#but I included them because there's room for its inclusion~
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Transfem Luigi! Nonbinary Luigi! Genderqueer Luigi! Demigirl Luigi! Bigender Luigi! Genderfluid Luigi! Androgyne Luigi! Genderflux Luigi!
Transfem Luigi
#loving all this love for transfem luigi I've been seeing lately so here's my own appreciation post#feel free to add any others I might have missed!#please have mercy on me if I didn't include any of yours these were just the first ones that came to mind 😅#and of course some of these don't inherently have connections to femininity or femaleness or what have you#but I included them because there's room for its inclusion~#I’m personally Team Genderqueer/Bigender Luigi 💜🤍💚/💙🩵🤍💜🤍💗🩷#of course all luigi gender headcanons are hella valid but this in particular is near and dear to my heart#my he/she child 🥹#super mario bros#smb#luigi#peaches has opinions
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LOSE YOU TO LOVE YOU
Preview: You had to lose your lover to protect them against harm but what happens when someday, fate connects the two of you again? Warnings: Angsty but yes to fluff too, slightly-slightly suggestive towards the end! this is gonna be a bit of a lengthy read as always
P.S: This is an extremely detailed request by one of you guys, its a bit challenging for me to write it hence I decided to take it upon my own twist for the story. Or else, I might actually get so demotivated to write this piece and I do not wish for that. Overall plot would still be half-preserved but I had decided not to use any names just for the overall inclusivity for other readers. Great ideas should be shared and I think my readers would like to be included too in this wonderful plot :)
"What...what have you put into this y/n?" Rafayel stumbled, the mug slipped out of his hand when his legs started buckling beneath him. He was in disbelief as he watched the mug broke upon impact against the hard tiled floor. It was like time had slowed down for him and he could only blame the orange juice he had drank. "Y/N!" He calls out to you again, hands now clasping onto his slender neck when he slowly crumpled to the ground. Yet, his calls for you fell upon deaf ears, four walls on each side of the room watched him suffer.
You peeked over the heavy door leading to his room and your eyes watered at the sight of your fiance lying motionless on the ground. Knocking him out is the only way you can think of the moment you were threatened by an elite group of assassins. They are the reason behind his bounty value--that had exceeded by two million-- and they presented the only option for you to 'save him' is by leaving him.
They cornered you on one of the days when you were out dealing with Wanderers. Although you are fairly combative, one woman against a dozen of elite assassins would not grant you a survival route. Hence, you were practically forced to listen to their proposal. Not much details were disclosed to you about why they were willing to retract the bounty for your fiance but you figured if he could live a better and safer life without a bounty hung on his head then why not? Even if you were to be at their disposal.
"Leave him and he shall walk like a free man he once was." You remembered the grim voice of a man as he relayed the terms and conditions to you. "We do not seek a confrontation here as you are with child."
Flashing back to the present, you lightly rubbed your belly, still wondering how they know of your pregnancy when it was not even announced to Rafayel. This further tells that those assassins are not to be messed with. "I am sorry." You knelt down beside your lover, studying his peaceful features as he was snoozing. "I am sorry I have to do this to you. I promise you that I will be back for you when the time is right." Pushing yourself off of the floor, you left without turning your head back. Each step taken ripped your heart out of your chest even more.
Years had gone by, with you disappearing off of the grid and went into hiding. During then, you had been living under a pseudonym, revamping your whole image and identity to go full on undercover. You did this because you did not want Rafayel, nor anyone from your past to track you down. However, peacefulness does not last long when news of Rafayel’s bounty is on the rise again and it got you wondered what he could have done to piss them off. You did some digging yourself. With the help of your new identity, you can slip in and out of the clubs without a worry. Eavesdropping just enough to get the information you need to propagate further in tracking down the same man who once threatened you to leave Rafayel.
The trail has led you back to Linkon City and you stood at the balcony of the unit you had rented, overlooking the scenic view of the concrete jungle below. The city has changed a lot since the last you had been here and that is probably years ago. “Mummy.” A child-like voice snapped you out of your reminisce and you looked down, watching the toddler walking up to you. A perfect photocopy of your ex-lover; with dark purple locks smooth to one’s touch and eyes the same as his hair. He is like a doughy-faced version of Rafayel. The child that you bear while you left Rafayel now stood in front of you, eyes full of hope before another similar face joins him. Yes, you gave birth to twins. The other is yet another photocopied version of Rafayel, but adorns the eyes as deep as the blue sea. That is how you manage to tell them apart from one another.
“Mummy you okay?” The blue-eyed toddler followed up with the question. Although only been in this world for three years, the both of them had grown so much, not only in terms of height but also knowledge and other aspects that would commonly be found within a toddler’s growing age. They inherited Rafayel’s artistic talent; always doting on painting to pass time whenever you are home with them. Whereas from you, they certainly are highly adaptable and smart. “We go for walk mummy?”
“Yes, let’s go for a walk.” You stood upon and went over to the front door to grab your coat, handing the twins their coats as well. “Put them on alright, the night is going to be chilly and I do not want you guys to be sick.” Out of habit, you slotted your baseball cap right over your head. It is a good strategy to not stand out from the crowd when you get to shield parts of your face at certain angles. You grabbed your wallet and phone and proceeded to walk out with the twins.
Nights in cities are never boring; with bustling traffic and chatters hailing from crowds. This was what you had missed out on for the past years. Staying by the countryside does have its perks but still, you missed the noises of a city that is alive. Dank pathways were sprawled out at the park as you walked with your toddlers by your side. The rain had just subsided and it smelled of dew and silt. But, something seemed off. There were hints of metallic smell in the air, a smell closely resembled to fresh blood. You stopped in your steps and started scanning the area, your ears perked up to maximise picking up even the slightest of gales. “I’m scared mummy.” Your toddler had seemed to pick up on the shift of aura as well.
A twig snapped and you too, snapped yourself towards the source of the sound, shielding your kids by pushing them behind you and hands dug deep into your coat, ready to draw out your weapon if danger ensues. Your eyes were narrowed into slits, relying on dimly lit street lamps to highlight the bushes in front of you. “You know what you should do right?” You looked down, watching your toddlers nod towards you. They were already trained from young to flee should there be any situation that requires them to. Both of them have a watch equipped with a navigation system that will lead them directly to the nearest police station or anywhere that is a confirmed safe house for them. With that, you ushered them and watched as your kids held hands with one another and started to tread lightly out of the park, the watch illuminating their way.
You pulled out your gun the moment an amorphous figure emerged from the bushes and before it could reach you, it burst into flames, screams of agony like a banshee on a killing spree tore through the empty park. Luckily, your children had already fled and a beep on your watch notified you that your kids are safe, and they are currently back to the unit that you had rented. You lowered your gun and stared at the tallowing figure in front of you, the blazoning red tinge of flames looked familiar, it was as if you had seen it—“Y/n?” You blinked, looking up to find another figure emerging from the same path taken by the man who had now disintegrated into ashes and blended into the night skies. “Is that you?”
“Rafayel?” Your jaw dropped, watching him emerged from the bushes. It must be because you missed him so dearly that your mind decided to deploy a mirage of him amidst danger right? It’s like those final wish scenes and you could not help but feel goosebumps slowly drawn to the surface of your arms. “You’re not real.”
The man in black clomped over and you stumbled backwards, gasps fleeting out of your lips as you thought you just saw a ghost. “Careful.” The grip on your arm gravitated you back to reality. You are now staring right into the eyes of your ex-lover, the same guy you thought was killed because there were no news of him anymore. The same man that you were forced to leave in order to protect his safety. The love of your life, the father to your twins. “You are back.” He enveloped you into his arms, his breath disheveled, his tone of voice ebullient. You were expecting a frustrated Rafayel, not forgiving you for leaving him, not acknowledging your existence because you had left him so suddenly without a reason.
Yet, you could not seem to fathom his current state as he held you tightly in his arms. Rafayel had been nothing but the bearer of a deft husk of a ‘widow’. Ever since he woke up to an empty home, he became relentless. Thomas too, was greatly affected by his melange of emotions. Everyone else who worked around him were forced to be more obsequious than ever, showcasing utmost sycophancy in fear of getting panned by the artist. For he had went through a change of heart, thirsting only for revenge upon the group of people that took away his lover. Succour was indeed offered by Thomas, to seek out information regarding your whereabouts. Rafayel agreed and thanked him, providing him all of the money needed to seek you out but deep inside, he knew that finding you would not be a simple matter and his worry haunted him further.
The walk back to your place was awkward, one-sidedly perhaps. Rafayel had not stopped talking, telling you about his journeys of tracking down every single one of the members of the elite group and threatening them to spill their guts about your whereabouts. Given that you left him on your own will, none of the men knew where you had migrated to and that literally got their guts spilled afterwards. He then went on, telling you about how he had handled the truth of you leaving him, that, when it came to a certain point in his life, he was the one that caused you the suffering instead. His words did travelled into your ears, but it was not being processed properly as you were too occupied on thinking about how does one tell their long time lover that they had became a father without their knowing?
The both of you stood at the front of your door now, you praying quietly to yourself, hoping Rafayel would not freak out if he were to meet both of your twins upon stepping into the entrance. You imprinted your thumbprint on the scanner and the door unlocked with a crisp click. Two sets of footsteps were heard clomping towards where you stood and you looked over to Rafayel immediately to analyse his reactions towards your twins. “Mummy— who’s this?” The both of your twins immediately froze, being only a couple of steps away and their eyebrows were strewn together in confusion. The father of the twins stood frozen too, eyes darting in between the two toddlers, noticing the familiar and yet uncanny features of theirs.
