#like fr choose one or the other if you do this it’s just hypocritical

[lushlovers]

Ignored, J Burrow

summary; he's quite the hypocrite

warnings; joe still is an asshole what'd y'all expect, swearing, this is the stupidest argument but i would act like this too fr, the pettiest duo ever ong

word count; 900-ish

notes; ughhh i missed frat!lsu!joey so much omg. one of the few fics being posted as a thank-you for 400 followers! pls someone notice how they react similarly to each other with their actions when frustrated

This year, like the few before, Joe had convinced you to come to both of his frat's formals, for you it was a win-win, getting to dress up all pretty and seeing him all cleaned up in his fancy suit. He kept his arm secured on your hip, and both of you stepped out catching the eyes of everyone in the room, per usual.

Boredom has slowly settled in over the span of the few hours you've been here, staring at your nails and chatting with the extremely energetic girlfriends and dates of his fraternity brothers could only hold your interest for so long. "Can we go up to the room yet?" You mumble, trying not to make your growing impatience too obvious, and leaning into him with a pout present on your pretty face.

"Soon, babe," his response is short, obviously just trying to shut you up. You sigh, clicking your tongue, murmuring under your breath about going to get a drink. He barely has paid any attention to you at all tonight, nor did he say anything about the dress he ditched you to go shopping for alone. He swore up and down that he would take you to the mall, and you'd choose something together, but he opted out at the very last minute, simply venmoing you the cash for it.

It takes a lot out of you just to not scream at him to acknowledge your existence for two damn seconds, but no. Everyone, but you seemed to keep his attention this entire time. Your jaw is set tight as you fish your phone from your purse, finding yourself sitting alone and scrolling on your feed aimlessly as Joe continues to socialize.

Time passes slowly, but midnight's creeping up, you remember you both have a keycard on you which prompts you to slip out of the dining hall completely. As you make your way up to your floor you decide a text will suffice, maybe he'll see it, maybe he won't, and it's not your problem anymore.

angel🌟: i went back up.

Before you thought it couldn't get any worse, he somehow managed to piss you off even further. Read 11:54. May the Lord be on his side, that's one thing he never did to you, he knows exactly how you feel about that, you even went as far as to turn his read receipts off to avoid this feeling.

In the time it takes him to finish doing whatever the hell he's been doing all evening, you'd changed, gotten out of your makeup, and were tucked under the cover tightly. Assuring your back was turned to him as he made his way in and kicked his shoes off, "D'you have fun?" His question is followed by a long beat of silence, but he just assumes you're asleep and says nothing else.

After just a few short minutes of him entering the in-suite, he returns in an old t-shirt and basketball shorts. When he climbs into bed behind you and pulls you in close, you stiffen, making his grasp loosen significantly, "Were you like, intentionally ignoring me all night?" His brows crease and for a minute he just opens his mouth like a fish out of the water as he searches for an actual reason for the lack of interaction between the two of you.

"Not intentionally," he responds quickly to get you to be quiet for what seems to be the hundredth time today. The last thing you want is to be treated like the various girls whose feelings he plays with for his own amusement. Still, after tonight, you're severely lacking the cognitive ability to go back and forth with him tonight.

Your silence catches his attention, making the scrolling he was going on his phone come to a halt, "Are you gonna say anything?" In your head, you're screaming at him about how you're feeling, to say more than two words a sentence to you, but to possibly tick him off you bite your tongue and settle for a smartass reply.

A stifled laugh breaks the tension in the hotel room, followed by a snarky response, "Nothing to say." That does him in. Ironically being treated in the same way he treats others, receiving a taste of his own medicine. He slams his phone down on the bedside table, "I'm talking to you now and you're being short with me," another laugh escapes you at his hypocrisy and simply how childish he's acting right now.

The tone of voice you chose doesn't even change an octave when you decide to speak once more, "Now you know how I feel," you hum, turning over to face the sliding-glass balcony door. His jaw is set tight as he stares daggers into your back and you can feel them burning through your oversized t-shirt. Without saying anything else, he mimics your movements and turns over with his arms crossed over his chest, pouting.

#joe burrow #joe burrow x you #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow fic #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow fluff #joe burrow smut #joe burrow angst #nfl fan fic #nfl #nfl smut

[ninjasmudge]

What's your favorite thing about Wukong, MK, and Mei

And what's your least favorite thing about Macaque (as he's your favorite)

HM.

one of my fave things abt mk is how hes come into his own, owning his powers and self even though self doubt. hes a lil people pleaser, but hes not, like, a little somft uwu boy and he gives people many chances because he actively chooses to, and thinks they deserve them, but once its become too much hes happy to tell people thats e-fucking-nough as much as the censors will allow

fave thing for mei is probably her self confidence and aesthetic, she falters for sure but she has this fucking feral energy i adore and i hope nothing tames that, i dont care about how character growth is usually portrayed, you can be capable and not have to dim your fire. i understand the stuff with calming down to do the training at the end of s4 but she was also the only one with enough guts to tell him to fuck off. she got no stars but she was also the one to kick azure deadass in the face and steal swk (their trump card) back and if she hadnt, they might not have got swk back at all

fave thing abt swk is his tits his vibes. i actually like a lot abt swk fr, i like that hes a funny little guy, but you can still see bits of a more dangerous god under there, who can make the hard decisions noone wants to make because SOMEONE has to do it. hes a person with very firm convictions, even when he knows theyll get him a lot of hate. was he gonna kill the host? maybe, in hindsight its easy to say she didnt have to die, but realistically, one person vs the entire earth is a no brainer choice that noone else would have wanted to make

unpopular opinion and possibly hypocritical but i dont want canon maq to be too soft. stay a bastard. stay jagged. tbh im not sad over younger shadowpeach, and i know im a mean fucker but just in fiction, purely soft sweet relationships are pretty boring to me and i dont want that back at all. i want them to heal a little, tolerate each other, but i dont want maq to suddenly be sweet and sorry for everything. i got faith in lmk to not ruin his character tho.

also i liked his s3 outfit WAY better than his current one

#lego monkie kid spoilers #monkie kid spoilers #lmk s4 spoilers #lego monkie kid #monkie kid #mk #ask #OOPS OOPS SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT YOU GUYS MUST KNOW I RAMBLE A LOT WHEN PPL ASK ME QUESTIONS LIKE THIS KSSHSSKSJ

[slutisnotabadword]

My Possible Unpopular TVD Opinions

DISCLAIMER: This is MY fucking opinions, lets be for real. If you don’t agree, then good. If you do, then great.

This fandom doesn’t realize everyone’s horrible. One thing I’ve noticed about this fanodm is that people really like to pick and choose who’s the worst or the ‘least worse’ character. Idk, I just find it weird that someone favors Klaus Mikaelson, but HATES Damon Salvatore. As if Klaus isn’t terribly worse. Almost every single character in this series has done a multidue of horrible things, especially the vampires, so it doesn’t make sense to people do that. I understand if it was based on personalities, but the way people express their likings, it doesn’t seem like it is. For example, the whole Damon versus Stefan debate. Some people hate Damon because what he’s done, but turn around and love Stefan even though he’s done the same shit, and even worse.

