#... That POC feeling of living in a mostly white country

[domesticated-pirate]

"You have one foot in two worlds and you feel like you belong in neither, but you belong in both."

Jasmine Bhullar, as an otherworldly being and DesiQuest GM

[saiwestfield]

I need some of my friends to go through the good old biracial/bicultural story arc of i grow up just experiencing my culture because I know nothing else - now Ive reached a certain age and hate my culture because it makes me different and I got bullied for it - wow I’ve rediscovered my culture and identity through a specific experience and now I have learned from my past mistakes and learn to accept and embrace my culture

it’s just I have this whole lore but no one yk, gets it😔

[kindlespark]

The experience of being Chinese diaspora but only knowing English as a first language is universal and insane. I love that babel toys around with that feeling a lot.

Not to mention the feeling of both being ashamed of not knowing and also that weird feeling of offense that it's an expectation for you to know but then you're like wait- why do I feel offended that someone would think I would know Chinese and the answer IS racism - but it's also like do I have biases or embarrassment that one would think I know Chinese? That I'm Chinese, that I would fall into the stereotype of what they think of me. And then it's this horrific feeling of not wanting to be made fun of, but not wanting to be ashamed, and wanting to know it for legitimate cultural reasons, but not wanting to be pointed at as a spectacle if you do know it. And this is the insanity of living around mostly white folk.

There's a tragedy to being cut off from language that is so important to culture, and how much of that are you allowed to claim when you're made a stranger to it. And then it's an infinite loop of self doubt, awareness of racism, and insanity.

for sure! diaspora of colour face the kind of racialisation from both in our communities and out of them where our languages and our cultures/existences as poc are entwined. we're foreign. whereas european diaspora don't get the same judgment for not knowing french/german etc. but there also is privilege in living in an english-speaking country with your native language being english; poc with accents from their home countries are racialised significantly more

like all asian diaspora art majors i have a lot of old angsty writing about not belonging anywhere and not knowing my language and the shame and alienation that comes with it. im also diaspora of a diaspora; my parents are chinese-malaysian, and now we're in australia. it's easy to feel like a watered-down version of my cultures, or to feel like i'm made out of things that i am Not. not to even mention how being queer factors into that lmaoooo

for me it was easy to be like, if you have to spend time learning your own culture, is it really yours? but the answer is yes! like rereading my old writing makes me giggle a bit because since then i've spent more time with asian diaspora here, seeking out queer asian communities, reaching out to my family outside of australia, learning chinese. it's incredibly healing. in the scene where robin first meets ramy, babel captures that feeling of your walls going down when you meet another poc so unbelievably well. it's why i don't take the romanticism of it as a soulmate-ism on robin or ramy's part (even though it is also because they're gay). i've felt that feeling a thousand times! asian diasporic culture isn't any less authentic, it's its own thing. you're not alone anon!

[desmon1995]

Lin-Manuel Miranda: How His Work Mirrors Where We Are as a Society (and Where He's Been as an Artist)

So, Lin-Manuel Miranda . The man hardly needs an introduction at this point—he’s the face of musical theater for so many people, especially outside of typical Broadway circles. His work, from In the Heights to Hamilton to The Warriors, has this uncanny ability to reflect the times we live in, both as a society and, often, as a deeply personal commentary on his own evolution as an artist. And like clockwork, his big releases have often dropped right before critical U.S. elections—almost as if he’s intentionally or unintentionally influencing the conversation ( Hamilton technically came out an entire year before the 2016 election, can you get the idea)

To really get into this, let’s start at the beginning with In the Heights. It wasn’t just another musical—it was Miranda’s response to the toxic cultural and political climate of the early 2000s, a time when the Bush administration and mainstream media were all too comfortable promoting xenophobic narratives about Latinx communities. Latinos were often portrayed as lazy or as criminals—a threat to the so-called “real” America.

In the Heights tore down that facade by giving us Washington Heights: a vibrant community where people were simply living, dreaming, and struggling with universal, relatable problems—chiefly, the looming threat of gentrification by the very people who claimed to be disgusted by them. Miranda was saying, “Here we are, unapologetically existing, and our stories deserve to be seen.” It was a powerful counter to the era’s narratives and marked the beginning of his rise as a “Broadway guy.”

Then came Hamilton, and it changed the game. The musical theater scene in the 2010s was still mostly white, with producers often playing it safe to avoid “rocking the boat.” Miranda blew that boat right out of the water, putting a majority POC cast in colonial garb and re-imagining the founding fathers through hip-hop and R&B. Suddenly, the nation’s founders were embodied by people who looked like the folks kept on the sidelines of Broadway. Hamilton didn’t just break down doors—it crushed them, and LMM took his cast with him into the limelight. People were forced to acknowledge the contributions of POC not only to theater but to the founding of the country itself.

But as Miranda’s fame exploded, so did the critiques. On platforms like Tumblr and Twitter, people started questioning aspects of Hamilton, pointing out the musical’s liberal optimism and the sometimes one-dimensional portrayal of its female characters. Miranda’s status as a model minority was both a blessing and a curse—he was the guy, but he was the guy, always expected to carry everyone’s expectations of diversity and inclusivity. Even in marginalized spaces, there was some annoyance that he was often the first (and only) one called on for high-profile projects when so many other talents from his community remained overlooked.

Fast forward to The Warriors, a concept album that dropped right before the critical 2024 election, and we see a very different Miranda. This time, he partnered with the leftist creator Eisa Davis, and together, they crafted something that feels much more raw and socially aware.

