#what a great way to empower women...

[thecommunityoftrustworthysinks]

my last post about white christmas has me thinking about older queer media, or potentially queer and queerphobic parts of older media. how so many of them had to be like that to exist at all, how queer people have always sought ourselves and each other in even the smallest of places.

like. that movie where patrick swayze played a trans woman (haven’t seen it, though i want to, and i forget the name). that’s not how we would do that today, but that doesn’t mean that the fact a trans woman was a major and serious part of a film’s character cast at all isn’t important. or like people lamenting that brokeback mountain was a tragedy, and how many other tragic stories of queer people existed before happy ones, because so many times that was the only way we were allowed to exist. i remember trying to placate my parents towards gay people in tv shows and movies by saying they died in the end, as if that justified their existing (no i didn’t believe this, i was a closeted kid in a violently homophobic household.)

and originally, what prompted this post, how the drag(ish) scene in white christmas certainly wasn’t the most mockery-free scene, but that danny kaye, a bisexual man, put his all into making it something genuinely fun instead of entirely a joke on embarrassment of men in women’s dresses. (now, of course, i don’t know if that’s what was on his mind or not when filming that scene, and im not assuming that either. i don’t know how involved in queer communities of the time danny kaye was. it’s just something i notice in a scene that could’ve been a lot worse than it was)

we’ve always been here. even when the only place we’re allowed to carve out for ourselves is in tragedy or otherwise tiny and unideal, you can’t ever erase us entirely. queer history is so important, don’t ever neglect it because it’s not up to the standards we would want today. it’s good that we’re doing better. value that!

#queer history #it's also how like there's something empowering in looking at something that was made to mock you and saying no this is cool actually #like ive seen it a lot with old movies making jokes about feminine men or masculine women and how people respond now with like FUCK YEAH #THEY'RE SO COOL!! #and sometimes ive seen other queer people criticizing that #like we can't enjoy something that was meant to first ridicule us #like i get why you feel that way and sometimes i do too on certain things #but also it's so powerful to say that no hey this actually is me and it's great #when someone is trying to put you down #it doesn't mean you're not aware of the negativity behind it it's just reclaiming what was done to you #idk im rambling #x

[7brownsuga7]

Happy international women’s day lovelies <3

It’s international women’s day, so what better way to thank you and show you his admiration than having his cock curving into you, brushing against your tight walls and hitting your cervix? Having you cry out in pleasure as he thrusts into you repeatedly, not giving you a chance to catch your breath.

He’s so thankful to have you in his life. He wants to show you how empowering you are, and how much you inspire him. He wants to use this day to show you that he recognises all of your aspects and contributions.

He’s shown you how thankful he is for you, told you, and now he wants you to feel it. The great woman that you are… The good woman that you are…

So ready for him to fuck you like his life depends on it. Burying himself inside of you with so much precision and eagerness that it has you crying out for him. Nails clawing at his back, leaving your mark so people know he belongs to you.

The flower arrangement sits on your bedside, a small gesture to show his appreciation for you, even though at the moment he’s showing his appreciation in other ways.

Despite his harsh thrusts, his hands are careful as they roam your body. Touch like silk. His words just the same, so soft and delicate as his words flow through your ears and run through your body, making your pussy clench around him. Your juices coating his cock and the sheets below you. You’re always so wet for him.

“Nghh please” you cry out as his balls repeatedly slap against your ass, him hurried deep inside of you to the point he’s knocked all the air out of you.

“Please what baby?” He looks at you to see if you’re in any pain. He knows he can get too carried away, he can’t help it. Especially when he can feel your pussy clenching around him, sucking him in.

“Too good” you let out a breathy whimper, “too good” he kisses your collarbone as he whispers an “I know”. His own voice failing him as a whimper escapes his lips too. Head falling into the crook of your neck as he lets himself bask in everything that is you. Your pussy, your scent, your embrace, everything about you.

And when you both cum undone, him throbbing inside you as you both come down from your high, thick liquid oozing out of you, mixing with your juices, is when he’ll remind you of how much you mean to him.

And he’ll fuck you again and again and again, because showing you his appreciation is better than just telling you.

#international women's day #gojo smut #gojo satoru #getou suguru smut #geto suguru #choso smut #choso #nanami smut #nanami kento #higuruma hiromi #hiromi smut #jjk drabbles #jjk smut #jjk x black!fem reader #jjk x black reader #armin smut #connie smut #jean kirschtein smut #reiner smut #eren x black reader #eren jeager smut #eren smut #aot drabbles #aot smut #aot x black reader #jungkook smut #namjoon smut #bts drabble #bts x black reader #bts smut

[chitra111goddess]

VEDIC ASTROLOGY NOTES ♡

(Can apply to any planet placement)

⚡️Ashwini women always stand out to me with their creativity especially in acting , they rly know to embody the character they're playing to the fullest even irl it may be easier for them to shift thro different identities or alter-egos just for funsies

⚡️There's smtg about purva phalguni women , they're gorgeous but for some reason I noticed they get hate esp from other women like they're called fake or pick-mes or they make up stories hmm

⚡️Purva ashadha women are so inspiring like they're always the ones to be teaching or preaching or saying smtg inspiring/motivational. They're beauties with soul and a mind of their own ! If u know a purva ashadha better take notes 📝

⚡️Magha women love wearing black and something about their looks or style is unconventional/gothy, it suits them

⚡️Uttara-phalguni women are so headstrong bruh and they have this leadership aura about them, they're gonna do what THEY think is right. Like other sun-ruled nakshatras they easily get attention

⚡️Mrigashira women love the push & pull , cat &mouse game, they either attract this dynamic or they create it themselves. There's also smth about Mrigashira and obsession 👀

⚡️Jyestha women embody the wild feminine archetype imo, when evolved theyre truly empowered and have this idgaf energy. people may be threatened by their power or skills. Their voice or the way the speak is commanding and naturally charismatic

⚡️Swati/ardra and their eyes 👁👁 most captivating eyes imo I'm in luv

⚡️Purva bhadrapada women seem to attract or be drawn to men with dark nature or men who carry trauma ? Or they know how to bring that out in a man

⚡️Dhanishta women love dancing and they appear to be friendly or have many acquaintances but very little people they relate to. Popular girlies

⚡️Rohini women feminine energy is undeniable , something about them feels innocent yet erotic. They just give off this juicy fertile vibee lmao💦 unlike jyestha which is more dry (not in a bad way its just different 💀)

⚡️Anuradha women are secretive as hell even if they tell u shit don't think u have them all figured out. there's so much to unpack with them , they're generally intriguing complex characters

⚡️Most bratty nakshatras are mrigashira and chitra lmao

⚡️Revati women are pretty privilege girlies also they're master manipulators 👀 they know how to use their femininity to get what they want

⚡️Pushya women have big MOMMY energy. they seem/look mature. They're either the ones taking care of others or others take care of them

⚡️Uttara bhadrapada women have dualistic nature they're either the sweetest ppl u know or ur worst nightmare depending on who theyre dealing with 💀they're like a mirror projecting and reflecting back ur inner self back at ya (Pisces energy) also don't forget the karmic saturn influence.. u don't wanna mess w them or any other saturn ruled woman

⚡️Viahaka women go through intense ups and downs , starting from their good girl phase then they snap and go wild then they mature/become spiritual

⚡️Chitra women secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy drama , they're either the ones caught up in it or they play the role of the "judge" where they can solve conflicts between others. Somehow they're surrounded by it.

⚡️Don't underestimate krittika women especially when it comes to survival 💀 these women can be dangerous and will stab a bitch if they rly had to (whether its for defending loved ones or them surviving) their symbol is 🔪 after all and taurus/aries gives them that survival instinct

⚡️Ardra women can make great poets/song writers , their creativity and inspiration stems from their own 'tragic' experiences

⚡️Punarvasu women remind me of that quote "home is where the heart is" they always end up coming back to their origins and what they feel in their heart

Lemme know ur thoughts & what I should make next

#vedic astro notes #vedic astrology #vedic astro observations #nakshatra notes #nakshatras #chitra #ashlesha #revati #ashwini #magha #jyestha #anuradha #rohini #bharani #vishaka #krittika #purva phalguni #purva bhadrapada #purva ashadha #ardra #rahu #ketu #hasta #mula #mrigashira #dhanishta #shatabhisha #jyotish #punarvasu #astrology notes

[a0random0gal]

Hot take, but I personally think all the Criston Cole hate is bs. He's probably one of the most despised characters in hotd and the slander is so unjustified.

Like damn, are you guys really going to hate on him for despising Rhaenyra after all she put him trough?

