#I count that as world famous but maybe my scope is too narrow

[bigbillybepper]

My new special interest is cow hoof trimming videos, specifically this one guy from Scotland that seems to actually be world famous bc of his content.

lol like my niche interest is actually not so niche oh noooooo

[anticallouts]

Question. does your idea of being anti-callouts also include folks of different belief systems that would involve, say, a much narrower view of sexual morality, or are they fair game to be called out as homophobes and all that just because of their beliefs, even if they’ve never actually displayed any kind of discriminatory behavior? Or what about those who sided with or even remotely supported trump or are from MAGA groups? Are they outside the scope of your anti-callout mission too? Asking cuz imo it’s hypocritical to say you’re anti-callouts but then think its ok for these folks to be ostracized and bullied cuz “they need to be held accountable” for beliefs that you don’t agree with and more often than not, don’t fully understand what they believe or why. And I’m not talking about stuff they said decades ago, I’m talking about present day stuff.

First, I will direct you back to this post, specifically the ending paragraph:

One important thing to internalize is that ignorance doesn’t make you a bad person. This goes for judging your own actions as well as others’. It’s okay to constantly be learning and adapting your behavior based on new information. If you find out from discourse that you had been using hurtful language or promoting a hurtful idea, it doesn’t mean you were secretly a bad person all along. It just means you didn’t know. In an ideal world, we would all be patient and forgiving with people who weren’t acting in bad faith, but unfortunately this is Tumblr. Just try to do your best, and take breaks if you need them.

The key point here is ‘in bad faith’. This blog, and the general disagreement in fandom re: callout culture, usually stems from the idea that it is bad to hold people with taste in unpopular fictional ships to the same standard as unrepentant abusers, pedophiles, racists, and homophobes. The point is not that those categories of people aren’t in themselves problematic, just that shippers shouldn’t get tacked on to that list for liking anime boy 1 and anime boy 2, nor should ANYONE get tacked onto that list based on rumors or anon messages if there is actually no evidence of wrongdoing.

We can debate until the cows come home about what ‘counts’ as bigotry and the right way to deal with microaggressions, but for this post (and because you mentioned MAGA and homophobic Christianity) I’m going to assume you’re talking about standard, run-of-the-mill bigotry. The kind you can look at and easily understand exactly why it is hurtful.

Being against callout culture is not the same thing as being against all callouts, all the time, for any reason. (I did not name this blog, I inherited it. I am now considering a revised URL if that is the impression this one gives.)

I am never going to defend a homophobe. I am never going to defend a racist. If someone comes to me with a tweet from a homophobe’s twitter acct that says ‘God says all lesbians are abominations but I’m not homophobic tho it’s just what the Bible says’ I’m not going to assume they’re an infant who doesn’t understand logic or empathy or critical thinking. I’m gonna block them. If they’re famous, I’m gonna show my friends and my friends are also gonna block them and also possibly talk shit about them on Twitter because they’re bajillionares and it doesn’t matter.

(Except really I encourage people not to do this - not because it’s morally wrong, but because they can use their much larger platform to harass you if they feel like it. See John Boyega’s behavior towards the women who were hurt by his misogynistic language as an example.)

Now, on a smaller scale, if they’re just a regular old member of a fandom? If it turns out everyone blocks them because they won’t stop talking about how much they hate the gays and Jews and SJWs and the fandom is full of gays and Jews and SJWs who don’t want to listen to it, that’s not ostracization, that’s quality control. No one gets to complain that other people won’t listen to their opinions, and that’s not what this blog is advocating for.

I am extremely pro-block. I block people for ALL KINDS of things. I see a comment in the notes of a post I do not vibe with? Block. Don’t care if that user has never spoken to me in my life. I am the arbiter of my fandom experience, as is everyone else.

Furthermore, I want to address what seems to me to be the core of your complaint here:

“... even if they’ve never actually displayed any kind of discriminatory behavior?”

See, this is a bit logically inconsistent and it makes me wonder if this ask was not sent in good faith, but rather to try and catch me in a ‘gotcha, so much for the tolerant left’ type of way.

