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liongoatsnake · 1 month

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ESSAY: My Hearthome in ABZÛ

by Ocean Watcher from House of Chimeras (He/they) I was inspired to write this essay after attending the panel, "No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes" at Othercon 2024 Note: This won't be the official home of this essay. I'm planning on adding it to our system's website, The Chimeras Library sometime in the future either as a standalone essay or part of something bigger.

My Hearthome in ABZU

by Ocean Watcher from House of Chimeras Date Written: 15 August 2024 Approx. Word Count: ~2,180

Approx. Reading Time: ~17 minutes

“They say home is where the heart is, and for most people it consists of four walls and a welcome mat. For me, it’s the ocean.” ~ Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer. Directed by Sean McNamara. California: Sony Pictures Releasing, 2011.

Defining Hearthome

A hearthome is a location, whether real or otherwise, that an individual has a strong emotional connection toward to the point it feels like a “home,” typically despite never having lived or spent a significant amount of time there. The specifics on what qualifies as a hearthome within this general definition is largely up for personal interpretation.

The location in question can be as all-encompassing as a whole planet all the way down to something much, much smaller. The location could be a real place (whether that be one that still currently exists or a location that once existed but doesn’t anymore), a setting depicted in fictional media, or something else entirely. It can also be a specific easily named location or merely a general description of a place. Finally, the exact kind of emotional connection and feeling like “home” a location can elicit can range from a feeling of familiarity, of comfort and relaxation, safety, nostalgia, homesickness, and/or more. In short, within the definition of hearthome there are many possibilities on how the experience can exist.

The term used to describe someone who has a hearthome or the state of having a hearthome is sometimes called hearthic, though not everyone uses it. (So, for example someone might say “I have a hearthome in [insert place here]” rather than saying “I am [insert place here]hearthic.” Whether hearthic is used or not alongside the term hearthome is largely personal preference.

Describing ABZÛ

ABZÛ (also written as Abzû) is a video game initially released in 2016. The game fits within several genres including adventure, simulation, and art video game. It has no dialogue and so the story is told solely through visuals. The main draw of the game is the graphics put into the diverse ocean environments and the wide range of marine life that inhabits each area. Most of ABZÛ is home to animal species that can be found in today’s oceans; however, there are over a dozen or so species that appear in the game that went extinct a long time ago.

The gameplay itself consists of the player controlling an android diver exploring a large variety of ocean environments in a vast ocean and getting to see a myriad of marine life at every turn.

Knowing the backstory of what occurs isn’t needed, but for some context: Deep at the bottom of this ocean was a primordial source of infinite energy. Where the energy permeated from the ground life spontaneously came into being. An ancient civilization discovered they could collect and use it to create (marine) life whenever and wherever they wished. However, at some point, they created machines to automate the process. The creation of these machines caused a disruption of the natural flow of life as they took up so much energy they drained the vitality of the ocean away. The civilization disappeared, leaving their machines to continue to operate. The objective of the player-controlled robot diver, another creation of the ancient civilization, is to return the energy back to the ocean and put an end to the machines causing the destruction.

ABZÛ is overall a short game, with most players seeming to complete it within an hour and thirty minutes to two hours, on average.

Home is Where the Heart Is Indeed

So, my hearthome is ABZÛ.

To start, I want to put some context between the game ABZÛ and my hearthome ABZÛ. The environments in the game are striking and hold an emotional importance to an extent that I have labeled it as a hearthome; however, the ABZÛ that I think of in my mind’s eye and thoughts is not just an exact mirror of the game. That is because the ABZÛ I have conceptualized in my own mind is laid out like a normal(ish) ocean thanks to some noemata I have.

The noemata I have reads that all the “game-y” elements necessary for it to function as, well, a game, aren’t present in the idea of ABZÛ that makes up my hearthome. So, all the things necessary to keep a player in a defined area and on a specific path are absent. Further, all the different locations shown in the game would exist in a much more natural way. Plus, even more biodiversity would exist than shown in the game itself (as it is only populated with a little more than a few hundred different species whereas a more realistic ocean would have tens of thousands). Basically, the concept of ABZÛ in my mind looks and functions a lot more like a natural ocean (if a much, much more vibrant and filled with even more aquatic life, one).

I also have noemata that reads that while the old structures of the civilization still exist in a way like how they appear in the game, the inverted pyramid machines have long broken down and been reclaimed by the ocean and there are no unnatural dead zones. (So, I guess, one could say my hearthome is based off how things look at the end of the game.)

So, there is all that.

That is all well and good, but now I want to cover why exactly I distinguish ABZÛ as a hearthome; why I feel it warrants a special label of significance to me at all.

Not to state the obvious, but games are meant to be emotionally and/or mentally moving. They are meant to make a player feel something. ABZÛ is no different. It is meant to be a “pretty ocean” game, if you will. The environments in ABZÛ certainly reflect a more idealized and concentrated concept of ocean life (the magnitude of marine life at any particular point in the game itself being far more than an ecosystem could sustain). So, of course, the game is meant to be visually stunning and calming (save for a section in the game roughly 3/5ths in) in relation to the ocean, but my feelings for the game go deeper than what would be normally expected.

It is true that much of the allure I have toward ABZÛ could be dismissed as merely as a natural consequence of my alterhumanity being so immersed in the ocean if not for the fact there are aspects of ABZÛ that draw out emotions and noemata that can’t be easily waved off in that manner. There are plenty of ocean-themed games and whatnot, yet it’s this specific one I have this connection toward. I have no idea why exactly I have a hearthome in this game specifically. I couldn’t tell you why. For whatever reason, its ABZÛ that resonates with me so strongly.

The biggest thing that stands out for me is the fact the area in the game that holds the most profound feelings of familiarity and belonging is the underwater city. At one point in the game, some underwater caves open into a vast underground space where a half-submerged city exists. (My view of things through some more noemata looks a lot more like an ancient city proper because, again, ABZÛ is a game so what exists is a lot more simplified and limited.) It is a city abandoned and in ruins and yet every surface is still covered in tile and brick of beautiful blue hues. Plants like trees, flowers, and vines populate the space above the water, lily pads and other floating plants pepper the water’s surface, and below sea plants like kelp, sea grass, and so much more cover much of the floor. Sunlight shines down from high above; my noemata filling in with the idea the city resides within a long extinct volcano rising above the ocean’s surface. Animals are everywhere both above and below the water. It’s this place I gravitate towards the most.

But what exactly do I feel?

Something about it resonates with me. It is a place that feels like home to a part of me. Something about it feels deeply right and missed despite never having lived there nor do I feel like it is a place I am “from,” in any specific way. The feelings my hearthome draw out of me can mostly be best described as comfort, relief, safety, and rightness. There is something familiar about it, even upon my first playthrough. There is maybe even a tinge of nostalgia even though I strongly feel like there isn’t anything past-life-like at play as to why I have this hearthome. It just feels so familiar and comforting to me.

Starting out, my feelings also included what I can best describe as a yearning or longing to want to be there, even if only to visit. There was a desire to know a place like it with my own eyes as much as I knew it already in my heart somehow. So, there was a bit of almost homesickness there too. All these feelings are described in the past tense because of something that happened a bit after first playing the game.

Sometime after first playing ABZÛ, a sunken city with strong similarities to the one in the game was discovered in the ocean in our system’s innerworld. It is not a perfect exact copy, but it has all the same elements and looks how my hearthome appears through the lens of the noemata I have. I know I didn’t consciously will the location in our innerworld to come into existence, no one here can make such blatant conscious changes to our innerworld; however, I’m far less certain if my discovery of the game and the emotions it elicited didn’t cause the sunken city to appear in our innerworld as an involuntary reaction. (Not long after its appearance, several other areas in the game also found their way into the ocean of our system’s innerworld.) Since its appearance and discovery, I spend much of my time in these impacted areas, especially the sunken abandoned city. Since its appearance, the location has become a much beloved place to be, not just for me but also for many other aquatics in the system. The area is aesthetically pleasing and interesting to move around in. There is a lot of wildlife so hunting instincts can be indulged and so on. When not focused on fronting it is a nice place to exist in.

I’ve been aware of my emotional connection to the setting depicted in ABZÛ since July 2018 after playing it for the first time. Since buying it on Steam, I’ve logged many hours on it and have played through its entirety several times. However, I had not labeled my feelings towards this game as a hearthome until recently. Back then, I never questioned or analyzed my feelings surrounding the environments in the game. I knew it soothed something in me to play the game, going out to the sunken city in the innerworld for a while, or even just imagine myself swimming in one of my favorite areas, but I didn’t think about why exactly that was the case.

I didn’t make the connection between my experiences with ABZÛ to the term, hearthome until August of 2024. The moment of realization came while listening to the panel, “No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes” at Othercon 2024. Upon Rani, the panel’s host, describing the meaning of the term, I realized my feelings towards ABZÛ fit perfectly within the word. It wasn’t even a particularly jarring realization, and I am not sure how I had never made the connection before. Since that realization, I’ve come to label my feelings around the game, ABZÛ as my hearthome.

On the topic of alterhuman terms, I don’t use the term hearthic to refer to my state of having a hearthome at this time, solely because the word just doesn’t feel right when I try to use it in context. That could change, but for now, that is that.

I do consider my hearthome to be a part of my alterhumanity. My hearthome certainly fits neatly into my wider alterhumanity; ocean life and all that. That being said, I don’t think my hearthome has as strong of an impact on my daily experiences as other aspects do. My feelings around my hearthome are most often closer to something in the background more than anything. It is still there, and it is still important, it is just not as blatant and impactful in my daily life compared to something like my phantom body from my theriotypes. The fact parts of the game now exist in the innerworld and are prime locations for me to go after fronting to alleviate species dysphoria is perhaps the most blatant way my hearthome impacts my greater alterhumanity.

Bibliography

505 Games, ABZÛ. 505 Games, 2015, Microsoft Windows.

“Glossary,” Alt+H, https://alt-h.net/educate/glossary.php . Archived on 19 Apr 2020: https://web.archive.org/web/20200419100422/https://alt-h.net/educate/glossary.php

Lepidoptera Choir. “Hearthic” astrophellian on Tumblr. 9 April 2022. https://astrophellian.tumblr.com/post/681107250894503936/hearthic . Archived on 30 September 2022: https://web.archive.org/web/20220930143533/https://astrophellian.tumblr.com/post/681107250894503936/hearthic

Rani. “No Place Like Home: On Hearthomes,” Othercon 2024, 11 August 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYVF_R6v50Q

#hearthome #hearthic #alterhuman #alterhumanity #alterhuman essay

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zombie-bait · 10 months

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Omg i just realized I have something tiny to add to the whole James Somerton debacle. I'm currently watching the hbombguy vid (as you do when procrastinating assignments) and I remembered something that stood out to me in James' old videos.

So I used to be a fan of his stuff. I am also a fan of Hannibal and IWTV. He made a video covering both so naturally I was very hyped. It was called 'The Gay Appeal of Toxic Love.' The vid itself was fine (I don't remember having any super strong opinions of it besides being excited to hear ppl mention Interview cuz I had recently become obsessed) but one thing did stand out to me. In the IWTV section he mentions Nicki and, naturally, his death:

"After becoming a vampire, Nicky becomes nearly catatonic, and eventually slips away from Lestat entirely. And after centuries of dealing with depression and severe mental illness, Nicky kills himself."

