#plus there's the documentary now and we all know that many people thought it wasn't about a real band which proves that point :')

[pineapplefulfillseveryneed]

Knowing less about us is probably better for the mythology. You know, like 'What the hell is going on with those guys?' I like that.

- Russell Mael, 2008 (from Talent Is An Asset - The Story of Sparks by Daryl Easlea)

[ificouldflyhome369]

I'm sorry for coming here with my doubts but I just can't help it. I was trying to ignore this whole scenario but now I'm leaning more and more towards it. So the thing is, that we prefectly know that Louis is still bitter about the whole hiatus situation. He just didn't wanted hiatus and he was not ready for it plus he genuinely thought that they all will reunite shortly. So I was thinking that how could Larry be real when Louis actually had no certain idea about hiatus till 2015 and Harry was ready to go solo since 2013?? We know that Harry became super close with Azoffs in 2013 and by 2014 Jeff became his unofficial manager. We can see him every pap walk with Harry in 2014. And in 2015 there was clear solo Harry push. Jeff even introduced his team for Harry even befor he went solo. Many people started working for exclusively Harry when he was in 1D in 2015. Harry Lambert and Xander being two of them. And Harry himself said that he was the first one to suggest hiatus in 2014 because he didn't wanted to exhaust his fanbase. So it's very very clear that Harry was super ready for hiatus since Azoffs made him their mission in 2013. So if Harry had such a clear idea of hiatus and his future for this long now, then why Louis was entirely lost even in 2015. Louis said he was furious when hiatus was brought up in 2015. Louis still kind of holds a grudge with how hiatus happened and it was clear in the documentary. And i don't think Louis is lying about his feelings. He said that he was lost and had no idea what to do after hiatus and it's understandable because Harry had azoffs to rely on. He had no such problem.

So if they were actually together and they were a couple then how is it possible that they were standing on polar opposite sides of this situation? How is it possible that Louis had a misleading idea of hiatus even in 2015 when Harry was damn clear about it since 2013? If they were in love then how is it possible that Louis was screaming about not being ready for hiatus and as he said he was furious about it in 2015 and Harry walked on his pre laid path by azoffs?? Did Louis even had any idea about what Harry was planning for his solo career since 2013? Were they actually even together? Or was it just my dilution till now?

I love a good harry the bad guy who broke up 1D and threw everyone under the bus story arc. Liam has quite literally said that if he had stayed in 1d, he would be dead now. Think about that for a second. If they all didn't stop he'd be dead. Niall was forced to perform after knee surgery which fucked up his knee so bad he already has a knee replacement. You don't do that to young people unless it's absolutely necessary. You can only revise it 2 or 3 more times and they only last 15 years. So long story short, he's fucked. Louis was forced to have a fake baby which i cant even imagine what kind of nonsense went behind the scenes to make that happen. And if you believe that Freddie is not his son, then right off the bat you know he's lying which means what he's sharing publicly isn't going to be the complete truth. But this still doesn't mean he's lying about being blindsided. Feelings are complicated and is possible that he both knew the hiatus was coming but still been shocked by it. And let's not kid ourselves that zayn leaving didn't open up the discussion for their break. So no, Louis wasn't blindsided by harry and the azoffs. And if anything, they should be thanked for helping harry from getting out from under Simon's thumb. Jeff is not a bad guy.

Here's one of my favorite tiktoks and none of it has anything to do with this ask except one bit where James asks them to rethink the hiatus and Louis says it was time. Does that sound like someone who's upset and surprised by it. He was done too. And your doubting they were together because of what supposedly harry did to Louis. But why can't it be that he sacrificed himself FOR harry when he resigned with syco after the hiatus. That was probably some sort of a sacrifice he did to allow them all to take a break and for harry to start his career.

[madchild-dennis]

Episode 3

Oh yea the interview...

Okayyy pomp and flare for the announcement.

I think M's past experience help her tackle the problems they face especially with race and the family.

Yea I wanted to hear the cute-meet for YEARS.

Oh yea it even changed my mind. But before her news came out I remember telling my dad (when it was a wrong rumoured persone with Prince Harry) or my sister. That I think Prince Harry needs a Black wife. That was based of the tabloids and NO clue much about him.

What did NETFLIX JUST SAYYY?????...let me rewind

Yesss they did...

Jamaica what?????????...mhmmm

YESSS NETFLIX TELL THE BLOODCLAAAT TRUTH. Loud it UPPP!!!

Mhmmmmm NOW remember what I said God said...mmmmhhmmmm

Walkabout???? Ammm what? Okay 🧐🤨. I guess I'm today year old when I found out what is a walkabout and that it is a thing. I always thought it was a meet and greet they had before a event, program or a thing.

HELL TO THE NO. That WILL NOT BE ME!!! No matter if the citizens eventually pay the Monarch. We are NOT your property. Just a FYI from NOW!!!

I'm absolutely GLAD they made this documentary, because Bruh. I didn't think I'll but the bad press did a number. This definitely CLEARED UP ALOT.

I didn't care if she's from Compton or is she was obsessed with Princess Diana. Or whatever else. But it DEFINITELY CLEARED who was really close to Meghan and who wasn't. Plus who are the opportunists. BECAUSSSEEEEEE!!!...

*inhale* *exhale* don't react to how nonchalant they have slavery as, that AFFECTS soooooo many lives even today. Let me go take a water break. 😑

Lol, yes trusty Google...

