#I'm not... a nationalist at all but I love seeing cultural things and it's a shame we lost it

[greppelheks]

I watched this video a while back of the Netherlands in 1919, and everybody in it was wearing traditional Dutch clothing. And this comment underneath the video said how it's said there's no longer any Dutch culture reflected in the clothes we wear; it's all homogenous and americanized. And I've been thinking about how cool it would be to make modern clothes with hints of the tradition in there, how some other countries still do that as well. We've lost so much culture. I've spoken to lots of people who will be the last generation to speak a certain dialect because their kids don't speak it anymore and it's such a shame.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep1 Musings - Daciana: History through Visual Context in Ploiești, Romania

I immediately fell in love with The Vampire Daciana & her Romanian castle, and wanted to know more about it all.

We already know how much the set/costume designers on IWTV looooove attention to detail; they tell whole stories just through architecture, furniture, clothes, etc. So I was like OK, AMC, I see you; lemme start doing some reading up on Romania, so I can try to figure out what might be going on with Daciana. (Warning: I know eff all about Romania or Eastern Europe.)

ROMANIA

Map of Romania. Ploiești's the dot just under Muntenia, north of Bucharest, the capital. Ploiești's part of Wallachia, the IRL kingdom of Vlad Tepes (aka Dracula). Louis & Claudia went there in the 1940s, so I hope this map is accurate enough. (There's this map, but I dunno the date.)

DACIANA

The most obvious thing about her is that she's not dressed in the typical traditional Romanian folk clothing I see all over Google, full of white-red-blue/black palettes.

Daciana's not following traditional 19th/20th-century Romanian nationalist images. Her green/brown palette & silhouette is telling, as she lacks the puffy white blouses & dark skirts. (Despite her name, I'm ruling out her being Dacian (X X)--you think you're FUNNY, AMC! But IDK about Cezare Romulo (X X); might do a Pt2!)

Sleeves

First thing's her trailing slashed open sleeves, which were screaming Medieval! at me. Here's some 15th century Renaissance examples, but with surcoats, which is different, but the sleeves reminded me of hers so IDFK.

We could chalk this up to Daciana's design as just generic "medieval" fairytale stuff and keep it moving. But to give her a fair shake, I looked at local examples for anything similar that's more recent.

Traditional clothing from Huedin, Romania (north Transylvania), (X X).

Traditional clothing from Cluj, Romania (north Transylvania).

Keep Transylvanian/Muntenian cross-cultural contacts in mind when we get to Daciana's castle, cuz it's important!

Wrt rarer non-puffy sleeves, the square cut (light blue) seems to be more prevalent in Wallachia/Moldavia/Bessarabia (southern & eastern Romania); while the rectangular cut (dark green) is all over Romania, but definitely has a concentration in Wallachia & Moldavia.

And this makes sense, cuz the style seems to also be prevalent in 19th - 20th century Bulgaria, just south of Wallachia. Hrm....

Daciana's sleeves hang very long--the only example of super long sleeves I could find is a 19th century one at the Met (C.I.47.3.4a–d). The only example of slashed sleeves I could find is in this museum exhibit at Bran Castle (yes, THE Bran Castle--I'll get to it in a minute!)

Belt, Bodice, & Fabric

Daciana's belt is so plain compared to everything else. Is it supposed to be a leather Romanian chimir (worn by mountain/forest folk)? Those are only worn by men though? Or it depends? Or is it a just a plain cloth belt? It's reminding me of these examples (X X):

I wish I could see more of Daciana's bodice, if there's any particular kind of cut or patterns. Is the diamond netted/knotted/roped pattern on her arms significant? Her fabric is interesting, too:

What's this embroidery? Brocade? (Byzantine-Renaissance?) Damask? (c. 14th-16th century?) Lace? Something else? My brain wants to assume it's imported? Meaning: she's hella rich. Cuz like, the traditional Romanian blouse & skirt used to belong solely to peasants, b4 19th-20th century aristocrats started wearing it, too.

IDKY--more reading led me to a whole bunch of complicated stuff, that can probably be simplified by just saying: The Ottomans. XD

The pre-19th century Romanian aristocracy wore super opulent clothes, inspired by not just the Ottomans (X), but also the Byzantine Greeks (via 18th century Romanian Phanariote boyars (X X X)), etc. But aside from the hanging sleeves, Daciana's dress doesn't really resemble any of these foreign examples. However, it does track with my theory that Daciana predates the 19th-century Romanian nationalist/traditional clothes that became so iconic later on.

Like Louis & Claudia did, let's follow Daciana to her castle! ^0^

DACIANA'S CASTLE

I NEED to know if AMC filmed on location in Romania, or if Daciana's castle is just a studio set/green screen.

The interior's nowhere near what I expected, considering Daciana's haggard appearance. It's really nice--clean & tidy. No spiderwebs, no chipped plaster/paint, not even any bloodstains--but I've mentioned before that I think it's indicating that Daciana's a mother who takes better care of her home (and "child") than herself.

Archway

The first thing is the arch when they first come in (noticeable mostly cuz of how Louis had to bend down to get in, he's so tall).

These types of doors/arches are called "shouldered arches," dating from the Medieval-Gothic periods, which Europeans adapted from Islamic architecture during the medieval Crusades. (Examples inc. Lainici Monastery in Wallachia, and the Academy of Art in Cluj-Napoca (north Transylvania).)

The left pic's Biertan Fortified Church, in Sibiu (south Transylvania). (Another door.) The right pic's Bran Castle, in Brasov (south Transylvania). (Another door.) (Vlad Tepes/Dracula historically never owned this castle, but pop culture says otherwise.) Both places were built by the German/Saxon Transylvanians in the 14th-16th centuries; which might help date Daciana's castle, if not Daciana herself? (The Saxon Transylvanians were in Wallachia, too.)

Wall Ornamentation

The last thing I'll discuss is the wall ornamentation/decoration:

The painted floral trim everywhere instantly reminded me of The Witcher 3, as found in Hungarian, Polish, Ukranian etc buildings. Apparently the designs are all related to fertility, growth/luck, and the Tree of Life. Walls (X X X) and doors (X X) were painted. You can see northern Romanian painted ornamentation in Suceava (Bukovina).

There's painted wall designs in southern Romania, too.

"The research of the popular interior in the Argeş and Muscel areas leads to the determination, along with a local specificity, and some Transylvanian influences, in the contact areas between southern Transylvania and northern Muntenia. In the researched areas, two lines of development of the popular interior can be observed, one relatively simple and the other complex. If the first is the prerogative of a typical Subcarpathian interior, the second represents a distinctly Transylvanian form, which was also imposed due to the presence of the Transylvanian population in the south of the Carpathians, settled in numerous villages." -- (Google Translated from Arta populară din zonele Argeș și Muscel, 1967)

(The website RomaniaDacia has A LOT to say about Transylvania, and the impact of the Germans, Saxons, Hungarians, etc on Wallachia & the rest of Romania.)

Sure enough, I was finding way more carved ornamentation (X X X X X X) than painted ones.

But I wonder if that's why a lot of southern traditional Romanian interiors I've been finding have totally plain whitewashed walls, too, with no painted ornaments, just tapestries (X X). I did find Romanian interior floral wall painted trims (X), but not nearly as much.

Cuz actually, the closest comparanda I was finding for Daciana was Northern European rosemaling (X X), which is also giving me medieval vibes (X); specifically: trims on illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Hours (X X X)--which we know from Lestat in S01E06.

And we do see some Romanian medieval fresco borders & frescoes that had been plastered over & whitewashed, in Biertan's 15th century churches, and in 13th-15th century Darjiu (Transylvania).

So, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Romanian buildings (especially castles with whitewashed plastered walls) were formerly painted similar to Daciana's. Unfortunately, I just can't find an example or figure out what AMC might've been inspired by--Romania has hundreds of castles & churches.

So, I'm tapping out--this is the most I could find so far. U_U

Results? Inconclusive! 😭 My Google-fu has failed me, LOL!

