#tyras journal

[thecitysecretsocialite99]

Worst Day Ever (part3)

After I finish doing the deed on this man my top lip starts to swell up. I think I'm getting some sort of allergic reaction or something. We lye back in bed and he says he just needs a breather. The breather is starting to feel a bit long now so I ask If he wants to start making out again? "Sorry I just think I need a few more minutes" fair enough. I go to the toilet and look in the mirror. My lip at this point looks like its been stung by a bee. I point at mirror and give myself a little pep talk " suck it up we will deal with this later no point of freaking out at this point we've made the journey its time to finish the job". I come back from my pep talk bathroom visit to THIS MAN IS ON HIS PHONE!! THE AUDACITY! I lye next to him thinking what I'm going to do? Then without him even taking his eyes off his phone he says "hey sorry I really don't want to come off as a dick or anything but I have to wake up kind of early do you mind leaving? like right now? ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING CUNT SURLEY YOU ARE FUCKING JOKING! I fucking lose it. When I say lose it I mean I completely violated this man with every insult I could think of. I will list my insults

ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME?

IF THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT EVERY GIRL NO WONDER YOUR EX LEFT YOU

AND YOUR BREATH FUCKING STINKS EVER HEARD OF I THING CALLED ORAL HYGENE?

YOUR DICK IS NOT THAT BIG FOR HOW FUCKING GINORMOUS YOU ARE

I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAME ALL THIS WAY

EVEN IF YOU CAN'T GET HARD YOU CAN AT LEAST FINGER OR GO DOWN ON A WOMAN

SO YOUR JUST GOING TO GET A FREE FUCKING BLOWJOB AND SEND ME ON MY MERRY WAY HOW DID YOU THINK THIS IS OK?

AND WHY THE FUCK IS MY LIP SWOLLEN YOU BETTER NOT HAVE GIVEN ME SOMETHING

#blog #girlblogging #journaling #city #rant post #hingehorrors #hinge #tinder #dating #fucking dickhead #lol #tumblr stories #storytime #tyra banks #we were all rooting for you

[briarcrawford]

A Short History of Warriors Turning Out To Be Women

Warriors in history are more likely to be of the male sex, but that does not make being of the male sex an absolute. Despite that, archeology has a long history of deciding the sex of a body based only on what that person is buried with.

Any weapon, and the body is dubbed "male." Anything like weaving equipment, combs, or mirrors, and the body is dubbed "female." However, now more and more studies are reexamining those bodies and showing something perhaps not surprising; humans are unique and don't always follow the expected path.

I understand this may be controversial, but I just want to be able to write women warriors without comments of how "warrior women could never happen," (which is extra odd considering I write fantasy in fantasy settings, not historical fiction).

Iron Age Warrior Buried With a Sword and Mirror Was a Woman, Study Says

"Now, researchers say they have the answer to the mystery that stumped experts for more than 20 years: The grave belongs to a woman warrior who played a leading role in warfare, according to a study published yesterday in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports."

DNA proves fearsome Viking warrior was a woman

"Excavators first uncovered the battle-ready body among several thousand Viking graves near the Swedish town of Birka, but for 130 years, most assumed it was a man—known only by the grave identifier, Bj 581"

Warriors and women: the sex ratio of Norse migrants to eastern England up to 900 ad

"Most of the data gives the impression that Norse females were far outnumbered by males. But using burials that are most certainly Norse and that have also been sexed osteologically provides very different results for the ratio of male to female Norse migrants. Indeed, it suggests that female migration may have been as significant as male, and that Norse women were in England from the earliest stages of the migration, including during the campaigning period from 865."

The Amazons: Untangling Fact From Fiction

"A typical Scythian warrior’s grave of the fourth century BC. Except that this particular warrior was a young woman. She was buried in a kurgan (mound) on the northern Black Sea, near ancient Tyras on the Dniester River. Tyras was a Greek colony (founded ca. 600 BC) in the territory of the Tyragetae (‘Getae/Thracians of the Tyras’). This tribe had migrated to Thrace from Sarmatia, another Amazonian homeland. We can guess that the woman in the burial mound was one of their best warriors."

For a final note, even if you ignore sagas and such, there is still documented history of women warriors. For example, the Dahomey Mino (often called "The Dahomey Amazons") was an army of women warriors.

Image 1 Link, Image 2 Link

Something being "less likely" does not mean it could never happen.