Wow that's a dope DRESS!!!

Where's He's suit

Oh that makes sense. Cause I was like where's the COLOUR!!!

Samantha Markle, is now ANNOYING, now that I watch this 😑. Before I didn't know what to think so no opinion. But now 😑

NOOOOO, she didn't get to go 😒😔😔😔

Now I completely don't like Samantha M...(another one 👀)

I'm sorry did NETFLIX just confirm what I said. 🧐🧐🧐🧐. I mean they what? Made sure their commercial & capitalistic interests are protect. Ehem. Ammm FYI I did NOT study all that in school. It was ALL GOD. Actually God is telling me that it's me. And my ability to understand human nature. Why the hell wouldn't GREEDY people make sure they keep getting and having money. It's still in their DNA and Do NOT what to wash it away. They LOVE the GREED. Anyway. Let me keep watching.

Smh, I guess as she died she got to honour it (her promise and love for the Commonwealth) and God protected her from seeing ME (& God) rip that shit up. What am I talking about; The Commonwealth.

Netflix out here SPEAKING THE TRUTH!!!

Yesss that line. "The [fucking] black people...are just as bad 50-100 years ago". And no FUCKING CARE!!!

I'm so glad I decided I'm standing up in THIS SHIT. See the amount of confirmations in ONE WHOLE FUCKING WEEK!!! DAMN!!!

Thank you M & H (and Netflix of course). I know they are your family but you're helping so sso many others heal. You WILL BE honoured for it.

Especially, Harry. Learning to be aware and NOW not just be blinded to the sins of their ancestors but to also be apart of the change to make it better by being BETTER. I loved that he slipped up and never just left it there. He is washing away the sins with Goodness, positive movement towards what's needed and not ignore it or forget it all. The victims generations later can't because it's still affects them NOw.

The whole father...etc thing, it was shocking but it never stuck with me when I saw the tabloids. And now seeing this, I think God wanted to clear it from tainting my view on this couple. Because... Yep.

Well I look forward to next week THURSDAY. 😁

[mellometal]

Is it time to tear ANOTHER Dhar Mann video to shreds? YOU BET.

I've been sitting on this one for a bit because I wanted to make sure I talk about this tactfully. The subject of parents abandoning their disabled children is a very touchy one.

Parents abandoning their disabled children simply for being disabled is way too common. Like, I understand that not everyone has the resources to care for a disabled child (which is why you reach out for help, and why people like me, who work with disabled people, exist), but it doesn't mean you just walk out of their life. There are exceptions, like if you truly didn't want children or something like that, but just flat-out walking out of your kid's life BECAUSE they're disabled is fucked up.

I know someone personally whose biological mother abandoned her when she was born. Why? Because she's disabled. Physically, and mentally, to a point. I work with this woman on a daily basis. I don't really know WHY exactly her biological mother abandoned her, but I do know that her being disabled was part of it. It's sad. It doesn't affect her, thankfully. I'm happy that she's got her biological dad, her brother, and another maternal figure in her life, at least.

ANYWAYS. Before we get to the topic at hand, I need to put an obligatory trigger warning, like I do with EVERY Dhar Mann post:

This post will be talking about parents abandoning their disabled children simply for being disabled, treating disabilities like they're tragedies (in this case, we're talking about autism...again), divorce, and some SPICY ableist bullshit from an allistic (nonautistic) PIECE OF SHIT.

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable in any way, you don't have to read this post. This isn't worth putting yourself in a bad state mentally. I would never ask for any of you to put yourselves in that position all for a post. Put your mental health and well-being first. Consume media that sparks joy for you.

As far as my response goes, it's definitely more calm than normal. Funny....since this video is about autism spectrum disorder again. (Third time's the charm, huh, Dhar Mann? NOT.)

LET'S FUCKING GET IT.

The video starts off with these two parents (Gwen and Allen) in a psychologist's office. The psychologist tells the parents that their son (Chance) is autistic, and she tries to explain what autism is to the parents, but Allen cuts her off. Why? Because he teaches at a prestigious university, so he AUTOMATICALLY knows what autism is from that fact alone.

Um, excuse me? Just because you're a teacher at a prestigious university, it doesn't mean you're an expert in everything. It doesn't make you an expert in ASD or anything like that. Unless you SPECIALIZE in that area. Even then, shut the fuck up. The people who know about being autistic are AUTISTIC PEOPLE THEMSELVES! SHOCKER.

Hey, Dhar Mann! QUIT WITH THE VIDEOS ABOUT AUTISTIC LITTLE WHITE BOYS AND YOUNG WHITE AUTISTIC CISHET MEN! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT. It's annoying, ignorant, and it feels like you're doing this on purpose at this point to piss people off. If you're so uninformed about autism in women and girls, FUCKING ASK AUTISTIC WOMEN AND GIRLS! DO BETTER RESEARCH THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE AUTISM SPEAKS. The Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the Autistic Women and Nonbinary People Network (AWN) are great organizations to go to for any kind of research on ASD in women and girls. STOP GOING OFF OF THE BRAINS OF AUTISTIC WHITE BOYS AND AUTISTIC WHITE MEN.

I don't feel I need to go too deep into the fact that autistic women, autistic girls, autistic nonbinary people, autistic BIPOC, autistic AAPI, autistic LGBT people, autistic teenagers, and autistic adults exist. Y'all already know.

