half ago and my life has been substantially better, if anyone has an abusive parent and made the difficult decision to go no contact, I'm proud of you
I'd like to add that Pam comments when you divorce Penny: "What did you do!? Penny came crying last night"
Honestly if Pam went for you after that i wouldnt blame her. (she drives a massive bus, after all) In that 'Timeline' you've effectively continued the cycle of divorce and poverty in their family
My special interest is hearing people info dump about their special interest and today I have been blessed.
💯
Nothing beats listening to people talk endlessly about what they love!
Info dumping > small talk
YES there's literally nothing better
i’m really glad this isn’t just 150 minutes of penny hate omg 😭😭😭 i feel like so many people misunderstand her or find her boring but she’s my perfect farm wife and i love her!!
She is not a real person and when people hate her they hate the writing stop treating fictional characters hate like there hating real people
@@r.i.pmydog7723where did they imply anything like that?? it just sounds like they like her and didnt want to watch a deep dive that hated her. Nothing implying thats objectively wrong, just that the viewing experience would be less enjoyable to them.
@@r.i.pmydog7723your brain doesn’t work well :/
I don’t hate her or misunderstand her but I don’t interact with her much because we don’t have much in common. 🤷🏻
@@haileykate8216 are you ok
That’s actually an interesting interpretation of the rabbits feet disdain! I took it more specifically as her not liking them because she sees it as cruel. I could totally be wrong for that interpretation though
but no bunbuns were harmed in the making of my rabbit's feet, Fluffbutt just drops them every so often.
i always assumed it was for cruelty reasons as well (because i dont like even fake rabbits feet for the same reason) but in universe it doesnt really make sense, just never gave it too much thought
@@endless_delI don’t like fake ones either for the same reason.
re: Penny loving sandfish; Pam likes to fish! I always thought maybe Penny has a nice memory of going fishing with Pam back in the day and catching a sandfish. :)
aww i love this
What I also find very interesting about Penny is her crush on Sam; as you said in the video, Jodi never asks Sam for help with any daily task, and I think Penny sees this and thinks it's "desirable", she thinks the perfect family would be the traditional wife who does the chores type of home life (probably because she feels a NEED to be, because of her desire to be perfect and please others, and her home life with Pam), and when Penny starts going out more with the farmer, she loses interest in Sam, because she realizes, she doesn't want to live her life just to please others, she doesn't want to "take care" of her partner, like she did with Pam.
Another layer is that we know that Jodi isn’t exactly happy in her life. I don’t doubt she loves her sons, but I do think she’s miserable in her circumstances. Penny wouldn’t have seen this, which just makes her idealisation of Jodi’s life even sadder.
@@NerdySalemSays - Yet another layer is how sensing Jodi's pain has helped trap Sam in a unique situation of experiencing both adultification and infantilization as he tries to step in as a parent for Vincent with Kent gone and walks on eggshells not to stress Jodi out further even as she oversteps his boundaries. There's so much that Penny has misinterpreted about their family being ideal. Sam loves kids, but a marriage between him and Penny would be disastrous for both of them. She'd become Jodi 2.0, and Sam would be trapped in basically the same situation that he's already in.
I'm also an ambulatory wheelchair user, and I fully agree. It's highly upsetting and rude and violating for someone to just shove you out of the way like a piece of furniture.
Babe wake up a new Fiona Sangster video just dropped, get the Complete Breakfast ready
i watch all of these lovingly and happily and this is a great break down…
but deep in my gremlin ass little heart with every video i go “yes one step closer to SHANE”
honestly. me too
Pimp-ass Willy Wonka Fit had me Cackling
I pray for an update where we can replace lewis as mayor😭
@@lazyjustice or at least make him go public about his relationship with Marnie
with every video you make, i’m hyping up the inevitable 4hr epic that will be shane’s video lol
On the Penny 2 heart thing: I was previously morbidly obese and I had a lot of people (particularly total strangers) wanting to "help" me in ways that did me harm emotionally and physically.
- When people believe their intentions are good, and somebody tries to inform them their actions did some kind of harm, and their response is "But my intentions are good!" that is very... sub-optimal.
