#their misogyny+ageism is showing. and it is really. really. :|

[seaweedstarshine]

Haters call eleven straight Doctor because he’s attracted to older women, when his type is clearly just morally questionable people who look middle-aged (he calls Churchill “dear,” don’t forget. he never calls Amy or Clara that. Churchill is in the same category as River and the TARDIS).

[stuck-writing-sickos]

In Poor Taste [P5]

(Yandere × F! Reader)

[Warning: addiction, alcohol, ageism, sexism, misogyny, mention of bodily harm, religious trauma]

[A/N: its high time we show yuki some love 🫶]

[Series Link]

You were never crazy about spoiled rich men. They couldn't stand being unremarkable.

"Bless me, father, for I have sinned."

Silence. The stuffy wood walls felt as if it was contracting.

"It's been five years since my last confession, and I accuse myself of the following sin."

No answer yet as per customary. Lukas tugged at his tight collar, anxious. His blunt fingernails reached inside the gap, letting a puff of air hit his chest dripping with sweat.

"I am lost, father."

"And why did you say that?"

"I have nothing special about me. I never really had to try hard to get what I want, and now... I don't know which path to take."

"You walk with God, my child."

Something within his chest inflated, leaving him gasping for air.

"Is that all there is, Father?"

"We are all nothing without Him. He will show you the way."

Lukas wanted to get out of the booth, but he couldn't. His body was frozen in place. Panic set in as he tried to squirm only to find his strength redundant.

"I don't see it, Father!", he tried to scream, but his voice came out weak, "I don't see it... I need to forge my own."

"And how do you plan to do that, when you are unspecial and lost?"

The priest's voice wasn't singular anymore. It dissolved into a chorus of many, thunderous and firm. Lukas heaved, choking on the taste of pennies. He felt a weight from the other side pressing against the confession window, closing the walls in.

The curtain cracked open. Lukas could only look as a hand reached in and grabbed his collar, harshly yanking him forward as if he was a ragdoll. His body was then unbound, light and fluid like water.

He gasped, his eyes fluttering open. Lukas felt the cold sweat on his neck. Between dream and reality, he almost remembered the bruised knuckle and the familiar fingers that pulled him awake.

___

Yuki figured the newbie was a quick learner, but he didn't think Lukas would pick up on your introversion that quickly.

It was ironic that this newcomer was already half of the foreign staff present in the end-of-year dinner that the foreign dept threw. The other half was you. Together you and him sat, tall and quiet. The cozy private restaurant lounge was bustling with chatters, but not one peep from this pair. Far off from the other side of the long table, Yuki could only steal glances at you who only nodded and smiled at any attempts at conversations that went your way. He was worried that Lukas might try something weird tonight what with alcohol so readily available, but so far he had seen nothing but a rather impressive effort at maintaining social norms. He assumed that ought to clear his mind, yet any time he found himself letting his guard down, he was sorely reminded of the punk rock clothing site. Some parts of him were starting to manifest doubt - was he the weird one for fixating? Was it some... American norms he failed to consider? After all, Australian culture could very well be less intense than its riveting cousin. Deciding at last that he was overthinking, he tried to keep up with the conversations around him.

If something bad were to happen, you'd say something, right?

"Say, Sakamoto", he jumped at Tahara's voice, surprised to see she had her attention on him now, "are you ever gonna get married?"

Instantly, eyes were on him. Yuki shifted, laughing nervously.

"Yeah", another voice chimed in, "You're 26, you're earning good money, you got your family's name. Women must be flocking to you."

That voice would be Hanao, quite possibly his least favorite senior. 33, begrudgingly married and completely removed from the concept of boundaries, he could only get worse with a pint in his hand.

"I have some unmarried cousins who would look great on you", Tahara piled onto the mess she herself caused, "Do you want a blind date with her?"

"Or look around the dept", Hanao exclaimed, his ugly habit of getting loud when he got drunk seeping in, "so many young, beautiful ladies are lining up for you!"

Yuki couldn't help but notice the discomfort on the faces of the "ladies" in question, their gaze downcasted or unsubtly turned away.

"Hanao, that's not fair to them", Yuki finally interfered, treading carefully so as not to trigger another terrible habit Hanao got up his sleeves when alcohol got into his system - getting angry, "they are not lining up for me, I'm sure."

"Nonsense", the older man dismissed, waving him off. Yuki's back felt cold as Hanao fully turned to his younger female colleagues who had gotten stiff and awkward, walled in by the long table and the crowd of coworker.

"Wouldn't you ladies want him? He's a bit dull and quiet, but he's a good kid. He is handsome, and his wallet is thick, too. I'm telling you, if you want a chance you better be quick."

The young women politely tried to move on from the topic, but it only fueled his insistence. Stressed out that Hanao was stuck on talking about marriage, Yuki finished his drink painstakingly fast. Hazy now, he landed the pint harshly.

"Excuse me... I should go for a smoke."

"Hey, what's the rush? Are you embarrassed?", Hanao asked, "It's okay Sakamoto, men only get finer with age! Sit down, I think Ms. Sasaki is interested, right?"

Yuki was already standing up with a cigarette in his mouth by the time Sasaki meekly protested. Something about "Mr. Hanao, you're so mean. He will hate me now!"

He looked at the girl. Yuki barely remembered any interaction they had with each other. Did they ever even talk? She was smiley, cheerful, and she had a sweet voice, but he didn't find anything reeling him in. In fact, the expectant look on her face as she tried to make eye contacts made Yuki queazy. Nervous and tense, he excused himself without even acknowledging her presence.

Sometimes, the body remembers things the mind tries to forget.

The smell of food followed him outside. Yuki hurried to a street corner, anxious for that first hit of nicotine to cool his head. Tipsy and disoriented, he was fumbling with the lighter when he saw you. He must had missed you slipping out of the party when Tahara and Hanao cornered him with their tedious talk of marriage. You were on your phone. Your thumbs were still hovering over the bright screen when you. Clearing his throat to make his presence know, Yuki was startled by the blank stare you gave his way.