I'm 100% certain that if the genders were swapped almost everyone would side with him.

Just imagine a girl that owes her dream job on a prince that is in a significant position of power over her. One night, after things don't go his way, he makes sexual advances on the girl. She feels like she has to sleep with him, because of how he helped her achieve her goal. Also because if she refuses, the prince may be enraged and make up a lie to get her executed. Afterwards, she feels dirty, she knows she broke her oath, and that if caught she would be tortured and murdered, so she deludes herself into believing they love each other and should run away together. At least that way, she won't have ruined her life in vain.

But when she tells the prince her plan and confesses her feelings, the prince tells her that he's not willing to give up the throne for her and that all he wants her for is sex. She's pretty much just his glorified whore.

I bet all I have that in this case everyone would call Rhaenyra an evil fuck boy misogynist who only sees ladies as objects to sleep with. But since she's a girl, then the fandom views her as an empowered, sexually liberated girlboss who takes what she wants. Even if that leads a man to almost committing suicide.

The fact that the fan base also has the nerve to call him a pathetic incel is just the icing on the cake.

Guys, I'm not sure if you now, but hating a woman for something that has happened between you is not the equivalent of hating all women.

Criston hates her and her only, while treating every other lady in the show with great respect, hell he worships the ground on which Alicent walks! And scolds Aemond for how he treats sex workers, 'Cause for him they should all be respected like the mother! He's probably one of the least sexist characters in hotd lmao.

Sometimes I wonder if Rhaenyra stans can't stand him because they genuinely can't fathom a man receiving her advances, being offered to be her lover, and rejecting. Like "how dare him break our queen's heart!"

Poor dude never stood a chance

#Obviously I'm not condoning what Criston did at Rhaenyra's wedding #That was still fucked up #Though I know some people have analyzes the shit out of that scene and it' super complex and interesting #pro team green #pro criston cole #pro alicent hightower #hotd #house of the dragon #anti team black #aemond targaryen #alicent hightower

[nobrashfestivity]

I'm not delving into politics but after a weird morning reading people's political reactions I want to briefly explain something a lot of people on tumblr don't understand. It's just a personal note I will likely delete.

The tropes politicians and comedians like to use of "There's money for war but no money for your college loans" is concise and useful because it points out a broadly philosophical thing about our society and what we spend money on, but it is not actually descriptive regarding the mechanics of the government.

Your student loan or food money is not going somewhere else. The problem is greed and living in an oligarchy. If Santa clause gave the government 300 billion dollars tomorrow they would not pay for your school loans or gender reassignment surgery or give more money to the poor or create affordable housing.

The point is that conservatives, of any party, believe their profits are more important than you having an easy way to live. They do not want you to have these things, they don't think your needs are important, they would rather pocket the money but perhaps more importantly, the minority rule we are experiencing can only win elected office on ideological fear. They do not want the disadvantaged empowered. They are selling the idea of denying anything to women, minorities or the poor based on the a success they have had disenfranchising those people that older white people fear will come to power. They cravenly play on a deep fear Americans have that someone will have something they don't. That they will get an unfair advantage somehow if they are helped in any way, even though these same people have been given countless advantages in life.

The reason I feel basic understanding of the government is important is because even well intentioned people here I agree with lack this understanding. A lot of tumblr 2020 was lacking any nuance about how politics works. "So and so introduces a bill to end homelessness" is typical and great idea but largely performative as Bernie Sanders or anyone in government has a pretty good idea what has a chance of being funded or made law. The razor thin Senate majority means there's not a "liberal senate" and American liberals are really pretty conservative by most standards. It's the same misconception with things like "Trump sues the Biden administration" . People file lawsuits everyday, they are largely meaningless but it looks good on paper.

Everything in this country could improved a LOT if everyone voting age just voted. You could have shelter for the homeless and money for college and better benefits for the mentally ill and cheaper housing but the idea that the government has decided to pay for war and not pay for something good is inaccurate. There would never pay for something good if they had all the money in the world.

It's not the money, it's their values.

#personal

[youremyheaven]

vedic astrology observations

philosophical songwriters often have tropical virgo and pisces placements. many of them have jupiter ruled nakshatras. mrigashira nakshatra pops up a lot as well. all of these placements contribute to the contemplative nature of these natives, they are deeply reflective and take on an almost religious tone with regard to how they speak of things.

hozier- pbp sun + mercury, anuradha moon with ashlesha ketu

leonard cohen- uttaraphalguni sun, purvaphalguni venus, pushya ketu

sufjan stevens- ubp moon, mrig mercury, jup revati amk, punarvasu saturn amk, ketu in krittika

(in my previous post, i had mentioned how ubp & punarvasu natives love butterfly imagery and here's sufjan on stage with wings!!)

bob dylan- rohini sun and venus, krittika moon, mrig mercury, ubp ketu

bruce springsteen, uttaraphalguni sun, chitra moon+ mercury +ketu, swati venus, mrig rising

joni mitchell vishaka sun + mercury, pbp moon, punarvasu rising, mrig mars atmakaraka

2. Shatabhisha & Pushya natives make great teachers. They thrive in positions where they're able to empower and encourage others.

Sidney Poitier in perhaps his most famous role, as a teacher, in To Sir With Love. He has Shatabhisha sun.

Robin Williams, in one of his most iconic roles, as a teacher in Dead Poets Society (he also plays a teacher in Good Will Hunting). He has Pushya sun, Shatabhisha moon.

Aamir Khan plays a teacher in one of his most known roles in Taare Zameen Par. He has Pushya moon.

3. Fairy Godmother roles in cinema are often played by either Taurus rashi or Pisces rashi individuals

In the 1987 movie Maid to Order, the fairy godmother is played by Beverly D'Angelo who is Rohini moon

in the 1997 movie A Simple Life, Martin Short plays the fairy godmother. he has UBP stellium (sun, mercury and rahu)

1997's Cinderella has Whitney Houston playing the fairy godmother. she has Revati moon & jupiter (ive talked about pisces rashi's connection to butterflies before and look at how whitney's spreading her wings in this picture!🥺)

in 2015's Cinderella, Helena Bonham Carter plays the fairy godmother. she has Rohini sun & Ketu in Revati

Maleficent is played by Rohini sun, Revati moon native, Angelina Jolie

i've previously talked about how Rohini nakshatra is associated with shape shifting and transformation and Revati nakshatra is known as the wealth giving star. These two combined create the ability to deeply transform one's life, heal from old wounds and ways of living and rise to the high echelons of society. They're both known for creating wealth. it only makes sense that these natives would be chosen time and time again to play the "fairy godmother" responsible for transforming the lives of a virtuous person trapped in unjust circumstances

4. ive noticed that many mars ruled men (mrigashira, chitra, dhanishta) go after older women 👀 bharani is another nakshatra that pops up often (bharani is the meeting point of mars and venus)

my personal take on this is that mars influence makes natives interested in taboo and unconventional topics and areas. all 3 mars ruled nakshatras belong to the "servant caste" and bharani is an outcaste nakshatra. what this says is that these people have no desire or need to conform or adhere to the norms set by society. they don't care for the status quo and feel no sense of belonging to mainstream society so they simply do as they please<3

Ashton Kutcher, Dhanishta stellium (sun,moon & venus) was married to Demi Moore who is 15 years older than him. Demi is a Bharani moon.

Aaron Taylor Johnson has Mrigashira sun, Dhanishta moon and venus in Bharani and his wife Sam Taylor Johnson is 24 years older than him.

Hugh Jackman, Chitra sun (and mercury) and Mrigashira moon is married to Debora Lee Furness who is 13 years older than him.

Emmanuel Macron, Bharani moon is married to Brigitte Macron who is 25 years older than him

Nick Jonas, Bharani moon, Chitra venus and Ketu in Mrigashira is married to Priyanka Chopra who is 10 years older

Nick Offerman is married to Megan Mullaly who is 12yrs older than him. He has Mrigashira mercury atmakaraka and Saturn in Bharani amatyakaraka

Nick Cannon, Bharani rising was married to Mariah Carey who is 12yrs older than him

Blake Shelton, Mrigashira sun & venus, Jupiter in Bharani atmakaraka with Ketu in Bharani is married to Gwen Stefani who is 7yrs older

Roger Moore was married to Dorothy Squires who is 12 yrs older than him. He had Chitra sun & mars (amatyakaraka & atmakaraka)

5. others have made observations regarding how Jupiter influence blesses a native with voluptuousness. imo Jupiter, cancer rashi and Moon ruled nakshatras can make a native naturally busty.

