#even if its scary

[wheelie-butch]

In real life: talking about the same subject constantly = annoying to other people

In online fandom spaces: talking about the same subject constantly = literally the fucking point

[smute]

rbing again to add:

link to original article (archive.is, no paywall)

(quick) english translation below the cut

A Hitler salute is a Hitler salute is a Hitler salute

Elon Musk stretches out his right arm and everyone jumps over it. Welcome to the new attention regime.

There's no need to make this unnecessarily complicated at the start. Anyone who zestfully and repeatedly extends their right arm to an upward angle in a political speech on a political stage in front of an audience, some of whom belong to the far right, is doing the Hitler salute. There is no need for “supposedly” or “similar” or “disputed.” The gesture speaks for itself; it is documented in the video. Anyone who wants to reinterpret it, who doesn't want to see the Hitler salute, does so at their own risk. Anyone who, for example, now thinks they have to discover the older “Roman salute” as a supposed Musk reference is demonstrating above all their willingness to make a convenient reinterpretation.

So Elon Musk stretches out his right arm and makes everyone jump through a hoop. The day of the inauguration marks the formal start of Donald Trump's second presidency. The associated attention regime is becoming more visible than ever before.

Because that's what it's all about: Attention. It is the most contested commodity in a world in which, at any given moment, every snippet, every image, video and quote is vying for attention. Trump and Musk are masters in this competition. Especially because they manage to use even negative attention for their own benefit. See the Hitler salute.

What is happening now is foreseeable: Neo-Nazis and right-wing extremists may interpret the outstretched right arm as a gesture of fraternization and encouragement. Moderate, benevolent supporters as an escalated gesture of jubilation. And everyone else is faced with an impossible choice: either to ignore the breach of taboo and thus contribute to its de-tabooing or to mark it as a breach of taboo and thus produce outrage, which in turn invites gloating from the other side. You can lament this, but you have to reckon with the fact that a relevant part of humanity now only sees scandalizing the Hitler salute as virtue signaling.

These are the rules of this attention game that has been going on since at least 2016, and the winners seem to be as certain as the helpless losers.

Journalism, in particular, is also faced with the choice between paying attention to such events and ignoring them. It plays the attention game. Indeed, the media are the traditional arena of this game. This text, too, can be read as evidence of a certain helplessness. So far, no better solution is in sight than to distinguish the small hoops from the Hitler salute-sized ones, and at least try to point out the mechanisms of the game when jumping. 

Honorable, but powerless

Political gestures and phrases work like all other stimuli to which people are exposed: They no longer have as strong an effect the second time as the first, and they're even weaker the third time. Humans are creatures of adaptation. Habituation is one of the few constants of human existence, which is why the calls that we should “not get used to political monstrosities” are honorable but powerless. 

For Trump and Musk, the political return on their attention-grabbing victories therefore lies not only in the public becoming accustomed to their specific positions and style, but generally in the fact that they are the ones who determine what people get used to. That they have the greatest power over the window of what can be said.

Thirty years ago, the political scientist Joseph Overton invented the concept of the “Overton Window”. It divides political views into the popular, sensible and barely acceptable positions that lie within the window. And into the radical and unthinkable positions outside. Politics is ultimately only made within this window, Overton said, and anyone who wants real change must therefore move the whole window. That is what has been happening for years. Until finally, in January 2025, at the very right edge of the window of what is politically acceptable, the Hitler salute becomes visible. 

^what he said

[brainrotcharacters]

Mothers and fuckers of the ketchup and mustard household (I'm going even more insane than usual)

[fearless-seagull]

Pushing my ART is a giant scary spider agenda

[choccy-milky]

how to scare a goody two-shoes ravenclaw 👵🏻

[yuwuta]

olympics coming up…… athlete aus on the mind….. satoru as a swimmer….. unreasonably large wingspan…. huge hands..... thinks “official” competitions and tournaments are boring because he can’t use the goofy purple googly eyes goggles he likes to practice in…… practices at ungodly hours solely because he likes when the pool is empty because that means you’ll dip your feet in at the edge and be there to greet him with a kiss when he’s finished his laps….. they bring up the stats board and it’s just his name ten times before the next fastest person and he could still lap them, and even tho he’ll always put so much pressure on himself to be the best, it’s worth it to have you hold his face and tell him you’re proud of him... he’s gotten so much merch from events and sponsorships and he used to think they just created clutter but that all changes when you start to wear his clothes (esp the ones with his name on it… he’s not proud to admit that does Something to him)…. always looks up to the stands when he finishes a race and if he knows you’re not there, he looks right at the camera, draws an infinity sign with his fingers, and blows a kiss (which, some commentators routinely call “unsportsmanlike conduct” but he doesn’t care, and always, publicly says he’ll pay the fees if it means blowing a kiss to his girl at home)

[icys-junkyard]

found a new smudge on the floor, gotta investigate

[starry-bi-sky]

i think i'm hilarious -- aka i made blood blossom danny au memes

all of these come from my DpxDC prompt "i am pushing the batdad agenda--" and it's corresponding additions in the reblogs ksdjlf.

i am. rotating them in my head. forever and always. personally i think there should be more batdad aus in dpxdc, their dynamic could be neat. :)

[sicktrix]

Something about how Jod described the good in the world as “pinpricks of light in the dark.” Something about how keeping the Barrier up only let the pirates in but finally taking it down let the X-Wings chase they away— let the real good guys come in and save them. Something about how taking the Barrier down let the citizens of At-Attin see stars for the first time, see all the pinpricks of light in the dark, and see just how many there really are. Something about how even in the worst places, even in the worst moments, there will always be more good than you realize, and if you hide away you’ll never be able to see it.

