#feminist media studies

[maxdibert]

Lily’s not selfless because she didn’t want her baby to die. Anyone who isn’t a psychopath doesn’t want their baby to die! Defenceless Petunia also throws herself in front of a wand for her baby! Narcissa lies to Voldemort’s face and goes behind his back to Snape for her baby! Both of these women are selfish creatures! By book 6, JKR has firmly made the point that Lily’s actions were admirable but unexceptional in this universe. Joining the Order out of school is arguably her most selfless act (yeah, she’s personally affected, but she could’ve run to Australia).

Lily’s attraction to James is pure ego. She’s flattered the hot rich elite publicly validates her by desiring her. An actually selfless person would think of James’ victims (and I’m not just talking Severus here). Her condescension to Severus is ego (she enjoys having a worshipful puppy who won’t call her out on anything until he finally snaps and bites back - neither of them see each other as a person). We know a lot more about her than ‘she was selfless’ through her relationships, and not all we know is flattering. Which is good! Because the angelic figure the fandom makes her into - when JKR gave us more than that even in the little page time she has - is so fucking boring.

Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. What I find especially interesting is how so many Lily fans insist that pointing out her flaws is misogynistic, when in reality, they’re the ones preventing her from being a fully realized, three-dimensional character. By reducing her to nothing more than a morally flawless young woman and a sacrificial mother, they’re stripping her of the very things that make characters compelling—nuance, contradictions, and the ability to make mistakes.

It’s ironic because these same people will often argue that female characters should be treated with the same depth and complexity as male characters. But if we’re unwilling to analyze and critique female characters the way we do male ones, then we’re falling into the same trap we claim to oppose. What’s the point of demanding better female representation if we’re just going to infantilize female characters and refuse to engage with them critically? If we want true narrative equality, we have to be comfortable with the idea that women in fiction—just like in real life—can be selfish, can make questionable choices, and can sometimes just be plain unlikable. And that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing.

Lily is an interesting character because she isn’t just a saintly martyr. She clearly had an ego, she was flattered by James’s attention, she tolerated Severus’s bigotry for far too long, and when she finally did cut him off, it wasn’t out of some grand moral reckoning but because it affected her personally. That’s not a bad thing—it makes her human. And as you said, her sacrifice, while undeniably tragic and moving, is not some uniquely selfless act in this universe. Plenty of characters put their children before their own survival, and many of them—Petunia and Narcissa included—don’t get the same moral pedestal that Lily does. The difference? Lily is framed by the narrative as an untouchable paragon of goodness, and fans have followed that lead uncritically.

The reality is, if we actually want better-written female characters, we need to stop being afraid of giving them flaws. Otherwise, we’re just trading one kind of misogyny (women as lesser) for another (women as perfect). And neither of those is real progress.

[muchadoaboutlearning]

Fleabag and Différance: A Spectacle of ‘Excess’

I made this ppt for my final paper presentation for an art philosophy and aesthetics course on contemporary art. I used the case study of a contemporary media show fleabag to uncover the aesthetic experience of her "excesses"

here's my main argument if anyone wants to know:

I analyze Fleabag’s scenes and shot compositions to examine the aesthetic experience of Fleabag’s ‘excesses' to argue how Fleabag’s character negotiates the tension between traditional and neoliberal feminist gender norms through her ‘excess’— her humor, emotionality and the act of breaking the fourth wall. The spectacle of her 'excess' reveals the working of différance as articulated by feminist art history theorist Griselda Pollock. Ultimately, the performance in her 'excess" serves as a counternarrative challenging the binary gender performativity of “being a woman” from both patriarchal and neoliberal feminist perspectives

[anomalys-bane]

ways to show the male gaze in cinema without constantly showing ass on screen 'satirically'

-> Performing Scene: the entire scene focuses on a male audience. the camera is pointed at the men and we can only see over the shoulder of the performing woman. show them being as gross as possible while watching. no 'unseen watchers' no masks no hiding faces. show how pathetically absorbed these men are. also show how ordinary they are. there is nothing special about male attention. add a creepy horror movie type constant background humming, punctuated with the sounds of men shifting or grunting grossly. no music. the scene goes on for an uncomfortably long time, just panning over the male audience.

