#female fitness motivational quotes

[the-eatjoyfully-posts]

I just saw that there are over 10,000 of you following this account! THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!! I hope this account has motivated you in some way to take care of yourself from a place of love and respect!

I hope you stick around! Thank you!!

[fitnessmantram]

Unlocking The Power of Yoga || Yoga Workout Motivation || Yoga Day Theme...

There are numerous health benefits to regularly practicing power yoga. Flexibility can be improved, muscle tone and strength can be developed, and a more active lifestyle can be encouraged through this type of yoga. Through the postures of power yoga, yogis can strengthen their connection to the body.

Read More : Types of Yoga Practice and Benefits

[punkeropercyjackson]

A key part Zutarians and Kataang antis always miss of the feminism in character's Katara is that her rebellion and noncomformity don't involve a man.Fullstop.Yeah,Z/K is a misogynistic ship and K/A is a feminist ship but that's because of how Katara is written,not how Zuko or Aang are written.Women who're attracted to men should be allowed to date whatever man they want without being shamed but when it comes to woman characters,they need to exist on their own and not as props to male characters

Which Katara does,most of all her anarchism!Katara nonstops speaks out,helps the oppressed and does anti-imperalist actions and also forms her own girlhood by refusing to exist into the traditionalist,gender essentialist view of female identity the world has but proudly being feminine and not letting herself not be seen as completely like a girl(trans-coding imo but i already elaborated on that).Katara is a rebel because she's a punk native girl,NOT because of her taste in men.Girlhood is not defined by boyhood and saying so is not only sexist but also lesbophobic and aspecphobic as it erases lesbians and aroace women and can even dive into transmisogyny with how biology and gender as intersections are treated

No Kataang wouldn't have equaled canon Zutara because Katara's not a bicycle.She didn't sell out by marrying Aang and having kids with him because she still did all that shit and continued to do all that shit until she got too old to and even then she was praised as the best Waterbending Master ever and treated with no less respect than anyone else in The Gaang in Lok and most of the comics and the Aang in regards to to their fam allegations say a lot about y'all-Nobody hates Katara more than Zuko ass kissers who accuse her of being nothing but a doormat to her own husband she grew best friends with literally just because she settled down with him and make violating ass comments about her sex life because she dared to have multiple kids and they can't come to any conclusion other than she's a breeding machine like a bunch of conservative slut-shaming freaks.And their motivation behind this is her husband is a genocide survivor of an asian race that's not glamorized by the west so they think the only way he could ever view women is and i quote 'human incubators' because he's a depraved savage unlike precious classy japanese boyfriend they've always wanted Zuzu uwu

Nah,fuck that-Fuck your tropes,fuck your symbolism,fuck your gentrification of Katara.She's Master Katara,not the Fire Lady and being anti Zutara because she's brown is about as racist as not wanting black fem characters to date white supremacists.She's also The Painted Lady and that was her vigilante persona to do activism to help out a Fire Nation colonized community so look in a mirror when you say other ships rob Katara of her culture.It's Zutaras,it's ALWAYS been Zutaras.You can't be 'robbed' of something you were never only offered but told multiple times you were never getting.Zuko dosen't want Katara either,he views her as a child and that's how she wants to be seen,Dadko is Zuko's thing for breaking the cycle of abuse and healing his inner child and Momtara is silencing Katara to make her Zuko's.Little Miss Punk Tactics dosen't need a man to empower her and loving a man you dubbed not ideal enough dosen't erase her being a revolutionary.She can want girlhood and not fit into the box.Katara can do both.The sea does not like to be restrained

[nestastits]

Despite issues regarding sjm, I will never not be grateful to her for creating Nesta Archeron. Or writing acosf.

I grew up watching and reading about perfect girls with perfect lives doing perfect things with perfect feelings. I never felt like I fit in because of this. I could never truly connect with the characters because of this. Then after reading tog, I decided to read acotar. And when Nesta was introduced I gravitated towards her because for the first time I felt a true connection with a female character.

And the moment we got her first pov in acomaf, I knew I loved her because she was just like me. And it only magnified in acosf. When I read acosf I was in a similar mindset as Nesta was and never have I felt more seen by someone as I did her. I struggled with self loathing and just wanting to be anywhere but in my own head as she did. She was an eye opener character for me because I had never read about someone who was just like me until her. And knowing sjm wrote Nesta specifically to mirror what she felt too made me so happy, I had finally learned others felt like I did.

Acosf healed a part of me, I’m not joking when I say it’s my favorite book not only for the characters but because of the way it made me feel itself. Reading it and seeing quotes that directly relate to my own experiences and feelings motivated me to begin my own healing journey. I’m not sure if I would be here today if Acosf didn’t exist. If Nesta didn’t exist.

Nesta is so special to me in ways I can never explain. I love her so much and see myself in her. And I cannot thank sjm enough for creating her for all of the Nestas in the fandom. She’s the first character who I’ve ever felt represented by and I cannot wait to see where her story continues to go in the next books.

[grandgtaman1a]

Dating with Michael De Santa[Headcanon]

Pairing: Michael De Santa x Reader Character: Michael De Santa,Reader[Female or Gender Neutral] Summary: The dating life with Michael.{Anon Request}

AN: In this Michael and Amanda are in their divorcing era but you and Amanda the kids are good friends. There may be a few inaccuracies. Feel free to reblog and let me know your thoughts  Do not Repost. Working on other requests too... Requests are open

Michael, despite his tough exterior, is a sucker for romantic surprises. He might not admit it, but he secretly loves it when you plan unexpected dates or leave sweet notes for him.

Michael has a soft spot for classic cars. Your dates often involve cruising around in one of his vintage cars, with him sharing stories about each vehicle's history. He may even let you drive one if you're lucky.

Michael might not be the best chef, but he loves trying to cook with you. Even if the kitchen ends up in chaos, you both have a good laugh and order takeout instead.

Despite the chaos in his family and an ongoing divorce, Michael values spending quality time with them. He appreciates it when you get along with Amanda and the kids; family movie nights are a regular occurrence as Amanda Tracey and Jimmy have accepted you as a great friend and part of Michael’s life.

Michael secretly craves adventure. While he may not admit it openly, he enjoys trying out new activities, whether spontaneous road trips, hiking, or bungee jumping.

Michael is a huge movie buff, and you both spend lazy Sundays binge-watching films together. He loves discussing the intricacies of the plots and characters, and you often find yourselves quoting movie lines in everyday conversation. He will always remind you that he was the executive producer of Meltdown which you are a huge fan of and won’t get tired of hearing it.

Michael may not open up easily, but as his partner, he trusts you with his deepest secrets and fears. Late-night talks become a regular occurrence, and you provide a sense of stability in his often tumultuous life.

Both of you decide to embark on a fitness journey together. Michael may grumble about it initially, but he secretly enjoys the workouts and the sense of accomplishment that comes with them. You become each other's workout buddy and source of motivation.

