#because honestly most if this shit felt like tiktok culture

[cyaneyedcl]

fandom culture rant

tldr; dont go shitting on people's works just bcs u didnt like it, thats some disgusting asshole behavior, fuck u if u do so.

and pls show your fanfic writers lots of appreciation, they are the biggest backbone in most fandoms, they deserve nothing but love.

there's something so insane and illogical when it comes to the people that read fanfics (which have clear explicit and alternative universe tags) yet proceed to complain about how these had — surprise, suprise! — sexual content and scenarios/personalities that weren't an exact copy of the ones in the source media.

and usually one would want to believe people will keep their opinions to themselves or rant about it in a private space with close friend(s), because that's the bare minimum one can do to show some respect towards a writer that shared their fanwork for free.

but recently, that's not been the case.

bcs now there's this new trend going around (specifically in tiktok, to the surprise of nobody) where people publish videos talking about how a certain fanfic was — and i quote — "incredibily ooc", "genuinely weird", "overrated", "poorly written", "a freak fest".

and this type of behavior wouldn't be so shocking (even tho is not ok) if it was coming from one random person in the internet, but because this is happening in tiktok (which is a well-known platform for having the biggest audience reach when it comes to social media apps) the hate is extremely amplified.

when i tell u the amount of hate these tiktoks gather is insane, i mean i've seen them surpass the 3,000+ comments (which is more than half of the comments the fanfic has). and most of these consist of people sharing their even more aggressive opinions about the fanfic, or even saying how "this other fanfic is better".

it honestly mind blows me every time i see this happening, because — or at least in my experience — there's always been this unsaid rule (even though i'd dare to say it's more of a sense of logic) in fandom spaces where everybody knows that if you didn't like the work of a fan, you close the tab and move on with your day. because, what do you gain for belittling the efforts/hard-work someone put in something that won't change the source media, or ur life?

and if you are one of those bystanders that applies the whole "people need to learn to take criticism" to this situation then u are wrong. no debates. because,

in this case, this so-called criticism it's just a sugar-coat for hateful comments.

that is NOT how criticism works, not when the author didn't ask for any feedback what-so-ever and even less when we are talking about a story that nobody pays for to consume it.

it's baffling to see readers develop this liberty that makes them think it's ok to say whatever they feel like saying about fandom works, without taking in consideration that behind every fanfic, fanart, music, skit, etc. there's a person that probably felt proud of their work and is happy about creating something.

also, i feel in the need to clear out that even though i'm talking about a specific fanfic in this post (which is in the tags in case u haven't figured it out yet), it's definitely not the only one that's received this treatment. i've seen it happen in the kpop, danmei, and harry potter side too, specially in marauders.

i believe this behavior is due to a shift in fandom culture that started because of covid, but that's like, a whole other rant post for another day.

[luxwing]

For the Astarion query you had and will not say any spoilers/will be normal lol.

My first time playing I missed a few companions so less choice. He's hard to miss so anyone in the same boat as me would have had more time with him. Some you can almost miss till end of act 1 so again you'd end up with him for more.

Everyone that I did get for act 1 till maybe a little into act 2 was on the same level of fuckable for me (in that I wasn't too bothered as actually went into the game not knowing the romance was that well developed)

The most romanced characters are Shadowheart, Lae'zel and Karlach. So a lot of people agree with you. I would argue its more that Astarion ticks the right boxes for the people that create stuff for tumblr and tiktok and also has a lot of content/a lot of content that is easily quotable. Then because of algorithms etc the hype train kicked off.

My hope is that it doesn't end up going the other way and he doesn't end up getting hate because of counter culture or whatever. He is a very good character, as they all are and his story is also very moving. Again without spoilers, at release there were some people grateful that they could connect with his story and felt they hadn't seen it, as it is in the game, in media before.

Astarion slowly made his way up that list for me for the following reasons

Funny

Interesting backstory that gets more we will say interesting as the acts go on

Backstory has moments of oh fuck I get that trauma

He has the ability to change either way possibly the most

He literally has the most hours of dialogue etc and a bunch of romance scenes when some characters sadly don't

Now I have done more times through the game, personally I think they all have pretty good character development and are all very fuckable as yous say.

If you held a gun to my head and made me pick 1 I would pick karlach, gale and astarion in no set order and take the bullet. But honestly the others are really pretty much just as good to me.

Now the hype is dying down I feel like a lot of convos have been moving onto other characters including wanting to fuck NPCs.

I've gotten far enough not that my character did spend a night with Astarion and it's opened up some more information about his backstory, so I'm starting to see what draws a lot of people toward him. Also, someone mentioned this on my other post, but yeah Neil Newbon's performance does so much heavy lifting that you can't help but find him a bit charming.

And God I forgot this game has three acts my ass is just now almost finished with everything in act one I'm only level 5 after nearly thirty hours oh my god

But I guess one reason people might not be fans of Astarion (not just because they're tired of the fanmedia saturation mind you) is because of his approvals. He gains approval from you being mean or snarky and from some displays of cruelty, so that might be a quick turn off for people. Ive bypassed this by leaving him at camp whenever I wanna be nice along with the other "kindness is cringe" people.

But yeah, he's a well written character, I'll agree to that. Honestly, all the party members seem really multifaceted whether for better or worse, and I actually like that a lot. I do wish Shadowheart and Lae'zel would stop trying to kill each other and make out already, tho.

Tbh I haven't seen anyone 'hate' on Astarion. Joke about him, sure, but i think I've seen way more people shit on Shadowheart than on him. Which, that's a whole nuther discussion to be had in itself, but yeah idk.

God I still have so much of the game left to do what the fuck

[navigating-20s]

Navigating Your 20s: Hey Besties

Hey, S here.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet—a diary of sorts, or simply a collection of music and photos that encapsulate my vibe of the week when I'm too busy to properly journal.

You might be wondering, why not use Instagram or TikTok to document your mid/late 20’s living in New York City? Well, growing up, Tumblr always stood out as one of the few spaces where one could authentically explore their queerness. Whether that was through flirty, anonymous messages, cheering for the Shannons and Cammies of the world from the sidelines, or catching a glimpse of The L Word through a raunchy GIF—Tumblr always understood the vibe and harbored some of our deepest secrets. With that sentiment in mind, I decided to return to my roots with a fresh page—a secondary blog. Lol. 

Now, who am I, and why should you follow along and give a shit? I'm a blonde, pop culture loving, espresso drinking creative (she/her) who works in the entertainment industry. I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with some of your favorite queer influencers and musicians numerous times. Strictly on a professional level though, let's keep our minds out of the gutter.

I share my career not to ~flex, but to convey, that despite my professional network, and despite being from one of the most inclusive cities, I'm still in the process of figuring out my place within the lgbtq+ community. I haven't officially come out, and honestly, I've never felt the need to. However, most people would take one glance at me and say, “Oh, she’s definitely straight," and that's really never bothered me until now. Maybe it's because I'm beginning to date again, and oof, it's brutal out here. But hey, that's a post for a later date.

So, join me on this 2010 inspired odyssey where, perhaps, I'll discover a label for myself and 'come out,' or maybe I'll choose to defy labels altogether and simply embrace doing whatever feels right. I like that—embracing whatever feels right. Cheers to that.

Talk soon, Besties.

