psychologeek

[psychologeek]

Six feet away, or under

- J.P.T

Gotham media is collectively thirsty for Bruce Wayne.

This is an established fact. Magazines post yearly “Best Gotham Bachelor” covers with Bruce front and center, sleeves rolled up, shirt just tight enough to cause a city-wide spike in thirst tweets. He smiles politely. He waves. He completely misses the point.

But his kids?

Oh, the kids see everything.

—

Dick has mastered the art of photobombing paparazzi shots. Any attempt at a flattering Bruce Wayne candid is inevitably ruined by Dick, perfectly positioned in the background, dramatically fake-gagging or making heart-shaped gestures behind Bruce’s head.

"Don’t sexualize my father," he says cheerfully. "He’s too old to date."

"He’s forty-two," Jason points out, bored. "And loaded. They're gonna sexualize."

"No."

—

Jason officially joins the family, and he isn’t subtle. He doesn’t photobomb—he glares.

Paparazzi tremble under his stare. Journalists who ask Bruce about his dating life mysteriously lose their notes. Occasionally, a camera or three ends up “accidentally” broken. Steph calls it the “Jason Todd Protection Program.”

Bruce distantly remains confused as to why the local media keeps a twenty-foot distance whenever Jason’s nearby.

—

Tim weaponizes social media. The moment Bruce’s name trends with thirsty hashtags, Tim is there, flooding timelines with deeply embarrassing candid pictures of Bruce spilling coffee on himself, falling asleep mid-charity gala, or getting startled by pigeons.

It’s incredibly ineffective. Gotham’s thirst for Bruce Wayne skyrockets significantly whenever #BruceWaynePigeonIncident starts trending again.

They love a silly man.

—

Stephanie starts actual arguments in comment sections.

"That's my gfs dad you're talking about," she types furiously under a post titled "Bruce Wayne: Gotham's Hottest Billionaire."

When a random Gothamite responds with, "he’s literally hot though," Stephanie replies simply:

"Blocked, reported, told Batman."

—

Cass is silent and terrifying. She just stares. Directly into cameras. Directly into the souls of interviewers who dare ask Bruce about romantic relationships.

No one can maintain thirst under the soul-piercing gaze of Cassandra Cain. No one.

—

Damian simply starts calling the thirstiest journalists at three a.m. to give them long, detailed lectures about moral degradation and ethical journalism.

—

Bruce, oblivious, wonders vaguely why Gotham media’s latest headline is:

"BRUCE WAYNE STILL SINGLE: HIS CHILDREN DEMAND RESPECTFUL DISTANCE."

“Strange,” he mutters. “They’ve never cared before.”

Meanwhile, his kids exchange glances behind his back.

Gotham media can thirst all they want—but his kids are always watching. Always protective.

Their dad might not notice the world thirsting after him, but they do. And they’ve collectively decided Gotham needs to stay at least six feet away.

[psychologeek]

I dont know who the hell the B stands for but god its disgusting that you ship anyone with Dib. Thats a whole ass child, freak. Wanted to follow for the Pokemon content but you're out here shipping whatever the fuck badr is. Dont fucking ship the kids with irkens jesus christ

HUH????? BADR IS MY NAME ITS A NAME IN ARABIC I DON’T EVEN WATCH ZIM DUGDHBCHBVHJVFH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ON

[psychologeek]

I don't understand why is Damian called a "Marine Weather Report"?

Dick: i remember when i was a kid, and Bruce had just taken me in while trying to track down the guy who killed my parents.

Dick: he knew i needed the closure of bringing him to justice so he had to train me up pretty quick.

Jason: yeah you were allowed out almost immediately, but when he took me in i had to go through like, a massive training course until i was even allowed out on patrol. even longer until i was allowed to actively engage with criminals.

Dick: yeah he was wary with you; to be fair i got punched a LOT in those early days

Jason: a lot of damage to the head would make sense for you, honestly

Dick: oi-

Tim: i mean i did have training, but it was kinda moot because i was active as Robin throughout the whole thing anyway. i just showed up completely unprepared and wouldn’t leave B alone.