-> Stalking Scene: when depicting a stalker, once again the focus should be on the creepy man, but not from his pov. use wide shots that encompass the entire room, showing the stalked woman going about her business, doing human, relatable things. the woman should not be in the center of the frame. then use shots from her pov, slowly panning over the room while she goes about her business for a while, then suddenly freezing when she notices the man watching. use chill, upbeat music that stops at once upon her noticing, revealing those unsettling horror movie sounds that have been humming in the background.

-> Woman (human) Centered: the entire scene is set on the performing/watched woman's face, and only her face, from any angle, front, side, top, bottom, etc. it all works. show every micro-expression, even as she moves here and there. show her discomfort, her unease, her frustration, her sweat, tears, her fixed smile faltering, darting eyes, features twitching from stress, stuff like that. the camera moves with her face, adding a dizzying effect if she is moving around a lot, disconcerting the viewer. we focus on her and only her, but on the most human part of her, her face. little to no music, most sounds are made by her, her breathing, her heartbeat, gasps, grunts etc etc. show flashes of whoever is watching her, but only unsettling flashes.

-> Wide Angle Performance: the entire scene is filmed from a fixed, unmoving point set far away, so we cannot see much. the scene goes on for an uncomfortably long time. in this one the woman can be shown doing male gazey things but the unmoving, far set angle makes things look silly and uncomfortable. no music, just awkward audience sounds and the sounds of the woman moving. the scene can be punctuated with awkward, uncomfortable close up shots of the male audience.

Pls add more !

[1425fivefive]

i need to yap about babygirl. like i need to yap

[notaplaceofhonour]

i think there is some connection between this post and this post

the increasing tendency to treat flaws as justification to declare something wholly “problematic” is a big piece of the anti-intellectualism on the left

the entire point of criticism in academia is to refine & improve understanding in your field. when you level criticism, you are seeking to create dialogue, not shut it down—you engage in criticism to understand not just that a thing has problems, but to seek to understand those problems so you can contribute to a solution

it’s for that reason that the once valid image of a bunch of rich white dudes sitting around smoking cigars in a white tower isn’t accurate anymore. by no means does that mean all problems of systemic inequality are fully “solved”, but we live in a world where academia can and does adjust to criticism, and is now full of diverse perspectives from all intersections of minority voices

but when your approach to criticism is just finding any flaws to declare something wholly “problematic” and the only solution you have is “throw it all out!” “burn it all down!” the fact that institutions of higher learning are flawed and can be criticized leads you to embracing anti-intellectualism. rather than seeing the limitations of privileged perspectives as just that—limitations, which need to be filled out by combining them with perspectives that historically were overlooked—any perspective that may have been privileged in the past becomes trash that needs to be thrown out entirely

[sitehound]

Saying this here as well but sorry for the lack of writing. The tldr is that I’m in crunch time at work and my birthday is next week and my social life is kicking up again so most of my evenings have been Booked. I think when I find time again, I’ll likely prioritize Gumi for a bit because she’s intensely dear to me and I feel bad that I’ve been neglecting her.

Very sincerely thank you all for the support on Gumi. She was a highly experimental type of personality I’ve never written before and I’m very grateful that she’s found an audience genuinely invested in her.

[brightvelvet]

*Rant abt Galadriel from Rings of Power pt. 2*

I can't stop thinking about Galadriel. It's just, there's really nobody quite like her in the show. Both as a character in her own right and as a female in the RoP universe. Specifically, there's something about her emotional expression that just makes her stand out in a way that isn't flattering for her character. More than just no one else is like her-- there's no protagonist like her. There's no female character and arguably no underdog protagonist character in-universe that displays the same severity of emotion. **This is not a bad thing pls let me finish** And you could argue that she shares some familiarity with Theo or one of the other emotionally turbulent characters but the thing is we don't see anyone else to quite the same angle as we see Galadriel.

