#if it means I won't have to watch people lose their livelihoods

[opossumly-cryptic]

I feel so fucking powerless and sick

[contentloadingandstuff]

Late Returns | Dom!Lisa x Sub!Male!Reader

A/N: I sat down today, set a 45 minute timer and told myself: Alright, content, a smutty short. Don't think, write. Well, 45 minutes turned into an entire day and roughly 6 pages of text. Is this graphomania? T/C: Femdom, clothed female nude male/CFNM, facesitting, cunnilingus, electrostimulation, amazon position, use of a condom.

While the Academy of Mondstadt was far from the level of strictness expected in Sumeru, it certainly wasn't easy. Notes, deadlines, classes, practice, essays and books. Books upon books upon books, stacked in every corner of your house. The knowledge they contained was crucial for passing the many exams you had yet to face, making each book priceless - literally, as copies sold to students have price tags that still haunt your sleep. 

The only option was the Favonious Library. 

You couldn't say you were the most diligent of people. That in of itself was bad, but combined with the diligence of the head Librarian, Miss Lisa, it was a nightmare. You did your best to keep track of the due dates - among the mess your studies constantly created - and you succeeded… at first. Later, as the year got more and more hectic, you would forget about tomes and turn them in after the appointed date. It was only due to Lisa's kindness that you were spared from the occasional thousand or two Mora fine. 

Still, you couldn't help but feel she was losing her patience with you. She grew more and more smug, probably knowing that your entire livelihood relied on her not asking for her due payments. She even started calling you a cutie, something you found fairly flustering. You could only hope to stay on the good side…

… but obviously it had to go down sometime. 

This month has been so busy you were forgetting your very own name. By the time you got a grip and took all of the late returns to the library, you knew you had a bomb on your hands. No amount of smiles or tea parties could get you out of this kind of debt. 

“Ah… Sorry, cutie.” Lisa said, browsing through her record book. “These are very overdue I'm afraid. If anybody would see me going easy on you, they would certainly feel unjustly treated…”

You rubbed the back of your head, looking hopefully at her. “Miss Lisa… I don't have much money at the moment… Could I maybe pay in installments?”

She smacked her lips, slowly raising out of her chair. “I'm afraid that won't do. But, if Mora isn't the way, I'll think of other disciplinary means.” You could tell you saw a small flicker in her emerald eyes as she took your hand. “Follow me.”

There was no time to refuse. You sighed in defeat, going along with her as she led you to the back room. Taking your seat at the small table, you watched as she drew a key and locked the door behind you. You swallowed, nervous at what the sorceress had in store for you. 

Lisa drew a piece of paper and tallied up your due, revealing a shocking, six digit sum. How in the world were you to pay that up…

“As I said, we can change it into something less monetary.” Lisa joined her hands on her chest, looking at you from under her wide, purple hat. “You could do library duty, public works, cleaning or, say, help me specifically.” 

You nodded at the last one - it seemed the least strenuous and, if truth were to be told, you loved spending time with her. Even if it wasn't to earn favors. 

“Excellent choice, cutie. Let's start now.”

Lisa approached you, an eager smirk on her lips. With a gentle tug she stood you up from the chair. You could feel her warm breath on your skin, causing it to heat up with a blush, eliciting a chuckle from her. So responsive, she said, as her hands traveled over your arms and down your back, coming to rest on your hips. 

You felt her fingers creep behind the waistband of your pants but lost focus as soon as her lips touched your cheek. Hidden under the wide rim of her hat, Lisa kissed each inch of your cheek, slowly going up to your ear. The tip of her tongue tickled your earlobe, riddling your skin with goosebumps as her other hand continued its quest. Her fingertips rubbed your thighs through the fabric of your boxers, following a trail from the outer to the inner part of your leg. 

While her tongue continued its work, Lisa's other hand found its place behind your pants and with a slight tug, she pulled them down. You meekly took off the article of clothing, letting her hands grope whatever part of you that struck her fancy. She gently raked her nails across the soft fabric covering your buldge, a nervous hum slipping out of your lips. You allow your hands to wrap around her waist, granting her permission to go further. Her index finger starts trailing up and down your clothes cock, swelling up under her gentle tease. Lisa's lips withdraw from your ear and move closer to yours. Your eyelids lower; your head tilts in expectation. You draw closer, so close, you can barely taste her lipstick, almost…

“Ah!”

Your body jumps back on reflex as a spark of electricity goes through your sack. Lisa smirks, seeing you close your legs and grip your package protectively, all with that adorable look of - fittingly - shock on your face. She turns around, humming. 

“Don't forget this is a punishment, cutie~” She flashes you a smug look and turns towards the couch. “Over there, Y/N. Lay back, will you?”

You obey her command, feeling excitement bubble in your veins. Lisa nods in approval. Her hat is removed with gentle touch and placed securely on the large table, the centerpiece of the room. While unbuckles the chain connecting her top, she lets her Vision drop and fall between her bountiful mounds. With a quiet moan, she slowly drags it out by the small chain still attached to it, letting the cold metal drag across her burning hot skin. The clothes are discarded on the table; Lisa steps out of her heels and waltzes up to you. 