Michael discovers a newfound appreciation for art when you introduce him to galleries and museums. He may not understand all the nuances, but he enjoys spending time with you and exploring the artistic world.

During his criminal endeavors, Michael finds solace in your unwavering support. Your encouragement helps him stay grounded and provides a sense of normalcy in his chaotic life.

[chrisevansonly]

Miscommunication

Chris Evans x Female Reader

Summary: You rarely argue, hating confrontation you tend to avoid it at all costs, but when a miscommunication happens and you overhear something with no context, tensions bubble over and you’re stuck in your least favourite spot

Warnings: angst, body insecurities, miscommunication, yelling, swearing, slight mention of eating disorder/food insecurity, happy ending<3

A/N: I love a good angst to happy ending, and I decided to give a lil argument a go, I really need to try and get more confident in my writing because I constantly feel like its horrible hahaha, anyway being a mid size gal who has lost a lot of weight, I wanted to write something to include the girls who aren’t thin, and who do have a belly, thicker thighs, because sometimes bigger girls are left out. There is nothing wrong with your bodies, no matter what size you are from a 00-20+ you’re beautiful and you deserve to be loved and accepted for you<3

Word Count: 1,257

 Being a girl who’s a little on the bigger side, well I guess midsize would be the term everyone’s using these days, you’d often have good and bad days, that was just a part of the journey to self-love and to becoming more confident in your own skin. You were a confident woman, owning your body, wearing what you loved to wear, and you also happened to have a boyfriend who loved you unconditionally, and was your biggest hype man. Reminding you every day how much he loved you, from leaving sticky notes on the mirrors in the house with reminders or little quotes of motivation. If you had a bad day with eating, he’d be right beside you, making small snacks and eating with you, to encouraging and celebrating your little accomplishments with every meal. Chris was truly your number one fan, and always made sure he supported you in any way he possible could, so it certainly surprised you when you accidentally overheard a conversation you felt wasn’t meant to be heard 

“there’s no way she’s going to fit into that…are you kidding me?”

“I mean if only there was a way that would even work.”

“No, it’ll look horrible…”

“I don’t even want to picture her wearing that.”

You didn’t listen in much after that because despite not knowing who or what he was talking about, your brain immediately went to flight mode, and you were in your shared bedroom within seconds. You felt disgusted with yourself, to think Chris would be talking about you like that to someone else, it made your stomach churn, the urge to get rid of everything you’d had to eat that day surfacing up. You didn’t even want to look at yourself in the mirror, taking down all those stupid sticky notes he put on them, because as far as you knew, it was all a lie now anyway. You let yourself sulk for some of the afternoon before going down to the kitchen to get a glass of water, your stomach rumbling quietly but your appetite long gone. Chris was looking through the fridge no doubt searching for something to whip together for lunch 

“Hey baby, you getting hungry?”

You shook your head grabbing a glass from the cupboard in front of you 

“No thanks”

He watched you silently for a few moments as you got your water, his eyes trained on you, the feeling of him staring pausing your movements while you looked at him

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just you haven’t eaten since breakfast…are you sure you aren’t hungry?”

So now suddenly he cares if you’re hungry or not?

“Why do you care if I’m hungry or not.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

You rolled your eyes not wanting to start a huge fight or argument but before you could leave the kitchen, he grabbed a hold of your elbow gently 

“Honey what the hell is going on?”

“You of all people should know Chris.” 

He furrowed his brows, and you could tell he was wracking his brain trying to figure out what the problem could be 

“Well, I clearly don’t, so If you could enlighten me as to why you’re so angry that would be great.”

“Figure it out.” 

You turned and went towards your bedroom again, Chris hot on your heels

“We aren’t fucking playing this game y/n, I’m not chasing after you trying to figure out why you’re upset, so quit running away and talk to me!”

“I heard you on goddamn phone this morning okay!”

He shook his head his hand coming up to rub his face gently 

“Okay? What’s wrong with me being on the phone…am I not allowed to do that?”

“It’s not the phone, it’s what you said! There’s no way she’s going to fit in that, I don’t even want to picture her wearing that, it’ll look horrible! It doesn’t take a fucking genius to figure out that conversation was about me Chris! I get it, I’m not some stick thin vogue model, I don’t fit into everything, I fucking get that. I would have n-never guessed you of all p-people would point that out to someone over the phone.” 

His expression dropped instantly, and he moved toward you to take your hands in his but you stepped back 

“I get it okay, I’m gross to look at, embarrassing to be around, I already knew a-all of that, I thought i-it didn’t bother you, apparently I was wrong.”

When the tears started to fall down your cheeks, Chris was quick to pull you to him, holding you as if you were going to disappear before his eyes, your body shaking against him as your thoughts ran rampant 

“Oh baby…. I’m so sorry, honey this whole thing is a miscommunication, I wasn’t saying anything bad about you, I would never, but I know why you’d think that I should have worded it differently”

You sniffled against the fabric of his sweater, not moving from his embrace, your silence allowing him to continue 

“I was having something special designed for you, and the company got your size wrong, and I was frustrated because I had told them hundreds of times, I was upset because I knew it would make you uncomfortable and wouldn’t highlight how beautiful you are, but I guess my choice in words were shit. I promise you baby I love you and your body so much, there is nothing horrible about you, there is nothing embarrassing about you. I am so fucking fortunate to get to love all of you every day, flaws and all, even though you’re absolutely perfect in my eyes.”

He pulled back slightly so he could take your face in his hands, a sad smile tugging at his lips while his thumbs wiped away your tears 

“You are everything to me and more pretty girl, I promise you, there is nothing in this world that can convince me you aren’t endgame for me, I love you with everything in me, and I need you to know how beautiful you are to me.”

“I’m s-sorry...”

He shook his head pressing a gentle kiss to your lips 

“You don’t need to say sorry honey, I should have made my intentions more clear on the phone, that’s my fault”

You moved back to rest your head against his chest, and he rubbed his hands up and down your back soothingly, calming you down

“I love you so much, I want you to know that you are perfect just the way you are. Always.”

“I love you too, I’m sorry I jumped to the worst conclusion”

Chris tightened his hold on you hating the fact that he made you feel this way 

“You don’t need to apologize to me baby, I promise…now can I make you some lunch to make up for this?”

Your stomach growling in response made him chuckle quietly, giving him the answer, he needed

“So, lunch and then I need to make some updated sticky notes…seems like some have gone missing.”

Chris stuck to his word, making the two of you some food before sitting down and eating it with you, before grabbing his sticky note pads and writing little reminders on them to stick to the mirrors in your bedroom again. A constant note that would continue to let you know just how much he loved you and everything you offered him, because at the end of the day, you were perfect for him, just like he was for you. 

