#don’t ask what prompted this post because it would lead to me being institutionalized

[daisyachain]

There are places where I think a sex scene can dramatically impact a story in a way that enriched the viewing experience and conveys important information. There are movies and/or tv shows in which this happens. I haven’t seen any of them. So much of the time it’s there to do exactly what it says on the tin. A woman and a man are banging. Sure. Fine. Happy for them. It’s just a literal scene used to pull a bit of a ‘well you didn’t think THEY would be involved’ plot twist or a ‘we’re so edgy’ signal. The only show so far that I’ve seen that uses sex scenes as an actual tool of storytelling is Black Sails, and the reason it works in Black Sails is that the sex is Bad. People are bored. People are distracted. The characters are so bound up with the plot that it’s physically prevented them from fucking like normal human beings. That works. The rest doesn’t

[kobakova]

Dragon Age and how it addresses oppression

ok so disclaimer this is not the rewrite of the Elven pantheon (the thing I keep promising I know I’m terrible) however it is an introduction to it and basically the reason why I feel the need to rewrite it in the first place! It’s a bit wordy, but I hope you take the time to read through it, as it took a lot of time and effort and I would super appreciate it! Today I stumbled upon a tik tok that was discussing how DA handles oppression and it motivated me to create a post about how I believe the way DA handles it is problematic at its core. I am not going to link the tik tok, as the creator has asked not to be put on blast, though I am including a word for word transcription of what the creator has said to avoid altering or skewing their message. I want to add that this is not an attack on the creator and what they said, more importantly it is an analysis of how other players perceive the oppression addressed within the game and how that proves that there is a serious problem with how DA handles it.

It is evident to me the message Dragon Age is trying to express is that oppression HAS to happen and that there is a reason to oppress. There are many examples within the game that prove this statement, though I want to focus mainly on how oppression impacts the mages and the Dalish, and how you as the main character can choose to perpetuate that oppression. To begin, here is the transcription of the tik tok below, which addresses oppression through the treatment of the mages.

“When it comes to mages, dragon age gives us a very clear picture that yes, these are people, they have hopes they have dreams they want to do better for themselves, they want to help others, we see this very clearly especially in DA2 where the whole plot revolves around mages rebelling. However, we also see very clearly in DA2 what can happen when a mage is left unchecked. Abominations, blood magic, the ability to force ones will onto somebody is a real threat with mages. Whether they succumbed to blood magic, whether they succumbed to the temptations of demons. These are unique challenges that face mages. And whether or not they should have freedom is true. And the game even gives us an amazing depiction of what could happen through Tevinter mages. What happens if mages are truly released, they have freedom. They might turn out like the Tevinters. Mages can become the ones solely on top oppressing other groups. A situation of the minority suppressing the majority. Whereas all the other lands of Thedas it’s the majority oppressing the minority. We have to grapple with these choices, whether not you kill a blood mage or you let them live. Or whether not you side with the mage rebellion or you side with the templars in DA2. It doesn’t pretend like it’s easy, and it doesn’t pretend to be something that it’s not. It doesn’t pretend to be real life. It gives unique challenges and unique decisions.”

My problem with DA is that you make choices through the role of an oppressor, which is very clear within Dragon Age: Inquisition as your rise to power then gives you the choice to oppress. The transcription above proves that a player has to make their decisions through the lens of an oppressor because you can determine the freedom or oppression of other people, in this case, the mages. Oppression cannot be a tool used for good because it is inherently bad, it only belittles others and is used to gain power. This could be a valuable lesson on how once power is gained so then is the ability to oppress, and how with the responsibility of power you should make choices based on what is best for the people who are oppressed. However, Bioware fails to follow through with this message for the sake of keeping their game morally grey. Instead, Bioware creates reasons and excuses for certain groups to be oppressed, thus making it okay for the player to make a decision that oppresses because either within their history something bad happened or there are certain people within the group that have done bad things. For example, all blood mages are considered evil due to some mages using blood magic in order to oppress and harm. However, we see in the game that not all blood mages are evil, and use blood magic to help. Despite this, all who use blood magic are deemed evil and if used, even if it means they are trying to escape an oppressive system, they will become Tranquil. When addressing Tevinter mages it’s evident that they have gained power, however they have chosen to oppress with this power. Being born with the ability to use magic is having the ability to gain power over another, but it is up to the individual to use that power to oppress or to use it to assist others. The ability to use magic itself is not an oppressive tool, because it has the ability to do good, it is the decisions of the individual that make it oppressive if the person decides to be an oppressor. If Bioware wasn’t so adamant about keeping the game morally grey, then they would’ve had an opportunity to create really interesting and important lessons on power and oppression that would better reflect our political landscape.

