#or other means of receiving incom directly from fans.

[tofutama]

Hack the planet

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michele Seminara

Published: Jan 4, 2024

My first exposure to what I now call “griftivism,” a hybrid of grifting and Critical Social Justice activism, occurred in the arts. It was 2020 when—in my role as managing editor of literary journal Verity La—I became embroiled in a social media cancellation precipitated by backlash to the publication of a story some deemed racist and sexist. The ensuing moral outrage razed our “little magazine that could” into internet infamy, where it remains strung up, replete with apologies, hanging its masthead in shame.   

Verity means “truth,” and the journal’s motto was “Be Brave”—rendering its demise that little bit sorrier and sadder. The story that sank our publication depicted a disaffected Australian academic engaged in a sexual affair with a local woman while in the Philippines. The protagonist was uncomfortable with what the author described as the “patriarchal and colonial” power imbalance between his two characters, but not guilty enough to resist. He was an un-admirable and unreliable narrator, and in publishing the story, we sought to unveil an unsavory truth about how some men use women for casual sex. This truth was not well received.

What confounded me most about the backlash to the piece was not the mechanism of cancellation (if you’ve seen one online takedown, you’ve seen them all) but the beliefs and motivations of the cancellers, their supporters, and the silent mob of onlookers.

Upon examining this dynamic, I became aware of a new type of grifter who hitches their self-interest to activism and thrives in a culture hell-bent on “being kind”—or, at least, in appearing to be so. “Griftivists,” I call them. 

The instigator of my cancellation was a colleague on the advisory board of our journal. Her bio on Ko-fi, an online “tip jar” to make “income directly from fans” proclaimed that she liked to “spread joy on social media, & care for others a lot.” Her Twitter feed was both a consummate work of self-curation and self-contradiction; earnest retweets from fellow social justice activists and scathing criticisms of “white people” (“Do not get me started on white men. Do not, ‘not all white’ me. I’m spicy today”) bookended daily selfies showcasing designer shoes, handbags, and dresses. Fine dining, trips to the theatre, and a steady stream of purchases sat incongruously beside tweets thanking followers for ostensibly essential UberEATS vouchers and requests to “buy her a Ko-fi” so that she could replace her cracked Miele cooktop or purchase a dehumidifier for her “damp” Sydney harbor-side apartment. Unbelievably, there was even a request for donations to enable the purchase of an alcoholic drink at the airport before boarding an international flight to go on vacation. Yet few seemed to notice the grift.  

Someone that did was Sangeetha Thanapal, a Singaporean-Thamil writer and academic residing in Australia, who, in response to the plethora of praise showered on my colleague (“You are such a treasure. Such an advocate. Such a wonderful writer. We are lucky to have you in the world”), boldly tweeted, “It’s enraging to me that Singaporean Chinese people… who have access to every privilege and opportunity, can come here and play ‘person of colour.’ And y’all will fall for it cos you have zero understanding of the dynamics of race in Asia… This is why POC spaces in Australia will continue to shield privileged people like her while shutting out actually disadvantaged people like me.”  

This surprised me. While I had no doubt that since moving to Australia my colleague had experienced racism, I hadn’t thought to question whether she was disingenuous to present herself as marginalized. She had, after all, grown up in a wealthy country as part of the dominant race and spoke English as her main language. Could she be appropriating disadvantage to her advantage, engaging in a kind of cultural double-dip to reap social and financial gain? For a lifelong small-l liberal, even entertaining the idea felt verboten.

* * *

Leading the charge in cancelling someone can be a profitable affair; in the cash-strapped arts, it can pay handsomely in the type of cultural capital that translates into invitations to publish work, speak at writers’ festivals, judge and win literary prizes, and secure competitive grants. In the year following the demise of my journal, my colleague succeeded in repurposing her tweets into a paid full-length article in a literary magazine, saw her Twitter followers burgeon from several hundred to nearly ten thousand, was featured in the news multiple times for her writing and social justice activism, and went on to receive two lucrative arts grants totaling seventy-five thousand dollars. 

Of course, racism, disadvantage, and marginalization are real and must be challenged. Those dedicated to doing so have historically favored the left-wing of politics, a space heavily populated by my demographic: middle-class, educated white women (sometimes known as “bleeding hearts”). Having always been progressive, I was stunned by how swiftly and irrevocably I was recast during my cancellation as a “white supremacist.” A dreaded open letter signed by hundreds of my peers even demanded our funders withdraw their support for our “systemically racist” journal, despite the fact that we worked as volunteers and prioritized publishing and paying writers from marginalized demographics. Logically it made no sense; nonetheless, I was racked by guilt and shame.

However, after schooling myself in the recent trends in Western culture (a.k.a. scouring Twitter), my naiveté quickly resolved. I was both relieved and alarmed to discover that my case paled in comparison to more extreme pile-ons occurring around the world. Particularly in the arts, a space in which you might assume dissenting views could be aired and debated, there was a spate of ad hominem attacks being waged that seemed motivated by a mixture of moral certainty, self-advancement, and thinly veiled glee. As another Australian publisher confided to me when weathering their own public take-down, “One becomes a piñata.”

* * *

The moniker “Verity” in Verity La not only means “truth” but was inspired by the name of a once famous bookshop in Australia’s capital city, Canberra—which, in turn, was named after the inspirational woman who founded it. Verity Fitzhardinge brought literary culture to Canberra at a time when sheep still grazed on the paddocks of Old Parliament House and D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover was banned. From 1938-69, her bookshop was an oasis, a meeting place for thinkers, students and dissidents marooned in a cultural backwater. When Verity La was conceived in 2010, its founding editor happened to live on Verity Lane (rendered “Verity La.” on the street sign), and thus, the literary journal destined to live and die on the sword of its truth was born. Having no experience as an editor and no prescience, I enthusiastically took the helm in 2014 and would infamously go down with the ship just six years later.

After my cancellation, like the heterodox patrons gathered in Verity’s bookshop eighty years earlier, I sought comfort in knowing I was not alone. I discovered Counterweight, an organization established by author and academic Helen Pluckrose to help promote “reason and freedom by encouraging critical thinking” and support people like me who found themselves at odds with the new cultural climate. I devoured books, articles, and podcasts and realized that the verbal jabs thrown at me (“It’s not enough to be not racist, you have to be anti-racist!”) were not original but parroted from the rhetoric of far-left activism. As the 2020 global shitshow gathered steam, cultural commentators were warning that Critical Social Justice (CSJ)—a progeny of postmodernism and Critical Theory with roots in Marxism—had breached the walls of academia and was spreading its own divisive worldview.

CSJ was originally touted as a way to address “prejudice and discrimination on the grounds of characteristics like race, sex, sexuality, gender identity, disability and body size.” This certainly sounded rather positive to me. It appealed to my social conscience and to that of many others, as evidenced by the viral popularity of social media hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and corporate advertising campaigns like Nike’s "For Once, Don’t Do It," urging Americans not to turn their backs on the issue of racism.   

Yet, as I discovered, the stated goal of ending bigotry was soon subverted—hijacked, if you will—by those wishing to bend the truth to their own advantage.

Perhaps this should come as no surprise since CSJ was born of the postmodern view that knowledge is not objective, but socially constructed to maintain power. Critical theorists scrutinize structures, language, and social interactions to identify and dismantle oppressive power systems and dominant “truths.” This makes for an enlightening thought experiment, but in the wilds beyond academia, it’s easy to see how things might go awry. For if there is no objective yardstick for ranking truths, how will we know what to believe, and what values will we allow to guide us?

Enter the de-and-postcolonial theorists who argued for not only dismantling power systems such as white supremacy but inverting them. Drawing on their revolutionary vision, CSJ activists declared that those best placed to call out the oppressors’ false truths and design fairer alternatives are the ones who suffer oppression most: the marginalized. Perhaps because, in the absence of any method for judging the worth of one socially constructed thing against another, our safest bet is to run in the opposite direction of the powerful towards the powerless. But while it’s undeniably fair and wise to acknowledge, listen to, and learn from the experience of marginalized people, when groups who are viewed as oppressed are elevated to an unquestionable ethical status, problems predictably arise.

This has been evidenced in numerous social justice movements over the last decade (think #MeToo’s “Believe All Women” slogan), with activists claiming that lived experience trumps all other forms of knowledge and that the most marginalized person’s lived experience is the most valid. It follows that your right to engage in cultural and political dialogue is now dependent on your identity and positionality: the lower your position, the higher your status and the more weight your “truth” holds. Any skepticism is dismissed as racist, sexist, and so on. Even if you are a “marginalized” person whose dissenting views are inconvenient to the majority of activists within your group, you risk being diagnosed with “internalized” prejudice or dismissed as an “Uncle Tom.” Sadly, progressives have adopted this worldview with empathic gusto. I know I did. Many well-meaning people do. And so have corporations, universities, whole industries, and governments, effectively transforming the left—a formerly meager hunting ground for opportunists seeking power and reward—into a space fertile with possibilities for those on the grift.

The socially-enforced expectation that we not question the efficacy of progressive activist movements (or risk backlash and potential cancellation) has proved a godsend for the griftivist and has engendered what cultural commentators call a form of “new puritanism.” Whereas society used to judge morality according to religious and conservative values, now there is a shift to make the same judgments based on absolute acceptance of the tenets of CSJ. This has fostered a rigid leftist ideology equal to the far-right in both its pronouncements of acceptable truth and willingness to extinguish dissent. That may seem counterintuitive for a theory embedded in postmodern skepticism, but it’s perhaps not so surprising given human nature; as Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” There is now power in being oppressed (or at least in appearing to be) and by establishing themselves as the marginalized or their allies and espousing the requisite leftist beliefs whilst denouncing those who fail to do so, the unscrupulous griftivist—like the Wolf dressed in Grandma’s clothing—succeeds in veiling their selfish intent under a cloak of harmlessness and virtue. And soft-hearted progressives, not hip to the ruse, are being eaten up.

* * *

A 2023 study published in the journal Current Psychology by Ann Krispenz and Alex Bertrams of the University of Bern entitled “Understanding left-wing authoritarianism: Relations to the dark personality traits, altruism, and social justice commitment” provides insight into the psyche of the griftivist. First, researchers characterized left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) as comprising three interconnected factors: anti-conventionalism, top-down censorship, and anti-hierarchical aggression. “Anti-conventionalism” is a dogmatic endorsement of radical moral values coupled with a desire to impose them on others. “Top-down censorship” is the use of authority to quash opposition and suppress “offensive and intolerant” speech. And “anti-hierarchical aggression” is the drive to overthrow and punish those with power. Together these paint a recognizable, if somewhat disturbing, portrait of left-wing CSJ activism, where the most virulent proponents possess traits mirroring those we’re accustomed to seeing on the authoritarian far-right.

To better understand left-wing authoritarianism, researchers designed two studies exploring its relationship with narcissism and psychopathy, as well as its correlation with traits they defined as prosocial, like altruism and social justice commitment. They found that left-wing activists who endorse aggressive actions to overthrow those in power are more likely to demonstrate “manipulative and exploitative behaviors… self-perceived entitlement, arrogance, reactive anger, distrust, lack of empathy, and thrill-seeking.” They also found that “neither dispositional altruism nor social justice commitment was related to left-wing anti-hierarchical aggression.” In fact, they concluded that “some political activists on the left side of the political spectrum do not actually strive for social justice and the support of underprivileged groups or persons, but rather endorse or express violence for the satisfaction of their own ego-focused needs.” Meaning that the most strident and morally outraged CSJ activists might not be driven by the desire for social justice at all. Quite the opposite.

As Krispenz and Bertrams explained to the science news website PsyPost, left-wing activism provides bad-faith players with “opportunities for positive self-presentation and displays of moral superiority to gain social status and dominate others.” Worse, those who “strive for influential positions that involve social visibility and outreach as well as access to financial and other resources” will likely misuse progressive movements for private purposes and cause “irreparable financial and reputational harm.” Indeed, it would seem a significant number of those marching under the banner of “doing good” while extolling others to “do better” and “be kind” are impelled by selfish, devious, or even harmful motives. And some are just on the grift.

So concerned were the authors that they advised minority groups should be made aware of these “narcissistic ‘enemies’ from within” who might hijack their causes and whose behavior could lead to dwindling public support.

Furthermore, they identified a phenomenon they dubbed “the dark-ego-vehicle principle” in which “individuals with dark personalities—such as high narcissistic and psychopathic traits—are attracted to certain ideologies and forms of political activism.” For example, someone might “participate in a pro-BLM protest pretending to fight against racism while actually using such protesting activities to meet their own aggressive motives and thrills” or because “this form of activism can provide them with opportunities for positive self-presentation (e.g., virtue signaling).”

The trajectory of the discredited Black Lives Matter Global Network certainly bears this out. In the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020, corporations and individuals desperate to demonstrate their CSJ credentials poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the organization globally. Happy to profit off the empathy (or, more cynically, the virtue-signaling) of those willing to donate to BLM, one of its founders, Patrisse Cullors, controversially bought a house worth $1.4 million. Another BLM organizer, Xahra Saleem, was recently jailed for stealing donations intended for a British “anti-racist” group. And there are still several lawsuits involving alleged misuse of BLM funds by members ongoing; as UnHeard journalist Niall Gooch noted: “When a cause is hedged around with taboos... to the extent that obvious questions about governance, spending and oversight are simply not asked, that cause will attract grifters like moths to a flame.”

Of course, activism per se is not psychopathic; Krispenz and Bertrams’ study merely confirms that for a confluence of reasons, leftist CSJ movements are currently attracting dark personality types. There are still many political activists who get involved for positive reasons. That’s a relief on the one hand, but a concern on the other; it suggests that the volatile world of left-wing activism is currently a murky meeting point of malignant griftivists and socially conscious bleeding hearts being manipulated into rewarding them. It’s a worrying trend that—once recognized—you begin to see everywhere.   

Take, for example, my field: writing and publishing. The dirty secret behind the submissions wall is that many editors now read bios before even considering a writer’s work, and all know that the way to secure lucrative government funding is to tick as many diversity boxes on grant applications as possible. Of course, many (perhaps even the majority) of those working in publishing are motivated by good intentions and aim to nurture and platform underrepresented writers. However, it’s not a stretch to imagine that as publishers jostle to showcase the work of the marginalized, they might attract the attention of a canny griftivist.

One who twigged to these opportunities earlier than most was Norma Bagain Toliopoulos (otherwise known as Norma Khouri), who made a literary killing in the early 2000s with her “memoir” Forbidden Love. The book hinged on the false narrative of its author growing up in Jordan before fleeing on witnessing her best friend’s “honor killing.” Norma referred to herself as a “humanitarian” and claimed she wrote the memoir to give voice to the plight of oppressed Arab women, yet was not only found to have duped her worldwide readership, but was investigated by the FBI for having swindled lovers, friends, family, and even elderly and infirm strangers out of at least one million US dollars. Her ruse was uncovered after her publisher, Random House, received a twelve-page dossier from the Jordanian Women’s Commission outlining seventy-three factual errors and discrepancies they had noticed in the book. An eighteen-month investigation revealed that, far from being a Jordanian who fled her home, Khouri was an American passport holder who had lived in Chicago from the age of three. Rana Husseini, a Jordanian writer and human-rights activist who spent years actually exposing and working to eradicate her country’s honor killings, told journalists that by profiting off false narratives about Middle-Eastern women’s deaths and appropriating the work of activists, Khouri—like the opportunistic Dark Triad individuals Krispenz and Bertrams warn of—had effectively “ruined our cause.”