If someone is not displaying any kind of discriminatory behavior, then they fall under the ‘don’t make baseless callouts’ protection. There’s no evidence of any wrongdoing, no victim, no crime. Thinking gay people are horrible is, like, wrong, but as long as they keep that to themselves when engaging with others, fine. However, the fact that someone is being called out for open homophobia or racism means that... Hm... how do I put this... they kind of are displaying discriminatory behavior, my dude.

If they’re 12 years old and repeating what their racist dad said or homophobic pastor said, then yeah, don’t harass them. Don’t harass anyone, actually, but I am not Fandom God and I don’t control the whims or ways of the internet denizens so I can’t really do anything about that. Harassment doesn’t actually accomplish anything and is a waste of energy. Report them if they’re breaking the TOS and move on. (See my pro-block stance above for the acceptable alternative. Blocking! It’s like Herd Immunity, for fandoms.)

But everyone else in the fandom space has a right to warn each other ‘hey, there’s a 12 year old over there with no filter and they’re super racist, here’s their tweets.’

If they’re an adult and they’re doing that? As you said, present day stuff? It is completely fair game for their tweets or posts to be catalogued and shared as proof that they are a clear and present danger to other people in the fandom. Racists and homophobes have this nasty little habit of attempting to hurt people they hate, fandom needs ways to self-regulate and keep itself safe from actual harmful bigots.

There’s also a lot to be said about expecting vulnerable members of the community to do all the work educating people who are actively being malicious towards them in the hope that one comment will break through their willful ignorance and show them the light of human decency and teach them how to be good people and decent fans. If someone feels bad that other people don’t like them because of their homophobic beliefs, it’s not the fandom’s job to take them under wing and teach them why homophobia is wrong. None of us came out the womb knowing how to treat people; if the majority of us could figure it out by cultural osmosis, so can our racist homophobic strawman here. Either by being told directly, or by seeing that bigots are not welcome and making the single necessary logical leap that maybe it’s because homophobia/racism/etc hurts people and no one else likes being hurt.

So, to break it down:

Private racists: not posting anything racist, not harassing poc in the fandom, how would you ever know? Gross, but ultimately harmless. Can’t do anything about them, hopefully they see enough posts about why racism is bad to finally change their ways.

Past racists: said some dumb racist shit in the past, apologized, aren’t currently doing anything racist? Leave them alone. Be thankful. Hope that other people look to them as an example in learning and humility and growth.

Active racists: do not deserve your pity or protection. Learn to treat other people with respect or get off the internet. Shed no tears when they end up blocked by 90% of the fandom and anyone else with a brain. Their ignorance does not supersede everyone else’s right to feel safe and welcome in a community. Much like with private racists, I hope they learn (with a more direct lesson) that no one likes racists or wants to hang out with them and if they want friends they should learn to treat others as human beings.

[quiet-onset]

Gætir (6)

Pairing: Thor Odinson x Reader, platonic!Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 2,773

Tag List:  @givemeanorigami, @ktjnn, @dreamingaboutthewonderland, @whatisanniedoin, @msvega24, @champion-ofthe-sun

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Chapter Six

“Bucky, you have to get up.”

“I will when she wakes up.”

Steve and Sam had come to the containment room in the Tower once again to try and coax Bucky from his seat in front of your unit. You’d been lying in there for three days without stirring, and Bucky was starting to get worried that he’d punched you too hard. Members of the team came to check on him periodically (Thor, most often), but it was time that Bucky got up and did something that wasn’t eating or pissing.

“C’mon, Metalhead, you smell terrible. You need to shower.”

Bucky glared at Sam from his seat in front of the glass but decided not to reply to him. He turned to Steve, “I will, I swear. I just need to see her wake up and make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s strong, Buck. She made that clear.” Steve chuckled. “She’ll be waking up any minute now. Just go take a shower and get some food.”

“Later, Steve.” Bucky insisted. “Later.”

Steve and Sam gave each other a defeated look as Bucky settled back into his chair. They knew he was concerned, but he needed to take care of himself. They left the room without trying to convince him anyway further. It was clear that Bucky wasn’t going to move.