"Everything okay?", he asked and walked over to stand by your side. Your eyes didn't follow his movement. You looked straight ahead, your face drained of any expression.

"Yes", you tried to sound casual, but your voice were light as air, "everything is fine."

He finally managed to light his cigarette. The first pull was long and crisp. His flexed shoulders dropped as he leaned against the wall and sigh, satisfied. From the corner of his eyes, he could see you tapping on your phone, your fingers typing up a storm. Something was wrong, he could tell, but he didn't want to push. Beside, he was just drunk enought to feel content keeping your company in silence.

It was by the second cigarette that you peeped: "can I have one, Sakamoto?"

That messed with his buzz. Propping himself upright, he turned over to face you.

"No."

You didn't respond. Instead, you stared at him with desperate eyes and quivering lips. Yuki watched your fingers curling up and flexing. A twinge in his chest made him drop the stern tone.

"What happened?"

You hung your head. Your quiet, exasperated voice was almost swallowed by the city's white noise: "please..."

He sighed and fished out one, seeing that it was no use persuading you. His hand hesitated as yours reached over, starved.

"You've quitted for 3 years. You were doing good."

You didn't say anything.

"Are you sure?" He asked for the last time, and the ache in his chest tugged again as he saw you nodding. He handed over the stick and watched helplessly as you stuck it between your teeth. As a last ditch effort, he tossed his lighter into the nearby dumpster.

"I'm sorry", he sighed and took another drag, puffing smoke out his nose, "you can call me a hypocrite, I deserve it. But I just can't-

He was cut off by your cool skin grazing his own as you took his cigarette right out of his mouth. Gently, you placed the burning end onto your unlit one and pulled until you've successfully kindled.

"I'm sorry", you choked, handing back what you'd stolen. He took it, slow and bewildered.

"It's okay. I'm worried, though. Did Lukas do something weird? You know you can tell me."

Your shoulders closed in. You couldn't look him in the eyes.

"No, not Lukas."

__

Lukas didn't like the hot, crawling excitement his body manifested when you were near. He couldn't focus. After the concert, he didn't want to face you. He tried to tell himself many things: you weren't any hotter than the girls he had back in college, you were too independent, you didn't bother to act feminine,... Didn't matter. You had something else that he wanted.

That was why no matter how tedious and stressful the dinner party was for him, someone who didn't know a lick of Japanese, he would rather sit in silence than to talk to you. You were quiet next to him, as if lost in thought. The entire day, he had noticed you spacing out and getting distracted. It was out of the ordinary for someone as put-together as you to keep saying "I'm sorry, I must have forgotten". The final straw was when you blankly sipped on your drink only to spill on your skirt. You didn't even react, only sighing and wiping it off with the tissue he handed over.

"Excuse me", your voice was monotone, "I'm going to the bathroom."

He didn't know who that was directed at. Only him, he assumed, since everyone else were lost in their own coversation. Seeing that your beer had splashed on the floor near where you sat, he reached over to wipe it off. His hand was nearby the phone you had forgotten when it buzzed, its screen lighting up.

"He is going through an episode again"

Lukas never thought of himself as someone who would snoop - after all, he never really cared for any women to reach that point - yet that text from your mother stirred up a morbid sense of curiosity. He watched the bright screen blinking again as another text popped up.

"Please... talk to your brother. He's threatening to do it again."

The screen door slid open, snapping him out of it. Quicking resuming his position, he smiled at you who were carefully finding your way back to your seat, side-stepping your coworkers. Your weary smile was poorly faked.

Lukas' heart beat fast. He was itching to ask you about what he saw, though he decided to hold it in. He didn't know how to begin the conversation without admitting that he had violated your privacy...that would warrant a strong reaction. Yet, within his curiosity, Lukas caught a glimpse of anticipation. How would you look at him, if you were to get mad? He tried to imagine you scowling, your jaw flexed and fists clenched. He wonder if you would curse him out. Maybe, you would even hit him.

God, he hoped you would.

Lost in a fantasy, he was grounded again when you softly excused yourself out "for some fresh air". Nobody paid any mind when you rushed off, your feet barely touching the ground.

Maybe now wouldn't be a good time to test out the validity of his craving. Lukas drew his attention to the rest of the party, trying to forget about it. He didn't understand a single thing, but Sakamoto's side was getting loud: he saw the guy bashfully trying to get through a coversation before excusing himself shortly thereafter with a cigarette in his mouth.

Anxiety bubbled in his guts as he sat alone and confused, bothered by the mental image of you and Sakamoto outside, bumping into each other. Would Sakamoto notice something was up with you? He might - the senior was sensible and keen-eyed. Lukas wasn't in love with small details, but he had seen the way the man covered for your lies on the spot. Short on breath, he caught his own fingers playing with the hem of his button-down shirt. Lukas tried to remind himself that whatever fixation he had on you should come to a stop, but amidst a feverish daze he couldn't resist the instinct to insert himself into your narrative. He didn't care if your mood would worsen. In fact, he hoped it would. He hoped you would take it out on him. Pulling himself up, he hurried after you.

By the restaurant entrance Lukas looked left and right, his heart racing. He didn't like that the reason he chose to be out was to interrupt your conversation, so he convinced himself that he was looking for something else, like a convenient store to get a pack of smoke. After all, he had a bad habit of craving them when he drank. Maybe, he could even look for Sakamoto and ask for one.

Lukas walked down the street, his eyes scanning faces of strangers. They didn't look his way, blurring past him like shadows. He wondered if he looked the same to you - a flash of color that breezed by, flat, voiceless, inconsequential. He didn't have time to let that thought eat him away when he caught Sakamoto's tall form leaning against a wall, half of his body hidden in an alleyway. Lukas took a long stride toward the man only in time for the buildings to move to the backend of his vision, revealing you who were giving a lit cigarette back.

[my-mt-heart]

Putting the "ew" in EW

There are a lot of things wrong with the article, but let's start with the glaringly obvious...

