#don't even worry about this post it's not meant to be comprehensible to anyone

[depressed-celestial-body]

Gonna have to start giving myself a bedtime because The Killer usually shows up between 1am and 1:30am but he can't get me if I'm under the many blankets

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

your “sentimonsters vs tropes” post made me realize how sentimonsters don’t work as a metaphor for marginalized people despite what other people say, because even if it was intentional, the show doesn’t acknowledge the fact that the majority of them get killed by the heroes, including Adrien and Felix (who are part of their race). Honestly, it makes me wonder if Miraculous ever did some sort of allegory right at all

(Post in question)

Before we get into it, I wanted to quickly define allegory in case that's a new or forgotten term for anyone as it's hardly common parlance:

An allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughout history in all forms of art to illustrate or convey complex ideas and concepts in ways that are comprehensible or striking to its viewers, readers, or listeners.

In the linked post, I chastised canon for not using the sentikids to say anything about personhood or self worth. While I stand by that, I will also give canon credit for the fact that sentimonsters as a race are not presented as a clear allegory for anything. The sentimonsters that weren't meant to be equal to humans are just worthless akuma knockoffs created to act as canon fodder. The human-equivalent sentimonsters are basically perfect humans who happen to have remote controls. You are never supposed to think about the implications of that frankly bizarre difference. There is not meant to be a deeper message and that's the right call because, when you look at the setup we just went over, you quickly realize canon didn't set itself up to make the sentimonster race an allegory for anything but eugenics.

While you can argue that canon is eugenics apologia, that is very clearly not intentional. I don't worry about kids walking away thinking eugenics are good because you only get that as a takeaway if you're actively searching for a message in canon's writing. There is no on-screen discussion of which sentimonsters are okay to kill or any other type of blatant allegory for eugenics. If eugenics = good is the intended message, then it's incredibly subtle.

While plot-level* allegory can be subtle, that tends to be rare in family-oriented media as the point of allegory is to convey a message. If no one is picking up on the message, then you've failed to make your point. That's why no one is watching Zootopia or Elemental and walking away asking, "Huh, I wonder what that film was trying to teach kids?"

Miraculous doesn't have anything that stands out as a clear allegory like I'd expect if the intent was to use allegory to teach kids something. I'd normally say that means there was no intentional allegory in the show, but we have straight up insane statements from the writers like this one about the season five final:

In the next scene, we can see Marinette taking the miraculous that have been standardized and industrialized by Gabriel and putting them back in shape. The writers specify that this is a parable about craftsmanship vs industrial production. The miraculous will now be adapted to every person, but we can’t see what they look like just yet! In this new world, the powers are all shared, among people who they trust and know will work for the common good.

Did anyone get this from the show? I certainly didn't. With the writers making statements like this, who even knows what messages they're trying to send. Between this and the reveal that Lila learned about Gabriel by reading Nathalie's lips in the season four final, I've given up trying to figure out what these loons are doing with their wacky storytelling. It's always fascinating to hear them talk about the story they think they've told versus what the average viewer came away thinking. I have never once seen a fan get the Lila thing. Everyone I've seen thought she was just evilly enjoying Nathalie's suffering, but it's pretty clear that the writers are quite proud of this and think it was a great choice! You know what would have been an even better choice? Letting Lila read lips at any point before or even after that scene to establish this is a skill she has. That's basic setup and payoff! Storytelling 101!

*As a quick clarification, when I said "plot-level allegory" that was me trying to find a term to convey the sort of high-level, in-your-face allegory writers use when actively trying to clearly convey a message to the audience. There are lots of works that have no obvious allegory, but actually contain subtle allegory for those who enjoy analysis or a select group that's in the know. Something the author had fun playing with, but doesn't expect the audience to get.

An example of more subtle allegory that comes to mind is The Little Mermaid. There are many valid queer readings of both the original story and the popular Disney film, especially since the book was written by an openly bisexual man after a man he loved got engaged to a woman and one of the movie's producers/major creative influences was an openly gay man. These fact have lead many to argue that the stories were always meant to be about queer acceptance on some level as opposed to the stories simply being ones that can be used to discuss that topic in spite of the author never intending that. (Which doesn't invalidate the value of a reading, btw. As far as I'm concerned, author intentionality only matters in very specific types of discussion. Most of the time, I'm a death-of-the-author girl.)

