#The first is based on a true (?) story

[anakirui]

hot take ??

the only reason people say that "mafuyu and tsukasa have nothing in common" when presented with mafukasa parallels is because they equate mafuyu and tsukasa being similar to "tsukasa has depression" because the fandom equates mafuyu's personality to being depressed and nothing else.

it doesn't help that people (primarily younger people in the fandom) who DO believe in mafukasa parallels end up making the mistake of portraying tsukasa as depressed because as of right now he is not (although it's possible he was in past because of his Very Unclear Middle School Backstory but that's irrelevant)

anyways, mafuyu and tsukasa are narrative foils because their core personalities are built off of the concept of wanting to make the people around them— especially their families— happy.

they both developed personalities at a young age based on someone they looked up to. for tsukasa, it was seiichi amami's performance that inspired him to be a star— a hero that could cheer anyone up. for mafuyu, it was her mother taking care of her that inspired her to be a nurse— and you can see the similarities from there.

for mafuyu, her identity would first come into conflict when her mother expressed her want for mafuyu to be a doctor— suddenly, "everyone's" happiness didn't match what she wanted to do, leaving her in a state of disorder and eventual depression.

for tsukasa, his identity was something he nearly forgot in its entirety at the start of the main story— becoming arrogant and fully absorbed in a hero persona, forgetting the kind person he truly is. furthermore, his current character arc seems to be foreshadowing that what "being a star" to him is going to be called into question— maybe it is something more than just being the main character that saves everyone.

their insecurities are incredibly similar.

in mafuyu's first mixed, mafuyu feels insecure towards ichika because unlike ichika, she feels as if her lyrics have no genuine meaning to be expressed to other people— despite them being her very real feelings. this is brought up again in her second mixed as well.

in tsukasa's third focus event, something similar happens. when watching seiichi's performance, he thinks that his acting is "real" and feels inferior towards him, which is ironic because tsukasa has been method acting this whole time. when tsukasa is acting out rio or bartlett or really anyone at this point in the story, it's not just those characters— it's a reflection of his traumas.

just like mafuyu, tsukasa undermines his passions he's poured his feelings into because someone else's work is more genuine in his eyes.

now, then, foils have many similarities and parallels (and i could honestly list a lot more), but how i define them is that they usually have some kind of major branching difference that MAKES them foils.

for mafuyu and tsukasa it's pretty straightforward.

mafuyu's people pleasing behavior comes from external expectations and pressures— her mother's demands.

tsukasa's people pleasing behavior comes internally, from himself— if he can't meet his own standards, if he can't be the perfect big brother or the perfect star, then he is nothing.

and even then, there's some overlap.

tsukasa's behavior was indirectly encouraged by his mother praising him for being a "good big brother" over the phone instead of asking him if he was okay while home alone.

mafuyu's terrified to be herself around other people because she doesn't want to worry or bother them— she doesn't want to be a burden— and projects her mother's expectations onto them, not realizing that they would prefer the real mafuyu if they knew the truth.

and the concept of mafukasa being foils is most perfectly and blatantly portrayed in these two cards.

mafuyu, the marionette, sitting limp on the floor— puppeteered by her mother's demands and donning a mask to hide her true self.

tsukasa, the jester, standing above everything else— puppeteering silenced plushies— his feelings. he's not being completely honest with himself, and he doesn't even realize it.

mafuyu has cut her strings and ripped her mask in half. she has acknowledged her true feelings and expressed them to her mother, even if she had to run away in the end.

tsukasa has not yet cut his.

[seth-whumps]

"Why are you helping?"

"You're not the only one who gets hurt. We all take care of each other."

"It was a stupid mistake."

"Yeah, well, I'm the reason we have a first aid kit in the kitchen. I'll cut myself with my own fingernails. They still give me a bandaid when I need one. So relax and let me help, yeah?"

[eight-pointed-star]

pros of being a silmarillion fan: everything is about your favourite characters!

cons of being a silmarillion fan: everything is about your favourite characters so you genuinely can't tell whether the creator has read the silmarillion and purposefully made a reference or it's just the consequences of both tolkien's impact on mass culture (fantasy in particular) and tolkien's work itself referencing real world mythology

[rinbylin]

friendships as marital ties (and other notes on relational ties) in mlc

this is sort of a third installment in the series of meta on 'mlc as an exemplar of constructing queer narratives out of chinese ideological frameworks' (1. jianghu as queer space and 2. how it manifests in li xiangyi) - focusing on the nature of relationships in it. (which I've briefly mentioned in the first one and finally actually getting to it!!)

-

I would like to first call attention to chinese ideological frameworks as a premise of queer reading in mlc. the goal of chinese philosophy is to explore the becoming of human, taking two broad paths of the (mainstream) secular vs. escaping the secular. (these two paths are not a strict dichotomy, and rather, are ever in flux and in conversation with each other.) as said by @markiafc too, chineseness is so much about the rigidity of structures, and in equal part, a desire to break out of them. thus, chinese ideological frameworks can very much offer a rich reading of queerness - that mlc, a story very deliberately structured based on chinese ideologies (more accurately, with good reasons for me to believe that it is as such), has managed to materialise.

if the conceptualisation of queerness is premised on a defiance against mainstream norms, then a reliable way to read queerness in chinese ideological frameworks can be to deconstruct it by the mainstream confucian frameworks.

