#or does it being part of their cultural override that

[sunnist4rs]

Fucking moids

[aronarchy]

broke: i can armchair anyone with cluster b pds just because they’re abusive/manipulative/unpleasant/i don’t like them, lol.

woke: only professionals should diagnose, if you’re a layperson you’re uneducated on the topic and don’t have sufficient understanding to be accurate and unbiased. disorders are a very serious thing you should take very seriously, not just throw around randomly whenever.

bespoke: the psychiatric field is institutionally corrupt as a result of its historical and ongoing construction as an apparatus of oppression. this leads to major blind spots in their ability to understand the experience of marginalized people, including mentally ill and neurodivergent people. much of psychiatric research, not to mention practice, is politically motivated and systematically incentivized to serve the interests of power. thus, many people are wrongly or inaccurately diagnosed with cluster b pds to demonize them or reinforce ideas about criminality, fundamental pathology contributing to their problematicness, justifying oppression, claiming struggles which are results of oppression are actually inherent and biological, etc. on the other hand, many people are underdiagnosed, unidentified, denied help when they’re struggling with a certain illness because psychiatrists are often incompetent and wrong, and with cluster b’s this may apply along a gendered line. this applies for any diagnostic practice, and even for other doctors who are part of the medical-industrial complex. psychiatrists are also disproportionately abusive, and some of this is baked into the cultural norms, intended purposes, and rules and regulations and privileges regarding psychiatric practice. you cannot trust an oppressor class to have the last and most accurate say on the oppressed’s subjectivities and interiorities. furthermore, part of the structure of the institution of academia itself ensures an elitist and hierarchical epistemology. dismantling this and other intersecting oppressions means reaffirming the right of the individual themself to either self-diagnose or self-(non/un)diagnose. existing information or medical professionals should be helpful for doing this better and to improve individual being, and acknowledging the significance or accuracy of their or others’ information accurately is obviously important, but professionals should not be treated as authorities who have the right to wholesale override self-understandings instead of supporting, or to control patients. this is in no way contradictory to opposing armchair diagnoses by underinformed or malicious laypeople who trivialize or misunderstand disorders. however, the problem with such behavior must be located correctly. the inaccuracy is a problem, but that means inaccuracy from actual psychiatrists is also a problem (and it certainly does exist). additionally it might perhaps be helpful to identify saneist armchair-diagnosing laypeople as engaging in behavior similar to that of psychiatrists and both wrong, rather than trying to position them as opposed. the same kind of epistemic overriding and even absurdity is often done by many psychs (and in fact the practice and framework has in large part originated or at least been spread starting from the psychiatric institution itself).

[raelle-writing]

DFF is such great show and I enjoy the portrayal of the characters and the plot. Although I am not much into JinPhee ship (even though their scene was hot) - meaning I won't actively search fics of them;-D. But I absolutely don't understand the hate this ship gets. Or Jin character gets? Like, did I miss something? Why there is so much hate towards this pairing? I don't get it. Or do they dislike Jin character so much?

So I think there are 3 main reasons that people hate PheeJin and specifically Jin as much as they do, and I'll see if I can explain it coherently below lmao

First is cultural differences.

I've noticed that by and large a lot of the hatred directed at Jin comes from international fans being extremely harsh, and I think it's partially because they don't understand some of the nuance of Thai culture. Which to be fair, why would they?

One aspect is that they get angry that Jin lied to the police without taking into account that the police are corrupt - both in the narrative and also in Thailand in general.

Another is they get mad at Jin for recording Non - which to be fair, really does suck lmao. But they make it about Jin recording Non instead of reporting the assault happening, without taking into consideration that the age of consent in Thailand is 15, which means that what happened with Non and Keng isn't technically statuatory rape. Still bad and awful and Non was coerced and assaulted, don't get me wrong - but that makes it slightly less clear cut IMO when it comes to the question of Jin seeing Non "cheating."

You can even see within the show that the reactions to that video are by and large slut-shaming and not "omg that kid was assaulted."

So to recap: Taking the video = bad. But I think people get a bit too self-righteous about the reasons why Jin took it.

Second is purity/cancel culture.

I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that in the internet age, if you make one mistake you're a terrible, irredeemable person and should be canceled forever. I think that's playing a part in this. All of the characters make mistakes, and because of that they're all irredeemable pieces of shit who deserve to die. Except for Non who is just a victim and has never done anything wrong (sarcasm).

In seriousness, I think that's part of it. And the fact that Non is SO sympathetic it kind of overrides people's sympathies for the other characters. I'm not 100% sure why people hate Jin the most out of everyone else considering he's the one who has tried to help Non the most out of the friend group... I guess they just have higher standards for people who try to help? Idk. Either way it seems to me that they expect Jin to be a perfectly-well-adjusted little hero who always does what's right and never makes mistakes. Instead of what he really is: a kid.

And last is fan favorites/shipping.

A big part of the reason that PheeJin shippers are getting so much hate is because TaCode shippers and PheeNon shippers have decided their ship is The Ship of the series, and think that Phee is just using Jin for revenge and anyone who genuinely ships PJ is fucked up, etc.

It's just ship war bullshit waged by largely Barcode stans, but it's certainly tiresome.

To be clear, I have nothing against PheeNon. I am of the opinion that Phee and Non were a cute high school romance that wouldn't have lasted because they had conflicting styles of showing affection and love (I'll write a post about it someday lol) but that doesn't mean I hate the ship. I thought they were very cute and it was fun to see TaCode on screen since I wrote MacauChay in my KPTS days ahahaha I just like the spice and fire of PheeJin better, and Jin is my favorite character.

I just wish that PheeNon shippers would live and let live instead of acting like they're waging some moral war. They were even crying in BOC's comment section on IG today after they posted the PheeJin poster for episode 9 saying "nooooo Phee is there for revenge he can't really have feelings for Jin!" It's exhausting... 🫠

General disclaimer: if you don't like Jin or like PheeNon better I'm not saying any of the above things applies to you. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, I'm just dissecting some of the over-the-top hate I've seen/experienced in fandom spaces lately.

[sorenblr]

since we're on the subject what are your honest thoughts on eva. me personally i think its really great in a lot of ways but also completely full of shit and really falls apart when analyzed non-emotionally (in more ways than just it's *extremely* loose Christian theming)

I think it's fantastic, at least the original series and EoE. Many of the criticisms commonly levied against it are justified- this is a series that castigates its otaku audience for leering at its grossly sexualized portrayal of adolescents while at the same time constructing one of the most vociferous merchandising apparati ever conceived around exactly that purpose- but it's greater than the sum of its defects.