Instead of letting Daryl's and Carol's connection speak for itself and letting fans get excited to see the connection as they've understood it for over a decade, Dalton Ross tries to project his own POV onto us, overemphasizing a platonic friendship as if it's the only right answer and ignoring the core of Caryl's fanbase, who are well within reason to want payoff to a romantic love story between Caryl that was earned time and time again in the flagship show. If his goal was to define the relationship for us once and for all, he completely fails. All he's really doing is exposing himself as yet another deeply insecure and toxic middle-aged white man who can't fathom a middle-aged woman with gray hair as a romantic partner for the middle-aged male protagonist. It's ignorant at best and at worst, it's aiding an effort to hurt Melissa's viewership (worth noting that Dalton Ross is one of Gimple's connections). But sadly, his spin is not even the worst problem...

This has to be one of the most ridiculous exchanges between a showrunner and a lead actor that I've ever read, but to cut to the chase, if the former is so disconnected from Daryl that he doesn't know the first thing about how this character forms attachments with others or why it takes him so long and what that says about his relationship with Carol, he shouldn't be the showrunner. That's been clear since S1 and in every interview he does, so at this point, AMC is shooting themselves in the foot the longer they keep him on or even just let him open his mouth.

In case I haven't made myself perfectly clear a million times, I am here for the Daryl I connected with when he became the most loyal and loving man to Carol and his family in the flagship show. I am here for The Book of Carol because I want to watch Carol rise above her trauma as she's risen above so many challenges in her life and I want to watch her finally claim a love she didn't think she was worthy of before, which is true love/romantic love/soulmate love with Daryl (look, I can overemphasize too). I want to watch Melissa McBride, who has also had to rise above so many challenges as a woman in the industry, give one powerful performance after another after another. I want her to get all the praise from fans and critics that she deserves and I want her to have more creative control since she's the one who really knows how to do Carol's story justice. Imagine if all we had to analyze was her own words...

I am so fucking tired of other EPs trying to turn the beautiful things she has to say and the beautiful things she brings to her show into a footnote because they always have to be so overt in their misogyny, ageism, arrogance, and stupidity first. I am fucking tired of feeling unwelcome to a show being marketed as #TWDCARYL when I am both a Carol and a Daryl fan who also ships them together. The perpetual mess doesn't speak to Melissa's value or to her fans' priorities. I will continue to direct my blame at the other EPs, and I need AMC to start doing the same. Stop giving David Zabel, Greg Nicotero, and Scott Gimple a platform. Stop giving into their need to promote themselves. Stop losing viewers over them. Let's get a showrunner who understands Carol's and Daryl's characters as well as their relationship, and here's a new idea, let's get journalists/reviewers who don't try to shove their own insecurities down our throats to cover the aspects of the show that we actually connect with. Believe it or not, those of us who are loudly complaining do want to be here.

[youmakethelight]

This past week has been difficult to be a caryl fan. It's been a visceral reminder of what it's like to love something in a world dominated by misogyny and ageism.

And now I've reached the Beth+Daryl episodes of my TWD rewatch, I'm reminded of how misogyny and ageism have tainted this fandom before. During that time, it became popular to hate on certain female characters and actresses and pit them against each other. And Melissa McBride responded with love for Emily Kinney.

I want to be really careful about responding to the new story in The Book Of Carol. Male showrunners and writers have the power to spread misogyny and ageism, both internal and external. I don't want to let them.

Isabelle's character always deserved to be regarded in her own right, and not viewed solely as an appendage or an obstruction to Daryl's story. Inconsistent writing makes it harder to recognise her character's value, but it's important to remember who is responsible for that.

David Zabel's recent comments have already led to the reduction of Isabelle's character and that is his fault for not reading the room. But the people who pay the price are fans who are affected by the normalisation of harbouring certain attitudes towards women, and Clemence Poesy.

I've noticed Clemence did an interview recently where she talked about her character questioning dogma. Daryl wasn't mentioned at all as far as I know, and yet we, the fans, were still preoccupied with whether that means that Isabelle might renounce her faith to be with Daryl. This shows the power that people like David Zabel have and how dangerous their ignorance can be.

Fans are fiercely protective of Carol and Melissa McBride, especially as the character and the actress have been through this before. But I want to be really careful about not letting that protectiveness blur into attitudes and behaviour that can harm women as a whole. As far as I can tell, nobody is equating Isabelle with Clemence, but there is still potential for harm.

Going forward, I'm going to think about this some more. But I think for now, I will try to focus on uplifting Isabelle's individual character arc as well as Clemence Poesy herself.

[justagalwhowrites]

“Love” how you immediately dismissed that questioner. Like no YOU got your panties in a twist because you thirst off the idea of being younger and with a dinosaur of a man. Which no kink shaming. But don’t pussy foot around it. You ARE apart of the problem and DO have an effect on the world around you. Saying nuh uh doesn’t actually change the facts. Also hilarious how because YOU haven’t seen a tag like that then it couldn’t pooooossibly exist right? Seen many variations of that shit across the board. So many authors who demonize aging and quite literally mock older women in their writing. So hate to break it to you but your internalized misogyny is showing. And to be clear, I AM being condescending with that last sentence. Because for a woman supposedly in your thirties you sure are acting like a preteen here. AUTHORS ARE NOT INFALLIBLE. And readers are totally allowed to call someone out for being a fucking weirdo with their writing and romanticizing predatory behavior. So yeah YOU ARE being exactly like predatory men who do that shit in real life. Thanks for promoting horrific behavior and then throwing a tantrum when people say something about it. Also, OP wasn’t rude nor condescending. It just hit a nerve because you fit the mark. Cry about it some more or actually get help.

Hi!