Jupiter being the largest planet creates voluptuousness in its natives often blessing them with large breasts (obviously other placements will also impact your appearance) Cancer rashi because well, cancer rules the moon and the chest so its kind of a no brainer and honestly every cancer girl ik irl has a big bosom. Moon is yin and bestows its natives with a very curvy physique.

Christina Hendricks is Shravana moon

Billie Eilish is also Shravana moon

Emma Kenney is Vishaka moon with Ketu in Shravana

Ariel Winter is Shravana sun

Scarlett Johansson is Vishaka moon,rising and ketu

Katy Perry is vishaka moon & saturn

Jessica Simpson is Punarvasu sun & mercury and Vishaka rising

🐲🕊🧚🏼‍♂️👼🏼👸🏼🦋🦢🧜🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♀️🕊👼🏼🦋🦢🧜🏼‍♀️👸🏼🦋🦢🧜🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♀️👸🏼🦋🦢🧜🏼‍♀️🧚🏼‍♀️

Tumblr has a 30 image limit per post so I cant include more examples :( but look forward to pt 2 <3

#vedic astrology #vedic astro notes #astro observations #astrology notes #astro notes #sidereal astrology #astrology observations #nakshatras #astrology #astroblr #astro community #astro beauty

[the1975attheirverybest]

Education

Lesson #5: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

A/N: I don’t know what the fuck this is anymore. Enjoy the inside jokes if you catch them though.

Warnings: smut.

Matty forced a loud sigh of exasperation out of his lips, adjusting the pillow that he had sandwiched between his arm and his head. This felt like the hundredth time that he’d adjusted it. He resented it for moving. Blamed it for the fact that he couldn’t find a comfortable position to lay in, for the hundredth time, he slammed his head into the pillow with a dramatic thud against the mattress as he laid back down. Maybe going to bed early wasn’t such a great idea. 

But he hated being awake lately. And loved being in bed. All day long, George’s chiding words echoed in his mind, no matter how much he denied them. He couldn’t escape the lingering thoughts, or the feeling of guilt. He had nothing to feel guilty about. He’d done nothing wrong. So why does it feel like he has? She was the one to bring up experimenting with him. For practice. And all that shit George had brought up about years ago, none of it mattered. It’s been close to a decade. If she had any interest in him at all back then, she would’ve said something. He’s not going to ruin their friendship over this. Those were the thoughts that haunted him during the day. 

At night, though, his thoughts were different. As he laid there, in his cold bed, tossing and turning all night long, he couldn’t help but think about Amelia. Her eyes looking up at him as he hovered over her body protectively. Her skin prickled with goosebumps as he hit her with the crop. Her lips, puffy and red, primed for kissing and biting. The way she felt, clenching around him as he thrusted into her. Her arms, pulling against the restraints, begging him to let her touch him. Matty’s memories left him breathless, his chest rising and falling, he slid his hand down his body, into the waistband of his boxers, and tugged at the base of his hardening cock. His hand, making jerking motions, and his imagination were quick to bring him to the edge, soon, his hips bucked upwards as he fucked into his own hand, “ohhh fuck!’ 

——

Amelia’s steps faltered as soon as she was certain she was out of her date’s eye-shot. she finally let go of the breath she’d been holding, pushing the restaurant’s bathroom door open and rushing inside. She looked down at her shaky hands and felt tears well up in her eyes. Was it the self-disappointment or was it the fear that hurt more? She should’ve trusted her gut. Never should’ve let this date go on as long as it has. This man was aggressive from the second that she sat down at the table. Her skin crawled as she recalled their conversation, and his relentless demands that she let him go home with her, despite her consistent, unambiguous  declining. He repeated “you should just let me,” and “I’d make it worth your time.” The look in his eyes, which she couldn’t interpret, terrified her. Right now, the worst part to her was what she had done in response. Standing up, calling him a “perv” and a “creep” while stomping her foot and advising him to “take the hint, you fuckwit, a no is a no,” might have felt like the feminist, empowering move in the moment, but he’d probably fall off his chair laughing if he could see her now, moments later, hiding in the ladies’ room, shaking and crying. She didn’t want to leave the restaurant immediately, in case he followed her home, so she hovered over the bathroom sink, letting the tears run down her face while waiting it out. So much for casual dating.

She looked at her, now washed, face in the mirror, delicately wiping away makeup and tear stains with a paper towel. Time to be an adult now. she sniffled, fixing her posture and adjusting the strap of her purse before walking out of the women’s restroom. This night doesn’t have to be a total shitshow. She could stop at the store on her way home, get some snacks, go home and take a nice bath, get into some comfortable pajamas, and eat her snacks in bed. She was determined to turn this night around because why should one asshole’s inability to hear the word “no” make her feel like shit? She stopped dead in her tracks. The answer to her rhetorical question stared her in the face. That creep was still sitting right where she left him. No doubt, waiting for her.

Without a second thought, she turned around and rushed back into the restroom. “fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!!” Now he went from a douche who would pressure her into having sex with him after their shitty date if it means he’d get laid, to a legitimately scary, potential stalker. Amelia pulled out her phone, humiliated, and scrolled through her call log. The one time that she tries to stand up for herself ends with her hiding out and calling for help. Her finger hovered over Adam’s contact information while she wondered if it was worth pulling him away from his child, or if she could just make a run for it and hope for the best.

—

Matty looked down at his softening dick, ropes of cum clinging to the skin of his taut stomach. The momentary pleasure of his orgasm was already fading away, giving way to deep self-loathing. He walked into the bathroom to clean up and thought about how he can’t keep doing this. He’s better than this. Or so he’d hoped. But at the end of every draining day this week, he’d found himself laying in bed, in the exact same position. He turned the faucet on to drown out the sound of his own mind.

His problem was the isolation, Matty reasoned. Of course his mind is going to wander if all he did was sit at home, alone, overthinking and going to bed early. He needed to stay busy. He reached for his phone off the nightstand as he laid back down into bed, finding the instagram app, and scrolling mindlessly for a while. Until he stumbled upon a post that caught his eye, “Daisy Honey,” had posted a picture of herself in a bikini, with the caption “Beautiful ibiza” with a number of emojis that Matty struggled to decipher the relevance of. He clicked on her profile to learn that Daisy was 24 years old, new to LA, and her most recent YouTube video is titled “Why I’m Quitting Fast Fashion,” which, she informed her followers, is finally up, despite hotel wifi being slow, and they could all watch it by clicking the link in her bio. He clicked on the circle around her profile picture to view her stories. A photo of her, surrounded by a group of equally skinny, tall, beautiful women with the caption “my face says 73 but i finally made it to 24.”  It brought a smile to Matty’s face. He swiped up to message her. “hbd” he sent first, then he decided he should probably say more for good measure. “face looks not a day over 72,” then he sent “how is ibiza?” before he could say any more, his phone slipped out of his hands and fell, hitting his right collarbone. “fuck- christ!” he groaned. when he picked up his phone again, he had an incoming call.

“Amelia, hey- what?” He sat up, pressing the phone harder into his ear, his brows furrowing. “slow down, slow down, I can’t understand you.” He sprung to his feet, grabbing random clothing items out of his dresser. “And where was this? wait- you’re there now? stay in that bathroom. Don’t move! I’m on my way.”

—

Amelia jumped when she heard the knock on the bathroom door. She rushed to open the door, but as her hand wrapped around the doorknob, she worried that it might not be Matty. with trembling, cold fingers, she unlocked the bathroom door and slowly opened the door, mere inches at first, but as soon as she caught a glimpse of the leather jacket and dress shoes, she knew without a doubt that it was Matty. Relief filled them both as their eyes met. Matty pulled Amelia in for a hug, and she let herself get lost in his arms, clinging to his jacket for dear life. the faint scent of cigarettes and cologne, probably from a past outing, filled her lungs. She wished she could find comfort in that smell, but it gave her a keen feeling of failure instead. A failure to protect herself like a grown woman, a failure to separate herself from her amorphous relationship with Matty. In her efforts to subvert the damsel in distress narrative, she wound up right in the middle of it.

“You alright?” Matty whispered into her ear as he held her.

“Y-yeah, thanks for coming.” she reluctantly pulled away from him, keeping her gaze downward.

Matty wrapped a protective arm around her, pulling her to him. “let’s get you home, then. Shall we?”

Her heart beat pounded in her chest as the made their way through the restaurant, hoping the man she’d been hiding from wouldn’t look too closely as they approached his table, and get thrown off by Matty’s presence.

“Hold on a second.” Matty’s eyes scanned the room full of busy tables. “which one is he?”