[leonardalphachurch]

saw the question of “how long does it take rvb to pass the bechdel test” and i got curious and also wanted to make myself mad so.

my answer is Reconstruction: Chapter 5 (s6e5). there’s a recorded conversation between sheila and tex about the ship crashing.

my answer with no caveats is Evacuation Plan (s9e4). carolina, 479er, filss and south all participate in a conversation that takes up a good chunk of the episode.

i talk a LOT more about the state of female character interactions under the cut.

the first time two women talk at all is s2e11/bgc30:

sheila bisexual moments. while iconic, this isn’t much of a conversation (tex doesn’t ever speak to her) and it’s certainly about a man so. doesn’t count. next!

next is s3e1/bgc39:

while here it’s implied that they are actually having a conversation at least we still don’t actually see any exchanges between them and they’re still talking about men and quote “Boring stuff like oppression, and a hostile work environment.” which is great but. a) we don’t see it. and b) again, still about men

next is tex and kai’s exchange in season 5. which is misogynistic as fuck and even if it did pass the bechdel test i would refuse to count it. but guess what! not only are they talking about men, but we literally do not see them talk to each other. kai speaks to tex “who’s o’malley?” but tex doesn’t respond to her, instead asking the guys “who’s the girl?” (s5e10/bgc92). then they talk in the background of the next episode while church and tucker are misogynistic. then it’s two more episodes until we get this gem

y’know, girl stuff! how fucking charming. these writers really have a great grasp on how woman act. god, it’s even worse when compared to tex and sheila’s conversation earlier. in what world would tex be fucking intimidated by kai.

and you know what the joke of this all is. even if they did have a conversation here that passed the bechdel test it still wouldn’t count under some rule sets because kai still doesn’t have a name at this point. great work team.

s5e15/bgc92 has a deleted scene where kai calls up a girl friend and they talk… i’m not counting it because 1) kai is as of yet unnamed and the girl friend is never named, 2) the conversation is ostensibly about junior, though they do talk about other stuff enough that you could argue it’s not about a man, but 3) it’s deleted. you don’t get credit for shit you deleted.

next time two women talk to each other is recovery one episode 4. this is the first time we see two women have an actual, back and forth conversation. the conversation is between south and commamd about wash, delta, and the fact that south isn’t rejoining freelancer. i do think this conversation fits the spirit of the bechdel test (two women talking to each other with deeper characterizations unmoored from being about men) but that’s only really by technicality. command isn’t a character here and doesn’t become one for another 4 seasons; the conversation is only retroactively a deeper one. it’s up to you whether or not you pass it. i think it’s important to remember that the bechdel test isn’t really a hard test to determine what’s feminist (and was made in the first place to be about queer women being able to see themselves in media) but rather a marker to help sort out if the female characters in a work are allowed any depth outside of men. this exercise is less about finding a scene fitting exact criteria and more about. me going oh god it really is fucking bad out there huh.

my actual pick, as i said in the beginning, is s6e5. though tex mentions gamma and the aliens, the conversation is still about the fact that the ship is crashing. and in terms of the spirit of the test, two women yelling at each other as they die definitely fits definitely fits “deeper character motivations outside of men” imo. it’s. kind of really sad though. the first time we ever see tex and sheila have an actual conversation is the last time we really see either of them, chronologically. we only got to see them have a relationship as they were dying. why couldn’t they have been friends in life.

if a recorded conversation isn’t good enough for you, you’ll have to wait until s8e15. season 7 does not have a single woman in it. tεx and filss talk about pfl’s files. it’s not exactly an in depth back and forth and the conversation is shared with simmons and church but. it’s something. i think sheila and tex’s convo fits the spirit of the test a bit more but. let’s chalk it up to two conversations in the 8 seasons. fantastic.

all right, season 9 time. come on, a third of the main cast is women! that’s gotta bring our numbers up, right?

episode 1? no. 2? no. 3?

incredible! we have a conversation between female operative and pilot! just kidding. the wiki doesn’t name them bc they haven’t been named yet, but this is a conversation between carolina and niner! no funny business! just an actual conversation between woman! wow. only took us nine seasons to get to a point where i can confidently say something passes the bechdel test with no caveats. unless we look at the 60 second rule. then. oops.

but… wow! episode 4 has… THREE women? talking to each other? and then a fourth joins in? i thought it was a myth! being able to handle so many women on screen at once… they really did something special here. anyway, this episode is the first to pass with flying colors. i can’t time shut bc i don’t have the videos on hand but i’m certain this passes the 60 second mark. great work! if only it didn’t take you nine years to get to this point.

ugh. i had more written past this point but tumblr erased it and i don’t feel like fucking redoing it. i got to the point i wanted to so. maybe i’ll continue this later. would like to explore the rest of pfl and chorus. it’s impressive how well pfl manages to avoid having women actually speak to each other. they’ll literally be in the same conversation but never actually address each other. this happens multiple times.

[quillkiller]

what does fitting into the male gaze mean? Like is there a certain look to girls that men like?

hello!! :~)

no that’s not what it means, but rather the male gaze refers to the objectification of women for the heterosexual male desire; and orginates from how women are depicted in media as a passive sexualized object whose only real purpose/reason for existing is to motivate the active male hero in his character arch.

however the male gaze is not only limited to how women are depicted in media, but extends beyond the screen and into real life dynamics between men and women. men are not the only ones with male gaze goggles and i’d argue that most of us do in one way or another. few simple examples being how women want to be or feel smaller than men/want men who can overpower them, dress up for men without even understanding it (gendered clothing, shaving, make-up, etc), or how we just subscribe to gender stereotypes generally. <- would love to point out the memes of ’im just a girl’ meaning women can’t do things. or ’girl dinner’ or ’girl version of the roman empire’ or ’girl math’ and don’t even get me started on ’bimbocore’ or joking about how its awful that women have to work now. i get that they’re all jokes, but it’s 1. not funny and 2. counterproductive and men are never laughing with us even when they claim or think they do. we’re actively reinforcing gender stereotypes and GOD am i tired of this wave of dumbing women down / house wife culture coming back in full swing

anyway!!! lost my train of thought!!! the main idea of the male gaze is that women are passive/submissive while men are supposed to be active/dominant. like laura mulvey said: ”woman as image, man as bearer of the look”. therefor her only purpose is what she inspires in the male hero.

bringing it back to media, the male gaze is, in that way, not only limited to the male protagonist of the film but also extends to the viewers and therefor to the women in the audience who don’t have a choice but to relate to the way women (themselves) are being depicted on screen. the audience, women included, are looking through the protagonists pov and therefor we’re all guilty of looking at women through the male gaze and subscribing to male gaze ideals. another great example of this being how we romanticise harley and the joker (which is why i love birds of prey so much), basic instinct, megan fox in transformers, charlies angels (voice of god is a man who’s behind the whole operation, controlling these girls and how they’re portrayed so male viewers don’t have to feel so uwu uncomfortable about the lack of penis), and i’d even go so far as in include poor things in this because it’s a male director trying to make a film from the female gaze pov but failing miserably and instead thinks it means that women who don’t subscribe to societal standards/patriarchal views would just be rude, apathetic and hypersexual (but still have to be sexy!).

anyway. my favorite article, that i’ve quoted more times than i can count in my film essays, about the male gaze and the passive woman/active man is ’visual pleasure and narrative cinema’ by laura mulvey, which was published in 1975. you can read it for free here!