“Mm~” She touches the tip of your cock, struggling to break free of its confines. “I have a feeling you're aching to get out of these, aren't you?”

The purple glow in her eyes causes your pulse to jump. Fearing another shock, you clumsily pull down your boxers, getting rid of the shirt for good measure. The witch's gloved hand grips the tip of your shaft, pushing her thumb into the flat of it. You feel your veins bulging under the pressure, causing your dick to throb in her hand. She laughs. 

“Look at this little cutie, so eager for my touch…” She drags her palm across your erection, moving it to rest on your stomach. “But I'm afraid he'll have to wait. Your punishment begins now. Are you ready?”

You nod. 

“Good boy.”

Lisa steps up onto the couch. She stands still for a moment, letting you gawk up at her like a helpless puppy. She turns around, the cloth flaps of her corset doing a painfully good job of hiding her assets. She holds the back one in her hand, revealing a set of black, laced lingerie under. It hugs her fatty thighs tightly, almost threatening to come apart with a crouch. The silk holds firm, though, as her ass lowers and settles right on your face. 

Your nose is pushed into the crevice of her ass, your mouth feeling the pressure of her fatty lips, separate from you only by a thin layer of fabric. You take a breath, and your nose fills with a strong, tangy scent of her arousal, soaking the silk of her panties. 

She shifts her hips, smothering you as she looks for a comfy position. Her attention turns back towards your manhood. Lisa takes pity on your cock and wraps her hand around it, using your chest as a support as she gives it a few test strokes. 

“Who would have thought that a cutie such as yourself carries something so…” She leans down and takes a whiff of your cock, taking in the musky mix of precum and pure lust. “Mm~... Intoxicating in your pants. The thick shaft, the bulging veins, and the delicious, thick head… Ah, I would love to feel it pushing my lips apart as it forces its way into my pussy~ Wouldn't you, too darling?”

You make a noise in response, the words drowning in the fat of her hips. 

“I'm sure you'd love to empty your naughty balls inside me… I've noticed the way you've been looking at me ever since we met, Y/N. Know that I would love to take advantage of that too~”

Lisa brings your cock closer and presses her painted lips tightly to your head. When she pulls back, the lipstick leaves a nice mark of her kiss. 

“But first thing first… Your punishment. For being such a handsome, shy and absolutely tasty little cutie - and for the books of course - you'll eat me out. If you'll be a good, diligent boy, I'm sure I'll have an appetite for a second helping. I'm sure you'll handle it.”

You mumble yes, miss into her ass, your mouth salivating at the prospect. She giggles, wiggling her hips to bury you deeper in. You move your hands to her waist and, as soon as you touch her, you yelp in pain at the zap delivered to your cock. You whine, and immediately off-hand her. 

“Bad boy. Use your teeth.”

Lisa rubs the skin right above your cock, grazing the base with her immaculate nails, promising more if you behave. You open your mouth, bite down on the fabric and, with utmost care, pull it away. The fabric digs into Lisa's skin, exposing her just enough for you to get in. Feeling your way around her slit, it isn't long before you find the wet, expecting lips. With the tip of your tongue as your guide, you slide between her inner lips, feeling the salty taste of her excitement. A few humms of approval escape her lips. You use all of your mouth to fully expose her pussy. 

She doesn't guide you this time, and instead wraps her hand around your cock to signal her satisfaction. You feel her hand squeezing your dick as Lisa pumps it up and down with frustrating deliberation. Knowing that the pleasure or torture of your cock is at stake, you dig in. 

“Ah~!” She moans as your tongue dives between her eager folds. 

You dine, switching between gentle flicks and strong, full licks. As you tunnel between her lips, Lisa cranes her neck back, her blonde hair cascading back as pleasure builds within her. It's not long before her needy cunt demands more and Lisa begins rocking her hips, matching the length and direction of your tongue. Her body heats up, her beautiful, deep moans filling the room. More, she says, now resting on your entire body as your fingers dig into the fat of her ass, stabilizing her hips for better access. Your tongue dances around her bud, sliding between her folds before locking onto the clit, lips wrapping around it and sucking. Lisa whimpers and her grip on your dick becomes tighter. You squirm, pain pulsing through you yet never slowing down your service. Her heart rages in her chest and her breath quickens as she grabs your balls with the other hand. 

“Keep… Mhn~ Keep going now… Don't get… distracted~” Your skin crawls as you sense Electro buzzing between your legs. Your grip becomes tighter, legs trembling as you feel the energy pulse down your cock and spread to each of your nuts. You shift your hips helplessly, desperate to keep your mouth working as your shaft hardens even further, balls churning even more cum at the painful stimulation. 

You feel her thighs growing tighter around your head so, with the last gasps of air you push your tongue into her core. Lisa lets out a gasp as her pussy tightens, her legs trembling around you as you eat her to completion. 