In the matter of broad aesthetics, direction, and composition, I would place Evangelion near the apex of the medium. The industry mechanism necessary to create something that looks like this simply no longer exists. The philistine reaction against the long takes, which would elsewhere be recognized as part of the basic grammar of any serious film, is a credit to Anno's sensibilities as director. There aren't any characters that I particularly dislike, and I think Shinji and Asuka are near to brilliant. And the first thirteen episodes are simply exceptional, even fairly undemanding genre fare. The fucking Israfel one is just an outstanding episode of television. The dramatic idiosyncracies that the series is known for don't manifest in greater quantity until the latter part, which is I imagine where less receptive audiences will start to check out, but I think they're both necessary complements to the whole.

I think about Eva-02 catching that missile to the face on a semi-regular basis. The entire MPE scene is one of the most compelling pieces of animation ever put to film. This and the Gouf battle from 08th MS Team around the same time are the acme of the thought that emphasized plausible heft and momentum in mechanical animation.

The extent to which the original series is celebrated as 'deconstructive', or as a radical departure from previous, less 'cerebral' works, is grossly exaggerated and I think dependent on a historical ignorance of the genre. That isn't to say that it's complete equivocation, but Amuro's first character arc in 0079 is going catatonic after being compelled to fight in the ambulatory war crimes machine, and Pen Pen is not some sort of embedded reflexive criticism- he is a fun penguin who basically loves to hang out. Much of the thematic material is indebted to Ideon-era Tomino, who was at least as catastrophically depressive as Anno during the period of his most prolific cultural output.

The greater innovation in Eva is its radical orientation towards psychodrama, which I think does finally reach a deconstructive apogee in EoE. Still, the basic theme of the series, the communicative impediments to human intimacy, is also the overriding concern of the first several incarnations of Gundam- but only Evangelion will have a character literally describe the hedgehog's dilemma aloud. So a lot of the perceived deconstruction is a maximal treatment of what was marginally less explicit in earlier works, and I think Anno's direction does produce striking and beautifully affective turns on that material. But the old joke that this mecha anime is about the characters is still descriptive of the entire genre. This isn't meant to be a criticism- I think it's infinitely more engaging to consider Eva as the ultimate Lost Decade continuation of earlier forms than some sort of iconoclastic rupture from tradition.

The Judeo-Christian imagery is another point of radical continuity with hyper-influential genre fare, in this case Ultraman. Anno's recent directorial output is enough to evince the tremendous debt owed to the series, but whereas the religious iconography was a genuine article of faith for Tsuburaya, in Eva the material is valued more for its aestheticizing effect. It was only when transplanted to a Western audience that the desacralized treatment of religion assumed a transgressive quality that happened to be a perfect 'in' for adolescents nationwide. Shinji is a Midwest emo icon and I can make an AMV of the series set to Chop Suey by System of a Down? This phenomenon is, to me, more interesting than the actual thematic connections the series draws from myth, which is certainly not what the thing is 'about' in any case.

Also, I am an episode 25-26 truther. EoE is great but the television finale is its obvious complement. If you're out here telling people to watch EoE immediately after episode 24... grow the fuck up! bitch!!!*

*parody parody

[minecraftbookshelf]

Lore? Lore? Lore for the poor?

Could you perhaps spare some marriage au lore for a poor soul?

Lore about Mezalia? Lore about Pixandria? Random culture lore?

Hello and welcome to World-Building Central! where the feral brain rabbits never stop running!

I did just post my Joel Character Design post, so if you haven't seen that yet it's here and is honestly as much about Mezalean style in general as it is about Joel in particular.

I'll ramble for a bit now and we'll see what we get XD it'll probably be more character based than general world-building, since that's where my head is at today, but we shall see!

Mezalea has two primary exports: Fish and terracotta. They also make some of the most beautiful pottery, but that is less of a significant trade resource.

Fishing in Mezalea has been the main livelihood of approximately half the population for a very long time. Fishing and sea-travel (mostly for merchant-ing reasons) are the primary focus of the coastal towns and villages, while inland it is mirrored by the terracotta quarries. This caused a brief tension when they first encountered the Ocean Empire, not because the Seafolk have an objection to eating fish, but figuring out who had rights to the waters and where Pixandrian and Mezalean territory ended and Oceanic territory began. (Was Joel basically traded for fishing rights? Well it wasn't not a factor :) )

Mezalea and Pixandria have a long history as allied nations, though that alliance has become a lot closer over the past handful of centuries due to Joel and Pix's friendship. There are some cultural similarities, both being desert nations with some seafaring tendencies, though there are plenty of differences too.

Pixandria has a somewhat interesting relationship with the other empires at large, due in large part to Pix's tendency to randomly show up in other empires, regardless of treaty or alliance status. No one in the Pixandrian government admits to this, but they are pretty sure that their Emperor sometimes forgets where they are in time and who they are currently having more tension-ridden interactions with. If this is actually the case or if it's just Pix being a troll, no one knows.

The WRA starting to call the Ocean Alliance the Cod Alliance is a source of amusement for Pix. He doesn't mind at all, Jimmy has very much been stepping up as a leader of the alliance recently (and they are all very proud of him) It's that kind of mostly fond amusement that older people get when they see younger people "reinventing the wheel" for lack of a better term. It's new to them but it's not new. A mixture of vicarious joy in the discovery of life and the world and "ah, the youth"

Pix is very fond of this generation of rulers in general. He thinks that, if the world is kind, they will all be able to accomplish great things, due in no small part to their much closer bonds to each other than their predecessors. While the Ocean Alliance has stood as a wonky little family for centuries, most of the more land-based empires were much more business-like with each other. So while politically and personally, his relationship with the Wither Rose Alliance is not the friendliest, he is very proud of them for what they have done.

One of Pix's titles is "Bringer of Storms" and is the other main reason, beside his absolute obliteration of war as a cause of death among the common folk, that he remains as Pixandria's ruler. If your priest-king can summon rain in the desert, you keep him. (This is not a standard ability of their priests or their kings and, along with the immortality, is a distinguishing feature of his.) He is usually very responsible with this power, and maintains an awareness of its impact on all surrounding ecosystems. Occasionally the urge for mischief does override good sense, but its mostly fine.