A few hours later, Thor came into the room quietly, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt. He had come in to check on you frequently but left when he realized you weren’t waking up anytime soon. He wasn’t sure why he kept coming back. There was an unnatural pull he felt, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

Bucky turned to see Thor standing in the doorway and chuckled, “Five.”

“What?” Thor stepped inside.

“This is your fifth time visiting her today,” Bucky said. “I know she’s hot, but—“

“It isn’t like that.” Thor stopped him. “She’s just different. Really different.”

“Still surprised that she could beat you?”

“Not really. You said she was a Super Soldier, yes?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Thor thought back to the very first time he’d met you. The way your eyes glowed reminded him of something close to ethereal. It was different than anything he’d ever seen. And the chills. They were something he’d never felt before. It was as if a strong wind had just blown through his body. He not only felt it on his skin but somehow passing through each muscle of his body. He looked to Bucky with a sheer light of curiosity in his eyes. “You’ve never noticed that her eyes glow?”

Before Bucky could answer, he saw movement coming from your unit. He and Thor both turned their heads in your direction, watching as you groaned and shuffled around on the cot. “FRIDAY, get Steve, Tony, and Wanda in here.”

“Yes, Mr. Barnes.”

Bucky watched as you opened your eyes and looked around at your surroundings. He glanced at the ground for a split second when you touched your right eye, wincing at the bruise that forming. You were looking straight ahead now, but it was clear you couldn’t see Bucky or Thor. Your containment unit was set to the one-way glass setting.

A few minutes later, Steve came in with Tony and Wanda trailing behind him. “When did she wake up?” Tony asked.

“Just a couple minutes ago,” Thor answered.

“FRIDAY, switch on the audio and the two-way glass setting,” Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yes, Captain.”

Your brow furrowed as the glass slowly changed so you could see through it. When you saw who was standing on the other side, you leaned back in the bed, your back hitting the wall. You groaned, “Are you serious right now?”

“You could’ve avoided this,” Bucky spoke from his place in the chair. “I gave you the chance.”

“You were in my way. And still are, apparently.”

Steve gave you a hard glance as he stepped forward. “We want to ask you some questions.”

“Ask whatever you want, but don’t expect any answers. Can’t breach my contract confidentiality, ya know?”

You tuned out the voices that were speaking to you as you glanced around the room. You noted every exit and vent, everything that could be used as a weapon, and every hiding space. You scoped out each Avenger with a purpose.

You watched Steve intently. He had a crease in his forehead. He was probably stressed or upset about something. However, despite whatever he was feeling, you could tell he was determined to find out what he wanted to know.

The famous Tony Stark looked uncomfortable if anything. You knew all about Bucky and his parents, so you assumed that being in the same room as two highly trained assassins that used to work for Hydra was unnerving for him. You counted that as a distraction, or a weakness, at the very least.

Wanda was looking at you and Bucky almost every other second. You could tell her concern wasn’t with you, but with Bucky. You knew she had powers of mind manipulation, so you noted that precaution. You figured that she was probably the reason that Bucky was functioning as a human being and not as the Winter Soldier. Maybe she was worried that with you here, there may be uncharted territory coming.

Bucky was staring intently at you. He had bags under his eyes. You figured he’d been sitting there since they brought you in. He was definitely tired, but he held a look of concern in his eyes. To you, it looked like a classic case of survivor’s guilt. Even though you weren’t super close to him, you wanted to tell him that nothing that happened to you before or after he left was his fault.

And the God of Thunder. His gaze was also trained on you. He seemed confused. You wondered what his deal was with you. The first time you fought, he’d let his guard down for whatever reason. You thought that was weird for a god who’d been trained for battle most of his life. Whatever was causing his confusion was going to be your key to getting out.

The beginnings of your plan were clicking together as you started listening to whatever Avenger was speaking to you. You focused on Tony, whose eyebrows were drawn together in annoyance. “Look, we have all the time in the world. But you, you’re gonna have to report to someone soon. How do think they’ll react when you tell them you failed your mission?”

