#note: i like anthropolgy

[siverfanweedo]

We fucked them to death

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

Wanted to use this Twitter thread of 2 annoying White pple that started from a Youtuber getting called out for appropriating the W*nd*go as a jumping off point. It's utterly frustrating to me that people of colour still have to educate White pple on cultural appropriation becos they refuse to listen. I simply cannot understand why White people just feel so entitled to non-White cultures and always try to justify it as cultural appreciation, and when we try to put our foot down, White people will just accuse us of gatekeeping. And I havent even gotten to the icky anthropolgy vibes of the tweets.

I'm so sick and tired of White people taking Black and Brown cultures, folklores and mythologies, misunderstanding them, watering it down, and then commodifying the bastardized form of it. Is nothing sacred, nothing safe?

(Note: of course thejamplan is a White Canadian woman 🙄)

I would definitely like to hear more from anyone on this site on the subject of cultural appropriation based on their experiences.

- mod sodapop

[doctorbunny]

MILGRAM and cultural contexts for Yuno's story

It's been pretty much confirmed that abortion is a central part of Yuno's story. However, I feel like everyone (including myself) has been discussing this in very American terms of how abortion is seen and assuming it's a similar situation in Japan. TL;DR It's not. I was provided a pdf of an anthropolgy paper on cultural attitudes towards abortion in Japan and I feel it is worth a read for all MILGRAM theorists.

Here is the link, below I will post screenshots fetal_spirithood_laurey_oaks.pdf1.19 MB (CW for discussion of abortion, anti-abortion attitudes, suicide and mentions of eugenics)

I tried to add alt text and image ID but it broke the character limit so if you require it for a screen reader I reccomend just downloading the PDF

Note: This paper is a simple overview from an American perspecitive and cannot possibly represent the 125.7 million individuals who currently live in Japan, but I still find it more informative than nothing Also it's from 1994 so some stuff (such as legalisation of The Pill) for more info on what obtaining that is like, see the gynecologist section of this article on Japanese healthcare) has changed since it was written, but many things still feel relavent to Yuno's story, so I doubt there's been a 180 opinion shift recently

(for space, the citations were not screenshotted but can be found in the above PDF for further research)

[rametarin]

This also happened with Harry Potter. I just so happened to talk about something like this, earlier this week.

So you've got ideologues that want their philosophy and takes to be significant as the piece of popular media. It could be radical feminism (note my specifying radical feminism. The academic kind. Yes, that means the kind that was standard fare TERF but also deviated into Intersectionality) or it could be Christianity.

To use the Christian example, more liberal Christians doing stuff like showing videos of The Lord of the Rings to their congregation and being like, "Just watch this part in the context of the war of armageddon between Christians and the forces of Satan!" And reviewing things like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter through a Christian lens, putting Christianity as the foal point to interpret the work, regardless of the work catering to or being about Christianity.

I call this method, "Courtney Loving." It could easily also be Yoko Oning, but Courtney Loving fits better.

Feminism did the same thing by trying to make itself a plus one, pretending to praise Harry Potter at the height of its popularity citing how "feminist" Hermoine Granger was as a character for being a smart co-tagonist and female. Junior feminists would blog about how progressive and forward thinking and modern Rowling was for Hermoine and Mcgonnagal and a few others, and try to rub off the popularity of Harry Potter by going, "Feminism approves of this work, you should also aspire to be good feminists."

And then once associated and affiliated, having +1'd itself as significant somehow and equal in importance to the work, suddenly others, people I refer to as Hydra Heads, pipe up with criticism. Suddenly the work is NOT as Feminist as it could be, it fails as a feminist work (and, you're supposed to think, fails as having redeeming or positive social value) because it doesn't have a deeper Feminist perspective. The bad guy doesn't neatly represent The Patriarchy, like they feel it should. Harry is still the protagonist, and "It's not very progressive or subversive to the status quo to still have a boy as the protagonist." Among a host of a million other things.