Jason: it is interesting how different all our experiences were with Bruce’s training.

Dick: *hums*

Tim: yeah

Damian:

Damian: i came pre-assembled.

the others:

Damian:

Damian: well i did-

Tim: like an ikea flat-pack.

Damian: like a what now

-later-

Bruce, eating lunch: what is this

Jason, holding Damian by the scruff of his neck: behold, a SJÖRAPPORT

Bruce, so tired: …ok. sure.

[psychologeek]

So like, tomorrow morning?

[psychologeek]

HEAVILY

(i see what u did there 👀)

[psychologeek]

Imagine how the show would have changed if Gyatso ended up in the ice with Aang. Like they have a whole ass adult and he and Iroh enjoy playing Pai Sho while the kids fight.

[psychologeek]

This, you protect.

I love this.

[psychologeek]

Quick poll for children's fantasy fans:

Only the books in the series itself are being counted, no movies, no merchandise, no video games, no "expanded universe", just the words on the page of the books in the series. So the Harry Potter series is being judged only on the seven novels in the series itself, and Howl's Moving Castle on the three novels in that series.

[psychologeek]

Here's Hamza Howidy's story, as explained in this Substack:

I never thought I’d find myself begging for protection from a country that claims to stand for freedom. Now I find myself in an impossible situation, caught between the violent extremists I fled and the democratic system I believed would protect me.

My name is Hamza Howidy, and I was imprisoned and tortured by Hamas in Gaza for speaking out against their authoritarianism. I was later attacked by Hamas supporters in Greece simply for criticizing their spokesperson in a public video. And now, in Germany—a country I believed would recognize the value of my work and offer protection—I have received a deportation order.

It is difficult to articulate the sense of disorientation that comes with such a decision. I did not arrive in Germany in search of comfort or economic opportunity. I came here because I had exhausted all other options, because I was targeted, displaced, and silenced by the very forces the German government publicly claims to oppose.

In 2023, I fled Gaza after being arrested twice by Hamas for my activism. My crime was not violence or incitement—it was dissent. I participated in public protests against corruption, wrote critically about Hamas’s repression, and spoke openly about how they exploit humanitarian aid and brutalize anyone who deviates from their political line. That was enough to make me a target. I fled, leaving behind my home, my family, my language, and the only life I had ever known. I became a refugee.

I arrived in Greece thinking I was finally safe. I wasn’t.

In the Samos refugee camp, another man from Gaza was angered by a video I had published criticizing Hamas’s spokesman Abu Obaidah. He entered my room and threatened to slit my throat. The video had gained visibility after being reshared by numerous Israeli embassies, and once again, I found myself a marked man among radicalized individuals in the camp. I reported the threat and the man was quietly relocated to another facility. But the underlying danger remained.

Later, in Thessaloniki, the threat materialized physically. I was assaulted by a man who accused me of being a "Zionist collaborator." I escaped the scene with nothing—no resources, no institutional protection, and nowhere to turn. That was the moment I realized I couldn’t stay in Greece. The state couldn’t—or wouldn’t—protect someone like me from the very forces I had fled.

I came to Germany because I believed it was a country that took its values seriously. A place that honored those who stood up to extremism. A society that understands what happens when silence meets authoritarianism. And since my arrival, I have done everything in my capacity to contribute. I have spoken in German schools, universities, and libraries about the dangers of antisemitism, Islamism, and political extremism—dangers I understand not as an academic but as someone who lived through them. I have collaborated with more than ten Jewish and Israeli organizations, including JuFo (the Youth Forum of the German-Israeli Society). I have participated in events held in synagogues and Holocaust remembrance institutions, and I was honored to attend the Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration at the German Parliament.

This work is not performative. It is personal. I come from a society in which antisemitic ideology is normalized, where children are taught to hate before they are taught to think. I rejected that indoctrination, and I’ve dedicated years to confronting it—publicly and persistently—despite knowing the risks involved.

