#someone who 'doesn't care about politics' is so very privileged. you don't HAVE to care when its not your rights being threatened do you?

[4longyears]

i know with my older sister it went like this:

she isnt a pushover by any means. she personally wasn't ever politically active, sure she cared about issues that effected her and even then not enough to go out and fight/protest for them. She was straight and middle class and privileged and comfortable enough to not care deeply or even know very much about politics/civil rights struggles in general outside of high school classes. She met a man who was very career driven and pursued her very strongly. She knew he was a republican but wrote off a lot of the dubious things he said and frankly she didn't care too deeply about his views on LGBT people or other minority groups. She didnt LIKE it but it wasn't a dealbreaker for her (yes she knew she had LGBT family members at this point, she just didn't think about it 'in that way'). They were married and had a kid together before trump rolled around and got big. Again, this sister was never very interested in politics and got more pissed off at me for 'picking arguments' with her husband whenever he would say stupid shit at family dinners than she would at her husband for saying the stupid shit in the first place.

These types of people value peace and quiet over necessary conflict, would rather a fascist opinion go unchallenged rather than have an argument over dinner.

They dont see the warning signs as red flags, just little 'oh dont mind my husband, he doesn't really know what he's saying, he doesn't REALLY mean it, he does care about me and you and other people he just says dumb stuff' both belittling and brushing off his behavior. other family members did the same thing whenever he came up as a topic of conversation, or they'd get mad at me for bringing up his political views at all. and that's how you end up with a leopard eating YOUR face.

i'm sorry how do you "find out" your bf is a trump supporter. when i'm getting to know someone I always want to hear their political opinions lol like I can't imagine being in a relationship with someone who never shared that? how do you discuss the news??

[sixty-silver-wishes]

Roasting you based on your favorite of these German Expressionist films

(this post is a joke; don't take it too seriously lol)

Metropolis: You've got spicy political opinions and daddy issues. You were doing great in life until you found out how corrupt capitalism is sometime in high school or college, and it's absolutely mind-boggling to you that nobody else is batting an eyelid at all the injustices of the world because they're too busy defending the concept of a 40-hour work week. You're constantly checking your privilege and everyone else's, too. Or you just want to bang a robot. That's probably it.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: Okay, I could make a joke about you being emo, or you liking the most basic film on the list, but that's not really the issue here. Your Hot Topic fashion sense and shitty drugstore eyeliner are nowhere near as concerning as the fact that you have no idea who the hell you are without them. You constantly overthink everything and are great at solving everyone's problems but your own, and you're averaging like 4 hours of sleep on a good night. You can't get your intrusive thoughts to leave you alone and if you relate to literally any character in this film, you need to get help. It's okay; I promise your therapist doesn't secretly hate you.

M: You're a surprisingly sweet and empathetic person for someone whose favorite film on this list is about a child murderer. You care deeply about others and are very much in tune with yourself, but unfortunately, everything you say is so off-putting that most people don't get that vibe about you. If they actually gave you a chance, they'd find that you have a great personality, but they don't, so instead you're stuck at home stalking your ex's vacation photos on social media.

Dr. Mabuse the Gambler: You like the finer things in life. You're high-maintenance, your tastes are classy and expensive, and you actually know how wine tasting works. However, you're way too into conspiracy theories and pyramid schemes for your own good, and your cultured proclivities are deeply undercut by the fact that you probably got into Bitcoin when that was a thing. Your two career paths are either "businessperson" or "cult leader," and it's concerningly difficult to discern which one you're on.

Nosferatu: Your sense of humor relies entirely on recycling memes that are at least a decade old, and the fact that you communicate nearly entirely in pop culture references is your attempt at disguising the fact that you're really bad at socializing. You think you have lots of great ideas that make perfect sense, but most people don't know what the hell you're going on about. However, you've got one or two ride or die friends who love you for who you are, cringe and all. Keep being you, Nosferatu fan. Never change.

The Student of Prague: I'm not sure this one is actually anyone's favorite film, but if this was yours, you were into shipping the Onceler with himself when that was a thing. You're super competitive, but you have a tendency to overwork yourself and burn out quickly, so now you're living off of Top Ramen and protein bars. People love to tell you that you "have potential" and "just need to apply yourself," but what they don't get is that you're stressed 24/7 and won't give yourself a break because you're trying so hard to satisfy your own impossible standards. Please take a nap.

Der Golem: You're great with children, small animals, and potted plants, but that's because literally anyone else you have to deal with fucking pisses you off. The absolute audacity of everyone around you means you're never not two seconds away from throwing hands, but honestly? You're always right and you should say it. You're actually a really nice person, but people keep pushing you to your limit and you're sick of it. On an unrelated note, you probably work in customer service.

Different from the Others: If this is your favorite film and you're a member of the LGBT community, that's perfectly understandable. It was a monumental achievement in LGBT cinema in the early 20th century and, despite being somewhat dated by today's standards due to the time period it was created in, largely holds up as an educational, yet tragic, piece of cinema. That being said, if you're a straight/cis/allo person and this is your favorite film, what is going on with you. I want to study you in a lab. How did you find this film. Come to think of it, how did you even get into German Expressionist cinema to begin with. I just want to know

Der Januskopf: [REDACTED]

Genuine: You're a "Caligari" fan who doesn't want to seem basic like the rest of the "Caligari" fans, so somehow you ended up here. You don't actually like this film aside from the visuals. Nobody actually likes this film. You want so, so badly to like this film, so you lie to yourself, just like you do about everything else.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Intercultural Bias in the Fan Experience of QL

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while, and I think it's an appropriate time for it after reading @hallowpen's post today - which if you haven't read yet, please do so.

I'm saying this as someone who's been on a lifelong journey of learning, and is also extremely aware I still have so much that I don't know. I am from the U.S. and that comes with a truckload of bias and privilege. But this is something I have learned that I think is worth sharing.

There is a danger, for those of us who are progressive, yet grew up in countries that have been historically exploitative and oppressive to other cultures.

Because colonizer bias is insidious. And it can be very tempting to say, I'm aware, I've done the anti-racism training, I've read the books, I have my own oppressions I have to fight every day, I'm aware of my privilege, I'm an ally, etc, etc, etc. But this is just like racism - if you are not being actively anti-colonialist in your interactions with other cultures, you are likely perpetuating bias and oppression.

I grew up in a very liberal part of the U.S. and had a very progressive education starting from grade school. I got education on systemic racism in junior high, my high school had one of the first gay/straight alliances in our state. I studied science in college, but since it was a liberal arts degree, I also took classes on sociology of race, the religions of Asia, Chinese history, etc.

But despite all this I still grew up in a country with a fuckton of bias about our role in how we interact with countries around the world. And as we all do with bias that we grow up with, I internalized some of that.

It wasn't until I took some graduate coursework on Intercultural Training & Communication that I really was able to recontextualize my perspective and become aware of my unconscious bias, thank to an amazing instructor.

Other countries do not need us to come in, tell them what is wrong, and tell them how to fix it. Whatever problems there are, there are people in that culture who know, who are actively working on it, and they know better than anyone outside what needs to be done.

Honestly, it doesn't even need to extend to other countries - just look at all the nonprofits and charities in the U.S. that talk about helping the poor, but in the end just perpetuate the cycle of oppression by coming in to neighborhoods and doing zero work to center the perspectives of the people most affected.

You can absolutely support and spread awareness and send money and share expertise when asked, and do the things that the people of that culture ask you to do.

