#sex and power in asian dramas

[waitmyturtles]

Hello,

Some of your Only Friends meta sparked a question for me: You've referred to the impact of purity culture on how the boys (particularly Boston) are viewed both within the show and by fans watching. I was raised evangelical Christian (don't worry, it went poorly), so my associations with purity culture are quite specific to promise rings, abstinence-only education, and that sort of thing. However, you seem to be working from a much more expansive view that includes purity culture's downstream effects such as slut-shaming, heteronormativity, pressure to perform monogamy, etc. (and in at least one case you also linked it to colonialism).

Since your definition of purity culture is so much broader than mine has traditionally been, I'm curious: What exactly do you mean when you use the term, and what are the parameters of purity culture from your perspective?

I've been kind of squinting interestedly at your usage and trying to reverse-engineer your definition from context and it finally occurred to me that I can just ask you lol

(also I know tone can be hard to gauge on the internet so just to be safe: I'm in no way trying to start a weird fight about the meaning of the term; I'm just interested in what you're saying and seeking to understand it better)

Thank you!

Bonebag

HELLO @sorry-bonebag! WHAT A QUESTION! I don't think this is weird at all -- I think it's the fascinating basis of a conversation.

I'm not sure that I'm going to have a central, singular answer for you regarding how I view and/or define "purity culture." I think, as I generalize (massive emphasis on my generalizations in this answer) society's lack of acceptance for open sexual conduct and engagement, that we're dealing with a lot of elements of how power is managed and distributed among humans. For example, if we roll back to, say, the creation of Christianity as a religion, we have to ask: WHY does the religion have what it says about sex? Controlling sex means controlling people -- it means controlling who gets born, and who gets to pair with each other. Controlling sex means controlling behavior, and creating submissiveness to a religion allows a smaller group of people massive power over larger groups. Christianity (as an example) is a modern expression of a primal biological urge that humans have to create groups and gain power for survival. So, first and foremost, to judge someone else for having sex in modern times gives that judge a sense of power over someone else.

In a judgement against sex, and people who have unabashed sex -- let's use Khai from Theory of Love and Boston as examples -- what assumptions/judgements/behaviors are leveraged as we condemn these men (and women, and non-binary individuals) for having lots of sex? From my lens, we have the following prejudices playing into this:

Misogyny Internalized homophobia (on the part of the person being judged) Externalized homophobia (on the part of the people doing the judging) Biases against nontheistic people Jealousy (for the ease in which some people can come into sex) Competition

and so many more. All of these prejudices can and ARE leveraged to judge people for having sex, because judging people for having sex gives the judges power in greater society, as greater society ultimately looks down on the practice of having lots of sex.

I think a fantastic example of this is when Sand was talking about Boston to Ray in this past weekend's episode. Why the hell would Sand even have any business talking about Boston to Ray? Because condemning Boston's "slutty" behavior will give Sand a sense of power for Ray to acknowledge.

By calling another person a "slut" -- a person like Sand gains an upper moralistic and ethical hand. All while Sand is the person that Ray is sleeping with as Ray cheats on Mew. Calling someone ELSE a slut allows Sand (and, let's be honest, Ray, too!) to escape accountability for his own questionable behavior.

And that's what I'm calling out in my posts, especially my Morning After meta from yesterday. If a meta writer is condemning Boston for having sex, or is interpreting that SandRay have only slept together once, to fulfill some kind of shipper fantasy -- I'm going to write about those judgements in my posts, because I don't think those judgements are fair to a show that was very open and honest, at its premiere, about its premise that it would be digging into issues regarding sex and toxicity. I think "purity culture," as we're calling it, is a means by which the fandom wants to control the sexual behavior of Asian queer men. Much of the fandom here on Tumblr is Western, and as an Asian-American, it also gives me the jibbles that a Western audience would want to control with power, the behavior of Asian queer males, a much smaller demographic than a wider Western audience. That's where I bring a colonialist accusation to the table. To me, all of this keeps coming back to power. (I write about this in that post that talks about colonialism. Shipping really worries me. To force two young Asian males into a relationship fantasy -- and then to push that fantasy towards monogamy and a restriction of sex. I mean. Whoa. I very much see colonialism and racism in there, as non-Asians push Asians to behave in prescribed ways.)

This conversation circles back in part to the exhortation I made at the start of OF's premiere, that as much of the fandom as possible should watch Gay OK Bangkok. Jojo Tichakorn's and Aof Noppharnach's GOKB depicted Asian queer males in sex, love, pain, and careers. In this show, there were no condemnations for slutty behavior. (I mean, Pom expected Arm to fall in and out of love, but Pom wasn't being judgmental about it -- he ended up being there for his friend in a hilar way. Anyway!) A specter of morality and ethics, the Greek chorus or peanut gallery of chirping about not having sex did NOT permeate the show. It was just -- Asian gay males living their lives.

Only Friends is bringing up sooooo much about how the characters within the show, and the fandom external to the show, think about, talk about, and judge sex. Having these conversations, for me, is lifeblood. As an Asian-American, I WISH I could have had these open conversations about sex when I was a growing teen. Alas. The culture in which I grew up -- one that valued virginity, purity, and one that condemned sexual experimentation -- prevented me from being open in conversation about sex. I'm thankful that I grew up more and more independently as I got older, and that I had the intellectual capacity to understand and process when I was being judged, myself, for having sex. Because we've all been there, those of us who have had and enjoyed sex. We've been condemned for it, judged for it, every single one of us. We've been made to feel guilty about it.

And even as someone like Boston gets JUDGED, in every episode of OF, for HAVING lots of sex -- I SO appreciate his existence as a character and a narrative device, that he exists as a mirror for OTHER characters, like Ray/Atom/Sand/even Mew/even Top -- who do not hold themselves accountable for either similar behaviors, and/or for behaviors that are far more questionable than simple having sex. Top violated Mew's boundaries in episode 8 -- flat out. And Top's not been held accountable for a second. Top still has power, he still has an upper hand.

This was a long answer, @sorry-bonebag, but TL;DR: POWER. Power and accountability are two elements of humanity that I am forever fascinated by, and I love that we have a brilliant showmaker in Jojo to help highlight this in his art.

I very much hope I touched upon a kind of answer for your question, but at least you got to read some of my deeper thoughts on this topic! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS CONVERSATION!

[neuroticbookworm]

List of Jane's best mentor/boss moments from The Trainee episode 3

aka the list of things that make him so irresistible to me that I am going feral on main on a Sunday afternoon

Jane admonished Ryan for being late and missing the production transportation, but he did not linger on it and immediately put him to work by giving him clear and concise tasks: keep the walkie talkie with you, keep the extras on standby and put your phone on silent

When he saw that Ryan's shoelaces were becoming a recurring problem, he just got down on his knees and solved it, giving us a little glimpse into his thoughts on seniority in the workplace and how ageist ego has no place in it

He was extra patient with Ryan when his phone continued to ring on set (@lurkingshan, @twig-tea, @shortpplfedup and I were screaming our heads off at Ryan and yet Jane continued to tolerate him)

Noticing Ryan's hesitation and offering to show him how to use the walkie talkie without him asking

Trusting the rest of the interns to run B-set

When the mean extra auntie tried to pull "I'm elder than him" nonsense, Jane shut that shit down, HARDDDDD. This is such an important lesson in Asian workplaces, because the social norms around age and the respect it demands can drown young people who enter the workforce. Jane spelling it out for Ryan that his age should not hinder him from doing the job was a powerful moment and one I have rarely seen in Asian dramas, to be honest. I think this is the moment the sex-o-meter caught on fire

He was open to ideas from his intern even during a high-stress situation and even implemented Ryan's idea of using one of the support service team members as an extra to finish up the shoot! If Ryan doesn't buy him a Best Boss Ever mug, I'm gonna be so mad at him

He covered for Pie and took the blame himself when the client expressed dissatisfaction (read: scolded everyone like children). He shielded her from the real-world-shitstorm-stress that would 100% be Too Much for an intern to deal with, while also teaching the interns the importance of teamwork and not throwing people under the bus

After wrapping up, Jane made sure Ryan did not leave the set feeling inadequate from his mistakes, and instead encouraged him to see himself as a cog in a bigger machine. Everyone's contribution is important, and no one in a team can work completely alone.

And finally, he told Ryan that he would not hesitate to apologize to him in the future if he makes a mistake. Because, say it with him now...

Jane is extremely competent and is a compassionate mentor, which makes him so fucking sexy that my braincells are constantly at risk of spontaneous combustion

[dustyrkives]

Inheritance? Taken Care Of

PAIRING: Ada Wong x fem reader

WARNINGS: RE4r Ada, post-Spain, parentified daughter r, researcher r, morally gray r, mommy issues, psychological drama, oldest daughter core r and because this piece speaks to me since I'm the eldest daughter of the Asian household–this is self-indulgent oops, emotional neglect, workaholic, unhealthy coping, power play, unethical sciences oops, soft dom Ada, emotional manipulation, possessive Ada, unprotected sex, soft to rough sex, raw sex, biting, marking, marathon sex, multiple orgasms, overstimulation and that's about it, I think.