- If the intention is to do good, and the result is some kind of harm, the person has failed in their intention and they need to accept that. It's assumed that the intentions were good... until they start loudly arguing with the person who was harmed in some way that they couldn't possibly have been harmed because of the intentions behind the harm that was done.
God forbid you fail to show gratitude for their failed intentions.
I super agree with Ruth. Great article. Thanks for making me aware of it.
The segment about Penny having a dream about her children flying away - i don't think it has anything to do with Marilda, I think it's more about the Witch's Hut and it's... special ordeals
Seems to be a lot of doves this time of year. 🤔😂
Plot twist: Penny had a sibling, and but she only has a vague memory of them turning into a dove because she was too young to really understand
Yess exactly i was just going to comment this! I think that was a nightmare she had about the player divorcing her and turning their kids into doves, which ties right into her childhood fear of abandonment!!
NEW FIONA VIDEO AND A SPONSPORSHIP??? LETS GOOOOO
RIGHT im so happy for her!!! i hope more companies reach out to her for a deal and that they give her ten million dollars. lol
thank you for going SO in depth with the 2 heart scene. hearing your sister made me cry because that was the most seen i’ve ever felt. you’re doing great things
❤️❤️❤️
Re: 2 heart scene. I started playing the game sometime in 2022 so I had no idea that dialogue option was changed. I used the wiki a lot on my first playthrough and remember being SO confused that we’re “supposed to” tell Penny her actions were kind in order to avoid losing friendship. I’m not physically disabled myself, but I thought it was common sense that it’s inappropriate to push someone’s wheelchair without permission, just like you wouldn’t pick an able-bodied person up and move them elsewhere. In my opinion, I don’t understand why CA decided to venture into what’s clearly unfamiliar territory with this one. There are other options for the cutscene that would still convey the “Penny = kind, George = grumpy” message.
I mean, at the same time, I'm happy to hurt her feelings a little to let her know what she's done is remove autonomy from George. Once she knows, I just have to gift her a little more if I wanted to date her, though it's not happened yet. Points are one thing, morals are another. You can still succeed even if you give her a position check.
This video taught me the game starts by introducing you to the actual villains of Pelican Town
As someone who heavily relates to Penny and has a similar mother and similar home life, the way you talked about her made me feel really seen? A lot of fans seem to dislike Penny (not just for the 2h scene). You going into the effects of her home life/relationships and how it impacts and drives her as a character was really nice. Thank you.
❤️❤️
The wheelchair thing is so weird to me, it's like seeing someone struggling to reach the top shelf and picking them up from behind, its strange and invasive and just really gross. The fact that George ends up apologizing to Penny has always felt really icky.
Edit: There are a couple of mods that try to fix this scene on nexus, if this event bothers you I'd recommend trying a few of them out.
Picking them up from behind! Thats such a good analogy
I wasnt happy with my thought to liken it to picking someone up whos in your way and moving them 2m to the left. Because pushing something on wheels is so much more violent then that? A lot more can go wrong? But full body shove seems too too violent?
Yeah picking them up to reach a shelf up high is perfect
at work, people help me reach tall things at work quite a lot and they don't even have to pick you up for it to feel invasive. just getting up in your personal space to reach it for you without asking first is so rude in my eyes. but then again, i have a massive "personal bubble" and i hate people coming closer than like 10 feet away from me lol
For Lewis’ statue I took it and put it behind my shipping bin so every time he has to get my goods to sell them, he has to look upon the statue I took and know that I know his crimes, and there’s nothing he can do about it. I can’t take credit for the idea because I got it from a RUclips video (I don’t remember which one it’s been a while), but any opportunity to torment Lewis I will take.
Anywho Lewis torment aside, very much enjoying all your videos! I found you a couple of weeks ago through the Krobus video (he is my roomie
Lol. I love that. I think I might have to move mine into Sam's private skatepark behind the shipping bin, so Sam can thumb his nose while riding in front of the guy who not only won't pay for new textbooks for Vincent and Jas but also won't invest in facilities like a skatepark.
It's no wonder Pelican Town is so small. Why would any new young families want to move to a town where their kids can't get an actual education? Lewis won't even invest in the community center let alone facilities that could attract characters like Sam and his friends to use it and keep it relevant. He's a terrible mayor.