Bonus example: The Ivory Lady

#history #warrior women #fantasy writing #writing fantasy #fantasy #writeblr

[youknowzach]

11/6/22 rants and musings of a singer in los angeles

i promise i'm not just going to complain on here, it's just been a rough few months full of high highs and low lows and i want to share where i'm at. we'll start with the lows so i can finish on high notes. the ups the downs... cest la vie etc

i've been in LA for three months now, still working my remote jobs in nashville and it's been stressful. the music is going well i think, i've been writing and exploring my creativity a lot these days but it's been hard because i feel like i'm completely alone. as soon as i got here, all of my relationships fizzled into dust. of course, i still love everyone that i was friends or more than friends with but it feels as if they look at me and think "he's fine, he's busy, he's gonna be alright." i've made a few good friends here which is nice. but i hate that feeling of "starting over." it's been really hard to deal with on top of trying to continue growing in my music career.

despite feeling like that, i've been escaping more and more into production and songwriting and meditating. i am constantly doubting my skills and my abilities which seems normal but at the same time, when i'm working in logic and being creative and doing whatever i want to do with the music and the tunes, it is a distraction from my loneliness and my heartbreak and my boredom.

i want to reiterate that i'm grateful and diving more into meditation and praying and seeking peace. i'm not sure if i'll ever know peace but just being on the search for it and trying to ground myself has helped some. i'm so scared you guys... (tyra banks gif) but no seriously. i fear for my future. i get so scared about "what if it doesn't work out." what if i don't make any money from music and have to live in my mom's spare bedroom, what if success never happens for me in the music industry and i'll have to work in the library again or at starbucks again. not that there is anything wrong with that but those aren't my career goals... when you're going for your goals in your career you want to achieve those. for me those goals are making money and being successful in the music industry. being able to fully dive into production and writing without having to work 2 jobs that have nothing to do with music like i'm doing right now. i don't want to just complain about "how hard my life is" on here but like i said, i'm lonely and no one hears me. so i'm turning to meditation and prayer in hopes that someone out there can hear me. i miss my friends, my lover, my optimism, and my hope.

i went to ethel cain's concert this week. it was so good :) i loved it. good thing.

i've been connecting with really exciting individuals that look promising for my music. some co writes that could be really lucrative, some opportunities that could really move the needle. good thing.

my single got played on the radio this week which was cool. i'm trying to figure out more creative ways to make content for social media, so filming my reaction was one of those ideas. good thing.

i have three co writes i set up this week, i have two photoshoots scheduled, i have a gig next week at hotel cafe. i'm blessed. good things.

i got back in the gym this week and felt amazing afterwards. if you know me, you know i ran my first half marathon right before i came to LA. but since moving here i've been slacking since i've been so busy with everything. getting back in the gym this week was a win. good thing.

i made a great pot of coffee this morning. good thing.

i'll post some pics as well.

i'd love to update this regularly and keep everyone posted (everyone being whoever reads this)

i do journal privately but i think a little update for anyone who wants to keep tabs on me is nice. i'm screaming into the void but someone may see this that needs to. i feel alone but i know i'm not alone. i have people who care about me. i have a lot of love in my life if i sit down and think about it.

#music #musicproducer #los angeles #la #singer #singersongwriter #blog #blogger #live blogging #music industry #tiktok #artist #nashville #nashvilleartist #losangelesartist #writer #musician #thinking #thoughts #journal #diary #journaling #lgbtq #lgbt #gay blog #moving #moving blog #new city #dreams #dreaming

[tyra-greydawn]

Not posting things is stupid.

I don't know what I'm going to do here, but this thing has been quiet long enough.

I'm not going to go back to Tyra's journal entries. But I'll probably post stories again. And, heck, maybe I'll finally get around to writing things in my own setting and sharing them.

#ooc

[icharchivist]

I've been skimming some JP Granblue Fan tweets recently via google translate and. There's more than a few who seem to think its possible that Millie is connected to, or maybe even just outright is, Nyarlathotep. There's the mentions of Millie changing her appearance through unknown means vs Nyarla being the god of a thousand faces, and Millie's journal also mentions all records of her history are fake. There's a connection to the guild wars where the Tyrannos replaced Nyarla as the boss, too.

Oh?!!!

honestly the fact there is so much emphasis on Millie changing her appearance did strike me as odd, especially since it's not that important for the grand scheme of things -- like, it's not like she appeared in previous events or anything.

There's also the fact in the event if i'm not wrong they mention Millie is the one who encouraged Tyra to launch the Tyranno attack from th past new year, which was the event that led to Tyrannos replacing Nyarla-- and yeah, Millie's journal says it's because of her, setting stuff into motion, that Tyranno ended up on the Ancient battlefield- so there's actually a possibility, adding to what you're saying. It seems like everything points to Millie/Nyarl manipulating Tyra into replacing her as a gw boss.

That's super fucked up if it's the case (and i have 2 Nyarla summons i don't want to have Millie in my inventory beGONE--) but it would actually track and justify why she might come back later as well.

that's. that's so fucked up damn.