Gwen asks the psychologist if that means Chance isn't healthy. (I understand not knowing about autism, but don't treat it like it's a terminal illness. Please.) The psychologist tells her that Chance is fine, but he just learns differently and might need more support compared to his peers.

Yeah, autism can affect how you learn about certain things (limited and repetitive patterns), but there are other disabilities that can affect learning as well. Like how dyslexia can affect your ability to read, dyspraxia can affect your ability to do math, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can affect your ability to focus or on impulse control. Autism affects how your brain is developed, it affects you socially, behaviorally, and how you communicate.

Allen is upset, says that he can't have a son "with a learning disability" (ASD is a neurological disability, not necessarily a learning disability), and treats Chance like he's stupid for being autistic. Gwen tells her husband that autism doesn't make you any less intelligent, WHICH IS SO FUCKING TRUE. ABSOLUTE FACTS. I was totally with her until she began that little monologue with "Just because a person HAS autism". SAY "JUST BECAUSE A PERSON'S AUTISTIC" INSTEAD! IT'S NOT HARD. PERSON FIRST LANGUAGE ISN'T WHAT EVERY DISABLED PERSON PREFERS. Allen says that "they could have another kid" and "put Chance up for adoption". Gwen obviously wasn't down with that. Allen gives his wife an ultimatum that it's either HIM or their son Chance. Gwen says that she can't choose between the two, but she will stand by her autistic son. Allen gets up and leaves the office, saying he wants a divorce.

Years pass by, Gwen is single and taking care of her autistic son Chance, and Allen has a new life with a ✨perfect son✨ (Samuel). He never mentions the son HE abandoned (Chance). He's completely forgotten about Gwen and Chance. (YOU OWE SO MUCH CHILD SUPPORT, ALLEN.)

Hey, Allen, how much do you wanna bet that your ✨perfect son✨ Samuel is autistic too?

There's the SATs, they're announcing a winner, and guess who it is? IT'S OBVIOUSLY CHANCE, OF COURSE. He's got the highest score in the country, with Samuel in second place. Allen is PISSED.

Chance gives a speech about how his mom really helped him, he struggled with autism, how Allen LITERALLY ABANDONED HIM, and THE CROWD GOES FUCKING WILD. Samuel, instead of being a sore loser, APPLAUDS FOR CHANCE. Stay humble, Sam.

My thoughts on the video? If you cannot tell by my tone throughout this post, IT WAS DOG SHIT. This video was insensitive to the true reality of parents abandoning their disabled children just because they're disabled. What do I expect from Dhar Mann at this point?

Here's my response to his video below. Don't worry, I will fully type out my response soon for anyone who cannot read the screenshots easily. It's a lot easier for me to do that on the desktop site than it is for me to do it on my phone.

For anyone who can’t read my response, I’m typing it out for you. Like I said, it’s easier for me to type it out on the desktop site than it is for me to type it out on my phone. It’s a real royal pain in the ass. But because I’m trying to make my posts easier to read for people, I’m doing this anyway. /lighthearted

First, second, and third screenshots (broken up into paragraphs):

Hey, listen, I appreciate the message you’re trying to go for, but can you please stop putting autistic people into a box? Can you stop treating being autistic like it’s a tragedy? Not every single autistic person is a little white boy in elementary school who’s considered “wild and unruly” or “super quiet and makes no friends”, nor are they a young white cishet man who’s a super genius or is how Chris Chan was before she came out as trans. (For anyone who doesn’t know about Chris Chan, there are many documentaries people have made on YouTube, and I highly recommend Geno Samuel’s docuseries, if you’re really interested in learning about Chris Chan.)

Autistic women, girls, nonbinary people, BIPOC, APPI, LGBT people, teenagers, and adults all exist too. 

It’s very apparent now that you get your resources from Autism $peaks, a hate group that spends the vast majority of their money on funding eugenics instead of helping autistic people like they claim, claims that only little white boys and young white cishet men are autistic and ignores all other autistic people who don’t fit that description, have no autistic people on their leader board or on any board for that matter, have members who have actually fantasized about k1lling their autistic children, treat autism like it’s a tragedy or a disease someone can catch (completely false), act like autism should be cured (there is no cure, and ABA therapy is a total shit show in itself), and treats autistic people like they’re broken and need to be fixed. Also, not every autistic person is a Super Genius(tm). That’s so demeaning to autistic people who aren’t seen as intelligent in any way. I’m autistic and seen as smart; however, there are subjects I’m stronger in than others.

If you can’t handle the possibility of having autistic children, or just disabled children in general, DON’T HAVE CHILDREN. If you can’t handle working with or alongside disabled people, including autistic people, maybe find a different profession. Even if you do that, you’ll never get away from disabled people. Disabled people aren’t a disease. We’re human beings just like neurotypical and able-bodied people.

Fourth and fifth screenshots (broken up into paragraphs): 

I would highly suggest getting resources from reputable organizations for ASD, such as the Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the Autistic Women and Nonbinary People Network (AWN). Talk to any autistic person who isn’t a little white boy or a young white cishet man. 

Instead of using the puzzle piece, which is a symbol that many autistic people, myself included, are offended by (because of Autism $peaks and other organizations before them using it, plus it symbolizes that only autistic children exist and that we’re “missing a piece” like we’re broken), use the rainbow infinity sign (for all neurodivergent people) or the red and gold infinity sign (just for autistic people). Instead of “lighting it up blue”, light it up red or gold. Do both if you want. 