S 

[misquigleya]

GET TO KNOW THE AUTHOR.

name: char 'cause i never considered lottie being a viable nickname of charlotte like a dumbass lmfao

pronouns: she/her but really i do not care <3

preference of communication: discord only 'cause i'm never logged into mobile tumblr longer than enough to check for replies, draft them, and give the dash a quick scroll before fuckin' off to tiktok or whatever app. but i'm always logged in via discord mobile, plus it's just easier and we can pin important shit or not important shit. too long of an answer for this rip sorry.

most active muse: currently hyperfixated on all of my yj muse's, but i'd have to say it's a toss up between misty and van ( found over on the multi @ darkconsumed ) but literally could shift with the wind at any given moment. let me yell about them all.

experience/how many years: eleven years ( i've seen some shit on this site okay... ) as of feb. of this year. i'm old as hell, even more tired, and i just wanna vibe and write with y'all. all spent on this site mind you; started off in various RPG's before switching to indie in late 2012, early 2013.

best experience: honestly this fandom has been a great way to get me out of a writing funk/block that i had been experiencing for like...months before i finally watched yj. you all have been great and welcoming and put up with listening to me ramble and defend this cute lil blonde nerd. i've had the most fun in this fandom than i have in a long while and that's saying something as i've been in many fandoms over the years. but yea...this fandom has felt like coming home after a long trip <3

rp pet peeves: i'm old RP wise so i got me a good...500 mile long report of pet peeves lol but the biggest are no rules page, no information when it's a oc(s), flat out not reading my own rules 'cause i can tell when they have not been read ( folks with -0 information on their blogs and or no links leading to said information like...tell me you followed without reading rules without telling me ), i don't know why it's still such a thing in the year of our toad 2023, but vague posting. it just makes all the vibes go to shit real quick and no thank. there are many more but i will keep from sounding like an old person on their porch yellin' at the wind.

plots or memes: both? both is good. i don't know what it is with memes, but i tend to have a habit of basing a plot off a meme and wind up with a bitchin' plot that makes sense. memes are also, in my opinion, a great way to break the ice and get everyone involved relaxed enough to reach out. also i hoard memes for the days drafts are a big no and my brain is mush, but not mush enough to do memes. if that makes sense lol

long or short replies: i am go with the motion of the ocean kinda gal. if you give me semi-para, i'm gonna give it right back. sometimes i can word vomit ( sorry not sorry joey ) 'cause the muse be takin' over. but i also don't mind doing shorter replies / one para replies. so long as it's more than like two complete sentences, i'm chill.

are you like your muse: i could lie and say no, but i am. not completely, but there are bits and pieces of misty that are also very much char. it's part of the reason why i picked her up as a muse because i was able to relate to her ( struggling to make friends, not knowing how to go about it, feeling like an outsider even though technically apart of a team, etc. ) it's also why i try to give her a loud enough voice to be heard and listened to over the others. because i can acknowledge her faults and in some instances, so can misty herself, but there's also well, what would you have done? in there as well. like...she's fucked up and flawed but so are the others who tend to think they're above her and the things she's done when in reality they're not. and i don't know but there's just something about that that is so relatable that i can connect to at some degree. but also including the multi, i'm very much like van like...i will yell about movies and pop culture bullshit if ever given the chance.

tagged by: @enr4ged tagging: @dogtccth / @fullrigor / @wildernesslost / @antlermotifs / @crosseddestiny & anyone else <3

[snixx]

wait pls elaborate on ur insta hate bc i so agree 😭

eughhehdhffhh where do I even start

okay no I know. let’s start with how everyone and their fatherfucking walrus is on there it’s like a goddamn cult. you are forced to feel the fomo when you don’t have an account because EVERYTHING happens on there but if you haven’t made one yet trust me do NOT do it. run while you still can. because the fomo of not being on shitstagram is only a sliver of the actual fomo you feel once you join the cult. it’s a neverending social hellscape that concentrates the worst most painful parts of the social experience unless you’re one of those super chill people with three super tight friends you’ve had for years and an even tighter rule of not letting anyone else on there it gets stressful as shit. and if you are I mean that’s great I’m glad that works for you but 1) im not sure how long that can last because you’re all not going to stay in one place your whole life and 2) as someone who’s been the new kid and not fit in anywhere my whole life I personally have always felt weird about hard defined groupism. and god instagram thrives on groupism.

people are fucking obsessed with taking pictures and posting them on instagram. whatever you do. and it’s the easiest way to get sucked into social pressure because however firm you are about your boundaries constantly seeing everyone else having fun without you does get to you. it’s like there’s almost no point doing things together unless you post about it at this point and I fucking hate it. the serotonin you get when someone tags you in a story or adds you on their close friends or whatever feels good yeah but it’s a TRAP. it’s like an MLM. you’re always going to exclude someone and be excluded and it becomes impossible not to start comparing and it honestly ruins normal fun experiences. one thing I’ve realized in college is parties are literally just for the taking pictures. I didn’t think I could hate parties more than I already did but I swear to god it’s a fucking curse. instagram fuels jealousy and insecurity like nothing else especially when you’re in a not very stable stage of life. I didn’t mind instagram as much in certain stages of high school because all my friends were losers (affectionate) like me and no one really posted about things like hangouts and we basically used it just to shitpost and like a sort of digital journal. in an environment like a new college where everything is slippery and undeveloped though it’s a breeding pool of insecurity and comparison.

and there’s the whole tagging culture and people will have these super exclusive private accounts and okay that's only the social aspect of instagram. it's very mentally exhausting when you don't have a clearly defined social circle - which like i said is pretty much impossible as a young adult unless you stay in one place for a long time and/or have a clique or something. instagram is inherently about social perception and projection and in my experience that's rarely a good thing because it isn't usually authentic. and it's coloured by what other people think in the worst way. especially when you're developing as a person and aren't 100% sure of who you are. you lose track of when you stop doing it for yourself. this is not even a third of my issues with it we need to get a speed on lol

I'm not going to get started on the reels and kind of content they have on there and shit because that is just going to become another uncontrollable rant lol. suffice to say it's an echo chamber of the same algo driven shit that literally warps your sense of reality and what is normal and it's not an easy perform to curate. it's essentially just the worst parts of whatsapp and tiktok lol. it literally rots your brain and it sucks that people predominantly use it to stay connected because whatsapp is better for that imo. the content is exponentially better and more diverse on youtube it's just. not worth it in any sense tbh

[burningthetree]

for the year in reflection asks, I’d love to hear 1, 18, and 19!!

sending you all the hugs and forehead kisses 💖

Ah Evie!! Thank you for making me reflect on my year in a positive light because honestly it was absolute garbage all the way through. So thank you! Sending you all the hugs and forehead kisses right back!! The rambling is under the cut as per usual.

1. My favourite memory:

This is going to sound extremely weird but my favourite memory is from a day in October when I was at my absolute worst because I had a concussion and went to class anyway and it did not go well at all. My best friend ended up taking me home in the middle of class and watched over me while I slept because they worried and didn’t want me to be alone. I felt like absolute shit, I don’t really remember most of it, but looking back on it now, I’m filled with such fondness and love and appreciation because I know I have someone in my life who’s not related to me but who went out of their way to help me and care for me. I didn’t realise it at the moment because I couldn’t form a single coherent thought but in retrospect I can’t help but think of it with such warmth and fondness it’s almost overwhelming to realise just how good a friend I’ve made.

18. My favourite meme:

I don’t know if it classifies as a meme per se but I really loved the bones day / no bones day videos on tiktok, and my friends and I always patiently waited for updates. If you don’t know, it’s about Noodle the Pug (rest in peace, king ❤️) and Jonathan, his owner who’s absolutely amazing. It was my favourite thing in the world and one of the reasons I always opened tiktok every day at the same time lol. But also I’m not well-versed in meme culture so I might simply be forgetting classics that emerged this year, or that I never encountered in the first place. Oh! I guess a tumblr-meme I liked was the one with Castiel and Dean from Supernatural doing the “I love you”-line by Cas and then Dean saying some breaking news to him with whatever was going on in the world. I thought that was pretty entertaining and the way I found out a lot about ongoing politics before I saw it on the actual news (including the Queen dying lol)

19. The month that was the most fun:

This was honestly embarrassingly hard to pick because literally every month was fucking awful LOL but! I’ll pick April or May because the weather cleared up in those months and I often went to this really nice place for regular long walks and I remember my mental health being surprisingly okay then! So the fun was in the walks and me exploring nature walking around listening to birds because that’s really just what I love doing the most in my free time. Also in May I did a bunch of social stuff with friends where I majorly stepped out of my comfort zone, including but not limited to embarrassing myself on a stage whilst dancing in front of a crowd.

