#Love this fandom and their constant ableism

[qtubbo]

I love how when Phil mentions game mechanics things it’s he’s so impressive look at all this cool knowledge he knows + haha 4th wall break.

But when tubbo does it, he’s not respecting rp and acting like a toddler (yes that was real comments) + -rp lost rp points

[withered--s0uls]

The urge to leave the murder drones fandom and only keep in contact with my friends + finish my current projects grows by the day.

Like wtf do you mean I'm being harassed and witch hunted for saying the word "psycho" is ableist as someone whose been actively affected by the stigma surrounding mental health ever since I was in KINDERGARTEN.

Here I was thinking that specifying I'm not calling anyone ableist and am just trying to bring awareness to it because I know its normalized would prevent this from happening.

[blameitonluffy]

The amount of hate Tyrion gets in the fandom is so over the top. The way book Tyrion specifically is spoken about will often have me wondering if these people have actually read the books or just skimmed the wiki or are just repeating what they heard others say. 

The idea that Tyrion is just a villain and evil is ridiculous. He certainly isn't a saint but people exaggerate how bad he is to an insane degree. It's so hyperbolic at times that with absolutely no book knowledge you'd think he’s another Joffrey or something. There's barely any empathy shown towards his character and it's very clear the fandom holds him to a higher standard then they do the other characters and are more likely to criticize him for things they're quick to praise, show sympathy or just love other characters for. 

This often leads to them either inadvertently or outright validating Cersei and even Tywin’s treatment of him. 

More than once I've seen people in this fandom saying that Cersei had good reason to hate Tyrion and call him a monster or that she and Tywin were right about him all along. It's abuse apologia plain and simple; Tyrion is not pure and perfect so they don't acknowledge him as a victim and instead see his abuse as justifiable. The thing is, there is only ONE reason Cersei calls Tyrion a monster and you know what it is. She has been calling him that since he was a baby for that very reason and has been abusing him since then as well but people act as if she is the real victim in it all. It's like they forget that he's a disabled character who faces constant discrimination and dehumanization even at the hands of his own family. 

Of course Tyrion wants her dead, it's no surprise. Of course he wants revenge and wants every person who’s ever hurt him to burn, but every other character is allowed to hate their abusers and want them dead or want to make them suffer or kill them. They can have all the revenge they desire, but Tyrion is not allowed the same. The bias here is so blatant and there are also the ones who bring up his misogyny while they stan characters that are just as misogynistic as he is or even more so. There's no consistency. 

Tyrion is one of the most interesting and complex characters and it sucks to see him reduced to just some evil guy especially because this is the very thing the books critique but it completely flies over their heads and they just do the exact thing that is being criticized. At the end of the day it's mostly ableism at play and it's not even subtle. 

[kittydragondraws]

This Fandom is Weirdly Misogynistic and Ableist

Yeah great title there bud.

So originally this was going to be a half-baked rant about how people disrespect V, but the more I brainstormed that I came to realize. This fandom in general has a problem with misogyny and even ableism towards not just V, but Uzi as well. Heck, I would almost say Uzi moreso.

When it comes to personality butchering, I'd say V gets it worse. The number of times I've seen people make her sound like some petty, vengeful ex makes me want to rip my laptop screen off its hinges.

And most of the reason they do this, episode 4.

When Uzi and V are together in the cabin, V tells Uzi that it's better to stay distant because she'll have to kill Uzi next. Afterwards saying that N's made friends with rocks before, and that he'd move on from her death just fine.

Now, I honestly love this scene. It's a moment where Uzi and V get to be together and V gets to show her true colors without having to hide them from N. She expresses her desire to kill Uzi, because she believes it'll keep N safe, and tells her about the rock friends to make her feel like she's just some cheap novelty to N. This scene is great.

Yet apparently, some people looked at this scene and saw it as V being jealous of Uzi's relationship with N and wanting to kill her over it.

Now I just have to ask... why. This scene is so easy to understand when you just sit and think about it, so why did so many people default to it being a ship thing?

Maybe because she's just a pantless whore who exists just for people to thirst over. At least, that's what Reddit bros and Discord trolls would have you believe.

Now, I do feel it's a bit stupid to look at an unpopular female character and say "well you'd like her if they were a guy", but with V I have a feeling that's exactly the case.

V's not fan service, she's not a hoe or some crazy ex. She's just trying to keep herself from losing one of the few sane constants in her crazy, messed-up life.

But of course, she can't be an intelligent or deep character, she's just a petty woman upset at Uzi for stealing her man and who needs to put on some pants.

Now Uzi, I'd have to say her treatment is worse. Not just because it's the same sexist bullshit V has to put up with, but because she's neurodivergent.

Okay, that was a lie, she's not canonically neurodivergent. But she does have a lot of traits of a neurodivergent person. Being a social outcast, thought of as weird because of her interests and behavior.