However, even if the two works are meant to be an allegory for acceptance of "alternate" sexuality, you'd be hard pressed to argue that the allegory is presented in a way that the average viewer is going to get. Everyone gets that Zootopia is all about prejudice being bad. I generally hear Disney's The Little Mermaid described as a silly fairy tale about "a girl giving up everything for a man" even though that's only true for the original story.

[six-costume-refs]

Time for n00b question #2! (If you remember my first one was about putins like six months ago)

What is, exactly, a half-up half-down hairstyle? Is it like just a bit of the hair styled and the rest left loose? Or is there something else I'm not understanding? And which queens is it associated with?

Thank you for putting up with me being an idiot

Hey! No worries about noob questions - I know it’s cliche but there really are no stupid questions. It's actually more helpful when anyone asks questions that they might feel are simple or basic, because it makes sure that I answer that for you and anyone else who might be wondering + gives me a better frame of reference for what I may need to explain more in the future!

A half-up, half-down style in the most literal sense just means that a section of the hair is styled “up”, either pulled back or in some sort of updo, while the rest of the hair is left “down,” aka usually loose. You also might hear it called a “half updo” - same thing, basic concept of some of the hair is “up” and some is “down.” Same thing. In the most classic sense, it often is referring to a longer hairstyle with the hair most left down with a section on either side of the face pulled back in some way. But, again, it can describe a lot. Here's a good article with some different examples, and here’s another.

As it pertains to Six, specifically: - It describes most Aragon hairstyles, because in most the hair is left loose while sections near the front are pulled back in varying styles (I typically just describe these as a "bob" because I feel like the length is one of the most significant/identifying details that set Aragon wigs apart) - It also describes most Boleyn hairstyles, because most of the hair is down/loose while some is up in the spacebuns (like with Aragon, I usually don't refer to this as half-up either because I find the spacebuns to be the most iconic part of the look even though it is technically half-up) - It describes all but one Seymour style. To me, Seymour styles are also the most quintessential half-up style - the majority of the hair left loose and rather long, with varying forms of the sides/top pulled back. And unlike Aragon and Boleyn, I don't feel like there's any other more definable feature of the typical style (bob/spacebuns respectively), so this is my go-to term for Seymour styles.

Here's a few examples of Aragon, Boleyn, and Seymour styles that fit the half-up half-down label:

And here are a few A/B/S styles that AREN’T half-up half-down (not comprehensive):

While a half-up hairstyle isn't standard for Cleves, Howard, or Parr, a few of those queens have had them at different points as well:

Cleves: Grace Mouat had a few different half-up styles for Cleves, including one that was a teased bouffant style (pictured). Jennifer Caldwell originally wore her hair with the front/top sections pulled back to the sides, more similar to Aragon bobs.

Howard: For a while there were some Howards with a half-up style. It was meant to look like a regular pony, but it generally left the back half of the style loose. It was most commonly used for queens who had shorter hair/too many layers for their hair to be put totally up, back when Six didn't make a ponytail for everyone. There's actually been six queens with this style, which I talked about here.

Parr: Grace Mouat and Jennifer Caldwell both wore their hair pulled back in a crown, similar to their Cleves styles (part of the time anyway; Jennifer's is pictured here). Gabriela Francesca Carrillo has had a variety of hairstyles as Parr, but her earlier styles often featured some of the hair pulled “up” into braids/ponytails along with some sections hanging “down”/loose (post here). And Taylor Iman Jones has a version of the iconic Parr side pony (the “up”) but has some hair left loose in the back as well. (post here)

-------------- Aragon/Boleyn/Seymour half-up: haileekaleemwright; sixthemusicalau, unsure of origin; arumsoooooul; Joan Marcus; baylie.carson; Michaelah Reynolds; leahvassell; nataliemayparis; ceciliaevelyne Aragon/Boleyn/Seymour not: sixthemusical; courtneyebowman; bridges1993 Cleves/Howard/Parr: gracemouat; unknown, from Wiki; courtneypmack; mallorymaedke; broadwayinchicago; Jennifer Broski

[gasmaskenby]