Lisa releases her hands, cutting off the electricity. Your cock throbs and bounces, both relieved and missing the stimulation. Lisa groans as she lifts her ass up, freeing you; you gasp for fresh air, coughing. With half lidded eyes and a dazed smile, Lisa looks back at you. 

“Good job, cutie.” She turns around, taking a seat on your thighs. “You know how to please a lady, don't you?”

You nod weakly, letting your hands drop to your sides. You feel Lisa prop up your aching dick with her slender hand. 

“All that licking, sucking and eating was delightful… yet my body wants more. It looks like I went a little hard on your cock, didn't I, darling?”

She strokes the head of your cock comfortingly. You wince at the sensation, instinctively tightening your thigh muscles as you watch her. 

“Aw, don't be scared. I won't punish you anymore. You did what I asked, didn't you?” She leans down, placing a light kiss on your frenulum. “You're a good boy.”

Relaxing, you lay back and focus on the feeling of her hands going up and down your legs. The calm doesn't last long, however. 

“Legs up, big boy~” 

You raise your head, shooting her a look of confusion. She smiles in response, sliding her hands under your ass and gently pushing up. You go along with her signal and raise your legs. Lisa shifts closer, gently caressing your inner thighs as she fumbles with her corset. Before she drops it, she reaches between her breasts and pulls out a small, brightly colored pack. 

“Miss Lisa…” You say, eyes never leaving her hand as she tears the foil open and pulls out a condom. “Why did you keep it there?”

“For special opportunities like this, of course. A woman has to be prepared for a sweet catch like yourself, doesn't she? It doesn't happen often, but when it does, well… Better be prepared, hm?” she coos as she slides the rubber over your raging hard-on. 

Lisa rises up, pushing her hips against yours. She steps over your legs and squats down, pushing them to hang in the air. Lisa sends you a teasing wink as she reaches under the flaps of fabric hiding her sex and grabs your dick. Your imagination runs wild before it stops completely, mind blanking out as you feel your dick finally sinking into her sloppy cunt. Your vision goes blurry for a brief moment before it's brought back down as Lisa raises up and falls back down. You see stars as your cock slams against her cervix, making you moan in unison. 

Without delay Lisa begins moving her hips up and down, her walls eagerly sucking you in as she fucks you. Her hands hold onto your ankles as her ass plops down on you again and again, the clapping growing sloppiers as each thrust coaxes her insides to drool all over your cock. Holding onto the couch for dear life you moan as she rides you, bent over and completely helpless. You could only moan and whimper in response. Lisa keeps her pace steady, looking down at your flushed face with satisfaction. 

“Such a good boy, letting me fuck you like this~” She says, reaching out to tilt your head up. Your eyes meet. “Now cum, cutie~ Empty your balls inside me~”

Tenderized by her earlier torment, your balls fail to endure her pace and tighten in preparation to bust. Your mouth cannot form a coherent word other than cum. Lisa presses her body flat against yours, holding your cheeks as she pounds you into the couch. 

“Good boy… That's it… Cum for mommy~” she whines out as you safely unload inside her, her slick walls pulsing in rhythm to coax every drop of cum from your body. When you can shoot no more, your tired form goes limp against her. 

She chuckles, placing a kiss on your forehead. She slowly stands up with a satisfied, drawn out whine. You look up only to see the condom gone from your softening cock. Lisa smirks as you look at her for an answer. She lifts her front flap to reveal the end of the condom stuck inside her pussy. 

You follow her as she graciously steps down from the couch and heads towards the table. Lisa picks up her hat, making her way over to the armchair put up against the opposite side of the room. She sits down, resting her legs on the footrest. Her hat is lowered back on its rightful place.

“Consider the fees settled, cutie. But if you’d like to discuss… extended terms, feel free to come in for a cup of hot tea~”

Thanks for reading!

[gffa]