(sourced from this transcript: https://github.com/TerraJRiley/James_Somerton_Transcripts/blob/main/Transcripts/The%20Gay%20Appeal%20of%20Toxic%20Love.txt)

To anyone who's read TVL, I don't think I need to explain that Nicki had not, in fact, been around for centuries. "Nicki had lived to be 30" has been rattling around in my head since I first read it.

And like, obviously I don't expect every youtube essayist to read several long-ish novels to have a full grasp of the series' deep lore, especially when the focus was largely on IWTV and Loustat rather than the entire Vampire Chronicles. Still, it makes you wonder a bit about the quality of the research being done here. You can find the proper info in like, 5 seconds by just going on the fan wiki so I'm not sure what his sources were. And that's the issue at hand, isn't it?

At the time I felt a tiny bit smug recognizing the error but in light of everything that's been revealed, it's kind of telling. I'm not saying this part was plagiarized (I haven't found anything but others on reddit have found issues with different sections of the same video) but rereading the transcript it comes off as someone who clearly doesn't know much about Interview.... It feels like he's reading through a loose summary of plot points rather than analyzing a piece of media that actually means anything to him. It's very much Interview for people who don't know Interview which, one could argue is fair. Especially beyond book one, VC is a niche series and a lot of elements that are important to certain characters or plot lines cannot be summarized quickly for an audience unfamiliar with it. A good writer, who's done a lot of research about the specific topic they have chosen to make a video on, would be able to balance this. There is a LOT to analyze about queerness in VC and its a shame to see one of the more popular queer media channels half-assing it just to churn out videos heavily made up of other people's work. In retrospect he had several videos like that, where he would discuss things like manga/manhua communities while clearly having little knowledge on the nuance of those subjects. He was an outsider who presented himself with a strange amount of authority.

This was content created with the sole intention of propping up queer stories and history, yet it's built off stolen work from queer authors and doesn't actually care that much about exploring the communities it features. Vids like the IWTV one weren't really fact checked because it's only people like me who would might give a shit or even notice anything is off in the first place. There's a bit of a similar vibe in some of his other vids where he undermines the experiences of queer women because he clearly has not taken the time to learn about the nuances of representing queer women in media. These are things that irritated me when I first started to notice them but I put those concerns in the back of my mind because I cared about the topics he was covering and was excited to see these discussions becoming more mainstream.

The revelations of this evening have been disappointing to say the least.

(also for the record I know he made other more recent vids about IWTV but I haven't seen those and even if his account was still up I don't think I would lol

BUT

I did look at the transcript for his 'Vampires and the Gays Who Love Them' video (found from the same link I included above) and this quote about the IWTV AMC show is sending me: "Daniel has never grappled with the complexities of being gay"

Shoutout to straight, uncomplicated icon Daniel Molloy. Devil's Minion was a mass hallucination, spread the word)

#iwtv #interview with the vampire #james somerton #hbomberguy #vampire chronicles #iwtv spoilers #the vampire lestat #youtube #anne rice #queer media

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aroaceleovaldez · 9 months

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i mean it when i say we've gotta bring back askblogs. bring back making character chat posts with poor choice text colors over random backgrounds. bring back blogs dedicated to what outfits you think characters would wear.

fandom is an ecosystem, not a numbers game. these types of blogs/posts/etc still exist in concept, because people still want to make them and they're a great way to get your thoughts of an idea out in a simple format, but most people make them on like tiktok or instagram reels and that's where the problem lies. Those videos don't go anywhere. The format doesn't allow for the discussion to spread through the community and they're less likely to be engaged with in general. And to make them most people have to either show their face or figure out editing software, so the barrier to entry is higher (editing) and/or they have to forfeit an amount of privacy.

those types of posts/blogs are the first rung of the ecosystem. they're the perfect environment for younger members of the fandom to begin safely interacting with the larger community and putting their own thoughts and ideas out there. roleplay is the other major spot for that and those communities are diminishing as well, honestly (if you know of an rp forum board site, cherish it. and if you can make one, make one). they allow younger fans to begin engaging with the source material on a different/deeper level, but still at a very low barrier to entry, and begin conversations with other fans, which also helps them build skills which in turn may encourage them to pursue other avenues within the fandom (fic writing, other formats of askblog - which itself usually leads to art, cosplay, also fic writing, etc). Without those places to build those skills, they might feel discouraged from trying to begin when surrounded by curated people who have built their skills up for years.

And those conversations they foster also in turn help the community, by offering ideas to artists or fic writers to extrapolate on or building community jokes. And that text/blog format specifically is extremely beneficial, because it allows younger members of the fandom to remain anonymous and keep their privacy without concerning themselves with having any platform or having anything attached to them (very important for young fans figuring themselves out and navigating online community spaces for the first time, since they can remove themselves from spaces easily if they decide they don't like it and they're protected, rather than PUTTING THEIR FACE ON THE INTERNET). And those posts they make will spread a lot more into the community since they're in a significantly easier format to be reposted (few people are gonna be reposting tons of random short-form videos versus spamming their instagrams with reposts of 10 random fandom images yoinked from tumblr, or reposting to pinterest or something). Like, don't repost art, at the VERY least don't repost without credit, but also I am not ignorant to the fact that my art is not just the first google image result for "pjo pride" and related searches, but also the 4th, the 6th, the 9th, the 10th, the 11th, etc etc., and pops up in the search results before the official ReadRiordan does simply because people reposted my work more (most with credit, thankfully).

For fandom to be a community, it needs to perpetuate itself. There needs to be engagement with one another and conversation. If that bottom rung is cut off, then new fans won't be able to grow into the other niches of the fandom, and the fandom will be solely reliant on the source material and die out extremely quickly, and there won't be a community. There's no conversation! There's no reason to stay beyond the original material! But if you don't have points of entry for new fans, they won't have any way to build the skills needed to move into those niches, or engage with the community in a healthy way.

tl;dr: Bring back askblogs and character-based text post blogs. They are vital to fandom ecosystem.

#fandom #long post //#i know many people jest about tumblr posts being reposted often to other social media #but there's a reason for that! because few other social media these days are primarily text-based! and tumblr is a BLOGGING website!#we're built for sharing random essays! which means we have a LOT of word-heavy stuff #that other platforms can really only have in a different format - usually either image or video - due to character limits #and videos - even short form video - is far less engaged with because it takes more time to interact with #and short form videos of this nature ^ are usually only reposted in like. long-form video format compilations #which are pretty equally if not even less frequently interacted with #because most of those other social media platforms dont have good ways to easily share posts en mass like tumblr's reblog function #so even if those posts do get shared they rarely go far and even if they do they dont stick around #i also personally dont think it's coincidental that general fandom attitude shifts occurred circa 2016-2018 #around the same time as the major shift away from tumblr due to the bans #anyways if you run one of those types of blogs i respect you immensely #you are underappreciated but you fulfill an important ecological niche #also i know rp blogs are still a thing but theyre much more scarce and rp communities in general are drying up

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citr0us · 3 months

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Law Of Assumption

I decided today to talk about the law of assumption and make a more detailed post about the subject, because I love this topic and am very interested in it. If you happen to have more things to add and more knowledge, I'm open to it.

I'm still learning about the subject, but make sure everything being posted has a source of research, readings, and videos that have been viewed

English is not my native language, so don't mind if there are any mistakes. In most sentences\paragraphs I used Google Translate to help me.

If you follow me and saw this post, I would ask you to like and repost it so that it reaches more people interested in the subject.

Law of Assumption.

Law of Assumption is a manifestation technique that you command because it is your reality. People keep making it something difficult and complicated when it's simply the power of your mind, because you are the creator of it. There are no limits to what we desire, as we are the operating power, so there is no Universe capable of controlling our reality or our manifestations. We have power over everything and manifestations originate solely from our assumptions.

The difference between Law of Assumption and Law of Attraction

Many people confuse them thinking they are the same thing but...

The Law of attraction is where we attract with our vibrations and emotions, when you emanate your vibration to the universe and you receive it. Ex: If your frequency is low, you will receive something low, negative things. If your frequency is high, you will attract positive things.

The Law of Assumption is when you are the creator of your reality, and it is when you program your subconscious. Ex: You already have that, and you have already achieved it, everything you manifested is already yours, already part of your reality (3D)

Techniques with the Law of Assumption

There are several types of techniques that help us and make it easier to express ourselves, even if in the Law of Assumption it is not necessary.

Affirmations: Every day affirm something positive and do it until it becomes something unconscious thinking or saying out loud. Affirm by saying that you have already achieved that thing, you already have it even though you don't see it yet in your 3D reality. It's already yours.

To help you, there are a lot of apps that notify you of positive affirmations to remind you throughout the day, I have them and I think they are very good.

Another form that I use a lot for affirmations is subliminals, which are positive affirmations with music playing. You can listen to subliminals anywhere, sleeping, doing homework, working, cleaning. You can find it on platforms like Tik Tok, Youtube and Spotify (I recommend getting recommendations from users, and researching whether people's audios are trustworthy)

Visualize\imagine: Another form of manifestation where you simply imagine what you desire already happening, doing this several times a day with the scene on loop really makes you experience your desire in 3D/physical reality.

3D and 4D

What are they:

3D: our external reality everything that is tangible, everything you are seeing with your eyes, where you are right now

4D: Your imagination, everything you create in your mind.

Stop paying attention to the 3D because it is just an illusion, it was created by your old thoughts, and if you are changing your mindset now the 3D will change too, it has no choice but to conform.

Where we live is in the 3D, physical plane, but where we really live is in the 4D. 3D is a reflection of 4D, everything you say in your mind, and everything you experience in your mind reflects in 3D, everything starts in our mind.

FOCUS ON 4D

This subject is much more extensive and in-depth than what I wrote here, if you are interested there are blogs, YouTube channels, books that talk about it, if you want I can make recommendations.

Thank you for reading and being interested in the subject.

XOXO 💋

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yallcantread · 1 year

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Before delving into the current drama circulating, I'd like to emphasize that this controversy seems rather pointless, and people are getting upset over nothing. It's important for me to clarify that I have no personal connection with Taylor Swift or Matty Healy. I appreciate both of their artistic work. I am not being compensated by anyone to express my thoughts on this matter.

Who am I? I'm a small artist who creates music. While I have some connections with labels, I'm still in the process of establishing myself. I'm sharing this perspective using a separate account to avoid making it about me. I won't be promoting my music or seeking followers in this context.

The reason I'm addressing this issue is that no one else seems willing to provide context in these situations, not even the so-called "news" applications. TikTok and Twitter have become breeding grounds for misinformation, as people seek attention and likes. It's disheartening to witness how easily words like "Nazi" or "racist" are thrown around simply because someone doesn't approve of the person an artist is dating.