in mlc, this is implicitly set up with its stage of wulin/martial jianghu. then it is further broken down by asking, hey wulin jianghu is still closely related to the hegemonic values and the mainstream structure of authority (historically, 侠 xia being politically involved says a lot about this), so what is the true meaning of jianghu? what does it then really take for jianghu to be a queer space offering comfort and freedom to those who have escaped to it - to be the space that allow the transcendence of rigid roles and labels? mlc took a step further to resist the proxy to mainstream values that wulin jianghu has become.

this is why there can be a very strong buddhism reading of mlc (suggested here, expounded in the A+++ meta by @markiafc here and here, and also what I've seen discussed by cnet as well), given that buddhism is one of the 'extra-secular' ideologies, alongside (philosophical) taoism. I've also touched on a taoist angle in this meta. both schools are articulated in different sets of languages, but ultimately convey a same ideal of what it means to be human and how to live well - that is, to resist the roles and labels defined by the norms.

so, back to confucian frameworks.

a lot can be discussed about mlc with it. but in the context of this meta about relationships in mlc, it's specifically drawing on how confucianism conceptualises social relationships with familial ties as a cornerstone, and how these relational ties are inextricable from the conceptualisation of the 'self'.

as such, one of the things about mlc that has fascinated me is how deliberately it seems to ignore and reject the conventional familial ties (the kind by blood and marital ties). I've joked about how it is a miracle for me to love mlc as much as I do, as a prime dysfunctional family story enjoyer, despite none of its main characters struggling with any complicated feelings about their (biological) parents. but on closer examination, mlc is also making a comment on the model of familial-based relationships that dominates mainstream society - but through the absence of it.

with this, I want to talk about 1) how mlc rejects the conventional ties; and then 2) how it repurposes these ties in its own ways.

-

the five relational ties in confucianism:

father and son 父子有亲 - (natural) affection between father and son

ruler and subject 君臣有义 - righteous relationship between ruler and subject

older and younger brothers 兄弟 (长幼有序) - this is actually about seniority within the family; the order between older vs younger family members

husband and wife 夫妇有别 - differentiation between husband and wife (demarcated by the 内外 spectrum of gendered inner-external spheres)

friends 朋友有信 - trust between friends

logically inferred, all these ties are hierarchical and familial-based except for the last one: friends. ruler-subject is sort of an extension of the natural familial ties, while friendship is the inverse space of 1-4 (ie. you fall back on 5 to define a social relationship outside of the familial sphere that cannot be qualified as 1-4). while all are premised on mutuality, it is only no. 5 that is defined by a sense of choice and equality.

on the surface, 1-4 don't quite exist in mlc in particularly meaningful ways to the narrative or are even outright overlooked, and friendship is the relational tie most valued by mlc. we can tell it's true just by looking at the most meaningful relationships in mlc of difanghua. but at the same time, it is more nuanced. we can take a closer look at how the story plays around with most of the ties as part of a broader queer narrative.

-

1) how mlc rejects the conventional ties

mlc's rejection of mainstream relational ties can be best seen in fdb escaping from marriage. and it was not just any engagement with anybody but an engagement with the imperial family. he struggles with the prospect of being married to princess zhaoling, but generally, it's about the idea of complying to mainstream conventions and expectations that includes compulsory heterosexuality. all these point not only to a defiance against amatonormativity - the resistance of the traditional husband-wife tie, but also an irreverence for the ties of ruler-subject (the engagement being an imperial decree) and father-son (matters of marriage being sole decisions made by parents).

of course this is on top of how fdb's own biological father is a p-o-s, and the narrative gives fdb minimal struggles in this aspect, allowing him to sever this tie without looking back (I love it, yeap). along the same line is how lxy is an orphan, who came to gain important relationships that are built on natural compassion among people rather than innate, blood-based ties - even as llh. the sense of defiance from the narrative is especially stark to me considering that he could have a completely different familial-based life - as a son, brother, and ruler, if his biological family was still around. the narrative also deliberately treats his biological brother as a phantom, replaced with an older brother who he was bonded with neither by blood nor marital ties. on dfs's front, absolutely nothing is to be known about his biological family. his childhood history with the toxic patriarch of his life - who is not even his biological father - was afforded a clean break and closure.

we can keep going on, but that's pretty much the point.

ritualisation is one of the most important things of the confucianism school, especially to the honoring of these social relationships (and the officiating of social roles). the one ceremony/ritual we saw in mlc involving the main characters - or more accurately speaking, came closest to seeing - was the imminent wedding ceremony of dfs and jlq. even in that case, it was premised on non-mutuality with dfs being the unwilling, passive party. (fem-coded dfs? 25 marks.)

and that brings us to the next part.

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2) how mlc repurposes these ties

that particular wedding ceremony gets hijacked by dfs and lxy/llh, and gets turned into an important milestone in their relationship. they consummate - what is on text - their friendship after a long time being more enemies and rivals than friends. it is a clear establishment of the trust they have for each other. and here it is where I circle back to the subject of this post: friendships as marital ties.

in this article, as a part of a feminist, egalitarian reframing of confucianism, there is a proposal for spousal relationships to be reframed as a friendship tie. (this aligns with the interrelatedness of the five ties eg. the ruler-subject mirrors father-son dynamic, with the confucian belief that rulers have an obligation to their subjects alike parents to their own children.) by doing so, it removes the functional, gendered differentiation assigned to marital ties, and shifts it to something equal, and independent of gender. you exalt the value of trust between spouses, instead of basing marital relationships on gendered roles. as such, spouses become more like friends, and conversely, friends can also become more like spouses. (romance not a prerequisite. it has never been about romance anyway.)

given that mlc has repeatedly applied marital motifs to llh and dfs's characters in their joint narratives, this opens up a reading friendships as a marital tie. seeing marriage as a bridge for strangers to become family, marriage in mlc becomes a metaphor for the chosen commitment and mutual trust put in by strangers/friends (non-familial ties) into the becoming of family. the blurring of lines between marital ties and friendship encourages a genuine space of queer experience that goes beyond any pressure for strict labels - of sexuality, and relationships as romantic, sexual, etc etc.