[indigo-scarf]

🎀Pansy, My Beloved Mean Girl🎀

Although her goth-grunge haircut in the PoA film turned fanon!Pansy into an edgy badass, book!Pansy is a caricature of the girly mean girl.

Pansy bursts “[into] tears” over Draco's hippogriff injury, and later “simpers” at him; she wears “very frilly robes of pale pink” to the Yule Ball; she “shrieks” and “giggles” at cruel jokes; she spreads gossip about the Golden Trio's love life.

However, what sets Pansy Parkinson apart from the more celebrated mean girls is that Pansy is completely one-dimensional. While others — Kate Sanders, Sharpay Evans, Regina George, Blair Waldorf — are allowed to be charismatic, attractive, powerful, vulnerable, Pansy is only presented as annoying, “pug-faced” (i.e. an ugly bitch), and “thicker than a concussed troll”.

While other works examine the motives and the secret pains of the mean girl — distant families, insecurities, lack of true friends, pent-up rage — Pansy is simply mean, because she is. You’re not meant to see her as a human being at all; Pansy is an effigy to be burnt.

In the words of JKR herself:

I loathe Pansy Parkinson. [...] She's every girl who ever teased me at school. She's the Anti-Hermione. I loathe her.

So, if Pansy Parkinson is so unlikeable, why do I like her?

🎀 First, because she is girly.

The construction and treatment of Pansy’s character fits what’s termed “demonisation of hyperfemininity”: a trend in media to associate girly girls with villainy, spite, and everything not nice, often in opposition to a virtuous Not Like Other Girls girl (such as Hermione).

If this concept has been used (rightfully, imo) to discuss the mean girls I described above as multi-faceted, then Pansy’s lack of nuance hyperdemonises hyperfemininity. Even her name itself is an insult used to deprecate femininity.

Once you’re aware of this trope, though, it’s not difficult to separate the hyperfeminine wheat from the demonic chaff. There is no doubt that Pansy has condemnable traits, but must every trait of hers be condemned? Is it shameful to pursue your crush, giggle, and like pink frills? Of course not.

For years I thought it was, but now, in the era of bimbocore and barbiecore, I am finally overcoming that internalised prejudice and reviving the girly part of me I had repressed. Now, I really enjoy exploring the positive side of Pansy’s girliness: she’s affectionate, bubbly, interested in cute aesthetics (and in my mind she knows all about beauty products). 💋 Second, because she is mean.

At the same time, observing that a part of Pansy is unjustly maligned doesn’t warrant downplaying her flaws. Just as Sharpay is self-obsessed and manipulative, Pansy is a bigot and a bully. But I love that in a fictional character.

I admit her canon taunts are pretty insipid; you can’t make a “Pansy Parkinson being iconic” quote compilation. Nonetheless, I can only see her wanton meanness towards other girls as a sign of insecurity, which I find sympathetic and relatable — even if JKR refuses to give Pansy any humanity, I simply do not believe that she is the way she is for no reason.

I think Pansy has the need to put others down so much because she doesn’t know how else to feel good about herself — the insipidness of her bullying actually makes her seem even more like someone who lashes out out of desperation for assurance, even if she herself may be in denial about that.

Pansy was probably taught, both by our patriarchal society and by her own individual upbringing, that she had impossible standards to conform to and that other girls were her competitors. 

Indeed, many of Pansy’s insults focus on the appearance of her female peers — beauty standards being the most obvious tool of the system to make women hate themselves and each other.

On top of that, I imagine Pansy’s mother must be overly critical of her and of everyone else too, instilling in Pansy a lack of self-confidence and modelling viciousness as acceptable behaviour — things Mrs. Parkinson herself must have learnt from her own trajectory under patriarchy.

It’s the tragic old cycle of hurt women hurting women, which so many of us end up being part of in one way or another.

Plus, in general, I relate strongly to any character who is an insecure little bastard. I admit it: I have a fragile self-esteem and I’ve always struggled with envy and urges to seek validation in toxic ways. Although I've got a lot better at dealing with these feelings, I love to see a character who makes me feel less alone in my issues.

Lastly, Pansy’s meanness is just fun to write. I find it a fun exercise to come up with the most egregious things for someone to say or do in (fan)fiction. 🌸 Third, because JKR hates her too much.

There are many criticisms Pansy undeniably deserves, but JKR goes beyond those, which makes me feel compassion for the girl.

Exhibit A:

On her old website, JKR once made a post called “For Girls Only, Probably,” which discusses incidents that made her reflect on “being thin”, or “the issue of size and women”.

Besides the hypocrisy of her writing that without addressing the rampant fatphobia in the Harry Potter books, the post itself is full of misogynistic clichés and, once again, demonisation of hyperfemininity.

In the first paragraphs, after assuming (yikes) that a girl on a magazine has an eating disorder and body-shaming her (“her concave stomach, protruding ribs and stick-like arms”), JKR concludes:

This girl needs help, but, the world being what it is, they're sticking her on magazine covers instead.

If you squint, there could be a salvageable point there about toxic beauty standards being pushed by the media, but by the end of the article that is lost in victim-blaming and derision:

[Pink’s] latest single, ‘Stupid Girls’, is the antidote-anthem for everything I had been thinking about women and thinness. ‘Stupid Girls’ satirises the talking toothpicks held up to girls as role models: those celebrities whose greatest achievement is un-chipped nail polish, whose only aspiration seems to be getting photographed in a different outfit nine times a day, whose only function in the world appears to be supporting the trade in overpriced handbags and rat-sized dogs.

[...] I don't want [my daughters] to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before 'thin'. And frankly, I'd rather they didn't give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons. Let them never be Stupid Girls.

Excessive preoccupation with weight is a ubiquitous feature of a fair few 2000s mean girls — Regina and Blair, of course — but the character JKR’s rhetoric most reminds me of is Shelby Cummings from A Cinderella Story. You know, the one who asks, “What can I get here that has no sugar, no carbs, and is fat free?”

That film puts a lot of emphasis on food as a marker of a woman's morality: while Hilary Duff's Sam is a good-natured, booksmart tomboy who loves greasy cheeseburgers, Shelby is portrayed as a vapid, spiteful girly girl obsessed with dieting.

Hyperfemininity, shallowness, cruelty, and weight concern are all framed as parts of the same contemptible character flaw. Liking beauty and fashion equals being dumb and bitchy; body image issues are an individual moral defect, not a response to hurtful social pressures.

That is exactly the same unfair treatment JKR’s post gives both Pansy and real life “Stupid Girls”, which drives me to side with Pansy. In fact, because of this blog post, I've started headcanoning Pansy as not only being insecure about her appearance, but also struggling specifically with her weight and with disordered eating/an eating disorder — one more element that increases her relatability.

