#there's no way i can interpret this that's not a micro aggression

[boseobrien]

I understand if bapa shippers would have preferred it if Bose and Chapa ended up together because, hey, that's just them seeing "potential." Bapa is their headcanon. However, what bapa shippers shouldn't do is dis-credit bomika by still saying that their scenes were platonic because at the end of the day, the writers canonically made their scenes to go beyond friendship and when bomika shippers said that their scenes are meant to be romantic they are were right because that's what it was. I might even understood bapa shippers interpreting bapa as something romantic IF the writer had decided way later in the series that they wanted to make Bose and Mika a couple, because before than the writers didn't know who they would want to pair together, but that's not the case. The writers knew from the very start that they wanted to make Bose and Mika a couple, so that means that all those Bapa scene's their shippers claim were romantic were not written that way which means the character's Bose and Chapa never felt that way, and Havan and Luca weren't portraying it that way so it's something completely in ther head, they were not robbed because they never had anything in the bank to begin with. Bose and Mika were written to be paired together, and if Bapa shippers don't see the chemistry, that's them. Not every ship in the world has chemistry for everyone. (Bomika does) but they shouldn't deny that Mika and Bose don't make sense when the whole purpose of their dynamic is that they have a slow burn relationship that not even the characters have fully unlocked yet because the show ended. This whole Bomika/Bapa ship war isn't even a war because Bomika (in the show and in the fandom) was never in competition with Bapa because Bapa doesn't exist was not even a consideration in the show. It's just bitter and toxic Bapa fans who want their reality to be real so bad that they take their insecurities and jealously out on the real endgame of the show because they always knew that Bomika was more than platonic.

Also, Bomika is/ was going to be a representation of interracial romance in childern shows. It was going to show young kids that you anyone can end up together no matter your race or background because love is love. ("But Chapa was poc." Most of you see her as white, point blank period. Which isn't that odd because Havan is white passing) in most Nickelodeon or Disney shows back in the day, couples who ended up together are 98% of the time the we're the same race which is was mainly White. Nickelodeon has only two main endgames that were BWWM, and they we're both Keke Palmer from years ago. Now more recently, networks are starting to branch out with this BWWM rep and you can tell how racist and people who have micro aggression towards these minorities are uncomfortable seeing white male leads in romantic relationships with their other black female leads, and it's really showing peoples true colors from all fandoms, like the Little Mermaid, Percy Jackson, Titans, Spiderman, and etc. Bapa shippers don't seem to understand that their public hate for Bomika is actually rooted in something deeper and need to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror.

Bapa is an opinion, a headcanon that isn't harmful if you view it that way because it will never, ever, happen.

"Bomika is real" or "Bomika is endgame" or "Bomika is canon." Is not an opinion anymore, It's a fact.

#danger force #dangerverse #nickelodeon #bose o'brien #mika macklin #bomika #bapa #chapa de silva #this will def go through one ear and the other for some of them

[ellrond]

It feels like a micro aggression to put bisexual women in the same category as straight women. Just say you hate bi women and go.

Me: I wanna see if being potentially attracted to Aragorn and/or Legolas has an impact on shipping them as I don’t know any lesbian who cares for them

You: what’s the nastiest way I can interpret this and assume the worst in you

#anon #ask #don’t assume the worst in people ok it’ll make for an unhappy life

[izzyliker]

i swear like 85% of the meta i see on here would actually have disastrous implications for the overall text and the writer of the meta clearly never stopped to consider that meta of a single character or a single scene doesn’t exist in isolation but fundamentally affects how the entire work reads. like you can’t say “that scene where the navy releases ed to izzy is supposed to read as izzy buying ed” without it fundamentally adding like. profound racial trauma to ed’s story arc in a way that is completely tonally discordant with the rest of the portrayals of racist violence (in that in every single other case of racial violence the violence is immediately responded to and the perpetrators punished), without it meaning that white writers wrote an episode where that kind of intensely traumatic and dehumanizing act happens, without it meaning that ed has been for the entire show and precanon for however long izzy has been working for him been constantly exposed to racism way beyond the scope of “clueless white person that isn’t working on it” (unless you think “literally treats moc like a commodity” is just a normal non-malicious passively racist thing to do) and how that affects his character and his relationship with izzy and how him choosing to keep izzy around affects how he’s characterized, without it meaning that the statements about not wanting to turn racial or homophobic violence and trauma into a significant overarching part of the story despite being present in the world are either a lie or a massive oversight where the writers and actors including the actors of color who have praised the writers for listening to their opinions and ideas somehow didn’t realize the implications… like there’s analyzing media at face value and drawing connections to real life or the implications one can find where reading scenes at face value is helpful in finding larger social patterns, and then there’s making meta that assumes that things were intentional and meant to be read that way. like what does it add to the actual text of the story to interpret izzy as a malignant racist other than disproportionate (to the amount of violence faced by every other character) amounts of trauma to ed specifically, trauma that no other character has to live with every single day, that apparently is normal enough that he doesn’t even react to it at all? a character that ed chooses repeatedly to keep around despite this violence that he’s apparently completely desensitized to? a portrayal of racism that DOESNT get called out ever despite every other instance being immediately identified and presented with zero ambiguity or leeway to the perpetrators? like to me that would make the show worse, not “nuanced” or “subtle” when the show is never otherwise subtle or nuanced about racial or homophobic violence. it would single out ed as someone whose closest relationship pre stede is one of if not outright violence then racist micro aggressions, and where ed is uncharacteristically helpless to stop it despite him repeatedly showing that he’s ready and willing to kill and otherwise get rid of people who disrespect him let alone are racist or classist towards him.

#best wishes gargoyle king #*kicks the hornets nest*

[capricioussun]

@uselessundertalefacts said: we LOVE goofy silly old guy… what’s your UF gaster like?

It’s so fantastic you ask that directly after “we LOVE goofy silly old guy” because, unfortunately, my UF Gaster is. Um. He’s not… okay, I need to start by saying he isn’t evil! He’s not!!! It’s…complicated. I’m actually going to put it under a readmore for (cw) heavy stuff, sorta that whole “canon typical violence!” warning for my usual UF interpretation.

So, UF Gaster.

I know I’ve very loosely implied a lot of bad things about my interpretation of UF Gaster, but, like mentioned above, the situation was complicated, to say the least.

As much as I like playing coy about my ideas on Gaster’s relation to The Boys, I will just directly state usually (but not always) I stick with the headcanon G created Sans and Papyrus for Various Reasons.

Following my other usual hc of that reason being “he was trying to make organic weapons to destroy the barrier and fucked up so bad he just made two little guys (children)”, that is indeed what happened in UF. He was attempting to make magic weapons to both break the barrier and be a major support with the, at the time, inevitable Next War with humankind.

By this point in the timeline, Toriel had already left and Asgore was well into his mental decline, becoming more aggressive and cruel. Gaster was under a lot of pressure as the Royal Scientist, most everyone looked to him as a beacon of hope for providing some solution, some level of protection.

I tend to hc Gaster, even within UT or softer ‘verses in general, can be a bit…unstable. Not dangerously so, not to really anyone more than himself, but he can get…carried away. Ambitious, incredibly intelligent, his moral compass can get a bit skewed at times, but in his heart, he is a kind monster, truly. Mostly.

Unfortunately for UF Gaster, the working and living conditions of his underground are not exactly conducive to good mental health and maintenance under the best of circumstances, even for the most grounded and steady individuals, so you can imagine this takes it’s toll on his psyche.

This is all to say that, despite doing arguably abhorrent things to Sans and Papyrus, Gaster…was not really a bad monster. He was put under a great deal of duress by Asgore, and essentially repressed his kinder instincts in favor of forcing himself to continue viewing Sans and Papyrus as the experiments he’d started off with. He even had himself fooled, as he gradually became more and more…detached.

This was also exacerbated by the process he used to create them: missing pieces of your soul and micro dosing on human soul extractives to keep yourself from destabilizing and melting doesn’t really lend itself to a gathered mind.

