#its a good reflection of the powerful men of the world who definitely think of themselves as most important

[theskyexists]

It's too bad that dune cosmologically justifies ultra-genocide through its 'societal evolution' it-had-to-happen-or-we'd-all-'degenerate' concept and the character of the messiah-king Paul (the Ultra Genocider in question) who everybody loves

[qqueenofhades]

I think its genuinely fascinating how Biden has somehow become the bad vibes sin eater for the party. I'm seeing people who were doing the whole "voting doesn't matter both old men are the same" pivot hard into voting as harm reduction. The anti voting rhetoric has COMPLETELY lost The Youths on tiktok. People suddenly remember the good things the Biden administration has done but don't associate Harris with any of the things they didn't like. In my swing state volunteers are signing up in droves. People feel ENERGIZED, the vibe shift pre and post Biden dropping from the race has just been insane

Y'know, that is a... good way of putting it. It's also why I'm quite sure that Biden has probably been planning it for a while. I don't think he was intending to step down, and didn't want to be forced out at the drop of a hat, but after he realized that the circus was never going to stop until he did, he did the honorable fall-on-his-own-sword thing and definitely, DEFINITELY spent some time choreographing this behind the scenes. Because while the roll-out has been very smooth, it could just as easily (as many of us were expecting) have been a total disaster, and that doesn't happen without SOME planning. It's also entirely possible that the campaign staff flipped from Biden to Harris are superhuman, to come up with a massive online roll-out, new branding, new signs (they had plenty of 'em in Wisconsin yesterday), new everything, but I'm guessing it's a combination of both. Biden has spent his entire political career being underestimated, and after we literally made a meme out of Dark Brandon juking the Republicans out of their shoes, we should definitely give credit where credit is due in how masterfully he pulled it off.

Because we have had eight years defined by the central question of Whether The President Is a God King Who Should Serve For Life (the MAGAts obviously think yes), the sheer idea of a president willingly giving up his power BEFORE he had to is also novel and admirable. It's sad that this is the case, but so be it. The Republicans also got a heaping helping of Be Careful What You Wish For that was undoubtedly brilliant; they've been yelling for years that Biden is old and frail and can't serve and should step down. Biden went "lol okay" and gave it to them, and now they're fucked.

Aside from that, on the most basic level, it's far, far easier to see the actual difference in the parties with Harris as the nominee, just because it shows that one party is willing to make progress and reflect the new demographic reality and social mores of America, and the other one is not. Now to be clear, Biden deserves an incredible amount of credit for coming out of retirement (he was ALREADY 77 years old when he became president and had had decades of a long and respected career in public service behind him) to fight, beat Trump, and deliver an incredibly successful presidency. He held the line against authoritarianism at home and abroad, he rescued the trashed American economy and managed a world-leading recovery from Covid, he stood up for democracy, he spent four years filling the benches with liberal judges to reverse even some of the Trump/McConnell hack job, he finally passed comprehensive infrastructure investment and the Green New Deal under the name of the Inflation Reduction Act -- and so on. Many of these priorities had been languishing for decades or were completely trashed under Trump, and he could not have done so much in just 4 years without all that age, skill, and experience. Hence why all the Ageism!!! was (aside from being a Republican/media smear job) dumb. He's able to do the job because he has had decades to study. Turns out that makes you actually pretty damn good at it.

Yes, Biden could not do as much as he wanted or originally planned, had to deal with MAGA Republicans and Joe Manchin/Kyrsten Sinema sabotaging him the whole time (lololol Manchin, possible possessor of the World's Biggest Ego and with Trump around that's saying something, popping out of obscurity to self-righteously announce he would not be willing to be Kamala's VP. YEAH ASSHOLE. LITERALLY NOBODY ASKED YOU. NOBODY WHATSOEVER. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AT LEAST WE WILL SOON NO LONGER HAVE MANCHIN IN THE SENATE). And yes, Biden made some serious mistakes of his own, because he IS from an older generation and a different style of doing politics/different beliefs that no longer resonate with the younger segments of the electorate. But this old white Catholic guy at the age of almost 80 still managed to be the most progressive president ever, coming in at a moment of incredible domestic and international crisis and getting us safely to the other side, and all cynicism, criticizing, and caveating aside, he deserves an incredible amount of credit for that. I mean that absolutely, and I am very grateful.

As I said, willingly relinquishing that power takes guts, and when Biden saw the writing on the wall that he had to sacrifice himself, he took his time, he didn't jump too early, and he didn't jump too late. On the most basic level, it becomes a hell of a lot easier to make the "both parties are not the same" argument when one is running a (comparatively) young brown woman and the other is still running their loathed felonious old demented orange traitor. Most Americans are not plugged into policy minutiae and details. They look at Biden-Trump, they see two old white guys. When you take one of those old white guys away (who goes in a self-sacrificially heroic manner and in sharp contrast with the coup-happy fascist) and put Kamala Harris in there instead, it generates an obvious jolt. People can see for themselves that there is a real difference that doesn't rely on closely reading news and tracking complex policy, because as noted, most Americans simply don't. The brown first-generation American daughter of brown immigrants is a quantifiably different story from "old white guy career politician," which for better or worse is how Biden was seen, especially the old part. We needed that establishment expertise to beat Trump in 2020; I still think Biden is the only one who could have done it, and as noted, we owe him a great debt for doing so.

However.... 2024 is not 2020, and it is not 2016. There has been this HUGE and unbelievable swing to Kamala because she represents the antithesis of what the last eight years of Trump-induced anger, fear, panic, chaos, and hatred has stirred up. That's why people are so ready to rally around her, just as they were (I daresay) around Obama in 2008, after the exhaustion, chaos, war, and mounting economic misery of Bush. Trump has been out of office for the last four years, but his shadow over the American political landscape has been omnipresent. Now people know that we finally have a real chance at getting rid of him forever, and just as Biden was uniquely positioned to capitalize on that in 2020, so Harris is now. Which is why, however tough it will be, she has a real shot at winning. I can guarantee the Republicans know that, and are shit scared. Because the Black Lady Army of Democracy has indeed arrived in force to Get This Shit Done and I don't know about you, but I found that incalculably comforting:

Yikes! All lined up for Kamala pic.twitter.com/Dt4OCDp7WX

— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 24, 2024

This, at the most basic level, is what scares fascists the most, it's exactly what we need now, and what Harris is uniquely positioned to mobilize, along with her gangbusters appeal to young voters:

This is the energy we need. This is what Biden saw and planned for and which he launched us into, and where all that experience and age paid off. This is why people, even people otherwise disengaged, disillusioned, or checked out of the tedious and mind-numbering drudgery and depression of American politics, are responding to it. Because it's easy to understand, it offers hope, and it tells a very simple story that is nonetheless long overdue:

Thanks so much, Joe. Go absolutely waste that orange fucker, Kamala. We got your back.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

I'm curious what's your thoughts on this new superman to me i think they're trying their best to destroy DC. We finally got someone to actually wear the suit without looking like the suit wears him. I'm sorry I grew up waiting for something with realism now they went back to cartoonish bull. Nothing I can do I just think it's horrible that the TV show guy with 5 o'clock shadow looks better than the movie.

Superhero stories should never care about realism. Superheroes are inherently unrealistic. Even aside from the superpowers, superheroes are representations of ideals. An ideal, by definition, is unrealistic in the sense that it doesn't reflect reality, but what we hope reality can one day become. Superheroes at their best inspire us to work towards those ideals. And even if they don't, they offer us much needed escapism from a world that rarely lives up to our ideals.

