#if he's said or done something i'm not aware of that makes this a problematic choice then i apologise and i'll change

[seventh-district]

not even gonna tag this properly bc i don't wanna get Involved but i do have some Thoughts i need to get out into the void so here we go

(aaa quick edit: CW for mention/discussion of Boothill leaks)

[dymagamwedd]

psa. ok. i think i am gonna start using icons. i do feel weird having a non-actor's face attached to anything remotely nsfw (and frankly i feel weird about using 80s molly ringwald attached to anything nsfw) so i'll leave those threads iconless. if anyone is uncomfortable with me using damiano as ferry's fc, i'll drop the icons for those threads as well.

[inlovewithgreta]

Hi, if you’re requests are open could I please request something with governor!joan Ferguson and prisoner!reader. It’s such a problematic power imbalance lol but she was soooo hot in her governor era.

Thank you if you do 💖 lots of love

Y'all have no idea how much I LOVE writing for Joan, keep the requests coming!! Thank you anon for the request!! Hope you enjoy more Joan smut! xo

A Night In The Slot - Governor!Joan Ferguson x Prisoner!Reader

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Summary: Joan comes to visit you once again in the slot.

Warnings: praise, dirty talk, oral sex (joan receiving), power imbalance, etc...

Word Count: 1.5k

Taglist: @celasteria @shslbunnylover @bellatrixsbrat @coffeebreath23 @janewaykove

© Do not copy, repost, or modify any of my works.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Your head snapped towards the door when you heard the familiar sounds of a card swipe to unlock the heavy door to your enclosure. You had been slotted without warning, and had yet to know why this time.

Usually when you were 'slotted' it was all for show, so the prisoners wouldn't suspect you had a deal going with the Governor. You were her eyes and ears in the prison, and you relished in the fact that she always needed you.

Your 'slot' time usually ended in one of you getting fucked. As of today, nothing particular happened. Nothing happened... at least that you were aware of.

You couldn't help the smirk that formed across your lips as a familiar tall figure entered the room and shut the door briskly behind her, ensuring to leave a small object in the way so the door didn't lock her in. You sat with patience, not saying a word, knowing her next move was to cover the camera before anything was said or done.

And once she did, she cut you off before you could speak.

"I want you to make me forget last night ever happened. Do I make myself clear?" She demanded, with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

Your eyebrows knitted in confusion. Last night? Nothing happened last night. It was quiet. Normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Joan sighed, "I fucked a man last night. Or let me rephrase that, I attempted to fuck a man last night but the bastard didn't know how to pleasure a woman even if they told him exactly what to do." She rolled her eyes, making her way towards you with a scoff.

"He sounds awful," you reassured her. You always did. Hands immediately grasping at her hips as she towered over you. "I can only assume I'm here to help you relieve some pent up...stress?" You smirked, tugging at her belt.

"Don't tease me, you little minx. You know exactly why I'm here." Her hands found yours at her hips and held onto them firmly, as if you dared to pull away.

You never did. You never would. And that's why Joan liked you so much. Sure, it was heavily inappropriate, but she just couldn't help herself around you. You were the best she's ever had.

A one-time deal soon turned to two, then three, and now it happened so often that you've forgotten how many times by now. Not that you would complain of course, Joan was intoxicating.

Neither of you could ever get your fill of each other.

"So impatient tonight..." you tsked. "He must've touched you in all the wrong ways. You must be so.... starved." Your skillfully fingers were able to tug her closer by her belt to swiftly undo her clasp. "You didn't get to come, did you?"

Joan shivered as your cold, bare hand, untucked her shirt from her pants and touched the skin across stomach.

Her voice was low and husky as she responded, "And if I didn't?"

"Then I must do something about it right away, Governor." You bit your bottom lip, tugging her zipper down to slide her pants down her thick, luxuriously milky thighs. "Wearing this just for me?" You asked, looking up at her through your curled lashes with a foax innocent look as your fingers grazed her black stockings.

"Do you see anybody else in here?" She asked sarcastically. Her chest rising and falling as she grew impatient.

"No, Governor." You shook your head, getting lost in her dark, brown eyes.

"Then you have your answer... now get on with it before one of my daft officers notices I'm gone." She ordered, doing her best to hide her smile as you eagerly unbuttoned her shirt.

"Yes ma'am."

Joan grabbed the back of your head as she shrugged out of both her pants and her shirt, leaving her in just her sheer undergarments that went perfectly with her heels that made the woman even taller.

You placed slow, gentle kisses across her plush stomach, ensuring to leave your usual trail across the subtle stress marks at her hips. Joan couldn't help but close her eyes at your softness.

Men always just dove right in, whilst you took your time to cherish her. Every inch in of her. You knew what she liked without even having to ask. It was all just a matter of watching her movements.

Your hands trailed lower, rubbing down the side of her legs as you kissed your way to her other hip, ensuring it got the same attention.

As she visibly relaxed in your presence, you palmed her heated sex and heard a faint gasp at the subtle contact. You truly underestimated how needy she actually was.

"Yes, keep going..." she whispered, playing with your hair with one hand while the other took hold of your wrist, sliding your hand back and forth across her clothed cunt.

You felt her push herself against your palm with a partially frustrated groan. She needed more.

"Anything for you, Governor," you placed one last kiss to her hipbone before turning your attention to her clothed center. Joan felt your hot breath in front of her cunt and let your hand go, allowing your hand to move freely back to her thigh.

Your teeth grabbed onto her panties, before letting them go with a 'snap' and earning another groan from the woman.

"Stop the fucking teasing," she seethed.

"I know you like it, Governor." You stated, finally sliding the fabric down her thick legs. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be so wet for me," you bit your lip as you eyed her dripping core.

Joan merely shook her head, knowing you were right. She was too stubborn to admit it, but her silence was the only answer you needed.

The first lick of your tongue fluttering between her legs had her hips involuntarily jerk in your face as a spark ran through her entire body.

"See? Proof right here... you're so wet for me, Governor." You flatted your tongue against her folds again. "I bet you weren't this wet with him, were you?"

"Definitely not..." Her fingers tugged at your messy strands, keeping your face against her needy cunt.

"He didn't get to taste your sweet little pussy like I am right now, did he?" You keep your touches light and shallow, following them up with gentle pressure along her swollen clit.

"He didn't even care to.." she admitted, letting out a small hum when you began to suck. Small goosebumps formed all across her otherwise smooth milky skin.

"Stupid man..." you retorted, diving into her pussy once more.

"Very," she agreed, holding your hair behind your hair in a makeshift ponytail as you happily lapped at her cunt. "You're much.." she let out a small hum as you sucked harder. "Much better."

Her words drove you crazy. You gazed up at the woman through your lashes, knowing that your eye contact would drive her crazy too. As it always did.

Her lips fell agape as she peered down at you, letting out a shaky breath when a finger easily slipped past her entrance. Joan always started quiet, making you work to hear even just the slightest of noises from her.

