#and that classism is based heavily in racism

[skelejester]

public high school: the united states is such a great country and yeah we had slavery and all that but all of our problems ended with MLK

university history class: everything you’ve learned up until this point is propaganda actually and anyone who’s told you we learned and grew past the violent racism and oppression in this country is wrong

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

No but full stop. if you say anything like "Gen Alpha is being raised wrong/horrible to have in class/morally fucked-up/idiotic/doomed/just really really cringe" I will unironically lose all respect for you immediately.

all this stuff about "they're illiterate", "they have no respect for parents or teachers" "screens have rotted their brains" "they just speak in weird Skibidi Toilet Gyatt Rizz Meme Language" "the screens have made them have no behavior standards or morals" "the ScReEeEeEeEnsssss"

...you sound literally exactly like our parents' generation did with us. and elder millenials'/Gen X/even really late boomer's parents' generations did with them about video games and cable tv and...regular tv

and radio

and records

and. dime novels.

and it literally just goes back like that forever

OVID talked abt this stuff in the EXACT same way

so yeah, if you say that stuff without a shred of self-awareness, then I

1) do not think you can keep your commitment to "not fuck up future generations like we were fucked up", since you're contributing to that fucking-up right now by your words and actions.

2) will assume that you have a similar shortsightedness in other issues that require you to compare your own/modern-day views and events to historical ones, and lose faith in your interpretation of everything from aesthetics and online drama to world-altering current events because of that

3) genuinely I just have nothing but disappointment in people who say these things. anyone on this site who hates "icky gen alpha things" almost definitely did the same thing themselves.

They have "Gyatt", we* had GLOMPING, Yaoi Paddles, shitty mspa twerking gifs everywhere, and "Oh My God, Look At Her Butt"

They have "Rizz" we had "YOLO SWAG" and "I made you a cookie but I eated it" and those selfies where you held your camera up too high and then looked up at it from under your bangs

They have "Skibidi Toilet" we had SO MANY THINGS. Llamas with Hats. Charlie the Unicorn. Annoying Orange. Crazy Frog. Potter Puppet Pals. Minecraft Parodies if you're younger gen z. friCKING TOBUSCUS MUSIC, that man was a PLAGUE.

They have a toxic social media culture focused on heavily edited and unachievable beauty standards, enforced popularity culture, rigid aesthetic-based social groups, harmful rumors about health & beauty, a pressure on young girls to act mature, and underlying racism/classism, all leading kids who dont have adequate guidance to, AT BEST, try beauty "products" that arent meant for kids and are usually scams. We had... literally the exact same thing except our airbrushing was on celebs and models instead of coming from filters.

*I am older Gen Z (24 y.o.) but was so fucking sheltered until ~2014, and even then... I'm going off tumblr-history blogs, yt retrospectives and "my friend said so" to understand what "we" had

TLDR STOP BULLYING GEN ALPHA

...except about "Starpatch" or "Starface" or whatever it is. yes, ik its also popular/more popular with younger gen z. yes I'm literally making a post rn to bully(lh) yall JUST as hard about it. if it were my exact age group doing this I would be bullying yall. i dont care who does it, starpatch is so fricking silly.

[ndplatypus]

My issue with “Helluva Boss”

Yes the humor relies a lot on vulgarity, sex, drugs, and a lot of cussing. Not my cup of tea but it’s not my issue with the series. I genuinely use to love this show, but recent episodes and a rewatch have me very disillusioned with the series. I’m gonna talk about why here.

At first glance, especially in season 1, it’s pretty good. A lot of decent set ups and the chance at world building. The basic premise is interesting and the characters are fun. It genuinely has a good foundation and the potential to be GOOD. It’s why I’m so upset with it now.

To start off, the writing is weak. Nothing that is set up is ever paid off. The main premise we were set up, a small business started by a lower class character of sneaking off to earth from hell to commit assassination jobs. It’s a fun premise! Again a LOT of potential. It’s implied heavily in the show that imps are lower class, usually servants or country hick folk. And higher class and stronger demons look down on them. It’s said by another imp in the show it’s impress and rare for an imp to have his own business!!!

But it teeters off and looses focus of this by heavily focusing on shipping. (Not saying you can’t mix comedy, romance, and drama in one series, but the show doesn’t do this well) It falls off in a way the show star vs the forces of evil did when the show started focusing less on the more interesting concepts (the racism and classism between mewmins and monsters) and started heavily focus on shipping, switch Tom, Star, Kelly and Marco and others) HB does exactly this. Throwing away other concepts and stories they made the show more interesting just to focus on shipping Stolas and Blitzo.

Another issue I have is how the main couple is portrayed. A ship including a very privileged rich upper class prince character and a lower class character whose race is implied in the show to be seen as less than. Classism and racism is not a good dynamic to start with, but with good writing and some sensitivity can be done right.

But again, it isn’t written well. To make the ship look better it’s almost essentially get written between season 1 and 2 and shifts almost all the blame for the problems in the relationship onto the LOWER CLASS CHARACTER WHO FACES RACISM AND FETISHIZATION FROM HIS RICH PRINCE ROMANCE INTEREST.

This mixed with the very questionable sexual coercion and potential sa issues that are involved in their relationship- it’s very uncomfortable. Not saying a ship isn’t allowed to be toxic. I find toxic characters fascinating tbh, but there is a art to writing them-

As in you have to acknowledge your characters are toxic and have your audience see the characters acknowledge this and try to change and do the work to be better. If both Stolas and Blitzo were written to acknowledge both have sone faults in the relationship and both are hurting each other in different ways and tried to work on themselves it could still be good! HB does not do this. It sets up a couple that on both sides is very toxic but only treats one side as so. The one who in reality based on past writing the show no longer acknowledges, is the bigger victim in the relationship!!!

They completely recontextualize the characters by essentially retconning how they got together, starting season two they take what’s potentially a good pairing of toxic characters who can grow and heal together to just trying to victimize one and make the other the “bad” one. Yea both are toxic but to now make Blitzo the main problem in the relationship and Stolas as the victim of just loving someone who doesn’t treat him write- it’s not good writing. It’s honestly gross.

Stop setting up issues like classism, racism, fetishization, in your show, in your ship, if you don’t actually want to acknowledge it. Stop writing serious real life issues into your stories if you can’t properly handle them. You can’t just pretend now those issues aren’t there in season 2 after establishing these issues in season 1. You can’t retcon this shit between seasons. Have the balls to acknowledge how you write your characters to be shitty people and make them work to be better. Not just pretend they are better without any work being put in!!!

And I could go on how all the gay characters seem grossly fetishized and fit into basic stereotypical top/bottom roles. Soft uwu bottom who goes no wrong and strong and big bad top. Yes some gay men have preferences but being so focused on top and bottom dynamics is weird.