Exhibit B:

The quote cited earlier is from an interview where JKR was asked who Draco had married, and if it had been Pansy. Her full answer:

No! God, it wasn't Pansy Parkinson. I loathe Pansy Parkinson. I don't love Draco but I really dislike her. She's every girl who ever teased me at school. She's the Anti-Hermione. I loathe her. Yeah, sorry! Sidetracked there by my latent bitterness. He married Astoria Greengrass.

Essentially, marrying Pansy is a punishment too harsh even for Draco, because while he is bad, she is worse — but how is Pansy worse than Draco?

As school bullies, they often act together, but Draco’s insults are arguably harsher: Pansy targets appearance and we never see her say “Mudblood”. Draco often mocks Harry’s orphan status and grief, plus uses the word “Mudblood” 15 times (I counted lol). They both abuse their power as prefects, both join the Inquisitorial Squad and try to take down the D.A.

In the war, Pansy clamours for Harry to be handed to Voldemort. Draco enthusiastically becomes a Death Eater, attempts murder twice (necklace, mead), lets Death Eaters and a feral werewolf into Hogwarts, and actually tries to capture Harry to hand him to Voldemort (right before the Fiendfyre).

Not to mention, Pansy is the one always treating Draco like a king and being used or led on — which she puts up with for years. He accepts her affection when it suits him and never reciprocates, yet she remains loyal to him.

If anything, Pansy is too good for Draco. If anything, instead of being sentenced to “not getting the guy”, Pansy should dump Draco.

(Though to me they are both problematic faves & I ship them fixing their relationship <3)

But no, the bad girly girl must remain irredeemable and be punished for it, while the more charismatic bad guy is allowed depth, self-improvement, and happiness.

JKR’s personal trauma with Pansy-like classmates might be a factor in her bias, but the way this bias affects her writing still results in choices that come across as illogical and sexist. 💗 Fourth, because she is a scorned woman.

That said, Pansy’s chasing an emotionally unavailable boy is relatable, and makes for a kind of story I’m interested in (and also contributes to why I believe she has self-esteem issues). However, I have mixed feelings about its canonical ending: on one hand, it’s infuriating; on the other, it’s an effectively moving tragedy.

I don’t like love triangles between a shining Refined Woman and an utterly contemptible Obnoxious Woman, and I tend to root for the latter. I don’t see myself in the glass slippers of the victor; I get horrified at the nightmare of being labelled a despicable failure and being replaced by some perfect, virtuous, better woman.

In Pansy’s specific case, it’s doubly frustrating, because there is some unrecognised good (or at least neutral) in her, and she is flawed in precisely the ways I connect with. Meanwhile, Astoria is much harder for me to like, since her main trait and sole reason to exist is “being better than Pansy” — as per the interview above, JKR was the first to define Drastoria by Pansy bashing.

Astoria is barely a character; she’s a mere tool in Pansy’s punishment and Draco’s redemption, which is doing Astoria dirty, too. Astoria and Pansy are both scenery in Draco's journey — and it’s a bit rich that Pansy is the Corruption-upon-Styx from which he must distance himself, given that his offences are greater than hers.

Another facet of Pansy’s punishment is that she couldn’t marry Draco because she shouldn’t be a mother.

Exaltation of motherhood is a huge theme in Harry Potter: the motherly love of Lily, Molly, and even Narcissa is a great force against evil. Plus, nearly all Light Side women either are (or become) mothers, or have a caretaking role as school teachers.

Being childfree, on the flipside, is stigmatised by its association with the worst female antagonists: Rita Skeeter and Umbridge, who are also hyperfeminine, and Bellatrix — the latter directly defeated by Molly's love for her daughter. The only exception is Petunia, yet another hyperfeminine antagonist, who represents a perversion of motherhood.

So, in this reactionary framework, of course Pansy was forbidden to have children. Childlessness is her burden for being an irredeemably bad woman, which in turn reinforces how bad a woman she is. Inversely, Astoria gets to be a mother because she is a good woman, and motherhood makes her even better (than Pansy).

Paradoxically, though, as much as I hate JKR’s approach to this whole thing, I’m glad my OTP Dransy isn’t canon endgame, because Pansy’s thoroughly whumped figure is even more compelling for it.

I can’t blame anyone if, even considering all this, Pansy is still not their cup of tea — after all, she was created to be as unpalatable as possible. But despite JKR’s efforts to convince me to hate the character, everything about Pansy Parkinson ends up making her very much my cup of pink strawberry hot chocolate.

[hamliet]

I feel there's still more to the kurta massacre than we think, i mean why did the spiders kill them in such a brutal way? It seemed personal tbh and what if tserriednich was involved in all of this?

I definitely think it was personal and revenge motivated. Sheila’s association with them and her presumed demise really makes me believe what @aspoonofsugar theorized: that the Kurta clan killed Sheila to prevent her from telling anyone about them. It kinda fits pretty perfectly with the themes of both Chrollo and Kurapika’s arcs.

(I know volume 0 states that a female traveler found the Kurtas, and people assume it’s Sheila, but… what if it wasn’t)

Nothing is impossible, but I don’t personally think Tserriednich was involved. I think it’s a lot more thematically powerful without another, truer villain or without a misunderstanding. That forces Kurapika to choose between revenge and saving what is left, rather than like, teaming up with Chrollo to defeat the true final boss.

The true boss Kurapika has to overcome in his arc is himself—specifically, his survivor’s guilt that leaves him wishing to die. He has to learn to live.

See, HxH is a coming of age story like most shonens, coming of age stories usually have, as part of their narrative, a defeat/death of the parent or a moment where the child lets go/comes to terms with what they can’t change and learns to live as themselves, not just as their parent’s child. It’s why I think the true person to overcome in Gon, Killua, and Kurapika’s arcs are their parents/histories, not Hisoka, Illumi, and Chrollo. In fact, given those three’s status as the most classic Jungian shadows, I wouldn’t be surprised if all three have to work together to overcome their greatest challenge.

Gon has already learned about Ging. I don’t think Ging is a villain by any means, but I do think Gon needs to eventually decide not to become Ging even if he appreciates aspects of what he’s learned along the way. Plus there’s Gyro. Killua thinks his big issue is Illumi, but it’s really Silva.

Kurapika needs to accept the deaths of his family and stop trying to join them. To quote Rocket Raccoon: oh boohoo my [family] died! … everyone’s got dead people; it’s no excuse to get everyone else dead along the way!

[mystic-scorpio]

WHAT TO GIFT YOUR FRIENDS BASED ON THEIR ZODIAC SIGN

Can't come up with the perfect gift for your friend? All you need to know is their zodiac sign.

[This is PART 2 with only the last 6 zodiac signs. PART 1 link at the end]

[copyrights reserved ©️mystic-scorpio]

7. LIBRA

Libra(MALE):-

- air diffuser or purifier and a nice fragrance (to help them keep in touch with nature)

- a quote board (to keep them motivated and happy)

- chocolate with dried fruits and nuts (chocolate of their taste preference)

Libra(FEMALE):-

-Skincare like clay masks and sheet masks to keep them glowing 24/7.