Pix is the only person outside the Ocean/Swamp and its Royal family who wields a trident, and the only one outside the Oceanic Royal Family who's trident is imbued with the level of enchantments it has. The landlocked empires consider this an odd quirk of his. The Ocean Alliance empires are more aware of the cultural significance of this and the indication of adjacency to divinity and treat him accordingly.

This is why Pix was the first person to make peaceful contact with the Ocean when they first emerged and were basically greeting everyone with murder. The ability to wield an enchanted trident guaranteed him safe passage and respect.

The Anthill and The Oasis are the two centers of Pixandria. The majority of the population actually lives in The Anthill, which, much like its name suggests, has been hollowed out into a series of tunnel-roads and cave homes. Most actual houses have at least one wall built into the outside of the mountain, but some people do choose (and it is usually a choice) to go full cave-dweller in the interior.

The Oasis is primarily a trade center and space for growing crops and tending to bees. Embassies and guest houses are also here, to host travelers and representatives from other nations without allowing them access to many of the more vulnerable citizens.

Pix developed the Oasis town himself over the course of the reign, but The Anthill was already ancient when he was born.

-

AU Masterpost

[littlesparklight]

Is Hippolytus asexual because from what I’ve read of the play he seems to be celibate for religious reasons not because he doesn’t have any sexual interests

I think "is so and so asexual/aromantic" in Greek myth isn't... actually a question that can be answered with "yes/no" in terms of the actual understanding/intent/cultural meaning in Ancient Greece.

Like, strictly? Neither Athena, Hestia, nor Artemis are on the ace-spectrum.

That is just not what is being portrayed, at least in intent - and the same goes for Hippolytus and Narcissus.

That doesn't mean it's not valuable and without insight/worth to interpret any of these characters this way, especially in a modern lens! (It also, I think, is worth it to acknowledge that people would always have been this way, and that, unintentionally but having no other way to express it, these characters could still reflect asexuality or aromanticism.) But to be strict about it, what, say, the three goddesses are about isn't actually them being on the aro- or ace-spectrum; it's about cultural views and ideas of women, and the mobility (or not) of them in/outside of marriage.

When it comes to Hippolytus (funnily enough I did read almost all of Euripides' Hippolytus the other day)... well. Like above, obviously he isn't actually asexual or aromantic. At least not in intent in the context of the culture his story developed in.

You point out the potential religious angle to his celibacy in the play - and sure, probably? I don't know enough to say I saw any religious reasons as such, nor any otherwise expressed desire, but I do think you're right. So that's one angle. Another is the unfortunate fact that Hippolytus is also a raging misogynist (and clearly sees his goddess not as a "woman" in any way). This absolutely has a huge part in why he is refusing to have anything to do with worshipping Aphrodite/sex (with women, that is. we don't know what his feelings/desires are when it comes to sex with men).

At the same time, whether any of these are the overriding reason for him rejecting sex in general - he's being told his stepmother is attracted to him. Even if they haven't grown up in the same house for years, this is still "incest" that falls under an incest taboo, in the way Ancient Greece would look at it. I think it's completely fair for Hippolytus to be disgusted and reject Phaedra over it. (Even if he does it in a ragingly misogynist way.)

So, would I interpret Hippolytus as potentially asexual? Yeah. I would. I don't think it actually goes against the text to add such a dimension, even if we acknowledge that the religious and/or misogynist reasons are the "main" ones. In fact, it just adds to it, I'd say? Hippolytus, living in the culture he does with the idea of how all-encompassing Aphrodite and desire/sex is, would basically have no other way to express (or understand) any actual/potential asexuality than what his culture gives him.

This is also why I, personally, interpret Athena, Hestia and Artemis as various flavour of aromantic and/or asexual, as well as with Narcissus.

Narcissus especially because there's several variants where you have him simply not attracted to anyone else, but also is cursed to fall in love with his own reflection. Being cursed doesn't say anything about his natural proclivity. Another version has him kill himself because he regrets having caused Ameinias' death. Looking at it from a modern angle, Narcissus should be free to deny anyone he wants, man or woman, if he doesn't want them. He doesn't owe anyone returned affection or desire.

But that isn't how it works myth-wise, and so he will be punished - as will Hippolytus, refusing to honour Aphrodite not just in formal worship, but in his refusing to have sex.

Whatever his reasons actually might be for said refusal.

[olderthannetfic]

Regarding the usher ask: YEAH (x3).

I kept seeing armies reacting to an offhand tweet by someone saying something like "natural movement (referring to usher) vs learned movement (referring to jk)" and the crazy armies going wild and spamming that actually jk created the choreo and had to teach usher, and usher's old and couldn't keep up. Stop. Just stop.

Look. Jk's is the "learned movement." End of story. That's part of why kpop is honestly never going to get very popular in the west. There are no "usher stans." His career predates that. "Usher stans/fans" are the western general public who have exposure and (varying degrees of) knowledge on black art and culture, people who see usher in a music video for a song that's obviously r&b+funk+boogie+soul with choreo that's hip hop. Two black art forms that are a part of usher's culture and 30 year career. Sure jk's good at what he does, but it's always going to be a "cultural imitation," as the other anon put it. To a western audience, usher's mere presence there is more authentic that jk's despite it being his song and a choreo he created. Regardless of everything, jk's borrowing aspect's of usher's (and black american) cultures to create his art, which is something all of bts understands, so I don't get why their fans are so angered by westerners pointing out the obvious. jk did have to learn how to dance like this and make music like this by mimicking usher and his contemporaries. That was, literally, the whole point of their reality show the anon brought up. It's kinda embarrassing to state otherwise.

Adding on to that, another part of the disconnect is how precise and fast jk's choreo is when it's a boogie and soul song. I don't expect armies to actually do it, but listen to some Earth, Wind and Fire or Isley Bros or A Taste of Honey or Rick James or Bootsy Collins or CHIC. You're not supposed to dance so sharply to this kind of music. it's really weird, as another black army, to watch. It's like watching a couple do the waltz to Crime Mob. Usher's "lazy" dancing regarding the choreo fits more with the vibe and mood of the song, which the americans watching resonated with more because they're informed by decades of this music and dance. That's why, when EXO worked with Teddy Riley, their use of a full routine felt more natural than this because it was a New jack Swing song. Genre and performance are connected. Sorry to say, but enthusiasm for a kpop idol can't override decades of art. Also: why do a lot when you don't need to? If a simple one, two step can convey more charisma and sexiness, you don't need a whole bombastic routine. Just groove. It's boogie and funk music lol. For all of bruno mars' nonsense, even he understood this most of the time.