But if you come in, and try to say "this is what you all are doing wrong, and this is what you should be doing" - you are perpetuating a colonialist mindset.

And yes, this extends to media as well.

This is why I struggle with some of the takes I have read, especially those that attempt to rank the "queerness authenticity" of shows, from an entirely Western perspective, with no engagement with the idea that one's queer identity is impacted by one's culture (among other things), and that it can look and be expressed in a million different ways.

There are criticisms of queer directors, blaming them for a myriad of perceived sins, with zero understanding of what queerness might mean to them both individually and as a Thai person, and what they might also be trying to navigate socially, culturally, and politically.

There are people making broad sweeping statements about the direction that they think QL is headed in - some of which enter the realm of catastrophizing - entirely based on their own subjective opinion of what is most important for a different country and culture to care most about in a particular moment in time.

You know why I'm not worried about the direction of QL? Because I know there are millions of Thai people who care about it too. I know the Thai queer community and their allies are speaking up, and pushing for change and progress. I know that they are extremely cognizant of when representation fails, and I know they are the reason representation has already improved so much (sorry interfans, it's not about us).

And yeah, sometimes the pendulum swings the other way - those of us in the U.S. should be very aware of this. But the fight doesn't stop.

There are Thai people who are working to promote mental health and therapy, to encourage people to have strong boundaries with family who have hurt them, to provide more representation for groups who still aren't seen. And someone from a different country complaining about all the ways they think their culture is failing isn't helping a thing.

Like @hallowpen says, this is not about saying you can't critique. Most of the people I follow do a great job at making it consistently clear that their perspective is subjective, and they relate it to their own life and experience. That's great, and a place for people from different cultures to connect!

But those of us who are interfans have a responsibility as members of a global community. There are people from Thailand who read your posts. From Japan, from Korea, from China. Are you speaking up to support them? Or are you talking over them? Are you expressing understanding for what they are navigating from historical context and current political conditions? Or are you just lecturing them on how you think their world should be?

[blueninjablade3]

Yandere Jafar Alphabet

Good ole’ Jaffy doesn't really show affection through physical or compliments until you've fallen for him. The only real reason you KNOW he cares is because he's made sure you've not died.

Blood: How dirty is he willing to get when it comes to you?

Blood is NEVER the first resort. It's the third option. Now the first option is to try and weed them out of your life with subtle manipulation. If that doesn't work then he will directly tell them to fuck off. No shits given. Just “Get away or I will personally behead you” type things. Then if the threat doesn't work he’ll go through with it. After framing them for treason to make it look unsuspicious. (It doesn't work)

Cruelty: how will they treat you once kidnapped will he mock you?

Yes. He will mock you relentlessly at first. However, as you slowly accept fate. (Unwillingly) He’ll treat you more and more like royalty. Just don't forget your place. Otherwise well… you can guess.

Darling: besides kidnapping you would he do anything else against your will?

Yes. A great many things actually. Hypnosis, treason against the Sultan, part of his evil plan being to marry a minor (Gross.), and maybe killing?

Exposed: How much of his heart do you bear?

You bear quite a bit of Jafar’s heart. Now, his love for power and control outweighs his obsession love for you. However, you're still 3rd in his cold, dark, and evil heart.

Fight: How would he feel if you fought back?

Jafar would be PISSED if you fought back. He treats you so well and this is how you repay him?! You're so ungrateful! Any privileges are immediately lost if you fight against him.

Game: Is this a Game to them? Would he like watching his darling try to escape?

The love part is NOT a game. However, he does enjoy watching you try to escape. He thinks of it as a twisted game of cat and mouse. However, he's displeased that you're trying to run. Is he not good enough for you?

Hell: Your worst experience with him.

Y'all remember that one scene when Jasmine confronts Jafar about Aladdin’s sentence? So imagine that just with (for the story's sake Im calling your love Gary) Gary/ Oc’s name. But he doesn't apologize he just leaves you to yourself no friends to reach out to or anything. You only have him.

Ideals: what he sees in the future with you.

He sees himself ruling the world with you by his side as his wife and queen. Maybe an heir or two just so someone who has had some relation to y'all can inherit the throne. (He is not letting Iago be the world’s Sultan)

Jealousy: does he get jealous and if he does, does he find a way to cope or will he lash out?

Oh, honey. This man is KING (He’s finally king of something!) of jealousy. Now, whether you two are in a relationship or not affects how Jafar acts. If you are? He does not cope he lashes out and gets super protective (From the minimal research I've done, Cobras are a protective breed of snake and often battle for dominance which I think transfers to Jafar's human form). But, if you two aren't in a relationship he will (begrudgingly) bite his tongue.

Kisses: How does he act around you?

It depends on the day. Some days he's a sweetheart (Those are the good days). But on bad days… he is a literal demon. Don't mess with him on those days. Just cuddle up and pretend like you're not fazed by this and listen to his rant (maybe throw in a little shit-talking the Sultan).

Love letters: how would he go about courting/approaching you?

THIS SUAVE MF. Roses, chocolate, and fancy dates IF you start liking him immediately. Now he's a lot more subtle if you see him as a friend at first. But still.

Mask: Are his truth colors different from what people think?

You saw the movie you know. But if you didn't. Yup, they are very different.

Naughty: how would he punish you?

Too many ways to count. But still. hE’Ll tEacH yoU soMe rEspEct!!!

Oppression: what rights did he take away from you:

Freedom primarily. Also when it comes to political issues your opinion doesn't matter. (It does but he makes you think he doesn't seriously take it seriously)

Regret: does he regret kidnapping you? Will he ever let you go?

Fuck no.

Sigma: what brought this side of him?

This man is by definition is a yandere. You were just unlucky enough to catch his interest and hold it.

Tears: how would he feel if you cried screamed or Isolated yourself?

If you cry or scream (Unless you're crying because it's like a book, movie, or sentimental moment) Stfu is pretty his reaction. But if you isolate yourself he's making you talk to him or Iago one way or the other.

Unique: is there anything different from a normal Yandere

He can execute his rivals and no one will bat an eye.

Vice: what can you use to escape him?

You can't escape.

Witts end: would he ever hurt you

If you force him to.

Xoanon: how much does he revere/worship you and to what extent is he willing to go to win you over

He is insane over you. He is willing to go to extreme lengths (part of his reason for wanting the lamp is so you'll fall desperately in love with him.

Yearn: How long before he snapped and kidnapped you?

He was tired of this shit after the third rival. But he could wait forever for you to fall for him.

Zenith: would he ever break you?

Does a spell/ slash genie magic count as breaking you?

Alright guys that finished this story out if you have time and enjoyed I’d enjoy it if you left a heart, rebloged or commented. Have a great day!

[austinslounge]

Hey! I'm relatively new to the Austin fandom, and first of all, I just wanted to say you really opened my eyes about the Kaia situation, so thanks! Second of all, I wanted to know your opinion on something: judging by his sister's follows on instagram, and his grandmother (I think it's his grandmother)'s posts on Facebook, Austin seems to have been raised in a conservative family. I know it's none of my business and that "stalking" his family like this can come off as disrespectful, but the thing is: as a leftist, I try to be very mindful of the people I dedicate my time and attention to. Austin never discussed his political views publicly, right? Do you think this is maybe because he is afraid of a certain backlash he might receive if he "came out" as a conservative/republican? I really avoid putting famous people on pedestals and idealizing them too much, and I know some people think it's stupid to care about artists' political views, but I'd still be kinda disappointed if I found out his values are so different from mine. Anyways, thanks for reading, and have a nice day!