Damon didn’t need to be labeled as the ‘better man’. Look, Damon is my FAVORITE character. I love that man with all of my heart, but truthfully, I don’t think he should’ve been the “better man”. All Damon’s life he has been coming second to Stefan. With their parents, Katherine, Elena, and damn near everyone else. And honestly, I think it got worse with Elena because deep down, she wanted him to be “Damon with Stefan-like qualities”. But he’ll never be Stefan. And that’s okay. I think Damon’s arc should’ve concluded with him accepting the fact that he’ll never be the better man, and him being okay with being imperfect. Not everyone has to be the hero.

Bamon should’ve fucking happened! If Bamon has one fan, it’s me. If Bamon has no fans, I’m no longer on Earth. I just really, REALLY, love this ship, I don’t think you guys understand. Honestly, it might’ve been better than Delena. Damon and Bonnie have some underrated chemistry and tension since day one. And they had a great set up. Damon sworn to protect the Bennet bloodline and now he has this girl who pushes his buttons alot, while he’s constantly pushing her buttons—UGH, I love it. True enemies to friends to lovers. They should’ve ended up together, atleast once. But we all know why it didn’t happen *cough* julie *cough*.

Caroline’s such a fucking hypocrite. I love Caroline, but she also annoys the fuck outta me. And I think it’s just her natural personality. She’s just so judgemental that it drives me crazy, and personally, I can never be friends with someone who always has ann opinion on the shit I do. What really bothered me about her is her drilling down on Elena during the first part of season 4 about Damon. Which I would’ve understood considering her abusive past with Damon, however, she never mentioned or brought up that as a reason why she hates Damon or why Elena shouldn’t love him. Instead, she came off really fucking hypocritcial because not even five second after basically calling Elena an idiot for picking Damon, she’s LAUGHING WITH KLAUS?!?!? Aka the most evil mf in the entire series, like let’s be so fucking fr. Klaus is ten times worse than Damon and this bitch is laughing it up with him over champagne. And not to mention she sleeps with him later on.

Bonnie would’ve made a better protagonist. Bonnie’s storyline had so much potential to be stretched out. Like she came from a very powerful coven that dated back to the first creation of an immortal being AND the other side. Her ancestoral history with the Salvatore brothers. The way she became one of the most powerful witches—like she fucking stopped hell fire, bffr. And Bonnie’s fine asf, she’s that girl. I think her character arc is good, and would’ve been great if racism didn’t occur with Kat Graham.

Elena is not as bad as y’all say she is. Can she a be a little self-centered? Yeah. But it’s not hard to understand why. During the first few seasons, EVERYONE made everything about Elena—especially Damon and Stefan. Like Bonnie was about to die for her during season 2. Everyone has risked everything for her. Shit, if people treated me like that, I would think everything’s about me, too! And no, Elena’s not a crybaby. If I was going through everything she was going through, I would cry every day and night. Girl lost two sets of parents, her brother at one point, and both of her guardians (Jenna and Alaric). And at one point, lost the love of her life (Damon in S6). Not to mention, someone was always trying to kill her, and then she had to deal with an evil doppleganger. Shehas every reason to cry. And the weird thing about that is, everyone calls Elena a crybaby but not Klaus? Every damn picture I see of that man, he’s crying his eyes out. It’s always that same damn crying face too. I love Klaus but y’all really be pickin and choosin who to pick on.

Damon and Stefan’s background should’ve been talked about more. I still don’t know why the producers, or whoever, changed their origins from the books (as far as I know they were from the 1500s in Italy) but I think changing it was so unnecessary. I don’t know why people have such an obsession with 1800s, but it’s WEIRD how we collectively decided to treat that time as an aesthetic while this country was treating people like animals, but hey, that’s just me. ANYWAYS, I think they should’ve brought up the brothers’ history and background earlier in the series, instead of waiting till the end where the rest of the story was falling flat. Because if we’re being honest, in the early seasons, we don’t know much about them. Hell, I don’t even think we know their birthdays. Like we’re aware of their troubled past, but we don’t know their family backgrounds, and I feel like knowing someone’s familia backgrounds helps understanding their core.

“When I kill someone, they’re supposed to stay dead!”. Alaric should’ve stayed dead. Jeremy should’ve stayed dead. End of story.

Kai’s actions are not justified. This fandom and hundreds of others have a tendecy of babying these grown ass people. So what Kai’s family treated him differently. That literally happens to damn near everyone in this world. It does not give you anexcuse to kill your entire family, INCLUDING CHILDREN?? Bitch you deserve to get locked up. They should’ve killed his ass but that’s just me. But Kai’s fun, I suppose. I just don’t like it when people baby him trying to justify him killing innocent children just because his father didn’t love him enough. Who cares? Go to fucking therapy like the rest of us. And then y’all tried to ship him with BONNIE?? OUR PRECIOUS BONNIE?? It’s like y’all forgot how he made her life a living hell in that prison world, which led her to almost killing herself. Bonkai could burn, don’t ever bring up that garbage ass shit ever again in my presence.

Might do a part two

#this became really aggressive #TVD #the vampire diaries #Damon Salvatore #bonnie bennet #elena gilbert #caroline forbes #stefan salvatore #kai parker #bonkai #Bamon #Delena #stelena #tvdu #tvd opinions #the vampire diaries opinions #unpopular opinion

[yooniesim]

I really don't mean to come off as mean or demanding because it's insane to expect people to know everything about... everything - the only thing that made me a little upset about your original post was the fact that you really can't be sure of overwolf's statements, since they're probably trying really hard to avoid being subject to a boycott, and you have a lot of followers. I'm sad people were mean about it since you obviously didn't mean anything bad by it and are going through tough times as well. If you have a kofi I'd be more than happy to donate 🩷 we all deserve help, no matter the size of our problems, Ceci

Thank you dear nonny, I apologize that I made you upset! Clearly I just don't know enough about this subject, and obviously have bias by the situation I am in too. But it's so tough when people look to you to make a statement immediately, you know? If you don't say anything quick enough, people get fucking furious and say you're ignoring it. I had anons within hours of that tweet saying I support literal genocide because I had posts on cf which is absolutely ridiculous. But I hate jumping into a statement fast, because as we saw here, half the time new stuff comes to your attention afterward that makes you look like a jackass, people attack you like you're the devil incarnate for not knowing everything, etc. I've been really confused and conflicted by all this, I see one thing and then more info that conflicts that and then more that conflicts that. I trusted the original poster that added Overwolf's statements because they were the one to bring this up in the first place, and I didn't see anything conflicting that on their tweet (Like additional sources etc). But immediately after I posted their tweet, well, you see how that one turned out. I was thinking about privating that post but I don't want anyone to think I deleted it- but should I? I don't want it to be misleading. Or should I reblog it with additional/updated info? Yall, please let me know. I am so lost these days mentally.