[sorrelpaws]

s6e5 spoilerz!!

actual post talking about the episode YIPPEE!!! I LIKED IT!!! for the most part! i’m gonna start with the junk i didn’t like, cause there’s not much of it and i need to get it out of my system. for starters the erm. incest plotline. i’m honestly not sure why the writers have such a tendency towards this stuff. usually they seem to be pretty smart with reusing jokes or plot threads, but this just. like aside from being uncomfortable and weird to watch it just makes me think “do you not have anything better?”. why is this the safest plot line to fall back on in these recent seasons? i also hated the tiktok references at the beginning. i think i generally just hate any sort of pop culture references because they tend to become dated very easily/quickly while also doing nothing for the episode, aside from ruining any kind of immersion. AND MORTYYYYY justice for my boy. they are excluding him on purpose !! WHY!!!! i can understand he wouldn’t have worked very well with this episode, but this season seems to really favor either Rick or Literally Any Other Smith. but ummm next week’s promo had morty in it so im holding out hope guys! here’s how morty can still win!

ok anyway now that i’m no longer harboring any deep rooted hatred... THE ANIMATION!!!!! it was very cool, especially in fight scenes. something i noticed a lot was rick’s hair and suit/tie moving as he twists and turns, and i thought that was such a nice detail. it’s really simple but it added lots for me. AND THE JUMPS!!! i love his extending limbs, especially near the end of the episode where he jumps around on a bunch of boxes and moves kind of like a slinky, SOO neat. my only gripe is with the cold open, where he eats his noodles with tube arms. i dunno, felt kinda weird and unnecessary. small thing though. summer and morty in the beginning were also surprisingly endearing, and it has made me realize my desperation to see more of those two hanging out.

OH BUT JERRY AND RICK’S DYNAMIC!!!! i loved them in this episode, and i liked how it was kind of continuing s5e5′s development(kinda of neat that they’re both the 5th ep of their respective seasons). they’re both kinda warming up to each other, and it’s cool to watch this petty, sarcastic and, at times, surprisingly functional friendship. like when they talk in the vent, jerry is genuinely upset and rick offers some mild level of comfort by trying to crack a joke. and when they find the monster and jerry says he’s not sure what’s going on, rick just explains it!!!!! which okay yeah is also just to feed the audience necessary info, but i think the fact that rick doesn’t throw any insults really shows his development(also autistic infodump moment teehee). kind of off topic, but the scene w/ jerry’s second transformation made me wonder what his parents think of rick. like they see/ know he does some weird wacky shit, but like ... how much do they really know? or care? from what we’ve seen of them, they appear... pretty neutral. “oh well our son’s father in law is a scientist, no biggie,”. which is interesting to me. kinda wanna see some proper lengthy interactions between the grandparents. also rick joking(???) about fucking jerry’s mom made me laugh. okay alsooo i’m pretty sure i saw someone mention this, but in order for rick’s “you will make a friend” fortune to come true he would also have to consider jerry his friend as well B)) very cute.

[xiaophobic]

hi! what’s your song that makes you forget about life for a bit? (in a good way!) you can explain why or name multiple songs if you’d like :D

OHMYGOSH I SAW LIKE THREE PEOPLE ANSWER THIS AND I WAS LIKE AHHH THATS SO COOL I WANNA DO IT AND YOU CAME TO ME TOO!!! I LOVE MUSIC SOSO MUCH THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN :] I GOT YOU RN <333

jump up, superstar! — song from mario odyssey !!! OHMYGOSH I JUST LOVE THIS SONGGG like it makes me feel like i’m in a video game and i can have a little 8-bit walk and everything is pixelated and fun and it makes me really really happy :DD

good days — by sza !!! the entire song feels like it was dipped in pixie dust and then sealed off with fuckin selenite ESPECIALLY THE ENDING BREAKDOWN where it goes always in my mind, always in my mind mind UGH makes me feel like i’m floating

let’s groove — by earth, wind & fire !!! if i’m being 100% honest with you…… it is because of that one fnaf remix that someone made OKAY LISTEN obviously i’m cultured like i love earth, wind & fire my momma wouldn’t let me rest if i ever played just one of their songs under her roof BUT this specific song just does it for me every single time <3

light my love — by greta van fleet !!! ANYTHING BY GRETA VAN FLEET HONESTLY BUT OHMYGOD THIS FUCKING SONG shit feels like i’m literally flying like this is the song that would play should i ever grow wings

the divine damsel of devastation — by uhh hoyoverse !!! but i’m pretty sure the name of the opera singer is yang yang SHE DID SO BEAUTIFULLY LIKE IM SO SERIOUS WHEN I SAY THIS SONG IS ONE OF THE MOST LIFE ALTERING SOUNDS IVE EVER HEARD there’s this one specific part after her speaking segment with the drums that gets me jumping every SINGLE TIME i love this song with everything and it just reminds me why i love genshin so much

anything you want & honeypie — by jawny !!! THE FIRST LINK TO ANYTHING YOU WANT IS THIS ANIMATION FROM TIKTOK AND OHMYGOD i love it so much and i love jawny he’s just such a cool dude :] his songs feel like dancing around your kitchen and making really bad food but it just feels soso good IDK IF THAT MAKES SENSE

home — by edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros !!! one of those songs that make you nostalgic for something you’ve never had and i always love that feeling <3 my ex said that this song is what it felt like to be in love with me and after we broke up i couldn’t listen to it for a while BUT i’m learning to find joy in the not so joyous things and the memory of love is one of those :D

THOSE ARE ALL THE ONES I CAN THINK OF RN!!!

[blonkk]

something fucked up is happening to me and it exclusively happens when i’m reading fucked up comments on tiktok. obv my algorithm is very feminist/radfem aligned and the comments sometimes make me question my sanity. for example this based queen was talking about how women experience domestic abuse and how that’s bad. and this guy in the comments (one of many sadly) was saying that equality means that women can’t just “instigate” and get away with it. so. yeah. he also said that domestic violence is way more common for women to impose on men, they just get away with it and men don’t. he said also that feminists just use “anecdotes” rather than deep historical and cross cultural evidence to push our agenda or whatever. so anyways as i’m reading these and i’m sinking deeper into a silent boiling fury, i sometimes actually feel my brain twitch. like it’s like i’m having a mini stroke. but an aneurysm. genuinely i feel like i am actually seeing red like during that second where my brain is twitching my vision gets blurry and i lose all other feelings except rage which is more potent than i’ve ever felt before in my life. and this is new, it doesn’t happen every day (maybe cuz i don’t watch tiktoks every day, alhamdulillah). it doesn’t happen with every fucked up comment i read, just ones that make me angriest i suppose??? anyways i don’t hate the anger, it drives me, and it’s honestly a lot better to be an angry unattractive feminist than it is to be a complacent moderate feminist whom men still like. like that was a big reason i unconsciously stayed moderate for most of my life, because deep down i wanted men to like and accept me and respect me and even love me. and seeing these comments isn’t what radicalized me, but it just affirms everything. like i know “not all men”, but unfortunately most are not on the level that i think is acceptable. like my roommates brother and friend are nice guys and i get along with them but shit they say/believe pisses me off a lot, and i don’t say anything cuz i’m not trying to start shit, all i’m getting at is that even the decent guys typically don’t really get it. anger has made me realize my literal impotence in conversations with men as opposed to about them and without them. the whole “work together” “equality” thing is complete bullshit, and i think on some molecular level most women know this, but most depressingly it is very difficult to throw in the towel with men altogether, which is what i’ve pretty much done. it’s absolutely a sacrifice — i sacrifice sex, relationships/companionship, friendship, general acceptance from other people, potential ability to have/coparent children, even female friendship, my ability to uncritically enjoy literally any art or media or what have you. it sucks. like i don’t hate them or even advocate for complete segregation of sexes like other radfems do. like i literally have a dad and brother how could i hate men? (lol). but seriously. i’m straight so liiiikkkeeee obviously i’d love it if i could actually be with a man who i could trust 100% to understand and accept my way of thinking. wait wtf am i talking about anymore i got so off track

oh ya i genuinely think that most women deny their intrinsic wisdom and knowledge that men generally do not Get It and most never will. because we all gotta survive in this world and we can’t write off nearly half the population. but the truth is inside of all of us. and i absolutely do not think that these women are dumb or weak, not at all. i don’t think that women in hetero relationships or marriages etc are doomed and wrong or whatever. i don’t think they’re all miserable. shits not black and white, i think i’m a pretty reasonable person, i know that i also have the tendency to despair and guard myself like shrek and his swamp to the point where it’s unnecessary and damaging. but when i read comments like that, of which there are a staggering many, and when i hear the things very normal men say or think about women in general, i just get a sick feeling. and now it’s progressed the point where iiiim having legit brain tremors or something.

the point of this wasn’t go to off in an insane rant but i am who i am i guess. anyways anyone ever experience this/know what i’m talking about/etc

[hornedandhornypandan]

Vent/Rant post about Witchtok idk

Tw: CSA/Grooming mention

((TLDR: Witchtok seemed fun at first but pretty soon showed a very ugly side of itself that puts kids in danger. Meanwhile 'experienced' witches are out there are putting dangerous misinformation about religious practices. +Also a personal rant about how this whole thing has put me off from talking about my own practices with Pan.))