You noticed a small wince from Bucky as you glared at Tony. “I’ll talk.” You decided, your head cocked to the side. “But only to him.”

The other Avengers followed your pointed finger to the surprised looking god, who then pointed to himself and said, “Me?”

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of course not.” He stepped forward with his arms crossed over his chest. Your eyebrows raised in interest at the size of his biceps before you looked back up at him. Not the time, Y/N, you reminded yourself. You waited until he was about to speak to interrupt him.

“They have to go. And you have to come in here.”

“You sure have a lot of conditions for someone in a containment unit.” Bucky snorted.

“And you sure have a lot to say for someone who wants information from me.”

He leaned on his knees, “We go, but Thor stays out here.”

After considering his offer, you nodded. It wasn’t exactly what you wanted, but you figured getting him to open the door would be a long shot anyway.

Bucky stood up and gestured for the others to follow. Steve grabbed him by his bicep and lowered his voice. “Are you kidding? She’s gonna try to escape.”

“No, she won’t,” Bucky assured him. “She won’t try until she has a plan, and she’s been awake for all of ten minutes. She’s stalling.”

Steve contemplated for a moment, glancing at you. After a few seconds, he let out an indignant breath and told the others that they should head out. One by one, they filed out of the room, leaving you and Thor alone. He gave you a narrowed look as he dragged the chair closer to the glass. When he sat down, his legs spread a bit, and he intertwined his hands between them. “Why me?” He asked.

“Why not you?” You shrugged.

There was another long string of silence before his voice rumbled again, “What files were you stealing from Tomorrow?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really?” He asked in a tone that made it clear he didn’t believe you.

“I don’t ask questions. I just follow orders.”

“You follow orders blindly?”

“As long as I get paid, yes.”

He was baffled at how fierce you were. He didn’t sense an ounce of weakness, something he was wary of. He knew how people like you worked; All he had to do was strike a nerve, and you’d let something slip. “Do you think it’s wise to steal files you know nothing about?”

“Look, all I know the file numbers. I get them, he gives me my money.”

“He?”

You rolled your eyes, “My client, genius.”

“You mean, Hydra’s client.”

“No. I mean my client.”

Thor’s brows drew together in confusion, as did yours. You didn’t know why he was so focused on Hydra, and he had his suspicions on why you weren’t. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, eyes flickering to the top corner of your unit. You assumed there was a camera there, but didn’t look. You didn’t want to give away a possible advantage. “You don’t work for Hydra?”

Your lips pursed as Thor realized he had struck the nerve he had been looking for. Your muscles went stiff, your head held high. “No. I got out.”

“You escaped?” He questioned. “How? Were you not brainwashed like Barnes?”

You didn’t want to admit that you didn’t know how you came to be one Hydra’s most dangerous assassins. That would break the illusion that you had everything under control. You started to feel distant under Thor’s gaze, remembering the exact moment that everything changed.

You were refilling your water bottle in the gym, feeling the watchful gaze of your superiors on your back. You hated when they watched you. You weren’t a child; you didn’t need constant supervision.

Your head turned as the sight of lower ranking Hydra agents scattering out of the way of one of your colleagues. You watched as he barreled down the hall, looking angry. From what you heard, he’d just returned from a mission that did not go as planned. Something about Captain America, you weren’t sure.

When he got to your side, you brought your water bottle to your chest, twisting the cap closed tightly. You snorted, “You look mad.”

The Winter Soldier rolled his eyes, “I always look mad.” He grabbed you by your forearm, tugging you back to the center of the padded floor of the gym. “Spar with me.”

“One failed mission wasn’t enough, huh?” You tossed your water bottle aside and assumed an offensive position. Before you attacked, you glanced over your shoulder with a glare, causing your superiors to disperse in a spout of fear.

You both swung punches, kicked, blocked, and dodged. You were both pretty evenly matched. Barnes waited until you let your guard down to lunge at you, capturing you in a headlock. He leaned down to speak lowly in your ear, “Do you ever feel like they’re hiding something?”

Your brows snapped together at the sudden question, flipping him over your back. His breath was pulled from his lungs when he landed. “Who?” You asked.