Then it spirals into deciding Rowling is an Imperial apologist on a bit of a logical leap and they remind everybody, she's English, and England bad, therefore she must also be unconsciously biased and bad by the transitive propertty of being English, and this is okay to say from the chest with full confidence about English people and culture because oppressive majority. But this logic would be racist or xenophobic if it was applied to Asian, black or indigenous American or Polynesian Islander people. Just throwing out this labyrinthean bullshit.

Then it becomes a campaign and race to the bottom of supposedly hip and aware and conscientious people deciding if you like [thing deemed badwrong], you advocate for the worst things they approve of or aspire to happen or their social values. People can't WAIT to tell you how much they hate [author/company of thing] for their crimes, whether or not you ask, and convey that if you continue to enjoy [thing] they'll see you as [racist/sexist/transphobic/hating Palestinians.]

And the fucked thing is these are the exact sort of people that study anthropolgy and sociology, so they're consciously aware they're trying to socially, culturally bully someone else with the psychological threat of ostracism and the inherent threat of someone lying about them, and other people being driven out of fear to castigate and rebuke the wrongthinker to avoid the ignorance of the judgemental witch hunting mob. They KNOW this effect is real but not usually actively, conscientously employed to manipulate or destroy people, and they're weaponizing it while feigning just feeling strongly genuinely about [thing].

It also advocates for a weird black box of cultural and social purity that, quiet part out loud, tries to enforce the idea that media is the writing on the monolith that is societal thought and unconscious collective values. They advocate for censorship, shaming and antagonism that makes rulebreakers fair game for "polluting society and its culture" with things, and they demand you affirm their belief in class based power disparities. Huge age gaps aren't a problem because of pedophilia and exploitation of children alone, they argue; Old people are "inherently privileged" over younger people, and "that's a power disparity," and you're supposed to just smile and nod and agree that's how it works and why age gaps are bad things, which is ENTIRLEY different from age gaps being bad because of more "bioessentialist" reasons, or NOT BAD AT ALL because they're either within 4 years of eachother, or adults.

They insist upon their logic for why things are bad or not and if you deviate from how they structure it, they determine you are enabling injustice and abuse and toxicity. As bad as any "moral majority" religious nut, minus the entrenched, tax exempt church, and more infestation of colleges, universities, unions and Human Resources departments.

These same people first laud a thing, say it's good, then say it's good because things that conform to their ideological values are the best and the work does that, then judge it for failing to live up or continue to be a posterchild for their values and start criticizing it as a piece of what they see to be a racist, sexist, patriarchal, white supremacist status quo and judge it based on the negativity of the now, interpreting society as it is as a shitfest of inequality and bigotry, and that work to be inescapably rife with that by association with the time and society of the day.

And these people will continue to do this shit. They deliberately enter every fandom they can, either with the intention of trying to make their ideological view the norm and demand everybody else conform to it while enjoying [work], by marrying it to [work], or they do it out of insecurity, the way some religious faithful have to somehow justify enjoying the work according to their faith's interpretation of things.

Recognizing it for what it is and what's happening is good, and I'm glad people are speaking out about the phenomenon.

At some point in tumblr history, the tumblr cycle of hipster media consumption added a component of "mandatory moral value" to its justification for praising or hating anything, which has made it exhausting to come across countless displays of mental gymnastics to justify, morally and ethically, why liking or not liking whatever piece of media (or part of it) makes you essentially a good or a bad person.

The cycle was always there, but it went from this

to this

and sometimes I think we're past it and then I go to a tag and come across some manifesto that makes me feel like I'm in hell.

[bengesko]

So I got my voter pamphlet for OR, and I'm going over the mayor candidates right now. Let me tell y'all.

This is a TRIP.

So far the candidates for Mayor of Portland, OR include:

a former stripper

an unemployed man "doing god's will" that I suspect is a troll.

a fuckin CEO of a freight company

a "Skilled master" with "30 different occupations."

a former attorney with cop backing

a winemaker who literally used "(If I do say so myself)" in his statement.

a former realtor who got her education at xtian colleges and wants to have twice monthly raffles to give away EVS

current council member with a phd in govt

a finance exec/film festival director who has no experience, just "vote for me" in a literal dozen languages.

a man who's simply retired with a bg working for HUD in three diff states

a commissioner who hit a parked tesla

This was going to just be the bullet list, but y'all, some of these are so wild, so a full post under the cut we go.