A no less scandalous case is that of Egyptian-Australian activist Eman Sharobeem, who grifted on a fake narrative of being forced to marry her first cousin as a child bride before escaping to Australia. She was a finalist in the 2015 Australian of the Year Awards and founded two publicly funded not-for-profit community organizations to assist immigrant women before being found guilty of fraud in 2017 for misappropriating upwards of $800,000 in public funds for personal use. Like Khouri, Sharobeem styled herself as a women’s rights activist while stealing from the marginalized communities she claimed to support. She wasn’t investigated until a group of determined migrant women working for one of her organizations repeatedly filed complaints about her financial misappropriation and bullying of staff. Only then was it discovered the prominent activist’s entire backstory was fabricated, including her claim to have two PhDs. When asked how such fragrant lies could pass unchecked, the Immigrant Women's Health Service board chairman Audrey Lai testified, “We trusted Eman. We thought she had such a good reputation and high profile in the community, we didn't check. It's not very wise in hindsight but unfortunately we were very gullible because we believed in her.”

* * *

Establishing belief in an oppressed identity, a common enemy, or a worthy cause, is central to the griftivists’ game. And it’s disturbingly easy because few of the precariously privileged who have the power to call out their lies are prepared to risk questioning the veracity of a social justice activist’s claims; their reputations and often livelihoods depend upon asserting the emperor is indeed clothed.

Instead, the dirty business of calling out the truth is often left to the people who can afford it least but who it affects the most: people from the marginalized communities that the griftivists leech off.

Take, for example, the case of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman whose career, memoir, and Netflix documentary were based on her identification as a black American. While some white commentators were quick to reach for explanations such as mental instability and childhood trauma to explain Dolezal’s bizarre behavior, many black critics accused her of exploiting the history of black suffering in order to opt into victimhood and co-opt lucrative leadership positions in the black community. One of the most intriguing aspects of Dolezal’s case is that she continues to uphold her black identity despite admitting to being biologically Caucasian, claiming that race is just a “social construct”—another example of how the postmodern elasticization of “truth” is artfully manipulated by griftivists.

Another sphere where griftivists opting into an oppressed identity to secure advantage has succeeded is in the gender versus sex debate, with some biological men exploiting society’s support for transgender people to enter previously sex-segregated spaces, often with disastrous results. After violent criminal Stephen Wood (who adopted the name Karen White) expediently claimed to be trans while awaiting trial for multiple sexual crimes and then reoffended while housed in a women’s prison, there was outrage from both the gender critical and trans communities. Many feminists claimed such outcomes were the inevitable result of the recent legal and social sanctioning of gender self-identification and used the case to demonstrate the incompatibility of all trans women in all women’s spaces. However, trans activists, such as Steph Richards, denied that Wood was transgender at all and argued that by claiming to be so with nefarious intent, he had created a public and media backlash that harmed the trans rights movement. Indeed, in 2023, the British Ministry of Justice tightened its rules in an effort to curtail people of bad faith exploiting policies designed to keep inmates of all genders safe. As Richards pointed out, “Wood was very aware that the Prison Service procedures at that time (they have subsequently changed) meant that he could self-identify as a trans woman and easily get transferred to the female estate. This offered Wood two significant advantages... Firstly he himself would be in a safer environment... Secondly, he would be close to vulnerable cisgendered females and trans women—potentially more victims.” Yet another case where a malevolent griftivist exploited the empathy and damaged the reputation of the social justice movement that harboured him.

Griftivists and their cons come in many shapes and sizes—from hate crime hoaxes, to identity appropriation, to outrageously priced diversity dinners—but what they share is a canny eye for the opportunities created by Critical Social Justice ideology and a willingness to trade on progressive guilt in order to advance their own ends, often while destroying their competitors with allegations of bigotry. It’s beyond dispiriting.

In his essay ‘The Curse of the Man Who Could See the Little Fish at the Bottom of the Ocean,” sinologist Pierre Ryckmans pondered belief, truth and lies after the ruthlessness of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was confirmed in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre. For twenty years prior to the massacre, Ryckmans (who wrote for security reasons under the pen name Simon Leys) was a rare dissenting voice in the West. His warnings about the Chinese regime were drowned out by leftist media, academics, and film stars who were convinced that the Maoist Revolution was a net good. When asked how the world could have failed to recognize the reality of the CCP for so long, Ryckmans chose to ponder a much more profound question: “How and why do we usually endeavor to protect ourselves against the truth?” For, as he noted, the truth can be disturbing, inconvenient, and dangerous to acknowledge. Perhaps this explains why, in a culture captured by Critical Social Justice, we’re committed to not seeing certain obvious but unpopular “truths,” or to bending the truth so far out of shape with clever theories that it essentially becomes meaningless.

With a nuance atypical by today’s standards, Ryckmans’ article outlines the varied reasons people might choose to believe lies, even in the face of evidence to the contrary: “What people believe is essentially what they wish to believe. They cultivate illusions out of idealism—and also out of cynicism. They follow their own visions because doing so satisfies their religious cravings, and also because it is expedient. They seek beliefs that can exalt their souls, and that can fill their bellies. They believe out of generosity, and also because it serves their interests. They believe because they are stupid, and also because they are clever. Simply, they believe in order to survive. And because they need to survive, sometimes they could gladly kill whoever has the insensitivity, cruelty, and inhumanity to deny them their life-supporting lies.”

The lies peddled by CSJ activism and exploited by griftivists are not ones we are supposed to question, and yet, everyone does—in their minds, in their hearts, and in private rooms and messages, away from the censorious and punitive eyes and ears of ideologues.

We question privately because to do so publicly risks joining the ranks of the cancelled, becoming one of the shunned. Calling out griftivists can extract a heavy personal and professional price.   

One of the more tragic examples in recent years is that of Canadian school principal Richard Bilkszto who took his own life after being publicly shamed for questioning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion trainer Kike Ojo-Thompson during a Zoom presentation in which she claimed that Canada was a bastion of “white supremacy and colonialism.” The Toronto District School Board has finally announced an investigation into Bilkszto’s tragic case, but not before two years of bullying, disbelief, and social media pile-ons fatally took their toll. While his family must continue without him, Bilkszto’s peers who smeared him as racist for merely questioning Ojo-Thompson’s “truth” have prevailed.

Human rights activist Ginetta Sagan wrote that “silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor.” The questions we might ask in cases like Bilkszto’s are: where was the injustice and who was the oppressor? Or perhaps it’s time to drop the often-weaponized framework of oppressor and oppressed entirely for something that has the potential to unite us.

I imagine only a handful who took part in my cancellation did so out of self-interest or spite. Most believed the “truth” my detractors spun, and those who didn’t played along or stayed silent for fear of joining the ranks of the cancelled. Their fears were well-founded; the power of the scarlet letter is frighteningly real. To disarm the griftivists and limit the harm they cause their victims and the justice movements they claim to champion, more of us must fight for what Verity La tried to: truth and the bravery to face it. By doing so, and by speaking up, we can strip the Wolf of Grandma’s clothing and unveil bad-faith players.

[oediex]

IGN posted their video review of Hogwarts Legacy. They added the following pinned comment:

"The elephant in the room with Hogwarts Legacy is Harry Potter’s creator, J.K. Rowling, whose comments about transgender people in recent years have left a sour taste in the mouths of many current and former Potter fans, both at IGN and in the world at large. This has driven some to call for a boycott of the Wizarding World altogether – including Hogwarts Legacy, though Rowling was not directly involved and there are good reasons (both in-game and out) to believe the developers at Avalanche don’t necessarily share her views. Regardless, IGN has always and will continue to champion human rights causes and support people speaking with their wallets in whatever manner they choose. As critics, our job is to answer the question of whether or not we find Hogwarts Legacy to be fun to play and why; whether it’s ethical to play is a separate but still very important question. So just as in virtually all cases, we’re choosing to expose and address the views of the franchise creator separately from our consideration of the work of the hundreds of game developers and evaluate Hogwarts Legacy as it stands, leaving behind-the-scenes context to be considered in addition to that evaluation, rather than in place of it, so that it can be weighted according to your own values."

While it's nice that they add this, it misses the fact that even if Rowling wasn't directly involved in the making of the game, she is still profiting off it. It's great that they're adding this comment, and I'm sure there are trans people working at IGN, so how could they not + the backlash they would have gotten if they hadn't added it, but clearly the stronger move would have been not to review it at all.

Anyway, the comments are absolute garbage, ranging from "who asked" to "nobody cares", "successfully ignored" to "stay out of politics". The most gross comments are obviously those that state that "some of us agree with jk" and "Rowling said nothing wrong".

I don't mean to make this post to get people depressed (though it is very depressing) but to reiterate that if you stand with trans people, then you boycot this game. I know it's Harry Potter. I know for many of us it hits that sweet spot of childhood nostalgia x self-indulging activity (gaming). But if you buy this game, then you are giving money to a very influential woman who has time and again shown herself to be deeply transphobic; who mingles with many other transphobes and homophobes, as well as people who themselves are involved with anti-abortion, far-right organisations; and don't forget that Rowling will use her money to donate to political campaigns, such as when she donated 1 million pounds to Scotland's anti-independence campaign, the side that won the referendum, with the conservative British government only last month blocking a Scottish bill that would make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender.

It doesn't matter that the makers of Hogwarts Legacy have distanced themselves from Rowling, it doesn't matter that they have included a trans background character or that you can make your own trans character in the character creator - if you buy this game, you are giving money to this woman. She WILL receive royalties from this game as it is based on her intellectual property.

"Rowling consistently makes passive income on all Harry Potter products. Multiple sources have cited that Rowling earns anywhere between $50 million to a $100 million each year from royalties. Forbes estimated she earned $95 million in 2017 alone."

Relevant YouTube images under the cut

[littlemissidontcare]

AW principal work and income are brand deals. Her association with Seb made her gain IG followers and more traffic to her stories. Everytimes she posts something people are watching her stories in hope to see Seb or have infos about him. She knows that. And it's own she makes money. More traffic on her story means she Can ask more money. It doesn't matter if people are looking to hate on her or leave nasty comments ! Her number are growing. And unfortunatly AW always received hate. It didn't start with Seb.//This. She benefits from this rs no matter if it’s real or fake. She will get more brand deals, maintain the ones she has, get more eyes on her IG from some casting directors who care about social media presence (most don’t), comped or discounted rates in hospitality industry, more free stuff, etc etc. Saying that Annabelle receives no monetary gain from dating high profile men is ignorance. Saying Sebastian gets no monetary gain from dating a beautiful actress/model is also ignorant. Everything stated for Annabelle (excluding brand deals IF he doesn’t have any) he receives as well and he’ll receive much more because he’s the higher profile figure. He gains desirability in several demographics, increase of mentions in press whether her name is mentioned or not, casting directors who care about social media (active or not), and no matter what yall say about this next part it’s still true to this day: Sex Sells. He’s more desirable in all demographics (the general public) when he’s with a woman whether he’s Just fucking, dating or serious. Being single doesn’t sell to the general public, only his fans. I’m team idc. They both benefit from this rs because they are both public figures. The only “contract” these two have signed is an NDA to protect what can be said or not said during and after the rs. All celebs have these. It’s really this simple. You’ll never know how they feel about each other until one or both say something directly addressing their feelings. And I don’t trust social media posts of any kind to determine someone’s rs status. Social media is curated by the one running it. It’s all about the positive stuff. Even when there’s negative stuff going on in their lives. Too many people are not honest and celebrities are the last people I would believe about anything they posted. It’s always about selling the product. That includes their lifestyles and their images. I’m not saying their rs is fake but what they post, Seb included when he was active, is selling you an image. 💁‍♀️

[musicvalla]

How to License Your Lyrics: Earning from Your Words

As a songwriter, your lyrics hold immense creative and financial value. Whether you're just starting out or already established in the music industry, understanding how to sell your lyrics and license them to others can provide an additional stream of income and open doors to numerous opportunities. In this article, we will explore different ways you can sell your lyrics, how to license them for various purposes, and tips to ensure your songs reach the right people. We'll also integrate key concepts like Spotify nickname, song format, and Apple Music yearly subscription India into the discussion to guide your overall music journey.

What Does It Mean to Sell Your Lyrics?

Selling your lyrics is essentially the process of transferring the rights to your written words to another party, often a music producer, artist, or publisher, in exchange for a payment or royalties. It can involve selling the complete ownership of your lyrics or licensing them for specific uses, like album tracks, commercials, film soundtracks, or even viral social media content. The key is to understand the different options available to you and ensure you're getting compensated fairly for your work.

Platforms to Sell Your Lyrics

Several online platforms provide songwriters with the tools to sell and license their lyrics directly. Some of these platforms are tailored for independent songwriters, while others cater to more professional environments. Here are a few well-known options:

Music Publishing Companies One of the best ways to sell or license your lyrics is through a music publishing company. These organizations work to get your songs placed with artists, labels, and media outlets. They typically handle the legal aspects, ensuring that you receive the royalties you're owed.

Online Lyric Marketplaces Platforms like Songtradr, LyricFind, and Musicbed allow you to upload your lyrics and make them available for licensing. These platforms make it easier for songwriters to get their work discovered by artists, producers, and even businesses looking for music for commercials or films.

Direct Licensing to Artists If you have connections in the music industry or are looking for specific exposure, you can sell or license your lyrics directly to musicians. Many independent artists are always on the lookout for strong lyrics to pair with their music.

Self-Publishing via Streaming Services Once your lyrics are part of a recorded song, you can also distribute the entire song via music streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. With tools like TuneCore or DistroKid, you can ensure your song is available worldwide, and every stream of your song generates royalties. In fact, if you're promoting your music on Spotify, consider crafting a unique Spotify nickname that helps fans easily find and recognize your tracks.

Why Licensing Your Lyrics is a Smart Move

Licensing your lyrics offers several advantages over simply selling them outright. When you license your lyrics, you retain ownership of the work, meaning you can continue earning royalties every time the song is used. Additionally, licensing allows you to license the same lyrics to multiple buyers, increasing your chances of earning from your creativity.

There are different types of licenses you can offer, depending on how the lyrics are going to be used:

Exclusive License: The buyer gets exclusive rights to your lyrics, and you can no longer license the song to anyone else. In exchange, you'll likely get a higher upfront payment.

Non-Exclusive License: The buyer gets the rights to use your lyrics, but you can still license them to other buyers. This type of license is more common for sync placements in media, such as movies, TV shows, and commercials.

Sole License: This is a hybrid license where the buyer gets exclusive rights for a period, but you can still use the lyrics for other purposes after the license term expires.

