#he’s an anti imperialist KING

[antiracist-tolkien]

Harad Through Fandom Eyes

Plenty of people acknowledge that LOTR's Haradrim, Easterlings and Variags are racist. However, I've seen less discussion about how fandom adds even more racism into the mix. This seems to be mostly because many people have very little knowledge about West Asia and North Africa, aka WANA [Why say WANA/SWANA instead of Middle East?] and what anti-WANA racism looks like.

I'm going to focus on Harad because this is the region that we know the most about. If you need a brief refresher:

Harad, or Haradwaith, is the region south of Gondor. There's a long history of violence between Harad and Gondor which dates back beyond Gondor even existed, to when Numenorians colonised Harad and repressed the people. Since then there were multiple wars and for long periods of time Gondor occupied parts of Harad. The Haradrim fight for Sauron in LoTR, partially due to their hatred of Gondor.

Harad is divided into two. Near Harad is strongly North Africa coded, and Far Harad is sub-Saharan Africa coded.

(Image description in alt text.)

Tolkien uses multiple different names to refer to the people of Harad (Haradrim, Southrons, Swertings, etc.) However, these seem to be the people of Near Harad, who he differentiates from the people of Far Harad. (There's some serious anti-blackness in this next quote, so skip over it if you need to. I only put it here as evidence that the use of Haradrim/Southrons in LOTR refers to Near Haradrim.)

[...] Easterlings with axes, and Variags of Khand, Southrons in scarlet, and out of Far Harad black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues. - Return of the King

There is more to say on this than I would be able to fit into this post. There's a discussion to be had about Tolkien's textual and real life relationship with Black people. There's also a discussion that needs to be had about how Tolkien's racism is often excused with the idea that he was a 'benevolent' or well-meaning racist, a product of his time. It's an excuse that ignores the violence of quotations like this and the way that he wielded his whiteness against Black people in academia and writing.

I don't have time or space for those discussions in this post, but I want to acknowledge them.

What I want to discuss here is fandom portrayals of Haradrim. I'm not going to talk too much about the in-text racism, because that has been extensively covered elsewhere. But in summary:

The idea of the good white guys conquering the lesser brown 'Men of Darkness' is inherently racist

Tolkien's description of the Haradrim, such as repeatedly describing them as a cruel and warlike people, is also racist

The one paragraph where Samwise feels empathy for a dead Haradrim soldier does not lessen the racism.

With that out of the way, let's talk about fandom.

There's a gaping void in the information we're given about the Haradrim, so of course fandom attempts to fill the gaps. Fans often take inspiration from WANA. But many fans don't actually know that much about WANA and don't realise how much of their perception of it is based on racist and imperialist propaganda.

In fannish depictions, Harad all too frequently becomes an exotified fantasy that pulls from Western perceptions of WANA. Orientalist ideals of a mystical, magical, and yet dangerous place predominate the fannish idea of Harad.

The first thing that you should know about WANA is that it's an extremely culturally, religiously and geographically diverse place. If your depiction of Harad is entirely desert, or made of a culturally homogenous people with a narrow range of skin tones and features, you need to expand that. Equally, depictions of Harad as more 'socially backward' than other areas of Middle Earth stem directly from racist propaganda.

Too many stories write Harad as misogynistic and homophobic, often in direct contrast to other areas of Middle Earth. As many WANA people have pointed out, these kinds of sweeping generalisations are often specifically targeted at WANA because of racism.

Mysterious cursed objects from the 'far away lands of Harad', decadent sultans, the fetishization of cultural practices like belly dancing; these are all forms of Orientalism. Female characters may be sexualised, shown as seductresses or members of harems. (By the way, Westerners tend to have a very incorrect understanding of what harems actually are/were. They were the part of a Muslim household reserved for women and pre-pubescent boys. It was outsiders who perceived them as fundamentally sexual spaces and created the modern tropes of sexual harems.)

Male characters may be violent, cunning, greedy, dangerous and strange. There may be public executions and enslaved peoples, regardless of the complete absence of a textual basis. All of these things stem directly from racist ideas of WANA as 'barbaric' and 'uncivilised'.

In fact, Haradrim were once enslaved by Numenorians. They were victims of violent colonisation that continued into the days of Gondor. They have every reason to hate the 'Men of the West' and fight against them.

On a final note, the most major and dangerous WANA stereotype is the portrayal of WANA people as terrorists. This isn't a trope seen in Tolkien's works because it's primarily a post-911 phenomenon. But it's something that you must be conscious of if you're writing about Harad or other WANA-coded regions.

#harad #lord of the rings #meta #racism in tolkien #tolkien fandom racism #personal thoughts

[punkeropercyjackson]

The Atla fandom is a really good example of how persecuted people who fight back vs their oppressors are treated.Aang lived a happy peaceful life with other tibetan monks-nomads until the Fire Nation saw them as a 'threat' for no actual reason so the Air Nomad genocide happened and after being unfrozen,Aang had to face the harsh reality of the whole world and did a lot of good for it by doing tons of damage to the FN and other corrupted groups and gave tons of kindness to those he was trying to protect and save from them out of the goodness of his heart but he has a belief from his culture that's not inherently bad but goes against western ones and he said a few bad things out of non-malicious ignorance and his young age so he's branded a bigot,an 'apologist' and even a fascist

Zuko's the son of an imperialist king that gave him every privilege under the stars bar his love and taught him legitemate toxic masculinity and racist ideologies that he weaponized in his search of Avatar which in of itself is an act of racial violence because it was a hunt to down a survivor of etchnic cleansing BECAUSE of their heritage to kill them and even after Zuko's redemption arc,he still dosen't let go of his bigotry and dosen't try to or even get called out on it!Suki and Sokka LAUGHED at him mocking Aang's dead people and Aang didn't even get mad at him for his significant amount of other anti-Air Nomad jokes and in a meta sense,he's treated better by the narrative than Azula because he's male.There are zero redeemed female villains and he never got oversexualized like she did and you cannot remove her japanese/east asian-coding and her gender in this context considering what irl underaged easian girls are seen like and treated as

Zuko did damage and he did make up for it too but only to the Gaang and Aang never did any damage to begin with,he was entierly Zuko's victim pre-season 3 and a victim of his people as a whole.But 'Zuko was never truly evil' because it was how he was raised and AANG is worse than him by virtue of not being conventionally attractive and openly nice instead of a brooding emotionally constipated dickbag with anger issues and unrestrained violent tendencies.The Fire Nation are the REAL good guys and the Air Nomads had it coming because they were different

You think i'm taking things too far?Japan WAS historically an imperialist nation,Tibetans ARE victims of genocide and the Atla crew choose that specific coding on purpose from their research.And you missed every message they told us with Aang and Zuko,including Aang's friendship being why Zuko was able to see how shitty of a person he was and unlearn propaganda and fucking DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT instead of wallowing in his own pity as if he wasn't active persecutor beforehand and THAT'S why his redemption arc was perfect.Aang is every victim of our fucked up society that's bitten the hand that maimed him and you think he's the REAL monster for it because he won't conform or whitewash himself.You're a genuinely disgusting person if you hate him and you should be embarrased that you do it over Zuko as if you're anything like him

And if you're going to insult me and speak over me about this post?Congratulations,proving my exact point

#aang #zuko #aang and zuko #pro aang #aanglove #pro zuko #azula #pro azula #air nomads #anti fire nation #pro kataang #kataang defense squad #katara deserved better #pro maiko #pro zukka #pro jetko #pro ty luko #atla geekery #pastel punk aang #genderfluid aang #audhd aang #autistic zuko #trans zuko #dadko #anti zutara #racism cw #genocide cw #victim blaming cw #pastel punk tag #summerposting

[onesunofagun]

The implications on Ganondorf and his background in TotK suggest some very interesting things to me.

First of all, like. I love him. He specifically did not disappoint me. His JP audio fucks so hard. I love his design. He's glorious.

