#and even worse for non european art

[mspixelpixie]

from the third image, a tweet by CurryMcSlum

"PUT UP SOME MUD HUTS IN OASIS SPRING [sic] AND STRANGERVILLE AND THERE'S YOUR AFRICAN WORLD"

like...what...even...how???? words...words fail me.

Very disappointed in the Sims community and their very vocal distain towards Black Simmers for begging for a Caribbean/African themed world, especially because they're literally SO MANY American/European themed worlds...like there's even 3 Asian/2 Latinx themed worlds and we barely have 1, EVEN THE DAMN IMAGINARY STAR WARS WORLD BUT NO...we get edges, hairs, SOME clothing, but not a world? Like the closest thing we have to anything Caribbean is the St.Feu household that Maxis created, and even then that's JUST A HOUSEHOLD ON THE GALLERY. Stop silencing BLACK Simmers, like y'all show y'all asses every time we speak our opinions or real shit. A whole account was suspended because of the mass reporting just because a Black Simmer asked to be represented...I hate how even in the big year of 2025, over 25 years of The Sims, it's never enough being a Black Simmer.

[moonlightcycle571]

The Cons of being Omni-lingual

I made a post about the pros of being omni lingual. Did you really think I would make fluff without making any angst? *insert evil laugh*

As established, Cap can speak any language and knows what’s your Native tongue. Cool right? Wrong.

There’s a reason he hates speaking Themesquiran. Wonder Woman was NOT the first Amazonian he ever met. No, the first time he met one of the warrior women, it was when he was doing a sort of quest as part of his Champion duties where he met an Amazonian away from home. Seeing that she wasn’t affected by All Speak (a type of magic that lets magical or magical adjacent speak in accordance to their environment), he decides to speak Themesquiran. It does not go well. Gets insulted, accused of many things, immediate battle that he doesn’t want to be in. It’s all around not a good thing for him.

So no Diana, he will not be speaking that language, he knows it’s a trap (the last Amazonian said it was OK, but then threw an axe at his head out of reflex)

A very similar experience happened with the Valkery.

Another thing is the suspicion. Sure most of the time, it evaporates after you get to meet him, but it still hurts. What; you think Waller will think ✨magic✨ is a good enough explanation, and not try to pry into his life? Or try to exploit this other facette of him?

It gets especially rough when people don’t take it well. His a big buff white guy, so sometimes speaking more obscure language, or even any non European language, is at best seen as a parlour trick, at worst seen as an insult (how dare he defile our sacred language with his ‘dark arts’).

Another thing to note is that Billy started young. In some iterations, he started at age 8 and joins the JL at 10. So when he hears people curse him under their breath, or even to his face, in another language… he knows. He knows most people don’t think is human, and sometimes doesn’t treat him like one (it doesn’t hurt, really). He knows exactly what people say about him (be it his Cap form or Billy form). And maybe calling them out will make them worse. He’s already been called a freak enough times by his uncle and various foster families, he doesn’t need more

Maybe sometimes he would get captivated by languages long gone, and have access to tidbits of their history, but not have anyone to talk to about it. How many of the languages were forgotten and changed over time, and how many were forcibly destroyed? Would he mourn a civilisation he never knew? Was it even human? The day he found out one of his favourite obscure languages was Kryptonian, his powers opened up a bit, to see what the civilisation was like, and how it ended. He mourns in private and never tells a soul. Cap is not Kryptonian or ever been to Krypton, he has no right to openly mourn. If Supergirl noticed something different in her and Caps hang outs, she says nothing

The worst is when he forgets a word. It happens to everyone, and maybe he was in a place that makes magic glitch. It doesn’t matter. As soon as he finished the mission, he rushes back to the rock to make sure he knows EVERY language. He not forgetting, no, he refuses to forget any language. Especially since for a lot of them, he’s the only one that still remembers them (he may not know the context or culture, but at least he can keep something alive).

[threepandas]

Bad End: Eve

You know how most Otome games are vaguely historical? Usually some non-specific mishmash of European countries? But fluffier and with more bows? It had once "gotten" to me, I think. I remember looking for outliers. Non-joke ones. Something that wasn't just "but this time with hats!"

I found one.

And now? Now I'm not sure if I curse that day or thank whatever force of nature lead me there. I guess... I guess it depends. Would I still have ended up HERE? If I had not found it? If so, then I genuinely and actually fucking rue it. Like... like actual "you'll rue the day! Bwahaha!" Type rue it. That's me. Ruing.

But? If it was always going to happen?

Then I guess...

I guess I'm weirdly glad. Because at least I have some fucking idea of what's going ON. Terrible, as it all is. Fucked, as the situation is. At least I'm not... not confused. Blind and at the mercy of those around me. Ignorance truely isn't bliss. All it does is leave you to try an fill in the blanks yourself. Usually with something far worse.

Not that the situation could GET much worse, by much.

I was in an Otome game. NOT a flower, high society, and dragons kind either. No. I? Was in a Dark Sci-Fi otome game. "Fate of man" was thrown around a lot. Power of luuuuv~ and such. Also, you know, HORRIFIC ethical violations. Human experimentation. Cataclysmic events and humanity "starting over".

All the high drama sci-fi concepts you could expect. It was a romp. Had good art. I'd had fun! Which is why I remember it so clearly.

Less fun when you're IN IT.

When you AREN'T one of the characters you KNOW will survive.

In fact, are one of the characters you know WON'T fucking survive. And will probably die MESSY. Horribly. Cause see, our BELOVED Harem collecting Protagonist? She? Was AN Eve. "AN".

Take a wild fucking guess what THAT project is about.

Did you say "breeding a better race of humans"? Ding ding ding! With humanity currently fucked, they want to FIX the problem by FIXING humanity. And of course, fuck ethics! Volunteers? Why use those?! Let's horrifically mad scientist our way to atrocity-ville! Make it all the more "God rightfully punishing us for our unforgivable sins" when we get wiped out!

Fffffffuck YOU, plot! I have to live here too!

You may, in fact, be picking up a slight note of stir crazy. A "wow, this lady rambles like a mother fucker" vibe. You would TOO, if you were stuck in a FUCKING TUBE. All I can do, day in and day out? Is wake, think, observe, then go right back to sleep. I can't even eat! I got a TUBE for that!

I... I miss showers.

Everything is GOO.

I'm an Eve. And if it weren't for the air tube controlng my breathing? I'd laughing hysterically until I died. And no, not in the "oh how funny" way. God. Oh... oh god. What a way to die. NONE of the Eves survive "the program".

Those IDIOTS are so OBSESSED with making bigger and bigger, better and better, FUCKING JUGGERNAUTS? That the Adams? Have long since reached the point of "mindless killing machine". UNSTABLE is putting it lightly. There is sexual dimorphism and then there's literal incompatibility.

But GOD FORBID the scientists admit that THEY are the ones with the inferior product.

It... it was even part of the game's plot. The scientist who made "Eve" HID her while HE made an Adam. I do not have that luxury. Somewhere, there is an unstable BESERKER being told I'm his "wife". That we're going to be HAPPY together. That he'll get to put his bruising, blood soaked hands anywhere he WANTS... just after he WINS me from the other Adam's.

Got to prove HE'S the best specimen, after all.

It makes my skin crawl. All I can hope, is that I can either provoke the bastard enough to kill me before they have a chance to stop him, or? I use my own enhanced strength to snap my neck. Maybe bite my tounge. Like HELL am I letting an Adam get near me.

The hiss of laboratory doors.

"Perfection at last..." Comes a relieved sigh. "All those HIDEOUS specimens. Why they make me suffer them, I'll never understand. We should have terminated them months ago. My poor project, they really think they're WORTHY of you..."

There's a derisive laugh. The scientist strolling into the lab I've been developing in, familiar. I watch him casually shrug off his lab coat and dump is bag. Hang his coat over the back of his chair. Turn, as he does each day, to STARE up at me. His eyes are a pale, pale purple the likes of which I've never seen before.

They're HAUNTING.

There is almost a red tint to them, though maybe that's the lights. The goo. I can never tell. He always looks ENTRANCED by me. Floating, visored, connected to far too many tubes an' wires. I'd think it was the fact that I was naked if it weren't for the way his gaze doesn't seem to drift lower then my shoulders. Seems more entranced by the way my hair moves, as though under water.

I've never once heard him talk about me lustfully.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't SCARE me.

