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queenshelby · 2 months

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The Unwilling Wife

Pairing: Dark Thomas Shelby x Virgin Reader

Warning: Arranged Marriage, Full On Non Con, Loss of Virginity, Tommy being horrible

Note: This was a request!

Growing up Gypsy, it was customary for young women like you to be married off early. But in the heart of the Midlands, amidst the smokestacks and iron foundries of Birmingham, you were to marry a man of power and influence, Thomas Shelby.

You stood at the altar, dressed in a gown that glistened like liquid moonlight under the chandelier's golden glow. Your heart pounded against your chest like a caged bird, desperate to escape. You knew not what awaited you in this new world, but fate dictated that you must submit to its cruel whims.

Standing before the officiant, you locked eyes with Thomas, his gaze cold and unyielding. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the Gypsy man uttered, the words striking a death knell within your heart.

You turned to face Thomas, the air thick between you, heavy with tension and unspoken words.

"Come now, Love," he rasped, his voice a husky whisper that sent shivers down your spine. He had his eyes on you for the past two years, but your parents insisted that he waited until you were ready for a union of such kind.

At twenty-one, your father passed away and you were no longer given a choice. You had to marry this man to provide stability to your family.

The weight of expectations bore down upon you, making each step feel like walking through mud. You'd never known much about love, having only felt the bitter sting of betrayal. You had no idea how this man, whose eyes held a wildfire of ambition, would treat you.

Thomas led you down the aisle, his grip firm yet gentle. "We are leaving now," he asserted, his tone hardening. You nodded, feeling the weight of the gazes upon you. Your heart hammered in your chest; the fear of uncertainty consumed you. The velvety darkness of night seemed like a safe haven compared to the storm brewing inside you.

You walked away from your familiar surroundings and the chill hung in the air, mirroring the icy sensation creeping down your spine as your husband led you to his car.

He couldn't wait a minute longer to claim what now was rightfully his and you soon began to notice the urgency in his demur.

It was all too late to do anything about it now though, as your hands shook and you found yourself staring back at him, paralyzed, even as you silently wished for a way out. In those moments, you remembered how different life could have been if your choices were truly your own. Yet, here you stood - defenseless, scared, and utterly alone.

"Your new home is only a short drive from here," he said abruptly, his tone devoid of emotion.

Despite the dimness of the interior, you noticed the hardness in his jawline, the intensity burning in his eyes. It was clear to you that he desired something far more than just physical pleasure. And as his hand found the small of your back, you knew that he wanted absolute control over you.

You followed meekly, stepping into the car as he shut the door behind you. The leather seats were warm against your skin, carrying a musky scent of polished wood and cigar smoke.

Thomas clicked the button to close the doors, and your stomach twisted in knots, the fear growing stronger within you. The car started smoothly, pulling away from the parking lot, leaving your old life behind. You watched the blurred lights pass by outside, trying to grasp the reality of your situation.

"So, tell me Love," Thomas broke the silence, "What did your parents tell you about me?" he wanted to know.

"Not much," you managed to croak, swallowing the lump in your throat. The air was thick with tension, the silence pressing down on you like a vice. You fidgeted in your seat, shifting in discomfort.

"Just that you are dangerous," you finally replied honestly, trying to sound indifferent. The truth was, you barely knew anything about Thomas Shelby beyond the rumors you had heard from others. You knew he was a prominent figure in Birmingham's criminal underworld, feared and respected for his ruthlessness.

Thomas chuckled, his deep laughter echoing through the enclosed space. "Well, I suppose that's true enough, eh" he admitted, a glint of pride in his eyes. "But you have nothing to worry about Sweetheart. I'm a fair man," Thomas reassured you softly, reaching across the distance between the two front seats to stroke your arm gently. His touch was soothing, yet there was something unsettling about it.

"If you do as I say and behave like a good wife for me, I will treat you well," he murmured, his fingers tracing patterns on your wrist. "And, considering the deal I made with your mother, I have no doubt that you will learn your place fairly quickly, eh," he said.

Thomas smiled grimly, his eyes flashing dangerously under the dashboard light. You tried to nod, swallowing the lump in your throat. Your palms were sweating against the satin fabric of your dress, and your heart raced wildly in your chest. You felt trapped, suffocated, and desperately yearned for freedom.

As the car pulled up to the entrance of an imposing mansion, the engine roared to a stop. Your breath caught in your throat; you had seen pictures of this place, but seeing it in person took your breath away. The house loomed high, casting ominous shadows onto the driveway.

Thomas opened the car door for you, offering his hand as if he expected you to jump straight into his arms. You hesitated, taking a moment to gather your courage before accepting his help. As you stepped out of the vehicle, the crunch of gravel beneath your heels echoed loudly in the silent night.

Inside, the mansion was magnificent. A grand staircase dominated the entrance hall, leading up to a second floor where countless rooms branched off. Each one seemed to hold its secrets, and you wondered what lay hidden behind closed doors. Despite the luxury surrounding you, feelings of unease crept into your mind.

"Frances will show you upstairs, to your bedroom," Thomas instructed, gesturing to a petite woman standing quietly near the entrance. Frances, you noted, was much older than you and appeared to possess a calm confidence you envied.

"Thank you," you whispered timidly, grateful for the reprieve from Thomas' intimidating presence.

With the slightest tilt of her head, Frances indicated that you should follow her.

"This way, Mrs Shelby," she called out to you politely, her tone as smooth as silk.

You trailed after her obediently, your feet whispering against the plush carpet beneath them. As you ascended the grand staircase, you paused to glance upwards, marveling at the glittering crystal chandeliers hanging overhead.

Frances shot you a smile, seemingly reading your awe-struck expression. "There's plenty to explore, Miss. But let's get you settled in first, shall we?" she said. "Mr Shelby will be up soon and my understanding is that he wants to consummate your union tonight," she added delicately but firmly.

You gulped, your heartbeat accelerating as Frances guided you toward a set of double doors adorned with intricate gold detailing. "Don't fret, Miss," she continued, opening the doors to reveal a stunning bedroom filled with luxurious furnishings. "In time, you may come to appreciate the finer things in life that Mr Shelby will provide for you," she told you and you knew the price you had to pay for what she was referring to.

As such, you didn't respond, instead choosing to focus on the plush red rug beneath your feet.

Frances saw through your feigned ignorance, smiling softly. "Mr Shelby has selected some clothing for you to wear," she told you, pointing to the white satin lingerie on the bed before quietly leaving the room.

You stared at the delicate garments laid out on the bed, feeling overwhelmed and anxious. The soft fabrics were unlike anything you'd ever touched before, and the thought of wearing them made you uncomfortable. You approached the bed cautiously, picking up the lacy bra and panties with trembling hands.

"I am not going to wear this," you muttered to yourself while sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Your fingers nervously toyed with the lace trimming of the underwear. You weren't accustomed to such luxury, nor the idea of being submissive to someone else's desires. Still, you knew you had little choice or control over your circumstances.

