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#i know i know that's so un-feminist of me
elvesofnoldor · 2 years
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after finished watching the finale to r*ngs of power, i honestly was gonna make a post about how i found it very interesting that for a character motivated largely by the need to seek retribution and obtain revenge, Galadriel’s inability to let go of her anger towards the target of her vengeance (sauron) is the very thing that kept her from damnation. Had she been able to forgive sauron for killing her brother, she would have never been able to find peace and make it back home (and eventually back to her brother, who canonically came back to life in Aman, and her family). And despite not being very impressed with any part of the show, I found the way they wrote galadriel’s tale of vengeance to be very interesting. Then i logged on tumblr dot org and found out that apparently everybody was making halbrand!sauron x galadriel friends to enemies to lovers 3k slow burn fics and sitting around in circles singing “sauron and galadriel sitting under the tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G” and i think this is part of the reason why i didn’t log on for almost a month and half. 
#i mean it's been months and months of me logging on tumblr dot org and going 'what in the goddamn are you all talking abt'#when i took a look at the tags of the shows i've watched#but anyways im not even mad abt this whole charade of people shipping sauron and galadriel#one thing changed abt me while i was busy touching grass: i loosen up a lot and care abt a lot of unimportant things a lot less#unimportant thing like people are shipping galadriel and sauron#sauron was canonically weirdly obsessed with galadriel so who cares#but i still thought it was so weird nobody cared to talk about galadriel's personal tale of vengeance and how refreshing it was#cause i personally care abt it more than whatever chemistry she might have had with trop writers' sauron oc#mae overshares#i do have to say i like they explored some of galadriel's potential as a character#was too busy simping feanor and his sons (maedhros and maglor) to imagine what galadriel's story could have been#i know i know that's so un-feminist of me#there are actually a number of things that i found somewhat interesting in the show and galadriel's arc is one of them#yeah the show is acting like maedhros and maglor never existed and elrond never met them thus far#and i dont wanna talk abt celebrimbor smh i dont wanna talk about anything abt him in this show#but one thing that i love abt the feanorians is that their story is ultimately a journey seeking retribution and justice#like all the heroes of the myths and legends. they tried to uphold duty and honour. but the interesting thing is that#in doing so. they found themselves driven to dishonourable and even immoral actions#their journey of seeking justice lead them down a dark path and have them unwittingly helped their enemies#and i don't mind that sons of feanor have been so ignored in trop because galadriel's story has elements#that made the sons of feanor so interesting to me in the first place
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augustameretrix · 4 months
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rationalist skeptic atheist dudebros or whatever only value knowledge and science and philosophy etc. when it suits their personal beliefs in any other case they act like the worst anti-intellectuals out there
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gay-impressionist · 10 months
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Hi! I’m starting to learn French and one thing that’s both cool and weird to me is how everything is gendered in a way (referring to someone/whose saying the statement/etc.) and I was wondering how that relates to people who identity as non-binary or gender fluid in France? Are there equivalents to they/them pronouns or neo pronouns in French?
I do plan on doing my own research about this but I figured since I love your blog and you’re really open about different cultural lgbtq+ communities I’d try here first!
That's an awesome question... with a complicated answer lmao. So buckle up and bear with me !
Basically, you can't be non-binary in French. The community found ways to do it but it's not mainstream. Most of the time, they're going to get misgendered or will have to misgender themselves to get understood.
Some things I'm going to list here are not proper French. Actually, they can even be forbidden in some circumstances, according to the law (the use of inclusive language, and more specifically le point médian, was made illegal in schools in 2021 for ex) or simply because your company etc forbids it. So use this wisely, there is a time and place for inclusive language in France.
That said, things have greatly developed over the last two decades. Which was partly because of the queer community and mainly because of feminists, who are tired of the way French erases women. More and more people are using inclusive language, at least in some circumstances and circles (for ex, i wrote my master's thesis in inclusive language and it was accepted bc i was in a leftist faculty). And inclusive language is debated as a serious issue now, which is saying something.
So, how do you use inclusive language in practice?
There are different ways, as it's informal and mostly new. People are still testing new things and trying out various methods. You can stick to one or alternate or mix them up.
Pronouns
Officially, there isn't a gender neutral pronoun. We don't have an equivalent to they. You're either talking about a man or a woman. If it's both, you use masculine pronouns ("masculine trumps feminine" rule). Same thing if you don't know the gender of the person ("masculin générique").
The most common neopronoun is "iel" (plural : iels), which is obviously a contraction of the masculine pronoun "il" and its feminine equivalent "elle". It works for nb folks or to avoid talking about someone's gender or to refer to a group of men and women. So it's equally used by the queer community and feminists.
I'm pretty sure other neopronouns exist but I can't think of any at the top of my head.
Choosing the right words
Sometimes, inclusive language is just about learning to use alternatives.
Instead of using gendered words, you can choose to use gender-neutral words or words "épicènes", aka words which are identical in their feminine and masculine form. For ex, instead of "homme politique" or "femme politique", you can use "personnalité politique". Personnalité is a feminine word but it's actually gender-neutral as you can use it for women and men alike. "Élève" (student) is épicène, as a female student and a male student are both referred to as "élève". Although épicène words as a gender-neutral option only work in their plural form, as you have to choose either a feminine or masculine article for the singular ("les élèves" is inclusive but it can only be "un" or "une" élève).
As good as this method is, it can be quite limitating. Your vocabulary will be drastically reduced and it can be quite hard to master that kind of speech so you can reach the point where you don't have to think everything over for ages before you open your mouth.
With oral French, you can take it a step further by choosing words that sound the same even if they have a different spelling. Ex, friend is "ami" or "amie" but it's pronounced the same way so if you say it out loud, people can't know how you're gendering it (as long as there isn't a gendered article/word with it ofc).
It avoids misgendering people but the downside is that, as masculine is considered neutral in French, people will often think : no gender specified = masculine. Not even because they're sexist or whatever, it's just so ingrained in our brains that it's a knee-jerk reaction.
That's also why most feminists often prefer to use explicitly feminine words when talking about women. For ex, they prefer the word "autrice" to "auteure" (female writer) because the second one sounds the same as its masculine version "auteur". And as previously mentionned, out loud, people will assume by default you're talking about a man. It's a big debate though, lots of women prefer words that sound masculine - going as far as refusing to use feminine words at all! Which sounds cool and gender-bending as fuck but in reality comes from feminine words traditionally seen as less legitimate and serious. Even today, if you look up the word empress "impératrice" in a French dictionary, the first definition that comes up is "wife of an emperor". "Woman ruling a country" comes second. Using a masculine title to refer to women can also be a way to mock them and show they're not welcome (a french deputy got fined in 2014 because he called the female president of the national assembly "Madame le président" and refused to use the feminine title "Madame la présidente").