"Let's begin, shall we? Time for your daily doses, mmm?" He says, voice dangerously affectionate. As though i had CHOSEN to do this to myself. As though he were merely reminding me of my morning medicine and not the hell ahout to come. "Going to be good for me? I know you shall, you always are."

He turned back to his desk, his computer. A few keystrokes... and I could feel the pod above me begin to hum, as it awoke. Oh god. Oh god it never got easier. From the corner of my eyes, bright chemicals slide down thind lines and into my veins. Like lines of lava. Bolts of electricity and pain. It was... AGONY.

My muscles seized. Brain screeched, first to the screaming I wish I could make... then static. With the long practice of daily pain, it took me far away. The click, click, click of keys. The sound of his voice, so terribly PLEASED, as I hung there and just TOOK it. No restraints, no strugging, no damaging myself. Just unbearable fire in my veins and a brain far, far away.

"Good girl~"

Distantly a phone rang. He made an annoyed sound, but picked up regardless.

"What. I'm in the middle of- ...Excuse me? I'm quite sure I did not hear you correctly. I said 'NO'. She's not-....I will NOT BE-...What. Are you out of your god damned MIND? That pile of scraps you call a project is coming NOWHERE near my-! ....you think you're clever, don't you?"

"Fine. You want to TALK? Let's TALK, Anderson. I'll be there in five."

From far away, past the pain, I watched him chance down at something at the screen. Back up to me. He hung up the phone but did not pause the program. Instead, calmly rising from his desk. Shrugging on his lab coat. Rounding the desk and striding towards my bio-tube.

"Hmmm, honestly, it should have been spaced out over a few more days... but you can take it. Endure a bit longer for me, would you, darling? Daddy's going to go deal with something for just a moment, he'll be right back, my perfect girl. Be good."

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to my tank. One hand splayed next to it like he badly wished he could touch. Could stroke skin. Hold his creation close. It was not the first time he had done this. Small, covetous, little actions like he wanted to crawl inside my skin and STAY there. Like he cursed the glass that separated us.

He pulled back. Shifted to the side and kneeled. He... had hidden something behind my bio-pod? When? Apparently before I had become aware. Because I had not known about it. A black shoe box. I watched him open i-GUN. Thaaaat was a gun! Fuck. Well at least? By the time anyone thinks to look in on me? The overdose will probably have killed me?

There is a cold, terrible smile on his face as he rolls to his face. Tucking the gun into an inner pocket. It has a silencer. He leans forward one last time. Lightly kissing the glass of my pod, as though heading off to work and not to very obviously kill somebody. The pain continues. Builds. I watch him leave.

With nothing to anchor myself on... time blurs.

I think? There are alarms? Red lights flash. Then they stop. There is shouting at one point. But then silence. An explosion? Or am I hallucinating? Pain. My nerves are on fire. I don't want to have SKIN. Please... please make it STOP! Calm foot steps? Come to kill me? Please come to kill me. Make it STOP.

The lights died a... time? Ago? Emergency lights on now. Generators in the room are loud. Why can I still hear the feet? Footses? Words. H..hurts. please.

Click.

The pain eases to a stop. Aching but nothing new. Over? Oh, thank god. I can sleep now, right? But... sound? New. At my feet. Gurgling. Wha-? The very top of my head feels cold. Then my forehead. Then my temple's and ears, cheeks, jaw... wait. Is? Is the tube...DRAINING? I open my eyes.

When did I close them?

He's back.

Standing right in front of the tube. Blood staining the hem of his coat, lingering marks of his massacre cleaned but not quite scrubbed from his body. There are little off red stains on his cheek, from what must be blood splatter. They look like tiny freckles.

I'm... I can't...

I reach as the tube down my throat is pulled almost carelessly away by the machine. Choke, suffocate, as the same is done for my air tube. But then it's done... and I can BREATHE under my own power. Gasp and splutter, as the goo sloshes around my knees. Then it's gone. And the tube I've been leaning my weight against is roughly pulled away.

I collapse forward, my muscles having never actually supported me in this life.

Arms catch me. Wrapping me in a possessive hug. A hand immediately burying itself in long uncut hair, even as the other wraps itself around my torso to lean me against his body in a cradle. My face is pressed to his neck by the hand in my hair, cradling my head and neck. I can feel breath against the goo wet crown of my head.

"Finally~" he breaths out, whispering it against me like a sigh. "My beautiful, perfect girl. My darling creation. It took so LONG. Those retrobates interfering at every turn, lusting after you like ANIMALS, trying to keep you from me. Then, worst of all, trying to toss you to some pack of savages? Oh, darling~ Daddy's been so worried for you."

"But we'll be okay now, won't we? I finally have you. All fresh and finally finished. My perfect Eve. You can pick any name you want, of course. You and I will be leaving this ugly little place. Daddy has PLANS. A fresh new world, just for you, sweetheart."

He laughed, his hug tightening in a way that would have left bruises had I been a normal human. Kisses were pressed to my temple. A cheek, rubbed against my hair. He seemed... seemed GIDDY with it. That nothing could stop him now. There was no glass in his way. I could not move yet. My muscles twitched when I tried, but that was it. I wasn't even sure I could talk yet, if I tried.

"Aaah~♡ Welcome to the World, Darling. My Perfection. My Eve. This time no snakes or Adams to tarnish you. To get in your way. Just you and your Father~"

"FOREVER~♡"

Next: ->

[myfriendpokey]

tunnel notes

i wrote some extra little notes and thoughts for the bonus tunnels in anthology of the killer, and then removed them before release; i didn't like the prescriptive feeling of leaving that stuff in the "final package" as if it was something people should feel obligated to engage with. but as of today it's been 30 days since the loader came out, so i figured i'd dump some of them online, for the benefit of whoever is interested in these things.

History: HISTORY IS A NIGHTMARE FROM WHICH I AM TRYING TO AWAKE is one of many famous zingers given to Stephen in Ulysses and I’ve always wondered if it’s especially Irish as a sentiment, Ireland sort of feeling like the “Oops! All Peasants” edition of European history as a whole – same misery, exploitation and death minus the occasional episodes of feudal colour or triumphant empire-building that seem to make the past tolerable for other people, and give them their own sense of demarcated time. But then I’ve never been much good on Irish history, which has always just felt like an interminable, indistinguishable series of massacres and betrayals and missed shots. Was I not paying attention or was this how it was taught in school? Well, it would have fit the style at the time – I was born in 1989, smack at the start of the famous end of history era. The 90s in Ireland meant the peace process and infusion of American capital to our backwards shores, all the more reason to cosign the idea of an abrupt and permanent break with a history notably lacking in the non-depressing or picturesque. All our history textbooks seemed to trail off at the point we’d joined the EEA. And even as this new modernity just started seeming like the monstrous antiquity dressed up in different clothes – hooded prisoners transported to torture sites through Shannon airport, our patchy social infrastructure dismantled by burghers, ghost estates and half-completed monuments scattered around like the ruin theory of value with more leprechaun imagery – there was still a sense that any change was off the table. You didn’t want to drag us back into history, did you? History seemed to have “ended” in the same sense Freddy Krueger did – done away with in ways that none of the grown-ups ever wanted to talk about, and now officially a non-presence, even if all the kids in town were mysteriously disappearing.

--

Art: One reason I wanted to do an episodic series is just to see what would turn up, if any recurring interests would build despite a minimum of planning. One of the themes turned out to be, “art” – or specifically modernist art – and I am curious about why that would be. A recurring tendency in modernism was the idea that only by destroying the world as it currently existed could we clear space for anything better to emerge. Under the cobblestones, the beach! But this was always attended by a kind of fear: that clearing away the old structures would just allow something even worse to emerge, unmasked. Under the cobblestones, more corpses! And that the bleakest tendencies of the period would now run free without even the emptiest symbolic constraints to chafe against. Max Ernst’s painting of the fascist victory in Spain, of a huge, grinning oaf rampaging over the landscape like a kaiju while a miserable birdlike figure remains haplessly grafted to its leg – is titled both “The Angel Of Hearth And Home” and “The Triumph Of Surrealism”. As if to suggest that these are each the same thing, as though a cause of creative liberation worth devoting your life to and an empty cliché of domestic repression had so little light between them as to not even be worth the effort of distinguishing.