He managed to convince himself the ends justified the means to save monsterkind, even including the two of them, one day, and was so mentally unsound by the time he [REDACTED] it hardly mattered anyway.

It’s why Sans and Papyrus have such complicated views on him, Sans more so. He hated him for a time, but after becoming Judge and working alongside Alphys for a brief time, with of course the aid of the passage of time, Sans became more indifferent about Gaster, understanding the situation was…complex. Papyrus, conversely, has viewed it that way the whole time, and never hated Gaster. In some ways, he even agreed with him, if Gaster hadn’t [REDACTED], maybe he would’ve even succeeded eventually… And in Papyrus’ eyes, the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few makes a lot of sense to him.

And I also just wanna clarify, when I say he did “abhorrent” things to them, he himself was almost never intentionally cruel to them. He was usually very blunt and straightforward, and their…well, maybe not well being, but survival was very, very important to him, not just because of their importance as projects, but because deep down, they were his kids, and he knew that. He knew that, no matter how buried it was. He wanted them to succeed for all their sakes, their own specifically especially. Asgore had threatened to…decommission them several times. Gaster had to complete them, had to perfect them. Failure wasn’t an option.

TLDR; my guy was suffering, so much, and under better circumstances, he would’ve been happy to raise Sans and Papyrus as his own, to the best of his at times dubious abilities. So like, take any times I mention how much he traumatized them w/ a grain of salt…

There actually was a UF AU I’d developed with a friend where monsters surfaced much earlier (Sans and Papyrus were still pretty young), and out from under the weight of all the pressure to save monsterkind, Gaster became a very loving, rather cooky, eccentric father figure to the boys. Morals are still dubious at times but he’s got two wonderful kids to keep ‘im on the straight and narrow lol

Okay I lied actually. He’s a little evil, but it’s like. In a funny, endearing way (usually). Like Uncle Fester.

#even had this one emotional idea for a comic earlier on into Things of a meeting w/ Asgore that leads to G returning to the labs really #shaken; sees the boys; and that’s kind of the mental point of no return where he really decides what has to be done #sun spots #uf gaster #uselessundertalefacts #💞💐💚🎉 #sometimes he DOES cause problems on purpose tho #that’s where Papyrus gets it from #gaster #wd gaster

[bisexualhobi]

Balck pink aren’t self aware because they made several micro aggressive comments about hip hop culture. Saying we don’t do “rebellious” rap is not it. Lisa saying I’m swag hip hop is in my blood Is not it.

Lisa and Jennie were micro aggressive and dismissive of Black and hip hop culture too.

Kpop just love to steal black culture for their aesthetic and don’t give two shits.

well i read the full interview and the way i understood it lisa was talking about hip-hop like the dance style?? i'm not gonna try to explain but this is what black people have been saying online

but again i guess it can come across as confusing and up for interpretation. i'm not gonna say bp are better than bts because at the end of the day all kpop artists rip off and benefit from black culture. i can't really say anything else without overstepping my boundaries and you're allowed to feel that way about the interview

#asks #it's not my place to comment on it but that's what i got and what black fans on twt have been saying so....

[madi2112]

Madi's Meanderings. vol. 22

Time to hit the road again. Get out of town. Go off the grid (sort of).

But mostly get away from people.

Being a transwoman is never easy. But for a while there it was better.

The amount of micro aggressions I experienced was low. Sure there was still times when people were more vocal about thier unsolicited opnion about me.

Still whispers, misgendering, unapproving stares and inappropriate comments.

But those things are happening more often now.

Fueled by blatant hate, lies and rhetoric from political leaders people have interpreted those messages as permission to attack me and others like me.

So getting away from as many people as possable is a way to protect myself and to try and relax a little. After all I've only worked 290 hours these last five weeks.

So Mitze and I headed for a secluded mountain cabin.

To do some hiking, visit some waterfalls and see as few other humans as I can.

Should be nice.

The cabin is!

~ Madison

[doppelnatur]

just a random person - not sure that “it” person was being obnoxious? maybe just a little confused?? idk

If I went into a trans mans inbox and went

so your pronoun is ""he""?

you really wouldn't be saying this would you..

#ask #anon #like I'm sorry for being fucking tired of ppl contesting my right to use it pronouns #what the fuck else would this be other than them being obnoxious. #confused... there was no question here. and if there was that would honestly be WORSE #like i don't go around asking binary trans ppl to explain why they use binary pronouns without them getting to say wtf that's obnoxious af #there's no way i can interpret this that's not a micro aggression #the speech markers around it the question at all.... like

[blackstarising]

coming back to this post i made again to elaborate - especially as the ted lasso fandom is discussing sam/rebecca and fandom racism in general. there are takes that are important to make that i had failed to previously, but there's also a growing amount of takes that i have to, As A Black Person™, respectfully disagree with.

tl;dr for the essay below sam being infantilized and the sam/rebecca relationship are not the same issue and discussing the former one doesn't mean excusing the latter. and we've reached the glen of the Dark Forest where we sit down and talk about fandom racism.

i should have elaborated this in my last post about sam/rebecca, but i didn't. i'll say it now - i personally don't support sam and rebecca getting together for real. i believe what people are saying is entirely correct, even though sam is an adult legally, he and rebecca are, at the very least, two wildly different stages of life. for americans, he's at the equivalent of being a junior in college. there are things he hasn't gotten the chance to experience and there are areas he needs to grow in. when i was younger, i didn't understand the significance of these age gaps, i just thought it would be fine if it was legal, but as someone who is now a little older than sam in universe, i understand fully. we can't downplay this. whether or not you think sam works for rebecca or not, even despite the gender inversion of the Older Man Younger Woman trope, whether or not he is a legal adult, i don't think at this point in time, their relationship would work. i think it's an interesting narrative device, but i don't want to see it play out in reality.

that being said!

what's worrying me is that two discussions are being conflated here that shouldn't be. sam having agency and being a little more grown™ than he's perceived to be does not suddenly make his relationship with rebecca justified. i had decided to bring it up because sam was being brought into the spotlight again and i was starting to realizing that his infantilization was more common than i felt comfortable with.

sam's infantilization (and i will continue to call it that), is a microaggression. it's is in the range of microaggressions that i would categorize as 'fandom overcompensation'. we have a prominent character of color that exhibits traits that aren't stereotypical, and we don't want to appear racist or stereotypical, so we lean hard in the other direction. they're not aggressive, they're a Sweet Baby, they're not world weary, they're now a little naive. they're not cold and distant, they're so nice and sweet that there's no one that wouldn't want approach them, and yeah, on their face, these new traits are a departure and, on their face, they seem they look really good.

but at a certain point, it reaches an inflection point, and, like the aftertaste of a diet coke, that alleged sweetness veers into something a lot less sweet. it veers into a lack of agency for the character. it veers into an innocence that appears to indicate that the person can't even take care of themselves. it veers into a one-dimensional characterization that doesn't allow for any depth or negative emotion.

it's not kind anymore. it's not a nice departure from negative stereotypes. it's not compensating for anything.

it's patronizing.

it is important that we emphasize that characters of color are more than the toxic stereotypes we lay on them, yes, but we make a mistake in thinking that the solution is overcorrection. for one thing, people of color can usually tell. don't get it twisted, it's actually pretty obvious. for another, it just shifts from one dimension to another. people of color are still supposed to be Only One Character Trait while white people can contain multitudes. ted, who is pretty much as pollyanna as they come, can be at once innocent and naive and deep and troubled and funny and scared. jamie can be a prick and sexy and also lonely and also a victim of abuse. sam, however, even though he was bullied (by jamie, no less), is thousands of miles away from home, and has led a protest on his team, is usually just characterized as human sunshine with much less acknowledgement of any other traits beyond that.

and that's why i cringe when fandom calls sam a Sweet Baby Boy without any sense of irony. is that all we're taking away? after all this time? even for a comedy, sam has received a substantive of screen time over two whole seasons, and we've seen a range of emotions from him. so as a black person it's hurtful that it's boiled down to Sweet Baby Boy.