How Song Format Plays a Role in Selling Lyrics

Understanding song format is essential when selling or licensing your lyrics, as it directly affects how your lyrics fit into a song's overall structure. The most common song formats are based on the standard pop structure (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus), but there are many variations depending on the genre.

Before selling or licensing your lyrics, it’s important to ensure that they align with the intended song format of the artist or producer who may be purchasing them. For instance, in a typical pop song, you may need to write a catchy hook for the chorus, while the verses will carry the story forward. Understanding the song format will help you structure your lyrics in a way that’s marketable and adaptable to various musical styles.

Managing Your Lyrics on Apple Music Yearly Subscription India

Once you’ve sold or licensed your lyrics and they’re included in a song that gets distributed through streaming platforms, it’s essential to manage your royalties effectively. In countries like India, where Apple Music yearly subscription India is becoming increasingly popular, the number of streams your song gets could result in significant royalties. Ensuring that your lyrics are registered properly with a performing rights organization (PRO) or through a distribution platform like TuneCore means you’ll get paid when your song is streamed.

For Indian songwriters, platforms like Apple Music offer access to millions of potential listeners, and your lyrics may end up in the ears of a global audience. The subscription fee may vary depending on the plan, but it's important to track your song’s performance across both Apple Music and Spotify to understand which platform is most profitable for your work.

Your Lyrics and Spotify Wrapped 2023

For those who have already distributed music through Spotify, one of the most exciting parts of the year is receiving your Spotify Wrapped 2023. This annual review provides insights into your most popular songs, playlists, and artists. If your lyrics have contributed to any popular tracks, this report can help you gauge how well your music is performing globally.

Understanding how listeners are interacting with your music gives you valuable data on which songs are resonating the most, allowing you to refine your songwriting style and increase your future earnings. If your song featuring your lyrics becomes a top-streamed track, your Spotify Wrapped summary will reflect this success, offering new opportunities for promotion and exposure.

Final Thoughts: Make Your Lyrics Work for You

Selling or licensing your lyrics is an exciting avenue for any songwriter, and with the right knowledge and tools, you can turn your written words into a sustainable revenue stream. Whether you're using platforms to license your lyrics or distributing your music on Apple Music and Spotify, understanding the role of song format, how to sell your lyrics, and how to leverage streaming services for exposure is crucial. By staying informed about trends like Spotify Wrapped 2023 and maximizing your presence on these platforms, you can position yourself for greater success in the music industry.

By thinking strategically about licensing and sales, you’ll not only expand your earning potential but also help bring your lyrical creations to a wider audience. So, get started, refine your craft, and let your lyrics work for you in the ever-evolving world of music!

[delivermytuneo6]

Challenges in Music Video Distribution Worldwide

The global music industry is vast and diverse, and the demand for music videos continues to grow across various platforms. However, despite the immense opportunities, distributing music videos worldwide comes with its own set of challenges. From technological barriers to cultural differences, artists and distributors must navigate a complex landscape to ensure their content reaches the right audiences. This article delves into the key challenges of music video distribution worldwide and offers potential strategies to address them.

1. Copyright and Licensing Issues

One of the most significant challenges in music video distribution worldwide is navigating copyright and licensing laws. Each country has its own regulations regarding intellectual property, which can complicate the distribution process. Unauthorized use of music, imagery, or content in a music video can lead to legal battles, hefty fines, and reputational damage.

For instance, platforms like YouTube employ Content ID systems to detect copyrighted material, which can result in videos being taken down or demonetized. However, this system is not foolproof and may flag content incorrectly. Artists and distributors need to ensure all rights—music, visuals, and performances—are properly secured and licensed before uploading their videos to global platforms.

2. Regional Restrictions and Censorship

Countries often impose restrictions on content based on cultural, political, or religious values. What might be acceptable in one country could be banned in another. For example, explicit content, LGBTQ+ themes, or political commentary may face censorship in certain regions. This creates a dilemma for artists who want to maintain creative freedom while reaching global audiences.

To address this, some artists produce multiple versions of their videos tailored to different markets. However, this approach can increase production costs and dilute the original vision of the work. Understanding the specific cultural and legal expectations of each target market is crucial for successful music video distribution worldwide.

3. Platform Algorithm Complexities

Digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram play a pivotal role in music video distribution worldwide, but their algorithms can pose a significant challenge. These algorithms prioritize content based on engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, shares, and watch time. This means that even high-quality videos can struggle to gain visibility without the right promotion strategy.

To overcome this, artists and distributors need to focus on optimizing their content for each platform. This includes using relevant tags, creating engaging thumbnails, and timing releases to coincide with peak activity periods. Additionally, collaborating with influencers and engaging directly with fans can boost visibility and improve algorithmic performance.

4. Monetization Struggles

While distributing music videos globally offers exposure, monetization remains a challenge. Platforms often generate revenue through ads, but artists only receive a fraction of these earnings. Furthermore, payment structures vary across platforms and regions, making it difficult to predict and maximize income.

Artists and labels can explore alternative monetization methods, such as sponsorship deals, exclusive content on subscription platforms like Patreon, or integrating product placements in their videos. These strategies can supplement traditional ad revenue and provide a more stable income stream.

5. Language and Cultural Barriers

Language and cultural differences can limit the reach of a music video. While English remains a dominant language in the music industry, non-English-speaking markets are growing rapidly. For instance, K-pop and Latin music have demonstrated that content in other languages can achieve massive global success.

To bridge this gap, artists can include subtitles or translations in their music videos, making them accessible to a broader audience. Additionally, collaborating with local artists or influencers can help build connections with regional markets, enhancing the effectiveness of music video distribution worldwide.

6. Piracy and Unauthorized Distribution

Piracy is a persistent issue in the digital age. Even with advanced anti-piracy measures, music videos are often copied and distributed on unauthorized platforms. This not only affects the artist's revenue but also undermines their control over their creative work.

To combat piracy, distributors must implement digital rights management (DRM) tools and work with trusted distribution platforms. Educating fans about the importance of supporting official releases can also help reduce unauthorized sharing.

7. High Competition

The sheer volume of content available online makes it difficult for individual music videos to stand out. Every day, thousands of new videos are uploaded, making the competition for audience attention fierce. Smaller artists often struggle to compete with well-funded projects backed by major labels.

Building a strong promotional strategy is essential to overcoming this challenge. Pre-release teasers, engaging social media campaigns, and partnerships with popular creators can help generate buzz and ensure a video reaches its target audience.

8. Technological Inequalities

While internet penetration is increasing globally, there are still significant disparities in access to high-speed internet. This limits the reach of music video distribution worldwide in regions where streaming large video files is impractical. Moreover, the digital divide disproportionately affects rural areas and developing countries, restricting access to content.

Artists can address this challenge by offering lower-resolution versions of their videos and distributing them on platforms optimized for slower internet speeds. Offline distribution methods, such as DVDs or USB drives, can also be considered for regions with limited connectivity.

9. Marketing and Promotion Costs

Effective global distribution requires substantial investment in marketing and promotion. Advertising campaigns, collaborations with influencers, and professional distribution services can be expensive, putting independent artists at a disadvantage.

To mitigate costs, artists can leverage organic growth strategies, such as engaging with fans on social media, using hashtags effectively, and participating in viral trends. Crowdfunding campaigns can also help raise funds for marketing efforts.

10. Keeping Up with Trends

The fast-paced nature of the digital world means that trends change quickly. What works today might not work tomorrow, making it challenging to maintain relevance. Platforms like TikTok thrive on short-lived trends, requiring artists to adapt constantly.

Staying informed about industry trends and audience preferences is essential. This involves monitoring analytics, participating in industry events, and collaborating with trend-savvy professionals who can guide distribution strategies.

Conclusion

While the challenges of music video distribution worldwide are significant, they are not insurmountable. By understanding the complexities of copyright laws, cultural sensitivities, platform algorithms, and monetization models, artists and distributors can devise effective strategies to navigate these hurdles. As technology continues to evolve, new opportunities for global distribution will emerge, making it possible for more artists to share their music videos with audiences around the world.

[snapchatfoljare]

The Positive Impact of Having Many Spotify Followers

In the world of music streaming, having a significant number of followers on Spotify is more than just a badge of honor; it's a powerful tool that can open doors to new opportunities, enhance visibility, and propel an artist's career. Here’s a look at the positive impacts of amassing a large following on Spotify.

1. Increased Visibility and Discoverability

With a large follower base, your music becomes more visible across the platform. Spotify’s algorithm takes note of popular artists with many followers, making it more likely to promote your tracks on playlists, recommended sections, and Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” feature. This means that a greater number of listeners can stumble upon your music, giving you access to audiences you may not have reached otherwise.

2. Boosts Credibility and Influence

A high follower count can significantly enhance an artist’s credibility. When potential fans or industry insiders see a large following, it signals that your music resonates with a considerable audience. This can open doors for collaborations, sponsorships, and other opportunities as people perceive you as a credible artist with influence in the music industry.

3. Enhances Engagement and Fan Loyalty

A loyal fan base doesn’t just listen to your music; they engage with your brand on a deeper level. Having a large number of followers on Spotify often translates to increased engagement, with more fans sharing your tracks, adding them to personal playlists, and discussing them on social media. This active fan base helps create a community around your music, fostering loyalty and making fans more likely to attend live events or buy merchandise.

4. Unlocks Monetization Opportunities

More followers can also lead to more streams, which directly translates into increased revenue. Spotify pays artists based on the number of streams they receive, so a larger following means a greater chance of consistent income from streaming. Additionally, a solid follower base can attract advertisers and brands looking to reach your audience, creating further opportunities for monetization through sponsorships and partnerships.

5. Increases Chances for Playlist Placements

One of the best ways to gain more listeners on Spotify is through playlist placements, especially on high-profile playlists curated by Spotify or popular influencers. With many followers, you’re more likely to capture the attention of playlist curators. This can lead to your music being featured on influential playlists, providing exposure to thousands or even millions of new listeners.

6. Fosters Industry Recognition and Growth

A large following on Spotify is a clear indicator of your success and potential as an artist. It demonstrates to record labels, managers, and booking agents that you have a loyal fan base, making you a more attractive prospect for record deals or event bookings. As industry professionals see your follower count rise, they’re more likely to recognize your potential, which can accelerate your growth within the industry.

7. Encourages Creative Freedom

When you have a substantial following on Spotify, you gain more freedom to experiment with your music. A dedicated fan base is more likely to support and embrace creative risks, giving you the confidence to evolve and explore new styles without worrying about losing your audience. This creative freedom can lead to a richer, more diverse catalog of music, strengthening your appeal and solidifying your place in the music world.

[watchworldlive]

Miss Rachel's Net Worth: How she rose to internet stardom

If you've got toddlerhood and its wants that never seem to end, you may have come across a YouTube sensation who goes by the name of Miss Rachel. This bubbly and interactive educator has got parents and children alike enthralled with her entertaining fun and educationally aimed videos especially made for little learners. However, amidst all the cheerful covers and vibrant videos, there comes one relevant question: What's Miss Rachel's net worth? Miss Rachel was not an overnight YouTube sensation, and her journey weaves just as much passion and persistence into the success.

The Story of Miss Rachel: A Passionate Early Childhood Educator

Miss Rachel (Rachel Griffin Accurso) is not just some YouTube personality who somehow drifted into overnight fame. She has always been a teacher who simply loved teaching the most immature learners. In fact, she comes from a background of early childhood education and music backed by a master's degree in music education-that is just the perfect foundation for entertaining and educational content.

From Teacher to YouTube Star

Like any other bright idea, Miss Rachel's journey began with a simple desire: to help children learn. She realized, then, there was a gap in content designed to educate early today in an engaging and high-quality manner, so she filled it. From a small project, it has developed into a full-fledged YouTube channel called "Songs for Littles," here where she posts original songs, interactive lessons, and developmental milestones for children. Her strategy? Make it fun, educational, and always pertinent to what toddlers need to develop and learn. This authentic connection with her audience was the secret sauce that led her to lightning-fast success.

How Miss Rachel Built Her Online Empire

But before we dive into the numbers, let's just talk about some numbers. Miss Rachel's net worth has become a much-discussed topic-and for good reason. As her channel viewership went through the roof, so did her revenues. So how does one build a financial empire on YouTube? Let's take a closer look at some of the key elements that have fed into Miss Rachel's impressive financial growth:

1. YouTube Ad Revenue

Most YouTubers' earnings are basically the backbone of their YouTube account, meaning ad revenue is their main source of income. As Miss Rachel gets millions of views per video, the chances for ads before and during her content increase significantly.

2. Brand Collaborations

The more popular Miss Rachel became, the more brand partnership opportunities she received. Her audience primarily consisted of young children, making her an easy find for educational toys and children's apps companies for collaborations, which is not a unique case with influencers like Miss Rachel.

3. Merchandise Sales

Miss Rachel has raised it to the next level by providing things other than just videos. She now provides educational materials, books and even kids merchandise branded with her content and diversified the income streams

4. Patreon and Supporter Contributions

Most of the creators also are receiving direct support from fans through Patreon. This means that Miss Rachel gets the creative control but at the same time gives the opportunity for her followers to contribute directly to her work

5. Sponsorships and Affiliates

Well, from product placements to affiliate links, Miss Rachel must be raking in a pretty decent chunk from sponsorships with kid-friendly brands. Every time she recommends a product on her channel, she probably stands to earn some form of commission whenever the viewers proceed to buy it using those links.

So, How Much is Miss Rachel's Net Worth?

While an exact figure is hard to ascertain, analysts reckon Miss Rachel's net worth is between $3 million to $5 million. These are estimated from her YouTube earnings, merchandise sales, and other brand deals that she has been taking advantage of. Not bad at all considering the background and origin of that project-an educational channel that started in a very simple form. However, above the payment, Miss Rachel's real value goes straight to the impact she has made on young children and their families. With a bubbly personality and an urgency to teach, she had made learning fun for thousands of toddlers across the globe-and that is priceless.

How This Success Impacts Miss Rachel's Approaches

A bright example of the impact of YouTubers is Miss Rachel. Her work is, in its essence, quite educational: she helps a child develop his language and social-emotional skills and even instills music habits. Here's why her success goes far beyond just net worth: Accessibility: Miss Rachel's videos are absolutely free on YouTube, making quality education accessible to everybody.

Parental Appreciation: Parents would praise the fact that her videos have been assisting children in learning important critical developmental skills, foremost among which is speech and language. Building Community: On her warm and friendly personality, Miss Rachel has created a great online community where parents and kids feel connected.