--

[golden-songbird]

i strongly believe that patton sanders, fans of patton sanders, and the general attitude towards patton sanders says A LOT about modern fandom “culture” and how toxic and uncreative it is becoming.

just to preface this post is absolutely no hate to thomas sanders. he’s an amazing creator and he can’t control how his fans interpret his work. moving right along!

in many fandoms, there are archetypes (typical roles that characters in media play), and there is nothing wrong with an archetype until the fandom prioritizes archetypes over characterization. a surface level example would be something like “prince charming from cinderella is a kind, sensitive man who doesn’t have the most common sense, but he’s got a big heart and a lot of love to share. but instead of creating fan work or headcanons or “kinning” that character with/because of those traits, the fandom just sees him as the one who saves cinderella. the savior. and that’s it.”

the big, number one archetype that modern fandoms have developed is “the uwu, smol, soft bean who is so innocent and can do no wrong.” an amplified and much more annoying version of the professional term “ingenue”. an ingenue (or ingenu) is a character in media who is very young and innocent, and tends to make big mistakes as a result of their youth and innocence. romeo and juliet are ingénus. anne shirley cuthburt is an ingénue. i like to argue that roman sanders is an ingenu but that’s a story for another time.

the difference between the “smol soft bean” and the ingenue is that it is clearly established in media that the ingenues are in the wrong, and despite their youth and innocence, their mistakes are present, front and center, and it is obvious to all that they’re in the wrong. of course, it isn’t always black and white. ingenues have been coerced by outside forces, or they’ve had turbulent pasts that have caused them to not know any better, but it is generally understood that these things are explanations. not excuses.

when fans talk about their “smol soft beans”, there is generally an attitude of superiority when it comes to them. “no no, that’s my wittle cinnamon role, they could never be a bully/abuser! they’re so clearly innocent and sweet!” when that character has indeed said and done awful things to others repeatedly. “my smol soft bean is always the victim and everyone else is always mean to them!” when that character clearly is not always the victim and is being mistreated by other characters as a form of retaliation or breach of trust. oftentimes, the modern fandom’s perception of a character overrides the actual actions of the character in the canon and i will explain why that’s problematic in the next paragraph.

this worlds generation has a huge, giant, collective victim complex. but it’s only natural. that’s just what happens when people go on the internet and see all of these “smol soft beans” being protected and adored, and their mistakes are being ignored. everybody wants that. deep down, everybody wants their mistakes to be erased, and for only the very best parts of them to be on display at all times. so they infantilize themselves, trying to make themselves act and look sweet and innocent and cute, so that way, they can never admit to being wrong. it’s a very imitatable behavior. one that people can emulate easily. and people do.

by now, you all may be like “but ez, what does this have to do with patton?” well, everything. patton is generally seen as the “smol soft bean” archetype in the sanders sides fandom, even though he has done an array of terrible things. here are just a few:

- he regularly ignores and teases logan, endlessly taunting the one singular vocabulary mistake logan made because he thinks it’s funny to make logan look stupid when intelligence is his entire livelihood.

- he guilt trips roman relentlessly and coerced him into making a huge mistake (choosing the wedding), and then when they all faced the consequences of roman’s mistake, patton distanced himself from it, and pretended like it was all roman’s fault that it even happened.

- he was one of remus’ biggest haters, insisting constantly on pressing him down and pretending he doesn’t exist. while all the sides essentially were remus haters (except eventually logan), patton was clearly the most prominent one.

- he infantilized virgil, even when virgil told him he was uncomfortable. he gave a false apology that he didn’t actually act upon, and he made virgil feel small.

again, that’s only a few, but those are some of the biggest ones. oftentimes, the fandom just IGNORES that these things ever happened, or gloss over them, even though they’re some of the most important lessons in the entire sanders sides storyline. people refuse to acknowledge such important truths because they want patton to be a “smol soft bean who does no wrong and is so innocent”.

and patton kinnies tend to take it a whole new level because they’re seeing this character that is being infantilized and reduced to nothing but the sweetest little gumdrop and deciding “i want to be that.” so they say that they kin patton without accepting the mistakes he’s made, or his controlling and abusive tendencies. they want to distance themselves from his mistakes, but capitalize on his innocence, which is an unhealthy way to look at things.

everyone makes mistakes. everyone is in the wrong. nobody is perfectly innocent.

and that’s why i hate patton sanders, the fandom’s attitude towards patton sanders, and pretty much all patton kinnies (unless they’re open about the completeness of pattons character).

please don’t dox me. thanks.

[breannasfluff]

I have some questions about the winged boys if you don't mind

How many people have wings? Is it everyone or just the heroes or a random percentage? Does the amount change between worlds

If more people have wings what decides the species of the bird that the child gets? Especially if the parents are two different species that in our world cannot reproduce

How much of the instinct of the bird is taken over in the hylian? We have seen some of the food being taken over, but what about things such as mating rituals or treatment of siblings?

You've got some great questions which I've....maybe thought about, haha. I'll do my best!

Hylians have wings, but Gerudo, Zora, etc do not. Ravio and Malon have wings, so I'd assume it's the same across all of the worlds. Wings would be a part of the culture, meaning everyone is used to accommodations to life for them. Clothes, furniture, etc. In Wild's era, not as many people fly long distances. Guardians can shoot you out of the air and from high up you can't hear their beeping. They have incredible range.

For the species of the child...it's influenced not by the parents, but the personality. There's a legend that the Goddesses pick a wing type for each hylian to best fit who they will grow up to be. Some resent what they are stuck with, some embrace it. Some feel the bird doesn't fit them till later in life. Whether it's true or not, they do get some of the instincts and mannerisms from the bird. Especially flock vs solitary birds. Just like introverts vs extroverts! A solitary bird can still form a close bond with someone, they just won't be as happy as a flock bird in the middle of a chatting group.

I've done a nice sidestep on mating up to this point 😅 Some of it might depend on mating ritual of the bird (bowerbirds like Legend go all out decorating a room to look nice) and some is more based on personality (Time is disgustingly doting on Malon). Siblings are close, even if they might not be the same bird type. Wind LOVES his sister and followers her around. There may be a propensity for similar bird types to show up in similar families (raptors might lead to more raptors, etc.) There's a potential for a dividing line of passerine vs non-passerine birds as far as inheriting wings buuut I don't know if I want to commit to that.