The writing of the female characters is gross as well (the creator will say HB is the boy show and HH will be the girl show but it’s an excuse for cheap writing) all the girl characters are props and get no character or growth of their own. They all exist to prop up the boys. To help further along their development and stories while getting none of their own. The female antagonist in the stories are essentially one dimensional with her personality of “bitch.” And only exist again to be against the boys. The girls in the show are constantly demeaned and talked down to by male characters and treated like “stupid bitches” and this is all okay and funny. But when a female character says something bad about the male characters they are wrong and antagonist and will get a rock dropped on them for laughs at the end of the episode, because the show itself treats the males with depth and forgiveness (because trauma) but the girls are lazy evil caricatures who must get beat down in the end because clearly they are wrong and bad, even though it’s funny when male characters do the exact same shit. Some serious misogyny here.

Also another writing issue is.. it feels a lot like trauma porn. Every main (male) character has to have some deep trauma all somehow about a dead/missing mom and abusive dad (all three main make leads have a variation of this same trauma)

Not every character needs a traumatic back story. Not every trauma has to be death and murder and abusive dads. If you have to have your characters be traumatized to make them interesting or explain away their shitty behavior this is just bad and lazy writing.

It doesn’t feel like she’s trying to tell a story here at this point. Season two ends up feeling like fetish and trauma porn and half baked single dimensional characters that exist solely to sexualize and traumatize.

I hate to be this angry and critical of an indie show but even without all the drama around Viv and the treatment her workers the show itself has simply become a toxic poorly written mess of tropes and stereotypes that are simply meant to sell a product not tell a real story.

I wanted to like this show, and I genuinely use to. But after this new season and a rewatch I simply can’t enjoy it anymore. Anything this series had going for it is now trashed. It’s a shame to see.

Again I use to genuinely love this show. My anger with it comes from seeing it fall so far from the potential it had. But maybe that’s on me.

[strikersexhaver]

It's interesting how Striker insulted Fizz and Blitz on "meddling with the blue bloods" even though he himself also heavily meddle with blue bloods,Stella and Stolas

When he first appeared,his gun implied his targets are mainly the royals aka the blue bloods,he appeared to try to kill Stolas after all

Hard to say any assassin from the lowest rank who usually hunt low ranked or a bit higher ranked demons and suddenly switched to the highest profile targets

It wouldn't make much sense,so it's good to assume he targets the royals,Stella choosing him bcuz in case he fails,if an imp dies,no one would bat an eye,but if it's someone socially known,that would be a problem

Striker is such a good representation of his own kind lol, I like how the imps are so diverse,I.M.P extends their service to the literal mortal world and their clientele is mostly sinners who used to be human

Of definitely, it’s why he even thought to grab up Fizz too, the fact Blitzø was even next to him was connivence.

I will say, it stems from real life examples. People of lower class or social unacceptable places in life appeasing others for benefits. Such as sex work, dirty works, anything that can help them get some goddamn money.

Even if it makes you feel disgusting, or horrid, you have to in order to survive because being born in the ‘wrong’ race. You don’t have the benefits of others. It’s also, I haven’t seen people mention this but Sinners are higher ranked than Imps, Hellhounds and Succubi.

That is wild. Imagine people from no where coming up and taking all over your shit- granted that’s what happened in real life.

The Seven Deadly Sin Princes (based off of Biblical lore) came from somewhere else, not hell, Lucifer is a fallen angel so… He claimed a place that wasn’t his own.

The Imps are a good (maybe eh in some regards) representation of how racism and classism can affect your living. 

But back to Striker, yeah, it’s fully shown in his character. Alongside the fact, even if now, he started talking- he started being good, pumping out expose on Stella or something. No one would believe him, because he’s an imp.

So there is no win, for him at least.

[estrla-a]

                    ♔     ——— — -  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐘 :   but a person so mentally unstable cannot change.     your words freeze me up like your mouth is Antartica,     &.     your brain is scolding due to your visit to your throne in Hell.     i've suffered many tragedies inside my own mind.     𝑳𝑬𝑻 𝑰𝑻 𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑼𝑵𝑭𝑶𝑳𝑫, 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑴𝑬 &. 𝑭𝑬𝑬𝑫 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑼𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵     a mother's love is all that is good     &.     holy, but what is it worth to Satan ?     you would know, since he is in fact, your creator...     𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 !

                    𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓’𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐘 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘,     &.     𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ; 𝘐 𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘖𝘜𝘕𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘠 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘕𝘌𝘚𝘚 '𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘎𝘚𝘛 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘙𝘖𝘕𝘎.     #𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐋𝐀 :     𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙍𝘼𝙀𝙃𝙀.     an independent / private     &.     heavily headcanon / pilot based     𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗩𝗔 𝗕𝗢𝗦𝗦.    blog is dash only, mid amount of formatting     &.     low maintenance.

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙂 𝙄𝙎 𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝙈 / 𝘿𝘿;𝘿𝙉𝙀     &.     may contain the following content :     non-parental incest, dub con, sexism, marital / verbal abuse, violence / gore, classism / racism, slavery, age gaps, homophobia / transphobia     &.     child neglect.     𝐦𝐨𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞      all of these are to be tagged such as 'cw insert topic here'  — under no circumstances will bestiality or sexual content of minors be tolerated. i do not use catch-all tags, such as x don’t look or x don’t see nor do i require one for myself.     i will tag trigger warnings     &.     i will tag URLS :     do not pressure me or try to control who i write with. do not ask me my financial situation, sexual orientation / experience / preferences / kinks or fetishes, relationship status, mental disorders / medical history, etc. quite frankly, that’s nobody’s business but my own. 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙛 :     pro callout, smut-only blogs, shota / loli blogs, muns under 21 years of age, shame others for their sexual preferences, non-RP blogs, antis of any sort, if you have an extensive DNI persons list... this is not a safe-space for puritanical antis ! if agreeable to these terms, please continue to the blog rules under the cut...

𝐈)     mod is over 25+ years of age.     i will not be providing my discord unless you’re a close friend.     timezone is PST.     goes by any pronouns.

𝐈𝐈)     this is a problematic character from series that takes place in literal hell.     Stella is, for the most part, a rude, privileged     &.     entitled individual who grew up extremely wealthy &. has very little to no ounce of kindness in her.     she is as condescending, homophobic, racist, sexist     &.     probably transphobic as they come.     𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙚 — 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨.    AUs are my jam.     𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩.    spoilers will not be tagged. leaks, should i ever come across them, will be tagged accordingly.

     i can’t write NSFW worth a damn, it’ll be rare if i actually write it out in full here — i prefer to write that in discord.     Stella is hard to ship with, so please don’t automatically assume romance unless prior discussion / interactions take place.     i currently don’t really ship her with anyone.

     𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙜...     animal abuse, animal cruelty    &.     trypophobia.

𝐈𝐈𝐈)     my Stella is not only heavily physically based on her pilot design but also how i 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙙 she would be like 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙩.     Stella is a lot more calm than her canon counterpart — it doesn’t mean she isn’t explosive when she reaches her boiling point, just that she has a bit more patience, poise     &.     grace before getting there.     she is married to a prince, after all, she’s been trained her entire life for this.

     my canon voice for her is 𝙀𝙢𝙢𝙖 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙤𝙣 with mannerisms akin to the character she plays in the 2021 film Cruella, Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada     &.     even a bit of Rarity from MLP.     𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝘿𝙊𝙀𝙎 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙈𝙀𝘼𝙉 𝙞 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚.     i aim for my Stella to not disrupt the flow of canon — though i write her slightly different, none of it would affect the actual events from the show, if that makes sense.     Stella still gets pissed when she’s cheated on, she still hires Striker to off Stolas, etc.     also, i adore duplicates — lets have a Stella party !

     𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙄𝙎 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝘼 𝙍𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙍𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 but it would be  𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 if you could give this post a like or send me an ask stating you've read my rules !

𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 !     bio.     grx.     metas.     asks.     promo. cws. sc. blogroll.

[cajuncardtricks]

CAJUNCARDTRICKS is a private , mutuals only roleplay blog for REMY LEBEAU / THE GAMBIT from marvel's X MEN. this blog is inspired by the comics , headcanons , the x men 97 series & deadpool & wolverine. this blog will contain mature content , and you must be 21+ to interact. mun and muse are 21+. penned by jj.

⁰¹ 𝙍𝙐𝙇𝙀𝙎 𝘽𝙀𝙇𝙊𝙒. ⁰² 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝘿𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙊𝙉𝙎. ⁰³ 𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙀. ⁰⁴ 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙏𝙎. ⁰⁵ 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏. ⁰⁶ 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙂.

" Step right up , then follow the spinning staff. Take your best shot , if you DARE ! The gentleman assumes the pot is his to win ... but I have a LITERAL ace up my sleeve. I got no problem wit' thieves, Redhand. "

exploring themes such as ... the life of crime , redemption through unconventional means , sacrifice , love overcoming everything , the rogue criminal , classism , racism , embracing the chaos , leaving it to the luck of the cards.

DISCLAIMER. THIS IS A DO NOT FOLLOW FIRST BLOG. i made this blog to rp with my friends i have here on tumblr , and while i have a lot to say and write about my boy here ... i am limited and don't wanna get overwhelmed. please do not follow this blog first , and reach out to me on one of my other blogs if you want a follow. ( violators of this rule will be blocked. )

this blog is mutuals only. that means i will only be writing with people that i am mutuals with from this blog. keep in mind that this blog uses sideblogs for most muses , and cannot follow back from them. you must be following this hubb blog to write with any of my muses.

this blog will be writing heavily mature and triggering content. that being said , this blog has a mature rating , and will only be writing with people 21+. this is for my own comfort , and i will not be making any exceptions. i'm also going to get out of the way that i am open to shipping , but no smut will be written with any muse under 18.

i will be using icons , small text , and formatting of various types on this blog. THIS IS NOT A REQUIRMENT TO WRITE WITH ME. i do this stuff for my own amusement. i base whether or not i follow someone based on if i think our writing is compatible.

this is not my only blog. i also am disabled , and have days where for one reason or another , i just can't be here all the time. i will do my best to make sure that i am here and keep up with things. most of my replies will be in a queue.

i'm open to shipping , but please check with me before assuming a ship. i don't ship every canon ship so please don't assume i ship anything that might be canon. most of the time i'm open to giving it a shot ... but it's best to check with me first.

no drama. it's really that simple. i don't have the time for it anymore , and refuse to engage in any of that. drama , toxic behavior , calling people out. not here for my blog. do not bring it to me. we're all here to have fun , so let me have my space be chill and drama free.

[the-writing-prick]

omg? a post? from me? more likely then you think. Free PC check.

I want to talk about the difference between Dark Academia as it exists in literature and Dark Academia as an aesthetic. Because despite sharing the same name and being very loosely intertwined with each other, the two are bordering on contradictory.

Dark academia literature, from what I've read at least, often has themes of or is a direct criticism of a lot of older institutions. The same institutions that Dark Academia the aesthetic often romanticizes.

Ivy leagues, private schools, and many 'dark and mysterious' academic centers only have the allure that they do because of centuries of exclusionary practices. Dark academia literature became the genre it is today through pointing out the flaws in those practices and how they are often based in racism, classism, and the idea of 'Legacies'. (There's also a subgenre that also criticizes the idea of the suffering artist and the disturbingly prevailing idea that good art must stem from grief and despair but I digress)

Dark academia the aesthetic is a direct contradiction from the literature of which it was born. The aesthetic leans so heavy into the allure of those institutions that it becomes a part of the problem. Now, I'm not saying that if you drink coffee, study and wear a brown blazer that you are inherently racist and oppressing the lower class through your vanity. That's not what I'm saying at all. This is less about the individual indulgences in that aesthetic and more of the narrative around it as a whole.

Recently, I have seen a new subgenre of dark academia arise that does not fundamentally understand what it is. It doesn't help that most of these books have their origins in tiktok where nuance goes to die. I have a few examples off the top of my head of books that only exist in Dark Academia for the aesthetic and how it feels flimsy and cheap when compared to any contemporary work but I have very very strong feelings about those books and it would derail this entirely.

But in the end, it doesn't matter what I say because the romanticizing of the unachievable will always exist, especially when dealing with a life style that is so heavily influenced by Old Money. Because nothing is more sweet than the idea of being born lucky, especially to those who weren't.

That is all.

[colorisbyshe]

( also... homophobia even towards gay men is VERY tightly linked to misogyny as is biphobia gender based prejudice cannot be removed from your understanding of homophobia transphobia ro biphobia even towards men ESPECIALLY towards men) good tags! reminds me of an article I read once about how misogyny heavily intersected with homophobia and transphobia on many levels, and how places less tolerant of it were also less homophobic/transphobic, but I've never been able to find it 🥲

There's a fair amount of writing on this phenomenon. I can't link to any of it because it's all stuff I read in my like Baby College Feminist Days but it was actually foundational to my understanding of like... gender as a whole.

But, honestly, I think any deep dive into any form of systemic oppression will make you realize how ALL forms of oppression are very, very tightly linked (which is why we should all be allies with each other and really emphasize our points of overlap and give EXTRA support to people who exist at multiple points of oppression and recognize they are most equipped to vocalize how these systems work).

Like obviously all policing of gender effects women, gay/bisexual people, and trans people. And even cisgender, straight men through how they police each other (toxic masculinity, a term that was fucking obliterated by bad faith actors but STILL has value).

But HOW we understand gender and the methods in which we enforce gender are heavily influenced by... racism. White supremacy. Colonialism. And that spins off into concepts like fetishization, desexualization, forced sterilization, and... eugenics.

Eugenics is obviously tied to reproductive justice and reproductive CONTROL which ties back to feminism, misogyny. But is also heavily tied to ableism and classism. Easy targets of the intersection of ableism and classism are fat people, thus fatphobia. Any "undesirable" group is going to be framed as breeding too much and taking too much from society (see: the misogynoir depictions of the welfare queen) or as sexual predators who need to be castrated, sterilized (gay people, immigrants). Undesirable people won't be given assistance with trying to achieve reproduction, either (fat people are often denied things like IVF or have tougher times finding fertility coaches).

And obviously eugenics is tied to the forced institutionalization and criminalization of vulnerable groups--neurodivergent people, people of color, poor people, immigrants etc..

And I could go on and on tying all of these groups together.

Proving that like... you can't ally yoruself with one group while throwing another under the bus. Not just because people exist who belong to both groups and would be hurt by that but because the same causes hurt all the same groups. And the logic to apply those harms to "other" groups will apply to yours.