I've been a somewhat active "tiktoker" for a few months. I only really posted videos of my artwork and whatnot to sort of gain some traction and sell commissions, which was great! I met a lot of really cool people, and made some really sweet friends within the small community of artists on tiktok... And then I found the Witchtok tag.

At first I was uniquely excited, it was really cool to see other witches actively show off how proud they were of their craft and their religious practices. I saw lots of pretty good advice, and for me at least, it was absolutely wonderful to see how different and unique each person experienced their craft. I feel stupid now in hindsight for thinking this, but I genuinely felt something with how fun and welcoming Witchtok seemed to be.

And then all of sudden it became a fucking train wreck. There are lots of things wrong with Witchtok: Cultural appropriation, online harassment, misinformation, people throwing around hexing accusations with no proof, etc etc. A lot of really dumb shit. At first I was able to ignore it, because surely people will be smart enough to do their own research and not trust some random person on tiktok about entire religions, right? And then I realized how dumb I was for thinking that. There are people on Witchtok touting themselves as being experienced witches who are experts in everything spiritual, and beginning practitioners are going to naturally look up to them as positions of authority to consult on matters that they might not even be in the position to be consultants of. So many of these people are actual children too, and its become a very scary situation with how out of control it has become. I think the breaking point for me was the issues surrounding that,,, "Medusa" tiktoker who began trying to groom minors for illicit photos. I just couldn't do it anymore with Witchtok, that was too much. It already hurt a lot to see so many experienced witches actively condemn and shame children for not knowing better, but that entire thing just proved to me that too many people within the Witchtok community DO NOT CARE about protecting or educating each other. They all just want to one up each other in this imaginary game of who's the most correct, meanwhile AN ONLINE CULT WAS LITERALLY BEGINNING TO FORM, I'M JUST,, AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.

There's so much to unpack, especially from my perspective as a Hellenic Pagan who's worshiping Pan. I'm going to get quite personal but it's been on my mind and I need to share it for my own sake. Up until recent events, I was beginning to consider participating in the Witchtok community because I really do enjoy sharing things about my path, especially my relationship with Pan. I love sharing the things that I learn, and I want to record all of it as I go, so that one day I can look back and see how far I've come in my journey. My time with Pan has not only helped me grow spiritually, but my overall outlook on the world around me has changed for the better. To illustrate better what I mean by this, I am a CSA survivor, and for most of my life, sex fulfilment and healthy love were things I fundamentally believed I didn't deserve. By the time I approached adulthood, I had already accepted that I would never be able to enjoy sex or feel the kind of love I wanted. Pan at this point has obviously proven me wrong. He helped work through my trauma, he taught me that sex can not only be safe but exciting, and he showed me that my body isn't something to be ashamed of. Needless to say, my relationship with a deity heavily associated with sex and fertility is OBVIOUSLY intimate.

So it really fucking hurts when I see my fellow pagan peers tell me that my relationship with Pan isn't real, and that my practices based on tradition that I spent MONTHS researching before I started is just me being a 'stupid baby witch.' Or worse when people tell me that I should FEAR my God, my God who has done nothing but treat me with kindness and love throughout my entire time with him. Or even worse, when people who think that because they read up on a little mythology, they can tell me my God is a r*pist, and that I'm wrong for having a close and friendly bond with him. It's almost laughable how so much of what Witchtok considers to be "the right way to worship deities" is exactly what Pan would've hated if I behaved the way they deem to be correct.

Pan would HATE it if I was never friendly and comfortable around him. He is known for having a unique sense of humor, why wouldn't his followers be able to do the same? Obviously there are boundaries, but any deity including Pan will set up said boundaries when necessary. He loves when his followers are silly and playful! He loves when we explore ourselves in ways that are happy and healthy, whether spiritually, sexually, or physically! He loves when we let ourselves loosen up and forget about our chains, even for just a moment! If I talked at all about my practices with him I can guarantee Witchtok would eat me alive. To be honest, I wouldn't put it past them if the collective opinion of Witchtok was that he's dead because it says so in myth.

In retrospect, I'm very glad I chose to stay away from Witchtok, not only would I not be welcome, but children are watching. I feel like not enough people are thinking of that, and that's terrifying. I can't imagine how guilty I'd feel if I put something out there that was misinformed, or even DANGEROUS, and kids were seeing it. I just couldn't bear it. As an artist I'll continue to post videos on tiktok exclusively about my art, but I can't in good conscience post anything there regarding my religious practices. Which honestly saddens me, so much of my practice involves me drawing and painting works involving what Pan looks like to me, and I would've loved to show off that artwork had it not been for the absolute shit show I've been exposed to.

So in conclusion, Witchtok is fuckin yikes man.

[normal-thoughts-official]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHDBpb/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHCTwq/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHUxHb/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHDxww/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHCtVm/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeHHCvo3/

She's hilarious but there's two videos where she starts to speak more mumblingly

ok first of all these are brilliant and i'm losing my mind and i love you, thank you for curating these to me.

i will transcribe them in a bit but i just felt the need to leave this "little" (it's long sorry) note:

as someone who's been raised catholic i just want to say that she is pretty wrong about almost everything she said about catholics, and i say that as someone who hates catholicism with my whole mind body and soul and who's been traumatized by this stupid fucking faith to the point where i can't get into a church without breaking into sobs dauihdasiuh. the catholic guilt is real but catholics are absolutely allowed to divorce and use contraceptives, and also have sex before marriage. the first one is met with some guilt esp from women altho honestly i think it's more due to mysoginist reasons than religious reasons, and the second and third ones are commonpractice and if you say that it's wrong and bad everyone will think you're a fucking weirdo

and even with the divorce thing, while the guilt is there (im pretty sure half the reason my mom doesn't divorce is because she would feel guilty about it, although again, i feel like that's got very little to do with religion and way more with internalized mysoginy), i cannot stress enough that divorce is allowed, almost everyone i know has divorced parents and they're all catholics. the church's official position is kinda weird (as of now pope francis basically said that it's "morally necessary" in some cases but he also referred to ppl who divorced and remarried as "imperfect", but like, it hasn't been forbidden for years, so much so that people get second marriages at catholic churches literally all the time, and i kinda feel like ppl overestimate how much ppl care about what the pope says. at least here in latam, cuz we've always kind of freestyled religion since it was imposed on us anyway, but like... in my experience the average catholic practitioner is INCREDIBLY less conservative than the vatican and i feel like most people don't even know what the pope says or doesn't say. and i'm saying that as someone whose grandfather almost became a priest and only gave that up because he fell in love with my grandmother, and he's been a ferverent catholic his entire life. also two of his kids divorced, one married a divorced woman, one is gay and living together without marriage with his divorced boyfriend, one never married, and one had two kids before marriage which necessarily means that they fucked, and none of that was ever a problem to him. oh, also, my dad had divorced AND he was a buddhist when him and my mom married. currently he is a spiritist)

i think it might be possible that u technically have to ask for "permission" to the church to remarry in church, but in practice i think it's more of a ritualistic thing than actually asking for permission, cuz i've never met a single person who had them say no. it was pretty much "hey local bishop guy so my husband sucked and we divorced can i marry again" "sure lol". obviously it sucks that you even have to ask, but it's nowhere near as strict as people seem to think

