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#because i relate to catra and see myself in her you know
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you know, there's a difference between relating to a character and defending them with your life. it may seem to some spop fans that i just hate catra because i don't relate to her. and while it's true that i don't entirely relate to her, i want to talk about a villain/antagonist that i do relate to: azula from atla.
that's right, i'm an azula kinnie. of course i wasn't brought up by a tyrannical dictator or groomed to be a child soldier, but the relationship azula had with her parents, especially her mother, stuck with me a lot. because i felt the same way.
and guess what? i hated her when i first watched the show. i absolutely despised her and i couldn't understand why people sympathized with her. it took me a second watch to realize that not only is she sympathetic, but she's also a lot like me. luckily, i didn't turn out to be as.. aggressive as her, for the lack of a better word. but by seeing myself in her, i was able to identify a few of my flaws that i needed to work on.
does this mean that i think azula did no wrong and that she should have been forgiven? do i get into fights with people who dislike her? nope. she was still a horrible person and while i think that she could have had a redemption arc, it wasn't necessary.
honestly, i like her a lot better because she didn't get redeemed. because her arc is supposed to contrast that of zuko's. whereas zuko starts off as lonely, traumatized and mentally unstable, and slowly works towards being a better person, finding inner peace, building his skills and making new friends; azula goes from being the calm and calculating firebending prodigy with her own posse by her side, to having her father and friends betray her and spiralling into a mental breakdown.
so yeah. while i sympathize with azula and relate to her, i do not condone her actions in the slightest. she was still a cruel and apathetic person who enjoyed manipulating, abusing and hurting others. she still did what she did, even if she had her reasons.
you can like or kin a character while also acknowledging their flaws and holding them accountable for their actions. i promise you, it's possible.
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swearyshera · 7 months
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Alice,
I've loved being able to read Sweary She-Ra through the years. I happened upon it only a few months after finishing She-Ra (I was late to the party due to not having Netflix, oops), and it gave me so much wonderful content to keep my excitement for the series alive.
The way you explored the characters, especially Catra's mental health and her relationship with Shadow Weaver, helped give me a new understanding and greater appreciation of them. I bring up Catra specifically because, I'll be honest, I wasn't a big Catra fan for awhile. I liked her well enough, then kinda didn't in season 4, but grew fond of her again around season 5. But you helped me understand her thought-process, and I came to like her more because of it. I really like that you also handled her in a nuanced way, where, as you've said many times, you explained her behavior without excusing it, and that made all the difference.
One of the things I really appreciated about your take on She-Ra was how apparent your intelligence was, as well as your writing skill. It wasn't just "Catra says fuck and Glimmer has killed dozens," even though it could have been--you went the extra mile (or kilometer, since you're British :P) and gave us a variety of jokes, as well as mood shifts from comedic to tragic to dramatic to hopeful. All of the characters felt like themselves, even though they were pushed up to 11 and had some creative liberties taken, such as Frosta being a demon and Hordak's Geordie accent. You had a good handle on all of them, which can be very hard to do with a large cast, especially one written by another writer.
I also really appreciated that you took the time to answer asks and build a community here. It gave us lovely jokes such as Bob (that's right, I haven't forgotten about him), Catra's age, and Entrapta reading our comments. I've always been very shy online, but seeing you having such nice interactions with fans helped me open up, and I'm glad I did! I used to ask anonymously from time to time (yes, my first ask was about DT, all the way back during your start on season one, what else would it be? XD), and I'm glad I've gotten to chat and joke with you, as have the rest of us.
I'm so glad that you stuck with this and created such a wonderful fan-series. We never got a movie, but this was just as good, in my opinion. It was like watching SPOP for the first time all over again. I'm excited to see what you create next, be it SPOP-related or not. I hope the future has great things in store for you.
You brought us laughs, tears, and spectacular Glimmer-swears, and your blog means so much to so many people. You mean so much to so many people. I hope you find success in your future endeavors!
FOR THE HONOR OF GAYSKULL!
What can I say, it's truly been an honour (of Gayskull) to write something that I had no idea brought so much to many people. I'm genuinely quite humbled by the reaction.
I always wanted to be fair to all the characters, to show their reasons without necessarily validating the invalid stuff that they've done, and that particularly came across with Catra. It's no secret that I see a lot of parallels between her and my own history, but I've applied the same take-no-shit but be kind approach that I took with myself over the years. And I've learned a lot about mental health during that time, so I could give that sometimes painful realism, but also know just how to make fun of it in the right way.
In some ways, I feel like the characters I've written have taken on their own personality that's very distinct from the original, and that's probably why I think there's a little more mileage in them yet. Both in terms of original stuff (my pilot script Snowflakes has almost 1:1 versions of DT and Perfuma!), but also in the possibility for creating more Sweary stuff, and that is slowly taking shape - although I am taking it easy for a bit, I've already outlined a story which I'd love to make into an audio drama. Currently workshopping it with a couple of people, so watch this space...
It has been a joy to get so many asks from people, yourself included, and my inbox will always be open. I'm not going anywhere for a while! You were very much my DT-asker-in-chief, and I'm super glad you enjoyed their scenes (heck, you even got them a cameo at the end!). So thank you immensely for the support.
I'm happy I've been able to contribute to a wonderful fandom in such a way, and I'm eager to keep on giving back to a community that has given me so many amazing friends.
FOR THE HONOR OF GAYSKULL!
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aprillikesthings · 12 days
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OKAY last one tonight
and it's a doozy
s5 ep5 Save the Cat
I always wonder if people get the joke in the episode title? There's a famous book about writing scripts called Save the Cat. I kind of assume at least one person in the writer's room for She-Ra has actually read it.
Also Daci got me Strawberry Oatly (vegan ice cream) hell yes
LET'S DO THIS
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eek
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she tells them she's alone??? hm
oh the others were clinging to the outside of the ship in space suits lol
roll intro
okay Entrapta and Bow are gonna fuck with the computers and Glimmer is gonna find Catra
god it must be weird for Glimmer to be on the ship again???
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WHOOPS
okay so Adora tells Horde Prime: hey you're gonna let me leave with Catra okay?
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"The Heart of Etheria. And if you don't do what I say, then I'll use it...and destroy you and your empire for good."
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"You would never risk the safety of your Catra."
(Ever noticed he always says this? Your Adora. Your Catra.)
Adora: "You don't know me. And you don't know what I'm capable of." Horde Prime: "Oh...but I do." Horde Prime: "I am old, far older than you can imagine. My brothers lend me their life force, and when one vessel fails me, I simply elect another."
(Like a Time Lord but WAY creepier)
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"There is something so...familiar about you, Adora."
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"Not since I faced your ancestors, and crushed their once-mighty empire beneath my heel. You call them the First Ones. And you are one of them, are you not, Adora?"
AUGH
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Meanwhile Entrapta thinks she's spotted her boyfriend
She's got the little chip she gave him ;_;
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(maybe?)
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not good!!!
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ARROWED
BAHAHAH oh right that's how this guy starts. Anyway this poor clone is panicking because the jolt removed him from the hive mind
he starts SOBBING. "how will Horde Prime see my thoughts?? how will he know I am faithful???"
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but then:
Entrapta: "Can you open this door?" He does Entrapta makes a happy little squeaky noise
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Entrapta: "But we broke him! We're responsible for him now. Pluuuus, he can open doors!"
He says he'll take them to the server room, and Bow gives him his nickname of "Wrong Hordak" lolol
Glimmer went back to her old cell, and Catra's not there
And that's when Glimmer realizes their little earbud comms aren't working
Horde Prime: "I thought the First Ones were all gone, but clearly...some faction remains. That race of tyrants...abandoned you on a forgotten planet in a shadow dimension. They made you their weapon, their...She-Ra."
I mean, it sounds bad when you say it that way (because it is, actually)
Adora: "I don't fight for the First Ones. I fight for my home, for myself, and for my friends. Now for the last time, where is Catra?"
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oh, god
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augh
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he's not...wrong
Horde Prime: "As she would've said, 'You are so very predictable.'"
eeughghg
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AAAAAAAAAUGH
I knew this was coming, I knew it was this episode, and it still makes me want to crawl out of my own skin
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SAME ADORA, SAME
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NOOOOO
Horde Prime: "I have made her anew. I saw her mind...so ensnared in grief and rage and pain...and I brought her to the light."
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(okay but if he saw into her mind did he see all the times Catra thought about kissing and/or having sex lol)
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Adora's absolute horror here is so relatable
Adora: "Catra, you have to fight it!" Catra: "My place is with Horde Prime, Adora. I don't want to leave." Horde Prime: "Tell her what I've done for you." Catra: "Prime has given me peace. Something you could never do."
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"But he has made it whole again."
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"I'm happy here. You could be happy, too."
(It's genuinely hard to rewind this to get decent screenshots because hearing/seeing Catra act all weird with the chip is just SO UNCOMFORTABLE)
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And there we see it--the first hint that Catra is actually being actively tortured and forced to say/do this shit like some kind of sentient puppet, having to experience her own body doing/saying these things without her permission. Her eyes even keep twitching.