You roll your tongue over her bud and elicit the smallest of hums from the woman. "Fuck.." she mumbled under her breath.

After inserting a second finger, the grip on your scalp grew rougher as she started slowly grinding her hips to match both the rhythm of your tongue and your fingers.

"Just like that, God I'm already close.." Joan was suffocating you between her pillowy thighs, chasing after her high.

"Come for me, Governor.." you told her. "You always taste so good on my tongue," you praised.

Her walls fluttered around your fingers as you repeatedly hit her spongey g-spot. You could barely breathe, but you were relentless, ensuring Joan got what she so desperately needed.

A husky, drawn out moan and warm liquid dripping down your fingers let you know Joan has finally reached her peak. The woman was panting above you, weight visibly lifting from her shoulders as you helped her ride out her high.

"Christ— you're always so good," she admitted, readjusting her shirt.

"I know," you smirked, placing one last kiss to her plush thigh before slowly removing your fingers from her.

"Always so smug too," she rolled her eyes. "Now you know the deal.." she handed you her handkerchief to wipe your face and hands which you accepted eagerly.

"Yes, yes... we've been over this multiple times before," you reassured Joan, handing her back her handkerchief.

"This is the last time, you know."

"Because I get out of here soon? Governor, that just means we can do this more freely. Unless you want to go back to fucking men who can't even make you come.." you shrugged.

Joan all but rolled her eyes, swiftly pulling her underwear and pants back up. "Don't get your hopes up," she stated as she tightened her belt back around her waist.

"Oh, I don't plan on it." You smirked devilishly, leaning yourself back on your hands. "See you on the outside, Gov'!" You chuckled as the woman left you without another word, only giving you one last glance with a familiar glint in her eye that told you that you definitely would.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

general masterlist | pamela masterlist | taglist

[roborabbitart]

I have... complicated feelings on the revelation that wolfertinger666 was puppychan. I do want to say, though, that I don't like people claiming he was faking mental illness. It was very clear something was wrong, whether anything he said was faked or not. Mentally stable people do not make constant suicide threats or what have you, regardless of it was attention-seeking.

People with mental disorders, especially those from other marginalized groups, are going to be messy, sometimes dangerous, and twitter fame and infamy did nothing to help it, especially not right wing extremists targeting him. Yes, he was attention-seeking. Yes, he was toxic and problematic. Yes, his actions were awful. But there needs to be a level of understanding that people with severe mental disorders are going to do awful things sometimes. Hell, everyone does. I've burnt my fair share of bridges via panic episodes, and my actions weigh on me to this day. But these people need help, not further ostracization and isolation, beyond removing yourself from a situation that is dangerous to you, because they've also had awful things done to them, and their very own mind constantly fights against them. Accountability is important, but we need to be careful not to invoke the prison system we claim to despise.

DID/plurality is an especially messy thing. Memories and/or feelings of other identities can sometimes linger or be accessed, but that doesn't make it fake. From my own experience with plurality, which I do not bring up lightly, even if you remember your alter's actions, they still feel distant, like those of someone else. I see his recent apology as a genuine acknowledgement of his alter's actions and claiming and accepting those actions as his own, even if it feels disconnected to him. No apology is perfect, either. People can only articulate so well.

None of this is to say you need to forgive him, or interact with him, especially if you were affected. But it's been years. I believe he deserves a chance to atone, especially if we're to claim we support people with mental illnesses. Also, this is the tgirl tboy tranny faggot site, stop policing his queerness. We're not twitter and we're not the moderators.

That all said, keep an eye on him. I'm fully aware I may get burned for putting any trust in him again.

EDIT: Apparently he hasn't really changed much, if at all. He's still best avoided. Razzicetea pointed out his ongoing issues.

Parts of what I've said still stand. Claiming anyone's mental illness to be fake, policing queerness, and denying atonement and the opportunity to change on a broader scale are dangerous things. I do still think he deserved the chance to do better. But he ultimately didn't take it, and that's on him.

[plazmafields]

I've been trying to think recently why I find the age gap with V and Kerry to be endearing, when normally I feel an age gap over 10 years is problematic. Here's what I think:

(Long rambling ahead along with minor spoilers maybe)

There is a power imbalance between V and Kerry, in multiple ways. Kerry is much older, yes, but he also makes a lot more money. Like shit tons of money. The first time I romanced Kerry, I thought the romance arch was lacking because of the way Kerry never initiated. However, taking into account that V is 23, Kerry's tendency to wait for V to make the first move actually feels very appropriate.

Kerry's dealing with a lot of mixed emotions about Johnny being back. The fact that he never processed his inferiority complex while Johnny was alive, then as soon as Johnny died he jumped right into an ego-driven, spite-fueled solo career that took him straight to the top, and now Johnny's back as a digital parasite? And Kerry has a crush on his host?? Wild.

I think that's ONE of the reasons Kerry doesn't flirt with V outright: he's super confused about the way he feels about V, and whether or not those feelings are overlapping with the way he feels about Johnny. Is he so excited to see Johnny that he could just smooch him (platonic)? Is he simply grateful to V for pulling him out of a depressive episode? Is he still a little horny for Johnny like when they first formed Samurai? Is being attracted to someone 70 years younger than him the first sign of a life crisis starting? Maybe Kerry would rather be safe than sorry, and not act on his feelings for V while he's processing all that other stuff.

This shifts the power back into V's hands, who really doesn't have a lot of control over how the media will interpret their relationship, even if it remains platonic (vs. Kerry who has lawyers, and past experience with the media and dating while in the spotlight). This gives V the opportunity to decide if there are any romantic feelings there, instead of falling for the advances of someone very influential and rich. Those two facts could very easily convince someone that their starstruck reaction was actually love. This way, if V is in control of initiation, Kerry can be sure that he's not coercing V into starting anything they may not fully want; a relationship with ramifications V may not be fully aware of. He can be sure V's decision was not inadvertently rushed by anything Kerry may have said/done.

In our world, age gaps in gay relationships are not treated the same as they are in straight relationships, especially when it comes to gay men. I am not saying this is good or bad. But, it is a "trope", one could say, that younger gay men sometimes gravitate toward men many years older than them. I personally feel this is two fold: older gay men who are out publicly may find it hard to find others in their age range who are unashamed of their queerness, due to internalized social pressure. And younger gay men may find it difficult to navigate their sexuality on their own as it applies to daily life (specifically in American culture) and seek the guidance of veteran gays. If we translate that trend into the Cyberpunk world, where life expectancy is DECADES longer than ours, then perhaps Night Citizens wouldn't bat an eye at someone in their 20s dating someone in their 80s. (I'm sure that gap is stretching things a bit even for Cyberpunk standards, but maybe 30s dating 60s isn't uncommon.)