Hey girlie! 👋

Welcome to my blog! 🥰❤️ Also, welcome to the Austin Butler fandom. 💕 It's good to see some new fans on here.

I'll be honest, I don't usually like getting into political topics or views here on my blog. But since your ask seemed genuine, I'll try to give you my honest opinion.

Take a seat 💺

Honestly? I think you should just take Austin for face value and not worry about what political party he might (or might not) belong to. As far as I'm aware, he's never really mentioned any real political views, and hasn't even identified himself with any specific political party. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong)

I think one of the reasons why our country is so divided right now is because people have stopped seeing people as individuals, and they just see people as from one party vs from another party. 🥴 Personally? I don't think that's really fair.

I prefer to base my opinions about someone on a case by case individual basis. I have met some wonderful people from all various walks of life and different political views. I think it's also good to keep in mind that even people inside of a political party may not always agree with everything the party believes or represents.

Going back to Austin --

I choose to look at who Austin the man is, and everything that I've seen of him so far over all these years have been nothing but positive. I see how he treats both men and women. I watch how he treats people from various diverse backgrounds. I saw how he boldly spoke out about racism and "White Privilege" during the murder of African-American George Floyd back in 2020. I have also paid close attention to how he talks to others, how respectful he is of everyone, and how he doesn't treat anyone differently (not even his fans) no matter their position in life.

I have seen how he gave a homeless man food in the streets, how gentlemanly he is with women (i.e. opening up car doors, helping older women up on stage, etc.), and how kindly he speaks of everyone (don't think I've heard him speak badly about anyone tbh). I've also seen how gracious and loving he is to his fans. Friends of mine who have met him in person have echoed the same thoughts that he really is a sweetheart to everyone and how wonderful it was to meet him. I've also heard how everyone in Hollywood who meets and works with him describes him as being very "kind".

I've even looked at his old tweets and Tumblr posts! You can even find his old tweets and Tumblr posts online from when he was a teenager to a young adult, and all of them are so wholesome and adorable. 🥰 While some celebrities are out here getting canceled for their old scandalous Tweets from years ago, with Austin, even as a young guy, you never found him saying anything misogynistic, racist, fat-phobic, mean, or just plain rude online. He's usually always been very positive.

All of these things combined go on to paint the picture of a man who really truly is just genuine, kind, down to earth, and good-hearted. 💕 🥹

I know some people might not feel the same way that I do, and I know that Austin isn't perfect, but based on what I've seen of Austin, he really does seem like just a good guy.

I don't really follow closely what celebrity family members post or who they follow, but I think it's very important to realize that just because your family member has a particular view, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have that same exact view also.

Just something to think about! 😊

[kojoty]

It's obviously a complex question and discussion and I'm certainly admitting to a level of blue-state privilege wherein my vote really only matters in so far as working towards getting funding for a third party, like green; not to mention the privilege of, being in such a blue swaddled state, my rights are not immediately at stake-- so I am including myself in this but.

I really, really, really, really wish people in blue states like Cali, new York, Illinois, etc-- heart of dem territory and the places where your rights are NOT at contest-- would sometimes shut the fuck up and listen to the extremely valid worries and fears and pleas of people in deep red states. I think saying 'it doesn't matter who is in office, they're basically two sides of the same coin', while true ideologically in the grand leftist scheme, it also does betray a certain level of handwaving to millions of Americans where who is in office DOES matter.

And I know this is the anti colonialism website, and so we don't really want to talk about domestic issues as much as foreign policies-- completely understandable given the current global conflict-- but consider America is a vile colonial project, that which we do to our domestic underclasses IS a colonial issue as well.

I am not going to say 'go vote!' because who am I, Hillary Clinton? But I guess I am trying to say... It is really frustrating as someone who does a lot of on-the-ground community resource work in his fairly privileged area and see how the difference in economic status between a democratic and a republican president really matters, and then come on here and see the ever present leftist issue of taking ideology over material. I cannot imagine the landscape of on the ground resource work in more impoverished areas.

(most Marxists in this website really obfuscate how much material work they actually do, and are, in fact, often pontificating on ideological castles in the sky, but that's another post)

The tldr here really is: the amount of deep red state southerners who are telling you with crystal clarity that someone like Harris in office is magnitudes safer than someone like Trump in office, and urging people in states where it matters to vote....... I mean. You don't have to listen to them (even though I think you should hear their perspective), but the least you could do is not completely ignore and shun the very real realities of millions of Americans who are with good reason scared shitless that one nominee will keep the liberal hegemony (also vile-- don't take this as me condoning it), and the other will systematically make their very existence illegal. That isn't to say it can't still happen-- roe v wade-- under a dem, but. You... You do realize that it does actually matter to some people in certain states whether the pres is red or blue, right? And that yes it sucks that we have to play by American rules to keep some folks safe but.

Idk. The amount of 'leftists' on this site who paradoxically care far more about their ideological purity than the actual people who need actual material work done is... Well, that's not my leftism tbh. The amount of condescension I see levied at people daily on here. It's not just a bad look. It's Imo betraying to me that your politics are more about signpostibg and being right than actual community and human care and connection . And it happens! Ideology is a tantalizing thing. I have to constantly divorce myself from it and reintegrate into the ground. But you can't make policy out of air. You can make policy out of soil. You have to remind yourself of the faces and the beating hearts your ideology is addressing. Even if you're RIGHT are you giving the infoemation in a way that actually cares?

Idk. I don't wanna tone police. But there's a very deep seated and real classism and privilege issue within the online left that is...... Distasteful to say the least. Idc if you go vote. But the least you could do is not bully people who are more scared for policy changes that will actively affect them. It is not betraying fear and outrage at what is happening outside of these borders-- the atrocity in Gaza-- to also be scared of your own living conditions. One can balance both.

[missvioletvillainess]

🇵🇸 Can we talk about the fact that I keep getting asked out by hot dykes at Pro-Palestine protests and it's so affirming and wholesome?? 🇵🇸

Because there's no queer liberation without the liberation of Palestinians. Because there's no freedom from oppression until Palestinians are free from Israeli occupation and if you're actively involved in that, I know you're a safe space. If I see you can create an ounce of discomfort in your life and disrupt it to one small degree to try and create comfort for those less privileged, I know you're someone I can trust.

I need to know you care about making change. I need to know you care not in an abstract, intangible way, but in a very real, disrupting your work schedule, cutting off friends, risking opportunities, put-your-ass-on-the-line, kind of way. If you care about change,you have to be actively involved, talking about it is not enough, it's never enough. It's easy to be woke and speak out about social issues until you actually have to be inconvenienced, unsafe or economically disadvantaged for doing so. Then it's hard. Thats why so many people agree with these political views but so few actually take out the time to get involved. Trust me, I know exactly how hard it is. I did it when I had no job, no home, no visa; I did it when I was triggered, when I was unsafe, when I was overworked and overwhelmed. I have been doing it since the bombing started, and I do it consistently every week.

Personally, I don't think I could be with a partner who isn't involved in activism to some degree. It's been a part of my life for years, and I've only been more radicalised as time goes on. I'm attending 2-3 Pro-Palestine events every week, I can't date you if you have a 🇵🇸 in your bio and that's the full extent of your contribution to the cause. Thank you, but no thank you, I'm going to move on. Palestine isn't the latest war or invasion or conflict, it isn't a sad tragic story for people to donate to out of sympathy, it is a systematic ethnic cleansing and a televised genocide. I don't have capacity to deal with someone who is lukewarm about this.