that's the problem. we need to subvert stereotypes, but more importantly, we need to understand that people of color are not props, or pieces of cardboard for their white counterparts. they are full and actualized and have agency in their own right and they can have other emotions than Angry and Mean or Sweet and Bubbly without any nuance between the two. i think the show actually does a relatively good job of giving sam depth (relatively, always room for improvement, mind you), especially holding it in tension with his youth, but the fandom, i worry, does not.

it's the same reason why finn from star wars started out as the next male protagonist in the sequel trilogy but by the third movie was just running around yelling for REY!! it's the same reason why when people make Phase 4 Is the Phase For Therapy gifsets for the mcu and show wanda maximoff, loki, and bucky barnes crying and being sad but purposefully exclude sam wilson who had an entire show to tell us how difficult his life is, because people find out if pee oh sees are also complex, they'll tell the church.

and the reason why i picked up on this very early on is because i am an organic, certified fresh, 100% homegrown, non-gmo, a little ashy, indigenous sub saharan African black person. the ghanaian tribes i'm descended from have told me so, my black ass parents have told me so, and the nurses at the hospital in [insert asian country here] that started freaking out about how curly my hair was as my mother was mid pushing me out told me so!

and this stuff has real life implications. listen: being patronized as a black person sucks. do you know how many times i was patted on the back for doing quite honestly, the bare minimum in school? do you know how many times i was told how 'well spoken' or 'eloquent' i was because i just happen to have a white accent or use three syllable words? do you know how many times i've been cooed over by white women who couldn't get over how sweet i was just because i wasn't confrontational or rude like they wrongly expected me to be?

that's why they're called microaggressions. it's not a cross on your lawn or having the n-word spat in your face, but it cuts you down little by little until you're completely drained.

so that's the nuance. that's the subversion. the overcompensation is not a good thing. and people of color (and i suspect, even white people) have picked up on, in general, the different ways fandom treats sam and dani and even nate. what all of these discussions are converging on is fandom racism, which is not the diet form of racism, but another place for racism to reveal itself. and yeah, it's uncomfortable. it can seem out of left field. you may want to defend yourself. you may want to explain it away. but let me tap the sign on the proverbial bus:

if you are a white person, or a person of color who is not part of that racial group, even, you do not get to decide what is not racist for someone. full stop. there are no exceptions. there is no exit clause for you. there is no 'but, actually-'. that right wasn't even yours to cede or waive.

(it's also important to note that people of color also have the right to disagree on whether something is racist, but that doesn't necessarily negate the racism - it just means there's more to discuss and they can still leave with different interpretations)

people don't just whip out accusations of racism like a blue eyes white dragon in a yu-gi-oh duel. it's not fun for us. it's not something we like to do to muzzle people we don't want to engage with. and we're not concerned with making someone feel bad or ashamed. we're exposing something painful that we have to live with and, even worse, process literally everything we experience through. we can't turn it off. we can't be 'less sensitive' or 'less nitpicky'. we are literally the primary resources, we are the proverbial wikipedia articles with 3,000 sources when it comes to racism. who else would know more than us?

what 2020 has shown us very clearly is that racism is systemic. it's not always a bunch of Evil White Men rubbing their hands together in a dark room wondering how they're going to use the 'n-word' today. it's systemic. it's the way you call that one neighborhood 'sketchy'. it's how you use 'ratchet' and 'ghetto' when describing something bad. it's how you implicitly the assume the intelligence of your friend of color. it's the way you turned up your nose and your friend's food and bullied them for it in middle school but go to restaurants run by white people who have 'uplifted' it with inauthentic ingredients. it's telling someone how Well Spoken and Eloquent they are even though you've both gone to the same schools and work at the same workplace. it's the way you look down at some people of color for having a different body type than you because they've been redlined to neighborhoods where certain foods and resources are inaccessible, and yet mock up the racial features that appeal to you either through makeup or plastic surgery.

it's how when a person of color behaves badly, they're irredeemable, but a white person performing the same act or something similar is 'having a bad day' or 'isn't normally like this' or 'has room to grow' and we can't 'wait for their redemption arc', and yes, i'm not going to cover it in detail in this post but yes this is very much about nate. other people have also brought up the nuances in his arc and compared them to other white characters so i won't do it here.

these behaviors and reactions aren't planned. they aren't orchestrated. they're quite literally unconscious because they've been lovingly baked into western society for centuries. you can't wake up and be rid of it. whether you intended it or not, it can still be racist.

and it's actually quite hurtful and unfair to imply that concerns about racism in the TL fandom are unfounded or lacking any depth or simply meant to be sensational because you simply don't agree with it. i wish it was different, but it doesn't work that way. i'm not raising this up to 'call out' or shame people, but i'm adding to this discussion because, through how we talk about sam, and even dani and nate, i'm yet again seeing a pattern that has shortchanged people of color and made them feel unwelcome in fandom for far too long.

coach beard said it best: we need to do better.

#ted lasso #sam obisanya #ted lasso spoilers #fandom racism

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 160: How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated? + Megumi the stage-five clinger

Happy JJK-Sunday!

If I had to describe chapter 160 with as few words as possible, I would say: Oh f*ck...

My favorite moment was, of course, Megumi acting like a stage-five clinger. His interaction with Yuji in this chapter is especially ominous in light of Yuji being adamant of protecting Megumi from Sukuna.

A second favorite was Sasaki showing up in this chapter because of the implications moving forward.

Let’s jump right in. 

How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated by Kenjaku?

We start the chapter with Kenjaku talking to none other than Sasaki, one of the members of the Occult Club at the high school in Sendai that Yuji used to attend.

Of course, the bomb that Gege dropped on us in this chapter is when Kenjaku thanks Sasaki “for getting along with my son”. 

Like... excuse you?

Not only does this 100% confirm that Kenjaku used Yuji’s mother’s body to give birth to him, but this specific moment + some foreshadowing from previous chapters also opens an interesting can of worms about Yuji’s life: just how much of Yuji’s life has Kenjaku orchestrated?

For me, the implication is that Sasaki had an assigned role to play in Yuji’s life that would inevitably lead to him eating Sukuna’s finger. 

I am assuming this because although we don’t see Kenjaku’s interactions with the other people in Sendai, we get to see that, in addition for thanking her for getting along with Yuji, Kenjaku is incredibly kind to Sasaki. We also learn that she’s the only one who has received a special message from him (thanking her).

Ready to make this whole interaction more ominous? Someone pointed out that the kanji in Sasaki’s name means assistant. 

All of this brings us right back to Yuji’s free will--or lack thereof?

We already know that Kenjaku claims he made Yuji “ingest” Sukuna’s finger and that Megumi is rightfully concerned with this idea because he witnessed Yuji eat Sukuna’s finger “of his own free will.”

It’s also becoming increasingly obvious that Yuji was "created” solely for the purpose of becoming Sukuna’s vessel. 

What this new reveal about Sasaki does is that it makes everything feel like certain events have been part of Kenjaku’s master plan all along. While this still feels a little farfetched, it will come down to how Gege works this idea into the story moving forward.

Come to think of it, even Yuji’s grandfather’s dying words to Yuji take on a new meaning since we know Wasuke knew something was definitively up with Yuji’s mother.

Another possible bit of foreshadowing all the way in chapter 1: While the intersection in the second panel below could be ANY intersection in Japan, it sure looks like the Shibuya crossing:

A quick note on the importance of kanji meanings in JJK before moving onto the next section: knowing the meaning of Sasaki’s name tells us that names are important in JJK. If you haven’t, I recommend you read my break down on the meaning of Megumi’s FULL NAME. His first name is important, but so is his last name.

The plans moving forward

Going off to Tokyo Colony #2 are Panda and Hakari. 

As the strongest, Hakari feels like he should take on Hajime. As for Panda, it looks like his focus will be on hunting down Angel.