In my opinion, "realistic" superhero stories like The Boys or Watchmen are the things that are actively trying to destroy the superhero. Those stories say "Heroes aren't real. Power will always corrupt and humanity can never rise above its base nature. Men will always be petty, violent, selfish, and greedy." It's nihilistic, defeatist bullshit and I hate those kinds of stories. And, ironically, the "realistic" superhero stories ignore all the good in reality. Heroes do exist. People like Daniel Penny and Kyle Rittenhouse are heroes. Firefighters are heroes. The people who run into traffic to pull children out of the way of cars are heroes. The people who dive into rushing rivers to rescue drowning animals are heroes. Every single day ordinary heroes risk their lives, their wealth, and their happiness to protect others. So why is it so "unrealistic" to assume that, if super powers did exist, that some of those people might get those powers, instead of assuming that great power will only ever come to the worst of us?

[aropride]

listened to a podcast from tumblr ceo matt mullenweg abt his plans for tumblr and such and wrote down some quotes i found Interesting . (some are not word for word bc auditory processing + memory etc but i tried to stick to what he said as much as i could)

(on being ceo of a social network) "it is as hard as being the leader of a country"

"it needs to do a good job at showing you things you want to see- so both the people you follow but maybe also exposing you to new things you don't know about yet"

"people want their own home on the web, they want it to be something reflects them, not the needs of an advertiser"

"how do we make this amazing and really give the tumblr community what they deserve, and also give the world an alternative from these closed-proprietary advertisement-driven social networks?"

"you can have custom themes, you can customize it every little bit .. what we wanna do is making it be the best of both worlds, giving you the full customization that u currently have on tumblr, that u also have on wordpress, but still provide a streamlined interface, particularly on mobile ... you kind of move in and out of that full customization"

"that's ultimately what we're about, is giving power in the hands of users"

"what people really want isnt what they say they want ... its kind of like expressed preferences vs stated preferences ... thats probably why [other social medias] dont give u total control over ur algorithm"

"i want to have a path where you can start with, call it 'just' a tumblr ... but if you want to turn that into an e-commerce store, or customize it in a different way, or build a newsletter, or a mailing list, or create a membership site- these are all things that are supported by wordpress today"

"tumblr's userbase are primarily young .. more women than men which isnt common in technology .. its a very safe place and vibrant community for lgbt+, i think its over a quarter of the userbase.. kind of a place for art and artists"

"how do we make that a path to the wordpress open source community ... excited about ..bringing a younger demographic into wordpress"

"[the amount of new users from twitter/reddit are] less than you would think in the long term"

(to reddit/twt migrants) "give us feedback! what do you miss from the old thing when you move over?"

"i'd definitely like it to be as big as twitter or instagram"

"for tumblr for example i think [AI] could make our developers a lot more productive, their coding could be checked/tested by ai, .. that'll allow us to do a lot more .. maybe our pace of development could increase."

"ai can be a huge help in assisting on moderation, if it could help flag things before people even report them, that someone could look at and review."

"the algorithm [for the feed/dashboard] is a form of ai- its really machine learning, people use the terms interchangeably- if we could make the feed a lot better, we could tweak it and really learn the things u want to see and the people u want to follow"

"it could provide some really cool tools, when u think of the generative ai stuff, whether its dall-e or midjourney. so much of what people do on tumblr is expressing art and creativity, and theres some people who are resistant to this, but im actually hearing far more artists that are like 'wow! this is another tool in my toolbox!' its not just like using it instead of doing ur work, it's helping with the first draft, or helping u come up with new ideas, or maybe accelerating part of a workflow. so i see it like a new type of paintbrush, or new colors they can use. they see it as a new way to express their creativity. to me that's also the future. .. just like any other tool, like when we moved from typewriters to word processors."

(asked if generative AI worries him) "bad actors using ai to do more bad things .. that's definitely smth that's gonna happen, that's true with any new technology. if u rob a bank before, u used to have to get away on a horse, now you can get away on a car [laugh]. so like, think of it like that. we don't say "oh, banks are gonna be robbed so much more cuz now people can drive away faster". the good guys have cars too, so the police have cars .. it becomes something that is part of society .. there's more good people than bad people"

[scarlet--wiccan]

Considering Wanda has now become the Darkhold, I'm very interested in her rulling the Flickering Realm - Chthon's dimension. It would be an opportunity to explore its politics and civilization of the N'garai, as it is their home base. What are your thoughts?

I don't think Wanda is interested in ruling anybody, especially not in place of Chthon. I imagine she would feel very strongly that anyone who has been subjugated by him deserves freedom and autonomy. The N'Garai... kinda suck, when you actually look at their history, but they seem to have some kind of caste system and really terrible power hierarchies. I would love to see what kind of change would come from Wanda dismantling those power structures. Defeating Kierrok, the N'Garai Madbhara who terrorized Hexfinder's ancestors, would also be a great way to resolve Wanda's conflict with Nicola.

I'm definitely very interested in the internal politics and societies of demons and other "monster" races. We've seen a lot of development in this area with vampires and, to a lesser degree, werewolves. Krakoan-era X-Men titles have explored autonomy and sovereignty in Otherworld and Limbo, to varying degrees of success. I think it's very clear that these political concepts are on a lot of folks' minds, and it's being reflected in our speculative fiction-- for better, or usually, for worse.

Anyways, while I don't think Wanda should necessarily feel responsible for Chthon's legacy, I do believe that she feels empathy for other beings and races that have been impacted by him. With her powers and status as the Living Darkhold, she's uniquely suited to act as an ambassador for these communities. We have already seen this with K'lay/the Flickering Realm-- in Scarlet Witch #9, she's seen advocating to the In-Betweener for K'lay's autonomy-- and with Elderspawn such as the Bricklayer in Crypt of Shadows (2023). I suspect we might see something similar with the vampires in Blood Hunt.

I would really love for Wanda to become, like, the main go-to character for anything to do with the Elder Gods, Inner Planes (which includes hell-dimensions, mythical realms, and places like K'lay), and Elderspawn. It would put her on the same level as Doctor Strange, while still allowing her to have her own unique thing, as Stephen is generally more concerned with the Outer Realms. It would also allow witchcraft and Earthly magic to retain more of a unique flavor-- I don't love how much Wanda, Agatha, and Jericho's powers have blended into typical Marvel sorcery in the last couple years.

Something I've been wanting for a long time is to get a comprehensive, company-wide update to the lineage of the Elder Gods and the structure of the Inner and Outer Planes, sort of like what HoXPoX did for X-Men comics. Initially, that's what I thought G.O.D.S. was gonna be, and I'm kind of glad that it's not-- I don't really think Hickman's ethos would be a good fit. Instead, I feel we're starting to see it in Immortal Thor, which is wonderful, because Ewing really understands what those sort of mythology-based stories need, and he's already done a lot of esoteric worldbuidling that will cross over nicely. Thor is one of the living characters who is most closely connected to Gaea-- Wanda, as Chthon's keeper and inheritor, would be a really good compliment in exploring this world.

[femmefatalevibe]

how do you reconcile being a feminist, single, and a high-value woman? maybe I'm misunderstanding the concept but I always thought HVW and hypergamy were all very centered on seeking a male partner.

Hi love! Great question. I think your curiosity offers a great opportunity to dive a bit more into my personal views and philosophy.

I believe that the goal of feminism is to protect all women and provide them legal protection, structural resources, and social power to live equitably in society. In my eyes, a high-value woman is one who is unapologetically self-respecting and sets her life up in a way to allows her to work towards goals that meet her needs in all areas of life.

Hypergamy, by its modern definition, is the idea that women "date up" to intertwine their sexual relationships with men to those who offer more or equally high social, financial, or sexual capital to them. The traditional idea of hypergamy was exclusively referred to as "marrying up" as marriage was the only way women could achieve most resources (like a bank account, credit card, housing, and certain medical care – it's so terrifying, honestly).