One of the biggest differences between Hamilton and The Warriors is in how they handle female representation. The critiques about Hamilton’s female characters—especially the sidelining of complex women like the Schuyler sisters—seem to have influenced The Warriors, which features an entirely female cast with a range of personalities, appearances, and backgrounds. Each character is given the space to be fully realized and nuanced. There’s Cleon, a large, fierce woman who’s both the matriarch and leader of the Warriors. She’s tough yet compassionate, the glue holding this group of wildly different women together. Then there’s Swan, Cleon’s co-leader, who’s aloof and stoic on the outside but deeply vulnerable and loyal beneath her hardened shell.

Two especially interesting characters are Cowgirl and Ajax. Cowgirl is easygoing, unabashedly lustful, and fully herself. Her sexuality isn’t seen as a flaw; it’s just part of who she is. Ajax, on the other hand, is cantankerous and boasts a nonconformist, aggressive edge that would typically cast her as the “antagonist” or rival. But here, she’s just allowed to exist—her roughness doesn’t make her less part of the family; in fact, it makes her stronger.

And then there’s Mercy, who’s had to sleep around to survive and is initially met with hesitation by the Warriors. But here’s the kicker: it’s not about slut-shaming. They’re wary because Mercy is an outsider, not because of what she’s done to survive. Mercy becomes a reversal of Hamilton’s Maria Reynolds, with a more compassionate look at the complexity of ordeals that women have to endure to survive.

The evolution of Miranda’s work goes deeper, though. Where Hamilton had a clear enemy in the figure of King George (and the absurdity of colonialism as a backdrop), The Warriors confronts something grittier and closer to home. The villains are more sinister, more reflective of today’s issues. We have Luther, a dangerously angry man who weaponizes his societal privilege to sow chaos—a character who hits close to home in 2024’s social climate. Then there’s the police, depicted as ruthless enforcers of an oppressive state, mercilessly cracking down on anyone they perceive as a threat. Finally, the American government itself is hinted at as the ultimate, faceless villain—represented by the boroughs and conditions that force these women into a life of struggle and resistance.

It’s also impossible to ignore Eisa Davis’s impact here. Her influence helped push Miranda into a more conscious, radical space, and it’s clear in every beat of The Warriors. This isn’t just a musical; it’s a raw, unfiltered reflection of an America where, for many, the dream has shattered. The system has failed the Warriors, and they know it. Unlike in Hamilton, there’s no bright-eyed optimism or “let’s make it work” mentality. This is survival in a system that’s fundamentally broken.

It’s funny, though. The Warriors was written years ago, yet it feels like it was tailor-made for 2024. It’s proof that, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks—and that even the most famous names can still evolve with the times if they’re willing to listen, to change, to get uncomfortable.

Maybe that’s the lesson here. It’s easy to pigeonhole Miranda as the Latinx, non-white face of Broadway and expect him to always cater to everyone’s expectations. But Miranda’s story shows us that growth happens when artists are allowed to wrestle with their critiques, collaborate with new voices, and dive deeper into the messiness of reality. And maybe that’s something we can all take away—to challenge ourselves, to learn, and to evolve with the times.

[numberonedukethomasapologist]

230 words, wow, I wish I could write academic essays like this.

Gotham is one of the most crime ridden cities of the DC multiverse, unfortunately these crimes may include hate crimes.

I’m privileged enough to live in an area with the least (reported)crime rate of the state/country, however racism is still extremely prevalent (and also other crimes I will not name since it’s an unrelated and also a heavy topic) and it’s affected me a lot.

I am also very normal about Duke Thomas.

Do you think that in a sleepover/slumber party at night the batfamily (esp poc I guess??) just share their experience with racism? I’m not from the US so I’m not well versed in societal values there

Also, I understand that some people may perceive Grayson as White, but him being Roma would be interesting (in a good and bad way) since the Romani peoples are still greatly discriminated against around the globe, even casually. I’m aware of the Devin Grayson situation, I think it would be great for there to be a respectful redo of Romani representation in media.

Please yap back to me I am your #1 fan.

Also, I put this question in paragraphs, does it make this easier to read?

I wrote and sent this after 11pm so if you offended by anything I say here, there’s your reason. Please tell me why you found this off-putting so I can improve.

I do think that they would talk about racist shit that happens to them

And homophobic and ableist stuff

I think it would be like casual conversation?

They wouldn't feel awkward or afraid to talk about it to eachother because it has def happend to majority of the bats

Hate crimes have def happened to all the waynes because of their status and skin color for soke of them

Some of the more rich folk talk about Bruce badly only because of the children that he has adopted

Some would even hate on him for 'mixing his bloodline'

Bruce being the white guy he is maybe when he first got grayson him explaing racism to him would've been very awkward and infuriating because "who tf would say that to a child? MY child?" And I don't think alot if racism or deep shit would happen at the circus

But after having multiple poc children and hearing them talk about shit that they go through with the people in Gotham (mostly richer people or just a lowlife that takes their anger out on other people) and receiving backlash for choosing to adopt those kids

It would become normal for Bruce to comfort his kids and explain racism and why it's happening to the

[I LOVE TO YAPP YALL😋 FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR REPOST AND TOUCH ON SUBJECTS I MISSED WITH THIS ILY❤️]

[maxellminidisc]

I've said this for years but the way the community absolutely has an undiscussed dislike or idk disregard for closeted people has bothered me for years. Yeah theres that sheen of being understanding but I've seen and had to have so many conversations with people to have more empathy for closeted people, especially closeted partners because I understand full well how complicated that is. Btw I'll be using gay as an umbrella term for most of the following cause I'm sometimes uncomfortable with using the q word too much, please respect that.

Like it got especially bad after gay marriage became legal here in the US and most of Western Europe and like every mostly white gay living in liberal areas started acting like everyone should be out already and if you weren't you were idk probably ashamed of yourself, or worse someone faking it. You become some kind of half baked gay person who their behavior implied couldn't possibly connect to queerness in the right way.