Another aspect of this is something they mention out right during Boat Drinks: Kerry doesn't act his age. He's getting there, but he's got the maturity of someone around V's age. I truly believe his stunted growth as a person is due to being constantly discredited and invalidated by Johnny. I mean, Kerry doesn't seem to have much in common with his former band mates, who have all moved on with their lives and found their versions of success (except maybe Henry). The people he gets along with best are a group of 20-something pop stars from a different part of the world, and V, also in their 20s. Kerry has been trying to prove himself for so long that his personality got stuck somewhere between starting Samurai and Johnny dying.

Lastly, I just wanna point out that V and Kerry's relationship as presented to us in game, with no outside context or deliberation, is inherently problematic. The age gap, the power imbalance, the wealth disparity, V possibly being a symptom of Kerry's three-quarter life crisis or a rebound or the second best thing to Johnny; Johnny being in the picture at all. A relationship doesn't have to be perfect for someone to like it, and it certainly doesn't reflect what they find acceptable in their own relationships. It's all fiction, it's all fantasy. If you want to theorize about how Kerry and V actually have a super healthy relationship, that's awesome! If you love the idea that they just kind of wound up together and this isn't a permanent situation for either of them, that's great! If you believe the relationship is completely toxic and you're loving the drama of it all, that's cool too!

With what the game has given us, and the fact that Kerry's writers' work could be interpreted in endless ways, I think the age gap was handled in such a way that it can be excused (or even played into) if you feel it works with your headcanon, or used as a catalyst for drama if that suits your imagination better. What's important is that it never feels predatory. And to me, that's good writing.

With my personal headcanon for my oc of V, I've decided his relationship with Kerry is perfectly passable. They're not a perfect couple, they lack communication skills and often butt heads over the other's tendency to put work over their relationship (both of them stubbornly insisting only the other one has a problem), but I like them that way.

[aboutnavi]

I was brushing my teeth, reflecting about life, & my mind went back to AFTG and there is a scene on the first book that it has been stuck on my brain since I read the trilogy again this January and it's about Seth. Now, I know the fandom -in general- barely talk about Seth because Nora decided to kill him off for shock value and when people try to talk about him, it always comes back to 'he was a homophobic, disgusting piece of shit' which yes, valid but also, are we forgetting Aaron? The babyfication of Aaron in this fandom had everyone collectively forgetting he was exactly like Seth (even worse: towards his family!!!). Two wrongs doesn't make one right & I'm in no way justifying Seth's action but if we never talk about characters on AFTG just because they were problematic, we are not talking about any of them, ever (ok maybe some of them, but still).

My point is: the scene. Neil is confused as to why Seth hates Kevin -specifically him- so much, since Seth could get along with most people if he wanted and tried hard enough but he refused to give ground to Kevin & his answer is just so humanly heartbreaking it goes to my list of moments Nora did something right in AFTG. The scene goes like this:

Neil: Why do you hate him?

Seth: Because I'm sick of him getting everything he wants just because he's Kevin Day. Do you know what fame gets you, shitface? Everything. All he has to do is ask for it, and someone will give it to him. Doesn't matter what. Doesn't matter who. The world is dying to give him anything he wants. When he broke his hand, his fans cried for him. They flooded our locker room with letters and flowers. The amazing Kevin Day can't play anymore. Their lives were over. They'd grieve the loss forever. But tell me when's the last time anyone cried over you? Never, right? They're there for Kevin every step of the way, but where were they when we needed them?

Neil, stupidly: So you're jealous.

Seth: His life is not more important than mine just because he's more talented.

Neil first instinct is to say jealousy because jealousy is something he understands (he felt jealous of Kevin for having a future, for being able to play, for the talent, for the life he never got to live when his mother ran away, etc.) but for me what Seth is trying to portrait is more like the painful awareness that you get when you realize you're also worthy of love and care. Seth is such an unexplored character who had so much potential if Nora hadn't killed him for the sake of showing how Riko could be/was dangerous (and she could have done that in so many different ways!!!) & you can see that on, for example, Nora's post about his life. Seth was always the no-priority person, the kid no one payed attention to, the boy that if killed, not even his mother would come for the funeral. He was every aspect a Fox and he spent his entire life being told he was no one and to be able to say his life is not more important than mine shows so much development; the chance he had put on himself for being open to love, to care, to second and third chances... it was all there. It breaks my heart that he never got the chance to become something. & I do not believe he was an inherently bad person? They are so young in AFTG, all of them. Maybe Seth wasn't bad; maybe he was just twenty-two, you know?

& on the extra content when they tell Allison he died and she goes 'He called me not even an hour ago! He was drunk and rambling but he was happy for the first time in weeks. He was talking about how he finally thought graduating would be okay, about how he wanted me to help him look into grad schools. He wanted to go into social work and help people like he helps us. I know he wanted to die! Everyone knows he wanted to die! Every time he said he was done with life I walked away from him and every time he came chasing after me. This is the first time--he wanted to live.' breaks my heart.

Because, ok, Seth dies. Let's pretend it was a good idea for him to die to set some sort of impact on the story for a second. Except his death goes without much fuss. The shock Nora wanted is felt for maybe three seconds, in one paragraph in the last page of TFC and then we barely talk about Seth on TRK and TKM. Neil can't even understand how impactful was Seth's death - he only cares about how it will affect the game & his guilt is more about how Allison would feel towards him then sadness over losing a teammate - and this insight we get from Allison is from the extra content and not everyone goes on to read those so if Nora wanted something out of his death - pity, shock, sadness, or whatever - she should have put this scene IN THE BOOKS.

[marcusbrutus]

I feel like I have a tumblr anon in my brain…. Like a tiny cop. But it’s an chronically online anonymous weirdo. And every thought I have, I get “anons” telling me how it’s problematic and I should kill my self LOL The other morning I saw an RFK sign and I thought doesn’t he have brain worms, someone running for president shouldn't have brain worms. maybe apply for literally any other job. and the anon was like ummm ableist much? Like WHAT. I turned off anon on tumblr a while ago, so even if I post something “risky”, someone will have to tell me what they think to my face. They can’t hide. Even posts I think are innocuous can be wildly misinterpreted, and someone will probably call me problematic. But even if no one says anything, I still hear it. In my brain. Sometimes I delete things because the thought is so strong. I’m probably not gonna make it to any heaven or enlightenment because I can’t forgive yourfaveisproblematic. In my mind, Tumblr was great before then, or at least it felt that way, and that blog sewed the seeds for cancel culture in the future. That stuff sticks to my brain, even if I don’t want it too. When you put sins like "said disabled people shouldn't be alive" on the same level as "has a tattoo in a language they don't natively speak," it is very confusing to a people-pleasing undiagnosed autistic 14 year old. I felt/feel like I can’t like anyone or anything because it’s ~problematic~ I worry it will never go away, because it affected me in my developing years, 14-19 I want to get better, but it’s hard. I wish I could run from the internet, but I can’t. It’s a part of life now. It’s how we stay connected. But it’s also like…. Idk. The internet used to be my safe space, right? Deviantart. Early tumblr. Seeing weird people like me made me feel less alone. I was a weeb surrounded by “preps” for lack of a better word, not that I didn’t have friends but NONE of them were into what I was into, you know? And no one became as obsessive about things like books and anime like I did, except online. But now it’s like, idk, corruption of the garden of Eden. But instead of me eating the fruit, the garden/internet ate the fruit. The world is too different now… I can’t keep up. And it’s not just because I’m getting older. Things happen faster now. Trends will last half a year when in the past they would have lasted a decade. I hate knowing everything all of the time. I hate that my garden is now a cesspool.