I am really sorry that I upset people though with that. And I was being honest when I said I've lost sleep over this and all this suffering weighs heavy on my heart. I think most of yall that have been with me for a long time know that I'm one of those people that just wants to fix everything and when I can't it's just devastating and I can't get it off my mind. And choosing between participating in a boycott and being able to pay for meds is not something I would wish on anybody. Especially when you got people coming on your post calling you privileged, disgusting, hypocrite, etc because you didn't delete your cc posts fast enough for their liking. The money i'm waiting on from cf is money I already earned. They already got the damn ad revenue. I aint earning them more money because I aint uploading anything else there, I'm waiting for what's already owed to me. But to people on simblr who likely don't even pay their own bills, that's worthy of some goofy callout post calling you genocidal. Over freaking sims 4 cc. It's mind boggling.

Anyway, I'm going on too long again lmfao. Let me say again, thank you nonny, I appreciate you. I think I have an old ko-fi account somewhere, I'm going to get it set up so people can tip here and there if they like my cc and don't care for patreon. I'm also gonna start doing commissions soon. And on that note if anyone has any suggestions for how to format that feel free to send them to my inbox. Along with any other related suggestions. ...alright, I think I'm done rambling fr 😂 love you nonny 💜

#asks #anonymous #ceci speaks #curseforge

[lovelyminako]

Akanojaku is the worst fr

And I have one scene that explains the big reason I hate him. And it's the scene where he steals Kagura and the MC's wedding ring in an effort to make the MC change his mind.

(Srry for the bad quality, I just had use whatever YouTube video was there)

Akanojaku, you're a fucking weasel. A dumb one at that. What makes you think that she's going to run away with you when she's already made it clear to you that she doesn't want you multiple times? SHE'S GETTING MARRIED TO SOMEONE ELSE! GET OVER HER AND GET A DAMN LIFE WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!

And my next point is what the MC puts into very eloquently.

And finally, after hearing that, he does this very nice and very respectful action.

...

MF actually kisses her without her consent. Just before she's getting married.

This is literal proof that Akanojaku doesn't actually respect the MC. If he did, he wouldn't be committing a crime against her! This MF sees her as nothing more but an object. In his eyes, she's his property, his plaything, his trophy, not a woman or person with emotions with feelings and her own agency.

And I swear, I don't want to hear anyone say "uM hE aCtUalLy lOvEs hEr sO mUcH aNd hE jUsT wAnTs hEr tO dO tHe sAmE" Because that's no excuse. If you love someone, then you want them to be happy. And if Akanojaku actually respected the MC and truly loved her, he'd leave her alone after she has made it abundantly clear she doesn't feel the same. Love is not possessive. And Akanojaku is more possessive than freaking Yuno Gasai.

Cry about it.

First of all, that'd be a selling point, not a detractor.

Second of all, screw you! How'd different would being the god's "sanctified, docile, little pet" be any different from being yours? You literally call her pet! Don't act like you don't do that! Hypocrite.

And of course, you have the option to either slap that mf or to say you love him (for some reason, even though you're getting married.) And because I'm watching a YouTube video, I had the absolute delight of seeing the love option because it's a premium option.

Okay, first of all, I'm not going to ignore that this option is practically emotionally cheating on Kagura. She's literally getting married to someone whilst already having her heart split between two people. And at that, why would you this to Akanojaku of all people? The persistent, arrogant demon who stops at nothing?

And Akanojaku, you're literally so entitled. If she doesn't choose you, she doesn't choose you. End of story. Not that hard to understand. You act like you have ownership over the MC. She can't go with this other man that she loves because she also loves you and you're the one who's important and she has to go with you.

But anyway, the MC goes into how she wants Akanojaku to be happy (even though he's done literally nothing to prove he should be happy). And Akanojaku soon says "Fine." and starts to leave which leads to this.

Nice Guy™. Literally. Woman rejects man, man acts salty about it and acts like a jerk to the woman. Like, I don't think I need to explain why this is bad.

Ugh... And that's the end of the scene..

And people who do like Akanojaku, why the hell do you? I genuinely see no reason to like him other than he's good-looking (and even then, I actually don't find him as so since I don't like muscular men and short hair.) Please explain this.

#stg i hate him so much it's not even funny #kamisama spirits of the shrine #otomania #otome #genius inc #otomegame #visual novel #otome game #mobile otome #akanojaku

[thefalcon-thewintersoldier]

the people who say tony had every right to attack bucky at the end of civil war are the same people who hate on peter quill for attacking thanos after he killed gamora

the mental disconnect—

#like fr choose one or the other if you do this it’s just hypocritical #first of all tony had years to come to terms with what happened #gamora literally just died peter’s grief was completely fresh— #of course i still understand tony’s pov so it’s completely understandable why he did what he did #but y’all gotta stop with these double standards #marvel #mcu #ca:cw #captain america: civil war #iron man #team cap #captain america #bucky barnes #winter soldier #star lord #peter quill #gamora #thanos #infinity war

[life-rewritten]

SKAM ESPANA- The characterisation/villainization of Kasim

The choices of episode 4 of Skam Espana has caused another polarising reaction, some people feel frustrated and annoyed at some of the actions of some characters, whilst others feel insulted and upset about the lost potential of the show with Kasim and others. I've seen many comments insulting the writing of the shows villainising some of the characters and just overall dropping the show for the decision to make Kasim's storyline replace the Even/Mikael storyline. These reactions are the reason I've decided to break down the choice the writers made when going with this storyline and why it shows excellent understanding and writing of the message of Season 4. Also you can check out my previous post on the choices of these writers and why it’s brilliant to make Dani Yousef here: 

THE MESSAGE OF SKAM

When people choose to watch the Skam universe, it still confuses me about the reactions of surprise or anger when the show tells the story. So before I break down the character dynamics of Isak and Kasim and how they're mirror characters/shadow characters. I want to focus on the meaning of Skam.

 Skam in Noweirgian is shame. Basically, the insecurities that surround this generation's teens as they grow up with perspectives embedded by societal norms. The topics discussed usually revolve around self-discovery and how these insecurities/fear affect the chosen character in a world that disagrees with how they want to express themselves. We've had alienation, depression and self actualisation with stigma from cheating, we've had topics of feminism vs sexualisation, violence and prejudice and stigma of being a  sexual harassment victim, we've had conversations on LGBT, internalised homophobia vs the stigma of having a mental disorder, and lastly, we've had religion, culture and race vs the stigma of feeling cultural dissociation on some of the rules/agreements within these aspects. 

Each character in Skam goes through the arc where they make mistakes due to their perceived skam; they hurt, use, or judge because of their own opinions and perspectives on the issue and they realise that they are hypocritical or also wrong when they fall in love with someone who represents a foil to their own insecurity. The need to be with their romantic interests is what catalyses them to make drastic decisions and finally gain self actualisation, but it also ends up having a hopeful outcome, that with love and treating people equally and right,  that these insecurities can be overcome and everyone can be who they want to be. It's what made this show so relatable, reliable and also crucial for our generation youths. It's what made this incredibly written; humans who make mistakes and learn and grow from it whilst also causing the audience to think introspectively about their own skam and their own journey to self actualisation and self-love. 

It makes no sense why people go into this show expecting perfect characters who make no flaws or see things wrongly and make decisions on those wrong perspectives. It makes no sense why people feel so triggered when they know what the skam of the character is. They know that at first, it won't be represented correctly because the show is in our main character's perspective, they need to learn about their flawed views on their skam and overcome it. It's only until the ending; the issues of the show are resolved. So why are people so triggered when scenes show the reality of the world and these characters ? Especially when we're just in episode 4? It makes no sense to me.

