#and instead of attacking other identities you clearly dont understand

[wadebae]

I hate “discourse” but I have something to say. There are still ppl in the year 2020 who think asexuals are “trying to invade” lgbt spaces or some shit and hate us in extremely radicalized and concerning ways, and it’s disgusting. You might not be asexual and you might not care, but there’s a reason why there’s a huge overlap with people who hate aces and people who hate trans women. There’s a reason why people who buy into this can often also spew such radicalized hate speech that they sounds indistinguishable from TERFs, despite perhaps literally being the polar opposite of a TERF.

There’s a reason why there’s been a push to have young lgbt people swallow the propaganda of “queer is a slur” and “don’t trust anyone who calls themselves queer” despite the fact that the same people will often reclaim dyke, fag, or gay as their own proud identities. And there’s nothing wrong with that. My issue lies with the hypocrisy of policing the labels of others.

So why are those slurs ok to reclaim and not queer? Because queer is “too inclusive” and “will allow undesirables into the community.” But Queer was the rallying cry of your own history. It was a reclamation of yes, a slur, used to spit back into the face of heteronormativity and those who violently wanted us dead. It’s been used in popular media - Queer as Folk, Queer Eye - for decades. It’s used in college courses. Queer History. Queer Studies.

Queer is perhaps the one most all-encompassing word, if you don’t want to use an “alphabet soup” of letters for fear of diminishing any one community’s validity to stand alongside one another. But those who hate the word, think that the community should be boiled down to just LGBT as if that’s all we are and all we ever were, when history points to the contrary.

It honestly breaks my heart -- not that one might be offended by the word, because we all have our own experiences of what slurs were used against us personally and which ones we’ll never reclaim. But rather it breaks my heart because there are many, many LGBTQ+ folks who feel that queer is the only one word that can actually describe them without misrepresenting part of their identity. People are complex. We cannot all fit into one or two boxes, nice and neat, no matter how often I’ve wished I could myself because it would be less confusing.

Queer as an identity meant to be all-encompassing, like a verbal blanket that says, yes you do belong even if you don’t have the words yet to describe yourself or never will.

When you tell a stranger, *I* do not identify as queer, therefore *you* are not allowed to use it, you’re not only spitting in their face but also in the faces of people who came before us and paved the way so Pride can be a celebration today instead of a funeral march or a riot. There are people who want Pride to be a riot again but don’t even remember what that means or who started it.

When you push down others who don’t fit nice and neat into just L, G, B, or T, (people who often do identify with one or more of these communities, but who also can only find comfort in additional labels, or god forbid, one nebulous label like ‘queer’ because it’s the only place they truly feel at ease) you’re standing alongside a history of oppressors who said that we are all wrong. Because to people who violently hate us, it doesn’t matter if you’re a lesbian, a gay man, bisexual, trans, pansexual, poly, genderfluid, nonbinary, asexual, aromantic, demi, agender, genderqueer, or whatever words we might have to describe ourselves, if you don’t fit the mold, to them you’re just queer and something to stamp out. They do not care what you are exactly.

I know why people get annoyed. It’s strange to have new labels crop up, especially when they don’t describe you and you’ll never fully understand what it feels like. But just because the words are new (to you) doesn’t mean that what it describes is new. Yes, there are many, many labels and micro-identities. There’s an explosion of young people who feel safe enough to test the waters and see what sticks. If it’s silly, it will fall out of use. If it makes sense, it will endure.

I know why people get scared. The world is full of horrible people, nazis, racists, rapists, pedophiles, trolls who twist our own words against us to try to invalidate our lived experiences. But by lashing out against other LGBTQ+ people, you don’t fight off “the invaders”, you just rip the community into pieces. There are young, questioning, scared kids growing up right now and seeing this shit and being actually damaged by the gatekeeping and toxic behavior aimed within the community. Young people need to know it’s okay to try different labels and it’s okay to not know yet, or to never know.

The community isn’t a castle you can protect. You either are LGBTQ+ or you are not. You cannot know someone else’s mind and feelings and whether they are what they say they are. You can only see their words and actions. Instead of worrying about policing other people’s labels and who is barred from imaginary castles, worry about how people behave towards others. Because I do not care who you are, if you are harassing people, spreading harmful misinformation, making hate speech, or sending threats, you fucking suck and you become part of the problem. No number of labels will protect you from being a shitty human being. You might be “part of the community” but you will never be welcome in my book. That’s how that works.

#queer #is not a slur #lgbtq #history #spicy hot take #exclusionists #if this were 2015 I'd get some angry anons demanding i detail my sexual/romantic history to justify why i belong here #-slurps cold tea- #anyway i just want ppl to get along #and instead of attacking other identities you clearly dont understand #maybe try to be fucking chill #and instead worry about like actual predators and harmful ppl #ok? #oh wait that's right that's why y'all pretend that all aces and trans women are predators #lmfaoooo i'm salty

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Hello 👋🏼, sorry if I’m bothering u but ever since the recent chapters of BNHA I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the Todoroki family. Not many of my friends are into this anime and I just couldn’t stop myself from sharing this with you because I need to let this out.

[SPOILER ALERT 🚨!!! IF U DONT READ THE MANGA THEN U CAN JUST IGNORE THIS]

First of all:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!