Most people who headcanon Uzi as neurodivergent seem to agree that she could have autism, ADHD, or BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder), and I just wanna talk a bit more about her unofficial BPD diagnosis because I think that's the most fascinating out of the three.

In this image I highlighted some symptoms that feel very similar to personality traits Uzi has. Like, it's so similar it almost feels weird to say Uzi having BPD isn't canon.

Now I know what you're going to say, "But Kitty this is just people's headcanons."

And you know what? Fair honestly. But even if Uzi doesn't have autism, ADHD, or BPD, she almost definitely has some form of trauma and you'd be hard-pressed to try to argue with me she's neurotypical.

Uzi's not a pick me, she's a traumatized, possibly neurodivergent, girl trying to hold onto the first friend she's ever made.

Or hey? Maybe she should just suck it up and learn to take care of herself.

Honestly, this post is just a TLDR version of this.

[gutfaced]

re; ableism in the hunger games, infantilism of the traumatized/shunning of the traumatized.

okay so i woke up & my awesome mutual @ongreenergrasses made a post about this too (i JUST saw it and like oooh my god. i agree so hard and so much) and i'm just going to talk about what i've been thinking.

the hunger games is doused in some really nasty thinking when it comes to mental health, and then even more so when it comes to disabilities, addiction and PTSD. i'm going to break down this post in parts based on each character who represents this, and any misc. ones will simply be the issue at hand alone. i find that suzanne writes a certain stereotypical sort of rhetoric that goes unchecked by this fandom because the majority are not those who have experienced these things, but the ones who *have* should at least bring this to more attention if possible. katniss to me, is one of the most ableist characters (not of her own knowing) as the good and mighty protagonist, and seeing people headcanon her as autistic is very interesting when her takes on people with any sort of difference in mental states is.. it comes into question constantly.

𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄

annie is very truthfully, a character who is only based on being the ‘poor mad girl who wins finnick's heart’ and yes, a victor with more severe PTSD which has come to affect her daily life, or at least when it comes to the games. suzanne collins’ constant use of the term ‘mad girl’ comes from katniss as protagonist, which reads as so ableist. watering anyone to their inpairments or their level of health is dehumanizing, and it reads to me like she regards annie as a sort of special case, like a wounded animal almost. the only positive talk about annie as a character minus her wedding, minus her relationship with finnick is when peeta explains annie's experiences in the games, which comes with empathy and understanding that most,,, are overbearing with. i see so many people water her down to just, being finnick's, and only being whatever level of trauma has enabled her consistent struggles. this i won't put a label on because i don't know what collin's was trying to achieve.

i even believe that finnick as her lover commits a level of ableist thinking in their relationship. he withholds information of the rebellion from her (despite her being extremely smart and just as career as anyone else from four,) and despite that not changing anything because she's still tortured, still abused in some way, he has a level of extreme overprotectiveness that reads as infantilism of his partner, and it seems to me like everyone considers finnick as annie's carer, and doesn't consider annie as his partner. yes his *lover,* but not someone on equal ground as far as their mental health issues go. the way annie is seen on both coins of fandom and book are incredibly ignorant and very, very harmful to disabled people. just because someone has a debilitating issue does not mean you get to treat them like they're a child, does not mean you go onto label them from that single trait. like i said, the phrase ‘the mad girl back home’ is so, so degrading to annie, who is a survivor and has overcome her experiences with respective scars. respect her humanity, because it's sub human thinking to call someone mad based on PTSD. leave that in the 1910s/20s.

𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐍 & 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

(note that the haymitch part will be longer than the rest because i have enough content to go off of & this is my specialty)

mrs. everdeen and haymitch as characters both experience deprecating grief, to the extent where their mental health is tarnished from that. mrs. e becomes withdrawn and stiff from family; only able to function for the sake of work. her love, her husband dies and it emotionally disables her and severs a proper relationship to her two daughters. her mental health being dependant on the man/the loss of him and the fact that she discards her family is not only somewhat realistic for *some* cases, but also equally spitting out ideas of tradition and how "women need a man," with hazelle contrasting this and having to work for her 4 children to the point of blood. katniss’ perception of her mother's issue do come from hurt, but also internalised prejudice against those with mental health as she can see the extent of agony her mother is in and still loathes her, never leaving the door open for empathy.