When Rafayel got to the leader of the elite group, he was foretold that you were pregnant when you left but he supposed that he was unable to take a grasp of time after you had left. Both of the boys are a bit taller than kids of their age, both rocking the same purple locks as his, pallid and flabby cheeks that Rafayel was certain to own when he was younger back in the days and not to mention, the both of them got your lips. Every lip motion is a total reflection of you. “You were pregnant with them when you left me right?” You took the note that Rafayel does probably know of the existence of you having a child but maybe, he is still in shock, not expecting twins at all. You nodded in response to his question.
Rafayel got onto his knees and smiled, tears started jerking around in his eye sockets, tainting his purplish-pink eyes a glassy tint. “I am your father.” He opened his arms to the twins but your kids cautiously looked over to you, awaiting for the confirmation as they had never seen their father before. Upon noticing your nod and smile, the twins squealed in surprise and hurtled themselves into his arms. Just like that, a family reunion happened.
“You already got them to bed?” Couple of hours later, Rafayel had placed the two reluctant twins of his to bed. Given both of the kids had been longing to have a father figure in their life, a few hours of interaction with Rafayel are definitely not enough for them. However, bed time at 9pm came to be an obstacle for the twins. Yawns started replacing laughs and Rafayel knew it was time to call off play time and switch to story time. You would usually read them to bed and Rafayel thought it is a great idea to put the kids at ease by telling his story, portraying himself to be the main protagonist set out on a journey to save a princess and to rescue her minions as well. The princess being you and yes the minions are the twins.
“Yeah, they could barely listen to my story for five minutes.” Rafayel plopped down next to you on the couch and extended his arm across your back, an invitation for you to lean against his shoulder and you did just that. “I might have went a little hard on them for the tag game.” That explains the heavy stomps and patters of footsteps coming from the room and hallways just now as you were taking a rest. You settled your longing gaze on your fiancé, realising that years had done no harm to him. The same hairstyle that he wears without much styling, the same siren like eyes that only holds you as the apple of his eyes, the same moles that were dotted across his face and the same warm smile he could ever emblazoned onto his features when it comes to being around you. He never changed.
As your insecurity started to settle upon you, particularly towards your own looks. Where time and stress has taken a toll on you, imprinting its effects with fine lines and wrinkles on your face, painting dark circles under your eyes and causing you to constantly wear a fatigued smile. “Do I look different to you even after all of those years Rafayel?” You peered up to him.
“My love.” Rafayel’s warm hand came up to caress your pinched cheeks, you had indeed became much more thinner than he last seen you, before you left him. He knew you must have not suffered any lesser when you had to constantly be on the run while having to bring up both of the kids by yourself as well. But, part of him was grateful that you no longer had to run, for he had eliminated every single member of the damned association. “You still look the same as how you always were.” His eyes wandered, down your cheeks and to your lips and back up again, lust wriggling its way through his gaze. “I missed you dearly my wife. I promise you that no matter what happens ever again, I will not let anyone convince you to leave me anymore. For I, will take full responsibility for the safety of our family.”
Your eyes reflected like glass under the dim lighting, words of affirmation coming from your lover after such a long time seized all of the rumination in your head. You did not notice the streaks of tears till you felt the pads of his thumbs swiped across both sides of your cheeks, his hand now fully cupping your small face. “Now, may I take the responsibility to care for my wife and to make love to you all night to prove my love to you?” The words he spoke were laced heavily with romance and lust that he had held back for years and little did you know, he is going to give you another child and make up for all of the lost times with you and his children.
A request from @cherriejoyponce, fulfilled with my own twist. Hope you like it!
#love and deepspace#love and deepspace x reader#rafayel love and deepspace#zayne love and deepspace#lnds#xavier love and deepspace#fluffy#rafayel x reader#zayne x reader#xavier x reader
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⋆⭒˚。⋆ so american ( hobie brown ) !
.𖥔 ݁ ˖✎ᝰ synopsis — " he laughs at all my jokes and he says i'm so american. " blk reader.
࿐ ࿔*:・゚contains — ooc (?) hobie, fluff, swearing, atsv!hobie brown, hobie is taller than you no matter what, very very slight.
✧˚ ༘ ⋆。˚ tia speaks — because nobody told olivia to write such a cute song like my goodness. i love this song so bad ( almost as bad as i love accented men ) so i had to write a piece inspired by it ! i am also using this to be a complete feminism nerd and i almost wrote something similar with another olivia song lol. i totally recommend reading this whilst listening to 'so american' by olivia rodrigo !! happy reading !
despite his punk exterior, hobie is the best boyfriend you've ever had.
you'd first met hobie when you were selected to speak at a diversity conference in london. you were studying abroad in the middle of your second year of university, using the excuse of 'furthering your education' to read authentic european literature and cross of some of your bucket list. he was doing his usual routine when he swung by a billboard advertising the conference. he decided to check it, never one to shy away from social politic discourse. he stopped by a few panels, taking a liking to the minority in leadership panel, before stopping by the gender and intersectionality panel.
hobie's eyebrows rose as he watched you prepare yourself for your own presentation. you were dressed in business professional with the best shaped afro hobie had ever seen. his pulse quickened as you sent the moderator a ready smile before you began speaking.
and you were so american.
your charisma was enchanting, gracefully demanding the attention of the room. you engaged with the audience as you presented, throwing in small jokes here and there to keep the crowded attentive. he even imagined your expression becoming the slightest bit bashful as he caught your eye. you ended your presentation with another dazzling smile and an adorable tilt of your head at the sound of the applause filling the room.
he was even more impressed with your ability to answers questions on the fly. it was as if you thought of every possible questions and came up with perfectly calculated answers for each of them.
"i have a question for y/n. you mentioned white feminism and black feminism as two separate movements due to the lack of inclusion of marginalized women and their concerns. does that mean that you believe that white women are inherently racist?" a commentator asked. a furrow found its way in between your brow before you answered.
"no, i called it uninclusive because i meant it did not include the needs of women who were not upper class, able, educated, white women. black feminism can include women who are not black as it's an umbrella term of sorts. it serves to uplift and represent the underrepresented and unite all feminists, not imply that all white women are racist because of one social group. there are some wonderful white women who can acknowledge their privilege and use it to uplift us all as a united front rather than living in their individual comfortability. thank you for your question."
after your panel concluded, hobie found himself searching for you in the crowd of spectators. he eventually found you holding a bouquet of flowers from the moderator as you put away your things. he casually made his way to you, slipping through the ocean of bodies before standing behind you.
"would've gotten flowers if i had known someone as smart as you would be presenting here. however, i doubt i'd be able to find anything as beautiful as you, ms. america," he charmed, immediately gaining your attention as you turned to him.
"i take it that you liked my presentation," you mused, smiling up at the man before you.
"liked it so much that i'd like to hear it again. maybe over a meal some time, yeah?"
your cheeks stung from how wide you smiled as you punched your number into his phone, telling him to text you the details.
you guys hit it off as your personalities, morals, and routines meshed almost perfectly. you finished your educational responsibilities around the same time he finished his internship, leaving the two of you with enough time to see each other at least three times a week, excluding your weekend.
he's so attentive as he remembers everything about you, including things that you mentioned offhandedly. you'll expect him to pay it no mind until he says or does something that showed you that he was in fact listening to your every word.
and he's so soft with you. underneath your boyfriend's unapproachable persona was a man who was putty in your hands. he melts into your embrace, hands gently cupping your face as he laid a breathless kiss on your lips. he was always touching you when he was in your presence. he usually opted for the casual arm hooked across your front as he rested his chin on your shoulder. it was the perfect height for you to whisper all of your jokes into his ear, ensuring that he didn't miss the chance to indulge in your humor.
you actually guessed that he was the esteemed spider-punk after having rescued you from a mid-evening robbery. you noticed the stature of the hero looked familiar as you watched him swing through the air.
"what happened here?" you asked him one lazy morning, pointing to the bruise forming on his shoulder.
"i slipped in the shower," he mumbled, pulling you closer to him as he tried to go back to sleep.
"are you sure it had nothing to do with that pole the news showed you being flung into?" you mused.
"how'd you figure?" he asked, eyes now open as he looked down at you with a tired grin.
"what kind of girlfriend would i be if i didn't know my boyfriend when i saw him?" you replied, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "plus i’ve tripped over your beat up sneakers enough times to recognize them."
"sneakers," he said, copying your accent. he let out an amused gruff after you painlessly slapped his arm. "you're such an american."
he made the effort to join you for your public demonstrations, only stepping in when someone got mouthed off at you too much for his liking, knowing that you could hold your own but preferring if you didn't have to. he read all of your favorite books as well as any pieces that you mentioned to him. he participates in most of your hobbies, even picking up a few and calling them his own.
he even calls your mom, asking her how she had been since the last time he had the chance to ask. she was more excited to see him the first time you visited since meeting him. she tried to treat him as a guest, but he was set on helping her around the house, taking care of any odd problems she had.
you might just have to marry him if he keeps this shit up.
© tiathecreator 2024. all rights reserved.
#☆ — tia the creator!#hobie brown x reader#hobie brown x black reader#hobie brown#hobie x reader#hobie x black!reader#spider punk x reader#spider punk x black reader#atsv x reader#atsv x black reader#spiderman atsv x black reader#spiderman atsv
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The Olega Padawan
I love this guy and I wanna talk about him.
