#i was so miserable

[strange-lamp-stranger]

sometimes i listen to Olivia Rodrigo and grieve for 15 year old me. "who am i if not exploited" grips my younger self by the shoulders YOU'RE SO MUCH. YOU'RE OKAY. YOU'RE GOING TO BE OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS. YOU'RE WORTH MORE THAN YOUR LABOUR. I PROMISE.

[darlingdivasworld]

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 9 EPISODE 14

I previously mentioned that I wasn't a fan of weekly drops and Season 9 Episode 14 has unfortunately proved my fears. I was going to post this yesterday but I was too angry to formulate my words.

So the episode starts off with Anthony dancing a solo, and when the team walks in on him doing so, I can easily predict that he is going to be dance captain. I don't necessarily have a problem with this as he was appointed head choreographer, so it makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is the whole A plot of this episode. A-Troupe find out that an anonymous complaint has been made against them that they're not dancing to "Internationals standard." Last time I checked, you qualify for Internationals by winning your Nationals, which The Next Step did! And the fact that this complaint is taken so seriously that TNS has to requalify is ridiculous. You're telling me that any dancer from anywhere can make a complaint about a studio not being "up to par" and Absolute Dance will just make them reaudition...huh?

Anyway, Anthony is really stressed (and bless him honestly) as his first challenge as dance captain is to get TNS back into Internationals. Unfortunately for him, our 'Internationals Consultant' is here and takes charge of everything. I'm actually lying because our Lord and Saviour Eldon over here waste A-Troupe's precious rehearsal time by showing off how many pirouettes he can do and his past Internationals stories.

And I'm well aware that his stories from Internationals are for those OG fans, but it was so grating. Eldon, to me, was like those fans who, no matter what, insist "s1-s3 A-Troupe are elite and the new seasons are SOOOO bad. Also, when is Jiley going to have their wedding in Studio A???"

I'm assuming the writers thought the audience would find this amusing thinking along the lines of, "Oh Eldon! He's such a silly doofus!" But I, alongside the 4 members of A-Troupe, are begging him to stop talking. Side note, why isn't the whole team here for this? Like, I'm pretty sure all your hard work is on the line here???

After a while, they trick Eldon into finding lucky coins and begin the live stream. It goes well until Eldon comes back and takes away Anthony's authority, but its totally fine because they're back in! Also, Team France have to compete again simply because they're sister studios with TNS because that's completely fair.

And now, we get the most infuriating dramatic twist yet! It turns out Eldon put in that complaint for funsies! Precious rehearsal time wasted just for the fun of it. When I tell you, I'll be rejoicing when Kenzie returns (this team has been in shambles ever since she was shipped off to France).

Yeah, all this episode did was cement my hatred for Eldon. The only good thing about this episode was Adele and Ariana. Probably the worst episode of the season so far, and I'm praying they don't drop the ball like this ever again.

[good-girlxo]

Today was Hell. Everyone wish me a better day tomorrow pls and thank

[shyfaery]

I cannot tell you how liberating it is to finally be able to shave my coochie. I feel like a brand new person.

[pinkcarabiner]

if you knew me in my masc era no you didn't🩷

[theyhitthepentagon]

im going through web archive DUDE WHAT EVEN HAPPENED TO ME

[sebastianshaw]

// you have helped me wrap my brain around the Marauders comic and how much it irked me. I tend to take yearly breaks from comics and then I just catch up whenever I get the chance to and I remember picking up that comic and being like 'what the fuck is happening'

Oh, my god, that must have been. . .an experience. Like, look, it was SO BAD for me, but I had been watching Shaw's decay as a character and a villain for years already. Coming into that fresh. . .my god. . .

[canisbeanz]

Silly doodle bc it was the first thing I thought of when I saw Pomni.

[inkskinned]

the tradwife movement is the same as it has always been - back in the kitchen, back to breeding - it just has better branding.

when i was younger, i hated pink. i was not like other girls. this is now something i'm embarrassed of - this was not me being a "girl's girl."

but it was expressing something many of us felt at the time: i literally wasn't what girlhood was supposed to be. this is a hard thing to explain, but you know when you're not performing girlhood correctly. it isn't as easy as "i liked x when girls liked y" - because there were other girls that liked x, too - but i never figured out exactly the correct way to like x, or to be interested in y.

now there is the divine feminine. this is the same rhetoric it has always been: women are biologically driven to like pink and ribbons and submitting to our husbands.

the problem is that the patriarchy found a better PR team. because yes, actually, i want every woman to have the choice to be a homemaker. i also want her taken seriously for her legitimate home-making labor. i want her to be recognized as also having a job, just unpaid. i want men to have this opportunity, too.

but it is no longer "i made this choice and I love it." instead it is a sixteen-paragraph rant about how selfish it is that my generation isn't having kids. instead it's long videos about how if you feed your children processed foods, you're going to kill them. instead it is "this is what womanhood is supposed to be. i feel bad for any other choices you're making."

the shame spiral is just prettier. it is large houses devoid of personality. it is the implication: if you don't have this, you aren't happy. the solid, everlasting assurance: women are actually supposed to be submitting. this is the default. this is the natural state of things. all other attempts inflict suffering.

but you can no longer say i'm not like other girls. you can no longer reject this image completely. you cannot find it revolting, even if you know that the underbelly is toxic and festering. sure, it is the same repackaged patriarchy. but the internet does not have shades of grey. you should support and reward other women! your disgust is actually internalized misogyny. not because you are seeing a vision of yourself the way they're trying to train you to be. not because you feel her ghost pass within an inch of your earlobe. not because your father will eventually ask you - why can't you be like her?

because they figured out how to make it beautiful: women will sell other women on this idea, and we will find the singular loophole in feminism. sure, she's shaming you in most of her videos. sure, she implies that a different life is obscene. but she just wants you to be happy! you'd be happier if you were listening!

and the whole time you're sitting there thinking: i'd actually just be happier if i had that kind of money.

[mellosghosts]

in my heart this joke is in the movie, but unfortunately im afraid only we, hughjackmaniacs, would get it 🥀

[bakedbeanchan]

AU where the timeline gets reset but Zuko still has all his memories. Now in comic form

The backstory for this drawing

[whump-it-like-its-hot]

So! I had the talk, and didn’t start crying! However I did completely freeze up, didn’t manage to say another word at some point but then we got to the point where they actually offered to help me find help from outside like mental health wise and I’m glad but I’m also really overwhelmed rn and they told me to write it down in a mail so it’s more official but I. Forgot what I’m supposed to write. And also I feel a bit off and I think I’m getting sick so that’s fun

[mangozic]

michael shelley I would die for you

[hinamie]

new official illust of them with puppies healed something in me

[wolfythewitch]

hello sailor

[cosmosnout]

The most doomed siblings ever