the treatment of haymitch in both book and fandom is equally prejudiced and incredibly uneducated on addiction, and again — grief. haymitch self-medicates because his trauma, the extent of it is so mutilating to the point where he has to be flushing out memories on a constant basis. the fandom calls him a stupid drink, looks down on his intelligence. the books make him look volatile, squalored. the way in which suzanne collins describes his kitchen (which is filthy with old food, hazards, bottles and mice droppings) is VERY true of several people with severe mental health. katniss makes fun of him while he's in a state of approaching withdrawal, saying that the smell brings tears to her eyes, and at the end of the conversation ‘to take a bath.’ people with depression (which is what mrs. e and haymitch both have in different cases) find it difficult to do everyday chores and simple tasks, and katniss also repeats the idea of haymitch being unhygienic when she says ‘he's disgusting, but I'm greatful’ alongside commenting that it must've been a long while since he had bathed. haymitch is the richest man in the district, but not even that can stop the blatant hatred that katniss parrots. haymitch is to me, ill, and it reflects in his attitude during the games and when he's in withdrawal. suzanne hones in his mental state the most, and what he is a functioning alcoholic, and while that differs from regular alcoholism, people are consistent to demean his character with misconceptions and text books beliefs of what an alcoholic looks like. there are *many* takes, many examples of these sorts of people in society, but the constant abusive, violent, hateful, squalid, hedonistic ideas are parroted in fics when it comes to haymitch when he isn't.. any of those things. the society around him cares to consider the extent of his suffering and he doesn't have a good enough support system, as all whom he has loved are dead. i finish this by saying what i always do; he's extremely intelligent, extremely empathetic and wholly feeling, extremely caring and protective, and is meant to *defy* stereotypes. his ending however diminishes his ability to get better, and practically undoes any hope of his betterment despite it all.

𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐄

mrs. undersee is mentioned a few times through the trilogy, and when it isn't related to her late twin maysilee donner, or her daughter madge, it's her chronic illness. katniss basically only mentions her when referring to her constant headaches and her morphling addiction, which makes me wonder why suzanne collins doesn't go into depth about how she's taken care of, who she's getting support from as the wife of the district mayor, and how she functions as a mother. she is basically made useless to the narrative despite her important role as a mayoral first lady & family member to someone who experienced and was slaughtered in the arena. i see next to no content on her which upsets me as she does play such a big role in the scheme of things, and has connections to the everdeens, to haymitch and to the donner family. she's got next to nothing on her wikipedia, and it's unfortunate as she could've been a good example of chronic ilness in an already revered YA series (which now comes under scrutiny for the faults being uprooted.)

[kingcunny]

(reply via @neurodivergentguy )

the ageism/ beauty obsession* is what it *probably is*, but that deeply depresses me so im gonna let the delusions speak and explore other ideas.

also just… pointing out. matthew needham is only 11 years younger than paddy… they were born in different generations but 10 years is not a generation gap? that doesnt seem like enough of an age gap for ageism to apply to one but not the other but… well what do i know. (and pleace and love, i think hes cute, but matthews far from the most handsome man in hotd) also. exception that prooves the rule? rhys ifans is 6 years Older than paddy (and ottos the one who set alicent up to be brutalized by every man around her until she dies, it were going by hotd canon!) and sure, otto Might be the second most hated in the fandom, but not anywhere Near how vis is. but rhys is also incredibly handsome. so that Obviously gives the character he plays a free pass to do whatever.

* (is there a word for that? (other than. eugenics lol. cause like thats the idea Behind it but not quite to the extreme that im talking about? i mean more peoples attraction towards ‘beauty’ vs a repulsion towards ‘ugliness’) cause i need one for how often i talk about it)

if it was just about actions then theyve both done terrible things. and theyve both hurt everyones favorite beautiful doe eyed pretty brown eyed beauty beautiful pretty girl. but larys doesnt get near the amount of vitriol for it. people analyze what larys did. people ship Them. (same thing more or less applies to what i said above about otto)

and if youll allow me to straddle my armchair for a moment, then theres my thought that viserys is the bad dad we get the most time with. and NOBODY has a good relationship with their father. most people cant do anything about that, so instead they seek catharsis through fiction. smacking the representation of your father cause you cant smack your real father. see also- succession fandoms treatment of logan roy

while i do think its ultimately just about playing favorites, ageism, beauty obsession**, i think theres also an element of ableism. and hear me out, cause i know ur thinking ‘arent they both disabled?’

larys disability is very visible and apparent, the limitations of that disability as well. his leg is twisted, he wears that metal boot over his foot, he walks with a cane, he has a limp. he cant run, cant fight, cant hunt, i can tell you from personal experience stairs are a struggle. he can probably ride a horse but its sure not comfortable. its more understandable. more or less, what you see is what it is. and, importantly, its not… unpleasant** to look at. his face is fine. the rest of his body is fine. just his leg.

viserys disability spawns from an illness. and even though hotd changed viserys illness to be more visual, the nature of illness is you cant see the cause, only the effects. and most of those effects are only things the person experiencing the illness can feel.

