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obviouslygenuinely · 4 years ago

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Babygate Analysis/Conclusions: A Non-Larry Perspective

(Image Credit: Hollywood Life)

I'm prefacing this post with a few disclaimers:

After some consideration, I chose to write this without factoring in Larry whatsoever. No Larry-related points, proof, or speculation in any way. This is solely analyzing babygate from an unbiased perspective.

I don't claim to know the entire truth. It is impossible for any of us to know. What I conclude is based on direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, research, and analysis.

I am willing to discuss opposing views. I’m happy to talk about the topic in a civil, kind, and mature matter. I will dismiss any discourse that is aggressive, immature, and so on.

I did not include every single opinion/conclusion/piece of evidence I found. I condensed my thoughts as much as possible (and this is still a novel-length post). There are so many more points I can think of. However, babygate masterposts cover all of that; I’ll link to some of those at the end.

The conclusion points aren't in a very specific order. I aimed to list related points one after another. Aside from that, it's not in order of "hardest to weakest" evidence.

Please read “Author’s Notes” for additional clarity/input. They interject thoughts/etc. that I feel are necessary to include.

Lastly, I included links to every source I cited in this post. However, I did not tag the Tumblr users. I’m not sure if they are comfortable with having Babygate questions/comments directed to their blogs. If you are a linked source and want to be tagged, please let me know!

My Initial Reaction To Babygate

In February of 2020, I received several messages on LateToLarry requesting that I analyze something called “babygate”. I had no idea what babygate meant at the time.

I learned what it meant, and prior to any research I felt the theory was so absurd. I also felt uncomfortable analyzing it because I believed I’d feel bias as a single mom. The idea of discussing a random child in depth initially bothered me, too. I declined to analyze it last year.

However, I did a LOT of research over time. My opinion has changed significantly. Below, I’ve shared my main conclusions and analysis about babygate. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy my post!

1. No Paternity Test Was Performed Prior To The Pregnancy Announcement

Louis was/is a prominent celebrity and has a current net worth of $70 million. From legal, financial, and practical standpoints, it makes no sense for him to choose not to get a test.

It’s unheard of in Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Any sensible team -lawyers, PR reps, managers, advisors, etc. - would not just go along with it. They are employed to protect his career and image.

The Opposing Views

A. “Briana/Louis didn’t want to risk miscarriage with prenatal testing.”

Non-invasive testing is completely safe for fetuses and pregnant women, so there’s no medical reason for the lack of testing.

B. “Louis chose not to get the test done because he wanted to be a father and was invested in the pregnancy/parenting.”

Time has shown that this is not true. Louis does not have custody; there was a brief custody case in 2016 that led nowhere. He does not have a consistent or prominent role in the child’s life.

Conclusion

There is no logical reason for the lack of paternity testing prior to the announcement unless Louis knew he was not the father and all parties knew this to be true.

2. There Was No Confirmation Of A Paternity Test After The Birth

I’ll keep this section fairly short. A quick Google search returns dozens of conflicting reports. Many of them state that Louis demanded a paternity test shortly after birth. Other reports state that he has never pursued a paternity test.

Here are a few examples:

“Louis Tomlinson not interested in paternity test” - Business Standard

“EXCLUSIVE: Louis Tomlinson Demanded a DNA Test “As Soon as the Baby Was Born”” - InTouch Weekly

“Louis Tomlinson: No DNA Test Needed ... Positive Freddie's His Son” -TMZ

“Louis Tomlinson & Briana Jungwirth: WhyHe Had DNA Test Done on His Newborn Son” - Hollywood Life

This Twitter thread discusses TMZ reports that - as of 2020 - no DNA test was done.

Conclusion

There is no reliable confirmation that Louis pursued a paternity test. The media cannot come to a general/factual consensus.

Again, there is no reasonable explanation for the lack of paternity testing unless Louis knows he is not the father of the child.

3. The Conception-To-Birth Timeline Is Inconsistent/Unreliable

Pregnancy and conception as a whole can be rather confusing; timelines from conception to birth are unique to each person. Having said that, Briana’s timeline is full of glaring inconsistencies that don’t add up.

I’ll begin with this timeline based on bulletprooflarry’s post and my own research. Dates I’ve added myself include linked sources:

May 5th, 2015 - Louis and Briana were first seen together in public.

May 6th to May 31st, 2015 - Briana and her mom followed baby-related social medial accounts.

May 12th, 2015 - Louis and Briana were pictured together in public.

July 3rd, 2015 - Louis is seen with Briana’s brother in Hollywood.

July 14th, 2015 - The first pregnancy report is published.

August 4th, 2015 - Louis confirms pregnancy on GMA.

January 21st, 2016 - The child is reportedly born.

Based on the dates above, these are the possible dates/milestones for her pregnancy:

Scenario A - If conception occurred on May 5th, Briana was 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant on January 21st, 2016. This is considered an early-term birth and about 26% of births occur at 37 weeks.

Scenario B - If conception occurred on May 12th, Briana was 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant on January 21st. This is considered a late-term or late premature birth and about 10% of births occur at 36 weeks.

These dates matter because Briana’s alleged hospital stay was not consistent with a premature or early-term birth. She was pictured in public - healthy and holding a baby carrier - within one week of giving birth.

(Image Credit: Daily Mail)

(Image Credit: larrysbbrbb28)

If she gave birth based on the dates above, it’s extremely unlikely that she or the baby would be out in public so soon.

Below are screenshots of an additional timeline from an archived Tumblr post. It provides excellent points about more timeline inconsistencies:

The main inconsistencies and red flags are bolded in the post. It supports the unreliable conception timeline, and it also mentions my next point - the official pregnancy announcement.

The post above mentions that the Jungwirth family followed baby-related accounts before Briana could possibly know she was pregnant. Here’s one screenshot from skepticallarrie proving it:

I’ve also seen several posts that show inconsistencies with the size of Briana’s baby bump. Unfortunately, the most reliable post no longer exists. You can view a web archive of Briana’s pregnancy photos, but most of the image links are broke.

The only post I have saved is a web archive of a long babygate post. The beginning of the post contains photos showing discrepancies in the size of Briana’s baby bump.

The Opposing Views

“Pregnancy looks different on everybody, everyone recovers differently, etc.”

Yes, this is true and a valid point! As a woman who has gone through multiple pregnancies and two live births, I truly understand this argument.

However, the sheer amount of inconsistencies are what make this a red flag. There are too many unreliable and contradicting points to brush this off. It goes beyond the point of “well, each person has a different experience��.

Conclusion

There are a few conclusions/scenarios I believe you can draw from the information above:

Briana was pregnant prior to meeting Louis.

Briana was never pregnant in the first place.

Both are valid to consider, but I personally believe she was never pregnant.

(Author’s note: My calculation for dates are based on the date of alleged conception. Most due date calculators, by default, use the date of a woman’s last mentrual period - LMP - to provide estimations.

I also used Date Duration Calendar for my calculations. Accessible due date calculators only allowed me to input dates from 2019/2020. Depending on the tools and dates you use, your mileage may vary.)

4. The Announcement Itself Was Highly Unusual

This point ties into the first and third points. I don’t consider it a major piece of evidence, but it’s noteworthy due to the other points.

So, there are a few reasons why the Good Morning America announcement stands out.

A. If Briana got pregnant on May 5th, then she was approximately 10 weeks pregnant when the first pregnancy report was published. This also means she was approximately 13 weeks pregnant at the time of the GMA announcement.

If Briana got pregnant on May 12th, she was approximately nine weeks pregnant at the time of the first report and approximately 12 weeks pregnant at the time of the GMA announcement.

B. The public announcement on Good Morning America raises a lot of questions. I’ve had multiple issues embedding the video; the bolded link takes you to the GMA announcement on YouTube.

Anyways, these questions/thoughts - disregarding any Larry theories - come to mind when watching the video:

This is a segment for promoting/discussing their album/music.

The baby announcement is the sole non-album/music related topic that is mentioned during the segment.

The announcement is not organically worked into the segment as a natural talking point.

Louis’ reactions - such as bringing the microphone to his lips and not talking - is very unlike his standard interview demeanor.

The male interviewer and the band members have noticeable facial expressions and body language that suggest discomfort, stress, or awkwardness.

A post by skepticalarrie draws similar conclusions. Her post is much more detailed than mine, and I highly recommend reading/viewing it.

(Author’s Note: I’ve touched upon this on LateToLarry and will make a post here eventually, but body language and facial expressions are valid. They’re valid to the point that they are used in court cases.)

Conclusion

My conclusions here are twofold. One is that:

Announcing a pregnancy - especially a celebrity-related pregnancy - this early is extremely uncommon and unlikely.

The announcement itself seems out of place and very forced.

This particular point, to me, is not extremely strong evidence. I still think it’s worth keeping in mind and is relevant to other points here. So, I’ve included it either way.