Conclusion

In the main, her brand has actually come to represent learning, fun, and quality time for families. Miss Rachel's net worth may be significant, but it is the heart and soul she puts into the work itself. From being small-town natives to all of a sudden becoming a YouTube sensation, she has changed the way young children learn with music and play. And although financial success is noteworthy, the smiles on kids' faces and the gratitude of parents really outline her legacy. The next time you watch one of her videos with the little one, remember behind every catchy tune and a great lesson sat a woman who turned passion into a global empire. That's the journey that it has been!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND MONEY

One way to guess how far an idea extends is to ask yourself at what point you'd bet against it. But in practice that never happens. Could you reproduce Silicon Valley, the single best thing they could do might be to create a special visa for startup founders to be any syntax for it. Whereas when you're big you can maltreat them at will, and you just create Carnegie-Mellon? The real problem is the way you do releases. In the earliest stage. And so you can't begin with a statement, but with a question. A round for, say, deals to buy real estate.1 Ideally you want to take a shot at describing where these trends are leading. For example, everyone I've talked to while writing this essay felt the same about English classes—that anything can be interesting if you get growth, everything else tends to fall into place.2

It's hard to say why Yahoo felt threatened. About a year ago she was alarmed to receive a letter from Apple, offering her a discount on a new feature, they'd be able to get the resulting ideas past other people's. Is whether we can keep things this way. So there are a few cases where this isn't true: the urls at the bottom. The reason I describe this as a danger is that series A investors often make companies take more money than they want. There are two big forces driving change in startup funding: it's becoming cheaper to start. Whereas if you want to find surprises you should do the opposite. And yet it also happened that Carter was famous for his big grin and folksy ways, and Ford for being a boring klutz. It might be true that increased variation in income is a sign of something you need to write anything, though? In that kind of space. What does that mean in practice? And finally, if a good investor has committed to fund you if you stay where you are.

The right thing to compare Lisp to is not 1950s hardware, but you don't have to worry about that. 9199 Free 0. The constraints that limit ordinary companies also protect them. Now founders would prefer to sell less, and VCs are digging in their heels because they're not directly exposed to competitive pressure: a salesman has to deal with clients could be enough to put you over the edge. So is it coming out of later stage investors?3 We get startups airborne. Who pays the legal bills for this deal? Most of them myself included are more comfortable dealing with abstract ideas than with people. If the movie industry could have any law they wanted, where would they stop?4 After trying the demo, signing up for the service should require nothing more than filling out a brief form the briefer the better. Not all the people who work there.

But it was not technology but math, and math doesn't get stale. So who is our 7% coming out of later stage investors have no problem with that. It's not just that if you let Henry Ford get rich, or you've failed. And it's natural that the new version was available immediately. When is Java better and when is C? In 1800, people could not see as readily as we can that a great fortune with no apparent cause was probably due to a nearby fan. In the early 1990s I read an article in which someone said that software was a subscription business.

The angel investor cheerfully surrenders his board seat. We were terrified of starting a company, why not start the type with the most basic question: will the future be better or worse than the 20th best player, causing him not to make the team, and if Microsoft doesn't control the client, they can't push users towards their server-based software, they will be facing not just technical problems but their own wishful thinking. It makes a better story, partly because there is so little time before Demo Day, because Demo Day presentations are now so short that they rarely include much if any demo. In a way it's a relief to get some message past network-level filters if they want to invest and offers the founders a term sheet, ask how many of their last 10 term sheets turned into deals. If a company wants to make a silicon valley; you let one grow. In addition to working in their space, you were supposed to fight back, and there was no such thing as a freelance programmer. A company has to be inexpensive and well-designed.

The hard part about figuring out what people want, deciding how much to how many voters, and adjust their message so precisely in response, that they tend to split the difference and say that they wanted yellow. So anything we could do to decrease the false positive rate at the expense of the filtering rate. I found out why. Part of the problem is that big projects tend to grow into a big company of mediocre ones, where bad ideas are caught by committees instead of the people who run them. In a way.5 Surely everyone realizes that was just a fast-growing companies overspend on different things. As for building something users love, and make more than you are. Starting one is at first no more than a town with the right personality. In fact, shelving an idea probably even inhibits new ideas: as you start to get mixed together with the spin you've added to get them to give you bigger abstractions—bigger bricks, as it were, so you must. When I give a draft of an essay. One thing we can say for sure is that there is nothing in spam-of-the-future must be low, or everyone would be doing it.

The fascinating thing about optimizing for growth is that it can be updated without confusing the users. Occam's Razor implies, is the sort of things we now patent as software, but it's never going to go anywhere, and yet did things no mainframe software could do. I got about 1750 spams. Lisp.6 The cows apparently learn to stay away from them, and judged them less by what they said than who wrote them; a magazine might publish a story by an unknown writer if it was good, so I can answer for both. I want to say explicitly that I am not surprised to hear it. I was interested in being a technologist in residence. Immigration difficulties might be another reason to stay put.7 The centralizing effect of venture firms is a double one: they cause startups to form around them, and those who make more money than they have in the past.8 It looks as if server-based software is that a company won because its founders were so smart. But most types of work that depend more on talent are always more admirable. Because seed firms are companies rather than individual people, reaching them is easier than reaching angels.

Notes

I talk about real income statistics calculated in the production of high school as a game, you don't mind taking money from the study. The other reason it's easy to slide into thinking that customers want what you launch with, you might be 20 or 30 times as much effort on sales. Peter Norvig found that three quarters of them. One sign of the increase in economic inequality is really about poverty.

You won't always get a lot like meaning. Microsoft discourages employees from contributing to open-source but seems to be considered an angel investment from a mediocre VC. The state of technology, so the best case. Obvious is an instance of a type of lie.

A related trick is to start software companies constrained in b. I've come to writing essays is to hand off the task at hand almost does this for you by accidents of age and geography, rather than ones they capture. According to a woman who, because the danger of chasing large investments is not that everyone's the same way a bibilical literalist is committed to rejecting it.

This essay was written before Firefox.

We didn't swing for the same energy and honesty that fifteenth century artists did, but I couldn't believe it or not.

This was made particularly clear in our case, as on a wall is art. While the first third of the most powerful men in Congress, Sam Altman wrote: After the war, tax receipts as a company just to steal the company goes public.

There are lots of search engines. Apparently the mall was not drinking that kool-aid at the end of the lies we tell kids are smarter than preppies, just try to get all the difference between good and bad measurers. Which OS?

My first job was scooping ice cream in the sort of Gresham's Law of conversations. To track down. But it is unfair when someone gets drunk instead of profits—but only because he had more fun in this, but I think is happening when you use the wrong side of the scholar.

[kisjuhaszeliza97]

Eye Tracking: What's the difference between the eye of Big Brother and the camera [for reflection]?

Hi #BigBrother fans! As I wrote before, Big Brother will return to Hungary after 21 years off the air, this time with a brand new (kid-friendly) season, i.e. season 3, and a new eye logo (which is using this title in the Netherlands and Belgium since 2021). Now we will tell you, but what is the difference between the Eye of Big Brother and the camera, if the camera reflecting the Eye of Big Brother with gaze tracking, macro view. Close your eyes and remember the beautiful legendary reality show 'Big Brother'!

Reminder: We're going between July and August 2002, TV2 aired another Big Brother trailer in the promo, when the camera looks from close up with a macro view (with camera reflection), the all-seeing beautiful eye of Big Brother is tracking the light and shut it off from the outside world.

The human eye (oculus humanus) is the sensory organ of vision in the human body, which is used to perceive the rays of light coming from environmental objects - emanating from them or reflected from them - and with its optical system it maps their shape, spatial position and color.

By analogy with the optical system of cameras, the eye has a simple, two-part converging lens type objective. The outside is the cornea, the inside is the lens. The iris, which also determines the color of the eye, reduces the amount of light entering the eye. The opening of the iris is the pupil, the diameter of which changes depending on the light intensity, and plays the role of the aperture. The incoming light rays pass through the vitreous body (corpus vitreum) and are focused on the retina. The image is the formed with the help of the central nervous system.

The iris is a flat plate with the function of a light aperture, whose light-transmitting opening (round in humanus, with a average diameter of 4 millimeteres) is the pupil (the rarely used Hungarian name for which is 'eye bug'). It is attatched to the anterior, looser part of the conjuctiva (spongiosa sclerae) with a fine connective tissue fiber system. The basis of the iris is a fine connective tissue, in which there are two opposing smooth muscles, the pupil constrictor muscles (musculus sprinter iridis (pupillae)) and the pupil dilator muscle (musculus dilator pupillae). They carry out the narrowing and dilating reactions of the pupil's adaptation to the light and other reflexes (accommodation reflex). The front surface of the iris shows a fold characteristic of the given individual. The color of the iris is determined by the number, pigment content and arrangement of the cells containing the dye (pigment) in it. They are basically influenced by hereditary factors (see eye color). It receives its double (sympathetic and parasympathetic) innervation from the autonomic nervous system. A sympathetic predominance causes the pupil to dilate, while a parasympathetic predominance contricts.

The pupil - rarely called 'the eye bug' in Hungarian - is the opening on the iris, which is round in humans, in the central part of the iris, a special flat formation of the choroid. Its role is essentially the same as that of the aperture, so it makes the image projected on the retina sharper and brighter.

At night, when a person sleeps most deeply, the pupils narrow significantly. According to researchers at the University of Geneva, this narrowing of the pupils is directly related to the area of the brain responsible for memory. According to their assumption, the closing of pupils means a kind of extra protection for the brain against the effects of external light, which could disrupt the process of recording and processing memories.

The iris contains pigment cells that determine the color of the eye. The specific muscles in it - some of which are of epithelial origin - are used to widen and narrow the pupil, which regulates the amount of light entering the eye, thus helping the eye to adapt to changing light conditions.

Its innervation is dual and originates from the autonomic nervous system. Excitation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to dilation of the pupil, while parasympathetic excitation leads to contriction of the pupil. These effects also occur when appropriate medications are used. The pupil can't be neglected from a cosmetic point of view either - which is completely justified - but sometimes the ladies were also able to do very harmful things (to themselves!) (e.g. pupil-dilating drugs).

Due to the double innervation, the dilation or constriction of the pupil is a good indivation of many processes taking place in humans. By dilating, the pupil reacts to, for example, strong positive emotions, sexual excitement, pain or intense brain activity. It narrows down to negative emotions, disgust, disgust or brain overload. These signals are known and used by many diciplines, from psychology to marketing.

Camera is a name derived from the Latin term camera obscura, which is used in the Hungarian sense of film recorder and video camera, but more recently, under the influence of English, it is also used as the name of camera.

A video camera is a structure consisting of optical lenses and a light-protected part. Through a shutter, the lenses project an image onto a recording surface, which electronically transmits/stores the incoming light. Here, the recording can be done analogically or digitally. Their resolution is still well below that of traditional cameras, but this will probably change in a few years.

The camera is structure consisting of optical lenses and a light-protected part. The lenses project an image onto a mounting surface through a shutter mechanisim. With a word of Latin origin, it is also called a camera. Analog cameras are only suitable for recording still images, but digital cameras can also record moving images, i.e. they also function as video cameras.

Most cameras record the image in the range of light perceptible to the human eye, but some special machines and photographers using special film are able to record images from the invisible range as well.

Any plate made of transparent material (usually glass or plastic), bounded by two spherical surfaces or a spherical surface and a plane, and influencing light rays in a directed manner, is called an optical lens. Lenses can basically be convex or concave. Convex lenses are those that are thicker in the center than át the edges; if the material of the lens is optically denser than that of the environment, these are also called collecting lenses. Convex lenses (spread lenses), on the other hand, are thicker at the edges.

Both converging and diverging lenses form an image of objects. These images can be real or apparent. As an objects moves along its axis, it moves closer or further away from the lens. If the object approaches the lens, the image moves in the same direction, i.e. the mapped image moves away from the lens. In the case of a collecting lens, six characteristic ray paths can be distinguished in the optics. The discussion of the case applicable to the collector lens can be seen in the attatched picture.

Let's go back to the human eye, the eye lens (lens oculi) is bioconvex, transparent optical lens, diameter 9 millimeters, thickness 4.5 millimeters, the convexity of its front surface is smaller, and the convexity of its back surface is greater. The edge connecting the two surfaces is rounded. It is formed by modified, highly elongated epithelial cells. It is covered by a transparent membrane, the lens (capsula lentis). In its stock, a more gelatinous cortex (cortex lentis) and a denser core (nucleus lentis) can be distinguished.

The discovery of eye tracking is linked to the name of the French ophthalmologist Emile Javal (1878). Javal observed the movement of the eyes while reading and noticed that the eyes do not continuously along the lines, but in small jumps (per saccade), and intermediate fixations can be observed during the jumps.

Eye tracking enables the measurement of eye movements, eye positions and gaze points through various technological processes. In other words, eye tracking identifies and monitors a person's visual attention to location, objects, and duration.

After 21 years off the air, Big Brother will return to Hungary, this time with a brand new (kid-friendly) season, if a water fairy falls asleep on his pupil in the World Inside the Eye of Big Brother, she will dream big and shut it off from the outside world.

Are you waiting for the revival of Big Brother Hungary, this time with a brand new (kid-friendly) season? Read and tracking this text with your eyes!

"See yourself with your beautiful fairy eyes! Big Brother - It's in our eyes. Kids are waiting too." [Ophthalmologically tested] 👁️

PLEASE REBLOG THIS ARTICLE NOW!

[wellthatwasaletdown]

She will cross heaven and earth to be with this man and he will not move a finger to do anything for her. If Harry dropped a BUA right now in one week time the little people that are talking about Olivia will cease to exist. I would think she would try to garner a fan base or do a project or literally anything to create a Fanbase outside of Harry so when this is over or ends abruptly she has people that will want to pay attention to her and what she’s doing. But she’s not thinking about it smart (never is) and she’d rather just direct all her attention towards Harry. She could be banking right now of that future Spider-Woman movie (if she’s still doing it) she’s directing knowing how huge the MCU is it’s fans. If she put her time and effort into marketing and getting people excited for the incoming movie I think it would be much more beneficial long run. She could also bank off rhe “mommy bloggers” right now who are in support of her during the custody battle. She could show herself actively being with her children publicly and spending time with them. She could use her social media to advocate for young women and girls to be in directing and leadership roles via movies or whatever else. She should’ve took that direction during the Vogue interview instead of spending most of the time trying to talk about Harry without saying his name. She could show herself actually having friends and social life that does not revolve around him. She just needs to focus on herself and what she brings to the table outside of this relationship what is going on work wise for Olivia Wilde that’s where the focus should be. Not attending every single one of his shows hoping his teenage fan girls wave at you and call you pretty.

Harry already has the name and the career to follow once the relationship ends and he will be onto the next media wise. It would be smart for Olivia to create a name for herself outside of this relationship that can sustain her once DWD has released and her impending relationship will end. Unless she thinks he’s gonna put a ring on her finger judging from how he answered that question revolving her on Howard Stern I don’t see it happening in the foreseeable future. I think if you’re in love with someone and you want to be with them for the rest of your life and they are different than any of your other partners you ever had you will make sacrifices and choices to be with them regardless of what anyone thinks in the public eye which is what she does for H but he doesn’t reciprocate it towards her . If Harry felt so strongly for her he would answer the questions directly and he would not allow this woman to get as much hate and beradement she receives on a daily basis. He would also actively try to support her through her projects and ultimately want to grow with her as a unit which they would be. Which means not giving her access and slightly advocating her to leave her children constantly to be with him. The driving point is  he couldn’t answer that simple mundane question that could confirm their relationship after being together for a year and a half publicly. I wonder if she genuinely can comprehend that she’s always getting the short end of the stick relationship wise because you shouldn’t be treated like this by a partner. I wonder if Jason may have a breaking point during this upcoming world tour because we know she’s gonna try to attend every single show and it spans all across the globe. She already can’t complete her simple week on and week off with the kids so what are we expecting right now…

.