More importantly, I don't have capacity to to deal with someone who talks about social issues but isn't prepared to disrupt their lives to even a small, inconsequential degree to fight for a cause they believe in. You doesn't have to just support Palestine, you could be supporting Ukraine, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Congo. You could be supporting ethnic minorities in your community, you could be supporting refugees, abuse survivors, homeless people, trans people, anyone at all, but if you don't show up and get involved in the cause you believe in, if you don't put in the work, if you don't put in the effort; if you can't attend protests, demonstrations, teach ins, seminars, charity events; if you're not fundraising, boycotting, spreading awareness; if you can't give something of yourself to the community you want to support, I really don't know if I can be romantically involved with you.

That's why I think people at the protests have such a strong tight knit community, and that's why some people actually find safety and security in the people they meet and that's why they might want to pursue something romantic with the people they feel comfortable exploring with. It's hard showing up when you're overwhelmed and you're going to be late to work the next day. It's hard showing up when you have to miss your iftars, your hang outs, your social gatherings. It's hard showing up when you're broke and stressed, and it's hard showing up when you're late on assignments and meetings with your supervisor. It's hard as fuck, honestly. But if I see you're doing that, I know I can trust you to a certain degree, at least. I know you have your priorities straight, I know where your morals are aligned, I know where you're going to put your energy, and I want to be part of that.

Lets go to protests together, lets make banners together, lets attend fundraisers and political teach in sessions, let's have a date at an occupied space (actually did that last week) Lets romanticise the activism we do, because it's fucking powerful and we should celebrate it.

The sexiest thing a sapphic can do is be an activist, fucking fight me.

If you're not Pro Palestine, please unfollow. Or let me know, so I can block you. Kthanksbye.

🇵🇸 Dykes for Palestine

[nighthaunting]

i have been trying and failing to make a well-worded post about the wild increase in ageism i've been seeing from people who claim to be progressive and anti-discrimination that appropriately extracts the issue from current politics in a way that will actually let people understand what i'm talking about without it getting mistaken for some kind of apologia but this is honestly bothering me so much i don't care anymore

calling every older or elderly person who is doing things you dislike "demented" or talking about how they must have "dementia" or be "sundowning" is ageism flat out, with a nice soupçon of ableism on top

the automatic assumption that dementia is just something that 'happens' to every elderly person is ageism (and also ableism) and also a very harmful and frightening stereotype

the lack of understanding of what dementia actually is and what it looks like, as opposed to other neurodegenerative disorders and disorders that can cause cognitive decline or cognitive disruption as symptoms, is actively harmful

the people this harms are not the wealthy and privileged people who are doing the things you dislike

the people this harms are regular people who not only have to deal with an extremely youth-focused culture, widespread age-based discrimination, and widespread ableism but also the stereotype that every elderly person who doesn't speak with the clarity, diction, and humorlessness of a news anchor must be demented

the old lady who is being forced out of her home so her children can sell it and profit off the house she's lived for most of her life because they're saying she's got "dementia" and needs to be institutionalized is a victim of elder abuse enabled by this stereotype

the old man with a uti who starts having cognitive disruption caused by the infection and ends up getting misdiagnosed and foisted off into a skilled nursing facility where no one notices that the infection's reached his kidneys until he's actively septic and dying is a victim of medical malpractice enabled by this stereotype

the old lady who starts slurring her speech and having difficulty remembering isn't demented she's had a fucking stroke and needs to be taken to the hospital

if literally none of the rest of this is enough to get through to anyone please do consider that one day you too will be old and have to deal with every younger person you interact with being willing to dismiss anything you say at any time because hyper youth focused culture has convinced them that everyone over the age of 50 is a decrepit mummy about to precipitously start losing mental faculties

the sheer disdain and virulent hate i've been seeing recently as people express their feelings about The Current Politics...while using every derogatory term for elderly people they can think of....everyone needs to remember that insult reflection meme because whichever current politician you hate can't hear you saying that everyone over 70 should be forced into a rest home but your older family members sure fucking can

real true life story of someone i know:

elderly person went to the ER and got stuck in a bed in the hallway for three days because it was so overcrowded. when they went in they were completely oriented and aware, no cognitive decline of any kind, and by the time they managed to get out of there, after spending three days in pain and unable to sleep at all because they were laying in a bed, in a brightly lit and busy hallway, where people were constantly walking past and intercoms were constantly sounding overhead, the discharging nurse was trying to connect them with a social worker to help their family get them into care for their dementia because they'd gotten hospital delirium but never actually been assessed for their cognitive function so the nurse just assumed they must normally be like this

i don't think anyone here really understands how easily that even a young and healthy person being put under stressors like lack of sleep and illness can start having cognitive issues. every healthy 20-something i have ever interacted with who's told a funny story about how they barely got any sleep for a few days and then had some amusing cognitive slip, especially those who've then turned around and dismissed an older person as being "demented", are really only 30-40 years away from being that older person who's dismissed as being "demented"

once again, if you are very lucky, then someday you too will be old and having to deal with how our culture treats the elderly so it is in our best interests to start changing that culture NOW

[staunchen]

so i was thinking about lan wangji and how he has this reputation of being righteous while also in my opinion acting like an asshole? like he acts very petty and is ready to pull his sword on people a lot and isn't really involved in politics even in a way that makes sense as a high ranking member of a sect? like the silencing spell on jin ling is uh. bad.

it's like lan wangji has scary dog privilege by virtue of his reputation and his brother and uncle who will wreck you if you do or say anything to/about him. except thats not right because theyre not scary dogs at all, they just protect him. it's like lan wangji is a scary dog and lan xichen and lan qiren smooth things over and stop him from doing something too awful and calm others down after lan wangji does something not too great. and i guess with the reputation for being righteous (second jade of lan) is enough to deter people from saying/doing things like "hey he's a dick" because dude that's hanguang-jun, what are you talking about???".

and the people he saves on night hunts or whatever are random civilians who don't interact with him enough to see him behave badly, and a cool and aloof powerful cultivator saving them gets a lot of leeway on account of being a famous powerful cultivator and also being someone who saved them from fierce corpses or spirits or healed their kid or grandparent or whatever. who cares if theyre quiet and kinda rude they saved their sister!!!!!

so when lan wangji is a dick to jin ling or fucks off from political stuff or is ready to pull his sword on jiang cheng in the jiang ancestral hall or whatever he's doing so with the reputation of hanguang-jun who saves people and also is supported by lan xichen (lan sect leader and brother) and lan qiren (former acting sect leader, uncle, teacher) and they are protective and dare i say overindulgent of lan wangji???? like bro you are a political figure whether you like it or not, your actions have effects on things besides your own direct personal circle. like the heir of gusu lan pulling a sword on sect leader jiang is fucking political incident whether or not theyre both being assholes or not. the adult heir of gusu lan using the lan silencing spell on the teenage heir of lanling jin is a political incident. not engaging with other sects politically, ever, says important things about your priorities and your influence both within the sect and without.

also like. what if something happened to gusu lan? like say lan xichen is injured, and lan qiren is also out of commission for some reason? that means lan wangji is acting sect leader. can you IMAGINE lan wangji as sect leader. imagine it. really visualize it. there's a lot of jokes about lan wangji being a petty bitch and people love it but imagine a petty bitch as a sect leader. the situation would blow up faster than lans get drunk on a glass of wine. like dude. so much stuff would be totally fucked.

anyway lan wangji as he is in mdzs would be a shit sect leader/chief cultivator/etc. he doesn't behave like he's intimately involved in the politics of his world (which he is) and may or may not have training in doing so - maybe he has training and just doesn't do it? which is also really bad, then he would know better and still not do it or help in any way.

