#Shalomander

[tacosdefresa]

[date-a-jew-suggestions]

I’m a bit late this year, but the shalomander wishes you a happy and healthy new year 💙

I made Gary (my gecko) a tiny Tallis and yarmulke for Rosh Hashanah and he wished u all happy new year

[studiousbotanist]

didnt feel good abt hte dna post after all actually but i have stolen the shalomander .

:)

[cleolinda]

Weekend links

My posts

I wrote a lot this week, including an overlong post about the saga of my haunted childhood home, which turned into two overlong posts after my sister told me I’d gotten it wrong. Those will go up this coming week. These gifs are deeply relevant.

This week: The 20th anniversary of Tiny Moist Hand.

Reblogs of interest

Strikes and unions: Early this week, there may [have been] internal division among the AMPTP.

As of this writing (Sunday morning 9/24), the WGA and the AMPTP may be close to a deal. By the time this post goes up in the afternoon, we may know the results.

Several LGBTQ+ archives

Happy birthday Dr. Elly, Cat Doctor!

All my librarians hate James Patterson

Found social-media poetry

New definition of ghosting

Uncleftish beholding

The unstoppable trans Chili Queen and her supportive wife

"If it’s about a dad dating other dads, how come some of them have kids???"

A quilted gift

Video

The crimes of the Neko Cat Cafe

Dentist magic

When you go from hype man to traditional man

Adele’s dog

The sacred texts

Evil Chancellor Traytor

But what if it… was for puppies

His wife has filled his house with chintz

Personal tags of the week

#Judaism, feat. the shalomander

#cats (not the musical) was very strong this week

#much to consider

#careers

[xoxoauntscripty]

Idk if the shalomander was a dogwhistle- all I know is the testing of the lizard and then saying it came back with 50% Jewish DNA was very in line with "Jewish people are actually lizard people" and all the shitty implications and beliefs that come with that.

It's a bummer too bc I thought the shalomander was very cute lol

#same, but, yeah, given the context, no more Shalomander love. Thanks for pointing this out, will be more careful with random reblog in the future!

[pippenpaddlopsicopolisthethird]

Hey the video won't load for me but if it's what I think/remember it being I'm pretty sure that the video in the 23andMe post you reblogged is fake and is supposed to be an antisemitic jab (the whole "Jewish people / lizard people" thing). Just thought you would like to know!

Two of you sent the same message but thanks for the heads up! I was too distracted by the shalomander and my overall distaste for genetic testing services to clock it. I've gone ahead and deleted it.

[heywhatsupfolks]

i pet the shalomander

[tailless-whale]

the 23&me lizard dna test tiktok was originally an anti-semitic dogwhistle (according to notes on post) so do what you will with that info !

thanks! I mostly reblogged for the "shalomander". post is deleted now 😊

[volchitsa-of-winterfell]

#shalomander..............

Stop pussy footing around it. Are you coming to my Chinese giant salamander's bar mitzvah or not

[tacosdefresa]

Headcannons???

↑ lo usaré para todo

[awwsocuteanimals]

Shalomander

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Since you are a Jewish reptile expert can I get your opinion on the Shalomander?

10/10, I feel like he'd be really good for debates. Would totally sit with him while we passionately argue about whether or not it's Kosher to eat vegan bacon

[lizardywizard]

Never forget Shalomander!

Jewish culture is gently resting a kippah on your pet's head so they'll feel included

you can’t say that and not show us….

[writingwithcolor]

Lizard People and Antisemitism: Avoiding Dogwhistles

@cursed--alien said:

Is it possible to make an anthro lizard character without being antisemitic? I know lizard people is an antisemitic dogwhistle, but I also think geckos are really rad and want to make a gecko dude.

@aj-whitfield-real said:

On the anti-semitism discussion: What about lizard characters in of themselves? Like, anthropomorphic lizard, or just scaly characters? What should be considered when writing them?

Great questions, y’all! I love lizards so I’ve been saving this one for when I had enough energy to have fun with it.

Short answer: no, lizard anthros are not offensive on their own. I, personally, adore them.

Why are lizard comparisons antisemitic?

In order to write a lizard anthro who won’t be read as a weird antisemitic thing, there are some steps you can take to distance the character from antisemitic tropes. But before I get into that, I want to make sure everyone understands why the lizard thing is bad. I love lizards. Like, a lot. Going back to being 5 years old. But when people make those comments it's not about "cute lizards" it's like... this way of saying we look so weird (or are so weird) that we don't even look mammalian. To compare a marginalized group you aren’t in to an animal (and we are far from being the only group to experience this) is often two different kinds of annoying at once: 1. It’s a generalization, and one that reduces us to some assumed common trait that we all have, and 2. Usually it’s a reference to something humans—all humans—find off-putting about this type of animal.

Distancing your character from antisemitic tropes

Anyway moving on to ways to distance your dapper adorable Geico lizard from us:

1. I’d avoid having them being bankers, debt collectors, or anything else associated with money (I’m okay with that iguanamouth cartoon of the lizard hoarding coins you lost in the couch, because it’s ridiculously cute. This is all mental algebra, with pluses and minuses, and things being lovable, cute, and safe can make it okay because the core of the lizard trope is the antithesis of lovable and the antithesis of safe.)

2. “Invading.” Because that’s the rest of the antisemitic lizard trope, that we’re infiltrators. I think some of this might come from the fact that some of us look really white, but have customs that the local Christians super didn’t associate with whiteness so it seemed sneaky to them. Like we were something foreign and other-y but in a white-person costume. But that’s just a guess. (I am thinking of the “your skin is hanging off your bones, Edgar” thing at the beginning of Men in Black or the Slitheen in “Aliens of London” in Doctor Who, but specifically with lizards. Please note I am not a Whovian so I don’t really know anything else about them, I just randomly saw the Eccleston season with a friend a looong time ago. If you avoid having your lizard anthros evoke this trope that is a very good way to save them.)

3. Master manipulators, government conspiracy etc. I suppose this is related to point #2.

4. There are certain stereotypical professions that I would be shy about unless you have a definitive way of showing you’re not talking about Jewish people (such as, having Jewish humans in the story/universe, or making the lizards pagan or Christian or something) -- tailors (this is more historical than current), doctors, lawyers especially sleazy ones. This one is more murky because you can probably get away with a lizard anthro orthopedic surgeon or whatever if she’s super lovable. Consider #4 more of a yellow light than a red light.

Speaking of being lovable making it okay, this post I wrote about my own approach to writing a literal Jewish lizard-shifter character from the inside might be helpful, with the caveat that I would absolutely not write a characters as trope-reclaiming as Isaac from the outside of any group. I am fully aware what a thin line I am walking here.

In concusion

Look, I love lizards, and I love being Jewish, so I wish I could enjoy things like the “shalomander” meme unconditionally, or put Isaac in an umbrella as a kippah when he’s in his dragon form in an art commission without being nervous. But unfortunately there are teeth and history hidden in some of these things so it’s a good idea to tread lightly.

I think you will be fine because there is plenty of room for anthro lizard people without the kind that sets off the trope.

P.S. If you love lizards as much as I do, you should check out @daftpatience ‘s lizard wizard series.

--Shira

[daily-meme]

Shalomander – the truth is out there

[thefreewillagency]

Hey, I think that 23 and Me video post is misinfo and an antisemitic lizard meme btw (no hate just letting you know)

Though the “shalomander” reblog would’ve be a really cute pun if it weren’t for the context 😭

OH. I get it now. I just nodded and went "yeah, I don't trust DNA test companies much either" and missed the antisemitic "joke". I'm glad you caught it and appreciate you calling it out. <3