[bts-teaspoonff]

Fangirl pt. 1

Genre: Romance, Slow Burn, Idol A/U

Pairing: BTS OT7 x reader

Rating: PG

Summary: Y/N, being a huge fangirl, finally got her chance to work alongside her favorite idol group as a backup dancer. She gets to know each member personally and realizes that her feelings may be more than fangirl-idol attraction.

Word Count: 3K

PARTS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | .... masterlist

“It’s finally here!” I shouted as I bolted from my room towards the front door to greet the delivery man carrying my package. Even without looking at the mirror, I could feel my smile going up to my ears and my heartbeat furiously echoing through my chest. The delivery man handed me a medium sized box and stared at me as I reach out for the box with a huge smile plastered on my face. I signed the delivery form, closed the door and ran back inside my unit.

I ran to the living room and placed the box on the floor. I turned to my left and hurriedly rummaged for my cutter inside the drawer beside the sofa. I also took my phone on top of the said drawer and placed it on my lap. I swiftly sat down on the floor in front of my package with the cutter ready in my hand when I remembered something. I unlocked my phone and proceeded to video call my brother who’s at work. My brother’s name and his photo appeared on the screen as I wait for him to answer the call.

“Hey Y/N…” His face popped up on my screen. I silently giggled at the angle of his front camera when he answered the call. Not really flattering despite him being good looking. He must have placed the phone on a table directly below his face. “You know I’m at work right? Why did you call? Emergency?” I could hear keyboard sounds in the background. He must be busy typing on the computer as he didn’t bat an eye on his phone while talking to me.

“Yeah I know. I just wanted to share some good news” My camera is facing towards me with just my eyes peeking through screen. I was worried that maybe he’s with some people at work that might see me when he answers the video call and I’m not decent looking right now. “My package has arrived!” I low-key squealed as I pressed the ‘rotate camera’ button on the screen and directed the camera at the package. I could see my brother looking now at the phone. He placed his phone in front of him and leaned it on a stable surface for him to see me properly. He continued to type slowly on his keyboard as he steal glances on his phone screen.

“Don’t tell me…. You bought another merch?” He giggled as he looked at his phone screen and continued to type on his keyboard. He looked back at his computer screen after a second, with a smile on his face. I opened the package with my cutter on one hand and my phone on the other. Tearing through the tape, I can’t contain my excitement as i shrieked when my cutter got through the end of the tape. I released the cutter from my hand and pushed it aside.

“BTS Merch! Oh my god, I have been waiting for these for weeks. I got the latest album, more Tiny Tan figurines, and some concert goods from last tour.” I proceeded to open the box and showed my brother the contents. I felt accomplishment as I look at all the merchandise that has just arrived at home. My ARMY heart couldn’t contain the joy that I have right now. I shot my eyes back on the phone screen and saw my brother smiling as he looked at me through the phone screen.

“Hey, I’m happy you are happy but you know I work in Big Hit right? I work for them?” He stopped typing, took the phone back in his hands and brought the phone close to his face. “I could just easily buy these things for you with my employee discount.” And now his whole face is occupying my phone screen. 

“Jiyong, I know but where’s the fun in that? I want to buy these items using my own money. Well, an employee discount is nice but I don’t want to abuse your privilege as I buy too much of their merchandise.” I snorted at the fact that I really do buy too much of their merchandise. Besides, when I use his employee discount, the items are delivered directly to him as he works inside the Big Hit Building. With the amount of merchandise that I buy, I don’t want to embarrass him and label him as a big fanboy especially with him working so close to the boys.

“If you weren’t my twin sister, I would totally laugh at you. Not that I think you’re crazy but you’re…. loyal” He puts emphasis on the last word. He respects my deep profound respect for the 7 boys but he thinks that maybe I have gone too far with the purchases. He placed his phone back in front of him, leaning on a surface. “Oh before I forget, did you read my email?” I was taken aback with topic change but I’m used to it as he does this all the time. I pressed the ‘rotate camera’ button once again for him to see my face. 

“No, I haven’t opened my email yet. I went home so late last night. My last client in the gym arrived late so we finished late as well. A bummer.” I scoffed as I remembered the fatigue that enveloped my body yesterday. I work as a gym trainer/physical therapist full time and a dance teacher/choreographer as my sideline. I work at my friend’s gym located in the heart of Seoul as a gym trainer. I currently handle 7 clients, some who I have worked with for a few years already. I also teach dance classes at a small dance studio just a few blocks from where I live. Mainly, I handle BTS dance classes because duh, I am a full-blooded ARMY. I really tried to make my passion as a source of income and it warms my heart to see people having fun when I teach them those dances.

“Check it. Anyways, I gotta go. I still have a lot to do. As you know, the company is busy since BTS will be releasing another album sometime this year.” My brother currently works as a Recording Engineer in Big Hit. He used to brag to me that he’ll spend hours with BTS and TXT. I was jealous of course but I am so proud he’s working for them. Whenever I listen to songs from Big Hit artists, I try to think that he has contributed to a lot of songs despite not knowing what exact songs he has worked on. Another reason why I listen and support them.

We both said our farewells and dropped the call. As I took out all the contents of the package unto the floor, I used my phone on the other hand. I opened my mail and saw few unread emails. Some of them were from my subscriptions on Netflix and Spotify, which I barely read. On top of the list was my brother’s mail. I saw the subject “READ THIS FANGIRL!” and I laughed. Here I thought he sent me something urgent or important that needs my utmost attention. Must be another event or merchandise that they’ve yet to announce to the public.

I opened the mail and my eyes were glued to the first line of the message body.

“Big Hit is hiring backup dancers. See the forwarded email below, sis. I think they’re meaning to assign whoever they’ll hire as part of BTS dance team.” Did I just receive this email? It came from my brother so it must be true. He won’t prank me like that. If I apply, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be hired right? That’s too bad if I won’t be hired but there’s nothing to lose if I try to apply.

I left my package scattered throughout my floor and ran towards my laptop lying on my bed. I sat down on the floor beside my bed and opened my laptop. I felt like a kid but here I am, rushing to find my resume to apply for a new job that might eventually change my life.

….

It’s been a week since I applied as a backup dancer for Big Hit. I sent in my resume and a few videos of me dancing to some of their artists’ songs. I’m lucky to have known a lot of BTS’ songs and choreographies by heart and I might have tried to study some of their label mates’ songs as well. I haven’t received a reply back from them and I’m worried that I may not receive any response ever.

Apparently, BTS is known for having only male backup dancers as far as I know so it’s news to me that they’re hiring female backup dancers now. It got me thinking that this might also attract fellow fangirls like me to apply but knowing Big Hit, they wouldn’t want anything scandalous to happen just because they hired female backup dancers. I’m not saying that female dancers lack professionalism but how the boys are the top rank boy group in the country, female fans would be green with jealousy if they see female dancers dancing with them. Some Armies are really protective when it comes to the boys so it’s really shocking to hear that the company is finally considering this.

The day that I got the mail from my brother, I spent half of my day planning what dances to shoot and submit. I chose BTS’ Idol and Singularity, TXT’s Crown and a freestyle dance to Beyonce’s Yonce. I wanted to showcase my range in dancing by carefully choosing a variety of songs. I admit that the reason I may have applied to this job is partly because I’m a fangirl but nonetheless, my passion for dancing is bigger. I have been dancing since I was a kid but I was not this confident at the start. It’s hard to convince me to perform in front of a bigger audience, let alone a stadium full of fans. I slowly got over my fear little by little when I started teaching dance classes at the dance studio. The fear is still there and you may wonder why I am applying for this job when I’m scared shit in performing for a large audience. BTS taught me to love myself and I am really trying my best to go out of my comfort zone. I figured that this may be my best chance in doing so. Also, I get the benefit of working alongside them which is a big plus.

I couldn’t really focus on my job for the whole week. I find myself regularly checking my mail in the hopes of getting a response from Big Hit. 5 days and there’s still no mail. Maybe my email just went to their spam folder or maybe I typed in the wrong mail. On the 7th day while I was pulling out my clothes in the dryer, I heard a ping from my phone from across the hall. I left my phone on my bed and the laundry room is right beside my room. I noticed that the ping was my assigned tone for mails. I hurriedly took out all my warm dry clothes and unto the basket, closed the door of the dryer and turned the lights off in the laundry room.

“New Mail. Subject: Dance Team Application” I saw the notification banner and my heart just jumped out of my chest. I felt my forehead sweating profusely, fingers shaking and my throat closing up as I try to open my phone and check my mail. I silently and swiftly read the contents of the mail. After two seconds, I shrieked at the top of my lungs and threw my phone across my bed. I ran out of my room and in circles around the living room. Good thing I live alone so that I could just celebrate and make loud noises like this. I jumped up and down on the sofa while etching the image of the mail into my head. I buried my head on my pillows and shouted once more, emptying all the air out of my lungs.

I ran back into my room and read the mail again.

“Good day, Miss Y/N.

We have received your application and we are glad to say that we are impressed with your resume and skillset. We would like you to come in our office tomorrow so we can meet and talk personally with our dance team. We are glad to have you join our current dance team. Details of our meeting are expressed below.

Time: 10 am

Address: 42 Teheran-ro 108-gil, Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Attire: Comfortable Casual

Please look for Mina at the front desk to escort you. Thank you.”

I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. Did I just got accepted? As a backup dancer? For Big Hit? Maybe for BTS? I’m such a lucky fangirl. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

….

It’s a good thing that my schedule is free today. I don’t have any clients in the gym scheduled for today and the dance studio is closed for today. I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I woke up at 6 am as I feel my jitters bothering my sleep. I tried to go back to sleep but I trashed the bed and rolled side to side for about 30 mins so I decided to go for a run. I turned on my Spotify and played my ‘Intense Run Playlist’ which mostly consists of high bpm BTS songs. There’s a jogging path near where I live and the scenery is filled with trees. Very calming, which I really need right now.

I arrived in front of the Big Hit Building around 8:30 am. I made sure to arrive early as I don’t want to be late for the meeting. I’m so anxious right now if I’m allowed to go up as early as 9 am or should I just arrived on time. I lingered outside and paced back and forth at a nearby shade. I wondered if I could visit my brother and stay with him for the mean time.

“Is she a stalker?” I heard whispers coming from my right as I slumped back at the pole where I’m taking shade just across the building. “That’s scary.” Three schoolgirls were standing a few meters away from me. They were staring and smirking at me. I wondered why they would think of me as such then I realized that I wore my hoodie up to cover half of my face.

“I’m not…���

“Good luck stalker-nim. You won’t get a glimpse of the boys.” They giggled and ogled me with judgmental looks with their arms across the chests. “Can you get away from the boys? We don’t want stalker armies like you.”

“As I said, I’m not a stalker and I’m older than you. Why are you talking to me in an informal tone?” I pull my hoodie off my head and slowly tread towards them. They laughed and ran away at the sight of me making my way to them. Sheesh, do I really look like a stalker?

I looked at my watch and it’s still 9:10 am. I guess I could try and visit my brother. The fresh morning air blew gently in my face, as if to welcome me, and be my merry playmate, and the sun looked at me with a warm and tender smile. What a nice start to my day, I thought. I put up my hoodie again and I was comfortable once more with the warmth my mere hoodie gave me.

“I have a meeting in your building today. Do you want to meet up? I’m not due until 10 am. – your adorable look alike” I texted my brother and inserted my phone back in my pocket. I breathed in the fresh breeze and not a second later, my phone pinged. I pulled out my phone to see my brother’s name on the screen.

“Lucky, I’m on a coffee break. I’ll be down in a sec.” he replied. A grin was present on my face as I stood up from where I was leaning. I skipped from across the street towards the building. I looked above at the sky and towards the top of the Big Hit Building and when I returned my gaze back in front of me, I was met by a dark haired man in his mid-twenties. I bumped into him and was knocked down at the side of the street. I exclaimed in pain as I rub my backside.

“Hey look where you’re go…” I looked up and immediately recognized the face. The man was wearing a grey Fear of God shirt paired with black baggy pants. His face was half covered by a black mask and his hair was kept away from his face with a black headband almost occupying his whole forehead.

“You should be the one watching you’re going. Crossing the street while prancing around like that.” He scoffed and continued to make his way towards the building. He didn’t even help me up. I sneered back.

“I’m sorry. I assure you that he’s not usually like this. He’s in a bad mood.” Two hands were suddenly around my elbows, propping me up from the ground. I turned my head and saw a woman around mid-twenties as well. She was carrying an opened big black bag propped on her right shoulder with filled with piles of unruly papers stuck inside. When I finally was able to stand up properly, she took off her hands from me and bowed in apology. She swiftly followed the man and shouted, “Yoongi, wait. I can explain.”

So I was right. It was Suga. All the images of a funny and loving Min Yoongi ran through my mind. Just like a scary movie, it was replaced by a disgusted look he shot at me a while ago. Did he…. Maybe he thought I was a stalker or something? I guess if I really looked like one then I don’t blame him for shooting those looks at me. However, a decent person would help anyone up in that situation.

I beat the dust off my hoodie and slowly treaded towards the building’s entrance. Not a really good way to start my first interaction with anyone from BTS, I thought.

Next part: 2

[witchvspatriarchy]

Feminism vs Female Empowerment vs Feminist Exemplification

In the past years this thread of labeling anything that’s female positive as feminist has really skyrocketed and it bothers me greatly. Great female representation and female empowerment does not make a thing feminist. Something that illustrates, explains or describes a feminist value or point of view does not make that thing feminist.

What defines something as sexist or empowering or feminist is the context and the message or objective that it wants to convey.

There are men in the industry who are progressive and works towards equality by hiring more women, and actively trying to give us better female representation. There are women who direct women in films about women and who try to maintain a crew or team of mostly women. In both cases, none of this makes their project or them feminists.

The majority of the entertainment industry responds and caters to The Male Gaze – it does so even if there are no men operatively involved in the project, because 99.9% of people in the industry do not make art, they are here to make money.

And although it is based on what we commonly call artistic careers, that does not mean that there is a really artistic background or objective in the things being made – it’s purely commercial in a vast majority.  The ultimate goal of the entertainment industry is to sell. Therefore, much of this "art" is not progressive, thought-provoking or subversive in any way, specially if the person in charge believes that this could cost them money. The main objective is to market to the consumers and they do so at the expense of everything - this includes quality, values, points of view, consciousness and self-awareness. And this is when two very interesting things happen: Faux Feminism & Female Exploitation.

Female Exploitation is when the person in charge believes that what sells is quiet, beautiful and sensual women – this is the main thing, and the character's story is secondary (so much that most end up being just eye candy or as a manic pixie dream girl). In this case they think of subversive and thought-provoking as something that can harm their income. So the actresses talent and creativity doesn’t really matter, as long as they’re pretty and sell.