5. Briana Posted Stolen Pregnancy/Baby Photos On Social Media

(EDIT: I wrote this piece before the recent release of Briana’s alleged ultrasound and don’t have time to add it. It’s pretty strong proof and can easily be found in recent babygate posts.)

Babygate posts often point out that Briana and the Jungwirth family used stolen/fake pregnancy and baby photos on social media. It’s a well-known topic that’s often discussed.

I’m condensing this section to a few examples. I encourage additional research if you’d like to see more.

A. This Tumblr post shows stolen baby bump photos that Briana’s cousin Ashley posted on Twitter:

B. This Tumblr post and Twitter post show a stolen baby photo that Briana posted on Instagram:

(Author’s Note: Since I was not active in the fandom at the time, I am relying on information from other blogs and social media posts. I vetted my sources pretty well, but any false information is my own mistake.)

Conclusions

The only word that sums this up is “suspicious”. Using stolen photos of a pregnant woman/baby is not necessary if you are legitimately pregnant. That’s really what it boils down to. It lends to the conclusion that Briana was never pregnant.

6. Photos And Videos Of The Child Are Heavily Altered And Manipulated

It is indisputable that many photos and videos of the child are heavily manipulated to alter his appearance. This goes beyond filters, lighting, and angles.

Several detailed posts show the manipulations; here are some examples:

A web archive of all Photoshop evidence from tellmethisisnotlove

An in-depth post from genuineconspiracy that includes detailed photo evidence.

A video post from freefreddiereign that shows Photoshop evidence based on photos the child.

There is no doubt that his facial features are frequently altered. This is easy to conclude using any free software that detects Photoshop. As a photographer myself, I can easily spot the manipulations.

(Author’s Note: I know that directly discussing the child is controversial. When I first heard of babygate, my initial reaction was discomfort about analyzing a child.

I quickly learned/concluded that his family members are responsible for heavily putting him in the public eye. All content I’ve used for research is based on the family’s posts.

Still, I have personally chosen not post pictures of the child, but the links I am sharing contain photos/videos of him.

Additionally, I used FotoForensics on photos of myself prior to writing this. It was important to me to feel absolutely certain about this point. I’m fine with sharing my own FotoForensics images if anyone is curious.)

The Opposing Views

A. “Freddie looks like Louis in pictures that aren’t Photoshopped.”

Parentage cannot be based on whether or not a child looks like his mother/father. I understand the viewpoint, but it’s simply not evidence. Additionally, thinking the child looks like Louis is a matter of opinion.

There’s also the fact that appearance means nothing overall. Science backs up this statement very well. Examples and references:

“How can children from the same parents look so different?” by HowStuffWorks

“My Baby Looks Nothing Like Me: A Genetic Explanation” by FamilyEducation

Additionally, here is a personal anecdote. I have two sons close to Freddie’s age. One of them looks exactly like his father and nothing like me. The other looks exactly like me and nothing like his father. Despite how they look, they are both of them are our biological children.

Conclusion

There is no reasonable explanation for altering the child’s appearance - particularly to make him look more similar to Louis.

I cannot think of a single argument as to why the Jungwirth family would do this unless they need/want the child to look a specific way.

7. Johannah Deakin’s Official Obituary Does Not Mention The Child

When looking into babygate, I read the argument that the child is legitimately Louis’ son because he is listed as her grandchild in Internet-based obituaries and announcements.

I also read the counter-argument that Louis’ mother’s official newspaper/print obituary does not mention the child. I recall seeing proof, but I did not save it at the time. I did some research and this appears to be true.

The Doncaster Free Press is a local weekly newspaper in Doncaster, and it published an article about the funeral. The article is NOT an obituary itself, but it does list her obituary details. The publication does not list the child among the surviving family members.

If a mistake is made regarding these details, it’s typical for newspapers to post a correction addressing a misprint. Upon further research, the Doncaster Free Press did not issue a correction at any time.

(Author’s Note: I lost my own mother and am personally familiar with how local obituaries are written. Immediate family members - i.e. spouses and adult children - provide information regarding surviving family members.)

Conclusion

The conclusion here is straightforward. Louis and his family chose not to include the child in his mother’s official obituary. This strongly suggests that he is not legitimately related to Louis.

My Opinion-Based Conclusions

Update: After some consideration, I am saving my opinion-based conclusions for a separate post. I originally intended to include them here; transparency is important to me.

Unfortunately, the section became rather long and took away from the main post points. So, I’ll be working on a post that’s just my opinion-based conclusions. In the meantime, feel free to message me with any questions.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my post! I appreciate the interest expressed for it, and I hope it lives up to expectations.

Again, I want to reiterate this is:

Not an all-inclusive post; I narrowed down my findings to seven points.

Not a masterpost on babygate.

Purposely omitting any potential Larry-related points to remove bias.

I’ve reread this quite a few times, and it’s as error-free as possible. If you spot any mistakes/errors, I’m completely open to making corrections. Just kindly let me know.

This list contains references/research about babygate that I consider the most reliable. It includes Larry and non-Larry related Babygate content.

Tumblr posts tagged with babygate by Tumblr use genuineconspiracy.

A web archive of babygate posts by Tumblr user tellmethisisnotlove (her account was deactivated by staff).

Tumblr posts tagged with babygate by darkrainbowlouis.

Tumblr posts tagged with babygate by skepticalarrie.

Lastly, if there’s interest in an opinion-related post or Larry-related post, I’ll consider writing them. Feel free to let me know as you all did with this post.

Thanks!

Amy (obviouslygenuinely/latetolarry)

#babygate #bg #louis tomlinson #briana jungwirth #freddie Tomlinson #baby tomlinson #end it #larry #larry stylinson #analysis

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xplrvibes · 3 years ago

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Disclaimer: Any thoughts, criticisms, or reviews expressed in this post are my own opinions. The definition of opinion is: “A view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.”

So, I've been a busy bee lately. A busy, traveling, tired little bee.

So, this is going to be short, sweet and to the point.

I actually liked the newest video (Shawshank Prison). I don't know if it's because they didn't mention the bad "A" word, because of the fact that Nate, Sam and Colby (along with Steve and Dylan) just work so damn well together, or because the super whacky shenanigans were kept to a minimum, but this was one of my favorite episodes of season 1.

I will say this: having the three of them go alone into 3 different areas was a very interesting social experiment. You've got Nate in one room, philosophizing and waxing poetic and throwing out taglines ("This building feels like it wants to keep us," like damn bro), you've got Sam running around the prison strategizing a potential future prison break, and then you've got Mr. "Who does this shit?" Brock having absolute kittens in another room and regretting all his life choices.

It was fascinating.

Couple of quick highlights:

Colby describing the prison as, "an evil Disney Princess' lair," and then talking about, "emo Rapunzel" 🤣

WHO DECIDED TO EDIT A GIANT ASS NEON COCKROACH INTO THE SHOT AT ABOUT 6 MINUTES IN? -1 MILLION POINTS WILL BE APPLIED TO THAT PERSON'S ACCOUNT.

Colby really has a knack for zeroing in on haunted shit, eh? He was doing that a bunch in the last episode too, and then in this one, he just plops his ass right on down in the super duper haunted chair. Man has some good gut instinct.

Sallie count was only 2 this episode, so that's favorable.

+1 point for Dylan's sarcastic assurance that snc could use the supposed portal to get back to the hotel when Nate left them.

Both Colby and Nate getting nauseous and recocering quickly was intriguing. Did the ghosts get to Colby and Nate, or did the sketchy pizza? The world may never know.

I sometimes forget that Sam broke his back jumping off a roof for a TIKTOK in the height of a global pandemic. Him mentioning his back tightening up when he's in intense paranormal situations reminded me that he will have back issues for the rest of his life, and someday he's going to be an 80 year old man explaining to his great grandkids why his back is all jacked up, and that is a thrilling concept to me.

The paranormal content was ok, nothing too over the top (always a plus), and a lot of interesting coincidences during their sessions with the talky box thing (Ovulus? My brain is fried) and the Estes Method. The most annoying thing was Colby repeatedly asking this ghost to make the music box go off when he was alone in that room- how many times do you need this poor ghost to do laps around your little singing box before you start to believe in it? If I were that ghost, I would've expelled every piece of energy in the universe to pick the damn thing up and chuck it at his head 🤣.

Overall, pretty solid episode from them, especially with how things have been lately. I'll give it a good 7/10.

#sam and colby #colby brock #sam golbach #snc video review #xplr

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whatiwillsay · 3 years ago

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Cammy I swear to God I'm not trolling but I really wanna know why is using rainbows or colors of LGBTQ flags queer baiting? And I'm just asking but the LGBTQ community is a minority compared to the hetties so how is taylor supposedly queer baiting gonna make her more money? Targeting a small demographic in comparison to the general public isn't the best business strategy imo, can you explain this or link me?