I love the theory thank you for sharing!!

#ichareply #ichafantalks gbf #anonymous #ichablogging gbf #ichablogging tyraevent

[tryst-art-archive]

September 2010: "NotDoingMyPaper_FreeAssociation.doc"

            Laissez-faire capitalism.

            Tiny sprockets.

Tiny bubbles

Small hippos

Bioshock

Big daddy

Little sister

Small unicorn

Robot unicorn

Trippy space music

Asteroids

Stars

Comets

Space station

Armageddon

M[...]

Boys

Sex

Ex-boyfriend

Best friend

Bromance

B[...]

A[...]

Boobs

Tank tops

Patel colors

Gap

Stores

Shoe stores

Payless

High heels

Boots

Goth clothes

Hot topic

L[...] K[...]

Small pox

Chicken pox

Small children

Kindergarten

Vaccines

Adult chickenpox

Death

Grim reaper

Scythes

Cloaks

King richard’s fair

Fantasy nerds

W[...]

Cthulhu

h.p. lovecraft

lovecraftian horrors

writing class

pregnancy

babies

ultrasounds

Wallstreet: money matters

Real wallstreet

Economixs

Lots of decimals

Ticker tape

Algebra

Math class

Precalc

Mrs. B[...]

A[...]

Boobs

Drama

Theatre

Singing

Broadway

Wicked

N[...]

Laramie project

Gays

M[...]

Metals

M[...]

Photography

E[...]

Dining hall

Yuck

Diarrhea

Public restrooms

Dorms

Roommate

F[...]

Tall people

Skinny people

Super models

America’s next top model

Tyra

Angst

Teen angst

Ten pregnancy

Juno

Michael cera

Scott pilgrim

Comic books

Batman

“Im Batman”

Shortpacked

Webcomics

Questionable content

Girls with slingshots

Gunnerkrigg court

Alchemy

Harry potter

That one poster above m[...]’s bed

M[...]’s room

Green

M[...]’s room

My room

That one rug m[...] has

Shaggy things

Shaggy beasts

Shaggy beats with horns

Banfas

Star wars

Jedi

Yoda

Kermit the frog

Ms. Piggy

N[...]

Blondes

Aryans

Hitler

Holocaust

Jews

Christians

Roman Catholicism

Father R[...]

Stained glass windows

Pupcat Riley

Persona 3

Playstation 2

Shadow of the colossus

Yahtzee crowshaw

Zero punctuation

The escapist magazine

Internet journals

Citation machine

MLA format

Papers

This paper

R[...] M[...]’s class

African-American theatre and culture.

Examples thereof

The slave trade

18th century America

Laissez-faire democracy/capitalism.

#old writing #writing archive #poetry #stream of consciousness #10s #2010 #Age 19

[hyuckie]

AND WHAT IF i rewatch and get sucked into fnl again. what then.

#thinking of mr. matt saracen took me back it really did. now this is bad #out of all the shit i have to do and i want to go back and watch the show i loved when i was 15. alright #no but i miss matt 😔 and vince. and luke and tim and tyra and even landry's dumbass #i have to go find the luke x vince fic i wrote in my lil journal oh my god sjdmdmf #anyway!!!! this is all mental illness speaking please look away im having a moment #🐑

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, February 8 -- part 3 of 5

You can now buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Page 11 continued: Olivia Newton-John credits her positive outlook for helping her battle through breast cancer and allow her body to heal -- in 2017 she revealed the disease has returned as deadly stage 4 having spread to her spine nearly 25 years after her initial diagnosis but Olivia who has called herself a thriver explained she decided that she was going to be well and she was going to get through this

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- scandal-scarred Ellen DeGeneres will walk away from her talk show when her contract expires next year -- she was determined to stick with her show and not be pushed out and now she survived the storm and can leave in 2022 with her head held high

* Tyra Banks is making massive changes to Dancing with the Stars including judges and celebrity contestants and even its format -- she's determined to bring at least one A-list celebrity to the dance floor and there's even talk of bringing former host Tom Bergeron back as a contestant

* The Bachelor Matt James isn't the only one hooking up -- the reality show is a steamy lovefest behind the scenes -- working on the show has been especially intense during the pandemic and with crew members and producers in a bubble working long hours together it's inevitable some of them will hook up

Page 13: Danny Masterson has pleaded not guilty to all the rape charges against him -- Danny's pleaded not guilty because he feels he did nothing wrong and he feels like he's being made an example partly because he's a Scientologist

* Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley have finally settled their divorce more than a year after their bitter split -- settlement documents reveal Justin will keep the money he earned from his hit series This Is Us and the real estate he bought before he tied the knot but he will pay his ex-wife an undisclosed amount of spousal support for 18 months -- the couple did not have a prenup