But like it doesn't work like that. Some of us very much live in unsafe places to do that and we also don't have the financial privilege to leave to safer states/countries or move out of homophobic/transphobic households. I can't imagine especially how disabled and closeted members of our community feel trapped by these kind of circumstances.

Plus some of us live in cultures where the emphasis on family and community is an essential tenant of our makeup and learning to separate ourselves from the abuse present in those communities towards us is difficult, much like any abusive relationship. There is so much nuance, especially outside the lense of whiteness, that out people sometimes seem to forget or even dismiss instead of helping to foster relationships or community to help the people in their lives who are closeted find refuge safely.

And it really comes to a head when out people I know date closeted people. They seem understanding enough at first but then start questioning if the person they're dating "actually really loves" them if they're not willing to out themselves and the conversation can at time turn progressively meaner as if closeted people are all inheritly selfish. Yes it is a romantic notion for someone to risk everything to be openly with you, and its something frankly all of us deserve including closeted people, but life is far more dangerous and complex than that and I think some people have forgotten that.

And look, I even empathize with open people in that kind of circumstance cause yeah the pressure of having to keep something that incredibly special to you under wraps can be very daunting. But often I've found, most open people have a chosen community to fall back on and talk about it with because they're not as inhibited or cut off from the larger, while closeted people often dont have anyone except their partner because being closeted has severed most pathways of finding the community. Their partners are usually their first connection to the community.

I even sometimes think this sort of mind set extends into how white people perceive gay poc as inherently closeted too. We're either not open enough or being closeted is weaponized against us. Like we could be out and white people still presume we're not and act like were straight lite and we could talk about how we're closeted and white people, again, think it's ok to treat us like straight lite. This is especially evident when we say something that makes them uncomfortable and angry. Like the only time they take cultural nuance into account is to use it to dismiss us, as if all of us must be in hiding and cant be as gay as them.

Point is, being closeted is complicated and frankly miserable as someone whose got one foot in and one out lol and although some peoples only space to be open is online, it doesnt makes them fake, doesnt make them less gay or trans, or less part of this community. It doesnt make them less worthy or deserving of love and community despite their circumstances.

[deathbxnny]

Welp, my fears came true. Natlan characters have ligther skins (more or less). I knew it was coming but i still wished they could’ve been at least respectful. Oddly enough, i feel neutral about it right now? I mean i still heavily agree with people saying that the characters should have darker skins (THEY LIVE IN COUNTRIES THAT MOSTLY HAVE DARKER SKIN, IT AINT HARD MIHOYO) but i dont think i should jump into that rabbit hole because.. it can get messy and idk if im ready for that.

I really do love their designs and all of them look absolutely gorgeous but i just wished that Mihoyo could’ve just.. not do this.

I hope you dont mind me talking about the Natlan skin conterversy here. You can just delete or not reply to this ask if you feel uncomfortable with bringing the topic in your blog. I just simply wanted to vent my thoughts about this whole thing bc idk.. this feels like it might be the start of something much worse for Genshin.. (and i really hope that does not happened bc genshin is genuinely a good and beautiful game even though they could’ve done better for Sumeru and Natlan characters)

- Flower Anon 🌸

-----♡

(Warning! Cursing lol-)

I'm honestly not really interested in joining the debate about this, mainly because I feel like it's obvious that this is terribly wrong, so I will add that I find this honestly and genuinely disgusting of Hoyoverse. ESPECIALLY as they have proven over and over again that they CAN make poc characters but won't.

Like, cultural and religious aspects aside, you're telling me that you can make a Bear, Cyborg guy and a whole ass BLUEEE person in ZZZ playable, but not make genshin characters have an actual tan? Make them black? Just even a different shade than paper ass white or whatever that grey "brown" color Cyno/Candace are sporting is? It's genuinely insane.

As a Middle Eastern person, I will say that what irked me the most about Sumeru is that the atmosphere and world building felt like HOME, but the characters did NOT. The people from the countries that Sumeru was based on also come in all shades possible, so it really does become really jarring after a while. And Natlan really slaps you in the face with it even more.

The Archon is an Himeko Expy from what I understood, which is fine on it's own, but did they have to make her the god? It really feels lazy and makes you wonder who these characters are really made for atp (besides degenerate Twitch streamers like Tectone ofc-).

So yeah, there is alot more to it, but this is how I view the entire situation (I don't want to make this too long lmao-) and I totally agree with you, Flower Anon!!

-----♡

[avissapiens]

Jockbull Summer Week 4 Set C (3/12/23-10/12/23)

Model used is Onome Egger

1.

I have continued the trend of fasting+cardio day. It’s actually not that bad. What was bad was the decision to bake while fasting. It’s not that I wanted the food. I don’t eat most of what I bake. But I couldn’t realistically test things too much to make sure they came out well. Luckily they were quite good the next day. Only half of one. It’s still cutting season.

2.

I got two in again! The first one was just kind of a general muscle flash. Brain producing lovely images for myself. Who needs AI when your head is already so full of muscle.

The second one however was a deeper introspection done together with Abg. We’re both POC but in many senses we are atypical. And yet still the presence of stereotypes still kind of gets in the way of both of our minds, and in particular our muscular journeys. We are both dead-set on breaking stereotypes and still coming out on top, so that was the seed for this meditation. There’s a lot of stereotypes for Black folks. And I know they are nonsense because not only do I not embody them, but most of my friends, relatives, peers etc from back home don’t either. But every time that one encounters a situation where you do meet that stereotype in yourself or in others, you pause for a second. Because especially while living in a mostly white country, you become extremely aware of the fact that everything you do is a form of ambassadorship for anyone who looks like you and visa versa. Which is a shitty burden to bear. Even after coming from a background of Black excellence in the Caribbean, there’s still so many stereotypes that come to mind. The perception of black people being unattractive, or if we are, it can only be in a brutish, animalistic, unrefined non-aesthetic way that doesn’t adhere to societal norms.