(note: despite the borrowing of a feminist concept, I strongly hesitate to call mlc a feminist story. it's a whole discussion - or debate - on its own. nevertheless, it is definitely a gender-conscious story that lays foundation for a strong queer and egalitarian reading.)

-

it is to be noted that it is intended - and also beneficial to take the confucian framework of relational ties beyond face value. the framework offers what it believed to be the most fundamental social relationship dynamics, and sees room for extension and matching to other kinds of relationships (all if not, most). a relationship such as teacher-student, which is outside of the five ties stated, can also mirror the affection of father-son ties, albeit not in a literal and identical way.

speaking of which. fdb and lxy/llh.

indeed they're known by others to be good friends. fdb thinks they're good friends too - insists on it, and puts his best efforts in keeping it that way. but does it really go both ways? if it does not, then can it really still be friendship? my humble take is that, ultimately - weighing in with llh's perspective - this is a relationship that is not so much based on trust, and rather, based on an innate affection that is only unique to family. (in this case, not blood/marital-based but one that was chosen and built aka lxy's relationship with sgd.) in other words, less of a friendship, more of a familial one.

it is a lot clearer considering their relationship from llh's point of view: some brat you never wanted in your life came barging in, and whether he was going to bring any positive effect to your life was secondary to the tranquility - which you have carved for yourself in the past decade - that is so integral to your personhood. no way. but the moment you hear that he's family? well, that changes the game completely. even before learning about fdb being sgd's son (then beginning to take initiative in showing greater acceptance), it is apparent in llh that there was an instinctive resonance with fdb as his shixiong's nephew. (eg. he remarked to his shifu's grave about how alike fdb is to himself.) this is unlike with dfs whom he had taken a much longer time to build trust with. you do not apply trust - aka the quality of friendships - to family. family is something deeper, more instinctive than that. if fdb was never family, I find it hard to imagine given llh's personality, that he would have let some brazen, bratty stranger intrude for that long. (boy invited himself to llh's home, sat himself down eating the owner's dinner and nosing in his cooking abilities!!! ily bb but that was uncalled for 😭)

of course there are many more layers in their relationship. there is a substantial degree of their history as (unwitting) teacher-disciple: fdb is still healthy and alive all thanks to the existence of lxy as a spiritual teacher role model in his life, regardless it being one-sided or not. there is also indeed some part of friendship in it, especially from fdb's point of view. he sees llh as a kindred spirit who he could enjoy a life of freedom with for life. but llh never reciprocates. he knew this was short-lived. and so ultimately, the hierarchical layer of their relationship overpowers the equal one, where llh's treatment of fdb as a nephew/小辈 younger family member and a disciple is the one that sealed the fate of their relationship.

if (blood-based) familial ties are irrelevant in jianghu, then the closest proxy to a father-son relationship in the martial world would be a teacher-disciple relationship. lxy and his shifu are a clear, indisputable example. for fdb and llh, their teacher-disciple tie is murkier and not consistently applied. they were also never ritualised as teacher-disciple, and thus are not teacher-disciple in any official capacity as far as confucian ideas are concerned. yet in crucial moments, it is invoked by llh as a card of authority over fdb to get out of sticky situations with fdb. and there was their final scene together: in a moment of sincerity, llh gives the approval to fdb as his disciple - then entrusting fdb with the secret manual of his techniques, up until his final letter in which fdb was recommended to dfs as a successor to his martial abilities.

in an imperial setting, this would have been the relationship of an emperor and his crown prince that straddles both ruler-subject and father-son ties aka a tag-team of disaster. the teacher has an obligation to nurture his disciple as a successor to himself, and love him like a son too. on the flipside, he holds the final power in their relationship - withholding knowledge and feelings from the younger one. they are only equals in a way a parent-child can be. they are only equals as much as the parent allows. and this is how fdb got left behind in the dust of llh's departure. he was the child treating his parent like a friend, supporting him emotionally and begging to be loved back the same way he loves his parent - but the parent had a lifetime way ahead of him and stayed out of his reach, physically and emotionally.

llh and fdb operate with the trapping of a friendship but have always been family in the core. llh had known that way before fdb did, just like everything else he had known and put out of fdb's reach. because. fdb did not have to know. fdb is different and will forge his own path. and that's a kind of love llh has for him that nobody understands (in fact not even fdb himself) - one that is on a different plane from friendships.

by repurposing the framework of relational ties, mlc showed that the essence of familial relationships aka its intimacy and closeness can be independent from biology and formalised rituals. and it is important to myself for stories to say that people can build close ties and deeply meaningful relationships even without being born or ritualised into any.