I have a lot of thoughts about the Watcher move and I get why they did it. I've kind of half-suspected something like this would happen, because I don't think their current business model is growing enough to make it profitable for them to keep the staff they have, not with the kind of videos they put out and they've been clear that they want this to be their livelihood and a genuine production studio. But the big production videos like this just cannot survive on YouTube, unless you're like Mr. Beast or a very few other creators. And the reason big production companies like Mythical or Smosh can survive on YouTube is because they're putting out videos EVERY DAY pretty much, they keep the average costs down. And even Mythical has talked about how their views have plateaued, Rhett and Link have talked repeatedly about how they're constantly trying new things and can't really pursue them if they're not a massive hit because they're beholden to only having resources for things that won't lose them money. It took them twenty years to get to a place where they could finally say, "Fuck it, we're doing what we want, because we're secure enough to take the hit, if it comes to that." Watcher in contrast is making more high level production shows, a lot of research into a single episode (rather than something that can be used for multiple episodes), expensive location shoots, etc. And so I think they looked to Dropout as a business model that might work for them. But the thing is that I'm not sure they have a strong enough roster to pull it off. Puppet History and Ghost Files are both hits, but I'm not sure any shows that aren't centered on Ryan and Shane have ever really taken off? Maybe Worth It or Dish Granted? Meanwhile, Dropout has the whole D20 lineup and Game Changer is a huge hit (also possibly Make Some Noise?)(I'm judging by how many shows I see cross my dash, which may not be the best metric, tbf) but they have a huge cast to work with and their model relies heavily on how much of the D20 stuff they put out in volume. So, I get why Watcher did this, in some ways, I kind of agree that it might have been the only move for them if they wanted to do this long-term. And I think it's important to them that, the whole reason they left Buzzfeed was because they wanted to do their own stuff, their own passion projects, rather than just what Buzzfeed deemed a viral hit. And their YouTube shows do mean being beholden to advertisers and only focusing on what will be as big a hit as possible, which is exactly what they wanted to get away from. I'm just not sure it'll work because they can't put out enough content that enough people would want to pay for. I kinda wish they'd gone the Mythical route instead, where they put up the behind the scenes stuff and special series on their own site and had tiers of membership for people who wanted to access them, while keeping the main shows on YouTube. (But I guess that's basically what they were doing with the Patreon exclusive videos and it must not have been a big enough draw to keep going the way they did.) I think they probably felt like this was the only route forward for them long-term, that it was either this or they would have to dissolve the company, but I'm just not sure I believe that it can work. I love the shows, but I'm not getting a subscription service for a roster of shows where I watch like three of the shows.

[talia-isjustaname]

Song of the day; TITEFIGHT | Eyes shut

There's so much confusion in existing. How to cope, How to differentiate what thoughts and ideals actually belong to you or if they're a mixture of those around you. They say you are the company you keep, how much truth is there to that? I also believe that over a lifetime you meet people you love, people you are forced to be around constantly... You take a piece of them with you where ever you go. maybe a saying they live by, a song, mannerisms. To us, should anything happen its something we will hold onto for as long as possible. But what if, unintentionally the people you don't really love being around... You take something from them? You obviously try not too, unconsciously, you do. Often times the things you reject or try to run from, they catch up to you. Think of the story with the Tortoise and the hare, many different perspective to consider when you hear it. It can actually have dual meanings, in my perspective though it means we're the Hare and our problems, They're the tortoise. The Hare; Quick and careless Tortoise; Slow and steady That's how I apply the story to my life. Sometimes I'll take the approach of the tortoise, unfortunately for me its turned into a infinite loop of the race, switching perspective trying to understand and dissect all my thoughts and actions as well as those around me. I'm tired, very very tired. It's unfortunate there's no turn off it's extremely unmotivating to think that I have to do this for so many more years.. Does a middle ground actually exist? Are we permanently subjected to this so called ' American dream'? I've learned a lot from people watching.

When I find myself stepping back and looking at everything in front of me is when I learn the most about people. It's when I feel I can see people a little more raw. I'd be wrong to think that even the people I dislike most around me don't have their own shit. It won't EVER justify their actions. But, it could possibly help you understand why... Like in the movies the bully wasn't just a dick, They got mistreated at home and abused. I consider those different situation's and occasionally it's easy to lose sight, that's why I try to step back and remember. We're a subject to our past and trauma. We have to do better though but damn does it take so much strength and patience. I'm not confident I have it in me. I've spent my life trying to play it safe. Keep my opinions to myself, stay out of the drama, be there for others, BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MYSELF. Now i'm like all in, I have commitment issues but I found someone I don't want to run from but everything in my life is really triggering all my fight or flight instincts.. I have people that rely on me, people that I'm actively failing. where do I draw the line for my own mental sanity or taking responsibility for others? Their livelihood and happiness really feels like its on my shoulders. I care so much and I feel so shackled.. What can I really do? What can I do that doesn't come at a cost to me? Is it possible? I'm spread thin, Usually I feel like I can handle things and get through but it just keeps getting progressively worse. I have to internalize it, I don't want to snap at people who are just trying to figure thing's out themselves. It's fucking suffocating.

[cosmicanger]

AC — Elated so many folks' energies are empathetic during this time, but work smarter, not harder; calling reps does nothing. I don't care how many micro celebs try to tell you it does something; at most, it gives junior staff more work. Nonviolent critical masses or mass demonstrations that are not disruptive to the anti-Black capitalist war machine or aren't ~creative~ are glorified marches. Apologies to some people who just started publicly caring for the first time this year. Power to the nonviolent disruptive actions like the blockades or disabled folks handing out n95 masks at demonstrations to them helping Palestinians get phone access from home. Stop with the art sales or art raffles for Gaza. Palestinians are saying money is of no use now in Gaza, so stop fundraising for aid that can’t get to Palestinians. Aid cannot help Palestinians until the bombing and sieges end. Yes, to a ceasefire, but the only thing that will save Palestinians is an end to this occupation outright. Until then, sustained boycotting in the imperial core was an effective organizing method because all they cared about at the end of the day was money. Art folks hate that I can name most as neoliberals (at best) because almost none of them mask anymore, and they are only vocal when it doesn’t affect their clout (social capital) as much or they can gain power by incorporating the trending violence-of-the-month into their brands. Why do I have art folks blocking me in Nov 2023 because I said they will still get exhibitions for being vocal while other Black people & and a select few nonBlack people of color are losing their clout, their jobs, their housing, and opportunities, getting jailed, and killed for being vocal right now? Careerists have massive, fragile egos.