I... don't think you've read anything I've written lol which is fine! You don't need to! I just generally write Joel with a peer because that's what I enjoy. I also understand that a lot of people enjoy other things, which is fine! People don't need to enjoy what I enjoy or read what I wrote. I never said that tag doesn't exist, I'm sure it does, and I - like Max said as well - certainly don't agree with demonizing aging. But the post that Max reblogged from jumped on a younger reader story and said that creator sounded like a predator. I know there are a lot of people who, for whatever reason, really enjoy writing and reading stories with younger readers. I don't think that's the same as being a predator. I don't think I'm throwing a tantrum and, given that my two longest fics star middle-aged women, I certainly didn't take what anyone said as directed toward me. I just don't like seeing people who decided to be vulnerable and share something they created that a lot of people also enjoy compared to something predatory.

I think there's plenty of room in fandom to have conversations about sexism and ageism and racism and any number of societal ills. I just don't think we should center that conversation on fan-made content. I think we should strive to be kinder toward other fans (which, again, Max also said comments about aging like OP mentioned are absolutely shitty) and treat creators like community members, not like the conglomerates who actually profit off this stuff.

[littlemissidontcare]

Considering that she's about to be the longest known relationship, the idea that she doesn't "live up to his exes for him", is pure coping. Yall can dislike her while accepting that his actions don't align with your feelings about her whatsoever. Like no offense, but you know you lost when you need to resort to ageism and insulting looks constantly. She doesn't need to be hot nor young in order for him to want her and stay with her.

I’ve had a long day of being extremely diplomatic toward people who didn’t deserve my patience or kindness, so forgive me for sounding like a raging cunt when I say that the only one coping here is you. He looks like he’s smelling rotting fish every time she’s next to him and no, that is not an exaggeration. He refuses to touch her or look at her with any love or respect. Two years of dirty looks and uncomfortable body language pale in comparison to one year of smiles, affection, and contentment. And if I’m not mistaken, he was with Leighton for nearly three years. Annabelle just has some great lawyers, and Seb is too infatuated with his career to find a woman he actually feels compelled to treat nicely. You can say I’m coping, but what we saw in Cannes was not a loving couple, it was two people forcing something that has never been present. I’m sorry you feel the need to defend something that has never really been worth defending, but you should really stop wasting your time. He could marry her and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I’ve seen all I need to see. You will never convince me that he likes her or, given the choice, he’d have spent the past two years with someone else. Time and time, again, they’ve been outed for being an arrangement. And the more we see from them, the more that information is solidified for me. You can call me delusional, you can say I’m coping, they’re not normal, they’re not private. I’d barely call them friends.

You can throw your accusations of ageism at me, too. I don’t care. The fact that you’re coming up with these responses to every ask that dares to say something unsavory about a d-list failed actor who has less personality than polyester is a little pathetic. Everyone from your echo chamber is the same: you all play the misogyny or ageism card when you don’t know what else to say. If anything, you’re just showing your asses by projecting what you think is wrong with her on us. Margarita Levieva is 3 years older than Annabelle. She is a goddess in comparison. I’m not asking for Seb to be with something who’s twenty and a virgin, I’m simply saying that Annabelle is a shitty person who also happens to be unattractive. As someone who sees how grossed out he seems to be when he’s around her, I don’t see it ending well.

Also, to be frank, I’ve exhausted my logical arguments because your camp doesn’t have the capacity to absorb them. At this point, as I said, I believe what I believe based on hard evidence. I make fun of her looks because it’s funny watching a crappy person’s outsides grow to match her insides.

The only reason why you vouch as hard as you do for her is because Alejandra was her predecessor.

Had she shown up with Ale never having been in the equation, a lot of y’all might be willing to see what the rest of us do. Instead, you choose to place the bar in the ground because she’s an armchair activist who knows exactly what to hide so her fellow armchair activists will worship her. She plays the PR game very well, I’ll give her that much. You’ve clearly fallen for it.

[queen-paladin]

A PSA regarding women writers and directors

(tw: mentions of internal misogony, domestic abuse, cheating, and suicide)

I hear all this stuff on Tiktok and on Instagram. All about the phrase "Written by a woman" in regard to men and cis-hetero relationships. Praising women for creating "soft" male love interests that check all the boxes. And for their treatment of female characters. Like the "Female Rage" trend where instead of an angry woman yelling and losing their cool, we only have a woman glaring directly into the camera. They list all these books and films written and directed by women noting this. Now, let's be clear- I am 100 percent for supporting female-created and controlled works

But

Can we stop pretending women writers and directors are perfect? That there aren't women who are internally misogynistic and problematic in various ways (Do I even need to mention Rowling. I mean, she's a woman after all too!)? And that for those women who are artists, that said internal misogyny doesn't show up in their works? And that they don't romanticize things that are really messed up, wrong, or even dangerous?

Take Colleen Hoover for example. She's huge on Tiktok and you will see her books promoted everywhere. You would think if you picked up one of her books that it would involve all the Romance Written By A Woman Goodness.

BUT

So many of her books romanticize abuse, toxic relationships, and cheating with her female protagonists easily forgiving the male love interests (ex. Verity and All Your Perfects) or excusing and not taking accountability for their actions (for ex. hitting on a guy when they 100% know he has a girlfriend, calling other women "sluts" which the heroine of Maybe Someday does).

Or in Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus where it is implied that Isobel is a bad person for being upset about her boyfriend cheating on her for the female lead and being dumped for the Side Chick?

Or take Kiera Cass's The Selection. In the first book of the series, we have a female protagonist who looks down on other women for wearing super show-offy dresses that promote their cleavage in a beauty competition (Yup! We also get slut-shaming!) While said modest, plain dressing (she dresses plain because she is "not beautiful" and "not like other girls!") heroine gets praised and called beautiful and ultimately lands the prince for this.

And I cannot tell you how many times in historical fiction and even sometimes in fantasy written by women I read a protagonist who "wasn't like other girls" who shat on women for wearing corsets, being "ladies", liking sewing and dresses, actually wanting romance, etc. And the female characters who DO that stuff sometimes even get punished and criticized for it! (ex, Enola Holmes, A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Great And Terrible Beauty, and my favorite punching bag, The Essex Serpent. Shout out to the tv adaptation to have the Proper Lady Stella's one act of agency after being cheated on and getting terminally sick...is to KILL HERSELF) Like it was a bad thing for women of that time or even women today to enjoy traditionally feminine things or to want romance. (I could also get into historic accuracy, but that's a different can of worms. Watch Karolina Zebrowska's videos for more in-depth explanations like "How men taught us to hate corsets" and "busting historic myths on women").