I still have no idea what time period Daciana could be from. We could go several routes:

Go by her name, and say she's ooooold AF, an actual Dacian. She's just been collating Eastern European culture as she ages, but stopped at some point (as her mind deteriorated)

She's medieval, somewhere roundabouts the 14th-16th century (making her ~500 years old, the same age as Armand--but she's weaker (as I've theorized b4), which is why she was able to burn herself up.)

Settle on her being a local Wallachian from Southern Romania, likely pre-19th century / pre-industrial early-modern Europe

Handwave everything aside as Renn-Faire fairytale fantasy; let the tale seduce you~!

OR, we can just bully AMC until they give us an extended BTS look at how Daciana was conceptualized, telling us all the tea about her! 😈

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

I was so impressed with your toe-to-toe comment on the French philosophy anon. So happy to have found you, omg! I heard Taylor called her ttpd set as the "female rage musical." I take it she knows the impact of the song Labour by Paris Paloma which has been dubbed as the female rage anthem. So naturally, here is the 34 year old culture vulture, can't-have-any-ideas-of-her-own that is Taylor Swift hopping there wanting to get the attention away from it when that song is quite phenomenal. One song compared to her 31 diss tracks that's nothing to me, at least, but the excessive sentimentality of an infantile woman in her 30s. It's gross the confessions she's put on that album. And even her own fans are comparing her to Olivia Rodrigo. That's she's copying everything about her - song, outfits, the "female rage" theme just to mock her. Somehow, Swift thinks it would do her a world of good. People are catching on to her antics which are absolutely disgusting, btw. I'm hoping one day you write about all these completely ridiculous gross things she's done using her own lyrics. You know what I mean? I hope someone write about her nasty lyrics and that it completely destroys her.

Thank you ha, I'm glad you found something meaningful in that post. I will not lie, that Anon actually hurt my feelings for a second (I got over it by writing my response), but I was upset at being so misunderstood. I'm not out here levying unreasonable criticism at Taylor Swift. All will be based on reality, or interpretation of her own lyrics.  I’m defs out to get her though- in the most legitimate way possible- and maybe someday I will publish for real on her. I have a couple of criticisms that I will not be putting on my blog- because I want to say it on a bigger platform. : )  

I do see a lot of harmful things in her music that I have been resisting the urge to write about for YEARS! Even back in 2009, listening to "Love Story" I remember thinking to myself, oh this is nothing like what Shakespeare meant and it's also a weird appeal to the patriarchy through the "I talked to your Dad/ Go Pick out a white dress." It's so clear that she's just reduplicating mainstream attitudes on romantic relationships by using Christian Conservative social standards of needing the father's permission to ask the girl's hand in marriage. She obviously wanted to attract the Christian- Conservative fan- base with that song, and that's exactly what happened. Her marketing is tied to the phrases she places inside her songs in a way that is extremely calculating. She, Afterall, learned from the best at attracting mainstream, Christian, conservative fans, Toby Keith (hate that fascist, white nationalist freak). (WHoops, that was mean- oh well, he’s dead anyway). (and if he wanted me to be nice- he shouldn't have been a fascist).  

It's so obvious, and I really figured everyone else was also aware of the ways in which Swift interpolates patriarchal standards in her music. I have many more examples- I could write a whole essay on it.  

Apparently, everyone thought she was a feminist? Bro, she became a "feminist" if only to evade criticism and capitalize on mainstream pop-feminist trends. She's not a real feminist. Her use of “feminism” to evade critique ties directly into her other marketing strategy of telling the world “I’m so innocent and young” all the time. 

Also, her co-opting of the phrase Female Rage has made me angry, exceptionally angry. I saw that she's trying to trademark the phrase. I am incensed. I will post about it soon. 

I wish Swift would stop co-opting legitimate terms and pulling only the most shallow- self-centered conception of the term out to use in her mediocre music. She’s like if Pinterest was a person- and I’m tired of it.  

Paris Paloma’s “Labour” is amazing, because guess what- it actually speaks about the experience of women under patriarchal standards in a way that respects the seriousness of the topic. I absolutely believe that Swift saw how viral that song went and decided she needed to cash in on that too.  

And she is totally copying Olivia Rodrigo. Can you imagine being 34 and trying to act 20? I would die of embarrassment. But it's so obvious that it's getting weird.

I have much more to say on this topic- sincerely I could write a book on the conceptual point of “Female Rage” in media. I have thousands of examples, and I’ve been studying this stuff for years. I will, however, ramble on no longer. Thank you for your kind words- and I hope you enjoy my upcoming writings.

[spale-vosver]

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A CHAPPELL ROAN HATE POST. I LOVE HER MUSIC AND HOPE SHE KEEPS MAKING IT

With that said, what sticks out to me most in her "I hate both sides, I'm so embarrassed" statement is that the communities who would be most harmed by a second Trump presidency -- queer people and POC -- are the same people from whom she takes creative inspiration, but she refuses to recognize or even acknowledge the real danger they are in.

It's obvious to the trained eye, but much of her stylistic choices are derived from drag , specifically drag queens (who are typically and who historically have been queer people of color, in particular Black people.)

Not convinced? Here's a picture of the famous drag queen Divine

And here's a picture of Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan is also incredibly successful; her album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess was the #1 best selling vinyl album in August, and she plays for massive crowds.

Meanwhile, the communities she takes inspiration from often aren't as lucky. Nearly half of Latino transgender adults live in poverty, and about 40% of Black transgender adults live in poverty . Of the 59 transgender people murdered in hate crimes in 2022, 83% of them were people of color, and 54% were Black transgender women.

(This is absolutely not to deny that white cis queer people face harassment -- on the contrary, Roan herself has faced catcalling, stalking, and now has to employ a security team; in her own words, "so lame*. I'm incredibly glad she has security, but also recognize that being able to have security against stalking is in itself a privilege. I digress.)

Now, back to the dangers of a Trump presidency for these communities: I'm sure many of you have heard of Project 2025/whatever they're calling it now, but the tl;dr is that it's a several hundred page document that outlines how Trump should use his second presidency to transform America into an autocratic Christian nationalist state. Not good. You can read it for yourself here. Trump has, multiple times, claimed that he has no idea what it is, but he's very close with several of the key organizers, and, given his track record, is probably lying out his ass.

Among the many horrifying things included in this document (total abortion bans, mass deportation, etc) are plans to completely gut trans rights in the United States, including cutting Medicare funding from hospitals who provide gender-affirming care to adolescents. It would also outlaw "transgender ideology" and provide federal funding for research on anti-trans conversion therapy.

Anyone, anyone could see that a Trump presidency would be absolutely disastrous for trans rights if any of these policies are passed.

But Chappell Roan, the well-off, white, cis Midwesterner?

She's "so embarrassed" by what's going on and "doesn't have a side", effectively throwing the very people whose labor she built her career on under the bus for...what? Leftist virtue signaling? Self-soothing?

Sure, she dedicated her VMA win to them for "fueling pop" , but a dedication won't protect them from hate crimes, or put food on the table, or prevent anti-trans legislation.

And maybe I'm not the right person to say all this, as I'm a white trans man, but it feels very transactional -- I take your culture and get famous, then you don't get my material support because I'm, like, so embarrassed by the neolibs.

Idk. Much to think about.

[bored-trans-orchidsexual]

A Starstruck Odyssey, and Masculinity

I have thoughts and am just gonna unload them on Tumblr. That's what we do here, right? I recently have been re-listening to Starstruck and have had some thoughts on it's depictions of masculinity. This isn't a serious post per se, just some thoughts and observations. Starstruck has a wide spectrum of masculine characters on display, though a lot of it is hostile/toxic. Most men or male-coded characters are either outright villains, or more neutral parties with some toxic and selfish tendencies. Don't get me wrong it's a wild violent galaxy and that's the point, the entire party participates in scamming, kidnapping, exploitations, and unnecessary murder and we love to see it, it's not like it explicitly makes all men out to be inherently more monstrous and evil than others. But I do think the depictions of masculinity can be interesting to observe. Amercadia is a pretty cut and dry critism of the patriarchy and American nationalist culture, which is fantastic worldbuilding to include. Many of the masculine-coded androids are actually pretty nice, friendly and helpful or serious about their jobs, aside from a bitchy one in the beginning who injects our main 'droid with an anxiety spike about being one of a kind. Pretty much all of the Slugs we meet occupy masculine bodies, and they seem to have an abstract gender that picks up pronouns from the body they occupy, though the monarch is objectively a king and uses masculine pronouns even before getting a body, and he's pretty selfish and stupid.