i had a conversation with my mom about this awhile ago after she pulled a tendon? in her leg and was in near constant pain while it healed, couple weeks. she told me she had no idea how i handled this, day in/day out, week after week, for Years. she was miserable and at the end of her rope after just a week of it. my moms a runner and runs something like 50 miles a week, obviously she couldnt do this while it healed and was very depressed about it. i could only kinda laugh. i couldnt tell her how i handle it, cause i cant. i just told her i think if you dont have chronic pain or a chronic illness, you just straight up do not and Will not understand what its like. she just had a little taste of it.

i think that also might be why theres not as much (good) discussion around viserys disability. because people just, do not understand it. dont understand what its doing to him.

they dont get how chronic illness eats away at you (in vis case, literally!) taking piece by piece until theyres nothing left. until youre just a shell of the person you used to be. they dont feel how chronic pain grinds away at you until youre nothing but a raw exposed bundle of nerves. because those arent things you can see. only feel. experience first hand.

the show tries to make up for this lack by making viserys illness have a very striking visable aspect to it. to show the progression of his illness and the effect its having on him. but illness is gross**. its not pretty. its not pleasant to look at, to *think* about. it ravages his face, his body, his teeth rot and his hair falls put. his arm has to be amputated, his eye is removed, half his face rots away. peoples stomachs turn to look at it and their animal instincts that this is Bad kick in.

if im being kind, most people dont want to talk about things that are unpleasant. that make them sick, that upset and scare them.

if im not being kind, the eugenics minded decide that this means *viserys* is bad. that this is a punishment for or straight up a moral failing of his. outer beauty reflects inner beauty so ugly=evil pretty=good. and all that bullshit. if youre coming at it from this pov you CANT think deeper about viserys disability/illness/character beyond it being a punishment or joke, because then you must confront your belief that illness is a punishment reserved for the Bad. and that is a thought that is just incompatible with life

[fandom-friday]

Hello! I just discovered your acc, love the idea and thought maybe I could drop some of my fav Star Wars fics!

These are just a few recs that I like (I hope sending multiple in at once is ok, if not, I may have overlooked that in the rules and I apologize!) :)

1.: "Even though you're gone, you're still all around" by super_heroine_addict on AO3 (1.5k), (https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242651) - Post-Order 66 Blyla oneshot where Bly tries to navigate through his grief and guilt. But sometimes he feels Aayla's presence? What's that about? How is he supposed to keep living now that she's gone? Is super angsty but what I love about it is how the author managed to make it hopeful towards the end!

2.: "Let me do it right" by TrickyTricky on AO3 (8.1k), (https://archiveofourown.org/works/16349063) - Just discovered this fic this week! A fix-it (kinda) of the (in-)famous Umbara arc in which Cody decides to go check out what the 501st under Krell is up to. His gut feeling turns out to be right and seeing our beloved Marshall Commander handle Krell like an absolute badass is fantastic!

3.: "Like Real People Do" by Witless_Clown on AO3 (1.8k), (https://archiveofourown.org/works/39326130) - Deals with the constant fear and abuse the clones have to suffer under the Kaminoans and the threat of decomissioning looming over their heads at all times. [CW! for Ableism (tagged) and I would also say that the Kaminoans' views def go into eugenics (For OP: idk if you allow stuff like this or if it's too triggering, if you don't want to post/share, I 100% understand!)] It does have a happy ending though!

4.: "A Way Out for Two" by kj_feybarn on AO3 (3k), (https://archiveofourown.org/works/46805752) - A Cad Bane/Obi-Wan fanfic [I hope that pairing is ok, I didn't see anything against it directly in the rules but I understand that it's a rarepair and might not be for everyone - again, OP, do what makes you comfortable! :) ] that deals with their allyship during the Hardeen/deception arc (and the romantic/sexual tension between them lmao) before going into Obi-Wan's life post-Order 66 where Cad Bane finds him on Tatooine with a strange offer (No smut, only a few ~implied~ things while flirting!)

Man, this is an ANGSTY list with a little bit of everything on it, and I love it! Blyla, Cody being a badass and then breaking my heart, and then a rare pair that I'd never considered but am also moderately onboard with. These are all gut punches in their own way, but you know, sometimes that's what we all crave. Thanks so much for sending them in!

(Also, if you ever are unsure about a submission, you can always DM me to ask questions!)

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

[beloved-child-of-the-house]

hi liddy! i saw the post you rbed about blocking liberally, which i’m very much on board with, and it reminded me of something i’ve been thinking about a lot lately and i’m curious about your thoughts.

i’ve noticed that the culture in fandom, maybe specifically the drarry fandom maybe not, is to not engage with things that make you upset, which i think comes from this same root of it feels like crap for everyone and is a self protective choice. that arguing on the internet is pointless and hurtful and it’s better to just look away and move on. but it seems like that turns into folks feeling like they can’t or shouldn’t call out real problems. whether it’s racism or ableism (etc) in fic, issues with modding or beta-ing, interpersonal drama, etc - if the culture is to block and move on, how do we address what does come up in order to keep each other safe? what has been your experience with this, if you’re down to share?

this is such a good question! When I reblogged the post I was thinking mainly about blocking people who post stuff I don’t like so that I don’t have to see it in the tags, essentially because it’s clutter to me. That’s not a particularly serious thing, more just personal preference. This got long so prepare yourself for loosely organized rambling.