The mental stereotypes of underperformance and stupidity. The lack of ambition.

So many stereotypes are strangely contradictory too

That we're just needlessly loud and confrontational all the time but still get portrayed as servile slaves.

That we can only be good at sports but still deserve to be excluded from them. That we can't perform well at anything else. The strange juxtaposition of the athletic achievement that many POC are forced into because they lack the resources to pursue other interests and the idea that Ethnic food is unhealthy, dirty. And the very real reality of unequal access and outcomes for healthcare. The idea, often reinforced within the community, that we do not belong in certain places. In certain professions. In nature, in the world at large. That we should remain forever in this conservative slave mentality while we exist in the west.

Frankly, I see muscle and hypnosis as ways of outgrowing and defeating these stereotypes. Of changing perceptions not only for me but for my community. Perception is everything because it means that those who come after can see something different for themselves.

3.

Anyway on a lighter note. Yup, we’ve entered an edging period. It always feels so fucking good after a full week of building that erotic energy. It takes you to new and darker places and makes you vulnerable to things you might not have been before. Sometimes thats good. Sometimes its dangerous. But even that danger comes with a certain appeal.

4.

Its been a rough and busy week working on the first comm. I have some ideas brainstormed with Jockrs for an avis abstraction, it’s just always a whole different story putting pen to paper. Wish me better luck for the next week.

5.

So this one’s been interesting. It’s less been a process of drafting and then sticking. More a progressive building of momentum. Incorporating more and more things until the morning and myself feels more whole. I’ve ordered a bunch of supplements to take. A bunch of skincare stuff to harden my routine. I’ve expanded my already existing routine and even incorporated some new concepts from the world of Looksmaxxing. Truthfully, there is this deep desire in me to grow so much more in so many dimensions.And the himbo programming has definitely made one of those dimensions my aesthetics. Not for anyone else’s pleasure but for my own. I already know i’m gorgeous to other people. I want to be brilliant for myself and to be able to use that element of me like a tool and a weapon.

[tboyfrnkiero]

spooky-demolition-lover -> faggy-euronymous -> tmascfrnkiero -> tboyfrnkiero

my name n pronouns fluctuate A LOT currently its bishop + judas + dionysus + ethan n it/its + he/him my pronouns.page is @faggy.tragician (its not letting me link waahhhh) if u want a more general name + pronouns list (also ill probably update that 1st when it changes) (all names n pronouns listed on there r ok to use btw, the ones listed here r js slightly preferred)

im a femme genderqueer fagdyke n a white northern (mix of all scandinavian countries)/western (mostly ukraine) european secular jew w a (kinda??) mixed religious upbringing (my dads christian n my moms jewish) ^-^

tag stuff: i only tw for image/video-based stuff, n i format it like "___ warning" (ex: flashing warning) (i have shit memory so unless theres an image/video there to remind me that "hey theres smth triggering here" i wont remember it, sorry). my yapping tag is #the bat speaks. if you have the money, check out my #palestine fundraiser tag or #sudan fundraiser tag and donate some money to some1 there! vampire tag: #🦇, music tag: #📼, cannibalism/body parts/skeletons/stuff in that vein (pun intended :3) tag: #🫀 (ed im sorry for stealing these), art tag: #🎨, vent tag (will include vent posts both by me n other ppl): #🥀

this blog is for everything. also plz send asks i <3 asks!!

i have 1 other blog: @tboyfrnkiero-music-listening (blog where ill post what im listening to when i feel like it)

if u wanna cancel some random mentally ill queer teenager here u go ^-^ (sry this is so long it turns out im a very opinionated faggot):

transmisandry is real n important to talk abt (n so is transmisogyny, exorsexism, intersexism, n transmultiphobia)

all mentally ill ppl deserve help if we want it. yes this includes the "scary" ones. ppl w pds, addicts, psychotic ppl. ALL mentally ill ppl. u cant js decide a person is inherently evil bc of smth they cant control. n if a mentally ill person doesnt want help we still deserve basic respect ("basic respect" includes not forcing us to get help btw. like yes u can try to motivate ur friends to get help!! thats fine!! js dont force us n if we tell u to stop u fucking stop)

all radfems should fuck off n die. even the trans "inclusive" (lmao) ones

mainstream feminism sucks n doesnt pay attention to poc, trans ppl, intersex ppl, n disabled ppl enough. yall gotta stop focusing on white perisex cis abled women

live and let live, cringe culture fucking sucks

"leftists" being like "mental health matters!" but not being able to handle ppl w anything except for seasonal depression n mild anxiety is a genuine problem (n ofc the seasonal depression n mild anxiety havers mustnt complain, bc 1. ur annoying me!! n 2. other ppl have it worse!! (despite the fact u dont care abt the ppl who have it worse but wtv))

having homicide fantasies doesnt make u a bad person. even if theyre not intrusive thoughts n u wanna have them

no kink/fetish is morally bad (none of them. not even that rly fucked up 1 u js thought of). no kink/fetish "belongs" to a group of ppl. making ur own ver of a kink/fetish isnt "copying"