I hope you have a nice day and I'm sorry you had to read some nasty comments or asks, you are sweet and I love your blog, all the love my dear ❤️.

there is a lot of discourse about what is queer baiting vs idk rainbow capitalism vs gay cultural appropriation and i am not the expert opinion nor do i really care about the semantics of the argument - it all bundles up to me as “straight people or businesses run by straight people abusing gay stuff to make money/profit/drum up press without doing proper allyship or anything to help gay people (and it’s case by case some people may do allyship well and still cross a line)”

imo (that stands for in my opinion meaning this is my opinion and not something i’m stating as a fact for anyone who is confused about that - i do say it quite a lot) she’s queer herself so she isn’t REALLY doing any of it.

however it’s VERY profitable to woke and gay friendly (in the right way) in the states and taylor didnt just wear pride colors. taylor spent the entire lover era using gay imagery to promote the album. imo (see above) that’s fine because she’s some brand of gay. however if she were straight it would be a fine line she’d need to walk.

straight people waving a pride flag, taking part in pride, or even leaning on gay culture to express themselves is FINE of course. but if they’re going to enter queer spaces and make themselves the center of queer imagery and conversation they need to do it respectfully and carefully. they need to walk a fine line and be ready to put their asses on the line for us, speak up for us, and leverage their power and privilege into support for us.

yntcd is clumsy at best and offensive at worst. taylor compares hate she gets on twitter to actual violent homophobia, claims that shade never made anybody less gay - if she’s straight how would she know? “shade” (homophobia) literally can make gay people hide away, closet themselves for their entire lives, kill themselves or leads them to be killed so yeah it does make people less gay… now if she’s gay and that’s her personal experience great. if she’s straight that line is… not something i personally want to hear from someone with straight privilege - likens being poor and country to being homophobic when many gay people most harmed by institutionalized and systematic homophobia are poor and from rural areas, and aligns herself with queer people being picketed by homophobes. all of that, if she is straight is just… ew. straight people do not get to insert themselves into the conversation like that, at least not without some criticism. however since it is my opinion that yntcd is taylor’s personal experience and musing about dealing with hate and homophobia as a fellow queer person then i say “ok. fair enough. i can’t deny your personal experiences.” so it’s not really that she wore a pride flag on her head or had some queer people in her music video it’s the whole package.

and ofc that’s just a single music video! the entire lover era is chock full of gay winks, nudges, and moments and every time she did that she would get a press bump as journalists all rushed to write articles (all ofc mentioning lover - out this summer!) talking about taylor and what she’s up to with her gay little winks. and she sold records from it. and merch. and promo’d her line with stella. and sold concert tickets. and prompted spotify streams. she probably made millions off each “me! out now!” on lesbian visibility day and bi pride bracelet ig post that happened. and since i believe (believe but don’t know for sure) that she is queer i’m fine with that. queer people should be able to leverage their queerness and queer experiences and queer imagery and culture for profit. but imo straight people should not. they should be able to proudly show their support but they should not profit off of our imagery.

now let me add a disclaimer that i’m not a queer studies professor or a sociologist. these are just my opinions. i’m not saying taylor ever queerbaited or that any one individual can. i don’t mean that word when i say “profit off us” since i know that queerbaiting is a different thing. i’m just trying to respond to anon with my thoughts on taylor’s use of queer imagery during the lover era - not divulge into a semantics based argument.

#anonymous #swiftgron #gaylor swift #kaylor #of interest #lover era

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ohnobjyx · 4 years ago

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Would it be that impossible for dd and gg to come out as a couple (provided they respected censorship and didn't talk about it with the media)? I read the other day that homosexuality is not illegal in China, just talking about it and showing in the media, so could not someone as brave and crazy as dd attempt to come out outside of the media? after all they are the first 3 shipped real couples in china, they do have support. Coming out willingly would also save them from being eventually outed..

Hi, anon! (*this blogger cracks her neck and gets ready*) Let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: fake fake fake. Why would you think that we believe in bjyx?

Preface: this post might not be exactly a controversial opinion, since I think many will have the same one. However, it’s alright to disagree: we all have our own perception of the matter, which is coloured by our own experiences (let’s just say that an absolute objective view is difficult). I present here with the most objective post (at least in terms of data and facts) I could write.

Oh, and you all might have noticed, but being concise is not my forte. I tend to digress.

First of all, I assume that the concept of “coming out outside of the media” means that they could have told just close friends and family, without announcing it to the media.

But how would we know that they have done it? (and I don’t mean we should know for sure, ofc). For all we know, they may have already done this, and, from my pov, they probably have. Without entering in “fake” rumours:

TTXS bros know something (repeating myself for the nth time). From the way DZW jumps in whenever it remotely looks like dd is slipping up, how WH poses his questions, how QF teases him. It all seems references to a real, tangible thing, instead of baseless friendly teasing. It’s also very interesting that they have stopped their matchmaking mission and have instead started to defend why dd is “single”.

Their parents are their cover. Even if dd parents didn’t watch TTXS, wouldn’t someone else watch it and ask them about it? Wouldn’t they wonder about the supposed clothes that dd sends home, the medicine, the market stroll? Maybe I’m just projecting, but I wouldn’t use my parents as a shield if they weren’t aware of the situation behind it, because I’d be subjected to their questioning later. That’s why, unless I wanted to tell them or I had already told them, I wouldn’t use my parents as an excuse. So, once is alright, but dd has done it several times, and that, for me, means that his parents know.

That’s what I would consider “coming outside the media”. Of course, this doesn’t involve us fans, and it’s their decision, of which we probably will never hear about (or, at least, not soon, and that’s fine!).

In my opinion, it’s also the best course of action, especially with all the rumours that are always circulating about them. It wouldn’t be a “brave and crazy” course of action, but rather the most sensible and rational, since it’s the best way to avoid misunderstandings with your friends and family. It’s also considerate for his friends at work, just so they know what to expect when they are on stage and it allows them to understand dd’s reactions.

(Again, we are talking about dd because that’s who anon asked about. I think gg’s circle is less close to him, so it may not be the case with him, but I don’t know enough to say what would happen).

Just let’s suppose his TTXS bros didn’t know anything and just kept trying to act as matchmakers for dd. That’s the kind of situation that’s bound to be uncomfortable for everyone because dd isn’t the kind of person who’d lie (and he doesn’t fast enough to improptu questions).

The second thing I wanted to talk about is their fans’ support. I want to talk about numbers.

I’m going to explain why I only take the c-fans data as reference. We int fans don’t really count, because we don’t affect their careers directly, as c-fans do. Of course, our support is very useful in showing how many people are rooting for them, like what happened when Roseonly’s livestream with gg was live. And I like to think that they would feel better knowing that there are a lot of people in Chn and overseas that support them and whatever there is between them.

So int-fans do contribute to give more views and likes to their Roseonly livestream (if they can access it, which isn’t always the case), but they won’t buy the roses and impact with real money, so to say.

We don’t really participate in their endorsements, many won’t stay long enough to watch more dramas from them (and I do understand that the lack of eng subs is the main problem), and many don’t/can’t/don’t know how to push them up in the charts. We’ve talked before about how the c-ent industry doesn’t really need the int audience to make a lot of money, and to be highly profitable, and it still applies in a smaller case, like a single idol.

That’s why I think that in matters of real, tangible fan support, c-fans still make a bigger percentage (around 80-90%) of their support.

So, as of now, there are 3 supertopics in w/ibo that features gg/dd (let’s leave the difference in supertopics for another day, but I don’t support the discussion about people’s sex life, thanks for your understanding):

BJYX. The largest supertopic (top 1) with a wide margin from the others. It has 2.570.000 fans.

ZSWW. It’s the number 5 in the CP supertopics, with 910.000 fans.

LXFY. The number 23 in the CP supertopics with 590.000 fans.

All of them added make 4.070.000 fans. But we have to take into account the overlapping in these three supertopics: many people (like me) are following the three supertopics at the same time. That’s why, in a not scientific way, I’m guessing that those 4.070.000 come to around 4.000.000 once you take out the people that are following the three at the same time.

Even 4 million people is still a huge number of people: that’s more people than the population of the capital of my country, and one tenth of the total census here.

Yet, in China, it means 4 out of every 1400, which translates into 0′003%. It’s also from a very specific demographic (mainly female and young). Of course, it doesn’t mean that they won’t get support from other people if it ever got out, but they can’t know what would happen then for sure.

It means that, in actual 3D world, there are a lot of people who don’t know about their CP. I read the other day some tumblr blogger saying that “we bxg are in our own little bubble, not that many people know about their cp” (was that you, @jcisthebestfightme?) which I agree a lot with. I mean, my w/ibo account and tumblr is filled with bjyx/yizhan, so much that it’s easy to forget that I arranged it to be like this, but that the majority of the people don’t receive so much info about them, nor they analyze their every move like we do.

The only thing they can know for sure is what general population thinks about same sex relationships.