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

I'm doing the healthy thing and making posts about Astarion without reading anyone else's analyses or doing any research on the topic at hand.

IDK if there's any huge background on Astarion's life before he was turned, but I'm getting the sense that he was a shitlord as a magistrate before he was turned (Lawful Evil at best), so in the immediate aftermath it was a bit of karma, a haughty political official brought low by the rabble Gur and then enslaved with vampirism by Cazador, his power and means stripped from him and forcibly prostituted in perhaps a similar way that someone who is corrupt would be with their morals for the purpose of gold or power.. but it turned into a Theon Greyjoy/Reek situation where the torture and mistreatment would make any third party or audience go "ok, well..ok, *well*.. this is too much." Astarion has always craved power, not simply because he was denied it, but because he enjoyed the privileges of power in a government position. This man didn't become ambitious and ruthless simply out of desperate need to survive and desire to escape Cazador, it was always in him, but those desires came to be tied to existential compulsions after his kidnapping--he will do *anything* to survive, do *anything* to see to it that he would not be hurt again.

Astarion is an intriguing character because we are not presented with a man whose personality was stripped bare and twisted to become a ruthless, cruel, ambitious manipulator. He very likely had those tendencies to begin with, but he was able to manage and conscientiously apply them in situations as would a psychopath on Wall Street. His life as Cazador's slave sharpened his lust for power and his predisposition toward disregarding for others by virtue of not being him (a survival technique) while also dulling his self-control. The blase attitude he has toward others' suffering appears on the surface as par for the course for the type of man he haphazardly tries to obfuscate as--comedic sociopathy, and he could be calling upon what little traces of his past self he can still recall, but underneath it I think there are truly instances of a stark lack of consideration for others in a way that is chilling. While there are times it feels like he is leaning on apathy for the purpose of a joke or to avoid the pain of empathy, there are times where that callous disregard for others is genuine. It's an impenetrable wall, a 'grass is green, I don't care about your suffering' A to B response.

Here is a man who was an asshole before his turning, one that you and me would've loved to have seen thrown over a castle wall for being a bastard of a bureaucrat, who was tortured and broken down and compelled to do terrible things for Cazador as a slave that amounted to hundreds upon hundreds of kidnappings and murders over the centuries (among other crimes), and who, whereupon finding himself inexplicably removed from the situation and temporarily out of his master's immediate control, contends himself with indulging in a wide variety of subversive activities and behaviors that are now motivated by deprivation, spite, and barely fettered id.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Astarion is not a perfect victim, or even a good person. He is not a good person. He was a Bad Person back when he had full control of his faculties and behavior, he was forced to be a Bad Person under Cazador, and unless you steer him correctly, he will continue his trajectory of being a Bad Person With a Freudian Excuse. In a weird way, the word "deserve" is almost moot, because you are presented with a scenario in which the word itself is horribly inadequate in accurately articulating the labyrinthine swath of scribblings in his ledger, so to speak. This is not to say that Astarion doesn't deserve help, but you're not helping a Good man-turned-Evil, you are helping a charming-but-still-evil man that was subjected to evil and became even more evil as a result. You can't fully purge him of that very real evil that is inherent to his nature, your task is to CTRL+Z the extra layer of Evil that has been burned into his soul.

And that's an interesting venture. You're not given the opportunity or choice to completely transform him as a person. If you Ascend him, you are hitting the logical end result of where his dreams and desires will get him. If you refuse to Ascend him, you are still left with a lil villain, but a more humane one, a more grounded one, either your best friend or your dearest lover, someone who understands, acknowledges, and allows himself the vulnerability to feel gratitude, because he knows the only thing you will want in return is honesty and friendship. Redeeming him does not mean turning him Good, it means giving him the ability to feel like a fully realized person again.

[nathanialhowe]

Dragon Age OC Lineup

Richter (Ricky) Cousland. -> Human. Sword & Board Warrior. He / Him. Bisexy. -> Lawful Good/Stupid to Neutral Good pipeline (still stupid) -> Romance: Morrigan but there was a lil something homosexual happening with Alistair for a bit if i'm not mistaken. In the end pragmatic and probably evil coochie won out sorry brother. -> Meat? There's heft. Really big. but hes like shy about it hes like omg? am i packing 12 inches of uncut beef? whaaat. ermmm. do u still like me? 😳

Ricky is ignorant, naive, a little classist, dumb, self-sacrificing, trusting, loyal, brave, spineless in his beliefs cus he thinks he's stupid, and will trust people in positions of power more often than he should. He likes it when people tell him what to believe cus then he doesn't have to do any hard thinking. This changes a lil bit in that he loses faith in a lot of the institutions around Ferelden and the greater world but he still doesn't like to do any big deep thinking about stuff <3 He's also a deadbeat dad and Idt he knows how to parent Kieran very well lmao. he used 2 be rlly uptight abt his appearance/cleanliness until oggie called him a stupid rich pussy and now hes like eh whatever abt being waist deep in hurlock cunt or whateever

Batman Hawke. -> Human. Mage. Iforget what kinds there r in da2. She/Her. -> Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Good probably probably but shes reluctant to do "good" shit cus she doesnt really want to deal w ppl being like omg youre ms nice woman cus she's a bit of a self-hating poor who will not examine her freshly minted privilege ): I wouldn't say she's easy to manipulate thru appeal to pathos but if you're annoying enough with your sob story she will probably Consider. -> Romance: all of them like i literall had anders t posing in the back of the hawke estate while isabela and hawke rawdogged in the next room over lmaoaaa....Like canonly id say its like BatmanxFenris and Fenris and Batman are also with Isabela and Isabela is ALSO with Merrill. anders is there. idt batman actually recruited anders i think he got all intense on her and she was like damn lets ball ok but then he got too extreme and she was like dude im literally; strugling to care abt mage rights rn can you put a lid on it and then he was just following her around to mansplain why shes wrong. fair. she learned like nine new slurs from him. -> Meat? Biggest. like so big shes like which staff do u need tonight babygirl 😂😎 heyoooo and then gets left at the hanged man

Batman likes money and having stuff. <3 She likes beaing rich but she's really tacky about it. shes grubby and gross and is like im bringing wolfcuts BACK adn its like a shitty mullet <3 she goes into situations like ok explain why this involves me? and leaves while u r talking about ur missing wife or whatever. real "i dont want to talk abt politics at the table" type of shit shes on. i havent thought too hard about batman hawke but shes like passively suicidal but very cool about it and is 6ft and buff and has huge boobs and huge meat. she wants to be mr steals your girl but goes in for the high five at the worst possible time and doesnt realize shes actually the biggest failgirl of all time. i cant stress this enough she is NOT cool. "fake it till u make it" shes saying as shes applying 50lbs of eyeliner in the morning and shes crying but doesnt think u can see and she lies abt why her eyes r all red and says shes just smoking pot again. she should just be working at a waffle house but shes here.

