eclipsingfolk

[eclipsingfolk]

it is kind of frustrating as someone who only read the odyssey and really doesn’t care that much about epic the musical to see people tagging posts that have not been tagged epic the musical as epic the musical. I haven’t seen it happen often but it is a minor pet peeve of mine.

I guess it’s because like my feelings on Percy Jackson (which is a book series that I do like make that clear) I just get worried and mistrustful of people’s whose only real source of Greek myths and epics and stories are through retelling and reimagining and then take those as the actual canon facts of Greek mythology, not looking deeper into it.

[eclipsingfolk]

Diverse Shows: Bigoted Fandoms

(trigger warning: mentions of violence, rac*sm, pol*ce br*tality, etc)

Have you guys ever wondered why some of the shows that celebrate diversity and inclusion and/or depict messages of racism, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, police brutality, along with other sensitive topics - "woke" themes, if you may, have some of the most BIGOTED fandoms...

One Piece and Monster High are two shows that explore some of these topics (I'm sure there are more, but these are the top two that come to mind at the moment I'm writing this) and I've seen nothing about hatred and every type of hate formed from these fandoms (luffy and frankie would HATE yall btw).

(You could argue that Avatar: The Last Airbender celebrates the diversity of Asian and Indigenous cultures, and also touches on some of these topics, and the hate they gave Elizabeth Yu and Thalia Tran was absolutely insane... but that's for a next post.)

So you know, it turned out to my surprise that when I saw the most racist/colorist comments on the recent trailer of One Piece's S2.

(These are just comments I've cited from TT, X, and from Charithra's literal IG)

And ofc, they blame black people because these people see a dark-skinned person and IMMEDIATELY think that person is black (why can't we be left alone... 😐)

I'm so glad that some of Charithra's castmates actually came out and defended her from these nasty comments; she needs all the support she can get right now.

But I think a serious conversation to have is the constant erasure of proper MENA representation in Hollywood. For as long as Hollywood has existed, any sort of MENA character has typically been portrayed by a South Asian, Latino/Hispanic, and at times, even European actor (usually the former).

(These are just some examples I've seen across several media)

Jasmine (Persian) in “Aladdin" was played by South Asian and British actress Naomi Scott.

Sayid Jarrah (Iraqi) in “Lost,” played by South Asian actor Naveen Andrews.

Ahmad Ibn Fadlan in 'The 13th Warrior', played by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas.

Abed Nadir (Palestinian) in 'Community', played by a South Indian and Polish actor, Danny Pudi.

Mr. Aziz (Arab) in 'Spider-Man 2', played by an Indian-American actor, Aasif Hakim

And here are some other examples (some of them, I've already mentioned, but yh):

(and several Middle Easterners express their (rightful) disappointment in not seeing themselves represented by a SWANA/MENA actor)

Now these are VALID criticisms, SWANA/MENA representation doesn't come by as often, but the fact that people aren't really making it a conversation about "MENA characters being played by non-MENA actors" and more of "Vivi is being played by a bLaCk actress, why isnt she white", to the point that "fans" are calling Charithra the hard r.

I've even seen this criticism.

(whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean...)

(we won't even START on this one...)

Do these people not know that brown MENA/SWANA people exist? (Here are some if you didn't know).

(Imaan Hammam - Egyptian, Moroccan)

(Yara Shahidi - half Iranian)

(Anthony Keyvan - half Iranian)

(Razan Nassar - North African)

(Dior Goodjohn - half Persian)

(Menna Arafa - Egyptian)

And these are just a FEW examples... (honestly, they should have cast a dark/brown-skinned MENA actress, I would have LOVED to see their reactions when told that the actress is MENA, she just happens to be of a darker skin tone...).

Furthermore, why do I get the feeling that even if they WERE to cast a SWANA/MENA actress for Nefertari, there would DEFINITELY be people complaining that the actress "isn't white" like...

Realistically, it makes sense for DESERT princess to have a slight tan... Toei Animation did her kinda dirty by making her pasty white (not saying that Middle Easterners with paler skin tones don't exist, ofc) to the point that people think that a girl named NEFERTARI VIVI is (racially) white even though her kingdom is CLEARLY based on MENA cultures/influences.

The conversation should have just been that she was not a SWANA/MENA actor, but these losers think they're sooo cute with their "full body haki" jokes.

Back to the topic of non-MENA actors playing MENA roles, though... the live action is CAPABLE of casting MENA actors.

Tamer Burjaq (who is Jordanian), played Higuma (you know, the thief guy who threatens young Luffy and Shanks)

Very funny how they cast a MENA actor in a villainous role... but not ones for the desert princess and her father (again, no hate to Charithra Chandran or Sendhil Ramamurthy, Charithra literally was regarded as "the diamond of the season" in Bridgerton and anyone trying to convince me that she's ugly is WACK as hell - she looks like princess!).