If you try to stand on someone else's shoulders while people are trying to bash their knee caps off, you're gonna fall when they fall.

So, aside from like "You should love your fellow human ebings because they are human beings," in a very selfish sense... you should love them and listen to them and HELP them because the same focres attacking you are attacking them and you can't dismantle that system without recognizing that.

You can't agree with the bigoted people holding YOU down and then just go "All of that is right, except for where it applies to me" and expect to make meaningful change against them.

[botaniqueer]

Yeah!! Also Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled folks are another group that gets harshly treated, and who get left behind by the posts about gifted programs. People with I/DDs, and Black and Indigenous children will get sent to special education programs where they will get heavily abused by the staff by means like restraint and isolation. I have friends who have a lot of trauma from school staff putting them through that.

Schools are also fighting for the right to apply electric shocks to students in special ed, which is massively horrifying and is a clear demonstration that we still are very much a eugenics-based society.

I stopped posting those gifted kid memes when I started seeing more posts from my friends and others with I/DDs and realizing those programs served to instill in us a sense of ableism, classism, and racism, and we have an ethical responsibility to apologize for past wrongs and show solidarity with the folks we're pitted against. And to turn against the people and systems who created them.

It's also a model minority relationship as well, where people with ADHD or autism who are deemed "high functioning" (functioning labels are bad btw, and this can also be biased by race as mentioned above) are pitted against the mentioned groups above as examples of "good neurodivergent kids" who contribute more to prestige in a capitalist society's eyes. Compare with other model minority relationships where Asians are pitted against Black folks, and Jews are pitted against Arabs.

Kinda fucked up that we all coo and sympathize with "former gifted kids" but never talk about the students who had to stay late after school or over the summer for remedial classes/clubs, who struggled to get above a C, who were given up on or punished. Who tried so hard to understand or just couldn't. Who were grouped with the "stupid kids" (a classmate called us that in remedial math btw)

Autistic kids and adhders who can't relate to their gifted peers and are constantly alienated by them. Kids who struggled in school due to dealing with a chronic or mental illness or physical/learning/developmental disability. Those of us who have had to drop out of highschool or college. Kids who worked so hard and wanted to be seen as smart, but never were. Who watched as their peers seem to fly by them in school, while they were left behind. Who were bullied and put down by those in the gifted and honors classes. Whose confidence was absolutely destroyed by education.

I love you all and I'm so sorry the school system failed you. I'm sorry you weren't properly accommodated and given the education you deserved. I'm sorry people put you down for something that they never had to fight for.

[7vcky]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❝⠀⠀—⠀YOU   WANT   AN   OUT-OF-BODY   EXPERIENCE ?     𝐓𝐫𝐲   𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 !     ❞     ;     an independent portrayal of Gwendolyn Tennyson, heavily based & aligned to the⠀⠀CLASSIC 2006 BEN 10⠀⠀series.⠀⠀𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫   [ ALIEN FORCE, ULTIMATE ALIEN, OMNIVERSE & 2016 BEN 10 ]   as canon.⠀⠀I AM NOT FOND OF HER PORTRAYAL , VOICE OR CHARACTER DESIGN FROM ANY OTHER SERIES BESIDES THE ORIGINAL ,⠀⠀𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘐𝘚 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘈𝘔𝘌 𝘎𝘞𝘌𝘕 𝘍𝘙𝘖𝘔 𝘈𝘓𝘐𝘌𝘕 𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘊𝘌 !

⠀ᴸᴬᵂ⠀⠀⠀ᴮᴵᴼ⠀⠀⠀ᵂᴿᴵᵀᴵᴺᴳ⠀⠀⠀ᴾᴿᴼᴹᴾᵀ⠀⠀⠀ᴹᴱᵀᴬ⠀⠀⠀ᴹᴼᴿᴱ ᴿᴱᴬᴰᴵᴺᴳ...

⠀⠀SIDEBLOG TO 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗙𝗔𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗘 ;⠀⠀I'M UNABLE TO FOLLOW BACK !

(⠀PLEASE READ THE PORTRAYAL NOTES,          BOTH THE GENERAL RP RULES LINKED ABOVE    &    BLOG SPECIFIC RULES BELOW THE CUT,⠀)

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧⠀𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥 ,⠀⠀𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖣 𝖱𝖴𝖫𝖤𝖲 𝖳𝖧𝖮𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖦𝖧𝖫𝖸 !     THIS BLOG IS RATED M ᴀᴋᴀ DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT ﹗     CURATE   YOUR   OWN   EXPERIENCE :⠀⠀BLOCK   AT   YOUR   DISCRETION.⠀⠀The following content may be present in-character :⠀⠀non / dub  con , sexism , misogyny , bigotry , non-parental incest , homophobia , transphobia , verbal abuse , violence / gore , classism / racism , slavery , age gaps & MORE !⠀⠀ANTIS DON'T INTERACT !

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧⠀𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 ,⠀⠀I have always shipped Gwen / Kevin;   however I do not  auto-ship / force this dynamic onto others , as Gwen didn’t think of Kevin in such a way in the OG series.⠀⠀Their romantic dynamic from AF doesn't carry over to this portrayal.⠀⠀I don't care to ship Ben / Gwen romantically.⠀⠀Thorough discussion & plotting is required for any romantic dynamic to work ,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧⠀𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗡 ,⠀⠀Gwen was originally developed to be a classmate , best friend & potential love interest to Ben   -   borrowing from this concept , for my canon , Ben & Gwen grew up believing they were family friends but are actually half-siblings ( same father , Carl; her 'father' is actually Gwen's uncle who raised her as his own );⠀⠀I will adjust this if requested , but ultimately , this changes nothing of their default dynamic

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧⠀𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 ,⠀⠀If I’m not mistaken , it has been confirmed that the classic timeline is actually different than the one in Alien Force ( & onwards ) + a lot of lore were retconned in Alien Force , despite it being a sequel.⠀⠀This blog’s universe & lore nearly exclusively uses the classic timeline; if a character were to reference something from Alien Force + Omniverse , Gwen wouldn’t know what they’re talking about.⠀⠀Exceptions exist , of course ( such as her being part Anodite ) but those will be specified ,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✧⠀𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗪𝗘𝗡 ,⠀⠀SEVERAL THINGS TO NOTE FROM THE GET-GO:⠀⠀Gwen’s powers are not knock-off Green Lantern-esque; think more of Jinx from Teen Titans , Zatanna from DC Super Hero Girls & Scarlet Witch from the MCU , she rarely uses solid constructs , can fly ( though , only for a short while ) & uses spells.⠀⠀The color of her powers are still blue , turning yellow when focusing a lot of energy into a spell; she is still very much part Anodite & has the ‘spark’ , having previously subconsciously calling for the Charms of Bezel to unlock / fully awaken her powers.⠀⠀My Gwen is not voiced by Ashley Johnson , rather she’d be voiced by Tara Strong.⠀⠀Her parents’ names are named Mike ( Michael ) & Lily ( Liliana ) versus Frank & Natalie; trivia included in Bandai's X-Ray Ben & Diamondhead V.2 2 mistakenly refers to Gwen’s father to as Mike & Lily was Natalie’s original name in the classic series.⠀⠀Gwen does not have a brother named Ken;⠀⠀she does , however , have an Uncle Manny [ from her mother’s side ] & her cousin Sunny ( who remains as she did in Alien Force ).⠀⠀More info will be expanded in her biography section ,