I’m actually really sick and tired of seeing just autistic little white boys and young autistic white cishet men being represented in the media, and y’all manage to fuck that up too. 

Before anyone mentions Sia’s movie “Music”, that’s also very poor representation of autistic girls. Besides, the actress who played the autistic girl isn’t even autistic. She MOCKED autistic people. I know she’s a kid, but that’s still super fucked up. I hope she’s able to turn that around. 

If anyone would like to discuss this topic with me or ask any questions, feel free to. I’ll answer as best as I can. Thank you and have a good night.

Before I get attacked for mentioning Chris Chan in my response, I bring up Chris Chan because allistic people think that every autistic person is like her (especially before she came out as trans). That person is part of why I wasn't open about being autistic or talking about my diagnosis until this year. I didn't want to be grouped up with Chris Chan because I do have very similar interests to her, I've been seen as cringey for having said interests, and just the way Chris treated autistic people who were formerly diagnosed with A$p3rg3r$ $yndr0m3 (like I was) really made me feel even more alienated.

Also, S1a supports A$ (Autism $p3aks). She's not a very good person to support. Some of her music is good, but her as a person....no. Her movie "Music" was gross, from what I've read about it and seen pictures of.

If you've read this far, thank you so much!

[araminakilla]

Faris D'jinn (long) appreciation post

Warning: If you don't like very long posts or deep analysis of a character or situations, maybe you want to skip this. But you are always welcome.

I will always say this: Treasure of the found lamp! is one of my favorites episodes of the Ducktales bomb (the other is Nothing can stop Della Duck!) I like the jokes, the journeys of the two groups, the cameos of different characters that appeared in Season One. But most of all... Him.

Faris D'jinn. Middle Eastern adventurer. Seeker of the lamp. Descendant of an actual genie and the amazing woman who freed him. Here are ten reasons (not counting the facts that he is a great swordman and a cool biker because everyone knows that) of why this warrior is one my favourite characters in the Ducktales universe:

1. He is not what he seems

The first time I saw this guy in the SDCC 2018, and the person presenting the characters said he was Dijon from the Ducktales movie, there were two different reactions from my part:

"OMG! They acknowledged the movie. That means Merlock is going to return!" And...

"This Dijon looks so COOL! But...he looks like a terrorist"

And before you sue and attack me, there are some comments in YouTube that reflected my thoughts. One of them said he looks like an ISIS member.

But I have investigated and I found out that in fact, there are some people that wear traditional black clothes in the Middle East and are NOT asociated with violence or radical groups. So, my bad people. I'm really ashamed for making this statement. I try to not be an ignorant of different cultures for reasons like this.

Anyway, those months I tried to stay positive that, if he was a bad guy, he could get a redemption arc. Because there's no way that this awesome Ducktales crew, that handles the Latino community very well, is going to portray arabs in a bad light, just like every old Hollywood productions (I'm looking at you, Aladdin)

And when the promo of Ducktales and Big Hero 6 appeared, with this warrior using his sword in front of a very scared Scrooge... well... I put my thoughts on another post, but I was a little concerned for the Middle Eastern representation.

Great was my surprise when I saw the episode for the first time. Let say that the power of the lamp wasn't the only plot twist of that episode.

2. He's so serious that it's funny

His single-minded quest for the lamp before the Ifrit's dawn (a fact that he monologued for 10 minutes without blinking) leaves him with no time to joke around, except everyone around him is a goof, and that makes him hilarous in a sense. Best demostrated when he answered ALL the riddles from a literal JOKE BOOK. He's so smart... yet so gullible that it's amazing. It's like he can't tell when someone is lying or making a joke... I don't know if that's possible. There's also his reaction at the "got your nose" prank which, honestly to me, was one of the best reactions EVER. Maybe it's how he screamed "monster!" and how he seems to really believe the creature got his nose. Truth to be to told, I was very surprised the first time I saw him laugh, that was something unexpected. And how the premise of the episode was him getting a family of adventuring Ducks, a greek Godness, a sea monster and a bunch of Beagles involved in a quest...to give himself a birthday present, like... Who gives himself a birthday present? (Really, I don't know someone who does that)

3. He is grateful even with enemies

He defeated Charybdis and the poor monster was whipped and given the beat of his life because he wanted to help Scrooge and Webby with the phony quest, and the first thing the warrior does is thanking him and saying that he will be remembered in the story of the lamp. That impressed me... And somehow made worth all the pain that Charybdis had. The same happened with the "Minotaur" and Ma Beagle (the little bow that he made is priceless). Many people would mock their defeated enemies and give them zero respect... but not him. That was so honorable, it reminded me of how Medieval Knights act, which would be discussed in the seventh point of this post.

4. He forgave the Ducks easily

"Djinn, I'm sorry I tricked you. If I'd known what was at stake..."

"Another chapter in the legend. A final trial before we find the lamp! It's all part of the journey!"

Like wow... That was something I was NOT expecting, because I wouldn't expect a guy who was shouting and slicing things all day to be that... nice. And maybe that could be because there was no time in the episode for the liar revealed drama. But the points D'jinn made about why he forgave Scrooge make total sense. He loves adventures and journeys, he likes to write in a scroll about the trials he had, so he instead took the positives aspects that the phony quest had and continue with his life. Now that's something you don't see very often. Instead of swearing revenge and dedicate his time ruining someone's life (I'm looking at you Glomgold, Magica, Negaduck and other villains) he forgave the Ducks, focused on the present and keep only the most important facts. I like that way of thinking.