So  this is why I want to talk about the Villanisation of Kasim and what the writers want to achieve with this character.

SKAM SEASON 4: DISCUSSING THE EFFECTS OF RELIGION AND INTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA ON THE YOUTH

In Season 4 of OG Skam (Based on Amira's counterpart Sana), one of the main storylines interweaving with her questioning how people view her religion is connected with her brother, his friends and her new friendship with Isak. (the main character of season 3). The mystery surrounding how the relationship of Isak's boyfriend was damaged with Sana's brother's friendship group and her and her love interests perspectives on how religion played a part of it, culminates into a fight between the two worlds when Sana's brother punches Isak. This leads to Islamaphobic comments from people who like Sana judged her brother on his religion, and it's the stereotypical link to homophobia. As the story unveils the truth is that due to fear and perspective of religion plus internalised homophobia, Even (Isak's boyfriend) was hurt when he kissed Mikael. He ran away after that leaving both his friends confused and also some (Yousef) having a new perspective on the rules of religion. At the end of the season Even reunites with the group, and Sana realises that she also had adopted the mindset of the world when it comes to her religion and learns to communicate and trust that people aren't against her faith and beliefs.  Her skam mostly throughout the season is her guilt for her religion and conviction's perceived laws/opinions.  So how does this link to Skam Espana and its own message towards this topic?

SKAM ESPANA: KASIM BECOMES ISAK

This storyline is explored in Skam Espana by putting its Sana, Amira even more affected and connected to the source of the message. Amira's best friend brother Kasim going through his own internalised homophobia and flawed perspectives of religion (Just like Mikael and Even in OG), uses Amira as a way to run away from his skam. However Amira's own beliefs on the truth and the fact that she has a different love interest ends up causing her best friend to misunderstand her as someone who is using her brother and is going against her true beliefs/faith (Basically going against her culture and religion for a white guy) - From this already you can see the topics of Skam S4 already showing up here, the same flawed perspectives/ guilt of religion is placed on Kasim, the outcomes of religion and internalised homophobia actually affects Amira more because it's affecting her own reputation as an excellent Muslim friend, and the questions of being torn between two worlds stem from the fact that Amira is in love with her other best friend's brother who represents the non-religious aspect in her life, vs the world wanting her and Kasim  (another brother of her best friend) to be together which connects the religious part of her life.  Stay with me.

In a way Kasim's storyline connects to other characters as well; He represents Isak's internalised homophobia journey in OG S3 when he met Even (Kasim is in love with Lucas), he represents Elias (Sana's brother) dissociation from his culture and his pressure to be a good Muslim older brother, he presents Yousef as well because of his perspectives on religion and LGBT, he also represents even Sana for his own skam, which is his religion and feeling torn between two worlds/ideologies as he falls for someone who is not of his race and beliefs.

But this is what's so brilliant about this choice, he's POC character who is a representation of a POC Muslim Gay character, with his own skam, and is written with depth, and characterisation and is also given a leading role in this season. This decision to write him this way does not villanise him but actually makes the audience pay attention to him and learn from him like any other skam main characters. He's important and human, and he's a well-written character. That's why it makes no sense to me why people think Skam Espana is villainising and not representing this message well. But let's continue breaking down this character:

Kasim as Isak: The journey of a LGBT’s self actualisation whilst dealing with internalised homophobia

In season 3 of OG Skam, and also towards the end of the first season, we see a story of Isak as he deals with coming out to his peers and accepting his sexuality. Isak makes many mistakes from the first season because of his internalised homophobia. He breaks up the relationship of his best friend and girlfriend (due to jealousy and feelings for the guy), he ends up running away from his problems and enters fake relationships with girls using them as beards. He also later forms a relationship with Emma as he falls in love with Even. See the similarities with Kasim, when we watch Isak's season? We feel for him because we understand the choices he makes whilst wrong is a human thing to do, especially dealing with his skam, and we cheer for him as we watch him overcome all this to choose Even. By the end of his journey Isak is proudly gay, in love and happy. And he has become one of the most loved characters in Skam due to his relatability and message he represents.

Kasim is the same, he makes mistakes hurts the ones he loves because of his internalised homophobia, he lies and hides behind other people especially Amira who's been dragged into it as his beard (even though she hates lying and is in love with someone else) and he manipulates situations to keep on avoiding his skam. He's doing precisely what Isak did; he's being a normal teenage LGBT boy going through coming out and dealing with internalised homophobia. For him, the pressure is the same as Isak. Isak also deals with religion as a barrier in his season (he perceives his mum and Sana at first as homophobic, he also feels pressure in coming out to his friends and he lies to his loved ones about Even for a bit as well.)

Kasim's own issues stem from the fact that he's also religious, even more, pressured to follow his traditions and culture figureheads the 'figure head' of his household now his father is dead, and so has a lot expected from him by many people in his family. It makes sense why he's going through what he's going through and even though it's not right since we see the outcomes of his skam on others like Amira, we understand why he does what he does. In the end, you guys are watching an Isak season told from the perspective of an Emma/Sarah (his beards) in this season. Emma being Amira in this case despite not actually having feelings for Kasim. In the end of the day, Isak was not a villain,  just a teenage boy who makes mistakes, Skam Espana has done the same for Kasim.

Kasim as Elias: The journey of a POC's self-acceptance whilst dealing with the pressure of Cultural expectations and tradition

In  Season 4 of Skam OG, we look at Elias Sana's brother. At first, he seems to get away from the constraints of religious expectations because Sana thinks he does, (she thinks he gets away with more stuff because he's a man) and yes this might seem so. Still, we do see that Elias is also going through pressure, it causes him to drink and act out, and when he speaks to Sana, later on, he admits he also feels in the middle of religion and what he wants to do as a teenage boy. This is also explored more in Skam France Season 4, Elias's mirror character is shown to be seen as a failure due to not meeting the expectations of his parents and also is quite secretive about what he does outside of the household like date a racist for example. (yes that was a snide remark but it had to be made.)  

But what I'm trying to say is Kasim is also based on this character, first from Amira's perspective we see how he can get away with following religious and cultural expectations by hiding who he really is, and by acting out secretly still keeping his reputation intact. But also from his own admittance and Dounia's (his sister and Amira's best friend) perspective on the character. We can see that he's under a lot of pressure to be perfect for people. Dounia especially looks up to him and is so grateful for his presence in her life when their dad died, she replaces him as the father figure in her life who can do no wrong, and he's expected to uphold religious and traditional beliefs of his household because he's the main figurehead. It's incredibly stressful, so he acts out, he lies about Lucas which Lucas hates, and he uses ways to manipulate situations like using Amira (a perfect beard to make him look macho and 'right')

Kasim becomes the Elias representative but with more depth, more focus and more characterisation. Skam Espana has actually given a new POC more priority than his counter representatives, he's actually more than just a brother to one of the characters, he's just like a main character with his own self-acceptance journey, and that's incredible for this writing team.