Horde Prime: "I will give her to you, if...you want her... But first, you must do something for me. You...will give me She-Ra." Adora: "Never." Horde Prime: "Very well."
He snaps his fingers and everyones in-ear comms shriek with static and electricity
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(okay I gotta stop just copy/pasting the script)
He squeezes poor Catra's neck and for a second her eyes go back to normal, she looks at Adora, and then they start glowing again. Adora notices!!
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aaagh look at poor Catra
but yeah Adora can't bring out She-Ra on command right now (and he knew that)
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UGGGH
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OH SHIT THAT'S RIGHT oh god oh fuck
okay so Glimmer's in the trophy room thing and she kicks the ass of a couple of clones, that's cool
but also
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"I know you're still in there. I'm not leaving without you."
Catra gets a good slice into Adora's leg
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Adora: "I don't want to hurt you!"
AND I'VE HIT THE IMAGE LIMIT okay hold on
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artistic-argonian · 5 months
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So I watched season 2 of She-Ra today and I need to talk about this.
Of course, some spoilers for She-Ra season 2 below the cut. I don't intend to make many posts like this, if any more at all, but I almost cried at a cartoon today and it caught me off guard so here we are writing an essay.
So, as you've read in the title I binged the entire second season today and I knew this show would get me emotional and hit hard going in, but one thing I did NOT expect was to find myself getting emotional this early on due to relating so hard to a character, that being the (so far) best girl: Scorpia.
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Ever since her introduction I've loved Scorpia as a character, I've always been a fan of gentle giants who are super friendly but also can kick ass when necessary, and I enjoy her dynamic with Catra and the other Horde soldiers. I like how despite working with the villains she tries to be a good friend and be there for people she cares about, and when I got to the episode, "White Out", I got hit by an unexpected brick of relatability right in the feels.
In the episode we see how Scorpia tries and fails to bond with Catra, who's not too interested as she focuses on the mission and her own emotional baggage, which results in her becoming insecure about their relationship. Later on when she's stuck with Adora, she's jealous and frustrated by how well the latter knows Catra with the two having grown up together in The Horde, feeling that she can't compete with that. She wants Catra to lower her guard and let her in but it's not happening no matter what she does. She loves her and wants her to know she's there for her, but feels like she can't have the kind of connection Adora had with her. This is further explored in her conversation with Sea Hawk, who's got similar issues with feeling insecure in his own relationship with Mermista.
It was during this scene that I found myself actually getting teary-eyed and audibly saying to myself, "Why do I relate so much to this? I didn't expect to feel this way about a frickin' scorpion lady!" And the reason why is because, though not to the same extent or in exactly the same way (I read it as Scorpia possibly having a crush on Catra as well,) in some ways I've been where she is in that scene emotionally. I've had times where I've felt like I want to be close with someone and be there for them, but also like I can't compare to other people in their lives who've been around longer than me. And while I didn't and don't feel neglected like Scorpia does, I'm someone who is (or at least tries to be) very loyal to my friends, and makes an effort to let them know how much I appreciate them whenever I get the opportunity. Though I sometimes worry that because of who I am, it's not enough.
I've had times where I've seen mutual friends who've known each other for a long time (longer than they've known me) interacting and thinking, "God I want to be like that with them," but 1: I'm too shy and 2: I've not known them long enough in comparison to feel like I can, like my bond with them obviously can't be the same. I've had times where I've wanted to be close to people and learn about/get to know them but then worried about rushing or coming across as clingy or overbearing. I want people to be comfortable with me just like I am with them; to be their rock. But then feel like I'm crazy for that, especially if it's over a relatively short amount of time. Like, of course I can't expect that from anyone, nor should I. And so the line, "I can't compete with that... No matter what I do, I can't seem to break down her walls. You two... Even when you're trying to kill each other you can tell there's a real bond there." really struck a chord with me.
But, much like Scorpia in the episode, despite all that, I don't give up. When I care about someone, I'll stay by their side no matter what. Because they matter to me, and as long as I can do anything to help, even if it's just reaching out when I see a friend having a hard time and letting them know I'm there, then I'll do whatever I can and let them know how much they matter. Because that's who I am.
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Thank you for coming to my TED Talk about how a goofy buff lady with claws almost made me cry.
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anti-spop · 4 months
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Ok more ask prompt for choose violence.
16, 17, 18?
Have a good day!
Thank you very much!
16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon etc.)
Hm, probably an unpopular opinion that I've posted a couple times... but I do NOT ship Mermista and Perfuma. They're supposed to be the kind of couple that hate each other but deeply care about one another, but they're just... boring. Annoying, even. Though well, we all know how badly SPOP handles the princesses overall. Still, I feel like people only ship Mermista and Perfuma to mirror C//A, but it doesn't work.
17. there should be more of this type of fic/art
I need art and fics that tackle Adora's trauma WITHOUT MAKING CATRA BE THE ONE COMFORTING HER. Because Catra is the person who hurt her the most (along with Shadow Weaver ofc). Dare I say, I need art and fics that call out Catra and NOT make Catra feel all boo hoo like we see in stuff where she apologizes for Angella's death. I need more content where Adora gets to feel the pain and betrayal and NOT forgive Catra. I know that's asking too much and I know that we might get harassed for trying, but still. I hope one day I see more content like this. I do try writing and drawing it myself, but I haven't really been inspired lately.
18. it's absolutely criminal that this fandom has been sleeping on...
Adorpia, definitely. I'm so sad that Adora and Scorpia never get to interact more after season 3, especially after Scorpia stopped being Catra's friend. Honestly, Adorpia would've made much more sense than Scorfuma, because they would have something to relate to, that being Catra hurting them.
Besides, Adora is canonically into buff/big ladies. I'm so disappointed she didn't get a buff/big girlfriend. SHE DESERVED ONE!!!!
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ben-talks-art · 1 year
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Why I like Nanahoshi
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As I go through my list of favorite fictional characters I keep finding myself surprised by what it is about each of them that makes me like them so much.
I was surprised that the reason I liked Xanatos was due to his cheerfulness, or that I like Bill Cipher from the way they take advantage that he is an animated fictional villain, by Catra being a combination of various things I like merged into one, or even Rachel's simple but really intriguing motivation.
The reason to like a character honestly can be anything. You may like them because of the way they talk, or their design, their goals and ambitions, their backstory, and so on.
When it comes to Nanahoshi, I find that I really like her due to what an interesting twist on the concept of Isekais she represents.
(Warning! This will be a long one... I kinda go on a rant.)
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For those who are unaware, "Isekai" is a term that is related to stories about a character going from one world to another, usually a magical world, where the fun is in seeing how someone from planet Earth manages to finally live the dream of most kids, that being, entering a fantasy adventure like the ones we used to watch in cartoons, play in games, or read on books.
Stuff like Owl House, Amphibia, Konosuba, Reincarnated as a Slime, Sword Art Online, Alice in Wonderland, and of course, Jobless Reincarnation. The idea is usually some form of escapism that allows you to get out of your boring daily life and enter an environment where all the skills and knowledge that were until now basically useless are now incredibly relevant and turn you into some sort of superhero or at least give you some form of advantage over the new place you're going to go.
I have a love/hate relationship with Isekais. I really like the idea of basically entering a fantasy story while knowing all I know about fantasy story tropes and seeing how things turn out... But I have gained a really big personal problem with this concept over the years, and it can basically be summed up in this line:
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"He should be rewarded for his bad life..."
Over the years Isekai stories have basically turned into power fantasies where the idea isn't to explore a new world, it's to allow someone who never did anything special to suddenly become special.
There are so many stories where the premise is basically "You're in a new world with infinite magic! Or infinite ammo! Or infinite strength! Or infinite money! Infinite whatever, and now, every attractive person wants to marry you, every evil person is jealous of you, and every nice person wants to spoil you!"
Isekais have basically turned into "It's your turn now to be happy!" stories, where the goal is to convince the audience that the main character deserves to be praised by giving out the most bare bones of reasons. maybe their parents died, or maybe they never had a girlfriend, or maybe they sacrificed themselves to save someone from being hit by a car.
The overall goal is to make you believe they earn all the praise they're receiving... And I... freaking hate that mentality.
If you read a few of my posts from my list, you should know I just adore seeing a character's relationship with different forms of struggle. I love, love, love watching people being challenged and put to the test to see how they will overcome their hardships so that when they finally do it I can shout "You son of a b*tch! You did it!!"
I like seeing people earn their victories, and I like learning how they do it so that it can inspire me to do the same with my personal challenges... Which is why it annoys me to no end that so many Isekai stories are about just handing over victories on a silver platter.
They have basically turned into entitlement stories. "You've been a good boy in your old life, so now you're entitled to a new life of luxury!" it's the message I get from them most of the time. No struggle, no challenges, here is your reward because we gave some bullsh*t reason to justify that you earned it.