Part of the reason works like that make their way into the games in little ways is because I just like them, and go back to thinking about them. But the status of modernism in the 21st century is an odd one; the most tentative and inventive parts got dropped, while the brashest and stupidest aspects curdled into a kind of official state ideology – the idea of “creative destruction”, which just seems to mean a vague sense that it’s punk rock to create ridesharing apps. The monkey’s paw curled and the emptiest version of the modernist credo became something we all have to live with.. and yet I still can’t help but be moved by the source works and the goofy, ridiculous temerity of that wish to transfigure the world. sometimes it feels like only way to keep faith with those ideas is to travesty them, to try returning to them some of that sense of fear and doubt without which they just sound like so many web design agency manifestos. Kept alive in the breast of so many grimacing waxworks, underground.

Another reason to put this stuff in a horror game: to try getting at that feeling in a dream of looking in the eyes of people you know, people you love, and seeing nothing there anymore, seeing them look right past you. An earlier horror game idea I used to think about would have ended with the protagonist being dismembered and eaten by Gertrude Stein.

--

The moral: I’ve seen people express a sense, now, that merely working in the negative is not enough; to just outline what’s bad without also trying to give a vision of the good, some glimpsed utopia to shoot for. For the benefit of these people here is an epilogue. Imagine it’s the future and the long nightmare of prehistory is over; history proper unfolds as the full expression of human powers unhindered by material subjugation. Some students are given an assignment by a professor to investigate the meaning of a term that no longer exists, the meaning of horror. Well, the students do their best: they watch lots of old movies, put on rubber masks, comb through old fragments of the world that was. They’re enjoying themselves and that enjoyment warps the process, they keep drifting into pleasure, unsure what’s meant to be funny and what’s not. They get lost, get confused, lose the thread, famous faces appear under the wrong names, espousing things that are the opposite of whatever they believed. In the end they all have to admit defeat: they hand in their assignment with a note saying that in the new world, we can’t even imagine what horror may have been. The professor reads their findings, nods, and gives them all an F. No moral.

[image source: James Ensor, "The Intrigue"]

[cyandreamz]

✭ Apollo Justice✭

Today I decided that I will do more full page drawings of AA characters. Unfortunately I don't think I drew a very good Apollo, but in my defence AA is the frist franchise I've hyperfixated over were I've not only cared about the more than one or two male characters but also have had a few of my favourite characters be male! So I'm much more comfortable drawing female characters (⁠´��-⁠﹏⁠-⁠`⁠；⁠)

Also I didn't change up his design aside from giving him the brown shoes he has in the AJ: trilogy promotional art instead of black shoes he has in older official art because I like it and it's actually my second fave lawyer suit design (favourite is Diego Armando's suit).

Anyways I've also decided I'll share my hc's for these characters for as long as I do this series :D, because I didn't share hc's for Athena on her post I'll share both Apollo and Athena hc's below, spoilers for AA4-6:

Both Apollo and Athena are trans and both socially transitioned as kids and grew up in trans supportive environments cuz in my mind the AA universe is queer friendly to balance out how dystopian their legal system is.

Apollo has no fashion sense aside from having a surprisingly good eye for men's formal/professional wear. So good in fact that Kristoph wouldn't of hired him if his suit looked bad (cuz he's that petty).

Apollo doesn't see Phoenix as a Dad but does simultaneously see him as a role model (though he'd never admit it) and hate him

he does however see Trucy as a little sister, even before learning she is actually his half sister

Apollo is gay and Athena is lesbian cuz one day I thought "hmmm image if the lawyers were trans and MLM and WLW solidarity?" and than it became a hc :P

I ship Apollo with Klavier and I like to think that Phoenix tries to give Apollo dating advice but Apollo ignores him because his advice is terrible! (Not on purpose, Phoenix is just really bad at relationships but it's works out for him cuz his partners are always just as bad, or somehow even worse at relationships than him)

however unlike Apollo I don't ship Athena with anyone, just don't feel like it lol

Athena met Phoenix in Europe at a park one of the many times Miles had him and Trucy come over to visit, by chance Trucy was doing magic tricks for random people in the park and Athena was one of these people. She was reading a book to study for the bar exam so Phoenix immediately talked to her about law after Trucy's trick.

Athena is fully multilingual (knowing most active European languages) and says non-english words by accident most of time (if she does it on purpose it's always to sound cooler in her opinion).

also I hc Athena as Austic cuz I can >:-)

Widget uses a Voicaloid sound bank, personally I like it imagine it's specifically Oliver because that's funny to me.

Widget also uses a custom OS that Aura Blackquill designed specifically for all the tech she built with Athena's mom.

[lvnesart]

The fact that you "prefer" to draw Asians in the racist stereotype yellow skintones is worse. Like way fucking worse than just drawing them darker skinned. You are just being racist and sinophobic at this point. And I hope you've caught on by now that this is an Asian person telling you this.

I had HOPED, I had given you THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, that you simply weren't aware of how much of a problem what your doing is.

But it's pretty clear that you know and simply don't care. You are being just a horrible person. With your talent you could have just as many followers while still drawing the characters in a non racist way or even just drawing original content.

But no, you insist on being purposefully racist and hateful towards Asians and pale middle eastern people.

That fact that you leave Childe and diluc pale (I'm pretty sure I accidentally said child was German) since they are both European white people is so gross.

How is Asians being yellow preferable to you. It seems like you don't have any problem when it comes to white characters being pale, but when it comes to Asians you make them all yellow. What the fuck is wrong with you

Out all the ones you decided to send, fine, I'll address this one. In WHAT art have I draw Xiao or Zhongli yellow?? Do enlighten me cause I always try to keep the yellow skintone stereotype in mind

And I do in fact some of the Liyuen characters pale, plenty of the Inazuman ones as well, you're just pained because I chose "divine beings" Are you aware of how sick that sounds? That divine beings should stay pale? Why??

As for Diluc and Childe, yeah I left them pale, as I did with other Mondstadt characters? I have also drawn Venti and Rosaria with different skintones and theyre from Mondstadt, but you're not bringing that up either.

Sumeru was the nation I half expected would try to diversify with skin tones, because again, its based on several countries where people do in fact, have a darker skintone. Unfortunately, even the brown people here are paler than Kaeya lmao.

There are plenty of artists who will draw your Zhongli and your Xiao and all your Sumeru faves as pale, so why are you hung up here? I'm not going to change what I do. You can literally get your pale representation in literally most of media?? GENSHIN handfeeds it to you

[dresshistorynerd]

Hei! What's your opinion about "The costume history" by Auguste Racinet? I assume that you're probably familiar with it, because it was published in 1888 and still gets reprinted. But because it's so old I'm not sure if it's actually good source about fashion history or if it's more about mindset of the time. I fully expect that anything that deals with different cultures that was written in 1800s will be racists and moralising, but I wonder about factual accuracy when it comes to clothes.

I would encourage to take it with a grain or perhaps many grains of salt, especially the non-western clothing. Generally speaking illustrations made after the time they depict as well as non-western clothing depicted by colonizers, should always be approached with cation. Books that recount the whole western dress history should be approached with cation and this book claims to depict the complete costume history, not just western. Also books written before dress history became it's own academic field separate from art history, should also be approached with cation, and this definitely was written before that.

I will say, the illustrations from Auguste Racinet are not the worst I've seen.They do look like they are based on art and illustration from the period they depict. I have not read his book, but I have come across the illustrations from them many times, so I'm just speaking about the illustrations I've seen. Despite there being worst illustrations out there from Victorian era, these too have some glaring issues, especially the periods earlier from history. Victorians hated the codpiece, thinking it was vulgar and indecent, so in these illustrations none of the men's costumes from the Renaissance have them. Even the depiction of Late Medieval joined hose lack a codpiece, even though it would have been impossible for the hose to be so skintight without a codpiece.

This Late Medieval page also has issues with the women's dresses, which are in many ways inaccurate and they resemble most dresses from the previous century compared to the men's dresses next to them. All of the depictions of pre-1800s clothing tend to have a lot of issues with their details. I think there's also major issues with the framing. There's just several different dresses, which might be from different decades, even centuries like in the example above. I'm not sure if there's context in the text itself, but these illustrations don't at least have any context for who and in which situations used a specific garment. No book that tries to tell even the whole western costume history, can give all the needed context, but I doubt the text here can give even less of that.