The clock struck midnight, and you heard footsteps approaching your door. Thomas entered the room, locking it behind him. The air crackled with tension, and you shifted uncomfortably in your seat.

"May I assume that the garments I chose for you did not fit?" Thomas asked, breaking the silence and you flushed, averting your gaze.

"I did not try them on," you stammered, aware of the sudden stiffness in his posture and, unsurprisingly, your comment caused Tommy to sigh.

He stepped closer to you, towering tall over you as you remained seated, looking like a cornered fawn. His gaze swept over you once before speaking again.

"I am surprised you still hesitate," he began, running a hand through his dark hair. "I understand that you may be nervous, but I own you now. You are my wife and I expect you to do as I say," Thomas said, his voice low and steady. He reached out to caress your cheek, his touch sending a jolt of electricity up your spine. You flinched slightly, but you knew better than to pull away. This was your life now, and if you wanted to survive, you would have to play along.

"Now stand up and take off your dress," Thomas ordered, his voice hardening. You swallowed, knowing what he wanted.

You stood slowly, taking a deep breath and meeting his gaze. He appraised you coolly, a slight smirk curving his lips. You clenched your fists, hating the fact that you had no other option but to comply.

"Undress," he commanded again bluntly, watching you closely.

You hesitated for a few seconds before peeling your wedding gown off. It slithered down your body, leaving you bare underneath the flickering candlelight. You shivered, the goosebumps rising on your skin as you met his assessing eyes.

"Good girl," Tommy smirked and you could feel his eyes roam over your flesh, drinking in the sight of your naked form while you shivered fearfully under his gaze.

Your teeth gritted together, bracing yourself for the inevitable.

"Turn around," Thomas growled, his voice thick with lust. Reluctantly, you spun around, presenting your back to him.

His fingertips grazed your shoulder blades, tracing a path down your spine towards your waist. "You're beautiful Love," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "And I have been dreaming of this moment for two fucking years now," he confessed, moving closer.

You flinched when you felt his hot breath on your neck, but you bit your lip and held your ground. You could sense that he was aroused, and that knowledge made you feel nauseous.

"Please, I don't want to do this," you whispered, your voice quivering like a leaf in the wind. "I have never been with a man before," you pleaded with him as his hands roamed over your body possessively.

"And that excites me even more, knowing that I will be the first to have you," Thomas responded, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now, turn around again and lie down on the bed for me, legs spread," he commanded you.

You hesitated, torn between your instinctive refusal and the stark realization that resistance would only invite punishment. After a moment, you reluctantly complied with his order, turning around and climbing on to the bed, lying down slowly but keeping legs firmly together.

"Spread your legs, I said," barked Thomas, his patience clearly thinning. You looked up at him pleadingly, but his expression was resolute. With a quiet whimper, you reluctantly parted your legs. The gap between them widened, and you quickly covered your exposed sex with your hands.

"Let go of yourself," Thomas snapped, grabbing your wrists roughly and pinning them down to the mattress. "I want to see what is mine," he declared, inspecting every inch of your body with a predatory gaze.

You struggled weakly, tears pricking the corners of your eyes.

"Please," you gasped, "I can't do this -- I've never done this before!"

To your surprise, the usually stern Thomas softened, stroking your cheek with the gentleness of a lover in the throes of passion. "Shh," he soothed, "Open your legs," he told you again and, nervously, you acquiesced, allowing him to guide your limbs apart.

"That's it, Love," he praised you, stroking your inner thigh. "Beautiful," he breathed, his eyes devouring you greedily. "I've never seen anyone quite like you," he purred, leaning down to kiss the tender spot where your thigh met your hip. "You are fucking perfect," he growled before he kneeled down, upright, in between your legs so that you could do nothing else but keep your legs parted for him.

Tommy unbuckled his belt next and pushed his pants down to reveal his erection, dripping with the pre-cum, eager to penetrate you. It was monstrously swollen, pulsing, and visibly leaking. You recoiled back, feeling terrified, and disgusted. You tried to look away, but Tommy grabbed your chin, forcing you to confront it.

"You belong to me now," he declared, his voice sinister and commanding. "Your sweet little pussy belongs to me. No one else will ever have you or touch you like I do."

"Now hold still," Tommy said, maneuvering himself between your legs. He gripped your hips tightly, guiding your body into position. The rough texture of his calloused hands made you wince, but you held your tongue, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing your protests.

"Look at me," he demanded, his eyes boring into yours. You met his gaze warily, unable to tear your eyes away from his intense stare. His pupils dilated, reflecting the fire of desire burning within him as he aligned the head of his cock with your entrance. You tensed, feeling a wave of panic wash over you he started applying pressure that gradually increased.

"Relax," he urged as a bead of sweat trickled down your forehead, pooling at the base of your neck. The dampness was uncomfortably warm, adding to the mounting agony. You focused intensely on breathing evenly, attempting to distract yourself from the intrusion.

"I'm sorry, Love," he mumbled, his grip tightening around your thighs. "It is going to hurt, but you'll get used to it in time."

The words stung, a reminder of the brutal reality of your situation. You tried to brace yourself as Tommy continued to push, his cockhead teasing your wetness as it teetered on the brink of entry.

Your insides clenched involuntarily, resisting the violation. The muscles of your core contracted around his shaft, threatening to reject him entirely. You could almost imagine your womb recoiling within the confines of your pelvis, rejecting the foreign object invading your most sacred space.

"Relax," Tommy repeated, his voice strained but still calm. "And let me in," he growled, beginning to thrust harder, his cock slipping further into your tight passage. You bit your lip, suppressing a scream as your body stretched to accommodate him.

"That's it Love," Thomas groaned, his thrusts becoming more forceful. "Let me fuck that little hole of yours," he grunted, relishing the sensation of his member filling you.

You tried to focus on his words, willing yourself to relax and enjoy the experience. But the overwhelming sense of violation left you numb, incapable of experiencing any pleasure. Instead, you clamped tightly around him, squeezing his cock in a futile attempt to prevent it from entering deeper.

"Fuck you are tight," Tommy moaned, his eyes glazed over with lust. "I can't believe how tight you are," he hissed, his nostrils flaring as he fought to regain control.

He grasped your hips tightly, holding you in place as he attempted to plunge farther into you.

"Relax," he implored once more, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Let me push my cock all the way in to you," he snarled, plunging his cock into you with renewed vigor.

"That's it," he eventually groaned as he bottomed out against your cervix, "So tight," he panted, withdrawing partially before slamming back into you with renewed fervor.

The impact reverberated through your whole body, causing your toes to curl. You gasped, feeling helpless against his raw strength. He drove into you relentlessly, his movements building momentum with each thrust.

"My beautiful wife, you are taking my cock so well now," breathed Tommy, his voice husky with need.

You squirmed beneath him, your body racked with conflicting sensations. The pain was relentless, but somehow, the pleasurable hum of arousal grew louder, drowning out the cries of distress.