SYNOPSIS: Your mother shaped you into the perfect scientist–brilliant, disciplined, and drowning in her legacy. Even in death, her voice haunts you. Then came Ada Wong. A deal. A distraction. A mistake. Now, she watches you unravel, unwilling to let you go. After all, everything must be taken care of.

MEN, MINORS DNI

"Everything must be taken care of, before you have any respite."

Heavy are the words of your mother–a renowned biomedical scientist in her time before she met her unfortunate end in Raccoon City.

Your mother took you to work with her at a young age, showing you the ins and outs of the lab, her research, her progress, and her data the moment you were finally capable of comprehension. She made you take STEM as a pre-med course, specifically biochemical engineering. With her name known across the world, you were given a full ride to a scholarship at the most prestigious universities in the city.

It didn't take long for your peers and mentors to realize you have the same talent and intelligence as your mother.

It felt empowering, of course.

You were saving lives, just like your mother, and the talent too!

Indeed, saving lives at the expense of ruining your own.

What a passionate way to die.

The world suddenly fell on your shoulders when the news of your mother not making it during the infamous Raccoon City incident made it to you–just days after you finished your internship with one of her trusted colleagues as your mentor–and her attorney informed you that she had left all of her assets in your care.

That includes her unfinished research manuscript, her lab notes, medical journals, and unorganized data.

Oh, what do you do?

Your knees wobbled as you set foot into her office, where most of her things were moved with the help of the family attorney and her trusted friends. Your thoughts raced, causing your forehead to heat up as you force yourself to go through her things just to know where to start–how to start.

Your mother was overly critical of you–she had a reputation to keep. Low grades and a bad track record were a sign of failure in her eyes, and in return, she'd lecture and vent to you about her frustrations in the lab.

Oh, you're having a difficult time at a single subject? What more if you're finally in my shoes, hm?

Tired? Ridiculous! Everything must be accounted for–must be taken care of, even if it meant dragging your body to work.

Even if it meant dragging your body to work.

Her reminders loom over you like a suffocating ghost. Before you can even grieve her passing–you threw yourself to work, just like your mother did; refining vaccines, studying new virus samples (those that your hired men can acquire), and testing for results.

But instead of the empowerment that surged in you before–it feels empty. The achievement that you longed for felt nothing like a chore–and your mother's praises are faint–mixing with the practiced awe of your investors and fellow scientists.

Most of your work proved effective against the virus—so much so that it became highly sought after by the government and private companies alike.

And a few questionable individuals too.

That includes a mercenary who disguised herself as one of the interns in your lab. You caught her scanning a copy of your research for the cure and possible enhancement of the G-virus.

You put her in for questioning–and instead of throwing her to the authorities, you made a transactional relationship with her; you'd pay her to take samples of the virus from her different missions and make a cure, in return, she'd get double the money from different employers.

At first, it was simple. Cold. Uncomplicated.

Ada delivered the virus samples, you worked on the cure, and both of you pretended it was just another business arrangement.

It worked—until it didn’t.

Somewhere along the line, the conversations became longer. The silences became heavier. She started sticking around after a job was done, lingering in the dim glow of your lab, watching you work like she had something else to say but never did.

You ignored it.

She never pried, never asked why you threw yourself into your work the way you did. But the way she watched you—like she saw straight through the walls you built—was unsettling.

You should have known better.

Because when the time came—when she had to choose between you and the people who paid her—she chose you.

That was the first time you realized that, despite everything, you weren’t the only one losing themselves in this arrangement.

And that changed everything.

A small smile graces your lips as a message from Ada glares from your screen.

I'm on my way back with the Amber.

Excellent.

"I'm sure Wesker was less than pleased when you change coarse with the Amber." You mused, days after Ada came back with the said item. The older girl's lips morph to a faint smile as she stands next to you, her arms crossed against her firm chest.

"Wesker has a lot of resources," She turns her head in your direction and tilts her head to the side, "I'm sure he can get new samples elsewhere."

You hum as you examine the stone, "Exquisite," You tear your eyes from the Amber and look at Ada. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, doll." The short-haired woman smirks, "I'll leave you to your work–I know you hate being delayed."

"You know me too well," Your tone cool as Ada leaves the room. On cue, your lips flatten into a line as the mirth swims away from your eyes, becoming dull–empty.

Wonderful. Another chore.

In you're need to start planning your next steps, you fail to notice Ada–who is standing at the entrance of your study–eyes carefully studying your change of expression before walking down the halls of the facility.

Without wasting time–you and your team of proficient biomedical scientist began brainstorming the stone–conducting tests among tests and recording your findings without fail–the Amber held so much potential: a superior form of the Plaga. It didn't take a while for it to become the center of your focus, eating and sleeping became an option–you have so much to work with.

Ada has been observing you, the way your food comes back untouched, your sleep patterns–heck, she even woke up with you not beside her.

And if Ada didn't know any better–have you gotten thinner?

Her brows pinch together–and just as it quickly came, it disappeared.

You tell your team to rest–but you can't apply the same to yourself.

Everything must be taken care of, before you have any respite.

With heavy eyes and a blank face, you type away new data recorded from today's findings. Your wrist feels numb, and your body weighed like lead as your eyes shift from one screen to the next.

Then a familiar, feminine, velvety voice fills your cold, sterile lab.

"It's 4:37 AM,"

Automatically, your brows arch and you swivel your chair to the owner of the voice. There stood Ada, wearing a white-button up shirt and beige tapered trousers.

"And?" You mused.

"You're supposed to be sleeping next to me."

Your eyes scan her outfit, "What an odd set of pajamas." You comment with a small smile. A hum reverberates form Ada's chest, her eyes smoothly move to your desk.

"And I see that you didn't touch your food. Again." Her eyes narrow as she takes slow, measured steps towards you. Pink blossoms in your cheeks–nothing extravagant—just a simple meal. You don’t need to ask who left it.

"You're making a habit of watching me, Ada." You mutter, looking away from the older woman. She smirks, using one hand to grasp your chin, coaxing you to look at her.

"Hard not to when you're wasting away."

"I have work..." You trailed off as her expression sharpens–stern.

"And you'll be no use to anyone if you collapse." She lets go of your jaw and takes the fork, stabbing the meat with it before handing it to you. "Eat, doll."

You blink at her, "But–"

She raises a brow.

The air between you hums with tension, silent yet deafening. Ada doesn't waver, her hand steady as she holds out the fork. You recognize the challenge in her gaze—one she doesn’t need to voice. You could ignore her. Dismiss her with a sharp remark and go back to your research. That’s what you would have done before.

But the weight of her stare is different this time.

Reluctantly, you take the fork from her fingers, avoiding her gaze as you take one bite. Then another. The taste is nothing special, but the way Ada leans against the desk, arms crossed, watching you with quiet satisfaction–it was almost irritating.

"Happy?"

The former smirks, but there's a mellow gleam in her eyes. "Ecstatic."

She doesn’t push you to eat more. Doesn’t hover or pry. Just lets you go at your own pace before pushing off the desk.

"Sleep after you're done eating."

A scoff leaves your lips. "I have work to do."

Ada tilts her head, studying you with something unreadable. "Right. Of course you do."

She turns, walking toward the exit—but pauses at the doorway. Over her shoulder, she adds, "Don’t make me force you."

And then she’s gone.

Days pass. Weeks.

Ada watches. She doesn’t hover, doesn’t nag—but she sees everything.

The untouched meals. The way your hands shake slightly when you reach for a pen. The increasing number of empty coffee cups cluttering your desk. The dark circles under your eyes, like shadows carved into your skin.

You're burning out, and you don’t even notice.

Ada does.

She notices when your fingers tremble as you type. When you blink a second too long, as if fighting the urge to collapse on the spot. She notices when you stand too fast, your vision tilting, and you grip the edge of the desk just to steady yourself.

And then, one night, it happens.

You don’t remember falling—only the sharp sensation of your knees hitting the floor, the rush of dizziness swallowing you whole. A sound escapes your lips, something between a gasp and a curse, but before your body can fully crumple—

Ada is there.

Lithe arms catch you before you hit the cold tile. A firm grip steadies you and through the haze clouding your vision, you hear her voice, lower than usual.

"That's enough."

Your head is spinning. You don’t fight when Ada pulls you up, guiding you towards the couch in the corner of your study. You’re not sure when she sat down, only that you’re suddenly leaning against her, the warmth of her presence pressing into your side.

You hate how comforting it feels.

"You’re overworking yourself," Ada states, voice unreadable.

You huff, though it lacks bite. "That’s nothing new."

Ada is silent for a moment, then:

"This isn’t just about the research, is it?"

Your breath catches.

She’s too close. Not physically—though, yes, she is—but she’s too close to seeing through you. Through the carefully constructed walls, through the weight of your mother’s expectations still coiled around your throat like a noose.

Ada exhales, her voice softer than before. "You can’t outrun her."

Your fingers clench into the fabric of your sleeves. You don't answer.

Ada doesn't push.