-

then back to how these relational ties are inextricable from the conceptualisation of the 'self' in confucian worldview: the roles you play in these relationships are intended to define you. there is no 'self' independent from it. while the concept of a social, relational self is fully rooted in reality, being locked into social roles can be a painful way to live - a way that llh has experienced as lxy the sigu sect leader. so, in order for lxy/llh to realise a sense of self that exists outside the norms, it inevitably points to another way that requires a cut from these relationships. that is then the buddhist (or taoist) answer of looking past attachments to the world such as the confucian idea of relationships defining your being. only with a dissolution of a sense of 'self', can there be true liberation.

[koetjingwarrd]

You're my baby, say it to me...

[d3adgayw1zzyr3ad3r]

Remus:*sitting on the guest bed at the Potter's, munching on a bowl of green beans*

Sirius: *knocks at the doorway, a wild James Potter behind him*

Remus: *waves, then fans them closer so they know to come in, mouth full"

Remus: "whatssup?"

Sirius: Not sure, bored I suppose. You're here all week, and James and I got tired of sneaking up on Mr. Monty

Remus: okay *takes another bite*

James: Hey moony?

Remus: Yes prongs?

James: what the fuck are you eating?

Remus: Green beans..?

James: where the fuck did you get a bowl of green beans?

Remus: Your mother, literally. She's very hospitable.

Sirius: So you're just eating green beans? Nothing else? At all?

Remus: Yes..?

James:

Sirius:

Sirius: I don't even know the last time I touched one of those...

Remus: *stabs one, and gestures it towards Sirius, threatening*

Sirius: *jumps back in gay European repulsion*

James: *ignoring Padfoot* So is there a reason why or-???

Remus: they're tasty, I suppose.

Sirius: You know what else is tasty? 😏

Remus: *throws a green been at him, hitting him directly on the tip of his nose*

Sirius: *shreiks and scurries away into the corner, sort of behind a mirror*

Remus: Yes, *gets up from bed with his now empty bowl* James. *pecks James on the hand as he walks out to return the now empty bowl into the kitchen*

James: *bi confusion*

Sirius: *offended gay confusion*

Remus: *downstairs* Hey Monty, you won't believe what happened this time!!

[captainjade101]

Denki: walking home from ua passing a park

Random group of teenage boys in a mocking tone: what are you

Denki with no hesitation because of bakugo:an idiot sandwich

Boys: wh...what I meant your fucking gender

Denki: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ask-eden]

Alaxia busts out laughing hysterically at his come back, nearly causing him to topple over As he regains his standing position, he attempts to stand normally He is still barely able to control himself as he continues to giggle and try to hide behind his tail, trying to pretend he wasn't laughing He certainly thinks he's funny.

-- -- -- -- [ @mod-checker ]

[megastrikeback]

Started playing Cult of the Lamb : Unholy Allience with a friendd

[justanintrovertedweirdo]

New farmer moves into town and immediately falls in love with the pretty goth girl.

Also, some doodles cause this game is filling my head with way too many ideas. (The farmer's name is Mae by the way.)

What the words say:

SHE'S SO PRETTY

"Why does all the weird stuff keep happening to me!?"

nearly died in the mines

[emmaspolaroid]

something something to keep their little heads from falling in the snow

[marchsfreakshow]

My Sweet Girl [JPM x Fem!Reader]

This man makes me weak. As smutty as I can make myself write. So, not a lot. :') Your perspective.

Take some warnings: Praise, degredation, bondage?? (Just like gently tied up), oral [male receiving], master nickname, so many nicknames.

Since this is smut like, [not fully, but it def happens] minors dni with this post, please read my other fics in the meantime. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dress was dark, lacy, and short. I preferred them that way. The mirror had a reflection I liked for once. Makeup was slightly smuged on purpose, and the boots matched the odd mix of greys and blacks on the clothing I wore. Yeah I was hot. Good thing too, James had been getting too chummy with the blonde I saw, covered in red constantly. Liz sensed my jealousy as I sat at the bar downing some whiskey.

"Who are you jealous of love?" She piped up, refilling my drink. I just stared at Liz as I felt my light from my eyes disapearing. "The countess." She stated simply, leaning over the bar with a diet coke in her hands. I suddenly felt her tone change when she said the countess's name. Like something happened with them that made them fall out.

"thats the bitches name?"

"that's why you're wearing that?" Scrunching my face up, I nodded. I tipped my head back, gluping the liqour I felt addicted to. It helped me feel some sort of sanity in the crazy hotel. The darkness of the hotel felt lighter as a hand swished past my ass. Unfortunately the dress was short enough that you could see the ends of my ass whenever I sat. I still looked attractive, no one could deny it, but I did recognise that hand. James. He noticed finally.

He just grazed the bottom of my ass before walking off, like I truly wasn't there. I just stared at Liz once james had gone, giving her a confident grin. She nodded as I downed another glass of whiskey, running after James. My mind raced, I wanted him to make sure he knew he was mine. I wanted the countess to see the hickeys on him, on me, and see that he was my James. The thoughts of him tying me up like last time passed my train of thought, a sense of warmth tickling my pelvis. "Jamesss!" We had made it to his room, and i saw ropes. Fantastic.

"Come in pet." Was all he said as I walked in. As soon as my foot landed in the room belonging to James Patrick March, he locked it behind me and grabbed my waist, pulling me in close. His growing erection against the shape of my cheeks. "Why have you worn such a slutty thing hm? Are you trying to get punished for disobeying your master?" The last words were hissed, his breath on my neck, and my wiggling onto his clothed cock. But I wiggled and shook my head no.

"Words. Use them."