I’m just angry that people on tumblr and lefty spaces online are so blind to their own propaganda, and calling it out is “hate.” Like idk, I guess I expected better from people who are supposed to be ~intellectuals~. Well, if YouTube video essays have taught me anything, style over substance goes a LONG way. And they’re like “oh we’re so compassionate and we want a better future” but they tell everyone to kill themselves and laugh when red states get devastated by natural disasters it's not just that but it's like…. if you're not constantly aware of everything, you're ~part ofthe problem~ #wakeupamerica. silence is violence, blah blah blah. it's just hard because i grew up with a strict dad so learned to be a people pleaser. i'm extremely sensitive to guilt and shame. and all most of the internet has done since 2014 is shame everyone for everything. you're either with Us (good, pure, morally righteous) or you're with Them (problematic, evil). you don't want to be gasp problematic, do you? you don't want to have a callout post made about you and lose all your friends, right? well, keep you nose clean and reblog all the right posts so we know which side you're on an maybe, maybe we'll leave you alone. i have the stress of someone in debt to a mob boss. nah it's more like… i have the stress of everyone in the scarlet letter and im hoping everyone will keep their eyes on the Villain of the Week and leave me alone there's a decent video called "how to radicalize a normie." i say decent because it treats radicalization like a right-wing only issue and the "answer" to right wing radicalization is, of course left wing radicalization. "Even though they're on the bad, evil side, there's still hope because we can get them to our good, morally righteous side!" That kinda bs, and I say bs not in a left vs right way. According to my dad I'm a full blown communist! I'm saying it in the sense that the answer to radicalization isn't "just radicalize them to the other side." That's not at all helpful. You might as well tell an alcoholic who likes jameson to just switch to jack daniels. It's all poison, it's all harmful. ANYWAY, he talks about how most people don't set out to be radicalized, the politics comes to them. That happened to me - but on the left. And I'm sure if I left a comment on his video saying as much, he'd say it didn't happen or say it was a good thing. On tumblr, I came for anime. And for the first year, I got anime. But then I got really intense political stuff. "silence is violence." "i see you not reblogging this." "if you're not angry, you're not paying attention." I was 14-15, sheltered as fuck, I don't know anything about the world but now tumblr is convincing me that I know more about political issues than anyone. And it changed me. And it fucked me up. and I want to get unfucked. But I don't know how. I feel like an internet alcoholic. Like, even if I do stop using it, it will still be there, haunting me, forever, you know? because all my friends use it, not just you guys but irl friends. and the internet is effecting the real world. I miss the days when there was the internet, then there was reality. but now the internet is the reality. That's why I also fell so hard for the [REDACTED] stuff. Tumblr made me think everyone was [REDACTED] because like 99% of tumblr is [REDACTED], and I was worried about it because god help you if you question anything or show the slightest bit of concern. God help you if you're not full steam ahead on everything. I want to escape the matrix. I hate the hypocrisy…. And I hate even more that I’m also a hypocrite. I fall for group think and propaganda but act like I’m above it all. I hate social media but use it every day. YouTube too. I guess that’s why I get so mad when I see them act like that. It reminds me of me. People think the consequences of social media on a teenage girl are like "omg I was feeling good about myself….. but then I saw a model on Instagram… alas. I will never be her. I weep."

But it's more like: Oh my gosh, I just saw a post asking for mutual aid (aka MONEY, BABY) and I scrolled past. What if they died because they couldn’t afford food because I didn’t reblog their post? But what if I DID reblog their post, but it was a scam, and I led my followers to give money to someone who didn’t need it instead of someone who did?

I was hoping to share more examples, but I'm worried someone will misinterpret, and even though anon is off, the anon in my brain is on. always. on. i keep going back to the internet because i keep expecting it to get good again… like how it was. for some reason, i can't accept that it will no longer be my safe space. i wish i had a massive angel to keep me out, or something. like the actual garden of eden. I have to accept that it will never get better. I have not only an addiction to the internet, but to the obsessive thoughts it brings. By wishing it will get better, and continuing to use it, I am chasing a dragon. That is to say, I'm hoping for the same feelings I got from initially using the internet. No one ever catches the dragon. anyway, if you read all that... thank you so much! i'm taking a break from the internet, until mid november at least. maybe by then, it will be better. or not. we'll see.

[oolongteacup426]

Guess I'm back briefly to tumblr for this.

I'm well aware that there have been some things flying around about me. That I support proshipping, frans, incest, racism - a whole bunch of things. Normally I don't give these things the time of day because who wants to waste time chasing down every little troll? The internet is the internet. I myself am not, and I have not done anything, that could support these claims.

I'm offering these screenshots to show you all that, despite attempting to write the mc of 'Lane 66' as ambiguous as possible so that she can be as close to a reader insert as possible - I still see her as her own character instead of a blank slate. 66 has more so become a chance to step into Charlie's shoes and experience the world through her than a true reader insert.

There's an important distinction I think that needs to be made. That between 'proshipper' and 'problem-shipper.' The latter is, unfortunately, also shortened to 'proshipper' despite them not being the same. A 'problem-shipper' is someone who supports problematic relationships. Underage, incest, and the like. A 'proshipper' is generally known as someone who supports any pairing EXCEPT 'problem-ships.' So you'll see a 'proshipper,' by this definition, support pairs like SansxGrillby, or MuffetxUndyne, etc. I'm the type of 'proshipper' that supports the pairings that are NOT problematic. So enjoy your GasterxAsgore or TorielxAlyphys or PapyrusxDogaressa fics. I'll support your right as a fan to love what you love as long as it doesn't hurt anyone.

I'd also like to address some creative liberties I have taken. Specifically - my writing of Undyne as bi instead of lesbian. Are y'all aware that Sans is canon asexual? You wouldn't think it based off the fandom. That's because people change things for a fanfic. Shifting something doesn't mean you're disrespecting the og character. If I had written Undyne as straight, I could see the problem. But I didn't. So where's the issue? Undyne, in my story, is still together with Alphys in a loving relationship. Yes, I've given her a crush on ADULT papyrus. Said crush only came to be AFTER he became a fully mature adult. Again - where is the issue here?