In The Acolyte, in Episode 2 "Revenge/Justice", we briefly meet this Jedi Padawan (played by Ed Kear).
He’s a big guy, and he seems eager to prove himself useful; he manhandles a kid, and explains how there was a break-in at the local Jedi Temple where he’s stationed.
He has one or two lines of dialogue, and the story quickly moves on from him. He mainly exists for two (2) reasons in the story:
To give a lived-in feel to the setting: that during the High Republic, Jedi are plentiful and ubiquitous, in direct contrast to every other Star Wars time period we’ve seen in film and TV (and yes, I’m including the Prequels era, which explicitly stated that while there were lots of Jedi, they were stretched very thin, which carries a different tone than the era of The Acolyte)
To contrast against Osha, who flunked out of the Jedi Order (more on that below).
I mean he doesn’t even have a name; he's just credited as the "Olega Padawan", his role is so small!
And the fandom menace H A T E S him. They lament that the Jedi are supposed to be physically and mentally disciplined, and being fat is antithetical to that.
I call horseshit. The Olega Padawan makes complete sense, and his inclusion is a perfect addition to Star Wars.
Visual Storytelling of The Acolyte
For now, let's leave aside the undisputed fact that there are many, many biological factors that contribute to a person's weight beyond how much food they eat. And let's be clear that a person's fitness or fatness is not an indication of their moral character or their value to the world.
So let's just say, for the sake of argument, that the Olega Padawan really is just out-of-shape.
In an era where the Jedi are plentiful, have the confidence of the people, recruit new members easily, and have known peace for generations, is it really so inconceivable that a Jedi who’s not at peak physical condition could exist?
In The Acolyte, we see that Jedi take on a peacekeeping / police roles, sure…
...but we also see them doing scientific research…
…and other non-combat, non-adventurous duties.
The temple on Olega is so tiny, so peaceful, so sleepy that its master -- Master Torbin -- took a vow of solitude, penitence, and disengagement, and the Temple was able to continue on, business as usual.
These are the conditions that the Olega Padawan finds himself in. And we're surprised that he would have other things motivating him besides commitment to physical perfection?
Headcanon: the Daily Life of the Olega Padawan
As of September 2024, nothing has been written about the Olega Padawan's story, but I can see his whole life through the context clues that were presented on screen.
The Olega Padawan was probably not a great physical student at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Unlike Jecki, his lightsaber forms are sloppy and half-hearted, but he was good enough to eek by a passing grade for his trials.
He then was sent to learn under the tutelage of the Olega Knight, where his master taught him to manage the affairs of the local temple.
He probably spent his days worrying about building repairs, negotiating with mechanics when the droids malfunctioned, arguing with incense and candle wholesalers to keep the temple well-stocked, and taking point on charity or community outreach programs. Occasionally, his master would show him how to make requisitions for additional funds from the Coruscant Temple, or how to phrase their weekly reports in such a way that they go largely ignored.
If his master asked him to do anything physical, like move something into storage, the Olega Padawan would have a choice to make: physically lift it, or just move it with the Force... and I'm pretty sure he'd just opt to do it with the Force once his master left the room.
Occasionally the neighbourhood kids would hassle him, because there's nothing funnier than watching a Jedi lose his temper, so the Olega Padawan probably developed a sharp tongue. He'd likely have zero tolerance for bullies.
If he ever finished his work early, he'd find a way to entertain himself rather than go seek more work. After all, what's really so important that it can't wait when you live in a quiet temple in a sleepy town? Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things!
What This Means for Osha
There's one more role in the story that the Olega Padawan plays, and that's as a contrast to Osha.
Osha flunked out of the Jedi Order. Get it?
She flunked out.
She flunked out.
And we saw risk her life to selflessly save the life of a prisoner aboard a ship that was about to crash!
She flunked out of the Jedi Order!
The Olega Padawan, who lives a sleepy life in a quiet temple, did not.
So at this stage in the story, the presence of the Olega Padawan conjures questions like "if he could make it as a Jedi... what the hell did Osha do to fail?"
How much "worse" of a student must she have been?
By the end of the series this is made clear, but by episode 2, the Olega Padawan's mere presence invites us to ask these questions.
#star wars#writing#the acolyte#osha aniseya#storytelling#Olega Padawan#fandom menace#amandla stenberg#ed kear#Grown up Star Wars
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the transandrophic talking point of like. "trans men/mascs were socialised male so are just as misogynistic as cis men" is so confusing to me, because they say the exact same thing about trans women/femmes? that they were also socialised male? which is so weird how they seem to think just any trans person has male socialisation, i cannot figure it out at all
The key thing here is that the people who say transmascs were socialized male aren't the same people saying transfems were socialized male, although both tend to be radical feminists or have beliefs that align with/are influenced by radical feminism.
Trans-exclusive radical feminists divide people into a binary by sex, and say that socialization occurs only along the lines of sex. If you are of the male sex (which includes any intersex people they decide are "really male," with little to no nuance), then you were socialized male. If you are of the female sex (see above), then you were socialized female.
Trans-inclusive radical feminists divide people into a binary by gender. They view socialization is more of an internal process- if you are a man, then you were always a man, and you internalized the socialization people raised male received regardless of whether you realized it or not. Similarly, if you are a woman, you were always a woman, and you received the socialization of people raised female.
What both have in common is the idea that socialization is a simple binary, and that the effects of socialization stay with you forever, unchanged. If you were socialized male, then you are forever tainted with misogyny and male chauvinism. The most emphasis is put on "male socialization" in discourse because the idea is, if you were socialized male (and therefore eternally and essentially Male), then you are a privileged oppressor. This is why it's a good way of targeting other people within a radical feminist framework- to be oppressed (woman) makes you part of the in-group, deserving of having your issues addressed (which is why there is an obsession over "protecting womanhood from invaders"), while being an oppressor (male) makes you part of the hostile out-group who can neither be trusted nor in genuine need of help. Trans people, being socially placed in-between and outside the cisbinary, will be placed into whatever group is most useful for the patriarchy at any given time while also being denied actual acceptance into either (check out transunity theory for more on that).
With TIRFs, the root of the ideology is that, by saying that trans women experienced female socialization, they are defended from transmisogynist TERFs who insist they are male oppressors. The idea is: if trans women are essentially female, and experienced female socialization, then they have equal claim to female oppression & trauma. This is a noble goal, because trans women are oppressed by misogyny and should have their oppression as women recognized.
The problem is, this radical feminist framework is inherently cissexist. It is a static binary which bases itself entirely off of cis gender relations. It asserts that all trans people must have an experience which fits in with either experiences of cis women or cis men; there is no room for discussing the ways that trans people have more in common with each other, or how hatred of people who are clearly outside of the cisbinary affects gender relations. So even though TIRFs are "trans-inclusive," their only concern is reproducing transphobic radical feminism but in a way that supports trans women. It insists its pro-trans men because it doesn't misgender them as women. But where TERFs erase the "man" part of trans men, TIRFs erase the "trans" part.
Gender socialization does exist, in that people are perceived in a certain way and are treated uniquely based on that perception, and that shapes how you think about yourself and others and your place in the world. But it is far from binary and static. So many different things can affect how your gender is perceived & how you are treated as a result, and that can change from person to person as well as over the course of your life. The idea that anything relating to gender/sex is static and binary is cissexist, and any movement that claims to seek trans liberation must deconstruct that cissexism and interpret gender relations from a trans-centric lens.
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Do you have any thoughts on GRRM’s blog post about season two that he’s since deleted ?
Yes, I do. From what I've seen, my thoughts and feelings on it are a lot less violent than quite a whole host of people on social media, but of course, I have feelings about it. I'll try and articulate them here.
I sympathise with both sides: it's a hard needle to thread, in adapting this book. The major change, early on, was the one to change the ages of the protagonists and condense 30 years of history into roughly 20 years. That has a knock-on effect. That has, as GRRM would say, butterflies. A lot of the changes have butterflies and the job of the adaptor is to control the amount of butterflies or the impact of such butterflies, and that's where we come into conflict.
But, no doubt, Ryan will have been faced with things beyond his control. There may have been real intention to include Maelor in the second season, for example, and so he was being 100% honest with George when first discussing it, but then things came up that made sacrificing that inclusion the viable choice. Whether that's coming from the studio in terms of changing from 10 episodes to 8, or it's just a safeguard due to a looming writer's strike or it is just one of many choices concerning budget, I don't know. It's similar to discussions regarding Deleted Scenes. I don't like to assume and I definitely don't like to prescribe intent.
I think that GRRM is very valid in his feelings of frustration and worry. I think he has a right to his opinions on how he might have preferred things to go or if he likes an event better in the book than in the show - we know he's expressed the opposite opinion on things as well, where he's enjoyed changes from the book to the show. He's not been without praise for the series, even if he speaks out about particulars now.
But I also think this is the tip of the iceberg and even this blog post is not the whole story, even in the specific examples cited. GRRM says he doesn't know what/if Ryan has planned but he's also not gone to the writer's room in recent times. There are multiple interpretations there. I don't think we can fully understand the situation and I don't think it's up to us to necessarily try because that's a fool's errand. We're lightyears away from being in a suitable position to try and understand or grasp it. It's a journey that's been going on for years now and, at the end of the day, all we have is a lot of conjecture and opinion and perspectives.
You know, we talk about butterflies and a lot of people say that X was sacrificed for Y or that they got rid of X just so Y could look better or to prop up a Z plot or whatever, and the fact is we just don't know with any sort of certainty. It could easily be that Z was decided and so a natural consequence of that would be changes to X and Y. Or a choice about X was made but it's only until they come to telling Y that a problem rears its head. And so on and so forth.