[vv1sh]

⠀⠀🌟 EXPLORING THE COSMOS :⠀⠀⠀⠀ANCIENT WISDOM ,   ACTS OF TRUE LOVE ,   BEYOND THE IMPOSSIBLE ,   SELFLESS WISHES ,   THE ALL LOVING HERO ,   𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓 ,   BENEATH THE MASK ,   BLITHE SPIRIT ,   HIDDEN DEPTHS ,   TRUE LOVE’S FIRST KISS     &     MORE …

⠀⠀[⠀*⠀an   independent     &     private   roleplaying   blog   for   an   original   character,   𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍 ;   a   star   personified,   embodying   the   timeless   beauty     &     power   of   the   constellations   above.     HE  IS  A  RADIANT  BEACON  OF  HOPE     &     inspiration   amidst   the   vastness   of   space ,   the   very   drive   of   hope ,   to   wish   upon   a   star ...⠀⠀]

⠀⠀SIDEBLOG TO 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗙𝗔𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗘 ;⠀⠀I'M UNABLE TO FOLLOW BACK !

⠀⠀⠀⁰¹ RULES .⠀⠀⁰² PROMPTS .⠀⠀⁰³ WRITINGS .⠀⠀⁰⁴ BLOGROLL .⠀⠀⁰⁵ BIO .

𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃   𝐁𝐘   𝐊𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐇𝐄 ;   heavily   inspired   /   based   off   of   the   original   concept   for   the   character ,   Star   [ AKA Starboy ]   from   Disney’s   ( 2024 )   film ,   Wish ,   several   Disney   tropes ,   fairytales   &   more !    PLEASE ONLY INTERACT IF YOU OVER 21 YEARS OF AGE ,

⠀⠀ADDITIONAL NOTES UNDER THE CUT ,

⠀⠀( * )⠀⠀DESPITE ORION BEING HEAVILY⠀⠀influenced   by   the   concept   of   Starboy   &   admittedly   being   born   from   the   thought   ‘ What   if   Starboy’s   concept   was   cemented ? ’ ,   he   is   NOT   the   same   character   &   stands   on   his   own !   He   has   no   affiliation   to   Wish’s   universe ,

⠀⠀( * )⠀⠀This   blog   operates⠀⠀ON A SINGLE TIMELINE⠀⠀but   multiship !⠀⠀Orion’s   lore   is   flexible   enough   that   he   can   fit   in   most   universes   without   having   to   rewrite   him   +   most   individuals'   memory   of   him   fades   away ,   so   every   interaction   is   a   new   one ,   depending   on   the   plot ,

⠀⠀( * )⠀⠀ORION IS SELECTIVELY MUTE !⠀⠀It’s   amusing   for   him   to   see   how   others   will   try   to   communicate   with   him.⠀⠀I   make   use   of   his   body   language ,   gestures ,   facial   expressions ,   etc !

⠀⠀( * )⠀⠀𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖣 𝖱𝖴𝖫𝖤𝖲 𝖳𝖧𝖮𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖦𝖧𝖫𝖸 !     THIS BLOG IS RATED M ᴀᴋᴀ DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT ﹗     CURATE   YOUR   OWN   EXPERIENCE - block   at   your   discretion.⠀⠀the   following   content   may   be   present :⠀⠀non / dub   con ,   sexism ,   misogyny ,   bigotry ,   non-parental   incest ,   homophobia ,   transphobia ,   verbal   abuse ,    violence / gore ,   classism / racism ,   slavery ,   age   gaps     &.     more !

[wishedby]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#𝚆𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙳𝙱𝚈 .     indie,  selective  &  private     𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥     heavily  based  off  of  the  original  concept  for  the  character,  Star   [  AKA STARBOY ]   from  Disney’s  (  2024  )  film,  Wish,          minors  /  persons  under  the  age  of  21,  do  not  interact  !     𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 ✩

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦  𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚  𝗜𝗦  𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗  𝗗𝗢𝗩𝗘  𝗗𝗢  𝗡𝗢𝗧  𝗘𝗔𝗧 !  THE  TOPICS  PORTRAYED  IN  THIS  BLOG  ARE  PURELY  FOR  FICTIONAL  PURPOSES.  THIS  BLOG  IS  VERY  MUCH  PRO-FICTION.  CURATE  YOUR  OWN  EXPERIENCE  &  BLOCK  AT  YOUR  DISCRETION. 𝗧𝗛𝗘  𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚  𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧  𝗠𝗔𝗬  𝗕𝗘  𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧  𝗜𝗡-𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥 :  NON  /  DUB  CON,  SEXISM,  MISOGYNY,  BIGOTRY,  NON-PARENTAL  INCEST,  HOMOPHOBIA,  TRANSPHOBIA,  VERBAL  ABUSE,  VIOLENCE  /  GORE,  CLASSISM  /  RACISM,  SLAVERY,  AGE  GAPS  &  MORE.  ALL  THIS  WILL  BE  TAGGED  'CW  INSERT  HERE'.  UNDER  NO  CIRCUMSTANCES  WILL  BESTIALITY  OR  PAEDOPHILIA  EVER  BE  ROLEPLAYED  IN  THIS  SPACE,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Cloaked  in  the  splendor  of  the  celestial  skies,  𝒉𝒆  𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍  𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚  𝒐𝒇  𝒂  𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅  𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔,  his  presence  a  symphony  of  shimmering  stardust  &  celestial  light,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀With  eyes  that  reflect  the  mysteries  of  the  universe  &  a  heart  as  vast  as  the  infinite  cosmos,  he  roams  the  celestial  expanse  with  grace.  His  spirit  woven  from  the  dreams  of  countless  souls,  whispers  secrets  of  forgotten  galaxies  &  untold  wonders  yet  to  be  discovered…  Here  lies  a  silent  longing  —  he  grants  the  wishes  of  mortals  with  a  touch  as  gentle  as  the  caress  of  moonlight.

⠀⠀( 𝖸𝖾𝗍,  𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐𝗌  𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍  𝗁𝖾  𝗂𝗌  𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽  𝗍𝗈  𝖿𝖺𝖽𝖾 ;  𝖺  𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖾𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀  𝗆𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗒, )

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀&  amidst  the  bittersweet  echoes  of  forgotten  dreams,  he  remains  a  beacon  of  hope  &  inspiration,  a  reminder  that  even  in  the  depths  of  the  unknown,  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕  𝒐𝒇  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔  𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍  𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔  𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒘𝒂𝒚.  For  he  is  not  merely  a  celestial  being,  but  a  manifestation  of  the  timeless  magic  that  dwells  within  the  hearts  of  all  who  hope  enough  to  dream  among  the  heavens,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀There,  he  shall  remain,  ever  bright…

✩ 𝑾𝑰𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑺 !     rules ,⠀⠀bio ,⠀⠀prompts ,⠀⠀metas ,⠀⠀writing ,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝑻𝑯𝑬⠀𝑱𝑶𝑼𝑹𝑵𝑬𝒀 :  ancient  wisdom,  acts  of  true  love,  beyond  the  impossible,  selfless  wishes,  the  all  loving  hero,  big  brother  instinct,  beneath  the  mask,  blithe  spirit,  hidden  depths,  true  love’s  first  kiss  &  more…

[genderedclimatecrisis]

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge humanity is currently facing and arguably has ever faced. The reports about its vast impact on planet earth (should) leave no room for doubt. If we do not drastically cut down our carbon emissions and manage to lower or at least keep steady the average temperature throughout the globe, consequences will be dire - effects of the climate crisis in the form of heat waves, floods, hurricanes, species extinction and globally raging new viruses are already felt today. To be clear: we are gambling with our ability to live. There is no more than one planet for us to survive on. And currently we are cannibalistically destroying our own existence. 