You swallowed convulsively, fighting back the tears welling up in your eyes. "No, please," you choked out, your voice cracking with desperation. "I can't handle anymore."

"I am almost done Love", Tommy whispered, burying his face in your neck.

Suddenly, you felt his thrust become shallow, and then he withdrew completely. You heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that it must finally be over. However, before you could fully exhale, Tommy flipped you onto your back and positioned himself above you.

"Oh god, please," you whimpered, struggling to escape his iron grip as he pinned your wrists down.

"Relax," he said through gritted teeth and, before you could argue, his cock slid back into you effortlessly, tearing a whimper from your throat. He fucked you mercilessly, unrelenting in his thrusts.

"I'm ready to finish inside you," Tommy groaned, his pace quickening. "And I am going to cum deep inside you, Love," he growled, his strokes becoming erratic before, with a loud groan, he buried himself deep inside you again.

"Fuck," he groaned as he began to spasm, releasing his seed in hot spurts deep inside you. You cried out in shock, your body arching uncontrollably against the invasion. The thick warmth filled you, spreading inside you until it overflowed, dribbling down your leg.

"My beautiful wife," he whispered in your ear, his breath hot and heavy as, finally, he pulled out.

You could feel his semen leaking down your thighs, a cold reminder of the act that had just transpired. The raw pain you felt was matched only by the shame and humiliation that weighed heavily upon you.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart" he mumbled, his voice sounding sincere but distant as he handed you a handkerchief. "I promise it won't be like this every time. Like I said, you will get used to it. Once you are broken in, it will be much easier for you, eh," your husband told you and you stayed silent, staring blankly ahead as he got dressed. The remnants of his seed dripped onto the sheets below you, staining the pristine white fabric with evidence of your desecration.

"Now get some rest," Thomas gruffly instructed you, brushing aside tangles of your long dark hair and placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. He helped you scoot under the covers, positioning your body so that your legs were slightly parted. His firm hands ensured that you were tucked in properly, creating a cocoon of safety around you. "Tomorrow will be another day," he murmured, extinguishing the candles on the bedside table as he rose silently to leave.

"Goodnight, Love," he said softly, closing the door behind him, leaving you alone in the darkness.

Tags: @ietss@thorins-queen-of-erebor@cilliansbabe@calmingmelody96@lavender-haze-01@febris-amatoria@cursedalchemist @too-manyfandoms-help @sena-m @forgottenpeakywriter

#cillian murphy #cillian murphy smut #cillian murphy x reader #tommy shelby #peaky blinders #cillian murphy x y/n #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x you #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby smut #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby au #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfiction #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby fanfic #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby

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chateau7afra · 3 months

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Folklore in Fargo

Spoilers ahead, Sailor.

One of the things I loved about Fargo this season so far, is the incorporation of Folklore, suberstition and God. We meet Ole Munch (Sam Spurrell) in the first episode. He seems to be a regular hitman of sorts, who is set on Dorothy (Juno Temple) He comes across a bit excentric and the way he talks and dresses seem very anachronistic. We also learn, that Dot is not the regular homemaker and loving mum, she seems to be. Munch and his handyman set out to kidnap Dot. Munch and his handyman aren't able to capture her and the handyman was killed in the process. We get to know Roy Tillman (John Hamm) who was the one who sent Munch on his mission, but because he failed the task, Roy is not paying Munch, which sets off a rather bleak storyline in which Roy and his son Gator (Joe Keery, my love) try to kill him. He escapes! The most intriguing thing about Ole Munch is one, the ritual he performs at the Tillman Farm. He kills a goat, covers himself in it's blood and leaves a message for Roy over his Daughter's beds. And two, the flashback to Wales in 1522. See now, this is where it gets weird. And where I had to google some stuff.

We see a character, dressed in what seems to be clothes of the lower class, entering a house full of upper class people who are in mourning, dressed in black and weaping. We have a funeral on our hands here. The poor person looks like Ole Munch. Is it him? Is it an ancestor of his? We dont know. On the belly of the deseiced is a plate with food. When Munch enters the house, there is a tense energy in the room. Munch walks up to the dead body and consumes the food offered on the plate in an almos animalistic fashion. The people in the room gasp, some of them disgusted, some of them afraid. Or both. Before Munch leaves, he gets two silver coins. Which must have been a lot of money back in the day, I did not research that. But we clearly witnessed some sort of ritual happening. It turns out, sin eating was a practice rich people took part of in Wales, Ireland and England in the 1600s. A willing poor person was invited to literally eat the sins of the deseaced person, so they could be welcomed at the pearly gates, with a clean record. All the sins are transferred, to the person who ate the food. A grewsome fate for people at the time, but hey, a mans gotta eat. The world is bleak, so I don't go with the rational reason in fiction, ever. I like to think that Ole Munch ate so many sins, that he became a spirit, that can not die, who is forced to wander around the earth forever, and for some reason chose america. His very beautifully written monologues would suggest that. They almost sound shakespearian.

But how does this play into the bigger theme of Fargo S5? Well, if you think about it, the whole season is about unpaid depts and consequences. Dot ran away from Roy and the farm, because of domestic violence. In Roy's book, she owes him, because she made a pledge to him, when they got married. Ole Munch sees a debt not paid, because he didn't receive paymant for "eating the sin" of kidnapping Dot. Dot's husband's mother, who is a very rich lady played by the brilliant Jennifer Jason Leigh points out "What is the point of being a billionaire, if you can't get someone killed.", while on the phone with an ex-president, apparently Bill Clinton, if I remember right. It's like, we never got over the sin eating, because with money and power, you can pay your way out of any circumstance, be it kidnapping or murder. There is always going to be someone who needs the money more than their soul. And there is always going to be someone who takes advantage of that. Roy Tillma, quotes the bible a lot. He thinks of himself as a right and just man and leader, even though he likes to bend the law to his will. He does not give a flying fuck about the law as it is "dictated by washington" and funds a right wing militia with taxpayer money. He is the law of the land. These scenes sent shivers down my spine.

Anyway. All of the storylines in this show are so amazing and worth writing about. Go watch it, you won't regret a second.

#fargo #fargo season 5 spoilers #fargo s5 #dot lyon #gator tillman #joe keery #blocksberg writes #fargo fx #john hamm #juno temple #fargo spoilers #ole munch #sin eating

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saezurumurmurs · 9 months

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Hey!!...how are you??. I just wanted to ask you about what do you think about Alice Osman words about bl/yaoi. From my point of view, she sounds quite pretencious, because I dont feel "heartstoppers" is that great , and she just from be british she has the opprtunity a big plattaform as netflix oppen their doors, so she cant imagine what is been an asian author and how actually his work is BL.

Taking Advantage of A Fandom

I watched the show, and haven’t read the comic. However @absolutebl posted a terrific commentary on this issue a while back:

From my perspective, BL and by extension, yaoi, is a uniquely Asian sub genre of erotic romance.

Alice Osman is a British creator who wrote a young adult LGBT+ romance comic. So the comparisons made seem ‘convenient’ for ‘marketing purposes’.