Me :3

howdy folks, I'm Rain and this is meant to be an introduction of me bc i think it's time i made this lol (feel free to ignore if it's in your feed, or read on i don't care too much)

About Me:

i'm a genderfluid transfem, i am usually somewhere that'd be non binary and love me some xenogenders but i can also be fem or masc depending on how i feel

i'm aromatic and asexual but i'm very comfy with romance and sex (i'm very flirty if i like you), i just don't feel attraction like other people do and frankly aroace labels can get too specific for me and i'm not ready to make my own lmao

i'm also a system, for anyone that doesn't know you'd probably want to research it yourself bc i'm not going to educate you very well but basically i have some people in my brain with me (i call them headmates). They aren't usually the one talking here so you don't need to worry about that unless you're talking to me personally and even then most of them are pretty shy to new people

If there's any questions about me as a person feel free to put them in my ask bin and i'll get around to them soon, or just read my bio to see about age or pronouns

What I Post / My Interests:

i reblog anything i find funny and that's a lot of things so expect me to be a lot of your page if you follow me

I also make my own jokes to see if people like them mainly so i might be shy and say something in the tags or i'll be funny more directly, but if you don't like my humor you may want to leave

I like lots of things but i love history stuff, music (folk punk and vocaloid are my go to genres but i love will wood too), video games, horror, anime, ttrpgs, books, and i love my friends :3

I try to not get political here since this is where i go to avoid a lot of the worlds issues for a moment but i will sometimes reblog something if it makes a point i haven't seen before and i want to share it

I'm also very horny so there will be times that i'm flirting with my mutuals somewhere or be rebloging horny stuff, usually it's very t4t bc that's who i am

Warning: The next section is horny so if you don't want to see that then get out of the ride now and have a good rest of your day :3

What I'm horny about:

Firstly i'm a switch that is very often the top, so if you're going to top me you'll have to be a little nice about it and make me feel safe (which isn't that easy)

I'm into a lot but i'll make a short list of likes and dislikes, this is NOT a comprehensive list so there will be stuff i say is more personal and you'll either have to ask me about it or just wait for me to out myself with a reblog

Likes: t4t, cuddles and other soft stuff, nipple play, cnc, furry related stuff, blood, somno, and piss

Dislikes: detrans and lots of forcefem stuff, scat and vomit, and there's probably a few i'm forgetting rn so i'll update this part later i guess

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

Idk who needs to hear this but uh... Criminals and organized crime aren't special back-woods exceptions of people out there who magically do not go online or have internet. I don't mean this in a "be wary" kind of way either. I intend it as general cultural and situational awareness.

Everyone currently getting away with massive fraud, running and making drugs, actual human trafficking, actual grave robbing and various high profile thefts, crimes against children, profiteering etc... are ALSO just some guy on the internet who's probably scrolling social media and seeing largely the same posts as you.

Same with many celebrities and rich people, btw...

I am starting to get the impression that the average internet user assumes these people exist in a fully separate world, so if I or anyone refers to these groups of people in a post in language that directly addresses them, it is assumed we are simply likening another group to them to be dramatic and make a strawman of them, instead of taking what we are saying the way it is meant, literally and at face value.

For example, if I go on a post by an Egyptologist, and agree with them about Egyptian curses, and then -for example- go on to say that anyone removing things from tombs disrespectfully or in a way that isn't meant to conserve culture [names and identities etc], ie; actual grave robbers, are the ones who have to worry about curses and should "put it back"... I do not know why the base assumption being made is that I am calling Egyptologists grave robbers, instead of say, addressing people actually taking artifacts from sites without proper clearance and cooperation from the relevant government and cultures. You know, actual grave robbers, who actually exist, are committing an actual crime, and do in fact use the internet and see posts because I don't think most criminals operating in international markets can afford to not be internet literate. You utter fucking tumbleweeds [and to such a degree I had to block about 100 people to get the anon bullshit out of my inbox].

The only reason I can come up with for this kind of misunderstanding happening on various topics, is to think the base assumption being made is that the groups I am actually referring to or turning to address directly for a moment, are being assumed to not actually exist or be present in order to be addressed... And that the person getting sensitive is also insecure about being lumped in with that group for some reason [possibly legitimate or not depending on the circumstances], to the point that their reading comprehension starts to fail.