She simply sits there, allowing the silence to settle—offering her presence without demand. Without pressure.

Ada doesn't move for a while. Neither do you.

The silence isn’t uncomfortable, but it’s heavy. You can feel her presence—steady, unmoving—like a quiet force refusing to let you spiral any further.

You close your eyes for just a second. Just a second.

And then—

You wake up.

The dim glow of your study lamps is gone, replaced by the soft flicker of the emergency lights. The air is still. Quiet. The weight against your back is warm, solid—Ada.

You realize with slow clarity that you’ve fallen asleep against her.

Your mind is sluggish, torn between the rare, unfamiliar comfort of rest and the immediate need to get back to work. You shift slightly, only for Ada’s arm—wrapped loosely around your waist—to tighten.

"Don’t even think about it."

Her voice is smooth, carrying no room for argument. You tilt your head just enough to catch a glimpse of her—eyes closed, looking impossibly at ease, as if she had all the time in the world.

"How long was I out?" you murmur.

Ada hums, opening one eye. "Longer than you usually allow yourself. Not long enough."

A flicker of annoyance sparks in your chest. "I don’t have time for—"

Ada clicks her tongue, and suddenly, she’s shifting—her arm unwinding from you as she gracefully rises to her feet. The warmth you didn’t realize you were clinging to vanishes.

Fine. If she’s going to leave, that’s—

Your thoughts halt when Ada leans down, placing her hands on the couch—caging you in.

"You’re coming with me," she says, voice smooth as silk but carrying an edge that dares you to refuse.

Your brows furrow. "Excuse me?"

Ada tilts her head, smirking slightly. "You heard me."

She grabs your wrist—not tightly, but firmly—and pulls you up before you can protest. Your legs, still weak from exhaustion, stumble slightly, and Ada steadies you without effort.

"Ada—"

"You need air," she interrupts, her tone final. "A break. And before you start whining about time, I already handled the lab reports for the night. Your little research team will survive without you for a few hours."

You blink. "You—what?"

Ada smirks, guiding you toward the door. "I have my ways."

You stare at her, skepticism laced with something else—something almost like reluctant gratitude.

Ada catches it. Of course she does.

She simply tilts her head toward the exit. "Let’s go, doll."

For once, you don’t fight her.

The low hum of the car engine is the only sound between you. The city lights flicker past, painting streaks of gold and red across the tinted windows.

Ada drives without hurry, one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily against the gear shift. She hasn’t said much since she pulled you out of the lab, but she doesn’t need to.

You exhale, leaning against the cool glass. "Where are we going?"

Ada glances at you from the corner of her eye, smirking. "Somewhere you can’t escape from."

Your lips twitch. "That so?"

"Mm." She shifts gears smoothly. "You need rest. I’m making sure you get it."

You huff, but there’s no real bite behind it. Maybe a part of you is too tired to fight.

Or maybe a part of you wants to be taken care of for once.

The night air is cool against your skin, but the warmth pressed against your back is unmistakable. Ada.

You don’t remember how she convinced you to stop working for the night, or how you ended up lying in bed with her, tangled in soft sheets. All you know is that her arms are around you, one resting against your stomach, the other tucked under the pillow you share.

Her breath fans against your neck—slow, steady. Unlike you, she seems completely at ease.

You shift slightly, and Ada’s hold tightens just enough to keep you from slipping away.

"You’re still tense," she murmurs, voice low, husky from the quiet.

You scoff. "Habit."

"Bad one," Ada counters, her lips barely brushing your shoulder. "I can think of better ways to relieve stress."

Her fingers trail down your arm, featherlight, before slipping beneath the hem of your shirt. Your breath catches as her fingertips graze your skin, drawing slow, deliberate patterns along your waist.

"Ada—"

"Hm?" Her tone is innocent, but the way her nails drag lightly against your skin is anything but.

You turn your head slightly, just enough to catch the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You planned this," you accuse.

Ada smirks. "Would you have stopped me if I did?"

You hate how easily she gets under your skin—how the warmth of her touch makes your body betray you.

The way her lips graze the curve of your jaw—soft, teasing—before she bites down just enough to make you shiver.

You don’t answer.

You don’t need to.

Because when Ada shifts, rolling you onto your back, and pins you beneath her with that knowing smirk—you’re already hers for the night.

Your breath hitches as Ada's hips press flush against you, clothes strewn across the floor . Her fingers dance along your torso, grazing your ribs, the. lower; teasing.

"You're so tense," She murmurs, her lips brushing against the shell of your ear. "Let me fix that."

She shifts, her grip firm as she tilts your hips just enough for her to roll against you, slow, deliberate. Heat coils low in your stomach, and you barely suppress a gasp as her cock rubs snuggly against your walls. Your lover chuckles, voice rich in amusement. "See? You don't have to do anything, doll. Just let me do the work."

Your body betrays you, instinctively meeting her hips, craving more.

"That's my girl," She whispers, her voice dark, dripping with satisfaction. Her hands tightens on your hips, and you fele her smirk against your skin.

"Let's see just how much you can take."

She guides your hips, both of you gasping as her pace is agonizingly slow. The tension pulls taut. Deliberate, controlled, taking her time as she fucks you, her movements slow and deep.

Each movement makes pleasure coil tighter and tighter in your core, and Ada knows it. She watches you unravel beneath her, eyes locked on your every reaction. "You love this, don't you?" She taunts, rolling her hips just right, pulling a broken moan from your lips. "Being under me like this, being taken."

Your body trembles, eyes rolling back as your hands grip at her back, nails scratching along her skin as the pleasure builds to unbearable levels.

"Baby–please," You whimper, desperate, your body arching into hers.

The older girl chuckles, her hands sliding up your thighs, gripping your waist as she picks up the pace, thrusting into you with more force, driving deeper. The cacophony of your moans and her groans mixes with the creaks and whines of the bed.

"Say it," She demands, lips brushing against your ear. "Tell me you're mine."

"Yours," You gasp, barely able to breathe. "I'm yours, Ada."

She groans, her rhythm turning rougher, faster, chasing her own release as she takes you apart, the veins on the ridges of her cock rubbing deliciously against your walls while the tip kisses your cervix, eliciting a yelp from you. Pleasure crashes over you, your entire body tensing, and Ada drives into you, pushing you past your limit–until you're crying out her name, clinging to her as waves of euphoria pulse through you.

Ada follows soon after, burying herself deep, her own release hitting as she moans against your throat, her fingers digging into your hips, holding you still as ropes of cum floods your walls, some even oozing out of your folds and down to the sheets. She watches the way you tremble, her smirk returns as she leans down, pressing a lingering kiss against your lips.

"Good girl,"

And just like that, you knew–she isn't done with you yet.

Your body trembles, broken moans and whimpers leave your lips, legs weak and spread open, slick with heat and sweat. She's still inside you, half-hard, twitching against your walls. Your cry out, nails dragging down her back, feeling the way she stretches you all over again, this time with less restraint.

"That's it," She moans lowly, thrusting her hips until there's nowhere left to go. "Take all of me, pretty girl. Just like before."

The ecstasy is almost too much–your pussy still sensitive from the first round but Ada doesn't slow down.

Plap, plap, plap, plap!

The bed creaks, the sound of skin against skin filling the room, and all you can do is cling to her, let her take everything she wants from you. "Mine," She breathes into your ear, her voice dripping with possession.

Your moans swallowed by her kisses as she pounds into you, pushing you higher and higher towards your breaking point. "You'll take everything I give you." Ada growls, gripping your hips, holding you still as she pistons her hips even deeper.

Then, you feel it–the heat, the pressure, the way she stiffens inside you.

Your lover groans, burying herself to the hilt, filling you with viscous ropes of semen, her balls tighten as it slaps against your ass. She stays like that, breathing heavily, enjoying the way your body shudders beneath her, taking everything she has to give.

"Y-you didn't even pull out." You blink at her, dazed, breath ragged.

A cold smile graces Ada's lips. Unapologetic.

"Of course not," She murmurs, dragging her fingers down your stomach, pressing lightly over your womb. "Why would I? You look good like this." She leans down, nipping at your bottom lip, her hands still possessively tracing your lips, before she moves her hips again, rubbing against your puffy folds.

"A-Ada–wait, I-I can't–" You gasp, trying to pry her hips away, but her hands grip your thighs, keeping them spread.

"Oh, baby–I'm not yet down with you."

Her hips press forward, the tip kissing the spongey spot of your walls, making you see stars–your back arches.

"You can take more," She murmurs, kissing down your neck, her hands roaming around your body possessively. "You will take more."

Before you can protest, her knees plant firmly against the sheets as she plows into you, deeper, harder.

Stretching, filling.

Broken moans leave from your lips as your back arches–another choked cry escaping your lips. She's bigger, harder this time–more desperate, more demanding as the headboard keeps slamming against the wall.

"You feel that?" Ada groans, jutting her hips, stealing another moan from you.

"Still so tight–still squeezing me like you don't want to leave."

You whimper, your body is too sensitive, too overwhelmed–Ada doesn't stop. She sets a relentless pace, her thrust deep, hard and void of mercy.