Very much reading into it, but I think the reason she loves sandfish is that it reminds her of before Pam lost her job and times were presumably better. I imagine her going out there as a kid 🥺
Yes!!! Because Pam canonically likes to fish. I think it reminds Penny of going out to the desert with her mom & watching her fish. She probably caught a lot of sandfish. 🥺
The X Files music coming on for Lewis and co is sending me😂💀
Ok if Lewis said that the bus had been broken for a decade or more despite Penny saying that her mom drove it a few years ago, there could be something problematic about this. You see, a bus can be use in public transportation for so long before it needs to be 'retired'. Maybe that bus always had issues or maybe it had always been broken but because it was still running 'fine' Mayor Lewis just never bother to get it fixed up or get a new bus for Pam. Perhaps the accident that caused Pam to lose her job may not be her fault after all.
wait i actually love this. headcanon absorbed
Thank you for bringing up the rabbit's foot thing with Penny. I was so shocked at her response because of how sweet she usually is.
I saw somewhere that maybe Penny doesn’t realise that the foot isn’t cut off the rabbit so she sees it as cruel.
@@Pippa87 yeah that's what I assumed too. Still caught me off guard.
@@Pippa87i mean… it could be… rabbits are known to eat their young and have a very quick gestation… Im hoping what I’m suggesting is getting across because saying it properly would make me sad 😂
You know, the 1.4 update fiasco is kind of ironic. The problem with the 2 heart cutscene being that the actions were wrong, but the intentions were good. The discomfort the community has expressed over it led the developer to change it with possible good intentions, but through questionable choices as well. Or maybe the context didn't change because the characters in the game are not meant to morally be right to begin with, just realistic characters with realistic outcomes/situations.
I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and I want to thank you. These types of issues aren't being talked about enough.
A wheelchair is a tool that is an extention of my own body. It prevents me from staying at home all the time. I can't push it myself because my arms aren't capable so my husband is there. If my husband would need to go to the bathroom or do something and I have to wait in my chair, I can't do anything on my own. It can feel terrifying when someone pushes me without my consent.
Having no autonomy of my own, I would feel unsafe especially if I don't know where someone might take me. This is where I would use my breaks to stop them but that's a temporary solution. And if someone only has 'good intentions', they get angry when you say 'no' because they think I'm being ungrateful and I'm hurting their ego. I'm also black and hate crimes can make me feel extra vulnerable because I live in a white environment and I have a lot of racist experiences. Even if they seem like they have good intentions, they are still strangers and being autistic I have trouble knowing what someone's intention is. They might pull a prank, they might cause harm, etc. So I feel extra vulnerable with this, but anyone could have trouble with this.
It's like when you're a drunk girl at night and your friends are away for a short period like going to the bathroom. A man or a group of men want to 'help' you bring you home. She has trouble expressing her consent or if she says no it would be disregarded because she's drunk. She still has her autonomy but it's being ignored. Maybe those men have good intentions and maybe they don't. Even when they aren't strangers, it can still be unsafe. While Penny wouldn't cause harm, that unsafe feeling of someone pushing you without your consent can be similar. Even when we know it's safe, no means no. Children, elderly and disabled people are often being disregarded when they say no and it's quite sad.
I feel bad for George. The game is shaming him for being grumpy because a lot of people in Stardew Valley would have been grumpy in his same situation. I would be grumpy too if I'm being unheard and not being taken seriously. And being in pain all the time, I have to spend a lot of energy to not be moody in order to make people around me feel comfortable, but it's exhausting and I can't blame George that he wants to be himself and just says it like it is. Elderly disabled people still need to give consent. The game punishing the player for calling penny out, which is definitely a game flaw.
I notice when I talk about ableistic issues like this, people on the Internet would disregard it like saying 'it's not that deep', or 'you're chronically online' - only because they only focus on the perspective of penny, someone who has good intentions, instead of the disabled person whose autonomy is being disregarded.
I feel like, just as in the last video, I agree that the dev might consider to listen to these criticisms about his writing and that he could hire someone to support him. But people romanticise that it's one dude who made the entire game. It's one of the important selling points of the game besides that the game is fun.