Recently the tendency and official guidelines have been to feminize words, so I'd say go with that by default, but respect other people's choice if they specify how they want to be called.
Anyway I'm getting off-track but what I meant was that in French, if you avoid talking about gender, you're automatically erasing women (and nb people). So if you want to include everyone, you need to make it obvious.
Inclusivity as a statement
The most common way to make women and men equally visible is the "point médian" rule, which you can also use to refer to non-binary people as it avoids picking a specific gender.
Basically, it means pasting together the masculine and feminine forms of a word and using dots/middle dots/hyphens/parentheses/capital letters to create an inclusive word. For ex, instead of saying acteur (♂️) or actrice (♀️) for actor, you'll write "acteur.ice". For the plural form, there are two schools of thought : either you separate the feminine and masculine form AND the suffix used to signify the plural, or you don't. Aka, "acteur.ice.s" or "acteur.ices". Personally I prefer the second option because less dots makes it easier to read and faster to write, but it's an individual choice, both work.
There are two major downsides to this method : it only works in writing + it isn't doable for every word, as feminine and masculine words can be quite different and pasting them together that way would be unintelligible. Ex, "copain" and "copine" (friend or boyfriend/girlfriend depending on the context) would give something like "cop.ain.ine"...
You can work around that by choosing alternative words (as previously stated!). And it's still a pretty good method, especially as it works for any type of word (adjectives etc). Some people argue that it's hard to read and ugly but personally I think it's just a matter of habit (although it does pose a problem for people using screen readers). Be aware that it is the most controversial version of inclusive writing, as it's the furthest structure from how languages typically work.
If you don't like dots or want an alternative for oral speech, you can also straight up create new words that sound both feminine and masculine, making them gender-neutral. To use the previous example, "copain" and "copine" become "copaine".
Obviously, this only works if it's obvious which words they're based on. I think it's a great way to make French more inclusive but I'd advise against using it with uninitiated people as it would probably confuse them more than anything. This method is still quite niche.
An inclusive, yet binary language
As you've probably figured out, inclusive language remains quite binary in the way we approach it. It's more about making things both masculine and feminine than transcending gender and creating gender-neutral alternatives. Probably because inclusive language was more often a will to stop women from being erased rather than a non-binary friendly gesture.
Which means, there are also some rules that were created to avoid the "masculine trumps feminine rule" but don't allow room for non-binarity at all. I'll still explain them because they're interesting and you might encounter them at some point.
The proximity rule ("règle de proximité") is one of these. It existed in Ancient Greek and Latin but was dropped in Modern French in favor of the masculine trumps feminine rule. Basically, you gender things according to what's closest in the sentence instead of systematically using masculine words to gender a mixed group. For ex, instead of saying "Les hommes et les femmes sont beaux" you say "Les hommes et les femmes sont belles", as the subject "femmes" is closer to the adjective "beau/belle" than "hommes".
Another method is to systematically use both masculine and feminine words (which I personally find excruciating to write and read). Meaning, instead of writing "Les étudiants mangent à la cantine" (students eat at the cafeteria), you'll write "Les étudiantes et les étudiants mangent à la cantine".
This is mainly for the subject of the sentence : adjectives and such are gendered according to the masculine trumps feminine rule. The point is to explicitly include women, not to make the sentence unintelligible or gender-neutral.
When following this method, you also have to pay attention to whether you put the feminine subject first or the masculine. The rule is to follow alphabetical order. For ex, in "l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes", "femmes" comes first because F comes before H. But in "Les auteurs et les autrices de roman", "auteurs" comes first because E comes before R. Etc.
This method is common as it's the only inclusive language you can get away with, given that it's a valid way of speaking French. It's even mandatory in some situations now, like in job descriptions for the french administration, in the spirit of gender equality.
So, how do I gender a non-binary person?
In short, you can use the pronoun iel + avoid gendered words and/or use the point médian and/or make up new words.
But keep in mind that if you're not talking to someone familiar with these rules, you'll have some explaining to do. And looots of people are still very anti inclusive language, because they're sexist and/or transphobic, ignorant, language purists, etc. A few years ago it was the thing to be angry about for conservatives and anti-feminists so it's still very controversial. But if you're in a trans inclusive queer space or talking with intersectionnal leftists, go for it !
I hope I covered everything (fellow french, don't hesitate to comment!) and didn't put you to sleep lmao. If you want to see some examples, you can look it up on Wikipedia or check #bagaitte on tumblr (it's the french queer tag) 😉
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konigsblog · 7 months
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i’m such a sadist i absolutely live for misogynist könig, do you have any more thoughts on him?
oh, i have a LOT of thots about sexist!könig :3 🌷
tw: dub-con/non-con/rape, drugging (intoxcation), sexism, misogyny.
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sexist!könig would most definitely slip the condom off before sliding inside. you're all drugged up, all loopy and fuzzy when he slides inside. usually, you'd scream at him to get off of you -- that he shouldn't have tried to take the condom off. don't you want him to enjoy himself? it's not all about you, it feels better without it..
könig pins your wrists beside your head, watching your facial expressions for any signs of discomfort or anger. yet, you seemed to have not noticed, giving könig a perfect opportunity to fuck you all nice and raw! :3
“meine güte, meine prinzessin... du bist sicher das egoistische mädchen, ja? dreckiges ding... entspann dich einfach für mich, du dummes mädchen.” he teases, looking into your half closed, teary eyes, covered with your heavy eyelids. you're always so sensitive when you're drunk...
you arch your back, moaning out when he pounds into you cruelly. god, he feels so free, so good -- until you notice. of course, even whilst drugged and drunk, you're still the stupid feminist that you are.
you whimper, bucking and thrashing against him while he degrades you with a harsh tone. he slaps you brutally, not holding back, and watching as you breathe out breathlessly, eyes wide before you pass out,. allowing könig to take full control over your unconscious body. :((
“gott, du weißt wirklich, wie du mich aufregen kannst, oder? du bist so eine eklige hure, mein kleines spielzeug, lass uns nicht so tun, als hättest du irgendwelche rechte verdient.” könig bites your neck, using and abusing your limp body until he cums deep inside your swollen, raw cunt!
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translation: (1) “meine güte, meine prinzessin... du bist sicher das egoistische mädchen, ja? dreckiges ding... entspann dich einfach für mich, du dummes mädchen.” “my goodness, my princess... you are certainly are the selfish girl, yes? dirty thing... just relax for me, you stupid girl.”
(2) “gott, du weißt wirklich, wie du mich aufregen kannst, oder? du bist so eine eklige hure, mein kleines spielzeug, lass uns nicht so tun, als hättest du irgendwelche rechte verdient.” “god, you really know how to upset me, don’t you? you’re such a disgusting whore, my little toy, let’s not act like you deserve any rights.”