There goes her surreptitious exit. “Matty, don’t. Please-‘

“Either you tell me which one this brainless animal is, or im going to go up to every single man sitting alone in here. As you can see, it’s quite a busy night. lots of tables. It’d take me a while, but I will do it.“

“fine, fine.” she tugged on his jacket to shut him up, standing on her tiptoes, she whispered into his ear. “man in the green shirt.”

Without a second thought, Matty grabbed a hold of her hand and marched them over to the table where this disastrous date had started. Her ‘date’ looked up, confused at the sight of her clinging to another man, but before he could speak, Matty did.

“Good evening, mate. My name’s Matty Healy, but you can just call me- actually, you know what? don’t address me at all. That’d be a waist of my time.” 

Amelia brought her free hand to wrap around Matty’s upper arm, glance at him as he spoke. She swore he looked crazed.

she felt his hand move in hers as he bent down to the man’s level and whispered something in his ear. Before she know it, Matty cupped the stunned man’s jaw, squeezing his cheeks together with his thumb and index finger and hissing an “are we fuckin clear?” at him.

A waitress suddenly appeared behind them addressing Matty with a quivering voice. “S-sir? excuse me, sir?’ but he gave no indication of being aware of her. 

“I asked you a question, bro. Don’t make me ask again, cuz you won’t like how I do it.” Matty tilted the man’s squished face upwards, staring directly into his eyes. He received an incoherent mumble in return. 

“Sir, i’m going to have to call the police now” the waitress seemingly finding her voice.

Matty’s hand slowly let go, adjusting his jacket and taking a deep breath as he finally turned to face the waitress. “No need. As soon as my new friend here apologizes to Amelia, we’ll be on our merry way.” He looked at Amelia, his entire demeanor instantly changing, his face softening, his eyes even seemed calm. With an even, relaxed tone, he asked, “what did you say this motherfucker’s name is?”

“Arthur, but, listen, Matty, I don’t need an apology, we should just-“

“‘course you don’t. Who’s he for you to need anything from him? He’s the one who needs it. Right, Arthur?” Matty, was, of course, no longer looking at Amelia.

She nodded as Arthur spat out an obligatory apology, and watch Matty reach into the pocket of his jacket and pull out his wallet. He threw a handful of bills onto the table. “dinner’s on me.” He smiled, menacingly. Turning to the waitress, he produced more cash out of his wallet and handed them to her. “for the…trouble. Goodnight.” 

—

in the car, Matty emptied his pockets into the cup holder next to him as he dug around for a lighter. He tossed his phone into it first, then his cigarettes, then a keychain stacked with keys. “the fuck is it?” he mumbled to himself. “oh shit! I don’t think I brought one. left in a hurry, and-“ he sighed. “Do me a favor, babe, pop the glove box open, there’s probably a lighter in there.”

Amelia’s lips twitched, threatening a smile, at him calling her “babe.”

“Thanks.” Matty took the lighter and picked up his almost-empty, blue  “Camel,” cigarette packet. “Wan’ on?” he mumbled with a cig dangling from the corner of his mouth. Amelia shook her head and he shrugged, turning the engine on, and reaching for the music player. “any requests?”

“N-no, you’re the captain of this ship. you make the choice.” 

“fuck yeah, I am.” he clicked a few buttons, turned a few dials, and The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” filled the car, with Matty humming along and tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Wanna talk about it?” Matty lowered the volume once they’d gotten to a main road.

“The- date? oh, no, thanks. Rather not.”

He nodded slowly, watching with disappointment as the traffic light turned red before he could get to it.

“Actually, there is one thing I do wanna talk about.” For the first time tonight, Amelia sounded vaguely like her normal, cheery self which made Matty smile. “I wanna know what you said to Arthur. He looked like he was seeing a ghost.” 

“Oh, right.” Matty turned to look at her, a self-satisfied grin gracing his face. “Nothing massive. Just listed the qualifications that make me capable of breaking every bone of his body if ever attempted to contact you via text, dating app, phone, or even letter, carrier pigeon, or smoke signal. Then, I described in vivid detail the creative ways in which I’d go about breaking every bone in his body….that’s all.”

He watched her smile for an instant before correcting herself and putting on an unamused face. “so, pure caveman violence. Men.”

He giggled and she felt proud of herself for eliciting that reaction out of him. She also found herself wondering why his laugh turned her on so much. she glanced to the side, to avoid staring into his beautiful eyes for too long and noticed his phone light up, the vibration making a noise against the edges of the cup holder.

It was an instagram notification from a “Daisy something” thanking him for some reason and saying that it “means a lot coming from a good looking man like him.”

Amelia felt a lump in her throat, she attempted to swallow, but her mouth felt dry. Matty looked down at his phone then back up at Amelia. A car honked behind them, alerting Matty to the traffic light turning green. He hit the gas pedal and adjusted his hold of the steering wheel. She turned away from him, sitting back and turning to watch the city whizz past the passengers window.

—

Amelia unbuckled her seatbelt and watched the door opened, Matty lending her a hand to help steady her as she stepped out of his car in her heels. He reached for her purse, grabbing it before locking the doors.

“You don’t have to-“

“okay.” Matty walked past her and pulled the building door open.

“Thanks, for, umm- tonight. And sorry I interrupted your night.”

They both spoke at once. Matty, eager to let her know that it was no problem at all, had started to speak over her when she said “I didn’t wanna call you.” He frowned, but kept his eyes straight ahead as they climbed the stairs. “I called Adam first. He didn’t answer. so, umm, then I called Ross, but i think his phone must be dead or something. George’s out of town, I know, so.’ she swallowed, her voice shaky. “Had to call you.”

Matty took a moment to absorb the sting that her words caused him, then, when he was certain his voice wouldn’t betray him, he spoke again. “Adam and Carly went to see a film tonight. Probably has his phone on silent, cinema etiquette and all that.”

He handed her her purse back and she reached into it to fish out her keys.

“Wanna come inside?” Her tone wasn’t exactly warm and hospitable. Matty sensed that he should decline.

“I don’t want to intrude….unless you want me to? I mean if- you’d rather not be alone after tonight-“

“What?  I’m totally fine, it was just a weird date, but men are gross all the time, I’ve learned to just ignore it.”

Matty looked down at his feet, summoning all of his energy to keep a smile on his face. “right. I’m off, then. Goodnight.”

***

A few minutes, and several traffic violations later, Matty found himself, drink in hand, back online.

reading back the conversation he’d just had with Daisy, he decided to act on it and get himself a seat on the next flight to LA. He needs to get out of town anyway. Get a change of scenery, break up the routine. Maybe even get some work done or see some friends.

***

Amelia tapped the screen of her phone to check the time for the third time in the last 40 minutes. She hated this feelingThe  self-imposed pressure she put on herself every weekend. To use her weekends like ‘normal people would.’ It’s not that she wanted to. Not that she wished she went out more. To the contrary, she’d much rather fold laundry, make soup, and binge-watch the same television show that she’d been obsessed with for the past three months. But she knew that it wasn’t cool or superior to stay in every weekend. In fact, on the days where she’s clear and honest enough with herself, she can admit that her hermetic lifestyle is probably hurting her friendships.She should be calling people up and making plans. The problem was that she felt no inclination to do so. The main activities of people her age were geared towards  hooking up or finding a relationship. Neither of which came naturally to her. If, again, she were honest with herself she would admit that her instinct to stay at home all the time might have something to do with the fact that she’d feel weird and out of place if she did go out. Why should she force herself to be someone she’s not? caught up in a moment of self-affirmation, she picked up her phone and deleted her online dating apps. “No more creeps.”

Moments after setting her phone down, her screen lit up. It was a call, from Matty. She picked the phone back up and almost answered it . She didn’t want to appear too eager, though, so she let it ring one beat, two beats, then reminded herself again that she ought not to force herself to behave unnaturally and answered the call with an excited greeting.

“Heyyyy, Mia. how do you do?”

She frowned, “‘how do you do?’ Matty, are you drunk?”

“N-no! Not really, anyway….just a bit tipsy.” he chuckled.

“At this time of the day? are you insane?” she moved her phone away from her ear to double-check the time.

“Oh, no. I’m in LA, Mia. Guess I forgot to say that.”

“oh.” an unidentifiable feeling of discomfort rushed through her blood upon learning that Matty was thousands of miles away. “business or pleasure?”

“You know me, darlin.’ Business IS pleasure to me.” Matty, cracked unable to say that with a serious tone, he giggled to himself.

“Never say that again. like…ever.”