In the latter case, hypergamy is nearly synonymous with centralizing men. Before women gained certain freedoms (in the U.S. this was mostly in the 1960-70s), centralizing men was a survival mechanism, not a preference or act of self-imposed oppression.

I believe in the modern world where women can have their own bank accounts, careers, and access to birth control (the latter one is an anxiety-inducing topic at this point in time, ugh), women are given the choice to be hypergamous either while centralizing or decentralizing men.

I believe that you can uphold hypergamous standards in your dating life without centralizing men in your life. For me, personally, my relationship or dating status has no bearing on how happy or successful I am in my life. No man (or lack of one in my life) will ever determine my self-worth or reflect my progress in life. My metrics of fulfillment and accomplishment stem from thriving in my professional life, staying in good health, practicing consistently healthy habits (WFPB diet, regular exercise, mental health hygiene, sexual wellness, mindfulness, self-care, etc.), and maintaining nourishing friendships. Dating and my interactions with men (in non-platonic ways) are fun ways I enrich my life, so I believe this mentality embodies the modern – albeit hyper-progressive – definition of hypergamy. Remaining single allows me to enjoy all of the ways men can uplevel my life – socially, financially (to the degree some nighttime activities, such as dinners, drinks, car services, club fees, etc. are paid for – no sugaring activities or anything), and sexually without the aspects of dating men that would contradict my sense of self-respect or autonomy. I'm not personally designed to be a man's therapist or feel like I should have to include a man's needs in all of my life or day-to-day decisions because we're sexually involved with each other. I have a strict vetting process regarding who I will entertain in my dating/sexual life to ensure they're adding value to my life and there's mutual compatibility considering the type of arrangement we're both seeking.

Personally, I believe the only way to maintain equity in dating is to remain single, which allows me to meet all of my other standards in life. I will never sacrifice my life goals for a man, but I do not believe that means you have to approach dating or sexual relationships from a black-and-white perspective. However, if I'm going to date men (which can be a headache for certain), I believe they need to enrich my life in some way – whether that's interesting conversations, gaining business acumen, social relationships, fun sexual experiences, or just learning about different cultures/world perspectives.

From my observations, women who use hypergamy as an excuse to centralize their life or aspirations around a man are glamorizing regressive/oppressive ideologies (like submitting to a partner or relying on men financially) as a last attempt to uphold the patriarchy as women wake up to the fact that having to do all of society's emotional labor plus having to contort ourselves in a world designed for men, namely in our professional lives, is not the truest form of feminism out there (not to mention it's lack of intersectionality, but that's a whole other rant lol). I don't use the "hypergamy" tag on my posts anymore for this reason, though. I believe that many people are conflating the textbook concept of hypergamy with regressive political agendas, which I will never promote let alone subscribe to.

This is all just my take, so I hope it all makes sense and resonates with some members of this amazing community. Every woman should figure out what approaches to all of these matters would make her the most genuinely happy and fulfilled regardless of society's expectations or cultural norms.

Sending love xx

[therealslimshakespeare]

https://www.tumblr.com/precious-little-scoundrel/758177434192445440/im-curious-about-if-you-think-that-through

i guess just like. ugh i always struggle to put this into words because i love that your other readers love her and i don’t want to offend anyone or sound mean but. the stuff about maureen not respecting boundaries in regards to sex and using her power and privilege to get what she wants just left me with a really bad taste in my mouth. of course i’m sympathetic that her upbringing plays a massive role in this and i do feel awful that she’s had bad experiences with men in the past but i feel like these sorts of actions are not only reflective of your upbringing but also your character as a whole. and i feel like by the time she joined up she was definitely old and grown enough to know better, especially because you’ve previously described her as educated and worldly. like either she’s not really those things or she is and just still chose to cling to these weird and gross and harmful behaviours. i don’t know. i guess i’m just wondering if in your eyes she’ll ever be completed absolved of those actions due to her own backstory + whatever you have in store for her arc

I see, I think. ☺️ First off, to me -this is fiction. Which both adds and subtracts a layer. It’s a mirror for a lot of real life and yet it’s also a silly creation of mine. So that’s interesting and it’s always interesting to learn how other creators view their creations and what position they take regarding their creations flaws. I believe in moral right and wrong, absolutely, and having my own personal reasons for why this particular topic of consent affects me, I find writing about it and its many iterations to be free therapy of a sort. Welcome to the ride 😂

But. IMO, by the very definition of absolution, that requires someone with authority on it to do it. Someone she’s harmed. In the instance of Gale he’s partly given that, and will further but only once both of them acknowledge the harm in the first place. So, I don’t have that authority to absolve her, he does. And as a creator I’ll write that. But I’m also not demanding my readers give it either.

Same with the folks she hurt back home.

I may be a cynic or maybe I’ve merely had plenty of people confide in me and grown wary, but I know that a lot of people have done very wrong things in the past. Even had whole habits that hurt others. Seasons of life. Etc.

Everything bad they did back then stays bad. Even when they change and become what we might consider a “good person”.

Can they never truly be a good person due to past bad actions? There are as many opinions on that as there are people in the world.

I’d argue a massive change in behavior is required, in some cases making amends, certainly an awareness and guilt and change. But it’s the people they hurt that get to absolve them. I think if I were to withhold kindness or grace for anyone who’s fucked up or been fucked up for periods of their life yet now seem to have changed, I should soon run out of acquaintances.

Being worldly and educated has been the mark of some of the most evil people in history. It changes nothing about behavior. That’s a moral choice. Not an educated one, I would argue.

[psalmonesermons]

Love is a weapon Part 1

What is love?

Question; is God’s love conditional or unconditional?

We are all born with the need to love and to be loved. That is why love is such a big seller of songs, books, and movies etc. The saying that ‘Love makes the world go round’ is probably at least partly true theologically speaking in the sense that it

is the love of God that keeps the whole creation in existence.

In the English language 'love' has all sorts of different shades of meaning. For instance we say I love pineapple, I love my dog, I love my wife, or I love God. The depth of sentiment hopefully is not the same in these examples!

The fact that there are distinct types of love can be illustrated by the four Greek words for love used in the New Testament era [1]:

1. Phileo; the love of a friend or a brother.

2. Storge; natural love like a mother’s love (for her child).

3. Eros; sexual love.

4. Agape; the love of God.

The first three are types of human love and at best are only pale reflections of the agape love, the selfless love of God. When the believer is filled and moved by the love of God then they can surpass the human loves.

An example might be, if a young man or woman with Christian parents is called to the mission field, the storge love of the parents might tempt them to dissuade their child. However, the agape love would overcome this and send them out with a blessing.

The love of God is not indulgent and can be tough!

There is a lovely revealing use of the two different words used in scripture for love i.e. agapeo and phileo in John 21:15-17. Jesus asks Peter if he loves (agapeo-selfless love) him twice but Peter answers with phileo (friendly or brotherly love). Jesus then uses Peter’s phileo when he asks a third time.

The message is that agape love is a sacrificial love that is willing to lay down its very life for God.

Agape (love) became the characteristic word of Christianity. The Holy Spirit brought new meaning to this word. Agape love is sacrificial and selfless and seeks to do good to all men but especially to our fellow believers. Where does this love come from?

Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us

Definition: To fight dirty means to use any means at your disposal to win in each conflict situation. In a physical fight it could be biting, gouging, head butting, a blow below the belt. Not observing the Marquis of Queensberry rules! Or using a weapon or anything else to hand!

Fighting dirty has the connotation of doing ‘whatever its takes’ to win whether fair or unfair. What about our spiritual battles in situations or where all the negative person to person interactions place especially when the living stones rub together .

Can the weapon of love be used in these circumstances?