I personally resent the accusations lobbed against fujoshi of fetishisation, because it’s rooted in anti-woman rhetoric and I won’t have my tastes dictated to me. Everybody has opinions, but not all of them are valid.

BL is full of problematic tropes, just like regular M/F romance… and I’ve been reading romance and erotica for forty odd years. But these tropes are part of romance as a genre, and these tropes reflect our lived context. To single out BL/Yaoi as unique is nonsense. The tropes exist because the reality exists. Storytelling exists to allow us to find empathy for one another.

There are some good academic pieces out there, that debate this far better than I can. What I can tell you is that the internalised and externalised misogyny regarding BL content, is quite painful to me. Somebody always gotta rush on to tell women what they can and cannot enjoy. Dictate their sexuality and shame them for their pleasures.

We literally can’t have a damn thing nice, without some bozo trying to make us feel bad because we like it. Chile, I’m too old for that shit. We are allowed to like what we like, and enjoy problematic media just like anyone else. We are people too!

And lest you think otherwise: homophobia and transphobia’s roots are in anti-woman thinking and policies. That women do it to other women… well, it’s nice to be somebody’s favourite pet isn’t it. You get a padded cage, and the best kibble.

Osman benefits from the BL label, even though her story isn’t in my opinion BL. But criticising and alienating potential readers within the BL fandom seems to be a bit of a sport across ‘BL’ as it’s being broadly defined here. Because throwing shade on fans happens too much… by too many creators both Asian and Western.

Which is interesting, because the global market consuming this content is HUGE. You don’t understand the numbers of people reading Painter of The Night. I believe last year, it was more than all the people who bought romance novels in the West COMBINED. So if you think the Western authors don’t know the market for their stories are pale compared to what BL is doing on a global level, I should encourage you all to get interested in the business of BL. There is a lot of money and soft power in it.

But because it’s a FEMALE audience interested in SMUTTY stories, well… it’s a PROBLEM. Even in the countries of origin.

I get that we should analyze the problematic tropes in BL/Yaoi, but that’s what storytelling is for. I’m not for false equivalencies, because I personally disdain most Western content… and where do you see these types of stories in profusion from Western creators? No place. That’s where.

Maybe Osman has feelings because her story is no Painter of The Night. Maybe somebody asked her one too many times about our smutty stories… and what we got was shade and salt.

I did watch Heartbreaker on Netflix, and it was cute but I don’t feel compelled to rewatch it, the way I do say KinnPorsche or Love In The Air. I haven’t been moved to hunt down the comic to find out what happens next, the way I did when I watched that last scene of Twittering Birds Never Fly: The Clouds Gather.

Chile… Osman could NEVA.

#boys love #yaoi #debates #bl fandom #yaoi fandom #yaoi manga #yaoi manhwa #bl series #thai boys love #kblseries #shounen ai

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destiniesfic · 1 year

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Do you think there’s love between Daemon and Rhaenyra? I keep seeing people saying Daemon is incapable of experiencing emotions but I’m not really sure that’s true lol

... What evidence is there to suggest Daemon is incapable of experiencing emotions? Lmao? He seems to experience extremely strong emotions that he doesn't express well, and when he does express them it's often in a way that we think of as very typically masculine (by which I mean shouting and hitting stuff). It's not subtle.

Case in point: what immediately follows after this GIF.

This is not a cool brooding sociopath man, this is a man who runs incredibly hot at least 85% of the time. To believe otherwise is to read a lot of his anger as a product of ambition instead of hurt, and to do that you have to take Otto Hightower at his word when he says "The gods have yet to make a man who lacks the patience for absolute power." (And you shouldn't take Otto at his word when he says that, because he's talking about a different second son: himself.)

Anyway, I touched a little bit on the question of whether Daemon loves Rhaenyra in this other meta. Approaching it from a different direction, we're meant to take from his behavior in episode 8 that he loves her very much, but we are meant to take from his behavior in episode 10 that love doesn't blunt Daemon's sharp edges or render him safe. I'm not only talking about the choking scene, but about the way he immediately shifts into attack dog mode and therefore ignores what emotional needs or actual desires his wife may have.

But—just to head some questions off at the pass–although I say "love" I don't mean it's a modern-day romantic ideal: we're starting with the foundation of an incestuous marriage, after all! Still, even before they marry it's easy to see that Daemon adores her, that he likes to spend time with her, and that he desires her. He holds some kind of regard or respect for her which prevented him from deflowering her in that brothel, more than just her being into it. And all of those ingredients add up to something.

Daemon's family is the star around which his planet orbits, providing the gravity that dictates his behavior. Initially the biggest and brightest of these stars was Viserys, and now it's Rhaenyra. She is the center of his universe. Someday that star will go supernova and become a black hole which will devour them both, but if that's not some kind of love, destructive and all-consuming, then, I guess, what is?

Edit: I spent so much time talking about Daemon because of the question about his emotions that I forgot to add that Rhaenyra loves him too, as family and an ally and a lover all at once. Okay bye.

#daemon targaryen #daemyra #daemon x rhaenyra #rhaenyra targaryen #hotd meta #house of the dragon #anonymous #ask #mine: meta #choking mention #incest cw

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bills-bible-basics · 8 months

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Japan’s Fukushima Radioactive Waste Water Problem and Guam

I was just reading a New York Times article which discusses Japan’s plans to begin releasing this week, over a million tons of stored, treated, radioactive waste water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, into the Pacific Ocean.

As you will recall, the power plant experienced a major meltdown in 2011, due to the tsunami which was generated by the great Tohoku earthquake that year. Since that time, some 1,000 metal tanks have been constructed to store the accumulated waste water which has been used to keep cool the melted fuel material which resulted from said disaster.

While the Tokyo Electric Power Company — which operates the plant — and the International Atomic Energy Agency both claim that the released radioactive waste water will be of such low concentrations that it will have a “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment”, nevertheless, personally, I remain unconvinced. Quite frankly, I don’t place a lot of faith in large corporations, or in national governments, to always do the right thing.

As such, my view is that the slow release of this treated, contaminated water should continue to be of great concern to Pacific islands such as Guam. Let us not forget that we are located only about 1,400 nautical miles south of Japan, or about 1,660 miles by air travel.

Being as I am not an oceanographer, marine biologist or any other kind of scientist, I am not familiar with ocean currents in this part of the world, although I imagine a quick Internet search would reveal such information. As such, I cannot speak with great authority regarding this matter. Perhaps the Department of Agriculture or someone from the University of Guam can better address this issue.

Nevertheless, even without knowing such oceanographic details, common sense would seem to dictate that if Tepco — Tokyo Electric Power Company — is going to be dumping this treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean for at least the next thirty years as the NYT article explains — and that is just for the contaminated water that is already stored in tanks — eventually, while it could take years, it will have a negative effect on our local marine environment, resulting in contaminated marine life, including consumables which are eaten by our local population.