Kronk of House Trevelyan. -> Another Human. Big Surprise. Rift Mage. -> Lawful Neutral to Lawful Evil pipeline but probably he was always a schemer and a social climber. -> Romance: Josephine and Dorian do not make me choose between them but if I'm being honest I don't know who'd want him. probably he fronts as way more kind and charming than he actually is and i DO think when kronk is loyal to someone he is ferociously so. but it takes a lot like that dude had half the inquisition hate his pussy so bad lmao. -> Meat? Yeah He's Got It but also if Kronk could cease to be a person and become, like, god? he'd do it. then meat wouldnt matter. (hes on some crazy copium) Actually he's thick as hell and chunky and all and is built like a brick wall but im going to be brave and say he's probably not packing a crazy amount like ricky and batman and if they ever found out theyd tease him abt it cus hes such an asshole lol

Kronk does bestieship with Vivienne and would destroy people's lives to see his allies in positions of power. he'd declare himself divine if it was possible. he's a self-hating mage and loves the circle. he doesn't necessarily have Faith in the circle OR in institutions but he wants to make it so they benefit Him and doesnt gaf about if theyre hurting other ppl who aren't in his #crew. (his crew is very small cus most ppl cannot stand this dude btw). he threatens to make ppl tranquil for the fuck of it and follows thru most of the time. he'll lie and cheat to make his way to the top but he wont get his own hands dirty <3 he loves knowledge and learning and power <3 he doesn't actually care abt money but he cares about status cus it will create avenues for him to pursue evil magic or whatever the fuck this dude wants. type of guy whos like yeah world domination sounds fun i could do that then he's in control and hes like FUckckkkkkkkkkkk im so bored. ok public execution time! or something. mostly he's a nihilist and doesnt have faith in his fellow man. he wants all the secrets of magic revealed to him <3 he doesnt like templars but hes like fine whatever we can deal if they wanna keep all other mages (NOT ME) under their thumb. "circles are great but u wont catch ME going back to mine!" type of guy. i resent that inquisition suggested the inquisitor was a huge Hawke fan cus kronk would fucking hate her new money ass. like shes just so stupid about things. ricky hates this dude btw their first meeting would come to blows and i think he was like morrigan can u just blow this dude Uppppppppp and she was like erm no. we cannot blow up the inquisitor and ricky was like farkkkkk ok. i just dropped kieran on his head again btw honey what do i do ):

Mingus R. Shepard.

Mingus.

[ashleywool]

Some words from a lovely and talented writer I went to college with that gave me an epiphany about my own grief.

Grieving people ARE unpleasant and DO follow disconcerting or downright ridiculous logic. If you care about someone, it DOES feel like you have a responsibility to try to expedite their grieving process, and it DOES feel invalidating, even insulting, when they tell you that that's neither helpful nor possible.

I've been on both sides of this--heck, I'm on both sides simultaneously right now--and I've never stopped to think that maybe the real problem is not that the grieving person is an ungrateful brat who CHOOSES to be sad, OR that the person trying to support them is unempathetic and cold. Maybe the real problem is that no matter which side of it we're on, people are generally very bad at accepting things we can't control.

We desperately want to think of ourselves as people who don't judge others for their grief. But we do it all the time, even to ourselves. It's not because we don't care, or because we want anyone else to feel judged. But our universal inability to expedite or take away other people's grief, or even explain it, is a harsh reminder of everything else we can't control or explain.

People often don't want to talk about their grief because they're afraid of being judged for it. Well-meaning friends will insist that that fear is illogical, or at least illogical with them specifically. This is a lie.

We don't want it to be a lie. I think most people think they mean it when they say it. But it's always, ultimately, a lie.

Even the best-intentioned "take as much time as you need" eventually turns into a "shouldn't you be over it by now?"

Even the best-intentioned "all grief is valid" eventually turns into a "some people have bigger problems."

Even the best-intentioned "grief doesn't have to make sense" eventually turns into a "stop being ridiculous."

Whether it's our grief or someone else's, our acceptance comes with conditions. We accept grief that is linear, following all of the stages in order, one at a time, on our preferred timeline. We accept grief that stands politely out of the way and does not speak unless spoken to, so as not to disrupt our routines or the routines of those around us.

We accept grief if it's self-aware, grief that routinely checks its privilege and acknowledges its own absurdity and relative meaninglessness, grief that keeps its tongue in its cheek and laughs at itself, but not enough to offend anyone around whose grief is actually justified.

We accept the version of grief we want to believe actually exists. We desperately want to believe that there is such a thing as logical, self-aware, linear, explainable, controllable grief.

There isn't. There just isn't.

I'm doing it right now. I want there to be a "better" way for me to end this post. Like, what's the point of sharing this realization in a public-ish forum unless I accept the implied responsibility of including something on the other side of it that makes anybody feel better?

But maybe feeling better doesn't necessarily mean feeling good or feeling the absence of bad things.

Sometimes, perhaps, feeling better just means...feeling whatever you feel. And helping others feel better is as simple as sitting with them while they feel whatever they feel, regardless of whether or not they "should."

I'm gonna try to do better at liberating myself and others from the "shoulds."

[bonefall]

I'm trying to do my own rewrite that doesn't veer too far from canon, and I'm really struggling with how to handle Tigerstar and Sasha. I think Hawk and Moth being half kittypet contributes to their characters in fun ways, and I can see how Tigerstar would want new heirs after being banished from ThunderClan. But idk why xenophobic Tiger would consort with a kittypet, especially someone he'd see as soft like Sasha, when he could've picked a Shadow or RiverClan cat instead? Any thoughts?

You may find my Political Union Concept very helpful for your Sasha dynamic, but I actually get this particular sentiment a lot. People who come to me feeling like they have to work out a problem, "Why does this xenophobic person consort with this member of an outsider group?"

And I don't understand the confusion. Bigotry isn't a principle. Bigoted people don't avoid talking to minorities like a vegan avoids bacon, like it's a meaningful, noble choice. Xenophobes think minorities are inferior and subhuman and that looks like a lot of different things.

(CW: Talking candidly about bigotry, racism, xenophobia, and violence against minority groups. This includes several real-world examples. I also speak about an abusive relationship in a way that could be triggering.)

Bigots interact abusively with the people they're prejudiced against, which CAN look like the "classic" frothing nazi hurling slurs, segregation, and denial of service, yes, but there's a lot of different ways to be abusive.

It can be Exploitative. It can be labor exploitation, it can be human trafficking. It's very easy to justify doing inhuman acts to someone you don't see as human, and worse... when society agrees and is equally bigoted? It becomes very easy to isolate a member of a minority group to groom them for this exploitation, and not face justice for your misdeeds.

There's a massive power imbalance between a person like Tigerstar, a political figurehead, and Sasha, a member of a minority group unprotected by the society's laws. The potential for abuse, isolation, exploitation... it's unfathomable. Sasha is in a deeply dangerous situation; Tigerstar knows that. That's probably what he wants.

Personhood is a privilege her abuser can revoke. I can't capture how terrifying this situation would be realistically.

I often get the original sentiment in the form of, "Why did Tigerstar work with Scourge when he's a xenophobe? He wouldn't want his help!" and... I think this sort of question that should prompt its speaker to do some more personal education on social justice issues. Racists, colonists, xenophobes, and chauvinists are constantly doing this.

Why do xenophobes eat fruit knowing a migrant probably picked it? Because they don't care. Why do sexists hire women? Because they want the labor. Why does Sammy Racism buy product from Company X when he SEES it is owned by a minority? That's the cheapest company.

Why did Tigerstar work with BloodClan? Because they would give him the forest. He probably didn't even plan on giving them what he bargained for.