[1] CS Lewis The four loves

The greatness of Love

Definition of agape love: 1 Corinthians 13 is the Greatest Gift 4 Love suffers long and is kind ; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The power of love

Rom 8:37-39. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Love is the glue that holds us to God.

Love is the glue that holds us to each other.

We are stuck fast to God and each other!

Clearly this agape type of love is indeed the most powerful thing in heaven and the cosmos that nothing, yes absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Amen

Prayer

In Part 2 we focus in in how might be used as a weapon and also give an opinion as to whether God’s love is conditional or unconditional?

[glygriffe]

The Road to the Good Place

Fandom: Dark Angel Character: Ben | x5-493 Word count: 1414 Warning: Angst, broken promises, talk of death and violence A note: From the Fanfic Lounge weekly challenge prompt: Your character gets to heaven only to find that the judgment is entirely based on how many promises they've broken.

Ben remembers hearing the Manticore guards closing in on them in the forest while he was fighting with Max. He threw some mean blows, but he didn’t really want to hurt her; he just wanted to be done. With everything. He barely registered the hurt when his knee snapped backward. He didn’t really care about living in the outside world. He tried to fit in. For years he tried, though nothing was as he had imagined. Life in the real world was hard for everyone, especially for an awkward and isolated child. But Manticore was worse.

The roar of the helicopter in his ears, as loud and clear as his heartbeat, meant the end for him. He asked his sister to not let them take him back and he's quite sure she did that last favor for him, even if he probably didn't deserve it.

He cannot see Max at his side anymore or hear the helicopter, but he swears he hears her cry softly in the distance, the sound fading. She made him talk about the Good Place just before the world disappeared. Maybe that’s where he is right now.

In the Good Place, nobody gets yelled at, and you can stay in bed as long as you want in the morning. Even if you are a child soldier turned serial killer. 

The morning sun shines brightly, almost blinding him. He rubs his eyes with his fists, as he did as a child, then blinks to focus on the scenery around him. He is not in a bed, yet he is lying on his back on something soft. The undergrowth of a different forest cushions his frame and no part of his body aches. Max did it; she stopped him from spiraling further down the rabbit hole of insanity and prevented Manticore from capturing him.

Ben arches his neck back to drop his head to the ground, smiling at the bright sky and the nature around him. This must be the Good Place, where all sins are washed away and the Blue Lady provides for those who believe in her.

He can see a stream flowing gently a few steps away and on the surface of the lazy water he sees the reflection of a bright blue light. Could it be Her?

He swiftly rolls into a sitting position to catch a glimpse of the Blue Lady. But he sees nothing except a handkerchief with a medallion of the Virgin Mary placed neatly on the soft dirt near him.

”Funny how the Styx and the Pishon are two of the great rivers known to men, and yet for you, a genetically enhanced human, they merge and show up as a mere trickle of muddy water. Your road to Heaven is kind of pathetic, to be honest.”

When Ben turns, as quick as lightning, there’s a man in a suit standing behind him. Or something that looks like a man but surely isn’t. The thing smiles at him with a certain amount of contempt, gesturing to its physical form:

“You see this humanoid shape because your imagination is crippled. It’s a shame because I’m told you were a delightful storyteller a mere 10 years ago, which requires a healthy dose of creativity and intuition. As a child, you might have perceived my true form, my six wings and four faces.”

Ben never really paid much attention to organized religion. Even if he found statues of the Blue Lady in some Catholic churches, when priests talk of Her, they get it all wrong. But his eidetic memory caught on to the concept of angels in western religions and his instinct tells him that the thing that looks like a bald and bold man in his late fifties is one of those mythic creatures. They were messengers or warriors, but this angel, although definitely powerful, doesn’t look like he was built to fight. So it must be one of the former kind, here to tell him about Her.

“When will I see the Blue Lady?”

The angel scuffed: “Did you really think you could ask someone to snap your neck and, Voilà! your biggest wish would be granted? Tsk, tsk. And I thought you had superior intelligence as well as speed and strength.”

Ben can feel his forehead crinkle. An uneasy feeling creeps into his stomach; maybe he’s not exactly where he thought he was. If only because the creature in front of him is pretty close to yelling. 

Without even realizing it, he slowly backs away from the angel. His foot shifts the medallion of the Virgin he left on the ground. When his eye catches the reflection of the metal in the sun, he has the compulsion to pick it up. Clenching the medallion in his fist makes him feel better and reassures him a little. Even if he is now confronted with someone who cannot hide his disgust of him:

“In the end, you’re just another ignorant hairless ape, aren’t you? You really know nothing of Osiris and Anubis, or Minos and…”

The angel sighs as if burdened with the worst task in the world.

“I guess I’ll make it simple for you: you’re not in Heaven yet. You have to follow the stream to get there. But before that, you have to be judged. On all the promises you broke. From what I know… Good luck passing the Pearly Gates.”

Ben hasn't heard any of his biological functions since Max disappeared - he is now dead after all - but it's as if his heart has stopped for a second time. His eyes close as he bows his head.

How many promises has he broken in his miserable life?

His pledge to Manticore to be a good little soldier; his promises to Max and the rest of his family of a better life; his solemn vow to the Blue Lady that he would do better.

He didn’t keep any of those.

Even his offerings to the Blue Lady and the discipline he has imposed on himself in recent years could not make up for all his transgressions.

A great sorrow fills his entire being at the thought of never reaching the Good Place, of never seeing the benevolent Blue Lady. His eyes sting and get misty, so he purses his lips and sniffs to make the tears go away. To hide that little part of him that still believed he could be saved, that part that is now bloody and raw.

Instinctively, he clutches the medallion to his heart and averts his eyes from the smug smile of the angel. He turns his gaze to the stream, catching a glimpse of the smoky wings of the angel in the water's reflection. Funny that his imagination starts working at full power again at the exact moment the rest of him seems to shut down.

Behind the supernatural being, Ben sees a bluish-white light shaping itself into a vaguely human form. Startled, he quickly snaps his head up. It isn’t just his imagination: there is a young woman glowing blue walking towards them. As she comes closer, the angel stutters and steps back. Ben can see his head getting blurry as if it wants to morph into somebody else’s face, and the shadow of a lion’s mane obscures his bald scalp. He can see this transformation, but his attention is mainly on Her.

She looks younger than he expected, with long dark hair not at all covered by a veil. In fact, she looks a little like Max, and she has a beautiful runic pattern tattooed on her bare arms. Her smile is kind yet somewhat sad when she looks at him.

As she nears the forest patch where he is rooted, transfixed by her mere presence, she gently speaks to him:

“Follow the stream, Ben. Your road is still long and meandering, but if you promise to follow it to the end, the water will lead you where you want to go. The Styx will find you if you are true to your word. When she does, bathe in her waters: it can ensure the sanctity of an oath. Thus, making you worthy of the peace you crave.”

Ben can do nothing but stare at the Blue Lady. As she starts to fade away in a resurgence of bluish-white light, taking the angel with her, he is left with nothing but Hope. And that is more than he ever had in most of his life.

[themoviemanifesto]

Okay… so…

I will say that this post is definitely coming from a place of male privilege and know that I respect and believe the victims above all else…

It sucks that artists I have adored in the past have turned out to be such shitty people. The older I get, the harder it is getting for me to separate a lot of art from the artists. The Cosby Show was an essential part of my childhood. Essential. Bill Cosby, Himself was one of the first stand-up specials I watched on repeat. I did my Picture Pages on Nickelodeon and ate Jell-O Pudding Pops with glee. Now, Bill Cosby is a verified scumbag. A sexual deviant who was able to thrive due to the amount of power and influence he had. Disappointing doesn’t even cover it. The man is a human atrocity.