Side note: I love that Hakari is still calling Megumi names. Guess Senpai can’t help himself.

I must admit I was disappointed to find that Kirara will stay behind to report, but it is what it is. I am assuming Gege could see no use for Kirara and decided to leave the character out of the action for the time being. 

As for Megumi and Yuji, they’ll be heading to Tokyo Colony #1 to target Higuruma, everybody’s new favorite Law & Order boss. 

This brings us to Megumi’s current state of mind...

Megumi the stage-five clinger

I had a hard time coming up with the title for this section because what I see happening is that Megumi is starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline for Tsumiki joining the Culling Game. What his behavior shows, however, is that he needs Yuji with him and is clinging onto him but won’t come out and say it--opting instead for aggression towards Yuji, the very same person he needs most. 

His behavior reminded me of how Megumi could be mean to Tsumiki even though he clearly adores her. Apparently that’s the meaning of being tsundere. I’ve read about the term tsundere before but it never “clicked” until this moment and I just love Gege’s interpretation of the trope through Megumi’s character. 

It goes without saying that it was REALLY interesting to me to see Megumi’s dynamic and interaction with Yuji in this chapter because it looks like Gege is letting us know Megumi’s state of mind continues to be one of desperation--remember that dogeza bow from chapter 157?

The thing about Megumi is that he looks stoic on the outside, but he’s actually an incredibly emotional person who doesn’t often show how he’s feeling. 

I hadn’t caught on, but in chatting with @justafrenchlondoner​ about the chapter, they pointed out Megumi’s behavior in his dynamic with Yuji appears nervous and aggressive.

Upon a second look I have to agree that Megumi is acting out of character and aggressive with Yuji when all that Yuji really wants is to protect Megumi from Sukuna.

And yes, let me go ahead and sound like a broken record as I remind you of Yuji’s rather ominous words from chapter 143 yet again:

And this is the part of the chapter that knocked the air out of me: Megumi telling Yuji to stfu about Sukuna but Yuji thinking to himself “as long as I’m around you will suffer” back in ch143 is so damn ominous.

Oh f*ck...

But this is what REALLY gets me about this whole interaction and why I’m calling Megumi a stage-five clinger...

Even though Megumi is calling Yuji selfish, in reality, the one being selfish is Megumi.

This is, of course, my own interpretation of the situation, but to me it feels as though Megumi is clinging onto Yuji’s strength for dear life. 

It’s almost like Megumi needs not just Yuji’s physical strength, but also his unwavering conviction or mental strength.

If you think about it, Megumi has only recently started fighting to win. Remember how unsure he was of himself when fighting Sukuna for the first time? It wasn’t until he went up against the Cursed Spirit from the Yasohachi bridge that he let go of his inhibitions.

Megumi’s battles during Shibuya were the pinnacle of his growth as a character in that moment. If I remember correctly, according to the timeline of events, the Shibuya incident happened around two weeks prior to the current chapter. You could say that although he is more comfortable in his strength than before, Megumi is still growing into his strength at this point.

The thing about Megumi is that everybody and their Divine Dog believes in him and sees his potential except for him. As Gojo tells him “you undervalue yourself.”

Looking back, the way Megumi asks begs Yuji for help in chapter 143 is very enlightening of how Megumi needs Yuji’s strength: 

I initially had read this to mean Megumi needed Yuji’s physical strength. Upon second look, however, Megumi has always seemed to have admiration for Yuji’s conviction.

With the looming deadline for Tsumiki’s vow to join the Culling Game, as Megumi starts to feel the pressure to make his plan work, who better to keep around than the person who will always go for the home run and whose strength he admires?

In other words, like hell he’s going to let Yuji leave his side. Which, again, only makes it more heartbreaking to think Sukuna is up to no good regarding Megumi and Yuji wants to protect him from that.

Oh f*ck.......

The panel below feels like a bit of a lighthearted and comical moment, but it’s also interesting to note that this is the second time they “fight”.

The first “fight” having taken place during the Cursed Womb Arc.

If you will remember, Gege used the Cursed Womb Arc and the Origin of Obedience Arc to show us how much our favorite trio had grown. 

Not sure Gege is going to parallel something here again, but just interesting to note.

Oh f*ck...

Ya, please excuse the French.

Despite the many words I’ve shared here, this chapter left me mostly speechless. 

I feel like I’ve been trapped in Gojo’s limitless domain expansion and all I can think is “oh f*ck” or “halloween” (if you catch my drift).

Chapter 160 was incredible because it looks like Gege has finally finished putting all his pieces into place and is ready to go for the kill by: 

Starting to unravel the story bit by bit, giving us all of the twists we both saw and did not see coming, and

Ramping up the stakes. Taking into consideration the estimates that JJK is somewhere around 60-70% done at this point, It’s not a matter of whether some of our beloved characters will die, but about who, when and how they will die

One last detail

I love the last four panels of the chapter showing Panda, Hakari, Yuji and Megumi all wearing their uniforms (barring Panda) and getting ready to become official participants of the Culling Game by entering their respective barriers.

Knowing that Gege is a very talented artist capable of showing and expressing emotions through his art, I feel like these panels tell us a lot about what the characters might be thinking and I thought I’d expand on that. 

Bear in mind this is my personal interpretation as an artist:

Panda looks excited and ready to fight, perhaps even confident. Panda is saying “bring it!” with his body language

There’s a hint of something I can’t describe in Hakari’s face. It’s almost like he’s coming face to face against how big of a challenge this is going to be and yet he’s resolved to walk straight into “the depths of hell itself”

Yuji looks focused, determined to go in and give it his best no matter what comes his way--that’s just who he is

And then there’s Megumi. I’ve been drawing Megumi recently, and one thing I noticed is that he has very specific micro-expressions. In his panel, he’s warming up his wrists as though he’s getting ready to fight, he has a focused look on his face, but the shadows around his eyes say he might be feeling like he is carrying the heavy burden of the uncertainty surrounding the situation he’s going through

With all that being said... the Culling Game is officially starting and we’re in for a one-way ride straight to hell.

Thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

What about you? What did you enjoy most about chapter 160?

#fushiguro megumi #megumi fushiguro #yuji itadori #itadori yuuji #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen manga #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #god i love jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen theory #jjk ch 160 #gege akutami #sukuna #ryomen sukuna #hakari kinji #jjk meta #jjk theory

[thyandrawrites]

Not that is matters that much considering his environment and age but I never interpreted Touyas line of “all the women in this house are useless” as Touya considering women to be less than men. I think little Touya considered Rei and Fuyumi “useless” because they were the two people in the household constantly telling him to stop trying to be a hero because his quirk will end up hurting him therefore he shouldn’t even try. To him they had no faith in his ability to become a hero. No faith in his ability to win back his title as his fathers favorite. Touya wasn’t trying to become a hero. He was trying to prove he was worthy of being loved by his father and his sister and mother indirectly told him he would never be capable of that.

I have a middle stance on this. I can't take the sexism argument seriously when it's argued with actual hostility and blame towards a 8 year old. But I also can't brush off that Touya, and then Dabi, is known for committing micro-aggressions regularly. Like, Dabi uses anti-heteromorphic slurs twice without realizing the impact they have on people, and he calls people names constantly. Considering this is a trait he has in common with Earlyroki, it's not farfetched to think he picked up the attitude from their father.

I think it's tempting (and too convenient) to read his comment about the women in his household as sexism and call it a day. Beyond his opinion on the gender as a whole, though, I think that line tells us much more about what Touya normalized. The looking down on people, for example. That's a behavior he canonically mimics from Enji. One of Enji's most prominent traits is his fixation for tradition and conservativism. The way he treats his wife, as a servant that should always obey his whims without opposing him, is also very conservative – in the sense that he's an authoritative patriarch whose say is absolute.

Adding to that mindset, he's also dismissive of anyone who doesn't share his exact worldview and aspirations. When Hawks told him he didn't care about climbing the ranks, Endvr lost all interest in him and nearly stormed off, dismissing him as a weakling. He only ever stopped treating him like an idiot when Hawks proved his worth in the high-end fight that followed.