"contradicting" labels r amazing n very fun to have (ex: afab transfem, amab transmasc, lesboy, gaygirl, lesgay)

it/its arent inherently dehumanizing n refusing to call some1 who uses it/its it is transphobic

neopronouns n xenogenders r amazing n very fun to have

fakeclaimers should die

liking a piece of media doesnt mean you agree w the creator(s) abt everything

a (cis) man liking feminine things doesnt mean theyre a (trans) woman n a (cis) woman liking masculine things doesnt mean theyre a (trans) man. thats js gender stereotypes w trans colors painted onto it

intersex ppl talking abt their issues arent transphobic or terfs oh my fucking god

proship but the actual meaning n not what antis think it means. i dont believe ppl should b harassed for ships (esp considering a lot of comshippers r traumatized teens. they need mental help not online harassment campaigns)

free palestine 🇵🇸 free sudan ����🇩 free congo ��🇩 free haiti 🇭🇹

callout culture is 👎

purity culture is 👎

if u saw some1 shoplift no u didnt (unless theyre a cop)

every1 belongs at pride (except for cops)

i have an airbuds the @ is @batraybat the display name is 🦇 ray 🦇 n the pfp is the pic of gee under here add me on there if u wanna stalk my music listening my spotify has the same pfp n the name is also 🦇 ray 🦇 also heres my discord talk to me plz

bands/artists i have a spotify playlist dedicated to: leathermøuth, pencey prep, death spells

goodbye heres the picture of gerard way :3

[heavenaintaniceplace]

ive already expressed how bunk the culturally christian discourse is but something else occurred to me and its that the discourse not only alienates exchristians (on purpose) but also alienates poc, largely i think also on purpose. because ive seen so many false equivalence posts insinuating that backlash against culturally christian is the same as resistance to the idea of ‘white privilege’ or that being ‘culturally christian’ is the same as being white in a racist society. and so many people keeping this discourse going are white and trying to call out other white people for having another level of what theyve interpreted as unilateral all encompassing privilege, going back and forth on how privileged the cultural christians (exchristians, people raised atheist, people who have converted to other religions, jewish folks and muslims too now if they breathed the wrong too christian air or lived in the wrong country) are and equating it to being inherently racist. and you can see how this analogy doesn’t work for people of color and literally anyone marginalized in any other way. even if you think ‘culturally christian’ works as a term (it doesn’t but go off, mostly because yall stripped it of anything meaningful from conception) how can you say its equivalent to white privilege even for poc without being racist? for all this “you need to unlearn christian biases!” none of you are unlearning your racist biases.

being ‘culturally christian’ is not a person of color’s version of white privilege you myopic racist fucks. the white ‘culturally christian’ enjoyers are either trying to dodge some sort of guilt or accountability but it shows how they use intersectionality is broken and oversimplified otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion in the first place. its no surprise a concept made by a black woman (intersectionality) is misused by white folks. and no, i don’t care if youre white and nonchristian saying this, if you can make those kind of claims with no nuance then i get to do the same. a lot of the popular bloggers who say this are white and reblog from people known to harass poc anways...

and now for the personal anecdote as a black person: black churches didn’t get firebombed, be segregated and get defunded so they couldn’t organize against white supremacy for you to say ‘culturally christian’ is the same as being white and racist for everyone. they didn’t edit the bibles they gave enslaved people for no reason, they didn’t burn crosses in people’s yards and march streets with them in white hoods, or claim black people didn’t have souls or that integration was ‘unchristian’ or say that “only jesus could fix racism!” for you to get your white ass on tumblr and say this shit. i hope you feel genuinely uncomfortable and unsettled reading that.

[livelymyrtle]

Honestly atp I don’t know how to feel about Lin Manuel Miranda. I don’t want to be in that crowd of the “Hamilton and everything else he does sucks and it’s all awful” because it’s not really true… Hamilton was very good (mostly brought down from excellence by the second act), and I actually quite liked Encanto (aside from the fact that Abuela gets pretty much excused at the end + Disney forced him to do stuff like writing in Isabela). In The Heights I haven’t paid much attention to, but what I saw I remember being good, and I know he has plenty of other gems…

so why is it that I, like so many people, am just not feeling it? Netizens have recently been feeling more meh on him or even begun to hate him. So why this shift in perspective?

I think the sudden scrutiny against LMM has two main components:

1) Overexposure

After Disney has been putting him in everything, which was already after everyone was saturated with Hamilton and ITH stuff, I think people are just getting a bit sick of the man. It’s especially damning for Lin that he tends to make every main character himself, and that he has such a distinctive lyrical style(or rather, he is unwilling to diverge from that style - he wrote How Far I’ll Go for Moana and that was more off par for him). As a result, it just feels like you are watching the same thing over and over and over again with him - and at this point it’s just getting kind of exhausting to see him all the time doing what feels like the exact same thing.

It also probably doesn’t help that he has become associated with Disney just as Disney has begun losing popular favor. Nowadays, they mostly are doing mediocre movies with the exact same plot, characters, art style, aesthetic, and message(basically trying to be Studio Ghibli in plot except that they don’t have the slow pensiveness, nor the understanding of what consumers actually want, nor the desire to create art for art’s sake), and extremely awful live action remakes that literally nobody likes, so Disney’s new stuff has been bleeding popularity like a bullet wound. Now, people think of Lin in the same vein that think of their disappointment with Disney, which is probably not making him look better. I’ve even seen people blame Disney’s negative shift on him, which isn’t really fair, but… I can see why someone would draw that conclusion, you know?

2) More importantly, cultural shift in attitudes.

Post COVID and what I like to call the Reality Exodus, everyone went on their phones, got really depressed and pessimistic, and got really online. I think that this has directly lead to why people are no longer ok with some aspects of LMMs stuff. In 2015-16, we all loved Hamilton: it was an inclusive and fresh new take on US history, something that we were pretty starved of pride in. With the election of Trump, things seemed bleak: but people remained hopeful still that there could be pride in this country. The concept of Miranda only hiring actors of color was also just the right amount of groundbreaking but not too shocking for the culture - we were committed to diversity, but not so much to the point where we wanted truly diverse stories to be told, so the all-POC cast in a very white story was a good way to knock on the glass ceiling without breaking it. The added message of “we are all a part of America” was fitting for the widespread “we don’t see color, everyone is welcome, hakuna matata” brand of anti-racism that was the most widely accepted narrative at the time.