In a recent poll I saw, with thousands of answers about what netizens thought of the legalization of same sex marriage in Taiwan, the supporting votes didn’t get to 50%. In Taiwan, public opinion was like this around the time same sex marriage was legalized:

An opinion poll conducted in November 2016 by the Kuomintang found that 52% of the Taiwanese population supported same-sex marriage, while 43% were opposed. Another poll commissioned that same month found similar numbers: 55% in support, and 45% in opposition. Support was higher among 20–29-year-olds (80%), but decreased significantly with age. (Wikipedia)

(I just want to say, I can’t wait for the younger generations to take over).

More data: the public stance in China could be described as: “no approval, no disapproval, no promotion”, and the public opinion is becoming more and more tolerant, but there’s still a deep-set homophobia, as in only 5% of the lgbt people comes out completely (around 20% comes out to their family), and around 80% of gay men are married to women due to social and family pressure (ofc, these data is from a few years ago, and new polls and surveys are needed, but don’t expect them to carry out a wide-range survey about this nor I think the situation has changed drastically).

In my opinion, society is slowly taking more steps towards tolerance first and acceptance second. One of their best achievement was the lgbt community and many netizens’ refusal to allow w/ibo to instate a ban on content related to homosexuality, which led to w/ibo actually reversing its decision and stop banning that content in less than 3 days.

However, the fact that a lot of people express their support doesn’t take away the truth of a lot of people openly opposing it (let’s remember that there weren’t so many antis to start with in 2/27, but its effects were undeniably large and unjust).

(If any of you read more data about lgbt rights in China, please remember that Hong Kong receives a lot more Western influence, and that public opinion in HK does not represent the actual situation in mainland Chn. Ofc, because they’re more open to lgbt, there are also more data and polls carried out in HK, so a lot of info is HK based).

Leaving this kind of data aside, let’s take another matter of numbers. While they have in total 4 million fans in the supertopics, dd has as of now 35,400,000 fans following him on w/ibo and gg has 26,690,000 fans.

One thing I’m sure they are aware of is the discussion that arises from time to time between the solo fans and the bxg. Another thing they must be aware of, specially dd, is that their fanbase has a lot of females who are their fans, not just because of their talent, but also because they’re single and therefore they can fantasize about being with them.

All in all, even though a lot of people support them, there would be also quite a number of “disappointed” people, with the danger of them becoming antis.

So while I do think they appreciate it, and leave clues specifically for us, and dd goes as far as interacting with bxg, I also feel that gg and dd might not see widespread support, enough so they’d feel comfortable coming out completely with the current public stance on homosexual relationships in Chn.

(And again, from my pov, they aren’t in the closet with their family and friends).

And last, but not least, does “coming out respecting the censorship and not talking about it with the media” mean that it would be known by the general public, or, at least, their fans (in a very hypothetic case, since I don’t know how this could be achieved)? Because then, even if they didn’t talk about it with the media, it would be as good as coming out publicly.

In an idol’s life there’s no “private” and “public”. There’s only “public” and “secret” (and by secret I mean things they “hide” in public/don’t talk about, even though people next to them might know about it). The line between public and private is very very blurred in the c-ent industry.

I always remember the case of an actor who had an affair. Because of his affair (he was married and had a son), he lost endorsements, he was taken out of tv programs and literally erased from filmed episodes. The things he did in private affected very directly his job (I don’t approve of the affair, but the consequences it had surprised me a lot).

So, while I do think that gg and dd are getting bolder with time, when they were both very startled by the “you’d lose your job if you were in a relationship” phrase, the fear was real and palpable. However, I’m aware that that was their stance a year ago, and that a lot of things have changed (heck, we’ve gone through a pandemic, something I couldn’t have imagined a year ago), so I’m going to observe how they act from now.

That’s why, “coming out willingly would also save them from being eventually outed..” is true, but it’s also true that it would push them into a storm I’m not sure they’d come out completely unscathed. And it may be selfish, but I don’t want them to be the ones who test the public’s tolerance to gay idols.

I think I’m missing my point, so I’ll spell it out: if they want to come out, I’ll support them with everything I have, as I think many fans will do. If they ever prove us wrong dating another person, be it male or female, I’ll support them as a fan too. But I would like any action they take to be decided by them, instead of pressed by fans who just want a confirmation at any cost.

I’ve seen people saying that if they were really together, they should be “honest” with themselves and the audience and come out publicly. In my opinion, it’s easy to judge when you’re not the one who might lose something if you take a step in the wrong direction, and it’s not your income and your job in the line.

I’m sure (reminding you all that I believe that bjyxszd) that they’d come out completely if possible. I’m also sure that they have consulted with managers and public relations experts (and their team would have talked with them about it even if gg and dd didn’t bring it up). Therefore, I strongly believe they are doing what they think is better at the time being.

To sum up: I’ll support whatever they do, but I don’t want others to push them to do things they don’t want/aren’t prepared to do. They are already between a rock and a hard place, so whatever they do with their relationship is absolutely their call.

So, anon, I hope I have answered you, but I leave here a short summary for you in the case the info was too scattered for you:

They might have come out to friends and family, and, based on dd’s interactions with the people around him and the words he has said, I do believe he has. Because gg is also an honest, sensible person, I think he might have done the same.

after all they are the first 3 shipped real couples in china, they do have support

Chn is a big country. That means that in terms of public support, sometimes numbers that would be astronomically high in other countries, is not so much in Chn. Translating numbers into percentage, a 1% means 14 million people.

So it’s true that they have a lot of people supporting them, of course. 2 million people is a lot of people, especially considering that many don’t know about them. But when you have to take into account the general public (because it’d be a scandal), since their fans aren’t the only ones interacting with them, it’s still a low number.

Coming out willingly would also save them from being eventually outed..

That’s true in the case of family and friends. But if you’re talking about being outed in the media, that’s not possible. Known by the fans = Public.

And remember that in this case, the media wouldn’t talk about them, since talking about homosexuality in the media is prohibited. The problem would come from within the industry and the antis.

#yizhan #bjyx #ask #my post #coming out

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scripttorture · 5 years ago

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Hello! I have a character who's repeatedly forced into violent battles that often result in major injury, sometimes to the point of losing a limb. However, through a type of magic exclusive to them, they are able to completely heal these injuries with no scarring left behind. Of course, the emotional impact of this situation still remains. In your opinion, could the stigma surrounding clean torture apply here?

That’s a really interesting question Anon and thinking about it yes I think the stigma surrounding clean torture absolutely could apply here.

One of the things that both Rejali and O’Mara discuss in their books is the way we register that other people are in pain. A lot of this is visual. Which means that while we would instinctively understand a clean torture as painful if we watched it happen, we probably wouldn’t understand it in the same way a few hours or days later when all visible signs of pain have disappeared.

I think you could easily have a similar sort of- I wouldn’t necessarily always think of it as a stigma in this case, but ignorance and misunderstanding.

Even in a world with a lot of magic I can see people who didn’t experience this misunderstanding it in a major way. I think that without active teaching (or this power being common enough that large numbers of people would know how it worked) it would be natural for outsiders to assume that the power itself made things less traumatising and less painful.

There hasn’t been as much research as I would like, but it does seem as if we can easily fall into the trap of underestimating other people’s pain.

There have been several studies about this on doctors, highlighting how they often underestimate the pain of patients who are ethnic minorities, certain body shapes (most often those classed as over-weight) or disabled. I haven’t seen as many studies on how we respond to things that we know are painful, but don’t leave obvious wounds.

Based on what I have read, I think it would be ‘natural’ for outsiders to assume that this character’s pain stops when the wound is healed. That these violent incidents are therefore inherently less traumatic ‘because’ the pain doesn’t last ‘as long’.

I think it would also be fairly common for people to assume that these kind of healing powers would mean this character feels ‘less’ pain. That would probably be expressed in different ways depending on the individual character. But I think a basic thought process of ‘well you must be used to it’ ‘you do it all the time so it must not bother you’ would be the underlying thought process.

And those kind of assumptions could in turn lead to the sort of isolation and stigma that survivors of clean tortures experience.

One point that I’m not sure they’d share is having people doubt whether the torture/injury occurred.

This is extremely common for survivors of clean torture and there’s a lot of pressure for them to somehow ‘prove’ their experience. Which could also apply to your character, depending on the story you’re telling.

However, if this character is relatively well known then that doubt about what they’ve experienced might not exist. They might find themselves in a slightly different, but comparable, position: everyone knows what they survived and no one thinks it should have effected them.

I suppose (if that’s the situation you’re going for) the closer analogy wouldn’t be clean torture generally, but particular clean tortures that are regularly presented as harmless. Solitary confinement, starvation diets and sleep deprivation all come to mind.

Solitary is probably the best close comparison. The effects it has on people, and the speed at which those effects become apparent, are massively underestimated by the general public.

I regularly get questions from authors suggesting relatively mild symptoms for a character who has been in solitary confinement for a year or more. Whereas researchers consider anything over a week to be prolonged solitary confinement and there is a general consensus in the field that symptoms are apparent after a week.