Even Mikaela Hoover, who is voicing Chopper, is of Iranian, Italian, and Spanish descent.

So again, ANOTHER instance of the OPLA capable of casting a MENA actor, but just where you can't see them onscreen (in this case, at least).

Arabasta (also referred to as Alabasta, because in Japan (Toei Animations, the studio that adapted the anime is located here) they dont use "r" in their language, at least that's what I've heard - please correct me on that) was mostly inspired by Ancient Egyptian architecture and culture (w/ a few South Asian inspirations here and there).

Even Oda himself said that he modeled Alabasta after Ancient Egypt.

I think he recently changed his stance, though, and said that he modeled it after both Ancient Egypt AND India. There is even official art of Nami wearing a lehenga (?) (again, correct me if I'm wrong!).

From what I've heard, fans speculate, the executive producer of OPLA, Marty Adelstein, has signed a petition to take an Emmy away from a Palestinian journalist. Read here:

Even here so:

So that could have been what influenced the casting choices of both Nefeteria and her dad.

I know you guys might have been wondering why I even brought up Monster High in the first place, even though the post mostly focuses on Charithra Chandran's casting (and why I just waited up until now to mention it yet again, I digress). However, MENA erasure is so... normalized to the point that Monster High has at least 5 different MENA characters (Cleo De Nile, Nefera De Nile, Gigi Grant, Whisp Grant, Seth Ptolemy) and for some reason Monster High fans think it's okay to fancast any and any actor as them even though, they have SEEN w/ their own eyes how much of an impact these characters' MENA background influence them.

Cause why am I seeing

Megan Fox as Cleo??? Alexa Demie?? KYLIE CANTRALL???? ELIZABETH GILLIES??? KYLIE JENNER???

(and dont even get me started on people thinking she's Greek like... do they even know Cleo's backstory...)

(Slight edit, but I remembered when the G3 live action cast was announced, and EVERYONE had a think piece, especially people who were (rightfully) mad that Cleo was played by Jy Prishkulnik, who was a white woman (or at least so I've heard), and that they should have cast an Egyptian actress (thats fair to want). Then they would go ahead and fancast non-MENA actresses as Cleo, like... I had to straight up argue w/ someone because they thought Camila Mendes was a good choice for Cleo, and when I pointed it out that Cleo is MENA... they started talking some shxt bout "actors dont play the same nationality as their character" and im like bro 💀 yall were the same ones complaining about the LA cast not being "accurate" to the character's ethnicites but you can fancast whomever actor you feel like ??? 💀moving on...)

Madison Beer as Nefera (she's not even an actress...)??? Janel Parrish???

SADIE SINK as Gigi Grant??? Abigail Cowen???? (what are we doing here?)

And dont even get me started on Jaden Smith as Seth Ptolemy... (that man can neither sing nor act)

To conclude (cause I feel I'm making this post a bit too long lol), the problem isn't Charithra Chandran... at ALL (I love her, and I'm glad she's in more roles, especially since her costar Simone Ashley has expressed the struggles of getting roles as a South Asian woman).

It's more of Hollywood's obsession with mixing South Asian and MENA/SWANA cultures and thinking that they can be used "interchangeably," when that's... wrong... (and orientalist asfff), and it doesn't help that the creators of the show are Zion*sts, too...

Leave Charitha Chandran alone... if you have a problem w/ the casting (aside from she's a South Asian woman portraying a MENA character), dont watch the show or go phone Oda, himself - he selected the castings and had said that Charitha has fit PERFECTLY into his vision...

(Also, P.S. DONT CRY THAT MENA CHARACTERS ARE BEING ERASED FROM THE MEDIA THEN FANCAST NON-MENA ACTORS AS SAID MENA CHARACTER, IT MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A HYPOCRITE!)

[eclipsingfolk]

i need everyone to see these panels from the monster high howilday haunt comic

edit: for everyone asking if this is real/where you can get it, yes it is real! i got mine at my local comic store

[eclipsingfolk]

hey pls SUPPORT & SHARE this fund for soulbunni's move after being doxxed. she's a black transfem artist & content creator with much needed perspective. we bipoc transfolk are purposely targeted bc we are often vulnerable, isolated and can't blend in to the crowd. this marginalization & fear for security & livelihood is a huge reason why many of us don't speak out.

taking our crises seriously & helping support we who are racially isolated & multiply marginalized is how you keep hearing much needed perspectives from bipoc trans people!

[eclipsingfolk]

#Repost @letstalkpalestine

Answering the age-old question: “What can we do?”

Get creative. Get bold. It takes action, planning, and organizing with others. You can’t do anything alone, so get with others and do what you can to hit Israel’s pressure points.

*This analysis is subjective and other activists may highlight different pressure points — this post is just meant to spark discussion and thinking for activists.