DISCLAIMER: I am only reading from the pamphlet and making commentary. My decision on my vote will come after I do my research on the candidates that aren't a joke.

DISCLAIMER PT 2: I am high. (Assume the entire tone of the post is a mix of amusement and incredulity.)

NOTE: Some of them are boring, so their summaries will be short bc I don't wanna waste time on them.

So let's begin with Liv (Viva) Østhus

According to her, she's an artist by occupation, which includes being a writer, musician, Founder of Factory Girl Press (which has only printed two books- both of which are hers.), a stripper, actress, and bartender.

She has a Bachelor's in anthropolgy.

Her main points are: (in order)

environmental protection

affordable housing

better funding coordination

"Center the arts and small businesses in civic dialogue. These incredible economic engines are neglected by our leaders." (I'm guessing she's mad she couldn't get govt funding for her vanity printing company and/or failed etsy shop. she lost any respect I might have had.)

public safety

Her only endorsement is a quote from someone from The Oregonian paper.

1/10, she only gets 1 point for being providing clickbait value.

Now we move on to the other side of the batshit spectrum, Martin Ward.

His occupation is listed as "Not employed, Political Campaigning, Research, Doing God's Will."

His occupational background is listed as... "Not employed, Political Campaigning, Research, Doing God's Will."

His educational background is some local college, community college, high school (yes, his high school is listed), and he has a bachelor's in PoliSci.

He has no endorsements, no prior experience, and his policies are:

Homeless relief

lower rent

police reform

education reform

new parks

free college

lower taxes

"And More..."

This reads and feels like a troll post. The copy/pasted info into Occupation/History. The slacker education record. The super generic policy list that included "And More..."

1/10 for the effort, would have been a 2, but I gave it another point knocked off for the lack of any effort.

Now let's move on to Keith Wilson, our white CEO.

He is the CEO/President of TITAN freight, a trucking company. (that has low reviews on various job sites from employees.)

He works with nonprofit/advocacy groups, works with the homeless, and has worked with the Clean Truck Rules committee, and he seems to support alternative energy. Still.....

2/10, can't trust CEOs.

Now we have Michael O'Callaghan

Occupation is "Skilled Master" and his background is listed as "30 different occupations."

Generic business major education, but the actual degree level isn't listed, just "Political Science."

Experience: "I have massive governmental experience as an advocate, none elected."

His points:

"allow garage rentals. Let neighbors help neighbors."

Remodel office buildings and change zoning to create housing units

Impose vacant housing fines

encourage and permit more self governing villages of 25 residents

no endorsements.

3/10, because I kinda vibe with some of his points, even if he has no way to like... structure that lol.

Rene Gonzalez:

currently a commissioner

former attorney/small business owner

has backing from the county Deputy sheriffs association

-10/10 for being a captialist bootlicker. NEXT.

Alexander Landry Neel

Owns Libertine Wines, is a winemaker.

bg in winemaking/farming.

has a BA in religion.

is focused on the arts, hospitality, and housing.

No endorsements.

-1000000/10 because he had the gall to say "We have the best food and drink scene in the country (if I do say so myself...)" about Portland Oregon.

Imagine thinking Portland is better than New Orleans.....

Sharon Nasset

Currently a service worker for Third Bridge Now.

Background is restaurant manager, real estate broker, foster care, elder care, citizen lobbying

The only non-christian education she has is in real estate.

Wants to reduce crime by prosecuting repeat offenders

Is strongly against toll roads

wants to build ANOTHER bridge between Portland and Vancouver, but likely does not have a plan to mediate the inevitable stalement that will happen between our cities over a third fuckin bridge.

Wants to "Hold twice monthly raffles of electric vehicles."

0/10. Would have been a negative score, but I respect the opposition to tolls.

Mingus Mapps

City Council Member

Political Science Professor

PhD in Govt

Has been a commissioner, program coordinator of the Crime prevention program in Portland.

Wants to reduce crime, graffiti, end street camping, reduce pollution and "help Portlanders adapt to climate change."