Speaking of issues - where is the evidence for any of these negative statements against me or my works? Please, present them. I want to see examples alongside these claims. Give me proof. I am more than happy to admit when I have done wrong and make apologies as needed. I am not afraid to own up to my mistakes. So again, please - show me screenshots from my stories or anything else that can prove that I'm a problem-shipping, incest, frans, and racist-supporting person. Prove me wrong about myself.

In fact - come to me directly on Discord. I'm OolongTeacup. I would love to have a conversation instead of some shitshow on tumblr, X, what have you.

Thank you and have a lovely day <3

[austinslounge]

I don’t know how you can be an Austin fan and said you’d prefer he be with Vanessa again, someone who multiple people have said was not nice to him in public/around other people. There’s a reason Ashley Tisdale “chose” him. Baby V is problematic for more than just that too and would be an embarrassing publicity nightmare for him if they were still together to this day. If people think Kaia has tarnished his image, what little she’s done is nothing compared to what the other woman would’ve done.

I don’t like him with Kaia but spoiled nepo baby or someone that’s been mean to him in public on multiple occasions, is buddy buddy with foreign dictators, was selfish about COVID-19 deaths and defends Hollywood predators like Woody Allen? I choose the spoiled nepo baby any day if those are the only two options. The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend.

He’s nice about her publicly because he’s the bigger person and doesn’t want drama. That’s his choice, but fans can make their own and it’s not just Kaustin shippers that don’t like her. I don’t like either of them and don’t understand Austin fans who feel the need to defend her. Fuck her. I’m glad Austin went to Australia and never looked back.

You're entitled to your own opinion, as are others on here.

I just want to clarify something though.

I never said that I was a huge fan of Vanessa, or that she was the best person for Austin. I'm very well aware of some of the problematic things she's done (and said) in the past.

What I was saying was that from the outside looking in, I'd rather take what Austin and Vanessa's relationship looked like, vs what we know and see of Austin and Kaia's relationship, any day of the week!

Do I think Vanessa is/was perfect? Hell no! But you can tell that she genuinely loved Austin to pieces, and you can't change the fact that Austin loved her deeply as well. You can just look at pictures of them and tell that they loved each other.

Vanessa was also there for Austin during one of the toughest moments of his life, and helped to take care of his sick mom in their own house. I don't care what you say about someone, that's pretty huge.

And these reports of Vanessa being mean to Austin 3 times in almost 10 years? 🥴 First of all, how do we even know these rumors are true? The internet says a whole bunch of stuff.

I can only go by what I see. I can't go by what I haven't seen. That's not to say that these things didn't happen, all I'm saying is that I can only go by what I have actually seen. From all of the photos and video footage that I've seen of Austin and Vanessa in nearly a decade together, I've never seen her treating him "meanly". She always looked super happy with him -- almost deliriously happy rofl 😂

I also look at what Austin said himself about V, not just during their their relationship, but after their breakup. I also look at how he still followed her long after their breakup... even after she stopped following him. If she had been as horrible to him as some shippers now are trying to spin, why on earth was he with that woman for nearly 10 years, and why on earth was he still following her after their breakup?

Wrt to Ashley and Vanessa -- Did it ever occur to you that maybe it was Vanessa who cut friendship ties with Ashley because she and Austin are still close? Maybe it was Vanessa who couldn't handle that. Maybe it caused a rift because Austin is like Ashley's little brother and she's known him the longest, and Vanessa couldn't handle that.

We really don't know all the facts.

All I can go by is what I see. And what I see with my own eyes with how Austin and Kaia are with each other is not a good feeling at all.

Plus, let's not try to sit here and act like Kaia is miss perfect. She's done and said some problematic things herself. Also, the whole kissing other people while in a relationship with someone else doesn't really sit well with me. And I'm sorry, but the way Austin doesn't even look/seem comfortable or himself with her speaks volumes to me.

But hey, to each his/her own.

[my-pjo-stuff]

Hi, so I saw your post asking about whether or not one could identify with the female characters written by Rick Riordan, and I wanted to share my thoughts, but for personal reasons I would rather do so anonymously. I hope you don´t mind. (I will say that I don´t currently identify as female, but I was raised under the expectations of someone who does/is and am continuously pressured into said gender role. I do partly identify as genderfluid but that is very complex and not important here. I hope even if I don’t currently identify as female, you will still read and consider this opinion as valid.)

I personally can very much identify with the female characters Rick writes. Both when I was younger and now. Having started re-reading the HoO series recently I very much for example feel a connection to how Piper is and grows as a character. I can also very much relate to the more prominent female characters in PJO (Annabeth, Rachel, Thalia) in one way or another and am quite fond of them. I do have to say that I also relate and connect with the male characters as well. I don´t personally think the female characters were written in a way that makes them any less relatable than the male characters. Issues with underlying sexist societal expectations that might be visible in RR writing are very much not exclusive to the female characters he writes (it can be found in the way he writes his male characters as well) or exclusive to RRs writing. These issues are found in a huge number of different books, by a multitude of writers and are problems that are hard to avoid if you haven´t done deep unpacking of gender roles and societal expectations, which sadly most perisex, cis people and some trans and intersex people just haven´t done.

I wanted to say something specifically to this part of your post here:

“Like the inherent feeling of living in a world stacked against you? Being forced to pick up the slack of others and do huge amounts of normal aswell as emotional labor? Not being listened to? Feeling abandoned by those around you???? Those are all feelings and issues that women tend to relate to. And Luke honestly does that great IMO. Yet I can't help but notice that this sort of reliability is completely missing from everyone else.”

I just wanted to let you know that this experience is very much not an exclusive experience to women and more maybe comparable to a general experience of marginalised people. I hope I am not bothering you with mentioning that. And I do not mean any negativity by it. Just a little info to keep in mind. (If that was unnecessary as you were already aware of it, I apologise for bringing it up)

To end this in my personal opinion Rick has definitely improved in regard to this in his newer writing and considering these issues are more of a broader societal issue than an individual issue I don´t see it as problematic as someone else might. I will also say that whether or not someone can relate to a character isn´t and very much should not be an indicator of how well the character is written in regard to their gender. The great thing about gender is that there is no “one correct way” for it. This also means that not being able to relate to female/male character even though you are the gender, does not mean it´s badly written in regard to that.

Just in case it is not clear. I do not intend to argue. I just wanted to share my thoughts anonymously.

I mean I'm certainly not really bothered by it, though I do think this is a case of agree to disagree. I mean relatability is always subjective at the end of the day, and I was really just wondering if others felt the same more than wanting to make any statement. I think that Rick's work genuinely doesn't hold up much after PJO and maybe a few smaller side stories. I do think your opinion is valid, though I think you interpreted a few things into my post that weren't there, and I'd like to clarify that.