(There is also the whole element of other factors like racism, ageism, transphobia, and homophobia, that we could get into, but let's not make this post long)

Just because it is written or directed by a woman doesn't make it default good and perfect. Women are people. So women can be flawed and make mistakes. And women can create stories that hold up patriarchal ideas and notions and that shows up in their writing. Women can romanticize shitty men. Women can tear down other women for doing something harmless.

Listen, if you enjoy these stories that don't make you a bad, problematic person. You can definitely read them, but keep an eye out and question things. Women can create problematic elements in their stories just as much as men do and we need to watch out for them and deconstruct and question these when we see them.

Ok, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[bravadoting]

More musing about P4, but it’s interesting to compare Kanji and Naoto’s treatment by the narrative.

While ageism and misogyny are brought up in Naoto’s dungeon, they aren’t really followed up on her social link. Instead the arc focuses on reconnecting with her primary reason to become a detective (and child self), as opposed to focusing on other’s acceptance and approval.

I’ve mentioned previously how game goes on to frame her issues as a personal hangup, rather than explore systemic discrimination, but I also find that her male counterpart, Kanji, has his problems treated more seriously.

Similar to Naoto, Kanji grew up lonely and was demeaned for his unconventional interests, later causing him to present in a more masculine way. However, Kanji’s arc goes into more depth about the bullying he’s faced and how it informed his attitude towards others, pushing them away in fear of rejection. He even finds people who are support his passions and inspire him to live authentically.

His story is not perfect by any means, such as the frequent gay jokes at his expense and the insinuation that women are more judgmental of effeminate men than men (despite the game itself showing otherwise). However, the game still treats toxic masculinity as a legitimate problem, whereas Naoto’s internalized misogyny is not further explored and is used as an opportunity to further feminize her in the romance route, despite her indicating she’s most comfortable presenting as androgynous.

[dichromaticdyke]

skwisgaar feminism word salad response anon on another tangent again !! (is 💉 taken for an anon sign off? didn’t see so in ur beloved anon tag but i’ll be usin’ that for ease of communication on both ends)

regarding the shows take on gender: i definitely agree in the sense that it has a lot to say about gender, as well as the take of “deliberate critique of misogyny” vs “the show kinda also sucked with women” co-existing statements!!! i think in this case it just makes the internalized misogynistic fandom space behavior so much… worse in that sense, though? yes, the show did suck with women and their focuses, but with the show’s critique of celebrity + metal culture thus lending dethklok to view women of objects… it just feels like when the fandom discounts women in the show just as easily, it’s falling into the same trap dethklok does and i would argue that gets into the whole other issue of glorifying dethklok despite the fact they’re portrayed (initially, anyway) in a sort of always sunny in philadelphia “don’t be like this” way. which then turns the fans into a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts but that is a WHOLE other tangent-

either way, it’s disheartening to watch at times.

as for depth of the show vs sometimes it’s not that deep, even for how the fans react:

1. i adore ur analyses please continue having these fits of divine madness

2. i agree sometimes it’s not that deep! sometimes fans just want to watch two guys kiss! and that’s okay!

and i definitely agree that people don’t leave their implicit biases at the door when entering fandom (and i am forever grateful you do not leave your gender studies degree at the door either; truthfully, i would not feel so open critiquing the fandom with any other creator, as your perspective is inherently unique due to a variety of factors)

but i guess my whole perspective is… yeah, it feels a lot like there’s a portion of the fandom that doesn’t work on their inherent internalized misogyny, even on tumblr, which goes back to your post regarding skwisgaar finding all women beautiful and how his willingness to sleep with fat and elderly women has become a joke to many. of course, it also gets into fatphobia, lookism, and ageism, which honestly the ageism confuses me considering most folks are also thirsting after literal middle aged cartoon men but i suppose in their minds it’s different because they’re men and “not geriatric” or something.

in the latter case: cowards, all of them, as there is an inherent beauty to aging (and skwisgaar would agree)

-💉

(also im sorry for word vomiting in your inbox AGAIN there’s so many thoughts and not enough words but like ily and everything you do for the fandom. ur brain is galaxy level always)

ehehe don't apologize dear! i'm honored and proud that i've created a space where people do feel comfortable to talk to me about feminism and lesbianism despite the overwhelming focus on men within this community (again, understandable given the context of the show, but it doesn't make it any less exhausting sometimes).

i don't really have much to say in addition to this, you hit so many points i agree with! i remember some mtl creators talking about how if you can't meaningfully recognize where the show is satirizing oppressive thoughts and behaviors and instead reinforce those behaviors through your own actions, then you're not mature enough to be engaging with the show, and that's pretty much my stance on it! again, as we've mentioned, there will always be people who don't unpack all their internalized biases, and it's very easy to let those slip through even in good faith, but that's basically the viewpoint i have.

dethklok can be genuinely awful people sometimes, and we're not meant to agree with them on everything, and we have to remember that. as much as they've become massive comfort characters to me, i would guillotine all five of them irl.