Annie Hall is one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. This is, of course, partially due to the incredible performance of Diane Keaton, but also due to the witty neurosis put on display by its writer/director/star, Woody Allen. Woody Allen created so many films that explored romance and humor AND drama from such an interesting perspective. Manhattan, Sleeper, Bananas, Hannah and Her Sisters, Match Point, etc, etc, etc; all part of Allen’s genius. It’s too man the man behind them is a sexual predator. You can’t listen to the stories of abuse and truly believe they were fabrications created to sway divorce proceedings. The man was a monster and it’s hard to bask in the good of his works anymore because of it.

In high school, I felt like an outsider for a few of those years. I changed my personal style and the music I listened to as a reflection of how I felt. Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar become one of my favorite albums of all time. Dark, but incredibly creative, I found joy in its bleakness. I found a reason to keep going in its raging, nihilistic tone. The Beautiful People was the smash hit, but so much of that album resonated with me: Tourniquet, The Man That You Fear, Angel With the Scabbed Wings, and Dried Up, Tied Up, and Dead to the World. Bangers. Now I listen to that album and I think of how the adults were right: Marilyn Manson IS a terrible person. Marilyn Manson IS evil. Another sexual predator exerting his power over those younger and weaker than him. I find the stories of Manson’s behavior reprehensible and I can’t, in good conscience, listen to something that at one time meant so much to me.

The list of bad people doesn’t end there. Sadly, it just keeps growing. It is almost hard to keep up with. I try, hard as I may, to keep up with it and keep my fandom in check. I can’t say I ever was a fan of Danny Masterson — I always found That 70s Show to be irritating and off-putting — but it sure does suck to hear how awful of a human being he turned out to be, and how many people have been making excuses for him for a long time. It’s always disappointing to find out who signed the “Roman Polanski letter.” I get that Rosemary’s Baby is a horror classic, but Polanski is another terrible person. We don’t need to forgive him. We don’t need to let him back into the circle of creatives, and if he comes back to this country, it should be to face prison time.

It’s upsetting that talented and powerful men turn out to be such pieces of shit.

[magnoliamyrrh]

Paul is a fucked up manchild who berates his mom the second he gets supernatural powers and sees himself as better than everyone. That’s only if you can get past herbert’s awful writing where his villains gotta be fat and gay and he repeats these facts every single time they switch povs as if the audience has somehow forgotten (seriously, highlight every time herbert mentions the villain is fat. It’s so common it’s just boring stale writing). Paul in dune is the worst kinda self insert fanfic. Dune is such a shitty book girl how do you enjoy it

ohh he definetely is a man child; i feel bad for him in like the first half of the first book mainly bc hes a teenager, hes 15, like, a teenager teenager not an almost adult 17-18. he may come from a powerful family but hes just thrust into very messed up circumstances, more or less tortured to prove hes human, has to grapple with being some sort of raised-to-be-exceptional genetic experiment and being used in some weird intergalactic lie and war, and incredible amount of historical pressure and other things. like, at 15, hes more kid than adult dealing w this. but also, while being 15, he is smart, and charming to others, and he quickly rises to great infleunce and is good at manipulation. and yea the moment he gets some more power he turns it even against his own mother, against himself, and against others and the longer they go on the more insufferbale he becomes; what ground of expeptionalism in him existed gets raised tenfold -hes an inherently flaued character by all means who even when he tries he fucked up badly many times. i mean like hell, among all the shit he ends up doing, even just that thing that he himself didnt have the power to put shit in order, so he ends up forcing it on his son, like how he was shoved into a bunch of things when he was younger

and yes lol i am well aware of the villan thing. i do get that in this context the "fat" thing and even the gay pedo thing is moreso an allegory for greed and the keeping of and hoarding of precious things (im Not saying fat ppl are like this mind u, im not saying its good either, but in many cultures fat has or is indeed revered as a sign of wealth; and this is used to contrast to those who dont have, and i reckon this is where it comes from in the story). but yes, i do think thats uhh i hate this word problamatic. the fat thing, the gay thing, the pedo thing. definetely part of an ongoing issue of attaching several of those characteristics to villans, and also of making villans generally ugly, thus associsting the two together. like yup, its definitely not good

idk tho, i think. dune was written in the 1960s by a white dude. like, it doesnt suprise me that that stuff is in there. ive read plenty of things that have parts of them that are problamatic or outdated or offensive and it just,, is what it is. like idk i can enjoy something while also being aware and critical of the parts of it that are fucked up - i think if i wasnt able to, i wouldnt be able to like,,,, explore a lot of the literature that exists out there, especially older literature, no matter from where its from in the world or if its written by men or women. most of it or most authors at least have written some weird shit or held some weird shit. idk just a stupid parallel off the top of my head i love the 1001 nights stories - i grew up with them - but theyre filled to the brim with weird shit and problamatic things and sexism and racism and slavery and whatever else, like absolutely filled - to an extend they reflect the times. i still, however, enjoy reading them tho

i also dont know how much paul is a self insert - maybe. ive never read the dude as sympathetic or a sympathetic anti-hero much. i did find the idea that out of this all-female order theyd have the idea that a male would be the one w the greatest power and some sort of prophesied force of power weird, sooo idk maybe. but idk, if its a self insert i rlyyy dont think its supoosed to be a flattering one much. the dude just gets worse and worse as the books progress, and he ends up after fucking up so much and being too weak to fix it, exiled, alone, spending his last yesrs wondering in loneliness and deep regret. so, i dont think its shown that his superiority complex or anything else brought him something good; it just lead to tragedy

mostly i like the series for the intricacy of its plot and the way its introduced, the messages it tries to send even if it at times fails or does so badly. like yea, its not perfect, but it is trying to ssy something about foreign meddeling and co-opting of religions and cultures and desperste situstions, or colonialism and capitalism, of exploitation, greed, power, etc. and also in very large part its lore, its scifi elements, its weird out there mysticism, and all the parts of it that are very, very weird. i am fascinsted by the world that this dude created. im a really big fan of magical realism and to an extent the books are like this - because they start more normal and over time become more and more mystical and fantastical and weird and less grounded as more concepts, creatures, and affects of the spice are introduced. i also do like that the main character isnt an actual hero. all this talk of prophecy and whatever, but its all bad, and it goes so fucking bad. its to an extent a subversion of classical fantasy tropes, combined with space scifi.... and yes. there are times when the writing isnt great, or when its outdated, or when it hammers things again and again (like the villan thing). i also think in many places the writing is intriguing, careful, and calls for attention and contemplation of what is happening

and idk apart from something like 1001 nights..... to an extend, i feel abt dune as i feel about game of thrones. i rly love those books. yes theyre writing by an old white man. yes there are parts of them (less than the show id say) which are problamatic and outdated and i could go on a whole list about that. but, i still enjoy them. i think the world grrm martin created is insanely insanelyyy complex, beautiful, fascinating, the lore is some of the deepest and most intriguing ive ever seen, and the character writing - the sheer complexity of the characters, the willingness to show how fucked up humans are and how often things are so stupidly complicated, the way he can get us to love even insufferable characters, the way there are no perfect good heros, the broader anti-war and even climate change message, the harsh and grounded realism of much of the series,,, the way theyre also kinda like magic realism, bc over the books magic keeps coming back more and more, the world becomes more full of mystic and mystery and prophecies which arent 100% true, the way the books are largely a subversion of fantasy tropes. like, yea. theyve got issues, grrm martins writings got issues. but i think theyre brilliant in many ways at the same time 🤷‍♀️

so i guess. yea. im definitely not saying the books dont have issues or theyre perfect or theyre the peak of literature. but im still able to enjoy parts of them

[curtklingermanposts]

Making a Nation Great

Righteousness Exalts a Nation

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Pure and simple, righteousness exalts a nation. That means if a nation is to be great, its people must walk righteously, which means walking in the righteousness of Jesus. This includes allowing our hearts to be convicted when Holy Spirit is convicting us. We can grieve Him, and our hearts can become cold and indifferent. It’s the path to a seared conscience. This also involves repentance, in which we change our heart, thought process, and direction.  No political system will elevate a nation in itself. Of course, it may reflect the heart of its citizens, especially when they have a say in who governs them. Naturally, it does not necessarily represent the entirety of its population. That will vary in percentage. That being said, it might be a good idea to ask the Lord for His wisdom when it comes to voting, if you have that right. Is it a good idea to vote for those whose policies are not in alignment with God? When reading the Bible, what do you find about just and unjust leaders? They definitely had profound effects on their nations. Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.