To my surprise, the New York Times article mentions that Micronesia — which includes Guam — has lifted its objections to Japan’s water release plan, while the eighteen member nations of the Pacific Islands Forum remain strongly opposed to this same plan. Please note that according to online sources, Guam is NOT a member of the Pacific Islands Forum. It has only had observer status since 2011.

The minute I read this important fact regarding Guam’s position, I immediately questioned why Micronesia would lift their opposition to the Japanese plan. More to the point, in the case of Guam, could the answer possibly be related to the fact that Japanese tourism is one of the largest sources of revenue for Guam, and our local government doesn’t wish to jeopardize that delicate relationship? After all, unless I am mistaken and the situation has changed, it is common knowledge that our tourism industry revenue stream is only second behind revenue from the U.S. government and the U.S. military.

In conclusion, I am forced to wonder how safe it will be in coming years to dive, swim and snorkel in Guam’s beautiful waters, and to partake of marine food which is harvested from Guam’s waters. Will our children and our grandchildren ultimately pay the price? Like so many things which occur on Guam, is rectifying this situation beyond our control?

#guam #japan #fukushima #nuclear #power plant #radioactive waste #water

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mystieris · 1 year

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Hades profile

Profile description for my version of Hades for a webcomic I'm hoping to develop.

Hades has a predominantly sardonic personality who speaks very sarcastically with very little filter as to what’s on his mind, often not caring for restraining his own temper. Holds a lot of discontent towards his younger brothers, particularly towards Zeus with his hedonistic lifestyle and loose morals, though Poseidon’s pragmatism can often leave the two of them at odds as well. He possesses the most godly power amongst the three brothers, even before gaining the power over life and death, but he's frankly too tired to take advantage of it. For the most part he seems to only hold concern for Persephone, Macaria, Orthros and Cerberus, for whom he actually shows deep adoration and compassion for, Thanatos and Hypnos, who have worked for him since they were young so they’re quasi-adopted by him, and Hermes, Melinoe, and Zagreus, whom he seemed to raise more than Zeus ever did. The rest of the pantheon, both Olympian and Chthonic alike, could screw off for all he cares. Mortals, both dead and living, he’s pretty impartial to, but believes in acknowledging when a mortal shows themselves to be exceptional, and can often show kindness and generosity to them, despite their inherent fear of him. He is however quick to show his wrath if a mortal tries cheating death, or if they just died through a completely asinine method.

Unlike the seas and Mount Olympus, which were far easier realms for his brothers to conquer, the Underworld was the native home many Primordials who were none too happy to see that after the tyranny of Kronos was toppled, one of his sons walked into their realm, declaring himself their “king”. However, one primordial, Nyx, saw the potential in Hades to be a sufficient ruler after watching him fight in the war against the Titanmachy, so she appealed to the others to give Hades a chance to rule the realm. Taking to Nyx’s appeal, Chaos wrote up a lengthy contract that Hades was to adhere to by the letter lest he be cast out permanently. Most of this contract is never going to be referred to directly, with exception to the clause that dictates the time he is allotted to leave the realm.

Hades, the undersigned, is permitted to enter the other realms, but will do so only on borrowed time. He will be permitted up to two weeks' time to wander the other realms as he sees fit, at the end of which he is required to return to the Underworld, and is unable to leave again for six weeks. If the undersigned does not return to the Underworld within the time limit, the realm will take it upon itself to return him immediately.

The long time he’s spent underground has left his skin extremely pale, which makes the scars all over his body left from when Kronos consumed him really stand out. His hair normally falls naturally around his face, but when he’s angered, it flares up and almost appears to be made of blue and white fire. When adapting his look from the old Grecian style to a more modern one, he adopts an Italian mafioso aesthetic, wearing a lot of suits and dress attire, gloves and black jewelry.

Body Type - 6’7”, averagely muscular Weapon - Bident Vices of choice - high-end cigars; bourbon cut with water Sexual preferences - power bottom, handcuffing, likes being pegged when drunk Theme songs - Enter Sandman by Metallica, Hell Is Living Without You by Alice Cooper, Love Again by Dua Lipa, God of the Dead by Darren Korb

#renewal of the gods #greek gods #greek myth retellings #hades and persephone #hades #god of the underworld #character description

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dropintomanga · 1 year

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Staying Humble and Young at Heart as a Manga Fan

So I found out about an event that happened around Anime NYC weekend last year that involved Crunchyroll working with a organization dedicated to teaching manga literacy to black kids at a public school in the Bronx.

Tony Weaver’s Weird Enough Productions has gotten a lot of attention for spreading the love of anime and manga to marginalized communities. Crunchyroll News interviewed Weaver about the power of manga literacy. It was a really good interview where Weaver provided some great answers. There’s one question and one answer that reminded me (and should remind others) of what’s the most important thing when it comes to fandom.

This is what was said.

Q: Have you noticed any interesting data or trends with young readers as manga has become more and more accessible and accepted into the mainstream?

Weaver: The most wholesome thing I’ve noticed is that young readers are extremely welcoming. If you think about it, anime has been mainstream for at least a decade at this point, but the young readers that are driving its popularity right now don’t seem to be focused on elitism or pointing fingers about who a “real” anime fan is. They’re just really happy they get to enjoy the content. That's the sort of attitude I like to encourage.

I love this answer because I feel like kids just love consuming and sharing their interests with no filter. I work at a non-profit organization that actually does outreach to schools full of kids of color that are from low-income families and schools in the Bronx (like Weaver did his event for) are a big target to us. In my work, I’ve gotten to know the anime and manga interests of black kids through student essays and my department overhears the students who stop by our organization talking about anime a lot.

I also think about anime elitists and who comes off as one. Most of the time, I feel that they’re WEIRD - white, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic. I see a lot of fan anime opinions come from mostly white folks who want to dictate what we should like. In my experience, black anime fans aren’t spouting elitist stuff about who’s a real anime fan. They keep it real and talk about how cool anime is to everyone.

Though, regardless of race, when you get to explore more anime/manga due to being shunned outside of fandom, you can start to do the shunning at some point. Once we learn more about the details that make a certain anime/manga series appealing, we take pride in having that knowledge and put ourselves on some sort of pedestal. I know I’ve done this a few times. Weaver did a 2022 interview with CR News and he expressed concerns about that as well. This is what he said.

“Weaver: Yeah. I think what happens sometimes is that there are a lot of anime fans who have been othered so much that they begin to identify with that otherness. So, mentally, the only way that they know themselves and that they understand themselves is through the feeling, “I like this thing that's different from everything else. You watch cartoons, I watch anime! I'm different.” Because they have been othered so much — there's so much pain associated with that — rather than finding areas of common ground to relate to people, they're like, “No, I'm different! I watch stuff with refined storylines.”

And when you go up to them and say things like, “oh well why isn't Avatar: The Last Airbender an anime?” And they’re like, “it’s not an anime because it wasn't animated in Japan, it was animated by a Korean animation studio.” Okay. Studio Wit sub-contracts their animation to animators in Korea. Are the first three seasons of Attack on Titan not an anime since it was animated by people who live in Korea? I don't know, you tell me. What do you do?