But the main pair I'm thinking of, is Barry and Gunnie. Looking at the two of them, there's a lot you can assume. Big Barry Syx is this massive, bulky dude in power armor and shades with a mullet, while Gunnie is a 4' 11" techie cyborg with a big ol' smile. Listen to them in action and many of your assumptions are reinforced; Barry is a total dude-bro associated with nuts, steroids, working out, and acting much like gym bros in our modern life, while Gunnie is a hyperactive technician just doing his best, despite being mired in sympathetic tragedy. Barry's trauma is fairly fantastical or common to stories, having his family gunned down by one of his own, while Gunnie is mostly weighted down by medical debt after he got in an accident after trusting the wrong person. Based on these apperent details one would assume Barry is this toxicly masculine jackass who's insecure about his flaws, while Gunnie is the smartest man on board and is trying to keep everyone in line, doing the right thing, ect. And of course, you'd be dead wrong. Gunnie, while a sympathetic and likable character, is *mired* in toxic masculine traits. While it was an accident that put him in his situation, it was brash foolishness and ignoring obvious red flags that got him in that position in the first place, not to mention a rebellion against his family driving him to it. Furthermore, as Lou himself admits in Adventuring party, Gunnie's *pride* is the reason his problems are so vast; He comes from a lot of money, his initial debt might have never happened or mostly gone away to begin with if he went back to his dads for help. His toxicity doesn't make him an unlikable character but he does have these traits. He's brash, prideful, and ignores common sense a lot. He is also very nice and friendly with others, listens to people, ect. He doesn't have *every* toxic trait in the book, but has them which I tend to not even notice because he's just a funny little guy. Barry, meanwhile, is just about the most wholesome and giving person in the entire 'verse. Syx *And* Nyne, when not under a slug's control, are these total sweetheart bros. Sure, they shit talk each other with friendly ribbing, and yes they are very good at violence, but this violence is always motivated by helping those in need or fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, the Barry Battalion way. Barrys hate it when people are rude, or hurt the innocent. Barrys fight for their friends, provide endless support and praise, and will throw their very bodies into danger to protect or help, as seen on Rec 97 and in the big finale of the battle of the brands. And while the thing the love most is other Barrys, that does not mean that what they respect is also being heavily macho dudes. Barry one (or was is spelled differently? Barry Won? who knows) was the professor who created the other Barrys, a nerdy and fragile professor type, that the Barrys loved and treated as a fellow Barry *literally* the moment they were created. Even Syd is a Barry now, and that's accepted both by Barry Syx who's known her a long time and bonded with her, as well as Barry Nyne who literally, to his perception, *Just* met her, despite her appearance as like a waitress with an arm canon. Being a Barry, in other words, isn't about being just like them, having the name Barry, or anything like that. It's a vibe, it's a way to be, and the 'verse is better off with these super wholesome boys who, despite embodying many stereotypes of the gym bro, posses *none* of the commonly toxic traits also associated with that. They aren't insecure around smarter people or those with different skillsets, they hold no gendered assumptions, and they never wanna use their might to opress others for their own satisfaction.

Just, some thoughts.

[blubushie]

so, i figured i'd ask you as the resident sniper expert. i've seen some takes that sniper would have alot of toxic masculinity and i was wondering what you thought about that? i mean i guess you could take his feelings of not being big, hairy and muscular enough compared to the aussies around him and explore that concept further but that doesn't really read as toxically masculine to me? more like a feeling of insecurity really.

I don't think insecurity = toxic masculinity but I'll be honest, I'm also not entirely sure of what toxic masculinity even is? So I had to Google and check with my resident Favourite Feminist. Whoops. (Have patience with me I'm a simple bloke from the middle of nowhere, I'm not well-versed in these kinds of politics.)

And, uh... Nah not really.

I'm just a humble bloke from the bush, who was coddled from birth and insisted my parents teach me to be independent not because I'm a man but because I had to be, so bear with me here, but...

I don't see Sniper as being into his whole masculine shit because he has to be but rather because he just enjoys it. It's fun to go hunting, it's fun to go camping. Would he have insecurity because he's not "as manly" as other Australian men? Yeah, sure. But I think that's less a masculinity thing and more just a cultural thing outright. It's not necessarily that he's seen as "less of a man", but rather that he's seen as less of an Australian. So, like... Iunno it's more a nationalistic thing than a masculinity thing.

Sniper's "masculine extremes" don't really feel like extremes to me as someone who grew up in the bush. They just feel like normal shit people who live in the bush do. You have to be self-reliant out here. There's some toxicity to his voice lines, but... Well, it's the 60s. C'mon. He's a product of his era and ocker outback Australia. Hell there's places back of Bourke still like that. Behaviourally he's really normal.

Basically, to sum it up:

Not all masculinity is performative and sometimes people just enjoy being masculine and aren't being that way to make up for some perceived failure of being a man. The same way some people just enjoy being feminine and aren't just being that way to make up for some perceived failure of being a woman. I think Sniper's in that category—he does what he does not because he feels it's required of him to be a man, but because he enjoys it. Sure, maybe he started doing it because he felt like he had to compensate by behaving a certain way or doing certain things, but I don't think that's held out to present with him at ~30 years old. Much in the same vein, I started doing rodeo to impress a girl. Rodeo's outlasted that girl. I started it for a dumb reason but I ended up falling in love with rodeo as a result, and now I ride just for me because I enjoy it.

Also you've kinda gotta consider why certain things are considered masculine and it's often because men do them. Beer is considered a men's drink because more men drink beer than women do. (Amusingly women on average have a higher sensitivity to bitterness than men do, so this may be why.) Mechanicry/cars are seen as a manly hobby because more men are into them than women are. Is camping, or hunting, or firearms, or gym, or grilling considered a male hobby because it's required of men to do them to be considered male, or are they considered a male hobby because on average, more men like those things than women do?

I don't hunt, or camp, or fish, or whittle, or drink whisky/work on cars/like firearms/cook/build shit/whatever-fucking-else because I feel like I have to. I just do it cuz it's fun. And maybe your average man and your average woman have different ideas of what fun is, so we gravitate towards different hobbies or lifestyles. But honestly I don't really care cuz people can do whatever they want with their lives. To each their own. Life's so short already, might as well spend your time doing shit you enjoy. Drink that beer! Work on that truck! Knit booties for your neighbour's newborn! Whittle a deer! Bake brownies! (I spent yesterday baking brownies.) Pop skulls at 800yd! Bake that peach cobbler in a frilly apron because it's comfy and don't you give a FUCK who sees you because you're having fun and that's what matters at the end of the day! Everyone else can eat your jorts.

Anyway for better input, uh... @mtraki She's got better thoughts than I do and actually knows more about this stuff (toxic masculinity) than I do.

[basilknell]

do u have any reading suggestions for the history surrounding golden kamuy? Like, things on the russo japanese war of other culture at the time. Thank you!!

Absolutely! However I only recommend books I myself have read or at the very least skimmed through before, so I'm sorry that this is not super extensive.

A forewarning: these books are all in English (though some are originally in Japanese that were translated) and the vast majority of writers are American or British. There will be a bias because of this, just as there would be a bias if I provided readings from Japanese or Russian authors. It's something to keep in mind as you read. 

I will note on all of these whether or not they can be purchased conventionally (through an in-person bookstore or online retailer), which specifically can only be bought second-hand, or which you can find PDFs of on a certain website or hosting folder (please DM me regarding this – I can provide you one of the two). I tried to keep this list to be only books majority accessible online but some books I consider highly worth it simply do not have that option.

The Russo-Japanese War

There’s actually quite an extensive list of books I’d love to recommend regarding the Russo-Japanese War. However, so as not to overload you all, I’ll limit myself to subjects that vary wildly even within the context of the war. Even still, if you’re interested in more reading, please let me know and I certainly have more recommendations to give.