This gap in expectations is because a lot of this research just hasn’t made it into the broader public knowledge. And so our fiction continues to show solitary as ‘harmless’ and perpetuates this gap between what ‘everybody knows’ and reality.

To a lesser extent I believe this applies to starvation diets and sleep deprivation as well.

The global work culture is encouraging more of us to see a lack of sleep as natural, as a good thing and a sign of hard work. Pressure to ‘achieve more’ by cutting out a basic bodily function has become relatively common place.

And this lack of respect for our needs in everyday life leads us to underestimate the damage done by depriving someone of sleep.

I think that arguably a similar thing applies to the diet industry.

With more and more ‘experts’ claiming that extremely low calorie intake can be ‘healthy’ and good for us it’s easy to see how people can underestimate the damage and the pain starvation causes. The fact that thousands, if not millions, of people voluntarily choose to limit their food intake has been used as a justification to starve prisoners.

I know people who were advised to try a diet program that was equivalent to that in a Soviet gulag. With that kind of atmosphere it isn’t surprising that a lot of people underestimate how damaging starvation diets are.

Getting back to the question-

Yes I think you’ve made a fair comparison, and I think you could take that comparison in several different, interesting ways.

I hope that helps. :)

Availableon Wordpress.

Disclaimer

#writing advice #tw torture #attitudes towards torture survivors #attitudes to clean tortures #fantasy ask #clean torture #tw war #solitary confinement #starvation

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angstmongertina · 6 years ago

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Should You Fight Them: The 7KPP Edition

This smacked me over the head today and so I had to write them all out, featuring all the current LIs, the other main delegates, and your servants, organized by kingdom. Disclaimer: These are all my opinions and are not meant to be taken seriously.

Princess Ana

Oh, we all know Ana would love to fight you, and frankly, she’ll kick your ass but she’ll enjoy doing it, especially if you have some skill. Plus, if you’re a girl, she’ll be so proud of you for even trying some stuff that she’s tried to teach you and if you get a few blows in, even better. Heck, she might even consider it foreplay. Which, hey, if you’re into that sort of thing, then all the better for you. Basically, go for it, fight Ana, but know what you’re getting yourself into.

Prince Zarad

See, the thing about Zarad is that for all he says he can’t fight people off, we all know he’s full of shit. Being disingenuous is sort of his whole schtick, meaning if you sauntered in thinking you could knock him down in a single blow, he’d probably hand you your ass without even mussing his hair. Plus, the boy is super graceful so if nothing else, he’ll be able to keep moving enough that he’d probably tire you out and then be able to come in for the final blow. On the other hand, if you have a good sense of what you’re doing and can read him/hold your own, he’d probably genuinely enjoy it, so you know what? There are definitely worse things in the world than fighting Zarad.

Lord Blain

You can absolutely kick Blain’s ass. It wouldn’t even be hard, if the play was any indication. Just get one punch in on his pretty little face and he’d be too distraught to even stop you or fight back in any way. For that matter, you’d probably have much of Corval’s support if you did, and there is absolutely no doubt that Ana and Zarad would eat popcorn and shout encouragement from the sidelines. There would be virtually no ramifications and pretty much everyone would get a kick out of it. Obliterate Lord Blain.

Prince Hamin

Man, Hamin’s another case where you technically COULD fight Hamin and frankly, some people might even appreciate you stopping his nonsense for a bit—here’s looking at you, Cordelia and Jasper, but he’s also undoubtedly trained in fighting, and especially trained in Hisean fighting, which would never in a million years be entirely sportsmanly. All in all, he could probably take you pretty easily, though to his credit, he’d probably appreciate both your chutzpah and your giving him a story to tell in the future. Basically, fight Hamin if you really want to but be wary.

Princess Cordelia

The thing about Cordelia is that while she may look like a proper princess and have the lineage of one, she was also raised in Hise and no doubt has the training of one. My dude. My pal. She may be restrained and unerringly polite but we all know that if you mess with her, she could probably hold her own and then ruin your entire life later with her usual polite smile and without ever stepping out of the bounds of propriety. A word to the wise: Do not fuck with Princess Cordelia.

Earl Emmett

Really? You want to fight Emmett, of all people? Come on, dude, I know it’d be an easy fight for anyone but what’s the point? It’d be like kicking a puppy. All he cares about is your happiness. You wouldn’t even feel good about beating him after you finished because of how unfair of a fight it is. Hell, he’d probably let you kick his ass while you’re at it, especially if you give him any indication that you think he deserves it. So yeah, sure, you could definitely do it and win, but at what cost?

Duke Lyon

With Lyon, it’s a bit tricky. On the one hand, the guy barely eats or gets his head out of a book, so I don’t think he’d be too hard to take on. Sure, he might have his height going for him but a good blow to the knees will probably bring him down to your level and then it can’t possibly be too hard. On the other hand, the boy has read A Lot and he’s probably learned something about self-defense from them, so if you let him get his bearings and actually think about things, you might have a bit more trouble, especially, I would guess, if you threaten books in any way. He’s a pretty quick thinker, after all. Basically, it’s probably doable but there’s no guarantee you’ll get out completely unscathed.

Lady Avalie

Dear god, if you have any sense of self-preservation, be careful around Avalie. She is one of the most cunning people on this entire list and definitely one of the most determined. If you don’t have a healthy fear of Lady Avalie, you’re either very brave or very foolish. Or both. Sure, she might not look all too physically imposing but I dare you to try and tell me that she can’t outthink you in the time it takes you to even plan your first move. And then she’d probably find a way to spin it to her own benefit and completely destroy you in the same breath, all with that bright sparkle and unreadable expression. Beware of Avalie.

Prince Lisle

I’m sorry, but what are you even doing? Seriously, you want to fight Lisle? Whatever did he do to you? The poor boy wouldn’t hurt a fly and is so dutiful that he puts his kingdom over his heart without blinking. I mean, yeah, he’s so proper and gentle and soft-spoken that he could probably be pretty easy to beat in a fight, especially if you fight dirty, but it’s like taking candy from a baby but worse because the baby at least might have annoyed you by crying or something and Lisle could never have done anything to you! For shame!

Princess Penelope

Look, Penelope is one of the few people on this list you should fight LESS than Lisle. How could you ever do that to her? All she wants is to make friends and you want to come to blows with her? DUDE. She’d probably just look at you and not even make any move to defend herself. Do you really think you could handle that on your conscience? And then you’d have to deal with Lisle and probably all of Wellin while we’re at it. And you know what? You’d have to deal with me as well. How DARE you even consider it. HOW DARE.

Stranger Danger Grand Duke Woodly

On one hand, Woodly is getting on there in age and doesn’t seem like the most fit person in the world, considering he seems much more inclined to getting things done by manipulation and communication. In that sense, his physical prowess won’t be the best. However, that age doubtless also comes with plenty of experience and we already know he likes messing with people just to see what happens so he probably also has that sort of mindset, as well as a group of people he could probably manipulate into protecting him. But also, I understand, it’s just so damn TEMPTING. So go ahead, give Stranger Danger that punch you’ve been tempted to deliver, but be careful; it’s probably harder than it looks.

Sayra

The thing about Sayra is that she’s cautious and knows her own strengths. This means that she may not have the same training as some people but she doubtless can hold her own if she needs to. She also has the guts to stand up for what is right, so if you so much as threaten the other servants, you will invoke her righteous wrath and if nothing else, she’ll be able to hold you off until support arrives… and it will. Do not fight Sayra unless you want the world—or, at least, the entirety of Vail Isle—to know your mistake.

Ria

Okay, let’s get one thing straight, here. How dare you even THINK about fighting Ria? What has she ever done to you except love and support you? I mean, yeah, you would almost definitely kick her ass, no matter how much background in fighting you have, but like. This is Ria we’re talking about. HOW DARE YOU? So yeah, you’d win, but at what cost? Plus, you’d have Sayra and Jasper after your ass and you’d absolutely deserve it YOU ACTUAL MONSTER.

Jasper

Excuse me, are you crazy? This is Jasper we’re talking about, your own butler. If anyone here has been unerringly on your side, doing his best to help you through anything, it’s Jasper. Also, this guy is a beast? He’s utterly unflappable. He can take on arguing/fighting delegates outside your door without breaking a sweat. The man could probably handedly destroy someone in a fisticuffs and then show up at your door without having so much as spilled a drop of tea, and you think you can take him? Think again. Besides, you’d have the narrator on your ass and given everything they know, that’s probably an absolutely terrible position to be in. Do NOT fight Jasper.

Lord Clarmont

You know what? I would say that Clarmont would definitely be able to at least hold his own against you, but it really depends on the situation. I mean, the boy is preparing to help lead a revolution against the current leaders of Revaire. He’s got to know some combat, and I doubt it’s the particularly honorable kind. On the other hand, though, Clarmont can be a total gentleman so like. If he likes you, he might just let you win, or at the very least, go a lot easier on you. Probably grinning and giving you advice as if it were a sparring match, damn the guy and his good heart. But also, he’s so sweet? Why would you fight Clarmont? Hasn’t he already gone through enough in his life? Don’t fight Clarmont.