-Cosmetics (a colorful eyeshadow pallet fit for the diva.)

-Gourmet chocolates with dried fruits and nuts.

8. SCORPIO

Scorpio(MALE):-

- an oversized moody coloured hoodie or jacket (since they are most comfortable in their own skin and have a safe space for themselves)

- crystal candles with a nice aroma and a long wick (these people love to live by the candlelight and a long wick so that they don't burn themselves)

- metallic bracelets, watches, tiepins or cufflinks with a edgy vibe (since scorpio is the house of death and transformation)

Scorpio(FEMALE):-

-Essential oil diffuser, bath salts and oils, and scented candles to keep their stress at bay

-perfumes (preferably woody scents)

-books(criminal mysteries, detective or horror stories)

-Elegant minimalistic silver accessories

9. SAGITTARIUS

Sagittarius(MALE):-

- sports apparels like spiked running shoes, ropes for climbing or skipping

- take them out for skydiving, bunjee jumping or car racing (sports that gives them a thrill)

- take them to a club, late at night and give them a dance floor to themselves to dance the night away

- exotic truffle chocolate collection with a variety of different fillings (they like to expand their edible variety)

Sagittarius(FEMALE):-

-A gourmet coffee sampler (because they are probably overthinking at night.)

-Metallic watches (they need to look as smart as they are)

-Shoes of their choice.

10. CAPRICORN

Capricorn(MALE):-

- a boxed chess set (no sign appreciates craftmanship and the art of strategy making more than them)

- ambitious people get stressed easily and nothing can it away more than a nice aromatic candle

- ruler of the house of legacies, they love antique products and anything that improves with time like an old grandfather clock

- blankets that are true to their form so as to keep them warm in their safe space

Capricorn(FEMALE):-

-Aesthetic phone covers (to reflect their cool personality)

- Hoodies (of their preferred color)

- Headphones (to keep the noise out while they concentrate)

-Books with a pinch of drama.

11. AQUARIUS

Aquarius(MALE):-

- being believers of the phrase, "reality is not what it seems", they love to ponder the infinite and bend boundaries of the mind, therefore reading psychological books would make sense

- latest trendy tech products such as wireless headsets, smartwatches would make them happy. They just have a knack for it.

- branded sneakers of vibrant colours

- plan a day out with them and invite all their friends since they are social butterflies

Aquarius(FEMALE):-

-They like to keep up with the trends, the latest electronic devices make them happy.

-Clothing items and accessories of vibrant colors to match their vibrant personalities

-A Polaroid camera to cherish the memories they make with the people they love.

12. PISCES

Pisces(MALE):-

- they would love romantic books with a happy ending

- they would really appreciate a heartfelt gift like a bouquet of flowers with a handwritten card inside it

- small gifts of high sentimental value such as an engraved photo frame to keep in their living room

- a nice small notebook to write down their thoughts when they overthink would be highly appreciated

Pisces (FEMALE):-

-Jewellery like earrings and bracelets to make these kind souls shine.

-A personalised gift like a picture album or a handmade scrap book to take them down the memory lane.

-A Spotify playlist made exclusively for them.

_____________________________________

[I do not own any of the pictures used here. Credit to their respective owners.]

A/N: Please remember that people are diverse and unique. Everybody may not act as per their zodiac sign. So this guide may not completely apply to the concerned person.

All advice are based on the general behaviour of the zodiac signs.

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Link to PART 1 :

[talkingpointsusa]

The dating market as seen through the eyes of a complete psychopath

Well folks, I've been seeing a lot of talk in right-wing media about a "dating crisis" sweeping America recently. Naturally they have the citations to back this up, those citations being random videos that they found on TikTok. So I figured we'd take a look at one of the guys talking about this epidemic and see what's going on here, lets get into it.

02:10, Matt Walsh: "In what has become something of a monthly tradition on social media, two videos have gone viral featuring young women distraught over their inability to find a man who they consider worthy of their time. A week ago it was this woman expressing her deep frustrations over this video, listen."

I figured who would be a better fit to educate us on this pressing issue than Matt Walsh? He's famous for being a guy who lets trans people live rent free in his head and works at a platform that restores your virginity the minute you open their website, surely he can tell us all we need to know about the dating scene.

Jokes aside, Matt Walsh citing some random woman's TikTok video as proof that the dating market has been ruined by women having professional lives is peak Daily Wire journalism.

Matt plays the TikTok and then tells on himself a little bit.

04:16, Matt Walsh: "Even though I may be, infamously, a Grinch whose heart is three times too small. Even I will say that I truly feel bad for this young lady and the loneliness she's experiencing. You'd have to be a sociopath to not feel bad for her and despite popular misconceptions I am not a sociopath."

Golly, I wonder what gave people that idea about you Matt. Guess that will just have to remain a mystery for the time being.

04:39, Matt Walsh: "She says that she's worked on herself, she's done everything she can to make herself desirable. Part of the problem of course is that some of the things she highlights will have no effect either way on making her more desirable to men. For instance, no man cares whether a woman is successful or independent. Like, there has never been a man in the history of the world who has left a first date and said 'Wow, she's great. She's so successful and independent'. Those are just not characteristics that a man is looking for, they certainly won't be at the top of his list."

Ok, Matt Walsh dating tip number one is "If you are a female be submissive to your male partner at any cost. They're not looking for success and independence after all". Nothing messed up there. If you think this is a distortion of Matt's words, I would like to point you towards a blog post he made in 2014 entitled "Your husband doesn’t have to earn your respect". Quote;

"This doesn’t mean that a man has a license to be lazy, or abusive, or uncaring. He is challenged to live up to the respect his wife affords him. If his wife parcels out her respect on some sort of reward system basis, the husband has nothing for which to strive. As the respect diminishes, so too does his motivation to behave respectably. Respect is wielded like a ransom against him, and he grows more isolated and distant all the while."

Basically, if you are a female and your husband is abusing you it's actually your fault because you weren't respecting him enough. A lot of his comments recently, including the one I just quoted above, show that Matt Walsh's views haven't changed that much since then. Matt plays another TikTok of a woman lamenting her relational struggles, recaps the TikTok for some reason and then decides to present more "evidence".

08:14, Matt Walsh: "Now, it's not just women having these problems obviously. In fact, one guy replied to this last video with his own story."

Matt Walsh should never be allowed to comment on things like the minimum wage again after this episode. The reason I say this is because it's becoming glaringly clear to me that Matt's job is just watching TikTok, reading the comments under those TikTok's and attempting to turn those videos and comments into a coherent argument.

09:10, Matt Walsh: "Now, by now we're all familiar with the statistics which we've talked about on the show many times. Fewer young adults are in relationships, few are getting married, few are having kids, more of them are remaining single than ever before while people of all ages report record levels of loneliness."

It is true that we are experiencing a loneliness epidemic but the causes for this are a lot more complicated than what Matt Walsh thinks they are. According to an article written by psychology professor Susan Dugan for the University Of Denver, a lot of it is caused by people unable to manage their work-life balance and increased reliance on social media. Due to the increased reliance on social media, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people have became overly reliant on things like texting as opposed to seeing people in person.