And some times it is just a case of the practicalities of storytelling rather than outright hostility towards the source material.
A case in point is that we have The Heir's Tournament in Episode 01. It's a big set piece, it's great for introducing the majority of characters or having little moments with them, and showing the court in its splendour as well as framing the theme of violence and contrasting a certain masculine violence with the horror that is Aemma on the birthing bed.
And because of the inclusion of this tourney, they changed the story so that Joffrey doesn't die at a tourney in Episode 05. Instead, we get the wedding feast and the mob and the beating. To have another tourney would be too repetitive on screen, probably too big a cost, and it'd be a lot harder to include certain story beats (like the various entrances, changing allegiances and conversations). This has butterflies which garnered some criticism, especially in regard to Criston keeping his job, but it's an example of a change that was done because this is a TV series. It's motivated from a practical perspective rather than an emotional one. And it largely works, as a change, in my opinion.
Something I have an opinion on is that whilst I don't necessarily agree with the way the Dragonpit sequence actually told it's story and it has flaws in the way it's scripted (but also, we know, it was scripted and storyboarded differently and faced quite a few changes, I believe) - it is an event that symbolically had to happen. By which I mean, you can't end it on a Green victory. You can't end that episode with the Greens thinking that they've won and it's all hunky dory. You need a throughline into the next episode and you need all of those characters aware of the conflict they're inciting. They need to be left (because this is the last time we see most of them) fearing something or readying themselves for something. They have to end on a loss, just as the Blacks, in the next episode, will end on a loss. Then you have parity. It's just that for the Blacks, their loss or their "Dragonpit", if you like, is losing Luke. It's Aemond's actions. They think it's all great, they've crowned Rhaenyra, they've got a plan, they've got Velaryon support. And then the table is upended.
So all the storytelling reasons for having Rhaenys make a defiant escape or stand and be the one to go and tell Rhaenyra make sense, to me. However, that comes with sacrificing Aegon's flight. Now, there's nothing to say Aegon didn't HAVE a flight, but we just don't see it. Just as we don't see a lot of things.
I, too, fear the butterflies. I've expressed it on this blog before. I have frustrations about the handling of changes: specifically when a change has been made and seemingly nothing is done to cement the alternative choice (prime example being the Hull boys's parentage and Corlys's affair) and we're left with a lack of answers that should really be there in order for us to be grounded in the series and in character motivation, especially if you're dealing with time jumps.
From my perspective, if you make a choice, you need to have a plan on how you are going to see it through and you need to have that from the time you make it, as much as you can. Again, whether Ryan has those sorts of plans, I don't know. I've yet to be given confidence. But, overall, I think it's a shame that GRRM has to post this.
I think it was, if not unprofessional, then it was rash because, from the language, I would say he broke an NDA. And I think there are ways he could have gone about it without having done so. I'm curious what he wanted to achieve and if he does manage to achieve it, but that's not really for me to know and I'm not in a position to ever know it so... yeah. It is what it is.
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I just saw that Tor is publishing an anthology of Greek myth retellings that's being billed as "inclusive" but there's not a single Greek author included. When Greek authors who would've loved to participate called it out, people claimed they weren't the true inheritors of their own ancient culture because they're too Christian, too Eastern, too tax-evading, too whatever. Like, someone literally said that Greeks have little to contribute to SFF because they're too busy making cheese and not paying taxes.
Let me be clear: there's nothing wrong with anyone doing a Greek myth retelling. Classical antiquity is the foundation of Western cultural values, for better or worse (often worse). Doing mythology retellings also gives you instant brand recognition as a writer and increases your chances of finding readers. But this is exactly why it's important to let the inheritors of the culture benefit and not gatekeep them out in the name of some cliquey idea of inclusivity.
As a Balkan Slav with connections to Greece and its diaspora, I have experienced discrimination in the Anglophone world and have seen Greek people face something similar. A lot of the same stereotypes exist about us. The Anglo stereotypes about us are arguably worse because of the civil war, and we're more orientalized because of a longer period of Ottoman occupation and a substantial Muslim presence. Slavic people also get to see our pagan mythologies coopted by American fantasists with no ties to that part of the world, and the stories are usually kitschified into, like, a monocultural/monoethnic airport-souvenir-nesting-doll or baba-yaga-cottagecore version of the folktales ready for Western consumption.
Anyway, why is there so little room in the publishing industry for the people who grew up with this cultural heritage even if they might hold beliefs or practice traditions that emerged later? Many Greeks today are devout Orthodox Christians, but that doesn't mean that a random WASP who identifies as a neo-Hellenist has a greater claim on THEIR ancient heritage. And the contributors to the Tor anthology probably just see ancient Greece as a dead culture with the added benefit of being white and thus cultural appropriation-proof. But it's all kind of giving Never on Sunday and not in a good way.
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Why Did Jinx Make Fishbones Look Like Finn?
You know, as much as Fishbones works as a touching homage to Silco, with its clever inclusion of Silco's visual motifs like his scarred eye and aquatic apex predator imagery. Fishbones also works as a subtle dunk on Finn.
Compared to the original canon, Arcane's Fishbones is more personalized to Jinx's history. So while Fishbones now captures a lot of Silco's style, Fishbones also gets a golden jaw, and only one person has that kind of prosthetic, Finn.
But then you'd have to wonder what makes Finn so special to include on this masterclass weapon that was Jinx's ultimate gift to Silco. These two chembarons couldn't be more different in style and motivation. They wouldn't be in the same room if they both didn't explicitly need something from the other. That's when I realized that in a technical level, Jinx and Finn serve the same purpose for Silco.
Jinx is a well known and feared agent for Silco that makes weapons and dishes out violence, she's practically a one woman army. While Finn's gang, the Slickjaws, operate as hired guns and weaponsmakers. Finn was probably so ready to undermine Jinx in the eyes of the other chembarons and Silco himself because she made Finn less relevant to Silco.
Finn could still be an important chembaron as his gang ran an lucrative industry in Zaun, but Silco never had to be completely dependent on Finn in his Shimmer operation because he had Jinx. And for a businessman like Finn, Jinx was practically working for free! So it's not like he could buy her out, or outright kill the boss's daughter. One, dumb move, and two, low chance for success.
This all begs the question, how deep did the rivalry and resentment run? Was it one-sided? Probably not, because Jinx isn't an idiot and knows when people don't like her. Jinx probably never killed Finn, one, because I'd doubt he ever talked about her the way he did to her face. Two, because she wouldn't outright disrupt an important business relationship for Silco, at least not until recently. But with Fishbones, that all changes, it's the pinnacle of her talents that far surpasses what others like him could do. Fishbones is not just an act of love and dedication, but a power statement against anyone who challenges her position. For Finn and the Slickjaws in general, she can easily replace them with whatever she chooses to make.
Alternate theory: Hell, maybe Silco had Jinx train under the Slickjaws, possibly in an apprenticeship like how Renni's son worked in Silco's factory. Renni's son was probably sent to study the alchemy of Shimmer production, he wore a mask like the original chemist in the Cannery did. And when Jinx proved to be incredibly talented in weapons-crafting and fighting, Silco likely made sure she stayed by his side. Finn could have resented that he lost out on a great asset that turned into competition.
#arcane#jinx arcane#finn arcane#silco arcane#maybe next season we'll see flashbacks of Finn just beefing with a younger jinx#the alt is intriguing tho#chembarons don't fully trust eachother but recognize the necessity of their heirs to understand the respective industries#which leads to a complex system of apprenticeships that can double as polite hostage situations#or just to wndear the next generation to the existing industries#who knows#arcane meta#arcane speculation#arcane headcanon#sort of
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Sean Renard A-Z Relationship Headcanons (SFW)
Fandom: Grimm
Pairing: Sean Renard/Reader
I have never tried something like this before. I tried to keep it as gender neutral as possible, as well as making it as inclusive as possible for everyone. This is SFW (for the most part). I may give it another go at a later date, because I have so many ideas.
A = Affection:
Y/N is an affectionate person, very big on hugging. They are known among the group for their warm hugs. Sean, on the other hand, does not appear to be an affectionate person. However, when it comes to Y/N, he loves nothing more than holding them in his arms. Sean doesn’t believe his day is complete without one of Y/N’s famous hugs.
B = Bargain:
One thing Sean and his partner have in common is that they will do almost anything to get their own way. While Sean’s methods could be considered morally and sometimes legally questionable, his partner’s approach can involve anything from pouting, begging, baked goods, light blackmail, or straight up annoying the hell out of people.
C = Confession:
It took some time for Sean and Y/N to admit their feelings for one another. After years of flirting (with Wu doing some on Sean’s behalf), Y/N was the first to make a move.
“Look Sean, I like you, you like me. Should we give dating a go?”
Sean was so surprised; all he could do was nod and say “Ok.”
“Great. Pick me up on Friday at 7pm.”
It wasn’t until they had been dating for a while before feelings of love were confessed. And again, it was Y/N who made the first move. They were at Sean’s house, sitting in the living room reading their individual books when Y/N looked up at Sean. “Sean…”.
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
Again, Sean is surprised, because despite his confidence in most areas of his life, he does not believe that someone could love him for him.
“You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”
“No..no…I…I love you. I do.” He stammered. “I just…didn’t know if you felt the same way.
Y/N smiled at him. “Well, I do.”