Following that pattern, Dabi talks shit about anyone lacking “conviction.” As a child, he blows up at his mother and sister for fussing over him and his physical and mental health. As you said, I don't think it was supposed to be a jab at their gender, but more of a jab on their passivity. Similarly to how Endeavor blows up at Hawks for lacking ambition and settling for his current rank, Touya blows up at his family for lacking a spine and settling for having “lost their purpose” in his father's eyes.

What he actually reproaches is that they try to get in the way of his attempt to prove himself. Since he models after Enji, he cannot accept someone telling him what he should or shouldn't do, like Enji hit Rei for getting in his way. He is the man. He knows what he wants and he knows his body best. They shouldn't underestimate him. He sees their fussing not as worry, but as pity – like they accepted there's nothing they can do to change Enji's mind. But Touya can't accept it as easily. They “don't get it” because they stopped fighting back. Touya idolizes his father's way of doing things, and his father always trudged on in front of a challenge. So Touya gets angry at them not because their gender makes them inherently inferior, but because all the women in his household simply went with the flow and that's the attitude he hates the most

#ali replies #bnha #my post

[kanmom51]

JM JK timeline.- my observations how they grew over the years - 2017

Disclaimer: these are my own opinions and conclusions.  Feel free to disagree, but hate or aggression will be unacceptable.

2017 - part 2

12 Feb 2017 – “You never walk alone” preview show.  Who’s JM’s little cutie? 

14 Feb 2017 – JM Twitter post –  the boys with matching jackets.  I know. I said not Twitter, but sometimes rules are made to be broken.

17 Feb 2017 – Hobi’s birthday.  JM to JK: “stop coming to our room at night.” There’s something about JM throwing JK under the bus time after time.  It’s like he enjoys to see JK squirm.

22 Feb 2017 – Gaon Chart K-pop chart – JK ushering Hobi to another seat, so that JK can sit behind JM.  JM turning around see this, rolls his eyes and smirks.

24 Feb 2017 – KBS Music Bank comeback - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4_ASZuLeVk&t=156s  

Another one of my favourites.  A perfect example for both boys hesitance, wanting to touch, but just not getting there. 

 JM putting arm behind JK, but holding on to wall behind, and then matter of factually laying it on JK’s shoulder.  

JM micro touching, or brushing JK’s hand with his thumb.  

Prior to JM brushing JK’s hand with his thumb, JK’s hand is heart signing to JM. 

The minute JM moves his hand away, you see how the expression on JK’s face changes, then he rubs his hand where JM touched him.

24 Feb 2017 fan meet – are they in actual F… sending flying kisses to each other?

25 Feb 2017 MBC music core comeback – JK moving Hobi aside, so that JK can stand behind JM.  JK being JM’s number 1 fanboy.

26 Feb 2017 – Wings – you never walk alone fan sign.  Really JM? What was that neck grab and what exactly were you doing there????  No, I don’t believe he kissed JK’s neck, but it sure was ‘out there’, so much so that Jin was in total shock when it happened.  JK was surprised by it, and I think that even JM was shocked by his own actions waling aimlessly in what seems like the wrong direction .

28 Feb 2017 Run BTS episode 12. This one for me was cringe worthy, at some points I felt like an actual intruder.  JK the detective and JM the prisoner.  JK whacking JM on the behind (remember JK is the younger – how bold).  JM’s private dance for JK.  I know the episode was mostly scripted, but I seriously think JM was surprised by that smack to his behind.  Also, the way JK was looking at JM when he was dancing all heart hands for him.

12 March 2017 - Wings tour Santiago Chile

Santiago day 2 – JK suffers from exhaustion.  As he is taken back stage to a treatment room, JM is the one to race after the team into the room.

JM is in the treatment room when the cameras come in.  He is standing there, and later, as the other members are walking in, JM is by JK’s side, helping the medical team lift up one of his legs.

The rest of the members come in together to see how JK is doing, and when the medical team suggest to take off JK’s pants, all the members leave the room.  All except for JM, who stays there with JK the whole time.

JM leaves the room only together with JK, after he feels better and is able to walk out of the room on his own two feet.

Wouldn’t you expect RM, being the leader and all, to be the one by JK’s side? Or J-Hope maybe?  Wouldn’t that have made more sense under the circumstances? Why JM?  

Because, clearly JM is the one JK feels closest to, the one he can be himself with freely, the one he doesn’t feel embarrassed or needs privacy from.

JM may not have been a family member, but he was the closest thing to it.  JM to JK is and was his home, his safe place, and most certainly the one to be by his side when he was in distress.

March 2017 BTS Live trilogy episode the Wings tour in Santiago Chile & Brazil.  

March 2017 BTS Live trilogy episode the Wings tour in Chicago.

April 2017 3rd Muster dvd – the muster was at end of 2016, but dvd was released in 2017. During photo shoots they are being posed by the photographers.  Yes, there will be authentic moments between them, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s being directed.  That’s why I don’t always like to add these to my timeline.   Even so, they were so cute, so I couldn’t leave this one out.

3rd April 2017 – BTS Front row live entertainment interview – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UotjcB_X4ag . What happened there?  

This one intrigues me. I watched and re-watched the full interview several times, and for the life of me I can’t see what happened there between JM and Hobi that triggered JK’s reaction?  JM’s placating look at JK, like telling him nothing happened… this one is used a lot to create the JK jealous narrative, and to be honest, I really don’t know what happened there. When JK turns back, JM looks into the camera with an uneasy gaze.

After that, most of the time, JM looks lost in his thoughts, not happy.  Towards the end they are asked what artist they would want to collaborate with, and Suga’s answer makes them all burst out in laughter, all accept for JM.  When he is asked and answers, you also see he is unhappy.  You can easily see something is bothering him.  JM just wasn’t his happy own self.  He looked pensive.  BTS did several interviews and had a concert that day, so maybe he was just tired or wound up, but he just wasn’t acting like himself.

April 2017 - Bon Voyage 2 Hawaii

Highlights of the highlights: The but checking and identifying (are we taking skinship to another level, are we??).  

JK getting drenched at the beach, JK getting drenched period. Lol.  

JK gobbling down piping hot Pizza so JM can eat. 

JM playing footsies under the table with JK, all while sitting opposite V.  

JK edging JM to come along calling him “Aegyo” = “Baby”.  J

M making sure JK doesn’t go hungry, buying him food with his own money.  JM taking care of JK. 

JK and JM on same team – the joy… Spending the day together and just being happy. 

 Did JK really lose the game on purpose so he can be in the room with JM? 

The amount of times we hear Jimin-ssi in every kind of cute and flirty way JK can say it…

Bonus:

22 April 2017 JK Vlive – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n8y3D0Z9pM . 

JK doing everything to get JM back to his room while playing loud music. 

JK’s face lighting up when JM returns to his room. 

JK telling JM he looks handsome without makeup.  

JK pissed off when V comes in too, saying “why is everyone coming?”.    

When V touches JK’s ear, JK pushes him away.  

JM moving off camera to fix his robe, and JK not taking his eyes off him.  

V putting his foot on JK’s back (this is something I have seen V do a few times, it’s not a gentle touch, to me it feels more like asserting dominance), and JM pushes him off.    

And what exactly did JM mean when he said he has no talent for games but “I was quite good at it a year ago”?  Only to be followed by the stare, OMG, the stare.  Why, oh why did V have to ruin the moment, eh?

22-23 April 2017 Bangkok concert. Flirting on stage, attention to each other.

24 April 2017 Eat Jin Vlive with JM and JK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqxX_UGXSlY .   

Jin complaining why JM doesn’t hit him like he did JK, so JM hits him too. Lol. JM stealing the steak JK cuts for himself, while JK lets him, smiling.  The way JK just lets JM get away with anything, even interfering with the ultimate ‘ship’ - Jungfood. 