Dugan also writes that one of the biggest things causing the loneliness epidemic is an overly-work oriented culture and people using their spare time to get more work done as opposed to spending time forming meaningful relationships. Now, I wonder what Matt Walsh, a guy who thinks that social security should be abolished and that the best solution to a low minimum wage is to "just stop being on the minimum wage", would have to say about dismantling a workplace culture focused around toxic productivity.

09:26, Matt Walsh: "A Pew analysis published in 2021 found that nearly 40% of adults between the ages of 25 and 54 are quote on quote unpartnered. And by that they mean these are people that are living without a spouse or a live in boyfriend or girlfriend."

If Matt actually did some research into what he's talking about instead of just skimming hed's and dek's he'd find the percentage of single Americans looking for a relationship or casual dates has decreased massively since 2019 with 58% reporting that they aren't interested in a relationship or even casual dating. Also, 40% is a scary number that Matt can use to freak out his audience but it's still the minority but I guess that's something that Matt's just going to ignore because his main solution is "just get married" (despite marrying young statistically leading to divorce but we'll get to that).

10:05, Matt Walsh: "So, what's going on? Um, there are several major factors, some of them I've discussed before but lets lay them out again in one list."

I can help Matt Walsh by compiling some of the things he's discussed in the past into a helpful list.

Factor #1: We don't just force people to marry each other

Factor #2: We don't force sixteen year old girls to get married because that's when they're "technically most fertile"

10:15, Matt Walsh: "First of course, many people are just waiting too long to get serious about getting married. The lie that my generation was sold and that the next generation after mine was also sold is that your 20's, the first decade of adulthood, is a time to be aimless and lazy and selfish and focused primarily on recreation and pleasure."

What universe is Matt Walsh even living in? Most people in their 20's are either in college or are looking for work, often due to them having to pay off large amounts of student debt from said college. If Matt wants more people to get married and have kids at a young age than he should support things like student debt relief that help make that lifestyle more affordable for young people.

According to a 2023 survey, 73% of Gen Z and millennial couples say that getting married is simply too expensive in todays economy.

Ok, so Matt Walsh factor #1 is pretty stupid if you do even the most basic research like "actually meeting somebody in their 20's". Matt's second point is that there are too many choices, fair enough, that's probably the most respectably true thing he's said this entire episode and society would be better off if Matt would just quit while he's ahead and end the video here. His third point though is just "why don't we just put traditional gender roles from the 50's back?!"

12:33, Matt Walsh: "And third, at a much deeper level, people are very confused and we've lost the basic understanding of what dating is for in the first place. Worse, we've lost any understanding of what men and women are for and what our roles are supposed to be. If we even talk about roles as it relates to men and women it's considered outrageous and offensive somehow."

So, a very verbose way of saying "get back in the kitchen", got it. Should I be taking notes for this?

13:08, Matt Walsh: "Think again about that woman in the first video highlighting her professional achievements. If she understood what men wanted she would instead highlight herself as a kind and affectionate woman who knows how to cook and take care of her man."

You thought I was exaggerating in that last bit of text didn't you?

14:09, Matt Walsh: "Four, this may be the biggest factor but the institutions that once facilitated matchmaking have completely broken down. Have been mostly abandoned or have simply stopped performing those functions."

Citation needed there Matt, no you can't cite your feelings.

14:21, Matt Walsh: "How were people matched up in the past? Well, for most of history families would arrange the matches. That's no longer the case, at least not in the west."

So, Matt still wants arranged marriages to be a thing in America, cool. In a strange stroke of coincidence, arranged marriages would strip women of their autonomy and right to choose which is what Matt was oh so subtly hinting at wanting in factor #3 and has historically espoused wanting even more blatantly in the past. Probably a coincidence.

14:30, Matt Walsh: "And so if the families not doing it, well churches used to play a major role in connecting young people with each other but most young people don't even go to church regularly so that no longer happens."

Yes Matt, that's why cultures that don't practice Christianity are sterile cultures where nobody marries ever. Seriously, we went from kind of stupid to misogynistic to extremely stupid (and still misogynistic) in the span of five minutes.

By the way, Matt Walsh met his wife on eHarmony so his stupid ass argument doesn't even apply to his own lived experience. But yeah, everyone else can only meet women through the church and arranged marriages.

14:38, Matt Walsh: "And if you don't have the family or the church, you've cut out the two institutions that used to be primarily in charge of this kind of thing, you've thrown them out then who's helping single people find each other? The workplace was sort of the third option and never the best place to facilitate romantic relationships but now it's even worse. HR regulations make it a risky proposition for a man to try to initiate any kind of romantic relationship with a co-worker and with more and more people working from home your co-workers may be thousands of miles away in any case."

So, the only alternative to church and arranged marriages is for men to sexually harass women in the workplace. Too bad those pesky HR regulations get in the way of that.

Ok, I’ve had enough “learning” from Matt Walsh for one lifetime.

Conclusion:

Well, that's was the stupidest take on the dating market that I've ever heard. I'm starting to realize that "What is a Woman?" might have actually been a genuine question because Matt Walsh clearly has no idea what women want outside of "they should be my personal slave".

I guess the takeaways here are that women don't understand their "roles" well enough and that the only possible places to meet a partner are the church and arranged marriages.

Cheers and I'll see you in the next one.

Original Video:

“Ep. 1373 - Why the Modern Dating Scene Is a Nightmare.” The Daily Wire.

Sources:

Dugan, Susan. “Psychology Professor on the “Loneliness Epidemic” — and How to Counter It.” Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, 27 June 2023.

Gelles-Watnick, Risa. “Roughly Six-In-Ten Single Adults in the U.S. Say They Are Not Looking for a Relationship or Dates.” Pew Research Center, 7 Feb. 2023.

Gelles-Watnick, Risa. “For Valentine’s Day, 5 Facts about Single Americans.” Pew Research Center, 8 Feb. 2023.

Nathan. Gen Z & Millennial Survey on Marriage and Living Together - New Statistics 2023. 23 June 2023.

[melvongx]

Misrepresentation of Women in Mean Girls

“You can’t sit with us!” - Gretchen Wieners

Hi everyone!

Today’s post will be discussing a classic comedy film, Mean Girls (2004), that follows the life of a teenager named Cady Heron navigating through high school social hierarchy after years of homeschooling. She unwittingly finds her way into an elite group of popular students, “The Plastics” which consists of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith but soon realizes how shallow this new set of friends were. While this film offers memorable scenes and famous quotes, Mean Girls explores the misrepresentation and disempowerment of teenage girls in the media.

The motion pictures happen to capture pop culture patterns in male dominance by placing men at the centre of the plot line. By placing men at the pinnacle of the story, the movie illustrates traditional gender stereotypes of hyper-femininity. The movie emphasizes girls being seen as desperate and submissive for male validation, malicious and envious towards other female characters. When Cady tells Regina that she had a crush on her ex-boyfriend, Aaron. Regina becomes envious and avenges her by kissing Aaron in front of her. This relates to disempowerment because many of these women are not supportive of each other and become competitive for their own personal gain.