I’ve found that fandom’s attitude toward conflict is extremely avoidant. This isn’t specific to drarry or HP, it’s something I have seen in basically every fandom I’ve participated in. Some folks are really uncomfortable with conflict, and it seems to be considered polite not to say anything negative about fanworks and tropes you have a problem with and especially not to publicly take issue with other fans, even ones who are managing the fan experience for lots of people, such as mods.

to some extent, it can be a good thing not to be public about disagreements. The entire fandom doesn’t need to weigh in and take sides on every personal disagreement. That would be a really unpleasant atmosphere and people would leave or be driven out and all that would be left is people who like to fight.

BUT on the other hand, I think there does need to be significantly more tolerance for like. Friction? This anti-conflict attitude favors the status quo, and like. The status quo is kind of steeped in the ableism, transphobia, racism, fat phobia, and even homophobia and misogyny of our larger culture because like. It takes focus and research and constant effort to shed those bigotries, and we are all at different stages in those journeys.

Personally I would feel way more welcome and accepted in fandom if it weren’t seen as like. Impolite to discuss how fandom can do better around things like race in particular. Fandom has turned drarry into an interracial relationship which I love, but sometimes the fannish handling of Harry’s character as a man of color is kind of racist and it would be great to be able to talk about it. once I saw someone say they specifically depict Harry as white because it’s too much trouble to sort out the details of his identity as a person of color and I thought that was SO hurtful and insulting to fans of color. The veneration of Aurors in fandom makes me kind of uncomfortable as a Black fan (acab??) and the treatment of house elves is a fucking mess (your SLAVE character is comic relief?? Really??)

In our particular fandom, canon is SO messy that fanworks seem like a good opportunity to address its messiness. On the other hand, some people don’t care about addressing all the problematic isms in canon and would rather just read and write and draw for sexy reasons or fluffy reasons and aren’t especially interested in taking the source material seriously enough to pull it apart and fix it. Or maybe some people don’t feel like. Informed enough to fix it. Putting yourself out there and sharing your work or even your taste in other people’s work can be really scary. Maybe people feel strongly that more barriers to entry are inherently a bad thing.

Maybe that sense of vulnerability, like we’re all doing something that’s on the edges of socially acceptable that makes everyone so afraid to hear criticism. I don’t see things like callout posts (I recently learned that calling someone out used to mean challenging them to a duel like swords and pistols style!) (Hogwarts era snarry? Pistols at dawn, you villain!) and blocklists anymore but they are not very far in the past. I was going to say we might be overcorrecting but did callout posts and blocklists actually make fandom safer or more moral?

I think a big part of the issue is that fandom is a fucking enormous group of people, united by the fact that we read some book series and we want to make and enjoy fanworks about it, and that is not a lot to have in common. We are going to differ significantly about what constitutes harmonious cohabitation. And of course most people find a little corner of fandom they like the look of and only engage with a few dozen people at a time. That’s much more manageable but like. You still have to be able to talk honestly to people about How We Want To Be (and then sometimes you find out someone doesn’t consider themselves part of your We at all and don’t care how you want to be as long as you leave them out of it).

To me, participating in fandom is about creating relationships and connecting with people, even more than it is about engaging with the source work or enjoying fanworks. It feels very strange to me to be trying to build relationships in an environment where I’m supposed to be unnaturally agreeable. How are they going to know who I even am, if I can only talk about things I like?

But even that is a matter of personal taste! Not everyone enters these spaces wanting to make friends, and there’s nothing wrong with just quietly enjoying the art and keeping to yourself. In which case, maybe conflict in fannish spaces feels more like shouting in the library than healthy relationship maintenance.

All this to say that building relationships and sharing space with other people is always messy and contentious and acting like you can avoid the mess by only saying positive things is self deception. Imposing that standard on the whole group is just. So unhealthy!!! We need a basement for how we treat each other so that people can feel safe that they won’t be damaged by other fans for either making a mistake or drawing attention to an issue.

But how do we establish rules like that so that everyone knows about them and agrees to them? How do we enforce rules? If we successfully establish community standards, how do we share them with new people as they enter? Being a group of humans who want to share things with each other is very fucking messy. These aren’t the kinds of questions you can answer once and be done with it. You have to keep answering them over and over again.

I don’t have a conclusion to this rambling and I have errands to run, so I will leave it here. I appreciate the question!