And that last part is a giveaway: "It's harder to think of any large political movement from the past decade that didn't have a hashtag." So, it is about branding because what has a hashtag done for a Black person who is no longer with us or in immediate need? I am not saying going viral hasn't materially affected Black people. Still, many hashtags are symbols or branding through social capital that, ultimately, don’t materially affect the most marginalized in need.

AC — I mean, for example, nonBlack people posting in support of "Black lives" did nothing material for most Black people globally; it accelerated negrophilia, and exploitative neoliberalism in the arts towards Black arts. Again, I'm not saying, "DON'T BE VOCAL," but remember when white people bought race theory books at the beginning of the pandemic, and bookstores were saying people didn't come to pick them up? It is the people risking their livelihoods that helped combat the online propaganda war machine funded by multiple world powers (who want to build a new canal) against Palestinians right now, not neoliberals who are virtue signaling while having numerous settler colonialists friends in their local scenes and cliques; The microcelebs who waited to get vocal until later in October want all the credit. Watching the ones with little to nothing who risk their jobs or lives to debunk lies produced by multiple, rich world powers in real-time is incredible. Watching careerists, microcelebs, and neoliberals derail and defang this movement online is infuriating and insulting.

AC — Yes, the revolution will not be televised and won't happen at one point in linear time, but you don't need "the masses" to enact systemic change (see also: The Minority Rights Revolution by John D. Skrentny). There are so many roles in combating systemic oppression, but some of the strategies are proven not to work. Educational memes that aren't afraid to name Palestinians and settler colonialism? Yes. Demonstrations that do not disrupt anything? No. Demonstrations that disrupt or are creative? Yes. Strikes with support systems so people on strikes can live so the strikes can sustain as long as needed? Yes. Saying "strike" without systems support for people not getting paid for while striking, for example? No. Personal expression for sale from any white artist right now while we deal with multiple genocides brought by settler colonialism and global anti-Blackness? No, but they are not ready for that one. Personal expression not sale by any person of any race during this time? Yes. Targeted pressure on old media that doesn't endanger more marginalized people? Yes. Direct action like blockades with n95 masks or better while fully covered as much as possible with support systems if things go badly? More theory? Yes, it is clear that many are still not doing the reading and, at the very least, watching all the informative documentaries and videos recommended online. Celebrity or microceleb endorsements? No, who cares? Stop fueling the violence of celebrity culture and stop liking, sharing, and supporting celebs and microcells who are too afraid to say they are not okay with the killing and displacing Palestinians for profit. Open letters? No, what does that materially do for Palestinians? Boycotts? Yes, only if you can, and they must last for as long as possible to materially affect the ones enacting violence. You can't peacefully march and "vote out" fascism and genocide. “We should be beyond the point of recycling hopes that any government that consistently shows its opposition to liberation will somehow come to its "senses". Their "senses" are exactly where they want them to be. There’s no hope in their reform or redemption.”

“If you’ve only recently learned about what’s been happening in DR. Congo, Sudan & other Subsaharan African countries because of the genocide happening in Palestine, please continue to speak out and amplify ALL our voices. All oppressions should be given equal care & attention.”

AC — Neoliberalism and virtue signaling also breed fascism.

“people been said americans don't have revolutionary potential and mfers wanted to argue. let's accept this as true and learn how to move beyond docility and fear.”

AC — Audre Lorde has said the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house because it does not matter your goals or intentions, how progressive or “Left-leaning” you think you are; the systems in place will inhibit you from doing whatever you want to achieve. At the same time, it will make you complicit and force you to adhere to its anti-Black and racist rules. There is strength in numbers, but a large majority in the arts are vocal in a “safe and comfortable way.” Most people in the imperial core waste their revolutionary potential trying to appeal to oppressors who do not care. What does a well-attended, maskless march do for people materially during a mass disabling event? Nothing at all, and this all looks like 2020-2021 all over again. Everything is slowly becoming flattened into slogans and neoliberal gestures.

“white people willfully forget that they invented antisemitism and they are the most antisemitic racial group out of all racial groups.”