“Fair enough. nah, for real though. Just here to see some people. might get some work done though. Saw Phoebe, and, some people tonight.”

“Bridgers? Oh, how is she?” Amelia always got excited to hear about Matty’s adventures on the other side of the world, especially if any of them involved Phoebe Bridgers.

“She’s alright. It was a bunch of us actually. some people from her band, and a couple of guys from our offices and stuff. so I haven’t got anything juicy for you. just a night out.”

Matty entertained Amelia’s extremely specific and completely random questions about what it’s like to be out with Phoebe Bridgers. Nothing he hasn’t answered before, but it always seemed to make her happy, and he found the fangirl within her quite endearing.

“So, where are you right now? Where are you calling me from?” Amelia asked after a lull in the conversation.

“Hotel room. bed, specifically.” he laughed as he added, “I’m not at Phoebe’s home or anything.”

“I suppose it’s late where you are now, yes?”

“mhm.” Matty switched his phone to the other ear, to give is right side a rest, “You know what I was thinking, though? We haven’t taught you any new bedroom tricks in a while. Does that make me a bad teacher?”

“You’re always traveling, so, yeah. You think students learn anything while their teacher’s on holiday?”

“Oh, my sweet, innocent, Mia.” His voice suddenly changed, sounding deeper, darker. “You really do need this education, don’t you?” 

“I- what’s- what?”

“Don’t have to be in the same room together to have sex.” Matty pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor and undoing his jeans. “We don’t even have to be in the same time zone.”

“oh?” It took her scrambled mind a moment to take in his suggestion. “Oh, you- you mean…phone sex?”

***

Amelia couldn’t believe that she’d agreed to this. But stepping out of her comfort zone is the whole point of their arrangement. Besides, she’d missed him. Missed having sex with him. Missed his delicate touch, coupled with his firm decisive voice, always seeming to know exactly what to say to put her at ease and cut the tension. Always knowing what to do to ensure her safety and pleasure. She was never gonna find that on a dating app.

“Yeah, i’m ready, I just- don’t know wh-“

“You let me worry about the logistics, just need you to relax, okay, darlin’?” She could hear the smile in his voice, and she’d see it enough times to be able to picture his face perfectly. At this rate, it really won’t take much. Maybe this whole thing is easier than she’d imagined.

“I know it feels odd, yeah?” Matty’s voice invaded her senses. She closed her eyes, resting her naked back against the mattress. She wanted to feel him everywhere. “I get it.’ He continued, “the whole point of sex is that it’s about being there. feeling everything. my skin against yours. My lips on your neck, your arms wrapped around my back, nails digging into my skin, pulling me closer and closer as I move inside you, until we’re chest to chest. no room for even air, between us.”

Amelia felt the urge to clench her legs as Matty went on. “your fingers, running through my hair,” Amelia’s hands reached below her waist, towards the wetness between her legs. “im so on top of you that my lips are by your ear. you can hear, feel, see, and touch me. It’s overwhelming to have so much of your mind and body stimulated. That’s why orgasms feel so intense” Matty was breathless, He took a moment to collect himself. “But when you do it on the phone….it’s weird. we’re not together. There’s a machine between us. But, I think if you close your eyes.” Matty swore he heard her moan, but he wasn’t going to interrupt her to ask, “Remember what I taught you about touching yourself.” The reminder was meant to be for her, but it helped that images of her with her hands between her legs, doing what he told her to do came flooding through the front of his mind, too. “Do you remember all that?” His own hand dipped underneath the duvet.

“mhm” she whined, desperate.

“No, Amelia. Use your words.” He was stern, but he swallowed his own moan to maintain that tone.

“I- ah- I remember. I promise.” She yelled out, impatient.

“Good. then all you have to do is make yourself feel good. And picture me, on top of you, kissing down your body, your breasts, your stomach. worshipping every inch of your skin the way that it deserves to be worshipped. especially the insides of your thighs. fuck-i can’t wait to have my lips on your cunt again, soon.”

Her hips swayed as she shook, moving her fingers faster and faster as Matty’s voice filled her head. “Matty, please, umm- i’m close- I”

“Together, then, alright? cum for me, baby.”

“Fuck!!” she heard the phone slide off the bed and fall to the floor as she convulsed from head to toe.

****

It was hours later, the sun already coming up outside of Matty’s hotel window, when they finally ended their call. Sleep had overtaken him completely. With squinting, watery eyes, he sent her a final message, before plugging his phone in to charge, and falling asleep.

In her own bed, Amelia stared at the text with a smile on her face.

“Good girl xx  [this is me kissing you like I usually do before leaving] goodnight.”

butterflies in her stomach and echoes of Matty’s voice in her mind were distracting her from her usual quotidian activities. She scrolled through her phone, to find something else to think about and redirect her thoughts. And the internet, as always, never disappoints.

News had now traveled across the pond and headlines began to circulate everywhere.

Matty Healy stumbles, looking intoxicated out of mystery apartment. featuring a photo of Matty, on the streets of LA blinded by the flashing lights.

Amelia hated that her first thought was “his eyes! that must have given him a headache.”

another headline read,

Matt Healy, lead singer of British Rock band seen in LA with Phoebe Bridgers and friends.above a picture of Matty, with a group of people, some of whom she recognized, but a couple of whom she didn’t. including the brunette on Matty’s arm.

Phoebe Bridgers x 1975 collab? Lead Singer of Indie Band Matty Healey and 'Punisher' Singer On Double Date in LA

Amelia set her phone down, clutching her waist as she felt an impossibly tight knot twist in her stomach. It felt like her heart had been physically stabbed.

#matty healy x y/n #matty healy x reader #matty healy fanfiction #matty healy fanfic #matty healy x you #matty healy x oc #matty healy smut #matty healy fluff #matty healy angst

[artist-issues]

How to Stick to the Point About Rachel Zegler and Snow White

"Rachel Zegler is just an actress doing her job, Disney is the one to blame for the Snow White changes!"

Just because she didn't write the changes doesn't mean she's not responsible for the words that come out of her mouth and the tone in which she says them. If anything, her skills as an actor, which usually include control over intonation, make her even more responsible for tone and attitude, not less.

Disney didn't write her a script for her interviews that said "now include a childhood memory that insinuates a negative opinion of the original Snow White!"

If you want to make it about how well she's doing at her "job..." She's not being professional: if her goal is to promote the new movie, alienating fans of the original is the worst way to accomplish that goal.

"Why are you attacking her just because she doesn't like the original? Lots of people don't like the original!"

The problem isn't that she doesn't like the original. Harrison Ford didn't like Han Solo, and he did a great job playing Han Solo anyway: because he understood the character, even if he didn't like him. Zegler is demonstrating that she doesn't understand the original movie, and doesn't like it based on that misunderstanding.

"You're just criticizing her because you're racist!"

Not really, because the point of Snow White as a character is pure love and pure innocence: and that point has been retold across all cultures. Rachel Zegler's skin color takes very little away from the role: it has nothing to do with her comments. Why are you making everything about a person's race? Kind of racist of you.

"You're just criticizing her because you hate women!"

If I hate women, why am I defending one of the greatest female characters of all time?

"Snow White is a movie where the Prince has to save Snow who does nothing but sing and dream of being rescued. It SHOULD get an update!! You're just worshipping the old one because you hate empowered women."

You don't understand the original movie. Snow White is a movie where the main character has faith that pure, innocent love will find her even when the odds are impossible.

She is the only character in the movie, contrasted with Grumpy and the Queen, who is genuine and doesn't hide what she is, because she's not afraid. She has several lines in the movie pointing that superpower-of-character-strength out. The Queen is afraid everyone will see how ugly she is in the inside if she's not Fairest of All. Grumpy is afraid his tender heart will lead to heartbreak so he hides it with grumpiness. Snow White hides nothing. She's the strongest character in the movie for that reason.

Again: Snow White IS an empowered woman: she's empowered with strength of character that can't be broken or twisted by circumstances even as a child. My definition of power is just different (and truer, and more powerful) than yours.

The Prince has two scenes: one where he falls in love with Snow White and promises to give her his heart in one meeting because that's how amazing she is, and the other where he fulfills that promise. His "effect" of waking her up wouldn't have happened without her "cause" of being a worthy enough woman to love.

They're not just "reimagining" the old version: they're replacing it. They're claiming to fix what's "broken" about the original. Therefore attacks on this movie are not attacks against the patriarchy or attacks against bigotry: they're attacks against the previous VALUES of faith, innocence, and the worthiness of pure love. Love that doesn't have to fight because it's powerful enough on its own. Faith that isn't corroded by circumstances. Innocence that doesn't turn bitter and inspires others. That's what they're saying is "broke" and trying to fix.