[messymindofmine]

I’ve debated talking about this but with the new season coming out (one more week!) I figured I might as well get stuff off my chest. The undercurrents of ableism in the way some fans talk about Tarlos is concerning to me. I see people say that the relationship is unequal and that TK is too high-maintenance and I truly wonder what show these people are even watching. 

From the start, we are shown that TK struggles with his mental health a lot and something the show does very well is show how healing is not linear and that even in the moments when things are good, mental illness can still rear its head. What bothers is me is when people act like TK is the only one getting comfort in the relationship and that he does nothing for Carlos. That is just blatantly false. TK brings Carlos so much comfort in both big and small ways. I could honestly make a list of the things he does for Carlos and I just might. But let’s remember that Carlos for all his struggles doesn’t deal with the same mental health issues that TK does. For TK, his addiction and depression are things that he has to deal with on a constant basis even when things are good. The show does a good job of showcasing that in both obvious and subtle ways. I want to emphasize this bc it seems some people just don’t understand this. Not all relationships look the same and just because a relationship doesn’t measure up to your standards doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Just because one person happens to struggle with their mental health a bit more or requires a bit more emotional support at times doesn’t mean the relationship is unequal. If anything, the way these people react to Tarlos proves to me just how important it is for this type of relationship to be shown. For all that TK does tend to need emotional support a bit more at times, he has always been there for Carlos to provide the same support. Any time Carlos has been the one struggling, it’s TK who is always there to support and comfort him. There are ableist undertones to how some people talk about Tarlos and TK in general bc they call TK high-maintenance any time he is shown to struggle with something and Carlos is there to support him. Or if he is shown to get upset about something. I can tell you myself that this is something people who struggle with their mental health are often called any time they dare to exhibit symptoms of their illness. I definitely have more to say on this topic but I’ll leave that for a different post. I do want to say that I know that most people in the fandom aren’t like this at all. 98% of what I see is full of love just as it should be. I just feel like the 2% is something I have to address bc it really bothers me. The relationship between TK and Carlos is so beautiful and I love how much they’ve both grown as individuals and a couple over the past 3 seasons 🧡

[saltwukong]

A more concise version for people that still don't get it:

Your humanity is not tied to your flesh and blood. Your humanity is who you are, and your ability to experience the world around you and interact with other people, to perceive and understand them and be perceived and understood in turn. Humanity is not your skin and blood and muscle, it is you. The experiences and morals that enable you to love, trust, hurt, hate, and grieve.

Rooster Teeth aiming for "loss of humanity" with the triple amputee traumatized veteran is the problem. That on its own is ableist. But the fact that it only seems to apply to Ironwood when Yang and Penny's humanity is consistently validated, prosthetics and robot parts and all, is an extreme double standard.

The constant buzzword usage of "fascist" by the RWBY fandom and even Arryn Troche among others is an attempt to try and justify this, because then they can dodge the black mark. It's not his prosthetics that make him evil, it's his throwing away his humanity! Except those two things can't be separated and choosing to write that abundance of evil and apathy for human life onto the disabled character will always be a problem.

Ableism in media, at least the variation dealing with amputees, isn't that different from attractiveness idealism (you know, where characters who are evil tend to be designed to be unappealing to look at). Ask yourself why Adam has a massive disfiguration on his face, why Cinder is down both an eye and an arm, why Salem looks like black goop in human shape, and why Mercury is firmly villainous while Emerald gets the sweet redemption deal.

[neon-moon-beam]

Putting links to my posts in one place. Here is the list of my Reassurance Posts regarding evidence that Ingo will return home to Unova, how long he's potentially been in Hisui, and how he potentially got there, with a few other things mixed in. Everything is backed up with as much in-game evidence as possible; what we've seen in PLA, other games in the Pokemon series, and the overall tone of the series. I spent a lot of time scouring PLA and researching these. I do not like to speculate without anything to back it up.

Here is the list of posts I've made Regarding Angst and Ableism In The Submas Fandom. Please read the intro on the post before clicking links to any of the posts! The constant angst content and the ableism in the wake of PLA have made so many Submas fans feel alienated in a space they should be able to enjoy, and many now want nothing to do with the fandom as a result. Many are disappointed and discouraged after seeing two autistic-coded characters handled insensitively in fan works by too many in the fandom, and some neurodivergent folks feel dehumanized by the ableist portrayals, especially if they strongly identified with Ingo and/or Emmet. It's sad that a space that should have been comforting, supportive, and welcoming has become unbearable to so many. Please do better.

And if you like any of my posts or find them useful, please reblog them! Tumblr's algorithm is nothing like other social media sites, so if you simply like the post, it's not going to do anything as far as helping it reach other people. Tumblr is also not like other social media sites in that people usually do not find it weird or creepy if you interact with older content! I spent a lot of time playing PLA, searching for every possible hint and dialogue option, compiling evidence, and working on my posts. I'd love if other people who liked them shared them.