And Hyrule as an imperialistic divine hegemony is not a new concept in the slightest, obviously, the Ganondorf corner of the fandom have known and discoursed about the potential story ramifications of those themes since OoT, but Fujibayashi really went ham on it in his run. (And look. Zelda is made in Japan. Framing a divine imperial authority as a good thing narratively is pretty par for the course JP nationalism, to be really blunt. It is what it is. Grain of salt.)

But I do appreciate that it revisited some OoT plot beats even if it... really drove that point home again in retrospect

I guess new fans are in for a treat unpacking that;;;

Anyway in the BG of that, I'm interested in the particular minutia of what was happening with this Ganondorf specifically to flavour his particular brand of 'fuck you'

And a few important points that give broader context to things are these and I'll put under a cut bc spoilers obviously--

Rauru's repeated 'invitations' to join Hyrule and benefit from their protection (presumably some advanced technological access or strong magical allies as part of that promise, which I believe is probably anti-monster focused within world context) which Ganondorf as a King has very much ignored (and good for him tbh).

Clearly, he has an interest in keeping Gerudo independent.

Ganondorf is acknowledged as a Hero to his people. Not only does this heavily resonate with the very particular themes of his actual character design and both its Buddhist reference and Samurai trope homages, but like-- we're actively shown an explanation for WHY he may be considered such.

Being who he is, he's already magically inclined with a kinship to monsters. We are unapologetically shown him in command of a Molduga Army. Trained Moldugas, under his command-- and not under specifically his mystical command, either, but musically conditioned. Trained to follow sound based command cues, which makes plentiful sense given Moldugas are sound sensitive and Ganondorf usually has musical inclinations. Plus it's Zelda franchise, magic command music is also very much a thing but--

Moldugas are, at least medicinally, very important resources. On a larger scale, they're also a very present threat to desert dwellers and travellers, and from the looks of it in much larger numbers, back then.

Given the context of everything, Ganondorf was a badass even before 'he took a magic relic and fucked up the Hyrulean Royal Family' as he tends to do. Sporting as ever, he fights Link one on one as just a Gerudo, also showing once again that he does in fact have some personal code of honour when it comes to fighting worthy opponents. But it gives us a yardstick of how capable he probably was even before he nabbed the tear.

Capable enough of tangling with most big uglies in the desert, such as Moldugas, which he has at least trained and at most maybe even raised.

Exemplified Power as he ever is, I'd like to point out that in this case, he's demonstrating a flipside of what Power looks like-- benevolence, protection, guardianship. Once again, we have the pieces that indeed he is capable of that and showing that to his own people. He also flexes the Molduga Army as a show of Gerudo and its own power.

To anyone other than Rauru, who is an incredibly powerful Sage already, a Molduga Army would have absolutely won the day, I think. The reaction of the other Gerudo is pretty telling.

Ganondorf's faction were deeply shaken by the display of Rauru's power. And as a guy that's been knocking on your King's door and saying 'you should come and bend knee to me' when Gan already has the worst problem in the sands sorted out?

Very understandable.

From their perspective -- what do they need protection from, exactly, if not Hyrule itself? Their monster problem is a non-issue. From the viewpoint of Gerudo loyal to Ganondorf, everything about this looks like a pressured threat.

Which comes back around, of course, to what Ganondorf plainly lays out to Rauru when he gains the tear-- this is because Rauru tried to control him. And yes, that's Ganondorf and his pride and his nature in full tilt too. He will not be pulled beneath anyone or anything.

But that's the point about that hubris on Rauru's part, he felt superior and he underestimated both Gerudo and Ganondorf-- as a warrior and a leader, and as somebody who was likely managing things very well on his own.

But I mentioned factions. This is something that should be made clear.

Pointed ears are, canonically, associated with faithfulness to Hylia and/or the worship of Hyrulean spirits. This gets debated all the time, but that's the fact of it. We have been shown again and again that humans from outside of Hyrule have round ears (as long ears are associated with hearing the voices of the gods; ie being open to them). Exposure to Hyrulean aligned divine elements can lend pointedness to previously totally round ears. We see this happen.

It has been doubled down upon that the ancient Gerudo (such as in oot and FSA, with FSA having the introduction of the floral association in Gerudo design and OoT heavily centering mirrors in their spiritual practices) worship different deities, whether derivatives of Din or Hylia or completely different myth. The Goddess of the Sands has been confirmed as a deity that Hyrule itself views as evil and false.

I generally interpret this to mean that part of the reason boils down to this-- Hyrule's main concern is that pointed ears are living lives closer to the gods, and therefore more insulated against corruption and demonic influences. Rather fittingly, their patron's foremost spiritual antagonist tends to find his reincarnation in unprotected, non-Hyrulean tribes who are 'open' to demons.

Now that may be another layer to what Rauru means when he says protection, also. Worshipping the 'right gods' affords certain protections (and certainly supports the security of Hyrule itself).

In SkSW, by the way, there's a really cool point of questioning early human society too-- the fire temple depicts demons and monsters and snakes quite a bit, and these were built in a time when I suspect the humans were mostly a large proto-people.

Sidenote: I think Hylia's faithful went to Skyloft and generally shook out to be the Hylians we know later, where some stayed on Earth to serve Hylia's plan and became Sheikah, many more people were transformed into demons in a reverse-Batreaux situation, and some humans just scattered far and wide to avoid conflict.

Anyway that temple depicts Bokoblins making hand signs and long story short, the overall motif and meaning of that temple shows demons offering to teach things, approaching humans with a different kind of enlightenment. Whoever built that temple was very much in a state of open spiritual and mystical curiosity.

Now the takeaway there is, ultimately, the ancient Gerudo very much seem to be descended from such a sect of people. They have their own gods, and they're not part of Hyrule proper, and they have round ears because of it.

Botw departed from that very clearly, but in doing so, also erased and replaced almost all traces of the ancient Gerudo deities with new Hylian analogues.

The Seven/Eight Heroines count as Hylianised deities, and I believe the reason for this-- first suspected in botw but I feel it's weightier after totk-- is that they represent tear holders / Hylia aligned Sages in the seven group (edit: and apparently a Hero in the Eighth) such as those in the decline timeline. They are functionally the reason that the Gerudo of modern day possess long ears-- even where they are selective in what they worship, they are still worshipping Hylia aligned aspects of Divine Hyrule.

And in case this wasn't absolutely irrefutable to me beforehand, the ancient Gerudo Sage from Rauru's time is both loyal to him, and possesses pointed ears under her camel mask.

I would also point out the Hylians of Rauru's time seem to have longer ears in general, probably owing to having a Zonai King, ostensibly a Hylia aligned Deity himself.

Ganondorf's ears are rounded, of course. He clearly doesn't believe in Hyrulean worship even in lip service, and it's little wonder why.

But following another beat of OoT, that ancient sage is a very obvious Nabooru type character. And, in much the same way, that suggests that even when Ganondorf was King of the Gerudo only, there may have already been factions splitting up amongst their people based on spiritual practices.

I don't think it's beyond the pale to speculate there may have been a mixture of Gerudo at the time who had both pointed ears and round, signalling the confusion from and conflict between their spiritual leaders.

It seems likely that a schism probably existed, regardless of ears, but that schism-- and the sage who may well have been leading it-- may have been caused by people who decided respond to those calls from Rauru and join Hyrule without their King.

Which gives a lot more context to why Ganondorf would be in the mood to send a giant Molduga shaped "back off" Rauru's way, also.

I take particular note that Ganondorf's destruction intentions are faced towards Hyrule and her allies, and specifically those who oppose him in that goal. And while I concur that his whole Red Inheritance party ran hard and may well have had a decent hand in frightening the bejeezus out of the Gerudo who were previously faithful to him-- maybe even inadvertently sent some running for camp Hyrule-- it seems he considers modern day Gerudo, fully converted to pro-Hyrulean status, to be traitors.

