#fandom ableism
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Ford haters should just admit they hate autistic people.
Because that's what they mean when they try to "explain" why they hate him.
#ford haters are also victim blamers#anyways allistics are no longer allowed to weigh in on him.#i have decided. if you're normal about him and autistic traits you can stay but you're on thin ice.#gravity falls#ford pines#stanford pines#grunkle ford#filthy ford apologist squad#ford defense squad#ford protection squad#vagueblogging#fandom ableism
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not only should any autistic character who’s ever been infantilized by their fanbase kill and maim more people, but they should also fuck as nasty as possible too. as a treat
#revising a dead post that you guys liked (about autistic characters killing people)#cal.txt#autism#autistic representation#autistic characters#autism posting#fandoms#blorbo tag#jack kline#supernatural#entrapta#spop#I don’t go to SheRa and never will but I feel so deeply for how Entrapta was treated#a whole 30 some year old woman and y’all are doing That? absolutely foul#autistic coding#autistic coded character#fandom ableism#ableism in media#you cannot claim to be an ally of autistic people or disabled ppl in general while viewing us as undesirable or childlike end sentence.#either you see us as complete autonomous adult human beings or you don’t#and if your blorbo is autistic and you want them carnally do NOT be afraid to speak about it#do not let ableism win. post about how badly you wanna do things to them. it’s a free country and you’re literally correct#fandom tag#jack spn#jack supernatural#jack kline winchester#jack winchester#spn fandom#supernatural fandom#castiel
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Your silent protagonist doesn't have to use sign language btw. They don't have to write things down, either. They don't have to use language at all. Not every single person who doesn't talk can use words the same as you, or use them at all, so your favorite silent character shouldn't have to use what you consider a grammatical language to communicate in your fanart and fics. AAC exists. Drawing exists. Gestures and body language exist. Btw.
#i said ''your silent protagonist'' bc i feel like that'd hit close with the most people but i truly mean anyone that doesn't talk#ive seen it happen SO MANY TIMES its like ''this character never uses oral words'' and every post about them ignores it or uses sign#or they already have their own language or their language difficulties have been addressed and it STILL HAPPENS. like cassandra cain#who's like me.#inumaki toge#link#link loz#loz#legend of zelda#trainer red#champion red#red pokemon#HES MY FAVORITE HIS SPEECH ARC RESEMBLES MINE SO CLOSELY#pokemon rgby#pokemon hgss#ik sun/moon and usum are there too. so many tags#controversial one here probably but#chell#portal#cass cain#cassandra cain#batgirl#batman#fandom ableism#:)))))))))))#NOT AN EXAMPLE BC IT'S LITERALLY THE COMICS WHO MADE HIM THIS WAY BUT#JONO STARSMORE#language disorder#bi rambles#ive seen exactly one fic where red has an LD. my lifeblood. also shoutout peaks and valleys for his writing difficulties. ask me abt red pls
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Please reblog for a bigger sample size - this is part of the same project as my earlier polls! (For extra data, please feel free to mention the character(s) in question in the tags if you've experienced this!)
PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THE POLL IF YOU ARE NOT AUTISTIC. This is specifically for autistic people's testimonials.
#actuallyautistic#autism#ableism#tw: ableism#fandom#fandom ableism#disability rights#disability acceptance
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Tech is a grown man and a special ops pilot. He can drink, use firearms, and care for children. He has male pattern baldness and lines on his face. He is a capable adult and I wish that the fandom treated him like one.
Yes, Tech is autistic and has more issues socializing than everyone else, but that doesn’t mean that he needs to be coddled in-universe or by the fandom. He is a grown man who is perfectly capable of figuring out socializing on his own, even if he stumbles more than others. Other characters not understanding him 100% at all times is a fact of life that Tech is likely well aware of as an autistic adult. He is also capable of making genuine mistakes that hurt others to the same degree that a neurotypical person would, and other characters calling him out on it is not ableist. In fact, it would be super weird and ableist for everyone to assume that he is an uwu baby incapable of understanding how to be unkind.