Thanks for reading!

[qtubbo]

There’s genuinely been such much ableism directed at Tubbo these past few days it’s been hard to deal with, just completely open ableist remarks with /rp at then end or I love ccTubbo but… Constant remarks of him not following social ques, being too loud, having issues with tone, mocking him for having trouble reading the signs, saying that he’s neglecting Sunny because he’s not emotionally aware, ect. It sucks, I don’t like having to see so much of the fandom be openly ableist, why can’t people just be normal able disabled people of any kind. Also saying Tubbo shouldn’t rant about his interests because it ruins your immersion is just horrible and you all know it.

[firecrackerhh]

If the writing in HB is such a disappoint for you I suggest you quit while you’re ahead and just not bother watching Hazbin Hotel at all, obviously your standards are way too fucking high. I suggest finding something you actually like and blogging about that instead.

Also the way some “fans” talk about Vivziepop is frankly really disrespectful. It’s irrelevant that she’s a creator online and thus should expect pushback on everything she says or does, some of you go way too fucking far with it. She is still a human being who deserves respect, if you can’t give the CREATOR of a show you actively choose to watch any respect because of insignificant bullshit reasons like “they made something that personally disappointed/offended me” or because of accusations made against said creator with flimsy evidence at best, then those same people who claim the fandom is full of immature children are the most hypocritical jackasses I’ve ever seen in my life.

You want to criticize? Fine, but do not act like you’re morally above any of us who like the show when you actively choose to treat not only the creator like shit, but the fans as well. Hell I’ll be honest, if you don’t like Viv, I can’t say it bothers me that much, these idiots just shout into the void more often than not and their bitching amounts to nothing in the end anyway. But to treat the fans of HH and HB like we’re fucking idiots all because we have committed the horrible sin that is…liking something and not wanting to be bombarded with ever constant negative bullshit about it? That isn’t any more mature. That’s toddler behavior, crybully behavior even, and I don’t respect that shit whatsoever. “Waaaah these people don’t agree with my opinion on a cartoon so they’re all retarded and delusional and mentally ill I’m totally not projecting you guys waaaah!”

I do not deny that some fans go overboard with defending their favorite show, but notice how it’s all defensive, not offensive. We don’t start this shit, they bully us first, and then have the nerve to cry when we rightfully tell them how full of shit they are? What are you, a fucking baby? If you can’t handle other peoples opinions about a cartoon maybe you should fucking touch grass my dudes.

How’s that shoe feeling on the other foot? Not so nice when those criticisms are laid at your feet huh?

If you think you can do better, fucking do it then. Use your ever constant burning contempt for something useful and productive instead of sounding like a fucking whiny loser online, cuz that’s what you people sound like.

Speaking of disrespecting others…

I never want to hear any of you motherfuckers bitch about ableism ever fucking again. Retard is the nicest word I could use to refer to you fucking troglodytes. You deserve to get called that shit and worse.

Also for the love of god that’s not what gaslight fucking means you mentally challenged amoeba. Pick up a fucking dictionary.

🔥🧨~Firecracker out~🔥🧨

[paperstorm]

Please feel free to ignore this if you don't want to talk about it. I totally understand. But I just wanted to say something about the post you made about people infantilizing TK and your tags on microagressions. I've never understood why the rather (to me at least) ableist microagressions don't get called out the same way other stuff regarding other characters does. I'm not saying this to make it seem like I think TK is more important but just because it's a thing I've noticed in fandoms in general when it comes to ableism, it's something that isn't picked up on. I guess it's understandable since in society in general ableism (particularly when it comes to invisible illnesses) doesn't get as much attention as other things. And it does hurt a bit as someone who really relates to TK to see people who defend other characters and very clearly do love TK but just don't seem to even notice the ableism that has existed since the beginning. Whether it's calling him selfish or infantilizing him in some way, it's there. It's like people just see that he is white and don't think about anything else when in fact there are so many aspects of his identity that are marginalized and in fact some of the other characters have privileges that he doesn't. Again, I am not trying to minimize the importance of calling out bad attitudes towards Carlos or Marjan or any of the other characters. I'm just saying why can't that same energy be there for TK as well. Sure people might defend him when they are directly faced with something but the larger conversation of why those nasty comments are made and why that attitude exists is skipped over for the most part in a way that it isn't for other characters. In fact, you might be the only person I see that consistently calls it out so I really appreciate you. I just wish that people's attitude towards TK was talked about more especially as we progress with the final season.