“Like the inherent feeling of living in a world stacked against you? Being forced to pick up the slack of others and do huge amounts of normal aswell as emotional labor? Not being listened to? Feeling abandoned by those around you???? Those are all feelings and issues that women tend to relate to. And Luke honestly does that great IMO. Yet I can't help but notice that this sort of reliability is completely missing from everyone else.” "I just wanted to let you know that this experience is very much not an exclusive experience to women and more maybe comparable to a general experience of marginalised people. I hope I am not bothering you with mentioning that. And I do not mean any negativity by it. Just a little info to keep in mind"

I do not mean this bad...but I don't really get why you mentioned that? I'm not disagreeing or anything! I do genuinely agree, but I genuinely don't really know why that was brought up? I didn't really say that is was JUST women who relate to that, just that they tend to relate to it. Which was said based on my own experiences and those shared by other girls. The post is about female reliability, and me saying why I personally relate to Luke. I'm not really sure what other minorities also having to deal with that has to do with anything I said.... This is by no means an attack on you! You are completely valid in your opinion, identity and in your statement. But I'd love if you could clarify the correlation between those two topics 😅

I will also say that whether or not someone can relate to a character isn´t and very much should not be an indicator of how well the character is written in regard to their gender. The great thing about gender is that there is no “one correct way” for it. This also means that not being able to relate to female/male character even though you are the gender, does not mean it´s badly written in regard to that.

Again idk I never really wanted to imply that??? Like if it came off as me saying relatability of the characters decides whether the writing is good or not is not what I meant. I was merely expressing my own subjective opinion and asking if others felt the same. Overall I think that this doesn't have that much to do with the OG post???? And like I said I do disagree with a good chunk of it, as I do think that the female characters have much more sexism in their writing as the men. And that it doesn't really matter how society is built, as other authors like Rick who grew up and live in the same society consistently do much better. All I can offer you is for you to keep your opinion, me to keep mine and us to respect each other. I should warn you that you might not like my blog, as our opinions do seem to vary wildly. Thank you for sharing your opinion though! It's always interesting to see other POVs and counterpoints ^^ I'm happy you felt safe enough to do that with me.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

I'm not sure how much you keep up with Percy Jackson and its spin-offs, personally I like the series, but my G-d it is NOT an accurate portrayal of Greek mythology whatsoever, as I'm sure you're aware! Did you know that Rick Riordan set it in the USA because of how great western civilization is and how Western countries are more relevant to modern society? I'm not even joking or exaggerating.

Honestly, I do think that putting the gods in US America can be justified for the right reasons. I don't think there's anything inherently offensive about the Underworld being under LA or Olympus being above NYC. Especially with the demigod camp being on Long Island, like, okay, you wanna keep the gods close by. It's a story about an American middle-school boy, so yeah, it'll be very American. That's fair.

But the reason the author gives for it is so offensive! If this was a story about, say, the Egyptian gods, more people would understand why "west is best" is an offensive thing to say, but I guess it doesn't matter when the gods/culture being adapted is white passing enough or whatever the fuck.

(Tbfh even if he'd said that about, say, the Norse gods, or something else that is undeniably white, it'd still be disrespectful as hell. America-centricism is so fucking exhausting!)

It's actually disappointing bc, even though the books aren't true to Greek myth (don't even get me started on how badly they portray Hades and literally blame him for WWII and imply Hitler is his son), they've gotten so many kids interested in greek mythology. Oh sure, there's some weirdos who read the books and claim to worship whoever their "godly parent" would be, but there's even more people who truly got so much knowledge and respect for actual mythology from the books! And as terrible as the Greek representation is, the other representation is done really well, especially in neurodivergency/disability. I obviously wish he'd handled race/ethnicity (and religion) better, but for all the 'offensive' stuff that exists in the books there's also so many great things. So many different portrayals of love and friendship and bravery.

It's honestly no wonder the books are still a comfort series even for those who have outgrown them, and it makes the offensive stuff even worse, almost like a betrayal in some way. It's not like Rick Riordan is going out of his way to be a fatphobic antisemitic TERF like some other YA fantasy authors out there. He's someone who seems to actually care about representation in his work, which makes it all the times more hurtful when he *doesn't* care or when he writes stuff like that.

ooooh yeaah I unfortunately know all this and have posted about this 4-5 times already 😂 An extremely imperialistic view, this author has. But in this USAmericanized world, people need to do some deconstruction to see the fucked up aspects of these books. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the Greek gods in other countries in general but the reason they went to the US is very problematic - and I don't throw this word around easily.

As you said the series has good stuff too and it has brought joy to many kids worldwide (me included), so anyone who likes PJO don't think that I'm shitting on it too much 😄 But there are definitely some things to be addressed there and that we should discuss. Like how the attitude of the writer only continued the sense of entitlement and ownership the West has over Greek figures. And because Riordan usually cares, it's sad that he let his cultural biases define his most popular series.

[nanasgardenisfullofyou]

it's just hitting me now...

found myself crying to sleep last night, and no, i am not trying to be dramatic here. i am a slow person. it takes time for me to been fully aware what's going on around me and allow myself to feel. the only reason i have to write about this is because i feel suffocated and exhausted. i need to let this out.

i remember tweeting "oh build" when i found out about the new accusations poi made against him, i thought "how on earth could he get in trouble again in less than 6 months".

yes, i doubted. i wanted the truth. i was trying to be loyal to what my heart was feeling the moment everything went down. don't misunderstand me. i think it's admirable to take a stand and stick to it without hesitation and no second thoughts. i'm not like that. as a daughter who had to live and grow up seeing his father doing the unthinkable, is unacceptable to me. i don't stand for violence. i wanted to see the other side of the coin even when Poi had done nothing at all to gain my empathy. for me she was, is and will continue to be problematic. however, she is still human and a women. "if she were my mom, or my sister, or my nephew"... probably this is just me being uncapable to be selfish enough for once. it's my trait if you want.

i never had bad feelings towards build, either justified him. when the first scandal came it was the same. and I knew that not rushing to hate him, sending hateful comments and starting a campaign of hate and slander like many people did didn't make me an accomplice or a sinner. i was deeply hurt. and I embraced that pain all this time, the only way i could: waiting. just waiting for an explanation, an statement. while deep down all i wanted while poi started a fire was to that day to come to an end so next day everything was okay. but that day never came, it was the beginning and things just got worse.

days went by and just when I thought it was finally going to come to an end Build shows up again to say he would fight for his right to a defence and to be heard in court, because no matter what he said no one was going to believe him, but in order to do that he would have to resign. he didn't wanted to drag anyone with him. he looked sad, heartbroken and upset. again, i am an slow person. i couldn't process his words. so i didn't cry, felt or said anything. i returned to where i was. i waited, except that there was nothing to wait for.

apparently it was build who was hurting all this time and we didn't know. he was living in fear and we didn't know. he was being isolated, unable to stand for himself. smiling and pretending to be okay in public, being tormented and tortured in private. and none of us knew.

to this day, Build has dissapeared. in every way someone can dissapear. and all i have now are pictures and videos and an empty chat conversation on instagram that i keep coming back to. all i can think is about the words... the same words he once told me, the words that reached me out in a day of darkness, are the words i should have told to him in a day of disspair. 

now i can't stop thinking that somehow i let him down. 

i should have known. i should have listened. 

his tears should have given me a sign. 

it's just hitting me now that build is not here... and it's just hitting me now that i will never see him laughing beside bible, his friends, the people that once became his family, his safe place, and his home.