Kasim as Yousef: The journey of a Muslim POC's  self discovery whilst dealing with stereotypical perspectives of religion

Yousef is the love interest in OG Skam. He is the reason for why Sana has to overcome her own prejudices, and skam and learn to love her self. He's also the connection to her torn between two worlds dilemma that she goes through with her arc. Kasim starts off as a perceived Yousef by the audience; he's perceived as a perfect POC, Muslim and love interest. But like Yousef, Kasim has his own flaws, his overall close-minded perspective on religion is similar to how Yousef's own opinion to the religion is, instead of actually still wanting to embrace his self as a Muslim, Yousef removes himself from everything to do with it (we could argue this since he does always follow the values of behaviour and morals), but he does seem negatively biased against religion even though he falls in love with someone who is very religious.

I'm not saying Yousef is wrong in his opinions, I see him like every other character human with his views and his own beliefs, and that's great. But Kasim is an exploration of that close-minded perspective on how religion divides people, how religion is discriminatory and closeminded. Kasim chooses to do what he does because of his own opinions on religion; he never really thinks there's a hope that religion doesn't have to be an issue in his life. It makes sense, but as we see from other characters in the show, religious perspectives do not mean entirely close-minded, homophobic or discriminatory opinions, in fact, Amira is the accurate representation of what religious people are like nowadays, a love for the traditions, and rules which every Sana has a speech about this opinion on religion and homophobia in Isak's season, religion should not be an excuse for treating someone awfully etc., Amira and Sana show that you can be openminded, can agree with love is love despite customary laws from ages ago saying it's wrong. It's about the person's own character, not the religion its self. But this is why I love this addition of this character mostly because he causes conversations like this, about the message of the show, the flawed perspectives of society on religion and the moral dilemma it faces with how people treat this topic.

It's not making religion a problem. Actually the opposite it's only Kasim's point of view that there is no other option if he comes out as Muslim LGBT, but no one else on the show has agreed or shown evidence that his perspective is correct. Like Isak, he will learn that with love and hope there are parts of the world that are religious that will love him for him, and that part will include his sister. So again Kasim isn't being used a device to villanise or stereotype religious perspectives, its the opposite it's to teach about that issue. So also this show is brilliantly smart with how they used this character despite it seeming like it's not the right choice.

Kasim as Sana: The journey of a teenager towards self love  whilst dealing with insecurities and romantic idealisation vs reality

Lastly, because I think I've tried to make my point clear in this essay. But Kasim is also representing Sana, as I said before in Skam falling in love with a foil of their insecurities makes the main character typically to act out, make mistakes and then learn about their hypocrisy and flawed perspectives and grow. They realise that they are loved and appreciated for who they are. And they come to love themselves fully by the end of the show. Kasim has fallen in love with Lucas, and like Sana, he goes through the angst and questioning of what this means to fall for someone who represents the opposite of what she believes, he acts out by lying and manipulating (miscommunication is also a device used in Skam especially by Sana). He messes up and learns from his mistakes.

Sana's choices in season 4 of OG makes her hurt people, she hurts her friends, her love interest and also Isak as well because of her skam, but she learns that her perspectives on the issue are wrong. Kasim will learn that lesson because Amira is the person he's hurt and is affecting, he might get punched before that (still think Dani or someone will do this because it causes that message of being torn between two worlds to be genuinely explored) but he will learn and grow.

And that's why his character, making him a brown POC who does what he does, is not to villainise race, or culture or religion, but actually to make him just as crucial as Sana in her season. He's just like the main character in Skam. So this season actually has two POC Muslim prominent roles that really delves deeply into the question of religion, love, homosexuality, culture and race both stories just as in-depth as the other, both lessons just as essential and truly relatable and needed in our society.

And for that I can't help but commend these writers, Skam  Espana truly is an excellent remake of Skam it takes all of the messages and just goes more in-depth, it brings those questions to the surface in a right way, whilst teaching its own audience about their own insecurities and flawed perspectives. And to be honest, that is just incredible.

#skam españa #amira naybet #skam universe #analysis #cwg #fvete

[radioactivetirade]

i am getting more and more radicalized by the day this is not an exaggeration here are some fun things ive learned about recently that make me want to join collective radical activism movements as a career:

-had no idea who colin powell was. turns out he was one of the guys who helped the iraq war get going and also was a part of covering up the My Lai massacre. and also is a massive hypocrite

- us economic sancions. didnt rly know what they were, still dont entirely get it, but from what i can understand the US uses its massive global power, in particular its economic capabilities, to stifle countries that it either considers a threat (usually due to oil or war weaponry) or just doesnt like. stifle isnt rly the right word , its more like completely fuck over; millions of ppl are currently dying bc the US is preventing their countries from selling their resources and in some cases even holding other countries billions of dollars in US banks so thry truly have no way to help their dying citizens

-i never truly realized how much propoganda is spread about like...china, north korea, japan, russia, cuba, venezuela, even europe! but north america is on a gd mission to create support for its imperialist goals and (im not being pretentious here im fr lol) create citizens that are just dumb enough to feed into it but still smart enough to like do jobs. we already see it, this is how we somehow have drs and teachers and nurses and lawyers, ppl who should be well educated and capable of critical thought, who spew back up everything they read in the washington post and the guardian and who are anti vax and pro life and the like despite VAST amounts of evidence basically dropping the validity and logic of those stances down to zero

-the continuation of literally IGNORING indigenous populations at best and arresting them at worst for literally just asking for not even basic rights at this point, just basic fucking respect , that they are still not getting. the government is required by law to confer with indigenous peoples before utilizing their land and half the time they judt straight up dont and then jail those who would protest

if you havnt been radicalized, you are either not paying attention or actively choosing not to hear the reality of things happening in the world. especially if you are a ptiveleged person, you owe it to the rest of the world to learn these things. other people bear these burdens on their shoulders, the least we can do is first try to understand the struggles and different perspectives going on around us, and second do what we can to create actual change in our societies and in thr online community. i love humans so fucking dearly, and it is so obvious we all have capabilities past this giant fucking progress trap we are in. i want to see EVERYONe have the chance to succeed and i want it NOW and i know we an make it happen; the beginnings are already there. strikes happening across the continent for better working conditionsis such a great sign that wgood things are coming.

[toadallybpd]

Wow I’ve never been tagged in one of these ayy (:

tagged by: @drinkingtheyellowpaint

Rules: answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to know better

Nickname: don’t have one

zodiac sign: Taurus (:

height: 5’8” which is way taller than most people expect but I promise you I am still baby

hogwarts house: I used to be into Harry Potter so when I was I did the test thing and got ravenclaw

last thing i googled: APA accredited clinical psychology programs in Wisconsin (there’s only 4 and they’re all extremely competitive 🙃)

favorite musicians: The Underachievers and A$AP Rocky

song stuck in head: Playboi Carti - No Lie (help me pls)

following: 388 (fr? I thought it was way more than that)

followers: 5,966

do i get asks: not a huge amount. I feel bad because I’m really busy a lot and by the time I have free time to do asks I’m often either too mentally drained from working in a very very busy and mentally demanding customer service environment for 30-40 hours a week or I’m in a bad mental place due to bpd so I feel like a fraud/hypocrite while trying to give advice. I promise I’m not annoyed with getting asks and I do want to help. If you do send an ask, I’m not ignoring you. I’m just waiting until I’m mentally healthy enough to give you a thorough ask with other resources included (when applicable).