But not everyone gets destroyed in the same manner, to the same intensity, or even at the same time. The climate crisis and its effects hold different weight for different people. It is not just an ecological issue – it is a social one, too. And just like with any other aspect of our modern capitalist society, some of us are more affected by its dysfunctions and instabilities than others. It is, as always, helpful to look at this phenomenon through intersectional lenses, meaning that we need to take into account the different social positions people find themselves in due to various matters of their being, and consequential structural advantages and disadvantages that come therewith. The climate crisis’ effects are more palpable to those targeted by racism, classism, ableism, and sexism, to just name the most prevalent of discriminatory structures functioning as multipliers of harm extended by the changing climate. While in this case, the focal point lays on the role of patriarchal structures particularly in regard to the extent to which the impending doom of the climate crisis is already felt, it is important to keep in mind that all systemically embedded hierarchies of humanity amplify climate crisis effects - never singular and isolated, they work interconnectedly and together shape outcomes as well as degrees of agency for each individual based upon their social positionings. 

There are different ways in which gendered hierarchies carve their mark into the climate crisis, its consequences, as well as the ways in which those affected (can) react toward the often detrimental challenges posed to their livelihoods by the changing environment. Especially in the Global South, where climate crisis consequences are felt profoundly, leaving one’s home and migrating to a place where building up a (new) livelihood is still possible, often presents itself as the most viable option. However, whether or not a person can migrate because of the changing environment depends on several intersecting aspects regarding their social positioning - including gender relations. 

In Senegal, to name one of many examples, the main reason for climate crisis migration lays in the extinction of fish due to water pollution, changing currents, as well as coastal erosion and the subsequent destruction of the fishing industry, which about half a million people depend upon economically. Without fish in their nearby oceans, the workers in the fishing industry only have two options: to migrate or to find a new occupation. For many, the former is the choice to opt for: “The fishermen follow the fish: if the fish go to Europe, then the fishermen go there too.” This is where gender comes into play: the extinction of fish (and with it the fishing industry) eroded the livelihoods of people of all genders. However the main way of migration toward locations where fishing for a living is still an option occurs via boat, as non-criminalized channels of migration are rare and visa almost impossible to obtain. Boat migration is highly dangerous, leading to women usually not exercising the choice of taking on the journey by themselves, but rather remaining in place and putting their faith in the hands of usually young men to migrate successfully and send home remittances. Women’s agency and self-determination is thus heavily restricted by the harmful visa system, while men are forced to put their lives at risk if they want to improve their situation.

Another case exemplifying the gendered dimensions of the climate crisis, especially when it comes to environmentally caused migration processes and their far-reaching consequences, can be found in Cambodia. Especially rural areas of the Southeast-Asian country display deeply-rooted gender inequalities, with women encountering education access and job discrimination, gender-based violence and curtailed decision-making powers, as well as the burden of fulfilling both the role of domestic caretaker as well as maintaining a paid occupation. In this case, the effects of the climate crisis as multiplier of already existing structures of injustice become very clear. Natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, that are becoming more and more prevalent due to the changing climate, increase the difficulties especially faced by the rural women of Cambodia. In this instance, age also plays a significant role. Similarly to the Senegalese case, the consequences of the climate crisis also lead many Cambodians to migrate and find economic means of survival elsewhere. However, boat migration is not the prevalent option in this case, and working visas for neighbouring countries, particularly Thailand, are obtainable. Under such circumstances, migration itself is less of a gendered issue than it is in Senegal. Nonetheless, gendered dimensions of climate change and subsequent migration still traverse Cambodia. As more and more people are moving to Thailand in order to maintain their livelihoods, it is usually grandmothers taking over the job of childrearing, while parents are outside of the country providing the fiscal resources for their children’s survival. Thus, there is a newly emerging encumbrance put upon elderly women in Cambodia due to the climate crisis and its consequential outcomes for those most affected by it. 

The cases of Senegal and Cambodia are just two out of a myriad of instances whereby gender plays a crucial role in shaping the ways in which women, especially of the Global South, are limited in their agency of reacting toward the climate crisis, particularly in regard to climate-related migration - and we need to talk about that. Awareness for the ways in which unequal gender relations shape climate crisis effects is the first step toward targeting humanitarian aid and formulating political claims. It further points to the importance of a true feminist fight for liberation tackling the climate crisis. The personal is - still - political. It is time to show solidarity for our Global Southern sisters and siblings beyond the binary, and aim our efforts toward facing the biggest problem humanity has ever faced in an intersectional way. 

If you would like more information regarding climate crisis effects on the Global South and climate-related migration, check out: https://climateofchange.info/

[wlwocprincess]

This post is not supposed to be a huge comprehensive Darkling analysis rather than a callout for fandom bigotry. Fandom bigotry which includes talking over members of actual oppressed groups in order to prop up fictional oppressed groups, which is exactly what you are doing now. You may have me blocked but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take your blatant disrespect and hurling insults to defend your favorite fictional white man my way lying down.

Bardugo wanted to create a fictional oppressed group, her basing it off her own experiences and history of the oppression she faces is not unheard of, many marginalized people go down this route without wanting to make their stories exploitative of their actual oppressed group by directly including them and their oppression. Bardugo’s business and how she feels about her oppression as a Jewish woman and her personal ideologies are not for me to judge or talk over her for. If you have your own opinion on how she handles oppression through that lens, that’s great and I’m all for that criticism but if that’s the case, center that. Center the real life history and parallels and try to have an actual conversation or make your own informative post about these real world events and how they influenced the Grishaverse rather than “Grisha Lives Matter! Here’s all the FICTIONAL events that happen to FICTIONAL people in the canon of a work of FICTION” on a post that is about how fandom treats that fictional oppression in comparison to the real life oppression that does exist and marginalized people who do read these books and are in this fandom who are tired of being talked over this way.

All this doesn’t change the fact that Grisha are a fictional oppressed group of people and should not automatically take priority over real oppressed people and Bardugo does include real life oppression in her stories and doesn’t erase them or prop the fictional oppressed group she made over them, nor should the fact that Bardugo uses it as inspiration serve as justification for harassing and insulting poc in the fandom and accusing them of “racism” and misusing the word and weaponizing it against poc in this fandom!