3 June 2017 – J-14 magazine interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7rXl8uuUTY&t=306s .  from 3.33min. to 4.37min especially.

Wtf was JM up to there????? It looks pretty dubious, especially when you look at the faces on the two of them when it was going on.  Up to your interpretation.

2 June 2017 – Ceremonial first pitch at baseball match – Hanshin Koshien stadium - JK and JM’s jersey numbers – coincidence or not?

12 June Festa 2017 BTS BangtanTv –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWA6f7g7NUQ&t=2s.

JK’s intense stare at JM, when JM joined the others in with the others when they were laughing at JK eating everyone’s food but not ordering any for himself, which causes JM to immediately stop laughing.  

Poor JK being blindsided when it was pointed out that the only one he bought a birthday present for last year was JM.  Oops. (why oh why JM did you throw him under the bus like that??? You were curious? Really???? JM keeps doing this) Poor boy was so embarrassed.  Hobi was the one to actually save him, stating how generous JK has become lately giving away his things that he didn’t need. JK never answered the question. 

27 June 2017 BV2 special commentary live – JK getting all flustered when asked to explain the difference between BV1 and BV2.  JM looking at him, enjoying every second.

4 August 2017 - KBS Music Bank Singapore.  JK not loving on Taemin.  The way he turns around the minute JM and Taemin interact, and the discontent look on his face…cold.  He’s not a happy camper.  He glancing in the direction a couple of times, but he is mostly turned away from them.   And when JM runs up to slap Taemin in the butt, JK sees this, averts his head, and just keeps walking off the stage.  He is clearly upset. Besides the obvious faces he makes, not waiting for Jimin when walking off stage is not something he usually does. Was it jealousy?  Was it just a disliking of Taemin specifically?  And if he dislikes Taemin, why is that?  We can’t know. 

OK now, I know I said that I won’t be doing Twitter, but this one I felt I had to (again, oops):

On the 6th of August 2017 JM posted a photo he took during their Hawaii trip (BV2). Why take this photo, and why post it?  Do I really have to ask this question?

29th August 2017 the famous, or infamous People Now “arrest me” interview -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgGxcMndEk8 .  

I couldn’t find the actual date of this interview, but it was uploaded end of August 2017. I really enjoyed this one.  Everyone talks about JK’s “arrest me” JM mishap during this interview.  The members reactions are to die for.  

Can someone tell me please what Suga told JK in Korean before they moved on?????  

Also, JK’s reaction when JM said he wanted to collab with Suga (watch from 7:58min), was like:

 W H A T  in  T H E  actual F U C K???. LMAO.  

Summer package 2017 – released August 2017.

JK and JM being all playful by the pool.  JK letting us know how adorable JM is to him when he is swimming doggy style in the pool.

The one that stands out to me, though, is the ‘dream catcher necklace saga’.  Felt a little uneasy to see that one, like I was witness to a lover’s tiff.  

The boys were given a budget each to purchase themselves a gift.  They are taken together to a gift shop, where they check the merchandise out and each buy themselves a little souvenir.  When they all sit down to show each other their gifts, that’s when this moment happens.

JK takes out his gift. I once again want to emphasize, this is a gift he bought with his budget for himself.  He explains it’s a dream catcher and says he will put it in his room.  

JM, sitting next to him, takes it from JK and says: “this is a necklace Jungkook-ssi”. 

JK blurts out adamantly that he won’t hang it around his neck.   

This is when things get awkward, because you can see JM is clearly upset, throws the necklace back at JK and says: “OK, then”.

JM has a dream catcher necklace around his neck too, and when it’s his turn to tell what gift he bought himself he takes the necklace off and gives it to V, saying he bought the gift for V, who had a nightmare last night.

After JM’s mini tantrum JK, who previously adamantly professed he will not put it around his neck, does everything he can to put the necklace on, finally turning to JM to help him put the it on, which he does.  

Later on, while sitting for the personal interview, with the necklace around his neck, he tells us how from now on he won’t have nightmares.

What did I get from all that?

Clearly JM was pissed at JK’s reaction.  Why?  JK clearly bought this by himself for himself. 

But did he?  Was it something he chose for himself, or was it something JM suggested to him?

JM also bought a dream catcher.  Was that a coincidence?  For some reason, I don’t think so.  

My theory is that the dream catcher is something JM suggested or wanted JK to buy for himself, and JK reluctance to wear it offended him.  JM clearly bought the other dream catcher for V.  Perhaps he wanted both his boys to have one, and to him, JK’s comment felt as a rejection.

The way JK reacted to JM, his immediate change of attitude towards the necklace, trying to put it on, when only a second earlier he said he won’t put this around his neck, shows how attuned he was to JM, how he immediately realised he did something wrong, something to upset JM, and how he tried, in his own way, to atone for it, by wearing the same thing he but seconds ago rejected.

This brings me back to the point I made about the boys relationship, and them finding the balance. A perfect example to how there will still be conflict, but how JK realises, immediately, that he had done wrong and what he has done wrong, and immediately sets to right the wrong, hence to restore that balance.

JM throwing the necklace at JK.  Also, notice the editor’s remark.  JM’s anger is obvious not only to me.

To be continued... 

#jungkook #jimin #jk #jm #jikook #jikook are real #jikook timeline #kookmin #bts #BV2 #jikook 2017

[lulu-zodiac]

You know what, Lulu? Now that you've pointed that out I'm totally seeing it too, holy shit. Jensen actually looks less like "What did the idiot just say?" and more like "Wtf? Did he seriously just pull that move?!" And he does look like he's trying to reign his anger in. Jared's micro-expressions seem kinda wrong too. Man, if that interpretation is correct, that would be such a nasty and underhanded move by Jared, no wonder Jensen is so fed up and done.

right??? I’m so glad it’s not just me who sees it, my brain is still kind of a mess after prequelgate so I wasn’t sure if I was just reading too much into it, but I didn’t feel like I was. there’s just something so off about the whole interaction?? and for me, the interpretation I posted about (here for anyone who's interested) makes the most sense.

you’re right though, if that is what happened, then it is quite passive aggressive, and indicative of a potentially unhealthy dynamic between them (it’s never a good sign in a relationship if your decisions are ignored/disrespected by someone). but of course only they know what the reality of their relationship is, we’re just speculating. there may have been other reasons we’re not aware of for why jared brought it up during the panel.

if that was what happened though, it’s pretty understandable that jensen didn't get in touch with jared before posting the announcement on twitter. he might have felt it was pointless if jared had refused to accept his decision/opinion before, and decided, simply as a means of looking after his own mental health, not to discuss that stuff with jared any more because he felt he wouldn't be heard or respected. which is really sad, but also very understandable. it's just a way of creating boundaries and protecting yourself. if it was a sore point, he might also have been hesitant about upsetting jared further. we can only guess!

if my interpretation is right, it's also possible that they maybe weren't on great terms after the creation con panel, and weren't really in touch enough for jensen to feel comfortable letting him know about the prequel anyway.

idk, again all just speculation! but it's really nice to hear that you think my rambling thoughts on it all make sense lol.

thank you for reaching out! <3

(the full context makes of this moment for anyone who wants to see - it starts around 24 minutes in)

#asks #j2 fallout #j2 fallout theory #jensen ackles #prequelgate #spn prequel #supernatural #j2 meta

[heystephen]

Hey, I'm sorry but I don't know what's going on right now, what happened and how can I help?

To really explain what’s happening, we’d have to go back to yesterday when Taylor went on the radio and talked about Betty. No big deal, she said James was a boy which obvi contrasts with the running joke/opinion that James is a teenage lesbian girl. We had a laugh about it, jokingly corrected Taylor and that really should’ve been the end of it. BUT the undercurrent of homophobia that exists in this fandom decided to rear its head as cishet fans rejoiced that Taylor had “shaded” all of the lgbt+ fans who interpreted Betty (or any part of folklore) as being ~gay, in particular, wlw were singled out. When we, in turn, said, hey, this is homophobic, we were gaslit and told that we were attacking Taylor. We weren’t. We never were. We never had an issue with Taylor here. A narrative was built out of thin air that the ~predatory wlw~ were angry at Taylor for not letting us lesbo-fy her songs and that we were saying she wasn’t allowed to view her work as she interpreted it. Cishet fans largely ignored this micro aggression and did nothing to be on our side. The issue was then taken several steps further when multiple wlw fans were doxxed and outed to their families. This is a currently ongoing matter and many lgbt+ fans feel wholly unsafe and are going into hiding.