amount of sleep: it varies a lot but typically 9-11 hours. Next month I’m going to fix my sleep schedule to prepare for college. I usually wake up at 11am-1pm but during school I’ll have to wake up at 9am so I’ll need to fix my sleep schedule.

wearing: a grey croptop tank top thing with the back open but like laced kind of??? Idk how to explain. Also black cloudfoam adidas shoes and these black gym shorts (kinda) I bought from Walmart for less than $3 lol I couldn’t resist the deal

dream job: clinical psychologist but oh boi the graduate programs for it are very daunting. Luckily it’ll be 2-3 years before I gotta start to worry about that (I’m starting my first year of college next month aaaaa)

instruments: I tried to learn how to play the flute when I was in like 4th-5th grade but I was and still am extremely inconsistent in every single aspect of life so I never ever practiced. I had to play at a concert and I didn’t know a single song so I just pretended to play the notes while not actually playing but I’m sure it was very obvious bc a lot of parents were staring at me ((:

languages: just English. I gotta give people who are fluent in 2+ languages props. It is so difficult and I struggled in every single Spanish class I’ve ever had. I was so lost while trying to learn how to conjugate verbs and shit. The best grade I’ve ever gotten in a high school Spanish class was a D-. I’m going the bachelor of science route mainly to avoid having to learn a foreign language. I’m much much better at learning math. It has logical rules. Language has rules and then there’s a ton of words that are just like no fuck you I’m not going to follow any of your rules

favorite songs: I can’t choose individual songs for most musicians I listen to so I’m just going to mostly list more musicians... Unaloon, Schoolboy Q, ghostemane, lil skies, Billie Eilish, Planet Shrooms by Woodie Smalls, LOML by cvmel, PVRIS, old BMTH, old OM&M

random fact: My actual name is Hailey lol most of my followers don’t know that bc I rarely mention it (sorry if you already knew that lol I can’t think of anything else)

tagging (don’t feel bad if u don’t wanna!) : I am scare

[heavyarethecrowns]

A Royal Affair: Meghan & the Royals.

In 2013, Man Booker Prize winning author Hilary Mantel, best known for her Wolf Hall duology, gave a speech at the British Museum. In it, Mantel eloquently interrogated the trappings of royal duty for women, and used both Marie Antoinette and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a. Kate Middleton) as her prime examples. She recounts being asked at a book festival to ‘name a famous person and choose a book to give them’. Mantel said she chose a book on the historical importance of Marie Antoinette’s fashion for ‘Kate’ because she felt that the Duchess had been trapped by the blank personality and image she was forced to present to the public:

‘It’s not that I think we’re heading for a revolution. It’s rather that I saw Kate becoming a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung. In those days she was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore. These days she is a mother-to-be, and draped in another set of threadbare attributions. Once she gets over being sick, the press will find that she is radiant. They will find that this young woman’s life until now was nothing, her only point and purpose being to give birth.’

It’s a damning point, but one made with utmost empathy, stressing the dehumanising manner with which Kate was and continues to be viewed: She can’t have quirks because that could reveal controversial opinions; she can’t get too large or she’ll be called spoiled or be bombarded with pregnancy rumours for years; she can’t be too daring with her fashion because that’ll inevitably upset someone. Mantel notes the limiting narratives open to a woman whose sole duty to the crown, whether or not it is admitted, is to give birth.

Later, Mantel talks of Kate as the ideal figure for the job because she seems to have been ‘designed by committee’ and a world away from the troubles her late mother-in-law caused the British Royal Family:

‘Kate seems to have been selected for her role of princess because she was irreproachable: as painfully thin as anyone could wish, without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character. She appears precision-made, machine-made, so different from Diana whose human awkwardness and emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture.’

I heartily recommend you read the full piece because it seems like not many people have. About a month after she gave the speech, to little public response, the tabloids pounced on it as proof of Mantel launching an attack against Kate. Think-pieces galore were spewed on the nastiness of Mantel, frequently going after her own appearance, all under the justification that poor Kate had been bullied by one of Britain’s biggest authors. No self-awareness was exhibited that very week when breathless news coverage of a public event Kate attended focused almost exclusively on her hair, her clothes and her baby bump. Mission accomplished.

I think about this piece a lot and how defensive it made so many outrage merchants over the mundane and narrow realities of our monarchy. That fairy-tale image has done very well for the country, even as it becomes costlier, less relevant and, like Buckingham Palace, starts to crumble. Still, the fantasy remains of the handsome princes, their future brides and the glitzy weddings that will bring the world together in harmony.

William and Kate’s big day was feverishly reported upon by media worldwide, even those who had disposed of their own monarchies. Other European nations had their princesses of humble beginnings - the estate agent from Australia who married the Danish Prince, the former newsreader who is now Queen of Spain, the single mother with a dark past who found love with Norway’s future king - but they’ve never attracted the love of the Brits (the dregs of imperialism will do that to the planet). Kate Middleton is also a different breed of princess from those fellow consorts: Upper-middle class upbringing with a monied family, private education, little career to speak of, and strong connections to the elite. It was easy enough to twist into the Cinderella story, but in reality it’s just the country’s most upmarket society wedding. The glitz wasn’t there, and the British media still crave it.

Enter Meghan Markle. Actress. Former calligrapher. Advocate for the UN’s Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Ex-lifestyle blogger and clothing designer. Girlfriend of Prince Harry.

I’m not sure the British media, particularly the tabloids, know what to think of Markle. She ticks all the boxes they’ve been begging for when on the trail of the wilder royal’s love life: She’s beautiful, glamorous, and a career woman with lots of prior coverage to reference. Of course, she’s also a mixed-race American divorcee with vocal support for feminism and women’s issues worldwide, and that may be too much of a discernible personality of their liking.

It’s harder to project ideas and concerns onto Markle than it was onto Kate when she was still just Will’s girlfriend, a position she held on and off for a decade before Diana’s ring was slipped on her finger. Kate never spoke in public, she didn’t seem to have many hobbies, and she was always photographed in motion. Her life in the harsh glare of the public looked to revolve around exclusive nightclubs, working for her parents’ company, and being the dutiful plus-one to Will. Every photo could be gathered into a collection entitled “Public Relations 101”, as she spent a decade being prodded by the tabloids, derided as ‘Waity Katie’, and speculated over to within an inch of her life, and still she never put a foot wrong. There were no shocking revelations, no seedy tell-all moments (bar one uncle, and even then nothing juicy was revealed), and even her family seemed ready for primetime. Kate and her fellow Middletons were Teflon to scandal, which boded well for the Windsors. It must be said that The Firm’s refusal to get involved with the dirt of the commoners is glaringly hypocritical given their own status as the most gaffe-ridden family in the country, complete with toe sucking, tampon fantasies and basically everything that comes out of Prince Phillip’s mouth. Then again, class gives you the privilege to call such things quirks and not stains.