Page 14: Crime

Page 15: A Little People, Big World producer accused of molesting series star Jacob Roloff has been investigated for abusing a seven-year-old and was convicted of child endangerment -- Jacob claimed Christopher Cardamone who worked on the TLC show from 2007 to 2010 sexually abused him after a long grooming process -- the Roloffs were very aware of Christopher's past and are leaving everything up to Jacob to decide if he will pursue the matter

Page 16: Stressed-out Prince William is boozing to take the edge off and it's put him on a collision course with wife Kate Middleton -- William's growing dependence on alcohol could even lead to a full-blown crisis in his nine-year marriage -- William has been drinking a couple of beers after a hard day's work then washing dinner down with several large glasses of wine meaning he exercises a lot less and wakes up crabby -- Kate's a lot more disciplined and she'll stick to one drink with her dinner every other day at the most but mainly sparkling water or a single glass of champagne -- the Cambridges' schedule has intensified since William's brother Prince Harry quit the royal family and many of Harry's duties have been passed on to Kate and William who are also stretched at home while raising their three kids Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- this is shaping up to be the toughest year of William's life with all his extra responsibility now that Harry's left so it's no surprise he's looking to let off steam but Kate wants him to calm down on the alcohol before it gets an unhealthy grip on him

Page 17: Covidiot of the Week -- Charles Barkley believes pro athletes should get their COVID-19 vaccinations before anyone else because these poor millionaires pay too much to the government -- while hosting NBA on TNT Charles said as much taxes as these players pay they deserve some preferential treatment

Page 18: American Life

(continued)

#tabloid #grain of salt #tabloid toc #tabloidtoc #tabloid journalism #olivia newton john #olivia newton-john #ellen degeneres #tyra banks #dancing with the stars #dwts #the bachelor #danny masterson #justin hartley #chrishell stause #little people big world #jacob roloff #christopher cardamone #charles barkley #prince william #duchess kate #kate middleton #william and catherine #will and kate

[northwindow]

february: love and envy

a syllabus on desire, shame, and neighborliness

“love your frenemy” by sara protasi

aeon article by a philosophy professor who specializes in emotions. she writes on the tendency to envy our friends and neighbors and the possibilities of emulative envy. if you prefer listening, much of the content is also in “frenemies” from the podcast counterpoint.

“suffering like mel gibson” by zadie smith

a essay on the ubiquitous suffering and envy of others in the time of covid-19. from intimations, a collection written in late spring 2020 about life during the pandemic. (it’s difficult to find a pdf, so the link is a video image of the essay as it’s read aloud)

selections from a lover’s discourse: fragments by roland barthes

six fragments from barthes’ a lover’s discourse that relate to desire and envy in the context of love: “atopos,” “tutti systemati,” “connivance,” “we are our own demons,” “the orange,” and “jealousy.”

envy by joseph epstein

short, broad-strokes book on envy commissioned for a series on the seven deadly sins. collects some writing on envy from philosophy and fiction with added observations, anecdotes, and musings about envy’s social roles.

“envy” by sianne ngai (p. 137)

a chapter of ngai’s book ugly feelings, which explores aversive emotions through literary theory. she describes envy as an emotion that culture has feminized and investigates the impact of this feminization with an analysis of single white female (1992). see also ngai’s “competitiveness from sula to tyra”. (“invidia’s snake” by elisabeth ladenson in the same journal on envy is another pretty good literary essay on proust that has a feminist critique of the epstein book above)

“my enemy” by joanna klink

poem by american poet joanna klink from her collection raptus.

love and saint augustine by hannah arendt

political theorist hannah arendt’s dissertation, where she writes about neighborly love in saint augustine’s confessions. topics include craving and desire; love of self, god, and neighbor; covetousness; and what it means to love thy neighbor as thyself.

#reading these has been a weird and therapeutic month lmao #lmk if you recommend anything ✏️ not much multimedia this time around #syllabi

[itwasthemoment]

Former Supermodel Tyra Banks talks to WSJ's Lee Hawkins about "Modelland" -- a multi-level entertainment, retail and dining complex she's opening in Santa Monica this year -- her recent Sports Illustrated cover, and how she broke into the TV business.

#tyra banks #supermodel #business #wsj #The Wall Street Journal #2019 #video #celebrity #modelland

[cutebutstillsingle]

A lot of still-single people don’t realize there is a difference between “values and standards” on a character level, and “preferences”.  i used to get the feedback all the time that I was “too picky”, and it used to infuriate me to hear it.  Turns out, people were half-way right.  I was too picky.  But the truth was that I was too picky on “preferences” and not picky enough when it came to “values and standards”.  And also, my standards were fully out of touch with reality, because I didn’t realize there is no such thing as a “perfect” straight out the box. 