Sin is a Reproach to Any People

Juxtaposed to the results of righteousness is the consequences of sin. A sinful nation suffers greatly. When Israel continued to sin against God, He eventually brought judgment to the nation. He was very patient and longsuffering in calling them to repentance. Finally, He dispersed the people amongst the nations of the world as a consequence of their idolatry, and the nation no longer existed. The physical land that once flourished, became desolate. However, true to His promise and nature, the Lord gathered His people back into the land. Once again it became the nation of Israel. This truth points out the reliability of the Bible. Very few people thought this would ever happen, especially since Israel did not exist for centuries.    The conditions of a nation are very much linked to the spiritual realm. It’s not so much the result of physical activities. For example, some try to implement policies to curb “global warming,” to include what kind of vehicles people drive. First, mankind will not destroy the earth. It would be arrogant to think it’s in our power. To be sure, we should be good stewards of what God has given us; however, the Bible reveals how the earth comes to an end. In fact, it gives the true definition of global warming. 2 Peter 3:13 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. By the way, God made provision for the CO2 as the result of fossil fuel usage. How so? CO2 is plant food. Plants convert CO2 to oxygen. Not to get lost in those weeds, but it is good to underscore God is greater than anything man can do. All rebellion will be put to an end forever! God is shaking the earth, and calling people to repentance. People mock the disciples of Jesus Christ, and the Word of God (see 2 Peter 3:3-9). Ultimately, they are mocking God, Himself. This too, will end. In the meantime, He is patient. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:14-18 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (NASB).

perfectfaith.org

[americancinema]

Cancel Culture’s Impact on Comedy Films 

A term that is often used in modern culture is “cancel culture”. It is a very polarizing term that has had a large impact on the entertainment industry in particular. This makes for a fascinating opportunity to do a case study on something so prevalent in modern cinema. I zeroed in on the impact cancel culture has had on comedy films. Through my case, I want to present how the reputation of specific comedy films has been tainted and how to differentiate if the societal view being shifted is justified or without warrant. The main part of comedy films I believe has certainly been impacted is satire. Due to it traditionally aiming to "punch up" at powerful structures. Through my research in this study, my mission is to unveil what type of impact cancel culture has had on comedy in cinematic world, for better or for worse.

In an article called Tug of War, it states that “instead of cancel culture as first-amendment suppression, it can perhaps be viewed as another expression of free speech.” (Lopez, 2021). In a research paper written by Chelsey N. Fortner, it states that while many believe that cancel culture should be celebrated because it holds people accountable, others believe that it violates our right of free speech. Critics of cancel culture argue that this view is an “emotionally charged overreaction, which stymies a constructive dialogue and communication between opposing viewpoints.”(Fortner, 2020). 

The image below presents a poll featuring four distinct definitions of cancel culture, reflecting the varied perceptions individuals have of the term. This poll serves as an illustration of the controversial and often misunderstood nature of cancel culture. In the context of my case study, this poll highlights the differing perspectives within the audience of a comedy film, creating the controversy surrounding said film.

To make my case study as effective as possible, I started my research with finding films that now have a general consensus of being controversial in some aspect and that could qualify to be a target of cancel culture. Such films include the following: The Interview (2014), White Chicks (2004), and lastly the cult classic Mean Girls (2004).

The film The Interview (2014) - is a political satire comedy that has dealt with a  considerable amount of controversy and threats of boycott due to its portrayal of North Korea's leader, highlighting the impact of sensitive political content on comedy. The movie faced so much heat that it was no longer able to be released in theaters.  In the following clip, it summarizes the portrayal of North Korea’s Leader through a specific scene in the film. The purpose of the scene is for comedic relief, however it was deemed to be insensitive and disrespectful.

The film White Chicks (2004) - is a Comedy film which involves two African American men that play FBI agents disguising themselves as white women, this film deals with racial and gender-related themes. In an article from Entertainment Weekly, Marlon Wayans, an actor in the film who has been in the industry for over three decades spoke on his belief about cancel culture in the film industry stating, "You know who loves White Chicks the most? White chicks,". "That's how you know it's a good movie. For us, I think a good joke in comedy is when the people you make fun of laugh the loudest. And what's beautiful is that we're equal-opportunity offenders. It was a great exploration of gender, of race, of pop culture, and done with kid gloves so everybody could laugh. And I think that's what makes it a cult classic to this day." Regardless of Wayne's perspective as well as other advocates of the film, there is still backlash in regards to its potentially insensitive humor that consists of objectifying women and racial stereotyping. The following clip consists of scenes that were deemed as funny in the controversial film.

 The film Mean Girls (2004) - is a film that is said to promote diet culture and unrealistic beauty standards for women. Mean girls is a classic film that is loved by many. Compared to the other movies that I chose to research, it does not have as much controversy surrounding it. After reading different perspectives concerning different aspects of the movie, this is the information that I gathered. Many view this movie in a positive light due to its relatability for the real life struggles that women go through, while others find that it advocates for disordered eating and body image concerns.

 Eating disorders are extremely common in young women and in a critique of the literature on etiology of eating disorders it states that “Eating disorders are one of the significant problems in the care of adolescents and even children. These complex disorders are believed to arise from interaction of multiple risk factors. Eating disorders are defined by disturbance in eating habits that may be either excessive or insufficient food intake.”(Rikani)

Sienna Brancato, author of the article Piecing Together Disordered Eating talks about the part of the plot when Cady Heron gives Regina George the Swedish nutrition bars in order to lose weight, however the purpose of the bars is to  gain weight. Reginia consumes the nutrition bars religiously yet continues to gain weight. Cady uses Regina’s insecurities against her and attacks her self-worth and social standing. When Regina gains weight and deviates from the expected appearance within her friend circle, she is ostracized and rejected. Sienna Brancato states that “This negative portrayal is just one part of American culture’s idealization of the thin white female body type. The underlying implication here is that any weight gain is negative, and if you gain weight, you are worth less.”(Brancato 2019). In another article called A Social Commentary: Mean Girls and Obesity, it states that “The way the Plastics feel about their bodies exemplifies the way real women feel about their bodies. The movie Mean Girls is the perfect movie for discussing weight (body) issues faced by women``(Cherubs 2012). This scene from Mean Girls addresses the intricate relationships among women and social dynamics. 

In order to get the perspective of my classmates I created a survey for them to take. The survey questions were as follows, Do you think that the fear of being canceled has impacted the way comedians and filmmakers approach satire in movies?  Do you believe self-censorship due to canceled culture affects the authenticity of comedy movies, can humor still mock influential figures and systems even with rules in place? Explain your reasoning below. Each participant answered “yes” to all of the questions and I agreed with their answers as well. Based on all of my research, I have come to the conclusion that the reputation of comedy films have been tainted by the recent phenomenon “cancel culture”. Many comedy movies have lost the audiences they once had due to a more progressive day in age. 

Works Cited

Anderson-Lopez, J., Lambert, R. J., & Budaj, A. (2021). Tug of war: Social media, cancel culture, and diversity for girls and the 100. Kome: An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry, 9(1), 64-84.