For one, we don't see Galadriel truly settled and calm. The hobbits before their involvement in the larger war know peace. The elves know peace same as the dwarves, and same as the Numenor Men. Is this peace great and happy? No, but it gives them time to think and grow into themselves. The Galadriel we see onscreen doesn't get that. From the earliest memory we see her fight and struggle, even in a squabble with another child. She's cynical and daring, even in the light of Valinor, and it's a surprisingly human take for a high Noldor elf. Her complexity and variety as a character continue to expand with the story, including guilt and shame and other secondary emotions that transform her into a Three-Dimensional character. But it rings flat when compared to everyone else.

Why does Galadriel think this way?

Why is she an emotional wreck compared to everyone else?

The thing is, Galadriel wasn't provided a backstory to validate her mindset in the show. She looks crazy because A.) We don't see anyone else freaking out and B.) Galadriel's an isolated island. The general female depiction in this universe isn't the best either. Feminism and misogyny are swept under the rug for an unquestioned idealized take on equality. All the women we see on the show have some 'power' and respect, but they're still expected to carry out womanly duties. Disa's a wife with two kids, Bronwyn's priority is her son, and Miriel is depicted as caring for her people as regent for her deposed father. She's a queen like Disa, but under heavy male influence like male counsel and the previous Kingly edicts. In comparison, Galadriel is striking out in new frontiers and it feels incongruous. Does the show pass the Bechdel test?? Regardless, RoP Galadriel brings a new archetype of female to the LotR Universe but the show doesn't explain why she's different. Like yes a real Female character but can you show us why she's real in this way when we don't see anyone else like her? Like yes her negative emotions/girl wrongs are valid considering circumstances but can you demonstrate her severity/complexity of emotions in the elves who've fought beside her?

Tl,dr: Galadriel's character argues for a type of feminist media that's unfamiliar to the LotR universe, and she looks bad because there's no representation like her.

Feel free to put me on blast with this guys. Am I crazy?

[katranga]

just remembered malibu stacy's "don't ask me. i'm just a girl!" and how incensed lisa simpson was that her favourite doll was finally able to speak, but had nothing to say because she was """just""" a girl. that episode came out in 1994, the year i was born, and apparently people are now, in the year of our lord 2024, saying shit like that like for realsies. like come on. the simpsons parodied this 30 fucking years ago. nobody is """"just"""" a fucking girl

[sk3let0rz]

I wish Hollywood didn’t show women making an effort to be romantic to men who reject them and then they end up with that shitty man. It reinforces this idea that men are unaware of the emotional consequences of their actions and allows them to avoid responsibility for treating people as disposable.

Men are allowed to be flawed, struggle morally, cause harm, and then overcome that without ever doing the internal work to become a better person. Because men have inherent value and if a man has to consider that he acted in an unethical way, that means his value is less (this is specifically about America’s prison slavery system and it’s ’othering’ of groups like women, poc, lgbtq, disabled). Men have inherent value and they can struggle without that value coming into question.

Women can NOT make mistakes. Because they do NOT have inherent value. Women are valuable on a conditional basis. Can you (as a women) provide sex, companionship, validation, housework, children? If you stop providing these things or are unable to provide certain things a women’s value goes down.

This is why women have to answer for their actions while men only have to answer for their intentions.

Back to the Hollywood trope- women are shown as having romantic daydreams and wanting those dreams to materialize. They try to encourage or support the man in carrying out those dreams (do you remember what day it is, honey?). This doesn’t go well and we as the viewer are encouraged to side with the man.

Be clear in your message = the woman’s actions are judged as most important.

The man was tired or there were other external factors = the man’s intentions are judged as most important.

This is bad because it encourages men to act as if there are no consequences to their actions as long as they mean well. It’s bad because it teaches women that men should not be judged for their actions. It’s bad because it encourages certain people to treat others poorly and another people to accept poor treatment.