The Russo-Japanese War 1904–05 by Osprey Men at Arms || Second-Hand, Online

To start with my selection, I’m going to recommend the absolute easiest read of anything I’m going to suggest by far. Even if you hate reading, or just have a hard time with history books in general, I cannot recommend the Osprey Men at Arms coverage of the Russo-Japanese War enough. It’s relatively cheap, and provides quite a few illustrations and photos of the war, alongside fairly detailed uniform variance. If you’re looking for something in-depth about the war, this is not the book for you. But if you’re looking for a simplified overview, and want some visual reference for art, absolutely pick up this book. It's short and sweet and will get you the simple overview you want if the war timeline and uniforms in Golden Kamuy are puzzling to you.

The Illustrated History of the Russo-Japanese War by John N. Westwood || Second-Hand

While most history books you encounter may have some form of photos in them, Westwood’s specifically focuses on a mass of photos alongside a decent recount of the war. If you’re looking for a book that isn’t overly dense, but aren’t interested in how incredibly glossed-over the Osprey Men at Arms’ book is, I would suggest Westwood second. You’re going to lack a lot of in-depth information, but it will give you a basic understanding with plenty of photo reference. The only major note I will state is that Westwood is biased in favor of Russia in the book. This isn't necessarily a positive or a negative, as the vast majority of books concerning the Russo-Japanese War actually have a notable Japan bias, but it is something to keep in mind.

The Origins of the Russo-Japanese War by Ian Nish || Second-Hand

If you’re more interested in starting a path of dense, specific information in the course of learning about the Russo-Japanese War, I suggest Nish’s book first. This book does not cover the actual war itself in any major capacity, but rather the events and attitudes that lead to the culmination of the war. If you intend to write something historically accurate regardings Tsurumi (decently high on the military chain) or Yuusaku (nationalistic of what we see of him), I’d definitely give this book a read to understand why these two might be pushing for (or agree with) the war occuring.

Japanese Society at War: Death, Memory and the Russo-Japanese War by Naoko Shimazu || Retailer

If, in any capacity, you want to know about the context of Japanese nationalism and culture in the war as it relates to Golden Kamuy, I implore you to pick up this Shimazu book. Even if you think you might not enjoy more dense material, I cannot impress upon you enough that this book is exactly what most GK fans want to/should read about to accompany the series. I wouldn’t say this is an exact play-by-play of the war, if that’s what you want, but it is a book that covers the cultural aspects of the war and general Japanese population attitudes towards the war.

Russian Orthodoxy and the Russo-Japanese War by Betsy Perabo || Retailer, Online

I don’t have a lot to say about this book, but the first half of it is informative if you have any questions regarding the role of religion in Russia’s side of the war (though this book does mention Japan’s stance on the war in regards to religious thought as well). It’s not a terribly long read, even if the latter half falls off, so I’m sure it might be useful to someone.

Russian Military Intelligence in the War with Japan of 1904-05 by Evgeny Sergeev || Retailer

Another Russian-focused book regarding the war, but if you’re interested in writing or drawing anything involving spies/espionage, pick up this book. I’m unsure if there’s any Japanese equivalent books – I haven’t looked quite yet. But I know this one is decent for information about Russia’s side.

The Ainu

I am separating out the Ainu from the category I’ve created further below regarding minority groups in Japan and Russia because of their importance to Golden Kamuy. I’ll also say that, unfortunately, there aren’t many scholarly works on the Ainu I can find in English. I’m aware there was a book published in conjunction with Golden Kamuy that is a thorough coverage of the Ainu, but it has only been published in Japanese thus far. I’ll try my best with recommendations, however.

The Conquest of Ainu Lands: Ecology and Culture in Japanese Expansion, 1590-1800 by Brett Walker || Retailer, Online

Given the dates in the title of this book, I’m aware it seems off-putting to some because it does not come very close to the date Golden Kamuy takes place a century later. Nonetheless, this book extensively covers the ecological damages that partly caused the collapse of Ainu societies that relates to their status in the manga, and also is one of the few books that speaks extensively about Russia’s dealings with the Ainu as well. There’s also quite a detailed section regarding certain rituals performed by the Ainu, if you’re looking for more specific cultural aspects to research in regards to the Ainu. Not necessarily something I’d say is starter material, but still gives a decent starting timeline for Ainu culture and discusses other nearby cultures (Nivkh, Uilta, etc.).

Race, Resistance and the Ainu of Japan by Richard Siddle || Retailer, Online

A tad bit dated due to being written in 1996, I will impress upon you that if you’re going to only read a single book about the Ainu, it should be Siddle’s. While Walker’s book was an ecological view of the colonization of the Ainu, this is a sociological view of the Ainu that extensively covers their history as their social position changed as the idea of race changed between the Japanese and the Ainu. This book also runs well into the modern day while Walker’s majority kept his information before the year 1800.

Ainu Creed and Cult by Neil Munro || Retailer, Online

Do you want an incredibly specific overview of the Ainu belief system and their rituals? This book is likely the most detailed one you’ll find. This book was actually written in the 1930s and has incredibly detailed first-hand accounts from Ainu themselves about their belief systems and culture. Because of this book's age it is written completely different from most historical research books (in first person), but that isn’t to say this book isn’t chock-full of the most detailed information about Ainu rituals in English you’ll find today.

The Fabric of Indigeneity: Ainu Identity, Gender, and Settler Colonialism in Japan by Ann-Elise Lewallen || Retailer, Online

This book is not actually one that has much to do with the timeframe of Golden Kamuy, but rather focuses on Ainu reclamation in the modern day. I still think it is a useful read, however, because of its focus on Ainu women does discuss traditional Ainu roles of women as they’d been throughout history, and other important cultural aspects such as fabric crafts.

General Meiji Era Japan History & Culture

Unfortunately, when it comes to direct Meiji era history, I have no recommendations, only books pertaining to cultural elements of the time period. The one history book I’ve read regarding exclusively Meiji era history I cannot in good conscious recommend. There may be better luck found when picking up a book regarding the Taisho era, as even Meiji era books still tend to focus on the late Tokugawa period (1830s-1860s) rather than the early 1900 period I’m sure most GK fans prefer to read about.

The Culture of the Meiji Period by Daikichi Irokawa || Retailer, Online

This is absolutely a dated book, made worse because it is translated into English from its original Japanese. However, it will give you a decent grasp on the cultural reaction to the Meiji Restoration and walk you through the historical events that are occurring simultaneously. It is, I believe, the best place to start to walk through Meiji history rather than attempting a pure historical book on the Meiji period.

Gender and Nation in Meiji Japan: Modernity, Loss, and the Doing of History by Jason Karlin || Retailer, Online

While other culture books do often mention the stance of women in Japanese society, some of these topics are best centralized into one book. Karlin does just that, while also delving into the expectations of masculinity as well. It is true there are not many Japanese women central to the plot of Golden Kamuy, but there are still a few and one can say that even the Ainu women of the series are affected by these aspects of Japanese culture. Thus, I’d highly suggest this book as an accompanying piece to any cultural research one wishes to do about the Meiji era. Also, I have yet to skim or read it, but I’ve heard good things about A Place in Public: Women’s Rights in Meiji Japan by Marni Anderson as well, but it is difficult to find copies of.

Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse, 1600–1950 by Gregory Plugfelder || Retailer, Online

I intend to eventually write a blog regarding the subject of homosexuality in Japan (and Russia) in regards to Golden Kamuy. However, in the meantime, please read this book. It is a common debate on whether or not one might view Golden Kamuy as a piece of “queer media”, but regardless there’s many sections of this book that might give some more cultural context to characters like Koito and why we see Tsurumi choose his targets of love-manipulation as he does. It’s also useful in general if you happen to be writing ship-fic and want to know the cultural background and attitudes that would be taking place.

General Tsarist Russia History & Culture

Did you know it's surprisingly hard to find books that center around Russia in the 1880s-1920 that aren't focused on just WWI? You do now. Honestly, I’m going to keep this section short beyond one overarching book and one other book because I need specific questions about what books to suggest when it comes to Russian history (Do you want to know about Imperial Russia’s literacy? Social roles? The effects of industrialization?). Russia plays a relatively small role in Golden Kamuy, and much of the information related to Russia that’s actually important has to do with their minority groups (of which belong to a category further below), hence why I’ve not recommended much in this category.