With the stories I tell, the people that I talk to, the communities that I get the privilege to be a part of, what I try to do is talk about how the magical thing about anime is not how it separates us from the general public. The magical thing about it is not like displaying your refined taste because you understand all the Biblical allusions in Neon Genesis Evangelion. That's not what it is.

The magical thing about being an anime fan is that you can turn to a random person and go, "Hey, this is Shinji, and he's about to get in the robot," and instead of looking at you like you're crazy, that person says, "Oh? What happens next? What kind of robot is it? What's he fighting? Why does he need the robot in order to fight it?" I think that level of possibility and that broad wealth of storytelling...that's what makes it special. That's what makes it a community I want to be a part of.”

Anime and manga are about getting hyped to see characters struggle, fight, and manage to reach their goals and sharing that hype with those who feel the same as you. I’m not ashamed to admit that I feel various emotions when I witness certain heroic events in shonen manga and love talking about them to others who want to listen.

I feel that we’re always beaten down by comparisons as we get older because knowledge that’s supposed to help us (i.e. allusions/references) can end up ruining important relationships we need in our lives. I get that certain fans can be problematic, but they aren’t the majority despite being heavily focused on too much. Show that the world of fandom is often wondrous even if it’s not clickbait-worthy.

I applaud people like Weaver because the young readers are one of our hopes in ensuring that our current renaissance of manga will lead to even greater times for manga reading in the West. There’s some kids out there who are doing amazing things and are very thoughtful about the state of the world.

And if you ever feel stressed due to wanting to stand out as a fan to others, as Weaver highlights and as Gintama’s Gintoki Sakata once said, holding on to the kid inside you is the best way to enjoy life.

#manga #manga fandom #anime fandom #marginalized communities #anime #Japanese pop culutre

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justinblogcmu · 2 years

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Skynet, Project Insight, Facebook, etc.

Week 3 - Blog post #1 (Data Privacy)

Growing up with the internet I never really considered “data collection”, as in who would be interested in what I am doing online? Playing silly kid's games on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon is not something I thought anyone would care about. As I got older and learned about data collection and information privacy, I figured that I did not have anything to hide so why should I care if the government wants to track me online? Now I am older and much wiser and significantly more concerned with my information and data collection. Now it seems normal to receive ads for things you search for randomly. Sometimes though it feels like they are collecting data even when we are not on our devices. There was one time I tried a certain beer for the first time and just remarked that it was good, I did not google it or the company, I didn't even buy it! Within a few days, I had ads for it on Google and Amazon. That is the closest I have ever come to making a tinfoil hat...

These algorithms and data collection tools are so harmful because of the potential they have, they can essentially build a profile about a person to compile every bit of information they can, and then who knows… and that is the scary part. Think “Captain America: Winter Soldier” [[Spoilers Ahead]] the good guy organization that was protecting everyone was actually the secret evil organization that was using people’s data (online presence, grades, search histories, and more) to identify “threats” to their organization and then the end goal to eliminate them. Now granted this is a superhero movie, so obviously it’s a bit much and likely not possible but the idea is not so far-fetched. Political organizations, governments, companies, etc. could use this information we so freely give them and abuse it for their own gain. Just look at your Google Ad Profile (adssettings.google.com) and you can see what just google knows about you and how they target ads toward what is trending in your life. For instance, my wife and I share an email account for things we share (Amazon, Netflix, Consumer’s, etc.), and that account’s “ad profile” identifies me as a 25-34 y/o female with interests in video games, American football, babies, and cars (there is more but that is enough). Let’s break these down and how they obtained this info:

25-34 is true, for both of us, and is obtained because we put that into the account and handed it to them for free

Female because she set that in for the account, another gimme for them.

Video games are based on searches on Google and YouTube.

American football, again because of Google and YouTube.

Babies because my wife has created a registry and has been researching baby-related items and other research. So now more baby ads are appearing.

Cars because we do some of the easier maintenance on our cars ourselves so googling videos, guides, parts, and other aspects of that.

What all this boils down to is that we hand our information around to various sites and collectors who then use that to “tailor” our internet experience. Just today I got an email from Amazon telling me about phone cases, I searched them the other day but never added anything to my cart. A very interesting tidbit is how these virtual trackers being put on us are innocently called “cookies”. (Here is a funny clip from Parks and Recreation!). The story behind that is basically “tracker” is a word not many people would willingly subscribe for so call them cookies, just these little things that are harmless but, really, they should be called bacteria.

These problems could be dealt with by giving the end-user more power to dictate what they would like to share with the provider of the service they are using. In the lecture, it is pointed out that we get to use these services for free because of the data we share so a lot of the free services we might take for granted now might not be free for long. The big difference between the US and the EU is that a user’s data is a commodity in the US, that can be sold and there is no clear consensus on data privacy laws. The EU views a user’s data as their own and not a commodity. I think the way to fix the US privacy data laws is to treat a person’s data as their own private property and to also prevent these companies from being able to create complex EULA (End User Licensing Agreements, the thing you always just hit accept on when doing anything) that no one ever reads (because they are hundreds of pages and full of lawyer-speak that the average person does not understand) and agrees to. When the end-user (us) agrees to this, it gives the company permission to do whatever they want. Preventing these and protecting data rights would be a great first step.

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joulupuuro · 3 months

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The simplest definition of a momfluencer is someone who has utilized her maternal identity to monetize a social media platform. Her performance of motherhood online informs how she gets paid, which can be through sponsored content (#sponcon), affiliate links, or other types of brand partnerships.

a social media director or marketing exec at a company assesses the values and desires of a momfluencer’s audience and partners with a momfluencer to try and sell her audience stuff.

If I were to describe the type of momfluencer that still dominates the multibillion dollar industry (and who still makes the most money), she would be white, thin, marketably attractive according to western beauty standards, cis-het, married, non-disabled, have at least three children under the age of 10, live in a large, mostly white (or beige) house, and have access to generational wealth. And blonde beachy waves! She would 100% have blonde beachy waves.

In the US, motherhood is inextricably linked to whiteness in almost every way.

The ideal American mother is tacitly, in the eyes of capitalism and mainstream media, the ideal white American mother. She is the default, and this means that mothers of color are almost always portrayed as the exception, the other.

the cult of domesticity, a 19th century ideology influential in dictating how we thought about (and continue to think about!) about family, gender, and motherhood

“True women” in this context should be selfless, chaste, pious, and wholly invested in domesticity. Not only did this ideology subjugate white, wealthy women by confining them to the home (contemporary “science” also helped by arguing that women’s brains were only suited to domestic work), but it also clearly defined which types of mothers were worthy of protection and which weren’t. Working-class women were not seen as “true” women because they existed outside of domestic confines. Black enslaved women subject to rape and sexual assault were not seen as “true” women because they were not sexually “pure.”