Women who do not receive reciprocity in their romantic efforts should cease all romantic efforts with that person. GIRL there are millions of people out there one of them will treat you right. Stop trying to teach a man how to treat you.

[utahimeow]

beyoncé anon! so my class was an ethnic studies course that studied beyonces life/career and her impact as a woman of color on the music industry + feminism + womens rights and just studying the huge impact she’s had on society. most of my reading were about her life and i had to write a fifteen page paper analyzing her music vvideos and the symbolism behind them + her lyrics. it was a very interesting class!!

that sounds amazing!!!! i’m a film major but a lot of my classes are more so media studies nd i’m so interested in studying pop culture,, analysing music videos and lyrics seems SO fun ahhhh i’m so jealous!! did you do well on your paper? i’d love to read it only if you’re comfy sharing!!

[embraceyourdestiny]

jacob isnt good for emma because he doesnt and probably would never understand emma's sad girl angst and her female rage and her fundamental feminism for her own life, and it would be a great pain to emma's psyche to keep herself chained down to these bullshit heteronormative traditions with him when she doesn't even really have feelings for him in the first place! or at least, she doesnt have the same kind of feelings that jacob has, and thats a big issue with jacob for some reason.

just like emma said, "why should I have to justify my feelings when he got all bleugh about it!"

why does emma have to justify why her feelings exist when jacob is simply allowed to have feelings and some how that makes all of their issues justified in his direction. because then suddenly everything emma feels doesnt matter because his shit is more important, and thats bullshit, and it is inherently feminist to not let that man bullshit that our soceity tries to hard to keep us in its clutches with slide, and it is inherently feminist and against the machine to question that bullshit and be angry about it because female rage is considered a threat to a patriarchal society, and if jacob doesnt get that, if he cant even begin to comprehend what any of those words mean, then he and emma are fundamentally different people and this wasnt meant to be and thats okay. this wasn't soulamates meeting at the beginning of their forever together. they were actually ships passing in the night and thats beautiful and lovely and sweet in its own right, but at some point that night has to end and everyone has to move on and jacob doesnt get that thats not okay.

jacob was living a fantasy in his head about emma and hes pissed she popped his bubble by being a real person with her own perspective on things and thank god she left him like cmere emma id treat you so right baby like goddamn

[torahapologetics]

Men have to support Women?(Husband and Wife )@ashermeza @RebbeYehoshuahLamberti

[stonergirlfilmcanon]

thinking about how sometimes films idrc for become so much more interesting once you consider them from specific analytical perspectives

[arijackz]

PICK A CARD: Your Road to Fame

♛ “If God gives you something you can do, why in God's name wouldn't you do it?” ―Stephen King

Disclaimer: This is a general reading, take what resonates. This is a gender-neutral reading, change any pronouns to apply to you.

p1 → p2 ↙︎ p3 → p4

♕ Pile One (8oP, 3oW rev., Temperance, The Hermit)

Your road to fame would be quite unorthodox and since you’re paving an original path, it would take time, patience, and dedication. This is not an overnight sensation type of thing. Think Sheraseven- the Sprinkle Sprinkle Lady ✨. She had been consistently making content (unique, neo “feminist” videos way before it picked up in media) for well over a decade. She even had a spiritual side to her, she talked about esoteric themes in pop culture and made guides on how to manifest and attract abundance. 

This is my spiritual pile, you would get famous for offering psychic insight (using clairaudience capabilities in particular) or putting your own creative spin on things using your spiritual attunement. Like Sheraseven for example, she combined her interest in esoteric practices with her love for pop culture and social commentary. 

Inherently, esoteric studies have smaller audiences so it would take significant time to build up worldwide fame (if you even want that). 

Honestly, with your skills, any fame you get is due to a higher power. You are a conduit for elevating the collective consciousness. You will be seen because your insight is meant to be heard. Society is heading towards a deep transformation and shift of power from the ultra-rich to the common man and you’re one of the ushers of this change. Your words empower people and are a primary reason for your incarnation. 