That is why the deportation order I received is so profoundly disheartening. It suggests that the German state sees only a file number, not a life; a bureaucratic category, not a record of sacrifice and civic contribution. It ignores the very real threat I face if returned to Greece, where pro-Hamas networks remain active and unchecked, and where my presence as a dissident could again place me in danger.

Germany, like much of Europe, often speaks of the need to empower moderate voices from within immigrant communities to support those who reject extremism and advocate for dialogue, accountability, and peaceful coexistence. But what credibility does that promise hold if someone like me, who has paid a heavy personal price for embracing those principles, is deemed expendable?

I am not seeking charity. I am demanding consistency. If Germany truly stands against antisemitism and political radicalization, then the logical response to someone who has dedicated his life to countering both is not deportation—it is protection.

I have never hidden who I am or what I believe. I stood up in Gaza, in Greece, and now in Germany. I have refused to be silent in the face of repression, because I believed that somewhere in the democratic world, that courage would count for something.

Now I’m not so sure.

If you believe that dissidents targeted by authoritarian regimes should be protected—not expelled—please consider signing this petition. Your support could help ensure that my case is reviewed with the seriousness it deserves.

[psychologeek]

Something that was mentioned to me now but, in retrospect, is quite obvious: the fact that antisemites can never let themselves learn about Judaism and Jewish history. Because if they do, then they’ll have to start seeing us Jews as people. Then they might need to empathize with us. And you can’t do that with “the enemy”, now can you?

This obviously goes for other religions and such (although Judaism is an ethnoreligion, so there’s the added aspect of that).

[psychologeek]

ASYLUM

I'm the joker at the bombshelter, saying things like "god, can't they be more accurate abt the missiles? Some of us has things to do!" I slip in something about performance issues, and wink at the older lady standing next to me.

I'm the jester of the shelter - Switching voices and accents like a rollercoaster, From a serious reporter to snobbish gay to a dumbass, as if the news aren't too bad if you hear them in that ridiculous voice.

I'm star of my own show - (My head's aching, but it doesn't matter) I make people laugh, or mad at me, or any other way they don't think about what's happening.

I'm Pierrot (I'm tired) In this art of tragedy

[psychologeek]

[psychologeek]

I was called a genocide denier for *checks notes* telling some fans to stop being bigoted towards Jews.

"Hey it's really important to not target a minority with dehumanization and bigotry-"

"GENOCIDE DENIER!"

It's the exact same silencing tactic the Right has used for decades now. Be loud and obnoxious in the face of facts and when you're confronted on your shitty behavior. Yell some buzzword, make wild accusations, beat your chest.

You're right - that is the exact same silencing  tactic. 

This has a name.

It's called Moral Bludgeoning.

It's using a false binary morality as a tool to gain an advantage in a disagreement, rather than engaging in reasoned discourse.

The goal of the tactic isn't truth, understanding, or justice. It's enforcing obedience. Control through social punishment.

You said something they found threatening - that people in a supposedly righteous movement were behaving in a way that was, in fact, bigoted.

Grappling with that would require introspection, accountability, and nuance...and their movement punishes those things. 

You were pointing out information which doesn't fit into their binary, the binary which assures them they're good people. They needed to shut you up fast before they risked feeling less than utterly righteous. 

The people doing this often aren't stupid , but they're always frightened.

They're terrified of complexity which muddies the narrative.

Terrified of being cast out of their peer group for failing to adhere to the narrative.

Terrified of losing control of the narrative, because most of them derive their sense of personal legitimacy from the narrative.

So they flatten. Nuance becomes complicity. Dissent becomes betrayal. Complexity or moral ambiguity become denial.

You're also right that Moral Bludgeoning is used by both the right and the left. 

Both extremes use it to keep the middle silent. 

On the far Right, you see this play out in culture war accusations:

Criticize police abuse? You must be a Marxist anarchist terrorist!

Question US military spending? You hate America!

Say trans people should have rights? You're grooming children.

On the far Left, it’s the same energy, but different buzzwords:

Ask for civility toward Jewish people? You're a genocide apologist.

Note that Hamas isn't progressive? You’re a racist colonialist.