"Look at you, so fucked-out already. But you'll take everything I give you, won't you?" She breathes, watching your eyes lose and your lips open.

So helpless.

"You're mine, inside and out."

Your moans turn into whimpers, gasps, pleas—but it only fuels her more. Ada is insatiable, unrelenting, making you take her over and over again, until you’re nothing but a shaking, overstimulated mess beneath her.

She guides your legs around her hips, pulling out.

A whine leaves your lips before it morphs into a filthy moan with another sharp thrust into your cunt, another nasty squelch echoing into the air–sex and perfume wafts in the room. She slumps against you, pressing her soft chest against your sensitive ones, moving her lips purposefully to the crown of your ear and tugging a bit of your skin in between her teeth.

Your body was hot against hers. Your walls throb deliciously throb around her. Ada's eyes flutter close before she sinks her teeth into your skin.

"A-Ada–fuck!" You sob as she angles precisely into you.

"Nghh–I know, doll." Ada throws her head back, relishing the obscene sound of flesh against flesh.

Plap, plap, plap!

Oh, it's a sound you and Ada never get tired of.

You've already lost your mind beneath her–fucking you to a state of overstimulation, being bred full of her semen.

"You look so beautiful," Ada huffs as she jogs her hips, her pace is shallow to the point that she isn't pulling out anymore.

She grabs the headboard, fucking you into the sheets. The older woman grits her teeth, your mixed fluids being fucked out of your beaten walls, making a mess beneath your legs. Her balls slap against the curve of your ass, heavy with potent seed.

"Mghmm, cumming." Your lover whines, "Cum on my cock, doll–nghh, I want to feel you."

Your eyes roll back again as a strong gush of fluid exits your pussy, coating Ada's cock and her balls. Ada groans, nuzzling her cock into you as she fucks you into overstimulation before she finally stills her hips, shooting ribbons of her seed in you, painting your walls warm and white.

Your mixed essence oozes out, your mind filled with cotton and your body is heavy while Ada looks energized, watching your blissed out state.

"Once I know you're pregnant–I'm putting you on maternity leave." She murmurs.

A promise.

A threat.

And for once, you didn't fight against it.

[zahri-melitor]

inspired by your recent ask about the birds of prey - i like how you said it's basically bbs and her harem - er, i mean, teammates and contacts - instead of a team where the "center" is less rigidly defined like 90s young justice or early teen titans (i know dick was the leader but it always seemed like they were all pretty equally close even with early stuff like the roy+garth rivalry). but also i'd like to know more of your thoughts on bop as a whole! personally i loved babs in amanda waller's suicide squad and her on the jla but i can't stand her in bop because all her batty traits come out, my fav is helena so i always feel so sad on her behalf and i thought babs's "apology" was so flimsy and inadequate (maybe i'm biased though because i loved rucka's godfather-esque take on helena so i was disappointed by the sex and the city-esque writing for her prevalent throughout bop)... but babs doesn't treat outsiders like powergirl well either... and that's not even getting how various asian female characters like lady shiva were characterized but to be fair i think that was a DC-wide problem in the early 00s and not just a gail simone thing, though it doesn't make me dislike simone's writing choices any less.... but sorry, sorry, enough of my whining!! please share your thoughts on bop, i'm listenin and learnin over here!!!!!

…I think if you find Barbara as having too many ‘batty traits’ in Simone’s BOP you’re just generally going to have a hard time with Birds of Prey runs. The basic concept of Birds of Prey is Barbara being paranoid, over-controlling and running private ops for her own purposes. It’s essentially an outgrowth of the position she held in Suicide Squad 1987, only Babs is doing it independently without oversight now, rather than working as control for Waller.

Dinah does not see Barbara’s face or find out her name until BOP #21, 29 issues + 2 crossover issues into Birds of Prey as a concept. BLACK CANARY.

I actually personally am very fond of the work Simone did on Helena and Barbara’s relationship together, because she had to sit there and carefully untangle a decade’s worth of drama between them, where they were both extremely justified in being mad at the other. Sticking points that had to be worked through on both sides included: both of their relationships with Dick; Helena’s use of the Bat costume during No Man’s Land and the argument over whether or not that counted as being ‘Batgirl’; the costume going to Cass and Barbara being supportive of Cass as Batgirl; Helena breaking into the Clock Tower in No Man’s Land; Helena’s willingness to use violence and kill. There was lore there and years of encroaching on the other’s territory. So yes, it was rocky to start and they had to learn to trust each other, because they both went in with justifiable hurts, and had done things the other considered completely unacceptable.

Barbara is very much able to work with people she doesn’t like, but she is also a notorious grudge-holder, which means if she’s pissed at a character, she will go out of her way to snub them and avoid them all together. (Your most obvious examples of this are the Babs v Power Girl problems – the origin of which is actually a Dixon story and an example of Babs’ control tendencies meaning her emotional intelligence did not kick in; and Babs’ grudge against Kory). The fact she was willing to get over her problems with Helena was in many ways a reflection of the fact that despite all the conflicts, they both had fundamental base respect for each other, and understood they had to work with or around each other in Gotham.

BOP 1999 is Barbara and Dinah together against the world’s problems, and from Simone and Bedard’s runs it picks up a bunch of extra characters to widen the team and use various people for various specific needs, and to also explore female friendship. You know how Roy promises Dick at the start of Outsiders 2003 that it can just be a team, it doesn’t have to be a family? Babs tries to pull that on HERSELF in Bedard’s run while she’s grappling with the fact that Dinah’s not on the team (and fails. Miserably). What I think one of the upsides of Simone’s run (that I think may be part of what you’re categorising as the ‘Sex and the City’ vibes) is that Simone, being a woman, is actually aware that most women have more than a single female friend, and actually portrays those networks of friendships and different vibes together.

BOP 2010 is Barbara getting the team back together in the wake of Dinah and Ollie’s divorce to give Dinah something to distract herself with and lure her back.

BOP 2011 is technically Dinah’s strike force team, not Babs’, and is missing some of the vibe because they’ve lost a control figure by Barbara being present as Batgirl, not being Oracle. It’s not awful but it is pretty formulaic with occasional bright spots.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 2016 is an attempt to get the team back to basics in the Simone team model, by re-establishing the baselines of the Barbara-Dinah-Helena friendships. It is successful at that, but it could have dealt with the fact that Babs was Batgirl not Oracle in a less aggravating manner.

There’s an assortment of short Harley Quinn-based stories next that I’m skipping over as they’re mostly slight and dreadful.

The villains and antiheroes BOP that exists for a hot second in Urban Legends for a story really should have been a Ravens team.

BOP 2023 is still having a few issues with figuring out the balance of tension between this being Barbara’s Team and the fact that Dinah stood the team up specifically trying to work around Barbara for Plot Reasons, but a lot of the knots have been worked out by now. It’s very much moving towards having the core of Barbara-Dinah-Cass-Barda-Sin as solid.

[blacksapphicguide]

Gen V (TV series)

2020s TV series | 1 season (Ongoing). Available on Prime Drama, superhero, fantasy, mystery.

Plot points:

Superhuman world

Superhero agencies

Government involvement and control

Conspiracy theories and plots

Interracial sapphic couple (main, with a gender-fluid SO)

Black sapphic character (lead)

Black sapphic characters:

Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair)

Connections:

Marie x Jordan (interracial sapphic: black x white asian)

Sex & Nudity - Severe

Characters may be nude, but genitalia is obscured by objects

Character attempts to rape another but is stopped; his genitals explode

Fetishes (anything with a hole, for small human beings)

Sex scene where a physically tiny character hangs onto a penis

Sex scene between a human and a puppet

Characters kissing and making out

Violence & Gore - Severe

Throat slitting

Murderous rampages

Blood and plasma from exploded characters coating public spaces

Character is burned alive, then sets themselves on fire and explodes

Character has seizures and bleeds from the eye

Character's first menstrual blood is unknowingly weaponized, killing her parents

Character cuts her own palm to access her powers; not graphic

Character is able to mind control others (makes another slit their throat)

Character punches another, fist is seen exiting the punchee's mouth

Character shrinks in size and burrows into another's ear; blood pours from the second's eyes

Character occasionally has violent manic episodes

Imploding and exploding bodies and body parts

Tearing off a character's arms, and reattachment of said arms

Dismembering

View of guts

Blood is seen (pouring out a slit neck)

Impalement

Gunfire

Profanity - Severe

Use of 'fuck, cunt, shit, etc'

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking - Severe

Multiple use of drugs; alcohol, cocaine, MDMA, hallucinogens, etc.

Frightening, Inappropriate & Intense Scenes - Severe

Vomiting

Exploding (super) humans

[leftistteendrama]

✨EP 33 OUT NOW✨Maria is joined by Abir Mohammad to break down powerful depictions of British teenagers in the South Asian diaspora on Some Girls, Ackley Bridge, Sex Education, and Waterloo Road. This episode is jam packed with South Asian teen characters living in all their complexity – as sexual beings, as Muslims, as hijabis, as queer teens, as protest leaders. We celebrate beloved characters like Saz Kaur, Nasreen Paracha, Naveed Haider, Olivia Hanan, Anwar Bakshi, and Samia Choudhry, while also talking about the ways South Asian representation can continue to be improved in teen dramas.