Any platform you build is going to be held to a higher standard than most in the eyes of the public and the universe. People are going to look at you for guidance and inspiration and the petty, nasty shit you see in media nowadays will not bode well if you enact it. You will be made an example of how to behave and treat others. Your bad actions will be punished more harshly than anyone else’s and your good actions will be rewarded tenfold. 

Major Jupiterian and Plutonian influence. A genius astrologer on this app tracked the most common nakshatras of K-Pop Idols, and Jupiter dominated their charts. They are held to an incredibly high standard and are trained to be model citizens. However, their fame surpasses the average celebrity and they are practically worshipped worldwide. *ahem* You.

I mean… imagine if a holier-than-thou mental health, peace, and love guru was bullying people on Twitter, nobody would listen to anything you have to say. You HAVE to pay careful attention to your media presence and image.

Howeevveerrr, your biggest personal challenge is trusting yourself and your capability. The thing with spirituality is, it lies outside of human perception, so there is no concrete evidence to prove it to others. So, you would battle with, “Am I even right? Will anyone believe me?” and it would cause a shit ton of anxiety cause you’re constantly questioning yourself. 

Be cautious not to clip your own wings. I can't stress this enough: you are meant for this! You are the real deal! If others don’t believe in you, so what? Only YOU need to believe in yourself. Offer honest help to others, and if they choose not to take your advice, that's their loss. Remember, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink—just as my grandmama would say. DO IT THE FUCK ANYWAY!

But have patience! That’s another thing, you’ll grow frustrated if your platform isn’t building as quickly as you’d like. You have to remember that the divine has a hand in this ordeal, they are going to attract the right people at the right time and it likely won’t align with your sense of urgency. Trust the process and stay committed—you’re on the right path!

P.S. Your work will be slow. Most careers require a “grind”, yours won’t. You need to prioritize introspection, drawing your attention inward and looking for answers deep within your soul. Don’t stress logic and manipulation of the algorithm, trust your inner knowing. 

(Do you have a prominent Pluto in your chart: Either in a cardinal house or conjunct a personal planet? You are a major player in the world’s rebirth.)

Okay bye bye! MUAH! 💋💋

The Seer of the Space Between Worlds

♕ Pile Two (7oS, 9oS, Queen of Wands, The High Priestess, 5oS, 10oW, 5oW rev.)

YOU’RE SEXY AND HOES ARE MAAADDDDD.

Your road to fame is you embracing your authentic self. Something about your beauty: your looks, how you style yourself, who you’re seeing romantically, your creativity, your sensuality,

or you could lead a visually pleasing “soft girl” lifestyle. Anything that makes people look at you just swoon. 

People would be mad because they think you have it easy. You don’t really have to do much, but be beautiful because people desire you and your lifestyle. If you’re a woman, I see you leading self-confidence courses and teaching women of all ages how to raise their self-esteem by detaching from anything that drains their inner wild woman.

This reading is hyper-feminine, if you’re a man you’d get famous for your proximity to women or will have a female-dominated fanbase that sees you as their dream guy and wants to date you. 

You create a wonderfully comfy vibe; everything you do looks effortless, even if it takes a ton of hard work behind the scenes. You sell a fantasy, showcasing the polished version of a lifestyle while hiding the nitty-gritty realities. Take that Ballerina Farms lady, for example. She’s running a farm, raising 50 kids, and cooking from scratch daily, all while looking FABULOUS. I bet she goes to bed exhausted! Yet to the public, everything appears romantic and effortlessly beautiful, making it seem far easier than it actually is. Now everyone is dreaming of escaping to a self-sustaining farm and embracing that charming cottage-core lifestyle.

However, underneath all the glitz and glamour, there is something dark in your mental space. You attract a lot of envy. People desire your lifestyle to the extent that they’ll get buddy-buddy with you just to be near what you have, hoping it will rub off on them. You’ll have to learn to navigate deceitful energies and “friends” who are secretly competing with you.

People will like the idea of getting you out of your “princess” character. They want you to look like the bad guy- someone who is actually a mean bitch underneath your cool, calm, and collected persona. 