Ok so let’s start with preferences. This is the area where I was foolishly being too picky.  These are things like “enjoys nature, lean body, has college degree”.  Preferences kinda matter, but ultimately people’s preferences are dictated by their more deeply important ‘values and standards’. 

When you start to become overly hung-up on preferences, this can lead you to believe that no one else will ever compare to your terrible ex boyfriend or girlfriend.  Because you will think “what is the likelihood that I will ever find someone again who possesses that particular unique pairing of preferences?”.  Maybe you won’t.  But would you rather have someone that has maybe half the preferences of your ex, but 110% of the character and standards you dream of?  Exactly. 

The truth is, half your preferences don’t actually matter; and honestly, “values and standards” are going to naturally filter preferences out for you.  Preferences are tangible, external measures that, no joke, most people on the planet are potentially capable of learning and developing if they have the desire and enough time and resources at their disposal.  That being said, outside of race preferences (and I’ve already made a post about being straight up actually racist.  Being legit racist will keep you single), anyone who loves you enough, if these kinds of external preferences mattered to the two of you you that profoundly, would want to try and pursue the things that you value, so that the two you could potentially grow closer and continue to walk alongside each other while pursuing your life goals.  

Values and standards, however, are intangible in nature.    They can’t be known just by meeting someone on a superficial level.  It is not until you actually start to experience how somebody carries out their life, in person, that their values and standards can come to light.  Values and standards are what allows each person to decide for him or herself what are the “musts” and the “dealbreakers”; and these genuinely drive the long-term potential behind every romantic connection.  Values and standards are what’s behind a person’s habits, hobbies, preferences, and decisions.  

For example, “health” is a value and a non-negotiable standard for me.  Someone else who values the standard of health is probably going to have a few pictures on his dating profile of him doing stuff outdoors for enjoyment.  He will say that his use of intoxicants is minimal or nonexistent.  You might see him eating an acai bowl and enjoying a family dinner with all his cousins.  These are examples of how values and standards reveal themselves through preferences, but how preferences should not be the barometer.  

More importantly, values and standards usually come from a person’s character.  And a rare character is the true thing that makes someone so uniquely desirable.  Pay attention to that word “rare”.  A person of amazing character and values really is rare to stumble upon.  There are a million girls that look like the Alana Blanchard, or Tyra Banks, or Lucy Liu type, who all work out and do the same hobbies.  But it’s the character that makes THAT particular Alana Blanchard clone so rare and desirable.  

Why do we all keep expecting our “perfect” dream partner to be a real thing?  It’s not.  The reality is that there is no such thing as Mr. or Mrs. Perfect.  And even thinking that you can show up to the table “perfectly” is just never going to happen. Nor is your partner going to show up with all of your preferences and dreams dialed in.  It’s kind of like the olympic games.  Chances are very high they will get a 10.0 from most of the criteria on the panel, and then they’re going to majorly sink in a few areas.  It’ll be like “floor routine: 10, vault: 10, balance beam: 10, gymnastic rings: 2, uneven bars: 2″.  Alana Blanchard can’t do everything perfectly, and she can’t be every man’s version of “perfect”no matter how hard she tries.  But for Jack, she works.  

Most of us are over here expecting 10s across the board because of social media, and the fact that the real life couples we know don’t usually go around disclosing the difficulties in their relationships and the flaws in their partner’s character.  I literally would ask my coupled friends general questions so that I could learn what to expect or what to look for while dating (ie was this normal?), and my friends would literally respond back saying “I’m not trying to expose my husband’s dirty laundry”.  It is not our fault, singles of America, that we are so misguided.  Literally no one is showing us the truth.  So we keep holding fast to our unattainable, out of touch standards and preferences.  

I now realize how important it is to make a list of your own values and standards (every few years).  Not to be confused with “the values and standards I want in a partner”-- no.  I’m talking about what values and standards matter to you regarding the reality of your life.  I now believe it is critical that every adult take time to sit down with yourself and list, in a journal, the values and standards that truly matter to you in your life-- the life that you intend on sharing during a life partnership with someone else.  These are what need to matter the most, because as you are out dating and getting to know people, your values and standards are what your brain is going to be subconsciously looking for and attracted to. 

Particularly as we each endure the inevitable hardships of life that will come our way, these also recalibrate the standards and values that we think matter. I used to think I wanted to be an occupational therapist (works in rehab in hospitals alongside physical therapists) and as time progressed through the reality of busting my ass in OT grad school, turns out, no.   I don’t want to have to do patient transfers or have to deal with physically aggressive cognitively impaired patients who basically abuse me at work.  So now, I’m an educator and I still make a paycheck big enough to survive off of, and live a life I’m very content with.  