The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes || Retailer

Listen, I know Figes doesn’t speak Russian at all and frequently makes etymology errors in his works because of it. However, I’ll defend him this one time – this book is a very simple way to get introduced to Russian history, and it’s not overly long and complicated. If you don’t know what Muscovy is, or how the 1905 Revolution was a consequence of the Russo-Japanese War, give this book a read to build a foundation of Russian history before you graduate to more complicated texts. Also, it’s very easily available from what I’ve noticed. I can’t turn anywhere in a bookstore without seeing Figes’ name.

Homosexual Desire in Revolutionary Russia: The Regulation of Sexual and Gender Dissent by Dan Healey || Retailer, Online

Despite the title of this book, a good half of it is dedicated to the late imperial period of Russia, covering the time period of Golden Kamuy in detail because of it. While it does indeed focus on metropolitan attitudes towards homosexuality and queerness more than it does on rural attitudes, I cannot recommend this book enough. I can promise you that whatever you assumed the general attitude towards homosexuality in Russia was at the time, you’re probably wrong. My only forewarning is that this book was written in 2000, and there’s some slightly outdated thinking in regards to transmen because of this. For clarity’s sake: the author does conclude that women who socially and visibly transitioned to be men but showed no desire for sex change surgery must’ve only transitioned in order to pursue same-sex relationships. Obviously, this could be true of some cases, but most queer literature and circles now accept that not every trans individual pursues medical transition.

Other Minorities in Japan & Russia

There are quite a few minority groups in Russia, though less in Japan, but many do have a foothold in Golden Kamuy. I try my best to give some suggestions, but often the problem is most of these ethnic groups simply do not have books published about them specifically. I also have no suggestions about Romani history, simply because I’ve not read any books regarding solely them yet (of which, some do exist and I have one sitting on my bookshelf) and I don’t want to bad faith suggest a book that might be an uncomfortable read. Furthermore, I also tried to avoid ethnic groups that were minorities in Imperial Russia and Japan but have their own countries today simply because you can easily find books on the topics nowadays (though I suggest The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569 - 1999 by Timothy Snyder if you truly want a starting place for European countries that were once under the thumb of Russia. I unfortunately have no suggestions for Korea or Central Asian country's history).

The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia by The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia by Mamoru Akamine || Retailer, Online

This is moreover a history book than anything cultural regarding Ryukyuans, but it will guide you through the history of how Ryukyuans came to be colonized by Japan and officially absorbed by them in the Meiji period. This is also a translated book, so it reads clunky sometimes, but it is a decent read on the topic nonetheless.

A History of the Peoples of Siberia: Russia's North Asian Colony 1581-1990 by James Forsyth || Retailer, Online

I cannot suggest this book enough if you have any questions regarding ethnic minorities in Siberia. This book is extensive, going group by group, time period by time period, in detail that I’ve yet to find another covering. Tatars, Ainu, Uilta, Nivkhs – all such groups are addressed at least once in this book. Absolutely give this book a read, even if it is a bit dated in some of its terminology.

The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians by Bruce Lincoln || Second-Hand, Online

While this book does not specifically concern itself with showcasing minority cultures in Siberia, they nonetheless still are a large portion of this book that are mentioned several times throughout. I’d give this book a chance if you were desperate for any and all information in English regarding native Siberian ethnic groups, while it also paves the exact history of Russia’s expansion that Forsyth doesn’t focus on.

The Cossacks by Shane O’Rourke || Retailer

Cossacks aren’t mentioned even once in Golden Kamuy, but there’s substantial evidence Vasily is one, and I am a primarily Vasily-posting blog after all. It would be remiss of me not to make one or two recommendations. Regardless, O’Rourke has a solid book that will run through the history of the Cossacks while also answering the common question of “Ethnic identity or legal title?”. My only criticism about O’Rourke I will warn is that he has a major bias towards the Don Cossacks, as they are his research focus in his other works, so much of his information and cultural practices he mentions skews towards them. 

Tsar and Cossack, 1855-1914 by Robert McNeal || Online

If you want to break your brain reading legal systems of the Cossacks all day, be my guest. But I love this book more than you know, that’s all I will say.

Beyond the Pale: The Jewish Encounter with Late Imperial Russia by Benjamin Nathans || Retailer, Online

Most books you’ll find regarding Jews in Russia will, unfortunately, only primarily cover the Soviet period with a small sliver of time given to the late imperial period (at least, that’s how I’ve found it). Nathans’ book, however, is an extensive read regarding the Pale and the Jews who resided outside said space. A great read, and I’m sure there are other extensive research books regarding the history of Jews in late imperial Russia, I have just not read such topics yet.

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Sometimes, it's the little nonsensical annoyances...

There are definitely more important things than this going on, and I'm not going to do much good by pointing it out, but I might as well express the thoughts so I can try to lay them to rest.

This:

...is absurd. Some Taiwanese venture capitalist asshole was annoyed that some white business assholes in Quebec are remixing boba tea, which he loves, and is his culture, and cannot be improved without due deference to its originators. To address his grievance, perhaps he'd like to fund some more authentic boba tea, made by the folks in the image above.

Depending on their personal behaviour and business practices, which I am not aware of, I wish all the boba tea makers the best. I love boba tea and NO, MORE BOBA TEA PLACES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE THAN I HAVE FINGERS IS NOT ENOUGH. I NEED MORE!

Fuck, I want boba tea.

But I digress. To experience offence in this particular fashion over this particular item, you need to stop learning and switch off your brain at the point where Taiwan invented the boba tea. Where did the tea and tapioca, and milk and sugar come from? Don't worry about it. We gotta stop right here, or this story will get real complex, and I'm not comfortable with that level of complexity, so let's pass our judgment and say no more about it. Boba tea belongs to Taiwan!

Chat, ya gotta realize, mainland China was not interested in diluting its tea with so much milk and sugar that it doesn't taste like tea anymore. That would've been kookie-dooks. The British Empire had to steal it and fuck it up. Then Taiwan stole it back and fucked it up more (according to Wikipedia, via the Dutch in the 17th century). And tapioca is a staple starch from the Americas. "Refined into a juice, gelled into cute little pearls, and served with tea and sugar" is not an Indigenous American serving suggestion. I don't see Taiwan adding a label to every boba tea giving due deference to cassava-loving Americans, nor expressing humility about their use of it not being an improvement.

It's not that I need Taiwan to do this. I just want to see this train of thought followed to its logical conclusion. If you're saying these assholes in Quebec shouldn't be fucking with Taiwan's boba tea, you're also saying those assholes in Taiwan shouldn't have fucked with America's tapioca - and that's terrible. Of COURSE they should've fucked with the tapioca, it is delicious! And if it turns out it's more delicious with fizzies or liquor in it, we're gonna drink that, too, no matter who came up with it. This is how food works. Copying the good ideas off a nearby culture is not evil, not in and of itself. Butter-chicken pizza is not evil, it is spectacular.

I want my boba tea. I don't need a label specifying that it resulted from an intersection of five separate colonizing empires (China, Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Japan), the colonization of Taiwan, mass political imprisonments and executions, and the genocide of the Americas. It's very interesting to know that, but mentioning it right when I'm about to slork up my tea would make me choke - pointlessly, I think. Everything is like that. The machine I'm using to write this is like that, the clothes I wear are like that, the language I speak is like that. Nothing is without sin. It can't be put back the way it was, all we can do is try to mitigate it as best we can.

Is refusing to fund some guys with new tea additives because they wounded your nationalist pride (which seems to exist in somewhat of a context-free void) anything more than Neo-liberal capitalist wanking behaviour? Maybe the Chinese-American company will do better and the Quebecois one won't, but that's not justice for any of the injured parties, that's just marketing. Buying shit is not an effective means of reparations or political speech. There is no ethical boba tea under capitalism. I don't have the spoons to research and consume the Least Problematic Beverage, and if you do, I think they'd be better spent on literally anything else.