[hbcsource]

Helena Bonham Carter’s Harper’s Bazaar UK interview | February 2023

A WOMAN SCORNED Helena Bonham Carter tells Lydia Slater why her latest role, exploring the life of the 1970s soapstar Noele Gordon, feels like restorative justice Those of a certain vintage may remember the ponderous sequence of nine guitar notes that were the signal to cluster around the television for Crossroads. Set in a Midlands motel, the soap was much derided for its flimsy sets, implausible storylines and clunky dialogue; nevertheless, in the mid-Seventies, the series was attracting 15 million viewers, and battling Coronation Street for ratings supremacy. The unquestioned star of the show was Noele Gordon, known to the nation as Nolly, who played the matriarchal, auburn-haired motel owner Meg Richardson (later Mortimer). The role had been created with Gordon in mind, and she remained Crossroads’ most popular character from the show’s launch in 1964 until 1981, when she was suddenly sacked. Her defenestration, and the reasons behind it, are the premise on which Russell T Davies has based his new three-part series, Nolly. ‘One of my very first jobs in TV was a trial script for Crossroads, and I’ve wanted to write the story of behind the scenes on that show for 40 years,’ he said. ‘Russell has always been a real supporter of the underdog,’ says Helena Bonham Carter, who portrays Gordon, complete with coiffure and carefully modulated accent. ‘He thought Nolly was really badly treated, and I think he wanted to give her the send-off and the recognition she deserved.’ Bonham Carter was ‘very aware’ of the soap as a child. ‘It was part of the perma-wallpaper, and I knew all the characters.’ She was immediately drawn to the complexity of the woman in Davies’ screenplay. ‘Nolly was a highly complicated character and a mix of many things – and not an easy mix,’ she says. ‘But I love playing people who are complex.’ Gordon was a child stage star who came from a modest background. She trained at Rada and went on to work both behind and in front of the television camera, becoming Britain’s first female TV executive; she helped Ned Sherrin and Reg Watson launch ATV Midlands in 1956, and was the first woman to interview a British prime minister when Harold Macmillan appeared on her chat show. Steeped in the workings of daytime television, Gordon was unafraid to voice her opinions on how things should be done on Crossroads. ‘She was outspoken, she was herself, she was utterly authentic,’ says Bonham Carter. ‘I think, frankly, she terrified the people who ran the show. And she was punished for that. It’s not new, is it, that women aren’t allowed to have a strong voice?’ Certainly, the first episode presents the ‘Queen of the Midlands’ as a daunting figure, swanning to the studios in mink coat and Rolls-Royce, changing a new character’s accent from Brummie to RP (in the teeth of the producer’s protests), and then playing an on-screen practical joke on the same rookie performer, after she dared to cast doubt on Gordon’s assertions of the programme’s popularity. But the series also shows how Gordon was greatly loved and respected by (most of) the people she worked with – particularly the actor Tony Adams. He played the motel’s suave, moustachioed accountant, Adam Chance, and in reality not only rented a flat from Nolly but was her closest ally – for, having been jilted by her fiancé, she never married or had children. ‘The show gave her a real sense of identity, belonging and purpose,’ says Bonham Carter. ‘She said she had two lives, as Meg Mortimer and Noele Gordon. And whenever she went to a hotel or a restaurant, inevitably they would take her to inspect the kitchen… the line was very smudged.’ As a result, Gordon lost far more than just her job when Charles Denton, the incoming controller of programmes at ATV, informed her agent that ‘all good things must come to an end’, a decision that this series lays squarely at the door of misogyny and ageism. ‘I think Nolly is quite right when she says, “You wouldn’t have sacked me if I’d been a man”,’ says Bonham Carter. ‘Men are allowed to be difficult and dictatorial. It really feels like Greek tragedy – she’s cut off in her prime.’ Gordon refused to take the decision lying down and complained to the press, resulting in national headlines, and sackfuls of irate letters sent to ATV from her devoted fans, while the series shows how producers retaliated by declining to tell Gordon how she would be written out and going to the extent of staging her fake funeral. Bonham Carter herself has never joined a long-running franchise. ‘Even after just two seasons with The Crown, by the end, with the best will in the world, you’re beginning to get a bit automatic – and if you’re faintly bored, it’s time to move on.’ Fortunately, at 56, her own career is as busy and diverse as ever. ‘We might have less collagen, but we’re much more interesting when we’re over 50,’ she says, with a laugh. ‘Life makes you more interesting, you’ve got more depth, the map of the soul is so much bigger if you’ve survived.’ Sadly, Gordon did not. She died of cancer in 1985, just four years after her sacking, while Crossroads itself only limped on until 1988. This charming series, and Bonham Carter’s portrayal, are a worthy tribute to a national treasure, and an overdue acknowledgment of the unjust treatment meted out to her.

[wadderz]

Since your ship didn't get together (ted and rebecca) you now claiming that jason and hannah a couple? Wow that's really stupid. Jason and Hannah are friends, their children are friends. And sorry for saying that, but I don't think Hannah is Jason's type of woman

Ship ted and Rebecca all you want, but please leave Jason and Hannah alone. Do you really have nothing better to do in your life than to analyze every meeting of the two, every picture of the two? I'm sorry but how old are you? The two are grown people and don't need someone to sit at home and analyze whether they look like a couple in different pictures or not

Aww this poor child thinks they have a shot with Jason. How quaint! Careful dear, your ageism, misogyny, and naïveté are showing. May I suggest a Women’s Studies class when you eventually get to university? Perhaps, you could also start reading some books in the meantime. I know you’re probably buried in the high school classics like “Romeo and Juliet” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”. However, I highly recommend “Feminism is for Everybody” by bell hooks, and “Men Explain Things to Me” by Rebecca Solnit. They’ll start to help you unpack that blatant misogyny you have toward the idea of someone in their 40’s possibly dating someone else in their 40’s. Tough stuff, I know. I truly have faith you’ll get there though. Have a wonderful summer break from school.

P.S. Don’t forget, just because you can’t have Jason, doesn’t mean you won’t find someone special eventually.

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

19, and 12 (I'm guessing you'll talk about Pulaski and she deserves it! Will gladly hear about anyone else as well :D)

Thank you for the ask!! 🧡

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

I mean, pretty much all of my female Star Trek blorbos could count for this answer (Ezri, Tasha, Kes), but yes I will take this opportunity to talk about Katherine Pulaski!! I don’t want to compare her to Beverly just because they’re both TNG doctors, but I do feel like Pulaski walked into the show with a much more fully formed character. Diana Muldaur is a fantastic actress, and I loved how she managed to make Pulaski so very three-dimensional in such a short time. The scene where she drinks tea with Worf is such a stand out for me! It’s so lovely. And I really dislike a lot of the discourse surrounding her, because you only have to peel back one or two layers to see that it’s mostly based in ageism and misogyny. It’s just rude!