You're basically taking away one of the most vital components of storytelling, the goddamn conflict!
If there is no wall to overcome, the victory of the main character ends up feeling hollow.
But whatever… What the heck does any of that has to do with Nanahoshi?
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To put it simply, she was the one that taught me all that.
Her story is basically a very clever twist on the trope of Isekai power fantasy.
For starters, she doesn't get superpowers after going to a new world. She actually becomes the only person unable to use any form of magic, which means her life has turned into a never-ending minefield where anyone can just destroy her if she ever gets careless.
There is also the fact that she doesn't like this new world. She actually had a boyfriend and a family that she lost because of the transfer and now all she can think about is how to get back.
And to top it all off, she finds out that she's dying as her body doesn't have the means to handle the atmosphere of this new world like the rest of its residents, and hardly anyone knows how to help her out because it's a problem they never had before.
But it doesn't even stop there, because while has to deal with all that, one of her best friends, another human from Earth that also came to this new world, did get a body that can handle magic, much more magic than the common citizen no less, so he ended up becoming a very famous figure known for defeating many monsters and saving dozens of lives, basically regarded as a genius.
Nanahoshi is so tragic because, aside from all these hardships, she still has to constantly look at what she could have been, an invincible hero in a fantasy world. But instead, she ended up as someone that everyone has to take care of at all times due to how fragile she is.
It's such an interesting setup. You go to another world, but instead of living the dream, everything just becomes worse. It gets to a point where just simply eating a nice meal becomes the highlight of her day because everything else is just so miserable.
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All this girl wants is to go home and stay safe and yet she's constantly going through so much.
There is a chapter in particular in the novel that just destroyed me where she breaks down crying about all the things she had been enduring since she arrived, all the things she misses from her world, and just how jealous she is of her friend for having the most perfect life one could ask while she doesn't even know if she will make it to the next day.
I love Nanahoshi because she taught me the value of struggles in storytelling. Struggles are a great way to get you invested and to get you to relate with a character, after all, who doesn't have struggles in life?
Her story is so interesting, and to me, so inspiring that it even got me to make my own novel, where the premise is focused on a girl trying to get home from a fantasy world and all the hardships she faces and the psychological pressure she endures.
The actual novel of "Jobless Reincarnation" itself I have some very mixed feelings on... But the character of Nanahoshi is someone that means a lot to me.
I love her journey trying to deal with the challenges of this world and getting back home, I love her premise of being a twist on the concept of a power fantasy isekai, I love what she represents with the idea of never giving up even when things seem at their worst, I love what she teaches not only to me as a writer for the importance of struggle in a story but as a person for learning to respect the hardships of others...
I just love her! Nanahoshi is awesome!
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Favorite character list>>
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beevean · 1 year
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Fuck it. Proship ask meme. All of them.
Man 😂 ripping off the bandaid, huh
I answered 9 and 15 here, and 10, 11, 12 and 14 here.
1.) What is your favorite problematic theme/trope that appears in a lot of your ships?
Age gap and power imbalance abuse :) the power imbalance creates interesting dynamics and conflicts, and the age gap... well it's just sexy :P
2.) Are there any problematic tropes that squick you out?
Incest, especially if depicted as wholesome or hot. This kind of alienates me from the proship community because incest is super popular (obviously, this is where the shippers flock) and I'm here like, good for you, but no thank you get it out of my sight 😂
3.) First problematic ship since you joined the proship community?
Sonegg? I don't consider myself a member of the proship community, but it was my very first "what is wrong with me" ship lol
4.) First ever problematic ship? (you didn't have to know it was problematic then)
See above. I knew it was "wrong", but hey, I've always been a weirdo.
5.) Ship you don't think it all that problematic, but the rest of your fandom hates?
... see above 😂 Sonegg is super tame compared to some of the other stuff I'm into, and I don't even feel the age gap in their case.
Oh, and Baroryuu, of course. I mean, it has some problematic aspects (Barok's very offensive comments towards Ryuu for a good chunk of his screentime), but I still think the character development of the two is strong enough to make them cute by the end.
6.) Cutest, most vanilla ship you are into.
Sonamy. They're adorable, and that's all they need to be. Even if I disagree with some of the popular takes :P Knuxamy to a lesser extent, I don't know if people have a problem with it... if only because it's a rarepair fhdufhdskj. but they cute too. power duo :D
And of course, Hectaly, who are 100% canon and wholesome and 💖
7.) Ship the antis in your fandom like, but you think is hella problematic?
uhhhhhh well I have many fandoms. I haven't bitched about fan-favorite Lapidot in years, so I might as well now: I relate too much with Peridot having to bend herself backwards to not upset Lapis, only to see herself abandoned by her best friend in a traumatic way, to think of them as wholesome when Lapis didn't even apologize for fleeing like she did.
8.) Ship that is (presented as) cute in canon/fanon, but you think is problematic anyway.
Lenector, as I have extensively explained by now :) and Lapidot as above. Catradora too, even if I'm not super into She-Ra - Catra's abuse of Adora is too extensive to be brushed aside in the last season alone.
13.) Rec a dead dove fic!
I mentioned a dark Lenector fic in the second ask I linked. Here it is <3 It's Hector suffering from severe PTSD and disassociation as Lenore keeps using him as a sex slave. This is the stuff I love, a mind scarred by trauma, even if the ending is not what I hoped for. (also "evil Lenore"? please this is her canon behavior)
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12 and 14?
ok why was it so hard to come up with answers to these?! lol
12: the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them ok, so I tend to either love or hate a character, mostly following the pack or what the showrunners clearly intend for you to think about a character, and if I don't, I tend to remain pretty neutral. and I also tend to put myself in a little bubble of fandom where (most) everyone I interact with has similar (or at least not opposite) opinions as me, so I did some googling because I truly don't know who doesn't like whom.
anywaaaay, not 9-1-1, but I found out a lot of people don't like Glimmer from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power???? I know plenty of people do so maybe this isn't the best character to choose, but I was so surprised to find article after article and post after post against her. There are definitely moments where Glimmer annoys the shit out of me, and she gets a little overzealous at times (a little might be an understatement), but like...first off, she's a child. Secondly, she is grieving (and I have a lot of grief so maybe I just relate too hard lmao), and third, (even though she wants it) she has too much responsibility, especially when her mother tries to keep her locked up safe and sound and (largely) ignorant of the world around her until Adora comes along. I just find her character incredibly nuanced and relatable and realistic. She's not even one of my top favorites (Adora and Catra have my heart ofc), but I can't imagine disliking her as a whole.
14: that one thing you see in fics all the time is this supposed to be something I don't like??? lmao context clues are failing me here, but idk imma talk about something I don't like because that seems fitting for choosing violence lol
now, I try not to judge fanfiction too much, mostly because we're all here trying to have fun and many of us don't speak English as a first language or even if we do, we're all at different levels and ages and there's just no point to being a hater. That said, I have a creative writing degree. I've been nationally recognized for my editing. Please for the love of god use punctuation. That's the main one. Not even a plot point, not even character bashing, but I've recently come across too many fics where there's just...no punctuation whatsoever? Which just makes fics unreadable and illegible and frankly, sad. Because writers are first and foremost, readers, and I can't fathom reading so much that you want to write but still not understanding how periods work?? But I digress (and am speaking mostly in a lighthearted, frustrated-rather-than-angry way).
One thing that really annoys me about certain 9-1-1 fics specifically is when Buck goes by Buck and yet the narrator still only refers to him as "Evan???" it just doesn't make sense to me.
anyway, time to get off my soapbox lol, sorry for being so verbose rn. thank you so so much for the ask!!
send me more y'all! choose violence ask game
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adorascake · 3 years
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if you ever tell someone to harm themselves because of their interests, i hope you find kindness in your heart one day. do you really want to be the cause of someone’s death simply because of one anon? think about the repercussions before sending in an ask. you don’t know what a person is going through.
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Entrapdak Positivity Month Day 5: Disability
I just love these two — and regardless of them being antagonists for much of the show, they’re important to me as representation.
From the beginning, Entrapta is the only person not intimidated by Hordak. He’s caught off guard by her lack of fear, and struggles to maintain control of the situation, but Entrapta isn’t easily controllable. She doesn’t react like most of the Etherians Hordak has encountered, so she’s unpredictable for him in a way he clearly isn’t used to.
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Unlike in her relationships with other characters, here Entrapta’s autism isn’t something she has to “overcome.” It’s just part of her, and in fact, it actually drives the formation of their relationship. She’s able to break down the walls Hordak’s put up just by being herself.
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And Hordak definitely has a lot of defenses that he never expected anyone to try breaking through, let alone succeed. He’s used to pushing everyone away by maintaining the image of someone frightening and powerful. Presumably, this is partly fear of appearing weak which is pretty justified considering how Catra takes advantage of it as soon as she finds out, and partly the shame Prime taught him to feel about his disability.
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Fortunately for them both, it doesn’t work on Entrapta. Hordak doesn’t scare her, he fascinates her — and she wants to help him.