We have no idea what happened to the Gerudo who followed him, so that's really up in the air as to how messy that may have gotten.

Even the woman who plays to summon the Molduga has pointed ears though, so I tend to lean that his camp got converted to Heroine worship (or at least those with pointed ears mostly did if the mixed ear situation was happening).

But heck, it would not be the first time some Gerudo got ran outta dodge after a King went belly up.

Food for thought.

#ganondorf #legend of zelda #ocarina of time #long post #totk #totk spoilers #botw #gerudo #zelda #zelda meta

[disco-cola]

im german and really mad and disgusted about germanys extreme pro-israel (turned pro-genocide) stance but what some of you might not know is that this is actually something thats not always been this way. when germany was divided into east and west and the GDR/east germany was its own entity after 1949 (stayed a soviet satellite state though in contrast to the western part of germany which was under control of the usa/britain/france aka the kings of colonialism), the government of east germany actually described itself as "anti-zionist" because the GDR considered itself an "antifascist state" and viewed israel as a "fascist state" (so no, the politics there have not only just been racist and discriminating under netanjahu, its been a problem since its inception) that would have to be fought (never officially though). east germany existed as its own country between 1949-1990 and never recognized israel, however did recognize palestine and was an ally of the PLO, actively arming them to "fight" against the occupation and oppression. it was only when the wall came down and germany was re-unified as one country in 1990 and the rest of the eastern bloc fell apart in 1991 shortly after and the capitalistic west took over control and influence that the stance of germany as one shifted, and palestine is not recognized anymore ever since. i wrote a few days ago that there used to be the official UN-resolution 3379, declaring zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination. it was voted for through a big majority in 1975, the countries who actively voted against it were mostly located in north america and the european west plus australia (dont forget about australias history though, it explains this), whereas most of the rest of the eastern and southern part of the globe actively voted for it. you have to understand that in the entire soviet union and its satellite states (like east germany) anti-zionism was widely spread because zionism as a political ideology in real life practice went so much against communist values that they considered israel fascist and imperialistic, also due to its connection with the united states in particular. so just after the ussr and its satellite states fell apart, literally in december 1991 the same month the ussr officially ceased to be, the usa under (first) bush republican presidency came forward to pressure the UN to revoke resolution 3379. the statement by bush literally reads like gaslighting, completely twisting and re-making what zionism means in practice, and especially what it meant and continues to mean in reality for palestinians until this day, in fact he never adressed them at all. it was only then that a lot of countries did a complete 180 (minus most arabic countries) and after 16 years the resolution was revoked. not even 3 full years later, in 1994, israel began building a bigger barrier around gaza which then turned into the whole ass barb-wired-super-surveillance wall we still see today. so yeah. dont tell me all this is not connected to western imperialism and capitalism. like most evil in the world, that is its entire basis.

#free palestine #why is it always the two of you responsible for trouble @ USA @UK #the colonizers of yesterday just stand with the colonizers of today #fuck capitalism #fuck imperialism #fuck the entire west #my family is from east germany which might explain why they never argued with me about this

[marbleheavy]

Books That Rocked My Shit and Should Be Added to Your 2024 TBR

i love love talking about the books i’ve read and as the year approaches it’s close, here is a list, in no particular order, of books that really did numbers on me and should be added to a new year tbr!! it’s a mix of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction/memoir

1. Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History RF Kuang

Robin Swift, a Cantonese orphan, is adopted by an Oxford professor and trained for years in linguistics and languages so he can become a student at Oxford University at the Royal Institute of Translation (Babel). Babel handles all of the British empires linguistic concerns and, most importantly, it’s magic. Silver bars are inscribed with words that mean the same thing in different languages and the meaning lost between the translation enchants the bad. At Babel, Robin befriends his class, three other non-traditional Oxford students, and starts to see how Babel is used to serve the empire. He gets involved with the Hermes society, an anti-imperialist secret society, and gets caught between them and Babel as Britain declares war on China.

You know this book was gonna be on this list. It’s actually kind of cheating because I read it for the first time last year but I did a reread this September and my god, it’s so stellar. It’s a very fresh concept that revolves around the classical and the tension between those two is just delicious. My post structuralist heart that believes our world is composed of language was just beating out of my chest this entire book. Oh!! And don’t even get my started on the alternate/sub/second title!!!!

2. Why Religion? by Elaine Pagels

Elaine Pagels is a scholar of religion who has done extensive research into early Christianity and Gnosticism, and is known for her involvement and study with the Nag Hammadi documents, a collection of texts discovered that are thought to be early Christian and gnostic gospels. Using her robust academic background, Pagels explores her personal relationship to religion through a series of essays in this memoir-esque book. She writes about her time being religions and non-religious as well as the profound hardship and grief that she experienced throughout her life that led her to ask “Why religion?” and find her own answer.

This book is phenomenal. I was introduced to it in a religion course I took this semester and it has fundamentally changed my relationship to religion, even as someone who considered themself to be more or less an atheist. Pagels’ writing is intelligent and poignant but not difficult to understand. This isn’t a scholarly work and I would call it more of a rumination than an argument. The main note I have for potential readers is that it is very Christo-centric and also doesn’t spend much time with biblical canon, but considering this is a memoir and not an attempt to rationalize religion for anyone other than Pagels herself, I was not put off by it.

3. Bad Fruit by Ella King

Chronicling Lily’s life after graduating high school and starting at Oxford, the book revolves around her relationship with her mother. Her mother, from Singapore and with a troubled past that Lily begins to understand, becomes increasingly erratic and unhinged. As she does, Lily follows in her footsteps as she seeks to appease her mother while also trying to break free from her control. The central mage in the book is a cup of spoilt orange juice that Lily always tastes first to make sure it’s right for her mother.

First off, fruit. You know I’m always down bad for a book with fruit is the main motif! This is such a fantastic book exploring mother-daughter relationships, inherited trauma, and cyclical abuse. It’s devastating but never heavy handed and the writing is really fantastic. I think about this book all the time and how every character is so well written and so intensely fallible but never denied humanity.

4. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

A fictionalized retelling of the Hongwu Emperor, the story follows a young girl who assumes the identity of her brother, Zhu Chongba, after he dies. The original Zhu was promised greatness and in the wake of his death and to survive alone, the new (and perhaps real) Zhu joins a monastery. The story is set during Red Turban Rebellions against the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty and after many years at the monastery, Zhu joins the Red Turbans and rises among the ranks all while she attempts to conceal her deception. The story also follows General Ouyang, a Mongolia general, as he struggles with his own status among the Mongols and his hatred for Zhu. The book follows the interpersonal struggles of the characters while the overarching war between the Red Turbans and the Mongols rages on and, often, intersects with the personal.

I read this book in two days and was just beside myself. My synopsis can’t even begin to cover the complexities of this book, it is trusty one of my favorites I’ve ever read. It is SO good. There were moments where I was left gaping at the page, I was so enthralled!! I’ve heard some people didn’t vibe with the pacing of the book because it spans so many years, but I read it’s o quickly that it wasn’t an issue for me. The way that gender and sexuality are handled in this book was so well done and very much a reminder that queerness and the experiences that come with it aren’t always able to be articulated, especially by contemporary language and labels. And the parallels between characters!! Zhu and Ouyang!!! I really don’t think anything I can say can do this book justice because it’s just fab. Really spectacular!!

5. Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón

Ada Limón is the current poet laureate of the United States and this is an earlier collection of hers. This poetry collection explores identity, place, and loss with an overarching feminist oomph. The books is in four sections, each embodying a different experience or theme but all interconnected. Limón’s writing is clear and vivid and her command of language is incredible.