I think it would help reading comprehension and social media literacy in general if more people were to understand that a certain percentage of a post or reply is phrased in a way that is also meant to be seen by the general public, and EVERYONE that public contains, including fringe individuals.

Similarly, even when you are replying to a friend over a topic, you are ALSO generally phrasing it as something that will be seen by a general audience, and specifically by other people who generally hold similar political views as them. Otherwise you'd just be DMing each other.

So taking every side note and incidental phrasing as if it is intended as a deeply personal accusation, attack or criticism, instead of something said to be really clear to a wider audience with a lot of potential viewpoints and sticking points... Is a little fucking weird.

When I am replying to someone in public, I am replying to them, but also generally for the benefit of the audience, unless it's very personal joking around, casual back and forth or said in notes and sometimes tags [before they became the accepted way to comment at all].

If I get into explaining weird caveats, it isn't because I assume THEY or OP needs me to, it is because SOMEONE in the audience, including said fringe or exceptional individuals, might benefit from the added information, or might be someone I am just taking the opening to address because a subject came up in a public place.

Every time I get into an argument online, it really seems like the other person is mad because they are taking absolutely everything I am saying as if it is personally directed at only them for only their benefit and just *happens* to be taking place in front of strangers.

And it is deeply weird to me that they view the interaction that way to begin with, when to me -dare I say to most- that is antithetical to sites like tumblr being a public forum instead of a network of DMs.

So I just wanted to check in, and make sure, that everyone actually realizes that EVERYONE in the general public, some representation of pretty much every group you can imagine, has access to the internet and uses it regularly as some random user. The internet is truly the MOST public and varied space you can imagine. You need to understand that a lot of people make and reply to posts as if their audience is potentially that general, because they ARE generally aware of this.

There are organ traffickers on your posts right now, there are government officials, there are people who have illegally bought or sold ivory or human bones, there are doctors, republicans, lawyers, people who just woke up and are on their 20th day of consecutive brain fog, mycology enthusiasts, sex workers, steel workers, school teachers and their worst nightmares, there might even be a cop or two, there are murders, house wives, and violent rapists, there are literal children and people ranging up to the human limits of age. There are geologists, people you went to school with and people from every other country in the world. There are people who buy and sell human fingernails. You probably shouldn't continue being this online if you cannot internalize that.

The internet can feel like a series of closed safe corners, but the thing is that the doors are perpetually open to everyone you can imagine. We are all of us tossed in together and arguing over pokemon types and whether or not some groups of humans are okay to dehumanize. When you address the room, you are addressing all of them. When you are addressing op or another user, you are also doing it at all of them. All of these people each get that post up on their dash and read it as intimately and often as personally as you do as if it was served up to them, because it was, it came up on their dash just like it came up on yours.

Hope that helps <3

[ravenkinnie]

TW: Drugs, substance abuse, murder, violence, the Punisher

Another potentially unpopular opinion I've seen on here (and one that I'll actually rant about) is that, Jason is the only good vigilante in the Batfam because he kills people (think the direct quote is "unlike those other feckless bitches" and something like "when you get saved by Red Hood, you know that you'll never have to worry about getting attacked by the same person again". I don't know how to explain to people that killing the type of criminals Jason killed in canon is wrong and harmful (thinking about the 80 Blackgate prisoners he poisoned - hmm you know the American prison system is pretty fucked up i'm sure they all totally belonged there /s). Like. Jason killing the Joker is one thing, but he literally hasn't killed the Joker - Dick did that, Bruce tried to, but Jason hasn't. But like some people make it out like oh, Jason being a killer is fine because he only kills people that deserve it - who, tell me who he's killing? Sex offenders and drug dealers seems to be the most common reply. And I won't touch the sex offenders but drug dealers? Have you heard of the War on Drugs? Have you seen what happens when people in power decide it's okay to openly promote the killing of drug dealers? I don't understand why people think it's fine for Jason Todd to go around killing drug dealers, as if they don't have families, don't have other things that put them in a bad situation. There's a reason why cops in the US (idk if they do this elsewhere) use the Punisher skull as their emblem - and if you advocate for a Jason Todd that punishes criminals, don't be surprised when the right wing weaponizes him against minorities and the red hood helmet starts to get painted on cop cars.