All Sean could do in return is kiss them.
D = Dates
Sean is used to the finer things in life. Expensive restaurants, the opera and theatre, etc. Y/N, not so much. For their first date, Sean took them to one of the most expensive restaurants in Portland. On his way to drop Y/N at home, they turned to him, place their hand on his and said “Sean, I really enjoyed our date. But just so you know, you don’t always have to take me to a fancy restaurant. I am happy with anything, even if its takeout and a movie at home in our pyjamas.”
Sean glanced at them. “Really?”
Y/N nodded, squeezing his hand. “Really. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the food. If I ever say no to trying new food, you know something is wrong. But honestly, I am just not used to it. My last partner was not one for making a big deal of dates.”
Sean squeezed their hand in return. “Well, your last partner was an idiot. You deserve to be spoilt. However, I think I can swing movies and takeout at home from time to time. I’m not use to a date wanting anything other than a fancy restaurant.”
Y/N laughed. “Well, they were idiots. There is more to dating than expensive dates.”
And from that point forward their dates involved a mix of fancy and expensive, and laidback.
E = Evenings As a police captain and resident Grimm wrangler, Sean does not always have a free evening. However, when he does, he makes sure to make time for his partner. Some nights they eat out at an expensive restaurant or local diner, see a movie or the opera. Other nights they stay in. Nights in can include dinner and a movie or cuddling up on the couch, reading their respective books.
F = Feelings
Sean realised early on after meeting Y/N, that there was something different about them. He was drawn to them instantly, although he was not sure what he felt. They were very different from anyone he had been involved with before. It took him a while to pick on their flirting and even longer for him to start flirting back. Y/N was instantly attracted to Sean. They were a little intimidated due to position as a police captain and felt he was out of their league. That did not stop them from flirting with him though.
Over the years they continued flirting with each other. It took a while before realising their feelings for each other. In fact, their group picked up their feelings for each other before they did. After Wu attempted to flirt with Y/N on Sean’s behalf and made a comment about them taking too long; that is when Y/N began to acknowledge their feelings for Sean ran deeper than simply flirting or friendship. This was solidified when Sean hijacked a date they were on with one of the officers from the precinct, under the guise of looking out for Y/N. Y/N just knew Sean turning up to their date was not a coincidence. Although annoyed at his presence, they couldn’t help but feel a tug at their heartstrings at Sean’s obvious jealousy.
Sean had realised his feelings long before Y/N had. It had been during one of the few times he was sick. They had shown up to his place, barged in with groceries and medication, forced him to sit down on the couch, and cooked him their go to dish for whenever they were sick. They proceeded to take care of him for the duration of his illness. Sean couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken care of him when he was sick. Although he grumbled about being a grown man who could take care of himself, he was touched. It was also when he realised that his feelings could be more than anything he had experienced before.
G = Growing
Sean has certainly grown throughout his relationship with Y/N. His past relationships had a give and take approach. He was not used to someone who was purely interested in him as a person, not what they could get from him. Furthermore, he was used to being with people who expected him to provide them with the finer things in life such as expensive gifts and dates. As such, his first date with Y/N included dinner at an expensive restaurant and a bouquet of roses. Despite knowing Y/N for years, he was still surprised when they admitted they didn’t need expensive things. They just wanted to spend time with him. Y/N helped him to realise that there was something to the simpler things in life, and he grew to appreciate them.
Sean’s relationship with Y/N also allowed him to be truly open and vulnerable with someone; without fear of it being used against him. It did take time, but eventually Y/N broke down those walls Sean had surrounded himself with to protect him. Those walls were still up for most people, but Y/N had the privilege of seeing beyond the image he projected.
H = Home
For the first year of their relationship, they lived with separately. Sleepovers started about six months in and they exchanged keys not long after that. It was after their one year anniversary, when Sean realised that Y/N spent all of their time at his place. It took him a few more months to work up the courage to ask Y/N to move him with him. They laughed. “My love, I have been living here for three months.” Sean didn’t have much to say after that.
I = Intimacy
Although both have experience with relationships, both Sean and Y/N had never experienced a relationship like the one they shared with each other. Most of Sean’s relationships had been purely sexual in nature. Meanwhile, Y/N’s relationships had been short-lived with the relationships fizzling out quickly. Intimacy was a learning experience for both, as they navigated a relationship filled with intimacy that didn’t revolve around sex.
J = Jealousy
Both Sean and Y/N get jealous, especially at the beginning of (and even before) their relationship. If Sean sees someone making a move on his partner, he will approach them and placed his hand on their shoulder or middle of their back, while glaring at interloper until they walk away. Y/N will act in a similar way, putting their arm around Sean’s waist and making some comment that lets their perceived rival know that Sean is taken.
K = Kissing
There is a lot of kissing. Kisses on the lips, forehead, and cheek to name a few locations. Their kisses can be slow and loving or fast and passionate. Their first kiss is slow and shy for both parties. It happens after Sean has walked Y/N to their front door after a date. They stand there awkwardly for a moment, before Y/N wraps their arms around Sean’s waist and with their eyes on his lips says “I really want to kiss you.” So, he does. As mentioned, it is slow and both parties are shy about it. The second kiss, which follows after it, is a little more passionate and interrupted by the neighbour. From that point forward, kissing is an important part of their relationship.
L = Love Languages
Sean initially shows his love through gifts, expensive ones. Over time, he finds that although you do appreciate the expensive gifts, you are happy with anything he gives you. Food and little thoughtful gifts, no matter their cost. He also comes to realise that his receiving love language are words of affirmation and physical touch. Throughout his life, most physical touch was either through abuse or hollow sex. However, as physical touch is one of the ways his partner shows love, he has come to crave it. He has also come to appreciate the love shown to him through words of affirmation. Y/N is always building him up and acts as his biggest supporter in ways that no one has ever done for him.
M = Marriage
Sean had long disregarded the idea of marriage for himself; but since dating Y/N it is something he has considered. He plans to spend the rest of his life with them, if they will have him. It is something they would discuss and agree would be something they want to do. Sean would decide to propose and have a ring specially made for his partner. He would spend a lot of time trying to plan the perfect proposal. And once he does, Y/N would say yes. The wedding would be a small and intimate ceremony with only those closest to them in attendance. The honeymoon is something that Y/N would let Sean spare no expense on, as they wouldn’t mind going to some beautiful place.
N = Nicknames
Y/N’s nickname for Sean can vary depending on their mood, but their favourite is ‘My Love’. Sean typically uses ‘Your Favourite Nickname’ or copies and uses ‘My Love’ as well.
O = Couldn’t come with anything for this one.
P = Playful
Sean isn’t an overly playful person, but he does have his moments. If he is taller than you, he likes to hold things out of your reach. Y/N is definitely the more playful one.
Q = Questions
Sean is not used to opening up to people or sharing a lot of information about himself. Nor was he the type of person to ask a large amount of questions to get to know people unless it was to his benefit. He dislikes people asking him a lot of questions, with the exception of his partner. Which is a good thing, because they ask a lot of questions.
R = Remember
Sean is great at remembering things. He is usually the one who remembers things like their first date, first kiss, and what day they first met.
S = Sleep
When sleeping, Sean is usually the big spoon but does love to be the little spoon on occasion. He loves wrapping himself around his partner, knowing he can protect them as the y sleep. Sometimes however, he does need the comfort and feeling of safety that can only come from his partner and being the little spoon.
T = Talking
Despite their differences, they do find a lot to talk about. Work, Wesen, movies, books, music. They enjoy learning about each others interests.
U = Uplifting
Y/N always had a way to lift Sean’s mood, even before they were dating. Whether it be via a hug, by making lame jokes to make him groan with hidden laughter, providing words of affirmation or listening and being present after he had a bad day. Y/N has a way with uplifting Sean.
For Y/N, Seans presence and allowing them to vent before hugging them is all the need for their mood to change.
V = Vacation
Due to Sean’s job, there are not many opportunities for vacations. However, they do find time to take mini vacations over the weekend every now and then. They usually head out of Portland to visit the surrounding areas. When they have larger vacations it is usually overseas, somewhere with rich history.
W = Wardrobe
Sean is usually well dressed. For work, it’s a suit and when off the clock he is still well-dressed. Although, Y/N has him wearing sweats around the house more often.
Y/N values comfort, although their outfits have some style and usually match. Outfit, hat, shoes, etc.
X = Xtra
Both are terrible patients when sick. Sean insists on pretending he isn’t and continues on as normal. Meanwhile, Y/N can be just as bad, although when they take it easy they are a pain the ass.
Y = Yearning
Sean does not like being separated from you for long. Before they moved in together, he would try and see you everyday, and if he couldn’t, he would contact you whether through phone calls or text messages. Y/N is the same, keeping in contact whenever possible if seeing each other in person is not an option.
Z = Zzzzz
Sean works late often. Most of the time, Y/N is asleep before them. They may try and stay awake to spend time with him, but usually fail. When they go to bed at the same time, Y/N can fall asleep pretty quickly, while it takes Sean a little while longer. He doesn’t mind, it means he can hold his partner and watch them sleep.
#grimm nbc#nbc grimm#captain sean renard#sean renard x reader#sean renard#sean renard/oc#headcanon#sfw#reader insert#reader#x yn
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Donut Co. Sticker Extravaganza (Pride Pantone Simlish Pack)
Has 22 swatches SIMLISH VERSION - ALL SWATCHES ARE SIMLISH All of our CC can be found by typing " Donut " into the search bar!