Hosted by Maria DiPasquale, produced by Jeff McHale, with art by Charles O'Leary, Leftist Teen Drama Ep 33 is now streaming everywhere you get your podcasts!

[astralleywright]

people will come up with any excuse to hate imodna. i was here when "imodna has a toxic power dynamic because laudna is old enough to be her mom" was a legitimate complaint. a singular someone could headcanon laudna as chinese and draw her in hanfu and the usual suspects would say "ugh those imodnas think that all asian women are magical witches!"

yeah, this is unfortunately just kind of a thing with big ships, and especially big f/f ships, and especially in the cr fandom, where ppl use 5 year old drama to excuse treating a large portion of the queer women and f/f shippers in the fandom with open suspicion and disdain. not at all helped by the fact that imodna are actually interesting continue to have conflict and complexity after getting together instead of just being like. fluff and sex jokes. like some other cr relationships.

[justforbooks]

Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst

Gay life in England across the decades, from the 1960s to the pandemic, is captured with glowing intensity through an actor’s memories

In what has become one of the defining rhythms of contemporary literature, Alan Hollinghurst’s novels appear at spacious intervals of six or seven years, each a solid architectural structure holding within it fugitive emotions and pungent atmospheres, each managing restraint and amplitude in tandem, each to be read slowly for its craftsmanship and with a greedy plunge of the spoon into the deft social comedy, counterpointed settings, and irresistibly expressive detail.

The Swimming-Pool Library (1988) is firmly established as a modern classic, though The Line of Beauty, which won the Booker prize 20 years ago, is probably his best-known novel: a Jamesian study of sex, class and power in Thatcher’s Britain. Since then, The Stranger’s Child (2011) and The Sparsholt Affair (2017) have brought some of Hollinghurst’s most remarkable writing. Investigations of legacy and memory, they are structurally fascinating in their use of discontinuous stories side-stepping across generations. But some coherence ebbed away in the gaps, and the daringly blank Sparsholt lead characters, for whom other characters felt so much, exerted on me a less certain pull.

Our Evenings leaves no such doubts. This is the story of Dave Win as he tells it himself, in late middle age, recreating with glowing intensity a sequence of formative or quietly significant episodes across six decades, from the 1960s to the pandemic. He is a boy at school, discovering the possibilities of music and drama, finding his own powers, shaken by encounters with prejudice and aggression, filled with unspoken ecstasies as his sensual attraction to men grows. He is a young actor with a subversive touring company in the 1970s; he is a lover, finding joy with his partners. He is an only son to a single mother, their closeness outlasting all change.

Dave is a gay man of a generation reaching maturity soon after decriminalisation, seizing his freedoms wholeheartedly amid intolerance. He is also half Burmese, though he never met the father from whom he inherited his Asian looks, and Burma is an unknown page of the atlas to someone whose familiar terrain sits under the “B” of Berkshire. The novel tracks the currents of gay liberation and race relations, not to mention a modern history of theatre and the arts, but with never a moment’s schematic overview: all is lived and felt idiosyncratically.

Going back, remembering his schooldays “in the far‑off middle of the previous century”, Dave begins among the wind and earthworks of the Berkshire Downs. It’s exhilarating up here, but he’s caught in joyless play with another boy, Giles, who says he owns it all and who’s currently administering a Chinese burn. Dave is 13, a new pupil at Bampton, on a visit to the family who have funded his scholarship. Already he needs to hold off the obtuse, entitled son who will go on being a bully, become a Tory MP and exert his power as minister for Brexit.

Growing older in parallel through the span of the novel, these two contemporaries converge intermittently, their encounters too incidental for any politician’s memoir but charged by Hollinghurst with tragicomic political force. “Tone deaf and proud of it”, Giles attends a concert at Aldeburgh, though his schedule as arts minister won’t stretch to his hearing the whole performance. Dave is on stage as the reciter in Vaughan Williams’s Oxford Elegy, “a strange late piece” for speaker and chorus, when the noise of Giles’s departing helicopter screeches through the hall. Fighting back, filling his voice with colour as he raises the volume, Dave throws his words “like a javelin” to the back of the room.

Yet Dave retains a lifelong respect for Giles’s parents, his sponsors, who are lovers of the arts, people with money “who do nothing but good with it”. Their house, Woolpeck, is a place of beauty, encouragement and refuge, one that Dave revisits in memory on “little mental occasions” that no one else could guess. Going on like frame narratives around the edge, these long enmities and attachments are touchstones, as the decades pass: measures of how imaginative life might be fostered and how it might be squashed under the heel.

Moving spaciously within this frame, Hollinghurst unfolds a sequence of superbly realised scenes. A summer holiday on the Devon coast gleams with the beginnings of erotic excitement as the 14-year-old watches, mesmerised, “the shifting parade of known and unknown men”. It’s bravura writing, quietly done, generously varied in tone as the Fawlty Towers comedy of hotel routine accompanies the beautiful seriousness of desire. It’s collegially reminiscent of other literary comings-of-age and seaside longings, but compellingly fresh page by page; no Proust or Mann or Alain-Fournier would have sent Dave off to the gents behind the esplanade.

Time, passing as the sundial says, brings Oxford gardens at sunset, theatrical triumphs, the “brisker tempo” of twentysomething life in London, bright with sex and energy, a potently drawn relationship with Hector, the Black actor who leaves Dave behind, their unlived future together “missed, incalculably”.

At the tender core of this novel lies Dave’s portrait of his mother Avril, a dressmaker, a white woman bringing up a mixed-race boy alone in the market town of Foxleigh. Our Evenings becomes a tribute to her: an intensely private figure, acute in perception, loving her son with a mighty steadiness, and finding her life partner in well‑off, self-possessed local client Esme Croft.

We see what young Dave sees of the way these women establish a home together, neither advertising nor concealing their love, forming a family unit with utmost care, though one so radical that it cannot be named. We glimpse, too, what the older Dave wants to understand and to honour: Avril on her own terms, “tough, unconventional”, creative and courageous. Dave acknowledges forebears of many kinds, from the writers he learns by heart to the old thespian whose secluded baroque acres have hosted “liberties … excitements”. Yet his most enabling and affecting inheritance is here in Foxleigh, in the conifer-shaded garden where, on the evening of his coming out to them and innumerable evenings after, Avril and Esme expressed their loving support with a modest chink of glasses.

Our Evenings forms a deep pattern of connection with its predecessors, while being an entirely distinct and brimming whole. If it’s a long solo, it is a various and populated one. Happily echoing with voices, it stays clear of pastiche. Its chapters feel inhabitable: places to which you might return for sustenance on “little mental occasions” as yet unknown. Hollinghurst is precise about sentiment in ways that put loose sentimentality to shame. And he is above all an appreciator, taking pleasure in the inexhaustible particularity of what people do and make and see. That capacity for appreciation acquires new emotional and political meaning here, in the finest novel yet from one of the great writers of our time.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[aquarines]

'yaoi traditionalist' girl how many times the show should explicitly tell y'all that lestat and louis are vers until it finally sticks. but you still put your blinders on and say it's OOC. season 1 ep6 hate sex? nah louis was just pissed :) literally all of the loumand dynamic? awww poor louis armand forced him to top for 70 years :(

this is not an asian bl drama! i hope they'll show lestat on all fours and louis behind him just to see your mental gymnastics.

"how many times do they have to tell you they're vers?!?!?1?1?1" they told us that explicitly 0 times but always kept their actual power dynamic at the forefront

also this ask is hilarious i'm sorry like you can prefer whatever you want, at the end of the day it's whatever gets you off, like do you need my permission to do that?

when they move the show back to the og timeslot and we get to see lestat destroying louis' cervix>>>>>>>>

[waitmyturtles]

I will admit to not having the brain power at the moment to analyze this article in depth. But it covers a lot of topics that I am really obsessed with — namely, in part, the relationship that queer media, globally, has with sex. I truly appreciate this Western author acknowledging the successes and obstacles that queer Asian art has enjoyed and dealt with, respectively, in the course of the developing BL genre. Some of our Thai BL favorites are mentioned in here, including Only Friends, ITSAY, and IPYTM. Definitely worth a read, especially if you’re watching the Western queer pieces of the moment and want to compare them to the amazing queer Asian dramas that we love.