"you're getting chummy with a blondie. You're mine." I hissed back at him, freeing myself from his grasp. Immediately I went to the bed, crawling onto it and lying on my back, knowing what James wanted to do.

"Oh my pretty whore, she's a business partner. You mustn't worry about what inquiries she has for me." Words were spat as James followed me, his blazer off on the floor. So was his belt. I could feel myself getting lightheaded more by his words, legs rubbing together to relieve myself of the wetness that had now probably sprawled over my panties. Nothing else was spoken for the next few seconds, only moans and whimpers as James pulled me up onto my knees and kissed me hard. The taste of his absthine locked in with my own taste of whiskey. I never wanted the kiss to end as he was undoing his trousers at the same time. But he did pull away, heavily breathing as he picked up the small rope, motioning to my hands.

Before I knew it was on the floor, my hands tied in front of me, it was a tight knot, but I could take it. And his cock was staring back at me. "Be a good puppy for me." Was all he said before I licked his tip, excited at just getting James to myself for once in this fucking hotel. Everyone needed his attention, I never got much. But those thoughts were erased as James placed a hand on my head, petting me. "Oh puppy..." he whined. I loved it when he whined. It urged me to suck him faster, and I did so, taking in as much of his thick cock as I could, the pre-cum leaking out into my throat. James' moans and whines filled the room, getting closer and closer. I needed him. My own area was going untouched, thankfully, my hands were tied near my pussy, so I rubbed and rubbed through my fishnets and panties. It felt good relieving myself as James had grabbed my hair and was thrusting and thrusting, getting sloppy.

"Fuck, Y/n.!" He moaned one final time as I started to taste his salty cum in my mouth. It made me smirk, knowing he couldn't resist me. I finished swallowing his seed, and sat back up on the bed, looking up at James, his eyes focused on me and my appearance. "You really did want my attention didnt you? You did so good for master." He just smiled at me, putting his trousers back on, still keeping my eye contact. He had me in a trance, and i didn't feel i could look away. So I just held up my hands, pointing then towards the dark man in front of me. He obliged with my quiet requesty and took off the ropes, immediately noticing some rope burn.

"Hm?" I questioned his look, as I couldn't feel any rope burn. Until he put some ointment on the worse parts. "Yeesh! Careful master!" James smiled at me, and kissed my nose, not giving a proper response.

"I love you Y/N but please my hummingbird, you must be patient with The Countess, okay?" He laid me back down on the bed and allowed a hand to run over my stomach, keeping me close.

"Okay sir. I promise."

[coochiequeens]

Recommended Books

This page provides a list of recommended books about prostitution, pornography, the global sex trade, and surrogacy.

Prostitution

Pornography

Surrogacy

By and for men

Sex dolls

Prostitution

ANY GIRL by Mia Döring

“Any Girl is a ferociously honest, intensely tender and utterly unforgettable book that is as thought-provoking as it is timely.”

BODY SHELL GIRL by Rose Hunter

“Body Shell Girl is incredible. It is a captivating and honest account of a woman’s experiences, thoughts, and feelings in the sex trade.” – Cherry Smiley

The Sex Economy by Monica O’Connor

Drawing on extensive research, O’Connor challenges the idea that the sale of women’s bodies as commodities is acceptable and that men have a right to buy sexual acts from another person. She shows that ‘sex work’ is not a lucrative occupation for impoverished women and girls, and  exposes the harm that normalising the sex trade does on women’s lives, gender equality and society as a whole.

Being and Being Bought by Kajsa Ekis Ekman

“This is a riveting analysis of prostitution and surrogacy that shatters the great wall of lies about these two institutions. Brilliantly analyzing the parallels, Kajsa Ekis Ekman wages a multi-pronged attack on sexism and classism that leaves the reader with hope for change.” Melissa Farley, PhD.

See: A brief history of the ‘Sex work is work’ movement

Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution by Rachel Moran

“The best work by anyone on prostitution ever, Rachel Moran’s Paid For fuses the memoirist’s lived poignancy with the philosopher’s conceptual sophistication. The result is riveting, compelling, incontestable. Impossible to put down. This book provides all anyone needs to know about the reality of prostitution in moving, insightful prose that engages and disposes of every argument ever raised in its favor.” Catharine A. MacKinnon

Last Girl First! Prostitution at the intersection of sex, race & class-based oppressions

A study into how all over the world and throughout history, women and girls from the most discriminated communities are over-represented in prostitution. Poor, Indigenous, migrant, asylum-seeking, displaced women, those from the lowest castes and from ethnic, religious and racial minorities are the first victims of pimps and sex buyer

Pimp State: Sex, money and the future of equality by Kat Banyard

Skilfully weaving together first-hand investigation, interviews and the latest research, Pimp State powerfully argues that sex trade myth-makers will find themselves on the wrong side of history.

Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade edited by Melinda Tankard Reist and Caroline Norma

This book documents the reality of prostitution through the lived experience of women who have survived it.

Exit! by Grizelda Grootboom

Grizelda Grootboom’s life was dramatically changed when she was gang raped at the age of nine by teenagers in her township. Her story starts there. It is a story about the cycle of poverty, family abandonment, dislocation and survival in the streets of Cape Town. She reveals the seedy and often demonised life of a prostitute and her ultimate escape from it.

Read our review >>

Body for Rent by Anna Hendriks and Olivia Smit

Childhood best friends Anna and Olivia were just 15 years old when they met Ricardo. He was older, charming and good-looking – and Anna and Oliva were easy prey. Manipulated, groomed and abused, within three years he had pimped the girls into the neon-lit windows of Amsterdam’s red light district.