Mr. Dragon's Den, I have a brick you can use. Go damage property like a real protester or just sit down and drink your tea. Feel free to appropriate whatever cultures you prefer for your toppings.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: The Truth About Christmas | Real Time with Bill Maher

Finally, New Rule: Praise Jesus, it's a Christmas miracle. For the first time in the 21 year history of this show we are on in December, which gives me a chance to explain to everyone something I've always wanted to expound upon in this show.

You know that whole thing about Jesus being born on December 25th? Well it's a crock of shit. Now, this is not an attack on Jesus. Although, he was a nepo baby. But also a revolutionary philosopher with a beautiful message. As to whether he's a God, that's up to you.

But if the subject is "Gods born on December 25th," we have enough of those for an entire Jeopardy category.

He was the Egyptian god who took the form of a falcon. Who is Horus?

He is the god from ancient Persia born bearing a torch. Who is Mithra?

He is the Greek god of rebirth. Who is Adonis?

He was the fertility god in Cleopatra's time. Who is Osiris?

This Greek deity was known for having a good time. Who is Dionysis?

So you may be asking - those are all real by the way, I think that was the problem, they think I'm making this up but I'm not - why do all the gods want the same birthday? Well, because December 25th was a pagan holiday coming a few days after the shortest day of the year, when primitive peoples noticed that the days were starting to get longer again, and so a cause for celebration.

Cut to:

And that's the story of Christmas. A holiday I love by the way. The tree, the presents, the music, the Christmas memories with my sister and our cousins filling the bong with eggnog. It's the only time of the year it's okay to put alcohol in milk. Christmas is fun if you just accept it's pretend time. Like a Hollywood wedding.

Yes, I love Christmas and always have. Just don't try to make me take it seriously.

And that is what has been going on a lot lately here in America. We have a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who says America is actually a Biblical Republic and that he's even got a flag picked out that hangs outside his office, and which also could be seen in the mob on January 6th. Mike also says, "the separation of church and state is a misnomer," and congresswoman Lauren Boebert concurs saying she's, "tired of this separation of church and state junk." So too Marjorie Taylor Green, who says, "I say it proudly, we should all be Christian nationalists."

Now I know it may seem like this is just a few crazies, but I gotta tell you, dumbass Republicans who believe horrible ideas are like ants: there's always more that you can't see.

And in in fact, these ideas are no longer the fringe. According to a recent survey, over half of Republicans are either adherents of Christian nationalism or sympathetic to it. And they agree with statements like: "The US government should declare America a Christian Nation," and "Being Christian is an important part of being truly American," and "God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society."

I'm sorry but I don't want anyone exercising their dominion over me unless I pay them and we've established a safe-word.

Boebert says, "The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church." Well, no and no. Neither one is supposed to direct the other. That's what separation of church and state means.

Republicans, Jesus fucking Christ. First you stop believing in democracy - Senator Mike Lee said it, among others. Trump lives the idea every day, and here we have the Speaker of the House saying it. And now Republicans also don't believe in the separation of church and state? Does anyone in that party remember what fucking country you're living in?

We're the place that stakes so much of our greatness on being the first to specifically prohibit having a state religion. There are dozens of countries that have an official religion. There's 13 where being an atheist is punishable by death. Four have "Islamic" right in the title of the country.

And maybe that warms the hearts of the TikTok crowd who lately have found heroes in Hamas and Osama Bin Laden. But that's not us. That's not what we do here. I get it you kids like to switch things up. But I can only handle one side at a time being ridiculous about religious fanaticism, and right now I've got my hands full with Mike Johnson.

Because Mike Johnson has the power to actually make laws. And I don't want my global warming policy decided by someone who is rooting for the end of the world so we can get on with the Rapture. And who once filed a legal brief before the Supreme Court arguing that what he called "deviant same sex intercourse" should be a crime. Even the lesbian stuff?

Mike thinks God personally chooses, raises up our leaders, which is a very dangerous thought, because then when you lose an election you think it's just another of God's tricks to test your faith. Like fossils. Mike says, "We began as a Christian nation." We didn't. Did you miss that day in home school, Mike? If you don't know that the pilgrims came here to get away from the Church of England then you don't know, literally, the first thing about our country. Mike says, being a Christian nation is, "our tradition," and, "it's who we are as a people."

It's not. We're the people who have a First Amendment which says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." And we have an Article Six which says, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office."

So, I take these people at their word when they say that they think we should be Christian nationalists. But then they have to take John Adams at his word when he wrote, "the government of the United States of America is not an any sense founded on the Christian religion."

But I still love Christmas!

--

Introduction The rising influence of Christian nationalism in some segments of American politics poses a major threat to the health of our democracy. Increasingly, the major battle lines of the culture war are being drawn between a right animated by a Christian nationalist worldview and Americans who embrace the country’s growing racial and religious diversity. This new PRRI/Brookings survey of more than 6,000 Americans takes a closer look at the underpinnings of Christian nationalism, providing new measures to estimate the proportion of Americans who adhere to and reject Christian nationalist ideology. The survey also examines how Christian nationalist views intersect with white identity, anti-Black sentiment, support of patriarchy, antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiments, anti-immigrant attitudes, authoritarianism, and support for violence. Additionally, the survey explores the influence Christian nationalism has within our two primary political parties and major religious subgroups and what this reveals about the state of American democracy and the health of our society.

==

Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are the same thing.

[gemsofgreece]

What do you think of this video? It's good criticism i think but i'm asking beyond it's USA pov, what do you think specifically in regard to the "adaptations/americanizations of Greek Mythology" and these combative & arrogant attitudes & tactics towards not just their domestic audience disagreeing on some things from their USA perspective, but towards the people from whose civilization they stole, in order to "fix" it [insert clown face]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ngqO9Hp19_4

ANSWER

It is the exact same principle. Movie making these days is rarely done with passion and love for storytelling. Movies are mass produced to fan-bait audiences - especially late teens and 20somethings whom the movie industry is most dependent on right now. Just like superhero and fantasy movies have become pathetic in their majority, so has the Greek mythology-inspired content, which generally belongs to the same genre. It used to be portrayed more through sword-and-sandal films but not anymore. Now Norse and Greek gods are just some comical superheroes.

Nobody in the filmmaking industry can convince (or would even try to) that they do care about foreign cultures’ mythologies. It is just more content to exploit in order to excuse their lack of creativity and interest in making original characters. So they mass produce movies with well known characters who they don’t give a shit for. All they want is a field to apply all the qualities they need to check in the trending box, so that the "usual suspects" among young American fans will “clock in”.

That’s all there is to it really. Almost no moviemaker or retelling writer truly cares about the mythology or the culture. Not even to truly reshape it and manifest something through this - problematic as it may be - I doubt that even these excuses are any genuine. But this type of stuff sells somewhat (actually less than all these people are always confident it will though, as proven by the box office) and everyone wants a piece from the pie.

In short, entertainment industry nowadays is a few (ironically, often middle aged white) people sitting around a table and wondering: what is another field on which we can produce a dozen movies with no plot and originality and throw in the dog-whistles that will get us the viewers’ money with the minimum amount of effort needed? That is all it takes.

The combative attitude is what keeps them and their small groups of impassioned supporters going. When you hit them with accusations that are objectively true (ie inaccuracy, appropriation, bad plot, lack of talent, unsuitable cast), it’s hard for them to defend themselves against these so the combative attitude (oh you must be a racist, sexist, mythology gatekeeping nationalist etc) is their only way of reacting without admitting their shortcomings.

Having said that, I agree generally with the video and personally yes I didn’t like the remake of Ghostbusters and the new Star Wars but the thing is, at the risk of Bill Murray knocking down my door and humiliating me if he ever sees this, I don’t like the original Ghostbusters and the original Star Wars either. Unpopular I know! (I can still see the superior quality though.) Also I disagree about Black Panther, one of the last good superhero movies in my opinion. But I totally agree about the embarrassment the Rings of Power are and how much lack of self-respect you must have to produce this after Jackson’s Colossal Trilogy. All these are irrelevant to Greek matters but I felt like mentioning them since I watched the video after all.