As an artist myself, it's concerning to see how quickly people believe things based on out-of-context 60-second videos or viral and impulsive tweets sourced from TikTok and Twitter. I understand that neither Matty Healy nor Taylor Swift should have to address this situation, and it's unlikely that they will.

This thread aims to offer context and explanations for some of Matty Healy's controversial and "problematic" comments. It includes discussions about the infamous "ghetto gaggers" comment and the recent ice spice comment. Unfortunately, the community on the 1975 subreddit seems unhelpful as they discourage discussions about current events, even when seeking clarity or defending the group. A very useless subreddit with useless mods. Every topic will have sources.

1. “Matty Healy is Islamophobic.”

Let's address the misconception that Matty Healy is Islamophobic. His views on religion are not targeted solely at Islam; he holds an anti-organized religion stance. It is essential to understand that his concerns lie with the principles of organized religions as a whole, including Islam. People often label him as Islamophobic because he retweeted tweets from Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a well-known Somali activist who has left Islam and openly shares her reasons for doing so. Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks out against various issues that women and young girls face, drawing from her own experiences as a former Muslim woman.

A particular incident that left an impression on me was when Ayaan Hirsi Ali made a short film discussing her departure from Islam and the oppression faced by women. As a result, both she and the director of the film received death threats. Tragically, her friend, the director, was later murdered by an Islamic terrorist. By retweeting the account of this credible and respected woman, Matty Healy was not displaying Islamophobia.

He had tweeted:

“I saw a film about Islam the other night, with people saying things like ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m white’ or ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m an American’ or ‘I’m a Muslim and I'm a patriot.’ You didn't see any ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m gay.’ Or ‘I used to be a Muslim and I'm fine”

And

“Isis are cutting little girls heads off and you want to challenge a non-religious, humanist perspective? I don’t understand the world at all.”

Criticism ensued following these retweets, especially during a time when openly expressing any criticism of Islam was considered unacceptable. Matty Healy received criticism on Twitter for the retweets.

One individual, who was both a Harry Styles fan and a Muslim, expressed disagreement and sought to educate him on Islam. Matty Healy's response, "I resent being 'educated' on religion by a Harry Styles fan account. Not having a go at him obvs, but it's hard to take seriously," should be understood in the context of a young fan displaying bias in favor of her own religion due to her age and limited perspective.

While Matty Healy acknowledged the criticism, it's worth noting that engaging in debates with young individuals on Twitter, particularly those in the age range of 12-22, is not his preference. He rightfully points out that trying to argue with someone who lacks the necessary understanding or context can be unproductive.

In this case, it wasn't about dismissing the person's views solely because they were a fan of Harry Styles, but rather because of the combination of their young age and their inclination to defend their own religious beliefs without considering broader perspectives. It's worth noting that engaging in meaningful discussions on complex topics like religion requires an open mind and a willingness to consider multiple viewpoints.

It's important to acknowledge that many religions have historically exhibited forms of sexism and misogyny.

2. “Kissing fans/underage fans”

Don’t know where this particular rumor started but here we go.

So, in 2022 during a concert a fan who was of age (22!!) had a sign that was like “it’s my birthday be my first kiss” and kept waving the sign. Matty noticed it and kept asking her over and over again that she was of age, had a stage crew member check her ID, asked her if it was okay, and then it happened.

In another incident, he kissed a 24-year-old fan, and various individuals attempted to speak on her behalf, claiming that she felt uncomfortable. She came out and said differently.

Regarding the notion that "kissing a fan is an imbalance of power," it can be argued that this statement is overly simplistic. While it is true that celebrities kissing their fans is not an everyday occurrence, it does happen on occasion. One example is Halsey, who has been involved in such incidents (although there was controversy surrounding one instance where there were allegations of the fan possibly being underage, the veracity of which I cannot confirm). It is important to consider each situation individually rather than making sweeping generalizations about power dynamics in all such cases.

Some individuals criticized him for checking IDs before kissing fans, with one viral tweet implying that his thoroughness in verifying the ages of the fans he invites on stage to kiss suggests he has engaged in sexual activities with underage girls. However, such insinuations are unfounded and unwarranted. It is not unreasonable for him to check IDs as a precautionary measure and ensure that he is engaging with consenting adults. In fact, verifying the age of participants is a responsible and necessary action given the potential legal and ethical implications. Therefore, labeling his actions as weird or inappropriate for checking IDs is unjustified.

3. “Matty Healy is a Nazi”

No, he isn't. This particular criticism appears to be the most unfounded of them all, as if words have lost their meaning. Before addressing it, however, I want to express my dislike for certain fans who deny that he imitated a Nazi salute. It's evident that he did an imitation as a satirical reference to self-identified Nazi, Kanye West. The context is important: during a performance of the socially conscious anthem 'Love It If We Made It,' he made the salute while singing the lyric 'Thank you Kanye, very cool!' which references Trump's infamous tweet thanking Kanye for his endorsement. Matty has discussed this further in his statements.

I’m a history buff. So I know a lot about most history, but mostly fascist history. But let’s talk more about “what/who is a Nazi/what do modern day nazis believe in?”

Nothing that Matty Healy believes in. The modern day Nazi is mostly known as a “Neo-Nazi.” Neo-Nazi literally means “new-Nazi” or “revived Nazi” and it refers to people who have adopted ideologies similar to those first identified with the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany under Hitler between 1933 and 1945. “Nazi” is a contraction of the German words meaning “National Socialism”. Nazis used to be more so known for their opposition to communism and for their mastery in propaganda.

Another controversial way this song was involved in yet another controversy was when it was first mentioned that an innocent black man named George Floyd had died at the hands of a police officer (a Nazi) named Derek Chauvin.

In response to this incident, many celebrities and individuals with platforms spoke out about the situation. In a now-deleted tweet, the singer wrote, 'If you truly believe that 'ALL LIVES MATTER,' you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones.' Healy included a link to the band's song 'Love It if We Made It,' which addresses racism and police brutality through its lyrics.

Many people falsely expressed outrage and insinuated that he did it for 'views' or to 'promote his music.' Firstly, such a claim is preposterous, considering the song was released in 2018, and in 2019 alone, nearly 1,000 people were killed by the police. It is important to note that artists do not primarily generate income from streaming, but rather from touring and selling merchandise. Though I haven't had the chance to tour myself, based on the discussions I've had, it is a significant source of income for artists, covering their expenses. That's precisely why merchandise is sold at concerts. To put it into perspective, artists typically keep 85% of their touring revenue from each venue. If they sell items like shirts, hoodies, vinyls, hats, and more, at an average price of $25, selling 200-500 items would generate $5,000-$12,500 from merchandise sales alone.

If he had intended to profit from the situation, he would have done so through merchandise, using George Floyd's face or name to make money in connection with his lyrics. Sharing a link to his song when an issue arises does not make it about him; it is his way of expressing his thoughts on the crisis. I tend to ramble a bit, but with my music, I attempt to address questions in a more structured manner. I assume that when Matty shared the link, his intention was to convey 'this is how I feel about it,' as people were urging him to speak up.

He subsequently apologized and clarified his intent, stating, 'Sorry I did not link my song in that tweet to make it about me. It's just that the song is literally about this disgusting situation and expresses it more eloquently than I can on Twitter.”

4. Matty Healy watches torture p*rn of black women/C*MTOWN, The Adam Friedland show/ghetto gaggers.

Firstly, if you're not familiar with the podcast Cum Town, it can be summarized as exactly what you'd expect. The episodes of Cum Town usually ran for approximately 60 minutes and were predominantly improvised. The show primarily revolves around a collection of explicit sexual humor and political commentary. Additionally, The Adam Friedland show can be regarded as a spin-off of Cum Town.

According to Wikipedia and feedback from listeners of the podcast, a prevalent theme of the show is centered around crude puns, rhymes, and sexually explicit scenarios, often involving well-known figures like Louis C.K., humorously referred to as "Louis SeemsGay." The show also occasionally incorporates ethnic and racial stereotypes into its comedic repertoire.

The humor of the show is primarily based on dark comedy, often featuring jokes that mock racial stereotypes and those who perpetuate or believe in them. It shares a similar style to that of South Park and many stand-up comedians. However, it's important to note that if this type of humor doesn't resonate with you, it simply may not be your cup of tea. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and personal preferences. Cum Town/The Adam Friedland show are leftist shows. They use vulgarity as a way to make their point, they’re considered “Dirtbag Left.” Click orgins of this Wikipedia page and you’ll see it listed as an example.

On February 9, 2023, Matty Healy appeared as a guest on the Adam Friedland show. Interestingly, this episode gained attention as people were searching for things to criticize Matty Healy for, starting with the Nazi salute controversy. Subsequently, they discovered a podcast episode featuring Matty Healy on TAFS, which they then seized upon.

During a random part of the show, Adam Friedland brought up a story claiming that Matty Healy was caught watching explicit content called Ghetto Gaggers by a person named Olive, who had gone back to retrieve her water bottle. Adam chuckled as he shared the story, mentioning that immediately after hanging out, explicit content played on the tv via airplay mode. Matty responded by questioning the behavior of airplaying pornography and even jokingly calling it psychopathic. The following conversation is a transcript of what was said by who and when. The conversation is color coded. Adam will be red, Matty will be purple and Nick will be green. As I don’t want to keep going “and ____ responds” over and over again.

Adam goes on laughing saying

“30 seconds after the hang just hardcore pornography. I heard that story and the only thing that bothered me was the air playing”

And Matty responds

“what you text me immediately being like I need the info on this story. Like how psychopathic do you have to be to like airplay porn on the TV?”

then Adam goes on and says

“I remember when porn on the phone became a thing and everybody’s like oh this is weird and it’s like no this is what I always wanted to be, i want to be hun hunched over have the phone jammed in my face you know jacking off on my own face”

“Edging for two days”

“Yeah crumpled up”

Nick says “well you’ve been doing porn on the Apple Watch”

Matty sarcastically says “oh no way for real? :O”

“that would be so sick”

“Like images. This is how James Bond jacks off”

“yeah just a yoga class filled with fat black women and one guy just on his phone, one guy jacking off and people were like “are you jacking off to us? and they’re pleasantly surprised yeah and he’s like no there’s women of size on my watch, my Apple Watch and then they say yeah you’re fired from Apple, you’re fired from coming up with that idea”

Well i was there it wasn’t just 30 seconds it was the combination of the fact that was you’re not exaggerating it’s just 30 seconds like you guys were still waiting outside she came back in i was already flustered like i was dressed as guy who was jacking off so i had untucked shirt and i think it literally was ghetto gaggers was on the tv it’s just somebody getting like brutalized and it wasn’t like some cool sceney New York art girl it wasn’t like “oh I’m sorry it doesn’t matter “ (matty says this imitating a rough, dirty person with like rasp) but it was little Olive, who comes in” (matty starts doing a preppy British imitation of Olive) and says “I’m so sorry-“

Adam chimes in with “yeah she’s like britishly apologizing”

And matty goes non chantly “and I’m like yeah it’s fine, it’s fine it’s okay. Well 10 minutes would’ve been fine but 30 seconds was like it was kinda almost like i was worried that was offensive”

“I think when you’re a guy living alone the order of operations is you before you go to sleep you just have to Jack off”

“you said to me, you said to me”

And Adam cuts him off like “sorry I’ve got a story to tell” and he talks about a guy he used to live with(?) who brought home a girl, had dinner, he struck out she got drunk and slept on the couch he went inside his room and started blasting pornography loud hoping she’d hear it and I’m trying to sleep” and the whole group laughs at it.