Read our review >>

Shadow’s Law: The True Story of a Swedish Detective Inspector Fighting Prostitution by Simon Häggström

Detective inspector Simon Häggström is head of the Stockholm Police Prostitution Unit. He tells the true stories of the people he meets every day; young girls facing dangers they did not foresee, seven foreign women working and living together in a one bedroom apartment, Lovisa, born into a life of drugs and prostitution, and of course, the men who buy sex.

Not a choice, Not a job by Janice G Raymond

“This book dispels the smoke and mirrors and uncovers the horrific and complex truths of prostitution and the global sex trade. This is a must read for those who want to understand the facts about the harsh realities that so many experience.” Vednita Carter

The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth by Julie Bindel

“Bold, brilliant and brave. This is Julie Bindel at her best, demolishing the myths around prostitution and asking us to listen to survivors, the women and men who know the ugly reality first-hand.” Joan Smith

The Nordic Model by Trine Rogg Korsvik and Ane Stø

In this book, feminists activists write about their enduring struggle for the abolition of prostitution. The authors offer valuable insights into the movement’s strategies, as well as its allies and opponents. The book unmasks the pro-prostitution lobby and confronts the myth that the Nordic model is harmful to women in prostitution.

River of Flesh and Other Stories edited by Ruchira Gupta

Twenty-one stories about trafficked and prostituted women by some of India’s most celebrated writers: Amrita Pritam, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Indira Goswami, Ismat Chughtai, J. P. Das, Kamala Das, Kamleshwar, Krishan Chander, Munshi Premchand, Nabendu Ghosh, Qurratulain Hyder, Saadat Hasan Manto and Siddique Alam, among others.

Not for Sale: Feminists resisting prostitution and pornography edited by Christine Stark and Rebecca Whisnant

This collection of essays connect feminist perspectives on the sex industry with radical critiques of racism, poverty, militarism, and unbridled corporate capitalism, and shows how the harms of prostitution and pornography are amplified by modern technologies.

The Natashas: Inside the new global sex trade by Victor Malarek

They’re the third most profitable black market commodity, after illegal weapons and drugs. They are women and girls, some as young as 12. They are sold into prostitution and kept enslaved; those who resist are beaten, raped, and sometimes killed as examples. In many cases, the men who should be rescuing them –from immigration officials to police officers and international peacekeepers – are among their aggressors.

The Johns: Sex for sale and the men who buy it by Victor Malarek

This book dispels the myths that justify prostitution and puts on display the rationales of ordinary johns, their beliefs, their behaviours, and their astounding brotherhood. It also shows us the darker side: the rise of sex tourism, the predators, the role of the Internet. Lambasting the pro-prostitution lobby, he explains why legalising prostitution can lead only to the greater enslavement of women.

The Industrial Vagina by Sheila Jeffreys

“This is an insightful analysis into the globalization and industrialization of the modern sex industry. Sheila Jeffreys makes the connections between prostitution, marriage, pornography, strip clubs, and sex tourism and how they all combine to exploit women who are most harmed. This book opens a window on global sexual exploitation and the institutions that support it.” Janice G. Raymond

The Idea of Prostitution by Sheila Jeffreys

This book investigates the claims of the pro-prostitution movement and the burgeoning sex industry, arguing that the sex of prostitution is not just sex; the work of prostitution is not ordinary work; and prostitution is a choice for the men who abuse rather than for the prostituted women.

See The Idea of Prostitution: Q&A with Sheila Jeffreys and Rose Hunter.

And Life Continues: Sex Trafficking and My Journey to Freedom by Wendy Barnes

Wendy Barnes was introduced to sex trafficking by her first love, the father of her children. And Life Continues is her story: how she became a victim of human trafficking, why she was unable to leave the man who enslaved her for fifteen years, and the obstacles she overcame to heal and rebuild her life after she was rescued.

Pornography

Pornland: How porn has hijacked our sexuality by Gail Dines

“Dines brilliantly exposes porn’s economics, pervasiveness, and impact with scholarship as impeccable as her tone is reasonable. This book will change your life. Ignore it at your peril.” Robin Morgan

He Chose Porn Over Me edited by Melinda Tankard Reist

“Shattering the popular myth that porn is harmless, the personal accounts of 25 brave women in “He Chose Porn over Me” reveal the real-life trauma experienced by women at the hands of their porn-consuming partners – men who were supposed to care for them.”

Read our review >>

Your Brain on Porn by Gary Wilson

“Your Brain on Porn is written in a simple clear language appropriate for expert and layperson alike and is rooted firmly within the principles of neuroscience, behavioural psychology and evolution theory … As an experimental psychologist, I have spent over forty years researching the bases of motivation and I can confirm that Wilson’s analysis fits very well with all that I have found.” Professor Frederick Toates, Open University.

Read our review >>

Big Porn Inc: Exposing the Harms of the Global Porn Industry edited by Abigail Bray and Melinda Tankard Reist

“With contributions from leading world experts and activists, Big Porn Inc offers a cutting edge exposé of the hidden realities of a multi-billion dollar global industry that promotes itself as a fashionable life-style choice.

“Unmasking the lies behind the selling of porn as ‘just a bit of fun’ Big Porn Inc reveals the shocking truths of an industry that trades in violence, crime and degradation. This fearless book will change the way you think about pornography forever.”

Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity by Robert Jensen

In our culture, porn makes the man. So argues Robert Jensen in Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity. Jensen’s treatise begins with a simple demand: “Be a man.” It ends with a defiant response: “I chose to struggle to be a human being.” The journey from masculinity to humanity is found in the candid and intelligent exploration of porn’s devastating role in defining masculinity. You can download a free PDF of this book from Robert Jensen’s website.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy: A Human Rights Violation by Renate Klein

A radical feminist introduction to the reality of surrogacy as the commissioning / buying / renting of a woman into whose womb an embryo is inserted and who thus becomes a ‘breeder’ for a third party and how it is being heavily promoted by the stagnating IVF industry which seeks new markets.

Towards the Abolition of Surrogate Motherhood edited by Marie-Josèphe Devillers and Ana-Luana Stoicea-Deram

“In this eloquent and blistering rejection of surrogacy, a range of international activists and experts in the field outline the fundamental human rights abuses that occur when surrogacy is legalised and reject neoliberal notions that the commodification of women’s bodies can ever be about the ‘choices’ women make.”

Read our review >>

By and for men

The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men by Robert Jensen

“The End of Patriarchy asks one key question: what do we need to create stable and decent human communities that can thrive in a sustainable relationship with the larger living world? Robert Jensen’s answer is feminism and a critique of patriarchy. He calls for a radical feminist challenge to institutionalized male dominance; an uncompromising rejection of men’s assertion of a right to control women’s sexuality; and a demand for an end to the violence and coercion that are at the heart of all systems of domination and subordination. The End of Patriarchy makes a powerful argument that a socially just society requires no less than a radical feminist overhaul of the dominant patriarchal structures.”

The Macho Paradox: Why some men hurt women and how all men can help by Jackson Katz

“With integrity and courage, Jackson Katz  has taken his message – that the epidemic of violence against women is a men’s issue – into athletic terms, the military and frat houses across the country. His book explains carefully and convincingly why – and how – men can become part of the solution, and work with women to build a world in which everyone is safer.” Michael Kimmel.

Sex dolls

Sex Dolls, Robots, and Woman Hating by Caitlin Roper

“Sex Dolls, Robots and Woman Hating exposes the inherent misogyny in the trade in sex dolls and robots modelled on the bodies of women and girls for men’s unlimited sexual use. From doll owners enacting violence and torture on their dolls, men choosing their dolls over their wives, dolls made in the likeness of specific women and the production of child sex abuse dolls, sex dolls and robots pose a serious threat to the status of women and girls.”

The Macho Paradox: Why some men hurt women and how all men can help by Jackson Katz

“With integrity and courage, Jackson Katz  has taken his message – that the epidemic of violence against women is a men’s issue – into athletic terms, the military and frat houses across the country. His book explains carefully and convincingly why – and how – men can become part of the solution, and work with women to build a world in which everyone is safer.” Michael Kimmel.

[illdothehotvoice]

Thinking about when I told my roommate I hyperfixate on Mario a lot and he was like "I didn't even know you COULD hyperfixate on Mario until I met you" fkdnfnfndndndnfjfekef

[beloveddawn-blog]

Muppet (A Christmas Rescue)

I'm feeling a bit melancholy and sentimental due to my period so I wrote up the story of how my Gandparents ended up with the only dog they owned that was actually lap sized and absolutely useless for farm work. This was finished in an hour and has been slightly dramamtized due to the POV, but I like it. Names have been changed where applicable.

Warnings: animal abuse, mentions of trauma responses, death mentions, hypothermia

Words: 1500

COLD!

It was all she could feel, deep down in her bones. Deep down in her soul. An all consuming, leeching, damning cold.

But it was still better than Before.

It had been one moment of inattention, one moment of stupid courage, and she had run. Out the door, down the steps, and into the howling snow. Away. She could hear him, the worst one, screaming after her but unwilling to actually follow without being prepared for the biting Northern winter.

“Die out there, you stupid bitch!” He called after her, and she cowered even as she fled. “Good riddance!”

Perhaps she would. Perhaps all her life would boil down to suffering and death and never knowing why. Why was she so cursed, when others like her were so happy? Why was she hated, even as she was coveted?

Why was it always her?

*

There was nothing outside to eat. It was the deepest, darkest part of winter, and beyond that she had never been taught how to get her own food. What little she had been allowed had been grudgingly given by his hand. The pain in her stomach distracted her from the numbness in her feet, but it didn’t actually make her feel any better. A scent caught her attention then, one she was passingly familiar with. Food. Not the cold, hard stuff she was given, but rich and warm and meant for special occasions. She drifted towards it, finally having a goal in her bleak existence. Even if she never got there, at least there was a direction. It was more than she’d ever had to go on before. She would head towards it, and she’d either find it or die. It was out of her control now.

*

The sun set, and the cold settled in even harder.

She trudged on.

*

When she finally reached the house she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. It had been so long and all she’d had to follow was that maddening, hated, LOVED scent… And now she was here, at a place she’d never actually expected to find. She circled it warily, knowing all too well that those rough, masculine voices coming from the building meant nothing but pain for her if she was discovered. She was hoping to find either some trash or an open door she could slink through, but there was nothing. Nothing but that delicious smell wafting through the one cracked open window, whisked off to areas unknown and buoyed on the sounds of violence coming from within. She’d never heard so much yelling! Normally it was just one voice, just his, but this house had multiple yelling people!