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And she tells him things he really needs to hear as someone dealing with a ton of internalized ableism from abuse, and even builds him an assistive device as soon as she finds out about his chronic illness.
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(god i just. love this scene)
Although Entrapta is a lot more self-assured than Hordak is, she has some significant insecurities too — and it’s not hard to see why, when pretty much everyone treats her like this:
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would be cooler if the show portrayed this as a bad thing but at least it’s realistic lol
I think a lot of autistic people, myself included, know the feeling of being grudgingly kept around just because you’re useful in some way, but not really understood or liked. With the princesses, Entrapta has to accept this as the closest she can get to friendship — and she tries to.
At first, she may seem unbothered by it, but she’s all too aware that she doesn’t fit in with most people. That’s what makes it so easy for Catra to convince her that the other princesses left her behind. They might think she's unable to notice the way they act toward her, but she does notice, and it hurts.
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That’s part of what makes her relationship with Hordak so important. Yes, she helps him a lot, but it’s not one-sided either. He’s the one person who consistently listens to her and respects her, even before they become close.
They both introduce each other to a kind of respect (and love) they aren’t used to receiving, and may not feel worthy of at first, due to ableism and abuse. They understand each other, they help each other, and their relationship is mutually beneficial.
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bonus Relatable Neurodivergent Moods with Entrapta:
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the “no no I swear I’m listening even though I look like I’m not” lol
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and the “wait shit you’re mad?? what did I do? why didn’t you just tell me?”
Also, this scene with Hordak is so relatable for chronic illness/pain:
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It’s exhausting trying to keep going when your body is falling apart and seems to be working against you at every turn, especially when you have to hide that you’re struggling and hold yourself to the same standards as a healthy person.
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anyway, in conclusion: Entrapdak are good rep and I love them. thank u for coming to my ted talk.
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irc-d-x-ao3 · 2 years
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Okay, no, I need to get this out of my chest:
If I see, once again, the "Light Spinner was abusive to Micah" discourse, I will combust.
How on Etheria can you say that after the whole of S1, where you see ACTUAL child abuse!? Listen (actually, read) here, MF, I suffered my father for 8 years, but such abuse I can only see in Catra. Micah wasn't abused, he was TRAUMATIZED. It's a very different kind of suffering. Plus, LS didn't mean to do that to him, while SW very purposely chose to be a nightmare to Catra.
Micah's trauma steems from seeing his Master, whom he admired, turn into a monster with his own eyes. Feeling like this was something that was already brewing but he couldn't see and, by accepting to help with the spell, he allowed it to happen. He saw it as SW having ruinined his Master, LS, which now makes him fear SW can and will ruin everything he loves. That's the whole reason why their brief interactions in S5 are like that. That is TRAUMA, but not abuse.
Catra only knew SW, who raised her and never showed a drop of kindness; Catra couldn't even see that what she did with Adora was mere manipulation. And I'm saying all of this as someone who is VERY obsessed with SW, I even relate to LS because I have been there! (I traumatized my brother and haven't forgiven myself for it) And the portal episode shows what SW could have been if she hadn't gotten so bitter that she purposely kept her wards at arms-length.
So, NO, LS did not do to Micah what SW did to Catra. Her care for Micah was genuine, and THAT is why she then saw care and kindness as a weakness! That is why she made sure not to get attached to her wards. That is why she only accepted that repressed/denied care for the girls in her final moment and elected to quit and erase herself from the equation. As I said, I've been there, so I know what was going on in her head:
1- what would be the point of regretting what can't be undone?
2- even if I regret and apologize for it, no one would believe it, no one would accept the apology, and I'd continue to be seen as a monster; so there is no point in trying
3- they will be better off without me. This is just the beginning for them, let the nightmare perish so their lives are finally free from pain
It doesn't justify anything, but this is something most of us, abused childs, never get. Never
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aprillikesthings · 13 days
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s5 ep2 Launch
ey did you see I posted some cosplay progress
I am v excited :D
anyway time for more She-Ra re-watch
My semi-frequent reminder that these are a re-watch, spoilers ahoy, I make a lot of dumb jokes and talk about other stuff
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eugh
man I know I keep saying this but they REALLY lean into the allusions to Christianity, like he straight up says "remade in my image"
"But first, you must prove yourselves worthy. Your leader, your...She-Ra, she would see you suffer in darkness for her sake" okay Satan in the Garden of Eden
"Cast aside this false hero and deliver her to me" like is he talking about She-Ra or is he Pontius Pilate talking about Jesus (...actually a better analogy is probably Pharaoh talking about Moses)
"Prime sees all. Prime knows all. They will not escape my judgement"
OKAY not to get into religion TOO much, but I keep wanting to point out that the version of Christianity they're repeatedly and non-subtle-y alluding to is absolutely one that exists and gives people a shit-ton of religious trauma. The writers etc are clearly doing this in response to that kind of Christianity. We know Nate grew up in that kind of church.
BUT. It's just so foreign to me.
Like, I've talked to a lot of my friends about how I have what feels a lot like survivor's guilt, because I didn't grow up religious at all--much less in a high-control church. (I was baptized in one, but we left before it could do any harm.) My personal experience of Christianity in the churches I've attended has been really good, non-judgey, and full of queer folks.
So I'm fully aware that the lines about "I see everything and I'M JUDGING YOU (and you are going to special space hell)" is referencing the way a lot of churches portray God. And I'm just like...but that's....not the God I know. That's not the God my church teaches.
But also UGGGH there's a ton of churches that DO portray God this way and I don't want to diminish the harm they do by pulling some "Not All Churches" bullshit! D:
I'm not doing a good job explaining myself. Blargh.
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relatable.
OH HEY they fixed Mara's ship
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Daci and I had a conversation just last night about how, of the few times I have actually yelled at them, it was because I was trying to sleep and they were being noisy, and now if I'm trying to sleep and other people are being noisy Daci will shush them.
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The only thing that excites Entrapta more than robots is space, apparently
But yeah everyone has a conversation about how she did betray them to join the Horde and it's reasonable to worry she might do it again.
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LOL
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don't be a creep, Catra
okay I can't get a representative screenshot, but the bit where Horde Prime takes over a clone's body to in order to tell Catra I'M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU is creepy as SHIT
Anyway he grabs Glimmer and walks off which can't be good
The way Mermista keeps calling Entrapta "geek princess" is kind of cute
ANYWAY Horde Prime is laying it on thick again. "Worlds I brought into my eternal light."
"I take no joy in destruction."
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BLEHHHHHHH
Glimmer lemme use your weapon. If everyone is fuckin' dead there will be peace and won't that be nice :D
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I'm...horribly reminded of my Dad's opinion of the middle east, which was "just kill them all and let God sort them out." He was only slightly joking. Ugh.
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...and this is how she finds out her Dad is still alive D:
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Yeah, I'd feel like shit too
Anyway she says she won't help him, but shattering the pretty globe was unnecessary
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True story: I was on a leash for a bit as a kid. I'm actually not mad about that at all--I had a tendency to wander off (...I still do) and one of my very earliest memories is realizing I was lost in a mall, and going into a hair salon to tell them I was lost because that's what Sesame Street said to do--tell someone who works there. But my memories are still from a toddler's POV--everything in the salon is HUGE and I could stand under the counter.
Anyway leashing Entrapta was a good idea
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LISTEN. I know I've made this joke before. But Entrapta has absolutely made herself robots for sex reasons.
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Either that, or she's made Hordak role play. Possibly both.
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😬
And Entrapta's response of genuine surprise and "are you all...mad at me??"
I remember it was this scene, the first time through, that made me really realize: oh it's not just my headcanon that she's autistic. This was intentional, from the start.
Honestly this whole scene is just too good:
Mermista: "You’re seriously just realizing that? Yeah, we’re mad!" Perfuma: "You don’t consider how your actions affect other people! Even people who are supposed to be your friends." Frosta: "Like us. The ones getting beat up by your dumb bots. And whose kingdoms you almost destroyed." Entrapta: "I’m not good at people. But I am good at tech. I thought maybe if I could use tech to help you, you’d like me. But I messed that up, too. (she runs off) Mermista: "Entrapta, no! I said we have to leave! Can you listen for once in your life?" Entrapta: "I’m sorry I’m bad at listening! I’m sorry I mess everything up!"
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Mermista: "You’re still trying to get the signal?" Entrapta: "Of course. Glimmer needs us."
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OH GOD it's so funny Entrapta walks up to a structure made by Horde Prime and does sexy-voice "ooooh what's inside of youuuu" then slaps herself with her own hair LOLOL
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Anyway she figures out where Horde Prime's ship is but also finds out they're sending more ships to Etheria
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it's like the dream she keeps having but she's awake!!