You may have also gone your whole life thinking something like, say, ‘health’ wasn’t a value.  And then something happens in  your life that changes everything.  Life should change and strengthen your character and values.  So keep doing this values exercise at regular intervals (like once every 3-5 years?), whether you're still single, and when you’re in a partnership. It will show you if you’re still growing in the same direction as your partner, and whether you’re still growing in a direction you appreciate for yourself, whether partnered or not.  

Finally,  how much of your ‘values and standards’ list do you actually embody right now?  After you make your list,  you need to assess how good of a job you are doing being the values you have listed.  Because it is unfair to magically expect your partner to possess qualities that deeply matter to you, and yet you can’t even embody those things yourself.  It’s safe to say that values you long for in a partner are things your soul longs for in your reality, period.  And there is no reason they can’t come from you first.   If you notice that you have listed a standard or value that you yourself have not yet been able to develop, well then... keep working on you and shift the focus off of expecting your partner to be that thing for you.  (and yes, I’m always speaking to myself when I write these posts, too). 

#dating #relationships #dating advice #relationship advice #values #standards #preferences #character #rarity

[communityclicks]

Digital Health Campaigns

Week 8 lecture concepts 

What is a microcelebrity?

It involves creating and maintaining an online identity, users self-brand in order to increase status online visibility and ‘influence’. 

Curating images for social media platforms adheres to aesthetic templates endorsed by microcelebrity culture which often leads through to product campaigns. 

Self-branding explained...

Self-branding within platforms such as Instagram establishes a unique aspect to the individual becomes the product themselves. Self-branding is considered as a self presentation strategy that is a by-product of microcelebrity culture.

“Morphing yourself into an online brand is now presented to social media users as a necessary component of internet participation” (Mavroudis, 2020; Robinson, 2019; Marwick, 2013a).

Endorsements which can lead to selling their audience clothing, skincare etc can actually create brand deals as their social media presence becomes a selling point. 

Self-branding and social media presence, a case study of KKW X Winnie 

Kim Kardashian-West beauty and makeup line collaborated with Winnie Harlow in 2019 to create pallets and lipsticks. The globally recognized model stated that “Instagram got me noticed by Tyra Banks”, leading to her being a contestant on American’s Next Top Model in which her vitiligo created a unique and desired look for the Canadian Jamaican (Harlow 2019). Harlow currently has 7.7 million followers on Instagram alone, with her following and visibility rising through the brand-deal with 172 million dedicated followers from Kardashian West (Instagram 2020).  

So, what does visibility really mean?

In terms of digital communities concepts, visibility labour relates to strategies used  both microcelebrities and non-microcelebrities (such as Kardashian-West and Harlow) to increase their high popularity and influence. 

Additionally, the high visibility of the pair for the KKW Beauty campaign highlights the power of connecting to influencers, as Kardashian-West wasn’t considered close friends with Harlow prior to this collaboration. 

Concept relation to The Rise of the Prosumer, suggesting that Instagram users are simultaneously producing and consuming celeb-rified brands (Ritzer, G., & Jurgenson, N. 2010). This can be further highlighted through Kardashian-West’s Skims brand. 

Aesthetics, why are they so important?

Aesthetics play a vital role in curating a social media presence, as it attracts people to your brand and shows an audience or a possible business partner how you want to be perceived.  

The power of aesthetics in a visual media landscape establishes sophisticated branding strategies normally used by large corporations and are easily and swiftly broadcasted to the world (Senft, 2013; Wood, 2010).

Definitions to further explain...

Aesthetic templates: Aesthetic choices of the content user posts to their profiles, presented alongside product promotion. 

Aesthetic labor - focuses on poses, accessories, props or superficial work on the body's surface rather than emotion work. Has been described as an aspect of sexualised labour (Mears, 2014; Drenten & Gurrieri, 2019).

Femininity in aesthetics 

Femininity is suggested to be of the most influence, as exerting aesthetic labour to create a ‘porn chic’ branded ideals subsequently effects the performing of sexualised labour.

Female brands that appear to be most influential follow the pornification template or enhanced features or emphasised femininity (E.g. Larger lips, large breasts, small waist, large buttocks).

Body as a form of influence: involves a range of behaviours that change a person’s physical appearance either online through editing or physically in the offline world 

eg. Kylie Jenner posing in a photoshoot, BTS posted to Instagram during 2019 receiving 7million + likes.

Over time, displaying specific elements of female bodies has enabled and normalized sexualized labour  within western societies to display sexuality that reflects the aesthetics of commercial pornography.