Do not let people derail the actual argument. Stories matter because they represent values. Values shape a culture. Rachel Zegler isn't a target: she's an example of what's happening in the culture, and makes a good entryway into talking about it. Don't get it twisted.

#Snow White #Snow White and the seven dwarfs #Snow White 2024 #Snow White and the seven dwarfs 1937 #Rachel Zegler #Rachel Zegler defense #Rachel Zegler hate #Greta gerwig #gal gadot #Walt Disney #Disney #Disney live action remakes #discourse #meta #culture #pop culture discourse #pop culture #celebrities

[hyperactivewhore]

I never thought about it before, but now that the idea is in front of me, I think Klena would have been absolutely WILD had it happened, and it would have made a lot sense for Klaus's character. He's been waiting for a thousand years to break this curse, and suddenly Elena comes, and easily gives him everything he's wanted, she doesn’t die like Tatia, she doesn’t run like Katherine, and she's also the key to making his hybrids. I also think Elena could have been a compelling character had the writers treated her as one. She is smart, she has daggersd two Originals after all, I think she could have empowered Klaus in ways that others maybe couldn't, because he can't kill her since he needs her, and while she's physically not strong, she can be pretty manipulative sometimes. It would have been INSANE if they had a thing, they would have been absolutely toxic but a great dynamic for a show like the vampire diaries.

I like toxic ships, I won't lie, but only if they're well executed, have a solid reason as to why the people dating even got interested in each other (this is why I like klaurora and enjoy the dynamic delena has, but don't like klaroline or bonkai) and I do feel Elena and Klaus would fall into this category. They had potential for a relationship, just not a healthy one.

Don't bring up that it would be ooc for Elena to fall in love with Klaus after he murdered Jenna: she's married to Damon, who raped her best friend and who literally killed her brother, so let's skip this unneeded discussion, because tvdu writers are always retconning their characters for ships/the narrative. I've talked and recommended her fanfic a thousand times, but Fairytale Ending by @livlepretre really, really touches what I think would be canon klena. They're toxic, screwed up and yet they love each other in their own fucked up way. It's so good written too, and it makes Klaus look even more fucked up than in canon which I just love.

Despite how tvd made her look, Elena is clever and resourceful and she also looks like Tatia, who was Klaus’s first heartbreak, and knowing how obsessive and screwed up he is with the women he loves romantically it's strange he didn't try to do anything physical or romantic with her. Just imagine Klaus and Elijah repeating history with Elena by falling in love with her, just because she shares the face of the two women they both wanted at one point. It would be so twisted yet such an interesting dynamic to watch, at least for me.

It obviously wouldn't be healthy, but it would be so ironic to have Klaus falling for the girl he's supposed to kill. If they had met in different circumstances, then maybe they wouldn't be as toxic, but I do get the appeal of klena and why people ship them.

And personally, ships where the other person stresses the fuck out of Klaus will always be my favorite.

#klaus mikaelson #elena gilbert #klena #klaus x elena #elijah mikaelson #katherine pierce #tatia petrova #the vampire diaries #the originals #tvd #to

[lychee-angelica]

astrology observations p3 📑🤍

these are just my personal observations, if it doesn’t resonate please let it go 🌬

hello angels, tysm for seven hundred followers x i deeply appreciate the support, having this space to be able to share with you all my practice is a blessing from you all ♥︎₊˚ here are some observations i scrapped up from my drafts hehe x

part one // part two *ੈ🐾‧₊˚

mercury-kirittka can make people very forthright, argumentative, outspoken or just very critically minded. these people may speak harshly in general, even in a humorous//witty way (honestly this is a quite general mercury-aries trait hehe)

venus-uttarabhadrapada these people tend to detest superficialities in love//relationships, they yearn for depth & realness. they are in general quite passive//soft lovers but on the inside they are deeply passionate//intense//wise leading them to wish ‘burning’ to all that is not ‘pure love’ 

mars-jyeshta can make one highly driven by some sort of depravity they may feel internally. jyeshta is all about rising from the depths of states of starvation//poverty therefore, there is great need for these people to achieve//reach great heights. the types to be motivated//fuelled by jealousy or any negative feeling, turning it into a virtue

mars-jupiter these people may have very strong opinions. tendency to be forthright & independent in one’s thoughts, ideas & opinions. one may encounter controversy due to their ideologies aswell. one may have a distaste for blindly following movements & may also love to debate issues//topics

rahu-jupiter intelligent & knowledgeable although may create a rebellious streak in a person, someone who may defy or challenge their teachers. could make someone really lucky with technology, they may often come really close to breaking a device or computer but somehow not. another observation is that these people may gravitate toward cultures//religions that are foreign to them

venus-mars these people are highly passionate, they are both romantically & sexually attractive especially to the opposite sex no matter how they look. there is this carnal sexual appeal about these people that others can sense

earth dominant people with their big three in earth signs tend to be very grounded in reality, they are practical & realistic. they are the types that may seem to have ‘dry’ or rigid personalities & may tend to rely heavily on matter of fact thinking (capricorn is the most dry of all earth signs)

lilith-1st house//ascendant a major theme i notice in these women specifically, is that they are driven to liberate raw femininity in a way that is empowering & transformational to say the least. these women are prone to objectification causing difficult lessons to be learnt, although, these women have the ability to truly transform their femininity into something liberating & powerful. natives tend to exude an unwavering allure & confidence through their bodies & sexual expression

shatabhisha-ascendent i noticed that many first impression of these people is that others think that they are high//intoxicated even when they are sober, this is due there delusive characters, others may get the impression that these people are not ‘all there’ or that they are hiding something. these people are also pretty introverted//reserved due to shatabhisha representing things that are hidden//underworld

mercury-sun these people radiate an intelligent ego & in most cases they certainly are. it is some what an important part of their identity is to be intellectually capable & respected//gives them purpose in their life.

mercury-gemini despite being a strong placement for mercury, giving high intelligence & inquisitive nature, i really suspect this placement to result in anxiety//nervousness. due to mercury ruling the nervous system & the unstable nature of mutable signs

mercury-revati i notice that these people communicate in a very poetic way, i had a friend with this placement who would write poems to me & speak in a very soft//ethereal manner

ashlesha nakshatra these women radiate femme fatale vibes more than any nakshatra. these women are intense, mystifying & seductive. these are the types who are charming//cunning and can easily manipulate//hypnotise others. these women are the most likely to lust for luxury//money and may use their qualities of beauty & intelligence to obtain their desires

#vedic astrology #astrology #astrology observations #jyotish #sidereal astrology #vedic #nakshatras

[feminismisstillahatemovement]

One of the most well-established patterns in measuring public opinion is that every generation tends to move as one in terms of its politics and general ideology. Its members share the same formative experiences, reach life’s big milestones at the same time and intermingle in the same spaces. So how should we make sense of reports that Gen Z is hyper-progressive on certain issues, but surprisingly conservative on others?

The answer, in the words of Alice Evans, a visiting fellow at Stanford University and one of the leading researchers on the topic, is that today’s under-thirties are undergoing a great gender divergence, with young women in the former camp and young men the latter. Gen Z is two generations, not one.

In countries on every continent, an ideological gap has opened up between young men and women. Tens of millions of people who occupy the same cities, workplaces, classrooms and even homes no longer see eye-to-eye.

In the US, Gallup data shows that after decades where the sexes were each spread roughly equally across liberal and conservative world views, women aged 18 to 30 are now 30 percentage points more liberal than their male contemporaries. That gap took just six years to open up.

Germany also now shows a 30-point gap between increasingly conservative young men and progressive female contemporaries, and in the UK the gap is 25 points. In Poland last year, almost half of men aged 18-21 backed the hard-right Confederation party, compared to just a sixth of young women of the same age.

Outside the west, there are even more stark divisions. In South Korea there is now a yawning chasm between young men and women, and it’s a similar situation in China. In Africa, Tunisia shows the same pattern. Notably, in every country this dramatic split is either exclusive to the younger generation or far more pronounced there than among men and women in their thirties and upwards.

The #MeToo movement was the key trigger, giving rise to fiercely feminist values among young women who felt empowered to speak out against long-running injustices. That spark found especially dry tinder in South Korea, where gender inequality remains stark, and outright misogyny is common.

In the country’s 2022 presidential election, while older men and women voted in lockstep, young men swung heavily behind the right-wing People Power party, and young women backed the liberal Democratic party in almost equal and opposite numbers.