I once read a mutual say "i should have watched kinnporsche and moved on". but if someone ever ask me why I didn't, it was because I loved the idea of seeing a family start from scratch, I wanted to be a part of it, be there for them and see them grow up. but now I must see one of the 16 go another way, and not knowing when I will see them in one frame makes me feel that something is missing.

a part of me is missing and it's just hitting me now.

lastly to build, if you ever happen to see this:

I love you; I am you. 💙

[just-antithings]

In terms of genuinely problematic art, I'd like people to look up "Authors Behaving Badly - TJ Klune" on YouTube

Slight correction (not same anon, but I've watched the video anon is talking about): Cerulean Sea was inspired by the Sixties Scoop, which "was a period in which a series of policies were enacted in Canada that enabled child welfare authorities to take, or "scoop up," Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes, from which they would be adopted by white families" (Wikipedia). It's different from the residential schools but no less horrifying.

Klune found out about the Sixties Scoop by clicking on different wikipedia articles to read them. He felt inspired, but he also didn't want to write a historical fiction book based on it, as he's a white man and didn't feel like it was his place. Instead, he took part of the event (children being taken from their homes and placed into foster homes) and put it into a fantasy setting.

On it's own, the idea isn't uncommon in fantasy settings. Iirc, The Night and it's Moon uses a similar idea for part of the story, where the nun(?) running an orphanage buys children (fairy-related ones I think?) to later sell. Before Klune's interview, even those that saw a connection between what was happening in Cerulean Sea and the Sixties Scoop thought it was a coincidence.

Now, some things Klune has said in his interview is... not malicious but I'd argue tone-deaf and ignorant. Like when he says how in his book, the kids are stolen due to fear, and the way he says this makes it sounds like he's saying this about bigotry in general, which is a common stance but not right and puts the onus on those of us who are marginalized to be "not scary" or my beloathed "one of the good ones."

And in the video, the booktuber mentions how people are critiquing the sequel of Cerulean Sea, how it's coming out in September, which is Indigenous Heritage Month, and the booktuber claims that this seems to be Klune "doubling down" on how he's done nothing wrong. She (the booktuber) also claims that the fact that orange is a prominent color on the sequel's cover is also proof of this, due to Orange Shirt Day in Canada (which is a day to raise awareness about the residential schools). Two problems I immediately see about this claim: When going through a publisher, it's the publisher who chooses the release date, not the author, and on the cover is a phoenix (firebird?). Now, I haven't read Cerulean Sea (other than "it's gay," it didn't sound like something that would interest me), but based on fanart I've seen, a phoenix or firebird is very important to the story or one of the characters, and being on fire, of course it's going to be at least mostly orange. So this part at least is a reach, and based on the booktuber's past videos, I'm disappointed but not surprised she didn't at least entertain these arguments, especially when she does research for these videos.

Again, I did not read Cerulean Sea, I don't plan on reading the sequel, and I'm not indigenous. And while I'm not always the mentioned booktuber's biggest fan (she does make a lot of good points in plenty of her videos, and she's still miles better than others in being willing to admit when she's been wrong or reactionary, such as in her review for Ninth House), so take what I've said with a grain of salt.

The booktuber also brings up how Klune has been willing to learn and change with another book of his, and based on the quotes I've seen from him, I really think he's being ignorant, but not malicious. I do think his books can be criticized as being "white savior"-y after what's been learned from his interview, especially when there have been people who had already made the connection even before Klune verified his inspiration.

.

[itshermocrates]

Idk if this will be a very unpopular opinion or even something problematic but I just read some takes about Aziraphale choosing Heaven and not Crowley because that's the best for the world, so he is choosing the greater good before his own happiness, and I'm so sorry but I completely disagree with this

I don't think Aziraphale thought about what was best for the world at all, I'm 100% with Crowley when he says that Aziraphale doesn't know what he is choosing because in his mind, there was no in depth analysis about what could actually be the best decision for humanity.

Aziraphale said it himself, he said that Heaven is good, it's truth, is the best option, it always have been in his mind, and if he hadn't returned to Heaven any sooner it was only because he did not have the chance.

He has always thought that Heaven was better than Hell, that angels were better (coughs superior coughs) than demons, he was convinced of this when he was in Heaven and even afterwards, the idea was still too deeply rooted on his mind to be completely gone. Aziraphale found it very hard to see Heaven's wrongs and the only person who was capable to notice them was Crowley, who well, yeah, is a demon, but not like that.

While Crowley discovered Heaven's faults with his own very fall (let me remind you he fell because he dared to ask why all the creation should be destroyed despite being so young), and refused to be part of the system following blindly all of its rules and commands, Aziraphale has not seen these faults yet. He still sees Heaven as the good guys, the morally superior side of the coin. He still sees demons as the bad guys, even if Crowley has presented him a wide scale of grays.

This black and white worldview is what is holding him back. He still believes that Heaven can do no wrong, while Crowley can no longer ignore the truth, how both sides are equally bad for humanity, and therefore none of them is a good choice at all.

When Crowley says "You can't leave this bookshop."

Yeah, he's talking about them (you can't leave me), but he's also talking about all the good things they've done on Earth as "neutral agents", not an angel working strictly under Heaven's commands or a demon following Hell's orders. The bookshop is the place where they meet, but also their "home base", the place to return as they keep working "on their own" with Humanity's best interests in mind, and only that.

Crowley is trying to make him see that he's leaving a life in which they could simply work for what they considered to be truly right together. It feels more like a "you can't stopping helping them" "you can't stop doing what it's needed to be done" "you can't leave them" "you can't leave me".

And when Aziraphale responds "Nothing lasts forever."

It's just another proof of this black and white mentallity he can't scape. The bookshop was just a replacement for Heaven, something that made him feel like he was still part of the good guys, even if he technically wasn't anymore. The bookshop was just a stage he needed to overcome between his exile and his return to Heaven, not something he truly wanted to mantain for himself.

Aziraphale never lost his faith in Heaven, he never felt the disappointment Crowley felt and never saw it as it truly was. He still believes in what Heaven symbolizes, and is not capable of fully questioning it yet.

When he talks about changing things, he's not even aware of all that it is to change or how deeply rooted the problem really is, and Crowley tells him so. Crowley is so hurt by Aziraphale because he thought they were way pass all of that, that they were above all of the Heaven vs Hell bullshit, and he thought that doing good in their own way was enough for Aziraphale. But it was not.