Sexualized labour: Displays of female sexuality through sexualized social media content, is a powerful means of gaining visibility.

“For social media users, selfies are often the result of work understood as sexualized labour” (Drenten & Gurrieri, 2019).

“In a digital context women are suggested to be presenting a highly sexualized version of self-online” (Mavroudis, 2020; Herring, 2015; Carrotte, Prichard, & Lim, 2017; Kapidzic & Ringrose, 2011).

eg. Brand enabled Insta-porn!f!cat!on - Fashion Nova uses pornified templates as do influencers themselves including Victoria Villarroel (https://www.instagram.com/victoriavillarroel/?hl=en)

Masculine Aesthetic Templates 

It can be argued that many male influencers mostly strive for a more muted display of sexuality, however I disagree with this as captions as Westernised ideals of beauty shared in Calvin Klein Campaigns etc highlight a string emphasis on bicep, chest and core muscles being consider as sexy.  Bodies appeared to be actively performing tasks that relate to masculine ideals of athleticism, strength and dominance.

Bradley martin conforms and heightens this ideas of traditional male gender noms... (https://www.instagram.com/bradleymartyn/?hl=en) 

Here is James Charles and his...ummm. This contrasts major ideals of masculinity within the media, as a openly gay man Charles dresses freely and in a flamboyant fashion. This video has received 40.1 million individual views... (https://www.instagram.com/p/BwP3UfpAFUm/)

Scholarly References 

Carrotte, E. R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M. S. C. 2017, ‘Fitspiration’ on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19( 3).

Drenten, J.,Gurrieri, L.,Tyler, M 2019, ‘Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention’, In: Gender, Work and Organization, Gender, Work and Organization, pp. 1 – 26

Ritzer, G., & Jurgenson, N. 2010, Production, consumption, prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’. Journal of Consumer Culture, 10, pp.13– 36.

Senft, TM 2012, Microcelebrity and the Branded Self.  In Hartley, J, Burgess, J & Bruns, A (Ed.), A Companion to New Media Dynamics, Blackwell, UK

[tyra-greydawn]

Life is Stupid

I haven't written in a long time. A lot happened. More than I want to put in here. I know I have a sister now but that means a lot of things I don't like.

I started this when I came to Stormwind so I could keep my thoughts straight and figure things out. I'm spending a lot less time there. I don't know if I need to write any more.

So I guess this is my last entry. Maybe for good, maybe only for a while. I don't know yet.

#tyras journal #tyra

[icharchivist]

yeah i don't care about Tyra saying that while she can't forgive her for the Everything, they could become friends, the end of that journal entry seems like Millie might still be a problem in the future and i don't trust her.

#ichablogging gbf #ichablogging tyraevent

[goddesstrolls-archive]

Following suit, all the gifts my main trolls would get their friends/quads/ect.

Hera would get Sevenn a silver cashmere scarf, some empty journals, and a nice pen.  @uprising-trolls​

She would get Alvaro a silver necklace with an eagle holding a red gem. @stickertrolls​

Nic would entirely forget about the holiday until he got his gifts from Lunati; He’d then make a small metal sculpture of a dragon and give it to her shortly after the new sweep.  @stickertrolls

Cheran wouldn’t get anyone anything and wouldn’t expect any gifts. If he got anything in the mail he’d write a card in return basically saying he didn’t expect anything and thus didn’t get them anything; If given in person he’d basically say the same thing.

Helios and Radaka wouldn’t expect anything either, and wouldn’t get anyone anything. (To be fair, Radaka has never celebrated 12th perigee’s eve and doesn’t really keep track of the date)

Ani doesn’t celebrate Christmas and never has. They’d appreciate the celebrations and join if anyone invited them to dinner or something, but they’d be honest and note they didn’t realize what the tradition entailed in terms of gift-giving.

Suhari would at least try to spend the night with Tyra or Lana if either of them were alone for the holiday. @fantroll-ikea @comettrolls (Also, Nihl would get Ae a big plush bear with a cat ear headband and cat tail sewn on)

Nari would (somehow) get Nayeli’s gift. He’d leave a nice knife he stole off someone on her doorstep. @stickertrolls

Rotavh would be completely unsure of what to get Prcela and spend half the perigee stressing over it before finally settling on some custom jewelry- A platinum necklace with intertwining fuchsia and violet stones, a matching bracelet, and he’d take her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. He’d be so anxious about it not being enough and he’d probably wind up gushing about how much he appreciates and loves her in a card. @autumnaltales

Anya would make Luke a fancy new handgun with a polished mahogany handle. Just an ordinary gun, not a plasma weapon. She’d also invite him over for dinner with Chimaa and Vorbit (If he came, and all parties were comfy with Luke being human) @maritimemelancholy

She’d get Vorbit a bunch of materials to make explosives (Anya no) and a bottle of nice liquor, and a nice silver ring with an amethyst set into it. @peskytrolls

#bastet speaks #happy crisis!