I also totally agree about Mulan and I am going to talk about this a little here despite it being irrelevant to the blog’s theme. The live-action version of Mulan was supposed to be another addition to the feminist film pool. When I watched this movie, I felt offended. OFFENDED. They changed the plot in order to make Mulan have a “chi” gift by birth, or whatever it was called, which was making humans born with it have some superhuman abilities that were making them great warriors. The point those megamind film creators were obviously trying to make was “oh look a woman is born with the chi so women are equal to men yeah feminism uwu give us our woke money now”. I cannot explain how livid I was when I saw this. You see, in the real world women are not born with a chi and neither are men. Those shitheads tried to promote feminism by writing that at some point in a fantastical China a woman was born with a supernatural gift WHEN IN THE 90s ANIMATED “BACKWARDS” MOVIE Mulan was a regular everyday girl with no supernatural talents that managed to distinguish herself as the best soldier of China through insistence, perseverance, strenuous work, strategic intelligence and a sacrificial spirit for the sake of her family. Qualities that can actually be found and be further developed in real human beings. Do we all realise how regressive the live action movie is??? To me this was the opposite of feminist, despite knowing their intentions were the exact opposite and that is what often makes such movies so pathetic. This is why I often call such and other similar content counter-productive. The woke people being all aggressive and combative in supporting those movies or the modern retellings do not realise how horrible and dangerous they often unknowingly are to all these causes. And by changing gods and mythological characters and making the female ones girlbosses by default and the male ones convicted feloners or something, what exactly do they think they achieve in the long-term??? Will the world's poc's rights be respected or will the femicides decrease if, say, Circe is a wronged girlboss and Odysseus is written as an asshole? They will achieve exactly nothing, the consumers will eventually turn their backs on them anyway sooner or later. They are only earning more and more contempt from the people of these cultures they play with so carelessly. Well done, I guess????

[retkotevidjamsadevojkama]

Being Serbian and not religious is complicated enough, but being queer on top of that is even more complicated and that's concerning.

You see, Serbs have a very unique history and bond with religion. Serbia was under Ottoman rule from the middle of the 15th century up until the begging of the 19th century which is a long long time. Being a part of Ottoman empire meant that they wanted to assimilate you and there were many awful things they did due but i won't go into that rn. What was weird about Ottoman empire compared to other oppressors was that they never banned different religions. Obviously your life would have been easier if you became muslim but it wasn't like they killed you for not doing that as Romans did. So Serbian people became very close to the church and it bound all of the folk customs and holidays to itself and saved them which is a great thing and I'm so thankful for that but nowadays it's impossible to separate them. Every aspect of culture is somehow made christian and Serbian people have accepted orthodox christianity as a part of their national identity. You can't imagine how many people I've met who were confused about how can someone be Serbian if they're not christian. And most of them don't even believe in God or what christianity preaches, it's a national identity for them. They can't imagine what Serbs actually are beyond the religion and it's sad.

Other important thing is that all of the holidays and customs are pagan. They have been pagan and then Serbs got christianised in a quick way which means that they just masked the paganism in chriatianity and called it a day. There's practiced whichcraft in Serbian orthodox christianity and people refuse to call it that because it's a normal christian thing for them. There's prayers, healing watter and oils, plants, various rituals for various days (not just Easter and Christmas but even those are completely different than how other christians celebrate them), there's days where you don't work or do certain things so that you don't get God angry, there's future predictions by looking in a cup or reading in the coal or hot iron and various other customs and beliefs. And no one accepts them as anything but chriatian.

So yeah separation of religion and nationality is crucial for Serbian people to move forward but it's also very hard to do and it's beneficial to the government so no one is doing anything about it. Nationalism is unfortunately on the rise among Serbian people and obviously christianity is also. There's people who are ready to fight for "holy places" and Serbian (read christian) values. There's diaspora that's trying to reconnect with their nationality and they just fall into christianty and nationalistic propaganda and it's awful. Most of these people are cowards so I have hope they won't do anything stupid as starting another war but it's still concerning. When your national identity is so strongly bound to christianty a threat to christian beliefs is a threat to your nationality and you already know who falls into that "threat" category.

Also, pagan slavic spaces got infected by fascists and white slavic supremacist? It's like what happened in nordic pagan spaces. I know I know it makes no sense for south slavs to be fascists when ww2 fascists targeted them but you have to understand that these people aren't smart enough to understand that and are egoistic enough to twist things to better suit their beliefs.

That's why queer Slavs and queer folk art and queer history of slavs is so important and even revolutionary in times and places like these. And of course this post is not against christians. One of my favorite things are loving non bigoted christians, especially if they are queer themselves.

[willtheweirdrat]

Welcome to this "blog"! here's some stuff to know :3

I'm Alex (you probably know me as Will, but i don't go by that name anymore :))

I mostly post about school, the musicals and shows I like, being trans, physics, chemistry, neurodiversity, social issues, leftism, videogames, Greek culture, and pretty much whatever I feel like talking about. I also love to complain.

Do not interact: Basic DNI (queerphobes, racists, ableists etc.) pro-lifers, TERFs, golden dawners (nazis), nationalists My tags: alexs mumbles: Things unrelated to the main stuff I post. alexs rants: Vents, rants, etc. Block this tag if you don't wanna see that alexs asks: My asks. Warning! There are blinkies with flashing lights under the "keep reading"

ID in all images.

[parlerenfleurs]

It is actually really tiring to see so many mean jokes about France and people hating France online, especially with some French people cheerfully agreeing to what is sometimes plain falsehood at worst or stereotypical nonsense at best.

I'm not nationalistic. I didn't even grow up on the mainland. I'm not even french on both sides of my family. And yes, a lot of French people suck (case in point: they elected Macron twice), our government sucks, and, yes, historically France colonized other countries and is still fucking with some African countries' governements and selling armament and generally being a lot of the awful things countries which have some power tend to do internationally in this giant mess that our current dominating system is.

Why don't people talk about that if they've got a problem with France instead of making shitty hurtful jokes, I wonder? Why is it okay to dunk on us? We're not pitiful, but by the same metric the USA for instance are not exactly pitiful either, and yet, people mostly make the effort to put some nuance into their criticisms, to reblog pleas for understanding and explanations of the complex nature of things and situations from interested parties.

We are a whole country with many different regional cultures, quirks, dialects and histories. We are a whole population with many different individuals, just like everywhere else. We have poets, and good authors, and great artists just like everywhere else. We are the good and the bad, and are frustrated and dismayed at our government's actions, or at our violent history, just like everywhere else. Where does not have a violent history, and where does not have most people upset about it, after all?

For some reason it seems it is fashionable to make fun of us and that it is socially unacceptable to defend ourselves when it happens. And since this is an USAmerican dominated space, I do have to wonder, and if you're USAmerican you should ask yourself that too: is this the consequence of the passionate anti-French propaganda that took place when our President at the time (rightfully) condemned and criticised the war in Irak? Is this what is being echoed and perpetuated here, like a virus in our collective consciousness, even though it's not conscious?

I would like for people online to treat us with as much grace and attempt to have as much nuance as they would any other country (and to fact check things for goodness' sake). Don't just treat a whole country callously and mispronounce our words like there is no other way to pronounce them that exists and say whatever because you think it's funny to repeat mean jokes or can't be bothered to wonder if this is the truth. We are online too, we see your jokes and sloppy caricatures, be they intended as flattering or not. We may not necessarily love this country, we may not necesseraly identify strongly with it, but we are a part of it and it is a part of us, whether we want it or not, and when you dump everyone in the same crudely made basket, then we're definitely part of it, whether we want it or not.

[rainbowsky]

Hi Rbs, How is life?,

1)Which film is more successful for BoBo? "Born to fly" or "Hidden blade" based on box office collection ?Please mention nos if possible

2)Which film is more beneficial to bobo "Born to fly" or "Hidden blade" based on critical acclaim?

I think "one and only" will surpass the success of both the films because it will be more relatable to real life BoBo and it will attract lot of kids to theaters. That means many family audience = Huge box office success. What do you think?

Hi Anon... That feels like a trick question! 😅

Much of Canada is currently on fire.