Tech does not need “protection” from other characters flirting with him. Being attracted to an autistic adult is not inherently predatory, and many autistic adults can and do form romantic and/or sexual relationships. Tech almost certainly knows what romance and sex are, and is capable of deciding how interested he is or isn’t in either topic. Him being autistic doesn’t make him a helpless child incapable of understanding “grown-up” topics, and if he ever feels harassed by another character, then I believe that he would not need any help sticking up for himself. Tech is assertive and blunt. He called Cid ugly TO HER FACE once. He does not need Hunter or Wrecker or whoever to intervene for him if he needs to tell someone no or call them out.
Tech isn’t portrayed as innocent and cutesy in canon, but I see this characterization a lot in fanon and I have a hard time believing that it has nothing to do with his autism. As an autistic person who has had to deal with my own classmates talking to me like I was four months old for a good chunk of my childhood, I can’t say that I love this fandom trend.
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I feel like this needs to be said but i feel like I'll just be talking to a brick wall for the billionth time.
The ableism of disabled villains in fandom is so beyond tiring. Its bad enough when a grey or protag character gets it.
Today I'll be using Curly from Mouthwashing and William Afton from FNAF as an example.
Curly, isn't really a grey character. Maybe more of a protag, but since we play as Jimmy for most of it, he is kind of an antag. But for this post i will be putting him as a protag. Which reminder.
Protag doesn't mean good guy exactly.
Anyway.
Captain Curly is a burn survivor as well as a disabled man, with no skin, no hands or feet, and is left with one eye. The damage is pretty bad, and the Nurse ( Anya ) has done the best she could with what she had, which is pretty damn good considering all things.
How does the fandom treat him? Its a mixed bag but of course. Ableism.
They either give him "dog buttons", or infantalize him, coquette-ify him, erase the situation just because "its easier" or whatever else. And then theres some people who genuinely try by getting him to a proper hospital so Anya or another doctor can try and fix what they can, as well as give him an AAC device or a wheelchair, so on and so forth.
Its either shit as unfortunately expected or good enough that makes people genuinely do research or call out ableism.
Now lets look at William Afton. A villain, murderer, mad scientist and so forth. For this post I'll be strictly talking about The Fourth Closet William Afton and Burntrap.
For those who are not into FNAF. The Fourth Closet is a seperate timeline from the games, an AU. And Burntrap is TECHNICALLY not William now, but when Security Breach came out, we didn't know this.
A bit more backstory for those who do not know. William has an Animatronic suit that he can go into to perform or kill, but it has these things called springlocks. If something happens, they can go off and hurt and eventually kill him.
Moving on.
William Afton is a Springlock Victim ( and even though no fire happens in the book before the ending of The Fourth Closet, i would argue and say he does indeed have burn scars as well in the graphic novel ) aka ragged Metal throughout his skin.
As Burntrap, he is a metal burned skeleton with leftovers of Springtrap/Scraptrap with burnt flesh.
How does the fandom treat both versions of him?
As Burntrap: some people like him, some don't. Its purely because at the first reveal we all thought it was William himself somehow even though he is supposed to be dead-dead for real. His design CAN be cool, scary and great in the right spotlight.
However.....
Most people took the "haha peepaw" route of memes. Some being ageist and some being ableist. Making him a senile old man in a wheelchair or a walker with Vanny being his caretaker. Most of the time throwing him down the stairs or beating him with his mobility aid or threatening to. Sometimes they would also draw him in diapers with poop in it.
Utterly disgusting, ageist and ableist behavior all because this is a villain.
How do they treat TFC version of William? Well.... i don't see much of him to be frank. But either its coquette-ifying him ( which is just as gross as coquette-ifying Curly ), genuinely calling him pretty or being absolutely being ableist/rancid, or removing his scars all together.
What is the point I'm getting at?
If its a villain, like William, to Darth Vader to Hordak from the She Ra remake, to Belos from TOH.......
They get mocked for their disabilities because abled folks ( and even some disabled folks ) thinks the Villain or whoever deserves it as punishment.
But these same people will turn around and infantilize and baby, or dogify or coquetteify "good guy" disabled characters.
I haven't seen this in the Arcane fandom, while i don't doubt people have been ableist to Jinx, Silco or Viktor , at least it isn't as "loud".
Ableism isn't cute or funny. And while i UNDERSTAND these are characters- and that they are not real.
It HURTs real people.
And I'm talking as a disabled chronic pain person, so don't even start with me.