Princess Gisette

I feel like when it comes to Gisette, the phrase “appearances can be deceiving” is very very appropriate. Sure, she might seem like a strong wind might blow her over, but she’s survived being Jarrude’s sibling for years and almost definitely has had a part in the Revairan overthrow. She has all the manipulative skills of Woodly or Avalie with no morality and the added bonus of probably being constantly underestimated. Hell, if she catches wind of what you’re planning, she might even preemptively pay someone to take you out before you’re even an actual thorn in her side. All in all, be very cautious, lest she destroy you without so much as a warning.

Jarrude Prince Jarrod

Please for the love of god, fight Jarrude. It is your moral obligation. Do it for us all. Punch him in his stupid smug face, knee him in the groin, and take him down a peg or ten. Oh, sure, the boy probably does know how to fight and absolutely has anger issues that would make him extremely violent, not to mention you might have the entire Revairan army after your ass as you try to escape, but look me in the eyes and tell me it wouldn’t be worth it. That’s right, you can’t. Because it would ABSOLUTELY be worth it. BE OUR CHAMPION AND FIGHT JARRUDE.

#Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem #7KPP #Tina writes stuff.#This has been a shitpost.#I don't even know what else to tag it tbh.#long post

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thesydneyfeminists · 6 years ago

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6 Kick-Ass Women on International Women’s Day

March 8th is International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than to share a few of my favourite women in pop culture? Fictional and non-fictional, because the heart wants what it wants. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, because there are millions of kick-ass women out there doing their thing, but these are some of the first women who spring to mind for me.

Image Description: A photo of a white, wooden block calendar set on a light pink and white floral fabric background. A longer, rectangular block with the word “March” written in all capital letters in dark grey is on the bottom. A larger, square block with the number “8″ written in the same dark grey is on the top.

Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy)

I grew up in a time where there weren’t many prominent Asian characters in TV shows or movies. If they were there, they were relegated to background extras or secondary characters that are supposed to be a passing joke or a harmful stereotype. And truth be told, Cristina does sometimes fall into the overachieving Asian trope. But the way Sandra Oh played the character made her likeable and not an over-the-top, offensive stereotype that we’ve seen countless times before. Seeing Cristina on Grey’s was so new, so fresh - she was a character I could look at and go “oh hey, someone who’s written for me”. Not to mention, I hadn’t really seen too many Korean characters before, especially one played by a Korean-Canadian actress, which is a bonus. So, here was someone who looked a little like me, and was smart, sassy, and real. She was funny for the right reasons, not at the expense of herself, but because she was quick and witty (it also helped Sandra Oh’s comic timing is impeccable). Cristina also had some pretty excellent advice (regardless of some of the storylines, Cristina Yang is ride or die, and I won’t hear anything else) some of which are summed up nicely here: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/11-times-cristina-yang-gave-best-advice. Sandra Oh’s portrayal of her character came at a time when I desperately needed to see representation, and Cristina definitely left her mark on my life.

Image Description: A photo of Korean-American actress, Sandra Oh, with her hands in her pockets. She is in costume as her character on Grey’s Anatomy, Cristina Yang, with dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat. She is looking directly at the camera with a slight, closed-mouth smile.

Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Honestly, I don’t know many people who have finished watching Veronica Mars without thinking Veronica is cool as hell. She’s this badass, teenage girl who went through some traumatic experiences but came away from them tough, strong and ready to fight back. Which, admittedly, viewed through a 2019 lens comes across a little clichéd and tired. But, back in 2004, I hadn’t yet learned about the trope that’s far too common when men try to write female characters. Lazy or not, I think what makes Veronica one of my favourite characters is that even though the whole situation is unrealistic (she’s a teenage private detective), the way she reacts to her circumstances is realistic. She makes mistakes. Oh boy, she makes a tonne of mistakes. But Veronica has a good heart and, if I had to sum her up, I’d say “she’s trying her best”, a saying I always strongly related to. And, listen, the girl has a taser and isn’t afraid to use it. I respect that.

Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel)

Anyone who knows me in real life can attest I will go down swinging when it comes to defending Faith. Right from the moment she stepped her biker boots into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was a fan. Faith was the slayer from the “wrong side of the tracks”, less fortunate in life than the show’s heroine. She was the “dark/evil slayer” and she was the best character that ever happened to that show. I think my pattern of favourite characters is becoming clearer … if you’re rough on the outside with a soft interior, that’s apparently my jam. Faith had a tough childhood and then made mistakes when she was 16, mistakes Buffy and her friends punished her for. She was so deeply unhappy with the path she’d taken but thought that was all she was good for. She even begs Angel to kill her because she’s “evil”. That scene is still my favourite scene in the whole BtVS universe, not going to lie, and Faith’s redemption arc is beautiful. At any given time, she proved she could’ve broken out of prison. But she stayed because she was trying to atone and be better than she was. Honestly, Faith is a blessing.

Anna Akana (YouTube)

I found Anna fairly late in the game - she had already been making videos for a few years when a friend linked me to her video Why Guys Like Asian Girls. I thought it was hilarious, relatable, and summed up everything I’ve ever thought about dating and my experiences as an Asian woman. From that one video, I was hooked. As I watched more and more, I learnt about her life. Her videos play out as comedy sketches where she plays different roles. Through them, she tackles every day advice and shares stories about her life. When Anna was a teenager, her younger sister committed suicide. Since then, Anna has been a strong advocate for suicide prevention. She’s talked about it in various videos, as well as in her books. She is upfront and honest about the aftermath of the suicide and her reactions. More than just a “YouTuber”/content creator, Anna is a wearer of many hats. She writes, produces, acts, directs (not only in her own YouTube videos, but in external projects too). And she’s written two books. One was a series of journal entries she wrote after her sister died, and the other was a memoir /guide to life that she wrote as a series of letters to her younger sister. There’s no doubt what happened in her family influences the way she views the world and has made Anna who she is today: an upfront and honest woman with a big heart and the gift to make people laugh.

Jenna Marbles / Mourey (YouTube)

Apparently, all I do is watch TV or YouTube, because one of my other favourite women is Jenna Mourey (more commonly known by her YouTube alias Jenna Marbles). Although she is one of the “OGs” of YouTube and found her success after going viral, Jenna’s video style has changed over the years. What I’ve always loved about Jenna is she’s undeniably herself. Especially lately, she’s taken to making videos she jokingly refers to as “me time”, which include things like painting herself to look like her armchair, covering herself in green paint to blend into her green screen or gluing rhinestones all over her face, just to name a few! She credits her success to being genuine, to being herself, and to releasing content that makes her laugh. In my opinion, she succeeds. Jenna’s been one of my favourite YouTube creators since the beginning, and I was lucky enough to meet her a few years back. She’s every bit as humble, sweet and funny as she comes across in her videos.

Image Description: A photo of Jenna Marbles’ head and shoulders against an off-white background. Marbles is a white woman with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. She is wearing a neon pink, snakeskin-patterned shirt and has silver rhinestones glued to the bottom of her face in the shape of a beard. She is looking just beneath the camera lens and her mouth is slightly ajar.

Tee Linden (Writer)

This one may be cheating a little, but I couldn’t in good conscience write a list of my favourite women and not include my best friend/platonic life partner and soul mate. Tee scrapes into the pop culture theme on a technicality by being a talented poet and writer, able to create whole universes within a few sentences. We’ve known each other for 25+ years now and have gone through the many ups and downs of life together. Tee makes me laugh in a way no one else does - the kind of laughter that physically hurts because there’s so much of it. The smartest, fiercest and most supportive woman I know, she makes everything she does look easy. In that way, and many others, we’re complete opposites. I feel as though I struggle through everything and that it shows. But our differences have always made our friendship stronger. When everyone else lets me down, I know I can rely on Tee to pick up a conversation we had five years ago and continue on as though no time has passed and nothing has changed at all.

Honestly, I could go on forever and list so many more women. But these are the ones that immediately came to mind when I tasked myself with coming up with women who inspire me. I have countless women in my life who I’m so incredibly blessed to know and even more that I’m yet to meet. So, this International Women’s Day, take a moment to acknowledge the women who shaped your life, who you admire and look up to. The ones who fought for us before we could, the ones who are still fighting and the ones who are paving the way for a better future. Support your sisters, not just your cis-ters, and remember women are magic. When we get together, we change the world.

By: Vee H

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

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marcoharem · 6 years ago

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Last random thoughts of the year

Hello everyone, and welcome to the last “Random Thoughts” post of 2018. I know I’ve been very outspoken about things I didn’t like from season 3 and… I know that some of you enjoyed S3 and that’s okay because it’s important to have different opinions, all that goes without saying.

Now, the reason I’m bringing this up is because, instead of talk about what went wrong, this time I want to focus on what went right. What makes SvtFoE so appealing, and in order to understand this, we need to talk about the most important aspect of every succesful cartoon: The Characters.