The movie highlights how women are expected to meet these social expectations as well as engage in the negative effects of having to fit in. For instance, when Cady is invited to sit with the Plastics, she mentions how it feels to enter the “girls' world.” Gretchen explains the rules to Cady on how to assimilate into the group such as only wearing your hair in a ponytail once a week, and only wearing jeans or track pants on Friday. They are portrayed where they are deeply concerned with their appearance and are expected to conform to women's beauty standards, such as wearing makeup, staying up to date with fashion trends, wearing revealing clothing, and being skinny. Moreover, often colour is used as a symbol in some sort of way. When the Plastics are seen wearing pink every Wednesday, it can symbolize femininity, kindness, and love. This colour plays a role in gender as women are expected to be girly, kind, and submissive. In the readings of Alexander Sink and Dana Mastro, Depictions of Gender on Primetime Television: A Quantitative Content Analysis (2017), they explain how “women are largely defined to a narrow set of roles on television that emphasize sexuality, idealized beauty standards, and gender stereotypic occupations/lifestyles” (p. 6). Meaning that the media is able to depict what type of characters they will pursue in order to fit their narrative.

With the Plastics having a reputation for bullying and mean demeanour towards others, provokes the idea of dominance and exclusion to the group. They would tell little white lies, makeup rumours, gossip, and have ulterior motives towards each other. The movie displays multiple instances when the girls would devalue each other by referring to another girl as a “slut” or “whore” ultimately normalizing the use of using derogatory terms amongst both genders. In addition, many of the girls in the film would use these derogatory words in friendships to belittle and dismiss each other without realizing how negatively it affected the friend. The authors in Depictions of Gender on Primetime Television: A Quantitative Content Analysis, state that “media exposure has been linked with a wide range of negative outcomes including acceptance of dysfunctional relationship beliefs” (p. 4). Consequently, allowing women to adapt to friendships that are not healthy.

At the end of the day, Mean Girls is a comedy and not seriously analyzed by many of its average audience, but it does present problematic issues related to gender roles and misrepresentation in the media.

Reference

Sink, A., & Mastro, D. (2017). Depictions of gender on primetime television: A quantitative content analysis. Mass Communication & Society, 20(1), 3-22.

[biboocat]

The Cider House Rules (1985) by John Irving. It speaks to the misery, terror, and potential lethality that women face when the choice of abortion isn’t available to them. Pregnancy due to rape and incest is highlighted as a particularly desperate situation, and the victimized girls and women who cannot bear to carry to term are forced to seek back street abortionists who may be dangerously incompetent or even attempt their own abortions. Sadly and tragically this has again become all too relevant today nearly 40 years since it was published with the overturn of Roe. In my view, those who oppose choice for women lack the vision of empathy for those desperate women who are already alive and conscious as opposed to a fetus who isn’t. They are willing to subject the women and their unwanted children to a lifetime of misery for their sanctimonious motives without understanding the situations these women are in or offering any succor themselves. The story speaks of rules as well as the necessity to sometimes break them and make new ones when it can provide compassionate care to those in distress. I also enjoyed the close knit sense of community, both at St. Cloud’s and Ocean View Orchards. I thought the narrative pace a bit slow and repetitive at times, but I grew to enjoy the principal characters and their interwoven stories. I think the following excerpt from Middlemarch is appropriate here in describing Dr. Wilbur Larch: “Many of us looking back through life would say that the kindest man we have ever known has been a medical man, or perhaps that surgeon whose fine tact, directed by deeply informed perception, has come to us in our need with a more sublime beneficence than that of miracle-workers.”

Quotes and memorable sections:

If pride was a sin, thought Dr. Larch, the greatest sin was moral pride.

P61: Dr. Larch’s visit to the nightmarish back street abortionist is harrowing.

From A Female Physician to the Ladies of the United States’ by Mrs. WH Maxwell (until late in 187- Mrs. Maxwell had operated a woman’s clinic in New York):  “In the view of the uncharitableness of general society towards the erring, it is fit that the unfortunate should have some sanctuary to which to flee in who’s shade they may have undisturbed opportunity to reflect, and hiding forever their present unhappiness, nerve themselves to be wiser in the future. The true physician’s soul cannot be too broad and gentle.”

Here in St. Cloud’s, I will never allow myself to be replaced by some reactionary religious moron who cares more for the misgivings suffered in his own frail soul than for the actual suffering of countless unwanted and mistreated children. p260 (I would add that the religious opponents of women’s choice also have no personal stake in the welfare of the woman and the children that they demand that she have and ought to mind their own business. Furthermore, their arrogance in believing that they have a right to impose their religious beliefs on others who may not share their beliefs is outrageous.)

He had heard her say, so many times, that a society that approved of making abortion illegal was a society that approved of violence against women; that making abortion illegal was simply a sanctimonious, self-righteous form of violence against women – it was just a way of legalizing violence against women, nurse Caroline would say. He had heard her say, so many times, that abortions were not only a personal freedom of choice but also responsibility of the state - to provide them. p447

[myrozendream]

Scarlet Profile

Demographics

Name: Scarlet

Age: 45

Birthday/Zodiac: June 1 (Gemini)

Sex/Gender: Female (Female/She/Her)

Ethnicity: German

Sexuality: Bi-Sexual

Occupation: Opera Singer, Model

Socioeconomic status: Grew up without much, but currently is quote wealthy

Education: Bachelor of Music

Other notes:

‍

Physical Appearance

Eye color: Emerald Green

Skin color: Peachy White

Hair color: Blood Red

Height: 5ft 11in

Body type:

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History

Place of birth: Germany

Key family members:

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Criminal record:

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Psychological Traits

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Communication

Languages known: German, English, (S) Korean; French

Preferred communication methods:

Accent:

Style and pacing of speech:

Pitch:

Laughter:

Smile:

Use of gestures:

Facial expressions:

Verbal expressions:

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Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities

Physical strengths:

Physical weaknesses:

Intellectual strengths:

Intellectual weaknesses:

Interpersonal strengths:

Interpersonal weaknesses:

Physical abilities:

Magical abilities:

Physical illnesses/conditions:

Mental illnesses/conditions:

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Relationships

Partner(s)/Significant other(s): Hajoon

Parents/Guardians: Rufina and Diedrich

Children: Rose, Ruby, Carnelia, and Cherry

Other Family:

Pets: Fee (Selkirk Rex Cat)

Best friends:

Friends:

Rivals:

Enemies:

Colleagues:

Mentors/Teachers:

Idols/Role models:

Followers:

Strangers:

Non-living things:

Clubs/Memberships:

Social media presence:

Public perception of them:

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Character Growth

Character archetype:

Character arc:

Core values:

Internal conflicts:

External conflicts:

Goals: 

Motivations:

Epiphanies:

Significant events/plot points:

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