I started looking into this after reading several fics featuring Taako where his speaking voice was…kind of jarring to me? Mainly in the usage of vocatives. Taako uses vocatives (my dude, homie, darling etc) but he uses them in particular ways, and they’re often very overused when people write dialogue for Taako.
Anyway, as I started researching this, it felt a little…mean-spirited? so I stopped lol. but the more I thought about it, the more I was interested in these particular quirks of Taako’s speech and how they add to his character. A bunch of you seemed interested in it too. So here I present the essay nobody asked for but some wanted after I mentioned it: Hot Linguistic Take on Taako’s Speech! Under a readmore cuz it got LONG, y’all. Buckle up.
i just wanted to respond to another thing lots of people have mentioned! i don’t think justin did this super intentionally. meaning, i don’t think he was consciously doing it? like, that’s the really cool thing about linguistics in general. i think this is something justin did subconsciously, using taako’s speech to deflect and create distance, and dropping that guard with people he trusted. (i think that’s something lots of us do in our regular speech! and maybe it’s something justin does too?)
anyway, i wasn’t trying to say this was like, something justin had fully thought out or planned. it developed naturally with taako’s character and i think that’s super cool.
man everyone who gives taakitz’s cats these brilliant beautifully thematic names is incredible and i appreciate them but they’re completely ignoring the fact that they’re definitely more like
• prince bastard the fifth
• zuko
• stinky
• gxhshandb (pronounced like hacking up a hairball)
• the conjuring
• gordon ramsay
• pope francis (lovingly nicknamed “the universe’s favorite catholic”)
• The Fantasy Great Gatsby Was A Shitty Fucking Book And Here’s Why
the level of chaotic gay energy the McElroys are able to accurately convey in their queer characters despite being straight cisgender men is… genuinely astonishing and really should raise the bar for literally all other straight creators tbqh
like they really hit a commendable sweet spot of “I understand the gravity of representsting marginalized identities that are not my own” and “this is just another character” that really Works for me as a queer listener? because there is that sensitivity and making sure that identities are explicitly stated and treated with respect, while recognizing that it’s not really their place to tell a story About being queer. Griffin, Justin, and Travis all make clear that Lup, Taako, and Aubrey’s hardships do NOT stem from their identities, and it’s so refreshing because 1.) I don’t need background homo/transphobia in my fantasy, thanks and 2.) I especially don’t need those issues being used as plot pieces by straight dudes, thanks.
and that’s just like… never the case. it’s always “oh, she’s trans, and also the biggest badass in this game.” “yeah, he’s gay and dating the grim reaper, but also he’s about to turn into a t. rex so buckle up.” “she’s bi but more importantly she’s about to set a lot of things on fire.” it’s like… literally what I as a queer consumer want to see in my genre and the McElroys deliver like it’s no big.
ProbablyPartyPoison 