[extralargetshirt]

id tell him to look it up.

i was already out @ school n my friends already knew but he called me his “progressive girlfriend” (unnamed) on his xbox live parties and thought he had clout for dating me.

I broke up w him after i cheated on him tho—bc he said that was the only way we wouldnt date again. (We dated twice, once in middle school, once in high school & into college/university).

Needed someone to help me enforce my own boundaries tho. That guy also kinda sucks ass, and we weren’t dating, but he broke up with me anyway.

Also, dont feel as if u need to validate ur bisexuality for the understanding of others.

Sleep with who you wanna sleep with. Date whoever you wanna date.

But like, do it consensually, even if the conversation is hard.

I wish i had, but life is clouded with complicators (i.e. bigot dad and enabling mom).

Still like that man who helped me stand up for myself—even if he’s a jackass 95% of the time.

My boyfriend doesn't know I'm bi and I don't know what to do..

my suggestion is to sit him down and carefully and slowly explain it. Before actually launching yourself into that, though, I recommend asking him questions ( how to you feel about the lgbtq+ community? What are your thoughts on bisexuality? ) and hinting at it just to test it. If he’s good enough for you I do hope that he’ll love you nonetheless. I hope this helped!

[sigsfigs]

let's dance

close up of them........... theyre soooo super cute to meeeee v_v)) i love you bisexuals of color............. i love them too much i think fabian deserves to be with a sweet passionate girl who loves him for who he is and not go through messy toxic situationships anymor e wuhhhhh

[hurlyburlytopsyturvy]

nobody:

mfs with ROYGBIV eyes:

↓↓ rewfewence ↓↓

[invye]

We are interrupting our regularly scheduled program to bring you a snippet of a potential ZoSan undercover as a married couple fic:

(Timeline wise shoehorned in sometime shortly after the timeskip, before the Strawhats make it back into the news big time.)

(People need saving from a exclusive circle of nobility, but most of the Stawhats have already been seen around the island, so the lot ends up on Zoro and Sanji to try get in posing as a freshly married couple on their honeymoon to try get more information.)

[after coming up with the plan and Zoro and Sanji hesitantly agreeing]

Robin: "You seem a little stressed, Cook-san."

Sanji, chain-smoking his third cigarette: "I'm fine, I'll do this… I just… I don't like lying about something as significant as marriage, alright? I know it's stupid, but that's just how I am."

Luffy, perking up from where one might have thought he wasn't paying attention at all: "Oi, Sanji, promise to protect Zoro?"

Sanji, puffing out smoke: "Obviously, the Marimo would get lost within all of two seconds without me having his back."

Luffy: "Good! Now, Zoro--!"

Zoro, already rising to the bait: "Oi, if anyone is protecting anyone, I'll be guarding your lanky ass, shit cook!"

Luffy, laughing: "Alright, then as the captain of this ship I hereby pronounce you married!"

Zoro:

Sanji:

Robin: "Oh my, congratulations!"

Brook: bursts into song

Luffy, grinning at Sanji: "See, now it's not a lie anymore, so you don't have to feel bad about calling Zoro your husband."

Zoro: "LUFFY!!! YOU CAN'T JUST--"

Sanji: wordlessly walks off to get ready for the mission

Usopp: "Wait, wait!" runs after Sanji, grabbing his wrist

Sanji: stares

Usopp, sweating nervously: "Need your ring size…"

Sanji: staring intensifies

Usopp, scurrying off as quickly as humanly possible: "Wedding gift!"

Luffy, in the distance, still being yelled at by Zoro: "Too bad we don't have time to celebrate, I really want some wedding cake… :("

[uncanny-tranny]

Social transition being seen (by some) as this super easy thing that isn't as hard as real transitioning (medical) is bullshit. Be critical of the idea that there are some trans people who just "have it easy" because they are trans or because they are trans in ways you may not be.

Social transition is just as difficult, hard, and rewarding as medical transition. Maybe it is not as hard for some, sure, but that is not the same as thinking that social transition is inherently easier or lesser. If you're socially transitioning, your voice still matters.

[luck-of-the-drawings]

EDYN TIDESTRIDER, CHALLENGER OF THE UNDERSEA, RIVAL OF THE DEEP. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR BROTHER WAS CHOSEN TO BE A WEAPON OF THE GODS? HOW WILL YOU UNDO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO HIM?

[whumpitisthen]

Masterlist

Grab your character and shove their head underwater. Keep them pinned until they breathe in the water. Pull them up and let them splutter and cough. Push them under again. Pull them up. Let them use their precious seconds of air to beg. "Ple-Please, please stop — " Push them under again. Feel them squirm. Pull them up sooner; they couldn't hold their breath long enough. Once more for good measure. Don't let them up until they nearly suffocate. Pull them up and throw them to the ground, let them cough up all the water they swallowed. Pull them into your lap. They are shivering, the cold water having seeped deep into their bones. They are crying. They are going to try to pull away. Don't let them. Hush them gently. Card through their hair. Let them relax under your hands. Then drag them back over to the water. Put their nose right above the surface and keep their head right there. Let them imagine how it will feel to be pushed under again, held there, pulled up just so they can drown again. They will fight, they will sob, they will plead and barter and yell. They will be scared. Answer them with an order. "Take a deep breath for me." Watch them struggle to decide if they should. They probably won't be able to take one deep enough if they tried. Push them under. Watch them squirm. Repeat.