This collection is fabulous! Although not my usual pick, Limón’s style radiates off the page and her skill is so obvious in every poem. She is so aware of space in all her poems and every word is picked with precision. Even in the moments of loss and grief that Limón writes about, her optimism is tangible and infectious. “How to Triumph Like a Girl” is one of my favorite poems ever and seeing it in context with the rest of the collection gives it so much more life. If you’re new to poetry, I would definitely check this out!! If you’re a regular poetry reader, you should also check this out!!

I have a million more books I want to talk about but this feels sufficient!! If you end up reading any of these or already have, PLEASE talk to me about it!! wishing you all a joyous and well read new year <3

#book rec #book rec list #poetry #nonfiction #fiction #babel an arcane history #why religion #bad fruit #she who became the sun #bright dead things #ada limón #rf kuang #ella king #elaine pagels #shelley parker chan #marble woes

[robotclownindulgence]

Ok i just googled one of my professors and he's apparently a famous anti-american imperialist author. like go off king

#he's also very chill and seems alright in general #resi.txt

[wreckham]

i keep thinking of that tlk3 essay about paranoid reading and i esp keep thinking of this comment on it from the guy who puts on one-man shows of tlk (aka my personal messiah) which is very different then the currently prevailing sociopolitical conceptualization of the film as observed by many a (white) leftie

[TRANSCRIPT: As a leftie who considers The Lion King the greatest art ever conceived and has performed a one man show of it (three times and available to view on my YouTube channel), and one whose being pretty burnt on the video essays purporting my favorite thing ever as a ghoulish celebration of racial hierarchy and totalitarianism, I was getting ready to smash that dislike button.

BUT this video is an absolute masterpiece. And at the end of the day, the joke was on me for being the paranoid reader.

My hermeneutic circle of the Lion King probably has 72,000 arrows that zig zag all over as I've grown, read theory, worked in the world of zoology, and yet find myself always coming back to the original text.

For me and my perspective, just as there is validity of reading The Lion King as a white supremacist narrative - as unintentional as it is - there is just as much as reading as a fiercely anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, Pan-African narrative.

Lebo M, the man who wrote and sang the Zulu chants in all Lion King projects, is from South Africa and was an anti-apartheid activist. Like others, his activism warranted his exile from his homeland. For him, The Lion King is a deeply personal AND political story. He was Simba - trying to reclaim his home from a tyrannical regime. In his eyes, Mufasa was Nelson Mandela. All of these elements of anti-apartheid, reclamation, and liberation are incorporated into the African vocals and music in The Lion King, and they make the movie even more powerful and emotionally resonant.

There's also "Be Prepared" a delicious villain song about an overcompensating, impotent egomaniac promising a reclamation of power to the ignorant, uneducated masses through his fiery, unhinged rhetoric, transforming them from a slobbering, mangy, stupid base into a revitalized Third Reich - reminds of a certain politician of the orange persuasion.

It's so fascinating to see the variety of perspectives, interpretations, and analysis one piece can create - whether they be of admiration or denoucement. I suppose that's the sign of great art.

Majestic video, long live the queen.

Also the racist "We Are One" cover shattered me. It shattered me.]

#the lion king #tlk #disney #racism #check the essays comments for additional thoughts from black/african tlk fans for other enlightening interpretations

[la-pheacienne]

There is a lot of confusion in the HotD fandom right now, especially amongst Targaryen antis and Green stans, so let me clarify this for you guys real quick. It may have escaped your notice but this show is a Targaryen show. Both the Blacks and the Greens are in fact, Targaryens. The only difference between them is that one side is rooting for an "heir" whose sole claim is based on the fact that he has a cock. In all your Targaryen hate, that's what you're supporting.

The Targaryen with a penis.

That's the whole thesis of your team.

And you call that critical analysis of modern media and you call the Blacks imperialists and entitled. Your pretty self insert is not entitled for putting her child on the throne because of his cock and starting a war because of said cock, it's Rhaenyra that is entitled, Rhaenyra, for not liking the fact that she was usurped because of her vagina and for having sex. The fucking Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms is not privileged, no, because she was a "child bride" (like every legendary female ruler ever). It's Rhaenyra that is the privileged spoiled brat, because she chose her lovers. That's the basis of your argument, that a woman is a spoiled brat for claiming sexual freedom in the context of a patriarcal society, something your self insert never did because she was a religious, hypocritical fanatic. Like real Queens that were also "child brides" didn't have approximatively 50 lovers in Court while their husbands and Kings were alive. Like that wasn't the norm in the medieval and modern history that you are absolutely ignorant of, in your pink bubble of neo-puritan CRAP.

You say that "it's not about who's in the right" and that "both teams have done horrible shit" in a half-ass attempt at fake neutrality and yet you clearly stan the Greens and your blogs are filled with gifsets of Targaryen-with-a-penis and his mummy being all cute with each other, fangirling over a canon rapist while you bitch and moan about Rhaenyra supposedly raping Cole. Your blogs are also filled with Daemon hate for grooming/abusing/whatever while you are fangirling over Walmart Daemon that burned and killed for fun and fucked his war prisoner, the one that you love for all the things that you hate in OG Daemon solely because he’s a Black.

I just can't with the bullshit, the illiteracy, the misogyny and the fucking lack of basic comprehension skills. I just can't with idiotic people that are hate watching two TV shows in a row for a solid decade of their lives and they still can't fucking comprehend who are the protagonists of the story so their only motivation for being in the fandom is spite and contrarianism. I just can't with people stanning a "team" that literally has all the traits they hate in the original house plus a heir with a penis, just because said team poses a threat to said house.

Like.

Your team of traitors got whipped off the map. They destroyed everything, and then they perished. The Targaryen line got rid of their blood and their stupid house became almost nonexistent, which is a fitting fate given that their only input in the general story is the fact that they are oath-breakers, traitors and religious misogynistic freaks that destroyed an entire realm for nothing.

#this is me trying to stay civil #this is me restraining myself with a LOT of difficulty #hotd clownery #house of the dragon #rant #what drugs are green stans on i want some of that fr #tw graphic language #aspa rambles

[gamergoo]

It’s MLK jr day and I have to do my obligatory disclaimer

Dr King did so much work in the efforts of black liberation, as well as in the anti-war movement, but he did not do it aline or through nonviolence alone! Furthermore, the expectation that nonviolent methods alone could change anything in a capitalist imperialist system, especially today, is wrong. It could not happen in the global south, either, because of the material conditions of economic capitalist imperialism. Dr King died as a wildly unpopular figure actively under surveillance and violence from the state, and I think his image has been sullied to hell and back by the focus on civil disobedience, but nobody will ever be free while capitalism has a hold on this world, and to destroy it we will need to use violence

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Henry Kissinger: Dead at 100

(Only the good die young.)

Stephen Jay Morris

11/30/23

©scientific Morality

Henry Kissinger died yesterday.  He was a German Jew who was a refugee from Nazi Germany.  He was educated at Harvard University, where he studied philosophy.  Somehow, he became Secretary of State in the Nixon Administration.  President Nixon would ingratiate himself in front of Henry, then shit-talk him behind his back. You want to talk about antisemitism?  You should have heard the anti-Jew hate speech Nixon gave to the Watergate criminals.  Nixon didn’t trust Jews.  Here is an excerpt from a published article, including quotes from one of his tapes: Washington "is full of Jews," the President asserted. "Most Jews are disloyal." He made exceptions for some of his top aides, such as National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, his White House counsel, Leonard Garment, and one of his speechwriters, William Safire. Most leftists from my generation viewed Kissinger as a war criminal. However, that would be a deep dive into history, which I won’t write about here. Maybe another time.