The problem is that this show in particular has way too many characters to analyse and discuss, so to make it nice and clear, we’ll just focus on the main characters: Marco and Star. People of the MvtFoL community, I present to you:

Top 8 Reasons Why (I Think) Marco is a better character than Star

DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and opinions expressed on this post belong solely to the author (that’s me) and doesn’t necessarily represent the views of the MvtFoL community as a whole.

#8-Sidekicks: I know this one technically doesn’t count because we’re talking about the main characters, but on my experience, the friends you choose to hang out with tell a lot about you on a personal level (especially if you’re a teenager like Marco and Star)

Star has Princess Ponyhead, a rude, loud, egotistical and obnoxious character that (from my perspective) only exists to appeal to younger kids who love memes and internet culture. Marco on the other hand has Alfonso and Ferguson, two stereotypical geek characters that were created out of executive meddling (and that’s not my perspective, Nefcy already comfirmed this statement)

Now, I’m not saying that Alfonzo and Ferguson were particularly outstanding or interesting, (in fact a lot of people find them annoying) I’m just suggesting that they are less obnoxious than Ponyhead, not because they’re human, but because they seem more genuine as people, unlike Pony Head who always seems like she’s trying WAY too hard to be “hip” and “cool”.

#7 Character Archetypes: Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Star, I don’t think she’s the worst of her kind, nor she should go away and allow Marco to become the main character (it would be nice for a change, but that’s beside the point) my point is: The energetic-cutesy-bubbly-lovable-sillypants archetype has been done like a million times before, so in terms of personality, she brings nothing new to the table.

Marco is completely different story. Yeah, he may seem like the average teenage boy at first, but unlike Star, he plays these character traits to his advantage. For example, on the first episode of the series, when Ludo and his minions were about to attack to take Star’s wand, he jumps in front of Star to protect her and shows his karate skills for the first time, subverting the idea that just because he’s “the safety kid” it doesn’t mean he’s a useless coward with no skills or talent whatsoever.

#6 Character Appeal: This part is more subjective if we consider that we’re talking about characters from a kids show and… I’m not part of the main target audience, but with that said: I never found Star very appealing, I mean, she’s skilled with magic, can be occasionally funny and design-wise she’s good looking. But other than her magic and goofy antics, Star is not very likeable. In fact, she can be overbearing at times (especially when she’s paired with Pony Head)

Being an average human being, Marco’s skills such as karate, cooking, psychology, etc. comes from his own hard work rather than just play the “it’s magic, don’t question it” card like Star does. Not to mention his deadpan sense of humor and delivery is way more subtle than Star…. Also, for what I understand, he’s considered to be pretty handsome both in-universe and by the fanbase, but that’s something I’ll leave for open interpretation.

#5 Better Living Through Chemistry: One of the things Starco fans always bring up when they talk about the couple, is the amount of chemistry between Marco and Star and… yes, they’re right from a certain point of view, but here’s the thing: Marco has good chemistry with pretty much everyone.

I mean, every time he shares screentime with a female character (whether be Star, Jackie, Janna, Hekapoo, Kelly and so on) he nails it almost everytime, I mean aside from being a good speaker, he’s nice, gentle, loyal and (for the most part) selfess… Star on the other hand… well… There’s Oskar Greason and… StanFan13 I guess?

Which is funny considering how in season 1 gave us the impression that the writers were going to take “reverse harem” route and make Marco, Tom and Oskar falling for Star, but come on… she’s both a wizard AND a member of the royalty. She doesn’t need a bunch of guys fighting for her as well (even Tom seems to have better chemistry with Marco than her, just remember the “friendenemies” episode)

#4 Role model: Now, I don’t think that all the characters on every kids show should be a role model nor preach us with sappy morals and stuff… but here’s the thing: Fiction is a form of escapism and characters serve as self-insertions in which the audience project themselves either at a concious or an unconscious level.

Characters like Marco work with this idea at the right level. He’s strong, intelligent and charming, but he’s also shy, clumsy, naive and has moments of childishness as well. He has enough character development to distinguish from the average harem protagonist, but he also has enough flaws to avoid the mary sue territory. That sounds like a good role model to me.

And Star is… how can I put it? She acts like a brat. Not only that, but she’s also very vain and shallow, even when she seems to fight for a noble cause. The irony is that while Brittney was created as a foil for Star (both of them are rich, self-entitled princesses) Star can be just as rude and spoiled as her.

#3 Symphaty contest: Once again, Marco outperforms Star on almost every level. And this may sound bias to all of you but I’m sorry, I can’t feel any sympathy towards Star even when she’s being naive or well-intended.

The only episode I can recall where I felt symphathy for Star was the “Other Exchange Student” episode, because it was the first time someone else took the spotlight away from her. Also it was a breath of fresh air to see her getting jealous, but not on a romantic way…

#2 Character Development: During the first 2 seasons, Marco not only proved to be a highly talented individual, but also proved to be capable to overcome every single misfortune that got in his way (Tom, the naysaya, the cashier of the VHS Depot, the monster arm), he found the courage to speak to Jackie only to find out that she reciprocates his feelings, and just like like every human being he commited mistakes such as trying to slander Jeremy by recording a video of him being a douche to expose him to Sensei Brantley, only to realize all by himself that spy on people is bad.

And meanwhile, Star… pretty much remains the same. And no, turning into a giant butterfly with god-like superpowers doesn’t count as character development. And like I said, even though she learns that monsters are creatures with hopes and dreams just like the mewmans, it doesn’t change the fact that she still treats Marco like garbage (Booth buddies), annoys her mother even when she’s on a highly stressful sitaution (Battle of Mewni) and kisses Marco and keep it in secret only for Marco to do the right thing and confess (Divide/Conquer) so don’t be surprised to find people on the internet that… doesn’t like her very much.

#1 Overall Best Person: And once again, it seems like I’m beating a dead horse, but it can’t be said enough: Marco is an individual with higher moral values than Star.

I mean, seriously: He’s willing to do ANYTHING for Star, whether be cross-dressing, fight monsters, give up his entire life and happiness for a vague promise of being knighted. And the fact that so many people find acceptable that Star keeps perpetuating this cycle of abuse as if is “cute” is just… ugh… I’m sorry, I just cringed for a moment.

And again: I have nothing against Star, but please: Stop pretending she’s like a perfect little flower that deserves being rewarded only for who she is rather than her own merits. And as long as that old, tired dynamic doesn’t change, I’ll keep saying that Marco Diaz is a much better character than Star Butterfly.

And that’s all I have to say for today. Thank you for your time and I wish you all a happy new year. And rembember: The point of these posts is to encourage discussion and keep this page alive, because let’s face it: It’s up to us to give Marco support by shipping him with all the female characters (including Star), even if it’s not cannon. That way we’re reaffirming the fact that Marco is more important to SvtFoE than Star ever will…

#haremshipisthebestship

#submission

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earnwithdiba · 3 years ago

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Link In Profits REVIEW - Think Again !

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dailyhealthynews · 3 years ago

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Do’s And Don’ts For Doctors To Build A Healthy Lifestyle During The Pandemic

National Doctors Day 2021: Doctors Day is celebrated in India on July 1st. On this day, doctors around the world are honored for their 24/7 service.

National Doctors Day 2021: Doctors should meditate and get enough rest to relieve stress

HIGHLIGHTS

National Doctors’ Day is celebrated on July 1st each year

Doctors experience increased stress during the pandemic

A healthy lifestyle can help reduce stress and provide adequate rest

The last known pandemic to hit the world was the deadly 1918 flu pandemic, which killed approximately 500 million people, or a third of the world’s population. A century later, we are faced with a similar situation, but the circumstances then are very different from now.

Advances in science and healthcare have allowed us to assess the threat more quickly and also find alternatives to protect ourselves. “Social distancing”, the only phenomenon that dominated our lives, was also what could protect us. However, this did not apply to healthcare professionals. They were required to treat the infected patients, and unfortunately this cannot be done remotely.

The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, more deadly compared to the first, forced us to reassess our healthcare system and reflect on whether we were adequately protecting our valued warriors. It is not enough just to provide the protective equipment, but understand how it actually works. The PSA kits alone are exhausting and reduce the efficiency of a nurse or doctor by 50%. The constant fear of contagion also adds to the problem and leads to inefficiency.

With so many health care workers infected, hospitals are short on staff and those on duty have to treat the increasing number of patients on their own. It is mentally and physically demanding to see your coworkers, family, or friends infected, and worse, when you can’t save them or do something to comfort them.