[timetoboldlygo]

started watching not me! do you have any other reccs for asian dramas?

i'm so glad you're liking it!!! i don't have any recommendations that are EXACTLY the same as not me (very little political arson, unfortunately) but i do have some that are similiar-ish in vibe or tone, in that the question of "who has power" is usually brought up:

3 Will Be Free -- a thai show about three people on the run from the mafia while simultaneously trying to figure out their poly relationship. goes hard on the "what horrible things u have to do to survive" theme. this doesn't really have a straightforward happy ending, and for some characters, it's a tragedy

reset -- chinese drama about two college students stuck in a timeloop on a bus that's about to explode. they engage in schemes ranging from hilarious to judgemental to downright haunting to figure out how to stop whoever is exploding the bus

manner of death -- thai drama about a small town doctor and a mafia guy team up to find out who murdered their friend and become the target of the people trying to cover the murder up. this show gets extremely gayly domestic VERY fast, but ill warn u now, the horrors of sex trafficking are a plot point

here are some others that are much less heavy: great men academy, a show about a girl who wants her crush to fall in love with her so a magic unicorn turns her into a boy, romance is a bonus book, a show about a woman returning to the workplace after having a kid, and also a show about how much ppl love reading, and semantic error, a kdrama about a video game designer and illustrator who hate each other and then fall in lov

[raptorific]

So, it's because there is no "Freaky Friday Universe" outside of what happens in the movie. There is the movie, which is pretend, and all the characters in it do not have an existence that predates the first frame or continues beyond the last frame. Fictional characters are not people, they are person-shaped plot devices that a storyteller uses to tell the story they want to tell.

That the restaurant owner had magical powers, and in fact that she was Chinese, were choices made by the filmmaker. They also made the choice to make the magic be exclusive to the Chinese characters, and universal to the Chinese characters. There are no Chinese characters in the movie who are not connected to the mystical powers, and no non-Chinese characters who are connected to them. As for the hypothetical existence of non-magical Chinese people or non-Chinese magical people, it's entirely irrelevant, because the movie does not present those people in any way. They are not shown or mentioned or implied in the narrative, so as far as the narrative is concerned, they do not exist.

This is the same reason why, for instance, it would be racist to have a movie where the black characters exist only as scary violent criminals to create drama in the other characters' lives. The fact that it's technically not stated that there aren't any law-abiding, non-threatening black people somewhere off camera doesn't change the fact that in the movie, that's the only kind of black person that's allowed to exist. It's also why it's sexist for a movie to have all the women exist for sexual gratification to the male characters (and audience). It doesn't matter that there might theoretically be other women offscreen who aren't glorified sex objects, the reality is that the movie exclusively presents women as sex objects.

The reason why it's racist is that the characters are all plot devices who serve a function in a story, and these storytellers have decided that Asian people's function in the story is being inscrutable, mischievous mystics. They didn't think to have Asian actors play, for instance, the "mother and daughter" roles, or the "new stepfather" role, or the "daughter's romantic interest" role, those functions don't align with racist stereotypes about Asians and were reserved for white people.

Same concept: in those movies that present women as sex objects, they rarely have female characters serve the function of "wise old mentor" or "smoothtalking con man," they only use female characters to serve misogynist functions in the story.

If you did a shot for shot remake of Freaky Friday but replaced Jamie Lee Curtis and her daughter with Asian actresses, and got rid of the line that credits "some kind of Asian voodoo" for the switch, then maybe you could argue that the restauranteur was just a magic woman who happened to be Asian. But as it stands, the movie exclusively presents Asian people, all the Asian people in the movie, and only the Asian people, as having magic powers.

The easiest way to understand it, though, is that if you changed the detail of the magic woman being Asian, then the switch is left unexplained. If they are in a French restaurant, and the owner is an old French woman who switches their bodies, then the script doesn't cohere because "French people have access to ancient and mysterious magicks, also they're tricky and sneaky" isn't a widespread racist belief about French people. But because they are Chinese, and because "Chinese people have access to ancient and mysterious magicks, also they're tricky and sneaky" IS a widespread racist belief about Chinese people, the act of picking Asian actors to play the "magic trickster" answers the question of "wait, why does she have magic powers?" for most of the audience.

Hence, why I called it a racist plot device.

I think we as a society tend to forget that the movie "Freaky Friday" starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Mark Harmon hinges entirely on the narrative's assertion that Chinese people have magic powers

[dankusner]

Joan Didion on sex-assault victims

Oct. 22, 1990

Whether to identity Miley.

At the time, the widespread journalistic policy was to not name rape victims.

The logic was that they had suffered enough.

And should not be exposed to public shaming.

But many feminists argued that making sexual assault different from other violent crimes gave rape precisely the power its perpetrators sought.

Women don't want to be raped.

Nor do they want to have their brains smashed.

But very few mystify the difference between the two.

‘Sentimental Journeys’ To the Editors:

Like a moth to a flame, Joan Didion was drawn to whatever warmth and light the quasi-theatrical jogger trials might afford a sojourner in a city otherwise heartless and dark [“New York: Sentimental Journeys,” NYR, January 17]. What she calls variously “sentimental,” “preferred,” and “transforming narratives”—civic idylls and passion plays resolved too neatly in courtroom dramas and media circuses—do indeed “blur the edges of real and to a great extent insoluble problems,” including economic injustice.

But Didion’s essay is also a retelling of her own preferred narrative, carried from Salvador to Miami to New York—an account of ceremonies of innocence drowned in the moral abysses they conceal, of institutions forever collapsing into centers that cannot hold. Her predisposition, if one may call it that, skews the analysis here.

Pundits’ outrage about cases such as the jogger’s don’t truly capture, with anything like the power Didion assumes, the imaginations of New Yorkers who watch the news and then shuttle daily across lines of color and class. Perhaps because these ordinary citizens are curiously unknown as well as unknowing in Didion’s essay, she conflates a “white” narrative of the case with a defense of hoary fantasies of phony civic comity and mistakes her “black” narrative for a salutary disruption of it. Demonstrations led by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who brought Tawana Brawley to the jogger trial to greet the alleged rapists, seem to serve Didion about as well as would, say, a strike by the interracial Hospital Workers’ Union.

“What seemed not at all understood”—by whom, Didion avoids telling us in half a dozen such maddeningly passive constructions—was that Sharpton wasn’t out to “ease tension.” Rather, we’re told, he used blacks’ and whites’ divergent interests as “a ready-made organizing tool,…a metaphor for the sense of victimization felt not only by blacks….”

But a metaphor for whom? Most white-ethnic, Hispanic, Asian and Caribbean (and even American black) New Yorkers have neither the charged relationship to the image of the jogger nor the presumptions of civic harmony which Didion so casually ascribes to them; they are neither enthralled by nor terrified of Sharpton’s race-drenched metaphors.

“So fixed were the emotions provoked by this case that the idea that there could have been, for even one juror, even a moment’s doubt in the state’s case…seemed, to many in the city, bewildering, almost unthinkable.” Unthinkable precisely to whom? How many have excoriated the racially mixed juries that weighed the evidence they got in these and other highly charged cases, drew distinctions among defendants—and confounded prosecutors and protesters alike?

Didion’s “black” narrative, a communal psychodrama born of ancient wounds that surfaced under the ministrations of Sharpton and others in the Howard Beach and Brawley cases, no longer promotes creative disruption. As the “white” narrative of a civic harmony broken only by devils is counterfeit, so the “black” narrative of a conspiratorial, genocidal racism as the engine of victimization is too flawed to do anything but deepen black impotence and isolation.

There is every reason to wish that the city might be redeemed through confrontations with established powers that draw upon African-Americans’ outrage and strengths. But whenever that has actually happened in neighborhoods long thought drained of political and economic clout, blacks have been forging bonds with people of other races; racism has not been the issue, nor race pride the key. It’s a story I tell in The Closest of Strangers: Liberalism and the Politics of Race in New York, which Didion cites accurately yet seems not to have understood.

Something truly terrible did happen that night in Central Park; and the young men who made the videotaped statements made it happen. Their presumed experience of racism does not alone explain it, nor does their putative material deprivation; (contrary to the impression Didion gives us, they were not poor). Nor does what Didion calls the city’s “long unindictable conspiracy of criminal and semi-criminal civic and commercial arrangements,” which has reigned through boom and bust ever since the Dutch swindled Manhattan from Native Americans.

The explanation lies in the debilitating effects of consumer culture and of liberal social welfare policies, as well as of economic inequity; of abysmal black leadership as well as of white racism; and of the tragic distance between those New Yorkers who embrace Didion’s narratives and the vast majority who are trying to redeem in their daily lives the churning, outerborough neighborhoods where the civic culture is up for grabs.

Jim Sleeper New York Newsday New York City

Joan Didion replies:

Mr. Sleeper seems distressed that I do not share the views expressed in his recent book, which he believes I do not understand and I believe to be a considerably less definitive text on the city than he does. Given what I wrote and what he wrote, the only “hoary fantasies of phony civic comity” in view would appear to be Mr. Sleeper’s. In fact this letter seems so willfully remote from anything I wrote or think as to make response frivolous. However, since not just my piece but what Mr. Sleeper calls my “predisposition” seems to be at question, for the record: I did not suggest that racism was, in Mr. Sleeper’s words, “the issue,” nor did I suggest that, again in his words, “race pride” was “the key.” Nor did I ascribe what he calls “presumptions of civic harmony” to what he calls “white-ethnic, Hispanic, Asian and Caribbean (and even American black) New Yorkers.” Nor did I suggest about the Central Park defendants that either, as he phrases it, “their presumed experience of racism” or “their putative material deprivation” explained what happened in Central Park. Nor, on the other hand, do I find Mr. Sleeper’s “explanation” adequate, accurate, or to the point.