the contraceptive thing is also absurd. like i cannot stress enough that my family would absolutely flip if they found out i DIDN'T use contraception. that was always something that my family reinforced very strongly, ESPECIALLY my grandpa. i've never met a single catholic who does not teach their kids to use contraceptives. my high school was catholic (literally named the Holy Cross, fun times, although they didn't impose the faith or anything. in fact almost half of the students in that school are jewish, but like, still, there was a priest in the school board) and we were taught to use contraceptives, put the condom in a banana and the whole pizzazz during biology class

like yeah the bible says not to but it also says not to mix different fabrics and that doesn't mean it's actually a thing that's reinforced in most catholic communities doaihdaj at least not here in latam. in here non-catholic christians are actually way more hardcore about the puritanism rules than catholics are, particularly evangelicals, which are kind of overtaken the catholics' traditional role of being colonialist fuckers as they are mostly from the US so they come to further US imperialism through religion here. watch out catholic church they're coming for ur crown

and even outside of puritanism, "non practicing catholics" are absolutely a thing like ppl who are catholic but don't even pray or go to church, much less care about that shit douahdsaohj so like the stereotype that all catholics are like the very small minority of hardcore catholics is like the stereotype that every muslim lives by the ultra-conservative muslim rules. it's not true and it's stereotypical and taking the minority ultra conservatives to be the rule when they are not

there's also the fact that there are many different currents of thought inside the catholic church (a little bit like with judaism although way less flexible than judaism is), some of which are very conservative, some of which are progressive. here in latam in particular the teology of liberation is extremely popular (it's the one my family subscribes to, and i'm pretty sure it was actually born here in latam) and it's pretty progressive. for catholics, that is

and like mandatory disclaimer that i am coming from my own experiences with latam catholicism, which i feel is different from other catholic countries - my polish friends for example have experiences with catholicism that are a lot closer to those stereotypes than mine ever were - but since most of the catholic population in the world is brazilian (like me), and second place goes to mexicans, i feel pretty comfortable taking it as a ruler to measure general catholic practices

with that being said, however, the catholic church can choke and die in a fire as it is a symbol of colonialism first and foremost, its proselitism is one of the worst things ever, and even the progressive currents are still way too damn conservative for my tastes. i just don't feel comfortable transcribing something that i know is incorrect and stereotypical (and that in some cases is used to further oppression like with the Irish in the UK or armenian catholics, and i've even had some US-diaspora latinos hear some incredible things from gringos who assumed they were catholic, or, in their beautiful words, "had latino religion". but obviously in most cases catholics are the oppressors, especially here in the third world)

also, her assessment in the third video is absolutely correct. A/B/O IS just conservative gender roles born of christian and catholic imposition transposed to a fictional world where the genders have slightly different names, which is why i, as a rule, hate it dauhdsaiuhdauhda and even though the assessment that catholicism is thaaat much more conservative than other christian religions (it's absolutely not, it's Exactly As Conservative) isn't true, catholicism is still where most if not all of western conservative rethoric is born of, and ugh, it's so refreshing to see someone understand this and put it into words so well

so yeah keep that note in mind but anyway, transcriptions:

[Video transcription #1: in reply to a tiktok question, which says, "now i'm thinking about the catholic guilt that would come with it oh my god". user @Omarsbigsister is saying, "good morning", she then covers her mouth as she starts to laugh, before continuing, "I guess I'm the religious omegaverse tiktoker now. I did not know catholic guilt was more than just sex, I thought it was just about sex, but nO. people who are catholic, if you don't know, they get guilt over every little thing, they get guilty when they eat, they have guilt when, like... [dismissive gesture] they have fun... it's messed up *cut* [mumbling i don't understand, sorry] in which you HAVE to be bonded before... *sticks tongue out* *cut* and catholics, from what i know, uhm, cannot get divorced, so you can't be unbonded, you're stuck for life with that alpha or omega, and then you can't use contraceptives so if you have a heat or rut, good luck, you cannot escape it, and on top of that, they preach abstinence, right, so if you're having a heat or rut in your teen years you just gotta deal with it alone like you are not allowed to be bonded, so, that would be really intense."

#2: in response to a question, which said, "follow up question: if in the real world hijabis are women, in ABO universe would hijabis be omegas of all genders?". the user is shown stroking her chin in contemplative silence for a long time, before she says, "actually, both men and women have to wear a hijab, it's just more visible on women, but men also have to cover from like, the neck all the way down... so like when you see them [mumbling i don't understand, sorry] that's their hijab. *cut* Islam is actually treating men and women, like, fairly somewhat equally, so, I feel like in omegaverse alphas, betas, and omegas would all be held to the same standards, and alphas and omegas would also be held by the same standards but then culture would ruin it, just like western culture has ruined it. for your other question. 'would muslim families prefer betas more, and would betas be spiritual leaders', i feel like everyone prefers betas more, but then also Islam came to like, uplift women [a written note then shows up, which says, "like girls are seen as a blessing to have as kids"], so like omegas would be seen as like, a blessing to have as a child.

#3: in response to another tiktok question, which says, "fun fact bestie you cannot get divorced in the catholic religion even if your spouse is abusive and horrible to you so in omegaverse how would that work?". she replies, "the reason that Abrahamic religions seemingly fit so well into the omegaverse universe is because catholicism specifically and christianity, uhm, all the gender norms and all the cultural norms especially in the west came from catholicism and christianity, they were forced on people, and then you know, people might not be religious, but the norms stay. but now you have omegaverse which is basically just a bunch of like youth exploring the youth through this, like, werewolf fanfiction trope, using all these gender roles that you have in society on their head, so, really, what i'm saying, is that... omegaverse is just catholicism fanfiction"

#4: she looks at the camera and says, "getting islamophobic comments is one thing, but getting islamophobic comments that say that muslims cannot be in the omegaverse".... she then breaks into laughter for a solid 30 seconds

#5: she is shown reading out loud, in a mock-outraged face, a tweet that says, "about to murder tiktok they try to make Ramadan a 'quirky' trend. it's a religious holiday. stop it, get some help. /srsly /g.", then a follow-up tweet, which says, "saw a tweet saying on tiktok they are asking questions about how ramadan would work in omegaverse. i'm done with y'all, just say you disrespect muslims and go". then another tweet by a different user, which says, "i tried to read, i got secondhand embarrassment-" they then break out of character and say, "oh, that's fair," before going back, "if it wasn't ramadan i'd be boxing those people right now. those people should be ashamed to even think that way wtf". then another, which replies, "well i'm not celebrating it, so as a non-muslim, i'll happily box them". then, back to her normal voice, she says, "i really was just making a silly little tiktok and seeing that stuff really hurts... i'm just kidding, i can't keep a straight face. you like minecraft youtubers, what are you gonna do to me? what are you gonna do to me?"

#6: in reply to a tiktok ask, which said, "prince philip was an omega". she slowly films herself as she takes a walk, finds the nearest trash bin, and tosses the phone there, before putting the lid over the box. end ID]

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Get to know me tag!

I was tagged by @hannahs-creations in the original post!!! Thank you, Hannah! sorry im a bit late with it haha

Rules: Answer the questions and tag a few people!

I got a bit long-winded on these answers, so I’ll put them behind a readmore!

1. What made you decide to start writing or arting (assuming you write or do art)?

I can’t say I ever consciously decided to start writing - I’ve just always loved reading, and when I first got a school assignment for a creative story, I decided I never wanted to stop!

In terms of art, though, it was sparked by a similar thing: the Dragonology book. My first story was about a dragon in there, and part of that assignment was to make illustrations to accompany it, and I decided I needed to learn how to draw dragons. From there, I just fell in love with making a blank page into something I could look at and enjoy, and I’ve been drawing ever since!

2. What do you like to do more: photo editing or video editing?

Oh, this is a hard one... Video editing is fun for me, especially because, when I make videos, I tend to do speedpaints with commentary, and cutting my ramblings down to a manageable size is so satisfying. On the other hand, I like taking fairly mundane pictures and making them magical...

I’d say, for satisfaction levels, video editing wins. For the actual process, I think photo editing is my favorite!