Point out antisemitism in "anti-Zionist" spaces? You're weaponizing your trauma to silence Palestinians.

It's never about the truth, it's about making the social cost of nuance unbearable. 

Tactics like Moral Bludgeoning are enforcement mechanisms of rigid ideologies. 

Healthy movements can tolerate disagreement, but ideologically rigid movements (right or left!) treat any deviation as a threat.

That's why you'll hear the same people screaming about "freedom of speech" one minute, then shrieking “DENIER” the next.

It's not even really hypocrisy in their minds, because they believe their cause grants them moral supremacy which entitles them to do almost anything. And that includes the entitlement to silence you in the name of righteous justice...and to be as antisemtic as they like.

The real power of this tactic is in how it bypasses reasoning entirely and goes straight to two of our most powerful emotions: shame and fear. 

You nailed this too:

"Be loud and obnoxious in the face of facts..." 

The louder and more confident the accusation, the more it floods the emotional bandwidth of the conversation, making any reasoned dialogue impossible.

It works because people fear social isolation more than factual errors. No one wants to be the next target, so the mob roars together to drown you out.

The tragedy is that you were trying to do what they claim to care about. 

You didn't defend war crimes or deny suffering. 

You were doing the thing that movements need in order to remain sane: holding your own side accountable to its stated values.

Movements sometimes die from internal intolerance and ideological purity tests.

I think this is part of why the SDS movement of the 60s and 70s fizzled out. I think Occupy Wall Street fell victim to endless internal policing around privilege, language, and ideological orthodoxy and meetings devolved into ritual purity checks instead of coming up with and promoting actual policy ideas. I think this is a good explanation for what brought about the Reign of Terror.

The inability to tolerate nuance is where intellectual rot begins.

The people who did this to you aren't fighting oppression. They're just enforcing ideological purity at the expense of reality. It's an old and stupid game.

Can I tell you, though, how much I appreciate this Ask?

It's more evidence that there are many in the large middle who are repulsed by both ends of the Horseshoe. There are many who still care about evidence, reason, pragmatism, and avoiding ideological groupthink. 

There are still people who know that justice requires complexity. There are still people who don't think standing up against antisemitism is something to be ashamed of. 

Thinking critically and voicing those thoughts makes you feel like a threat to people on either far end of the political spectrum, all who rely on false binaries and performative loyalty.

So keep doing it.

Let them rage. Let them shriek their buzzwords. Just hold the line. 

You saw clearly and quickly that this was not about justice, it was about obedience...and you didn't bend the knee.

Do you have any idea how much that pisses them off?

Well done, Anon.

------

Edited to add this great example I got within hours of posting this:

[psychologeek]

Gen Z Israelis b like "My 7/8/whatever war, tired af 😴😴😴 "

(tell me you don't really what war's like without telling me you never experienced war 😭)

“My first war kind of scared 🤪” shut up

[psychologeek]

Oh, honestly I didn't even read the comment😅

Just been thinking abt Koresh declaration lately, so this pop right up in my head

I just saw a comment saying “the Zionist movement wasn’t a thing 3000 years ago”. Yeah that’s the whole point😂😂 we were in Israel and then exiled later 😂

[psychologeek]

Every political situation in the Middle East the US gets involved in is not automatically like Iraq.

People saying it's a "lie" that the Iranian government could have nukes are seriously underestimating Khamenei's genocidal regime and slapping every Woman Life Freedom protestor who has continuously warned about the regime's aspirations in the face.

That doesn't mean Trump's actions are all "good" either- bombing nuclear facilities can have deadly consequences for civilians living nearby. It is also concerning that a leader like Trump can decide to go to war without other parts of the government ok-ing it.

But the amount of sanitizing of the Iranian regime- which has murdered, tortured, and raped countless dissidents- is unacceptable.

[psychologeek]

Actually it STARTED being a thing ~ 2,500 years ago (Shavey Zion, "Zion returnees"), when we started going back from the first exile.

I just saw a comment saying “the Zionist movement wasn’t a thing 3000 years ago”. Yeah that’s the whole point😂😂 we were in Israel and then exiled later 😂