The X-Men are also meant to parallel real world oppressed groups and are heavily based on the Civil Rights Movement and there’s many interesting philosophical and political discussions about ideologies when it comes to oppressed people in those but it doesn’t change the fact that even if they are based on real groups, they are still fundamentally flawed in which they fall into the trope of Magical Racism AND are FICTIONAL, so they don’t and shouldn’t take priority over real life oppression.

Magical Racism often erases Real Oppression. Magical Racism also falls into the flawed ideology about Bigotry and Prejudice in that it is IRRATIONAL because all of the real world oppressions are based on humans that oppress or dehumanize other humans. Grisha and people with other sorts of supernatural abilities and powers are always going to be flawed metaphors for Oppression because Real World Oppression can never be justified because we’re all ultimately just people, there’s nothing inherent in any oppressed group that allows for actual fear or harm to be done.

If I’m ignoring Grisha oppression by criticizing the fact that it is fictional while things such classism, racism, ableism, and xenophobia are real things, so be it. Everything you said for the Grisha can be said for people of color, disabled people, queer people etc. which once again, my post is about prioritizing them and not placing Grisha over them. Bardugo wanted the Grisha to be oppressed in her universe, that includes taking inspiration from the actual history of actual marginalized groups. Trying to play oppression Olympics with the grisha and actual real life oppressed groups is just silly and insensitive.

There’s thing called intersectionality. The Darkling’s fatal flaw in the books and in the show, is his privilege in every other axis besides being Grisha—He’s a man, he’s white, he’s able bodied, he’s straight. That’s why he presents himself as a savior and sole liberator rather than a fellow comrade who will fight WITH Grisha rather than place himself at the top while insisting that he is the only one who can bring about their liberation. This especially shows in how often he actually uses the oppression other marginalized groups face to his benefit and sees them as expendable for his idea of Grisha liberation—He tells Genya to endure sexual violence she receives as a result of classism and patriarchy because in his mind, it is a worthy sacrifice for the Grisha. I know many men who are only oppressed on one or a few axis, who consider themselves activists for their oppressed axis. The Darkling echoes all of them. They will fight tooth and nail for their singular oppressed axis but it will always be flawed for their own bigotry or nonchalance towards other forms of oppression.

I said that he doesn’t care about other oppressed groups, not that he doesn’t care about Grisha. He condescendingly points out that Alina who experienced racism all her life, SHOULD be down for the way he does things BECAUSE she should “know what it’s like” but guess what? That’s stupid! He’s white and has never experienced racism and that’s all there is to it! He’s ignorant of her experiences and making assumptions and that’s very realistic for white people who are oppressed on one axis to do but as a woc, watching him say that just makes me roll my eyes. We are used to white people talking down to us about our own oppression and assuming we must have certain opinions because of it.

Alina being Shu means she experiences racism, the Grisha are not a race, and racism doesn’t work like that. At the very least, do not misuse words like this and trivialize actual forms of bigotry. As a woman of color who watched the show first, it is much more impactful to see a woman of color in a lead role and have so much of the show centered around her experiences than another tired fantasy bigotry storyline headlined by able bodied white straight people and that’s it, even if she isn’t Shu in the books, I still feel for her story because of how big a theme classism is but that theme is entirely ignored by the fandom in favor of the fantasy bigotry storyline and only that!

Very weird how That Man’s Stans act like the show is “anti Grisha propaganda” and treat Grisha as an actual oppressed group of people that exist in real life in order to take it as face value as an allegory for real life oppression when there’s already tons of reasons to criticize oppression allegories that are “people with supernatural abilities that can kill people are the most oppressed group and are headlined by mostly white cishet able bodied characters that’s been done to death” therefore Leigh must be anti liberation for actual oppressed groups of people (and then proceed to talk over her as a Jewish disabled woman and insist that she “should know better” and make oppressed Grisha edits with Holocaust movie clips) when it’s established in the Grishaverse that real life oppressions still exist such as ableism, classism, racism (made an even bigger theme in the show), and xenophobia still exist within the universe alongside Grisha oppression but are treated very differently and a huge part of why that man’s philosophy doesn’t work is bc he’s privileged in every other way and therefore doesn’t care, in the show, he is even condescending towards Alina about it and undermines the racism and classism she’s been facing her whole life to prop up his goals and his point of view as a white man who’s never been in the body of an orphaned woman of color.

[grey-sorcery]

Visualization is very prominent in the witchcraft community as a foundation for spellwork. This practice stems from The Law of Attraction, appropriative, and misinformed mystic philosophy. New Aged practices permeated actual magical practices through the energetic model. The energy work within New Age scope derived from westernized Reiki, which heavily relies on visualization and consumerism. 

Visualization is the act of imagining what it is you’re trying to accomplish, like a vision board. This requires that the headspace is nearly entirely occupied, leaving very little room for much else. Mental visual representations are also imperfect and cannot cohesively contain enough details to be of any use for spellwork. Focus (or headspace) is the aspect of spellwork that is A) Intrinsically required for conscious energy work, which is less taxing than visualization. B) The accuracy of spell & C) The channel for passion to power your spell. Without well distributed headspace, spells become ineffective at best. At worst, the spell could have a completely different effect than desired due to a lack of continuous focus and a faulty imperfect image. Beyond this, those who have aphantasia cant perform any spells that rely on visualization. Which actually gives them an advantage; however, this makes it very difficult to find spells within our community due to the common reliance on visualization. 

The Law of Attraction is rooted in classism, systemic racism, and white supremacy. The idea that you can just think about something really hard and you’ll obtain it. The idea also stems from an idealistic and proselytized interpretation of theoretical physical and quantum mechanics. This practice when used for manifestation is completely ineffective. If it works for someone, it is a direct result of confirmation bias and a system that they have a predisposed privilege in. Most practitioners think of The Law of Attraction as a means to escape poverty or find love and will take even the most minuscule financial or social gain as confirmation for their ability to manifest their desires. 

This practice also directly leads to other new age practices like Reiki, pseudo intellectualism, misogyny, appropriation, misinterpretations of ancient history, and New Thought. Like Mormonism, the New Age movement was started by Helen Schucman who was a self-proclaimed prophet that was given visions by Jesus Christ. Because of this, it was very easy for fascists to create a pipeline. Through anti-Semitism and New Thought, followers of New Age practice will inevitably begin absorbing fascist propaganda.  The practice also is quick to instill Doublethink, which leads a person to believing two very contradictory concepts at once. As an example, believing that all humans are filled with light and are inherently an aspect of the divine that deserves love and respect; while simultaneously, very prone to believing that ancient civilizations’ wonders were crafted by aliens or believing in reptilian overlords within the illuminati. This belief inherently postulates that ancient POC couldn't possibly have the intelligence or technology to construct these wonders, while reptilian overlords is a redressing of the narrative that Jewish bankers are in control of the world. 