This aspect of fame, in the broader context of your life, will teach you discernment and help you trust your intuitive judgment of others. However, on this journey, you may find yourself grappling with intense paranoia and trust issues. Having been burned by people in the past, you'll become hyper-vigilant, determined to avoid the same pain again. Yet, through this struggle, you'll also discover the importance of vulnerability and the value of genuine connections, allowing you to grow stronger and more resilient in the face of adversity.

You will meet the best people in your life and your greatest adversaries at this time. 

But don’t sweat it, they hate you because they don’t have shit on you.

Okay bye bye! MUAH! 💋💋

She Weaves Timeless Romanticism Into The Mundane

♕ Pile Three (Page of Pentacles, The World, 10oW, King of Pentacles, Powerful, Saturn, Gemini Medical, Seduction)

You have the power to unite the world baby. Your key to fame is sharing your perspective on life. 

You possess a deep understanding of a universal truth that many remain blind to, and it's crucial to share your ideas. If this resonates with you, you'll likely feel a weight of knowledge pressing down on you, creating a longing to communicate and connect with others. This insight isn't just a personal burden; it’s your ticket to stardom. By expressing this truth, you have the potential to inspire others, spark meaningful conversations, and elevate both yourself and those around you. 

You have the gift of the gab, can charm the birds from the trees, a mouth like a magpie, can sell ketchup to a lady in white gloves, and every other saying under the sun that says your words are seductive. 

I don’t think you realize this but you have a knack for attracting an audience. You may feel insecure and think people stare at you for no reason or listen too intently to everything you say, but it's because you radiate an aura of importance. 

Significant placements: Saturn in a cardinal house or major conjunction, Libra, Cap, Aqua, Pushya, Anuradha, and Uttara Bhadrapada.

Your mind is critical, astute, and hyper-aware; this aspect of yourself bleeds into your physical existence. Your body language communicates this fact and people pick up on it, giving the impression that you’re intelligent and have something important to say.

You know those internet personalities who, for whatever reason, people hang onto their every word? When something happens in the media, people rush to their comments and ask about their thoughts and opinions. Or, all their content is their knowledge about niche things or their viewpoint on divisive arguments in society. That’s your shit right there. 

You’re likely not too interested in mainstream media and like to consume content that expands your knowledge and mentally stimulates you. 

There is a deep sense of doubt here, you’re probably reading this and going, “But I’m not smart🫤.”

LIEESSSSS!

You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit, you’re a genius! You might be surprised at how interested people are in your thoughts if you find the courage to share them. Sure, you’ll encounter some naysayers along the way, but who cares? It’s the internet, and let’s be honest—people can be insufferable. You could say the sky is blue and there’d be some smartass like, “Well actually, with all the methane in the atmosphere the sky turns pink with a dash of purple at approximately 6:44 pm in the western hemisphere  ☝🏾🤓.”

You can’t let these losers silence you. 😭😭

Focus on those who resonate with your message and don’t let the negativity hold you back. Your voice matters, and the world needs to hear what you have to say!

Just to reiterate, it IS your ticket to getting the spotlight you deserve.

P.S. If you have Saturn dominance, especially in relation to Mercury, you likely experienced some delays and struggles in your education and learning development (SAMESIES). You might have a speech impediment or struggle to find the right words. 1) Things will get better with time and you will likely surpass everyone else in terms of communication because you will put a lot of focus into refining your speech. 2) People will find your speech endearing because it shows that you’re human, imperfect, and relatable. It makes it easier for people to connect to you and resonate with your message. 

P.S.S. For some of you, this message is tied to your academics and whatever you’re learning professionally. 

P.S.S.S It's hours later, and I'm letting my intuition shape your mood board. The imagery is… quiet yet formidable, like towering mountains or the very core of the Earth. You have an intellect that doesn’t need to scream that it’s sharp. You embody the dignified essence of Saturn, exuding a carefully crafted composure. People are drawn to unravel your layers, eager to glimpse the depth within. It may sound strange, but over time, people come to see you as profoundly wise.