The minute that Scourge defied him, and said, "I need to rethink these terms in light of new information," Tigerstar flipped the fuck out and tried to kill him for disobedience. He never respected his personhood, or Firestar's, or Sasha's. Ever. That doesn't mean he was physically incapable of interacting with them without slurs bubbling out of him like he was possessed by the ghost of a racism-themed pokemon.

I know it can be easy to imagine bigots being like this chucklefuck who won't climb rainbow stairs, because they are VERY funny and laughing at them is EXTREMELY satisfying, but most bigots will just Take The Rainbow Stairs.

So ASK yourself, instead, what the xenophobic character actually wants. What they can get from this relationship. Sometimes they do want to eradicate the minority group. Sometimes they want power first and will use the group they're bigoted against to get it. Sometimes they want labor. Sometimes they want bodies. Sometimes they want goods. Sometimes the see those last two as the same thing.

Clear your mind of this idea that prejudice itself is rational, logical, or even that bigots have consistent beliefs. Prejudice is a bias, a slimy bucket of contradictory ideas that slide against each other like worms. Bigots and minorities aren't pop rocks and coke, chemically incapable of being in a space without exploding. Minorities live in bigoted societies next to people who hate them their whole lives, it's not so simple as "Xenophobic character = Says no to disliked group."

[icanseethefuture333]

A reading on

North West

The development of North's character:

Channeled song:

Rush Hour by Mac Miller

Pain by PinkPantheress

North is exactly how she presents herself - she is mischievous, a prankster, silly, creative, authentic, and honest. North enjoys being herself and does not like following trends but setting them herself. She is someone who will follow to the beat of her drum and not care what people think. North is comfortable voicing her opinion even if people think it's wrong, since it is hers and that is her right to express that. North is not afraid to speak her mind and intimidates other people in a room with her creative ideas. She will take both her parents' determination and artistic passion and turn it into something greater. Visionary is reverse so this is the shadow attribute she will embody. It is possible as she gets older, she will grow more reserved from the celebrity lifestyle and will see the negatives of it. North could be sensitive about her artwork and feel no matter what she does, people will criticize her. This is sad :(. As North gets older, her energetic personality might calm down as she gets older but this is due to the comments people make about her. North will eventually hear and see everything people said about her in childhood (calling her "crazy" and "bratty child"), thus staying out of the spotlight. People will way things like "Where is North? We miss her!" And North would think "You guys hated me all my life and now you want me back? You don't even deserve me". It's possible her visions for her art, fashion, etc, will have to be watered down or compromised in order for people to support it because they view it as too "weird" or "complex". North may often experience loneliness because she will be misunderstood by others. In adulthood, it would be necessary for her to heal from this wound in order to be at peace with herself.

The future of North's career:

Channeled song:

Family Ties by Baby Keem ft Kendrick Lamar

Detective is in reverse which means the future of her career will possess the shadow attribute. North might fall victim to people spreading misinformation about her and she could already be experiencing this at a young age. Her parents are very famous and is the first born child, so there is a lot of pressure that she is under. This is disturbing... people have her eyes on her all the time. People want to see her highs and lows. I believe her family has a "bad publicity is still good publicity" mindset as well, so even if North doesn't want a certain news outlet to spread negative propaganda about her, there's nothing people would do to help her. This causes North to experience anxiety and so she is going to be forced to learn how to set boundaries as a child since her family won't do it for her. I believe despite the negative things people say about North, she will use her privileges for good. She might go through a spiritual awakening as she gets older or will have an epiphany about what is her destiny in life. It is possible she will use her privileges to fight for injustice. North could be involved in global politics since there is a map on the Avenger card? Or will do volunteer work in foreign places. Since this character has a mask, I believe she will do this anonymously or in private. North doesn't want to do it for the media, she actually would want to make a difference.

North's relationship with her family:

Channeled song:

My Life by The Walls Group

North could oppose what her family wants her to do in life. They could have expectations of what goals she wishes to pursue and she will refuse this. If North had to have the option of having an inheritance or being independent, she'd choose being independent. She does not want to be controlled especially if her family is morally gray in some areas. In the future, North will be someone who would prefer to live a humble lifestyle and will be compassionate to others. North will be divinely guided in this lifetime, it is possible she has an ancestor(s) that is watching over her. Instead of living the life of glitz and glamor of Hollywood, she will instead desire to help others. I believe North could possibly use her wealth to liberate others? I heard "homelessness". So perhaps she will take a role in the system, similar to Kim. North wants to free herself from her family's traditions and beliefs. I feel strongly that her purpose is to heal generational trauma within the ancestral family.

[teaveetamer]

Not trying to start anything but being prejudice against white people won't actually solve anything.

Having that kind of attitude about it doesn't actually help combat racism. I like reading your blog and all but as a POC it's really jarring, from a personal perspective, when you start saying things and acting as if being prejudice against white people will fix anything. It won't, it just makes identity politics seem like a gotcha game.

I appreciate you caring about the issue but the approach of acting like using someone's status as a cis white guy to discredit them, even if it is the asshole raxy, just comes off as needlessly instigating the issue to be worse.

Sorry if it comes off as concern trolling but it's just incredibly off putting when youre usually so caring and aren't that antagonistic about it and then suddenly you are. Again, sorry if it seems like concern trolling.

I think your perspective, anon, would be very fair IF the message of anything I’ve been trying to say was intended to be “it’s okay to be prejudiced against white people and that'll fix everything” or "cishet white men are evil". That was never the intended message of any of this. There's a cut because this got long.

Here's my main point a little more succinctly: a cishet white man can be an ally, but he can also discard his allyship if it becomes inconvenient for him to be an ally. He may see oppression, he may even understand oppression, but if he doesn't want to deal with the backlash of oppression then he always has the option to walk away. That is a privilege in itself. I don't get the option to walk away from being a woman. I don't get the option to walk away from being queer.

So if you are going to be a cishet white man speaking on issues such as misogyny, racism, queerphobia, etc., then the first thing I'm going to look at is whether or not you are being a good ally to me. Do you understand my struggle? Do you stand by me even if things get hard? Do you respect me even if you don't agree with me?

Specifically with regard to Raxy-poo: I have seen no evidence that he actually cares about these issues beyond what he can use to "win" fandom arguments. He'll use the Supreme Court potentially killing queer rights as a "gotcha" to win a petty fandom argument, but then he'll attack a queer woman for trying to voice being uncomfortable with corporations commodifying her sexuality and he'll say nothing when his buddies are chuckling in "private" about how I'm a fake queer because my favorite character from a video game is male. That is why I keep pointing out his identity. Because he keeps claiming to speak for groups he doesn't belong to and then doesn't respect members of those groups when they disagree with him.

The racism thing I'm going to address further down below the cut because it's way too long to summarize up here.

I'm not interested in prolonging anything. He's the one who continually stalks, harasses, bullies, and berates people who blocked him months ago using these flimsy accusations of sexism, queerphobia, racism, etc. as "proof" that we deserve it. I mean his buds on that server literally accuse us of being Holocaust deniers or of being like Andrew Tate or Tucker Carlson or Alex Jones. Raxy helped instigate such severe harassment that it led to two people leaving the FE community entirely. I have said numerous times that if he would just leave people alone and respect the damn block button then I would never mention him again.

With regard to race, I will repeat: his race would not be an issue IF he had not made it an issue. He has been harassing BWIIDT for over a year now specifically because of her criticisms of a fanfic. He has accused BWIIDT all over the internet of lying about Cap to slander him (particularly with accusations of him being a racist), and he's been spreading her name around to try and bait uninvolved third parties into dogpiling her and shitting on her.