I'm not going to evaluate the accuracy of the illustrations of non-western dress that are available easily, because I don't know enough of non-western dress history that I would be able to confidently do that. But I'm imagining the issues there's with the depictions of western historical dress are similar but much worse with the non-western dress. Even if he used extant garments and primary source images to draw those illustrations, I'm willing to bet he knew even less of those cultures than he knew about European Renaissance and Late Middle Ages. He would then understand even less of the context the clothes he depicted belonged to, what details were important, how were they constructed, worn, and by whom and in what situations. If he wanted to copy them exactly, he'd have put those illustrations, paintings and other primary source images to his book, but he didn't and because he certainly lacked understanding of them, his illustrations will have some flaws. And who knows how many things he deemed unsavory or indecent he omitted or changed, like he did with the codpiece.

Still I will say, even a book like this can have some use. If there's very little better source images available of some type of dress from 1800s (for example often applies to indigenous dress), these type of illustrations can be used to help piece together the fuller image of that dress, while keeping in mind the potential flaws and issues with these depictions.

[alpaca-clouds]

The American UFO Scene is Weird to me

I am honest with you people. Again: I like paranormal stuff, and paranormal content. Because it is fun, and it is interesting. Especially with newer phenomenon.

I love anthropology, and narratology. And if we see modern Urban Legends develop, we can see certain mechanisms. Sure, we can very much assume modern myths like these do not quite develop in the same way that older myths did, because ancient people did not have mass media. Still, it is a fascinating thing for me to study.

However... I am sorry. I find it weird how obsessed the US seemingly is with UFOs.

Let me just post this picture from Our World in Data.

Admittedly due to the rather big points it is not quite that easy to see, but I think you can already make out what I want to say: There is a whole lot more UFO sightings in the USA than pretty much everywhere else in the world. Sure, Europeans do see quite a few UFOs too, and it is notable that in the denser populated areas of Australia have a few sightings too. But still, nothing quite compares to how dense the sightings are in the US.

And there are actual quite a bit to sociological, religious, and psychological research on this phenomenon and others. (Like also how the US has those weird cryptids. While cryptids in other areas of the world often build on older legends, American cryptids are more inspired by media, even though people often try to connect them to some indgenous mythology, that they barely understand.)

But this is just so... weird to me.

Let me say it like this: I am 100% certain that we are not the only intelligent life form in the universe. I am also almost certain, though, that those other life forms have never gotten a chance to visit us, because there is a high chance that such a technology is just not feasible. Mind you, while I kinda do believe in ghosts (long story), generally I do think that if aliens did show up here, it would not shock me.

However... I... How should I put it? The entire alien thing I see from the USA is just so fucking weird.

How do I put it?

While I 100% understand that very probably "alien abductions" are probably just among the sleep paralysis phenomena (aka you suffer sleep paralysis, and your brain tries to make sense of it, and is influenced by media, so after people heard alien stories, they made an alien abduction out of it). However, I find it so weird how many people will not accept it and how much attention those people will get.

And even worse I find the people, who will then also go ahead and somehow try to shoehorn all "supernatural" phenomena - or at the very least cryptids - somehow into their alien theories. Ghosts? No, it is actually aliens. Cryptids? No, it is actually aliens. Everything is aliens. Aliens everywhere.

Look, I did enjoy X Files back in the day. It is one of those shows that is really fun to have running in the background. (Even though I hate how often Dana needs rescuing.) But I also am aware how much this show increased the numbers of UFO sightings in the US.

And then there is of course also the Ancient Aliens thing.

Okay, folks: You absolutely should listen to the "It's probably not Aliens Podcast". It is amazing and I have had so much fun with it.

But yeah, the entire Ancient Aliens thing and everything that is connected to it is just so messed up and fucking racist. I hate it so much.

I hate how much people believe in this stuff. Because they just cannot believe that non-white ancient people managed to create amazing art and architecture. It is just so bad, and it shows such a bloody disinterest in old times. Instead of learning how people worked back then, folks make up all those conspiracy theories. And it is just... Yeah, I don't know what to say. I hate it.

And sure, there are folks outside of the USA who believe this. But all of it originates in the USA. And...Yeah, no.

Mind you, I can absolutely believe that some of the stuff people seemingly report as "UFOs" are actually military experiments, given how much money the US put into their military. But yeah. No aliens. No ancient aliens. Especially no ancient aliens. Just stop it. Ugh.

[lettiegrief]

"The Henna Wars" review

♥️ 10/10

⚠️ Possible spoilers

I finished The Henna Wars and my god what an incredible book. I devoured this book, in one day I read 80% of it. It has such a pleasant rhythm, the writing is so addictive, it generates so much curiosity and makes you freak out so much that it's honestly very difficult to stop reading.

This book debates cultural appropriation in a way I've never seen before. Yes, you can use art, food etc made by non-white people, no, you can't take it as your own, want to go over someone whose thing you are using/reproducing/consuming be part of that person's culture and then act as if it were just fashion, as if diversity were something just for profit, as if it wasn't part of someone's experience.

Appreciate and even utilize art from other cultures made by people from those cultures, and when someone from that culture is saying that what you're doing (without even knowing what you're doing) is cultural appropriation and racism, shut up and listen. It's not about you.

Nishat suffered racism and homophobia in a hellish way. She saw other people using her culture to win a competition and profit /while/ they were racist and violent towards her at the same time that she had to deal with her own friends saying that her discomfort was victimism and childishness. It's no wonder that she had no desire to respond to the violence, because even her own friends saw her pain as nonsense or selfishness. No one cared what she had to say, or her feelings.

I am genuinely happy to have followed the development of these people, especially Nishat's parents. Her parents, whose story made Nishat muster the courage to come out to them, but who were ashamed of their own story and didn't want Nishat to be the shame of their family like they were to hers. However, they really sought to understand, they tried hard to change their limited mindset and support their daughter.

I understand their fear of also not wanting their daughter to suffer from gossip, rejection and other violence, because I've heard my own mother say that too, but after someone brought her out to the entire school, I believe this made them start to put Nishat's safety and happiness first. And it was actually really nice to read, it reminded me of how my mother reacted to me being a lesbian.

Her reaction was the same as Flávia's mother, in fact, but the way Nishat's parents went about studying the community out of love for their daughter reminded me of my mother. It was really cute to read them worrying about what Flávia would want to eat for dinner.

As for Flávia, her development is also very good. I didn't really like how oblivious she was to the racism and bullying that Nishat suffered, it made me very uncomfortable, mainly because her cousin is precisely the person who did all this to her the most, but I believe that she improved a lot like everyone else there, she recognized her mistakes and would be someone who would continue to improve after the end of the book.

I really liked how the author addressed xenophobia against Brazilians too. I don't know if you, foreign moots, have any idea, but, as Brazil is known as the country of Carnival, Football and Funk, foreigners (mainly Americans and Europeans) end up relating these things to mess and bitching, also adding to the fact that they see us as a people incapable of forming complex thoughts (there have literally been Europeans saying that either you are Brazilian or you are a thinking being), and those who suffer most from this are women.

Latina women in general already suffer from a lot of sexism, and speaking as an afab Brazilian, I know how sexualized Brazilian women are, seen as someone who would accept anything and treated like stupid, quarrelsome bitches.

Flávia is a black, bisexual and Brazilian woman, the stereotype gets even worse with people like her.

The author portrayed this very well, she perfectly showed how much Flávia feels out of place in Ireland and uncomfortable because she is fully aware that being Brazilian makes her a very big target of sexism there, while also showing that her dual nationality makes her also have some identity crisis.

The characters in this book will definitely remind you of at least one person you knew in real life, and I think it's impossible for you not to identify with anything there or not feel welcomed/represented.

[thedarkmistress16]

Hetalia G8 (+ Canada, Romano, and Prussia) as Teachers (1/3)

Part 2. Part 3.

~Classes~

Axis:

Italy: Traditional Art. He really wanted an instruction class in the culinary arts, but because his big brother France swiped up the option immediately, he happily settled for teaching the intricacies of art, specifically with sketching and oil painting. Will bring in nude models for “Renaissance Week,” but also does it to have a reason to talk to pretty women and men during work. Anatomy. He really only teaches this as an extension to his art class more than the science of it, again with the contribution of “real models.” The board still hasn’t found out about this predicament.