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Booktok makes me sick, not just because of all the shitty books. It's the prevalence, no, the celebration, of toxic masculinity. Every single booktok book features some variation on the same man. And without fail, against all sensible reason, these characters are portrayed as handsome and charismatic and desirable.
It makes me sick when these authors hold up these toxic, predatory traits and put them on a pedestal as some kind of Ideal Man.
It makes me sick when their aggressiveness and possessiveness is treated as romantic. It makes me sick when these shitty men forcibly grab women, invade their personal spaces, and render them helpless by 'purring' in their ears, every. single. fucking. time.
It makes me sick that these misogynistic, heteronormative, and hypermasculine social conventions keep appearing in so-called feminist literature.
Strip away the idealized elements and you have what is basically the rich, white, cishet, alpha-male archetype. He's tall, usually six feet, physically fit and muscular with obligatory six pack abs, and conventionally handsome, with a chiseled jawline. He's usually clean-shaven, and any hair he may have on his body is minimal. He maintains composure at all times and rarely shows anxiety or uncertainty. He exudes raw charisma and charm and navigates social spaces effortlessly.
His hobbies, if he has any, are stereotypically masculine. When it comes to sex, he's confident, skilled, exclusively dominant, and always knows what to do without communicating with his partner. The sex he enjoys is usually rough, animalistic and overpowering. He may have been with several women in the past, and he may be regarded as a sex god, both in-universe and out.
His toxic traits are rarely portrayed as negative. But when they are, they're usually held up as some edgy, anti-hero persona and the reader is inevitably manipulated into sympathizing with him. He'll be portrayed as a tortured, wounded animal, and his female love interest (and, by proxy, the reader) will decide on some variation of 'I can fix him'.
He is essentially the unrealistic standard the ideal Proper Man; the one that men are expected to emulate, and that women are expected to swoon over.
But what really irks me is the lost potential.
If there are men who don't fit into this mold, they are depicted as pathetic, ineffectual, or any number of negative traits.
The narrative quietly and passive-aggressively mocks them and portray them as boring and un-sexy.
After all, is this the kind of man who will bravely swoop in and sweep a helpless woman off her feet? Of course not. Such men are boys. Wimps. Cowards.
These books are supposed to be fantasy: a genre in which easily anything can be explored. If faeries, magic, and contrived mating bonds can exist, then why can't we also have male characters who exist outside the stereotypical, hypermasculine mold?
Why is it that we can have so many fantastical, impossible, and wondrous magical forces, creatures, and peoples, but we can't have men who aren't possessive, abusive, or controlling?
Why is it that male characters, have to be so innately dominant, abusive, and violent? Why do they have to be so fit and muscular and strong?
Even worse, why is it treated as something that is so natural, so inescapable, even in the realm of fiction?
Where are the men who aren't tall and fit? Where are the men who don't have sculpted abs or chiseled jawlines? Where are the men who aren't lean and muscular?
Why can’t we have men who are skinny or overweight? Why can't we have men who aren't handsome or attractive, but just average looking? Why can't we have men who are shorter or just average height?
Why can't we have men with non-stereotypical hobbies? Why can't we have men who love to read, or paint, or write, or sing, or dance, or build model kits?
Why can’t we have men who are timid and shy? Why can't we have men who feel anxiety, fear, and sadness? Why can't we have men who aren't afraid of crying openly?
Why can't we have men who aren't sex gods? Why can't we have men who aren't confident in bed? Who are anxious, or even scared, at the prospect of sex? Who are passive instead of dominant? Who want to experience intimacy and affection?
Why can’t we have men be kind and gentle and sweet for once?
I'll tell you why we can't. Because booktok says men like these are not 'man' enough. Booktok says men like these are the 'boring' option, and completely devoid of interesting quirks, traits or personality. Booktok says men like these are underserving of attention, and only fit to be background noise.
As far as booktok is concerned, men like these can't exist.
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intersectionalpraxis · 5 months
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I just emailed the United Nations Women's Office in Geneva, Amnesty International, Oxfam Canada, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) about the lack of period care in Gaza. It is frustrating to see that international organizations have not set up a fund specifically to help Palestinian people who need this. Having one resource to help with this shortage, Motherbeing, is not enough for millions of people.
Period care is health care. I don't want anyone to tell me that emailing international organizations about this is either silly or not important because not having adequate access to this can cause serious health ramifications -from infections to illnesses and later reproductive health issues.
Pregnant women in Gaza are also continually suffering right now -of the thousands of women that were supposed to give birth over these past few months -they have not had safe and consistent access to care during their trimesters. I have spoken about this before -but we need to keep amplifying this issue as well.
Women's health in Gaza has been under under crisis for a while now, and we KNOW this is part of a zionist's larger agenda -to attack women and children especially because they see them as some of the greatest threats. So please do what you can -send those emails, call your representatives/MP's and demand a ceasefire. Demand more than adequate medical care -which includes period care -reach those in Gaza who need it.
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Original post where Hind Khoudary is reporting:
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To say I'm bitter-sweetly fortunate my TL has been full of feminists talking about Palestine -while at the same time I have seen a plethora publicly turn away, ignore, or remain silent on it because of money or greed or worry about their social or financial capital (celebrities and 'influencers' -we know who you are) -I'm just embarrassed for them.
When I first started my journey into feminism as a first year well over a decade ago (and as someone who used to be ignorant about so many things until I started my process of learning/unlearning/educating myself) -I am resoundingly grateful for that beginning. Being able dig into intersectional theory, listening to activists from all around the world about their struggles, passions, and efforts to liberation -and I still continue to do so.
Reading about the importance of decolonization in tandem with dismantling the heteropatriarchal capitalist machine -I always know the importance of solidarity and ally ship as a result of years of study -because the power IS with the people -and our voices do matter -the system, time and again, wants you to believe you don't. And for those feminists who aren't using their platforms or voices to encourage and demand a ceasefire -or any and all ends of systemic oppression -you have blood on your hands. Feminist and women's movements aren't meant to be something you cherry pick.
So do the bare minimum, or don't call yourselves feminists.
I also don't have a 'template' per-say, since I just wrote them out individually and edited them, but if anyone wants to me post something generic so they can make their own to send to these organizations please let me know.
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sgiandubh · 1 year
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It all starts with a smoke alarm
This wasn't supposed to happen like that, of course. It was supposed to happen with an ”allow me to introduce myself”, at the least. But hey, I am playing the cards I've been dealt, and since an anonymous ask on Tumblr does not allow pictures or links, this will have to do. We'll have plenty of time later.
Yesterday, I said that reading that Single Report reaped benefits. I have screen capped and summed up all the things that made me rise an eyebrow, to make things easier. Hopefully, this is going to be short: who would wax lyrical about a septic tank, after all?
I did not use my superpowers to do this, but simply the link provided by a very active Anon on several shipper blogs, in order to properly stir shite, I presume: https://corumproperty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/HomeReport-31.pdf
Armed with my wits and a virtual highlighter, I started to carefully read the whole document. Ownership details aside - this, I discussed yesterday -, I remind you that it should give any prospective buyer a good, detailed idea of the available fittings and current condition of the house put on sale.