Instincts are just that, instincts. A natural, automatic reaction, but one that can be tempered with the mind. It's how they learn to coexists, especially if they might not normally be comfy around another type of bird. Or Sky, stealing food, still knows to stay away from Warrior's food. He could override the instinct every time with enough active thought and attention, but they are all used to indulging their avian sides a little. If it doesn't cause a problem, it's generally fair game on holding it back or not.

These were some thinker questions, thank you!

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

The far cry 5 confused me, like ever played Assassin Creed 3? Like they did a good job showing the difference between American ideals vs what Congress did.

Like they outed George Washington historical orders to burn down native villages during the Seven Years War and how Congress screwed over the natives after the revolution

But like there was a subset of side quests called the Homestead missions, that showed the American dream. People from different walks of life coming together to make something different, something better, second chances and such.

And journalists was surprised that the normal town folks wasn’t racist to you if your character was non white? I mean, they would be weary of you regardless of race or gender as you are a Marshall so still an outside. Also one of the first marketing for 5 had a black priest show he getting armed to protect his town from the cult

But…the game humanized American townsfolk better than Hollywood been doing for the past decade.

Like a parade of American gun control…despite a French Canadian company executing our ideas better our own entertainment industry.

When you have a chance can you answer this anon? I’m a black American and I thought they did it well.

I've played Assassin's Creed 3 and I didn't really like it, but AC3 really doesn't have anything to do with my point about Far Cry 5 other than providing more evidence of Ubisoft's political leanings.

Ubisoft is a French company run and staffed by mostly left wing people. When they make political statements in their work, those statements are always pushing the left wing side of an issue. Far Cry 5 is very clearly supposed to be a game making fun of rural, religious life and American gun culture. They have two different characters who are large parts of the story who exist solely to make fun of Southern Americans, one of whom is a blatant MAGA stand in. The other is that character's son, a stereotypical stupid redneck who only gets some character development beyond that when he starts going against his father's beliefs. The bad guys are all white and religious and mostly male, while the good guys are multicultural with a lot of female characters. The main character is a federal Marshall and it's that main character who is the catalyst for the good guys finally pushing back the cult. It's not too difficult to see the message there being something along the lines of "rural prepper types who pride themselves on being self-sufficient need the government's help to protect themselves". The intent with Far Cry 5 was very clearly, at least in part, to mock "right wing" ideals and American rural culture.

But what they actually ended up doing was writing a love letter to those ideals and that culture. They ended up portraying most rural folk as accepting and competent people who just want to be left alone to live their lives, and who will do the right thing when they come up against a difficult situation. They ended up illustrating why the second amendment is so important by showing how an armed populace is necessary for fighting against tyranny when the police/government/etc can't, or won't. And yes this tyranny was a cult and not the government, but the point still stands. The fact that Ubisoft ended up "executing our ideas better our own entertainment industry" was by accident because they really don't understand the issues they're commenting on. They're a bunch of left wing French people who have never experienced rural American right wing culture trying to portray that culture from within their own left wing echo chamber, while also needing to tone down the political commentary to sell a video game to the very people they're trying to mock. But even the mockery that does get through ends up backfiring when the metanarrative overrides the written narrative. They focus so hard on making their bad guys out to be right wing religious nuts that they don't realize they're making their good guys out to be a much more numerous population of normal right leaning people fighting back against the extremism on "their" side.

[jedibongrip]

a 'notwithstanding clause' - a controversial IRL political tool to add for a bit of realism in fic

Ive noticed (in many fandoms/fic but especially) in star wars aus and fics, many people toss around a notion of a planet joining the republic, but is given special privileges that allow them to continue practices that may be illegal. Sometimes when an author is describing the situation, it seems as if they're struggling to convey what they mean and figure out a name for it. In an effort to relieve some of that stress, and to help add fic writers add a dash of realism to their fics, may I introduce you to: The Notwithstanding Clause

(Explanation under the cut)

First, I want to begin with saying: obviously not every fic must or wants to achieve realism! Many authors are happy with the political systems of their fics being completely removed from any contemporary or realistic grounding. If that's your case, do not feel like I'm bashing on you. I just think this is an interesting (an EXTREMELY controversial) political tool which others may draw on when creating their fictional systems. So, without futher ado

Bongrip, I hear you ask, WHAT is the nothwithstanding clause?

the "Notwithstanding Clause", also called an 'override power', is a section of the Canadian Constitution which allows the federal, or provincial government, to override certain section of the charter of Rights and Freedoms for a specific limited of time

OR: it allows a government to make laws that contradict or override (IE. notwithstanding) one or more of our fundamental rights (for a max of 5 years, in the Canadian context). This prevents the new law from being struck down in courts and allows provincial governments to act more freely than they otherwise could

While some other countries have similar theories or laws, none are as broad, supported both legally and politically (IE in a constitution), nor do they cause as much controversy as the Canadian Notwithstanding Clause

(If you're interested in why this law exists, long story short: the specific mix of colonial powers and legal/political traditions, mixed with cultural/linguist tension, and well as fights over jurisdiction and power between different levels of governments during the 1980s when Canada was trying to write a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, led to the Notwithstanding Clause being added into the Charter as a compromise. Since it's part of the Constitution, it is both a legitimate legal and political tool, so long as it is used in a way that does not exceed the limitations set out by the Charter [IE: does not exceed 5 years, does not attempt to override any inviolable rights, and names the specific rights that it does violate, so it cant just be at random])

DISCLAIMER: IRL the Notwithstanding Clause is EXTREMELY controversial and, as one might guess, given that it's a law that says "yeah governments can ignore these rights and freedoms that are constitutionally protected", often support conversation and extremely prejudicial systems, institutions, and norms! It is also, necessarily, a colonial law, from a colonial system, in a colonial state! this is not an endorsement of the law but just a tidbit to help w/ world building, given than not many people outside of canada even know it exists

But Bongrip, I hear you ask, WHAT does this piece of Canadian Legal/Political Tradition have to do with my Star Wars fic?

glad you asked

as I said, i see some fic writers try to involve world-building when it comes to the political systems, institutions, and procedures of the Republic. I commend that; I enjoy that! But sometimes authors lack the knowledge or language to describe WHAT they want

For example:

Do you want to write a fic where Never-A-Jedi!Anakin overthrows the Hutts and Tatooine joins the Republic, but does not have to follow certain customs or rules? BAM! Notwithstanding Clause! Either in the Treaty Agreement (Basically: Tatooine will join the Republic, but can do X, notwithstanding Z laws as upheld within the Galactic Republic)

Or maybe: A Jedi goes to a planet with warring factions and is tasked to bring peace and understanding between the different nations. They must find a way to make a system and laws that can unify all, while respecting their differences and, perhaps conflicting, ways of life. A notwithstanding clause could allow for one governing set of rules, while giving each group an opportunity to dispute and implement their own understandings and views, within a set of limitations

Or anything else you can imagine!