I wrote a paper on the Norwegian prison system which rehabilitates and releases even the "worst" of criminals and just... I live in the US and it seems like we (specifically white people) have such little compassion for anyone who commits crime. Even after the War on Drugs, even after we learned it was a scam, people fall for the crime and punishment rhetoric time after time. Like I live in a suburb where people are so scared of drug dealers my mom literally called our neighbor because someone cut through our yard (and she thought he looked high or something idk). Which I get it, my cousin died from a fentanyl overdose, I understand you don't want that near your kids. But incarcerating or killing drug dealers is not the answer, and I can't stand it when people take that stance on Jason. You can try to explain the 8 drug dealer heads in a duffle bag any way you want, but at the end of the day, I think the batfamily fandom needs to be more careful addressing this issue because demonizing drugs/drug dealers/drug users is literally one of the ways the American government destroys black communities.

And to think, the Jason Todd stan that this opinion came from replied to me because I commented on how Jason likes to run around in Dick's old clothes - something that has absolutely no bearing on his morals, other than he's thrifty which is a good thing actually, something like 85% of clothes ends up in landfills. Sorry for the rant, you asked for it. Sorry if anyone who sees this likes Jason Todd and is offended, you're not bad for liking him, he has an interesting story, just please don't advocate for murdering common criminals, specifically drug dealers.

AAAHHH NOO BUT IVE SEEN SOME OF MY MOOTS DISCUSS THIS BEFORE

sorry it's late and fucking hot I don't have the most comprehensive reply dbdnhd and I do acknowledge that at the end of the day this is fiction but opinions real people hold come from SOMEWHERE - and I think we have a very ingrained belief that crime/bad deed has to be punished and that there are good and evil people and good people only do bad things when influenced by evil people which is exactly the core of jason's belief - and that's interesting for a batfam character, a former robin!! I like when him and bruce are contrasted based on ethics but I don't like when it's meant to show that jason is right and bruce is wrong

batman is an extremely popular and fascinating character because at his core lies the idea that systems that are in place to 'protect' people are corrupt and it's down to individuals who can do something to go against them and look out for others - that's something that will resonate with people even if irl solution can't be to dress up as a bat and beat tf outta people shdhhshs

I have two points to make here:

a) I'm straight up a fucking anarchist who lives in the woods, thinks aliens are listening, and doesn't trust the government but I don't believe systems are corrupt, I believe they operate the way they are meant to operate to punish and control the populations that the system needs to be controlled to keep up the status quo - war on drugs is such a good example for that. drug dealer also exists as this boogeyman, this idea of an evil person waiting to corrupt and destroy the good people but the fact is: people don't get addicted to drugs bc drug dealers exist, people get addicted to drugs because something, not someone, compels them to do drugs, because something (literal us gov) introduced drugs to their communities and drug dealers are just tiny pawns in that game. additionally, many dealers are addicts themselves who got roped into selling to pay for their own use or who got pushed into the margins of society so much that drug trade is the only way to survive they can find

there are like, whole papers and books and thesis done on this so I'm not gonna act like I can analyse it in a tumblr post dhshsjsj but yeah people who think jason is right usually show this weird superiority of 'oh batman doesnt get how to fix gotham like jason does' and like... no, jason gets played like a fiddle by the system the way people he kills do, and whatever he does will always just hit the other pawns and never reach those actually at the top, those who are profitting from finding scapegoats

and like, batman comics don't have to address that bc it's comics, you can write small lmao but don't argue that jason is somehow more enlightened than bruce for killing

b) this brings a question of, if we decide that there has to be punishment for every crime, who gets to decide what punishment is right for what crime? cause there's not a single person who's infallible enough to dictate what the best approach is in every situation

and batman works best as a traumatised man who's loves his city sm he tries to work however he can to protect people from corrupt systems and offer them second chances wherever he can bc that's who batman is at his core - batman is not a punisher he is a protector and he should never be pushed into a role of the punisher bc he's not edgy enough

also bitches are so hard acting like they would kill every villain cause rip to batman but I'm different, y'all are too scared to tell the waitress your order is wrong shut the fuck up lmao the closest any of y'all have been to being batman is getting your ass beat behind the club on a saturday by brenda in her boohoo jumpsuit

[your-isolation-buddy]

Managing mental health in quarantine

for anyone who's having a difficult time mentally right now

Note: This is just meant to provide assurance and friendly advice from personal experience on dealing with emotions that isolation and being housebound can cause. It is not a substitute for professional help.