Germany: Science. It’s not really his expertise or interest, but he has a lot of knowledge on the topic for some reason. This is the one subject he’s lax with his students on because he also struggles with it (even during demonstrations). Technology. Focuses on lecturing about older pieces of equipment for the purpose of “understanding history’s origins for modern innovations.” He only says this because he sucks at explaining and handling modern tech. He covers inventions like the radio and refrigeration, and particularly any piece of equipment he’s had personal experience in handling. This causes the students to moan and groan because most who sign up think it’ll be a cakewalk. That is before they realize the pop quizzes center around what integral components make up a communication device’s infrastructure instead of cracking into some computer software.

Japan: Digital Art. He squeezes the art of traditional inking and watercolor in there as well, since Italy teaches a majority of the art department and Japan was too respectful toward the board’s decision to request it, on top of entrusting Italy to instruct the topics with care. Japanese. Usually stoic when teaching, but there are times when he’s seemingly more gentle-sounding when he talks or looks off in the distance. Most students chalk this up to him having a soft spot for the topic.

Romano: Art History. Refuses anyone else to teach this subject due to his brother teaching Traditional Art, finding it obvious that no one else is allowed to do it because of this reason. Gardening. This was the only way he could gush about his love for tomatoes in a semi-related way during class, but is actually more passionate about horticulture than he realizes.

Prussia: European History. Because he is technically not a country, he is more allowed by the board to teach history in this field due to his lack of current world bias and involvement. The wars are still a sore subject for him and traitorous tears will spring up in his eyes when talking about them, even if he has the tiniest bit of connection to them. He will get passionate about distrusting stereotypes when such events are being covered, defending his heritage more than anything else at these moments. May go into tangents when discussing countries he’s personally familiar with. German. His brother is worse at teaching students this subject due to his lack of patience and method of discipline. Prussia is more willing to laugh about mistakes when it comes to learning languages and happily encourages his students to get it right, even if it sounds condescending. Takes great pride in the language still being relevant to teach as a secondary language for non-natives. Always happy to see willing participants taking in his every word during sessions.

Allies:

America: American History. He forced this subject upon the school board to be taught regardless of relevance and completely refused to let Britain teach any of it in case he tried to “twist the truth to make me look like the villain.” He really gets into the Wild West chapter of his life, the whole comics code fiasco, and various fights for the rights of the people, including the Revolution. Communications. Loves commanding a room and having people listen to what he has to say. He encourages his students to do the same and helps them get over any fears they have with public speaking. May seem like he doesn’t care with how he comes off and how he says things, but truly looks out for his student’s well-being.

Britain: English (ESL/ABE). Absolutely appalled at America’s interest in teaching English and never budges from his stance on being the superior instructor on this subject, despite what his older brothers may say. Gets mildly agitated by what he sees to be common knowledge as a native speaker when a student does or says something wrong. He ends up portraying more patience in correcting mistakes than he lets on with his standoff-ness, not unlike a mother hen would. Literature. One of his favorite subjects to teach and it shows. He also takes it seriously to the point of lecturing his class on properly caring for the assigned books and looking downright scary when a small antic like passing notes catches his eye. It seems he can spot pranks and tricks without even needing to look in that direction, and students claim he has a sixth sense or some kind of insane hearing power for that kind of thing. Whenever he gets to covering Hamlet, he has to physically stop America from hijacking his work computer to play “The Lion King” instead of the live-action adaptation he originally cued to show during class.

France: Culinary Arts. He’ll die before he lets any other country have the honor of teaching the art of cuisine to impressionable minds. While the dishes he presents are mostly his own, a lot of them have real-world applications to other cultures’ meals such as general food prep and ingredient selection advice. Fashion. Was only able to nab this subject due to his devotion in following current trends and either designing immaculate inspirations off of them or accurately anticipating the next fad. If France didn’t advocate for the importance of style functionality, fabric durability, and color theory, then the school board wouldn’t have offered Fashion as a necessary subject.

Russia: Home Economics. His big frame holds a gentle soul, which is why he chose to teach home skills. Topics like sewing and cooking are made his own by delivering instructions on how to do such tasks with things found around the house when the recommended materials aren’t available. Likes covering D.I.Y. projects in particular, and while the board disagrees, they’re too afraid of opposing him on it in fear of being beaten to death, despite Russia’s go-lucky claims of only “beating you all into submission, silly!” Russian. About every student who takes this class gets intimidated by Russia at one point, either from making mistakes or during a normal lecture. Sometimes he can’t help his emotions and brushes them off, but his students will always remember his chilling auras and sudden interrogations at disruptions or ignorant questions. They’re all too fearful to report him.

China: Health. Really focuses on telling students the things that are bad for their bodies, which also includes the mention of narcotics, substances, sexual activities, etc. He’s very blunt about the information he gives, which makes note-taking pretty straightforward. At the same time, the things he covers rarely stray from the textbook to the point where some students don’t bother attending lectures and just study the text instead. China’s never caught onto this and simply calls those students “lazy,” making his tests and quizzes notoriously easy. Chinese. Because he was denied his demand to instruct the history of Asian nations, even with his claim of America getting his way with American History, the board claimed another history class wasn’t necessary. So, in retaliation, China interjects heavy doses of Chinese culture and history into the topics he teaches in his class, which mainly revolve around home remedies, his native language, and other, general facts about Asia as a whole.  This was the closest he could manage to be able to teach a history course on his and his younger sibling’s cultures.

Canada: Math. Most students take this class when they hate the subject but like Canada as a teacher, because this is the only course where students can actually hear him speak through the whole session. On top of Canada's slow explanations, willingness to correct himself, and patient answering, the subject is less daunting as a whole. Workshop. From birdhouses to chairs, the students will learn a-plenty about carpentry with Canada, who really oversees the work and reads from the book. He acts as the text’s voice, really. He does none of the actual demonstrative work for it and is virtually unhearable when the students start working. Knowing this, America’s a little peeved he isn’t in there so he can teach it the right way, or “the hero’s way,” which includes wielding his chainsaw and screaming about Chuck Norris for some reason. This is the exact reason why Canada doesn’t allow him to teach it with him. What his brother doesn't know is that Canada acutely observes his students, who all quickly realize they can't get away with slacking off in his classes. Baking. Canada’s recipe log for this class includes small yet filling Canadian treats, and even some from France and Britain. He instructs difficult and tricky recipes on purpose- wanting to gauge his student’s current levels of skill, patience, and tenacity when they come across a difficult problem. Some students grow aggravated with this method, feeling like they’ve hit a wall or are being treated unfairly, while others feel accomplished or see what their instructor is doing and welcome the challenge. They can hear him a little better in this course compared to Workshop, but not by much; some students wish live captions were a real-life thing when they attend his lectures.

[jenny-from-the-box]

The following passage needs to be posted.

Quick background: I went to the Brooklyn Museum summer 2023 to see the exhibit curated by Hannah Gadsby called “It’s Pablo-matic”. She selected works of Pablo Picasso’s juxtaposed with works by women who had been influenced by him for better or worse. The following was on the Brooklyn Museum’s website (additional reading) by Gadsby about a particular part of the exhibit that just showcased works by artists who are women, and I found it to be brilliant. So have fun.

“Guess what? There are no Picassos in this room. Now I'm not advocating a cancellation of PP, but I do think it's fun to fantasize about it, in the same way that it's fun and cathartic to imagine a world without cars or what life might be like if white people hadn't colonized the Earth with such destructive arrogance. But even if we could remove PP from our collective consciousness, why would we? Why would you want to remove somebody who was so clearly influential and continues to be influential? What good would it do to pretend PP never happened? Honestly, what a stupid, stupid, stupid idea. Canceling PP would be about as constructive as denying black women access to power structures. Like I said, a stupid, stupid, shortsighted idea. Why would you do that? Why would you pretend somebody does not exist? Having the white European male front, center, and wholly representative of the human condition has put the blinders on us all. To have a huge cultural blind spot is to lose the ability to truly understand ourselves and the world in which we exist. You may as well go to school in Florida. We should not be driven to course-correct out of guilt. “I feel bad that women and people of color and non-European perspectives have been diminished and erased for centuries upon centuries. Oops. Here's a little bone.” No. We should be striving to undo ourselves out of curiosity, and with more than a little bit of rage. We should all be shouting, what have we missed? What glorious enrichment have we been denied because we have been sold the thin edge of the wedge? PP is the granddaddy of the direct-from-artist's-studio-to-collector pipeline that is the hallmark of the modern art market ruse. The first we hear of many priceless PP's is after they're being sold at auction, decades after PP’s original creative ejaculation. Does a work of art such as that have any legitimate claims to having broader cultural relevance if it never exists in the world that it was created in? If we can say that it does, and we do, then surely we can go back and retroactively find important women artists. But we really struggle to do that. Why? Because PP takes up so much space. But I think it's worthwhile trying. I think it is an important quest to flood the zone with as many perspectives as we possibly can. I really do, because we are standing on the precipice of an AI revolution and AI cannot glean from what is not there. Algorithms are limited to what has been, not what could have been. The status quo always assumes that it is because it should be. But I don't agree. I believe that if we want to build a world where everybody who literally exists can also theoretically exist, we need to broaden our scope of what qualifies as worthwhile creative contributions. And if we don't make a real effort on that front now, if we don't try to unearth and champion voices and perspectives that are missing from our collective understanding of ourselves, we will be forever blind and we will be forever talking about fucking Picasso.”