Reiki was started in the 1920’s by Mikao Usui in Japan. The practice was immediately monetized. In order to learn it you had to pay a “Master” to “Attune” you to Qi, or the Universal Life Force. While Qi is used in a lot of Eastern Asian traditions, Reiki shares no cultural or direct connection to any of them. Mikao claimed that Reiki was revealed to him during a 21 day fasting retreat at Kurama Temple in Japan, however the temple claims they’ve never held a retreat before. Since he was a Buddhist, a lot of his faith and philosophies were introduced into Reiki. While there are claims that Mikao’s original texts are heavily based in Buddhism, these texts have never been found and authenticated. The practice's reign in Japan was short lived in that period, so Chujiro Hayashi, a student of Mikao, and his apprentice Hawayo Takata Christianized the practice so that it would be more appealing to the west. This was done by claiming that Jesus Christ performed his miracles by the employment of Reiki, or a very similar practice. In the United States, there is absolutely no regulation of the “training programs” that a practitioner must go through, and because of this the societal reflection is very much a pyramid scheme. Due to this westernization and Christianization, the practice has completely lost its original fidelity. The Reiki that is practiced today is nothing like Mikao’s Reiki. IT has since adopted an appropriated form of *Chakras and the *Kundalini. Beyond this, Reiki requires that the receiver of the healing enters a light trance state while the “Master” places their hands on their body. The issue then becomes that physical stimulation often breaks trance and meditative states. Reiki’s interpretation of energy work has permeated into modern witchcraft, combined with Visualization from The Law of Attraction, which hinders the efficiency and effectiveness of the community at large and makes it likely that they’ll succumb to fascist propaganda.

To read further on more effective methods of energy work, check out this article I wrote.

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

The doctrine of dynastic wealth

The biggest news story of the moment Propublica's reporting on the Secret IRS Files, a trove of leaked tax data on the wealthiest people in America that show that they pay effectively no tax, through perfectly legal means.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/15/guillotines-and-taxes/#carried-interest

The Bootlicker-Industrial Complex has completely missed the point of this reporting and its followup, like the revelation that an ultrarich candidate for Manhattan DA was able to pay no tax in many years where her family booked millions in revenue.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/17/quis-custodiet-irs/#trumps-taxes

The apologists for super-rich tax-evaders lean heavily on the fact that America has a tax-code that substantially reduces the spending power (and thus political power) of people who work for a living, while enhancing the wealth of those who own things for a living.

The rich are obeying the law, so there is nothing wrong here. But what Propublica documented is that America has a different set of laws for the super-rich than for the merely rich, and that these laws are in a wholly different universe from the laws for the rest of us.

It's another example of America's unequal justice system - a subject that includes long prison sentences for crack possession and wrist-slaps for powder cocaine, long jail terms created by the cash bail system, and a host of other race- and class-based inequities.

It's more proof, in other words, that America isn't a republic where we are all equal before the law, but rather a caste system where inherited privileges determine how the law binds you, how it punishes you and how it protects you.

One person well-poised to describe how this system perpetuates itself is Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Roy Disney and great-niece of Walt Disney, inheritor of a vast family fortune shielded from tax by a generation-skipping trust contrived solely to avoid taxation.

Writing in The Atlantic, the heiress describes how she was inducted and indoctrinated into the system of American dynastic wealth, surrounded by brilliant accountants who treated their exotic financial vehicles as completely ordinary.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/06/abigail-disney-rich-protect-dynastic-wealth-propublica-tax/619212/

Personally, these financial enablers were "decent, good, kind men," and they gave Disney 40 years' worth of gospel about protecting the capital, growing it, and passing it on to the next generation.

As a credible 21 year old, Disney had no frame of reference. The creation of a dynastic, ever-growing fortune through legal but frankly bizarre accounting fictions was treated as normal.

To the extent that these tactics raised any doubts, they were addressed through doctrine: the idea that government bureaucrats can't be trusted to spend money wisely.

Disney doesn't say this, but a common trope in these discussions is that the government is ever tempted to give money to poor people, and must be protected from this impulse.

This racism and classism are dressed up as "meritocracy" - the tautology that the rich are worthy, the worthy are rich, and anyone who isn't rich is therefore unworthy.

In the first generation, this doctrine is merely sociopathic, but when passed on to a new generation, it is eugenic. Walt and Roy demonstrated their worth by founding a studio and navigating it through the challenges of the market, and that is why the market made them rich.

But their children - and grandchildren - didn't get their wealth by founding or running a studio. They got their wealth by emerging from the correct orifice. If their wealth is deserved, those deserts are a matter of blood, not toil.

In other words, they were born to be rich, not just as a matter of sound tax planning, but as a matter of genetic destiny. They are part of a hereditary meritocracy.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/13/data-protection-without-monopoly/#inequality

Disney describes what it's like to be indoctrinated into the hereditary meritocracy: her family told her that the appearance of philanthropy is good, but actually giving money to poor people is a foolish enterprise, "unseemly and performative."

And they urged her to marry her own class, "to save yourself from the complexity and conflict that come with a broad gulf in income, assets, and, therefore, power." Power should be in the hands of "successful" people, because they know how to wield it.

Accept this ideology and you will be showered with wonderful gifts: like private jet trips, which quickly become necessities ("once you’ve flown private, wild horses will never drag you through a public airport terminal again").

It's a subject that is well-documented in Mike Mechanic's 2021 book JACKPOT, on the daily lives, dysfunctions, and above all, ideology of the super-rich:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/13/public-interest-pharma/#affluenza

As to the seductiveness of the ideology, I had my own experience with the "decent, good, kind" professionals of the finance sector. When I moved to London in 2003, I opened a checking account at Barclays, a giant high-street bank.

I quickly discovered that part of Barclays' legendary profitability came from understaffing its branches; when I had to see a teller, I could end up waiting in line for an hour.

When I complained about this, a teller told me that for a nominal annual sum, I could get a "premier" account that came with a host of benefits, including priority tellers. I signed up and was inducted into the premiership by my branch manager.

He asked me if I needed any help with tax preparation, and boy did I ever. I was filing tax returns in Canada, the US, California, and the UK - it was a mess: not just expensive but confusing, and I couldn't make heads or tails of the paperwork.

A week later, a very smartly turned out Barclays "tax specialist" came by the academic research center where I'd borrowed a desk to meet with me. She was wildly excited to discover that I was on a work visa and not a UK citizen.

She told me that this made me eligible to become a "non-dom" - someone living in the UK, but not "domiciled" there - and therefore not subject to any tax at all.

She laid out a whole plan for me: I could establish residence in one of the Channel Islands (Jersey, I think?), incorporate a shell company there, and continue to get free health care from the NHS, use the public roads, etc - all without paying a penny to HM Exchequer.

And when I was ready to buy a house, the whole thing would only get better: I could buy it through the shell company, reverse-mortgage it, rent it to myself, take fabulous deductions on the way, and pass it on tax-free by transfering the shell company rather than the house.

It was dizzying, and I kept asking her to go back and explain it again. She assured me that it was legal and normal, what every non-Briton living in the UK should do, and really poured the pressure on.

It was weirdly spellbinding, like a wizard was demonstrating an interdimensional portal to me and asking if I wanted to go through it to a magical land - a magical land that "everyone else" was already visiting on the reg.

I told her I'd think about it. Five minutes after she left the office, I snapped out of the trance. I never called her back. I figured out my UK taxes.

But today, reading Disney's account of having reasonable-seeming, friendly experts tell you something bizarre and indefensible is normal, I was powerfully reminded of my own brush with the dynasty-creation industry.