5. He has a deep love for his family's history (and his heritage and bloodline)

He comes from a family that, as far as I'm concerned, keeps the stories of their past alive, passing them to the next generations. It's been ten generations since the genie was freed. What the ex-magical creature got was more valuable that having phenomenal cosmic powers: A loving wife and many descendants who remember them with such passion, and now one of said descendants, fascinated by their love story has adquired the "totem that started it all". I heard that arabs in particular are family oriented people, they would do ANYTHING for their loved ones, and that's the first time I saw that in a cartoon (at least in a Disney cartoon, the other example that is Non-Disney is the Oscar nominated "The Breadwinner", which I recommend you guys have to see it, it's so good)

D'jinn made a long journey from the Middle East to America (at least I think Duckburg is in America) for a powerless lamp because of it's sentimental value, which leads us to the next point...

6. He is a sentimental guy

You wouldn't expect a tough, serious and to some extent dangerous guy to have powerful feelings like love? Right? Think again. There's a reason of why the call D'jinn (and his VA, Omid Abtahi) a cinnamon roll. He has strong emotions, that is (I think) one of the reasons of why he's so dramatic. It's part of his personality. In fact, his volatile personality (using many times his sword, cutting things, flipping a table) has a solid base of why it is the way it is. I'm not saying that destroying the couch and threatening the Duck family is not wrong, I'm saying this because this is NOT a matter of the "He's an arab and all arabs are volatile/barbaric/will scream and attack you 'cause that is their nature" thing that all the Hollywood movies I saw (at least the examples I saw in the documentary "Reel Bad Arabs") have. No sir, this is different.

And talking about Arab stereotypes...

7. He's a HUGE improvement from the Ducktales movie and series

Back in 1990, he was Dijon, a thief and mook to Merlock, the Big Bad Wolf of the Movie. He was funny and the interactions he had with Scrooge in the movie and the series are funnier (Also, did you know that the last words Scrooge said in the series was "Dijon!" because the duck was running towards him 'cause he stole his watch?)

But, as the Nostalgia Critic put it in his review of the Ducktales Movie

"I don't know... Is this considered racist now? Yes, he has an accent and is a thief..."

He's fine as a comic relief, but nothing makes him different from the Crows of Dumbo, or the Indians of Peter Pan, or the Siamese cats of Lady and the Tramp, or...

Honest Trailer's guy: Stop it!

OK ok. The point it's... The Ducktales reboot did it again. They took a not so well liked character from the '87 series and made him/her a lovable character, like Mamá Cabrera (I swear, she's also mi mamá now)

Now he's honorable, charming, etc (and yes, those words are from a YouTuber reviewer) But specialy, they changed his name to Faris D'jinn which not only sounds more arabic, but also foreshadows his relationship with a genie. Plus, Faris means "Knight" in arabic, which describes what he is and how he acts perfectly.

8. He's different but at the same time just like everyone else

Gif belongs to @i-mostly-reblog-things

Yeah, he looks different, speaks with an accent that's not American, has a different mindset about things in life and maybe that could come from the country he's been raised, or his family or maybe he decide to be the way he is on his own accord. But, as an lesson learned in the episode "The Depths of cousin Fethry!"

Just because something or someone is different doesn't mean is bad.

True, D'jinn didn't make a first good impresion with the Duck family, except from Webby (You go girl! It seems that she has a talent to see edgy but misunderstood people and give them a chance) but at the end everyone was celebrating his birthday with him. They give him a cake! This small but powefull gesture made me 100% convinced that, even with flaws and conflicts, they are the perfect family. It still surprises me that the crew of Ducktales and Disney would make a scene like that. If someone told me a year ago that they would make a scene with: An arab. Dressed with traditional clothes (turban and all). Wearing all black. Celebrating his/her birthday with an American (Scotish in Scrooge's case) Family, I would have laugh and say: Yeah, sure, like they would actualy show that.

But they did it and I couldn't be more happy.

Just a pause from this Ducktales' post

Some of you could be thinking as you read this: "Nice that your people are shown in a positive way"

The thing is... I'm not arab. I'm a latinoamerican who just happens to love Middle Eastern cultures. My country isn't very prejuiced towards Middle Eastern people (maybe because there's a few of them) but I have come from a long way. To being sure that everything there was just sand and violence to wanting to visit some of the many wonders that the East has to give, meet people and learn their point of view. I think everyone should do that at some point, instead of, you know, getting all your arab information from Hollywood movies and concluding that everything would be better if the Middle Easterns were dead. As this quote from the YouTube Documentary "Reel bad Arabs" states:

"We feel that Arabs are not like us, are not like everyone else, then let's kill them off, then they deserve to die, right?"

The thing is, they are more similar that we think, it's just that the international media doesn't show that... until now.

And going back with Ducktales

Yeah, this dude looks different, but he laughs, feels, and enjoys having a great time just like everyone else.

It's the same that is happening with Fenton and the latino representation. D'jinn is a hero who happens to be arab. A dramatic warrior. A family values man. A great allie, friend and who knows what many things more. He, and other Ducktales characters, have so many layers that it's incredible. Just like people, you can't define someone only from their personality or their race. There are so many things that make a person unique. D'jinn broke the expectations I had for him (or he sliced them with his sword) for the better.