3. Which do you prefer: YouTube or TikTok?

YouTube, 100%. The only TikToks I’ve ever seen have been sent to me by friends, and I don’t particularly like short videos like that? If it were Vine, though, Vine would win ;aslkdjf

4. How many books have you read in the last 5 years?

A lot, LOL

My favorite have been Six of Crows, The Stormlight Archive, Red rising, and The Fallen Empire!

5. Do you tend to post more cheery/cutesy things, silly things or more serious things to your blog?

I think silly things are the most common? I like to meme with my WIPs, since I just. love meme culture. And I like making jokes about things - it’s a quick and easy way to get myself to smile!

6. How long have you been on Tumblr? Just ramble for a minute about some changes you’ve noticed about the site.

I made my first Tumblr blog in 2013, and I kept that one up until about April of last year, I think, before I decided to remake. 

The biggest change I’ve seen is the shift from sharing things to consuming things, in terms of like, reblog to like ratios and whatnot. Also, the amount of discourse has stayed about the same, but it’s changed in subject for the most part. But fandom discourse is still pretty much the same, just with different shows, now.

Also, reaction gifs have faded out of use pretty heavily since I started. At least, in the areas I’ve been in.

7. If the staff of tumblr came up to you, genuinely wanting advice on how to improve the site, what advice/request(s) would you give them?

I would tell them to rename likes into bookmarks. Also, lift the nsfw ban, and make it so that in order for 18+ blogs to be viewed, the user has to be 18+. Yes, people lie about their age, but so many sex workers lost their audiences and sources of income because of it, and it legitimately threw away a third of the userbase in one hit. 

Also, no matter the pressures from other social sites, don’t make this site less anonymous. It’s one of the beauties of Tumblr - I’m never going to have a boss find my blog and know for sure that it’s me.

8. What was the most challenging thing about starting your favorite hobby? How did you get past it, if you ever did?

Well, at the time I started drawing, the biggest obstacle was finding a way to learn. The art classes in school were never trying to teach us how to draw something, just showing us that we could. I ended up getting “How to draw manga” books and looking up stuff on YouTube.

9. What do you think other people think of when they think of you? For instance, with me, most people think about either tomatoes, chinchillas or black cats, depending on the person and how long they’ve known me.

Well, I hope they think of my jokes, first of all a;lskdjf;aslkdfj

But in terms of like, objects or animals? Sketchbooks, pride flags, and dinosaurs.

10. If every animal except one specific species went extinct but you got to pick which one didn’t go extinct, which species would you pick?

Hmmmmmmm... probably Komodo Dragons. I really like big lizards :)

11. What do YOU feel makes the world go round?

Laughter! Or, really, anything that makes people smile!

12. What would you say to a person if you heard them talking shit about your best friend?

This has actually happened before, and they were saying it to my face without knowing we were best friends. I sat there, nodded along, and when they were done, just said “You know they’ve been my best friend for like, 7 years, right?”

They went so pale it was kind of funny.

13. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you that has stuck with you?

This was more something they did, but when I was going through a nasty friend break up, I texted them, and within 5 minutes they were at my house, texting that person furiously, and letting me cry on them, even though they’re not a very emotional person themself ;-; I felt so loved in that moment, you have no idea.

14. What was the greatest piece of life advice you’ve ever gotten?

You have the rest of your life to wake up and decide who you’re going to be that day, and you should never feel bad about changing who that is from one day to the next.

It was said in the context of me realizing that I wasn’t genderfluid, I was transmasc, and my ongoing crisis over whether I’m fully a guy, or if I’m a bit more fluid than that. It’s helped me a lot with accepting that I might not have all the answers right now, and I don’t need all the answers all the time.

15. What one or two aspects of your childhood personality would you bring back to your current personality if you could?

Honestly? My willingness to just make things, and not care about how they turned out. I made so much art that I cringe at now, but I was learning, and that’s all that matters, really.

--

Okay, this was long, but I’m going to tag: @nothingisliteral, @violetcancerian, and @morgan-s-writes! Apologies if you’ve been tagged before, and as always, no pressure, and if you want to hop in, feel free to say I tagged you!!

[lovemesomesurveys]

Have you ever read the Hunger Games series? Yep and watched all the movies. I was really into it at the time. When was the last time you ran into something? Hmm. I don’t recall. Do you enjoy dressing up? Nah. Do you live in the city or a rural area? I live in the city. Would you say you have a sense of style? My sense of style consists of mostly graphic tees and leggings, but also some Adidas clothes. And shoes. 

What’s your biggest fear? This question comes up all the damn time. Have you ever been bitten by a wild animal? Nooo. Are you close to any of your cousins? Aww, I used to be close to a few of my cousins. Not anymore, though. :( That’s all my fault. I became really distant and withdrawn from friends and even family outside of my immediate family.  Have you ever been lost in the woods? No, thankfully. Where did you last travel? Disneyland back in February. Do you enjoy driving? I don’t drive.  What song did you last listen to? I mentioned this in a previous survey already, but I’ve had Savage by Megan the Stallion stuck in my head because of TikTok. If you have a job, how often do you work? I don’t have a job. What time do you normally go to sleep at night? For the past month I’ve been going to bed after 6AM. :X Do you watch a lot of movies? Hmm. Not a lot, no. I watch more TV shows. Do you like Tom Petty? ”Now I’m freeeeeee Free fallin’.” Would you rather have snow or rain? I love rainy days. It doesn’t snow here, but I wish it did. Do you own a lot of sweaters? I own a lot of sweatshirts. Have you ever tried rock-climbing? Well, no. For obvious reasons. Ever ridden in a police car? Nope. Favorite decade of music? That’s tough cause I like music that spans across decades, but I think the 90s and early 2000′s will hold a special spot. Have any of your best friends been your best friend longer than a year? My longest was my best friend of 15 years.  Ever witnessed a murder? Noooo.  Does your room have a ceiling fan? Yep. Have you ever tried blogging? Before Tumblr I had Xanga for a long time.  Favorite television channel? E!, MTV, The Hallmark Channel, TeenNick, TVLand, and the ID Channel. Have you ever lied under oath? I’ve never had to be under oath. What are your religious views? I’m a Christian. When did you last change your bed sheets? A week ago. Would you consider yourself a flirt? No. At what age do you plan to be married? I don’t plan on getting married. Do you eat a lot of junk food? Honestly, all I eat is sandwiches, ramen, eggs, and Wingstop. Sometimes pizza and pasta. When did you last go on vacation? I’ve answered this 3 times now tonight, but I went to Disneyland back in February. Are you resilient? I was when I was younger. Definitely not anymore. Have you ever failed a subject before? I failed one math course in community college and had to retake it again. I ended up doing a lot better the 2nd time. I honestly believe it’s because I had a better teacher. If so, what was the class? ^^^ Do you wear more bright or dull colors? Dull. Majority of my clothes are black. Do you know anyone who has attempted suicide? Yes. What’s your favorite quote? Blah. How many clocks are in your house? Like 20 including all the electronics.  Do you play any sports? Nope. What is your biggest life regret? I have a lot of those. Have you ever been injured in a car accident? No, thankfully. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Well obviously right now I only want to be at home, but I look forward to the day I can go to the beach. Have you ever had highlights in your hair? Yeah, I had them for years. Favorite fast food restaurant? I’m not into fast food anymore like I used to be. I was a fast food junkie before. The only takeout I’m into is Wingstop. And pizza from a local place, but I haven’t had that in awhile. In what country were you born? US of A. Are your eyes more than one color? Nope, just brown. Have you ever caught something on fire? Something in the microwave once, something in the oven once, the tips of my hair.... What would you consider your biggest flaw? Oh boy where to start. What do you think your best quality is? I don’t know. Do you enjoy listening to others’ problems? I used to be the person people came to if they needed advice or just someone to talk to and I was good at it. I liked being there and helping any way I could. People told me they felt comfortable talking to me and I was easy to talk to. It could also be overwhelming and draining at times. Especially leading up to when I fell into a really low, dark place a few years ago. I couldn’t be that person anymore. I wasn’t in a good headspace. I pushed everyone away and became very distant and withdrawn. That was 4 years ago and I’m still out of that place. :/

Do you keep any plants in your house? Nope. What is your mother’s occupation? She’s a manager at Walgreens.  Do any of your friends like your musical style? My family and I share some musical interests. What are you most looking forward to? I wanna say this quarantine ending, but I know resuming life in the real world would also be making me anxious when the time comes. I guess I’m most excited for seeing Gabie again, because I haven’t seen March 7th. <<< SAME to the first part.  What was your favorite television show as a child? Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, PBS, Saturday morning cartoons on ABC, WB Kids... all the kid shows in the 90s, basically. Are you afraid of insects? YES. ALL of them. Are you cold-natured? I’m very warm blooded, I feel like I’m always hot. I like when I’m actually cold and can wear a hoodie/sweatshirt or curl up under a blanket. How old were you when you got your first pet? We had a dog when I was a baby. Did you / do you enjoy high school? I liked parts of it.  What would you say was your favorite age? Childhood. What annoys you most about social networking? Trolls, fake news, cancel culture.