Brancato, S. (2019, April 12). Piecing Together Disordered Eating. The Georgetown Voice. https://georgetownvoice.com/2019/04/12/piecing-together-disordered-eating/#:~:text=Regina%20does%20some%20awful%20things

cheurbs. (2012, October 28). A Social Commmentary: Mean Girls and Obesity. Demeliou. https://demeliou.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/mean-girls-and-obesity/ 

Fortner, C. N., & US Army Command and General Staff College. (2020). Decision making within a cancel culture environment (Doctoral dissertation, Fort Leavenworth, KS: US Army Command and General Staff College).

How do people define cancel culture? by Comms DFP - Infogram. (n.d.). Infogram.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://infogram.com/how-do-people-define-cancel-culture-1h7z2l85e3qkg6o 

October 24, J. B., & EDT, 2022 at 12:24 P. (n.d.). Marlon Wayans defends White Chicks, slams cancel culture: “I ain’t listening to this damn generation.” EW.com. https://ew.com/movies/marlon-wayans-defends-white-chicks-slams-cancel-culture/

Rikani, A. A., Choudhry, Z., Choudhry, A. M., Ikram, H., Asghar, M. W., Kajal, D., ... & Mobassarah, N. J. (2013). A critique of the literature on etiology of eating disorders. Annals of neurosciences, 20(4), 157.

[box-dwelling]

The internet is like a high school is not a new observation but I do find it fascinating how much of it is directly tied to people trying to win past conflicts from that time in their life. I see so many examples of bullying from people who clearly used to bully their peers that the want to bully someone else and come up with a bullshit excuse as to why it's justified this time because they apply a perceived justifying label of who the bad people are like narcissist or psychopath. Then there's the manosphere types who view all women through the lense of high school mean girls as a justification for their violent misogyny. Even in more alternative circles Especially on tiktok, though this behaviour is absolutely not as harmful as the above, people will frame liking stuff that is honestly pretty mainstream as being anti establishment and use strawmen of a high school bully charicature to do it. That's probably reflecting real expirences but it's interesting that that's the chosen strawman I keep seeing when in the adult world those types of people aren't the actual ones in power. I think there's also an element of misogyny here because it normally reflects the mean girl Regina George architype of bullying that is distinctly feminine instead of the more masculine archetypes of bullying which tend to get treated as a cliche way more than a reflection of reality where as the mean girl is presented as an ever present spector. There definitely an element of the death of counter culture in here too. When the tumorsus growth of mainstream capitalism continues to absorb all media and blunten it's edges, in order to differentiate ourselves we have to create a fightable enemy because it becomes impossible to fights the real one because you are forced to participate in it.

Some of this may be caused by teenagers themselves expressing their schoo yard dynamics online as well as off but I've seen enough adults play into this to feel that a decent number of them have this almost arrested development around adolescence. It makes sense, high school can often be traumatic and is also a major stage of development of identity.

I can't claim this isn't an aspect I deal with too. My high school was very diverse in terms of class and I'd be lying if I said it didnt colour my class politics. When all of the people who tormented you for years were rich, it makes it a lot easier to think they shouldn't have power. I'm morally lucky enough to have good justifications for that beyond my own trauma but if I'm being honest to myself it's not too different a thought process to the ones a lot of young men have that turn them into incels. This isn't a justification of their behaviour by any means, rather a cautionary tale to myself to remind me to continue to examine my own biases.

I do just find it interesting that so much of the behaviour I see can stem to high school trauma. And that fact both suggests to me that school reformation needs to be a priority if activism (in what way I'm unsure but it is definitely an area to look at) but also that I'm really really scared of what is coming in our near future as children are brought up on Andrew Tate and ethically questionable influencers. If that is colouring their behaviour now, even if they grow out of it, the effect they have on their peers may not be something so easily grown from. Maybe if we're fortunate it will be an equally strong force opposing those harmful values but it also may not be. It may be harmful in its own way and I hate that this generation of children is going to be a case study for this

[psychic-refugee]

Cate having unfettered access to the internet during her formative years, actually would explain the version of Soldier Boy they met in her mindscape. I don’t agree that there was ever produced media that had him being so crass that would have influenced her imaginary version of him that we saw.

What movies etc…there were of him, at most had the misogyny of its time. Mostly that women were largely damsels to be saved, with a few exceptions that were on a Supe team. And that “manly men” did xyz and couldn’t deviate from that. But otherwise, Vought would have given the world a heroic and charismatic version of Soldier Boy.

Here’s how I think SB of Cate’s mindscape came to be.

12 year old Cate watches a SB & Crimson Countess romantic movie. She thinks SB is really cute and like everyone else, a great hero. She wants more content. She goes to the internet to find all his movies and whatever else. She buys posters and magazines for her room.

What else does she stumble upon? Soldier Boy fanfiction. She starts with non spicy things, mostly where SB saves someone and takes them away from a horrible situation.

The first incarnation of Soldier Boy spoke like a wattpad protagonist. The strongest Supe of the time was not afraid of her.

But then there are spicy things, she likes that a lot. I think that’s when she starts exploring her sexuality with the aide of a SB pillow. She’s still reading vanilla romance where she’s saved, but now they’re having sex. She then finds spicier content, and probably veering into darker stuff. Some of this darker stuff might contain asymmetrical power dynamics or degrading talk.

I feel like her parents were just counting down the days until she hit 18 and could send her away for good, so as long as she stayed in her room, they basically didn’t monitor anything she did.

She’s bored and lonely, so she keeps reading whatever she wants and watching whatever she wants. I definitely think she eventually finds video porn, and some are definitely spoofs/look alikes of Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy “teaching” her to masturbate might have actually been a porn actor who looked like him and did spoofs.

One of the problems with watching porn with no guidance or anyone to really explain anything, is that most presume porn is a reflection on what is “normal.” It’s not necessarily intuitive to anyone that the vast majority of porn is catered to the male gaze and specifically what men fantasize about.

What do men tend to idolize and produce? Hyper masculinity and women with specific grooming.

So now, Cate is seeing Soldier Boy going from the glossy Hollywood produced version of himself which was probably filled with corny lines and flirting, to a porno version who is probably aggressive and domineering to scene partners.

What else is on the internet? Reddit and other like forums. So as a fan of Soldier Boy, she goes on reddit hoping to talk about her favourite hero.

But what she finds is a bunch of dudebros who idolize him and wish they could go back to a time where “men were men.”

Soldier Boy wasn’t saying these crass things, but his fanboys were. Some of these fanboys might have also been writing the fanfic she’d been reading.

So, all of this is warping her lovemap and the Soldier Boy of her fantasies. At this point, she probably doesn’t care what Soldier Boy is like, she’s attracted to him and her pillow doesn’t reject her touch.

The Soldier Boy we saw was the one that had survived her childhood fantasies. Which is really effing sad to think about.

Everything Cate learned about sex, she learned from porn

Cate was confined to this space between the ages of 9 and 18. That means she was here during her puberty years. In the absence of proper human contact until Shetty came into her life, much of what she learned about sex would've likely come from movies, and probably from porn at that.

The proof exists in two forms:

First, a lot of the things that "Soldier Boyfriend" says here sound like stuff right out of pornos.

"I taught her how to jerk off. Diddle that Skittle. Flick the bean. How to find that man in the canoe. She came like a faucet. She'd crank up the Jonas Brothers and she'd hump a Soldier Boy pillow. She'd raw-dog that pillow till she saw God. [...] It was pretty romantic. 😏"

And then there was this moment from "First Day":

Having a guard Deep Throat a flashlight is the sort of thing that Cate probably saw in a porno. 😂

Hell, the dialogue she has the other guard say to this guy sounds like it's out of a porno too:

Guard: "I'll tell you what I'm doing, Bob. First, you're gonna get this flashlight nice and wet with your slutty fսcking mouth."