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too many damn portals in this show
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something about how leaving high-control religious groups sucks because for a lot of people it feels like losing your sense of purpose (I'm mutuals with a bunch of exvangelicals on twitter okay)
"It wasn’t my destiny to be She-Ra, was it? It was random. Light Hope brought me through the portal because she needed to use the weapon. That’s the only reason I’m here. I don’t know what my destiny is anymore. But I know my friends need my help. I guess I’ll just figure it out from there. Thanks for everything."
OH she was asleep after all.
(I hate it when I have those dreams where I get up and start getting ready for my day and then realize I'm still actually asleep. I've had dreams where I do it over and over, too! Not restful at all!)
LOL
Adora: lol I feel great damn Bow: oh thank god BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW AHHHH ALSO THE SHIP IS WORKING AND WE FOUND GLIMMER BUT YEAH WE GOTTA GO RIGHT THIS SECOND
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I love Mermista
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Also, show of hands, how many of us were weird fucking kids and would've killed for someone in our peer group to tell us "you being weird is a good thing"
Thank God for adulthood and finding people who like me the way I am
(but also thank God for learning some social skills)
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yeah. I know that feeling. ;_;
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LOL
but yeah Adora, Bow, and Entrapta take off on the ship :D
aaaahhhh the moment when Glimmer asks Catra to stay. "Just...for a little." And Catra's tiny, quiet, "...okay."
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AND END OF EPISODE, ROLL CREDITS
MAN. this is such a turning point for Glimmer and Catra.
Because at the end of s4 we had this:
Glimmer: "Guess you wanted all my attention for yourself. Your troops are gone. You're all alone. You've lost." Catra: "What are you waiting for? Do it. Looks like we're both alone, Sparkles."
But as she'd just said to Scorpia--"We're the good guys, remember?" So she doesn't hurt Catra. And instead they both get raptured onto Horde Prime's ship, and here they are.
Most of this post is about Shadow Weaver, but I think he's right:
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I think it's less "mental gymnastics" and more that she'd literally just been asked by Scorpia not to hurt her and did the "nah, we're the good guys" line. I do wonder if she regretted not doing it at any point, but I think she's too eaten up by the fact that she set off the Heart of Etheria to worry about whether or not she should've murdered or imprisoned Catra.
But at this point (in s5) they're both terrified: Horde Prime could just kill both of them any time he wanted. He doesn't actually need either of them after all. They're just bait at this point, hoping to get She-Ra, and he's pretty sure either of them will work. (Though does Adora even know Catra is on the ship? I don't think so???) But if it hadn't been for Mara's ship he would have eventually found Adora, at least.
But yeah Glimmer and Catra are both just scared and lonely and and even an enemy is better than no one if they're someone familiar (and not trying to hurt you).
UGH THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD
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galemalio · 4 years
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3 Examples of Racial Bias in Animation Storytelling
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It’s not hard to grasp that a white person, while not explicitly or consciously racist in the sense we might usually imagine, is still inherently racially biased because they benefit from and grow up used to white supremacy.” - Scottishwobbly, Tumblr
This is nothing new. This is something POC (People of Color) have been talking about in separate fandoms. Nevertheless, it needs to be acknowledged by those unaware.
This article is not made to say that some of the animations that I will use as examples are bad. But in the hopes that we, as consumers and creators, will do better in the future in handling characters that are POC. 
Most often, racial bias in storytelling is when the narrative treats white or light skin toned characters better than darker skin toned characters. The darker skin toned characters are often POC-coded or actual POC.
White creators often do not notice their racial bias in their storytelling as they benefit from and grow up with white privileges and white supremacy. This can also apply to light-skinned POC who have light skin priviliges. 
Some of us don’t often see it but real people who relate to the characters of color do. Especially when it reflects from their experiences with racial bias, microaggressions, colorism and flat out racism.
So when they speak up, it’s important to listen to them to unlearn the racial bias we may have in ourselves. 
I will be emphasizing “the narrative” for I am criticizing how the story treats its dark-skinned characters and not because I am criticizing the characters themselves.
This article is critiqued by @visibilityofcolor​ as a sensitivity reader once and then additions were made before publishing. If you’re looking for a Black sensitivity reader, you can contact her. 
This article is a 14-minute read at average speed so buckle up. Unless you want to skip to your show mentioned below. External Tumblr Resources will be put in the reblog.
Here are three examples that I was made aware of. 
Example #1: The Narrative Treats the Light-Skinned Character at the Expense of the Dark-Skinned Character
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Steven Universe was one of the animations that pushed lgbt+ representation in cartoon media. However, there are narratives here and there that showed racial bias. 
SU creator Rebecca Sugar was raised with "Jewish sensibilities" and both siblings observe the lighting of Hanukkah candles with their parents through Skype.[1] Rebecca Sugar also talked about being non-binary.[2] 
But as a white person, she (and the rest of the SU crew) is not aware of the inherently biased values from growing up and benefiting from white privilege. 
One example is the human zoo. There are people that have spoken up about this such as @jellyfax​​ of Tumblr who pointed out that the Crewniverse mishandled a loaded topic and reinforced a white colonist propaganda where the captive humans of mostly black/brown people are naive, docile and childlike in order to subjugate the people that they colonized. .
What I’m here is how a character of color from the main cast is more obligated to the lighter-skinned character. 
In the episode, Friend Ship, one fan had spoken out about how Garnet, who had been validly angry at Pearl, was compelled by a dangerous situation to forgive Pearl. Garnet is a Black-coded character. While Pearl is a light-skinned character.  
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Garnet was mad at Pearl for tricking her into always fusing with her. Then they were trapped in a chamber that was going to crush them. In this situation, they have to fuse in order to save themselves but Garnet refuses to because she was still angry at her. 
In the end, they were forced to talk it out, for Garnet to understand Pearl’s reason for wanting to fuse with her and everything worked out well.
The narrative focused so much on Pearl’s self-worth issues at the expense of Garnet’s right to be angry. 
Yes, it showed that Pearl is trying her best to make up for it but Garnet should have been allowed to work at her own anger at her own pace instead of being obligated to consider Pearl’s feelings over her own. 
I wouldn’t have noticed it until someone had mentioned it. Because it was never my experience. 
But it’s there, continuing the message that it’s okay to put the emotional labor on Black people and disregard their own feelings for the sake of the non-Black people who have hurt them -particularly light-skinned women. 
White Fragility and Being Silenced White Woman Tears
Again, racial bias in animation storytelling is often not intentional because white creators do not experience it due to white privilege. 
Without meaning to, that scene alone shows Garnet as the Angry Black woman trope that is ungrateful and rude to Pearl who then ends up in tears. Without meaning to, Pearl with her light skin, became the tearful white girl trope that had to be sympathized over.
The Angry Black Woman trope is a combination of the worst negative stereotypes of a Black woman: overly aggressive, domineering, emasculating, loud, disagreeable and uppity.[13] 
The Tearful white girl trope comes from the combination of the stereotypes of white women being morally upstanding and delicate and therefore should be protected.[13] 
Which, unfortunately, many white women have taken advantage of.
These two tropes are harmful to WOC (Women of Color) because they experience the "weary weaponizing of white women's tears". This tactic employed by many white women incites sympathy and avoids accountability for their actions, turning the tables to their accuser and forcing their accuser to understand them instead.
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(Image by Виктория Бородинова from Pixabay)
In "Weapon of lass destruction: The tears of a white woman", Author Shay described that white tears turns a white woman into the priority of whatever space she's in. "It doesn't matter if you're right, once her tears are activated, you cease to exist." [11] 
White woman tears have gotten Black people beaten and lynched such as Emmett Till. Carolyn Bryant who had accused 14 year old Emmett Till of sexually harassing her in 1955, admitted she lied about those claims years later in 2007.[15]
In Awesomely Luvvie's "About the Weary Weaponizing of White Women Tears", she states that the innocent white woman is a caricature many subconsciously embrace because it hides them from consequences. [10]
In The Guardian’s article, "How White Women Use Strategic Tears to Silence Women of Colour", Ruby Hamad shares her experience:
"Often, when I have attempted to speak to or confront a white woman about something she has said or done that has impacted me adversely, I am met with tearful denials and indignant accusations that I am hurting her. My confidence diminished and second-guessing myself, I either flare up in frustration at not being heard (which only seems to prove her point) or I back down immediately, apologising and consoling the very person causing me harm."[4]
This is not to say that all crying white women are insincere. But as activist Rachel Cargle said:
“I refuse to listen to white women cry about something. When women have come up to me crying, I say, ‘Let me know when you feel a little better, then maybe we can talk.’”[3]
One of the most quoted words in “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.” is this:
“It is white people’s responsibility to be less fragile; people of color don’t need to twist themselves into knots trying to navigate us as painlessly as possible.”[3]  
When white women cry in defense, instead of taking accountability, People of Color are then gaslighted into thinking they’re the bad guy. This is emotional abuse and a manipulation tactic. 
People of Color shouldn’t have to bend backwards to accommodate discomfited white or light-skinned people who have hurt them. 