But as we got into COVID, we see In the Heights released. And all of a sudden, the Twitter mob has come out against LMM for… colorism in his casting, of all things??? Casting that was very diverse?? And that he wasn’t even in charge of anyway???

In hindsight the whole Twitter cancellation thing seems ridiculous, but I do think it’s an important example of how much more aware and critical we had gotten as a culture. And I think our new perspectives shifted our views on some of his earlier work, too: namely, Hamilton.

After COVID, a play written by a nonblack man about rapping slave masters (but they are all played by POC) didn’t really seem all that revolutionarily anti-racist. We as a culture had developed our understanding of racial theory to a different, more radical narrative: we should start uplifting the stories of real POC and make actual changes. All of a sudden, LMM’s rooting for diversity just didn’t seem genuine anymore the the culture at large. I think that has played one of the biggest parts in his loss of popular favor.

And that’s where we get to now: I just don’t know what to think. I mean, on the one hand, of course Lin Manuel Miranda does some great stuff artistically. But his art, his messaging, his image in general has become associated with an era of lenient attempts at equality that I just don’t really support. And no, before you think it, this isn’t going to devolve into the regular separation of art and artist stuff. But it is a question of separation: Can we separate the goodness of an art piece from its intent? Can we judge art or media as being good objectively? And how important of a part does messaging play in what makes something “good”?

My answer? I don’t know. I need a cup of tea and a nap. Peace.

[gemsofgreece]

Sadly, Cleopatra isn’t the only one, they did it with Anne Boleyn, Charles V, Marie-Antoinette, China and Japan’s indigenous people. I mean, they still think that Caucasian means white.

I don’t understand why they refuse to explore or portray West Africa, East Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa, its people, mythologies, religions. It has countless ethnic nationalities, and very rich and diverse cultures.

My theory is that it is because of two reasons:

This is an African American thing. Secondarily, similar ideas might be supported by next generation immigrants in West Europe at most. I find it wrong that it is called “Afrocentrism” because that trend does not represent indigenous people of Africa, or indigenous people in general, their concerns or their wishes. If you check videos about the whole Cleopatra discourse, Africans do not support the case, they feel weird about it and even embarrassed by the way African Americans tackle these topics. African Americans do not fight for Africa. They fight for their own place in the American society and because they have an extremely traumatic past imposed on them by the American whites, they see this movement in a peaceful yet clearly vengeful perspective. African Americans try to claim more space in societies that were traditionally considered white or colonialist. They do not care nowhere as much about empowering or boosting the voice and development of African countries as at this point they feel distant from them. They too are Americans now, after all. The ulterior incentive is not to present, praise and attract interest for African or other POC culture but rather to be seen as capable of competing with or even toppling white history and culture. Unfortunately, this very ill thought strategy is applied to feminism too. Instead of presenting women as complex people with their strengths, ideas, aspirations and motives, they force them always to a comparison with men or they have to aggressively belittle men and have women assume their positions (ie the James Bond discourse). That’s why the first Wonder Woman movie was so acclaimed and successful in its feminism with both women and men - it was an original female character who also worked peacefully with men. Unfortunately they don’t seem to take the hint of WW for what works and what doesn’t. And to go back to the original topic, this is why Black Panther is also much more acclaimed and successful than all those idiotic projects twisting history to a laughable degree. But these are superheroes and, therefore, also parts of the American culture. To ask Americans to go deep in studying African and Asian cultures and produce accurate and sensitive art from them is too much work and it is not even what they want to talk about anyway.

95% of these movies are made or produced by rich whites. Rich whites follow the trends of the time with zero interest in historical accuracy or sensitivity about other places in the world. A rich white American producer does not care how well his movie will be received in Tanzania or Yemen. He cares how many African or Asian Americans will go to the cinemas. This is the audience they cater to, plus white wokes which is another big trend that can provide his movie with a lot of traction. Neither Africa nor Asia nor indigenous communities in the Americas and Oceania have a remotely considerable benefit out of any of these. Nothing will change in Kenya or in Kenyan people’s everyday lives, concerns and challenges just because Anne Boleyn is now black. It’s been called USA and West Europe’s guilt syndrome but I think it is mostly the realisation that a pretence of a guilt syndrome pays well in these countries’ media production because some people in these countries suck it up like crazy.

[remyxavierr]

I'm actually wildly scared for the upcoming US elections. I've lived in Canada for the past 6 years as a permanent resident, so I can't vote here, but I also can't vote back in the US because I don't live there or ever visit.

I feel like people think they're making a point by abstaining from voting for Biden, but did you forget how awful Trump was when he was president? Did you forget that? Because I didn't, even though I was mostly in Canada. Trump will be worse this time around; he will make the lives of women, POC, LGBTQ, disabled folks, and anyone who is not a white man, a living hell. I don't want to watch all of the progress we've made as a country be completely erased by an evil man who doesn't want any of us to exist in his country.

PLEASE VOTE BLUE. PLEASE DON'T LET TRUMP RUIN OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD.

[missmonkeymode]

So on Disco Elysium.

I think I see some of your points, like a lot of people really connected to the specific game play and narrative combo. I guess that's probably where it's just like, full divergence from the people getting angry at the tweet for me. Like I just... I don't know. I played through a bit of it, and I just really didn't connect to the character of Harry or even really Kim at all. I guess knowing it's intentionally a deconstruction is neat.