His head nodded behind you to the giant Hydra emblem that hung on the wall of the gym. “What would they be hiding?” You shrugged.

He got back up and attacked, answering you as you both sparred. “Our pasts.” Punch! “I mean, think about it.” Duck! “Do you remember anything about your life before Hydra?”

Your actions slowed as you realized just how right he was. Both of your chests were heaving with labored breaths from your workout, but your mind couldn’t have been clearer. You let your hands hang on your hips, “Why now? What happened on your mission, Barnes?”

He walked closer to you and looked around skeptically. He leaned down, “I saw a man on the bridge. I don’t know how, but I knew him. From before Hydra.”

“Winter Soldier!”

You both cringed at the harsh loud voice that called for his attention. You turned to see one of Barnes’s superiors standing in the doorway, a scowl on his face. “Your presence is needed elsewhere.”

Barnes nodded slowly but looked at you one last time. “It just seems like everything is deeper than what they tell us.” He told you.

You watched him walk out of the gym, being lead by his superior and a handful of guards. That was the last time you saw him as the Winter Soldier.

You took a deep breath as you allowed Thor to process the information you’d just told him. You weren’t sure why or how you were able to break away from the brainwashing that was Hydra. All you had for an explanation was that story.

Thor announced he had to consult the team and told you not to get any crazy ideas. Although you only snorted in response, Thor took that as an acceptable answer.

When Thor arrived in the conference room, he felt a bit smug as he’d correctly predicted that you no longer worked for Hydra. Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Tony all looked to the Asgardian as he entered the room. “She doesn’t know anything about those files,” Thor told them definitively.

“I can’t believe she left Hydra and immediately went into the same line of work,” Steve said.

“We all can’t become an Avenger after a lifetime of being an assassin.” Bucky pointed out.

Wanda agreed, “I mean, it’s not like she could get a real job.”

“Okay, now that we’ve all questioned her life choices,” Tony interrupted. “What do we do with her now?”

Thor was the first one to speak up, only beating Bucky by a second. “I think she would be a good addition to figuring out what is going on.”

Tony looked at Thor as if he’d grown another head. “What? Like on the team?”

“Yes.”

“Are you insane?”

“I’m not saying let her be an Avenger.” Thor rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “I just think she could be a decent asset for the time being.”

“That’s not gonna happen, big guy.”

“Wait a minute.” Bucky started from his seat. “She’s a victim, too.”

“Of course you would think that,” Tony muttered. “Look, the best thing for us to do right now is to keep her confined.”

His metal hand pushing on the table, Bucky stood from his seat with an accusatory glint in his eyes. “What was that supposed to mean?”

Wanda and Steve stood between the two as the tension became almost too thick to breathe. “Alright, simmer down, Buck,” Steve told him.

Tony struggled to keep his voice calm, “She is not the victim here. She killed people, just like you did.”

“Enough, Tony,” Wanda said, a hand on his chest lightly pushing him away from the commotion. “The both of you need to take a breath, so we can continue this conversation like adults.”

Wanda sat Tony down on one side of the table, a frown etched into his features. Steve did the same to Bucky as he continued to glare at Tony. He only broke eye contact to look at Steve, “What do you think, kid?”

Steve let out an almost unnoticeable chuckle at his nickname before a look of thought captured him. “I agree with Tony. She may not have been in control, but she’s still a threat. The safest option for everyone is to keep her confined until we figure our next move.”

“If she’s not working Hydra, what threat does she pose?” Wanda asked. “Maybe she shouldn’t join the team, but there’s no need to keep her locked up like an animal.”

The four of them continued to argue while Thor looked past them to the screen that showed your security camera feed. He watched you as you looked around the unit, finally settling on the camera in the top right corner. You squinted at it before getting up and standing directly under it. He took a deep breath, calling for the group’s attention.

“I have a new idea.”

Forever Tags: 

@jockarchie, @kimmy-h-life, @ben-platt-deserves-the-world , @thewordofthenerd , @wishuponastarlana, @yumel21, @here-for-your-bullshit, @bethbat, @iamafangirlofeverything