In Europe and elsewhere, I guess, inspections of this type are rather a dull and thorough affair. And these people did an excellent job: they checked every single nook & cranny, used binoculars to have a closer look at the roof tiles and listed it all on these papers a good researcher should read, before dropping to conclusions.
This is how we know, for example, that the inspection happened on a rainy day:
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.. and that the guttering was overflowing. Does that sound like a well loved, lived-in house to you?
Thought so.
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This brought a smile. And the image of a Christmas tree left near a London dustbin in June. Home, sweet home?
Like all properties, this also comes with burglar and fire alarm systems. However, apparently not much has been done, in this respect. Or at least, not recently. Not since February 2022, to be accurate: otherwise, they would have been upgraded. Yet, no such thing: it's up to the buyer to do and pay for the upgrade.
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Lived-in? Certainly not after February 2022 and probably even earlier, would be my best guess. But lived-in at some point in time, most certainly.
You see, since I was on the real estate agent's webpage, I also took the virtual tour of the house. It is available to everyone, here: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=AFKibrk8QiD
Now, I don't know about you, but when I visit somebody's house for the first time, I always check the bookshelves: yes, I am a shameless nerd. I am also well aware that the rest of the furniture was staged, it looked that sad, clinical way it does all over the world. Did not expect to find any books in there, to be honest. And yet, there they were.
I didn't bother with the fashion coffee table books, although I thought they were a nice nod to Ms. B's past, and totally the kind of things she might have on her credenza.
A built-in bookshelf in the basement caught my eye. That did not look staged. It looked as she might have left some of her own books in there, like an afterthought, if you want. And people's choices of books are always speaking volumes to me, about who they really are.
It did not disappoint.
More fash-un. And yeah, Tiffany & Co! I knew it!
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A Tina Turner bio or memoir. Awww:
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Bette Davis and some feminist literature. Her books, I am pretty sure of that:
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And, to save the best for last, lo and behold, what do we have here?
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Bear Grylls?
That Bear Grylls?
Hahahaha. Of course. I have all the reasons in the world to believe the music producer/PA/whatever is into masculine thrillers written by a world-renowned survivalist, haven't I?
Not a chance in hell, to be honest. I grinned like the Cheshire cat because, ladies, we do know WHOSE book is this, don't we?
Judging by its jacket, well-read. Not a prop.
Belonging to someone with a dry, wicked sense of humor who apparently also left this gem:
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A Captain's Duty. At this point in time, I wasn't grinning anymore. I was laughing like an idiot, of course.
Slàinte mhath, ladies. We'll have time for a proper introduction later.
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genericpuff · 5 months
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Hello, I want to say that I enjoy reading Lore Rekindled. I used to try and get into Lore Olympus back when it was starting, because I'm a huge Mythology Nerd, especially when it comes to Greek. But, even though the comic had so much potential, I really hated it. The art style was very inconsistent and messy. Like I see why it was appealing because it was striking and unique for the time on Webtoon, but it strained my eyes because it was hard to tell who was who half the time. The writing was all over the place with so many plot's that were supposedly to exist but were either settled in an anti-climatic way or just never were addressed at all. And the characters... by gosh, they act more like fake celebrities' and cardboard cutouts than their actual counterparts. It's so laughable when people say "I can relate to Persephone" like... the girl doesn't have any set traits, she's just a self-insert with no actual flaws! And the fact LO labels itself as a feminist retelling, while it pits women against each other, labels them as objects for men and vilify them for having justifiable concerns... yeah that is a laugh. And I'm not even gonna touch on the Apollo plot... you know the one. But when I heard about Lore Rekindled from Dazzling Kate on Youtube, I decided to check it out because I figured a fan version could not be any worse than what Rachel herself created. And holy Hades, I can see the un-to god effort and care this comic has! This is the complete opposite of LO: it has consistent character models with stunning backgrounds and art, the plotline makes way more sense and is easy to follow with no unnessearcy subplots, and the characters actually have separate personalities! I know Lore Rekindled is still in it's early stages, but already it has shown more promise and potential than what Rachel has created in the last six years! This is why ghost writers and fanfiction have a special place in my heart, because they care more about the stories than the authors themselves! Seriously, what you are doing is incredible! I really hope you continue with Lore Rekindled and I will be following the story because you have sparked my interest! It takes a special kind of talent to turn something that an individual like myself loathes, into a piece of work that I can find joy and entertainment in.
On that note, because I really love your story so far, I wanted to ask your permission on something. I have a YouTube channel, it's a small one but I do a bunch of things there like voice dubs, reviews, theorizes, and writing advice. So if it is alright with you, would it be okay if I could do a review of your Lore Rekindled Series and maybe potentially do a comic dub of the story as well? I'll be sure to credit you, I just want people to see this story that you worked hard on.
Ahhh I'm so glad you like it! Everything you mentioned about LO's missed or lost potential was exactly why I set out to make Rekindled, so it always brings me so much joy when people tell me it connected with them, means I gotta be doing at least something right LOL Though I've had to adjust Rekindled's update schedule to make room for other projects and priorities in my life, there's still loads left with it that I wanna tackle.
If you wanna do a review or any sort of video content with it, by all means! DazzlingKate's review took me by surprise (in a good way) because I had no idea it was happening until someone linked me to it after it was posted haha It's a little nerve-wracking sometimes to see it breach outside of Tumblr, but so far all the occasions of such have been generally fair game without any issues so I don't see why not! ~ <3
Thank you again, I hope Rekindled continues to entertain you and bring you joy ( ´ ∀ `)ノ~ ♡
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burningtheroots · 1 year
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💜🤍💚 Introduction Post & Guide/Masterpost 💜🤍💚
IMPORTANT
After three months, I think it‘s time to introduce myself and clear this mess of a blog a bit 💀
So, I‘m 20 years old and have been learning about radical feminism for quite a while before joining in myself, and I‘m really grateful to be part of this community and even be mutuals with some of my favorite women on here. <3
I joined Tumblr (and Instagram) to share information, my own opinions and to connect with like-minded women. Before discovering radical feminism, I always felt left out from the discussions and didn’t know that there would be anyone who‘d understand me and accept me. I tried to fit in somewhere where I didn’t belong, and whilst it‘s not always easy to be here, I‘m happy that this community exists. :‘)
DMs & anons are always open, and I‘m always interested in having discussions and meeting new people.
I‘m rather shy and struggle a bit with my social skills, but it gets better eventually.
The only people who aren’t welcome on my blog are p0rn obsessed men and generally anyone who only wants to harass me or spread misogyny. I‘m all for respectful discussions and willing to share my viewpoints, but I‘m not a punching bag.