Images in game - Most stickers are sized up or down, some using the tool mod! The blue wall background photos were taken of super sized up stickers, so the lines are a bit warbly and a tad off because they're so so super sized! You really can't tell in game at all but if there are any issues please let me know!!
These are meant to be little stickers on the wall. You can size them up and down using the bracket keys. [ ] <- these ones. I personally, use the tool mod to size my items up and down, and specifically with these if you are wanting them to be "perfectly sized" i would recommend you grab tool (and its assistant BBB). THEY ARE LARGE TO START! This is so you can go all the way down to a mini size! Hope this helps!
This item was made using pluto sims posters as a base. I could not figure out how to make them work any other way, and as always pluto saved the day so be sure to check them out!! Link back to Pluto Sims original object ORIGINAL CREATION This does include the mesh with it. (Thanks to pluto for being very generous so please check them out!) This is just a recolor and all credit goes back to Pluto Sims for this mesh, this item would not be possible if i couldn't use this mesh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Donut Co. Sticker Extravaganza Buy Mode Description: Celebrate pride and expose your technological ancientness! Decorate your favorite rooms with these bold and beautiful Pride Pantone stickers... that is, if you can explain what Pantones are to your confused children. Show your support, foster inclusivity, and decorate like a certified graphic designer from the '90s - while also proving you definitely existed before the internet! These bold and beautiful Pride Pantone stickers are sure to add a splash of nostalgia to any room, meaning you will get to relive those glory days by bringing up that magical thing called 'physical paint' your kids have never seen. (Works best if you use the bracket keys "[" + "]" to size up and down, or my personal prefrence of the tool mod!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: 2/29/24 - 2 Swatches added - Queer pride and Gay/MLM pride
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DOWNLOAD: Curseforge: https://legacy.curseforge.com/sims4/build-buy/donut-co-sticker-extravaganza-pride-pantone Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/99033657?pr=true Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JiZP2G7d0jX-9zY0J1w-lEldZ11I_4OC/view?usp=sharing Will be releasing more content soon! stay tuned! ❤️ (NOT affiliated with EA or Maxis in any way! We just make CC! )
#sims#sims 4 maxis match#always free cc#sims 4 cc#ts4#patreon#noideabutsims#simblr#buildbuy#sims 4 custom content#ts4 cc free#sims 4 cc free#sims cc free#freecc#free cc#maxis match cc#the sims cc#ts4 cc#cc#cc finds#sims 4#custom content#ts4 build buy#sims 4 build#ts4 build#build buy#ts4 custom content#ts4cc#alwaysfreecc#sims 4 cc mm
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In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s stunning victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, in which he secured the popular vote on top of an Electoral College landslide, Democrats have been hosting tough conversations about the future of the party in its relations to transgender issues, specifically transgenders operating in women’s spaces, including bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletics. While Democrats like Bill Maher, Ben Dreyfuss, and others have called for Democrats to move away from transgender advocacy, others like John Oliver have argued they should move even further left.
“The Harris campaign failed to formulate a response, especially when it’s pretty easy to do,” Oliver said in a recent segment on his show. “There are vanishingly few trans girls competing in high schools anywhere, even if there were more, trans kids like all kids vary in terms of athletic ability, and there is no evidence they pose any threat to safety or fairness.”
Author J.K. Rowling (the Harry Potter series) publicly called the comedian’s arguments “bullshit” and cited a plethora of anecdotes to support her case. She also made clear that her criticism of John Oliver stemmed from nothing personal.
“Nothing about this feels good, because John Oliver generously gave his time for my charity Lumos and I liked him very much when I met him, but God knows, if you ever need an example of motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, this video’s for you. An undoubtedly intelligent person spouts absolute bullshit to support something he wants to be true, but isn’t,” she said in a post on X.
“According to the UN, female athletes have lost nearly 900 medals to trans-identified men competing against them in women’s sporting categories. Girls have been ousted from teams to make way for boys. Women have suffered serious injury playing against trans-identified men,” she added.
J.K. Rowling cited the case of Payton McNabb, who suffered a severe head injury after a transgender athlete spiked a volleyball into her face during a high school match.
“Again and again I’ve come up against men who argue exactly what Oliver does here, using the very same talking points. With a straight face, the ‘believe the science’ guys will say ‘actually, we don’t yet have enough data to say whether men and boys are stronger and faster than women and girls’. The ‘be kind’ crew can’t see what the issue is. ‘Why are you bothered, it only affects a tiny minority of females?'” argued Rowling.
“To prove to their progressive credentials – and (coincidentally, I’m sure) indemnify themselves against repercussions from cultural elites in the media, academia and publishing who’ve showed themselves more than ready to kick people to the kerb for failing to mouth the approved mantras – people with a lot to lose are currently prepared to make idiots of themselves,” she continued. “They’ll stare unabashedly into a camera and insist that their audiences’ eyeballs are incapable of seeing what’s plain as day, and that there’s something wrong with the great unwashed for believing that girls are being robbed of opportunities and put at physical risk.”
Rowling concluded her post by calling on those like John Oliver to at least be intellectually honest by admitting that women will be hurt through the initiative of transgender inclusion.
“If you want to tell the world you’re happy to watch females suffer injury, humiliation and the loss of sporting opportunities to bolster an elitist post-modern ideology embraced by a minute fraction of the world’s population, fair enough; you’re allowed your opinion,” she concluded. “But if you’ve just told girls they don’t deserve fair sport, maybe rethink using all too real and common sexual predation against young women as a punchline for your ‘edgy’ closing joke.”
Sara Higdon, who identifies as transgender, thanked J.K Rowling for her insight.
“I’m trans, and a high performing former athlete, including 7.5 years in the army. Been on HRT for 5.5 years, and I can still prove that if I competed against women in sports, I still have an advantage. I was on path to prove it by breaking the female squat record until an old Army injury sidelined me. But I still perform in the 80th percentile on a spin bike after never riding before 2020,” said Higdon.
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do you have a fancast? like perfect irl people that remind you of florelia (and the rest) not necessarily actors but people in general. tbh it's hard to find the perfect tan girl with green eyes. sometimes it's easy when people aren't in your ear telling you flora is latina bc she might be but it's hard to find latinas with flora's physical traits. and helia to me he's not asian he just has cat eyes. though I have to admit I like it when in fics people say helia and musa are cousins.
okay there is a lot to unpack here.
First of all, no, I actually don't have the perfect fancast for Florelia or any of the Winx characters really and its not something that really bothers me. I don't want a live action (not everything needs to be made live) or a reboot, I want them to fix the mistakes they've done in the actual show and bring back quality content.
Secondly, I am that person in your ear telling you Flora is a Latina and that Helia is Asian.
Not because she might be, but because it has been explicitly said since forever that Iginio was inspired by Jennifer Lopez when creating Flora. The WHOLE POINT of the characters Musa, Aisha and Flora being designed the way they were was to include diversity.
The proof is coming out with the original designs for Musa and Flora where they are both clearly white. What other reason would Iginio have to change their features and the colors of their skin if it wasn't to be inclusive? And what is wrong with him doing that?
When people say Flora is Latina they obviously don't mean she is a Latina, Puerto Rican girl living in an alien world. Her character is inspired by a Latina woman. Hence, her features and skintone (when doing art or fancast) and possible stereotypes (when making hcs or writing fanfics) need to be taken into account.
When you say it's hard to find Latina's with Flora's traits, it's not because Flora's not a Latina or girls who look like her don't exist, it's because there is not enough representation of darker skinned Latinas. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT. Especially if you're looking for it on pinterest, like you search girlhood in there and all you get are white girls?? Where the hell are the rest of us?
Also Flora having green eyes is directly related to the fact that she is the Fairy of Nature (they literally glow when she powers up) but that doesn't mean Latinas can't have green eyes. One simple google search will show you.
You can argue for Linphea since it doesn't look like Puerto Rico but it also a realm of Nature and that doesn't leave as much room for them to work with as they got to with Musa and Melody (even that has its issues of lumping in all the different cultures) and lets be honest we barely got a glimpse into Linphea's actual culture as it was.
Then we have Helia. Yes his character wasn't explicitly said to be Asian. But his design doesn't leave much doubt, especially the moment someone points it out. His features are inspired by East Asian features, he shares similar design characteristics to Musa and other asian characters.
The fact that you said he just has cat eyes already proves how you view Asian features. And also the fact that you identify he has Asian features but don't want him to be Asian is because of whatever prejudice you are holding onto.
The joke is so fucking old, it was never, ever funny.
Also I want to pose this question to everyone, not this person since they didn't say they think he's white. Why is it that if a light-skinned character's inspiration isn't explicitly stated, they are just by default white?
And anyone pointing out the possibility of them being otherwise makes people think they have the free-reign to just to ignore because the character is light-skinned?
When Helia's background is left for interpretation it makes more sense to explore the hundreds of Asian cultures that exist instead of ignoring all of that and jumping straight to him being white. Like there are East Asians and there are Southeast Asians and no these aren't just two cultures they are a number of different countries with different cultures.
I am South Asian. No, I do not look like Helia or Musa, I look like Nabu.
Hell, I thought Flora was Indian and Helia was white when I was NINE. It took one person casually pointing out "hey they're not" to realise oh ya they actually aren't.
I don't know if this was a targeted ask because I have posted in this account about how i find the Helia and Musa being cousins hcs uncomfortable.
But yeah, I find it uncomfortable because where I'm from (I can't speak for every single Asian country though I don't think this is an isolated experience) it is a joke to ask any new Asian person you meet if they are related or if they know this other Asian person that you know. Again it's an old joke, it's not that funny, it never was.