Are you the center of attention most of the time? Nooo. I never want to be the center of attention. What are you currently reading? I’m starting the 2nd book in the Jack Ryder Mystery Series by Willow Rose. When did you last go to the library? Sometime back in 2014 when I was still in school. Are you ill at the moment? Not with a virus or anything like that, thankfully. I just always feel crappy for other reasons. Do people tease you about anything? How I’m too sensitive.  How late did you stay up last night and why? Last night I went to bed at 4 in the morning, which is really early for me these days. Have you ever written poetry? I dabbled with it when I was 16. I still have the diary I wrote them in and yikes they’re so cringe-y haha. Curtains or shades? Curtains.  How many people have you spoken to in the last hour? Zero, everyone in my house is asleep. Do you tend to text a lot? Nope. Ever lost a great best friend? Yes. What is your favorite kind of flower? Eh, I just say roses but I don’t really have one. Do you own any guns? No. What would you say is your favorite book of all-time? I could never choose. What’s your least favorite part of the day? Late evening always seems to go by really slow.

Have you ever won an award for a speech? No. Do you tend to curse a lot? Nah. Have you ever played on the Ouija board? Nooo. I don’t mess with that kind of stuff. Do you sleepwalk? Nope. Have you ever slept on the floor before? Yeah. Are you a fan of public displays of affection? I don’t care for like heavy make out sessions or groping all over each other, but I don’t care about a kiss, cuddling, or hand holding. When did you last attend a yard sale? When I was a kid. We had a family friend who had them often. What goals do you wish to accomplish tomorrow? I don’t have anything I want to accomplish tomorrow. When is your birthday? July 28th. What was the best part of today? It’s only 430 in the morning. Do you attempt to stay away from drama? Involving me yes, but I like celebrity gossip and drama. What liquid did you last drink? Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink. Do you ever prefer to be alone? Yeah, I need to have some alone time. Have you ever had a deadly animal as a pet? No. Favorite Disney movie? Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, A Goofy Movie, and Toy Story. Have you ever been to the beach? Countless times. I love the beach.  If you have, how many times have you been? ^^^^ What was your dream occupation at age ten? I wanted to be a teacher back then. Are you terrified at the idea of weight-gain? No. I’m underweight and need to gain some weight. Do you drink a lot of water? I only get like 2-3 glasses a day. :X Does your room have carpet or hard-wood floors? Carpet. Do you take naps daily? No.

Who were you named after? No one in particular. Do you plan on traveling this spring or summer? No, we’re still going to be dealing with all this. :/ Do you know anyone who is colorblind? Nope. Have you ever been a teacher’s pet? I guess so. I was always the good kid, the “pleasure to have in class.” Teachers loved me. What is your absolute favorite hobby? Reading, surveys, coloring.  Ever been to a tanning bed before? No. I have no interest in that. Are you satisfied with your financial stability? I have enough to pay my bills and a little extra for other stuff, so I’m grateful for that. Who is your favorite actor / actress? Alexander Skarsgard. Are your nails painted? Nope. Do you ever accidentally talk to inanimate objects? Not accidentally, but I talk to inanimate objects when they don’t cooperate. More like talk shit, but haha. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Strawberry. Have you ever kissed someone of the same gender? No. Do you receive any hate mail? No. Have you ever sent a letter in the mail? Yeah. If you could, would you have a pen pal? I did in 3rd grade. It was fun. We even got to meet them toward the end of the year during a field trip. I wouldn’t want one now, though. What color are the pants you’re wearing? I’m wearing black leggings.  What is your life philosophy? Hmm. Who last sent you a goodnight text message? No one does. Do you own any clothes that are your favorite color? Yeah. One of my favorite colors is black and most of my clothes are black. I have a few items that are my other favorite colors as well. Have you ever been in a hot tub before? Once for a short time. I didn’t like it. What’s your favorite comedy movie? I have several, but the one that came to mind first was Bridesmaids.  In which year were you born? 1989.

[jfg22]

I was honestly on the fence about how I felt about RM and a few other members being colorist & a little racist. But this really cleared things up. I can tell whoever wrote this did a lot of research on the topics discussed. It was really interesting to read. Plus, I appreciate learning about a few issues I didn't fully understand.

I'm not a hard-core stan that agrees with everything an artist says or does and defends them because they have a modicum of attractiveness. After all, no one is perfect. I do want to make it clear I definitely don't appreciate colorist or racist remarks. But I also don't believe in cancel culture. I don't think that some people are passed the point of no return. Some people are just ignorant and need to be called out on their shit.

I've called out my friends on their shit and some people really are ignorant and have no idea they were in the wrong until I called them out. My friend proceeded to stop using the n-word (with a soft a). even if her half-brother is black which is another story. But I'd like to think that she learned this from me because she truly didn't have any concept of why it was wrong. For starters, she wasn't very educated & sheltered when she was a child and teen in Europe. She had an abusive family situation. That being said I truly believe she learned from her mistakes. I'm not sure if anyone else had told her but I did and she never said it again. I wouldn't have her around if I didn't think she wasn't a good person who isn't above learning from her mistakes. She donated her time and effort to homeless folks multiple times. And she can acknowledge when she was in the wrong. Most mature adults do. It's a part of growing up.

Tangent aside. It seems as though BTS was called out multiple times and there have been a few things lost in translation and poor stylist decisions that depict them as not having grown and learned from their mistakes. This is unfortunate because it seems like they are young and at least RM put the effort to learn from his mistakes. Some people truly want to learn to become better people. It seems RM has at least tried to acknowledge he was wrong and learned about said topics through reading (most people don't do that). It all starts within ourselves. "Education is elevation" as my favorite woke IGer/TikTok-er TheConsciousLee says. I can't say much about J Hope's cultural appropriation nor am I defending it. But RM ain't his keeper y'all. Just because RM is woke, doesn't mean his friend has to be woke too. J Hope did that shit on his solo album not with BTS.

I'm not perfect. I'm sure I've said dumb stuff when I was younger without realizing it. None that I can think off the top of my head, but back then cancel culture wasn't a thing. I asked my friends why certain things were offensive. And I had the privilege of learning LGBT history & social justice from my friends. In addition to this, I sought out literature to learn about feminism, racism, and colorism in college, as well as after I graduated on my own. If I did say something bad, I'd appreciate being called out and reassess what I've said & learn from my mistakes. That's what mature adults do.

Everything BTS has ever done, both good and bad, related to all social justice issues

I find it absolutely fascinating how so many different people talk about BTS in such different ways, with some of their fans saying they’re among the most progressive celebrities on the planet while others say they’re the prime example of racism in K-Pop.

I was out sick for a couple days, had some time off, couldn’t get this off my mind (we love fixations), and I like pretending to be a sociologist, so: here’s a chronological list of everything BTS has ever done related to all social justice issues (racism, misogyny, LGBT issues, mental health issues, etc), both good and bad, compiled just to have it all in one place.

This could be used as both a callout post and a compilation of how great they are. Either way, I just request that you read all of it beforehand for a complete picture.