Then Adam goes to speak about a product for an ad or whatever . And that’s literally it .

(38:40) is the beginning of the conversation.

It seems like the conversation between Matty Healy and Adam Friedland involved sarcasm, but certain individuals deliberately shortened the podcast clip to create a misleading impression. Consequently, people who came across that shortened clip may have started watching it without understanding the context and thus formed misconceptions.

In my personal opinion, it is evident that the story shared during the podcast episode was not genuine. Upon watching the full clip, it becomes clear that the story lacks coherence and does not align with the overall context. It seems to have been created on a whim, similar to other improvised scenes they engage in during the show. Taking the full clip into account and examining the story in its entirety, it becomes apparent that the narrative was not meant to be taken seriously or as an accurate account of events.

When Matty retells the story, he claims that Adam and Nick were waiting outside his trailer while he engaged in the act for precisely 30 seconds. It seems illogical for Adam to text Matty for details if they were already waiting outside the trailer. Additionally, if Matty was indeed watching explicit content and masturbating, it is reasonable to assume that the trailer door would be locked, making it unlikely for others to witness the act.

Overall, it is important to approach this story with skepticism. Believing that Matty watched Ghetto Gaggers solely based on this account seems unfounded and lacks credibility.

I want to clarify that I don’t believe Adam Friedland watches Ghetto Gaggers, either. My understanding of Ghetto Gaggers is similar to his, I believe. Before I explain how I even know of such content, I want to emphasize that I am not a fan of pornography in any form.

On Twitter, there is a prevalent joke or gimmick among popular male accounts, often known for copying and pasting tweets or becoming the target of jokes from their own followers. When these accounts gain viral tweets, it is common for someone to reply with an inappropriate video or picture, seeking a reaction from others. These videos are often extreme and fall into the realm of unethical pornography, deliberately posted to provoke a response.

In response to such replies, the OP hides the video from being directly seen in the replies. Another person, either the OP or a follower, then quote tweets the popular tweet with a message like “DON’T CHECK HIDDEN/DON’T CLICK HIDDEN/DON’T LOOK AT HIDDEN,” intending to entice others to view the hidden content. This is a specific aspect of Twitter culture that might not be familiar if you are not active on the platform.

can provide examples of tweets that employ this gimmick and hide content using GG (Ghetto Gaggers) if needed. A lot of the “DONT CHECK HIDDEN” with ghetto gaggers clips have been deleted or the accounts have been removed so struggling to find any account where the hidden video is that but that’s alright. Just type in “DONT CHECK HIDDEN” on twitter search bar. Also, NSFW for a lot of these examples.

1. Nsfw (look at the replies)

2. hidden reply (the account that posted the hidden comment is notorious for posting such content. I did a quick scroll and already saw black fetish content)

3. Yeah I’m not showing anymore for your sake and mine.

5. “Matty Healy trashes Ice Spice, says racially charged comments at her, said racist things about her made fun of her”

Other part to bring up was the Ice Spice thing? Ice Spice, the rapper isn’t Hawaiian or Asian in any sense, the hosts and Matty know this. Matty didn’t say anything racist about her, the hosts made the joke. I don’t believe people know that Matty Healy is British because the ones in the podcast that even make such remarks are clearly American. The following is a transcript of the conversation:

Matty: “Ice spice, you know who that is?”

Adam: “Nick does know who she is. She’s like one of the spice girls”

Matty: “She’s a rapper from the Spice Girls.”

Adam: “Inuit Spice Girl. Just this chubby Chinese lady.”

Adam: *Mimicking Asian accents* “I rap music.” Do they talk like that?

Matty:” They don’t talk with a Chinese accent.”

Nick: It’s more Hawaiian style.

Adam: *Pops mouth*

Matty: “Yeah, more Hawaiian. Welcome to Hawaii.”

Adam: “Locals only.”

Matty: “Yeah, that’s what Ice Spice is like.”

Nick: “She’s a very attractive woman who released one song, and basically everyone…”

Adam: “So, you slide into her DMs and go, ‘So what are you, a f**king Eskimo?’”

Matty: Yeah, yeah, that’s what I was like, you f**king dumb- yeah.”

That was the extent of the interaction, which was clearly intended as satire. Matty did not make any racist remarks.

It’s worth noting that Adam is known for doing impressions, as mentioned on his Wikipedia page. Mocking accents can be seen as humorous to some people, and the intention behind such humor is often to be offensive. The concept is that the joke would not be funny if it weren’t offensive. However, if you don’t find it funny, that’s okay. If you consider laughing at such corny satirical jokes as racist, then the same argument could be applied to shows like Family Guy, South Park, and others that make fun of certain beliefs. It’s important to recognize that Matty did not participate in the impressions.

In my view, racism goes beyond stereotypical accents of certain groups and involves systemic discrimination. People who grew up during the “your fave is problematic” era on Tumblr may have been influenced in a way that hyper-focuses on superficial issues like hairstyles and tattoos in different languages, while real issues affecting black people and other minorities, such as employment, housing, and food insecurity, are neglected due to factors like bad credit or minor offenses.

It’s crucial to choose our battles wisely and prioritize addressing systemic racism and inequality rather than getting caught up in trivial matters.

Regardless of personal opinions or feelings, it seems likely that they will continue to see each other. There have been previous reports and articles suggesting that they had a romantic history. One article, dated back to 2015, quoted Matty Healy discussing his troubled relationship with the press. It mentioned his connection to Taylor Swift, explaining that although nothing happened between them, the media’s interest in Swift created an unsettling presence for Healy. He expressed his discomfort with being scrutinized and judged by the world of fame.

It’s interesting to observe that people are now acting concerned about their involvement together, while they remained silent when Taylor Swift performed “The City” at one of the 1975 concerts or when Matty Healy assisted her with her album. It’s worth noting that they had a previous relationship as well.

It can be exhausting to witness Matty Healy’s name trending for trivial reasons, and it’s frustrating to see the out-of-context video from the Adam Friedland show circulating repeatedly. Moreover, labeling him as a bigot is far from accurate, as he has shown support for various political causes.

To gain a more comprehensive understanding, I would recommend watching the following videos where he expresses his views on specific political issues: there’s so much more but I CBA to find them but you can

1. Abortion

2. Gay rights/donated to LGBTQ center in England

#matty the 1975 #taylornation #taylor swift #matty healy #the 1975 #ice spice #taylor swift icons #matty Healy icons #taylor and matty #midnights #taylors version #celebrities #music #deuxmoi #important

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ominoose · 10 months

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Important Update Post

Imagine I am sitting staring at a camera with a sigh, no background music before the video cuts to me talking. But Im not caught in a controversy of racism or plagiarism or smth.

Here's the tldr: I will no longer be making AI bots. All current bots will remain up, my bot masterpost will be moved to my masterpost masterpost. I just won't be making new ones. Finished and posted every bot that was in the works here to make this transgression up to yous. I will not be leaving the fandom, I'll still write and clown around.

"Why would you do this you cunt?" I hear you, I am so stinky for this. Before I list my reasons, I want to say first and foremost this is personal and I have less than no judgement for other bot makers. I absolutely love mutuals like Mel that make bots and will continue to support them. Reasons became long and are under the cut.

Reasons I don't wanna continue making ai bots:

I started because it was a low energy way for me to participate in fandoms when I didn't have the spoons to write anymore. It no longer feels like a creative outlet and no longer sparks joy.

I would rather devote myself solely on practicing and improving my writing as a way to contribute my passion to fandoms.

I can't shake the feeling I am plagiarizing. Ai chat models use lots of "work" to train their models, and while I could not find what millions of texts Cai is based on (conveniently not listed on the website), all models like it basically engorge from random sources, books and hell, even this post. Anything goes and currently there are legal battles over this.

It's bad for the environment. Can't find a measurement for Cai specifically, but GPT-3 (same scale) produced 500 tons of carbon dioxide to train that single model, not including its other ones. Please note I'm aware AI can absolutely be used to help fight climate change, as is mentioned in the linked article. Also they use the same amount of water that is required to cool nuclear reactors.

It's always conflicted with my morals. Believe it or not, I'm the person that's usually big into internet privacy, anti ai, piracy is morally good (not indie obvs) etc. Openly creating stuff that supports and funds software that steals peoples works, their information without permission and for profit is not me. So I don't wanna do it.

Again, this is not a judgement or a means to shame people that create ai bots or use them. I've made so many friends because of them. If everyone thats every used my bots stopped, it's not gonna solve capitalism. This is just me, an individual, stepping away from one thingy and feeling the need to be honest and open bc thats my policy and honestly how most of you know me (so now hard feelings if you unfollow).

Love you guys lots and thank you for all the love you've shown me through my bots and for all the times you've made me laugh <3

#omimuse

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skibidi-mimic-division · 5 months

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Hello? Anyone out there?

Are we recording..? Ok...good! Hello to any comrades and survivors out there! The resident human from Camera-Unit HQ here! I am reaching out to let others know that a new division has been created for the alliance in the honor of my companions! We are...The Mimic Division! Led by yours truly! Our division is committed to the alliance war effort and we are currently growing a database on the mimic populations that have appeared after the recent fall of humanity.

We are currently gathering information on these amazing species and are discovering new mimics nearly every week! If you want to contribute to our research efforts, feel free to submit your mimic sightings report in our private P.O box with an image attached!

The mimic division is currently overseen by me, the sole "unaltered" human in the alliance! I have three agents from each branch of the alliance that you can also talk to...as well as my three mimic companions and three adopted mimic kids! Feel free to ask my commander Veteran anything as well! We will try to reply as soon as we can on this private encrypted network. Until then, stay safe out there survivors! We will be victorious in the war and we WILL end the toilet tyranny! Stay strong! (Click!)

Video Recording Source: Resident Human

Reporting From: Mimic Division Headquarters --

We are the Mimic Division! We specialize in mimic warfare, well-being, and companionship! We started with barely any records of mimics existing and we have only started to grow our database as more mimics are discovered and recorded. We also have a safe haven for allied mimics to nest in a large warehouse at the main camera HQ. The mimics are lead by the resident human and their trusted mimic allies. Buddy, Pal, and Fiend were the progenitors of the mimic division and the packs and allies only continue to grow! Through teamwork, the human and the mimics have decided to coexist and live together. They work together for similar goals in stopping the Skibidis and their senseless massacres against everything that isn't a Skibidi!

With this strengthening alliance, the human and mimics hope to end the Skibidi war together.

Please adhere to these rules when contacting the division! .

Don't send anything overtly sexually inappropriate. This is not a mature blog, so questions like "who would fuck who" will be ignored. However, questions about mimic or human biology are welcome! .