I liked the level up system (a lot), the chance and dialogue differences based on your perks felt like someone took FO1/2/NV speech/skill dialogue options and made that into an entire game based on like, every pop culture cop archetype and I'm here for it. I'll admit that is in part connected to the character of Harry the cop and his position in the world, but as a slate for other archetypal characters (like a witch) it really wouldn't be that hard to, at least, on the surface, I feel, make apply the mechanics in other interesting ways in other games with different narratives. (Also Twin Peaks quirks transfer over to a witch game).

The world (the bits I explored, I didn't get very far-- it was just ultimately kind of dull, for me) did feel lived in, and I liked the quirky characters you could meet. My thing is, I didn't really care about the story or the characters-- so for me, a system of game mechanics like this actually makes a lot of sense to use on different types of games, because I found that mechanical system to be cool and a really interesting way to resolve conflict and create game play tension and all that fun stuff.

Harry was alright, I guess. Not really, to me, but people like him so I try not to be too mean. I just don't really like cops at all. I don't need to play through a however many hour game to know that they're incompetent pigs-- I can just go outside. Or even online and type "cop shot black child" and see what new result comes up this week. My mom can't close her fist because a pig shattered her hand during a "non-violent drug offense" arrest. Does Harry ever actually do any police brutality? I never got that far-- is it like...? A different ending type thing? Where use of certain tactics over others produces different results for the case? That's neat if my random guess is anywhere near right-- as it was it just felt like a cop simulator but quirky. Like they get nothing done like regular cops but this time he's likably incompetent.

I also thought Kim was poorly done, honestly. I mean-- not really my place to say, but it feels like the only Asian representation is either tropey Indian or pale East Asian (and sometimes those roles aren't tropey)-- and Kim is very tropey. Like he's the classic stoic sidekick who's more competent than the lead. I know he's got a lot of depth, but... I don't know. It didn't leave a great taste in my mouth. Ultimately he's a non-white sidekick to do all the work the boisterous white lead can't and won't in silence. Also, as far as I got there were no other POC in the game. Maybe there are some tokens... but honestly, it makes sense-- DE takes place in like, a fictional Slav country, right? Not a lot of brown people. I still feel like it would have been more of a deconstruction of the genre if Harry was a Black high femme lesbian who is only a cop because she wants to kill with impunity.

Sidebar-- the OP of the twwet mentioned Harry was an old white guy. It feels weird everyone's calling her hypocritical when she did suggest someone young and very much not a guy. It doesn't feel hypocritical to me to leave her race as white since, like fictional slavland being mostly white, so are the Alps to my knowledge. I mean I'd like her more if she was Latina too, but I also would just connect more to a cute little baby witch than a drunk cop.

Anyhoo like... I don't know. Like our world is a literal dystopia where we spend so much time reliant on technology made with stolen resources and stolen labor, that we ourselves buy wit our own stolen labor, and he cops exist to protect the treasure hoards of the thieves.. That isn't to say we can't have dystopic fiction or games-- that's one of my favorite genres-- but I just wasn't able to connect to DE on any levels where I found the lead characters, many aspects of the world, or the story, engaging, interesting, or important. I liked the mechanics and the dialogue. I think if we had this kind of focus on a game about a little witch girl and her cat that'd be really cute and relaxing.

I am a witch though, so I'm biased.

Also, I didn't find your response rude or anything. I'm just happy to talk about things.

I mean this in a way that does not mean to offend you in any way, but I just think the game isn't really for you. If you don't really like the main character and don't really jive with the gameplay, it's fine to simply go "yeah I don't like this"! I don't want to insinuate that you're dumb or lesser or whatever for not liking the game, but sometimes you just don't like something yknow?

On the surface, I do agree that you can take the concept of "24 characters are constantly feeding you information a la ttrpg rolls and checks" and apply them to a different game, but I feel as though the gameplay and the story are too married to each other where it can't really shine without the other. As for Harry and police brutality, he can and cant if that makes sense? You are given the chance to shoot cunoesse (although its a immediate game over if you do) and generally just be shitty and abuse his position as a cop, but you're also given the chance to not to that, so uhhh it depends on how you play the game. Player decision and such. On your poc point, I can see where you get the perception of him being "stoic and competent" especially since (from the sound of it) you stopped playing early on, but as you play the game you discover that Harry is a highly competent cop (despite like being a mess of a person). I don't want to speak too much about the poc in the game, mostly bc I'm white passing and I'd feel like I'd be speaking over your points about the limited amount of poc in the game and how they're handled so uh yeah. I do disagree with the idea that Harry being a femme black lesbian would work towards the deconstruction though, but that's mostly because the way that I see it Harry gets away with a lot of shit (like routinely showing up to work drunk and high, losing his gun and id simultaneously, letting a corspe just kinda chill outside as he goes on a 3 day bender) because of his position as a white man in a hypermasculine field, and changing him from a white man to a black woman would weaken the critiques that its making. And the game does comment about those who join the police force to live out their fantasy of holding a lot of power (but the characters profession isnt really cop, just cop adjacent, but I feel like that's worth mentioning at least). For me at least, I see op going "i don't want to play as a white man, but a white woman" is hypocritical because in her talking point against the game, she used "white" as a negative to harry, but in the same breath turned around and suggested a white woman instead. Does that make sense? It's like someone going "I don't like this shirt because it's a red shirt and I don't like the color red, I'd much rather wear a red dress", the clothes are still red, the only thing that changed is the article of clothing.