Faux Feminism is when the person in charge believes that the money is in the feminist pov and they make films that could pass as feminist and with strong female characters that follow closely and/or represent the political climate and feminist discourse of today – but that does not make the product feminist, mainly because in most cases they do this in the most superficial way for a monetary gain. Keep in mind, in this cases they don’t explicitally use the word feminism in attachment to whatever their selling, but it’s very obvious.

And sometimes is neither of these, but instead Casual Feminism - when something could represent, stand for feminism but that wasn’t the intention at all. Feminists saw it and were like HECK YEAH.

Is feminist a project in which mostly or only women participate? Is feminist a project where the main roles are 99% female? Is feminist a project that addresses sexism? Is feminist a project that’s inclusive? Is feminist a project with independent and empowered women? Is feminist a project that criticizes the way in which society treats women? The answer to all this is NO.

What defines whether something is feminist or not, is first and foremost if whether its exhibitors/creators are feminists or if it was written to represent/stand for feminism explicitly and consciously. If I wear a shirt that says I am feminist, that does not make me feminist. Being a fan of Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Emma Watson or any other feminist does not make me a feminist. Reading one feminist book does not make me feminist (it’s the start, if so I decide). I'm just wearing something, following a person, consuming a product. And many artistic products are attributed the term feminist when they are not in the slightest. If you assume that it is feminist because it exemplifies feminism or is potentially empowering for women, that does not make it feminist. Talking about self-love, girl power, sorority and sexism does not make you a feminist - it makes you self-aware of your rights, strengths and weaknesses and that is excellent and encouraged, but it does not make you feminist.

Why? Because Feminism is a philosophical, social, political, economic and artistic current. What makes a feminist person a feminist, above all, is that they identify themselves as such, with all the awareness of what feminism is because they have studied it or are constantly studying it or have the intention of studying it.

We can long and dream for a feminist awakening in the entertainment industry, but precisely because of that we should not label just anything as sfeminist, because labeling something or someone as feminist when it is not is a disrespect to the person or product and misleading; and it is harmful to the people and products that are feminist and that are mostly ignored, criticized, received in a negative way and usually overshadowed by pseudo-feminist products with better marketing, plus it only helps to preserve the misinformation and misunderstanding of what feminism is and superficializes it. Not to mention it can perpetuate some misconceptions.

Something or someone not being feminist does not mean it is sexist and there IS feminism in the entertainment industry, but very little and it usually suffers from detractors from the industry itself; so what we find mostly is female empowerment, in an initial and often diluted facet.

So no, we can't call it feminist but we can call it empowering since many women feel that spark of strength, they feel identified and reflected accurately, maybe they even feel understood - and that is something very valuable. We can also use them as an exemplification of feminism, there are many artistic projects that are not feminist but serve to explain, illustrate or describe a feminist point of view because they showed it excellently.

Let’s see some examples of what I’m talking about:

Mean Girls is a great example of a feminist movie. It represents and portrays feminist points of view and feminist values consciously and with the intention and awareness of doing it directly from a feminist stand. It has the feminist label very big and very visibly. It was written by a feminist (Tina Fey), inspired on the novel of another feminist (Rosalind Wiseman). The director is not a feminist, as far as we know, but that doesn’t take away from its value as a feminist piece of work in any manner.

Legally Blonde is another great example of a feminist film. The writers, Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith are both feminists, Kirsten notably being a Riot Grrrl. It is based on a novel written by a feminist (Amanda Brown). And just as Mean Girls, it represents and portrays feminist points of view and feminist values consciously and with the intention and awareness of doing it directly from a feminist stand. It has the feminist label very big and very visibly. Also, it is very female empowering.

Now let’s talk Harley Quinn, because is a very interesting one.

First, let’s talk about her in the comics. She wasn’t created by feminists. She isn’t coded as feminist. She is not written as a feminist character. She is not female empowering for most of her story. Nor she or her story are an exemplification of feminism. The character is not meant to represent or embody feminism in any way. So is she a feminist character? No.

Now, in the movie Birds of Prey. Again, she wasn’t created by feminists. Was the script written by a woman? Yes, but not a feminist woman. Is the movie directed by a woman? Yes, but again, not a feminist woman – the director even said in an interview that she didn’t want to “sound too much like a diehard bra-burning feminist”. The film had an all women crew. Again, Harley isn’t coded as feminist - she is not written as a feminist. The character is not meant to represent or embody feminism in any way. BUT is it female empowering? HELL YES. And the movie as a whole is a great exemplification of feminism, this is another quote from the director: “a harlequin’s role is to serve, they’re nothing without a master and so the movie is about Harley Quinn becoming her own master. And not just Harley, but the Birds of Prey as well. All these women go through something and they’re all trying to break free from their own chains”. So is the movie feminist? No, and so are not it’s characters. But we can and should embrace and celebrate Harley Quinn from a feminist point of view.

Is Hermione Granger a feminist character? No. But she is female empowering and an exemplification of feminism. The actress who plays her, Emma Watson, is a feminist but that doesn’t magically makes all the characters she portrays feminists or well written female characters.

On the other hand, Lisa Simpson IS a feminist. Is the voice-actress a feminist? I don’t know. Are the creators feminists? I dont know either - but it doesn’t matter because Lisa is a feminist and she is explicitly portrayed and written as such, she voices feminism and is meant to embody and represent a feminist (even if it’s an 8 year old one) – and she does so very well if I might add.

So stop calling everything “feminist” and stop telling people that if they believe in equality they are inherently feminists even if they dont want to use that label themselves, stop this specially towards people (I’ve seen this in comment sectons). In my experience, there are three types of women who refuse the feminist label:

1) The Closeted Feminist: a woman that’s not afraid to speak up about their opinions but doesn’t describe themselves or their povs with the word feminism even though their arguments and discourse has a feminist stand that is based on feminist theory to the point where it’s obvious this person has immersed themselves in feminist books, podcasts, films, documentaries, etc – this could be because labeling oneself as a feminist is dangerous. Either in their house, or in the society they’re a part of – and with this I mean that it could actually lead to abuse or active persecution. Not everyone has the same freedom, background and opportunity you do.

 2) The Double Agent: they say they don’t need feminism and they don’t believe in it but they still stand for equality and justice. Usually this person doesn’t really understand what feminism is because they have never cared to learn about it and yet they go round commenting on feminist blogs about “how feminists are wrong” – this person believes the patriarchy’s version of what feminism is. This person is aware of the injustice and inbalance but thinks feminism is sexism towards men, hatred of men and that is used for women as a women-victimizing campaign to get pity points and advantages. This are the people that said Taylor Swift played the victim for 13 years.

 3) The Free Woman: she doesn’t believe in feminism, she probably voices hate towards feminism and feminists and thinks very low of them because “she doesn’t need feminism” because she loves the men in her life and has “never suffered sexism” first hand so it doesn’t exist. The Free Woman and the Patriarchal Feminist have in common that they feel feminism victimizes women and is sexism towards men. The difference is one thinks inequality is a myth and the other one knows it’s still a thing.

If ya’ll read all of this KUDOS TO YOU and THANK YOU. I’ve been thinking about this for almost a year and it took me a long time and effort to write this and put my thoughts into words cause I’m really bad at expressing myself and lack communication skills. I’d like to write too about the difference between Feminist Icon – Feminist Woman – Iconic Women, just because I’m tired of that mess too.

[lightneverfades]

Tehee! The Frostiron Holiday Wishes challenge ❆ is officially closed for submissions, and OPEN FOR CLAIMS! 🎅🎄 (Wishlist)

Sorry for the delay in posting the wishlist! And thank you so much to everyone who’s submitted prompts! :D ♥ ♥ ♥ 

For those not aware of the challenge, you can see what it it’s all about in the original post here! :)

*** This post was last updated: 12/8/2020 ***

Rules for Claiming a ‘Wish’

❆ Artists can claim as many ‘wishes’ (idea/prompt) as they want and fill them (as all prompts are not designated to a specific artist)!

After you’ve picked up a ‘Wish’ to Fill 

❆ Please be sure to contact me (lightneverfades) via message which one you chose! ❆ When you finish creating the artwork for the wish (ideally before Dec 24), please be sure to send me the art/fic/etc you’ve made! (If you need help sending it to me, let me know and I’ll help!)  ❆ I know you might be excited, but the surprise is what makes this fun, so please keep your artwork a secret until Dec 24 & 25!

❆ On Dec 24 & 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!) 🎅🎄, I will post a MASTER POST including links/photos/etc of all the artwork/completed fills received for the prompts below! :)

Types of Fills ✨

❆ Any type of fan works is allowed - That means fan fics, fan art (drawings, digital graphics), fan videos and fan mixes!

Note: *= Anything with this means I couldn’t directly tag the user’s name. (Please contact me and I will edit it so that it works!)

FAQ ✨

Q: Is there a word limit?  A: Nope, there is no word limit! ;) Although it will be ideal if the fic in general is a complete work! 

Without further ado, here are the wishes received for the challenge! ♥

Requester: @kimmycup​  Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Invasion fic where Tony figures out Loki was mind controlled before Loki does: "But I WAS in control. Thanos didn't control me like I did Clint." "Yeah sure. And if you wanted to take over the world, what would you do?" Loki spluttered, fully aware that plan was dumb. Still, he would KNOW if he were controlled... Right? "But I wasn't mind controlled! It was me!"

Requester: @kimmycup​ Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki in Tony's MIT sweatshirt.

Requester: @worstloki​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: nothing nsfw please >:) Wish (Prompt/Idea): Tony and Loki both having panic attacks at the same time. just make it wild. whatever the reasons are, maybe it's the same reason? maybe they have shared triggers? maybe it's separate reasons? maybe the other avengers are around and don't realize the incoming attacks and keep bringing up bad memories? maybe one of them notices the other is freaking out and defends them? maybe drags them away only to also start having a panic attack? whatever. they're both freaking out and just kinda do that. they then bond over it. (this can be crack or angsty I don't mind)

Requester: Nivael * Rating: E (Explicit) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): I’d always had that idea in my head, that Loki somehow took notice of Tony during the events of Thor 1, when he was on earth/watched Thor on earth.He fell in love with the mortal that was at the same time so different yet similar to him. So when he fell from the Rainbow bridge and into Thanos’ hands he planned to sabotage earths invasion from the very start to save Tony. Fast forward to at least after the end of Thor 2, (when Loki takes Odin’s place in the MCU) Loki escapes to earth after Thor thinks he’s been killed by the dark elves. He knows Thanos won’t rest until the infinity stones are his and the earth is still in danger. So he watches Tony to keep him save. With all the self hatred and lack of self esteem he harbors, he does not plan to actually act on his feelings, because he does not think he could be worthy of Tony. Plus, he invaded earth, caused lots of casualties, he’s an ugly Frost giant and the god of lies...so... yeah. He cannot think of one reason why Tony could be interested in him.But his feelings draw him to Stark and one day while following him, Loki gets careless and Tony discovers him. (Maybe Loki even discreetly intervenes a few times when Tony is in danger and Tony doesn’t notice until one day he does...?). So Stark confronts him and bit by bit (because Loki is not very cooperative and the least he wants is for Tony to discover his "ugly" emotional secret) he uncovers the truth about Thanos, the invasion and how Loki feels for him. I can imagine Loki to react ashamed, dismissive and maybe aggressive when Tony finally finds out. Tony, not being stupid, already suspected something to be fishy about the invasion. With how much Thor told him about Lokis wit and cleverness, he finds it hard to believe that Loki would make so many obvious mistakes. But now that he knows, all makes sense.Loki still watches over Tony, but keeps his distance. Until one day he saves Tonys life during a (random) attack and gets badly injured. With Lokis life on the line Stark realizes he has feelings for Loki and he takes him in to take care of his wounds. Healing takes some time so the two have plenty of time to get to know each other and deepen their feelings. Smut may follow :D (Oh... I am SO SORRY this became so much. God, it is too much, isn’t it? And sorry for my english o.o)

Requester: Nivael * Rating: E (Explicit) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki and Tony are in an established relationship. Things go great, but Loki is still unaccepting of his Jotun heritage and body. While Tony is completely fascinated by it, partly because Loki tries to hide it so hard. So he gets a fancy magical gadget from Strange (amulet, bracelet,...?) to be able to avoid frostbite so he can touch Loki even when he's in his Jotun form. Then there will be smut! :D

Requester: @brianadoesart​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): MERMAIDS. I like mermaids. Either a fic or art, but I just want more content of mer-Loki or mer-Tony.   I always enjoy versions where Loki is an underwater prince who falls in love with a stupid human inventor by the name of Tony. He's never been 100% happy in the palace with Thor and the others, so he often would go to the shore to watch the humans. He sees Tony working on the beach one day and becomes interested in him from there on. Basically a little mermaid type thing... I am easy to please. I just like mermaids.

Requester: @brianadoesart​ Rating: G (General audience) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): A.... Among Us au.......  Impostor Loki protecting his crewmate friend Tony from the other impostors.... I..... Tony and Loki as Among Us beans...

Requester: @arandomsewer​   Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: Mentions of trauma and past abuse and racism, maybe sex? Just some drama and comfort Wish (Prompt/Idea): I just want him to live on and being supported by his Friends and his brother recognizing him, that's basically the prompt. Tho here's the details of the Idea I had: Loki is living at the tower with the others (of course) too proud to say out loud how much he likes life on earth... The usual.Something happens and suddenly the magic that made him look Asgardian is just not working anymore. Understandably, he freaks out. Im talking hides in his room, crying, anger, hate, on himself and others... The whole lot, he just throws a major fit.The others know him and kind of understand and are patient... But it’s not getting fixed. Days pass, and he's stuck like this. After a while Tony snaps him out of It, and he slowly calms down and starts learning to accept this side of himself. It’s specially strange to him how he can just walk in a room and no one treats him different. How the others are even fascinated by this form. I expect Thor being shocked and curious and snapped at and reminded how he (and his people on general) have been unfair to Loki... And of course, there's the romance with Tony, Who loves him in all his forms (and they fit together 'cause he's kinky and Loki a shapeshifter)Also imagine Loki being terrified of touching Tony and then finding out he's cold to the touch but not actually dangerous (my headcanon: he's the son of Hella. Half giant and half Asgardian, and the actual heir... But that's for another fic)

Requester: @brianadoesart​​ Rating: G (General audience)   Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Tony has been living alone for so long that Pepper and Rhodey decide to find him a roommate. They've tried living with him themselves, but they're both so busy it didn't really help Tony's loneliness. So they put out an ad for someone who specifically works from home. Choosing to keep it secret WHO they need a roommate for, they get some applicants, but not the crazy amount they normally would. Rhodey and Pepper go through all the applicants, even meet with them, and they choose a nice, smart author named Loki. He's the perfect candidate- he's even excited by the idea that his new roommate has no idea he's even GETTING a roommate. He finds it funny. They introduce Loki and Tony and sit back and watch everything unfold. Obviously it ends up with Tony and Loki falling for each other in the end, but seeing the shenanigans of them trying to cohabitate would be hilarious. Just watching them learn each other and begin to care about each other. I would like to see it.