Now I want to move onto the Dalish, because I have a serious issue with how Bioware addresses the oppression they face and I believe it is important to mention. As stated above, Bioware chooses to ignore the dismantling of oppression, and instead creates reasons in order  to excuse the oppression of a group simply due to the fact that no group is perfect and they all have their issues. This is evident within the Trespasser DLC when discovering the true nature of the elven gods, which I will paste below:

!! Warning: spoilers ahead !!

“Following the initial events of the Exalted Council, the Inquisitor uncovers the reality that the Elven Gods were in fact phenomenally powerful mages who rose in prominence after the end of an unknown war. Solas implies that the Evanuris started out as generals during the war, then respected elders, and finally were revered as gods. They started out as heroes of the famed war eventually becoming corrupt tyrants in order to hoard and maintain their own power. The Evanuris institutionalized a system of slavery using Vallaslin as a brand, with only Fen'Harel (and more subtly, Mythal) challenging their tyranny. Most of the gods were arrogant in their ways, their power and attitudes more akin to the Tevinter Magisters. Eventually, the other Evanuris plotted against Mythal and killed her, prompting Fen'Harel to lead a rebellion against them and later creating the Veil to banish them into the Beyond,”

(https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Elven_pantheon).

From what I’ve seen, little is known about the Elven Pantheon before Dragon Age: Inquisition and the discovery that the elven gods are actually powerful mages is only represented within the Trespasser DLC. Though I have learned later that this was always the plan for the Elven Pantheon, which was to expose the gods for being tyrants who enslaved their own kind. It is clear that Bioware took inspiration from Native tribes to then create the Dalish elves (even within the name, since there is the Salish Kootenai tribe and Bioware literally just switched the first letter) and this is why I have a major issue with how they chose to handle the oppression that the Dalish are impacted by. Throughout the Dragon Age games, we see the torment that the Dalish suffer through from name calling to the complete erasure of the elven race; Bioware even goes as far as to take significant historical events like the Trail of Tears and write them into the elven history. This is why the Trespasser DLC angers me, because after all you learn about the Dalish and what is done to oppress them, it almost seems brushed off after it is exposed that the elven gods were similar to Tevinter mages. This type of message has real world implications, and can impact how people perceive Native people. Within my own experience as a Native person, I’ve had people argue to me that the oppression Native people face has reason because we have also owned slaves which is COMPLETELY untrue. I was shocked to see this exact reason be integrated into the Trespasser DLC, and it worries me because some players will see that and find it perfectly rational to think that because of the Dalish’s history it is then okay that they were oppressed. Throughout history, America and other countries that have oppressed Native and Indigeous people have created excuses and reasons to oppress them (from excuses like we are s*vages that need to be educated, to reasons like the Manifest Destiny). Therefore, it is incredibly harmful that Bioware would use the same type of reasoning not only for the Dalish but for the mages and the Qunari as well. Finding a reason to oppress a group does not create progressive change, it only divides us and keeps the oppressed groups oppressed and keeps the oppressors in power. Bioware needs to change how they approach oppression, and instead actually teach players the tools needed in order to dismantle oppression. 

I hope to be able to change how the Dalish are perceived, and show through my rewrite of the elven pantheon and also rewrites of missions involving the Dalish how to dismantle oppression through the choices and involvement of the inquisitor. I thank you all for taking the time to read and if there are any questions please don’t be afraid to ask!

[whatiwillsay]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[stillness-in-green]

MLA Week, Day 4: Heart

Trumpet, Re-Destro and a victory speech.  All the history in the world, and yet there’s never enough time today.

Content Notes: Brief outline of the emergence of quirks and the chaos that followed, mentions of actual Japanese political structures, institutionalized oppression, hate groups, and infanticide.  Making up dates so flagrantly you’d think I was scratching off a lotto card.  

���——–      ———–      ———–      ———–

The advent of the Age of the Extraordinary, despite the glowing name, saw unprecedented disorder and social upheaval.  Family split from family, friend from friend.  Those bearing meta-abilities, as they came to be called, were subject to widespread discrimination, first in the immediate, one-on-one way of the frightened bigot, lashing out in fear of the unknown, and later in the systemic way of the overburdened bureaucracy, panicking in the form of unjust laws and ordinances against any use of those meta-abilities.  Some countries tried expulsion or internment for any showing signs of being among the new minority; some made the use of those innate abilities a capital offense.  The world saw a return of the barbarism of infanticide; new hate groups arose which linger to this day, despite all our advances.  