[sunevial]

A Personal Meg Experiment

So, I know some of you guys have been wondering about my ‘original works’ since I’m mostly known for writing the Followers. If you’ve talked to me at any length, you’ll know that I personally hate talking about my characters or plans for my original works because of how my brain is wired.

Now all this being said, I want to try something different. Because while I’m going to finish the Followers before I do any real work on my original projects, I also want to show you guys some of the stuff happening behind the scenes in my head.

Because whooooooo boy.

There’s a lot.

So, here’s what the experiment is gonna be. I’m going to list all of the various original story ideas I currently have with a small blurb about the story and the major characters. If you’re curious about literally anything, send me an ask and I’ll share what I can.

Now without further ado...

Important Note: Technically speaking, all of these stories take place within a connected universe, most of them at different points in time. I’ll try and keep these relatively in chronological order. These are all working titles.

Dalkin and the Exiles

Less of a story and more an epic, Dalkin and the Exiles contains some of the most important worldbuilding (universe building?) I have in this intricate web of stories. While this story alone has about four or five distinct plot threads, it primarily follows Dalkin Eventide, Demon Princess of Shiel, and all the work she has done to overthrow her tyrant father. 

Important characters (note: there’s a CRAP TON of characters in this one, these are just the ones I can connect everyone else to): Dalkin, Koron, Rashara, Camille, Adaran, Leore

The Jeweled Misfits

Their names are whispered in corner streets, their deeds legendary and remembered across the lands. Six individuals, brought together by circumstance and who would rise to be the greatest heroes of Ayorth. Or at least...that’s what everyone remembers. As read in Throsi’s surviving journals, their story is far more complex than anyone remembers.

Important characters: Throsi, Ezel, Anakis, Ander, Shui, Orlan

The Eleven

Ayorth has fallen, and the gods with it. A new one has risen in their steed, a tyrant to match no other. But even in the ruins of calamity, something new can arise. Hope can spring free. This is Anabel’s story.

Important characters: Anabel, the remaining Ten

Sins and Virtues

The children of angels and demons, trusted neither by heaven nor hell, exploited by both. Their safe haven is Order of the Silver Keys, committed to protecting humanity from the endless struggle between the two great powers. A tale of espionage, friendship, familial bonds, and the ghosts of the past that continue to haunt the present.  

Important characters: Polana, Desriel, Renisha, Geverlen, Kezeal, Magrenol, Taleyie, Seresam

Spectrum Warriors

For years, Caia has gone to a strange world at night, meeting up with friends in an alien world of incredible colors and biotechnology. However, that period of peace has ended; someone attacked the palace, and now she is cut off from her second home. Joining forces with her friends, the six of them finally meeting on Earth for the first time, they vow to find a way to fix this mess.

Important characters: Aliyah, Bridget, Caia, Dalia, Elowen, Fang, Hideaki, Princess Rainbow

The Oracle’s Heir 

Set in the hidden world of Eto, this three part story follows two young woman, Vylet and Echo. One of the last oracles left in existence, Vylet embarks on a quest to restore her family’s good name and uncover the long history of her world. A banisher in training, Echo knows she has one of two fates in this world: defeat the Undead Queen Vashren, who has been systematically killing oracles over the past one thousand years, or die trying. 

Important characters: Vylet, Echo, Vashren, Sera, Husky, the Nine, the Children

Two Together Are Always Going Somewhere

Unlike some of these other stories, this one is incredibly sweet. Three worlds: one of magic, one of science fiction, and one like our own. There are no sinister plots, no rebellions, no need for heroes to save the world. This is simply the story of two girls falling in love. 

Important characters: Venny, Sol, Clarissa, Michalis, Copper, Ginger

Coda and the Astral Compass

This is a story that takes place amongst the stars, in galaxies far from our own. Upon a great traveling city, a race of aliens travels between planets, visiting all manner of planets. Join Coda and his friends as they go on all matter of adventures amongst the great cosmos.

Important characters: Coda, Alel, Reyo, Esil

Changeling Children

Arista knows she doesn’t belong in her family. She is a changeling, after all; at a very young age, she was switched out for a human child, placed in her family’s care while the two faeries made off with the human baby. Arista knows this. And she’s determined to find that lost child and bring her back home.

Important characters: Arista, Tyra, Peach, Aislin, Lolima

#my writing #sort of #kind of #also kind of an ask me? #ask me #i feel like i'm forgetting something #i probably am #there's too goddamn much in these stories #my stories