One last note: those “ceremonies of innocence” also come from somebody else’s movie, again Mr. Sleeper’s, the one in which “the vast majority” of New Yorkers “are trying to redeem in their daily lives the churning, outer-borough neighborhoods.” His movie, certainly not mine. In fact this reflexive return to one’s own scenario is the mark of someone who has just come off a book tour, as in “It’s a story I tell in The Closest of Strangers: Liberalism and the Politics of Race in New York.”

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian series, Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival In Japan, injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix. Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s series La La Anthony, Kenya Barris, And Kim Kardashian Star In ‘Group Chat’ — VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) April 3, 2025 Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for “Group Chat,” a satirical comedy series starring and executive produced by La La Anthony, alongside co-star and executive producer Kim Kardashian. Written and executive produced by “Black-ish“ creator Kenya Barris, the series is loosely inspired by Anthony’s bestselling book, “The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness.” The show will follow five successful women in their forties who have seemingly conquered Los Angeles, but their private group chat reveals the hidden drama behind their picture-perfect lives. La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s longstanding real-life friendship is expected to bring an authentic chemistry to the series. Anthony, known for her roles in “Power,” “BMF,” and “The Chi,” adds her industry experience, while Kardashian, who has acted in “Temptation” and “American Horror Story: Delicate,” continues her expansion into scripted television. “Group Chat” also marks the first project under Kardashian’s first-look deal with 20th Television, signaling a new chapter in her entertainment career. 2. Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival in Japan 🚨REMA & RUGER SET TO HEADLINE THE AFRO JAM FESTIVAL IN JAPAN 🤩🤯 They’ll be headlining alongside other artists like Jason Derulo, Gyakie, Shenseea and more 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/uSJWb2k6EV — 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) April 2, 2025 Nigerian Afrobeats stars Rema and Ruger have been announced as the headline acts for the highly anticipated Afro Jam Festival 2025 in Japan. This groundbreaking event will introduce Afrobeats to a broader Asian audience, solidifying the genre’s global dominance. Taking place across three major cities—Okinawa, Osaka, and Tokyo—the festival will showcase some of the biggest names in music, including Jason Derulo, The Wailers, Saweetie, Gyakie, and Shenseea. Fans can expect high-energy performances and an unforgettable celebration of Afrobeat culture. The festival kicks off in Okinawa at the Suntory Arena from July 17 to July 20, before moving to Osaka’s Ookini Arena Maishima from July 22 to July 24. The grand finale will take place in Tokyo at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza from July 25 to July 27, where Rema and Ruger will close out the festival in style. Their participation marks a significant moment for Afrobeats, as it continues to expand its reach beyond Africa and the West into new territories. 3. Nigeria, South Africa, 48 other African countries hit by Trump’s new tariffs Trump’s tarrif bomb Last night US President Trump imposed reciprocal Tariff on almost all countries Vietnam 46%Srilanka 44%Bangladesh 37%China 34%Taiwan 32%Pakistan 29%India 26%Japan 24%EU 20%UK 10% No Tariff anounced on Indian Pharma Complete list attached 👇 pic.twitter.com/el1ayrtU8x — The Chronology (@TheChronology__) April 3, 2025 President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy has sent shockwaves across Africa, with Nigeria, South Africa, and 48 other nations facing new import duties on goods entering the United States. The policy, which imposes a baseline 10% tariff on imports from countries without specific trade agreements with the U.S., is part of Trump’s broader strategy to counter what he describes as unfair foreign trade practices. Countries like South Africa, Madagascar, and Botswana—where existing tariffs on U.S. goods are significantly higher—will see some of the steepest new charges. This development could strain longstanding trade relationships, particularly for African nations that have benefited from preferential trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Trump has branded the implementation of these tariffs as “Liberation Day,” arguing that it will protect U.S. businesses from foreign trade barriers. However, analysts warn that the policy could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for African exporters, and slow economic growth in affected countries. 4. Ye confirms split, begs wife to come back on new song “BIANCA” Kanye West reveals in his song “BIANCA” from his new album BULLY that Bianca left him after having a panic attack over his posts on X. He says he had to track her using the Maybach app after she ran off with his Maybach 👀 pic.twitter.com/XulN2v89cY — FearBuck (@FearedBuck) April 3, 2025 Ye has officially confirmed his rumored split from wife Bianca Censori in his latest song, “BIANCA,” an emotional plea for her return. The 47-year-old rapper and producer, formerly known as Kanye West, previewed the track ahead of his upcoming album, “WW3,” where he opens up about their troubled relationship. Over a soulful beat, he laments, “My baby she ran away/ But first she tried to get me committed,” referencing past controversies and suggesting Censori’s alleged concerns over his mental health. He also reveals how he tracked her departure through a Maybach app. The track takes a sharp turn as Ye criticizes Censori, calling her a “bi**h” who never understood him, and accuses her family of pushing for his institutionalization. He even likens their relationship to Diddy and Cassie, a comparison that raised eyebrows given his past defense of Diddy amid abuse allegations. Despite the jabs and outbursts, the song closes with Ye pleading for reconciliation, singing, “Come back/ Come back to me/ I know what I did to make you mad.” 5. Injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season 🚨⚠️ BREAKING: Gabriel Magalhães will be out until the end of the season. Gabriel requires surgery on his hamstring injury and will be out until the start next season. pic.twitter.com/A8U1Gqpzh3 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2025 Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães will miss the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he requires surgery to address a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old Brazilian was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Gabriel, who has started 28 of Arsenal’s 30 Premier League matches this season, has been pivotal in the team’s impressive defensive record, helping them concede just 25 goals. Arsenal announced that Gabriel is set to undergo a surgical repair procedure in the coming days and will immediately begin his recovery in hopes of returning for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Gabriel’s absence could have a significant impact on Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title, with statistics showing a sharp decline in the club’s win percentage when he is not in the lineup. Since his debut, Arsenal has won 63.5% of the 159 games he has played, but only 40.9% of the 22 matches he has missed. As Arsenal continue their quest to catch leaders Liverpool, with just eight games remaining, the defender’s absence may prove costly. Additionally, the Gunners are gearing up for a Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid, with the first leg set for April 8 at the Emirates Stadium. Featured Image: @lala @kimkardashian/Instagram Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025.For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_— Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[norajworld]

Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian series, Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival In Japan, injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix. Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s series La La Anthony, Kenya Barris, And Kim Kardashian Star In ‘Group Chat’ — VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) April 3, 2025 Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for “Group Chat,” a satirical comedy series starring and executive produced by La La Anthony, alongside co-star and executive producer Kim Kardashian. Written and executive produced by “Black-ish“ creator Kenya Barris, the series is loosely inspired by Anthony’s bestselling book, “The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness.” The show will follow five successful women in their forties who have seemingly conquered Los Angeles, but their private group chat reveals the hidden drama behind their picture-perfect lives. La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s longstanding real-life friendship is expected to bring an authentic chemistry to the series. Anthony, known for her roles in “Power,” “BMF,” and “The Chi,” adds her industry experience, while Kardashian, who has acted in “Temptation” and “American Horror Story: Delicate,” continues her expansion into scripted television. “Group Chat” also marks the first project under Kardashian’s first-look deal with 20th Television, signaling a new chapter in her entertainment career. 2. Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival in Japan 🚨REMA & RUGER SET TO HEADLINE THE AFRO JAM FESTIVAL IN JAPAN 🤩🤯 They’ll be headlining alongside other artists like Jason Derulo, Gyakie, Shenseea and more 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/uSJWb2k6EV — 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) April 2, 2025 Nigerian Afrobeats stars Rema and Ruger have been announced as the headline acts for the highly anticipated Afro Jam Festival 2025 in Japan. This groundbreaking event will introduce Afrobeats to a broader Asian audience, solidifying the genre’s global dominance. Taking place across three major cities—Okinawa, Osaka, and Tokyo—the festival will showcase some of the biggest names in music, including Jason Derulo, The Wailers, Saweetie, Gyakie, and Shenseea. Fans can expect high-energy performances and an unforgettable celebration of Afrobeat culture. The festival kicks off in Okinawa at the Suntory Arena from July 17 to July 20, before moving to Osaka’s Ookini Arena Maishima from July 22 to July 24. The grand finale will take place in Tokyo at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza from July 25 to July 27, where Rema and Ruger will close out the festival in style. Their participation marks a significant moment for Afrobeats, as it continues to expand its reach beyond Africa and the West into new territories. 3. Nigeria, South Africa, 48 other African countries hit by Trump’s new tariffs Trump’s tarrif bomb Last night US President Trump imposed reciprocal Tariff on almost all countries Vietnam 46%Srilanka 44%Bangladesh 37%China 34%Taiwan 32%Pakistan 29%India 26%Japan 24%EU 20%UK 10% No Tariff anounced on Indian Pharma Complete list attached 👇 pic.twitter.com/el1ayrtU8x — The Chronology (@TheChronology__) April 3, 2025 President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy has sent shockwaves across Africa, with Nigeria, South Africa, and 48 other nations facing new import duties on goods entering the United States. The policy, which imposes a baseline 10% tariff on imports from countries without specific trade agreements with the U.S., is part of Trump’s broader strategy to counter what he describes as unfair foreign trade practices. Countries like South Africa, Madagascar, and Botswana—where existing tariffs on U.S. goods are significantly higher—will see some of the steepest new charges. This development could strain longstanding trade relationships, particularly for African nations that have benefited from preferential trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Trump has branded the implementation of these tariffs as “Liberation Day,” arguing that it will protect U.S. businesses from foreign trade barriers. However, analysts warn that the policy could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for African exporters, and slow economic growth in affected countries. 4. Ye confirms split, begs wife to come back on new song “BIANCA” Kanye West reveals in his song “BIANCA” from his new album BULLY that Bianca left him after having a panic attack over his posts on X. He says he had to track her using the Maybach app after she ran off with his Maybach 👀 pic.twitter.com/XulN2v89cY — FearBuck (@FearedBuck) April 3, 2025 Ye has officially confirmed his rumored split from wife Bianca Censori in his latest song, “BIANCA,” an emotional plea for her return. The 47-year-old rapper and producer, formerly known as Kanye West, previewed the track ahead of his upcoming album, “WW3,” where he opens up about their troubled relationship. Over a soulful beat, he laments, “My baby she ran away/ But first she tried to get me committed,” referencing past controversies and suggesting Censori’s alleged concerns over his mental health. He also reveals how he tracked her departure through a Maybach app. The track takes a sharp turn as Ye criticizes Censori, calling her a “bi**h” who never understood him, and accuses her family of pushing for his institutionalization. He even likens their relationship to Diddy and Cassie, a comparison that raised eyebrows given his past defense of Diddy amid abuse allegations. Despite the jabs and outbursts, the song closes with Ye pleading for reconciliation, singing, “Come back/ Come back to me/ I know what I did to make you mad.” 5. Injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season 🚨⚠️ BREAKING: Gabriel Magalhães will be out until the end of the season. Gabriel requires surgery on his hamstring injury and will be out until the start next season. pic.twitter.com/A8U1Gqpzh3 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2025 Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães will miss the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he requires surgery to address a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old Brazilian was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Gabriel, who has started 28 of Arsenal’s 30 Premier League matches this season, has been pivotal in the team’s impressive defensive record, helping them concede just 25 goals. Arsenal announced that Gabriel is set to undergo a surgical repair procedure in the coming days and will immediately begin his recovery in hopes of returning for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Gabriel’s absence could have a significant impact on Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title, with statistics showing a sharp decline in the club’s win percentage when he is not in the lineup. Since his debut, Arsenal has won 63.5% of the 159 games he has played, but only 40.9% of the 22 matches he has missed. As Arsenal continue their quest to catch leaders Liverpool, with just eight games remaining, the defender’s absence may prove costly. Additionally, the Gunners are gearing up for a Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid, with the first leg set for April 8 at the Emirates Stadium. Featured Image: @lala @kimkardashian/Instagram Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025.For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_— Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[chilimili212]

Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian series, Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival In Japan, injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix. Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Hulu greenlights La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s series La La Anthony, Kenya Barris, And Kim Kardashian Star In ‘Group Chat’ — VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) April 3, 2025 Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for “Group Chat,” a satirical comedy series starring and executive produced by La La Anthony, alongside co-star and executive producer Kim Kardashian. Written and executive produced by “Black-ish“ creator Kenya Barris, the series is loosely inspired by Anthony’s bestselling book, “The Love Playbook: Rules for Love, Sex, and Happiness.” The show will follow five successful women in their forties who have seemingly conquered Los Angeles, but their private group chat reveals the hidden drama behind their picture-perfect lives. La La Anthony and Kim Kardashian’s longstanding real-life friendship is expected to bring an authentic chemistry to the series. Anthony, known for her roles in “Power,” “BMF,” and “The Chi,” adds her industry experience, while Kardashian, who has acted in “Temptation” and “American Horror Story: Delicate,” continues her expansion into scripted television. “Group Chat” also marks the first project under Kardashian’s first-look deal with 20th Television, signaling a new chapter in her entertainment career. 2. Rema and Ruger to headline Afro Jam Festival in Japan 🚨REMA & RUGER SET TO HEADLINE THE AFRO JAM FESTIVAL IN JAPAN 🤩🤯 They’ll be headlining alongside other artists like Jason Derulo, Gyakie, Shenseea and more 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/uSJWb2k6EV — 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) April 2, 2025 Nigerian Afrobeats stars Rema and Ruger have been announced as the headline acts for the highly anticipated Afro Jam Festival 2025 in Japan. This groundbreaking event will introduce Afrobeats to a broader Asian audience, solidifying the genre’s global dominance. Taking place across three major cities—Okinawa, Osaka, and Tokyo—the festival will showcase some of the biggest names in music, including Jason Derulo, The Wailers, Saweetie, Gyakie, and Shenseea. Fans can expect high-energy performances and an unforgettable celebration of Afrobeat culture. The festival kicks off in Okinawa at the Suntory Arena from July 17 to July 20, before moving to Osaka’s Ookini Arena Maishima from July 22 to July 24. The grand finale will take place in Tokyo at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza from July 25 to July 27, where Rema and Ruger will close out the festival in style. Their participation marks a significant moment for Afrobeats, as it continues to expand its reach beyond Africa and the West into new territories. 3. Nigeria, South Africa, 48 other African countries hit by Trump’s new tariffs Trump’s tarrif bomb Last night US President Trump imposed reciprocal Tariff on almost all countries Vietnam 46%Srilanka 44%Bangladesh 37%China 34%Taiwan 32%Pakistan 29%India 26%Japan 24%EU 20%UK 10% No Tariff anounced on Indian Pharma Complete list attached 👇 pic.twitter.com/el1ayrtU8x — The Chronology (@TheChronology__) April 3, 2025 President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy has sent shockwaves across Africa, with Nigeria, South Africa, and 48 other nations facing new import duties on goods entering the United States. The policy, which imposes a baseline 10% tariff on imports from countries without specific trade agreements with the U.S., is part of Trump’s broader strategy to counter what he describes as unfair foreign trade practices. Countries like South Africa, Madagascar, and Botswana—where existing tariffs on U.S. goods are significantly higher—will see some of the steepest new charges. This development could strain longstanding trade relationships, particularly for African nations that have benefited from preferential trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Trump has branded the implementation of these tariffs as “Liberation Day,” arguing that it will protect U.S. businesses from foreign trade barriers. However, analysts warn that the policy could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for African exporters, and slow economic growth in affected countries. 4. Ye confirms split, begs wife to come back on new song “BIANCA” Kanye West reveals in his song “BIANCA” from his new album BULLY that Bianca left him after having a panic attack over his posts on X. He says he had to track her using the Maybach app after she ran off with his Maybach 👀 pic.twitter.com/XulN2v89cY — FearBuck (@FearedBuck) April 3, 2025 Ye has officially confirmed his rumored split from wife Bianca Censori in his latest song, “BIANCA,” an emotional plea for her return. The 47-year-old rapper and producer, formerly known as Kanye West, previewed the track ahead of his upcoming album, “WW3,” where he opens up about their troubled relationship. Over a soulful beat, he laments, “My baby she ran away/ But first she tried to get me committed,” referencing past controversies and suggesting Censori’s alleged concerns over his mental health. He also reveals how he tracked her departure through a Maybach app. The track takes a sharp turn as Ye criticizes Censori, calling her a “bi**h” who never understood him, and accuses her family of pushing for his institutionalization. He even likens their relationship to Diddy and Cassie, a comparison that raised eyebrows given his past defense of Diddy amid abuse allegations. Despite the jabs and outbursts, the song closes with Ye pleading for reconciliation, singing, “Come back/ Come back to me/ I know what I did to make you mad.” 5. Injured Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães out for season 🚨⚠️ BREAKING: Gabriel Magalhães will be out until the end of the season. Gabriel requires surgery on his hamstring injury and will be out until the start next season. pic.twitter.com/A8U1Gqpzh3 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 3, 2025 Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães will miss the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he requires surgery to address a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old Brazilian was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Gabriel, who has started 28 of Arsenal’s 30 Premier League matches this season, has been pivotal in the team’s impressive defensive record, helping them concede just 25 goals. Arsenal announced that Gabriel is set to undergo a surgical repair procedure in the coming days and will immediately begin his recovery in hopes of returning for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Gabriel’s absence could have a significant impact on Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title, with statistics showing a sharp decline in the club’s win percentage when he is not in the lineup. Since his debut, Arsenal has won 63.5% of the 159 games he has played, but only 40.9% of the 22 matches he has missed. As Arsenal continue their quest to catch leaders Liverpool, with just eight games remaining, the defender’s absence may prove costly. Additionally, the Gunners are gearing up for a Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid, with the first leg set for April 8 at the Emirates Stadium. Featured Image: @lala @kimkardashian/Instagram Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025.For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_— Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link