How She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (SPOP) Did It Right
Despite SPOP having good lgbtq+ representations, there are other biases in the show. Such as Mara, a WOC whose only purpose was to sacrifice herself for the white protagonist. There was also the insensitive joke in their stream regarding Bow’s sibling that perpetuated an Anti-Black stereotype which Noelle Stevenson has apologized for.[14]
But the scene I have encountered where the Black character was validly angry and his feelings were treated well by the narrative, came from SPOP.
Bow, a black character, was validly angry at Glimmer, a lighter skinned character. Glimmer made a lot of bad decisions, one of them was using Adora and their friends as bait, without their knowledge, to lure out and capture Catra.  
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Glimmer tearfully apologized in Season 5, Episode 4. Adora readily forgave her. But Bow didn't. 
They faced dangers along the way but the story didn't put them in a dangerous situation where Bow has to forgive Glimmer in order to get out of it. 
This was Glimmer's words of apology:
"Look, I know you're still mad at me. Maybe you'll be mad at me for a really long time. I deserved it. And maybe... maybe we'll never be friends like we used to be. But I'm not going to stop trying to make it better. I made a mistake with the heart of Etheria. I should've listened to you and I'm sorry. You get to be mad. For as long as you need to be. But I'm not going anywhere. And when you're ready, I'll be here."
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In short, Bow was allowed to take the time to be mad and not just get over it for someone else’s sake. The story validates his feelings and he was allowed to take his own pace. That is emotional respect the story gave to him.
Example #2: The Narrative Gives Better Endings or Portrayals to Colonizers than Their Victims
Avatar: The Last Airbender has handled dark themes well such as genocide, war, PTSD, disability and redemption with great worldbuilding.
However, I never noticed the racial bias in ATLA until people spoke up of the double standards in ATLA’s treatment of light-skinned colonizers compared to their dark-skinned victims-turned-villains.
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The characters in question -Iroh, Azula, Jet and Hama- are all flawed and well-rounded in a believable way. But how the narrative treats them is unequal.
General Iroh is an ex-colonizer who gets to redeem himself and not answer for his past war crimes, living a peaceful life as a tea shop owner. The only reason Iroh changed was when he was personally affected by the negativity of their military subjugation -his son’s death. It wasn’t the harm of the Fire nation ravaging Earth kingdom villages or cities and affecting millions of people that opened his eyes.
Azula, the tyrannical daughter, had closure of her mother's rejection when she was a child and was able to escape imprisonment.
Jet and Hama, victims of colonization who have done bad things, did not get similar conclusions to their stories OR compensation for what they have gone through from the Fire Nation's colonization. 
Jet was given a second chance but was arrested for trying to expose Zuko and Iroh being firebenders -firebenders who were their enemies for conquering their villages. Then he died from the injuries of the person who had brainwashed and mind-controlled him. 
Hama was imprisoned for life. 
Compared to the sins of the light-skinned colonizers, the narrative didn’t give Jet and Hama the development where they could heal from their trauma, receive compensation for what happened to them and really have a chance in life. 
The dark-skinned victims of colonization just became a lesson to the viewers how they shouldn’t hold grudges for being colonized. The end. They have received consequences for their actions but there is no continuation to their stories after that. 
It almost seems like the narrative is saying that because they have harmed colonizers who have no part in their trauma (and in Jet’s case, some Earth kingdom villagers), they are therefore unworthy to be given an actual chance in life. 
While Azula and Iroh, who have actively participated in conquering, colonizing and attacking the Earth Kingdom itself, were.   
Someone once said that if indigenous people have control over Hama’s story, it would have been done differently. But the ATLA crew are white, non-indigenous people who prioritized redeeming colonizers instead.
The narrative has also affected how the ATLA fandom thinks. If most fans are asked who they would want to be redeemed, the popular option would be Azula over Jet or Hama.
Once again, I don’t think the ATLA crew noticed it due to their racial bias. But still, the harm is done and the racially biased message is continued: 
The colonizers and their descendants don’t have to make amends for the colonizers’ crimes. Or if they do, only lightly since it’s in the past (no matter how recent that past is). 
The colonized who rebel will tend to hurt innocent people and then get a grisly end for getting in way over their heads.  
I would venture as far as to say that the narrative may have the  added subconscious desire to quiet their white anxiety on the vengeance of the colonized. As I have learned when writing about Vodou stereotypes and how they have stemmed from the history of white anxiety of Black vengeance, of Black fetishization and of dissolution of the white race through intermarriages.
In @visibilityofcolor’s blog, someone asked:
 “So I saw some of the really heated debates on here and on twitter about how if Iroh and Azula can be portrayed sympathetically despite their actions then characters like Jet and Hama should've been given a chance too. Do you think that the writers understood the implications of only redeeming characters from the colonizer/fascist nation but not giving the characters who suffered because of their fascism a second chance too?”
To which VisibilityOfColor replied:
“No, because at the end of the day, the writers are white. When it comes to stuff like this, it’s no surprise when we see white writers redeem problematic characters before they actually redeem victims of those racist problematic characters. For instance, Dave Filioni, who worked on both avatar and star wars rebels, did the same thing when redeeming agent kallus who was an soldiers in the imperial army and took credit for a genocide. where as victims of the empire were still painted in negative lights. i really don’t think they understand.
They have this ‘be the better person’ view on things, which is what a lot of white people tend to emulate when it comes to people of color standing up to their oppressors. and unfortunately, these are ideas passed on to children, esp minorities. that they should forgive people and communities who hurt them and ‘be the better person’. this is why white ppl don’t need to write narratives for people of color.”
Example #3: The Narrative Favors the Light Skinned Character Than Dark Skinned Character in Similar Situations
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I would like to reiterate that racial bias in storytelling is often not intentional. I am not saying the creators and the people who support them are bad people. No.
However, I encourage that once a racial bias is made known in our work, it is our responsibility to change them to stop the perpetuation of its harmful message.
Hazbin Hotel is a popular cartoon with whimsical designs and its concept opens the conversation about redemption. The creator, Vivziepop may not have noticed the racial bias in her cartoon as a white Latina [5] that grew up with and benefits from white privileges, along with the Hazbin crew. 
In the Youtbe video, "Hazbin Hotel - How Art took over Writing", Staxlotl states:
“I understand that there was a lot of time and effort put into this pilot, almost three years worth of effort. But I think most of that time was spent into the art and visuals when it should’ve gone into polishing the writing in the characters.”[6]
Once again, I’m not here to critique the characters but how the narrative treats its dark-skinned characters.
The story treats Charlie, the white-skinned, “Disney-esque” protagonist princess differently from how it treats Vaggie, the dark-skinned, more outspoken and protective Latina girlfriend of Charlie who supports the princess’ cause. 
In its pilot episode, both girls experience humiliation. While Charlie is portrayed by the story as someone the viewers have to feel sorry for...
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...Vaggie is portrayed in her humiliation as the butt of the joke for the viewers.
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While they both didn’t like what Angel Dust did, Charlie was sympathized over in the narrative as a moment... 
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...while Vaggie’s angry but valid callouts were dismissed and ignored as part of the comedy.
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While Charlie was someone that needs to be protected in the narrative... 
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...Vaggie is left to fend for herself. 
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Again, I don’t think the creators noticed the racial bias of their cartoon. However, this racial bias is reflected in the harmful perceptions that dark-skinned women, particularly Black women and Black girls, are more mature, tougher and need less protection at a young age.[7] 
This adultification bias perceives them as challenging authority when they express strong or contrary views and are then given harsher discipline than white girls who misbehave.[8] And this continues when they grow up.
In a 2017 study, Black women and girls aged 12-60 years old confirmed they are treated harsher by their white peers and are accused of being aggressive when they would defend themselves or explain their point of view to authority figures.[8] 
This bias also coincides with the Spicy Latina trope of a brown-skinned, hot-blooded, quick-tempered and passionate woman.
Everyday Feminism described this trope as "Although objects of desire for many, the spicy Latina may have too much personality to handle. So much so that she is often viewed as domineering or emasculating." [16]
Sounds familiar? (Look at Angry Black Woman trope above.)
Why is it that a light-skinned character, Charlie, is allowed to be vulnerable and be sympathized while the dark-skinned Latina character, Vaggie, is mocked, dismissed and expected to tough it out?
Severina Ware had to remind the world in her article that relates to the bias against dark skinned characters:
“Black women are not offered the protection and gentleness of our white counterparts. We are not given permission to be soft and delicate. We are required to exhibit strength and fortitude not only because our lives depend on it, but because so many others depend on us. Black women should not be charged with the responsibility of saving everyone when nobody is here to save us.”[12] 
As @cullenvhenan​ of Tumblr has said in her post:
“if you're a white creator and your brown/black characters are always sassy, reckless, aggressive or cold and your white characters are always soft, demure, shy and introverted you should think about maybe why you did that”
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(Image above from Iowa Law Reviews’ “Aggressive Encounters & White Fragility: Deconstructing the Trope of the Angry Black Woman”)
Detecting Your Own Racial Bias
It would be hard. No matter how much you edit and create, you may miss it because it was never your experience. 