Plenty of endorsements.

-10/10. He wants to end street camping without mentioning any desire to help with shelters or resources for homeless- but he DOES want to "support small businesses" No thanks.

Josh Lake

Entitled artsy fartsy white mane extraordinaire.

Finance exec, PDX Film Festival director, business owner, film producer.

spiel sounds like a business pitch rather than a campaign statement.

Has no endorsements, just 12 lines of "Vote Josh for Mayor" in 12 different languages.

0/10, way to live up to the pdx stereotype lol.

Michael Hayes

Retired

Background with HUD in three different states, Real estate appraisal, and Area Planning.

Degree unclear, went to Berkeley for lanscape architecture.

Worked for HUD on a federal level.

Wants to hire a city administrator to help with bureaucratic reforms and structructing.

"Vote for a mayor who will empower city staff and then get out of the way."

5/10, I don't entirely trust him not be a secret libertarian, but he's the most sane and focused on structure and this kinda surprised me.

And then we come to Carmen Rubio.

We're not talking about Carmen Rubio, she hit a parked Tesla.

Also at this point I'm too high and have lost my wind.

Anyway, I am gonna dig into the serious candidates.

Hope you enjoyed the nine ring circus that is Portland politics

[larkral]

(+ a new Chapter of A Dangerous Affinity) 

Alright lovelies (especially @facewithoutheart​), I spent all of my writing time yesterday excruciatingly rewriting a section of exacting worldbuilding that I really liked that just didn’t make sense in the chapter it was in (which, of note, is this chapter I just posted) (really getting down to the wire there.)

When I wrote this like a month ago I was very happy with it. I think this it’s fun and silly and also gives interesting context that it turns out is not at all useful for the story at the point it was located. Possible it’ll show up later? I hope. 

There isn’t much in the way of anthropolgy of mals. Taxonomy is all we have, and even that’s highly imprecise (if you think a Platypus is hard to classify, imagine trying to classify a mal that was once a hyena but was fused with the soul of a still-maybe-living human, and then ate and unified with a colony of vespids) (as an example). 

Bonus points to anyone who can guess where this was in the chapter (Not counting @aristocratic-otter​ or @takenabackbytuesdays​ who both read it in situ before my editing frenzy, and therefore are entirely blameless in the actual section of the chapter)

Read the chapter on AO3 !

[will-o-the-witch]

How can I like verify if a reference book for witchcraft is like legit? Like I want to find some sources more reliable than like some random website on the internet but from what I’ve seen at the only magic / occult bookstore in town it seems like people can write anything they want about magic and get it published. Like I’ve seen some pretty wild claims but none of the books I find ever seem to source anything before like the 60s

Hello hello! :) It’s definitely hard to really vet material on something so subjective as magic work since it’s ultimately not a science, but there’s still stuff you can do to at least help weed out the Utter Bullshit. ^^

First off, check the Works Cited page. I personally don’t bother with any books that don’t have at least three pages of works cited, but also check the type of works they’re citing. Books that reach out of the Magic Circle and cite History, Anthropology, and Science books are going to be more reliable. 

Check the publisher, if you can. Llewellyn is the largest distributor of spiritual/witchy books, and they’re... hit or miss. They tend to be Notoriously Wiccan and publish/distribute Silver Ravenwolf, but it’s still also like, a real company. A self-published book could be a personal/financial choice of the author, or it could be a sign that nobody wanted their material. 

On that note, check the author. Can you find them online? What is their exprience? What organizations or groups do they belong to? If they have been ordained or certified in anything, check out THAT organization. (I’ve seen a person claim to be an ordained high priestess of a religion that they created themselves, meaning they just gave themselves that title.) Has the author been the subject of any controversy? Beyond that, back up your study of witchcraft and magical theory with studies of history, anthropolgy, science, and other related academic fields where authors get peer reviewed and can’t spew nonsense as easily. Read about a religious tradition outside of just the mysticism. That way you’ll be able to just like, Know Your Facts better and can spot when someone is making an ahistorical claim, falsely representing a living culture, or suggesting a person ingest a dangerous substance.