The construction and upholding of maternal ideals has always been in service of white men in power. It’s never had much to do with mothers.

If you’re the first of your peer group to have a kid, momfluencers can serve as really useful resources.

Especially as new moms, we’re all clueless and desperate for someone to tell us not only what the right thing to do or buy is but that there is any such thing as a right way!

What most of us need are postpartum doulas, emotional and physical support, someone to cook and clean for us, and validation, but what most of us get is a momfluencer in our back pocket instead.

Brand consistency is the key to most momfluencers’ success, but brand consistency does not translate very well to a momfluencer consumer’s smooth experience of motherhood. I could make my life brand consistent by purchasing every single one of my favorite momfluencer’s product recs but no amount of consumption can override my life experiences with her life experiences.

A lot of this has to do with the way kids are culturally conditioned to equate their self-worth with how well they perform gender, but I think momfluencer culture — with its emphasis on how things look rather than how things feel — can make motherhood seem like an avenue towards becoming. But becoming what? And for whom?

And we’re taught that there’s nothing important to become or be after motherhood, which is, of course, bullshit

the word “commodification” is huge here. Because momfluencers aren’t making money from the labor of motherhood, they’re making money from the performance of a certain type of maternal identity. And that identity (usually) is rooted in (usually harmful) constructions of gender, race, and class.

I love to see a mother being paid for really anything that she does well, but the fact that this industry runs on reductive, exclusionary ideals of motherhood sort of sours the equation for me.

the commodification of motherhood online has (consciously or not) trained so many of us to view ourselves and our children as aesthetic building blocks through which we can communicate something essential about our mothering

it’s just fundamentally weird that folks with private accounts, for example, are influenced to share their mothering stories in ways that have proven to be effective in the marketplace first. The relationship between capitalism and individual self-expression is fraught for pretty much everyone, but especially for mothers, whose caregiving labor is so individual, so private, and so vulnerable.

the common point seems to be an emptying of the self, of the experienced life, in all its messy contradiction, in favor of an aesthetic

how effectively aesthetics have been sold to me as a placeholder for personhood

aesthetics do offer the illusion of certainty. They offer people a blueprint for being in a culture which prioritizes rugged individualism and aggressively upward momentum above pretty much all else. Adopting a certain aesthetic (whether it be “cool mom” or “trad mom”) not only takes the guesswork of how to look in the world, it also does the work of communicating how you are in the world.

Aestheticized motherhood is also interesting because it prioritizes static imagery over people’s lived experiences. Mothering is ongoing and ever changing; it resists neat categorization, and no single photograph could really communicate everything it entails. It’s also wildly variable! Motherhood is so beholden to imagery though, and imagery can often conjure up powerful feelings, which can energize all sorts of agendas. What’s more powerful? A list of a mother’s daily activities or a photo of a mother snuggling a newborn captioned by a passionate plea to criminalize abortion?

#social media #article #motherhood

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kashdra · 4 months

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The Power of LD-4 Machines in Modern Industries

In the world of manufacturing and production, efficiency is key. One of the crucial advancements contributing to enhanced efficiency in various industries is the LD-4 machine. What exactly is an Ld 4 Machine, and why is it such a game-changer?

What is an LD-4 Machine?

An LD-4 machine falls into the category of laser devices used for cutting and engraving materials. These machines utilize a high-powered laser beam to precisely cut, engrave, or mark various materials like wood, plastic, glass, metal, and more.

How Does It Work?

Picture this: the LD-4 machine is like a high-tech artist. It takes instructions from a computer and translates them into precise movements of the laser beam. This beam, focused and powerful, acts like a super-accurate cutter or painter, following the patterns and designs dictated by the digital instructions.

Why Are LD-4 Machines Important?

1. Precision & Accuracy

LD-4 machines are incredibly precise. They can create intricate designs and cuts with minuscule tolerances, ensuring that the final product matches the digital design flawlessly. This precision is invaluable in industries where perfection is a must.

2. Versatility

These machines aren't limited to one material or one type of job. Whether it's cutting shapes out of wood, engraving intricate designs on glass, or marking serial numbers on metal, LD-4 machines can handle diverse tasks with finesse.

3. Efficiency & Speed

Imagine crafting a complex pattern manually – it could take hours or even days. LD-4 machines, however, can accomplish these tasks swiftly. What might have been a time-consuming process becomes remarkably faster, boosting productivity significantly.

4. Reduced Waste

Traditional cutting methods often produce a lot of waste material due to imprecise cuts or errors. LD-4 machines minimize this waste by executing cuts precisely as per the design, thus saving resources and reducing costs.

5. Automation & Consistency

By relying on computer-generated instructions, LD-4 machines ensure consistency across multiple products. Each item produced is an exact replica of the one before, eliminating human error and maintaining quality standards.

Applications of LD-4 Machines

LD-4 machines find applications across various industries:

Manufacturing: Used for precise cutting and shaping of materials in the production of parts and components.

Art & Design: Artists and designers utilize LD-4 machines for creating intricate and personalized pieces across different mediums.

Electronics: They play a vital role in manufacturing electronic components by accurately cutting and marking circuit boards and other materials.

Automotive: LD-4 machines aid in fabricating parts and components with high precision, contributing to the automotive industry's efficiency.

Future Prospects

As technology advances, LD-4 machines continue to evolve. With improvements in speed, accuracy, and the range of materials they can handle, these machines are becoming indispensable in various sectors.

Manufacturer Company: Kashdra Group

The LD-4 machine, a cutting-edge technology, owes its innovation and reliability to visionary manufacturing companies like Kashdra Group. Renowned for their commitment to precision engineering and cutting-edge solutions, Kashdra Group has been at the forefront of developing and refining these laser machines. Their dedication to research and development has led to advancements that have significantly enhanced the capabilities of LD-4 machines.

Through Kashdra Group's expertise, these machines have evolved to handle a wider array of materials and execute more complex tasks with unmatched accuracy. Their continuous efforts in refining this technology have not only revolutionized industries but have also set a benchmark for excellence in manufacturing across the globe.

Final Thoughts

The LD-4 machine might seem complex at first glance, but its impact is straightforward – it revolutionizes precision, speed, and efficiency in manufacturing and design. As industries evolve, these machines will remain at the forefront, shaping the future of production and creation.

In essence, LD-4 machines are like the artists of the modern industrial world, etching, cutting, and creating with unparalleled precision and speed, ultimately transforming the way we manufacture and craft our world.

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leahbrynn · 2 years

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Control in Audience vs Media vs Society

What controls what in our world of mass media? The three main contenders in this system of control would be the audience, society/culture, and the media itself. I think a lot of people think the audience dictates the media, considering how much content is catered to certain types of people. But if that’s the case why are there so many stigmas against what are probably just everyday occurrences for most people (cursing, ‘revealing’ skin)?