TL;DR homophobic swifties don’t know how to act like normal empathetic people with morals, lgbt+ fans are being outed, people are scared, I’m livid

EDIT: I meant to add that the best way you can help is go to your blog and clear out any swiftlgbtselfies you’ve reblogged just to be safe! There are specific people asking to have their deleted but for the sake of being efficient and making sure everyone is safe, I recommend deleting all of them. If you’re lgbt+, keep yourself safe and remember that if this is overwhelming and upsetting PLEASE step away and let yourself breathe. We all need to be there for each other.

#i got mail* #anonymous

[ouyangzizhensdad]

No we do not need to start a notallamericans hashtag. I'm an American and I hate this country it sucks. The world doesn't revolve around The US. Shit on America all you want. Trust me no one hates The US more than Americans. Of course things that are not American should stay that way, such as the word gege should be kept as gege and not big brother. What I'm saying is that fandom seems to dislike westerners who genuinely want to learn about another culture and see things from outside of the American perspective. People who like MZDS and don't want to change it in anyway shape or form. Those people who actively try to learn about the culture and educate themselves seem to be discouraged from doing so. They are told they are not allowed to like MZDS or MXTX and that they should not be allowed to be in participate in the fandom. People who aren't Chinese will never fully understand the culture so maybe it would have been better if MZDS only stayed Chinese and then there wouldn't be so much discourse.

Hi anon,

I'm just assuming you're the same anon from the last ask. I think the discussions that were had today do not touch upon the fandom disliking "westerners who genuinely want to learn about another culture". The latest drama and vagueing has to do with an american translator saying the "fantranslation" (ie the official English translation done by someone who also did fantranslations) was bad because it did not localise everything. So we're in an entirely different ballpark.

I have not come across people who are actively, actually saying that westerners should not like mdzs or participate in the fandom at all. That being said, if some people expressed this opinion, we have to understand it in context. Fans' interpretations and headcanons can verge really easily into the culturally insensitive and racist: from the top of my head I can think very quickly of the incest drama about sect 'siblings' or about the use of 'gege' as an endearment. That's not even talking about when these discussions get into questions of morality and good/bad, or questions of "representation". And this must be put into perspective since fandom micro-aggressions do not happen in isolation; they are added to the micro-aggressions and experiences of racism/colonialism that chinese people and chinese-diasporic people already have to face.

I think the sentiment of "People who aren't Chinese will never fully understand the culture so maybe it would have been better if MZDS only stayed Chinese and then there wouldn't be so much discourse" is, yes, very sweeping and polarising, but also mainly right 🤷‍♂️. I mean, let's not act like the chinese fandom is not full of their own in-fighting and drama. But it is true that, as people who were not the assumed audience, Westerners will miss many of the nuances or references that the author assumed the readership would know, which is not even talking about how much translation impacts our ability to access the original text; all of this contributes to the production of a world of new takes and discourses that would simply not exist if there weren't any Western fans (which is not even talking about how many of the discussions that feel relevant currently in EN-language fandom spaces simply are not in other fandom spaces). It is what it is 🤷‍♂️.

Look, I am a westerner who not only likes mdzs and interacts in the fandom but even writes meta. Obviously I don't feel like I am not allowed to do that, even when I recognise that there are aspects of the novel that are unreachable to me or which require me to rely on other people for context and explanations. But I think there is a level of discomfort that is to be expected in the process, the sort of the feeling of being guests in someone else's house. Imo, the healthy approach is not to become bitter towards people who express justified issues with the western fandom, but to learn to accept this discomfort and position as a guest. That makes it easier not to react in the defensive and to really consider the points underneath the sometimes more salty or sweeping reactions.

[lizzybizzyzzz]

let’s talk about why this comment I just received on my post is not true even a little bit! (I cut out the username do they do not get sent hate)

let’s start off with the definition of hostile:

1) right off the bat, not a word I would use to characterize sam wilson OR bucky barnes. neither of them are truly unfriendly or aggressive and if I had to pick one, bucky is more hostile of the two.

the example I will be using for this claim is right in episodes one and two. during the therapy scene bucky’s (horrible) therapist mentions that he has not been returning calls or answering texts from sam, sam’s efforts to reach out to bucky were rejected for reasons we don’t need to get in to.

put yourself in sam’s shoes. your best friend leaves you for the 50s, a time period that he barely has basic human rights in, and also leaves this huge tragedy of a responsibility on his shoulders with no real consideration of what it would mean for him to be a symbol of the US in its current state. the only person relative to said best friend is bucky, who would probably have some perspective as he was around for early Captain America days, and he fucking ditches him without even telling sam if he’s alive or not.

so when sam made a decision alone that bucky doesn’t like or come close to understanding, his immediate response is to give sam shit for it and demean him. he had absolutely no right to do that, not when he left. and to have the audacity to go back and tell sam what he did was wrong when he needed support FROM BUCKY but was abandoned AGAIN? bullshit.

in first interaction scene, and a majority if not all of the time sam and bucky are on screen together, bucky is giving sam shit about the shield. the 1st interaction, sam even cracks and joke and tries to lighten the mood multiple times. if anything, bucky is hostile not sam.

2) this is right, bucky was tortured and suffering through horrible trauma. since when did trauma and mental health issues excuse treating people like shit and committing racist micro aggressions (bucky in the police scene, chastising sam abt the shield)? you might not have meant #2 that way, but that’s how I interpreted the show and many of bucky’s actions. maybe I just don’t infantilize and treat him like he can do no wrong, but I think he acted like a dough bag 9 out of 10 times he was on screen.

3) at which point in the show does bucky not have free will besides maybe the bar scene in madripor? this is a stupid point. bucky just like every other character can be held responsible for his stupid actions. saying “sam of all people should know better” is detecting dangerously close to the caregiver hellscape. I’m not diving deeper into this. the opinion is automatically wrong when sam is inglorious in favor of bucky’s character.

please stop commenting this stupid shit on my blog. it’s so embarrassing jesus christ

#I feel like a lawyer rn #but seriously don’t post this shit on my page #bucky is not an infant #nor is he a villain #but sam is NOT a caregiver and does not have to put up with his shit #sambucky #tfatws #sam wilson #bucky barnes #don’t be stupid on my blog please

[wangxianficrecs]

Hi Mojo, I also wanted to share my thoughts on this concrit and commenting discussion, particularly the etiquette of asking permission before identifying racism part. I think there are two conversations here: the concrit and comment etiquette on fics, and POC being able to speak up without having to adhere to etiquette. Of course you can stop reading this message if you would like to as I’m mindful of your argument that you should ask permission first. But if you could read this (not even publish!) then that would be appreciated.

I am a Chinese diaspora. As a Chinese diaspora your comments affected me rather more than I expected them to. I’m being really careful about my own tone right now - because I’m worried that if I come across as angry or even remotely impolite, that my message might get dismissed by a reader thinking I’m just angry and reactive. I’m coming from a personal perspective on this, but I can’t not make it personal as this is something that affects me, and my friends and family, as people.

With your message to be kind in all interactions with authors, all that runs through my mind is the implication that as a POC person, is is MY job to be kind and understanding and polite, and it MY job to willingly teach another person of how their actions and words have impacted me. That if I am angry or offended and speak in a less than nice tone, that somehow this is a petty tit-for-tat move on my part? Of course in an ideal situation we should not react emotionally - but I can’t be expected to stay unemotional in the face of micro aggression and racism, even if it was not meant to be malicious. I’m sure your intention wasn’t this but then the idea that WE must then kindly educate the racist party (accidentally or otherwise) is a huge emotional and mental burden that we can’t be expected to partake in every time.