I don't want you to come away from this post and feel as though I'm trying to bash on games like "a witch trying to find a lost cat". That's a wonderful game concept, that is not what most people are upset about (as far as I can tell). People are upset because the tweeter is taking a complex, gritty game that talks heavily about politics and is trying to remove the complexity from it and flatten it out into a wholesome game (whether knowingly or unknowingly). You can't really have a game like disco elysium and take out the parts that make disco elysium disco elysium, and that's generally what people are talking about. Also I'm you didn't find my response rude, I like chatting about things and explaining things.

[127-mile]

Hi!! What are some of your fave books you've read recently? I'm really curious pls feel free to ramble

Hello! I got really excited when I saw the notification, so thank you.

I've read "This is how you lose the time war" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, and let me tell you, it was a short book also a ride! A ride mostly because not a lot is explained, you are dropped in a scene, in a world you have limited informations about despite it being our world, you have technology, a war between the past and the present/future.

BUT! It's also a love story, some kind of enemies/rivals to lovers between Red and Blue, two women who belong to different timelines, different sides. And it's epistolary in between the scenes, and the ways the letters are made/found are explained and it's genius.

I become bored quite quickly when the romance is too much, but it was subtle and sweet when the feelings realization happened. It was definitely worth the read and I recommend it if you haven't read it.

---

I was in a bit of a reading slump for a few days and because it was becoming frustrating I read a book I already read a few times. It's called, "Quand vient la horde (when the horde comes)" by Aurélie Luong, book that came out last year so there is no translation (something I hope will happen because this book? 10/10)

A little backstory you didn't ask for, I had never heard of the book or the writer, but one day I went into my favorite bookstore and she was there, so curious I asked her to tell me about her book, and the passion in her voice when she did convinced me to buy it. It's also her first book being published, so I hope she goes far and gets more of her work published.

It happens in a medieval Korea with some Russian touch, as they have invaded the country years ago. The main character, Ivan, survives daily. He is poor, lives with his childhood (and only) friend, when, one night, he gets kidnapped by the white horde. The soldiers of the White Whore, a beautiful woman with white hair who has a goal, avenge her little sister and is not afraid to draw blood. Ivan is the bait. He wants to survive, he wants to get back to his friend and for that he has to play the horde's game. He doesn't have a choice. He does what he is told, get money, and plans his escape.

So it's also a enemies to lovers, but with vengeance being the main point of the book.

I think I could talk for hours about this book as I left a big part of my heart inside. The ending is heartbreaking honestly. The book is dark, touches sensitive subjects but it's nicely written.

-----

I have to talk about Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. It was a book I wanted to read for so long. (and the author is extremely funny, I follow them on social medias and it's always very fun to see them)

The book has as inspiration for the main character Wu Zetian, the first and only female Emperor of China in the late 600s.

The book is science fiction, lgbtqia+, feminist, with pocs, disabled main character, poly and big robots and aliens, another enemies to lovers (trigger warnings to definitely check before reading)

It's hard to explain the book, so let me copy and paste the summary:

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

I'm not that into science fiction, but I was curious. I do have to admit I was lost a few times with some terms used for the robots, and also had a hard time imagining things in my head, but I liked the way her relationship with Shimin changed, and there's also her complete opposite with whom she is friend, a rich man who wants to protect her.

The ending had me on my ass! The second book was supposed to come out in April but it was changed to 2024 and I can't wait.

----

Other than that.. I recently started Caraval by Stephanie Garber. The reason is funny, I saw a book at the bookstore "Once upon a brokenheart" and loved the cover, but then I saw I needed to read the Caraval series first, so here I am. I'm currently on the second book and it's pretty okay. I like the universe of Caraval.

I read "The Invisible Life of Addie Larue" by V.E. Schwab at the beginning of the year and it became one of my favorite pretty fast. It was so nicely written that I can't help but recommend it.

I usually only read horror and thrillers but I haven't been able to find much good ones so I've been trying my hands at other books.

What about you? Tell me everything!

[redheadbigshoes]

tbh im not sure if the people ur talking about in that post are poc, but i know the white savior complex runs deep in adoption and results in international adoption frequently, and its terrible bc they genuinely think they're doing a good thing by participating in interracial adoption overseas (the proper term is transracial adoption but racist queer radical inclusive weirdos have made transracial a word about "identifying as a different ethnicity" (doubling as transphobia too)) and theyre just allowed to do it without any safe guards or critical thought and whn u listen to experiences of people who have been adopted this way theres so often trauma there in the adoptee and a feeling of alienation growing up and a disconnect from culture. its so fucking sad to me. every child deserves a good home but i dont trust people who cross oceans to rip a child away from their culture and additionally never ever make the steps to keep their child connected to that part of their identity as far as i can throw them. i dont think they ever understand that u cannot just love away that pain in ur child.

i wish to adopt some day (and if i cannot adopt (or foster) than i will be child free bc i refuse to bring another child into this fkd up world) but there is so so much wrong in the system and culture of adopting (and dont even get me started on foster care) and this only one of them

honestly, i feel like the fact it (rich american international adopters) more common could be potentially related to rich americans having a huge savior complex stemming from the elitism of america the great vs the rest of the world, like adopting from elsewhere as a way to give them "a better life" at least subconsciously lol

Yes, the adopted kids who were talking about their adoption are mostly POC, so I definitely think there’s a white savior complex involved. And also they said how their adopted family didn’t care about their culture, how they’ve never tried to make them not lose their roots, there’s little to no effort on doing that.

I think it’s very odd people who go through the international adoption process, because I’m sure there’s kids in the adoption system in their country, there’s no need to go through a more complex process to adopt.

I definitely agree the adoption system (especially if we’re talking about the US) is problematic. Here where I live all the adoption process is governmental, as far as I know it’s illegal to have private adoption agencies and there’s no foster care system, so I guess in general the system here is not as bad as in the US.