Ableists and shit will be deleted, ty.
Edit ( 12 / 9 / 2024 ): to add to this, i still see people making jokes, especially to make self shippers feel bad ( those who self ship with springtrap ), about how William most likely passed human fluids and gasses as he died-
Yeah. News flash: you do that no matter how you die. Even later in a casket as you're rotting away.
Now.. the act of him doing that as he dies isn't ableist within itself. But the fact that these people using the bit of him urinating and defecating himself as a joke Is ableist as there are folks with disabilities that can't control it, and there is no shame in that.
Also if you're trying to say "Springtrap smells like literal shit". Consider people already know this and either ignore that ( which is valid ) or yk. Have their insert take Springtrap home and clean him up and fix him.
Or have Springtrap clean himself up ( i imagine he does by the time he become Scraptrap, as best as he can anyway ).
.
As for Curly, i am seeing a lot of Videos that are finally talking about it. Thank the gods, moon, whatever.
Mouthwashing is one of those things you really don't need to ship anyone with anyone ( if you must i highly suggest making an oc because thats awesome ).
On top of that though I'm still seeing ableist art of Curly and probably will for awhile 😮💨
#mouthwashing#Mouth washing#Fnaf#Captain curly#curly mouthwashing#Curly#William afton#William afton tfc#Burntrap#Spop hordak#ableism#Fandom ableism
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I noticed that the Mouthwashing fandom and sometimes even the game (though that may be due to it being from J*mmy’s perspective) tends to be very dehumanizing towards Curly post-crash. He is often treated like a burden or straight up corpse. But the only truly corpse-like thing about him is the fact that he has no skin (because that is literally impossible to survive). For a bit, I thought his limbs were missing entirely, or at least above the elbows and knees. Even then, I wrote out a whole thing on ways he could use (slightly more advanced) IRL devices that people with his disabilities use now.
I thought it could be more interesting to explore Post-Canon Curly using assistive technology without it being super sci-fi levels of advanced or going into certain disability tropes. I had a whole list of ideas for types of devices he could use besides prosthetics (or at least arm/hand prosthetics), and I might honestly still put it out there. It just was to show that Curly would still be capable of a lot of things, and though he would need help from others in certain areas and would need physical training, he could do a lot. I think the only thing that was ever truly holding him back was the pain of not having skin.
The most frustrating part of this is that even while still in the Tulpar with no technology for communication, there are ways he could communicate. One that I thought of is morse code. He may not have lips, but he has a functional jaw. He could open his mouth to represent dots and dashes, or even use other body parts to do morse code. Though it might be slow, it could work, especially if sped up a bit. And a bit of patience could go a long way. IDK, it would just be neat to see content where he and Anya find ways to communicate (even if a little slowly) and we see him interact with others post crash.
Especially seeing him talk to Anya and them keeping each other company etc. Not even in a shipping way, just in a "Curly didn't help Anya when she needed it most but she will still help Curly when he needs it most, and Curly realizes he was wrong but Anya chooses to forgive him" kind of way. It would also be neat to see him interact with the others like Swansea and Daisuke and J*MMY (derogatory), especially if it takes a little bit of Anya and Curly to develop a form of communication, so the others have the attitude they have in canon. But then Anya reveals Curly can talk now (albeit slowly), and each ends up visiting him at some point (Daisuke talking to him could be so much fun honestly).
It could have a pretty interesting effect on Curly's psychology and maybe even role in the story, as he wouldn’t be completely helpless like he appears to be in canon.
He is able to say things to others, like maybe provide certain information (important captain knowledge). He could convince Anya not to die (might not work, but could be interesting if he at least tries). He can have some interesting angst, like still trying to keep up a confident front and be the strong, reliable captain despite everything. However, he is also aware that he is in a difficult position right now and worries the others see him as weak and helpless or a burden of some kind (as they lowkey treat him in canon). He could tell J*mmy to fuck off. The possibilities are endless.
I just think there could be a lot of potential there and would feel less infantilizing/dehumanizing.