As there‘s a lot going on here, I collected the most important posts and reblogs (quite many, to be honest) and decided to link them here. Some are simply informative, some are very subjective and some are a mixture of both. The list will be updated over time.
Here you go:
(I‘d also heavily recommend to check out @/radfemfox5, @/woman-for-women, @/butch-reidentified, @/radsplain, @/meanevilandcruel … and many more — not actually tagging them because this post is long & I don’t want to annoy them) 💜🤍💚
if a link doesn’t work, please let me know
Sex-based violence 🔗 links
‼️ Self-protection in emergency situations
Pornography 🔗 links
Prostitution 🔗 links
Gender Critical 🔗 links
Surrogacy 🔗 links
Sexual assault 🔗 links
LGB & Pride 🔗 links
Women‘s health 🔗 links
Pro-choice 🔗 links
Questionable men 🔗 links
Women‘s rights movement // General stuff continued 🔗 links
Women‘s movement // General stuff
Donation Megathread
Stop the infighting
"Not like other girls"
"Not All Men" is a war propaganda tactic
Age and attraction
Key elements
Andrea Dworkin works
Why feminism should center women and women only
Statement
How men see us
Prioritize women
Radical feminism is intersectional
Radical feminism definition
Double standards in terms of "unconditional love"
Favorite quote
We‘re not Nazis
We don’t support Nazis & vice versa
Misogyny vs. misandry
Why I‘m a radfem
Actual radfeminism
No good men
Feminist book list
Libfem hypocrisy
Andrew Tate fans
"Withholding sex" is a misconception
Sexism against women in sports
Choice feminism
Men ☕️
Sex-based violence
Radfeminism is superior
On motherhood
On motherhood 2
Workplace sexism
Motivation
Men‘s mental health month
eXtRiMiSm
Women are not protected 1
Women are not protected 2
Oversexualization
Oppressor classes
Men who want children
Bodyshaming
Misandry
Men‘s sexual entitlement
Beauty Myth
A man‘s world
It‘s all men
Double standards
Women in fiction
No conservatism
Lies about emotions
The system isn’t broken
Resist, don‘t comply
Male hypocrisy
Woman arrested in Saudi Arabia
"Unconditional love"
Beauty ideals
Again, men ☕️
Parental alienation ‼️
Men & gossip
Men dislike their own daughters
Women aren’t objects
On religion
Sexism at school
Women‘s labor
Men‘s victim mentality
Arranged marriage
Women are an afterthought
Oppression in the US
Purity culture
American women & maternity leave
Body neutrality
Dangerous men are around us
Anti-natalism
Men don‘t actually "love" women
Socialization
Stereotyping men
Neha Wadekar in Baringo county, Kenya
Tomiekia Johnson
Child marriage in the US
Workplace sexism
UN report (alarming)
"You are a man-hater"
People with disabilities matter
Disability Pride Month
Girls‘ clothing
So you‘re partnered with a male
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radkindoffeminist · 2 years
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Stolen Phrases and Slogans
I used to have a much bigger post with many more receipts so forgive me for it being a slow-growing post. I will try to add as much as I can when I can. Please check the original post for updates.
You’re free to comment or message me with additional slogans I may have forgotten, particularly if you have sources of them saying this. I will give you credit for your additions unless asked not to tag you.
Most recent update: 18/06/2023
(Black) Trans Lives Matter
Stolen directly from Black Lives Matter.
Examples:
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Black Trans Lives Matter March
Medium article titled TLM
Trans Rights Are Human Rights
Stolen from feminism. Original phrase: Women’s Rights are Human Rights. Source suggesting it dates back to the 80s/90s
Examples:
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UN Foundation
BC Human Rights Clinic
Literally a site called TRAHR
Stop Trans Hate
Stolen directly from Stop Asian Hate.
Examples:
Stop Trans Hate
Walking While Trans
Stolen from Black Lives Matter. Original phrase: Walking While Black.
Examples:
Article on ‘walking while trans’
Second article
Trans Panic
Credit: @wl9140
Stolen from the LGB Community. Original phrase: Gay Panic.
Originally used as a murder or assault defence where a man could blame his violent outburst on being shocked/frightened by the unwanted sexual advances from another man. Trans panic is a similar defence with the difference being that the assault was due to not knowing that the person they were having sex with/had sex with/wanted to have sex with was a trans person.
Examples:
Sources to be added.
Conversion Therapy
Credit: @wl9140
Stolen from the LGB community.
Originally only applied to forcibly ‘correcting’ someone’s sexuality but has been more widely appropriated to also mean forcing someone to identify with their birth sex.
Examples:
Sources to be added
AMAB/AFAB/AGAB (or alternatively (CAMAB/CAFAB)
Stolen from the intersex community.
Assigned Male/Female At Birth (or Coercively Assigned Male/Female At Birth) was a phrase from the intersex community used to label themselves and the fact that they were assigned a certain sex in circumstances where their sex was unclear due to their intersex disorder. It was then appropriated by the trans community to label themselves and ignore the fact that they are a certain sex, with some going as far as believing that these labels are arbitrary and not a recognition of someone’s biological sex in the vast majority of cases.
Examples:
Sources to be added.
Trans is Beautiful
Stolen from the Civil Rights Movement. Original phrase: Black is Beautiful.
Examples:
Sources to be added.
The Future is Trans/Genderfree/Etc
Stolen from feminism. Original phrase: The Future is Female. Source suggesting it dates back to 1975 and resurfaced in 2015.
Examples:
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Article about a documentary
Article titled The Future is Trans
Bonus Misogyny Round:
‘The Future is female’ is problematic
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Sources to be added.
Passing
Credit: @opabiniawillreturn
Stolen from people of colour
Examples:
Sources to be added.
(Trans) Chasers
Credit: @peakedlesbian
Stolen from the fat positivity movement
Examples:
Sources to be added.
Intersectional Feminism
Stolen directly from intersectional feminism.
Examples:
Sources to be added.
Girls Like Us
Credit: @ialmostdroppedmycrossiant
Stolen from an anti-trafficking movement.
Examples:
Sources to be added.
Trans Girls Magic
Credit: @opabiniawillreturn
Stolen from intersectional and black feminism. Original phrase: Black Girls Magic.
Examples:
Medium article
T-shirt via Redbubble
Genderqueer Flag
Not so much a phrase but the colours are almost identical to the original suffragette colours.
Examples:
Suffragette sash:
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Coloured with Green, White, and Violet which represents Give Women the Vote.
Genderqueer Flag:
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TRAs confusing the two:
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Cotton Ceiling
Credit: ???
Stolen from feminism. Original phrase: Glass Ceiling.