Hannah Gadsby on Picasso /BK Museum

[nzcomm335]

Blog Post #1

I chose New Zealand because I lived there for two months when I was 12. I lived in a very small town and knew very little about New Zealand's cultural differences at the time. I feel like this is a perfect opportunity to really understand more about the country. I want to see just how unique the island is, including its Indigenous people, agriculture, art, environment, and food.

I believe that deep diving into a culture like this will let me understand better how different people around the world act and think based on their background and culture. It will also open my mind to different ideologies, which could influence every aspect of my life.

While researching the culture, I want to focus on five main things: Indigenous people, agriculture, art, environment, and food.

New Zealand is roughly the size of California,

despite its small size, deforestation and rapid urbanization have caused problems for the environment and led to the decline of natural species. The introduction of animals like weasels, ferrets, and cats, originally brought over to breed for fur, made things worse. Many escaped into the wild, and without natural predators, they preyed on native birds and reptiles, driving some species almost to extinction.

Indigenous people, known as the Maori, make up about 16% of New Zealand's population, while 65% are European. Most of the population, around three-quarters, lives on the North Island, which has led to it being an economic and cultural hub. However, there are significant many things that seperate the Maori and nonnatives. For example, the median income for Maori is only 71% compared to New Zealand Europeans. On top of that, over 50% of the prison population is Maori, even though they make up a much smaller percentage of the population. This imbalance shows the ongoing economic social struggles the Maori face, which can lead to tension and conflict between natives and non-natives in New Zealand.

Agriculture has always been a part of New Zealand and makes up 20% of its GDP. Its biggest exports are milk, beef, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, lamb, and wool. New Zealand is the world’s largest milk exporter, thanks to strict farming laws and regulations. With lower demand for wool, many farms switched to cows. Thirty-four percent of New Zealand's total exports go to China because of its proximity.

The film industry has become a huge way for New Zealand to show its artistic side. Movies like The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople were all filmed there. In the past, though, the Maori were very focused on carving, using materials like wood, jade, and bone. Many of these carvings still exist today and are kept in museums to preserve their culture. Along with this, jade is still important, as New Zealand jade is known for its quality and rarity. Used today mainly for jewelry, jade serves as a meaningful connection for the Maori to their culture.

[monkberryfields]

I totally agree that lack of whimsy has something to do with it! Tbh I would say that there's a lot worse Christmas songs than Wonderful Christmastime that have come out in the past ten years.

As for which periods of history I like studying the most, I'd definitely have to say the 20th century is the most interesting to me (particularly pop culture history) but the Middle Ages in general are really fascinating to me. In my European Humanities class I had to take for my degree, we touched on basically everything from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Romantic era of literature, but my favorite period by far to talk about and read from was everything from the 11th to 14th century. We read Dante's Inferno and we talked a lot about Hildegard von Bingen and it was so fascinating to me. It feels like such a grim part of European history and I think that's what draws me to it.

That's a pretty Euro-centric view on history, but when you're an American student, that's basically what you get. Although I think it's really cool to take a look at a year or a decade and see where every country and region was in terms of technology and culture.

Anywayyyyy, no, I'm not expecting to do anything special for Christmas, just watch some classic Christmas movies with my family. Are there any Christmas movies in particular that are your favorites?

AAAA I'm having a late night so I'm just getting to this!!

Oooooo!!! That sounds fun!! I enjoyed romantic literature (I've also got a few British lit classes under my belt) and the Middle Ages fascinate me! I like reading about it but I don't think I can devote time to studying it all the time! It's just not entirely my thing but I respect it so much. I especially love the Medieval art of the era and some aspects of religion during that era. Though I may not like it, some of the best historians I know are Medievalists and they're pretty cool ngl.

And yeah, we need more non-Euro centric history in America. I enjoy learning about stuff that's not American. I enjoy a lot of Native American history too, which I've taken a few classes on and they're always the best classes I've ever taken!

I would love to learn more about African history tbh! Or Middle Eastern history! But alas 🤷 and it's hard to find even Irish historians over here so even the Eurocentric history isn't even ALL of Europe just like a few Western European countries (this is a tangent I could yap about all day. Give me an hour or two of your time in the future lol).

As for Christmas movies, God...hmmm...I do like Muppet Christmas Carol, Christmas Vacation, and of course the stop motion animation shorts. But recently me and my friends have started a tradition where we watch the Peewee Herman Christmas Special. We'll be in our third year this year!! Have you ever watched that? If you haven't I would highly recommend!!

[ai-archive-for-all]

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐈?

In the last 2 years or so AI generative platforms have become a hit. A huge boom that is used to create all sorts of knowledge, content, companionship etc. Some of it however has turned out bad, wrong or even downright evil, while other has actually brought comfort, and care to the users and overall generally good stuff.  Think ChatGTP, You.com, Gencraft, Lummini, Midjourney are just samples in the grand scheme of AI tools on the internet. And since their creation the AI art, writing, bots, deep fakes etc such have expanded tremendously. 

AI stuff is everywhere; whether you know and like it or not. 

But, like everything out there, especially a new piece of technology, it has raised mixed feelings. And justifiably so. A lot of the generative sites mentioned above use models such as DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion and other models . Which exact data sources these models build on is however unclear (See Dennis, 2022). Which is the biggest ethical issue with AI art (and to a certain extent AI Writing). This data could come from open source data and data submitted and willingly for the AI to be trained on, but a lot of the time it is trained on art from real artists and authors who have not consented to it. This makes AI art and content problematic since it is used for commercial use.

However, if I may be the devil's advocate. I think this is a much bigger issue for original works and published creations and in commercial setting than Tumblr and fan creations at large. Why? Because legally speaking (although it depends where you are of course, I can only speak from European context at large) but fanfiction and fanart by itself can be seen as copyright infringement into the original works copyright. By legal definition, copyright infringement occurs when:

Too much of the original works elements are copied, uses the characters or distinct elemets from the original work or that the new works characters or distinct elements are too similar to the original work, alternatively that the new work competes on the same market as the original work (AI Archive translation & simplification)

So, in other words, basically the entire fanfiction and fanart community could be and would be shut down if the original works creators wanted it to. Still it is (mostly) allowed to exist because we don’t claim to own the works, we don’t compete with the original creations market (aka do it not for money) but rather try showing appreciation for the original works art. It’s a thin line to say the least and even with that thin line, only, maybe a handful of works would be considered individual enough not to be copyright infringement. 

Do you get where I’m going with this? If we cry too much, especially in the fandom community about AI infringement, what is to say that governing institutions will not make another serious purge attempt at us all, AI and non AI creators that breach the strict definition of copyright (I doubt it will happen). Rather on a deeper level, I don’t think the issue is so much about AI itself, but rather how it is used. 

More precisely, the problematic issue when a fanfiction/fanart creator uses AI content and do not declare their AI use (which is also something Dennis mentions). For example omitting the information all together anywhere on their blog, or, worse yet, denying that they used AI to create their content such as a fic or picture. I know I am guilty of including it on the blog but not under every post where AI had a small insignificant part of the total work (part in a banner for a fanfiction) and I’m definitely going to be even more transparent about it in the future. 

I encourage you to do the same, while also considering that, maybe, within the context of tumblr and fandom work we shouldn’t be talking about ‘good creator not using AI’ or ‘bad creator using AI’ but rather be open and honest about how and why AI was used in our works. And on a larger field advocate and motivate companies to create data sets that do not infringe into content creators rights, but instead create a possibility for writers, authors and artists to submit their pieces into the data set to create a more ethical use of it. 

