#the disk horse around this has been annoying tf out of me and i also do noooot want it to leave My Circle atm.

[waterbearable]

GOD respectfully it's been an issue for a while now that folks are extremely parasocial w dr*pout and while i am not immune to that, i do remember when b*nappetit's magic kind of fell apart because it was still a business and not just a bunch of people who were buddies making cooking content, so i am trying to be...cautious with how i enjoy their content. but conversation abt it on this and other social media is really underpinned by this idea that these are all our sweet blorbos who are utterly immune from criticism and can do no wrong, this is such a good sweet progressive company that can do no wrong, and that you should shut up if you have any issue with representation/accessibility/etc because these are our dear beloved internet personalities that feel like friends. which is not productive, not healthy, and does not really encourage room for dr*pout to grow as the bastion of progressive comedy and creativity that we want it to be.

it is WILD that trans women and other TMA folks are being treated w such fucking vitriol for even mentioning the fact that there should be more trans women on dr*pout. it is a relatively gentle desire/critique, all things considered, esp because to my knowledge most of the trans women/TMA folks who have been on the platform either appeared in early um, actually or just. pre-2024 (i am aware that the exception to this is, to the best of my knowledge, sephie being a guest on an episode of game changer and monet hosting her show). they are not incapable of finding transfemmes/TMA folks.

but also what grinds my ass about this conversation is that ppl either do not know or do not want to acknowledge (and i say this as a lover of dr*pout and enjoyer of many CH skits) that they have been around for a WHILE before their own platform came into existence and they were still doing comedy that was fatphobic and transmisogynistic 6 years ago (aka, in 2018). comedy that was at best racially insensitive in 2015. probably more shit that i'm just not aware of, bc it happens.

i don't say that to cancel anyone on the platform, or the platform itself! I ENJOY IT. I THINK THAT THEIR COMEDY IS FUNNY AND THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF INCREDIBLE TALENT AND THEY MAKE GOOD STORIES. I WANT THEM TO SUCCEED AND TO CONTINUE. but like. you do yourself a disservice to think that dr*pout has always been a progressive bastion and welcoming space for marginalized ppl, and that THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. like. you want them to continue innovating, continue growing, etc, as an independent platform, then acknowledge that there is room for them to improve and innovate and cultivate a space that is (more) inclusive. why, as a fan, would i want it to stagnate?

overall i think that (not everyone, and i'm not vaguing anybody in particular) a lot of us (in the global north) could do with continued reflection that much of what we enjoy, consume, participate in is still touched by oppressive, capitalist, imperialist systems. we are most likely not going to be engaging in things that are completely morally and ideologically pure. that does not make you a bad person!!! but that also means it doesn't help any of us to completely ignore when something we enjoy is not perfect and has legitimate issues in regards to racism, transmisogyny, sexism, etc etc etc. part of oppression being structural/systemic means that there is the potential for harm (and actual harm) even when nobody is specifically pulling a lever with the desire to be oppressive/bigoted. this includes when marginalized folks are participants. this includes things that *I* create, because I am also not immune to fucking up and perpetuating systems of harm. our growth is continuous. it has to be.