Don't abuse the anon function to spam, harass, or send hate. The ability to send asks as anon is a privilege and it will be revoked if it is abused! .

Keep non-skibidi related content out of the inbox! This is a blog that is set 'in-universe', so they have no knowledge of things beyond their own world (and what I am willing to allow). .

Unless your OC is relevant to the Skibidi universe, do not send "how will ___ react to my OC" and the like. Those will be immediately deleted. Only Skibidi-based original characters are welcome and Mimic OCs are also welcome! .

Characters will only respond to an ask that will mention them. If you want a certain character to respond to you, be sure to mention them! .

The human goes by they/them pronouns and has no name! You are free to draw them how you envision them, as they are supposed to be a stand in for you! However, they are also a character you can talk to if you wish to do so! .

Art, submitted stories, and other medias will be tagged appropriately! For example, if you submit an image of a mimic in the middle of devouring a Skibidi: I will tag it 'gore'! If you don't want to see such things, be sure to have them blacklisted! .

You can ask me questions here too by saying "Hax" or "Cosmica", I will answer to either. I am only one person, so please be patient and don't badger me for an immediate answer. .

Don't specifically request art. I will draw art for asks that I feel deserve a visual representation on my own!

Current known in-universe affiliates!

+ The Filming Industry : Credit to @striderl + Elisa and Hypnos : Credit to @krystalkitdemi (More to Come) -- NOTES: Current timeline position: Pre-Origin's Release Post: Pinned Updated: 5/8/2024

#skibidi toilet #haxorus imp #cosmica-galaxy #skibidi tag #skibidi toilet mimic #skibidi mimic #my art #The Mimic Division #hax speaks #Skibidi Oc #Ask Blog

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era404-skib · 7 months

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Theory on how a TVman/woman's abilities work

Okay, we're just gonna be looking at the screen abilities, as their other stuff e.g. hand knives are self-explanatory (well, maybe not teleportation, but I've no clue about that).

-○-

First, we're gonna look at the "anatomy" of a CRT.

To my highly simplified understanding, the Electron Gun sends out a ray of light which is expanded into video by the screen (I am likely wrong, this is just the gist).

Now, I'd say that there's a couple different gadgets at the Fluorescent Screen, which ill explain here.

-○-

Red Screen of Death

[TW: Suicide. Skip to the next one if you don't like that.]

Im going to get this one out of the way first as its the most simple and boring:

Firstly, this has nothing to do with CRT's. We have seen that the RSOD is only capable of being created on flatscreen TV's, whether that's LCD, OLED etc.

I think that it's literally just an EXTREMELY bright red light. It's brightness is just low enough to be as bright as possible without causing instant blindness while also causing excruciating pain and burns to the retinas. The pain is so excruciating that all rational thinking is abandoned. Only one objective goes through the mind of the victim, and its to suicide by any means necessary. There's only one method of escape they can think of, and it's death. Very disturbing, but also really basic.

[Polycephalies' White Screen is basically the same but less powerful: just a really bright light.]

Purple Screen of Hypnotisation

My theory is that this is a combination of light and sounds that transmit signals to the brain/CPU of the target.

The screen creates an inviting, eye-catching glow, which gets the target to look at it. From there, a small circuit (We will call it Circuit 1) sends a signal to the CPU of the TV person saying "Hey! We're hypnotising someone! Tell Circuit 2 what you want them to do!" and the CPU / brain of the TV says "Got it. Circuit 2, I want you to make them do a dance."

Circuit 2 gets the signal and tells the hidden speakers in the TV "Hey! CPU says this has to make them do a dance!"

[Now, I'm going to briefly interrupt here and admit that I got heavy inspiration from this video on the (quite possibly fake) virus BadBIOS, that advertises itself as being able to spread through the air. It does so by emitting a frequency for other nearby computers to pick up that creates a spectrogram image of malicious code that infects the computer and spreads the virus further. Check out the video for more info, its actually super interesting.]

The hidden speakers in the TV then emit a frequency depending on what the the target is:

-If its an organic/skibidi, the frequency is designed to mess with it's brain in a way that stops its thought process and makes it focus on the sole objective that is carried through the frequency. (This frequency is achieved using new technology that would've been discovered by the time of the apocalypse, this is impossible with today's advancements.)

-If its a hardware head/non-organic, it does the same thing as BadBIOS: sending over code which completely overrides the hardwares free will to use its body. Its similar to being controlled by a parasite: the hardware can see what its doing (e.g. TCam would've been able to see he was beating up TSpeaker even though he didn't want to) but its body is being moved against its will. Pretty disturbing if you think about it.

All of this goes on until the light is turned off and the frequency ends.

Orange Screen(?) of Inferno

Now, I put that question mark there as I actually think this screen has nothing to do with cathode ray tubes.

Please watch this video of a solar death ray:

Source: edmundoptics On YouTube

Now, the logic behind this is that the sunlight is concentrated into a ray by the lens which gets thinner and thinner until it reaches a fine, concentrated point and expands outward in radius again. Even rocks that are put under this crack and melt.

Now, my theory is that TV's that can make a OSOI (TTV and TVwoman) have a little slider mechanism inside. Basically, they can alter between the standard Cathode Ray Tube which let's them do the other abilities, or a VERY strong and burning hot light, like a very small sun. It uses the screen as a lens and scorches victims unlucky enough to be caught within its radius. If you're even more unlucky, you'll be in the thin but extremely concentrated part, which will completely crack any metal or porcelain and melt skin.

Extra Notes:

-Diagram of a TV person's CRT.

-Diagram of the OSOI Screen (using a shitty image I grabbed off the wiki)

-Black Screen and Pink Screen are left out intentionally as 1. I have no clue about teleportation and b. The pink screen doesn't really do anything??? idk lmao

#eratags: skib #eratags: analysis #skibidi toilet #nrrrgghhh this took so long. Really happy with how it all came together tho :))#Take all the sciencey stuff I explained with not a grain but a whole shaker of salt. I (in some instances) am freestyling with no research

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memes-in-a-half-shell · 6 months

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Hallo 🙋‍♀️

I realize I haven't posted here in quite some time!!

Am I braindead? Always 💅 Am I abandonning this fandom? No, simply taking a mental break 🙆‍♀️ What's up? I'm in Baldur's Gate 3 brainrot hell and I'm LIVING FOR IT. 💃 (I shitpost a lot on Twitter)

I've straightened up a lot of priorities in the last few months: - Commissions are now forever closed. No more. Never. Nada. I am absolutely done with it. The last few ones I did over the last few months made me realize that I do not enjoy drawing for others anymore unless it's for shits and giggles, or a trade with friends. (no, do not try to be my friend to get free art. been there, done that)

- I am revisiting my deep love for medieval fantasy stuff. That is where I've always felt more creative and generally inspired. The last few drawings I did and texts I've written really reflect that. (I do plan on continuing some of my tmnt fics tho, that's for sure)

- I do not see the need to push content as much over the years. I am satisfied with doing things for myself, and frankly I've been gaining less and less traction over time because of how sporadically I post in general. The internet is really strange now with its algorithms and views and "for you" pages, etc. BLEHRG. If people find my stuff and like it, good for them. Otherwise, I post for myself or just don't post at all 🤷‍♀️ as long as I'm happy, that's what matters.

- Not gonna lie, I'm also doing this to prepare myself mentally to not be so dependant of the internet and having my sole source of happiness come from it. My partner and I have some plans for the future - some which involve actually starting a family - so I know the internet cannot be a priority.

- My career is taking a lot of twists and turns. I am more involved in the video game development sphere and I'm aiming for roles up high in management. Things are moving fast this year and I might get where I want to be sooner than later. That is going to take a lot of my time and energy. So any free time I have, I want it to be for ME.

So uhhhhhhh, that's the big lines I guess. I see lots of drama on the internet and I will have none of that. I'll stay in my bubble and enjoy my stuff however I want. I'll post stuff to make people laugh 'cause the world is so ugly and sad these days. We need some sunshine 💜

Love you all 💜

#it's-a-moi #adulting like the boring person I am #yeah sure I don't need to explain myself #but I think I owed that for the silence I've been giving since the start of the year

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crispylilworm · 5 months

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last i’m posting about this xoxo sorry about the watcher spam recently but i feel the need to put my 2 cents in since my opinion on this doesn’t align with the vocal majority on this site

gotta admit my first youtuber drama experience was a 0/10 not because of what the creators did but solely because of the insanity of the fandom. because…wow. i have never seen a group of people throw around demands and accusations of betrayal in such a dramatic way lol. maybe i’m in the minority here but i felt the majority of responses and criticism just were any lacking basis at all.

my first thoughts with the announcement were literally “oh good for them new streaming service, i won’t be going for it, but maybe after a few months i’ll consider paying for a 1-time sub to catch up on everything”. sure some disappointment i wouldn’t get regular updates but overall excited for the new content this pay structure would give them the flexibility to create.

maybe because i didn’t get into youtubers until the pandemic when watcher was already it’s own independent thing i don’t have that same (*cough cough* parasocial) level of connection, just really enjoy the videos they put out. maybe because i go through subscription-of-the-month stints of paying for a patreon or twitch or other creator channel and rotate what i watch, this didn’t feel outrageous to me. i hate the subscription world we live in so i go out of my way to never pay more than a strict budget limit per month because that’s my ability and that’s my mentality on this. i thought at best maybe i’d consider rotating this in when they put out more.

don’t like the idea of it? you don’t have to pay for it. can’t afford it? i understand the disappointment from this aspect but creators don’t actually owe you anything for free - even if it was free in the past. overall and for whatever reasoning you have: it wasn’t that deep.

if anything i am in a way thankful that they rescinded on their decision because that means me & others will continue to enjoy videos for free. but overall i’m disappointed that this means they’re sacrificing their own creative wants and financial needs of whatever they had planned. we won’t actually know the extent of what, if anything, this prevents them from creating because y’all wouldn’t even let them attempt to try this next phase out.

fans saying “well we don’t want high-budget content” well maybe they want to explore more than what they’re currently able to do? maybe they want to create more beyond their buzzfeed-format videos they know will rack in views from the nostalgia-obsessed side of the fans? i, too, personally love their humor and would just enjoy them chatting and being silly, but i do also think this holds them back. remember those hilarious self-made commercials from their most recent videos? that's probably just a glimpse of what new flavors of content they’re able to think up.

this whole fan response was just disappointing (and pretty scary ngl) to me, and i know saying that is like kicking a hornets nest but i really think if they continued with the plans from their original announcement it would have been ok. i actually think it would have been more than ok! but the response imploded so hard i’m sure we’ll never see them try something new again lol.

my personal thoughts are that if your opinion in any way revolved around something they “owe” to fans, feelings of “betrayal”, thinking they’re “sell outs” for wanting to transition to paid content - i think you really need to take a step back and reflect, and i mean that with zero malice. watcher is a business, not your friends, not “the boys”, not your guaranteed source of a specific type of content either. ultimately they made a business decision that they thought would help them grow that would have either succeeded or failed, that's it. for better or worse, we wont get to watch that play out.

i will continue my quiet enjoyment of their videos, and happily move on past what i frankly think was the most unnecessary internet drama i’ve seen in a minute lol. the takes overall were dumb but tame, i only blocked a handful of accounts for posting things i thought were totally out of line that i won't get into but i'm sure you've either seen or heard people discussing.

i didn't even get in to my hot takes lol like how this plays into the dangerous trend of the expectation of art to be free....and the overall devaluing of creatives and why AI is thriving in these areas...but ill defend that thesis another day lol. y'all aren't ready for that.