Okay bye bye! MUAH! 💋💋

The Gentle Fortitude in Peace of Mind

♕ Pile Four (Page of Swords, 2oP, 4oW, 4oS rev., 9oS rev., High Priestess)

Haha, you think you won’t find love but you’re about to receive one of the greatest love stories of a lifetime 🫵🏾!

Your road to fame is a blossoming partnership filled with love, mutual respect, and endless banter. 

It could be a familial, platonic, romantic, or a friends-to-lovers situation, doesn’t matter. Your bond with another is what will catch the media’s attention. In today’s age, this could be in the form of a podcast or live streaming where people get to observe you and your person’s natural flow of conversation.

Do you know Aaron and Jo? They’re commentators who’ve been friends since childhood, and their unique rapport is magnetizing. It’s effortless and incredibly comfortable to witness, making their interactions feel genuine and warm. They have middle-school boy humor but they’ve refined it over the years, so it appeals to all audiences and is genuinely hilarious. You and your person will have something one-of-a-kind like this. 

This is sort of separate from the reading, beyond the potential fame, this person is coming into your life (or is already in it) as a gift from the Universe. The karmic scales are balancing in your favor. You’ve spent years emotionally pouring into people with very little in return and as a form of justice, you are going to meet people who “Match your Freak”, so to speak. 

Placements: Tropical Aries, Sidereal Pisces, Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra. Any Cancer or 4th house placements. 

You’ll know this is coming when you’re going through a season of release. Whatever has been draining you emotionally and torturing you psychically will just… poof!

One day you’re going to, “fuck that shit, it’s not the deep- WE BALL!” your way to success 😭😭.

This is my bubbliest pile. Not that you are a bubbly person, in fact, life’s trials and tribulations took away your ability to crack a smile for a while. But this new phase you’re entering is nothing but giggles and a great fucking time. You deserve it!

This person is going to nurture you in ways that even your inner child can’t fully comprehend. The success you find online won’t even feel like the ultimate prize; it’s the deep connection you build that truly matters. This bond will uplift you and provide the support you didn’t know you needed, making the journey all the more rewarding.

P.S. You might have Libra or 7th house significance in your chart because a core aspect of your life revolves around connection and partnership—more so than most. It's time to celebrate! Toss your cap in the sky, you’ve completed a huge karmic cycle and your blessings are coming! 

Okay bye bye! MUAH! 💋💋

The Joyous Hum of Divine Union

[genderkoolaid]

While 4B has been a topic of conversation online for a few years, sporadically gaining popularity among U.S. TikTok users in moments like the “I chose the bear” trend, Trump’s reelection brought it front and center again. In the days following Trump’s win, online searches for the 4B Movement saw an unprecedented spiked. Across social media, women are posting that they need to divest from men, amassing hundreds of thousands of likes and millions of views. But the conversation about 4B in the U.S. is rife with misconceptions about the movement, including false assertions that 4B accounts for the majority of feminist thought in South Korea. It’s important to note that despite the global attention, 4B is a fringe movement in South Korea, and Han says the vast majority of South Korean feminists do not abide by it. “I just want to make sure that people understand that 4B does not speak for Korean feminism,” Han tells Them. “4B is not representative of Korean feminist politics. A lot of us see something a lot more diverse and a lot more intersectional than what 4B calls for.” Though the 4B movement is quickly gaining wind in the U.S., this is far from the first time American feminists have called for a divestment from men to combat misogyny. In the 1960s, political lesbianism emerged from the second-wave feminist movement as a means of decentering men from the lives of women. Like 4B, political lesbians aimed to divest from dating and having sex with men. They asserted that any feminist can be a lesbian, defining lesbian as any woman who did not have sex with men. “We call it 4B now, but it's political lesbianism,” Han says. “Essentially it's the same thing too, but the one aspect of being a political lesbian was you may or may not [actually be a lesbian], and sometimes you really didn't have sex with other women, but [instead lived by] the idea that you prioritize your relationships with other women, that you prioritize your solidarity with other women.” But with the 4B movement both in South Korea and the U.S., Han says this isn’t the case, as men still find themselves front and center in the discourse. She adds, “I've never heard so much discussion of straight men. Can we just decenter them?” [...] Han says that they hope this blip in interest about 4B fades into the next news cycle, as there are so many other forms of intersectional South Korean feminism that do include queer and trans people. Ultimately, many of the current discussions about 4B are coming from a place of privilege that queer people don’t have the luxury of accessing. “Queer and trans folks know that isolation or imagining a life ‘just on our own’ — that's not our reality,” Han says. “That's not our vision. In many ways, I think our experiences tell us that we have to live with people who hate us. We have to work with and against and fight folks who mean to harm us and simply disavowing them or refusing to interact with them or somehow running away and keeping to ourselves, that's never been possible.”