(Did I make a post about infantilizing TK? If I did I can't think of it right now, altho that means nothing I have a famously terrible memory and either way it's not a thing I want to happen to TK) But yeah absolutely! Life is a constant process, for people who care about being decent humans, of unlearning and relearning. We live in a society that is built on white supremacy yes but also on ableism and heteronormativity and patriarchy and Christian supremacy and colourism and Eurocentrism and all sorts of other shit that we think of as 'neutral' that is absolutely not neutral at ALL but instead stems from incredibly harmful and antiquated mindsets. And because we all absorb information from the world around us, so much of that shit doesn't even register as harmful because it's been so normalized over so many decades or even centuries. Unpacking the harmful stuff you've learned from the world around you is a lifelong project, it never stops until the day you die, and that includes unlearning things about people who suffer from the chronic illness that is addiction. Trying to do better never ends but is always important.

[zoophagist]

Shaking your hand over the Dracfield content. I'm into novel!Dracfield hard, I joined the "Dracula" fandom specifically for that ship, like 3 years ago, I'm even into the 2023!Dracfield, but the stuff going on in the tag right now just makes me ?????. Oh? So for yall it's not about the guy clinging to an Eldritch being because of homophobia and ableism? Oook, keep your secrets.

ooc;; every dracula fan is valid no matter their preferred version but that DOESN'T mean i understand them!! yeah i DO understand your vibes though. turning from humanity because humanity has turned away from you... embracing the monstrous because you are seen as a monster... running into the arms of anyone or anything that will make you feel protected, valued, and loved?? hell yeah, brother. personally i go feral for the "you're completely inhuman, you're like unto a god, and i can never comprehend any way you're capable of truly wanting me but still i am wanted somehow and i would do anything to be yours" of it all, so. hm. definitely not enough eldritch incomprehensibility in this dracfield for me. HATE to say this for renfield's sake but one of the most important hallmarks of the dracfield ship for me is how renfield is living off the scraps of dracula's attention and is highly unlikely to ever get more than that. it feeds the pining deliciously. so i am baffled by the vibe the 2023 fans go for of not only drac's constant availability to renfield but apparently really overt feelings for renfield?? like fully in love with renfield too?? but hm, if i think about it, i do also like the angle of dracula using renfield's amorous feelings to manipulate him of play with him, and the stringing along of promises and rewards so i it's not that i want dracula to only ever be cold and aloof, but maybe that like... i think i don't buy that count dracula would just accept and get tender over feelings for renfield? i need something of the monstrous "you don't love like a human should" element still, and also maybe a little cruelty & manipulation. the 2023 fandom stuff i see makes dracula too soft and knowable to me!! i really need that "somewhat in the position which enoch occupied spiritually" "why?" "because he walked with god" energy at the heart of it all. lmao not like anybody asked. if the 2023 fans are seeing this PLEASE know i'm not being snarky or superior. our spice is different but we are fundamentally eating the same meal and i am giving you a confused and supportive thumbs up from across the restaurant with a mouthful of dracfield. i am toasting you with the master/servant kink we're all chugging like water.

[musical-chick-13]

Thank you forntalking about fandom misogyny, I learned a lot and have actually started addressing and working on internal biases I had against female characters.

This was such a lovely ask to receive, thank you so much!!

I'm always happy to be any kind of springboard for discussions about new ideas (directly or not). And I learn a lot from these discussions, too! I'm definitely not perfect, and I still have work to do on dismantling internal biases of varying kinds.

And, yes, this isn't the only manifestation of misogyny that exists. It isn't the only conversation that we should be having. And it's not the same thing as something like the wage gap or discussions of irl domestic violence. I talk about this a lot because...well, this is the fandom website. We all know how impactful fictional characters can be. And if fiction can be a forum for discussing and dismantling some of the ideas behind or in conjunction with misogyny, then I am happy to be a part of that, where applicable.

At the end of the day, fandom should be (and most of the time is!!) fun. But the sad reality of structural oppression (which includes more things than just misogyny--racism, ableism, transphobia, just to name a few), is that it permeates all facets of life. Which, sadly, includes fun things and hobbies.

I don't think Doing Fandom should be a constant process of Evaluating Oppression and Making Statements (we have political activism for a reason). But I DO think overall people (and I, as always, am including myself in here, because, again, I am one person, and, by virtue of being a person, am still going to have some faults and disconnects and things I don't know) would benefit from asking how various types of bigotry and discrimination show up on both a bigger social level and a smaller personal level. And since one of the most significant "smaller personal" activities we engage with is our hobbies...well, again, I think that's a valuable context to consider these things sometimes. Our hobbies are part of us. To consider how our ideology or things we've internalized might interact with them occasionally seems a logical step for me.

ANYWAY, I think I have talked enough in this answer, but thank you so, so much for being so nice, for being willing to evaluate different parts of your life (which is not always easy), and for...just caring about this in the first place!!

I hope you have a lovely day, anon. 😊