Crowley sees that what they've done is not enough for Aziraphale and it will never be because they are not in Heaven. He discovers that there's nothing good enough for Aziraphale to feel satisfied with what they have because Crowley is not enough. He's a demon after all, and true goodness lays in Heaven.

And when Crowley kisses him, and Aziraphale says "I forgive you."

Crowley finds out that his kiss, something that I personally read as a fragment of what they could have if they remained "neutral", of all the possibilities they have yet to explore, all the feelings they could stop hidding; is misunderstood by Aziraphale as some sort of tempting act????

Crowley must have poured that kiss with all the hope he had for a better future, a future together. He must have pushed all his fears to the side, just for one second, so he could finally express how he truly felt, how deeply in love he was, and Aziraphale reads this as some sort of trick that needs to be forgiven?

Boy, I'm so very much with Crowley in this.

I've seen people commenting on how manipulative Crowley must have been perceived by Aziraphale (in his POV, u know), but I don't think he forgives Crowley for his "failed attempt of manipulation". I don't think he sees this that way in the slightest to be honest.

I think the "I forgive you" can have:

A very simple meaning "I forgive you for kissing me like that without my consent". You guys know Aziraphale could come up with something like this, he's still an angel after all.

A deeper meaning just for the gays who love to torture themselves as much as they can "I forgive you for leaving me and choosing your own path." I can see Aziraphale considering Crowley's desicion as something selfish, and despite everything, he wants to let him know that it's okay, he can choose his own happiness above whatever thing they currently have.

Of course, everyone can have their opinion and we can all disagree, but I think some people don't properly understand just how deep into that Black and White worldview Aziraphale still is. He still considers demons to be inferior to angels, even if he knows they are just as complex as human beings. This is a deeply rooted "truth" he can't simply shake off like Crowley did, and until he does, he won't be able to choose Crowley and be happy.

[gaykey]

Imagine being fatphobic at the ripe old age of 32… what’s awful is that Narae looked so hurt and vulnerable at all the comments and it’s sad to think of all of Kibum’s large bodied fans who are going to watch this show where he’s doing this. Some lockets are already defending this behaviour. Terrible all around.

Kibum bodyshaming Narae and this is not the first time he has behaved this way towards women he is often talking shit about women’s bodies and larger bodies how many times this guy is going to be given grace idek anymore

Kibum has said something problematic on those variety shows and no one on twitter will say what he said exactly. Do you know what he said? It’s possibly something to do with body shaming coz they are saying it’s something Kibum has faced before but then he’s saying it to someone else but I am not sure

helllooooo

so, i saw a lot of people talking about this, but i have only just seen the actual clip-

yeah, idk, maybe it's because i stanned him for so long, but his commemt was not at all shocking to me. like yeah, that's a thing key would say.

not defending it!! but i see some shawols really shocked and disappointed, and i'm here like.....that checks. even despite the other shitty things he's done/said lately, this is the least surprising.

the man has always had a very unhealthy view/relationship with body image and diet culture. for most of his career he's spoken about weight loss, and extreme dieting, and even about taking diet pills...he's always promoted that. most of the time, it's in regards to himself and his own body image, but he has made a few comments in regards to others before.

most infamously, about nicole way back, when his comments anout her weight, made her turn to unhealthy weight loss practices. which i talk more about here.

and yeah- i had thought he'd maybe grown out of making comments about peoples bodies but again, not surprised to be wrong.

in regards to the situation, for context for you anon, and anyone else that doesn't know (tw fatphobia): in a clip from a narae segement of ila, (and i have only seen the short few second clip, so i don't know if, or any more context has been cut) there's a shot of some plates of really tasty food that she's about to eat i think, and in the studio, narae watching, says, she had the thought of 'can diet food be this good?' and another cast member says 'more like 'are you allowed to eat this much?' and they all laugh and agree. then key comments 'no wonder you're not losing any more weight (implied: if this is how much you eat).'

it's said in that flippant, jokey, whiny voice way kibum does. and that's that. nothing is mwntioned after.

i'll be so real, this is something that is only going to be seen as an issue, mostly amongst international fans.

within the industry, and amongst a lot of korean fans, and the general public - this will raise absolutely no eyebrows.

it's no secret that weight, and diet culture, and body image, and the idea that being thin is the bwst way to be, is very much the norm in s korea, for the most part. and that mindset is even more present in the entertainment industry. that's the beauty standard.

kibum, despite saying this about a woman, who is his friend, (people using the fact that their friends, and it's probably just a joke, does not excuse his comments. like anon above said, as a public figure, he needs to think about how what he says effects many many people. his words have impact, and someone his grown age who has been famous this long should know that.) will probably not see anything wrong with what he said.

even narae, though she is probably hurt by the comment, will not say anything.

as we are all aware, it's all part of a way larger issue about how bodies, and beauty standards, especially for women, in s korea, and the industry, are scrutinised, but it's too much to get into right now.

this doesn't make any of it right, or excuse what he said, though, of course. to reiterate, nothing i'm saying here is in defence of him.

i'm mentioning it all, because i doubt it'll make more than a bit of a buzz on a small portion of int fan twitter before it dies off.

sometimes the netizens surprise me though so?

but again, doubt it, because once again, i see it barely talking about in shawol twitter.

[the1975attheirverybest]

@anon that is tired of the problematic stuff. Idk your age and I'm not trying to be like "oh you're young, you don't get It". But I guess people who are above 30yo and lived intensily the rise of the woke shit on the internet are kind of tired and confused about that too. That's why his latest posts hit me so much, 'cause we're living this culture war, we desconstrut everything and now we don't know how to build from here, we believed we could change the world "raising awareness" about issues and we know now that we failed, but we keep canceling and demanding certain perfect postures from people and it's so exhausting. That's why I think what's he is doing is important and not just being controversial for the hell of It.

Thiiisss!!! As he has said a million times, there’s a difference between someone who has actually done horrific shit such as been racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually assaulted someone, etc and someone who’s made a fuckin joke. And the fact that wokeness has gotten so performative as to attack both with equal Twitter outrage is the problem. We accuse the right of making things about identity politics but we are just as guilty of it in our own way.

There’s a difference between exposing the inherent systemic issues within industries that perpetuate harm and getting butthurt cuz someone said something that makes you upset. But it’s become such a thing of everyone getting so caught up in repeatedly self-validating their moral identity as an internet activist that there’s no way forward anymore. We’ve made “wokeness” a parody of itself. And people don’t see that. What matty does shows the internal contradictions within some ideology and the gaps that got us here. So that we might become self aware and REIGN IT BACK WITH THE FUCKIN OUTRAGE ( she said, outraged). But the way people respond proves his point even further. So…have at it I guess. But if you’re gonna dig your heels in and stick your head in the sand and refuse to take constructive criticism then he has the right to stick to his (perfectly valid, intellectually sound and morally correct) stance as well.