#mouthwashing#mouthwashing game#game mouthwashing#mouthwashing curly#disability representation#disability tropes#post crash curly#canon disabled character#assistive devices#mouthwashing fandom#ableism#fandom ableism#mouthwashing anya#physical disability#non verbal communication#the possibilities are endless#well okay not completely endless but you get my point
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many people in fandom don't want to hear it or admit it, but erasing every single political aspect of a story to instead solely focus on shipping two white guys (or, worse, two people you've whitewashed and misgendered into being white guys) is in fact perpetuating the exact kinds of bigotry the story is about fighting against.
#Flatland#Flatland an Adventure in Many Dimensions#Flatland an Adventure in Many Dimensions a 2024 translation into casual English#fandom bigotry#fandom misogyny#fandom racism#fandom ableism#fandom intersexism#described images#described memes#described art#wow cool robot#shape yaoi#Flatland fandom bigotry#Flatland fandom misogyny#Flatland fandom racism#Flatland fandom ableism#Flatland fandom intersexism#A Squared shipping#Quadsphere shipping#ASquarexTheSphere#Squaresphere#Squeer#A Square#The Sphere#fandom critique#fandom critical#misogyny#nope 2022#this applies to everything it applies to
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new meme format.
[ID: A chart labeled, "Fragility scale", with three colums down the side. The first is labeled "Fragile" in yellow, and reads, "Glass". Next is "Very Fragile" in orange, for "The tail of a Batavian tear". Last is "The most fragile thing in the world" in red, for "Fandom when you criticize racism, misogyny, ableism, and other bigotry in media.". End ID.]
Download the HD template from the internet archive here. The image description should be copied and pasted whenever you use the meme, just edit whichever parts you're changing. No credit is necessary as long as you make your post accessible.
#described images#describes memes#accessible memes#meme template#meme format#white fragility#fandom racism#fandom misogyny#fandom ableism#fandom bigotry#klandom#memes#new meme template#fragility scale meme#fragility meme#fandom fragility#bigoted fragility#media analysis#media criticism#anti-intellectualism#anti intellectualism#Fallout TV#Fallout show#Fallout TV show
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A rant about Jedi Stans from an ex-Jedi fangirl
After some time I've had to reflect on my own behavior as well as my time in the pro Jedi fandom, I decided it's time to call this shit out. Some people take it really personal if someone criticized your favorite characters or their beliefs. Ironically, you all act more like the Sith than the Jedi with how obsessive you can be and insisting any criticism is equal to wanting genocide.
I'm going to start by saying I was in the pro jedi fandom for a few months. Truth be told, I was using it as an outlet for some of my anger issues with my hate towards Anakin, seeing him as similar to a lot of people I've had to deal with. Some of it was wanting more followers and fear of being disliked by the majority. I would pick fights with Anakin fans and was a bit of an asshole and I apologize for that. I still don't like him but no longer HATE him. Seeing how fandoms treat abuse victims who aren't perfect angels like Shinji Ikari or Lapis Lazuli has caused me to loosen up a bit. Many Jedi stans would probably hate those characters for not being “perfect” victims. In retrospect, this wasn't a good community for me. It was very puritanical and I often felt like I was wrong for enjoying media that went against the beliefs Jedi Stans put on a pedestal. Three of my favorite ships (Madohomu, Reishin and Hodaka x Hina) involve "burning the world for one person" and I felt like I couldn't talk about them without being a hypocrite. That and me agreeing less and less with Luca's beliefs pushed me to leave.
It's fine to enjoy a fictional character and defend them if you feel that they're being unfairly criticized. I've done it myself and have written essays defending my faves. The problem is that Jedi stans don't know when to stop. So many are quick to compare the Jedi to minority religions or marginalized groups as a shield against criticism, not recognizing how insulting that can be. Jewish, asian and aroace people are the ones normally used due to the Jedi beliefs being based off Eastern religions as well as Judaism as well as some aroace people identifying with the Jedi.
One thing I noticed about Jedi stans is their similarities to Jumblr which is full of religious chauvinism reworded to sound progressive. Many of them talk about how the Jedi shouldn't have to change their traditions with the times or to accommodate a few individuals like Anakin or Ahsoka. This can be similar to how a lot of people are quick to defend minority religions from outside criticism based on how they were treated by Christian colonists or missionaries. The problem is that this can veer right into ableist or queerphobic territory. You know who else believe that their religion shouldn't have to change with the times to accommodate people? Conservative Christians who hate being told to be affirming of LGBTQ people. Also, schools and parents/guardians do have a responsibility to accommodate kids with disabilities, mental health issues or trauma, even if it may be inconvenient or force you to bend the rules. Claiming they need to just suck it up is honestly disgusting.