I'd say life is difficult and depressing, and it often feels like we're living in the End Times, but I'm getting by. I hope you're well! 😊

As for your questions about DD's films, sorry Anon, that's not something I really care much about or put much thought into. I don't get into the business of comparing projects, comparing numbers, etc. I don't really think it says anything important, and this kind of thing often leads to toxic thinking/fandom.

DD's films are all important, they're all helping to build his career. They're all giving him a chance to show his acting skills, helping to draw bigger audiences to his work, helping him to make connections with producers and directors and audiences.

I think One and Only is probably going to be a big hit, because it will show DD in his element and give people who already love him from SDOC, etc. a chance to enjoy seeing him on the big screen. A film like this will have a very broad appeal, much broader than Hidden Blade (which was long, dark and violent) and Born to Fly (which was nationalistic and militaristic). I think it has a chance to potentially do well internationally, too. But a lot will depend on the film itself and if it's actually well made and has a well-written story.

I think it's great if we can support his films and celebrate his successes, but I'd just caution fans not to get too invested in box office numbers. While they are important to some degree, they aren't the the most important factor of his failure or success. They are one factor among many.

Rankings, ratings, numbers, etc. are one of the core aspects of toxic fan culture. This warlike, competitive culture that leads to comparisons, rivalries and vendettas - it's not something I want to feed and I hope other fans will have the sense not to feed it either.

And let's not forget that it's a knife that can cut both ways. If DD's numbers do anything less than what fans expect, it can turn against him and be used as anti material. So I'd caution people about hyping these things up too much.

Just enjoy DD, enjoy his films, support him and his films, and the rest will fall into place over time. He's on a path, and the road is long.

And if you do still want to dig into the numbers, Anon, that's your choice as well, but it's not something I can help with. Sorry!

[sandwrrm]

hiii ingrid. do you have any headcanons about mandalore cuisine and/or bo-katan's relationship to mando cuisine. what are her favorite dishes, etc ... ❤️

Omg what a great ask, thank you!!!!!!

This post (and this person's blog in general) is a super cool writeup about mandalorian cuisine and I feel like it reflects most of my headcanons. I imagine overall that their food would be spicy, aromatic, hearty, and utilitarian. Lots of stews and soups and things like that, dishes that take one pot to cook and one bowl to consume.

I'm sure in the modern era they probably eat MREs in the field (we do see Bo make instant soup, etc.) but I also feel like they're the type of culture who, even nomadic groups or those on war campaigns, would prioritize cooking large meals with real ingredients as much as possible, as something to gather around communally and boost morale, etc.

I envision that Sundari under the new mandos was more of a global city without a huge focus on traditional food or culture in general, rather a mix of (mostly core world) fare from around the gffa. I could see trad mando food becoming something that's mostly eaten on occasions and holidays, for example, whereas most of the restaurants or what people eat day to day is imported/loaned cuisine from other cultures or "fusion" type fare.

Bo would've grown up eating mostly this— or really in my headcanons, mostly junk food and energy drinks, the depressed weirdgirl diet— so I could totally see her getting way into trad mando cuisine from a reactionary standpoint once she starts going down that path, lol.

I envision Concordia being much more traditional— obviously— and less modernized, so I'm sure they tend to still eat trad cuisine as their actual staple diet. I feel like one of her favorite parts of visiting there, even before getting sucked into death watch, would've been enjoying all this exciting and delicious ✨truly mandalorian✨ food (and getting immersed in the old culture she's so obsessed with in general, honestly.)

For her favorite foods— definitely uj cake, I headcanon her to be big into sweets and comfort food (the blogger above has a great recipe btw!)

I feel like she would love tiingilar too (which *I* have a great recipe for that I'm going to post soon!) It's probably the most iconic mandalorian dish— I could see it being considered very patriotic, especially by the more uh, nationalist types lol.

I do headcanon that Bo herself would be a terrible cook— growing up with palace chefs making all your food that isn't packaged snacks and then going straight into nomadic militia life will do that to you 😂

[alcestas-sloboda]

You know, when I was younger I considered myself a communist... but then I actually paid attention to the shit communist countries did and went hmm... that's actually really shitty, fuck them

Like I didn't do some massive slide to the right, I'm still very much in favor of things like social welfare programs

So what I'm basically saying is that as someone who used to call myself a commie, I just don't get how you can be pro ussr. Cause like... the shit they did (and plenty of others) is literally what changed my mind

(I mean I get it, these people don't really care and are more interested in seeming enlightened than actually making things better, but still)

Anyway... I mean I'm an American, but unlike these idiots I realize we actually owe a lot to Ukraine for fighting russia right now. Like leaving aside being a decent human being and not thinking people should be invaded, the Ukrainian army is giving us way more value with how they use any weapons we send them than they were getting us sitting in some stockpile

The Ukrainian Army are out there protecting not only Ukraine's freedom, but all of us. Like I have the sense to see that while Ukraine is fighting for survival, their fight still protects me

I mean most of Ukraine embodies the American ideals better than plenty of Americans (especially the right wingers who crow about freedom before deepthroating putin's boot)

I don't know... basically I've been paying attention to Ukraine ever since russia invaded back in February, been following more Ukrainians and Eastern Europeans and realizing how western media totally ignored the invasion in 2014, and how much of an ass westerners have been acting like during this invasion

Fucking appeasers everywhere. I mean, I'm a pacifist, but I have the sense to see you don't just tell people to lay down and die. If we want peace, we need to give Ukraine everything it takes to force russia out. Russia's the one making war, so they're the only ones who can make peace, and they'll only do that once they're thoroughly beaten otherwise it'll just be more agreeing to humanitarian corridors and then shelling them

So yeah... basically just saw you being sick of dealing with tankies and wanted to at least let you have a message from a westerner that wasn't just a bunch of apologist bullshit. Both the right and the left come together to be morons about russia. Right likes them cause they're fascists (I mean which parties is russia always funding in the west?) and the left... so busy being stupid jackasses about how great the ussr was that they excuse the imperialism they supposedly hate

Anyway... whole lot of probably stupid words here just to basically say I'm an American and I stand with Ukraine

I hope you stay safe, and I hope we send more anti air to shoot down those fucking missiles and drones. I hope the invaders are thrown out as soon as possible and then put on trial for their war crimes

Stay safe, sorry you have to deal with western morons on top of being invaded

I really do appreciate asks like this because they are quite rare from Western Europeans and Americans contrary to Eastern Europe. It’s also really interesting to actually listen to a person’s story, so to speak, with political ideologies.

What’s funny is that even though most Ukrainians will now tell you that they are nationalistic, they hold a lot of left views, especially the young generation, me included. Here we can raise a question of what is nationalism for Ukrainians. It’s love for their country and its culture, basic need of being left alone to create a developed country, but it’s never about other cultures being worse than ours or this belief that some territories must be returned and annexed from other states.

So what I was on about… We are so very grateful for the help, both humanitarian and military aid, and probably there are more good people than bad in this world, who believe that one country cannot just invade another country for no reason, but sometimes those left-wingers are just too much. Like jokes aside, I really do struggle to see what future they want for the world. Because there is a very simple truth: if Ukraine loses and russia wins, other dictatorial regimes will understand that you can just declare a war on your neighbour and no one will give a shit.

Yeah because that’s what happened in 2014 but at that time putin wasn’t prepared to launch a full-scale invasion, the revolution happened to quickly, it took him more that 3 month to amass the troops around Ukrainian borders in 2022. Or maybe he had some sort of genius plan, who knows, but the fact is: the world didn’t react to Crimea or Donetsk and Luhansk, and before that they didn’t react to Georgia and Moldova, or before that to Ichkeria.

Also the pacifism part, I think all intelligent people are and all Ukrainians (well of course not all but you know where I’m coming from) were pacifist. Everyone here has a family story from WW2, this country suffered so much, we never start conflicts but we also love what’s ours way too deeply. I think most of us would agree that the final moment of our pacifism was Bucha, that was a point of no return. Because this is where we understood that the main aim of this war is the destruction of Ukrainian nation - not a state as an independent entity but people. They were firing at civilians for no reason other than satisfaction and that is where pacifism ends because you cannot negotiate with people whose main negotiation tactic is a bullet.

So yeah, thanks again for this ask and kind words, If you have the urge to talk more about some topics, you can always message me)