#watcher #my thoughts #long post #putting this in read more so yall dont jump me lmao #overall conclusion is #its not that deep

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elffees · 9 months

Text

Frontiers of Pandora made me realize how much I hate Jake S*lly

So I watched a No-Commentary lets play of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and have a lot of thoughts.

Disclaimer #1: I am a WOC, but I am not indigenous. I absolutely encourage indigenous peoples to add onto this post and share their thoughts.

Disclaimer #2: There is going to be an abundance of Jake S*lly hate in this post. I just ask that if you are a fan of Jake, and still choose to read my post, that you do so in good faith and out of genuine curiosity. Please don't read my post with the sole intent to shoot it down.

Overarching Problems with the Avatar Franchise

Okay so, time to actually get into the post.

To start off, the entire Avatar franchise has problems. Regardless if it's the video games, comics, movies, or what have you. Ableist tropes, racist tropes, misogynistic tropes, my god there are a bunch. These problems with the franchise have been talked about for literal decades now though, so I'll link a few of their pieces here.

Native Media Theory's critique video

"Avatar: The Way of Water" and the Question of Indigenous Representation

Native News Online's article about JaCam's horribly ignorant comment and ATWOW

Avatar: The Way of Water or How NOT to Make Indigenous Futurism Movies

Old, New, Borrowed and Blue: Compulsory Able-bodiedness and Whiteness in Avatar

Avatar's Approach to Ableism Misses the Mark

There are hundreds of other sources from all areas of the internet. It would be impossible for me to list them all. Fortunately, they're very easy to find if you want to know more.

What I want to talk about is the game Frontiers of Pandora that just released in December 2023, and how it changed my perspective on the movies, at least the first movie since I have yet to watch the second.

Frontiers of Pandora

(I will try my best to be as spoiler-free as possible, but there will be segments where I'll dive into them. I will put a warning ahead of time.)

Just so we're all on the same page, I'll briefly summarize FOP's premise.

Spoiler-Free Summary

As an infant, the playable character, an unnamed Na'vi, was taken by a project group of the RDA known as "TAP", The Ambassador Program. You are not alone, a significant number of Na'vi children, all from the newly introduced Sarentu Clan, were taken as well. It's made clear in the opening that TAP's initial goal was to raise Na'vi children and teach them human culture to "bridge the gap" between their two peoples. And then once ready, they would be sent back out into Pandora to serve as "ambassadors" for Na'vi-Human relations. You were to be mainly taught by Alma Cortez, TAP's Co-founder and a skilled xenobiologist, who notably spends more time in her Avatar body than in her original one.

As time passed and relations between the Na'vi and the RDA became more hostile, the taken Sarentu children were taught to use human weapons. Heavily implied to be trained to fight against other Na'vi to defend RDA resources, instead of the original intention to serve as "peaceful ambassadors".

The player's journey starts when the character is a teenager, around 16 to 18 years old. The final battle in the first movie causes a massive uproar to all RDA facilities, including TAP's. The administrator and founder, John Mercer, ordered the entire program and building to be abandoned. Part of that abandonment is ordering the execution of the playable character and all of the other Sarentu children.

Your character, and some of the others, are saved by Alma, who killed the soldiers that were assigned to kill you. Then, seemingly acting on impulse with no solid plans for your survival, put you and the others into a cryo-induced coma. With the plan that you would all be woken up when it was safe.

There is a misunderstanding and long story short, the Sarentu children do not get woken up until 16 years later. Your revival is when the game is officially put into the player's hands.

Just from the premise, it's clear the plot is based off the real life horror of Native American Boarding Schools. (I'm really curious how Indigenous viewers feel about this portrayal. I've tried to look up perspectives, but have had difficulty finding any. Probably because the game is so new.)

The Sarentu were taken as children, physically and psychologically abused whenever they interacted with Na'vi culture in any way, were told daily that the program was "for their own good", and were generally viewed as "property" owned by TAP and John Mercer.

We learn later in the game that in the early days of the program, the children suffered conditions so grotesque that the oldest of them admit to repressing the full events of what happened to stay sane. What we were already told about their upbringing is repulsive to hear, so to find out that there was more that was so traumatic and horrible, the characters can't even bring themselves to remember it let alone talk about it...

Basically, your character's backstory is fucked up. Very much so.

After experiencing all that, once your character wakes up from cryo sleep and rushes to the outdoors for the first time in approximately 32+ years, you get to the heart of the story.

Frontiers of Pandora is about the playable character reclaiming and rediscovering a culture that's been stripped from them. The character has the help of a predominantly human resistance group (known creatively as "The Resistance"), but the majority of the game is the character meeting and getting to know various Na'vi clans. From the Aranahe in Kinglor Forest, to the Zeswa in the Upper Plains, to the Kame'tire in the Clouded Forest.

And throughout the world, there are remnants of your character's lost people. There are Sarentu artifacts scattered all over the map where the character can regain lost knowledge from their Clan's way of life.

Fortunately, there are still Na'vi from the other three clans that have personally met the Sarentu before you. And they are EXTREMELY eager to tell you of their experiences with your people and how they used to interact with each other. There's even a character who is heavily implied to have known the playable character's mother, a fact we only learn after he playfully requests we gather ingredients and make a unique dish, not knowing until after we've tried it, that we were just taught how to make a meal our mother used to. A quest you don't expect to evoke tears until you're already crying.

You have the ability to use human weapons and wear human clothing if you wish, but that is optional. You can, and many players have, opt for a "full Na'vi playthrough" where you only use Na'vi weapons and dress in Na'vi attire (You can even dress in Sarentu-specific attire for full immersion!) There are no choices, so you can't choose to not interact with the Resistance, but you can spend as little time as possible with other humans, only needing to return for quick updates before going back out into Pandora with other Na'vi.

I say all this to say, the game is heavily about the Na'vi and reclaiming one's culture after it's been attempted to be destroyed. Watching this journey play out made me realize the potential Avatar has, and helped me better understand my biggest gripe with the movies. It's Jake Sully.

The Whitest Savior to Ever Whitely Save

After finishing the FOP playthrough, I decided to rewatch the first movie to see if I'd feel differently about it. And boy did I!

I could talk all day about how the tiniest similarities got to me. I laughed watching the ferocious pack of viperwolves, after seeing players frantically try to outrun them in Kinglor Forest. The harrowing climb up the ikran rookery, and thinking about the Sarentu's own sinking self esteem as they struggle to prove themselves to their eventual bonded. Even the floating mountains as the characters in the movie weave through them and Trudy uses them for cover, connecting it to all the times I've seen FOP players and ikrans rest on them or gather resources from their peaks.

The comparisons are endless.

But the biggest contrast and glaring stain is Jake's entire character.

Like Jake, the Sarentu (the playable character) has to learn how to maneuver a world they are not used to. Unlike Jake, it's clear the protagonist actually develops an appreciation and love for the world around them.

RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER NA'VI

Even overlooking the WS trope for a minute (which we will touch on!), it comes across as though Jake only begins to side with the Omatikaya after enjoying the adrenaline rush of their way of life, and falling in love with Neytiri. But we never see Jake actually bonding with any other Na'vi besides her in the first movie.

He grows into calling them "brother" and "sister", and has a few throwaway lines of knowing of other Na'vi, but we don't actually see him develop any positive relationships with anyone other than Neytiri (who is very much given the Love Interest Angle where majority of her scenes are about Jake or have Jake in them. Even during her father's death scene, Jake made an appearance!!! Go away for a millisecond I am begging!) Even his supposed arc with Tsu'tey is rushed as all hell, and only happens because Jake ~miraculously~ becomes Toruk Makto. A feat that makes the Omatikaya gain respect for him en masse, despite them just calling for his death after learning he played a major role in the destruction of their Hometree.

In comparison, the Sarentu not only gets to know the culture, customs, and day-to-day lives of the Na'vi they meet, they also get to befriend them.

Now since I've watched a let's play, I haven't seen all that the game offers. But I have seen a lot of side activities in the Kinglor Forest.

Your character bonds with the other Sarentu children and with members of other massacred clans. They also create relationships with members of large clans: from as monumental of events as helping expose a corrupt olo'eyktan and bringing a shamed tsahik back to power, to as intimate as attending as funeral / "letting go" ceremony for a deceased ikran, to as simple as helping restore a weaver's low self esteem. Your character not only helps stop the RDA, but they also truly develop connections with other Na'vi. More than one!

Obviously, there can't be a full exploration of Jake simply making friends in a film because there just isn't enough time. But we could've seen him bonding with at least a few other Na'vi besides his love interest. For the franchise and sequel to be so Na'vi-focused, it wouldn't have hurt the first movie to detract some screentime from RDA characters, and give it to more Na'vi who we could've continued on with.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD AND TO EYWA

Another gripe I have with Jake's character is that he seems to hardly appreciate Pandora's wildlife or the Na'vi's connection to Eywa.

During Iknimaya, once he creates the bond, he refers to the ikran as "mine", despite the numerous times Neytiri has said no creature on Pandora can "belong" to anyone. It is a mutual bond based on respect, not taming a pet. Despite this lesson, Jake clearly still viewed it as such. We're not even told if the ikran Jake bonded with has a name, not in the film anyway. I had to find out through google that he named it, simply, "Bob".

And in the finale when connecting to Eywa, Jake asks for her help in the final battle. But while doing so, he's still uncertain if she's even "real" or "actually listening". Even now, he continues to doubt Na'vi beliefs (despite it literally being Grace's dying words!!)

In comparison, the Sarentu's journey up the ikran rookery to form a bond... it's emotional to say the least.

There is a desperation in your character's voice. Not of impatience, but of declining self esteem. A worry that you won't be chosen because you will not be deemed worthy. Because you are not Na'vi enough due to your upbringing. As you go up, an Aranahe character that guides you, Eetu, tells you of his experience and how calming it was. And that makes the character more nervous because of how stressful it's been for them so far.

But then you finally get close enough to approach. The ikran finally allows you to, and you meet eyes and...

I do not know how they managed to capture care and affection so perfectly but they did. The journey up the rookery is intense and nerve wracking. But once you get chosen, you the player IMMEDIATELY knows (just like Eetu said) because the ikran looks at you as though she's already prepared to give her life for yours. Many players have expressed that this segment legitimately made them cry because of how palpable the bond is.

And then Eetu says that she has placed full trust in you. And you know he's right because you can feel it. You can see it. But then he says now it's time for you to place full trust in her, and he "helps" you accomplish this by pushing you off the cliff!!!!! And it's scary! And terrifying! And you call out for her to help and you're still falling!! But then she catches you, and the next thing you know you're experiencing probably one of the most heartwarming scenes of the entire game.