If you are in danger or really don't feel safe, please get help immediately. if you are feeling desperate please contact a local hotline or call your country's emergency services (e.g 911 for USA or 999 for UK)

Find your country's hotline here:

https://www.suicidestop.com/call_a_hotline.html

Or here:

https://www.therapyroute.com/article/helplines-suicide-hotlines-and-crisis-lines-from-around-the-world

Please stay safe 💜

Ok then:

Managing mental health in quarantine 🌟

I was going to do a post on online resources and free downloads but stuff happened and long story short I ended up emotionally back in a place I hadn't been in a very long time.

I'm safe and it's all ok but it reminded me really vividly of how I felt sometimes back when I first became isolated, and I realised how much of the way I handle and my difficulties, emotions, pain and everything right now is down to months and years of experience. So in such a strange an scary situation for people of all backgrounds and circumstances, there may be people struggling or who will find themselves in trouble over the coming weeks who don't have the same experience to depend on to get them through.

I wasn't sure whether to post something this personal, or even if I'm knowledgable or good enough to give advice on this, but I know it's a painful time for many and feelings may get overwhelming and if there's a chance I can help in any way then I want to.

None of us have experienced exactly this before, but I do know what it's like to feel trapped and scared and overwhelmed, so here are some resources for if you should ever need them.

Even though I a trying to be helpful, I'm not a professional or really qualified to give advice, but here are some links to people who are:

Please know that:

-You're not alone

-You're not a burden

-It's ok to feel sad

-It's ok to feel scares

-It's ok to just feel

-This will pass

Right now everyone is stressed and scared, people are getting on each others' nerves and being quarantined doesn't help. But we will get through this

As I understand it, when you're feeling overwhelmed it's intense and painful and you may feel like it will never end but you have to remember that it will. Nothing lasts forever.

Panic, fear, helplessness- they're a wave and they may be fierce and powerful and you may think for a minute you can't withstand it, but every wave has to break. And it will be calm again. That's just how it is.

So as I understand it, there are two main options here when you find yourself facing a wave, a.k.a two main methods of riding it to get safely out the other side. Remember, the wave has to break. It's just life. But how you respond when you see it coming will determine how you come out the other side.

1. Distraction

Listen to music, play a game, talk to someone, do some colouring, play with your pet, call a friend and talk about nonsense, watch a comforting movie- whatever you enjoy and find distracting. If you don't think it will work, try setting a timer for 20 minutes and challenging yourself to watch something for that time, even if you don't feel like it. You'll probably find by the time it goes off you forgot why you started it

Some helpful apps:

Calmharm

Headspace

Calm

Good News

7 cups of tea

2.Feel

Sometimes you're just full of so many emotions that something has to shift. For example, I felt overwhelmed and realised that I just had to let myself express something, so I watched a live performance on youtube of a song that always makes me cry and just let myself be an emotional mess for a bit. Other things you can try might be tearing up pieces of paper, punching a pillow, singing, calling a friend and having a good vent, scribbling, painting or drawing how you feel, popping bubble wrap, squeezing a stress toy or putty, or shouting/screaming somewhere by yourself if possible (not an ideal suggestion in quarantine if you live with others I know, but might work for some if you live somewhere private enough or your family doesn't mind and you explain to them beforehand)

If you are quarantined with others, remember to keep communicating if you can- misunderstandings happen but they're probably going to be inflated by the high stress everyone is under right now so explaining how you're feeling might help.

If you're by yourself, try and keep communicating with others (at the right pace and amount for you) in any way you can. Message friends, video chat, watch movies together online, chat or even just skype/facetime/videocall but not necessarily to talk, just to go about your day and each know the other person is there. Wave to neighbours if you can. Open the window to hear the sounds. And remember that you'll get through this 💜

We got this, and we're not alone.

Love, your isolation buddy 🌟