Primarily, this gives a NAME and a BASIS for fic writers to describe something that I've seen many people struggle to explain in their fics: the HOW can i make X interact with Y, when law A is still in place but this place wants to do B?

i hope this helps!!! if anything isnt clear u can hit me up or consult google lol. i hope to see and encourage more world building and consideration for the legal and political systems in a galaxy far, far away!!!

[mielwriting]

Natlan Archon Quest Act 1, 2 Reaction

Had to split it into multiple parts cause it's so long...

That empty expanse between Sumeru and Natlan that doesn’t have any people or wildlife is jarring. I only realized AFTER I got there that there was a teleport waypoint past all that that had automatically unlocked, but I couldn’t see it cause it was hidden by the archon quest symbol. 

Can’t believe the Traveler and Paimon didn’t wanna ask how the Echoes’ Chief suddenly recognized us. 

Love the cutscene of the Traveler switching between elements. 

Kachina reminds me of Bennett. I expect us to learn about his origins in 5.X

There are fantasy giraffes?!

Nice to see them calling him Dvalin, not Stormterror

*running away from the researcher guy cause I don’t want to be forced into a conversation and he literally starts chasing when you get too close*

Oooooooh so when Neuvi said “Natlan is plagued by wars” waaay too many of us assumed wars between the humans, not wars vs the abyss. 

So if someone who isn’t an Ancient Name Bearer makes it to the Night Warden Wars, does their name become an Ancient Name for future generations to potentially receive?

“Danger is the nature of war” Mualani says. But Kachina told us all ancient name bearers are required to compete - even kids like her. I can see how this mentality might have been manipulated by others to force Vennessa’s tribe into oppression. 

Also what the fuck? Not sure I’m buying the whole “not a single Natlan person wants to leave” after hearing they force people to fight like this. Mondstadt (& Liyue to a lesser extent) continues to be the only nation I’d feel safe in. What the hell. 

And yeah sure the archon can resurrect them. But like. That doesn’t fix the trauma. It’s still fucked up. 

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE REVIVING

Citlali was introduced in the trailer by her strong insistence on not participating in the Pilgrimage. I can see why. I already like her. 

This whole situation sounds like the recipe for burn out (literally too. Death). 

Kinich cannot be older than 25. And he’s just casually stating he’s died before… 

You people need therapy

Also what’s up with Ajaw? He’s such a bully. What the hell man. 

I say that now but I assume his situation of “I am mighty and I will conquer the world!” (and everyone treating them like a kid) is like King from Owl House. 

Though of course, I only started sympathizing with King from Owl House because of character development. Something that Genshin Impact rarely gives its playable characters. 

Anyway, this whole “ancient names are forgotten if the bearers fail”. Is that a conscious effort to erase these people from records, or is it more like an Irminsul erasure?

“Feast until the bill gives the Archon a heart attack” finally, an archon with mora!

Kachina “I can’t keep using my age as an excuse”. If only Lisa or Alhaitham or Venti were here to teach her the importance of giving yourself grace and letting yourself rest. 

“I have to prove I’m not trying to avoid the wars” babygirl you are 9 years old

Kachina you have a 7 or 8 Pilgrimage losing streak?! Do these things happen once a year? How young were you when you first participated…

Kachina always prepared with her backpack… she’s like Dora but with gifted kid issues…

All these other playable characters with their “trauma” from “near-death” experiences”. Try actually dying a few times; then you can cry PTSD!

But of course, being raised in the US, I recognize this is partly the influence of a very individualistic culture. 

And about the whole revival thing. That’s Chekov’s Consequence-Free Traumatic Death Scene! Place your bets now; who’s gonna die in the archon quest, and then be revived?

So, what if someone with a (not pyro) vision wins the competition? Do they become pyro archon, overriding their previous elemental vision? 

Does this mean Mavuika has 3 names: her regular name, her Goetic name, and her Ancient Name? 

Is it possible for people without a vision to be gifted an Ancient Name? 

Oh my god you send a team of FIVE to fight the entire abyss?!

So you CAN have a vision that doesn’t match your tribe’s element. Atea, of the Peoples of the Springs, has a pyro vision.

[local-redhead-bookworm]

I just got back from seeing Avatar: Way of Water and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem.

First off, the movie was absolutely visually stunning. The planet, the locations, the animals, all of it was gorgeous. Some of the most gorgeous shots I’ve ever seen.

I loved the Metkayina designs. They were clearly designed with water life in mind—the wider tails, wider arms to allow for better swimming. I also noticed inspiration drawn from Māori tattoos for their facial markings.

I loved all the kids, but Spider is definitely my favorite. It just makes me so sad that this kid has grown up never fitting in with the humans or the Na’vi and has been barely tolerated by most adults in his life. I have a lot of thoughts on Spider, but that’s a whole separate post. Basically I love him, I want him to be safe, and he’s a kind kid with a big heart and I’ll defend him to my dying day.

Kiri is a close second favorite. I was literally thinking “are there autistic Na’vi?” Before watching this and I kind of got my answer. Yes, i do 100% see Kiri as autistic. Also she’s canonically epileptic, which I thought was interesting. I just want more disabled characters that are interesting and contribute to the story, and she delivers. I also think it’s so cool that they gave her such a close connection with Eywa (no I don’t have religious trauma leave me alone). My only complaint is that Sigourney Weaver’s voice doesn’t…sound like a teenager’s voice to me. She plays the part very well, but her voice throws me off a bit.

I think it’s very interesting what they’ve done with Quaritch’s character. By making him a clone, you basically start over. He’s got all the memories but basically only a year or so of life experience and a lot of that influences how he interacts with the world, especially Pandora since he’s experiencing it from a new angle. He also noticeably softens toward Spider and while it may have started as manipulative, I do think he genuinely cares for Spider by the end. He reminds me a bit of early-show Zuko, and I can see him getting redeemed through his bond with Spider. I really want to see him link with a Spirit Tree, the existential crisis it would cause would make for great writing.