[pumpkinpaix]

You have questions! We might have answers.

What is this collection?

As Maria puts it: this collection is a critical look at some of the things that we, the editors, think have made CQL such a hit around the world. Of course, part of that success comes from the webnovel MDZS and the show CQL themselves—we love the characters, the mystery, and the drama, who doesn’t?! However, the authors in our book also look at topics like translating danmei (both officially and unofficially), adapting danmei for new audiences, and interacting with fandoms and fanworks. The larger argument of the book is that all of these things played a huge role in CQL’s visibility and success, and we wanted to start making those moving pieces visible, especially for audiences who mainly watched CQL in translation.

You keep using the word “academic”—what does that mean, exactly? 

Maria: Ok, not to get pedantic here, but this actually touches on some things that I’m really excited about for the book. Traditionally, academic work is written by people who have a deep expertise in the subject (signified by having a PhD and doing specific kinds of research), and then the work itself is peer-reviewed (i.e., sent to other experts in the field for them to evaluate whether it’s sound, original, and interesting enough to publish, without knowing who wrote it). And both of these things are true about our book—our authors have deep knowledge and the book was peer reviewed—but also. We specifically asked for chapters from younger scholars and from fans who also have deep knowledge about topics that academia doesn’t always know or value enough, and we include an interview from the fan-translator K. who did the Exiled Rebels translation. So the hope is that: this book is academic, and also—more!

Who are you? 

Yue studies adaptation, fantasy, and popular culture texts using a feminist lens. She wrote an early, influential article about danmei adaptations and also has a book about feminist adaptations of Chinese fantasy.

Maria studies fanworks, contemporary fantasy, and genre literature. She’s scrambling to finish her dissertation right now.

How were the chapter spotlights chosen?

Voluntarily! The concept of a small social media promo was kicked around by some of the contributors and those interested in the idea filled out a short interview with what they wanted to share. We'll be posting about 2 introductions and 2 spotlights a day for the next week or so!

Who's running this social media campaign anyway?

Not the publishers! A few enthusiastic collection contributors got together and, with the assistance of the editors, have put this promotion together. We do not in any way represent Peter Lang in an official capacity! We just worked hard and wanted to share. :)

Are you making any money off of royalties from this book? 

LOL not even remotely

What about this promotion?

also no. alas

Where can I find this book? 

You can find our listing on Peter Lang’s website here. As for other retailers, a quick search should turn us up!  

How can I access this book if I cannot buy it from Peter Lang / [book retailer of choice]?

As collection editors and contributors who signed a legal agreement with Peter Lang, we have granted Peter Lang exclusive right and license to edit, adapt, publish, reproduce, distribute, display, and store our contributions, and we must cooperate fully with the Publisher if the Publisher believes a third party is infringing or is likely to infringe copyright in the contribution. 

That being said, these are academic papers, which means that contributors may make copies of the contribution for classroom teaching use! (These copies may not be included in course pack material for onward sale by libraries and institutions). Of course, any linking, collection or aggregation of chapters from the same volume is strictly prohibited.

(FAQ may be updated periodically!) (all posts on Catching Chen Qing Ling)