Keep reading

[segenassefa]

10: Musical Discourse: Slime Language 2

Young Thug’s new project, Slime Language 2, is almost reminiscent of Pi’erre Bourne’s TLOP4, except more features (Thug got all these niggas in the studio and told them “We’re doing this now or never”), including ex-girlfriend and entrepreneur Karlae, Jim Jones, Drake, Travis Scott, and Coi Leray. There is a heavy YSL l influence (obviously) as well as some OVO features (hey Drake, hey Nav!), Coi Leray (no comment), and even a Rowdy Rebel feature, fresh from the pen. This project does a good job at touching different extremes of the rap music spectrum – Thug manages to get some songs for the ladies (“I Like”, which, to me, is very reminiscent of the City Girls, “On the Low”, and “Trance”), typical athlete walk-out music, and some songs that follow that “no one ever believed in me/everyone leaves me” kinda vibe.

If we’re gonna keep it 100, the album in itself is not necessarily a stand-out – very few songs have that “wow” factor - and to be honest - it’s mid, as the kids would call it. BUT, in the spirit of neutrality, I’ll be breaking down my favourites, as a self-proclaimed know most and trap music enthusiast, especially since today marks the one-month anniversary of its release - and if you disagree, suck ya mum (JK….kinda.)

“Take It to Trial” – Young Thug, YSL, Gunna, Yak Gotti

This track is probably one of the best on the album, and not just because the Yak Gotti feature ties it all together, but for the overall cohesiveness of everyone on the track, which almost makes it sound like one person entirely throughout. Take It to Trial was one of the tracks on the album that was released before the drop of SL2, giving it some time to marinate before the drop of the project in its entirety. While the beat is nothing too crazy, it’s still a standout due to the lyricism of the track and the abnormally high pitch Thug manages to hit on the chorus, as he adamantly requests to take this shit to mf’in trial.

I don’t know if the herpes bar making me think of NBA YoungBoy makes me a bad person, but I guess only time will tell.

“I Like” – YSL, Karlae, Coi Leray

Now, listen. I am not going to lie and say that I support all women. Somewhere in my heart, I know Coi Leray got to where she is due to a combination of light skin privilege (insert noises of disgust), some form of nepotism, her marketability, and her longstanding time in the industry (she was, in fact, one of the Mindless Behaviour video girls, so that in itself should tell you how long she’s secretly been in the game. She’s almost like a slightly darker Alexa Demie, except she isn’t lying about her age).

But this song???

THIS MF SONG?

There has to be crack in it. Because it’s not that good - the beat is not one which you run back for its complexity, nor its lyricism, but DAMN, it’s a good ass song.

Both she and Karlae captured the effortless sexy feeling certain songs are supposed to give you (fellas, not sure if you’ve ever felt it, but I feel like the laydeez know what I mean). It’s giving very much Uber Black on the freeway in an amazing outfit, drunk out of your mind - and I’m here for it! While I do feel like Karlae can rap circles around Coi, if given the opportunity, I think one thing I can say is that Coi does have the unabashed confidence of a man in her same position and that in itself makes this song *that* much more powerful.

“Mil in Vegas” – YSL, Young Thug, NAV

When I’m old and in my nursing home of choice (Astagfurallah, but you never know), I hope Young Thug drops a purely R&B album; something like Hndrxx but a lil’ less suicidal.

Or that the nursing home has enough money to hire him for a mid-afternoon senior citizen concert, but let’s tackle one problem at a time.

This track is almost like the niggas’ version of “I Like” but instead of boo boo Mizz Leray, we get a melodic NAV feature. In addition to my appreciation of him realizing he needs to stop using the fucking n-word (he shouldn’t have been using it in the first place, but progress is better than perfection), I think there’s something to be said with rap songs that are done outside of the major key; it def adds a little pinash, and some depth that wouldn’t have been there before – and NAV’s voice is suited perfectly for these otherwise challenging scales.

The only other thing going for this song is the way Thug looks in that yellow turtleneck on the Spotify visualizer – and with that being said, I hope niggas will be rocking more bright colors in the seasons to come.

(Also, what the fuck is NAV’s obsession with Los Angeles? I swear there’s at least one bar in every song).

“Slatty” – YSL, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Duke, Yak Gotti

Mark my motherfucking words - when we have in-person sporting events, I will bet my Large Telfar bag that at least one draftee has this song as their walk-out music.

This track incorporates the one word that every nigga in YSL records (and current rap culture) has heat-stamped in their vocabulary, and while the word “slat” has been massacred by hordes of white teenage boys on TikTok, I will say that this chorus is catchy as fuck.

The real star of this song (shockingly) is the juxtaposition of Yak Gotti’s gritty, emory-board vocal cords, the raspy voice of Lil Duke, and the familiar buttery sound of Thug’s vocals.

Why the visualizer has P. Diddy in it, God only knows. But our adeer is doing his thing in those big ass Versace shades, so who am I to say anything.

“Diamonds Dancing” – YSL, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Gunna

I have no commentary other than asking rappers to please stop using Dr. King for any of their metaphors – he cheated on Correta with a white woman (and only one that we KNOW of, for that matter).

So, I stand here humbly before you, petitioning for the alternative bars including:

“Dripped in Dolce & Gabanna / Black diamonds like Thomas Sankara”

“New girl like Lori Harvey / chain Black like Africa, Marcus Garvey”

or something along those lines. Even a Sojourner Truth bar, at this fucking point.

  “Solid” – YSL, Young Thug, Gunna, Drake

Of course, OF FUCKING COURSE, this track was saved by none other than the culture vulture himself - the man, the myth, and apparently now, the fucking candlemaker, Mr. Aubrey Drake Graham.

(Sidenote: Why is graham such a hard word to spell?).

I know y’all niggas heard - and felt - him very clearly when he said he needed some head and some moral support right away (not like y’all are gonna get any, but understandable if you felt it).

Something about the subtle use of steel pan, and mafioso type beat that the OVO clan has such an affinity for, really brings this hoe all the way together.

Another interesting point to note – and why I think Thug and Gunna make such an incomparable duo - is the fact that Thug and Gunna could almost pass for one another on the second verse, and even in the chorus. The only distinctive giveaway in this is the fact that Gunna does not make use of the whimsical bars in the same way that Thug does (because who the fuck is putting macaroni and cheese in their pockets besides the man who made a whole Instagram live about having a dirty dick? Exactly.)

Surprisingly though, this is one of the only songs on the album that hasn’t drilled holes in my eardrums, even after listening to it for an entire month, so bravo on them for that.

“Proud of You” – YSL, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Yung Kayo

I’m going to use this song to expose my corniness in saying I’ve definitely thought of using this song for some Instagram captions.

I think the combined genius of Thug and Uzi is often overlooked due to everyone wanting to worship Uzi with the androgynous Vampire Ma- I mean, Carti (who also makes a great duo with Uzi in his own right, but Uzi and Thug just remind me of two eccentric uncles, minus a few decades).

It was also rumored in 2018 that these niggas had over fifteen hundred songs together and I honestly wouldn’t it put it past them for that to be true.

Will they all be hits? Probably not, but it’s nice to be a dreamer – plus, their previous tracks (What’s the Move, It’s A Slime and Strawberry Peels) can’t be disregarded either.

“Really Be Slime” – YSL, Young Thug, FN DaDealer, YNW Melly, Bslime

In my honest opinion, I think YNW Melly (and TayK!) should have been pardoned from jail way before Reptar (Kodak) or the other gremlin, Mr. Weezy F Baby – not doubting this artistry, but I do think this man requires a serious rest; musically, emotionally, and physically).

This nigga Melly bodies every feature and brings such mischievous energy to every single track. Also, the minute the rhymed “butter pecan” and “Puerto Rican”, he was fr a genius in my high school eyes.

You can’t deny that the other niggas on the track, even Young Thug himself, fall a little short and that FN DaDealer is trying a bit hard to give us Lil Baby teas, but for what it is, it’s not a bad song. The beat, again, nothing too impressive, but I’m honestly just so glad to hear a YNW Melly feature after what feels like forever.

And that about wraps it up – overall, I’d give this project a solid 5/10. It could have done a bit more; and for the number of features (as well as their duality), honestly could have been more experimental. I get that this was highly anticipated, but in that case, I’m sure niggas wouldn’t have minded waiting a bit longer for it to go the extra mile.

If you feel like I missed any important tracks, that’s too damn bad; but feel free to argue with me in the comments of Instagram.

Until then…*turns on “I Like”*.