Henry Kissinger reminded me of the Peter Sellers’ character, “Dr. Strangelove,” from the movie of the same name.  Likewise, Strangelove reminded me of Kissinger.  Strangelove had this horse with a German accent, and he resembled a cold psychopath.  My grandmother always told me that most Jews in the community disliked German Jews because they had a superiority complex.  Some of them were obedient to the Nazi regime.  A lot of Jews were leftists ranging from Socialist Zionists to Anarchists.  They wanted to overthrow oppressive governments.  Others thought that by being obsequious to an Aryan, authoritarian government, they would be spared being jailed a concentration camp or put to death. The Jewish Community called those Jews “Capos” and, later, “Uncle Jakes.” German Jews told Zionist activists that Hitler was no threat to the Jewish people unless they were Leftists. Instead of going to Palestine, those Jews remained in Germany.

Kissinger was one of those Jews who wanted to be loved by the Goys. So much so, that he would do evil things to win their admiration.

Okay.  I now take a sharp turn and talk about Antisemitism.

Is Antisemitism left wing or right wing? The American Left was comprised mostly of Jews in the mid-Twentieth century. In the 1950’s, during the McCarthy era, some Jews left the Communist Party and joined the Democratic Party. When Julius and Ethel Rosenberg got the death penalty, in 1953, for giving secret files to the Soviet Union, everybody knew they were innocent. Many Jews were freaking out over this, so some of them became Republican Conservatives. Did they become more accepted by Gentile America as a result? Not really. Many Jews weren’t permitted to golf on Christian golf courses or join private clubs until the New Left rebellion materialized in the 60’s. The Left has been anti-Zionist since 1948. Is that Antisemitism? Fuck no! Even some Orthodox Jews are anti-Zionist. They are called “Neturei Karta;” they believe there can be no Israel until the Jewish Messiah comes. Needless to say, they don’t believe Jesus is him. So, the Anti-Authoritarian Left is not anti-Semitic. The Tankies are, but they are Authoritarian Left. In their moronic minds, they think Islamo-Fascists are part of an anti-colonial, Third World rebellion.  A minority of Authoritarian Leftists romanticize any guerilla group that terrorizes American Imperialists. Groups like the Revolutionary Communist Party; Not the Communist Party USA.

So, no, the Left is not Anti-Semitic. The Right? They are. Christian Zionists use Israel for their stupid bible prophecies. According to Revelations in the King James Bible, most Jews are going to hell; that is, except for the Jews who accept Jesus as their Lord and savior. Extreme hate groups, like the Nazis and the Klan, see all Jews as evil. A normal person knows that evil exists in

If you are a Left-wing Jew, you have your list. Here is mine.

You want names, you got ‘em:

First on the list is David Berkowitz, famously branded as the “Son of Sam” by the media. He was a serial killer during the 70’s, who murdered six New Yorkers. To be fair, he suffered from Schizophrenic Paranoia and was non compos mentis.  You law students know what that means.

How about Jewish gangsters? There was Bugsy Siegel, Arnold Rothstein, Meyer Lansky, Louis “Lepke” Bacheller, to name just a few. These thugs go back to the 1920’s and 1930’s. They heavily extorted Jewish merchants for protection. See the movie, “Once Upon a Time in America.” Great flick.

Here follows a prime example of a true Uncle Jake: Nowadays, if you are anti-Israel Jewish Leftist, you are a self-hating Jew. Dog shit!

Introducing Dan Burros. He committed suicide in 1965. Why did he do it?  This dude had Traumatic Stockholm Syndrome. Nobody knew he was Jewish. Here is the kicker: he was the leader of Neo-Nazi group and, prior to that, he was a member of the K.K.K. He hated himself so much that he wanted to become an Aryan. His comrades were suspicious because of his Semitic features. Ultimately, they did some detective work and discovered he wasn’t who he said he was. Now, that’s a self-hating Jew!

Jews like Benjamin Aron Shapiro make me sick!  He is an Uncle Jake and wants to be loved by white Christians.  He has a business called “The Daily Wire.”  It’s allegedly a conservative business that makes its money attacking the Left. He employs White racists like Matt Walsh.  Then there is Benny Netanyahu, the Israel’s Prime Minister.  He is the leader of the Likud Party. His party wants to turn Israel into a Jewish Theocracy and kick all non-Jews.

In closing, I’ll state this: I love myself too much to hate self, as I do all Jews who are on the Left.

But I don’t like Right wing Kikes!

Shalom mother fucker!

#stephenjaymorris #american politics #poets of tumblr #baby boomers #anarchopunk #youtube #anarchocommunism #anarchism #henry kissinger #anti zionisim #jewish history

[kynimdraws]

Funny since ur known in the fandom for being toxic to a lot of people. Have fun with new Warriors Almyra, whose general has to be reminded not to pillage when invading Faerghus, and takes advantage of the king by shoving papers for him to sign while he’s half asleep. Shahid being a joke who invades a country because that’s how you get a throne I guess. And Cyril staying by Rhea’s side because they love each other and consider each other family, but he’s killed in Golden Wildfire while Claude teams up with an imperialist. Oh, and “Best Route for Byleth” even though Jeralt is a shitty dad who leaves them behind to get drunk, Leonie insults them constantly, and everyone always calls them the Ashen Demon, a name they hate because it dehumanizes them.

Am I called toxic bc I openly hate student/teacher and other weird relationship bullshit, which I only complain in my lil internet space? Pls specify my "toxicity" if I ever did that towards anyone in particular please. My inbox is open for a reason so I can rectify any wrongs I did, but you getting offended by my untagged opinion posts doesn't count fyi.

And I do have issues with GW’s writing but I just find it fast more easily fixable with hcs. Plus I am petty af about Byleth’s jesus-saviorism in 3Houses (even in the anti-Church route CF) so while I appreciate the game for establishing some worldbuilding and lore, 3Hopes is far more preferable for me personally

You make it sound like it’s the second coming of the apocalypse when it’s not even like that? Let be break down the issues you have (some of which I have) under the cut

Nader and Shahid definitely are written very badly, as I discuss in more detail here. But that’s the fault of the writing making Almyra look cartoonishly evil, and Intsys has a history of writing “foreign” nations as savages unintentionally/intentionally. 

Claude is still very ic in that depending on route, he will ally with whomever will keep Leicester safe and stable. Sure 2/3 route he allies with Edelgard but it’s not because he agrees with her imperialism. They have some common ground in that they do not like the Central Church, but Claude is willing to undermine them as well. Simply put, in some routes (SB/GW) the Empire then will not invade Leicester if he makes that pact. 

Jeralt being a dad who drinks is a consistent trait in both 3Hopes/Houses...but he never is abusive tho lmao? Yes it sucks alcoholism is played off for laughs but the game actually never shows he is an alcoholic. Plus Byleth just finds his antics weird but they seem happy to be with the family they got. Leonie doesn’t even hang out with Jeralt long enough to be “abused” too

.....I’m not gonna even argue with you about how fucked up Cyril’s relationship with Rhea is.

Anyway, 3Hopes just is far more interesting 3Houses imo so, sucks you hate “Warriors Almyra” so much :) 

#ask #anonymous #WARRIORS ALMYRA MY ASS....I WISH THEY WROTE THAT ARC BETTER BUT ITS NOT EVEN CLOSE LOL

[punkeropercyjackson]

Inspired by a post i just saw,here is the only correct take on a Batfam Atla au(Tw for things present in Atla canon such as racial and misogynistic violence)

@mayameanderings @desi-pluto

Duke is the Avatar-No ifs or buts,he's literally THE SIGNAL OF HOPE FOR GOTHAM

Jason is a Fire Nation commoner who got adopted by the Fire Lord after his parents' death

The Fire Lord is Black Mask and Talia is Ursa but it's not shipping because EW,she's got no positive relation to him and was instead Jason's firebending teacher he thought BM succeeded in killing in his rage after finding out she was trying to adopt him but she actually escaped and got amnesia and a matching burn scar to Jason's but only the opposite side because she's his other half his father burned the bridge to