9. He's better than Aladdin in many ways

By starters, the voice actors. Aladdin's VA is American and has an American accent in the movie. D'jinn's VA is Omid Abtahi, born in Iran, a Middle Eastern actor. And I'm not saying arab because Irani people are not Arabs (correct me if I'm wrong). Omid doesn't have an accent, as far as I know, but I think it's a nice detail to have the warrior being voiced by someone who comes from the same place. Then, we have the fact that Aladdin lied to almost everyone and D'jinn was a victim of a lie. True, the Ducks assumed he was going to kill them all (and for a good reason) but a lie is still a lie. I don't know many things about Middle Eastern clothes and fashion in the past and the present, but I can tell you will find (maybe traditional) people who wears something more close to D'jinn than Aladdin, and I'm pretty sure the warrior would free a genie if he has the chance because he's a descendant of one. But apart from their differences, both are really good people with a big heart and a kind soul, it's just that we find out Aladdin is good in the beggining of the movie with the bread and orphans scene and with D'jinn almost in the end of the episode, because to be honest, I was expecting him to be lying about wanting to protect the lamp and instead working for the new Merlock, since that was his role in the original movie. Many of us expected a lying thief, but instead we got another Diamond in the Rough.

10. He is a key for one of Scrooge's character developments

Gif belongs to @everythingducktales

The richest duck in the World was SO impressed by the warrior's story that he opened a museum of valuable artifacts so he can share his stories with his family and the world. Let's repeat that. Scrooge McDuck, a very famous, very important and proud adventurer took the advice of a stranger (he also was 100% sure this stranger would kill him and his family if he doesn't get what he wants) because he saw his "human" side, a family side that made the duck realize "maybe we are not so different after all".

Not even the Buzzards (people who worked with Scrooge for who knows what many years) were capable of convincing Scrooge to do some of their plans (but lets be honest, their plans are awful)

That made him be more open about his adventures, his past experiences and his treasures, each one with a unique story. Maybe that would prevent unfortunate yard sales in the future.

Bonus:

11. He is going to return

It is confirmed in one of Frank Angones' posts that he is going to appear in the future, maybe as an allie of the Duck family in an adventure. Or who knows? Maybe they can recruit him as a member of a superheroes team along with Gizmoduck, Darkwing Duck and others. Plus, I want to see him interact with Launchpad and Donald.

That would be all... for now.

[awed-frog]

Hey, I just read a fic that left me sad and bitter, and I thought to ask you: why do you figure we read this kind of stories, all the while hating them? This one was about a relationship between a grown man and a minor, and it was hard to read, because it wasn't made to be romanticised but rather shown as a hard, ugly truth – and I've read other fics like that, where characters fall in love (or rather, become dependant) of a monster, or start taking drugs (1/2)

(2/2) it’s stuff that happens everyday, everywhere. And it’s kind of horrible to read about it in a story where the narrator doesn’t make any moral judgements about the characters’s choices and actions. It’s just… Happening before our eyes. And as readers we can’t do anything about it, we just have get to the end, make sure it’s somewhat okay. I wonder what pushed me to hit “next chapter” again and again instead of giving up on something that ought to make me feel bad.

Hi, sorry I didn’t answer you sooner - this ask touches on some very interesting and important topics, and I wanted to think this over so I could try to say something sensible about it.

So, first of all - as Daniel Pennac famously pointed out, readers have rights. You don’t have to ‘get to the end’ if you don’t like the story, if you don’t understand it, if it scares you or makes you miserable. I think we were all conditioned as children to ‘see things through’, and while that’s generally sound advice, it doesn’t apply to everything. There are books that are very good, but you won’t get anything out of them, say, when you’re seventeen, so there’s no shame in waiting. There are stories that are probably great, but just don’t speak to you for some reason. And then there’s the trickiest case, which is sort of what you describe - stories that make you deeply uncomfortable, and what do you do then? There is no good advice here. On the one hand, I’d say that forcing yourself to be uncomfortable is good, especially when reading fiction, because it allows you to explore your limits safely and helps you to form your opinions on difficult topics. This is even more important when it comes to the real world - there are subjects we all find uncomfortable, like war and mass exctinction and sexual assault, but we need to be reasonably aware of those topics all the same, because they affect a lot of people and as citizens of democratic societies, we need to lend a hand in solving them. Plus, reading difficult stories has been found to increase your empathy, because it will give you a lens into how other people live, so there’s that as well. On the other hand, there are moments in your life when you simply can’t deal with some subjects, and that’s perfectly okay - someone who’s recently lost a loved one, for instance, has every right to surround themselves with meaningless fluffy stories instead of watching important, gritty movies about illness and grief. There’s a time and a place for everything. So the problem here is learning to tell the two things apart - to understand when you really need to use your shield and retreat behind it, and when it’s better to be brave and do something outside your comfort zone. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a fail-safe way to learn when you can bear things and when you can’t. It’s something everybody learns by living and growing up, but also something we tend to get wrong a lot of the time. Me, I tend to err on the side of risk, because I find things are generally not as scary as I think they are, and mostly everything will be alright in the end, but I understand that people who’ve had different life experiences might prefer to err on the side of caution. There’s no right and wrong here. So, all this to say: first off, you don’t have to keep reading at any cost. Getting a sense of closure is important, but as you grow up, you also need to accept sometimes you have to create your own sense of closure, because life is not (well-written) fiction and not everything has a satisfying ending. Some things are random or weird or can’t be fixed, so it’s important to tell yourself, ‘I don’t need to know where the writer was going and how the story ends; what matters here is that this story isn’t giving me anything’ and move on.