So how do we prevent our racial bias from creeping into our creations?
Listen to POC and their feedback.
As @charishjb from Instagram has shared, here is one of the things that we can do (tumblr link here) [9]:
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Consider POC voices. Listen to their experiences. Hire sensitivity POC readers. Put multiple POC voices in positions of leadership in creative projects.
Then we can stop the racial bias that perpetuates again and again in the media. I hope for that future.
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soranis-sunshadow · 3 years
Text
Hordak can’t catch a break even on his birthday...
Oh fandom, you really like this sort of drama don’t you? 
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A few days ago, on Hordak’s birthday, there was this ‘interesting’ post in the tag – since, apparently it’s impossible to get any peace even on that day.
I was  too tired to answer it at the time after being on call the day before so, here’s my delayed answer to all of that:
First off: this post has this bit in it when asked what that person dislikes about SPOP.
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 He doesn’t need to get a redemption and he doesn’t get one in the show. 
None of his actions constitute a redemption arc. The man merely acknowledged his personhood and freed himself from his master and God. That’s what his arc was about: the right to have a personal identity. 
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He gave himself a name and wanted to be his own person. That’s it. That’s all he wanted.
The man was merely freed from Prime’s influence- an influence he was born into since he’s been specifically manufactured to serve as a disposable mass produced soldier and worshipper of Prime.
 If the argument that Catra was “forced” to commit crimes and thus she is not completely guilty of them since she was under duress – then the argument doubly holds for a person who has been directly programmed and conditioned to do so under the threat of death or mental rape (purification).\
Even while away from Prime, he was still conditioned to obey and brainwashed by Prime’s cult. He literally knew nothing else – he was not meant to. It’s how indoctrination works.  
Prime’s clones aren’t people to Prime, they are tools. Those clones, while cut off from Prime still want to serve and please him: That’s what Wrong Hordak’s purpose in the show is- to show us just that.
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Hordak is not considered “OK”  because Entrapta likes him. Hordak is merely shown – by Entrapta that he could live apart from his cult and have worth outside what Prime tells him he has. 
Just like real life cult victims, he needs an outsider to help him see a way out of the cult. The nature of indoctrination and brainwashing makes it impossible for the brainwashed person to know they are brainwashed unless someone points it out.
Now for my favorite thing:
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and
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oh and
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Oh boy… this makes me just so damn uncomfortable.
To offer a bit of context as to why. I have never been on social media before SPOP or in any fandom and as such, I have never encountered the ‘all men are evil’ discourse that seems to infest these places. It’s been quite a bit of culture shock for me. 
What is it that makes anyone think it is ok to judge a person because of an accident of birth? (being born male)
Why does hate for 50% of the human population get such a free pass on these platforms? Misandry is just as terrible as misogyny. You are being biased against another human because of their gender. I don’t care that males are perceived as ‘privileged’ – that doesn’t make it ok to be terrible to them unprovoked. 
How does hating all men help achieve equity?
Do you realize that this sort of discourse is exactly how you radicalize people against the very cause you are championing? You breed hate and adversity for the rest of us who actually want to to have a discussion on the topic. 
I’m a feminist myself (in a country where feminism is hard-work) and let me tell you, making all men hate us does nothing but push away potential allies and make it a lot harder for our voices to be heard.
Feminism is about equality, not women dominating.
Now onto the second post: the one comparing Catra and Hordak with the question of which of them is a better person. 
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This whole war orphans that were personally abducted and tortured into serving the horde HC that some ppl have is really starting to get boorish. This has been going on for more than 6 months. 
I have no idea why everyone thinks he went down chimneys and stealing babies left and right while cackling villainously. The man had a busy schedule of brooding in his lab, wallowing at his inability to use insulated cables and having his device blowing up in his face with the occasional Skype call to Shadow Weaver to see what the Horde is doing. 
And yet, to a part of the fandom, this is what he looked like:
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( @bat-burrito​ made this one and it’s glorious) 
And if you don’t believe me about the lab recluse thing, you don’t have to, the show pretty much states it for me. 
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and 
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+
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Hordak is a recluse that stayed in his lab and let the running of the Horde and most operations to Shadow Weaver and later Catra. He did not personally abuse anyone and he is not the origin of the cycle of abuse.
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Shadow Weaver was a child grooming manipulative woman before she even joined the Horde – she did this to Micah while she was not “evil” or presumably abused by Hordak.
Even if you want to HC that Hordak abused her somehow, he is still not the one who started the cycle: Horde Prime is. 
The whole fandom seems to forget about the eldritch monstrosity that created a whole army of brainwashed slaves to worship and die for him. Prime is the one that sent Hordak to die and gave him the motivation to try to prove himself worthy of life and love. If you want to point fingers, point them at the origin of all of this. This fandom has a strange Prime blindness. He is never talked about when it comes to being the start of all of this.
If Prime didn’t exist, Hordak wouldn’t exist. If Prime hadn’t sent Hordak off to die, then his clone wouldn’t have accidentally ended up on Etheria. None of the things in the show would have happened.
Adora would have died of exposure in a field, the monarchies on Etheria would have continued as they are and the planet would have continued to exist in despondos. 
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He is a dictator, yes. So are the princesses. Monarchies are dictatorships where the ruler is born into power. Hordak gained his through military might while Glimmer was born with hers and enforced it with tradition. I don’t really care to play “who’s the better dictator”. The princesses have their power because of the runestones- magical rocks put there by the First Ones to channel the planet’s magic and use it as a weapon. How come no one talks about that?
Do you think a king/queen keeps their crown without effort or subjugation of their subjects? 
Also, Hordak had never interacted with Catra before SW dragged her before him to be judged. He was indifferent to etherians in general and didn’t seem to care which of them were his underlings so long as the operations were running smoothly. He was more focused on his portal and returning home than on anything else. He did not set out to “ruin lives” or quest for power. What he wanted was to return to his deity and become a mindless part of the whole again – that is as opposite to power hungry as you can get.
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Catra was directly abused by Shadow Weaver throughout her childhood. That makes Shadow weaver responsible for 100% of that abuse.
Catra was found in a box by Adora and adopted by Shadow Weaver. Hordak didn’t know or care that she existed.
He is responsible for the war, he is responsible for the war casualties and the property damage. He is not responsible for Shadow Weaver being a terrible person and mother figure.
Again with the orphan thing. We have 5 cadets in the show. 
Adora was found in a field. 
Catra was found in a box. Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio are unexplained. The only lizard ppl we see in the show are in the Horde or the Crimson Wastes. The other two could just as well be the children of some of the soldiers. 
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I may harp on about what a bitch Shadow Weaver is – the reason I do so is because she is legitimately terrible to the two girls in her care.
I was the unfavorite growing up, I WAS the Catra in my family who could do no right while my sibling was the golden child. I don’t however hate Shadow Weaver. She is a cartoon character in a show and she does the things she was written to do. Hell, she is a very compelling and believable villain. Her motivations are clear and she is consistent. Her voice actress portrayed her splendidly and her character design is superb. I like her but that doesn’t mean that I don’t acknowledge her role in the story. I don’t however make up parts of the story to make her more evil than she was or treat my headcanons about her as absolute fact. 
Again, sigh: Prime is the worst villain in the show. He is quite literally Nyarlathotep and does this to planets: 
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 This to people: 
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and this to the people he created to serve, worship and love him: 
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How is that not worse?
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I love Catra and it genuinely annoys me when people erase her agency or try to paint her as one-dimensional victim. Catra was an antagonist for most of the show and she rocked it! She was 400% more efficient at it than cloneboy. Give the queen some damn respect and recognition! Catra had a lot of agency and her actions moved the plot of the show more than those of the protagonists. (they were mostly reactive).
Catra pulled the lever of the portal in a moment of distress after a breakdown, a Shadow-Weaver related breakdown because that’s how trauma works.
Hordak didn’t make her do it, he didn’t send Catra after Adora either. These were Catra’s choices. They came from a place of hurt but they were her choices still.
The portal was a means of transportation, not a weapon. Building it was not Catra’s mission, it was Hordak’s. He built it so he could contact Prime and either summon him here or go home –whichever course of action Prime wanted. Again, Hordak wanted to go back to this:
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...
The only person who knew the device was dangerous was Entrapta and she tried to warn Hordak about it. Catra was the one who stopped her, violently so, then sent her to die on Beast Island- the fate Entrapta saved her from a season ago. Catra then tried to have Hordak open the portal before it was ready.
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When he wouldn’t – she pulled the lever herself because that is how desperate she had gotten at that point, to show Shadow Weaver how wrong she was. That is how hurt Catra was by her mother figure’s betrayal and abuse.
Don’t take that away from her. Don’t call it curiosity or naivete or whatever. She knew the portal was dangerous but she wanted to prove Shadow Weaver wrong so badly that she didn’t care at that point. She had been pushed that far. 