This was all a big reason for why I left this garbage pit of a fandom. While there are some who hate the Jedi because they stan the empire or think people need 50s nuclear families to live fulfilling lives, not everyone does that. Believe it or not, some people have faced abuse and bigotry under Judaism and Buddhism. People can also criticize how Lucas presented their beliefs as some Buddhists think he didn't do a good job. Libsoftiktok is a vile transphobe, an Orthodox Jew and her beliefs are said to be fairly common in her community. Many people of color identify with the clones and dislike how even the nicer Jedi treated them. When Obi Wan told Anakin, "It's okay to have romantic feelings, but you must let them pass," that hits different for queer people who have been told similar things from "polite" homophobes. Some queer people do choose celibacy like Side B christians which is fine as long as they don't treat it as a moral failure to want a relationship. There are many neurodivergent people who don't like the Jedi beliefs as they hit close to home. Lucas may have not intended to come off as ableist but the Jedi did with their beliefs about negative emotions. To some people, platitudes like "just let go" aren't helpful and treating it as bad for not living up to those principles is gross.
I deleted the post, but a while back I made a post asking a popular pro jedi blogger their views on adoption since they claimed Anakin not viewing the Jedi as his "found family" was a moral failure. I found their response to be tone deaf and insulting. I responded in a decent way of course, but felt a bit judged and unhappy for wanting to know my birth mother. Adoptees are another set of people this fandom is insensitive and gross to. The Kenobi series I find insulting for that reason too, having Leia be a foil for Anakin and Obi Wan romanticize his recruitment as a child.
Jedi fans are also shitty to those with religious trauma and who faced abuse. Accusing anyone who criticizes the Jedi of projecting their issues with Christianity while simultaneously talking like conservatives as shown above. Tumblr in general has a weird habit of treating religion as if it’s either conservative evangelicalism, liberal reform Judaism and some vague pagan or eastern spirituality with little nuance. Some Jedi stans really come from a place of privilege. Claiming "they can just leave" is insulting to real religious abuse survivors who were raised with harmful beliefs like creationism or homophobia. I'm no antitheist but treating non christian religion as inherently progressive dismisses a lot of people's experiences.
Let's be real, the writing in this franchise was always a bit sloppy. Lucas's issue was wanting to simultaneously create both a black-and-white morality tale for kids based on the fairy tales and serials he grew up and a deep socio-political commentary about the Vietnam and Iraq wars which required some morally grey themes. Thus, along with his terrible dialogue that made the characters seem unlikable, is why the fandom is so divided over whether he intended people to agree with the prequel Jedi.
To wrap this up, I found the pro jedi fandom to be a terrible experience. It was a mix of faux progressivism mixed with fear of judgement for disagreeing. I ended up editing a post I made, and eventually deleted, comparing Yoda with Garnet from SU because I included a tiny bit of criticism and didn't want to get backlash. As long as it’s not gross or bigoted criticism of your favorite characters isn't the end of the world. People don't have to like George Lucas or his beliefs and put them on a pedestal. I feel like the fandom's worship of George comes in response to OT purists who claimed he "raped their childhoods" but there's fair criticism to be made. Just like how not everyone who criticizes Disney SW or any Disney media in general is an "anti woke" grifter. To the pro jedi fans reading this, here's a suggestion. Just block and ignore people, write an essay if you feel it's important, but don't act like an entitled bully if a blog or even a SW writer disagrees with the Jedi, interprets the story differently or criticizes your favorite characters.
#toxic fandom#star wars#anti jedi#Jedi critical#fandom ableism#star wars fandom#why I left this fandom#rant#essay#star wars the clone wars#pro jedi#posting this here too because this needs to stop#tw homophobia#George Lucas critical#obi wan kenobi series#fandom politics#adoptee#obi wan kenobi
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This Fandom is Weirdly Misogynistic and Ableist
Yeah great title there bud.
So originally this was going to be a half-baked rant about how people disrespect V, but the more I brainstormed that I came to realize. This fandom in general has a problem with misogyny and even ableism towards not just V, but Uzi as well. Heck, I would almost say Uzi moreso.