Korea’s is an extreme situation, but it serves as a warning to other countries of what can happen when young men and women part ways. Its society is riven in two. Its marriage rate has plummeted, and birth rate has fallen precipitously, dropping to 0.78 births per woman in 2022, the lowest of any country in the world.

Seven years on from the initial #MeToo explosion, the gender divergence in attitudes has become self-sustaining. Survey data show that in many countries the ideological differences now extend beyond this issue. The clear progressive-vs-conservative divide on sexual harassment appears to have caused — or at least is part of — a broader realignment of young men and women into conservative and liberal camps respectively on other issues.

In the US, UK and Germany, young women now take far more liberal positions on immigration and racial justice than young men, while older age groups remain evenly matched. The trend in most countries has been one of women shifting left while men stand still, but there are signs that young men are actively moving to the right in Germany, where today’s under-30s are more opposed to immigration than their elders, and have shifted towards the far-right AfD in recent years.

It would be easy to say this is all a phase that will pass, but the ideology gaps are only growing, and data shows that people’s formative political experiences are hard to shake off. All of this is exacerbated by the fact that the proliferation of smartphones and social media mean that young men and women now increasingly inhabit separate spaces and experience separate cultures.

Too often young people’s views are overlooked owing to their low rates of political participation, but this shift could leave ripples for generations to come, impacting far more than vote counts.

[source]

#gender #politics

[robogart]

Shadowheart's high pitched voice is actually really empowering to me as someone with a high pitched voice... :T thanks for perpetuating the idea that women sound "childlike" for that. I had to unfollow for how rude you've been about this character, why totally redesign her if you despise her so? Cannot imagine spending so much energy on something you don't like. If I don't like a character I just don't draw them at all, it's really that simple. Why spread so much negativity? You could have gone about this in a better way if you really wanted to redesign her, coming in with this like "I fixed her" attitude is extremely off-putting.

First off, that's great that you find Shadowheart and her voice empowering to you. Having a higher pitched voice on its own isn't childlike to me and, if I'm thinking of the post where you're getting this from, I just said that her voice sounds very young, I didn't reference it's pitch at all.

And I don't think the actual pitch of her voice is particularly high either - I just think she sounds very youthful and her character has a sort of youthful arrogance that feels very "teenage" in its delivery. And it's this delivery that, when coupled with her design and her writing, I find perpetuates a women character trope I personally dislike. This trope of eternal feminine youthfulness and, especially when paired with this amnesiac/brainwash characteristic, a sort of "born sexy yesterday" feeling to her that is already so prevalent with SO many "strong young women" characters in media. I just don't particularly like constantly seeing it. It's a preference and it's not for me - especially with how it's treated here, which doesn't seem to add anything different to this type of storyline. I wish it was handled differently in the writing.

Regardless, you're completely missing the point with this Shadowheart drawing. As you feel empowered with hearing the voice acting from this character, I feel empowered drawing/reimagining characters as fat. There is close to zero representation of fat characters in media who are being portrayed as strong, interesting, beautiful, and desirable characters - especially as part of the main cast. The representation for characters like Shadowheart is plentiful in media spaces, oversaturated even, and if I can draw characters like her in designs - in this case, where they are literally completely the same except they are fat - then I'm going to do it. Because doing this makes me feel - what you called "negativity" - nothing but joy. I feel immense joy reimagining characters as fat. It makes me feel seen, and that gives me joy. It makes others feel seen, and that gives me joy. It brings in people who are excited and love to see change and different bodies in these spaces, and that brings joy.

Me critiquing this game is not me despising it, far from it actually. If anything I'm enthusiastically frustrated. The reason I am so impassioned with this game is because I enjoy so many aspects of it and see so much potential for ways that I would love to see it improved. This is something that I, and many others, enjoy doing. It's fun to think about, it moves your brain around - it's called critically consuming something, not hating it. There's a difference.

It's probably for the best that you unfollowed because this doesn't sound like a space for you at all. I'm glad to be off-putting in these situations because I will stand for what I want to see more of - respectful depictions of fat people in media - and I will continue to do so.

#bg3 response

[sgiandubh]

Do you think he does different types of promo to attract all the different crowds?

Dear Promo Anon,

Not only I think he does that, I also happen to think he (or anyone seriously hoping to sell anything other than snake oil) should do exactly that.

The problem is not the logical correlation between what you want to sell and the people to whom you want to sell it. The first problem is the lack of balance between your way of interacting with your different target groups, which could lead to a very fuzzy brand image. Both of your products and of yourself, who are their creator and main promoter.

Promoting a brand without a clear set of main ideas and values is very likely to have a negative impact on your sales. Show them biceps, sea, sex (?) and sun galore is all fine and dandy for the younger crowd (and the LGBT+ one, btw). But showing at the same time that you can be a gentleman (please, for the love of Saruman, get rid of those rings! that woman doesn't know what she's talking about!) should be at least on par with the Lustfest promise you ventilate to your other segment. Possible message being: working hard and playing hard - you can have the best of both worlds (or at least try).

The second problem is that S's brand is.. ehrm... way too personal. Too approachable (I already mentioned the Costco Hugfest) for a rabid fandom. That goes both ways, btw, because many (on both sides of the Great Divide) honestly feel they own a bit of S. At the same time, he is also JAMMF to many people in here, who imagine he has almost superhuman qualities (most probably not the case). That is exhilarating and empowering, until it's not. One or three or twenty faux-pas later, people will feel the savage urge to spit on the idol. A simple matter of collective instinct, but a very tricky situation for S.

The third problem are the side players. I am not talking about AN or CB or TMcG or the Fitness Harem. I am talking about the Trolls, who really don't do him any favor. Nothing worse for his brand potential than lascivious comments - let's suppose you are a major distributor's marketing expert and you land on That Blog, where the owner shares publicly her dream of licking her way from (how was it?) LHR to GLA to the Highlands to the ends of the known Universe, for a chance of God knows what. What would you write in that memo to the CEO? 'Yes, please: immediately place ALL his booze upfront near the cashier, because the man is an idol to a bunch of fifty-something women who dream the impossible dream?' You think I am exaggerating? Try googling for SRH tumblr and see the first results (😱). These people are visible and that visibility directly informs the interaction between SS and its potential business partners. Especially when your Partner Everyday thought blasting a sizeable chunk of OL's Tumblr fandom in Vanity Fair was a clever strategy for The Win - things like this invite (unwanted) attention.

I pleaded for diversification of the marketing strategy and for a more sophisticated approach and I welcome the change, Anon. The only thing I would like you to take home from this very long answer is simple:

Social Media is just Social Media. The glitz, the glam, the superficial stardust, the Truman Show where it never rains.

Real Life is Real Life. We only see glimpses, speculate on it, have a more or less educated guess and if we are lucky enough, some tidbits to chew on.

Progressively, the very unprofessional (bantering) Social Media strategy has been replaced with an account strategy based on product promotion. Convenient, when you do not (for reasons X, Y and Z) want to discuss what you feel is private and likely to remain so, for a while.

That's about it, Anon. If you still have questions, you can always pop in here. I promise I won't charge a retainer, out of my good heart.

#Anon #BoozeWars

[thevagabondexpress]

diagnosing the last hours characters with modern music tastes

Cordelia: I feel like she'd have two modes. The first would be soft, upbeat, folk and country but also piano-based stuff, anything major key and with big sound. Caroline Jones, Ruth B., Noah Kahan. I also thing she'd really like Shakira. That's her kind of day-to-day music, it's what she puts on in the car, around the house, when going for a jog, etc. But she also has a collection of women rap artists of the Megan and OSHUN variety which is what she puts on when she's doing hard workouts/training.

James: I agree that he'd be emo but I don't think he'd actually listen to a lot of "traditional canon" emo music. I think he'd find it too loud and intense in the wrong way. I think he'd prefer shoegaze, a la Radiohead, and bands like Five Three Eyes that are fast but fuzzed out. Generally anything with softer mastering where it sounds great at a lower volume.

Matthew: He'd love disco and neuvo-disco/retro-rock. Gloria Gaynor, Suzanne Somers, MonaLisa Twins, the Lemon Twigs. It's fun and silly and also empowering, besides which I think he'd like the fashion and the sparkle of it all. On his bad days, though, when the depression and/or ptsd and/or temptation to return to the addiction hits hard, what used to be his heavy drinking days, I think he'd fall back on an artist like P!NK or Florence + the Machine. Someone who can speak to the truth of the lowest lows of where he's been and remind him that he doesn't have to go back there, that there are other choices, things to live for. That, with time and effort, it does get better.