Penny's personal issues might explain her behaviour but her actions were still ableistic.
For some reason I've always thought that Penny must've been one of the first bachelors to have been written. Idk, maybe because the reponse option trees are so detailed and varied. (Also with hiw drastically the player's choices impact the friendship points. It seems to me that in later development's, the game is a lot more forgiving and rewarding in it's approach). This video made me feel even more that that might've been the case
huh, now I’m honestly really curious what the order of writing was. I wish someone would’ve asked in that AMA lol
You ARE a video essayist boo. All I do all day every day is watch video essays. Not all of them site books, some times its just about researching, and you DEFINITLEY do your research. Just don't lower your achievements, you create incredible video essays that keep me invested
As a game developer myself, I will add something on to the part about CA shifting off work on ports and netcode to other people. Its very much justified since working with consoles requires a huge time investment into getting licenses for console development kits where you must go to each corporation, request a license, sign several agreements and more work outside of the game development environment, then adjust and modify or even rewrite the game to optimize for hardware that works on entirely different basis of optimization which is required to make a game run decently on it in the first place. Its simply a matter of efficiency since he still needs to work on the more visible aspects of development like updates and new projects, so its unreasonable for him to pour hours of time into something that a majority of the active fanbase will benefit a lot less from. The multiplayer code is in a similar position, though likely handed off to people who are instead experts in those areas in order to ensure the experience is the best it possibly could be. That's my two cents, at least. The rest of the video is pretty good so far. I'll be enjoying your content for a while, it seems.
Man, I relate to Penny so much. The way I teared up when you said that bit from the article “There is no one else.” Parentification sucks
❤️
Me, an adult parentified child that currently works in elderly care and is watching this while
*sewing a quilt*
Huh
Great video, great mini essay on her two heart scene, looking forward to watching all your videos!
as an ambulatory wheelchair user, THANK YOU (and your sister) for putting so much love and care into your discussion on this topic. i’ve been watching your videos since the very beginning and i’m really touched by the amount of effort you put into such a delicate topic. well done!
thank you!
i have cptsd from childhood because of family that react a lot like pam in that scene with the "bare minimum" and parentification, could not believe how spot on penny's character design is and its so relatable to me, she's interested in reading and old things/archaeology because they're complete escapes just like i am lol it kinda hurt to realise everyone found her boring, but thinking about it, it makes sense and tracks with my experience of living like that. thanks for this deep dive and address the stuff with george too, i think a lot of it is down to concerned ape choices too.
Yesss best thing to listen to while getting ready and avoiding job interview nerves
Good luck with the interview!
I have one myself in a week, best of luck to you!
youve seen the "babe wake up new fiona video" comments? well turns out i was the babe in question (was asleep when this was uploaded)
babe wake up the babe is awake
babe wake up it’s another stardew valley deep dive
Perfect timing, I'm about to go do the dishes
For 2 and a half hours
@@bethfazio1842it’s the penny way
Two and a half hours of Penny redemption let’s goooooooo
YESSSS!! The eponymous Fiona has returned!! But seriously I'm so glad you're doing Penny because she's such a sweetheart and I feel she gets over looked for being "passive" or "boring" when if you go into it she has flaws and depth! Also yes!! It does in fact fuel my savior complex that I literally can buy her a new house and take her away from her alcoholic mother!! But we don't need to talk about that :D !! (also hell yeah on that sponsorship girl!!)
I kind of want to weigh in on Pam's alcholism. I am an alcoholic here, 7 years sober at this point.
I've always struggled with Pam's events more then with Shane's. I relate pretty intensely to his events which has made empathizing with that storyline easier. It was cathartic. And he tries, there are attempts to heal and find ways to cope.
Pam really frustrated me. I think mostly because there doesn't seem to be a willingness to try to be better. Or an understanding of her own culpability. At least not with what we see.
I want to clarify that I do understand, very well that poverty and addiction are very hard cycles to break out of. I've lived there I get it.
I get it that Pam is a victim of her socieo-econmic status and being a single mother. but Pam never seems to take accountability for her behavior.
It's because she's poor, no job. Gets a job, well the trailer. You buy her a house, well yoba will fix it.