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Catra’s actions led to Angella’s death but she was not directly responsible for it. She didn’t activate the device to kill Angella, it merely happened accidentally. Catra was however glad it happened and wanted to profit from the aftermath of her death.  
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Hordak didn’t care or plan to kill Angella personally. There is no in-show moment where any of that is portrayed. Since he doesn’t care about the specifics of running the horde seem to know what they are conquering at the moment, it seems that that was usually a task reserved for his second in command. 
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^ - troop movement ordered by Catra
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Hordak doesn’t even know what his own army is doing.
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Again with the Hordak “drilling into orphan’s minds”… I seriously doubt that any of them had ever seen him out of his lab or that he came up with the propaganda himself.
Manipulation is more Shadow Weaver’s game not his. For all of Hordak’s faults, he is not deceptive or manipulative. If anything, he is woefully incapable of spotting lies. (it might have something to do with him being born in a society where lies were almost impossible because of the hive mind and Prime being able to browse his thoughts at a whim- as such, it wouldn’t be a skill he would have been able to develop).
Hordak canonically despises deception and lies.  I really don’t understand where this image of a manipulative and cunning Hordak comes from. He wouldn’t be able to plot himself out of a paper bag if his life depended on it.
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First off.. S4 Catra was his equal, not his subordinate. Don’t take that away from her. She earned it.
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He doesn’t look that threatening here... 
And again:  Prime created the system. He made clone slaves and programmed them to serve. His clones have hardware installed for the express reason to facilitate his control over them. He has a religion in place to make sure their thoughts do not stray from his purpose. I am legitimately boggled by this fandom’s tendency to completely forget about his existence.Does anyone really think that these people that are born “prechipped” and programmed to know nothing but Prime’s Light are really knowledgeable about human morality?
That they would know that conquest is bad when that is the express reason for their creation? 
If I were born in that situation, I’m not sure I would have known any better. Hell, if any of the clones even try to disobey Prime, they would get either mindraped (erased) or killed for the effort. They really have no choice, even if they knew that killing in Prime’s name is wrong (they don’t) they really can’t do anything about it. They have no choice but to be what they were made to be. I find it personally abhorrent when these designer slaves are held accountable for what Prime has made them do.
And to the people that say Hordak was free of Horde Prime once he was stranded on Etheria.. That is not how indoctrination works. The fact that I can’t go to church this Sunday because I’m locked in the house and can’t find the keys doesn’t make me an atheist.
Hordak was serving Prime even on Etheria. He keeps mentioning it to both Entrapta and Catra. He started the war because that’s what he thought Prime wanted of him and that’s what he’s been programmed to do. Personal and informed choice really doesn’t factor into his decision at all.
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He is not sympathetic because Entrapta likes him. Notice how I haven’t brought up his relationship with her up to this point?
He is sympathetic because he literally had no choice but to do the things he was indoctrinated into doing. He was build and programmed for it, just like all the other clones. They are not able to deviate from that because of the way Prime functions and rules over them.
There is no point in the show where Hordak relishes over his status as a ruler or the “luxury” it affords him. He does not engage in the same behaviors his progenitor manifests.
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There is no point in the show where Hordak relishes over his status as a ruler or the “luxury” it affords him. He does not engage in the same behaviors his progenitor manifests. He attempts to emulate Prime in order to project authority in the only way he knows how but since those are some really big shoes to fill, he is woefully inadequate. 
If Hordak had been power hungry, he would have stayed in despondos and ruled his own faction. Being away from Prime is the most powerful and autonomous he’s ever been and yet, he wants to throw all of that away in order to be a powerless, nameless part of the whole. What Hordak wanted was to be enslaved by Prime because that’s what he had been created for.
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“vengeful” – and how did Hordak manifest this vengefulness? Who did he take revenge on in the series?  
“apologize” – when and where in his 3 minutes of screentime would he remember everything after 2 mindwipes, realize that the whole worldview he had since inception is wrong, realize that he had been mistaken into doing the horrible things he did and then go to all of the characters and apologize for it?
Would anyone be convinced of that had it happened in 3 minutes? I’d rather they don’t redeem him than do a shit job at it.
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Very true. He’s not a better person. He’s just a person in an impossible situation. Both Hordak and Catra were handed a raw deal, I don’t understand why everyone insists on pitting them against one another. They both did bad things and they were both in horrible situations. The specifics don’t really matter since neither of them would have done the things they did had they been more fortunate.
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This is the exact reason for which I don’t hold Cara’s actions against her. Catra’s only model of success was Shadow Weaver. She emulated her abusive mother figure because she had no other example and because she wanted to please that woman. It does not excuse the way Catra acted but it explains it.
I really don’t understand why some people want Catra punished. I’d rather she get love and help. That is what she needs. In time, she will want to do better and be better by herself. She doesn’t need to be forced, heavens know, she’s been forced enough as it is.
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They are really different. Catra got an abusive, shitty and violent childhood. Hordak got this:
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He was literally robbed of a childhood. 
She was taught by Shadow Weaver that weakness gets you killed. Hordak was not allowed to have emotions to begin with, or thoughts of his own, or a name...
Comparing to victims of abuse to see which one of them is more likable is such a strange concept to me.
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Catra was robbed in s5 too. I don’t hold that against her. I  blame it on the writers. S5 could have been a lot better. 
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cruelfeline · 3 years
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Hello! I've seen recent discourse on twitter between Hordak stans and other SPOP fans. I'm sorry if that has helped sour your view of Catra's character. As someone who really relates to Catra, I really wish SPOP was a show back when I was a kid (I'm 25 now) so I could see myself in her and how she grew so I could try not to make the same mistakes I did with my friends just because the abuse I endured left me very jaded. Despite trying to distance myself after apologizing, my friends were too kind and forgiving and still wanted to stick by me. I've tried to make up for how I've acted towards them ever since and we're best friends this day. Her arc is important to me and many other people. But I also see how Hordak had a tragic background and should be given due consideration should he want to redeem himself like Catra has been trying to do (the last couple of seasons were a start, there will be no 100% redemption for either of them ever it's just a matter of trying to be better every day). I'll admit I'm not a big fan of him, but I do realize that he's a sympathetic character. And many clone takes are very interesting to read through as well! Sorry for the rambling, it's just all this Catra vs. Hordak stuff is tiring. Honestly would like to see them be kind of like grudging allies since they'll likely get a lot of backlash from Etherians 😬. Anyway, I hope you have a great day!
Thanks for coming over and saying hello!
I’m glad Catra provides you with meaning; it’s wonderful that people are able to connect to these characters in an emotionally significant way. I know that a good portion of the fandom has that experience with Catra, and that’s lovely for them.
And said portion needn’t like Hordak! No one need to really; we all like the characters we like for personal reasons, and it’s very much out of our control in the end. Or, well; at least, it’s out of mine!
The Hordak portion of the fandom simply dislikes being villified, or having others insist there is something wrong with us, for enjoying a cartoon character. Which is, I think, where most of the discourse comes from. And why we tend to stay here in our Tumblr corner, rather than venture onto Twitter where the unpleasant fans live.
But it’s always nice to talk to a pleasant Catra enjoyer, so thanks again for coming over!
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androgynousblackbox · 3 years
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As a girl from Mexico I actually didn’t liked that they confirmed Catra to be Latina because to me she fills the “spicy”, “jealous”, “abusive” Latina stereotypes, yet I know many friends who love, relate and appreciate her character, so I guess it’s a matter of subjective opinions.
I personally still don’t fully understand how does that even work. Like, for example, Vaggie from Hazbin Hotel IS latina because she was a human latina before dying and since she retains all her memories and mind as a human latina, she still is even on hell. Luz from Owl House is a full human latina on a fantastical world. But Catra is like... an furry... from another galaxy, doesn’t she? What is latine about her exactly? Where I am supposed to see myself  or any of my latina friends on her? Like, don’t get me wrong, if someone feels themselves on Catra and can easily see her as latina or even something else entirely, I am not taking that away from them. But I literally have no clue where the reasoning comes from or what it’s supposed to mean. I feel the exact same way when people say that Amethyst from SU is “latina coded” because, like, I literally never saw that. Being latine is not a race or a amount of melanim in the skin, it’s just about where your ancestry comes from, so I have a really hard time understanding WHAT gringo creators are thinking when they declare their non human characters to actually be latines without ever establishing they have anything to do with latin countries or latin cultures. It sounds to me as ridiculous like randomly declaring this character that doesn’t speak french, has never been to France, doesn’t have any family from France, and has no idea what even France is to be french actually. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Unless Noelle came out saying more, it looks like they meant “latina” in the same way you say “black” or “white”, but those are not equivalent terms at all because of what I said. But having said that, you are allowed to have your own feeling about it, anon! Not everyone has to like the same thing or feel the same way about them and that is fine, as long people aren’t assholes about it towards anyone. I am glad your friends enjoy Catra and I hope you get to find a character that you get to enjoy too. I personally like to HC Adora as argentina and that is almost literally for no other reason because I saw cute fanart about it.
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