She considered reaching out anyway, getting their attention and taking her chances, Before she had thought nothing could be worse than the pain and misery of her previous home… but she didn’t want to die. And she was. She was getting slower, her mind was getting slower, her voice didn’t work and her limbs just swatted uselessly at the walls, unable to even generate a sound.

There were some steps around the other side that lead up to a door. She couldn’t use it but there was shelter there, of a sort, tucked into the recess with the wooden slab. Some warm air leaked out around it and the house itself blocked the worst of the wind and snow.

She huddled up there, tucked into herself in as small a ball as she could manage, and waited.

Surely death would not take too long.

Surely.

*

There was a sudden blast of warm air and a jostle as the door swung open. Someone far too energetic tripped over her, just a little, but she couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped her. She was so cold that everything ached, and every little movement felt like burning needles jabbing in and leaving more cold behind.

“What the…?” Came a soft, young voice, and she gave a startled, wheezy yelp as she was picked up. “A dog?”

Suddenly they were in the house and moving way too fast and the young person was yelling and people were gathering…

“Dad! Dad! Dad! There was a dog outside! Dad, a dog!”

“It’s probably one of the neighbour’s is all. Grandma can call around and figure it out.”

“Are you sure that’s a dog? It looks like a pile of snow.”

“Of course it’s a dog, do you need even thicker glasses you…”

“ENOUGH.” Came the bellow that caused all the other voices to fall silent. Even the two males who had been fighting earlier and started up again as soon as she arrived cut off mid insult. “I have had it with your fighting! Make yourselves useful. You go get me your Grandpa’s clippers, and you go get me some lukewarm water. I’m not sure if this is a rat or a bush under this snow, but it’s not going to survive if it stays caked like this. We need to warm it up.” It was a gruff voice, with no trace of warmth to be found, but the hands that wrapped entirely around her body and lifted her away from her saviour were gentle, so very gentle. “Eileen, go get me a blanket. We’re going to get fur everywhere if we don’t have anything to catch it.”

He was softer then, but his voice still carried complete authority. That didn’t stop the girl who found her from whining at him.

“But Dad, why can’t Alan do it? I don’t wanna leave the dog, it’s scared!”

“Because Alan threw his boots on to go finish your chore, brat. It’s not like you brought in firewood.” There was a clatter of what was probably wood hitting the floor as a new voice joined in, this one full of good humour. “I’m gonna go grab some more. We’ll need it if we’re trying to warm up that puddle there. Put this away once you get that blanket for Dad. The best thing you can do for the dog now is help.”

The girl gumbled but obeyed, and she was suddenly left alone with the owner of that gruff, commanding voice. She shrunk back, wincing as he tugged futilely at the heavy snowpack mats in her hair. He gave up after a moment, seeming to notice he was doing more harm than good. “It’ll all have to come off, mutt.” He told her, carefully arranging her on the blanket his daughter had finally returned with. “We can’t warm you up with your fur in the way. Not fast enough, at any rate. Don’t worry, we’ll bring you home in the car.” His manner was brusque and reserved as his sons began returning with their own requested items, but the hands that slowly stripped her coat from her remained kind even as they firmed to prevent her from wiggling. She gave a half-hearted growl as he approached areas that she suddenly remembered had hurt even before the cold, but all he did was move slower and more carefully as he cataloged the extent of her injuries.

“It looks like a muppet.” The cheerful voice remarked as he helped the gruff one move her around. “Specifically Animal. I wonder if it can play the drums.”

“She.” Replied that no-nonsense voice as he carefully shaved her belly.

“I wonder if she can play the drums.” The cheerful one corrected, only to jostle her slightly when one of the argumentative ones smacked his shoulder and groaned.

“HEY!” The gruff one bit out, causing the three youngest to jump. “I’m using trimmers on a very skittish animal right now, stop roughhousing. If you can’t behave you can go be useful. Get some water and leftovers from your mother. Soak some bread in the turkey grease and bring some shredded meat back. We’re going to start her on the bread and if she can stomach that move on to the meat.”

The young man in question did as he was asked, chastised and repentant. Everything fell silent then, save for the whir of the clippers. It was the cheerful one who spoke up next, his voice oddly solemn.

“We’re not going to look for the owners, are we?”

The gruff one grunted and the eldest youth continued. “I can see her ribs, Dad. We’re not giving her back, right.”

The clippers stilled for a moment. “She’s more bruise than dog. Anyone who wants this little rat back can speak with my shotgun.”

The girl whooped with excitement. “I’m getting a dog!” She bragged to the others, and the cheerful youth laughed mockingly at her.

“Don’t be ridiculous Eileen, you’re twelve and you have a horse to take care of. You aren’t getting a rat-poodle rescue mutt, Dad is.”

The gruff one stilled for a moment, then gave her a soft scratch behind one shaved ear. “I suppose I am.” He replied, the gentleness in his hands bleeding into his voice for the first time. “I suppose I am.”

@coffeeangelinabox @stesierra @squarebracket-trickster @acertainmoshke @evilgabe29 @minnieposting @leahnardo-da-veggie @the-ellia-west @slimylittlemaggot

[thefatcat-13]

pansy division on shuffle is crazy cause like one song is about having to move away from the town that you’re first love was in and not being able to stay in contact because you knew it would hurt to much and then the next song is like YOO THIS GUY LIKES CLASSICAL MUSIC? WELL CALL ME RACHBOTTOMOFF THE WAY I WANNA ROCK HIS BOTTOM OFF GAH DAMN