It's very much h a nuanced conversation but Pam frustrates me
Another nuance is that George's use of a wheelchair isn't from old age, it's from a wartime injury. When Penny says the part about respecting elders, she's implying that his disability is due to his age, when in reality, he's been living with his disability for most of his life.
when someone asks an able bodied person if they can help them, there's normally a pause where the able bodied person moves out of the way. George self propels. he could have moved out of the way himself. that's part of the thing I think people aren't getting sometimes? there was *no* need to move him, he could move himself.
anyway it sucks because other than this I relate to penny a lot, but as a disabled person, who at some point am going to need a wheelchair, it's hard to get past, when I like everything else about her
a part of penny's relationship with sam that i hope you touch on in his video is the secret notes!! you can find sam's holiday shopping list and penny's list of gifts to give people. penny is on sam's list (and abigail is not), but sam is not on penny's lol. sam is on his own list, but i think leaving him off of hers was an intentional choice because vincent repeats and is on both!
Everybody be silent Fiona just posted another masterpiece!!!
The "here's an example of something that happened to me so I can relate to you" is very much an autism thing lol
Is it? Shit, I’ve been known to do that, while also explaining “I don’t mean to make the topic about me, I’m just trying to relate to you.” I swear I have a touch of the tism
@@mariecarie1 ADHD too, I believe. It's certainly something I do.
omg i needed that analysis on the ableism. That scene always felt weird, but i never really undestood the problem. Didn't expected a new perspective on this topic, but im for sure thankful
55:57 - To add a little more to the conversation about the narrative design choices regarding Penny and our grumpy old man: while I agree that the dialogue change in 1.4 was "good but not enough", I also think that we could take Penny's response and the slap on the wrist of losing FP further as something to analyze. Why do we lose FP with her for this? Did we make her feel stupid? Did we make her feel unappreciated? Did we assume her heart was in the wrong place? What does Penny think we mean by saying that she should've asked first? Even though the dialogue changed, Penny's response on a mechanical level didn't change, which can be interpreted a variety of ways.
For all I know you go into this immediately after this time stamp, so oops my bad time to unpause
SO here with you for Lewis slander
Off topic, but I love that you share two of my favorite hobbies: Stardew Valley and crochet! That blanket is beautiful! I’ve been meaning to make a star blanket.
A little over halfway way through the video and I've never felt so simultaneously heard and called out when talking about child parentificaion.i don't blame my mom for what happened, we had terrible circumstances, it's all long over now and we've both grown from it. At least now that I have a definitive name for it, I can work on correcting it in myself and not doing it to my own children while simultaneously teaching them to be self-sufficient adults. They should be able to cook, clean, and care for themselves and any family they may have while setting healthy boundaries.
Thank you, Fiona. 😊
Your country Penny accent was so cute 😭🫶🏼 sounds like mine. I imagine her with a super strong PNW accent bc of all the fiddlehead ferns in the valley.
This is not a complaint from me, I promise, just an honest observation on your new microphone so that you know. Sadly, the microphone isn't doing as good of a job as the microphone on your phone (in previous videos). There's a level of distortion and muffling that's happening with this microphone, as well as less isolation of your voice. I don't mind it, and I'm a blind viewer who consumes your media only through the audio, so such things stand out to me, but maybe others won't really even notice. That being said, I promise that this isn't me saying you sound horrible and you need to change it. I just want to help you be aware of how the sound is coming across.
thank you for the feedback! i think its because i have a rumbly chesty kind of voice sometimes and i put the mic on my chest (its clipped to my shirt), so next vid i will be holding it instead :)
Yeah I have to agree it kinda sounds like she’s coming through an old radio
@@fionasangsterjust some feedback from a sound designer on this. Holding it can lead to some pretty nasty handling noise and proximity issues. For these specific lav mics it’s usually better to just get a little windscreen to avoid rustling on clothes. (You can also adjust the eq in post and do some basic editing to make it sound cleaner, but I don’t think anyone expects that from a youtube video). I don’t think it sounds too bad at all, just a tiny bit vibrational and rumbly. Even clipping the mic a little higher could avoid some of the voice resonance.