You know the drill-Jason's sent to capture Avatar Duke,Duke redeems him with his little shit sunshine boy swag without even trying,they are hashtag brothers in every universe.Lil bit more on Duke is that he's actually a Fire Nation Avatar but of the black etchnic subgroup in the comics and his parents were driven mad by spirits sent as 'punishment' for their 'impurity' by General Joker and this is why he is a nomad at the beginning,having fled the Fire Nation because he was sick and tired of still being the problem child at school but getting no comfort this time

(Note:Jason is part of this subgroup and for self-indulgence,every other element has their own black etchnic variant too)

Stephanie is an Airbender-Air Nomads are objectively the best part of Atla so she deserves it.She's tibetan AN and black AN mixed and is pretty much an Aang and Ty Lee fusion-Both in design and personality.Her plot is getting tangled up with Duke and Cass as the og trio when they end up at her temples and she ends the series as the Earth King's consort(that king being Cass)and an ambassador but beforehand spends her time doing anti-imperialist war crimes

Cass is the daughter of the Cains,who lied to everyone about her being mute so they could train her to be the perfect submissive obidient daughter only for it to be blasted back in their face as she learned Earthbanding at the tutelage of badgermoles since they couldn't speak either and she became an underground pro-bender as 'The Silent Bandit' to make money for herself to run away from home and her first instinct when she made enough was to go to the Air Nomads for safety.This more or less worked in the end as she ended up getting crowned Earth King over the actual bloodheirs

Tim is a nonbender who knows chiblocking,the last skill Janet taught him before she died and he used it to avoid getting bullied but isolated himself from other kids as a result because they thought he was a freak.He accidentally joined the main gang when they visited his hometown in the Fire Nation and helped them blend in and they went on an adventure where they gave him honorary member status and he became an official one when they returned

Dick is a trans waterbender and she's their mentor who joined in on their travels because she wasn't about to let a bunch of kids run around fighting fascists without an adult around so they'd have backup and someone to take care of them.She herself was the leader of the Teen Titans,a resistance team,but retired after having her bending taken away and it's returned to her by Duke a bit into her time with them.She leaves Roy to take care of the tribe and when they reunite,he pulls her into a passionate kiss as a confession in front of the whole Duke's Court(their team name)and they have your typical grossed out kids reaction and after this he becomes the Team Dad to her Team Mom

Damian is also trans and named Yasmine and here comes the big previous Avatar plot twist:It was actually Talia,who is of arab and chinese Earth Kingdom descent and not Fire Nation!!Part of the BM tragedy is that she died during childbirth due to Fire Nation induced sickness and this manifested in a Spirit World fiasco that ended with her being ressurected but no longer the Avatar because her soul'd been passed onto Duke by then and she was given a new one and her being lied to about Yasmine being stillborn so she'd stay in the FN.Yasmine's a Talia Warrior and does her best to uphold her mother's legacy due to all the thing's she'd been told about her

She joins Duke's Court,they find Talia again,Duke learns how to cure his parents with Avatar powers and they live happily ever after despite the struggles,Jason gets Lightningbending and white fire as symbolism for healing his inner child and the ages are Duke and Damian-12,Stephanie and Tim-13,Cass-14,Jason-17,Dick and Roy-25 and Talia-40s

#batfam #atla geekery #the batkids #misc superfam #taliacorp #teen titans #duke thomas #jason todd #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #tim drake #talia al-ghul #dick grayson #roy harper #damian wayne #stephcass #dickroy #t4t stephcass #t4t dickroy #black jason todd #latino jason todd #afrolatino jason supremacy #blasian stephanie brown #black tim drake #navajo roy harper #dick grayson:trans woman extrodinare #yasmine wayne #reality warper duke #autistic 4 autistic found family realness #summerposting

[avarindigenous]

many meetings (or, the problem of interpretation)

the biggest issue when reading the Silmarillion and the Histories is, to borrow Reddit parlance, that many conflicts and many situations are firmly in the Everyone Sucks Here category. what side you find more sympathetic, and what you think the canon is saying when it relays particular facts, is going to depend upon you, the reader, and what you think those facts mean. this is a problem when it comes to productive conversation about the flaws in the text, or even about character traits that can be read in multiple lights.

consider Thingol. 

(this is a long post and I apologize to anyone on mobile who doesn’t see the cut.)

I read him as a ruthlessly imperialist, conniving, politically ambitious king who uses his keen awareness of the threats to his people to advance his own goals and prioritize his own safety. by my read, he perpetuates Sindarin-centric linguistic imperialism, holds himself and his followers above the Avari by refusing to count himself among the Moriquendi, and acts with canonical racism toward Beren and Túrin and his Mannish relatives (offering shelter and clothing and food to someone does not mean you’re incapable of being racist toward them. Túrin grows up in a court where he’s constantly exposed to anti-Mannish microaggressions, and Thingol does not do anything to stop those things from happening, and Túrin believes that nothing he could say to Thingol will convince the king to take his side. Thingol also tells Túrin that the highest he could hope to rise is as a servant to an elf-king. that is, to me, blatantly racist and demeaning. you can tolerate sharing a space with someone you’re prejudiced against and still be prejudicial).

he also might have manipulated Beren into causing intra-Noldorin political strife in Nargothrond and might have purposefully held off on sending help to the Laiquendi until it was too late and their king Denethor was slain. he only opened his borders to refugees from places where his blood relatives lived, and he mistreated the dwarves who ultimately and justifiably killed him. I also think that the fact that Oropher left his court and immediately set himself up as a colonizer-king of the Greenwood, and the fact that Amdir drove the Silvan elves out of Lothlórien and established a Sindarin settlement there, means that there is a strong supremacist strain of thought in Doriathrin culture. Thingol, as king, does not do anything to contradict that indication.

(note: upon rereading Unfinished Tales I have to acknowledge that I fell victim to the very biases I’m discussing - there is no direct indication that Amdir or Amroth had a purposeful, significant role in the decrease in Silvan population in Lórinand/Lothlórien. that’s certainly my read of the situation based upon the evidence in-text, but there are any number of ways to interpret the facts that are laid out in the Appendices of Unfinished Tales.)

everything I have said can be backed up by textual citation. there is substantial proof for my argument. I could take it further, even, and say that by my read there’s no evidence that Thingol’s guilt and grief over Lúthien caused substantial personal change in him beyond tolerating humans at the bare minimum level.

that, however, is only my read of the text. it’s a very important read to me. I find it difficult to be friendly with Thingol’s fans, because I think my read has canonical backing and makes the story make the most sense and is based on what’s really there on the page and not my desire to make someone else the good guy. but, I cannot argue that it is the only way anyone could ever interpret Thingol.

someone else might say that Thingol tried very hard to get to Denethor in time and failed, or that the reason he objected to being called Moriquendi was because he and his people rejected the idea of the Moriquendi-Calaquendi labeling system, or that he didn’t know about the abuse Túrin suffered because Saeros and the others were bullies and bullies are good at lying. they might say that his ban on Quenya was because he was genuinely afraid that the Noldor would insist on cultural homogeneity and would disregard the needs of his people. they might say he made mistakes but he wasn’t purposefully prejudiced.

that read is also canonically valid with plenty of the same points I would cite in my argument now being used to argue a different interpretation.

now, I would respond that this read is based less on the reality of what’s written in the text and more on the desire of those espousing it to dislike the Noldor, but that is again my perspective, and they would doubtless respond that I want to like the Noldor and want to paint them in a better light than they are actually portrayed. this is incorrect when it comes to me, as I eschew all fanon in my analysis, but others would certainly be in that position.

why am I talking about this? because from one side, Thingol is an ambitious, power-hungry king who holds himself above everyone else and who doesn’t hesitate to let his political opponents die for his own aims, and from the other, Thingol is a careful, defensive, flawed but well-meaning king who is justifiably concerned about the presence of Kinslayers near his people.

it’s not about what the facts of the story say so much as it is about how we, the readers, approach those facts.

this becomes relevant when we’re talking about racism and colonialism in Tolkien, particularly in situations where the narration is biased or the characters express bigoted views, or when it comes to things that happen in the text because the author was himself racist. different people are going to come to different conclusions about if something is racist, why it’s racist, what’s racist about it, and what the fandom could or should do to counter it. if one group thinks Thingol should be portrayed as a colonizer and the other thinks that the Noldor are the colonizers, both sides can be equally canonically grounded. neither one is necessarily correct (although I will, of course, have my biases and my counterpoints). there are a relatively small amount of cases where something in the text must morally elicit one specific reaction.

the situation becomes even more complicated when you consider that many things in Tolkien’s universe are perfectly reasonable in-universe, and make sense, and are not racist or problematic, but they exist in the text because of the author’s prejudices. an example would be Galadriel and Celeborn being asked to lead Lothlórien because of Celeborn’s kinship to Amroth, the last king. (this is the version of events recorded in the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings and is therefore the most canonical account.)