When it comes to personality butchering, I'd say V gets it worse. The number of times I've seen people make her sound like some petty, vengeful ex makes me want to rip my laptop screen off its hinges.
And most of the reason they do this, episode 4.
When Uzi and V are together in the cabin, V tells Uzi that it's better to stay distant because she'll have to kill Uzi next. Afterwards saying that N's made friends with rocks before, and that he'd move on from her death just fine.
Now, I honestly love this scene. It's a moment where Uzi and V get to be together and V gets to show her true colors without having to hide them from N. She expresses her desire to kill Uzi, because she believes it'll keep N safe, and tells her about the rock friends to make her feel like she's just some cheap novelty to N. This scene is great.
Yet apparently, some people looked at this scene and saw it as V being jealous of Uzi's relationship with N and wanting to kill her over it.
Now I just have to ask... why. This scene is so easy to understand when you just sit and think about it, so why did so many people default to it being a ship thing?
Maybe because she's just a pantless whore who exists just for people to thirst over. At least, that's what Reddit bros and Discord trolls would have you believe.
Now, I do feel it's a bit stupid to look at an unpopular female character and say "well you'd like her if they were a guy", but with V I have a feeling that's exactly the case.
V's not fan service, she's not a hoe or some crazy ex. She's just trying to keep herself from losing one of the few sane constants in her crazy, messed-up life.
But of course, she can't be an intelligent or deep character, she's just a petty woman upset at Uzi for stealing her man and who needs to put on some pants.
Now Uzi, I'd have to say her treatment is worse. Not just because it's the same sexist bullshit V has to put up with, but because she's neurodivergent.
Okay, that was a lie, she's not canonically neurodivergent. But she does have a lot of traits of a neurodivergent person. Being a social outcast, thought of as weird because of her interests and behavior.
Most people who headcanon Uzi as neurodivergent seem to agree that she could have autism, ADHD, or BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder), and I just wanna talk a bit more about her unofficial BPD diagnosis because I think that's the most fascinating out of the three.
In this image I highlighted some symptoms that feel very similar to personality traits Uzi has. Like, it's so similar it almost feels weird to say Uzi having BPD isn't canon.
Now I know what you're going to say, "But Kitty this is just people's headcanons."
And you know what? Fair honestly. But even if Uzi doesn't have autism, ADHD, or BPD, she almost definitely has some form of trauma and you'd be hard-pressed to try to argue with me she's neurotypical.
Uzi's not a pick me, she's a traumatized, possibly neurodivergent, girl trying to hold onto the first friend she's ever made.
Or hey? Maybe she should just suck it up and learn to take care of herself.
Honestly, this post is just a TLDR version of this.
#kitty's kooky insane ramblings#murder drones#kitty's deep thoughts#uzi doorman#murder drones uzi#uzi murder drones#uzi md#md uzi#serial designation v#sd v#murder drones v#v murder drones#n md#md v#fandom ableism#fandom sexism
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Gotta love how the Gravity Falls fandom still has no media literacy and is putting out the worst """character analysis""" videos known to man.
#gravity falls#fandumb#they're the same picture#ford pines#stanford pines#grunkle ford#mabel pines#victim blaming tw#fandom ableism#fandom misogyny#filthy ford apologist squad#ford defense squad#ford protection squad#mabel defense squad#mabel protection squad#honestly saying an autstic-coded abuse victim is a “bad person” unironically is a WILD take oml. please never take to an abuse victim.#for that matter never talk to an autistic person either.#also they're lowkey a filbrick defender#cause they blamed FORD for stan getting kicked out. like what.#sure let's blame the kid living in an abuse home. that's not backwards at all.#abuse apologia tw#also ford had every right to be pissed at stan over the science project.#and blaming a 12 year old for the apocalypse is WILD.#so is blaming the victim of the demon (who started the apocalypse) btw.
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Wishing everybody who infantilizes and dehumanizes ADHD/autistic-coded characters a very "knock that shit off right now."