I use what looks like the same or similar mic at work! Have found the little fuzzy wind attachment it comes with really helps with smoothing audio, as well as choosing the "highest" setting for background noise reduction (-30 on the receiver). Generally these seem to be pretty decent mics and with some practice I'm sure it'll sound even better!
additional feedback from an a/v guy - seconding the idea of a windscreen. you can clip the mic to your shirt collar or just higher up to avoid the chest rumble. the distortion/muffling may also be caused by clipping (audio signal too loud) when recording, try turning the gain down on the mic. your recordings should ideally not go above -6 db and should never "clip" (0 db), if it does, the gain is too high - this can be checked in audacity and other audio editing programs.
best girl penny gets a movie length essay???!? damn we’re getting spoiled 🔥🔥
Get your coins! 🙌 Congrats on your sponsorship! 😁
Oh thank god. I was wondering how on earth i was going to motivate myself to clean today. Your timing is perfect!
never apologize for kitty purring
For all of the confused Americans: popovers are kind of a regional thing, unless you live in New England or the Pacific Northwest it's probably unlikely you'll run into them. And even then it's a very old-timey thing that's not very common.
I'm not a "popover historian" or anything but it makes sense that Yorkshire pudding would show up in New England. And settlers from New England heading west on the Oregon Trail would have brought the recipe with them. Which would explain why CA put them in the game as a local PNW easter egg (like salmonberries).
Thanks for explaining that part! I live in Texas so I had no idea about popovers!
It may possibly be a Midwest thing too. I'm in Wisconsin and I've encountered them a few times (usually in a more "fancy" setting). I could see that making sense with people heading west and settling along the way. But I could very well be an outlier. Either way popovers are yummy
Mmm gotta love the 4 heart section making me realize i need more therapy, great video as always :)
With her response to "No, I don't want to be tied down with a family.", I thought it reminded her of her dad. Like it's sad but she's glad she knows that before y'all are dating. She doesn't push back cuz her dad felt trapped and there was no way to change that. Like she's glad you at least know yourself enough to not end up with a kid and then flee afterwards
“It’s not a video essay, I don’t reference” continues to reference Winnicot who I am studying in my masters level psychotherapy course. 💛💛💛
I usually don’t watch long-form videos all the way through in one go , but it’s just something about your deep dives that makes me just want to sit and listen. I’M SAT!!!
omg Fiona im only 12 minutes in so im not sure if this is mentioned but in 1.6 Abigail has a line about suspecting her dad wants to be mayor 👀👀
OMG i didnt know that!!! i avoid 1.6 content so as not to give spoilers!! we've cracked it wide open
@@fionasangster oooh im sorry if i spoiled you! i was just so excited to share this since it adds so much to your observations about Pierre! thank you for making these videos they’re so fun to watch and i love how you see the world of stardew!!
the fact that some people are using classism to justify penny’s ableism is a wild
ps: big congrats on the sponsorship, and the new mic sounds a little crunchy at times
You dropping this video on my birthday is the best gift ever
Happy birthday!
aw happy birthday!
Birthday gang, let’s go ❤️ I hope your birthday is also going well :)
You should make a 50 minute video about the travelling merchant and how shes the best character in the game and how she should be a marriage candidate
A 2 HOUR VIDEO??? WE EATING GOOD DAY
As someone who has suffered from alcoholism and has family that does, I really, really appreciate your gentle touch with her. Many people judge her but she is suffering, and while it doesn’t make her a good person, addiction is a sickness
I really feel like the 2h scene could be fixed with george instead saying, "No, Im sorry for my tone, just dont do it again," and then going inside. I think georges apologize either doesn't need to be said or specified. I would love the game to give more george interactions i think he's really sweet when you get to know him. I really want more alex and george interactions especially with Alex's perspective with his sexuality and parents.
Edit (extra throughts): About the losing friendship, I understand why it should be mentioned, as it implies that it is the wrong choice and how players make their decision based on the friendship points, but i don't think that's how the game is supposed to be played. The player is supposed to play the game by itself, your not supposed to really know that you lost friendship points. This doesn't take away from the message of the event being wrong and should be changed. I agree with what you said in that when you don't really know someone saying they did something wrong would make them feel weird and potentially not reallg want to take to you, so I kinda like that you lose friendship points since it makes the characters feel real, but it is also very known in the community that everyone uses the wiki during the game, so I feel like that should be taken into consideration when making my opinion.