Lothlórien was colonized by the Sindar (nonviolently, true, but that doesn’t erase the colonialism) and Sindarin culture and ethnically Sindarin elves come to be the sole occupiers of that space. the only lasting sign of the Silvan elves is the language spoken by those who live in the Golden Wood. 

there are many ways to read this turn of events. a brief list would include:

Galadriel is an imperialist and a colonialist who wants to rule her own kingdom, and she takes this leadership position and is presented as a good and heroic figure by the text, which means the text condones colonialism and imperialism.

Galadriel is an imperialist and a colonialist who wants to rule her own kingdom, but she is and has always been a morally ambiguous figure who grows over the course of her character arc into someone who rejects power and rejects this kind of venerated leadership. this means the text is critical of her actions and we are not meant to interpret her as a good person.

Galadriel is an imperialist and a colonialist and this means the Noldor are colonizers.

Galadriel is an imperialist and a colonialist but is only part-Noldor, and assimilates into Sindarin society to the degree of marrying a Sindarin prince and taking a Sindarin name to be her name. this means that the Sindar are colonizers.

every marginalized person who comes to the text is going to form a different opinion. we all like to talk about these opinions and debate them and argue about who is or isn’t more correct, and many fans will assume their reading of the text reflects the objectively true interpretation. that is untrue. no reading is invalid, but no reading is the only lens through which to read a troubling text.

the only certainty in Tolkien, really, when it comes to racism and colonialism, is that he was a racist who wrote about everyone in problematic ways and he has a history of ambiguity when it comes to colonialism. nothing else can be counted on, and nothing else should be taken as fundamental truth. this is the Silmarillion. no one here is a truly good person, except for Beren and Lúthien and Rían, and trying to argue that the truth is that one side or the other is more virtuous will accomplish nothing in the end.

#silmarillion meta #silmarillion #thingol #first age

[watching-pictures-move]

Viddying the Nasties | White Cannibal Queen (Franco, 1980)

This seems to have a pretty lousy reputation, but I had a good time with it. It has most of the good parts of cannibal movies without most of the bad ones. This was directed by Jess Franco at the same time and on the same sets that Cannibal Terror was being directed by Alain Deruelle for the same production company, something which apparently upset Franco. (I guess he didn’t like having that trick pulled on him. Do as I say, not as I do and that sort of thing.) That movie is terrible so of course any comparison will be generous, but I do think it helps bring into focus this one’s modest pleasures.

For one thing, unlike that movie, which largely consists of unmotivated scenes of characters walking around, things happen and there’s something of an emotional thrust to the proceedings. Al Cliver’s wife was killed and daughter was kidnapped by cannibals, so years later after overcoming his trauma, he embarks on an expedition to rescue her. Perhaps this is not a lot to go on, and perhaps Cliver is a low key presence as a leading man, but I think his sad eyes and thousand-yard stare give a certain poignancy to his performance. I’m used to him as a reliable supporting player in Italian genre movies, but I found him an effective lead here. Of course, he has our good friend Lina Romay (introduced in a cute nurse outfit and seen later in a chic blue jumpsuit and scarf combo) for emotional support. I don’t mean to make light of his trauma, but if I were in his place, having Romay around me to offer support would probably help me get over it a little bit faster.

Now, there is a fair bit of walking around in the second half, but unlike that movie, which was transparently shot in southern Europe, this one, perhaps because it keeps the action in close proximity to palm trees and throws in a decent amount of fog and some low angle handheld camerawork on top of the usual zooms, feels quite a bit more evocative. Also like the other movie, the cannibals are obviously a bunch of white dudes, but here they’re maybe a bit more enjoyable as onscreen presences, in part because they wear facepaint that makes them look like either one of the Five Deadly Venoms, King Diamond or a Mondrian painting. The head cannibal is played by Antonio Mayans, who chews a good amount of scenery on top of the flesh devoured by his tribe. This movie does not engage in the anti-imperialist critique that other entries in the genre pay lip service to, as the cannibals here are unambiguously malicious, but it does sort of treat them as characters (at least with Mayans) and the other movies are pretty half-hearted in their social commentary anyway, so I suppose it evens out.

On that note, the munching scenes are not the most graphic I’ve seen in the genre, but the mixture of slow motion, haloing lighting, and dark and jagged closeups give them an impressionistic quality that make them stand out. This movie does not fully capture the fluid and narcotic ambience of my favourite Francos, but there is a bit of the old Uncle Jess magic in these scenes. And speaking of Uncle Jess, he makes one of his classic cameos, inexplicably sporting a Southern accent for whatever reason. There is also a cannibal who resembles him, but maybe he gave a bit part to a relative or something.

Those who seek this out on the basis of the title might be a little disappointed, as the titular white cannibal queen played by Sabrina Siani is in it less than one might hope, likely because Franco thought she was a terrible actress. But in the interest of journalistic objectivity, I must disclose that she spends all of her screentime in revealing tribal attire, and listen folks, I’m not gonna say no to loincloth babes in my jungle adventure movie, no matter how…Bressonian their performance might be.

And lastly, this thankfully features no animal cruelty. There are plenty of cutaways to animals to evoke the jungle environment, but it’s nice to know that anytime you see a cute little critter onscreen, something horrible won’t be happening to it immediately.

#film #movie review #viddying the nasties #white cannibal queen #mondo cannibale #jess franco

[helena-thessaloniki]

Welp. Sharing my Top Ten Favorite Films is probably giving more identifying information about my irl self than if I posted my last name, birthday, and mailing address, but here you have it. 🥰 Nominated by my dear friend @a-slut-for-smut 🖤

After careful thought and consideration, these are indeed ranked in order. heh

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

“So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?” 

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 

One day, I will write the essay that nobody asked for about this one. A real study into fate, destiny, and the role of our own personal choices. Brilliant storytelling: I’m endlessly inspired by what happens in the beginning coming full circle for the surprise twist at the end. Especially with how it’s seamlessly interwoven with the anti-hero’s redemption arc and sacrifice. Of course, there’s also a compelling female villain (Eros, Goddess of Chaos) and a strong, feminine female lead-- y’know, grit and grace-- with real autonomy and agency (Marina). Even the “handsome prince” is not a stereotype, but a deconstruction of toxic masculinity. The bromance and charming ensemble cast. The gorgeous scenery. Oh, how I could go on and on.

Rogue One

“What chance do we have? The question is ‘what choice.’ Run, hide, plead for mercy, scatter your forces: you give way to an enemy this evil with this much power and you condemn the galaxy to an eternity of submission. The time to fight is now!” 

Be still my heart. The chosen family vibes of six truly unique characters, all so vulnerable, determined and brave in their own ways, learning to trust and lean on each other, risking it all to save the galaxy... For me, this further revolutionized storytelling from the singular hero who saves the day to the everyday people who do. And, you can really see why this was one of the most expensive films to make of all time. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. Lastly, I know SW is inundating everything now, but I’m sorry not sorry, let’s keep being anti-Imperialist, anti-fascist, yeah? 