Because only when we’re honest about how and why we use AI can we start tackling all of the underlying issues AI has.

See Sources & Additional info below:

Steve Dennis (2022) "The AI Art Debate: Excitement, Fear and Ethics"

Kavya Goyal (2024) "Exploring GenCraft.ai | An Overview"

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 | 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 & 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 | 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐔𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 & 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬

[vanprestonart]

In another break from the usual programming... As a retired machine learning scientist, I wanted to share a few thoughts about future AI developments, since there's a lot of vague concern right now. Here are what I see to be the main issues.

AI is derivative. It's good at copying but a) lacks all originality (other than that occasional fluke maybe) and b) lacks human values, imparting a certain chill.

It may for example get good at producing pulp fiction, and you may mindlessly consume it in large quantities one day, but it won't make you feel good. We won't see ourselves deeply reflected in this content. It won't encourage intelligence and sensitivity.

We've seen already that industry will try to use it to replace decision workers, such as in filtering hate speech from your social media, or rating your job application, but that it will show no interest in edge cases, feeding into a society that's as derivative and hostile to difference as it is itself. We may start to develop weird mannerisms to get past these flawed gatekeepers. There may be pointless bubbles, e.g. if the AI randomly likes certain postcodes so house prices rise there.

It will get better and better at not making mistakes, such as driving your car off the road, but will never really understand that hitting a child is worse than hitting the central reservation. It may even get better at protecting life that you, as a driver, already are, but it won't generalise human values to novel situations. It may well be a greater danger to the life of non-European children. It will be safer if you don't have anything very unusual near the road, or change anything.

AI will become a major race issue at some point.

On the plus side, one day your cataract operation, for example, will be done perfectly virtually every time, and cheaper. I do think we'll be safer, and faster, on the road. We will extend uniformity of outcome into more complex, resistant areas. Safety is a domain where the target outcome is clear, and AI is ultimately suited. There will likely be inroads into much more complex manufacturing and automation. There will be job loss.

There is vast potential for flooding the internet with misleading content. Spam on steroids. Good content will be drowned. It might kill the internet as we know it. This is the decline of a golden age of trying to say something helpful on the internet, and one or two people possibly reading it. The internet is about to become a terrific weed patch.

People are making a valid living producing fairly derivative creative output, for example much high street fashion design, or domestic architecture, and there's nothing wrong with that. AI could move into that space. This kind of "everyday art" will get a little bit cheaper and a little bit less human, and that will be sad.

Companies will certainly try to sell you an AI of various kinds, but here it helps to remember that the word "intelligence" is part of the hype. It will be cleverly presented to keep you entertained. It will be good for some things and bad for others, like previous software, whilst even easier to anthropomorphise. Have fun, if you're into it.

Key points:

AI as gatekeeper - BAD

AI as creator - SAD

AI as surgeon, driver or skilled line worker - take it slow and build trust, with a close eye on outcomes for minorities

AI as friend and entertainer - relatively harmless?

In summary, I think my main concern is that AI is going to be hostile to difference.

[misterbitches]

There are flaws to this show (many imo. and I still love it! Imagine that!) and I think this is one of them. It's common for "media"—or a piece of work, of art, whatever we want to call what we are seeing so much of—to just completely eclipse history and material reality. We can sense what poverty or being poor is in art but it doesn't tell us how it manifests and gets there, why it is this way, and give concrete but messy ideas of how to get out of this. It just shows us that this is how it is and this is how people live under [neoliberal lbr] capitalism (never named) and we're all supposed to go "omg yes what a great depiction of life in this mortal coil! unfixable but they Get It! another tv show pls!"

This pisses people off when we say: in fact it (artistic particularly visual (stuart hall has def talked abt this lmao) depictions) discombobulates us and pares it down to choice and culture. Or it displaces liberation, true liberation, on to assimilationist esque goals (i think this is too easy of a word to use here esp wrt gay marriage in thailand bc their relationship to gender and sexuality is different than ours and i don't want any academia popular topics from here further exported onto the global south but alas there are points to be made). At least ones that can be easily folded into neoliberal hegemony that is currently directed by the US and the west.

Rosé can say what she wants and Jack can respond but it isn't just about not having dreams it's about her plain EXISTENCE actively stifling those dreams. It's the fact that what is to be done is to not just save one person, it's to burn it down, to fuck empire, to get something new. For us by us. Ironically—though I feel there's some things I cannot stand namely not being specific and chastising Joke as a thief and non rich people crime; denigrating the idea of robbing the rich and expropriation in a sense—Jack is actively trying to do something that gives power to people and is not interested (so far) in state or capital interference. Especially because education can be used as an evil evil evil tool. Education is a mess! Imagine if the show could construct the school in a manner akin to the Young Lords Lincoln Hospital Takeover.

Anyway, Rosé's presence in that space was condescending and Jack was pissed off. In another show it would have been seen as heartwarming. It isn't. Wrt interference for Jack's goals: like the IMF and WEF and all evil european dicksucking actors getting "loans" or "donors" always comes with more. It comes with an exploitative evil body dictating what others must do for survival. And you see that with Jack and what he has to do now! You see it with the dehumanizing way Rosé explained her stupid fucking fund to the poor constituents forced to look at her. This is Shark Tank! That's what Shark Tank does and it is disgusting!

So far Not Me is the only other series I have seen for young people and by young people that actively did dangerous things in the name of freedom. It was better than J&J on this since it didn't tell me that crime is bad (poor people crime they mean). Not Me was like an armed struggle-lite. I am not joking: for liberation the things that they did in that show have to be done. I wonder if any other show will have the courage to do something similar but I doubt that very much.

One because protests were happening around that time (iirc) and two we are worse off and more entrenched now than we were when radical actions were taking place. (And that tv show ran into problems in its construction, the cultural workers/labor, and viewership.)

Think about what happened after 2020 in the US; after the beauty of that police precinct burning down? The cop cars on fire? The strength that we felt for those on the ground even from our homes? Well, we got stupid video footage of "Black joy" and us dancing. Defanging of abolition. Of struggle. We got people—people I know!—in jail, house arrest, surveilled. Or killed.

And see how impotent we are in the west with regards to anything really but particularly Palestine. You don't get free by simply meandering on and doing nothing and it is certainly not non-violent, peaceful, and abiding by the rules. But the reaction to Jack doing what he is because he has to just shows how lost we are right now on what is going on and what has to be done. Even if it's a TV show the reaction to Jack is a tiny window into our psyches.

I know a lot of what I am describing seems not relevant but it is believe me it is. We aren't safe and we have to expose these cracks in our consumption especially if we are artists and want to call ourselves queer artists that want even a little bit to do with change. That fucking "one friend who's too woke" meme and its popularity shows how much being uneducated and incurious about this stuff has damaged any spirit to explore and interrogate even if everyone else seems to be saying the opposite. And it keeps us sat instead of more activated to reach towards others. We have to take this shit seriously and also laugh when we want to laugh. But I don't care about joy in times like now. I care about change!

So for a show to be pretty explicit about certain things and for the audience to not get that shows that the show has had an inconsistent stance on what it shouldn't. Joke stealing from the rich is GOOD, RIGHTEOUS, AND JUST. ALWAYS. EXPROPRIATION IS GOOD. EATING THE RICH IS GOOD. AND THOSE WORDS ARE SURFACE LEVEL ON ITS OWN. I want them to get back that life of crime lmao but if not I want Jack to start his school and have it be completely community directed and actually democratic. No fucking interference. They must be ungovernable and remain so! For the people by the people.

As contradictory as the show is, it's still better than anything else with regards to even lightly touching on capitalism and I guess in 2024 this is kinda the best we can do? That's a bad sign. We'll see how it shakes out. If I'm missing another show from this genre (not just bl but either thai romance or slice of life) LMK. Also just a thai show (or even asian drama particularly from a less developed asian country...that isn't like vietnam lol) that touches on this pretty well lmk.