Its weird, I want punishment for making a choice that the characters may not like cause it would make them feel realistic and give my character feel more personal, but I also know this is a game and im really just getting close to them to marry them or get perfection (especially since penny isnt normally my preferred choice - i normally choose one of the guys since im gay and play the male characters)
I do think Penny is very young like 19-20 (as an alcoholics child i had to grow up super fast and at 19-20 I absolutely didn’t seem that young 😂 even at 22 it’s hard to relate to anyone younger than me because of that) Unfortunately i relate alot to penny and absolutely believe the rabbits foot is connected to wishing for your parent to stop but it would need beyond a miracle for that (at least feeling i’ve had)
I really appreciate your thoughtful and full of nuance criticism of CA and the 2 heart scene in general! I think people tend to put creators on such a removed pedestal that they no longer can be held accountable for their actions. Fixing the dialogue also doesn’t fix the general presentation of George, and specifically George’s disability, solely as a means for other characters development, which feels a bit shallow.
SAM MENTIONED MY BOY IS GONNA COME HOME!!!!!!!
I love these videos since i tend to stick my love, Sam, i’m every play through so it’s been a joy to learn about all the other bachelorettes/bachelors! Have been super excited to for sam’s turn since i think he’s super underrated.
i’ve been WAITING for his video. i’m so excited for the video to be next
I think the reason Penny loves Sandfish is because it's implied her Mom (Pam) fishes for them to eat. Pam would probably fish at the desert when she works as a bus driver. Pam also fishes at some of the fishing festivals like squid fest and the ice fishing contest!
i think giving the dev a pat on the back because "at least his intentions were good" is exactly what the game does to Penny in the 2 heart event
I can relate to Penny a lot and this video made me soooo emotional. I really appreciate how you delved into the parentification and alcoholism and stuff, and it makes me even more excited for the Shane video than I already was!
I almost think the two heart event would make a good slightly later event where we know Penny, we know about her tendency to try to help, and the moment with George could be turned into more clearly a moral for her that her "helping" isn't always good. Not for her, and sometimes, not for the other person, either. It almost feels like that's what it's SUPPOSED to be, but the dialogue seems so focused on not wanting to upset Penny that it moves away from that potential completely and turns into her being comforted for (while well-intentioned) basically doing a microaggression, and taking away George's bodily autonomy.
It could be an actually very interesting potential turning point for her to learn to give others agency and let them do their own thing instead of listening to the anxious little voice in her head that says she has to be doing things for people before they even know they need them, or she's worthless.
Learning to communicate and actually ask if someone would like help - and, to turn it around, communication that might open her up to even (😮) asking for help herself! - is a really important skill that she still doesn't super seem to have a handle on, even at the end of her arc. Like you were saying, her just assuming the role of sole homemaker does feel a little weird - it would be cute and feel very good for character purposes to have something like a moment where she could ask the player to come and help her cook, or clean. They could bond over sharing the workload, instead of her shouldering all of it herself.
Also, re: george scene....this was just my own brain writing a silly little fanfic moment while I worked and listened to this, but I was thinking another potential good wrap up to that scene might be Penny coming back to George later with a new, shorter mailbox - maybe she talked Clint into making it or something - and she could offer to help him install it so that in the future, he would more easily be able to get his own mail. 🤷♂️ idk lol I just think her reinforcing that she saw and is acknowledging that he wants agency could be a great mirror of her own situation, and allowing herself to make her own choices, on top of making up for her actions that made him uncomfortable.
(This essay that I came back to this vid purely to write after my whole work day is not at all brought to you by the same exact mommy issues and parentification trauma present in my brain. I am very normal.)
(Also never realized until now that the reason I kind of never really approached Penny's route might just have been noticing those same issues and subconsciously avoiding them sgsjsk)
front facing penny is so cursed why have i never seen that sprite
I think it only shows up after marriage.