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re; ableism in the hunger games, infantilism of the traumatized/shunning of the traumatized.
okay so i woke up & my awesome mutual @ongreenergrasses made a post about this too (i JUST saw it and like oooh my god. i agree so hard and so much) and i'm just going to talk about what i've been thinking.
the hunger games is doused in some really nasty thinking when it comes to mental health, and then even more so when it comes to disabilities, addiction and PTSD. i'm going to break down this post in parts based on each character who represents this, and any misc. ones will simply be the issue at hand alone. i find that suzanne writes a certain stereotypical sort of rhetoric that goes unchecked by this fandom because the majority are not those who have experienced these things, but the ones who *have* should at least bring this to more attention if possible. katniss to me, is one of the most ableist characters (not of her own knowing) as the good and mighty protagonist, and seeing people headcanon her as autistic is very interesting when her takes on people with any sort of difference in mental states is.. it comes into question constantly.
𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄
annie is very truthfully, a character who is only based on being the ‘poor mad girl who wins finnick's heart’ and yes, a victor with more severe PTSD which has come to affect her daily life, or at least when it comes to the games. suzanne collins’ constant use of the term ‘mad girl’ comes from katniss as protagonist, which reads as so ableist. watering anyone to their inpairments or their level of health is dehumanizing, and it reads to me like she regards annie as a sort of special case, like a wounded animal almost. the only positive talk about annie as a character minus her wedding, minus her relationship with finnick is when peeta explains annie's experiences in the games, which comes with empathy and understanding that most,,, are overbearing with. i see so many people water her down to just, being finnick's, and only being whatever level of trauma has enabled her consistent struggles. this i won't put a label on because i don't know what collin's was trying to achieve.
i even believe that finnick as her lover commits a level of ableist thinking in their relationship. he withholds information of the rebellion from her (despite her being extremely smart and just as career as anyone else from four,) and despite that not changing anything because she's still tortured, still abused in some way, he has a level of extreme overprotectiveness that reads as infantilism of his partner, and it seems to me like everyone considers finnick as annie's carer, and doesn't consider annie as his partner. yes his *lover,* but not someone on equal ground as far as their mental health issues go. the way annie is seen on both coins of fandom and book are incredibly ignorant and very, very harmful to disabled people. just because someone has a debilitating issue does not mean you get to treat them like they're a child, does not mean you go onto label them from that single trait. like i said, the phrase ‘the mad girl back home’ is so, so degrading to annie, who is a survivor and has overcome her experiences with respective scars. respect her humanity, because it's sub human thinking to call someone mad based on PTSD. leave that in the 1910s/20s.
𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐍 & 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇
(note that the haymitch part will be longer than the rest because i have enough content to go off of & this is my specialty)
mrs. everdeen and haymitch as characters both experience deprecating grief, to the extent where their mental health is tarnished from that. mrs. e becomes withdrawn and stiff from family; only able to function for the sake of work. her love, her husband dies and it emotionally disables her and severs a proper relationship to her two daughters. her mental health being dependant on the man/the loss of him and the fact that she discards her family is not only somewhat realistic for *some* cases, but also equally spitting out ideas of tradition and how "women need a man," with hazelle contrasting this and having to work for her 4 children to the point of blood. katniss’ perception of her mother's issue do come from hurt, but also internalised prejudice against those with mental health as she can see the extent of agony her mother is in and still loathes her, never leaving the door open for empathy.
the treatment of haymitch in both book and fandom is equally prejudiced and incredibly uneducated on addiction, and again — grief. haymitch self-medicates because his trauma, the extent of it is so mutilating to the point where he has to be flushing out memories on a constant basis. the fandom calls him a stupid drink, looks down on his intelligence. the books make him look volatile, squalored. the way in which suzanne collins describes his kitchen (which is filthy with old food, hazards, bottles and mice droppings) is VERY true of several people with severe mental health. katniss makes fun of him while he's in a state of approaching withdrawal, saying that the smell brings tears to her eyes, and at the end of the conversation ‘to take a bath.’ people with depression (which is what mrs. e and haymitch both have in different cases) find it difficult to do everyday chores and simple tasks, and katniss also repeats the idea of haymitch being unhygienic when she says ‘he's disgusting, but I'm greatful’ alongside commenting that it must've been a long while since he had bathed. haymitch is the richest man in the district, but not even that can stop the blatant hatred that katniss parrots. haymitch is to me, ill, and it reflects in his attitude during the games and when he's in withdrawal. suzanne hones in his mental state the most, and what he is a functioning alcoholic, and while that differs from regular alcoholism, people are consistent to demean his character with misconceptions and text books beliefs of what an alcoholic looks like. there are *many* takes, many examples of these sorts of people in society, but the constant abusive, violent, hateful, squalid, hedonistic ideas are parroted in fics when it comes to haymitch when he isn't.. any of those things. the society around him cares to consider the extent of his suffering and he doesn't have a good enough support system, as all whom he has loved are dead. i finish this by saying what i always do; he's extremely intelligent, extremely empathetic and wholly feeling, extremely caring and protective, and is meant to *defy* stereotypes. his ending however diminishes his ability to get better, and practically undoes any hope of his betterment despite it all.
𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐄
mrs. undersee is mentioned a few times through the trilogy, and when it isn't related to her late twin maysilee donner, or her daughter madge, it's her chronic illness. katniss basically only mentions her when referring to her constant headaches and her morphling addiction, which makes me wonder why suzanne collins doesn't go into depth about how she's taken care of, who she's getting support from as the wife of the district mayor, and how she functions as a mother. she is basically made useless to the narrative despite her important role as a mayoral first lady & family member to someone who experienced and was slaughtered in the arena. i see next to no content on her which upsets me as she does play such a big role in the scheme of things, and has connections to the everdeens, to haymitch and to the donner family. she's got next to nothing on her wikipedia, and it's unfortunate as she could've been a good example of chronic ilness in an already revered YA series (which now comes under scrutiny for the faults being uprooted.)
#i hope i got most of my points across but suzanne collins please stop using MH/disabilities & addiction as a plot point!!!!#or a means for infantilization/outcastment#the hunger games#thg#the hunger games trilogy#annie cresta#mrs. everdeen#haymitch abernathy#mrs. undersee#mental health#mental illness#fandom ableism#anyway suzanne collins please put down the pen and educate yourself#sincerely someone with mental health & two neurodivergences that are considered disabilities xoxo#didn't put this in the post but johanna's addiction to morphling after her torture goes so unchecked#she had to STEAL morphling because they refused to give her. a girl in PAIN. more medicine that would benefit her.#they put her out in the streets and FLOODED THEM and were surprised when it enabled a trauma response and she couldn't fight#that is crazy . that's genuinely crazy#they retraumatized her for the sake of the war
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Please reblog this if you vote, and if you'd like to share your own stories with me, please do, as this poll is part of a larger study I'm working on and the more data I can get for that, the better! If you'd be okay with sharing your story with me and having it anonymously included in the essay I'm writing, you can message me so we can discuss further.
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Hi Bad Batch fandom, let’s sit down and have a talk for a moment.
1. If you liked or were okay with Tech being killed off, then that’s fine, but it’s also fine for people to not like that story beat.
2. Expressing displeasure with a writing decision in one’s own space is not “toxic”. As long as no one is being harassed, it’s not an issue, so please stop getting mad at people for doing this.
3. It is entirely possible to enjoy The Bad Batch over all and still hate the way Tech’s storyline was handled. This isn’t a zero-sum game, and criticism doesn’t always equal “hater”.
4. If a person has made an emotional post about not liking the way that Tech was killed off, that is NOT your cue to reply with a lengthy rant about why you think it was well done. There are people in the “Tech should have lived” camp that would be fine with debating you, but someone venting about how much this plot point upset them is not going to be among those people. In fact, you are being kinda mean.
5. Tech’s treatment as a character holds a great deal of emotional weight because a massive portion of his fanbase is autistic people who felt represented by him. We have been begging you guys FOR MONTHS to be empathetic, even if you don’t understand why we are reacting so strongly to a fictional character. Please start being more mindful.
6. Please stop calling people (even if you were among them) “delusional” for suspecting that Tech could have survived while Season 3 was airing. This was such a mainstream fan theory that Screen Rant covered it and Star Wars Theory brought it up. Casual fans who weren’t part of the online fandom were also into it. Also, actual delusions are a symptom of many deeply stigmatized mental health conditions, and using this medical term as an insult (self depreciatingly or not) further contributes to this stigma.
There has been an undercurrent of unkindness in parts of this fandom for a while now, and I hope that we can all get past this. I���m tired.
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