That said, from what I noticed in myself and others there are several reasons for being drawn to stories that make us uncomfortable, and the problem is that it’s not always easy to understand which of these applies to you at any given moment. So, in no particular order, here is a list.

mordid curiosity. This is not necessarily bad because we’re genetically wired to be aware of our environment and assess potential risks to ourselves, but it’s also something that needs to be kept in check. Children are especially susceptible (probably because 1, they have very few experiences of their own and 2, they’re still trying to figure out how reality works) but really, it’s a universal thing. So, the key here is to be aware it happens and exert a bit of self-control - ultimately, it helps no one to stand around and watch a traffic accident (either you can help, or get out of the way) or spend an entire weekend scrolling through autopsies pictures or get into fics with very graphic descriptions of torture. Be curious, but be sensible.

fear. Many of us have trouble understanding how others see the world, and it’s particularly difficult to imagine why bad people do bad things. This is part of why we’re so enthralled by ‘real life’ documentaries about famous murders, crime shows and gruesome news. There is a conflation with ‘morbid curiosity’ here, but consciously or subconsciously we also want to protect ourselves - from bad people and from becoming bad people. We want to reassure ourselves we’re not like that, and we find some fascination in watching how a person goes from being ‘totally normal’ to committing a brutal crime. Fiction, and especially books, are a particularly safe way to watch and understand the worst instincts of humanity, because you’re in complete control of your journey of exploration. If you snap a book shut, that’s it - the thing is out of your life. That’s why it’s not surprising crime fiction and thrillers are always in the best sellers list.

boredom. A problem that’s becoming very challenging, especially in the way minors consume porn, is that many of us tend to get bored really quickly. I mean, how many loving and respectful and vanilla sex videos a boy (or a girl) can watch before wondering what all those other categories even are? Experts have found that, as a result of availability and curiosity, teens and even children are increasingly turning towards more and more extreme porn videos - and since they don’t have any experience of the real world, they will naturally think this is what adults do in their bedrooms, all the time (that’s how two 13-yo boys living two streets down from me were arrested for bestiality). Now, in a sense this applies to fiction too, and especially to fanfiction. You may start out with your average canon compliant fluff or T-rated story, but when you refresh the page, you see all sort of other stories featuring your favourite characters have now popped up - and where’s the harm in looking? The question is very controversial. According to some, there is absolutely no harm in looking. Anyone is perfectly able to monitor what they consume, and what you read is not necessarily what you want to do IRL, anyway, so it’s okay. Others disagree, and say some kind of content (possibly like the one you were consuming: ephebophilia and statutory rape) should be tightly monitored because fiction has an impact in building your personality. Every other week there’s a study that seems to prove one or the other theory, but so far we have no definite answer. Me, I’m sort of in the middle: I believe censorship is inherently dangerous, but I also think it’s disingenuous to assume the books you read and the movies you watch won’t in some way shape your ambitions, your feelings and even your personality. If you’re bored with what you’re doing, it might be time to go outside or do something else instead of finding more and more extreme versions of the same thing. 

there, but for the grace of God, go I. This is related to fear, but this time is not fear of what someone else might do, but fear of what you might do, or might want to do. Fiction allows us to live vicariously - ie, to experience a different, more exciting life from the safety of our own unremarkable one - and I think this is particularly evident in the case you brought up: stories about ephebophilia (teen/adult relationships). Now, an adult might be drawn to those stories because they’re aware it’s wrong to want this IRL and they want to get the thrill of it without the risk (that’s also why so many female characters are so badly written: they’re just there to fulfill the sexual or romantic fantasies of the male audience). For teens, it’s generally a lot less creepy than that: crushes and fiction is how we start the next phase of our lives, the one which will probably include relationships and sex, and since this is a scary and new place to be, the first step is to create a buffer so we can protect ourselves. We might, for instance, have a crush on someone who’s completely unavailable, and therefore a ‘safe’ option (we’re talking actors, singers, teachers, much older friends). Or we might appreciate teen/adult fiction or fanfiction, because there’s some comfort in the idea we can just let go of our control and trust a wiser and more experienced partner to figure it all out for us (I always thought this was part of the reason 50 Shades of Grey was so successful: Anastasia is mostly a passive partner in that relationship, and luckily for her there’s this billionaire who knows exactly how she should live her life for maximum benefit and is willing to take care of everything). The truth is, of course, that understanding who you are as a sexual being, what you like, what you want and what your limits are will take some work, and no ‘perfect lover’ will do that work for you. A good partner will support you and help you along the way, but the main effort needs to come from you. 