It is also a joke to say yeah all Asians are related, or they all cousins. It may seem harmless, but I'd say it has deeper roots of incest accusations/stereotypes like marrying your cousin or whatever. Even if I'm wrong about that (if i am please someone who is a poc correct me, white people shut up), it's still a stereotype you are perpetuating. (and no I'm not just talking about older fanfics that were probably written by 11 year olds where everyone is always related, i'm talking about the ones written by adults.)
Why is it never Sky and Stella being cousins? Or Riven and Tecna? They have similar features. Why not them? Why is it always only Musa and Helia?
But that just brings us back to you saying you don't think Helia's Asian. Musa is clearly Asian (if you're going to say she's not then you are just plain ignorant). But, Musa's Asian and her "cousin" Helia just has cat eyes ???If you like that hc then why can’t you accept that he is clearly Asian?
Before white people get defensive about poc calling out racism that you claim isn't intentional, stop and think WHY. It has been said time and time again, racism is not always inherently overt or 100% intentional. It can come out in even as something as 'small' or 'not as serious' as cartoon characters. But it is serious because we poc exist in these spaces too.
Also you can be POC and still be racist. Funnily enough, that was the very first direct interaction of racism I experienced in this fandom. That also does not mean white people get a pass (it's sad I even have to add that as a disclaimer)
I don't even know if you bothered to read this far, but I hope you've learned something.
#i tried to be calm about this but ive had a really shitty fucking day and you showed up at the wrong time in my inboxes#but that's on you for being ignorant#maybe i should have been kinder#but i am not a predominant account in this fandom#if you found me you must have done some kind of searching or diggging deep#which means you've already come across quite a few people making these points#not entirely unrelated but when they say media literacy is dead#Like of course no no one is saying Flora is in Winx Club Canon a Puerto Rican and Linphea is Puerto Rico#But it's also weird to go okay then she's white#She's an alien#so i can make her white#??????
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Is the Bible REALLY the Word of GOD?
There are so many ways to address this question, but today I want to unpack the idea that the bible was written by men out of their own heads, and cobbled together by some committee, leaving hundreds of other books out for no good reason other than popularity.
The Bible (the Protestant one) is a collection of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament. There are 40 human authors that wrote the various letters, prophesies, and histories contained in it, over a span of about 4000 years.
These men came from all walks of life. Some where shepherds, some were doctors, some were kings. Musicians and vagabonds. Scribes and Pharisees. Tax collectors and fishermen. Even within its pages, people remark on the responses of some of them, as they've never been to school, how could they know the scriptures so well?
[Act 4:13 KJV] 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
I've studied this book of books for around 40 years now. Read it through a few dozen times, and done countless in-depth studies into its wealth of content. One of the things I've noticed is that almost every verse in the bible has a reference to another verse. Often because the other verse is a prophesy in THIS verse that was fulfilled hundreds or even thousands of years later.
There's plenty of historical evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, that the Old Testament books were written over a thousand years before the New Testament, yet there are thousands of references to Jesus, his life and ministry, his trial and crucifixion, and his resurrection and ascension. His coming again. His millennial reign. His final judgement and the beauty and majesty and eternity of heaven.
Those cross-references are indicated in the picture I included above. Tens of thousands of them, drawn out from point to point.
Fishermen and vagabonds, musicians and shepherds would have had a hard time writing anything, and predicting the future events a thousand years away? Um, no. It smacks of an omniscience not only across simultaneous events, but a knowledge of future events as if you were there. A knowledge only God could have. For example, in Psalm 22 David writes:
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look [and] stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (Psa 22:14-18 KJV)
Indicating a knowledge of crucifixion that wouldn't be invented for a thousand years. Of the gambling for Jesus' clothes, a common practice for the soldiers of that time.
I don't have room here to unpack more, but this should make it clear. Men didn't write this. Oh, they held the pens. But God gave the words.
As to the inclusion of those 66 books and the exclusion of others? Well, that happened over time, from the Council of Rome in AD 382 and Council of Trent in 1563 AD. And finally, the Protestant canon was decided by the Thirty-Nine Articles in 1563, and almost 100 years later by the Westminster Confession of Faith in 1647.
These councils didn't make these decisions based on popularity. All of these letters, histories, and prophesies were examined thoroughly and had to pass various tests, including reference by other works in the collection, references TO other works in the collection, indication of prophecy fulfilled, and agreement with the rest of scripture as a whole. Other works, like additional books found in the Catholic Bible, like Tobit and I and II Maccabees, were found to be divinely inspired, but not in agreement with the whole of scripture. For example, Tobit was disputed as part of scripture by the first-century Jews. And found in the Protestant council to have theological differences.
Those books were deemed Apocryphal. Other books were declared Pseudo-Apocryphal, that is, out and out forgeries with spurious claims to having been written by one of the biblical characters, like the Gospel of Nicodemus. Containing inaccuracies and spiritual pitfalls and heresies.
What is in the Bible that we have today is the Word of God. it contains over 600 prophesies fulfilled in Christ. And several thousand more fulfilled throughout history. The bible says it best:
All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2Ti 3:16-17 KJV)
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The Ace Character Guide
I am firmly in the “you don’t need to be part of X minority to write characters in X minority” camp. If we didn’t celebrate people learning, researching, and trying, we’d keep these dividers up. Now if your plan is to write a character explicitly suffering the nuanced and painful circumstances of why they’re a minority maybe don’t do that if you don’t personally have that experience?
Anyway! I want more aces in fiction. Thus, non-aces should get comfortable writing us, cause we’re really not that scary, and there’s a ton of variety within the ace spectrum. I’m including demisexuals in here, but not aromantics because I am not any authority on aromanticism. As seen in the graph above, your ace, or aces, can be wildly different than whatever stereotype you have in your head.
You can be an ace romantic, you can be ace and any other sexuality or gender identity, you can be poly and ace. There is no limit.
So I spent way too long on the above graph that should include gender identity on it but that would require three axes and I want to keep this simple, so for today's purposes "orientation" includes gender identity. Here's five ace characters you could potentially write:
Character A: This character's aceness is neutral, as is their sexuality, since they don't desire anyone regardless of what's in their pants. They might have it from time to time, but will let the opportunity arise and the planets align to feel in the mood for it.
Character B: This character could be gay, bi, pan, lesbian, etc, and are more on the sex-positive side and leaning toward demi. They'll do it, maybe seek it out, but likely not with a stranger and not very often. They might only do it with their partner or someone they trust.
Character C: This character is, for all other intents and purposes, straight and cis. They might have a long-term partner, they might not, but they'll do it when the inclination arises, just probably won't have a hook-up or a one-night-stand with a stranger.
Character D: This character is also, for all other intents and purposes, straight and cis, but they want little to do with sex. Doesn't matter if they're in a romantic relationship. They don't seek it out and might actively avoid situations where they'd be pressured to participate.
Character E: This character is LGBTQ+ of some variety, but still not a fan of sex. They do not need a reason to justify their gayness because straight isn't the default. They might be in a monogomous or polyamourous relationship and in it for the cuddles and attention.
What does all that mean? It means I can write a gay male character who isn’t going to seek out someone to sleep with but might dabble if he’s in the mood and someone approaches him first, and still call him ace. I can also write a straight, cis-woman who wants absolutely nothing to do with it or any of its byproducts, and call her ace.
Asexuality isn’t necessarily a lack of libido, it’s a lack of attraction to other people. Aces aren’t all prude, clueless virgins, our sexuality is self-contained. Or, sometimes, it really is the lack of drive for any and all thoughts and sensations toward sex.
It’s a spectrum. A very wide and inclusive spectrum, which means there’s a lot of room to play around and not very many no-no’s (at least in my opinion). You can still write your aces in sex scenes. You can still write them finding other characters attractive. You can still write them wanting sex at all.
The no-no’s:
Every ace ever has heard “you just haven’t found the right person yet”. If you write an ace and their arc is *curing themselves* you’re completely missing the point
Thus, writing your ace realizing they’re *cured* after some amazing fanfic-level sexy times is also in bad form.
Writing an ace who’s ’I hate being ace it’s misery’ all the time. It’s not miserable. The only thing miserable about it is how we aren’t taken seriously by society.
An ace with a non-ace partner who justifies their partner cheating because they see themselves as “not good enough” or their relationship insufficient. This happens, and this is for ace authors only imo.
Ace who suddenly isn’t because of alcohol, medication, or drugs now *free* from their “disorder”
Ace = autistic/[insert mental disorder]. Yes, sometimes it can overlap, when you have people with sensory issues that includes a dislike for sex, but ace ≠ mental disorder in any way shape or form. If you’re going to write this, you’d better have that neurodivergence yourself or are super close with someone who does.
An ace who is only ace because of trauma, in a book that says asexuality is only possible through trauma and not just a thing that people feel
An ace who thinks they're an incel because they don't think anyone will love them without putting out, and the book's plot proves them right.
—
Why does this matter? Why do we want to see representation so badly? Two reasons, I think it can be boiled down to:
Sex ≠ Love. Intimacy doesn’t mean attraction.
Sex ≠ the only motivation a character can have.
Part of the reason I hated Disney’s Loki was because he spent a decade of real-world time being motivated by power, vengeance, redemption, fear, hate, respect, and insecurity. Loki never needed a romantic subplot to fulfill his arc and the one they gave him was garbage.