One of the primary examples that comes to mind is the scandal Youtube has currently found itself in with age restrictions and demonetization. Sean Mcloughlin (Jacksepticeye), a popular youtuber, recently made two videos in response to another creator calling the corporation out on its inconsistencies and lack of communication when it comes to age restrictions and demonetization

The audience appears to want the content being put out, but Youtube itself, the media, is dictating what it deems appropriate to show and promote to the consumers. Is Youtube doing this because it’s what culture deems appropriate? Videos with scantily dressed women are certainly less likely to be flagged than a scantily dressed man. And that extends beyond just Youtube.

Instagram and Twitter have the same type of issue. I recently saw a comic from an artist I follow, depicting both of these images. And, as expected, Twitter wanted a content warning to be placed on the comic. In fact, Twitter repeatedly flagged the post for nudity, even after the pictures were too small to truly make out any details.

None of the viewers, or at least most of them seemed to take issue with the skin on display, but the media sure did.

As much as I think all participants in media have some kind of a say in what goes on, I think culture has the strongest influence and power over both the audience and the media. Culture hasn’t changed much in America when it comes to what curse words are considers more or less bad than one another, or in regards to what is okay to show of a person's body, and while the media may help slowly change that by pushing the boundaries, as well as the audiences wants and needs in content, but culture still holds an iron grip on the two. Audience can influence culture, but it appears to be a give and take. The audience can influence the media, but the media has more of a final say.

#blogpost1

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battle62terrell · 2 years

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Which Free Antivirus If You Decide?

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david-talks-sw · 2 years

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"Balance" when talking about the Force.

First off, let me preface this by saying the best explanations I've seen about the concept of Balance of the Force are the below two:

What follows is simply my way of explaining "the Prophecy of the Chosen One who will bring Balance to the Force"... with diagrams!

(Quotes I used as sources can be found at the bottom of the post.)

On that note: let's get cosmic!

I. The Living Force's natural state.

The Force has two aspects.

The Living Force, generated by all living beings, which in turn powers the wellspring that is...

The Cosmic Force, which then binds everything and speaks to us via the midi-chlorians. The Cosmic Force has to do with destiny.

The term “Balance of the Force” refers to the Living Force’s natural state... balanced. As seen below:

On one side, you have one BIG cog. That’s the Dark Side.

The Dark Side is empowered by all evil. Every act of selfishness, violence, corruption, sadistic pleasure, etc.

Be it a criminal shooting an old lady to a politician embezzling funds and letting his constituents starve. From the Nightsister, to the pirate, to the Hutt, to the corrupt senator.

By its very nature, the Dark Side will consume everything in its path if it's overfed, just like a flame will turn into an inferno.

On the other side, you have a lot of small cogs. That’s the Light Side.

Empowered by all that is good, every young boy helping his little sister, every mother going hungry so that their child can keep on living, every selfless act of generosity, every joyful laugh, etc.

From the Jedi, to a benevolent Queen, to the civilian working at a soup kitchen.

By its very nature, the Light Side serves the Force's will.

You need a lot of good cogs to balance out that one bad cog. Why? Because being an asshole is easier, and more people choose the easy way over the hard way, in the galaxy. It takes many good deeds to make a difference and one bad one to make it all go up in flames.

Neither Side is either benevolent or malevolent. The Dark and Light Sides are non-sentient metaphysical aspects of the Living Force, they're not good or evil, they just are. And, for better or for worse, they're both essential to have Balance.

So where's the issue?

II. The Force at the start of the Prequels.

The issue is that the Dark Side has been growing more and more. This is causing the Force to gradually become unbalanced.

The Republic has grown corrupt, the Jedi haven't but they've become its lapdogs. More and more senators and bureaucrats take bribes, the crime lords and slavers grow more ruthless, corporations become increasingly power-hungry... and a phantom menace seems to be speeding up the clock for when this will all go to hell.

That phantom menace is the Sith. More specifically, Darth Sidious.

The Sith are literally the galaxy's only order of Force-sensitives who constantly use the Dark Side to make the Force submit to their will, rather than following the Will of the Force. Their endgame is to be to control everything, Balance be damned.

And they're winning. The Force's few remaining champions, chiefly the Jedi, are completely unprepared in the face of this threat.

So the Force retaliates and creates a Chosen One, destined to destroy the Sith: Anakin Skywalker.

That’s it, that’s his destiny, as dictated by the Cosmic Force: destroying the Sith, thus bringing Balance.

Just one problem... at the end of Episode I, Sidious gets elected Chancellor and essentially is put in charge of the whole galaxy.

The Sith have as good as won.

III. The Force at the end of the Prequels.

So this whole time, be it before or after TPM, the Sith have been:

Adding cogs to the Dark Side (Dooku’s corruption, ordering a clone army, orchestrating then starting the Clone War, Palpatine becoming chancellor then overstaying his time in office by 5 years and getting more and more emergency powers).

Removing cogs from the Light Side (Dooku’s corruption, Sifo-Dyas's death, Qui-Gon’s death, Anakin’s manipulation, the Jedi are killed off and corrupted by the Clone War, the Separatist Senators assassinated for speaking up against Dooku, the war causing people to grow more and more angry with the current status quo).

Sidious is at the center of all this chaos. The only way to bring balance is to defeat him and destroy the Sith.

He knows his only potential rival is Anakin, and thus manipulates him from the very get-go, in hopes of gaining an extra asset.

And it works.

When the time comes and Anakin needs to fulfill his destiny… he doesn't do it. He goes against the Will of the Force, lets Sidious live and joins him.

Sidious becomes Emperor, kills both the Jedi (the first line of defense against the Sith) and the Republic, to install his Empire.

The Sith have officially won, the Force has been plunged in darkness.

IV: Balance restored.

For 20+ years, the Force remains out of balance. But there is hope.

Seeds of Rebellion, planted by the Jedi and the few Republic voices that remained uncorrupted, have picked up the mission to restore Balance and have slowly grown into a credible threat.

The efforts of this ragtag resistance puts in motion a series of events at the end of which - thanks to Luke - Anakin finally does destroy both the Sith, by killing both Sidious and Vader.

So the Empire crumbles. Those who were subjugated are now free.

That doesn't mean all evil is eradicated. The various cartels are still around, remnants of the Empire regroup in the Outer Rim, some crazy shit is going on in Exegol... As mentioned at the start, there will always be more douchebags than nice people.

But now the Dark Side isn't overshadowing the Light. They're equals, once again.

Balance has returned to the Force, thanks to the Chosen One (who took the long way round to fulfill his destiny).

Sources:

The Cosmic & Living Force, the Dark Side & Light Side:

The Sith's influence on the galaxy's growing corruption:

Anakin being destined to destroy the Sith:

(note how, at no point, does Lucas mention the prophecy having anything to do with the Jedi's eradication, contrary to the popular interpretation that "Anakin was meant to kill both the Jedi and Sith because the Force wanted to even the playing field")

#long post #star wars #meta #balance of the force #anakin skywalker #the chosen one #george lucas #sw meta #anakin #lucas quotes #light side #dark side #balance #mortis #the force #cosmic force #living force

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