I don’t feel that Jake has been super poorly written, but I feel that we’re seeing him acting in survival mode so I don’t know what his relationship with his kids is usually like. I understand why he would revert to military training in a time of crisis.

I do feel like Jake has forgotten what it was like to be human in some ways, like he’s forgotten that he wasn’t always Na’vi. He does great his boys like they’re soldiers under his command, and I feel like his treatment of Spider shows just how much he’s forgotten what it was like to be human. What it was like to live in a world that wasn’t compatible with his body.

I also feel like Jake doesn’t have a full grasp of Na’vi culture still, and he sometimes overrides Neytiri when he should listen to her experience. Again, I understand the reasoning, it just annoys me.

Neytiri got shoved to the side a bit, in my opinion. She was in character, and I understand all of her responses, but I felt that Jake didn’t always treat her as an equal or value her knowledge enough. I don’t quite have words for how her emotions impact her character, but they’re all very impressed words. Just wow.

The tulkun are so cool to me. It started out as just kind of a whaling story, but you realize that these creatures are sentient, they’re capable of thought, they’re deeply intelligent beings. They’re people, plain and simple. And seeing the whaling analogy paired with the fact that these creatures are people, it made me nearly cry. Seeing them being murdered and their bodies desecrated for a tiny bit of profit had me cringing in my seat and made me so angry.

Random thoughts in no particular order:

Tsireya is so pretty I love her. She reminds me of a fantasy Elf for some reason.

Quaritch attempting the “death by thighs” move was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. I’m used to seeing femme fatale characters use that move, and I’m pretty sure I was blushing.

All of the Sully boys have daddy issues now, and Spider also has mommy issues

The “why so blue?” dad joke and Spider getting the one “fuck” of the movie made me laugh

[mariacallous]

By Wednesday night, a sweeping anti-trans bill appeared dead in Kentucky as lawmakers debated whether it went too far. So it surprised Democrats, transgender activists, and their allies when Republicans managed to hold a committee vote, then rush the bill through approvals in both the state House and Senate the following day.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear isn’t expected to sign the bill, which passed mostly along party lines, into law, but the GOP has enough of a majority to override his veto.

People in the gallery were furious when the measure passed and yelled, “You’re all fucking pieces of shit!” at lawmakers on the floor, according to Courier Journal reporter Joe Sonka.

Democratic state Sen. Karen Berg, whose transgender son died by suicide in December, cried after the vote, Sonka reported. Berg had delivered powerful testimony as the bill was being debated.

“[This bill] is viewed as the single worst anti-LGBTQ legislation that has come out of a statehouse in this country,” she said during a floor debate.

“This is absolutely willful hate for a small group of people that are the weakest and most vulnerable,” she added.

The bill that passed this week expanded upon one that Republicans in Kentucky first introduced in February, which would have allowed students to misgender transgender students despite the detrimental impact it would have on trans youth.

The new version of the bill still allows trans students to be misgendered. But it goes much further: It also bans gender-affirming care, like puberty blockers or hormone therapy, for trans kids and requires doctors to begin detransitioning any of their trans patients who are children. It mandates that schools create policies that will not allow trans students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. It does not allow educators to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity in any grade and forbids discussion of human sexuality until sixth grade. After that, parental consent is required.

The Kentucky GOP’s last-minute push to advance the bill is following a disturbing nationwide trend. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced just this year in states dominated by Republicans as part of the broader culture war on trans Americans and the push for “parental rights” — a catchall term that centers the wishes of conservative white parents when shaping policies in public schools.

Gender-affirming care for minors is appropriate and not dangerous, according to the American Medical Association. And genuine mental health risks come with widespread discrimination and health care bans: Transgender youth are at higher risk for depression and suicide.

Instead of serving the most vulnerable among us, Berg said her fellow lawmakers ignored the science behind gender-affirming care for trans children and only rushed this bill for one reason.

“My child came up here 10 years ago,” she said on Thursday, referring to her son’s 2015 testimony against a bathroom bill in the Kentucky statehouse. “You had time to understand the science… this is absolute, willful, intentional hate.”

[telomeke-bbs]

Hiiii!! 💖

I love your analysis and opinions and I just saw this tweet about a Bad Buddy scene and wanted to ask what your thoughts are about it?

https://twitter.com/amaranthfoxtail/status/1629839868695117824?s=46&t=SwaHCtnbpSqeuX21_sj56g

Well hi there Anonymous, thanks for stopping by! 🥰

For context, the following screencap is from the tweet above (also linked here), and it's about Pran's behavior when Ming comes to thank him for his help in getting Pat exonerated, at Ep.10 [1I4] 4.56:

I agree with OP on Twitter that this is another demonstration of Nanon's acting prowess. 😍 It's not of great significance to the plotline (in the sense that his acting here is not in service of some momentous reveal), but nonetheless what he does really helps reinforce the storytelling by further solidifying what we already know about Pran as a character.

To be quite honest, I actually hadn't noticed Nanon doing his thing in this scene, because BBS is full of quality acting (especially from the leads). Even the supporting cast were mostly commendable (with a couple of notable exceptions, whom we shall charitably leave nameless, of course 😉).

When you're not distracted by actorly inauthenticity, it's much easier to lose yourself in the narrative and its message. And with Bad Buddy, I found myself completely sucked in for the most part.

There was so much happening at the levels of text, subtext and metatext that it was all too easy to forget just how good at their craft (most of) the actors are. This little scene is a reminder to take a step back and admire one set of beautifully-functioning cogs and wheels that not only helped to bring the overall ideas-juggernaut that was Bad Buddy to life, but also imbued the chugging machine with a human soul. 🥰

Because of Dissaya's constant drumbeating about how much of a danger Ming and his gang of Jindapats next door were, Pran had always lived his life with his defenses mounted sky-high, keeping his personal life and any perceived vulnerabilities hidden away and protected from the outside. (See this link here for an analysis of Pran's private, protected world.)

At this juncture in BBS, Pran must also have been struggling internally (although, as usual, he's keeping it hidden from outside view). Despite the happiness of finally coupling up with his longtime crush Pat, that very same relationship (a font of so much joy) would also have been a source of distress on some level for him too.

Due to Dissaya's indoctrination, ever since his babyhood, Pran's one overriding assignment in life (above all others) was to stay the hell away from the evil, evil Jindapat family.