Thomas: He dug up the local college student indie rock station and he listens to it religiously. It's a habit he picked up in Madrid, he wanted to listen to Spanish music but didn't know where to look/how to search for it so he acquainted himself with radio and just flipped stations until he found something with a sound he liked. When asked to pick songs individually/curate his own music I think he'd end up falling back on his dad's taste in music: Eric Clapton, Bruce Cockburn, the Stones.

Alastair: I feel like Alastair would have unarguably the vastest taste in music of the lot of them, but also that it would generally run to music from well before his time. His mom has vinyls and cassette tapes from Iran before the Revolution and he's dubbed CDs and MP4's of them so he has his own copies and isn't stealing her. He enjoys listener-supported classical music radio, and also newer instrumental of the Haygood Hardy variety. He likes soft jazz and blues, Mahalia Jackson, Mama Thornton. He would ADORE Nina Simone. I think if I had to give a taste in music from after 1970, I'd say he also probably likes artists like Tracy Chapman and Mint Green that speak to a similar lived experience to his own.

Christopher: On one hand, I don't think he really cares that much about music. On the other hand, I think he would be the type to unapologetically listen to high school concert band music. He got hold of Robert W. Smith's storms series (Into the Storm, The Tempest, The Maelstrom), realized there's a crap ton of pieces in this genre that are Inspired By Science, and now every time Matthew comes down to the basement laboratory he ends up lodging a complaint about the sheer amount of French horn.

Grace: Living with Tatiana I don't think she was really allowed much if any access to music but I imagine she found ways around that anyhow. I think she's the other person who would really enjoy Florence + the Machine. I think most of her music would be older, melancholy women folk singers. Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Claudia Schmidt, the McGarrigle Sisters. I think she'd find them soothing. They'd help her calm down when things get difficult, help her to find beauty in a world that's caused her mostly pain. I think her favorite artist would be Lenka. She's got this kind of upbeat, slightly silly vibe that would make Grace smile but I also think she'd find that songs like "Silhouette" and "Ivory Tower" could speak to her truth when she needs someone to, without getting too deep in and triggering her.

Lucie: She listens to Kpop and movie soundtracks. Also if it's appeared in one of those "badass women" edits over on youtube 100% she has it on her playlist or did at some point.

Jesse: Like Grace, he didn't really have access to music living with Tatiana. Also he was dead for like almost a decade so there's that. He probably mostly listens to whatever Lucie listens to, but I like to think he does experiments like picking a new genre/radio station to listen to every day, trying to figure out what he likes and doesn't like independently of his girlfriend.

Anna: idk. She strikes me as someone who'd like Siouxsie and the Banshees. Also Halsey and Hozier. Maybe bands like Linkin Park and Evanescence—she doesn't say it because she doesn't like being dissed for listening to "old cringe emo" but they got her through gender dysphoria when she was twelve so she knows there's some worth in them.

Charles: He really doesn't listen to music. He listens to NPR or Radio Canada or the British equivalent because it makes him feel up-to-date and liberal but he doesn't actually hear the content, it just goes in one ear and out the other.

@alastairstom @chaosandtwo

#the last hours #cordelia carstairs #james herondale #matthew fairchild #thomas lightwood #alastair carstairs #christopher lightwood #grace blackthorn #lucie herondale #jesse blackthorn #anna lightwood #charles fairchild #i didn't include ari because i don't feel like i know her well enough to say

[insanityclause]

Zawe Ashton got some firsthand Marvel insight when she signed on to play the villain in The Marvels.

Known for films like Velvet Buzzsaw and Mr. Malcolm's List, the British actress is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn, facing off against Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. In EW's new cover story on The Marvels, Ashton explains that she had long hoped to work with director Nia DaCosta and jumped at the chance to suit up as a supervillain.

While preparing for the role, Ashton got some advice from another Marvel villain: her fiancé Tom Hiddleston, who's played trickster god Loki since 2011.

"It led to some incredible conversations about his experience being part of this franchise for over a decade," Ashton, 38, tells EW in an interview conducted prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. "One of the main takeaways from our conversations was: 'What you put into Marvel, you get back.' He said, 'If you go into this with an open heart and a great work ethic and just want to provide an amazing experience for the fans, you'll have an amazing experience on those sets.' He really empowered me in that way."

Ashton says she and Hiddleston often try to keep their work lives separate, but she remembers one particularly fun day when he helped her rehearse a Marvels scene. Afterward, they looked under their kitchen table to see their confused dog, wondering why two terrifying Marvel villains were loudly running lines above him.

Plus, Ashton adds, Hiddleston had some additional pointers for when she got to set.

"He also had some very good practical advice, which was: Make sure you have enough zippers to go to the bathroom in your costume," she says with a laugh. "Which is very good advice, I realize now."

Ashton stars in The Marvels as Dar-Benn, a Kree leader fighting to restore her home after a lengthy civil war. (It's a new, expanded take on the character, who has a minor role in the comics and was originally written as a man.) Ashton trained for weeks, learning to properly wield Dar-Benn's imposing war hammer, and in the film, she clashes with Larson's Captain Marvel, Parris' Monica Rambeau, and Vellani's Ms. Marvel.

"It's this all-female sci-fi extravaganza, with a woman on the other side of the camera," Ashton adds. "I felt very moved, actually, being involved in it. It's not an environment you're often in — a huge-budget movie with all these badass women and Samuel L. Jackson. That just doesn't happen."

The Marvels is in theaters Nov. 10. For more, read EW's full cover story on the film.

[intheholler]

reading an article for a class (appalachian studies) and i kept being reminded of u

https://www.guernicamag.com/lost-in-a-misgendered-appalachia/

[positive] [with no foul intent] [its a good article]

i have read this article a few times since you sent it in and i still don't exactly know how to express my thoughts on it.

first: amen

second: yall literally have no idea how it makes me feel when you say somethin appalachian-related reminded yall of me. for real <3333

third: time to get long winded and sentimental, because i've never considered it this way, but it's so true. when i think of appalachia, i dont think about lifted trucks and gun shows.

i think about my badass grandma who was a fiery divorced, sex-positive, weed smoking, unapologetic feminist in her day and who didn't take no shit from no mountain men.

i think about my gospel loving, soft spoken mama who loudly loved jesus, a woman anyone would write off as an average "southern christian white lady" on the surface. how she didn't bat an eye when i nervously told her i was gay as a preteen. i think about how she hugged me and told me how much she loved me, how not everyone was gonna be nice about it or understand but that i was going to be safe and it was gonna be okay. how when i was a kid she stood up to that fire n brimstone southern baptist preacher and got us the fuck out of there.

i think about one of my best friends in high school, a visibly queer butch lesbian in our tiny bible beating western NC town. how fucking brave and cool she was for being one of maybe three "out" queers at school and so visibly queer at that. i think about how she got married to a pretty girl last year in that same town.

i think about two of my close friends who had to grow up so heartbreakingly fast, a pair of sisters who were at the time so young but selflessly spent their free time caring for their terminally ill mother by themselves up in their lonely holler without ever lodging a complaint

i think about my sister who dropped everything to raise me when she was only 23, breaking her back and making shit work because no one else was gonna make it work for us. i think about how one of my great aunts literally cleaned out her bedroom to furnish mine when she learned i was sleepin on a shitty couch in a cold basement.

i think about my other great aunt who apologizes for absolutely no part of who she was and holds fast to her beliefs no matter what. i think about her filling her house with the warm smell of soup beans and biscuits that were gonna feed the whole family when they come later.

when i think about appalachia, i think about the women in my life. appalachia is divine and it is absolutely divinely feminine. it's the heart of these hills and patriarchy taints it like it does everything fuckin else.

as an aside, i really loved this section here. it was kind of empowering:

Despite our region’s diversity and passionate socialist and pro-union roots, many have bought into the capitalist terms and definitions inflicted upon us. The religiosity of the place exacerbates this messaging, and the prevalence of evangelical Christianity in rural hollers means we often internalize toxic ideas about ourselves. Or perhaps we have simply tired of fighting to be seen. The pressure of religious and economic patriarchy, particularly in an exploited region like this one, means we live inside a perpetually loaded question. Nothing is more exhausting than trying to prove you exist. But the consequences of surrendering are stark: worsening wealth gaps, lost histories, continued erasures of diverse people and ecosystems. To live in Appalachia nowadays is to live with our failure to break down systemic racism, and with our complicity in the abuse of our bodies, labor, and land by unregulated corporations and himbo charlatans.

whew, okay. anyway, thanks for sending this in <33 it really made me think. yall should check it out. it's a long read but its worth every syllable!

#asks #appalachian culture #appalachia #txt