BABE WAKE UP!!!!! FIONA TIME !!!!!!!!! ohh its a long one im SO excited
Loving this, only partway through watching, but I have to say you singing Chappell Roan while making tea is ICONIC
I am so so excited for the Sam vid, he was my first husband and holds a special place in my heart. Please don’t forget to mention that his kiss animation when your married is him crouching to kiss you like he’s that much taller than you. It’s my absolute favorite part about being married to him
just wrote it in
@@fionasangster thank you I love you 🥰
since i learned about the friendship point values i just assumed it was a purposeful choice to have the morally correct answer not line up with the game correct one. my first playthrough i didn’t look anything up for a while so i was giving people incorrect gifts and choosing incorrect dialogue because it’s just what i would say irl but i thought that was just part of the game experience. it shouldn’t be straightforward to make friends, as you gain knowledge and talk to people more they give you clues on what certain characters like and dislike and it fills up the characters info sheet. it’s trial and error until you figure it out so to me it makes sense that sometimes you have to lose hearts to ultimately gain. it’s one interaction with a character you don’t know well yet, of course she’s not gonna enjoy being corrected on a well intentioned action in front of the person she was trying to help, she’d be embarassed
i think to make it line up a tiny bit better the option of “ask for consent” could end in penny apologizing, saying she didn’t know but would keep it in mind for next time and thanking you both for educating or something and gaining half points of the game correct answer cuz i think that’s still fits pennys theme without completely changing scene outcome if that makes sense?
as a disabled person (along with my sibling, who is an ambulatory wheelchair user), we both appreciated how thorough you were with your essay about the 2 heart scene especially hearing from your sister! i'm a casual player of stardew valley, so i hadn't heard about this scene before this video, but watching these videos have been a nice passtime while i do things. while im not going to get into all of what you presented, i think you said it well and i definitely think the scene should be reworked. thank you for putting so much effort into your videos, it really shows and i really enjoy all the tangents you go off on. i look forward to your next video!
I'm ambivalent to Penny. But this video made me realize that we are very similar. Parentifacation as a child of a single immigrant parent, parent isn't an alcoholic but we have a toxic family, super shy but also heavily testing the waters with new relationships. I also have adhd and that rejection sensitivity is so real.
I actually graduated from my regular therapy sessions recently. It helped me with a lot of this over the past 7 years. I still live with my family but im making steps to be more independent like getting (and paying off) my own car or starting a "move out" fund.
Step by step, I'm resolving that codependency with my mom. To all of those in similar situations, we got this!
FIONA!! You should be so proud of this video! The effort and execution and how THOUGHTFUL the points are! I learn something new every time. I always look forward to these deep dives, and I always play SV on my Switch as I listen. Thank you for the research you do for these videos, I’ll join the Discord soon.
that’s so sweet thank you!
I just wanted to say I love your videos so much.... Usually when I watch a youtube video I just put them on in the backgroud and just do some other thing but when I watch your videos I put them on like a movie and get some snacks. While watching this video it really hit me that you are probably one of my favourite creators and I'm so happy for you that you have sponsorships. While watching your vidoes it's so apparent how much work and care you put into them. I just love them...
😭 that is so sweet thank you so much
this! i originally put on this video to fall asleep to and properly watch tomorrow… now, here i am, an hour in and too invested to sleep
I always thought Penny’s interaction with George might also reflect how she usually has to do things for her mother. I have experience with alcoholics and sometimes you have to do things for the good of them without their consent, take care of them through the neglect of themselves.
As an ambulatory wheelchair user, I don’t think penny was doing anything malicious to George. You see from her demeanor that’s she’s a very shy, sweet person. She would never do anything harmful purposefully.
I think her dislike of the rabbit foot as a gift is an extension of her wish to do no harm, she dislikes it bc an innocent creature died for a bauble.
I’ve played stardew when I was able bodied and while being ambulatory, and it’s very interesting to consider my own opinions about it now that I can happen to me.
oh wow two and a half hours?? i’m so excited for this one!!!
the comment on selling penny to 1d SENT me
Fiona: “I’m not a video essayist”
me: when does the next stardew romance video essay come out
Im loving how the videos keep getting longer and longer which im enjoying immensely