[eclipsingfolk]

Ceasefire in Gaza 🚫🤚❗

In a humble neighborhood, a family is struggling to meet their daily needs. 💔😭The father lost his source of income, and finding a new job has become a challenge in these difficult times. 💔😭The mother does her best to manage with what little they have, but resources are running low. Their young child needs food and diapers every day, making their situation even harder.😭

Vetted link

Please help my family

[eclipsingfolk]

I know things are hard right now for people in America, the UK, Australia, and Canada, but I don't want anyone to give up because that's exactly what they want you to do. They want you to feel powerless and unable to stand up to the establishment. They want you to feel alone and isolated. Do not let them win by giving in to defeatism. Do not surrender to the system.

There can be a day when YouTube drops its AI age verification policy and returns to its old self. There can be a day when MasterCard and Visa relent to their customers and tell Collective Shout to go fuck themselves. There can be a day when the Screen Act, the BEARD bill, and the HR 9495 bill go down in flames. There can be a day when KOSA is no more, and there are no bills to replace it. For those in the UK, there can be a day when the Online Safety Act is completely removed. For those in Australia, there can be a day when the restrictions for minors are lifted and ID is no longer required. For those in Canada, there can be a day when no more KOSA-like bills are introduced.

But to get to that day, we must work together. We must make our voices heard by any means necessary. If we must throw bricks or start fires or march in the streets, we shall. If we must drag the people who forced these bills and acts upon us out by the hair of their heads, we shall. We will get our point across, and they will hear us.

[eclipsingfolk]

Past and present in one image

My family was stable, we lived in peace, and now all we know is the sounds of explosions and the smell of corpses in the streets. We are escaping death every moment. We struggle to get food and drink, as the video showed in a previous post. Video link:

My eldest son Zain's first year at school was a joy for his school, friends and teachers. His life was like the life of any child who dreams of everything beautiful.

My second son, Yahya, was in his first year of kindergarten,and he would wake up early, happy to go to his friends and play.

Or do they now wake up to the sounds of planes and explosions and feel ashamed when they stand in line to get food or water? A terrible difference between our lives in the past and the present. A year between our stable life and the life of war, no education, no games, no life, no security, and no source of income. How long, world, where is humanity, where are the rights of my children? I hope you will donate. As much as possible, my family and I want to leave Gaza. I want my children to have a life that suits them My friends, donate as much as you can.

Post my story. Your friends may be able to help my family and donate or spread our story. I trust anyone who has a heart and humanity.

vetted by @littlegermanboy @90-ghost @sayruq @ @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #127 ) @arroe 

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[eclipsingfolk]

let the world never forget that it's AMERICAN weapons being used to wipe out Gaza. that it's AMERICAN tax money funding this genocide while the AMERICAN president and AMERICAN leaders support this mass murder of innocent people. let the world never forget America has Palestinian blood on its hands.

[eclipsingfolk]

DO NOT TRACK ON AN APP.

A CA jury found Meta in violation of state privacy laws for collecting health data from users of the Flo period-tracking app without consent. ⁠

⁠

The class action lawsuit claimed Meta used data such as menstrual cycles, sexual activity, and fertility goals to support its advertising tools. ⁠

⁠

Internal communications presented in court showed Meta employees allegedly discussing the collected data, which included information users entered into the app from 2016 to 2019. ⁠

[eclipsingfolk]

i'm genuinely fucking begging you to donate to ammar.

IT IS IMMEDIATE.

IT IS URGENT.

AMMAR IS GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T DONATE.

HE NEEDS MEDICINE. WE DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR HIS MEDICINE.

HE HAS ONLY BEEN KEPT ALIVE BECAUSE MY FRIENDS AND I HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR HIS WEEKLY INJECTIONS. WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE!!! HE'S GOING TO DIE IF HE DOESN'T GET HIS WEEKLY INJECTION TOMORROW! THERE IS NO MONEY FOR IT!

DONATE TO HIM.

97 / 1397

more detailed info + his mother's vetting here

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[eclipsingfolk]

AI industry groups are urging an appeals court to block what they say is the largest copyright class action ever certified. They’ve warned that a single lawsuit raised by three authors over Anthropic’s AI training now threatens to “financially ruin” the entire AI industry if up to 7 million claimants end up joining the litigation and forcing a settlement.

well…darn

[eclipsingfolk]

Will we have another home? Or are we destined to remain displaced the rest of our live?

The Israeli army granted us temporary permission to return to the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, where we had lived before our forced displacement last March.

My father and my brother Ahmad went to check on our home only to find it had been completely leveled to the ground. NOTHING LEFT.

This was the home that embraced us for decades. The place where we grew up, laughed, feared, and felt safe. My private room, the window I used to watch life through... all of it is gone.