Glass ceiling was inverted by feminists to describe the phenomenon of women being unable to progress past certain milestones in their careers as a result of misogyny. The glass ceiling represented the invisible barrier which prevented women from progressing higher in their careers. Cotton ceiling was later coined to say that trans women’s biggest barrier to womanhood was lesbians refusing to sleep with them due to not seeing them as being complete/real women. The cotton represents lesbian’s underwear as the ‘barrier’ to trans women’s womanhood.
Examples:
Information on an old workshop about overcoming the cotton ceiling
Mexican Pink
Credit: @infeliz-jueves
Stolen from feminism and victims of femicide.
Mexican pink is a hot pink colour used to paint over the crosses of the graves of women who were victims of femicide. It was appropriated by a trans woman to mean alliance with trans women.
Sources:
Article
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rollercoasterwords · 11 months
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different anon, but i thought we all agreed canon remus is a timid, sheltered boy? unlike the fanon's alphamale remus. i think that was an important point. don't know why you said like it was a personal interpretation. and i think when the anon called it fanon toxic heteronormative wolfstar, they meant the r & s in your fic are alphamale-ed remus & abused, shorter sirius. you can make disabled remus fight, but the alphamale-ification of him is. i think we writers should try to not spread that remus. man, i don't think you have to agree with the anon or me, you do you and we do we. sent it just to clarify a few stuff
you guys have caught me in a bad mood so fine let's get into it lmao
"i thought we all agreed canon remus is a timid, sheltered boy?"
well, you thought wrong!! generally speaking if you're saying "i thought we all agreed..." about something in fandom, you are wrong. this space is huge and there are tons of different interpretations of canon. i don't like all of them, but you know what i do when i don't like someone's interpretation? i unfollow them or block them or simply scroll past their post or don't read their fic!! it is sooooooo easy to ignore a stranger on the internet's take on harry fucking potter c'mon now
that being said, the idea that remus is "sheltered" in canon is laughable to me. that kid became a werewolf at six years old, he was forced to deal with the harsh realities of the world wayyyyyy before any of his friends. and i guess you could interpret him as timid, maybe, but i personally don't!! professor lupin in the books is incredibly vivacious, sarcastic, funny--plus, he spent his youth fighting voldemort + death eaters. none of that screams "timid" to me.
and, again, even if that was my interpretation of canon remus, this is not a canon-compliant fic. i am specifically putting the characters in a universe where voldemort won and they grew up separately, without all going to hogwarts together, and exploring my interpretation of how their personalities would change. remus in this world is definitely not fucking sheltered and he literally could not be timid if he wanted to survive. you don't have to read the fic if you don't like seeing him that way!
unlike the fanon's alphamale remus. i think that was an important point. don't know why you said like it was a personal interpretation.
again, the idea that "the fanon" is a single united entity is laughable. there are tons of fanon interpretations of remus. you can choose not to interact with the ones you dislike!!! and i said the "sheltered and timid" thing was a personal interpretation because it is.
and i think when the anon called it fanon toxic heteronormative wolfstar, they meant the r & s in your fic are alphamale-ed remus & abused, shorter sirius.
let's just say what you mean here: you think interpretations of r + s where one is more "feminine" and one is more "masculine" are heteronormative. i think that's bullshit! the idea that gay couples where one is more feminine and one is more masculine are "heteronormative" is the shit that's been ostracizing + marginalizing butches + feminine gay men within the queer community for literal decades--genuinely, it was (and continues to be, apparently!) a huge lesbophobic talking point in feminist circles that butch/femme relationships were un-feminist because butches were basically just "mimicking straight men." not only that, but it leads to pretty blatant transphobia on account of, y'know, trying to police people's gender presentation based on how you think someone of their gender is meant to present. so i don't have ANY fucking patience for this discourse and if you try to bring it to my blog you will get blocked.
and i'll address the idea that remus in my fic is an "alphamale" in a second, but for now--what about having one person be shorter and one person be taller in a relationship makes it heteronormative?? are short people automatically feminine to you?? and what about having one party being abused makes a relationship heteronormative?? is being abused an inherently feminine trait?? i'd recommend thinking about what exactly you're trying to claim here before you bring it to my askbox.
you can make disabled remus fight, but the alphamale-ification of him is. i think we writers should try to not spread that remus.
first of all, i think the idea that The Fandom is spreading some sort of plague of "alphamale remus" is silly. The Fandom is not a monolith; the majority of blogs + writers i follow portray him as a wet sock. so if you're being inundated with "alphamale remus" content that you don't like, start learning to use the block button.
beyond that, the interpretation that remus is an "alphamale" in my fic at all just tells me that both you and the first anon have not read the fic in its entirety. the only reason i can imagine that the first anon even brought that up is the fact that remus is in a werewolf fighting ring and acts flirty with sirius when they first meet. we get an entire chapter from remus's perspective where we learn that this is a specific persona he has had to adapt to survive, and we also learn that he is fighting in this werewolf fighting ring for reasons that are specifically tied to the way he is marginalized in this fictional society. the fic spends a ton of time exploring the way his marginalization has shaped his life and i spend over 20k words writing his pov in his head demonstrating that his anger comes from that marginalization, and that the "aggression" he is interpreted as having is a) partially stereotyping because he's a werewolf and b) partially a persona he has to adapt to survive in the werewolf fighting ring. again, if you don't like reading him like that then you don't have to read the fic. but the idea that fighting other werewolves specifically as a facet of the ways in which werewolves are oppressed in this society is something that makes him an "alpha male"....i mean if that's what you're taking away from it then i simply don't want you to read my fics in the first place.
man, i don't think you have to agree with the anon or me, you do you and we do we. sent it just to clarify a few stuff
the first anon literally asked me to rewrite my fic. sure, i could have just ignored the message and blocked them, and maybe i should have--but like i said, you guys caught me in a bad mood, and this is my blog, so. to answer that ask, i actually did have to disagree with them, because i had to say, "no, i will not rewrite the fic." and you've put me in a position where i actually do have to disagree as well, by saying stuff like "i thought we all agree," where not saying anything would be tacit agreement when i don't agree. i will do me, and i suggest you and the first anon go do you far away from that, because it seems like it would be better for everyone involved! i don't really care if you think you were being polite or helpful with this message; i didn't need you to clarify, and i did not need the holier-than-thou moralizing about what "we writers" should do when it's not even something i'm doing.
again, i don't care if people don't like my fic. just don't read it!!!! and just don't follow this blog!!! there is literally zero point in sending me messages like this nitpicking interpretations, especially not when the crux of your issue is that i'm making wolfstar "heteronormative," an argument that is deeply rooted in homophobia and transphobia. felt like ranting tonight, but generally speaking i will just block anyone who brings that shit into my askbox.
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megamind0416 · 10 months
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Stefan VS Damon
Both are HOT. But...for different reasons. This is what I think.
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Preface: I am new to the TVD fandom. I just finished season 2 and am a slow watcher since I am watching the series exclusively with my cousin whenever we hang out. Of course I am aware of the big debate...Stefan or Damon (although Jeremy Gilbert is superior imo lol).