(And, unpopular opinion, but I don’t care that she was mean to Data that one time. In fact, I think she should’ve been meaner 😌)

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

Ok so there’s this one Doctor Who episode called Planet of the Spiders and it is Not Good. One of the main guest characters is a Tibetan Monk who’s played by a white guy in yellow face who speaks in a fake accent. One of the main plot points revolves around a character with a learning disability getting his disability cured because of magical spider crystal powers. And there are a lot of minor things that let the episode down (particularly the pacing, and one of the villains is pretty naff). AND YET it produced what is hands down my favourite friendship between two characters in all of Doctor Who, and I am so obsessed with their scenes together that I watch it fairly frequently?? Really it’s only their scenes I enjoy, but still. I must witness horrors to receive the bounty.

[my-mt-heart]

The current state of the spinoff right now has nothing to do with what Melissa wants or doesn't want and I do not appreciate her being used as a strategy for Norman, AMC, and the three stooges to evade responsibility. I don't know what happens next, but whatever it is, it is on them. For prioritizing their own needs over the core audience. For mishandling the characters/relationship the core audience is invested in. For constantly gaslighting everyone and refusing to deliver the payoff so many people have been waiting for. For not fixing the problem when they had the chance.

Yes, I am sad because this is supposed to be Melissa's time to shine. Yes, I really do want to support her because if anyone on this show has earned the support, it's her. If anyone is going to be worth watching in S2, it's her. If anyone's input is going to make a difference, it's hers. I do think she was excited to show the impact that Sophia's death had on Carol, but that doesn't mean she's getting everything she wants and it doesn't mean fans have to sit through relentless nunbaiting and a retconned bond between Daryl and Carol similar to S11 (I can only assume at this point that's what we're getting). I will not do that. Platonic Caryl is inorganic to me, and speaks more to TPTB's ageism/misogyny than it does about anyone's creative input. Daryl being torn between Carol and French characters he's only known for a few months is just fucking ridiculous. Period. It doesn't mean that I don't want to be here anymore or that I don't care about the characters or about Melissa. It just means I won't put money in AMC's pockets for awful decisions, like letting Zabel and Nicotero run amuck, like shoving "BESTEST OF BEST FRIENDS" down my throat, like forcing their nun fetish on me, like turning Daryl into every other generic male hero there is. If TPTB show they value Melissa/Carol as much as Norman/Daryl, if she and Norman get equal billing, if Carol's name is included in the title, if Daryl and Carol are allowed the romantic beats that their story in the flagship show set up, then I'm all in. In the meantime, for those who asked, my plan is this:

I am going to watch the premiere because I've heard enough reliable testimonies about the heavy Carol focus, the lack of nunbaiting, Carol's determination to find Daryl, and Daryl's desperation to get home for me to assume it's worth it. I will review the episode and show Melissa my support. I will go no further as soon as I hear any of that starts to change, which I expect will happen rather quickly, but I will keep speaking up where AMC can see it so they understand what's working and what's not. If Melissa's fans keep speaking up, reminding AMC how much they value her and how much they detest some of Zabel's other choices, then AMC can't try to blame her if numbers are low or assume we'll settle for whatever inappropriate writing choices Zabel throws at us if Melissa does bring the numbers up, and I do believe she's the only one who can.

I have nothing to say about S3 and beyond because the only way I'm on board is if AMC somehow manages not to ruin Caryl's story in S2 and hires a showrunner who can do these characters justice. Hint: it's not Zabel, it's not Gimple, and it's not anybody who's ever worked for them.

[jellorat]

Madonna's Face is her business and her business alone

Madonna doesn't look like she did when she was younger. She has had some face work done. This apparently was enough to set a large section of the internet on fire.

I don't watch the Grammy's so I started seeing Reddit subs posting about Madonna's face a lot right after she appeared on stage.

The comments were all pretty nasty, and some judged her as hideous for having work done. She's not. She just had work done and looks different than she did. It's really not that complicated.

She was roasted over and over for not aging gracefully when the truth is women in the industry are often roasted for aging.

There was a lot of concern trolling for how it's awful that she had to go to these lengths in this industry and must be emotionally damaged to do so.

It was pretty stupid, honestly. She got what she got done. She liked it. So fucking what?

I can't help but think there is definitely a side of sexism and misogyny to all this. Women are held to ridiculously unrealistic beauty standards when they are young, which only worsens with age.

I can't imagine feeling like the world is now coming for you just for showing your face in public. Then when she acknowledges the situation, folks attacked her response.

I just find people who gleefully piled on a woman for just showing up to her job to be suspect. I can't imagine why anyone would get any pleasure in attacking someone for how they looked. It feels like societal bullying.

I am not even a fan of hers. I find some of her behavior to be definitely problematic, but this is not a public response about anything like that. This is just a public pile on about how a woman's face looks.

A stupid number of above-board media outlets wrote articles about this.

I have to say in her response, she cites misogyny and ageism, and I think she's right.

[morningstar-ledger]

@wilwheaton - I admire you and respect you. I do. But you are being foolish. And idealistic.

You think Kamala Harris can win?

Racism and ageism and misogyny are not exclusive to the Republican party, I'm sorry to tell you.

Kamala is qualified. She has the ability. She has the skill. She has the will. But none of that matters.

She is young, a woman, and a woman of colour, at that. I don't say that as a slur. I say it because it matters much more than you possibly realise.

There will be Democrats who would rather not vote (or vote minor third-party) than vote for that. This is a fact, not a guess. Biases cross political barriers. (And social ones.)

If you don't believe that, I suggest that you talk to some of the most powerful, competent women in your industry and ask them how far qualifications, ability, skill, and will matched against men who simply would not choose them over a man.

All hopeful wishing aside, the United States is still too steeped in misogyny and racism to take such risks in the most critical Presidential Election in US History.