I know I cannot say ‘us’ in this situation, but this isn’t an issue that only affects an individual. I KNOW I am only one person. I know I may not be the ‘mouthpiece’, as you said, for everyone who is Chinese diaspora. But I can say for certain that I share the same lived experiences of at least some who will agree with me. I’m challenging the idea that an individual can’t be somewhat reflective of a population - otherwise it would be ridiculous to suggest that all people of a similar background must agree on everything and have a spokesperson.

I’m also sure you didn’t mean to or I could be wrong, but I get the sense that you are considering this issue predominately from the perspective of a non-POC (non-Chinese, in this case) author and how we should try not to upset them. It feels that we must consider that the author is coming from a place of no bad intentions or malice and must therefore speak to them in that way - but that is a very idealistic process that POCs and marginalised people can’t always rely on. Ignorance - especially wilful - can be just as harmful and hurtful as direct aggression.

Luckily my experiences in this fandom has demonstrated that authors who are non-Chinese or POC almost always start their fics with an apology and a reassurance that they are receptive to corrections of any cultural inaccuracies they may have. And I think that this is the crux of the etiquette issue that we shouldn’t offer unsolicited criticism without first asking permission. These authors have acknowledged their different background and own potential shortcomings and are open to criticism in this aspect. In these more common cases, there is of course no need to ask for permission - the author has already anticipated conversation around this.

The etiquette issue is when an author has not prefaced their work with this sort of disclaimer - and I am aware it may be unfair to expect this of all fic writers. That’s where this issue of etiquette comes up. The author hasn’t appeared to welcome comments on cultural insensitivity - so I have to think about if I now need to ask nicely for permission to speak. As a reader, specially as a Chinese diaspora, if cultural insensitivity or discrepancies appear without the disclaimer of ‘please let me know if there are any inaccuracies’ then the implication may be that the author simply didn’t care or bother about offending anyone. If they do, then I know it’s just a mistake and that they haven’t been dismissive or uncaring. Without it, the authors intentions become much more ambiguous.

Even worse is when an author blatantly says they’ve made mistakes or haven’t researched and don’t care for feedback. My culture and heritage isn’t a playground for you, and I don’t think fic writers should be exempt from being respectful for the sake of a quick fic.

Like I said earlier, this is not a hypothetical exercise for POC. We’re faced with microaggressions constantly in our real lives, so our patience for this sort of situation runs a bit thin and it is difficult not to react with emotion. I also dislike the idea that I need to ask permission to speak about something that impacts me so profoundly.

A message to prefaces a written piece of work saying that the author is not of that ethnicity or culture and that they welcome comments to fix it always helps. Then the lines of communication aren’t blurred and the onus doesn’t fall on the marginalised or POC to become a teacher.

Mojo, this is actually the second draft of a message to you. I have spent over an hour and a half of my time crafting this message - trying to get the tone right, trying not to come across angry or impolite, trying to say everything I want to say. Your replies to the blogger in the replies of one of the last anons was what really sparked this huge essay- I came away from reading them really effected, and not knowing why I was upset by it. I think you really missed the point that they were trying to say - that obviously, unsolicited criticism can be hurtful and unnecessary, but valid criticism of hurtful practices should not be shut down. Instead, you explained (and I know interpreting tone through text is difficult but I could not read it in a non-patronising way) that in short, if I am mean because they’ve been (allegedly accidentally) mean first then I shouldn’t expect them to listen to any of my concerns or understand why I was upset. Because I was mean back. For me, this felt like a dismissal of something that is profoundly more complex - that it wasn’t a conversation about etiquette anymore, but somehow became one about silencing marginalised people and coddling fragile white egos.

Mojo, I’ve followed you for ages and love all the content and hard work you put out and am infinitely and considerably grateful for your achievements. You are truly a wonderful person with such great ideas and intentions. The fandom would suffer greatly without your dedication. It’s just that on this occasion I think you may have missed the mark a little and had to say something. Others may not agree with me, I know, but I hope you have at least read this.

Lots of love, from a follower

Let me start by saying that I’m very sorry you felt you had to moderate your tone so much in order to be heard.  I really do strive to make my blog a welcoming environment for everybody, and I regret that you’ve felt excluded:  that was never my intention. I am always interested in everyone's point of view.

You've got some really great and specific points here that I think will be helpful to all authors in this fandom -- like ways to introduce your fic and/or be respectful as well as small things that come across as offensive.

The conversation this morning veered way off track from bookmarks to racism, and like I said then, I am not qualified to talk about that. I do not have your history or your experiences: all I can do is listen and empathize and learn. Which I try to do!

What I am qualified to discuss is how writers might respond to comments: I've had lots of experience with that! So my point is: if you approach an author with anger, they are very likely to close themselves off to you. I'm not attaching a value judgement to that, to say that they are right or wrong to do so... it's just a statement based on my observations over many years.

I can imagine how easily a lifetime of tiny (and large) insults and slights would build up and spill over in anger, frustration and resentment. That's very human. Please don't think that I am belittling or denying your experience or your right to feel this way, because I am not.

I respect you. I respect your experience. I respect your right to be angry and to talk about it. Period. I really, really do. I think it's important for your voice to be heard: this is how you feel valid as a person with your feelings, and it's how other people learn!

So let's go back to reading a fic where you find portions (or all) of it racist or insensitive or culturally tone deaf. What is your goal? I ask this just as a student of psychology (and also a parent). Do you want to educate them, or to shame them? Again, I'm not attaching a value judgement to either response. The way you introduce your topic will affect how the author will react. It's not about 'white fragility'... there's no way for you to know who penned that story, just as there is no way for the author to know anything about you when you comment. This is just about humans and how they interact with each other.

This is tough. This is thorny. THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE MATTER. There are always, always going to exceptions, gray areas and straw men: you (and any reader) should always use your judgement. Are you saying this to someone who is hateful and bigoted and cruel with it? Or are you saying it to a 12-year-old girl from corn fields in Nebraska? Are you unsure?

So this isn't about silencing your voice, not at all. It's about judging who you're speaking to and whether or not they'll hear you.

I absolutely do not think that unsolicited or angry fic comments (or bookmarks) are a productive forum for educating people... if that is your goal. And it may not be, which is fine. As you pointed out, the burden of educating people should not rest solely on you, it shouldn't be your responsibility.

I will say again that a place like this, right here - this very letter which I am answering and publishing - IS a great way to educate people. Use it freely, speak loudly, say your piece and share your experiences. Arrgh, I really hope that doesn't come across as condescending. I'm being utterly sincere. I am nearly 50. I've seen a lot of change happening. This is how it happens.

I do not want to silence your voice - or anyone's voice! I want to hear everyone's opinions and thoughts because that ultimately makes me a more well-rounded and considerate person and the world a better place.

I do however, passionately believe that positive change can be affected best through positive interaction. It's not a rule everyone is required to follow, not at all. But is the one that I speak of, and the one that I try to adhere to.

I could never speak for any minority, to say what you should or shouldn't do - as individuals or as a group. But I can speak from the experiences and feelings of a fic author. That's it, that's the limit of my ability. And you may do with that whatever you feel is right.

Let me wrap this up by saying that I really appreciated this letter and Nonny - you were very brave to throw this out into the forum, thank you! You had some extremely useful and important points that I am very happy to share. I am sorry my comments hurt you, and I hope that you feel a little better now.

Having said all this, I would really not like to start a huge discussion on racism in the fandom. I am the wrong person to conduct that conversation: I don't know enough about it, nor do i have the proper experiences or point of view.

With that, I must go, and I'll see you all tomorrow!

#Anonymous #fandom etiquette #comments #racism in fandom #which I am really not qualified to discuss #but this is an important point of view #that we should all listen to #and I'm grateful that Nonny shared it