I asked my father, who struggled to hold back his emotions. He loved that house deeply. He built it brick by brick, when it was nothing but an empty plot of land.

He whispered: "I don't know… I can’t feel anything anymore… I’ve lost the ability to feel or comprehend."

I was speechless…

And now, standing on its ruins, we ask ourselves:

Will we rebuild it?

Will we even have another home? Or are we destined to remain displaced the rest of our live?

It’s a harsh reality…

And the unknown ahead of us is harder than we can bear, and more bitter than words can describe.

======================

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #15 )✅️

Also promoted by @nabulsi @a-shade-of-blue

and many others. @rhymeswithfart

Thank you for your support 💗

[eclipsingfolk]

🆘🍉🍉 🆘

please dont skip

I am Fedaa Al Nadi, a paediatrician from Gaza.

Kindly read my story below:

I am Fedaa 35 years old palestinian mother and doctor from Gaza .. till this moment writing theses words surviving Gaza genocide ..and trying with all ways to keep my family safe ..

I am married to Motaz Jad Alhaq, a nurse, and together we have three beautiful children: Mohammed (9 years), Omar (8 years), and Nima (4 years).

I am reaching out to you with a heartfelt plea for assistance, not just for my family but for the many others facing similar hardships in our region. Since October 7th 2023, the grnocide in Gaza has had a devastating impact on our lives. Our home has been destroyed, our jobs are lost, and everything we once had has been reduced to rubble.

Each day, Motaz and I volunteer at a local hospital, trying to provide care to the injured and alleviate their suffering. Despite our tireless efforts, neither of us receives any salary, and we are left to live in dire conditions. We have been displaced multiple times, and we now face the daily struggle of securing basic necessities like food and clean water.

We opened a Gofundme to try to raise funds, and we raised money but Gofundme suddenly closed our account and returned all the donations we had collected. We do not know why and they offered no explanation. This is why we come to you now with a fundraiser on a different platform. If you donated to us previously using Gofundme and your donation was refunded to you, please consider re-sending us the donation using Chuffed. We were counting on receiving the Gofundme donations and now they are gone.**

Your donations, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. They can provide us with a meal, a clean water bottle, or a moment of safety in these difficult times. Each contribution brings hope and alleviates our suffering, giving us strength to face another day. Please consider donating to this cause and sharing our campaign with your friends and family.

[eclipsingfolk]

Before the War: My Life as a Programmer

Before the war, my life was filled with lines of code, problem-solving, and creative thinking. I was a programmer—building web and mobile apps, writing backend systems in C# and ASP.NET. My days were spent developing projects, learning new technologies, and growing in my career. It wasn’t always easy, but I loved what I did. My work gave me purpose, and my future felt full of possibility.

Now: Life in War

Now, my reality has drastically changed. I live under constant threat, in a war zone, with my family. The sound of explosions has replaced the hum of my computer. Each day is a struggle for survival, filled with fear, grief, and uncertainty.

I have lost loved ones—my cousins, my aunt, and her children. And I have lost my job, my sense of security, and the dreams I once had as a programmer. The war took away my work, but more than that, it has taken away the life I knew.

Hope for the Future

But despite it all, I hold on to hope. Hope that one day, I will return to the work I love. Hope that one day, my family and I can live in peace. Like anyone else in the world, we deserve to feel safe, to dream again, and to rebuild what was lost.

Verified by : @bilal-salah0

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[eclipsingfolk]

I don't know what to say at this point. It feels like everything has lost momentum. But this is the worst time to give into defeatism! As CBC reports the following: "['Israeli'] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials to finalize a new strategy for the 22-month war in Gaza, his office said on Tuesday, with media reporting he favoured a complete military takeover of the strip. . .

[Eight (8)] more people died of starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said, while another 79 died in the latest Israeli firing".

The settler colony is set on occupying Ghazzah while the IOF are targeting Palestinians who are seeking aid from the aid centres. We need a permanent ceasefire now! Let's bring back the momentum. Talk about Palestine. Boycott, donate, and protest!

Please consider helping my dear friend, Ruba! She and her family are in the North. They are starving and need to purchase food and other essentials since aid is limited and costs exorbitantly! Remember: You can give as little as $1 since Chuffed accepts such amount, and even in your own currency, such as AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, or USD!

@rubashgaza (Verified: #90. Keep in mind that the spreadsheet has not been updated to reflect the current fundraiser. Click here to read more about it.) (Donation Match)

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@postanagramgenerator

[eclipsingfolk]

Nine massive explosions three at a time, in rapid succession shook every corner of the area we live in. All this madness… just to target a group of journalists?! And the explosions are still continuing, one after another, even as I write this post.

The assassination of journalists Mohammed Qreiqaa, Anas Al-Sharif, and three others is not just a crime… it is a clear message: the occupation wants to silence the truth and eliminate its witnesses.