The Sarentu is not yelling commands such as "shut up and fly straight". It is truly a psychological bond. You are not an owner and she is not a vehicle. You are not a tamer and she is not a mindless beast. You fly together as one. You are one.

Connecting to Eywa is also an emotional experience. Whenever the Sarentu connects to the Tarsyu (their clan's method), they're able to communicate with their ancestors, specifically the founder of the Sarentu, Entu. Sometimes in depth and sometimes only vaguely. But whenever a connection is made, the Sarentu walks away with something gained.

In comparison, it's debatable if Jake experiences anything at all when he connects to the Omatikaya's Tree of Souls. I suppose this can be left up to lore though. Maybe he just doesn't feel anything because he doesn't have Na'vi ancestors? Maybe it's because his kuru is artificially made and not naturally born? I don't know! The possibilities of why are endless, and probably answered somewhere in bonus Avatar content.

What my issue is, is that Jake doesn't seem to care whether he has a connection to Eywa or not, despite Eywa being a pretty significant part of Na'vi culture overall. If he's able to feel something when connecting to her, he has no reaction. And if he isn't able to feel anything, he still has no reaction over missing out on something significant to their way of life.

When the Sarentu children connect to Eywa for the VERY first time in 32 years, there is an air of both anxiety and excitement. One of them even voices that they're worried Eywa and their ancestors won't accept them for not being raised like "true Na'vi" (as you can see, this is a reoccuring theme in the game. Who can be referred to as "true Na'vi"). After the connection is made, there are mixed reactions. But at least there are reactions. Jake has none.

(Please note again: I am only referring to the 2009 movie in this post because that was everyone's first intro into Avatar. I am not referring to any comics or books or etc. that may dive deeper into these topics. If they do, great! That doesn't negate how lackluster the movie is. As the original source material, it should be able to stand on its own, and it clearly can't.)

"The Savior The Na'vi Needed" I Guess

I've already linked articles above about how inappropriate it is that a white actor + character "is the only one" that can help these "poor, defenseless, and naive" Indigenous / coded characters of color "defeat" colonization. Many many many people have have touched on this problematic storyline. It's very disturbing.

So speaking not from a Doylist perspective, but from a Watsonian one, Human Marine Jake is still an immensely odd choice to be Eywa's + the Omatikaya's Chosen One.

It's implied Eywa "chose" Jake because he'd be able to save Pandora. But the Omatikaya were literally going to DIE had Eywa not called on all of the animals to come to their aid. They would've lost following Jake.

The only thing he managed to do that was unique was unite the clans. Which he only accomplishes due to the lazy writing of becoming Toruk Makto. The implication that no Na'vi in generations EVER considered just jumping on Toruk's back. Or if there were other Na'vi that tried it, that none of them ever succeeded, but Jake, who is still new to the world and animals of Pandora, would know how to expertly bond with a creature as ferocious as that, better than every other Na'vi since Neytiri's grandfather.

Not to mention the absolute amnesia everyone gets once he does. His former betrayal is completely forgotten about, never to be mentioned again.

Neytiri no longer cares that Jake massively lied and used her, because he's Toruk Makto.

Tsu'tey no longer cares that Jake knowingly mated with his betrothed and spied on their people's way of life, because Jake's Toruk Makto.

None of the other Omatikaya (who are terrifyingly written without any individuality whatsoever) care their Hometree was just destroyed and their Olo'eyktan killed due to Jake's betrayal, because he's Toruk Makto.

It all just gets washed down the drain, like the sheer chaos Jake's actions caused no longer matter. Because he's Toruk Makto, the Chosen One. No further action required. No heartfelt apologies, no intimate discussions, no anything.

Jake jumps on Toruk, and that's that.

So not only were they actively losing following behind Jake's leadership, but he was only able to rally the clans due to shoddy writing choices. So WHY did Eywa choose this specific man, who was just actively working against her, to be the one the Na'vi are supposed to follow??

On top of all that, the implication of the Omatikaya needing Jake to survive is... dubious to say the least. It is not only literally racist, but also incredibly infantilizing to the Na'vi. The implication that they couldn't have come up with effective strategies without being ordered around by a person who's initial goal was to help destroy them.

"In siding with the ‘natives’, Jake and Grace play a central role in what can essentially be deemed as a form of anti-colonial resistance. What is crucial in this telling for the fight for Na’vi tribal and ecological survival is the ways in which anti-colonial resistance becomes legitimized through the ‘other’ becoming human." [...] "The Na’vi, like other colonized peoples, are denied of their own agency, and resistance only becomes valid and possible within a colonial paradigm of acceptability. As a result the Na’vi become dependent on Jake, the white, male, human, ethnographic anthropologist as saviour, leading them to a freedom in which he had helped threaten in the first place. [...] The Na’vi come to exist suspended by space, time and tradition and the role of Jake and Grace as anthropologists too occupy a place in colonial history that play into both liberal and much more conservative agendas." (Why Avatar is a Truly Dangerous Film)

Neytiri Should've Been the True Lead

Rewatching the first movie after Frontiers of Pandora, I not only had a much greater appreciation for Pandora, but much more distaste for Jake as the leading character.

While watching, I found myself thinking at SEVERAL points, "This would've been so good if Neytiri had been the focal protagonist." And the longer the film went on, the more the feeling settled in.

As the daughter of the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, who better to lead her people to victory after her father's death? (You could argue Tsu'tey since he was supposed to be Eytukan's successor anyway. Either are valid options!) Neytiri's great grandfather was the last Toruk Makto, who better to become TM of their generation than one of his direct descendants? Neytiri holds great respect for Eywa and was destined to be the next Tsahik after Mo'at, so why couldn't she be the one who Eywa guides all of Pandoran wildlife to follow behind?

Just why oh why do all of these important roles in the narrative have to belong to Jake?????? Why couldn't they belong to a Na'vi character themselves?

This is not to say Jake should've been completely erased from the story. I do think him having some relevance still would've been fine, especially given he's a disabled man. I just wish his role had been that of an ally, a side character, or at most a deuteragonist second to Neytiri. Because there is weight in gaining insider information from a privileged ally.

I just wish that Jake hadn't been the lead character who's POV we follow. I wish it had been from the perspective of one of the actual Na'vi characters that were being oppressed.

BONUS: FOP Just Solves A Lot of the Issues I Had with Avatar

White / Human Saviour

Explained above.

Random Chosen One

The Sarentu playable character helps out, and is invited to help, not because they were spiritually chosen by "a deity they don't even believe in" unlike Jake. The Sarentu helps simply because they want to. Full stop. They see the injustices the RDA is enacting against Pandora, and simply choose to help put a stop to them. Because it is wrong.

That's it.

It's 1000x more admirable in my opinion. To choose to help rather than being a Chosen One destined to do so.

You can argue that since Jake seems to not even believe in Eywa, that he does help based on choice alone. But like I covered earlier, he only does so after he's deemed the Na'vi (or more specifically Neytiri) worthy of being saved. Not because they have the inherent right to live as they wish. No, he didn't consider them worthy of helping until after he decided they were.

The Conflicting Ethics Behind 'Avatars'

I don't know much about all of the side quests in the game so if there are any other avatars, then I don't know about them. But based on what I've seen of the main storyline, FOP handles the dubious topic of 'avatars' much better than the movie does. Because personally, I've always found the concept disturbing.

"At least in other white savior movies, they don’t sugarcoat the whiteness nor did they reward the whiteness with the ultimate prize." [...] "Apparently as a reward for being such a good white savior (that was originally a double agent for Colonel Scarface to get operational intel on them so the army could blow their magic god tree to Hell), Jake gets permanently transformed into one of the Na’vi via his Avatar." "Just imagine '8 Mile' if Eminem beat Sam Wilson and the rest of the Free World at the Shelter so badly, Future [...] took out his fairy godbrother wand and turned Rabbit into a brother. That’s the kool-aid that James Cameron is essentially selling." (Battle to the Bottom: The Blue-faced White Savior ‘Avatar’ Is Even Worse Than ‘After Earth’)

The concept of 'avatars' (in the way Avatar writes them) has always freaked me the hell out. Especially when Jake begins referring to humans as "the Sky People" as though he wasn't one of them just the day before.

FOP handles this subject much better in my opinion because the character of Alma, who is the Sarentu's former teacher at TAP and who is the current leader of the Western Resistance, has great attachment to her avatar body. To the point where many Resistance members have never seen her in her original body.

Later in the story when things begin looking up for the Na'vi and for the Sarentu children, Alma starts using phrases such as "our resistance" and referring to lost Sarentu artifacts that have been reclaimed as coming "back to us", and other like-minded words. And when she does this, she is IMMEDIATELY called out on it.

Alma is not Sarentu nor is she Na'vi, and although she plants her consciousness into the body of a lookalike, she is still, first and foremost, a human. And no matter how much she may try to forget that, how much she may wish to distance herself from the crimes of her people, the characters do not hold her hand and allow her to do so. The game makes it known that while she is doing the right thing now, she has no right to cram herself into a culture and people by jumping into their skin and playing pretend.

[ SPOILER WARNING ]

And the way this arc is resolved? By Alma losing her avatar form and being forced to confront the truth of who she is, a human that was complicit in the oppression of the Na'vi, most specifically the Sarentu.

The Sarentu do not get on their hands and knees and kiss Alma's feet for the ways she's helped them (now). No, SOME of them let her know they appreciate the good she's done, but that ultimately, there needs to be distance. That they are still their own people and need to rebuild without her interference. This clearly hurts Alma, but like an actually good ally, she respects the boundaries made and eventually backs off. The separation is a peaceful one.

[ SPOILER END ]

Alma does not become their Chosen Hero after she defects from the RDA. She is not given a standing ovation. And she is not even given a "thanks" from all of the Sarentu, some of them proceed to hate her guts. The reactions towards Alma, a former RDA member who defected to aid the Na'vi's survival, are wonderfully and realistically mixed.

Because, like the character So'lek says at the beginning of the game, the Na'vi are not a monolith. They are not all the same, nor will they all have the same views.

Various Na'vi characters in FOP have diverging opinions on the Human Resistance group. Some support them, some don't want to come within 10 feet of them. And both POVs are framed as valid by the narrative.

On the other hand in the 2009 movie, any Na'vi character that didn't immediately grow into liking Jake was ultimately punished by the writing.

Neytiri disliked Jake in the beginning of the movie, but as soon as Mo'at names her his teacher, a switch flips and all animosity is gone. She is still tough on him, that's just who she is, but it's clear any true ire is immediately washed away once she is given the role of 'teacher'. In comparison, Tsu'tey spends half the film irritated and distrustful of Jake. (And rightly so given that Jake is literally an RDA plant!!)

Like I've already said, Tsu'tey undergoes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it "arc" where once Jake becomes Toruk Makto, all negativity anyone held vanishes. Except Tsu'tey's timing is clearly too late, because the writing punishes his earlier animosity by killing him off in the final battle.

The same can be said for Eytukan, who was the one to suggest tying the avatars up after Jake reveals his initial goal. Eytukan's animosity is also punished with death, with him dying during the destruction of Hometree.