“Rebellions are built on hope.” 

Troy

“We men are wretched things.”

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 

“A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day!” 

Stand by Me

“Wish the hell I was your dad! You wouldn't be goin' around talkin' about takin' these stupid shop courses if I was. It's like God gave you something, man, all those stories you can make up. And He said, ‘This is what we got for ya, kid. Try not to lose it.’ Kids lose everything unless there's someone there to look out for them. And if your parents are too fucked up to do it, then maybe I should.”

Brother Bear 

Little Women (2019)

“I can't get over my disappointment at being a girl.”

Dune (2021)

I’m not sure if Dune will hold up as the years go on, but I went back to see it in theatres four times and I wish desperately to see it again for the first time. They don’t make many (big blockbuster) movies this grave and grandiose anymore. The music, visuals, and somber tone was unlike anything I’ve seen in a long, long time. 

Constantine

“I guess God has a plan for all of us.”

“God's a kid with an ant farm, lady. He's not planning anything.”

Honorable mentions to Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Italian Job, Pride and Prejudice (2005), Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and my ultimate guilty pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 

Nominating @warbarbie @stalactice @known-as-naya @levi4mikasa @infinitelystrangemachinex @queenofangts @quinnxra @onigiri-dorkk @ally147writes & whomever wants to reflect and share with this fun 🥰

#favorite films

[guardianbee]

RE: your post about nashuri being compared to re//ylo

you're so correct. i think people get caught up in the whole "quite popular ship about enemies who might have a romantic connection" thing and ignore the fact that the romance in rey//lo is completely fabricated and unsubstantiated while namor and shuri are shown as mirrors of each other since the very beginning and the story cannot go on as it does without the connection between the characters.

kyle doesn't care for rey whatsoever and has no qualms with hurting and torturing her even after he realised they were a force dyad (which was so half assed and obviously only done to fabricate a romance that just wasn't there); on the other hand namor sees himself in shuri since the first meeting and never intended to hurt her, not even after the perceived betrayal of her leaving with nakia. him killing ramonda was a response to ramonda's own actions and a fulfilment of a promise he made to her, he never did it because he intended to hurt shuri and knew that would be the surest way (we know from tenoch's interviews that he never really thought about how shuri would see his actions as an attack to her)

it vexxes me when i see fanfictions about "dark namor" where he acts like an unfeeling asshole who hurts shuri on purpose just because he can and he "breaks" her because that's kyle, not namor. he's a king and a man of his word, his actions against wakanda were a reasonable reaction to them invading his country and killing two handmaidens, and he had warned ramonda what would happen if they did so. his actions might have been morally wrong but not unjustified, and if he didn't stick to his word he would seem a weak leader.

anyway, sorry for the big ask. didn't want to add onto a reblog because people on this app don't know how not to be rude lmao

No worries about the long ask! I like getting asks every now and again, so this was a nice surprise.

Oh my gosh, the part about Ramonda's death being a fulfillment of Namor's promise to her.... I completely forgot about that part of the movie hjsdfgsdh. I only watched the movie once so I'm forgiving myself here, but yeah, this makes total sense! Namor is truly a man of his word - he binds himself to it, for better or worse. Also, I've said this before and N'jadaka confirms it, but ultimately, Ramonda did not have to die - she chose to sacrifice herself for Riri.

And yeah, it also makes sense he wasn't thinking about Shuri in that instance - he was thinking about what was best for his people, how to protect them and keep them safe. He made a tactical decision - by submerging the throne room, he assumed either Riri or Ramonda would die. And hey, if both did, even better. Obviously, that had some unintended consequences since Shuri was devastated by the loss of her mother and wanted vengeance, and Namor is the outlet to lash out both her wrath and the unprocessed grief she still carried for T'challa. That's why the ending of the movie is just... MAN, I cannot wait until February 1 to bawl my eyes out yet again!

Their story is eons different to how Kyle and Reyy interact with one another in the ST. For one, Kyle does not seem to resepct Reyy until the very end of EP9 (I never watched it so I'm just going off the synopsis). Man literally told her she was nothing and came from nothing. Juxtapose that with Namor clearly respecting Shuri as a leader of her nation as well as her intellect and empathy.

Then you just have the differences in character - Kyle is quite literally, until the end of EP9, a fascist that will do whatever it takes to control the galaxy and plunge it into darkness for... really vague reasons like emulating his grandfather? He kills because he wants to, because he likes it, all in a quest for absolute power and control. Meanwhile, Namor is an anti colonialist/anti imperialist who loves his people and will protect them however he can. As an anti hero, that means getting his hands dirty and killing those he sees as a threat to his people's safety, whether they were good people or not, whether they deserved it or not (the contrast between him killing US soldiers plundering his ocean for vibranium vs Ramonda and possibly tens of hundreds of Wakandan citizens). While they both kill, their motivations are fundamentally different and incompatible. Namor would see Kyle for what he is - another white man thinking of only his desires, trying to take what is not his and subjecting communities to unspeakable violence and misery.

Then you got Shuri and Reyy. Both are motivated by love and grief, but in different ways. Shuri is motivated by the deep love she has for her family and her people. Reyy, however, is motivated by the absence of love - she wants love, she wants community. She grieves what she's never had. That's why the scene between her and Finn before Kyle finds them in TFA is so memorable to me. She thought she found someone who could be hers, who could be a part of her community, and Finn seemingly walks away from it. Contrast that with Shuri, who is grieving what she's lost, who is slowly hardening herself to these losses, who is allowing the grief to control her, to slowly consume her, until it might be too late. Shuri and Reyy are fundamentally different characters that tell two different stories about the human experience and its eternal quest to be loved and find purpose within that love.

In fact, the ST and BPWF tell two incredibly, fundamentally different stories. And sorry not sorry, but BPWF is just more impactful, more insightful, and more in-tune with the human experience and nature than the ST ever could be. While BPWF is about grief and honoring loved ones, it's also about rejecting the ideals and methods of a white patriarchal society, about communities of color building and healing and joining forces to combat the erosion of their cultures, their resources, and their rights. It's why Namor and Shuri have an honest albeit complicated connection, while Kyle and Reyy have hastily shoved in forced conversations to get them to a place where it's possible (but definitely not probable) that they can be allies and more.

Now, about dark!namor... I haven't read any fics like that and I'm not going to if I can help it, but that shows a writer's lack of skills in writing complex characters. They're most likely projecting and just place Namor in that "bad boy" cookie cutter mold because that's what they've known and read all their life. This is similar to when I read zutara fics as a kid - there were a lot of people who just could not write Zuko without turning him into a bad boy, obsessed with Katara, and cornering her until she fell in love with him. A lot of complex anti-heroes/villains can easily get watered down in fanfics, especially by people who don't care so much for the characters but rather the tropes they seemingly represent. I like Namor and Shuri both as individuals and as a ship, so shoving them into tropes and situations they canonically would not subject themselves to (unless it's a straight up crackfic) is a no-go for me.

You can make Namor darker, a little more unhinged without going against the character's very nature. He doesn't hurt people just to hurt them - if he did, I doubt his people would love him so unabashedly, or there would be some active resistance against him and his leadership. At the end of the day, people can write whatever they want to write and ship whatever they want to ship and consume whatever they want to consume, but if they write Namor as an abuser (which is problematic for a whole host of reasons other than he would canonically never do that) and Shuri as some hapless victim who will fall in love with him anyway, they are doing a disservice to the characters and are perpetuating the violent ideals BPWF blatantly emphasizes we need to dismantle.

#i made my answer wayyy longer than your ask don't feel too bad now ksjdfhjkhsdf #namuri #anti reylo #seaprincess #naylor #asks on the run #wow who knew I could still analyze media in a meaningful way? #not me that's for damn sure #anyway kyle ain't shit he's never gonna be shit and namor would punch him in the face given the chance