As for Joe Biden's ability - you may want to ask yourself: how did one "debate" shake your confidence so deeply when just a few days before you were one of the biggest cheerleaders for Biden in your postings? You "haven't seen anything" to hold your confidence in Bidin's abilities? His accomplishments in the last four years were crippled and rendered useless in your eyes because he had a bad showing in the "debate", and in post-debate media blurbs?

I suggest you base your choice in accomplishments, not MSM - almost all of which is owned and run by Republicans and Libertarians. I also suggest you read intensely about what propaganda campaigns are, and recognise how you're falling for one.

If Biden's health really is of concern, and so far, there's no proof of that beyond a reasonable doubt as yet - you'll get your wish any way. Kamala Harris would then become President the only way she reasonably can - through inheritance. A vote for Biden is a vote for Harris. That's how the office of VP works.

“Clooney wrote of the “profound moment” the country is currently in, noting how just last month he hosted the “single largest fundraiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election.” “I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote. “As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.” “But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time,” he continued. “None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “big F—ing deal” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.” Regarding the debate, in which the 81-year-old President stumbled continually, Clooney wrote that “our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw.” “We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” he wrote.”

—

George Clooney calls on Biden to drop out to “save democracy” — just weeks after hosting fundraiser

George Clooney has nothing to gain and everything to lose, by telling the truth right now. Politicians and their supporters hold grudges for eternity. He’s speaking up and saying this now, knowing exactly what the stakes are for him, and for our country.

This is what I’ve been wanting to know. This is what the campaign has been hiding from us: WE all saw that President Biden had a bad night. The question the demands an answer is: was it a bad night? Or has time and age caught up with the president? Are we going to believe our lying eyes, or clap louder?

We don’t vote for just a president; we vote for an administration. For the most part, this administration has been fantastic, more progressive than I ever dreamed, to say nothing of rebuilding a nation out of the wreckage of four years of Trump.

And all of that is going to be burned to ash if President Biden can’t mount an effective campaign to defeat fascism and its leader. Since the debate, the campaign has kept him behind teleprompters and away from unscripted interactions. That’s alarming, and a tacit admission that he can’t fight like he once did, that the person we saw at the debate is the person he is most of the time.

If we lose this election, America will be plunged into decades of authoritarian, theocratic, christian nationalist fascism. The stakes will never be higher, and President Biden and his team need to do what is best for the country.

We will not win this election by clapping louder and gaslighting ourselves. We need — this crisis demands — a candidate who can clearly and easily refute Trump’s lies, and simply and clearly explain to voters what the stakes of this election are. The 2020 Joe Biden could do that; the 2024 Joe Biden doesn’t seem to be capable of that, anymore, and that puts our entire nation and way of life at risk. George Clooney is telling us that he literally just saw, privately, what we all saw in public, and it was not a one-off. He also reveals that every single elected Democrat he talks to agrees with him, but they are too afraid to speak up. That’s horrifying, and I desperately hope it isn’t true.

But if George Clooney is telling us a hard truth, risking the wrath of countless powerful political players, and we should listen to him; not because he is rich and famous, but because he was literally in a room with President Biden and his supporters, and is now on the record that the President Biden we saw at the debate is not a guy with a cold or whatever, and now journalists can follow up with other people who were there to confirm or deny George Clooney’s observations.

These are tough questions that demand answers, now, because we are four months out and this shouldn’t be close, at all. America hates Trump, and he has lost every election since 2018 as a result.

President Biden and the Democrats need to run up huge margins in Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and Ohio, to overcome the inevitable MAGA fuckery. We need a candidate who is fifteen points ahead of Trump, not someone who has been in the margin of error for his entire presidency – which is fucking insane when you look at all of Trump’s felonies, judgments, impending trials, and all of his corrupt criminality that the SCOTUS MAGA Majority twisted itself into knots to protect.

This should be a landslide against Trump and MAGA. It’s close because the candidate running against him isn’t – likely can’t – be out there, every day, banging the podium and forcing a change in the narrative. 

Did you see my governor after the debate disaster? He was on fire. That guy would destroy Trump in a debate. Vice President Harris would be laser focused on prosecuting the case against him. President Biden is the only candidate who Trump could drag into a fucking dick waving contest about golf scores when the fucking future of American Democracy is at stake. There is not a single other credible candidate who would take that bait. My god.

President Biden has done so much more than I ever thought possible. He doesn’t get credit for all his progressive achievements, for pulling America out of a economic calamity (caused by Trump and his allies), forgiving student debt, his appointments to the FCC, FTC, and other regulatory agencies that had been captured by industry during the Trump regime.

All of that will be wiped out in a matter of days, if Trump seizes power again.

George Clooney is warning us that President Biden doesn’t have the stamina and focus to win reelection and secure not just his legacy but the future of our country. He is saying out loud and as publicly as possible that we are not crazy, that we really did see what we saw.

This is DEFCON 1 for Democracy. This isn’t politics as usual. This is a moment of tremendous existential danger that only gets worse with each passing day. IF President Biden remains the candidate, I will vote for him, obviously. But I hope that he will fire everyone involved in preparing him for the debate, because they failed him, they failed America, and if Biden is going to take the fight to Trump and MAGA the way he needs to, it he needs a team who understand who they are fighting against, how to punch Trump in the nose, and what the stakes are.

[runningmanfeels]

I hate Running Man discussions on other social media sites, I feel like it's just all negative talk, with NOTHING positive. Like damn if you really hate the show so much.... you can just stop watching...! I dont understand the need to complain about every other second of what happens or doesn't happen in episodes.

"so and so cast member isn't exciting" or "I don't like this dynamic or game" or "I thought this was annoying"

like okay.... turn it off then? if you truly can't find anything positive in the show then maybe it's time to stop watching...

and the casual misogyny or ageism is always so fucking transparent. You're not slick, we can tell you're just a bigot. The absolute hate some of the members/staff get for just existing is disgusting.

Get a new hobby. Stop making yourself miserable and find a new show if you hate RM so much. Leave us to enjoy our little chaos family in peace please.