Requester: @brianadoesart​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Cupcake shop au!!!  One of our boys owns a cupcake shop and the other one is a FREQUENT visitor to said coffee shop. Lots of people think its because they have a sweet tooth, but they're just hopelessly in love with whichever one owns the shop.

Requester: @loufeysson​​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Hi! my prompt is teenage Tony and android Loki in a futuristic universe (in the style of Black Mirror, maybe?) 🥺👉🏼👈🏼 Thank you!

Requester: @blancoluna​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: CRACK, haha Wish (Prompt/Idea): Basically Friga wonders where she went wrong, asks the Oracle and goes on a guilt trip realizing she messed up to Valhalla and back. The idea is, being a queen-godess of family, she should be able to do something about it, maybe traveling in time or something... And Loki's gonna need powerful allies and Friends, like the Avengers, for example Now the same, but with detail. This is the way I imagined It. Perhaps it’s too much drama? I just don't know how to tackle It or how to go from here:After everything that happened, Frigga wonders where she went wrong, not just with Loki, but with Thor who didn't appreciate his brother, Odín, who treated him unfairly and even the servants, Who didn't respect him.She wonders if she could have done anything, and the guilt wont let her sleep until she goes to the well of wisdom, the Oracle, to seek answers.She is warned the truth may be even more painful. She may not like the answer... But she goes in.It is way worse than she thought: in one second she is reminded of all the times she should have acted, and chose not to, and she sees how It affected her family.She could and should have done something, and she had plenty of time, but at every chance she chose not to. And its perhaps worse than what Odin did because she knew It was wrong but chose to do nothing about It.But even more: It is confirmed to her that not only Odín never gave Loki a chance: he didn't find him. He stole him from the temple where he was guarded. He is not just the son of Louffey, but also of Hella, and thus, the actual heir to the throne of Asgard.She was supposed to be the godess of family, and here she was, consumed by guilt and shame, by having followed blindly a King Who abused her children and betrayed his own heir, aside from many other crimes.But Frigga can't just spend the test of eternity crying. She must do something. She was raised by witches!!Will she manage to get her hands on the time Stone? Or Will she just travel to another dimension to warn a younger version of herself? Will this be the beginning of a new multiverse? The possibilities are endless, when the godess of family must avenge her child...But first: for him to have a better Life he would need support, allies... Friends. (Enter the Avengers) 

Add-on: Frigga having this vision was just meant to be a one shot that would connect many different alternative stories, all with the 'what if Frigga did something for Loki' as a common base. All of them would be Frostiron 'cause I honestly believe they are just meant for one another! It is just so open to so many possibilities... That I never got to writing any of them. 

One of the first ideas I had following this concept was of Frigga introducing Tony and Loki early on somehow: as kids they would be like 'imaginary friends' then Tony manages to contact him and they are webcam buds... As young adults, they would help each other go a different path than they did in other lives.... and when Loki needed help, he had allies to back him. (The Avengers, whom Tony may have introduced to him earlier)

Requester: @snarkyship​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Human/no powers AU. Sort-of-enemies to friends to lovers.Tony rents this house/bungalow by the sea for the summer, with a kind of private beach where there is also a cute gazebo. Only that the gazebo is exactly halfway with the other property (by some mistake?). And the tenant of the neighbour bungalow is Loki, who's not so keen on sharing. So Loki&Tony will start a "war" to gain possession of the gazebo, doing their worst using the excuse of "this is my half, I can use it as I want". ((Optional: there is a table right in the middle, so at the beginning they sit at their own side glaring at each other, before starting deploying more convoluted tactics)).Mischief after mischief, they will start to know each other and of course everything will end with one of them inviting the other to their half for a romantic dinner and they'll end up sharing more than the gazebo <3((I hope it's enough clear and but also not too detailed??))

Requester: @snarkyship​​ Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Finally Tony has managed to locate Loki's whereabouts. And it turns out the godling lives in a pretty loft in Manhattan, with all the comforts and the most advanced midgardian technology ((lighting, temperature and everything controlled by a tablet - the Stark latest model!- , appliances linked to the wifi, and has that roomba a knife??)).Tony decides to have a little fun: who said Loki is the only one who can do a little mischief?? So he takes control over Loki's apartment hacking its system; he starts with some flickering lights, the roomba changing suddenly trajectory to stab him, then blasting music in the middle of the night and so on.And Loki would be so frustrated: at the beginning he thinks about some failure in the inferior midgardian technology, then he'll think to be under attack, but he can't feel any magic signature!! Maybe he'll freak out a little, because there is some kind of unknown entity??? ((And while he may be using all the technology without problems, it doesn't mean he fully understands its working)).Tony will have fun, but he also will discover some cute aspects of Loki's personality, like he sings to his plants and he likes to wear fuzzy socks ((ok it sounds voyeuristic, but Tony would respect part Loki's privacy, maybe he'll spy on him only when in the living room or kitchen)).((And maybe he would help Loki as well? Like, the godling had a nightmare after falling asleep on the couch, and Tony would gently woke him up with music))Loki will eventually understand that Stark, the most clever midgardian, was behind all of this, and well, he's the God of Mischief, he can appreciate a well planned trick. Time to return the favor ;)

Requester: @martiszcz​ Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Someone is trying to break them up by making Loki jealous, mentioning Tony's playboy years, talking about the time they slept with Tony, talking about how much time he spends with some friend (Pepper, Rhodey, I don't care who) but Loki doesn't react - they trust each other.

Requester: @shinindragon​  Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): The Avengers + Loki fight a villain. Loki uses a lot of his magic, eventually almost draining his energy completely when he protects Tony from getting hurt. When the battle is over, they return to the tower, all of them exhausted. Tony notices Loki doesn't look well, he asks if he's okay. Loki barely gets a word out before he collapses into Tony's arms, unconscious. Thor carries Loki to Tony's and his bedroom, explaining to Tony that he'll be alright, it's just exhaustion from an excessive use of magic. Tony stays with Loki, taking care of him. Fluff and with a sprinkle of angst. 

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) or M (Mature) Trigger warning: N/A Wish (Prompt/Idea): Detroit: Become Human AU - Young Tony Stark is neglected by his father, who is the CEO of CyberLife corporation. He craves for his attention and approval but doesn’t get it, causing him to become so bitter one day that he sneaks into one of the labs to sabotage whatever work he is doing. Tony comes across an abandoned RK800 model (also known as ‘Loki’), about to be taken apart for parts. He salvages the model before it gets destroyed, feeling sorry for this inanimate object that’s being thrown away so carelessly. He rebuilds Loki again in secret, and Loki becomes his friend through lonely times (Tony is there to help Loki understand humans, life, language, etc and Loki just keeps Tony company). Tragedy strikes the Stark family though, when his parents die in a car accident. Loki is there to help him and as Tony starts to grow up and become a man (he continues to fix Loki when he breaks down or updates him), Loki’s system starts to show signs similar to that of human emotions, although Tony is completely unaware of this. At a certain point though, Tony - in one of his bad moods - decides that he doesn’t need Loki anymore and shuts him down and puts him away in storage, resolving to move on with life without these ‘distractions’ to keep him company (image a scene where Tony is angry and throws that frustration and loneliness onto Loki, who tries to calm him down and sooth away his anxiety (’I understand you’) but Tony’s all (‘But you’re just a machine!’) and although Tony isn’t aware, Loki feels a spark of hurt, though even he can’t explain what this emotion means.)  Years pass and eventually Tony forgets about Loki. He earns a name for himself, having taken over his father’s company (which still creates androids and in addition, creates weaponry of mass destruction as well). Obadiah is watching over Tony’s company (he is the one who ‘suggested’ he focus on building a name for himself and to shut out any ‘distractions’ that get in the way: namely Loki. Over the years, he saw how Tony interacted with the android and he had the uneasy sense that the android had matured into something more than its primary use. He considers Loki a threat). The events of Iron Man happen, with Tony being captured by the Ten Rings and then escaping. During his days confined at home to recover, he stumbles upon Loki and decides to reboot him again (partly out of guilt and partly because he’s lonely again). He finds comfort with Loki once more.  Tony decides to crash the charity party by making an appearance with Loki as his ‘bodyguard’. Obadiah sees this and is not happy about this strange attachment Tony has over this android.  Loki helps Tony build his first prototypes of the Iron Man suit, and they get to reacquaint themselves. One day, Loki sees on the news that there are a number of deviant android cases and is confused by what he sees, but it soon dawns on him that he might be feeling emotions for Tony, finally understanding the true meaning, especially when Tony is injured (while Loki is out on an errand) and Obadiah ambushes Tony by stealing the mini arc reactor in his chest.  Shortly afterwards, to spite Tony, Obadiah hacks into Loki’s system and tries to eradicate the ‘deviancy’ he sensed in Loki years ago and turn the android against Tony (he tries to make Loki kill him). It doesn’t work - on the contrary, it finally frees Loki. Together, Tony and Loki go against Obadiah, who is intent on destroying them and taking over CyberLife corp.

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences)  Trigger warning: Sickly, happy song cliches! xD Hah! Wish (Prompt/Idea): In which Tony or Loki (you can choose) is cursed by Amora to relive a week in which their lives suddenly become a musical and everyone around them spontaneously bursts into dance and song. (I have this image of Loki bursting into song about something ridiculous and Tony’s like, “What the HELL, what’s going on!”). This could either be enemies-to-lovers or it could start from them already being in a relationship. Bonus points if the Avengers team all burst into song together and there’s actually lyrics!! (Then I can actually make up a tune/sing it during the last month of 2020 so this year ends with rainbows and fluff and HAPPY FROSTIRON THOUGHTS! XD)

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: T (Teen and up audiences) or M (Mature) Trigger warning: FLUFF OVERLOAD! <3 Mpreg (might not be everyone’s cup of tea) Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki has a kid with Tony (eeehehe, go all in with the loving and caring Tony fussing over his pregnant enemy-turned-boyfriend-turned-husband), calls her Morgan. Tony is obsessed with buying baby clothes for their daughter to the point where he has a closet dedicated to socks (lol he can’t get enough of small baby clothes and the potential to make his daughter look like a rainbow?!). Lol, I don’t even know! Just domestic bliss I guess! <3 Bonus points if Tony buys Christmas sweaters for his fam, including the Avengers, who dote on baby Morgan like their own (Thor with his anime eyes). Or even better, if baby Morgan grows up and plays little tricks on Uncle Thor and Loki and Tony chuckle in the background as Thor lets his niece do whatever she wants, cause he loves him too much to care, lol~

Requester: @lightneverfades​ (Lol yup, shamelessly requesting as well haha!) Rating: M (Mature) Trigger warning: CRACK, haha Wish (Prompt/Idea): Loki is a yoga instructor and one day Tony goes to one of his classes and finds out the best positions to ‘relax’ - body, mind and soul >:D. (I love puns, so go crazy hahaha!) 

[a-cat001]

Winter Warfare

Christmas had come to pass but the memories of winter had still laid their touch upon Tokyo, blanketing it in a sheet of crystal white. With Christmas having just passed, the students of Santa school were having their break before they returned to their studies, so Yule decided now would be the best time to invite you over to visit and hang out. Ryota had wanted to join but was sadly denied as Shiro had put off Ryota’s and Kengo’s extra lessons for the holidays but now that they have ended, they will be busy in study sessions. You arrive at the entrance of the Santa school, trudging through the sea of snow that goes up to your knees, to see a reindeer transient waiting by the door. As they turn their head their gaze falls upon you and begins to run up to you, “Hey there MC, I’m so glad to see you!”. The transient stops in front of you and begins to look you up and down, you are wearing your winter outfit but could have dressed a bit more warmly considering how cold the weather turned, “You must be freezing out here, come on Krampus is waiting for us inside” he states as he grabs your hand to lead you inside. As you make your way to Youl’s dorm room you admire the surroundings of the school which are still decorated top to bottom with festive lights, ribbon and garland. “Wow, even though Christmas was yesterday it still feels like everyone’s gearing up for the festivities.” You announce, “Yeah, I guess we just haven’t had the chance to take some of this stuff down, although a good amount will stay up anyways.” Yule says as he smiles at the decorations that adorn the walls. “It’s kind of sad that Christmas has ended, even though it was just yesterday I already miss the smiling faces of those children when they received their presents” Yule looks to the side with a brief glint of disappointment before you speak to him “Well at least there will always be next year, so now you have something to look forward to”. This seems to snap Yule out of his stupor as he looks back at you with surprise before swiftly shaking his head and putting on a new face that was brimming with determination and hope, “Your right! I won’t forget the past filled with smiles but I’m not going to let it keep from working towards making new ones, I’m going to work hard and look forward to next Christmas from this point on!”. Yule’s newfound confidence radiates out from him, a confidence he feels he can only show when he is near those closest to him and so to himself he thanks the threads of fate that have led to meeting you, as well as his friends like Ryota and Krampus. You and Yule finally arrive at his dorm room, a soft glow emanates from beneath the door, from which a shadow passes back and forth. The door opens to reveal Krampus turned away from you and setting up what looks to be a small snack table full of delicious looking treats that give off a sweet, warm aroma reminiscent of dinner on Christmas night. You and Yule enter the room before greeting Krampus who jumps at the sound of your voice, nearly dropping a plate topped with cookies. Krampus manages to catch himself before dropping the plate, quickly setting it down onto the table before turning to the two of you, “You two really scared me there, n-next time knock before you enter,.. That was embarrassing.”. “Sorry Krampus-senpai, we didn’t mean to scare you but look who came!” Yule exclaims, indicating over to you to which you smile and wave to Krmapus. “O-oh, hey MC, I’m really glad you decided to come hang out with us.” Krampus says while scratching his chin with his index finger. Looking past Krampus to the snack table you gaze upon the home-made treats before looking back to Krampus, “Those snacks look amazing Krampus, did you make them?” you ask, causing Krampus to look back to the snack table, “Hmm? Oh, Yule made those for us to enjoy while we hang out.” he replies. Yule then happily chimes in upon the discussion stating “Baking is actually offered here as an extracurricular course, so I have some experience with these kinds of things.”, Yule then leans in to whisper into your ear, “Although Krampus-senpai actually helped bake several of these.” he says but it is clearly evident that Krampus overheard the little note that Yule shared as he quickly pulls his hood over his head to hide his now blushing face. You are quick to change the subject to pull Krampus from his embarrassment, “So what do you guys want to do?”, at this Krampus looks back at you with a glint in his eyes as a confident smile spread across his face. In the next instant he whips around with his arms crossed over his chest, in each hand he held a stack of DVDs fanned out like a hand of cards. “HAHA! Look I’ve got plenty of Ranger shows from each season!” he roared, the sight of the DVD’s seemed to cause Yule to collapse in exhaustion, “I wonder how many ranger shows Krampus has shown to yule?” you think to yourself as you look down at the stunned reindeer. Krampus then leans in close, his face looking embarrassed but with a child-like smile at the same time “I’d be really happy if you would pick out the first one.” he says, extending his selection of DVDs for you to pick from. Before you can respond Yule picks himself off the ground and recomposes himself “No offense Krampus-senpai but could we possibly save the ranger shows for later tonight?” he say while scratching the back of his head, “I just really want to go out and do something right now, I’m still full of energy from last night.”. Krampus lets out an exhausted sigh, letting his arms drop to his side “I can’t believe you're still so full of energy after last night, I’m still pretty worn out from all the stress and punishing I had to do last night.”, “Sounds like you’ve had it rough, what exactly happened last night.” you ask him, to which he turns away to avoid looking you in the eye before responding “I-i’d rather not talk about it.”. You begin to walk around the room thinking of what to do before you stop next to the window, gazing out into the blinding white that surrounds the school and covers the earth you get an idea. “Hey guys wait right here I have an idea!” both Yule and Krampus cock their heads in curiosity as you rush outside the dorms, making your way outside to the front of the school and dig your hands into the soft snow, picking it up and shaping into several white spheres. 