And falling into couplehood with his beloved Pat was the ultimate transgression of this one singular mission assigned to him ("You had ONE job!", I can almost hear Dissaya screaming at him. And she did, in a way, later this episode. 🤦‍♂️)

After a lifetime of secret-keeping, Pran is now saddled with one more skeleton to keep buried (at least from their families), and it's the biggest one of all.

So when he finds himself being approached by The Big Bad out on a public street, while he's actually talking with Pat, this must have been a terrifying moment for Pran (especially since he and Pat had already been outed as a couple by Wai on campus in Ep.8 [4/4]).

What Nanon does here is fill out his portrait of Pran with all-believable details, because we see Pran reacting wholly in character, consistent with his inner motivations.

As Ming nears, we see Pran's eyes flash with momentary fear, and he instinctively begins putting up walls to retreat behind (entirely in keeping with his basic modus operandi for any outside threat since childhood.)

His salutary wai to Ming is not a lowering of the drawbridge; it's a formality that is but one part of the culturally-imposed layering of politesse over social encounters in Thailand, which helps to keep things at a safe and formal distance (and Pran at this stage is all about building up layers as buffers to the outside, so of course he rushes one out, albeit awkwardly).

Nanon then goes for the body language, and opts for a clearly defensive stance to illustrate Pran's need to shield himself psychologically from The Enemy, with his arms crossed tight and low against his body. All the while his posture is stiffened, as though he's barely remembering to breathe, frozen like a prey animal that's aware it's been sighted.

Then there's the clasping of the watch. On one level it must have been hugely reassuring to Pran (in this moment of fearful uncertainty) to be able to physically touch – if not his beloved Pat standing right next to him (for that would have been madness in Ming's presence), then at least an enduring symbol of the love they share. 💖

But with a closer look we see he's not just touching or fingering it like a totem for comfort – he's covering it totally from view. Since Ming can't have known how the watch is symbolic of Pran's long-held love for Pat, there is actually no need for Pran to hide it from him.

But that fact is immaterial to Pran, because I think he indulges in a lot of his (trademark) behaviors more for himself than others. It's a coping mechanism, for him to feel in control and safe. For example, arranging his coloring kit so that it grades across the spectrum, having a strictly-choreographed morning routine, the large smiley on his door – all these are almost ritualistic in nature, bringing order, comfort and calm (in that sequence) to Pran's world.

So even while the watch doesn't mean a thing to Ming, hiding it from him is a tremendous psychological boost to Pran. On one level, it's a reminder to him of his other defensive circles around all that he holds dear.

But the watch also throbs with the emotional weight of all his unrequited love accumulated over years spent pining, a love that then ballooned to its fullest form when fed with Pat's love returned. It's a metaphor not just of the present-day love between him and Pat, but also of the defining history of how that love came to be, and in that way a metaphor of the relationship itself over time (a watch is a signaler of time, after all).

So covering the watch with his hand is yet another metaphor, for how Pran has been shielding the true nature of his association with Pat all his life. (And when he does this, a little part of me also wants to think he's also trying to protect his beloved Pat as well. 💖)

I wouldn't have expected anything less from Pran, because he loves plastering the walls of his life with metaphors that embody his preternatural need for veiled communication (at least up until this point).

And then we need to take ourselves out of the moment, and ponder the fact that Nanon was holding all of this roiling backstory within himself and using it to shape a Pran of prized authenticity, who is true to life, consistent, rounded and believable to any viewer. Nothing short of amazing. 🤩

It's just occurred to me though, that Ming's expression of gratitude and also Pat's excitement at the possible thawing of family relations in this scene could have helped push Pran to try living his life with more vulnerability exposed.

But instead of doing it gradually, he made it a seismic change by organizing their khan maak in front of the Archi Faculty, a mutual and very public declaration of love – and it unfolds right after this scene (barring the opening credits).

Unless I'm mistaken, this really is the last time we see Pran with his shields and defenses anxiously up – conveyed to us via a few simple gestures from the master of subtlety Nanon Korapat.

So aside from Ming's hugely unexpected apology to the offspring of his sworn enemy, this scene was also notable for maybe helping to nudge Pran out of his shell. Who knew there was this milestone in there too? 😍💖

P.S. If you'd like to read a bit more about Nanon's and Ohm's acting styles, @absolutebl's got some more analysis at this link here (and as usual it's some mighty fine stuff 👍).

[lex1nat0r]

Blood Meridian

I was going to do this in the 'Things I Learned From Reading' format but the only thing I would have to say that works there would be that Cormac McCarthy is very good at the English language. I do have more thoughts though, below the thing. There's spoilers there, I guess?

My overriding impression of the book is that it's a joke played on the western genre. In contrast to the way mainstream portrayals of the US's westward expansion attempt to make it bloodless and justified, Blood Meridian exaggerates* the violence of the people who pushed the US west to a degree that would be comical if it wasn't written in a bone-dry tone of voice. Blood Meridian is presenting a vision of manifest destiny that is distorted like it is in the mainstream, but in the opposite direction.**

*I cannot say for sure how much is actually exaggerated versus historical events. I suspect there's at least some embellishment in specific descriptions.

**again: can't say for sure if it displays the same magnitude of exaggeration as traditional westerns

It's about violence, yes, but specifically the violence caused by white settlers in the American west.

It is interesting, I think, that the kid pretty much stops being specifically mentioned whenever he's doing things (murders) with Glanton's group, as if he is attempting to subsume his identity into this bloodstained force of violence. But it's that very thing that the judge accuses him of not fully doing ("You sat in judgement on your own deeds. You put your own allowances before the judgement of history and you broke with the body of which you were pledged a part and poisoned it in all its enterprises." p. 319 in my copy).

The judge sees only two kinds of men: those that accept they are violent creatures destined to make war, and those that try to deny it ("If war is not holy man is nothing but antic clay." p. 319, "Bears that dance, bears that don't." p. 345). It's easy to say that the judge represents war or violence in general, but given the way the book feels it's in conversation with how westerns are depicted in mainstream US culture I think an argument can be made that the judge represents that culture. He thinks that those who committed violence on the native Americans in the west should be celebrated as fulfilling the masculine ideal. He even claims to know the "judgement of history" - and he's right. As the western genre shows (to the extent I am familiar with it), history-as-written-by-the-US does try to celebrate the settlers who moved west. That, I think, is what Blood Meridian is taking aim at.

One more quote that stuck with me: "he saw vultures at their soaring whose wingspan so dwarfed all lesser birds that the eagles shrieking underneath were more like terns or plovers." (p. 325)