So we have a white man, in defense of another white man, harassing a mixed race woman in part because she feels uncomfortable with the way one of those white men wrote a mixed race character (and she criticized that publicly). I don't think I'm out of line to point out the very uncomfortable implications and power dynamic there. Especially when he's just lying about the things she said. AFAIK she's never specifically called Cap a racist, she's just said that she thinks it was unintentional, but still the way he wrote it is uncomfortable. Which is something she, as a mixed race woman, has every right to feel and point out without getting harassed.

Keep in mind that she has had him blocked for months now. He still stalks her blog with an alt account (he's literally flat out admitted that he has an alt account just so he can keep stalking and harassing the people who blocked him). He only treats you with respect if you already agree with him, and if you don't then he's more than happy to stalk and harass you. It is literally peak performative allyship.

Now on a more general note:

I didn’t take “you’re racist against white people” anon very seriously because, bluntly, “don’t you know the REAL racism is against white people” is an extremely common alt-right straw man/deflection tactic in America. It tries to discredit the concerns about racism by framing any discussion of racism as racism against white people. Essentially, it's a shorthand to try and "both sides are as bad as each other!" racism to distract from the damage that centuries of systemic oppression have caused for modern communities of color. So I'm approaching it from that context.

No, I am not saying that it's okay to be shitty to white people. I'm acknowledging that the power differential between white people and the communities they have historically oppressed makes the effect of bias a fundamentally different experience.

Just as an example of what I'm talking about: if you call a Black person a slur then it's going to invoke that entire history of enslavement, Jim Crow, disenfranchisement, violence, and generational trauma. If you call a white person a word like "cracker", it's going to invoke that entire history of... when white people did a bunch of really horrible things like enslavement, Jim Crow, disenfranchisement, and violence to someone else.

And I'm not discounting how uncomfortable and upsetting that can be for white people to experience, especially if you consider yourself an ally. I mean no good person likes living with the knowledge that they benefit from the dehumanization and subjugation of another group of people. No good person likes knowing that people they're directly descended from are responsible for some really fucked up shit. No good person likes hurting others, even by accident. It sucks to have to acknowledge that you're still benefiting from the horrific sins of your forefathers. It's bullshit that we're still trying to put everything back together because people of the past failed us. It's okay to acknowledge that those things are upsetting, and all of those feelings are valid. You don't have to stop feeling these things just because someone else had it worse.

But it's not the same kind of hurt. It is not equivalent to the racism experienced by people of color. Feeling uncomfortable about racism is not the same as experiencing racism. Someone pointing out that you're benefiting from racism is not the same as experiencing racism. To try and equate them in the way the alt-right does is insulting.

You can see a similar thing happening with TERFs and the word "cis" or "cisgender" or even the term "TERF". And I was going to go on because honestly anon I could write a dissertation on the dynamic here because it's an extremely nuanced and fascinating topic, but I'm trying to keep it brief.

Back on the topic, the "you're racist toward white people!" seemed like an obvious troll ask to try and get under my skin (I usually get a few whenever this bullshit fandom stuff flares up again, like the time I was talking about sexual violence shortly after a different Raxy incident and an anon told me to "get over your victim complex"), mostly because so little of my original postings were actually about race. I focused on queerness and being a woman. Like. Yeah I was a little mean, because I don't view alt-right talking points as worthy of my time or patience. I generally try to approach anyone coming to me with a measure of good faith, but you have to give me something to work with. Just spewing an alt right talking point on anon and then doubling down on it is not going to inspire a lot of confidence in me that you actually want to have a conversation about this incredibly charged topic.

If you're uncomfortable with the "you get one free pass to be racist toward white people" anon - I took that anon as an obvious joke poking fun at the alt-right strawman arguments not, like, a serious endorsement that it's okay to be a dick to all white folk, or that being a dick to white folk will actually solve anything. I can see why that might be unsettling and I hear you, but I have a bit of a dark sense of humor sometimes so it didn't clock my radar as anything that would be taken genuinely.

As I said in my original post, allies have an essential role to play. They can amplify marginalized voices in spaces where we're not respected or welcome, and the ones who do so with care and consideration are welcome in my books. I also have sympathy for the folks who just haven't woken up yet, but maybe aren't actively bigoted, and for the folks actively deconstructing from harmful ideologies who aren't quite there yet.

It's the people who claim to be allies but then treat people like shit who I have the biggest problem with, because they're purporting to represent me and people like me. My cause has no room in it for stalking, harassing, bullying, or speaking over instead of with the people you're claiming to represent.

[iamnotawomanimagod]

Ngl I've been a halsey fan since before badlands and I really never cared much about fan interaction online, but halseys manager of both their makeup brands posted a link to a fundraiser for Isreal, which has since been deleted since halseys Instagram statement. I understand they got a brand to run now but it truly felt gross watching about faces insta go silent for a few days after her statement just to then post a 25 dollar zine and more about face stuff, while never acknowledging their manager. I get that they got swatted and all that but like.... normies get swatted and have illnesses and small children and they can't just hire more security or move into a new mansion. Like I get rich people have problems too but they also have money, and that's something not a lot of us get the privilege of having.

I hear you. I agree that that's gross.

I didn't hear about this specific incident though, so I need to clarify - was this fundraiser posted on any account associated directly with Halsey? Or was the fundraiser posted to a personal account controlled by an employee of Halsey's?

If the fundraiser was posted to an AF account, then yes, obviously that's not okay and Halsey should make a statement, and should make it very clear that her brands do not support Israel.

But if the fundraiser was posted to a personal account by an employee of Halsey's... look, I don't support Israel on any level, but it's also not appropriate for any employer to try to dictate what their employees can and cannot post about. A thorough inventory into someone's political beliefs when the only thing they're meant to do is sell your makeup brand is not exactly appropriate either, not even for someone as outspoken as Halsey is about politics.

I tried to look this up since I completely missed it, so I'll have to take your word for it. I have to assume that the fundraiser was posted to the About-Face and AF94 accounts, because I don't think there's anything Halsey can or should have done about an employee's personal social media posts (other than cut ties after the fact.)

If that's the case, and the fundraiser was posted to any account directly connected with Halsey, then I agree that it's very disappointing and Halsey should have made a direct statement about it. I can definitely see why that upset people, and it should have.

With all that being said, even taking my disappointment around that into account - Halsey is human. Yes, they do have access to resources and money and options that most of us will never have. Yes, there are people out there with fewer resources, going through worse, that are doing more work. That's always true, for everyone. But I think it's okay to give people grace, and recognize when they're going through a particularly hard time, especially when they've been working pretty much non-stop for ten years.

Everyone can always do more, celebrities especially. But Halsey's relative silence now does not erase or undo any of the impact or work they've done in the past, and will likely do in the future.

And one thing about them having money is that they've likely been able to donate significantly more cash to that cause than you or I have. On a purely utilitarian level, she's done more than we ever will be able to. And she should! But like, let's be real about actual impact versus performative social media posts.

People can't be 100% on it 100% of the time, even with tons of cash and support and staff. I think H does pretty okay. I am not bothered by people keeping her in check, but I think there's a line.

And fwiw, my original post was less so about Halsey's political activity and more so about like, parasocial codependent fans who are sad she doesn't post as much anymore, lol. People saying shit like "Halsey has been different ever since ______" and are including things that predate the most current situation in Palestine. I have much bigger issue with the people just whining about how little content there was this year than I do people with legitimate concerns about her politics.