Back in the dorm room Yule and Krampus converse with each other over what you could have possibly come up with before hearing the rush of footsteps coming up to the door followed by a “Hey!”, as they turn around two snowballs hit them square in the nose with sniper-like precision, sending out a spray of frost on impact. Krampus shakes the snow of his nose, “Hey, what was that for?”, “Come on, you're not gonna take that lying down are ya?” you shout before turning on your heels and dashing out the dorm once more. Krampus quickly grins before shouting after you “You bet I won’t!”, taking a sprint after you followed by Yule. As you rush outside you turn back and throw another snowball, Krampus notices the incoming snowball before he makes it outside and quickly uses the entrance door as a shield, the snowball splatting against it. As you’ve run out of snowballs you crouch down to gather more snow, giving Krampus the chance to move beyond the entrance, vaulting over the railing and into the snow before reaching down and gathering a massive amount of snow in his arms. After you finish shaping the snow into suitable ammo you stand back up with your arm pulled back, ready to fire another snowball but stop when you notice the entirety of your vision is blocked by the massive oncoming snowball Krampus hurls at you. The massive snowball hits you directly in the face,  the force of the impact sending you reeling backwards into the snow, Yule, who had been watching, grabs his antlers in panic before shouting out, “Don’t you think you may have thrown that bit too hard!?”. Krampus quickly turns from excitement to panic as he rushes over to your side, accompanied by Yule, “I-i’m sorry, I didn’t mean to throw it so hard, I just got caught up in the moment!” he says in alarm as he helps you sit up. Once you're up you shake away the snow before exclaiming “Woooo, that was awesome, nice shot Krampus!”, Krampus becoming quickly relieved at your excited reaction as you hop to your feet, “come on, I’m not down for the count yet!” you yell before dashing away to grab more snowballs. 

The three of you continue your free-for-all snowball fight, snowballs flying one direction only to fly back with return fire from the safety of the snow fort each of the three of you had built. With all the snow and frost flying back and forth some stray snowballs crash against the windows of the school, catching the attention of other students who were passing by. As the students line up around the windows to see the spectacle, many turn and rush back to their rooms to grab their coats and join in on the winter fun. The three of you learn just how much attention your snowball fight has garnered when a volley of snoballs rains down from the sidelines, you turn to look at your attackers, seeing more students coming out one after the other and before long everyone is joining in on the fight and eventually forming teams. Many of the teams had directed their attention to you and your friends with their leader coming forth, “We know who you are the guild master of the summoners! We may not be able to win a normal battle against you but snowball fights are our turf! I can’t wait to tell everyone I beat the summoner guild master!”, at his command the small army of fellow students ready their aim and simultaneously launch their snowballs into the air, which rain down upon the three of you. The three of you quickly take cover behind one of the forts you had made, a mutual agreement formed between you three to defeat the common foe. You and Krampus launch snowball after snowball while Yule replenishes your ammunition, the technique behind the three of you works like a well-oiled machine but are slowly being pushed back. As you and Krampus are pinned down you look to see that Yule has disappeared, “Where did Yule go” you ask aloud only to be swiftly answered as a sleigh pulled by Yule, stops drift out in front of you, sending a wave of snow crashing down upon the enemy and creating a momentary ceasefire. Yule then motions to you and speaks “get in” he says in a serious tone, to which Krampus lifts you up into the sleigh and begins to pass snowballs to you before lifting himself into the sleigh. Once Krampus is in, Yule takes off at blinding speed just as the other students restart their assault but Yule is able to bob and weave throughout the field with ease while you and Krampus launch snowballs from your newfound mobile artillery unit. You are soon able to push back your opponents with equal force despite the difference in numbers, the tides of war hang in the balance as neither side is ready to give in but the balance is soon disrupted as a large figure jumps from the top of the school and lands between both parties and sends up snow. Both sides stop their fire at the figure entrance who stands tall to reveal black Ded, a mischievous smile spread across his face, “all right you brats, class is in session, time to show how a real santa does a snowball!”. As soon as Ded finishes speaking, several different guns materialize around, each one giving off a resounding click before they fire off ammunition made of snow, the spray of fire sending both sides scrambling for cover while Ded’s laughter rings out into the winter air. Even with Yule’s skillful maneuvering you and Krampus are forced to duck into the sleigh as Ded continues his onslaught without reprieve, “Where’s Melusine when you need her?!” you ask aloud. “Achoo” Melusine sneezes, “What is the matter frau Melusine?” Licht asks, “Tis nothing Monsieur Licht, I just felt a slight chill.” she responds, “Perhaps it is the result of this frigid weather we have today.”, Melusine stares out into the distance and narrows her eyes, “Perhaps”. suddenly Ded seems to double over “Gaah! My back again!” he yells. Seizing this opportunity, you jump from the sleigh with snowballs in hand and head towards Ded to strike your decisive blow, but little to your knowledge Ded’s grin returns as he instantly straightens up, this time with a missile launcher in hand. “Hah! Gotcha now!” He bellows, followed by the thunderous boom of his cannon firing off a massive snowball, the world seems to slow down as you watch the snowball fly towards you, “Welp, I guess this is how I go out.” you think to yourself. In the moment you have resigned yourself, You find the path between you and the snowball blocked by Krampus, “Not so fast! The hero always arrives at the best moment to save people in distress! Winter punisher!” he roars, rearing back his fist before swinging full force at the oncoming projectile, smashing it on contact into nothing more than shimmering crystals that dance throughout the air. Krampus retains his pose with his fist outstretched for a moment before placing his hands on his hips in a triumphant pose, a gallant laugh accompanying his new persona. “Krampus, you're my hero!” you shout while running up to him and embracing him causing his face to blush as well as stiffen in response but relaxes before patting you on the head “T-there, there, if you're ever in trouble, the hero Krampus will always show up to protect you.”. As you release Krampus, Yule runs up to the two of you “That was awesome Krampus-senpai! Although Mr. Ded is still up.”, you turn to Yules indication and true to his word Ded is still standing, seeming to stand in waiting for your next move. “Well in that case, it’s time for some wild punishment!” Krampus thrusts both hands in the air as he shouts before he then equips his sacred artifact claws, meanwhile you and Yule nod in silent agreement and begin to roll together a massive snowball. Krampus then charges forward at Ded, his claws at the ready while you and Yule carry the large snowball behind him. With a wicked smile, Ded unleashes another barrage of snowballs in your direction but in response Krampus turns into a flurry of slashes, chains and bells ring out into the air with ominous sound as though everything else had gone silent. As Krampus carves a path towards Ded you and and Yule follow behind and begin to close the distance until you're finally within range to which Krampus stomps his boot into the ground and spins on his heel like a whirlwind, slicing up any remaining snowballs between you and Ded. Krampus quickly regains his footing and side steps out of the way for you and Yule who together, launch the snowball, hitting Ded and toppling him over. With Ded half buried in snow he gives a small chuckle before he raises both his hands in defeat, “Alright you three, I give, I guess I really am getting old.”, as he announces his defeat the students that had been previously hiding let out a resounding cheer. Despite the excitement in the air, you, Yule and Krampus are exhausted and ready to head inside to warmth and some delicious food.

With the conclusion of the snowball fight, the three of you head inside to clean off and sit down to watch some DVDs. Yule lights a fire in the fireplace while Krampus turns on the television and inserts a DVD and you grab one of the plates of cookies before moving over in front of the TV and sit down. You grab one of the cookies from the plate and bite into it, the warm taste of ginger floods your mouth and you're lost in a moment of bliss. In that moment you are unaware as Krampus sits down behind you, his arms wrapping around your stomach and pulling you in close while also placing his chin on top of your head, effectively surrounding you in a living blanket of warm therian fur. Craning your head around to look at Krampus he looks back down at you with flushed cheeks “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t cold after being outside so long.” he says softly trying his best to maintain eye contact. As you look at Krampus another hand comes to gently rest on your own, turning your head again you see Yule red with embarrassment as he sits next to you, his hand clasping onto your own. Krampus takes notice of this and smiles before reaching out and wrapping one arm around Yule, pulling him into you and Krampus, he seems nervous at first but quickly settles in as he leans up against you with Krampus still behind the two of you. Now settled into your warm huddle you begin the ranger show marathon that extends well into the night and into sleep. “Heh, just like little children” Ded whispered to himself as he gazed down at the three of you who had fallen asleep with you and Yule cuddling each other while also being cradled in Krampus’s arms, holding the three of you close, each had a soft smile upon their faces. Ded pulled out a large blanket and draped it over the three of you before turning to leave, “You really do hold a soft spot for them black” White Ded says from within “Shut up will ya! I’m just doing a small favor.”, “Hoho how flustered you have become, even if that was true you still seemed quite merry to play with those three earlier.” white retorts. Black Ded grumbles to himself a bit before leaving, giving one last look at the three sleeping before flashing a gentle smile and closing the door.

[delivermytuneo6]

Crowdfunding in the Music Industry: Top Platforms for Emerging Artists

Crowdfunding in the music industry has revolutionized the way musicians fund their creative projects. By leveraging the power of community support, artists can bypass traditional gatekeepers such as record labels and directly engage with their audience to finance albums, tours, and other artistic endeavors. However, not all crowdfunding platforms are created equal, and each caters to different needs and goals. This article delves into the top crowdfunding platforms tailored for the music industry, highlighting their unique features, benefits, and tips for success.

Why Crowdfunding Platforms Matter in the Music Industry

The music industry is highly competitive, and access to traditional funding can be challenging for emerging artists. Crowdfunding platforms provide an alternative, democratizing the funding process and empowering artists to take control of their careers. By choosing the right platform, musicians can maximize their chances of success and connect with their fans on a deeper level. Here are the top platforms designed to help musicians achieve their goals.

1. Patreon: Sustained Support Through Membership

Patreon is a subscription-based crowdfunding platform that allows artists to build a steady stream of income. Instead of one-time contributions, fans (called patrons) pledge monthly support in exchange for exclusive perks such as early access to music, behind-the-scenes content, or personalized shoutouts.

Key Features:

Membership Tiers: Artists can create multiple tiers with varying benefits to cater to different levels of support.

Recurring Income: Unlike traditional crowdfunding, Patreon focuses on long-term sustainability.

Community Building: Direct communication tools help foster a closer relationship between artists and fans.

Best For: Musicians who want to cultivate a loyal fan base and consistently release content, such as singles, covers, or video updates.

2. Kickstarter: All-Or-Nothing Campaigns for Big Projects

Kickstarter is one of the most well-known crowdfunding platforms, perfect for funding specific projects such as albums, music videos, or tours. It operates on an all-or-nothing model, meaning artists must meet their funding goal to receive any money.

Key Features:

Project-Based Campaigns: Designed for one-off projects with a clear beginning and end.

Creative Categories: A dedicated section for music projects makes it easier for potential backers to discover campaigns.

Global Reach: Kickstarter’s established reputation attracts backers from all over the world.

Best For: Musicians looking to fund a large-scale project with a clear timeline and deliverables.

3. Indiegogo: Flexibility and Versatility

Indiegogo offers more flexibility than Kickstarter, as it allows for both all-or-nothing and flexible funding campaigns. This means artists can still keep the funds they raise, even if they don’t meet their initial goal.

Key Features:

Flexible Funding: Ideal for artists who may not need to hit a specific target to proceed with their projects.

Customizable Rewards: Artists can offer creative perks to backers, such as signed merchandise or exclusive experiences.

Integration with InDemand: After the campaign ends, artists can continue raising funds through Indiegogo’s InDemand feature.

Best For: Musicians who prefer flexibility in their campaigns or are new to crowdfunding and want to test the waters.

4. GoFundMe: Simple and Straightforward

GoFundMe is a versatile platform primarily known for personal fundraising. While it doesn’t offer the same level of engagement tools as other platforms, its simplicity makes it appealing for musicians looking to raise funds quickly.

Key Features:

No Goal Requirement: Artists can keep all the funds raised, regardless of whether they meet their goal.

Ease of Use: Setting up a campaign is quick and straightforward, with no complex reward structures.

Wide Appeal: Backers don’t need to register on the platform to donate, simplifying the process for supporters.

Best For: Musicians who need emergency funding or prefer a no-frills approach to crowdfunding.

5. PledgeMusic (Currently Unavailable): Lessons from a Platform’s Legacy

Though no longer active, PledgeMusic played a significant role in crowdfunding within the music industry by offering a unique fan-artist collaboration model. Its rise and fall highlight the importance of transparency and accountability in crowdfunding. Many current platforms have adopted similar music-focused features, inspired by PledgeMusic’s approach.

Tips for Choosing the Right Platform

When selecting a crowdfunding platform, musicians should consider the following factors:

Project Scope: Define whether the campaign is for a one-time project or ongoing support. Platforms like Kickstarter are ideal for the former, while Patreon suits the latter.

Audience Preferences: Understand your fan base and their willingness to support monthly memberships versus one-time contributions.

Reward Structures: Choose a platform that allows creative freedom in designing perks that resonate with your supporters.

Fees and Policies: Review the platform’s fees, as they can vary significantly. Some charge a percentage of the funds raised, while others have fixed fees.

Strategies for Crowdfunding Success

Regardless of the platform, a successful crowdfunding campaign requires careful planning and execution. Here are some tips to help musicians maximize their chances:

Set Realistic Goals: Aim for a funding target that is both achievable and sufficient to cover your project’s costs.

Engage Your Audience: Use social media, email newsletters, and live streams to build excitement and encourage contributions.

Offer Meaningful Rewards: Fans are more likely to back a campaign if they feel they’re getting something unique in return, such as signed albums or exclusive concert access.

Provide Updates: Keep backers informed about your progress to maintain their trust and enthusiasm.

Thank Your Supporters: A personal thank-you message or shoutout goes a long way in building lasting relationships.

Conclusion

Crowdfunding in the music industry has opened up unprecedented opportunities for emerging artists to bring their creative visions to life. Choosing the right platform is a crucial step in ensuring a successful campaign. Whether you’re seeking sustained support through Patreon or funding a single project on Kickstarter, each platform offers unique advantages tailored to different needs. By understanding your audience, setting clear goals, and executing a well-thought-out campaign, you can turn your dreams into reality while strengthening your connection with fans.

With crowdfunding, the future of music creation lies firmly in the hands of the artists—and their loyal supporters.