(Another aspect of this, by the way, is reading about stuff with some conscious or unconscious awareness that this is who you actually are. For instance, you might be drawn to LGBT themed books either because you suspect you might be queer, or because you are queer but you don’t know it yet. And here, again, you need to be responsible and understand what is okay and what is not okay - if you’re secretly gay, then congrats!, there’s nothing wrong with you. On the other hand, if you’re fascinated by stories about self-harm or ‘unacceptable behaviour’ - like arson, hurting animals and so on - because you recognize those insticts within yourself, then I strongly suggest you talk to someone and seek professional help.) 

challenge. Sometimes you start reading stuff out of spite, because you were told you were too young or too stupid to get it. This generally turns out okay, but remember that if people tell you you’re too young for something, they might be right. Again, there’s no shame in stealing a book form your parents’ bookshelf or downloading an R-rated or otherwise ‘difficult’ movie and then stop ten minutes in because it’s too much for you. Life is a journey, and there is some comfort in knowing we’ll have something to look forward to at every step, you know?, because maybe there are things I don’t find enjoyable or understandable now, but it’s likely I will get them at some point, and that’s okay.

escapism. The sad thing is, negative emotions tend to be stronger and drown out our other feelings more than positive ones. This is probably a survival mechanism - after all, if you see a lion, it’s very urgent to be terrified and run the fuck away without stopping to notice the beautiful flowers along the way. Anger, outrage, fear and anguish are all emotions you will probably feel when reading ‘difficult’ stories, and they will be very efficient in blotting out whatever’s bothering you IRL at the moment. So, you know - it can be easy to still worry about a bad break-up, a fight with your parents or a disappointing test result when you’re reading a fluffy bakery!AU; it’s much harder to concentrate on other stuff when watching The Ring. Deliberately seeking out very strong emotions can be an efficient way to take a holiday from your own life, and if you find this is a pattern, my advice would be to try and see what it is, exactly, that’s making you so unhappy and how you can solve it.

reassurance. From the beginning of time, fiction also had the role of teaching us social norms and explain that we’d be rewarded if we follow them, but punished if we break them. This aspect can be so obvious as to be annoying (think forced happy endings, or blatantly Christian fairy tales), but the truth is, fiction almost always sticks to this rule: the good guys win, the bad guys lose. I’m not surprised that you kept reading a disturbing story in hope that justice would be restored at the end. We all need for reality to make sense, for our lives to make sense, and the cornerstone of this is that good actions must lead to some benefit and bad actions must lead nowhere - otherwise, what’s the point? That is why movies like Michael Haneke’s Funny Games are rated R - not because they’re violent, although they often are, but because that violence has no meaning and no punishment. My advice here would be to explore this kind of fiction a bit - not getting any moral judgement or happy ending can be tough, but again, life tends to be amoral and random. We have the feeling it isn’t, but that’s because we don’t see reality as it is - we see reality as we are (this is a profound, unsettling thought - at least for me - and as one of the main teachings of Buddhism, it’s been around for more than twenty centuries, but it’s such a terrifying perspective most of humanity chooses to ignore it completely). Still, be careful. If a movie is rated R, better leave it until you’re old enough, and even then, you have the right to walk away at any time.

peer pressure. This is a thing for smoking and drugs, but also for fiction. It doesn’t matter if you’re not interested in sex or BDSM, if you don’t like on-screen violence, if you’d rather not think about suicide: Fifty Shades of Grey, Game of Thrones and - most recently - Thirteen Reasons Why, to quote just a couple of examples, are seemingly things everyone around you is watching or reading or raving about. It’s always annoying to be excluded from the conversation, and scary to be different, so you might very well say fuck it and deliberatedly watch something that makes you uncomfortable so you can be part of the group again. I have the feeling fanfiction is a bit less overbearing because no one really knows what you’re reading, but it’s possible you found the story you’re describing in a ‘best [insert ship] stories’ masterpost, that it’s been recced to you by a friend, or that you know the author and started reading it despite your better judgement. If so, remember you don’t have to be 100% similar to other people in your class, your family or your fandom to be part of the group. You can be a fantasy fan and dislike George RRR Martin’s writing style. You can follow someone on tumblr, and even be friends with them, but be squicked by their favourite tropes and avoid their fics. You can be the first or the last person to have sex in your entire school and you still have a right to be there, and to belong there. People reccing things they’ve enjoyed is a great thing; people making you feel bad because you’re not interested in what they’re interested in is not so good.

So, well - I guess this is my opinion. Sorry for the novel. Those categories are not watertight, by the way, and there’s no ‘scientific’ explanation for why we like what we like, and why we sometimes stay in situations that makes us uncomfortable. In my opinion, we often use stories as training wheels so we’ll be ready if the same situation arises in reality, but it’s important to read diverse material so we won’t see the world only from one poit of view. For instance, reading about an abusive relationship can help us to avoid toxic behaviour IRL; but reading exclusively about abusive relationships can make you believe that’s the normal way people act, so be careful. 

As a last point - I was trapped inside a fic once, so I think I know what you’re talking about. I started reading it because it had interesting tags and characters, and as the story got darker, I kept clicking next and next and next hoping we’d get to the ‘comfort’ part; but when we got there, I realized this wasn’t working for me. It was a brilliant, well-written story, but to me the idea an abuser, however confused and misguided, could effectively develop a romantic relationship with the person they’d abused was too much. I don’t believe in that, and I’d rather not see it justified in a 100K story. My way to get closure was to write a note to the writer telling them everything I’d loved about their fic, how it was so well written I’d kept reading it for weeks despite my discomfort, and that unfortunately I couldn’t follow it to the end because it was too much for me. We had a lovely conversation, and that was it. I don’t know if it’s the best thing to do in every case, but on that occasion, I think it worked for both of us. So - I hope this unnecessarily long answer made some sense to you, and I leave you with a quote by one of my favourite writers. Have a good day, and keep stepping out of your comfort zone - it’s good for the soul!