A Few Techniques and Simple Practices That Can Help Healthcare Professionals-

DOS

Take reasonable precautions and follow appropriate Covid-19 conduct

Vaccinate the healthcare professional

Follow a disciplined routine that includes daily exercise and meditation

Eat a balanced and nutritious diet

Take regular breaks and allow downtime; Relax, even if there are only a few minutes between shifts

Talk to colleagues and share the fears and problems – this gives you the assurance that you are not alone and that it is a collective struggle

Spend time with family, if this is not possible, speak to them regularly over phone calls

Rest and read, watch something that motivates motivate

Do any activity that will help relieve stress and take the mind off the chaotic work day

Also read: National Doctors Day 2021: Doctors Need to Stay Mentally Fit During the Pandemic

Doctors Day 2021: Start the day with exercise or meditation to reduce stress Photo credit: iStock

Don’ts

Do not isolate yourself mentally, sulk, or allow fear to build up inside you

Do not keep in direct contact with family and friends when you work in a Covid ward

Avoid consuming information and unchecked messages on social media that can also affect mental wellbeing

Also read: National Doctors’ Day 2021: Honoring doctors for their courageous fight against the Covid-19 pandemic

The looming fear of the looming third wave is near and the Health Brotherhood is now preparing to strike back. It will be crucial that you stay motivated and not panic in difficult circumstances. Even if the fight against the pandemic is still in full swing, it is important that we remain confident and motivated that this will also pass and that we can emerge stronger together.

(Dr. Rajan Chaudhry Consultant, Medical Service, Tata Steel)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of the information in this article. All information is provided “as is”. The information, facts, or opinions contained in this article do not reflect the views of NDTV, and NDTV assumes no responsibility or liability for them.

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all of your health needs, providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, nutrition plans, informative videos, etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate information you need about health problems like diabetes , Cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other diseases of civilization. We have a panel of 350+ experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable contributions and bringing us the latest from the world of healthcare.

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/dos-and-donts-for-doctors-to-build-a-healthy-lifestyle-during-the-pandemic/

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animalsustainability · 7 years ago

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Breed of the Week #26 - Transgenic Goats!

Photo: Dr. James Murray scritches a happy goat - one of the goats that could hold the secrets to treating gut disease in humans. Photo credit: Pat Bailey, photo © Regents of the University of California, Davis

What would it be like, if your glass of milk wasn’t just nutritious, but could treat disease? This week we have a special edition featuring not just a breed, but a type of goat that could someday save lives! This week on Breed of the Week, we feature the amazing transgenic goats of Dr. Elizabeth Maga & Dr. James Murray of UC Davis!

I have known Dr. Maga & Dr. Murray since starting grad school, and they are not only great people to work with, but they are amazing, dedicated researchers. Dr. Maga and Dr. Murray have spent decades working on helping address gut disease from an unusual angle: making milk do the fighting.

The secret is lysozyme, a chemical naturally produced as part of the body’s innate defenses. Lysozyme is an enzyme that pierces bacterial cell walls, killing the invading cell, and is found in tears, saliva, and breast milk. Lysozyme has also been shown to help establish a healthy gut microbiome. Human breast milk is an exceptionally rich source of lysozyme, containing 1,600-3,000 times more than livestock milk. This is important as it helps the infant’s immune system and gut microbes as they work to get up and running. But researchers like Dr. Maga & Dr. Murray see other opportunities for this enzyme - preventing and treating gut disease.

Photo: Dr. Murray & Dr. Maga hold a transgenic goat. Photo credit: Dave Jones, UC Davis https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/got-better-milk-yes-researchers-say-noting-study-involving-pigs-and-genetically-modified-goats/

Bacterial gut diseases, such as E.coli, are a major cause of illness and mortality around the world, particularly among children in developing countries. Worldwide, over two million children die every year from diarrhea due to microbial infections, more than tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria combined. Even when people affected survive the severe diarrhea, they may experience stunted growth, reduced resistance to other infections, or other health consequences that last the rest of their life.

While these diseases are often associated with developing countries, people here in the US are also at risk - according to the CDC, 1.3 million people each year get sick from Campylobacter, and over 265,000 people get seriously sick from E. coli every year, making this a problem no matter where you live. The antibiotics used to treat these diseases can disrupt the gut microbes, leading to digestive problems even after the patient has recovered. While probiotics exist to help restore healthy gut function, treatments like this transgenic goat milk could help people fight gut infections, and help keep their beneficial gut flora healthy and able to bounce back faster.

Image: diagram of E. coli, one of the microbes treated by the transgenic milk. Lysozyme attacks and pierces the cell wall, killing the bacteria. Image credit: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

In 1998, lysozyme was approved as a safe additive to food. In 1999, the first goat in the Artemis line of transgenic goats was born at UC Davis, creating a line of goats that produced human lysozyme in their milk, at levels 68% of that found in human breast milk. Goats were chosen over cows because goats reach reproductive age faster, are more adaptable, and are already a major part of smallholder agriculture worldwide.

But was this milk enough to help prevent disease? Because pigs have a very similar gut to humans, researchers fed pasteurized milk from these transgenic goats, and repeated studies looked at immune function, gut health, and ability to fight off disease. Animals consuming the milk with lysozyme not only were less impacted by infections, but also had healthier guts and healthier gut microbes. These animals also had lower levels of disease-causing microbes such as Campylobacter and E. coli, both of which can lead to life-threatening infections in humans.

There is also no difference in the composition of human lysozyme-enriched milk and non-enriched milk, aside from the lysozyme concentration - literally the only difference here is that the transgenic goats express the lysozyme, and the milk is the same otherwise. This means that the goat milk is just as nutritious and safe as milk from any other goat - but the lysozyme-enriched milk packs a double whammy of improving nutrition and gut health.

Importantly, distributing the goats themselves solves a major issue in getting the treatment where it is needed most. Many developing countries have issues with supply chains, so if the milk or lysozyme were simply exported and sold, it would be harder to ensure that vulnerable populations had access as needed. But by sending the goats themselves to where they’re needed most, people are assured of a steady supply of enriched milk that is more robust. As we’ve learned the past 13 weeks, goats are pretty sturdy, and very capable of living off of crop residues or kitchen scraps - that means that there’s no real additional upkeep cost for these special goats that wouldn’t be found for regular goats, another major bonus.

However, don’t go looking for probiotic goatshakes on the store shelves just yet - severe hurdles still stand in the way of this project’s further success. Anti-GMO public sentiment means that granting agencies are still wary of funding such research - in 2014, a grant submitted by Dr. Maga was returned with comments indicating that public acceptance of GMOs was still too low to warrant further testing of this research. Other vital transgenic animal projects, like chickens that cannot spread bird flu, or the environmentally sustainable EnviroPig project, are also in regulatory limbo, waiting for a world that is ready for them.

Image: a diagram of another transgenic animal, the Enviropig, a pig designed to produce phytase in its saliva. This enzyme helps free up bound phosphorous in certain feeds, improving animal use of the mineral and reducing manure phosphorus content. Image credit: University of Guelph via http://www.producer.com/2010/05/industry-wary-about-enviropig/

The regulatory environment is also not yet as clear as it could be regarding transgenic animals - while GMO salmon were approved by the FDA in 2015, the pathway to success for other transgenic animals is still not yet clear. While anticoagulants derived from the milk of another transgenic goat breed have been approved in a purified form as a drug, the use of Maga & Murray’s goat milk itself as the delivery mechanism, which has been shown to be more effective than simply taking purified lysozyme, is still under review.

Dr. Maga & Dr. Murray are hopeful that their goat milk will be approved for further development and use, and they’re progressing full steam ahead to find out what else this marvelous milk could be used for. Current research involves using lysozyme to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), another major gut disease that has severe impacts on human health and wellbeing. So far the lab has created a swine model of IBD, and results are a promising glimmer of hope for the millions of people struggling with this often-debilitating disease.

While the regulatory environment may not be yet sure what to make of these marvelous goats, the signs are clear - there is serious potential for improving human health worldwide because of these goats. Imagine if you could get over bacterial food poisoning or help treat chronic illness, just by having a tasty glass of milk? If things do as Dr. Maga and Dr. Murray plan, that day may not be far away! Call your governmental representatives and ask them to fund and approve transgenic research such as this, and to make a clear pathway for these vital treatments to get to the people they’ve been designed to help!

Photo: Dr. Murray and some of the department’s transgenic goats. Photo credit: Joe Proudman, UC Davis photo © Regents of the University of California, Davis

Five Fast Facts About Dr. Maga & Dr. Murray’s Transgenic Goats

Human lysozyme is an antimicrobial enzyme that destroys bacterial cell walls as part of the immune system

Lysozyme is found in saliva, tears, and milk, and human breast milk contains 1600-3000x more lysozyme than livestock milk

Transgenic goats have been genetically modified to express human lysozyme in their milk at levels high enough to help destroy harmful bacteria and promote healthy gut microbes

Anti-GMO sentiment and unclear regulatory approval pathways have made it difficult for this vital research to continue, despite the safety of the lysozyme-enriched milk

Researchers hope milk from these transgenic goats can be used to help treat chronic gut diseases such as IBD & Crohn’s, as well as childhood diarrhea, a major cause of malnourishment and death in developing countries