A fact of governance is that the party in power will bear the brunt of criticism for any crisis, no matter how unforeseeable.  A crisis of the magnitude of the sudden evolution of documentable super-powers was unimaginable.  

Such a degree of crisis, perhaps, is what was required to break the vice grip of the dominant political party at the time when meta-abilities began to emerge, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.  That epitome of conservatism and corruption had held power virtually uninterrupted for one and a quarter centuries before the emergence of, on the one hand, Destro and his Army of Liberation, and, on the other hand, Saneki Yuuichi, the very first meta-human to attain representation in the Diet.  It was the tension between the demands of these two factions that finally, irreparably fragmented the LPD.  

The elections that followed were fractious, haphazard.  Coalitions whose only commonality was opposition to the LPD unraveled.  Across Japan, political parties old and new heard the song of opportunity.  Voting numbers surged as they had not done in decades.  Not only those with meta-abilities—by then called “quirks,” in recognition of one of our kind’s first and greatest martyrs—but minorities of all kinds strove to make their voices heard, cleaving together with newfound passion for each of their individual causes.  For the first time, quirk-users began to seek office in sufficient number, and with sufficient backing, to form their own coalitions, driven to secure the safety and well-being of a rapidly developing population.  

In 2095, over a century after the birth of the radiant child in Qing Qing, Japan signed an international accord acknowledging the fundamental rights of meta-humans.  In 2120, the country reached meta-human parity—fifty percent of the population were confirmed quirk-users.  No longer was there a need to cling in desperation to our one cause, a cause for which we would sacrifice all other concerns.  Quirk-users could begin to look to other causes, to the construction of the future.  

—The construction of the future.  That is why I stand here tonight, thanks to all of you!  [pause for applause]  My friends, I struggle to find the words.  It has been such a long, long path.  Over the last few years, I have heard, over and over again, your concerns, your values, your fears.  It will be my honor to carry them to Nagata.  Our representation in Japan’s halls of governance is yet small, but our numbers will grow.  With every passing year, the needs of this country’s citizens grow more varied and complex—simple, one-size-fits-all solutions will no longer be able to address them.  We must reach out to one another, united in our faith in the essential humanity of all quirk-users.  Together, our hearts and minds will lead us to tomorrow.  

Thank you.  

———–      

“How is it?” Koku asks when Rikiya’s lips begin to tug upwards towards the end of the last page.  “Acceptable, I hope, seeing as I’ll need to be delivering it tomorrow.”  

“You might try to punch up the history lesson a bit, but it’s very stirring,” Rikiya responds, looking up with a smile.  “And it will only be more so, with your delivery.”

“You’re a flatterer.”

“It’s hardly undeserved, Trumpet.”  

The name, though he’s worn it since he was a teenager, has never felt so earned.  Koku’s fingers brush over Rikiya’s and linger as Rikiya passes the speech back over again.  Oh, to be as free as we were back in school.

“I wish I could stay the evening,” Koku says with less vehemence than he feels, “but I have some social calls to make.  Supporters’ Association business.”

“Does it ever end?” Rikiya asks with mock-reflectiveness, still holding his gaze.

“Not as long we’re still holding weddings and funerals, I’m afraid.”  He folds up the speech and tucks into the inner pocket of his coat. “Thank you for taking the time.”  

Rikiya sighs at the lack of an address, his expression a knowing and weary smile.  He nods, and Koku takes his leave before things have a chance to get out of hand.  

———–      ———–      ———–      ———–

I’ve gotten an ask about posting my OCs/made-up names and quirks for this story, which I will absolutely compile a post on when the week is over, if only because I want to share some of the fruits of the 5-6 hours of feverish note-taking I had to do for this bit of self-indulgence.  

I don’t know what part of my brain decided to translate, “You know, I’ve been really curious about politics in HeroAca Land and Trumpet’s place in them--I’ll write something about that for the Heart prompt!” to, “I know; I’ll write an epistolary-style victory speech summarizing the entire history of the progression of quirk acceptance and Trumpet’s fictional political party!  With dates!” but it needs to check itself before I wreck myself.  

Thanks to @codenamesazanka for help with the Saneki Yuuichi name (which plays on words for Unique and Utility/Profit), and, for that matter, helping me brainstorm the Haneki Park Case for yesterday’s fill!