Lastly some advice, since I feel like we often don't add it and sometimes people want a little push, on what action you can do if this is important to you:

If you want to do some stuff in real life or connect with communities look up local anarchist/socialist/progressive organizations. Many of them have problems, I am not going to lie so you must be careful and protect yourself. Look up opsec. And a lot of them either don't have money or do and are uh...well. Like DSA that is having a massive zionist issue right now besides just. It being DSA. But whatever research radicals' issues with that org. Still I think it is valuable for a person to join that org if they are just getting started (it's what I did!) Out of all of them I am most partial to IWW but. Well. I am a wobbly! Bad opsec but no pig is checking for some dummies QL blog....I hope.

Avoid IMT and ACP (?if you even have an acp) at all costs. I'd say avoid PSL and CPUSA too but the latter more than the former. Still I do not like any of those but PSL has always been fucking loud and around and you have less of a chance of rampant rape apologia (IMT). Whatever. Just know that everything that manifests outside of the left manifests within it as well particularly when it comes to RACE AND GENDER. Be strong and steadfast in yourself. Utilize your computer and internet savvy and try and connect in those spaces. Follow leftists in your area and on twitter. If you cannot do things IRL that's okay! Because disabled people are a huge part of the movement.

I feel useless and hopeless too. I have to build my courage and do more but I have spent years at least shaping my life towards liberation where I am able to reach out and more easily grasp something that can be done if that makes sense. It takes a while to build this network but you can do it. If you are like many of us you feel it is a necessity. Start small but this is advice I can give. Find a group (while protecting yourself) and see if you can reach out to people. Start making these connections online. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.

There are footnotes and links in this post that I think are valuable. All of these things are extremely worth reading. This is long.

Forgive me (sike idc) for injecting my ancommie art brain but: I don’t know who needs to hear it but castigating Jack as some monster instead of a kid from the fucking slums who is “stuck” in some sort of (supposed nebulous referent-less) cycle that cannot be solved as opposed to purposefully kept there by imperial colonial [racial] capitalist exploitation⁰ with some pretty difficult but clear¹ possibilities for struggle and understood solutions is a limit on our imagining of a future and want for change as well as just sullying this story (outside of critiquing the work itself) for you. I don't know why we are glossing over the fact that you have to pay to live and also global determinants of health.

Why do the poor the world over have such low quality of health and life and therefore die first? Why are they overwhelmingly black and the darker peoples of the world? The colonized or subjugated? When did we move from the right to life and health to the right to coverage or being able to afford it?²

Is it not interesting that Joke's father is a doctor and his livelihood is linked with this system? Do you think that, maybe, how the father is and his job show a congruency? Why do individuals have to go above a system and yet are still invested in this system? And since Joke was a part of this nuclear family then ousted when he dared to transgress its rule—the unit based off of generating labor and necessary for one's survival since it is the only safe financial place to land and rely on—is it not significant that he isn't acknowledged by that father over things that could save someone? I'm super tired so I'm not making as much sense as I'd like. To quote from this comprehensive piece³ on Health Communism: A Surplus Manifesto by Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant:

“Illness—you point out—is the only possible form of life in capitalism. In fact, the psychiatrist, who is wage dependent, is a sick person like each of us. The ruling classes merely give him the power to “cure” or to hospitalize. Cure—this is self-evident—can’t be understood in our system to mean the elimination of illness: it serves exclusively as the maintenance of the ability to go to work where one stays sick.” (Turn Illness into a Weapon: A Polemic Call to Action by the SPK, 1972)³

Joke comes from a family with money. They aren't super rich but they have what Jack (and now Joke!) doesn't. His father is in a position where he could throw rules out the window to help his son's friend even if that has consequences. Ostensibly had Joke not done what he did, Joke would always have access to decent healthcare or money. Or he would have gotten a job that would allow him to have it or afford it. He also would lead a life where his health is most likely going to be optimal. (A bit of a stretch since we are still in a pandemic and the globe is dying and they live in a place where people are affected by MAN MADE CAPITALIST climate disaster and racist ecocide that is going to primarily affect those in rural areas and people are fucking sick but I digressss) What kind of air are these people breathing? What's in these pills? Why is there no sustained contact with health professionals (that don't suck—also a thing)? Why are we so okay with elderly alienation and their death? Poor death?

This captures several major themes of the book, namely, the impossibility of health under capitalism; the potential of solidarity between physicians and patients, despite the power dynamics that otherwise separate them; and the need to turn illness into a weapon to dismantle capitalism itself. Adler-Bolton and Vierkant write: “Health under capitalism is an impossibility. Under capitalism, to attain health you must work, you must be productive and normative, and only then are you entitled to the health you can buy. This fantasy of individual health under the political-economic conditions of capitalism only ever exists as a state one cannot be, to which one must always strive. [SPK] called this cultural imaginary of health a “biological, fascist fantasy” because it obscures the true and violent architecture of economic systems of extraction underneath the shadow of a capitalist-realist depiction of the perfect worker.” (pp. 10-11) ³ (x)

So with all this known why the fuck are people so goddamn angry at Jack? And for Tattoo too. I didn't really touch on this in all this text but my main point is that it's interesting that we don't know what we're mad at beyond a betrayal when for the both of these men they "betrayed" the rich boy. In Save's case he betrayed the poor ones, his comrades, the ones who are suffering like him. My anger towards him is much greater but I still get it. (To be clear: I am angry at him and it is even worse because it isn't directed at anyone but the poor. His friend's grandmother. And it's a tale as old as time. If he wasn't such a little bitch he would be able to withstand it but he isn't. If I think even harder I wonder if this signal's the closer one is to these types of people, the more they suture themselves to capital out of survival, the more they believe they will be protected by heinous acts but I am tired lol.)

They're all poor boys from the fucking slums but our main concern is Joke, the rich-ish boy—who is right btw cos we love robbing the rich yet still his old class position and upbringing very clearly influences how we view him and his agency. It is done to him like with Arun and the necklace—a gay boy with an abusive father—and Rosé—a woman with an abusive father(?)—and her life. They are entitled to these sympathies first!

The formatting bugs me so I'm gonna reblog the rest.

Footnotes:

⁰This is "H.L.T. Quan on Cedric Robinson, Racial Capitalism, Black Internationalism, & Cultures of Resistance" on Millenials are Killing Capitalism. "Cedric’s point is that Marx and Engels missed the significance of revolt in the rest of the world, specifically by non-Western peoples who made up the vast majority of the world’s unfree and nonindustrial labor force." (Essay from Robin D.G. Kelley's foreword to the third updated edition of Cedric Robinson's Black Marxism.) I haven't read BM yet BTW but I know a lot about it and it has influenced black anarcho-communism (black anarchism), our traditions, what revolt should require, INTERNATIONAL RADICAL SOLIDARITY, and our development. Robinson was also, like many radical intellectuals, an artist and art critic! I think it's important to put here particularly because Thailand wasn't colonized so the conception of the nation is different though not out of step with colonized history at all. Obviously. Which is answered to here and elucidated here as it seems Bangkok acted as an imperial core. I don't know how much of this is enough and I can only go by the knowledge I have gained in reading and being in these spaces because to get information on radical left in Thailand (or many parts of asia) is fucking hard and even the man I'm referencing doesn't support armed struggle currently apparently! I'll continue to research. But we have been so cut off from each other and radical thought esp from an American standpoint it's fucking pathetic. This is why I say understanding art and being critical is important. In a better world this would be an OBVIOUS articulation and revealing where people wouldn't get upset over someone like Jack just because he isn't fucking a boy on our timeline. ¹1968 and the “Thai Seventies" – 14th October 1973 uprising, 6 October 1976 bloodbath and after Giles Ji Ungpakorn who also wrote "Down with Thai Capitalism! The People Against the Military Dictatorship!" in Spectre as a response to Thiti Jamkajornkeiat ²"SPHC matched the general shift in high level development planning to technical solutions and privatisation of public services, and from the comprehensive vision of Health for All to survival rates. The health care reform that was then promoted by the evolving global health governance structure, as a subset of conservative neoliberal economic policies, gave rise to the privatisation and commercialisation of health care—from Health for All to health care that people could aford. There was a concomitant reduction in government health spending in many low-and middle-income countries with increasing dependence on multiple international donors and the reduced ability of countries to determine their own health agendas." Conclusion from Health Policies and Health Care in the Context of Neoliberal Globalisation. ³Health Communism — All Care For All People (Part 1) also read alongside this "review by Evan Sedgwick-Jell for Asylum magazine and this Q&A of Beatrice Adler-Bolton and Artie Vierkant by the New Republic." You can find the HC book online (pirateflagemoji) and/or buy it.