The British press have seemed less interested in Markle’s potential family drama, even though it fits a more scandal-friendly model. That’s nothing to do with Markle, of course, but certain estranged members of her family know a good opportunity when they see one. Her half-sister is trying to sell a book that ‘reveals’ Markle’s alleged social climbing, selfishness and cruelty, although few people seem to buy the set-up. It feels too much like bitter gears to grind than a true scandal to unfold. Perhaps it’s just a tad too Kardashian for the tabloids, who prefer to get their gossip through sneakier means. That’s not to say she wasn’t attacked by the press: Her films were picked apart for nude scenes, her race was fetishized and posited as a potential problem for the royals, and every aspect of her life as questioned as a possible block to becoming Harry’s wife.

A more shocking bride would probably be the dream pairing for the Brits when it comes to how they imagine the future of Prince Harry. The heir has the weight of responsibilities; the spare is free to truly screw up. From the infamous Nazi uniform fancy-dress costume to the nude liaisons in Vegas hotel rooms, Harry has always been our socially mandated bad boy - not irreversibly bad in the way rock-stars can be, but a redemption story in the making. William could never truly get down or let loose like a typical undergraduate because the security required and potential for trouble was too high. It’s partly the reason he went to St Andrews, one of Scotland’s oldest institutions that also happens to be in a small town with little nightlife and a very insular student community (his original choice was allegedly Edinburgh). Harry was expected to be bad on some level: It’s younger sibling syndrome, especially prevalent in the royal family, from Princess Margaret to Prince Andrew. As long as he put in the work - joining the army, establishing the Invictus Games - then a little bit of fun was no big deal.

In that aspect, Harry dating a jet-setting Hollywood star (albeit a C-list one at the most generous reading) on a show that can get a little risqué is far more in his wheelhouse than some of his previous girlfriends, who have been more in line with Kate or at least that aspect of upper-middle class society. There was Chelsy Davy, a party girl but one with a very wealthy background as the daughter of one of Zimbabwe’s largest private landowners; then there was Cressida Bonas, a dancer and actress with a Lady for a mother and good private education. Markle is also privately educated, with an Emmy winning lighting director for a father, but that kind of schooling in America does not tend to carry the markers of power that it does in the UK, where only 6% of the general public attend private schools but they make up over 70% of high court judges and close to half of all Bafta winners.

Markle is arguably as tailor-made for the job as Kate was, but the key difference is that Markle’s work was done independently, and not under the gaze of a press waiting for an engagement ring. I remember the sheer glut of obsessive interrogation Kate faced from the press the moment she graduated from university, thus forcing her and Will to leave the safety of St Andrews and the press’s agreement to leave the prince alone while he studied. It seemed as though, every day, there was a new set of photos of her leaving her house or walking to work or leaving a nightclub. Sometimes she looked understandably dour but mostly she had the same muted expression on her face, a clear sign of appropriate training on how to deal with the paparazzi. Kate was always a woman achingly aware of what people expected from her, and the limitations put in place by her position as a royal girlfriend, meaning she had the clout but none of the protection since the palace don’t tend to officially step in and warn off the press unless she has a ring on her finger.

Nothing Kate did would ever be the right move in the eyes of a cruel tabloid culture: She was criticised for waiting on Will to pop the question, she was derided for her weight, her employment was questioned while new opportunities opened to her were dismissed as benefits given by merit of her boyfriend, her clothes weren’t classy enough and then they were too boring for someone her age, and her family were posited as the new Bennets in waiting, with a social climbing sister and a mother eager to get the best marriages for her kids. Through all of this, Kate still did all the right moves: She stayed silent, she didn’t run to the press or get caught in a fake sheikh sting operation, and she remained as dignified as possible throughout. Despite it all, Kate still had to be relatable, just like one of us, the fantasy we all could live. Keep calm and carry on. Short term criticism for long term gain.

Meghan, by contrast, was given an unprecedented declaration of public support from Harry and the palace after their relationship was revealed. Not only was she discussed by name, the press was called out for sexist and racist abuse levelled at her, and the prince made a strident plea for her right to privacy. Any support Kate received from Will on an official basis was delivered in much vaguer terms.

Markle has also worn many hats throughout her career and done so with the expected level of exposure for a supporting cast member in a USA Network show, a far less turbulent narrative than one of a future consort. Most of her acting work prior to Suits, where she plays paralegal Rachel Zane (Rachel is also her real first name), was minor bit-parts in film and TV, from soap operas to procedurals. She appeared in two different iterations of CSI but has never done a Law & Order stint. Her filmography is not one that inspires Grace Kelly comparisons but it does reveal the typical life of a working actress, the kind of narrative that’s overlooked in favour of the bright young things who break it into the big time La La Land style. As someone who grew up adjacent to Hollywood, it’s easy to imagine that Meghan was aware of the harsh reality of the industry and knew a back-up option would be required. Her Northwestern University degree is in theatre and international studies, and her time as a student included an internship at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires, so a step into the humanitarian world made sense.

Her charity work has included becoming a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada (she is Toronto-based as Suits is filmed there), where she travelled to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign, collaborating with One Young World, where she gave a speak at their annual summit, and becoming an official UN Women Ambassador. Her focus is on issues of poverty, gender equality and modern-day slavery, and all the ways those intersect. She’s written for Time on the stigma of menstruation in developing nations and how that can prevent access to education for girls. Vanity Fair even honoured her as a humanitarian to watch, photographing her alongside Fatima Bhutto and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson. Celebrity philanthropy is an issue that’s raised many concerns over the decades, with some questioning the ultimate effectiveness of it when more attention is ultimately paid to the star and not the cause. Markle seems like a good exception to that rule: Before Harry, she wasn’t wildly famous so offered less of a distraction, and she had the education and work to back up what she was doing.

She also has hobbies and side-hustles that made her easy to define, as witnessed by her once active social media presence. One of her ventures, The Tig, was a Gwyneth-style blog with a focus on food, lifestyle and her humanitarian interests. The site was part self-promotion, part sweetly executed shine theory. She wasn’t afraid to get political, discussing the civil rights movement and racism’s impact on her family; she delighted in some Eat Pray Love shenanigans involving food and travel; she even offered BFF-esque advice to readers on everything from beauty to self-worth and voting. Nowadays, you can’t actually read the site, as Markle shut it down in April of this year, declaring that ‘it’s time to say goodbye.’ Around the same time, she also stepped down from her role as a brand ambassador for Canadian fashion store Reitmans, where she had helped to launch her own ‘accessible’ line of business-smart pieces. Her social media content has dried up too.

Immediately, engagement talk started up, because what other reason would she have for wrapping up satisfying and profitable business opportunities if not for an upcoming wedding? The prospect of having to give up so much of yourself to take on the role of wife cannot help but feel like a duty from another time, one that can be extremely dehumanising. It’s one Kate was familiar with: Allegedly, her commitments to Will in-between his duties and work made it hard for her to find flexible employment, thus exacerbating years of ‘Waity Katie’.

If Meghan does indeed marry Harry, everything has to go: The American citizenship, the acting career, her personal freedom, and her ability to live publicly within her own means and control. She will be expected to continue her charity work but probably with less say in the way she conducts it. Her clothes will be safer, any public speeches she gives limited and tightly edited, and she certainly won’t be sharing any of it on Instagram. Like Kate, she’s had time to grow used to fame and exposure, so the transition will be far easier than it ever was for 19 year old Diana Spencer, but the spectre of the Princess of Wales will loom ever-present over her dutiful life.