AC — Cause I know folks will ask, "Then what can we do if you seem to have all the answers?" Well, for one, I do not know it all, and the baseline is this: if you go to an action in any way, you must wear an n95 mask or better and cover up as much as possible. It would be best to start wearing n95 masks, at least indoors again. If you lack discipline to the point that you can't even do that, then I believe you cannot move beyond the spectacle of protest, and you will fall deep into branding or defeatism. Some of the most critical actions not in Palestine during this time have been majority masked. I know some people do care, but if we cannot do things on a local level in the imperial core, like wear proper masks, we can't possibly materially support Palestinians in profound ways; it is all connected. You can also, I don't know, support Palestinians who live by you materially in some way. You can not give money, likes, shares, and support to the people, organizations, and institutions enacting and enabling that violent displacement of millions of Palestinians so multiple world powers can build another canal for-profit and expand their white settler colonial state. If the arts were even slightly progressive, there wouldn't be violent censorship like the denial of Palestinian artists to the Venice Biennial; there would also be a "ceasefire" with the stoppage of all art fairs and all gallery shows, and only museum shows already up stay on view, and for free, until some kind of resolution is made but none of that's happening. If the arts were even slightly progressive, they would ensure Palestinian artists, Haitian artists, Congolese artists, West Papua artists, Hawaiian artists, Ethiopian artists, indigenous artists, disabled artists, etc., get majority of shows and steady collectors right now. However, the shows right now remain majority white, and the art world is currently throwing usually very light, non-Black indigenous artists who live in the USA a bone to feel better about themselves. If the arts were even slightly progressive, they would investigate their role in gentrification, a form of settler colonialism. If the arts were even somewhat progressive, collectors, dealers, and art writers wouldn't be making whisper networks advising people not to materially support artists who show even the slightest support for Palestinian liberation and the stop of the constant bombardments of Palestinian people. Art people who aren't risking their livelihoods, jobs, housing, and clout need to stop taking up so much space to virtue signal for clout and they need to start liking, sharing, and materially supporting people like me who are risking our livelihoods by being vocal and who were risking our livelihoods before Oct 7th. So much more can be said, but if most art folks can't even handle this, there is no reason to believe most art folks will go beyond the spectacle of protest anytime soon.

Ancient Clay would like to remind everyone that if you are not poor in the imperial core and you stopped wearing an n95 mask or better, do not believe your political hot takes or posts. Art folks: less virtue signaling, more informed actions, please.

[jim-fetter-illustrations]

Political Circus.....

Just sayin,.... I know how the Trump supporters think. They think the system in America has taken advantage of them their whole lives.

Trump has reassured these people that is Indeed the case, and they have been used and abused by the system.

That's why he won the presidency when he did.

Ya see, if enough of those people grow stronger in numbers Trump will win again, because those people think Trump is going to change America more in "Their" favor........ that's the hope anyway,.... and the logic is,..... it takes a grifter to change a grifter mentality, and Trumps supporters think government is already a bunch of Grifters!

Every crime Trump has commited is a testament of that bastardization of the system in America that he will turn into a positive in those peoples minds,......... they thrive on it like they are finally getting back at whomever has screwed their livelihoods,... as Trump tells them this American system isn't against him as much as it's against keeping them down where the system want's them,......... and that's how he gets the support he's got, and all the hundreds of thousands of donations to his cause from $5 dollars to $200 dollars,........ and it all ads up into millions for his campaign.

If you think the American system has held you back from being a success your probably going to be voting for Trump, and that's just the way it is in a fractured American society, and a whole lot of people have been screwed, but it isn't just government regulations doing it, it's mostly Industries stronghold on society, and industry mandates to government on the most part.

And if you don't believe that why has Donald Trump not been behind bars for everything he's done that YOU or I would be in prison for???

Industry Mandates to Government, not the other way around in reality.

That's what we are suppose to vote for,..... for who gets to be ruler of America and represent we the peoples wishes,............ and so far we have voted continuedly to let suspect people rule for us, ..... which is Republican & Democrat alike, because they both rule like Kings, taking their share FIRST, and then letting what's left trickle down to your dumb ass!

Today's America is a mixture of the truth washed with fake news so no one can tell what the hell is going on.

I mean Trumps supporters think "HE'S INNOCENT OBVIOUSLY" because he hasn't been arrested and put in jail.

Ya see,... Once America is seen as a Grifter, like Trump is, we will lose any legitimacy we have enjoyed to date, and in that America you will see a suspicious world that may not want to do business with America any more without payment UP-FRONT, which we don't do today, because we have the credibility of paying our debts, Trump doesn't pay his debts, he tells those who he ows money to that they have benefited from doing business with TRUMP and therefor doesn't pay them for their services........ just ask some of the lawyers whom Trump has fired.

Foreign nations won't stand for that kind of hoodwink, they will just refuse to do business with America.

Then America can join all the other third world nations with high poverty rates whos government is basically criminal and takes everything from their people.

Turning America into two classes, the wealthy and the poor, NO MIDDLE CLASS.

Hide and watch..........

If your voting for Trump your probably someone who thinks you've been stepped on or bypassed for your chance at the brass ring in America, so your going to send a message to the system,.... or maybe even try to collapse the whole system that did you wrong, which Trump will do that for ya,... and I understand that logic, I got nothing against ya.