Here is my (un)professional take so far:
Stefan would sacrifice you to save the world (bc that's what you want). He loves unconditionally and fully. He wants nothing more than for Elena to be happy, even if that means her happiness comes at his expense. He also completely understands the value that the people she loves have in her life, and he would understand that if it came down to it: her or the world(and therefore the people she loves), he should try to save the world FOR HER. Because Elena wouldn't want to live if the people she loves aren't there. Not only that, but my guy Stefan is a feminist, and everything that is done is always about ELENA'S CHOICE. That means even when he doesn't agree, or it is painful for him. He is always on her side.
On the other hand
Damon would sacrifice the world to save you. Because while Stefan loves softly and passionately, Damon loves recklessly and incessantly. Damon wouldn't spare a second thought to the world, because his love is like a fire burning desperately wanting more. He "loves" Elena, but her happiness is an after thought. He *s2 spoiler* would rather force his blood down her throat than risk the possibility of her dying and not coming back. Because he loves her and her ONLY. He doesn't think about what she would want...only that he couldn't bear being without her. And Damon would kill or destroy anything or anyone in his way if it meant that she was safe. Because while Stefan needs her happiness, Damon could care less about that...Damon just needs her. And this is by no means healthy...but golly gee, it's attractive.
Idk what is gonna happen. Maybe something significant will go down leaving me angry with Stefan, but as of right now I could not imagine him messing up that bad. Right now idk how I could ship Damon with Elena when Stefan is right there. Yes the chemistry between Delena is AMAZING, but he doesn't want what is best for her. And honestly, I kinda think that he views her as an idealized version of Katherine instead of who she actually is. Yes, Damon deserves love and deserves to be happy and I want nothing but joy for him, but I don't think that joy is going to come from Elena. Imo Stefan is so much better for her, and (as of rn) I stand by that.
If you read this, that's so silly goofy. Thanks for reading my rant tehehe. I'm intrigued to see if my opinions change haha. What do y'all think? (No major spoilers please! I know Elena and Damon get together at some point but have no idea how haha)
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bitter-sweet-coffee · 11 months
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ok this time there ARE barbie spoilers but it’s just the things i didn’t like so feel free to ignore this if you had fun and don’t want me ruining anything! like seriously, i do not want to make anyone upset here because of how positive the fandom vibes are. i just wanna y’know, air out some dirty laundry i have with what i just witnessed
as a disclaimer i’ve only seen it once and it ended like 40 minutes ago LMAO forgive me for any name mistakes i suck with those
- ken never got closure and i get what they were going for, just having a bunch of guys repeat “ken is me” over and over isn’t cutting it. felt this way with the “hi barbie” intro. like yes, i get what it aims to accomplish, but god does it get grating
- SOME of the fourth wall breaks were good. most were not. weird barbie and all the discontinued barbies were funny, and the drinking water gag was great. but the narrator stuff was WAY too prevalent and i get that it’s camp, but it was a tad too much at times. i’m torn on the margot line because it wasn’t necessarily bad, i just think it ruined the moment a little
- SO MANY UNFINISHED PLOTLINES OH MY GOD. you’re telling me the travel montage was all it took for gloria and sasha to bond and fix their issues? we saw their conflict through barbie’s memory link, it was never elaborated on. not once. suddenly by the end they’re getting along. the same could be about weird barbie? she always embraced the weirdness so the apology and “un-outcasting” felt off because a) it seemed like she was secluded by her own will and b) the barbies were never necessarily mean to her, they just acknowledged she’s different? which she knew and was okay with and self aware of? idk i guess an apology is fair, but the way it was delivered implied a deeper conflict we never saw
- mattel boardroom. enough said. i get will ferrell probably has a contracted screentime for funny gimmicks but it was so grating and a waste of time
- in a similar vein, all the travel montages combined probably take up as much time as the real-world scenes. for a movie that advertised barbie in the real world at a seeming first glance, that basically never happened LOL maybe that’s on me for having expectations though
- listen, LISTEN. i know there’s a lot of conflict right now with the “boo forced feminism” propaganda spreading around and i swear on god that isn’t me. HOWEVER. i do think that the way they went about resetting free will and that super long montage from gloria was not handled as well as it should have been. do i agree with everything said in the speech she gave? abso fuckin lutely. but remember, SHOW not TELL. they created this brainwashing plot device only to immediately dismantle it with one #girlboss speech which imo, undermines the very point the monologue was trying to make. i just wish they did more actual empowerment and not cheap exposition via a shenanigans montage and a third party speaker reciting a well constructed feminist rant which was just… INSERTED into a feel-good scene. i was hoping for something more organic but that’s just me. like, the barbie feeling self conscious was on the nose, but it did its thing. it’s camp i expected that. by this point in the film however, i expected more
- last thing for now: the plot was just a mess i’m sorry. the beginning was slow and expositional sure i get it, maybe it dragged a little too long when you consider everything else they tried to shove into the runtime, but for a typical film that would be a decent portion of establishing a plot. the real world segment? god, so many open doors, most of them were ignored. 99% of the real world was gimmicks and throwaway lines. the bench scene was the shining gem in that pacing dumpster. mattel plot we already know i don’t like, minus the ruth part. i have a lot of thoughts on ken patriarchy that i don’t have time or effort to unpack right now, but it was funny. and then it went on way too long and became annoying but not in the good way, in the “i get this is camp but it feels stupid” way. gosling killed that musical number but for a film about barbie, that was a hella long ken segment. like, this was a ken movie with barbie having existential dread in the background. then a bunch of magical fixits happen and suddenly all conflicts are resolved through magical means and cheap jokes and imaginary character development!!! oh but they gave barbie a pussy we unironically stan that for her (i’m serious lol like i think the joke was such a lame way to end the film but it’s funny enough to say that this whole film all barbie wanted was gender affirming surgery. i’ll allow it for sheer comedic purposes)
TLDR: i have many many complaints but i don’t think the movie is bad. it’s just fun, not particularly good all around. IT HAS GOOD MOMENTS!!! I AM NOT DENYING THERE IS SOME QUALITY HERE! i just think its hit or miss and while not every film has to be a feminist manifesto, i think all the hype and expectations definitely oversold the actual film i just witnessed because it was not particularly good. but it’s fun! and it’s okay to just enjoy that, this is my initial impression but maybe i’ll grow to like it more. just wanted to put this out here in case someone else feels the same way and doesn’t want to take the fall for finding it mid
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Was there anyone in your life who might’ve served as an inspiration for Arya?