I support the drifting away from the obligatory romantic subplot, too (for all my aros out there) however, what’s even rarer is a romantic subplot that doesn’t include lust. A romance that is all about the emotional, personal connection, not just physical.
But it’s also about this dire need we have to unlearn that any attempt at physical intimacy at any level certainly means that sex is the endgame, particularly for men. Please write more characters that hug and cuddle on the couch to watch a movie and casually touch each other and even share a bed *without* it leading anywhere. Characters who hold hands just because. Who give cheek/nose/forehead kisses just for fun, or for love. Characters who don’t flip out when their crush takes their shirt off. Characters who can (or even prefer not to) see each other naked without libido getting in the way.
Now then.
What if you do want to write your ace pursuing or getting sex? (Or, fandom forbid, taking a canonical ace and writing them in a relationship and/or getting intimate). Aces can still want sex. But if you’re writing an ace solely to write them in a sex scene, why are you writing an ace?
If that’s only part of their character and not their primary motivation or arc, here’s some suggestions:
An ace who is curious about sex and wants to try it with someone they trust
An ace curious about sex so they hire a sex worker so there’s no perforamce pressure or emotional risk
An ace who will take the opportunity if it arises, but won’t go out looking for it
An ace determined to please their non-ace partner within the realm of their comfort zone (tread lightly here)
An ace who still (annoyingly or otherwise) dreams and fantasizes about other characters, and deals with that alone
An ace who doesn’t like anything done to them, but can get creative with their partner, or vice versa
An ace who does like some things but not all things related to sex. E.g. an ace that likes kissing but doesn’t want to go further than that.
An ace in a healthy and communicative relationship with another ace or a non-ace and there are zero worries of infidelity or the non-ace person leaving them
An ace who says no at any point and their partner listens and they go have fun doing anything else
I didn’t address Demis much but I think many of the same guidelines apply? Demis just have that one special person. But, see? We’re not scary.
I also don’t support the “minority representation must never be painted in a bad light/be the villain/be at all a jerk of a character because reasons”. If you want to make your villain ace, you have my permission. ***however*** Don’t make their aceness the root of their villainy, and don’t make them insult or degrade other characters for not being ace. Also, try to have at least one other ace in the cast, preferably on the hero side.
When in doubt, consult a sensitivity reader. I’m happy to oblige, because I very badly want my own army of fictional aces to fall in love with and they aren’t going to write themselves.
#acespec#ace pride#ace characters#writing advice#writing resources#writing tips#writing a book#writing tools#character development#writing
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You know, the thing that pisses me off the most about the Enterprise finale is not Trip's terrible death, or that the crew doesn't even have a proper POV during their finale episode. Sure, these things makes me very angry, but the one thing that makes me see red, you know what it is?
It's the presumption that if the franchise were to be given a goodbye to a not known lenght of time, the ones who had to send it off had to be the TNG crew and none of the other series deserved this honor, as if the other ones - even the Enterprise crew, the one show doing the goodbye - were not worth it.
I'm having a similar feeling watching the third season of Star Trek: Picard, considering they wrote off the entire cast of the series, with the exception of Raffi and Seven. It does feel like once again the TNG crew is kicking out the cast of the original show to insert themselves in there at the end.
But it's not the same because it's a Picard series and Picard was the main TNG character!
Yes, I see this point, somewhat agree with it but. It's not the same. Because this is Picard twenty years after his captain years, and it's about who he is now. We saw him make new friends, a new family in the two previous seasons, and this is now all cast out, as if it was all worthless.
And you see, I'm not actually against the inclusion of the TNG crew in Picard's last season. I think it makes sense to include them; they are Picard's family, after all, and Nemesis left several loose ends. What I'm against is the exclusion of the original cast, when they should have been kept IN ADDITION to the TNG crew being brought back.
But it's too many characters to write about!
Deep Space Nine had NINE main characters (Sisko, Dax, Kira, Bashir, Odo, O'Brien, Quark, Jake, Worf), three main antagonists (Dukat, Winn, Female Founder) and a TON of supporting cast (Garak, Damar, Leeta, Rom, Nog, Morn, Keiko, Kasidy, Ziyal, Martok, Weyoun, Vic Fontaine...) and they managed to juggle it all just fine. More than fine.
But they have to work with much less episodes!
I see this point. It's true; only ten episodes it's not a lot of time when there used to be 26 episodes per season, but you know what? It's still a body of work with almost ten hours of duration. This is just a little less than the hours of the LOTR trilogy, and see the size of the universe and the storylines you're capable of creating with roughly the same timeframe.
If they focused on what matters and if they were to write it well, it is more than possible to juggle many characters and do a good work while you are at it.
Elnor should have been in this season; he could be a foil to Jack, since he sees Picard as a father figure. So should have been Soji, especially now that Data is back; I think he deserves to know he has a daughter. They never should have gotten ridden of Rios. Borg Queen Agnes is very plot relevant, but she's nowhere to be seen.
I'm glad that Raffi has been in this season and its a joy to see her with Worf, but it leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth that her romance with Seven seems dead to me. Trek has a terrible record with queer characters, and Seven and Raffi are the first lesbian couple in the whole franchise (and the only main ones apart of Jennifer and Mariner in Lower Decks), and even if they had highs and lows, at least season two bothered to give them time together and interactions. They barely were in the same room together during this season.
The constantly barbs to the early seasons like the way Troi and Riker talked about their home life, the way they ignore Borg Queen Agnes whole existence... this season seems do disdainful of its predecessors, and even if they were full of flaws, this seems so unfair to me. Especially when this season have such a a weak plot being held together only by the talent and the charisma of the TNG crew, it's really not a good look. The story is weak, it's repetitive, it doesn't make sense when you think about it for too long.
And you know what it's sad? Man, I LOVE the TNG crew. In fact I love TNG; apart from Deep Space Nine, it's my favorite Star Trek series. I prefer it even over TOS. It makes me sad to see them being brought together again so messily, and in detriment of everything the Star Trek: Picard series had previously established, especially when you can see the ways it could have been good.
#my internet connection was down yesterday so i wrote this whole rant down lmao#long post#picard spoilers#star trek picard#Star Trek: Picard
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Blazing Saddles (1974) essay
Blazing Saddles is a beloved film that is audacious and hilarious and includes biting social commentary. The film covers the improbable journey of Sheriff Bart, a black railroad worker turned sherif. He faces racism and corruption in hilarious ways throughout the movie. This film without a doubt pushed the boundaries of satire as well as comedy as a whole. In this essay we will delve into the style, historical significance, critical reception, and the blend of the conventional and unconventional.
Blazing Saddles (1974) Original Trailer - Gene Wilder Movie (youtube.com)
The first thing that I will be covering is the critical reception of the film. This film polarized critics with its bold and irreverent approach to comedy. Many thought that it was a phenomenal piece of satire that pushed the boundaries on topics such as racism, others condemned it due to its political incorrectness and dark humor. In the review by Roger Ebert, he states ""Blazing Saddles" is like that. It's a crazed grabbag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken. Mostly, it succeeds". The New York Times criticized its reliance on "easy and obvious targets" for its humor.
The actual content of the film includes endless satire and gags that last the duration of the film. The writers of the film navigate through the topics of racism, sexism, and many other societal taboos in a way that many would say that is untasteful. In terms of style, the film is a Mel Brooks classic, pushing boundaries at every opportunity and challenging the viewers' expectations at every turn. In addition to the film's unrelenting gags, it also tacks a whirlwind of important social taboos such as racism, sexism, and many cultural stereotypes. The film covers these sensitive topics through its wit and humor, often blurring the line between hilarious comedy and hurtful truths, brutally exposing the hypocrisies and injustices of society. The film happily defies expectations and challenges its viewers to question many of their views about comedy as well as about the world around them.
The film, having been released in 1974, occurred at the same time as several significant historical events and cultural movements. One of the most significant of these events to the film was the civil rights movement. Because of the fact that Blazing Saddles takes aim at racism so heavily, it caused it to be a very important film at the time.
Another event that was happening at the time that was extremely significant for the film was the increasing awareness of the LGBT community. This is another topic that the film digs into heavily and pokes fun at, and in turn, brings awareness to.
Something that has come up multiple times in my research of the film is the fact that this film would be impossible to create in today's landscape. The films approach to satire would almost certainly face almost insurmountable challenges today, especially regarding its unapologetic use of racial and ethnic humor. Even at the time of its release it faced backlash, and if it was released today, that backlash would be increased tenfold. The norms of today's film industry prioritize inclusivity and representation which is something that is simply not present in this film. Although the film's intentions are quite clearly satirical, I don't believe that there is any way that this film would have even made it out of the board room where it was being pitched.
It is not possible to pigeonhole the film "Blazing Saddles" into simply one category when it comes to conventional versus unconventional. This is because the film seamlessly blends together many different aspects of both a conventional and unconventional film. Although the film does adhere to some of the classic tropes it also defies them with its irreverent humor and boundary pushing satire. It is very difficult to call a film with such offensive and groundbreaking humor as conventional, and yet it is also difficult to identify a film with such a loaded cast and popular director as unconventional.
In conclusion, "Blazing Saddles" stands as a testament to the irreverent genius of Mel Brooks, as well as his fearlessness in his exploration of the limits of film comedy. Despite all of the polarization due to the film, it still remains a beloved classic due to how funny it remains, even after all these years. Through its willingness to push boundaries, this film defies easy categorization into things like conventional or unconventional. I think that this film should be looked back on as an enduring masterpiece of comedy and social commentary.
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