Basically everything Kate does is compared to Diana - ooh, were the polka dots she wore when leaving the hospital with Prince George a deliberate call-back to Diana? Would Diana approve of the children’s upbringing? Didn’t Diana have shoes like that? Remember when Diana also went to a charity event like Kate? She cannot help but be an heir to the potential the world hoped to see from Diana before the fairytale dissolved. For Meghan, that will be an inevitable problem, but not as immediate as the constant comparisons to Kate, which began almost as soon as the relationship was revealed. Outfits were compared and asked who wore it better, rumours flew about apparent tensions as well as instant friendships, and every dedication was made to prove that the pair were just like one another, despite evidence to the contrary. There will be less pressure for Meghan to breed but the intricacies of her reproductive organs will be scrutinized to the death if she isn’t pregnant quick enough. If a marriage takes place, you can rest assured that the eagerness to craft a catfight narrative will be evident from the get-go.

There’s a solid chance Meghan and Harry may already be engaged after going on holiday to Africa, where Will also proposed to Kate. We could see the dream-come-true Cinderella story play out all over again, all in service of a woman who has worked too hard and achieved too much to be labelled so narrowly. The monarchy is a splintering institution that thrives from appropriate decoration. Will and Kate have provided that for several years now, smiling and waving and occasionally wearing the same outfit twice just like the rest of us. Duchess Meghan will not be a person so much as a brand combined with a fantasy and the weight of centuries of historical expectations. The press will love her, then be cruel if they don’t think she’s doing things the way she’s supposed to. Hilary Mantel knew the cost of such inevitable cruelty, something that’s often omitted when talking about her now infamous speech. As she put it, ‘We don’t cut off the heads of royal ladies these days, but we do sacrifice them, and we did memorably drive one to destruction a scant generation ago. History makes fools of us, makes puppets of us, often enough. But it doesn’t have to repeat itself.’

SUBMITTED

I remember the press going after Mantel, saying she was attacking Kate. 

I remember it because if you read what she said she was attacking the press not Kate and so you knew they were but hurt over her attacking them!

#duchess of cambridge #kate middleton #meghan markle #prince harry #article #submission

[fromthefriars]

Preaching – An Encounter With Weakness

#blog by Fr. Jeremiah, CFR

Preaching is an essential part of Franciscan life.  When St. Francis encountered the love of God in Jesus Christ his life was radically altered.  Almost overnight Francis went from a man of this world to one in pursuit of the things of heaven.  He traded in his fancy clothes for those of a poor beggar.  He said goodbye to his earthly father, who could not accept his son’s transformation, and embraced God as his Father.  He abandoned his middle class Italian life, with all of its pleasures and luxuries, and went to live with lepers and those estranged from society.

St. Francis did all of this, not because of political or economic motivations, but because he wanted to imitate Jesus who “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6).  Francis’ desire was simple: to live the Gospel and share with the world that “pearl of great price” he had received.  The rich, the poor, young, old and even animals listened to this “troubadour of the Lord,” as he went about proclaiming the Gospel to all of creation.  The whole world was not only his cloister, but also his audience.

I too share the same passion that St. Francis did for preaching.  When I first heard the Gospel it was like fresh spring water washing over me.  It was purifying, refreshing and humbling.  For some time I simply bathed in those waters, not trying to understand, but just enjoying its freshness and vigor.  Fairly soon, however, I would realize, this good news was not meant only for myself.  I needed to share it.

My own Franciscan life is not an ordinary one.  I am a part time hermit and a part time preacher.  In my community we have a few full time preachers, called itinerant preachers, but no hermits.  I am somewhere in between.  I love the silence and solitude of hermitage, yet I also love the opportunity to preach the Gospel.  Like St. Paul I believe, “an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Whether it is a retreat, a parish mission, a day of recollection or some other preaching event, I am generally excited and anxious to share, what I believe, is the heart of the Gospel: that no matter who you are, where you are from, or what you have done, God is deeply in love with you.  Jesus is the proof.   Perhaps I am a bit naïve, but every time I venture out to proclaim this message I expect a smooth takeoff.  Within moments, however, I encounter turbulence.  Traffic jams, car problems, flight delays, headaches, stomach pains, difficulty sleeping, and miscommunication are just some of the commotion that I encounter along the way.

Followed by this is what I like to call “mind turbulence.”  It begins with questions:  Why am I preaching here?  Why did I choose this topic?  Did I really discern this properly? Are my talks too long, too short?  Are they too theological? Next comes an endless array of thoughts plagued with doubt and insecurity.  Nobody is going to come.  The pastor thinks I’m too young.  I shouldn’t have left my hermitage.  I’m such a hypocrite; I shouldn’t be preaching on something I’m not living, etc.

Finally, there is the “environmental turbulence.”  Like clockwork, as soon as I arrive for the event something goes wrong with the sound system, electricity, air conditioner or heater.  Coupled with that is a whole group of enthusiastic people waiting to tell me their hopes and their expectations for the event.  Somewhere inside this crowd there is that one person who does not hesitate to tell me everything that is wrong with this place, its people, its pastor, its programs and that my being there, despite good intentions, will not really change anyone. By this point my head is usually spinning, my stomach is in pain and I am convinced this event will be a disaster.  Clearly this cannot be God’s will.  I turn to prayer for confirmation.  There is no consolation, no affirmation and no sense of God’s presence.  If God does “speak” to me in these moments, it is often with the same words he gave to St. Paul in the midst of his own struggles he encountered in proclaiming the Gospel.  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"(2 Corinthians 12:9).

When the time has arrived to begin preaching I approach the microphone with a deep awareness of my own poverty.  I have been completely stripped.  I have no confidence, no wisdom and no strength.  I am not exactly sure what I will say or how I will say it.  I feel alone.  I open my mouth and suddenly it happens: everything disappears.  The turbulence ceases, and I feel, quite literally, as if I am floating, being carried by a Presence much stronger than anything of this world.  Somehow the words flow and most importantly, in a way my audience can understand.  The Gospel, despite all these difficulties, is being proclaimed, and strangely enough, I am its messenger.

After the event is finished I go to the door to say goodbye to people and thank them for coming.  Most people shake my hand, nod in appreciation and say thank you.  A few approach me and look directly into my eyes and say, “thank you, I really needed to hear that.”   A few more people come forward with tears in their eyes, “I really experienced the love of God in your words today.  I can’t thank you enough for coming.”  Humbled and somewhat embarrassed, I simply respond,  “God bless you.”  Occasionally, someone will say, “This event has changed my life, thank you.”  I am left speechless.  I simply smile at them and embrace them, while tears of my own begin to well up inside of me.

I have often used the words of St. Paul, “When I am weak, it is then that I am strong,” (2 Corinthians 12:11) to encourage people in their own ministry when they become overwhelmed by their inadequacies.  God can do a lot with nothing, I tell them, if you are willing to surrender even that to him.  St. Francis stripped himself of his clothes to become utterly dependent on God.  I too, when I preach, am stripped of any self -reliance so as to learn the same message:  God’s grace covers our weakness. +

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