I too have lost faith in today's political circus, I think I'm going to write my own name in for president "again', because nothing on the most part changes anyway, be it a democrat or republican president in office,.... they always force each other through congress legislations games to compromise with something that only benefits THEM and their livelihood and not We The People it seems.

It's just like a circus anymore, and we the people still have to pay admission to watch the stunts............. but were no longer part of the performance............

[nananarc]

What you are saying is just the tip of the iceberg of yet another tool being used by the rich to deepen their pockets. See what I did by phrasing it with the big RICH in the sentence? They are the Culprit, yet rarely does anyone ever talk about them. AI art - a tool - instead of aiding the public, it benefits the rich. In other words, artists are losing their livelihood not to AI, but to the exploitation of the capitalists.

Read my og post again. it's not the AI's fault, it's the corporation's fault. This is a long, far-sighted fight against systematic class division.

Capitalistic corporations always run at the highest profit margin, which means they will always exploit their employees' and customers' (both could be artists') well-being in order to achieve their goals. These earned profits won't be distributed to the public, the poorer, and the less fortunate, instead they will keep being funneled into the pockets of the 1% who keep getting ridiculously richer and don't even have the need for all that money. All of this surplus should have been shared with the public to ensure that everyone has their basic needs met.

People should not have to work for money to PAY for a LIVING. The very idea of the "Cost of Living" is absurd, inhumane, and frankly depressing. Artists should not have to worry about not having enough food to eat, they should be allowed to create with ease of mind. With ease of mind, people can use AI as a tool for themselves. To quote a wise user of Tumblr:

[Image ID: A screen caption of a post by Tumblr user kneedeepincynade, saying "Under socialism science serves the people, under capitalism science serves the elites."/.End ID]

When people are uneasy about their livelihood, they get defensive, usually towards the most immediate thing in front of them, in this case, towards AI Art, even though AI and other scientific development can serve them. This, in turn, suppresses the development of science that can serve the people. So basically the victim and the tool are fighting and wearing each other out, while the CULTPRIT - the rich - is leisurely exploiting both. Remember the endless cycle I talked about in my og post?

I know all that I am saying is very idealistic but this is just the theory of socialism that has existed for centuries, and some societies in the past have been argued to have reached this level of societal development. If we don't educate ourselves about the big picture, and the downsides of capitalism, we will forever be trapped in a state of discontentment and exploitation.

"oh shit this sounds fucked up. what should we do to fight against capitalism then?"

boy, that is the question of the century, no?

I'm just a broke artist from a tiny developing country, but i will do my best to answer. Let's do that on a Me - You - They basis. 'Me' is you, yourself, and your individuality. 'You' is your ally. 'They' is your enemy.

First of all, Me - Me : Self-education. Read books, watch Youtube videos and listen to podcasts about Karl Marx and Socialism. Isn't it neat that we have these things for free? That's what socialism wants to give you but imagine with virtually everything else as well. (yeah Marx's books are open public domain, you can download them online, just google it). Then learn more about the ideas mentioned in the topics as well.

Second of all, Me - You: Support local businesses, small businesses, and independent creators, as much as you can. There is no perfectly moral consumption in a capitalistic world, but we should try our best.

Third of all, 2nd Me - You: Support your goodwill left-wing progressive socialist grassroots organization/influential figure/congressperson, if possible. In America, in 2022, currently, the big names are Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). But they are big names and quite far from you, so if you can't support them much, you can still learn a lot from them. Now what is easier to do is to find and support the people and organizations who are running your local area, be it a team, school, company, town, district, or city. You can also educate yourself a lot about these topics by following and supporting them.

Fourth, another Me - You: Share your knowledge and learn from other people. Talk to your friends and family about the wonders of free stuff and the evilness of mega corpos. Tell them to burn their means of labor in protest. Discuss and share ideas on the fight.

Fifth, Me - They: Be against mega corporates, as much as you can. There are so many ways to do this, just to name a few: Boycott. Vandalism. Quiet quitting. Protest. Complaints.

Feel free to add more, my comrades.

disclaimer: I know there are other concerns about AI Art as well, but that is another topic for another time.

disclaimer 2: sorry for lengthy post. no one asked for this but i need to say it anyway. im pretty sure I'm neurodivergent lmfao.

the fact that yall is afraid of AI taking over jobs is just.. sad...

We made tools, machinery, robots and eventually AI so that they make our job easier and eventually do work for us, sustain our lives without us having to put in the time and arduous labor. isn't that just great? we will have free time to just do what we want without having to worry about not having food to eat.

"oh, but that's not what is happening! without a job i cannot have food to eat! it's those robots and AI's fault!"

that, my friend, is the fault of the rich, the mega-corporations and the greedy capitalists. they are exploiting and hoarding all of the "harvest" made by you AND those machinery and purposefully leave you unsatisfied and hungry so that they can sell it back to you, effectively trap you in an endless circle of giving them your labor and your money. the AI is merely just the tool, what it does depends on the wielder.

so, my dear friend, next time someone complains that AI and robots are taking human jobs, tell them to direct that frustration towards the top management, the big corporations, the rich people.

eat the rich. don't eat the bots.