I can’t say there’s any one specific model, but a lot of the women I’ve known over the years have had aspects of Arya with them. Especially some of the women I knew when I was a young man back in the ’60s and ’70s, you know — the decade of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement. I knew a lot of young women who weren’t buying into the, “Oh, I have to find a husband and be a housewife.” That’s certainly part of Arya’s thing. There’s that scene where Ned is telling her, “Well, one day you’ll grow up and you’ll marry a great lord and you’ll be the lady of the castle.” And she says, “No, I won’t. I don’t want that. That’s Sansa, that’s not me.” I knew women who were saying things like that: “I don’t wanna be Mrs. Smith, I wanna be my own person.”
--
"The Lannisters are proud," Jon observed. "You'd think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother's House equal in honor to the king's."
"The woman is important too!" Arya protested. (Arya I, AGoT)
--
Arya had loved nothing better than to sit at her father's table and listen to them talk. She had loved listening to the men on the benches too; to freeriders tough as leather, courtly knights and bold young squires, grizzled old men-at-arms. She used to throw snowballs at them and help them steal pies from the kitchen. Their wives gave her scones and she invented names for their babies and played monsters-and-maidens and hide-the-treasure and come-into-my-castle with their children. Fat Tom used to call her "Arya Underfoot," because he said that was where she always was. She'd liked that a lot better than "Arya Horseface." (Arya II, AGoT)
--
"The Merling Queen has chosen a new Mermaid to take the place of the one that drowned. She is the daughter of a Prestayn serving maid, thirteen and penniless, but lovely."
"So are they all, at the beginning," said the priest, "but you cannot know that she is lovely unless you have seen her with your own eyes, and you have none. Who are you, child?" (The Blind Girl, ADwD)
Between this and befriending Merry and co at the Happy Port and getting justice for the Layna by whispering Chiswyck's name to Jaqen, or the revenge for both the daughter and Lommy by killing Raff the Sweetling, Arya has shown neither NLOG nor un-feminist behaviour. There isn't any disdain for girls or for being a girl.
What part of this is incomprehensible to some? Why are people finding it far-fetched that Arya is a feminist character when the own fucking author is saying it?
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betterbemeta · 1 year
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The idea of the barbie movie makes me feel some way that is hard to describe for the same reason a lot of my agender experiences are hard to describe. There's a lot of concrete language, projected expectations, shared understanding of binary gender experiences... but not very much for 'null' experiences.
Nonbinary experiences are muted in general, but often do get described-- in contrast to the binary. Even 'gender-neutral' is usually conceptualized as androgynous, could-be-male-or-female. 'Neither gender' is usually thought of like, 'a secret third thing' rather than 'nothing.'
I grew up disliking barbies because they were a toy my parents didn't prefer. My parents are older, so they saw a lot of cultural shifts: the '60s as kids, the '70s as young adults, the '80s happened as they began to gain stability and had me in the '90s. So the journey from 'baby dolls' to 'fashion dolls' really didn't hit any feminist women-can-be-adults statement to either of them. They were fully awake for Reaganism and how it turbo-boosted femininity as a consumer product. I know that's the opposite of the typical 'my boomer parents' narrative but it's the truth.
So I didn't play with dolls, dress-up or otherwise, much as a child. I found other outlets for that type of play that satisfied me. I played a lot of pretend, I dressed up in my own costumes, I designed characters, I wrote and drew them, and I 'dressed up' avatars in video games. I really didn't feel like I missed anything.
I began questioning my gender more when I had to present more feminine for things like job interviews and for work. I realized that I was playing a role that was not 'me', but dressing up like a doll. You know, not just 'costume time' but 'costume time, with accessories that come in the box.'
It disturbed me for a little while, but eventually I found the idea freeing. For the first time, I was not just 'bad at doing 'girl' but 'someone who can assume the form of a girl' even if the way I acted and felt was just 'me.' It occurred to me that ordinary girls probably didn't feel like they were collecting 'garb' like for a SCA event or a ren faire to go into the city every day. I am going to the party in disguise, I am a shapeshifter, I can Assume The Form You're Comfortable With, impostor syndrome who?
For a lot of people, this would be 'being in the closet.' Or it would be 'girlmoding' or 'boymoding' or whatever. And others might be like, 'it's not trans representation to present as the gender you're assigned at birth!' But it's actually impossible to 'present as' the null. We don't look at the people around us and think 'are they all in costume, pretending? What if they're nothing?'
In fact, conservative power despises this idea and projects it on the most vulnerable people in the queer community. If somebody passes an anti-cross-dressing law, they think they are safe from doubt. But if they went to a wedding and everyone in their gowns and suits told them, we're not men or women, it's dress-up, it would be a nightmare for them.
To me, the idea of 'a doll' is that whatever the plastic looks like, that is not a girl. Ceci n'est pas une pipe, you know?
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fuckmeyer · 7 months
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Maybe it's just me, but after re-watching/skimming the first Twilight film, it really seemed creepy to me how a lot of the characters, kids and adults, were so overly friendly to Bella after arriving into Forks.
The gang of guys who were harassing Bella before Edward drove in and Growled at them are labelled bad, but the High School boys that become part of her human friend group really normalize the dynamic that it's cool and flattering for guys to make unwanted advances towards the new girl (it's gross how she was un-consensually kissed and then photographed in the cafeteria).
Like, I think it would've been fine if Billy and MAYBE Jacob remembered her, but I really doubt anyone else would have remembered Bella even if she's related to the Chief of Police. Also, people shouldn't be so judgmental of Bella for not remembering the faces of people.
honestly? valid. it would be off-putting to experience so much attention, especially if you're Bella coming from a big city. & it's true, unless she spent a lot of time in Forks as a kid & actually grew up with these kids, they probs wouldn't remember her
(there is zero doubt in my mind whenever lil Bella would come to visit Charlie would just parade her around everywhere like, "this is my little girl Bells," & when she wasn't there he probs had her most recent school photo in his wallet that he showed to everyone every year like, "have i ever shown you a pic of my little girl Bells? gosh she's grown up fast" so...idk maybe the parents know who she is just because Charlie won't stop whipping out that damn wallet)
what i will say is, as someone from a rural town, that's how it be. when your high school class is small enough to fit into a lecture hall, people notice when someone new comes to town. & idk how it is growing up in the PNW, but where i'm from the expectation is you will smile, introduce yourself, & make small talk with everyone. so in that way it makes sense to me
also YES the kissing & photographing without her consent is gross. totally unacceptable. it's a relief to know this is the prevailing sentiment these days. not to be Old & Decrepit on main, but tbh, that was 2005 (2008) for ya. feminism BAD, edgy humor GOOD; the "Cool Story Babe Make Me a Sandwich" era was in full swing. while the Twilight Saga championed certain slivers of feminism & subverted third-wave feminist ideas in interesting ways, in the same breath it really was a misogynistic series. really embodied the era tbh. kissing/touching without consent happened several times. rape, assault, abuse, & grooming are part of almost every female character's story. sucks to say "par for the course" on that point, but...yeah. gross, but not surprising. smeyer (and the mid 2000s) really do be Like That
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