(It can also be said that these characters died both to punish them for their inability to "appreciate" Jake at a quicker pace, and to simply get them out of the way so Jake could become Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya. Because how else could the White Human Savior become the leader of the people, if the leaders that were already there didn't "get out of the way" to make room?)

Conclusion

If you couldn't tell, I wasn't Avatar (2009)'s biggest fan my first time watching. For numerous reasons.

It wasn't until watching a playthrough of Frontiers of Pandora, that I realized a lot of my ire was towards Jake specifically (although there are many problems with the franchise as a whole), and if the story had just not been told from Jake's POV, and had been told from the POV of one of the Na'vi fighting for their home (Neytiri would be my first choice, Tsu'tey second), then I think I would've at least been able to enjoy it. It's hard for me to even watch Avatar (2009) because of how rampant the issues are in that movie. Or I suppose because of how central Jake is.

I wrote all this just to air out my thoughts. But if you're similar to me and felt like Avatar (2009) was "off", then I do suggest you take a look at Frontiers of Pandora and still see if you feel the same.

All this isn't to say FOP is the perfect game, mind you. It absolutely has flaws, ones that others have touched on and that I've noticed myself. But even with it's flaws, I'd take it's misgivings over Avatar (2009)'s atrocious ones any day.

#babbles #frontiers of pandora #anti jake sully #avatar frontiers of pandora #neytiri shouldve been the main protagonist #anti avatar #anti avatar 2009 #jake sully hate #post is moreso... pro FOP neutral Avatar anti jake?#tw*w isn't really included in this because i still have to finish it #also im not a hardcore Avatar fan so please forgive me if i mess up the terminology #long text post //#im trying to make sure this doesnt end up in any pro 'js' tags as much as possible #bc as much as i hate Jake its not like i want to shove this post in his fans' faces

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ben-marco · 4 months

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Can I ask your opinion on the tiktok Cyber did in defense of Legion's Gaza derail? I don't have a horse in this race as my abuse was solely at the hands of one person and I've never encountered any traffiking rings in my time as a survival sex worker, so I'm woefully uneducated on how bad or multinational OEA can get. Thanks in advance for reading this even if you don't plan to answer, and again for all you do to source DID information.

Does anyone have a link to Cyber's video? I'm admittedly not the best at using TikTok myself.

For the remainder of this post I'll be addressing Legion's video, found here, unless they delete it of course: https://www.tiktok.com/@legion.sys/video/7376743310095846689

It's no secret that human trafficking can happen during wars or other conflicts. It is happening now with the Russia-Ukraine War (https://rovienna.iom.int/news/human-trafficking-times-conflict-case-ukraine ; https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/ukraine/). However, during times of war it is incredibly difficult to maintain accurate records for things like this, especially when most of the "outside" world is trying to peer into a country like Russia that has been isolating itself over the past decades.

Furthermore, the types of human trafficking happening in Ukraine differ from what Legion alleges is happening in Israel. The two primary types of human trafficking happening in Ukraine are:

Refugees being trafficked to other countries by opportunistic brokers that do not function as an arm of any government (https://www.unhcr.org/news/news-releases/statement-risks-trafficking-and-exploitation-facing-refugees-ukraine-attributed). Most of these refugees are trafficked into other countries in Europe, though some are trafficked into the United Arab Emirates (https://nycfpa.org/08/09/vulnerable-ukrainian-women-and-children-are-at-great-risk-of-being-trafficked-claims-new-report/).

Russia's government trafficking Ukrainian children out of Ukraine and into Russia. I hate to cite Wikipedia, but this is so prevalent that there is a Wikipedia article about it with no shortage of references to other sources as well, including the UN and ICC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_abductions_in_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War ; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64985009).

I'll stop here and make the disclaimer that, as a blogger on the Internet, I am not an expert on international geopolitical relations or military conflicts. But even for the experts, it can be incredibly challenging to verify facts and keep records during times of war.

My main problems with Legion's accusations are as follows:

Legion cites no sources other than "testimonies that have been told to [them]"

Legion alleges that Israel's government is orchestrating "a multinational network of human trafficking rings based in the West Bank...involved with organ trafficking, skin trafficking, and general sex trafficking", calling the organization an "Israeli Zionist human trafficking project"

Legion alleges that this "Israeli Zionist human trafficking project" is a global operation

Legion alleges that "there are people in our community who are direct survivors" of this "project", and

Legion alleges that this "project" directly affects the US and the UK in addition to Gaza.

There is already immense fog of war surrounding what's happening in Gaza, so much so that it has been difficult to even establish casualty numbers. By throwing out this kind of information without a source, Legion is only adding to that fog. I don't expect anything else from someone who rarely cites sources in general, but if the genocide of Palestinians is really this important to you, don't you think you should back up what you're saying? If ANYTHING was important enough to need a source attached, wouldn't it be this? I've heard rumors about the skin bank and organ bank before, but I think it's very different to make those claims than it is to claim that Israel's government is conducting global human trafficking and RAMCOA / OEA.

Furthermore, this alleged global "Israeli Zionist human trafficking project" sounds a lot like antisemitic propaganda that the RAMCOA / OEA community has been hearing for decades from figures like Fritz Springmeier, Svali, and Unwelcome Ozian. How is this any different? What is Legion's motive in saying this?

The reason I mentioned the trafficking in Ukraine due to the Ukraine-Russia War is to also point out that in conflicts like these, it is far more likely and far more common for brokers and individuals to be taking advantage of those who want to flee the country, than it is for that country's government to set up "a multinational network of human trafficking rings". By spouting unfounded and antisemitic conspiracy theories about Israel's government allegedly trafficking people around the world, you are completely ignoring the very real stories of people who think they're escaping Gaza only to end up being sold into human trafficking by a broker.

The other problem is that by hearing something about Gaza and turning it into "well, there are people in the RAMCOA community who are directly affected by this", Legion is decentering the men, women, and children who are being murdered in Gaza right now while you are reading this. And the statement that Israel's "multinational" trafficking ring somehow affects people in the US and UK is one of the most tone-deaf things I have ever heard.

Let me put it more bluntly. Teenagers and young adults in the US and UK who claim to have been through RAMCOA or OEA are not who we need to be centering in our conversations about Gaza. But in Legion's video about Gaza, that's exactly what they're doing.

#legion #legionsys #legion system

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balkanradfem · 2 years

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#male scams #i swear it is exactly like this #radical feminism #radfem analysis #male self marketing #male scammers #male pyramid schemes #anti mlm

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seokjinsonlyone · 1 year

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most to least likely to end up with someone black

hoseok: idk i just get this feeling this vibe likeeeee it just make sense i see it like the way he carry himself like just look at the chicken noodle soup mv and tell me u can't see it and he literally has a song with j cole and if he in there with coleworld he is def in there wit da fam and then we got the whole time he had tinashe as his lockscreen and we all seen the my universe video like he took ole alien girl home idc idc and overall he just reminds me of my grandma so it make sense

jimin: no limit babe like i've seen this man bark at the thought of usher; and in general this year especially including his album jimin has just really been existing in spaces i didn't expect him to see and i am more than pleasantly surprised. like originally when i first made this he was near the bottom idk why bc he's literally performed to take you down but yeah he def up there now. like y'all remember that photo of him wit da choir for set me free SPEAKING OF SET ME FREE F YA OPPS?1!!1 HENNESSY AT NIGHT⁉️ LIKE IF BLACK PEOPLE HAD A REPRESENTATIVE BRAND OF LIQUOR IT WOULD BE HENNESSY LIKE COME ON and then just his personality is soooo i can't explain why he's all the way up here in this list properly but source: trust me bro

joon: listen we all know that joon be looking and be listening like he has a song with erykah badu with wale with anderson paak he be listening to musiq soulchild he is just made for a black woman (me) but he is a little further down on the list than i expected to put him only bc joon is just so korean and he loves korea and being korean that he might wanna keep it the country idk he definitely down for it tho we know he be looking and frfr this is just insurance for myself so if it don't happen i won't feel publicly played bc i called it but just know imma be somewhere on a ledge with my head in my hands wondering if i should do it or not okay kskslsk

yoon: u know i originally had yoongi near the bottom of the list solely bc he was a workaholic homebody and i was like he is not ending up with nobody much less somebody black if he spent all his time in his studio but now he in his social traveling era and i'm just like 🧐 bc clearly he has the ability to uphold foreign relationships (i.e. max, halsey...) and then i think about how he had all black backup dancers for his tonight show performance like i mean i'm not sure how much say they have in that kind of thing but it felt real deliberate to me and then there's the fact that yoongi just has the ability to look comfortable like he fit in anywhere like i'm thinking of that one photo where he was with one of juicewrld's producers and made homeboy look like he was the outsider in his own studio and then on tour it's clear that he got that dawg in him like he can handle his own he can handle ME which is crazy bc i be looking at men and knowing i'm way out of their depth but i'm telling you yoongi had the power to make me not look at jimin which is an insane ability so I'M JS idk if he would but he fo sho could if he wanted he got that lil poker face going so i'm not extremely confident but i can see it

jungkook: i’m not gon mention the fact that he said he liked girls with healthy sun kissed skin after that trip to la on american hustle life imma just leave that out i’ll also leave out normani at the bbmas what i will talk about is them meeting ms megan now ik jk claiming he ain’t shy no more but he still don’t be saying much except for when he met ms megan homeboy was showing up and showing out dancing talking teaching the choreo cackling for no reason man was grinning from ear to ear whole time nose got the workout of a lifetime from being continuously scrunched ALSO i mention this at least once a week but that r&b playlist he had going while he was folding his underwear???? my naega my naega u ain't listening to bryson tiller unless u is down for the cause but all this to say that it's really up in the air with him like as much as he could there is equal chance that he could not like he just got that pop propensity that sways him to the dark side but i could also see him ending up with someone east asian just as well which is fine with me or at least as fine as i can be knowing he's not with me

jin: as he is a permanent member of my bias line it really do hurt me a small amount that he is at the bottom of this list but i know my man 💅 i know mr “you can’t stop me i’m beyoncé” wouldn’t care about the racial difference at all like as long as y'all could communicate it's good in the hood and he is literally built like a black auntie like he would do so well at family functions rizzing up everybody from yo parents to yo grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins he would fit so well but like can i see it happening in reality??? idk idk he is the most unpredictable man i've ever come across so i can't say nun definitively

tae: there's a lot of reasons why he could why he should like idk man i can just see it in his eyes and then there’s like how much he loves old school soul music and his reaction to h.e.r. at the award show that shall not be named and like how he was meeting john legend and i’m also thinking about how social he is and how he likes to befriend everyone like the potential is there it's right there mind u i'm ignoring the current state of affairs but considering how enamored he is with europe like literally dressed up as a nobleman or whatever for his photobook and when he went to that old people jazz lounge and he is really into golf y'all i just don't see it fr but ya know anything's possible

#bts #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts x reader #namjoon fanfic #seokjin imagine #min yoongi fanfic #jhope x reader #jimin fanfic #taehyung x you #jungkook imagine

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