[tortuga-aak]

'Westworld' star Evan Rachel Wood explains the painful reason why she and many other women won't name their abusers

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

The INSIDER Summary:

Actress Evan Rachel Wood has been public about being a sexual assault survivor.

She says she was raped twice, but has never named the perpetrators.

In response to the Harvey Weinstein assault and harassment reports, Wood recorded a video explaining why his accusers likely waited so long to speak up.

Wood says it's extremely traumatizing to publicly accuse an assailant.

It also takes time and money, and women risk losing their livelihoods.

Women are fearful of their perpetrators and lack faith in the justice system.

Wood says she might name her abusers one day, but not until she is ready. 

Evan Rachel Wood is the latest Hollywood star weighing in on the public conversation surrounding Harvey Weinstein and the numerous allegations of sexual assault being made against him. In a video Wood posted to YouTube, the "Westworld" actress explains why she and other women often stay silent after being assaulted or harassed.

"I have not named my abusers," said Wood, who has spoken publicly about being a sexual assault survivor. "Not because I don't plan on saying these names eventually, but because to start that process is emotionally draining and financially draining, really an everything draining thing to do and to go through. And I want to do it when I'm ready."

She described her assailants as "very powerful, very rich, very entitled, and very narcissistic white men." It can be especially difficult for victims to come forward if their abusers are powerful.

"It is a terrifying thing to have to go through mainly because you're at risk of not being believed and your career being hurt," Wood said in the video. "You [also risk] being drained of your finances because it costs a lot of money to file a lawsuit and go to court with somebody, especially if all you have is your word against theirs and especially if these are very powerful people. Once again you're at the mercy of your abusers and you've kicked a hornet's nest and you have a target on your back."

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Wood then launched into an explanation of how she has processed her own trauma, and how it's hard for her to continue leaving her abusers unnamed. But her fear of the perpetrators and the fear of facing people who don't believe her is too strong. She said:

Maybe this is an irrational fear, but I don't think it is. What I can tell you is it's because sometimes the act is so traumatizing, or you're so ashamed of it or you're so confused by it or you're so scared of your perpetrators, you're silenced ... sometimes for years, sometimes your whole life.

It took me seven years after I was raped to admit to myself that I even was raped and that I should be upset, and to get help for the trauma that I endured. I'm still working through what happened years later. I'm still on that step, which is another reason why I don't feel strong enough or ready enough to name my abusers.

I name them to everybody that I know. But as far as welcoming the media and lawyers and the courts into this ... and this is a hard thing to say because I feel we have a responsibility to name our abusers so that it doesn't happen to other people, but I am not ready to go through that and to relive those things and to face those people

I should not be punished for that. The fact that women are still afraid to name their abusers is not their fault.

Jordan Strauss/AP/HBO

Wood then addressed the accusations against Harvey Weinstein specifically:

I've heard numerous stories about Harvey Weinstein, and I'm pretty sure everyone I know has as well. It was so normalized and it was talked about in such a way that when you're warned about Harvey Weinstein (because most actresses are ... it's just the truth) it was passed off as "Oh that's just crazy Harvey, everybody knows just be careful about that one."

Some men that I've talked to have said, "Oh well I heard stories but I just thought he hit on girls a lot."

Okay sure he hit on a girls a lot, but what does that actually mean? Did he go over there and introduce himself and ask their names and what they did? Or did he grope them inappropriately? Or did he offer them money? Or offer them favors in exchange for sex? That's not hitting on women, that's being a sexual predator and abusing your power and cornering vulnerable women into submission.

Wood presented a solution to what she identified as the "global epidemic." She said women in the industry and all over the world need to tell people about being assaulted or harassed, even if they don't want to name them in the public media sphere or press charges.

"Tell your colleagues, tell your friends, tell everybody their names," Wood said. "And then it's up to us to not work with these people if you know. That's where it starts. Spread that s--- around."

HBO

Wood said she's walked out of award shows in the past because she saw "abusers and sexual predators" walk on stage and "accept a statue." But she said she hasn't left Hollywood yet, because she believes it's important for her to "stay and fight" from the inside.

She ends the video with a powerful statement:

We need to make people feel safe enough to come forward. You shouldn't have to weigh your livelihood, your job, everything you've ever worked for, your reputation, your friends, your safety. That's why women don't come forward.

These are the two things keeping women from telling their stories: No faith in the system that it will actually work for them and fear of their perpetrators. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm not ready to come forth with the names, because I'm here to identify a problem. I'm here to tell you that I'm afraid and I don't think that's my fault. I'm here to tell you that I'm afraid so that we can identify the problem.

Watch the full video below:

Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/kksbLCncAxM Width: 854px Height: 480px

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