Bob: 😳 "What the fսck is wrong with you?"

Guard: "Then I'm gonna stuff it right up your tight little chocolate starfish until you see God. 😂"

Cate: "Do it. You know you want to. 😏"

[lilithsrecord]

𝖗𝖔𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖟𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖑

part 2

♱ 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

outward appearance means nothing if your are unable to carry yourself with grace and confidence. it’s important to radiate an aura that is unique to u and is beautiful and enchanting to others. find your essence. are u an ethereal innocent angel or a bombshell femme fatale? Just by channeling in a sort of character in your demeanour can drastically change how other people view you. you might be wondering “hey this is a bit much just for school,” and ur right but it’s all fun at the end of the day

𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

𝔣𝔢𝔪𝔪𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔢:

femme fatale: noun

an attractive and seductive woman, especially one who is likely to cause distress or disaster to a man who becomes involved with her.

"a femme fatale who plays one man off against another in pursuit of money"

a femme fatale is a women who shows power through how well she can toy with a mans brain. in hindsight she might seem like a women catered to the male gaze due to the strong enchantment she has upon men, but do not be fooled. a femme fatale is a strong willed and powerful women who only caters to her own needs. she achieves her goals by seducing her pawns to use them to her own advantage. channeling in the characteristics of a femme fatale can make one feel powerful, sexy, and oh so alluring. to become a femme fatale you must ooze with seduction. femme fatale examples include gilda, from the movie “gilda”, jane smith from “mr. and mrs. smith, and amy dunne from “gone girl”.

feel powerful when you walk from one place to another. let other people stare at you while they feel intrigued by ur allure but never completely give them what they want.

make your appearance look bold and striking. be sexy. dress to show off what other people want for themselves. wear dark and luxurious colours. let your hair be free and voluptuous. a bold lip and sharp eye makeup brings attention to the most seductive parts of your face. a femme fatale is nothing without a striking appearance

have your voice sound like smooth whiskey. speak slow to captivate others. make sure your voice comes out prominent and clear. add a slight rasp into your voice. each word u speak should be carefully chosen. people should be addicted to hearing you speak. be sassy and smart but always with class.

smell expensive. pick a scent that exudes class. examples: black orchid by tom ford. mugler alien. good girl by carolina herrera.

a femme fatale makes sure to always get her way. don’t be afraid to use ur seductive quality’s to get what u want whether that is good grades or social status. [ however do not put urself in dangerous positions. please don’t sleep with a teacher lmao ]

𝔠𝔬𝔮𝔲𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢

coquette: noun

a woman who flirts.

in my own definition a coquette to me is a girl who is delicate and radiates innocence. she is more commonly known as the girl next door or the pretty girl. people become attracted to this essence due to the childish ways of a coquette. though that sounds concerning, a coquette isn’t a women who tries to act like a child on purpose. she is just a women who is naturally sweet and innocent. they hold onto a childlike quality that the rest of us have lost and so desperately crave. the allure of the coquette is ultimately her adorableness. her demeanour is light hearted and youthful. no one feels the need to do her wrong because she is just too cute for any harm. she is an ingenue. examples of coquettes are lizzy grant, cat valentine from “victorious”, alice cullen from “twilight”, and marilyn monroe.

wear clothes that make u look cute. the coquette aesthetic has been around for quite a while. the main aspect of a coquette outfit is its innocently teasing nature. wear bright colours that compliment ur skin like a blush pink, bright reds, and pretty lilacs. make people around u appreciate ur innocent look but know that there imagination is running wild. the makeup for these looks are more natural and rely on the condition of ur actual skin. take good care of ur skin. have a set routine but remember that it’s completely okay if u have pimples! you can still be a pretty little coquette even with acne.

vanilla or any kind of sweet scents are a staple for the coquette essence. ariana grandes perfumes are perfect for making people mouths water for a sweet snack when u walk by. olympea by paco rabanne is my personal favourite.

be kind and sweet to people who deserve it. people need to see u as a sweet and innocent doll who can do no wrong. but don’t be afraid to be risky and be the complete opposite of that once in a while. the rare moments where u show ur femme fatale side will have people incredibly intrigued by you.

perfect your voice. your voice should sound pleasant like some sort of princess. make your voice sound higher but not ear screeching high. add a beautiful mix of air and softness to ur voice. a breathy voice is incredibly intoxicating and suits the coquette.

𝔭ê𝔩𝔢-𝔪ê𝔩𝔢

pêle-mêle: adverb

in a confused, rushed, or disorderly manner.

also known as the manic pixie dream girl, a pêle-mêle is the essence of a girl who is described as whimsical, eccentric and is quite literal the life of the party. though at first glance she’s all rainbows and sun shine, the shadow side of the pêle-mêle can be described as a tortured artist. her optimism is delightful. she is not afraid to take risks. she’s a mess but people can not help to be intrigued by her free spirited ways for she is a drug to people who crave adventure. examples of a pêle-mêle include ramona flowers from scott pilgrim vs the world, mia wallace from pulp fiction, harley quinn from the DC comics, and holly golighty from breakfast at tiffany’s.

don’t be afraid to take risks. risks and adventure is what the pêle-mêle lives off of. be brave. do things you are afraid to do. start small and work your way up like from riding that roller coaster your so afraid of to having a motorcycle race with your friends (trust me those are so fun!). show people just how daring you can be and immediately people will be magnetized to you.

wear clothes that are unique and you feel comfortable with. the pêle-mêle rejects conformity and the way you appear should reflect that. wear clothes that harmonize with your crazy personality. be daring and bold with your makeup. make sure you stand out from the crowd and that you do not care what people think. the alternative style perfectly suits someone who embodies this essence.

be confident. obviously this rule applies to all the essences but confidence and self love is at the core of the pêle-mêle. you need to show people that you do not care what they think of you and that at the end of the day, you are just here for a good time. the more you practice self love, the easier it will be for you to express yourself without the fear of judgement from others.

be a socialite. don’t be afraid to speak your mind to people. pêle-mêle’s are usually people persons. they love good company that they can go on adventures with. make friends by being your true self and don’t hold yourself back. even a few mishaps by saying the wrong thing from time to time can make people fall in love with your clumsy nature.

obviously there are plenty of other essences you can achieve for yourself but these are my top three favourites. to find out who exactly who you want to become try the few tips listed below!

how to find your personal essence

what kind of people captivate you? what type of personalities do you see that you wish you could be? do you find yourself being envious of the pretty girl next door, the man eater, or the mysterious persona? figure out what kind of a person do u wish to truly become and inherit their manner. find out the characteristic of ur desired essence to the littlest of detail. this can include from the way you walk, talk, eat, sleep, look, smell ext. think of this as becoming your ideal best self. take the female archetype quiz to get a better understanding of your self.

what kind of aesthetic catches your eye? do you enjoy the glamorous high fashion life or do you like the softer cherry coke and heart shaped sunglasses niche? maybe you enjoy completely different things or a blend of a few. live up to this aesthetic. do this by expressing this aesthetic in the way you dress to how u decorate your room.

what kind of environment do you feel the most comfortable in? are you someone who loves education and school? or do you love the idea of being free and living in an RV for the rest of your life? maybe you just want to live in a cozy high rise new york apartment or a huge mansion up in beverly hills. envision where you see your ideal self in 10-20 years. your ideal environment can reveal a lot about what kind of lifestyle choices you want to make.

you might be thinking to yourself hey these aren’t the best tips for school. and at an educational standpoint you’re right. but it’s important to embody your best ideal self to truly enjoy this lifetime. these are little things that can be used to motivate you. i believe that inner self work should be prioritized over your school work though both are important. make sure you are taking some time out of your week to find out more about yourself and who you want to become. be the best you.