(I’m still screaming as I write because the backstories RUINED me.)

Poor Touya having this horrible obsession over heroics and having his father acknowledge him but ever since his quirk started reacting against his body the whole family got negatively affected by it.

Rei and Enji wanted to stop at two kids but with Touya’s sudden disadvantage and the latter’s craving for power, Natsuo and later on Shouto was born (the youngest getting titled as the perfect heir from the moment he was born). I got torn seeing Touya’s eyes succumb to absolute madness at the birth of his younger brothers.

What scared me the most was how when it was just Touya and Fuyumi, the two hardly interacted despite being only a year apart in age. Touya claimed that ‘girls just don’t get it’ this small foreshadowing was later brought to light in the most recent chapter where he once again rejects Fuyumi’s company in favour of ranting to only Natsuo and where he disregards his own mother— another ‘girl’ that doesn’t understand his obsession passion for surpassing All Might and someone who plays along to the acts of those stronger than them. Touya saw his mother as a weak person who had no choice but to marry for the sake of her family and have custom children. Little Touya firmly believed his very existence depended on getting acknowledged my his father and defeating All Might but it sadly didn’t come true😭😭

Also..... LOOK AT THE BABIES!!!! They’re all so CUTE!!!

Chubby Fuyumi!!!

Natsuo with a running nose

And Baby Shouto with a meme like face since the day he was born🤣🤣🤣🤣

So ADORABLE!

And another thing. FUYUMI WAS EVEN YOUNGER THAN I THOUGHT TO HAVE STARTED ACTING LIKE A SECOND MOTHER TO HER BROTHERS!! Look at the way she defended Natsuo when Touya went on a rampage and tried to attack Touya! And during moments when Enji and Rei fought the two most notable heroes were Shouto and Fuyumi; the former fighting on the frontlines to face his father while the latter stood behind to once again care for her remaining family that though weren’t involved in the fight, they still needed emotional support to get through it.😭

I AM SO SORRY TO BE GETTING TO THIS SO LATE ANON BUT I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY!!!

TW: Spoilers, Brief Mention of Child Abuse (Physical, Emotional and Mental), General Fandom Wank

So, like, SO MUCH HAPPENED in those chapters and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALMOST ALL OF IT! There’s obviously all the things you mentioned above that were just amazing to see and learn! I know that a majority of the fandom has been absolutely livid about the reveals involving Touya being drastically different than what fandom thought they were all this time, but I think it honestly highlights how smart Horikoshi’s writing really is.

In Shoto, we see the effects of physical and mental abuse on a child, and how easily he could have ended up going down a troubling road much like Touya. Shoto’s saving grace is facing off against Deku in the Sports Festival, giving him an outside perspective and makes him realize that he can choose to be better, but that doesn’t just magically fix all of Shoto’s problems. Shoto still struggles with his feelings towards his Father and how he is perceived by simply being Endeavor’s son. We see that in the Provisional License Arc, where Shoto is so thoroughly rattled by Inasa. It’s even further pushed through how Shoto struggles with his feelings about Endeavor trying to better and whether or not he should forgive him. I feel like Shoto’s arc is incredibly strong and that his struggles are very realistic, which is why people love him so much. This whole concept is another thing I could rant about but I’m going to leave it here.

Meanwhile, with Touya, we see the effects of mental and emotional abuse on a child and how it can completely destroy them. I think people that act like Horokoshi “down played” and “ret-conned” Endeavor as a character to make him more sympathetic/ redeemable or that he’s simply writing Touya as “always being a bad seed” are missing the mark. This is, admittedly, something you see a lot when it comes to victims of abuse in the real world as well; the idea that if you weren’t physically or sexually abused on top of emotional or mental abuse, your abuse is somehow less “valid.” Now I’ve seen more voices speaking out against this mentality - which is relieving and positive - but it’s still a problem. The way Touya was abused is no less valid or scarring to himself as a person as what Shoto has been through was. Touya and Enji clearly had a deep bond as father and son. Hell, the fact that Enji is sobbing and saying he “can’t fight his own son” in regards to Touya, but clearly had less issue training Shoto until he got ill or passed out says a lot.

Touya was put on an incredibly high pedestal by Enji’s constant praise and attention. He was the apple of his father’s eye until the limitations of his Quirk were discovered. Enji had filled his head with promises and goals for what his future would be, essentially selling him what turned out to be a lie. We see Rei herself tell Enji that Touya “knows you expect something out of the kids.” Touya’s whole life up until that point was being told of all the great he would someday accomplish, and equating that to being deserving of his Father’s love, attention and affection.

And then he couldn’t live up to that expectation. And then his parents had two more kids following that revelation. The idea that Touya doesn’t realize that Natsuo and Shoto were meant to be his replacements - unbroken models that “deserved” Enji’s love - is clearly not missed by him. It’s evident in the way he looks at Natsuo after he’s born. He sees this as a sign that he is no longer deserving - no longer worthy - of love or support from the parent he absolutely adores.

We see this mostly from Enji and Rei’s perspectives, so we know the reasons they did it, but it’s clear they didn’t stop to think about the way this would be interpreted by Touya himself. This whole matter is only worsened by the fact that Enji refuses to make sacrifices for the sake of his oldest son. He pushes Touya to live a life outside of Pro Heroics while Enji himself refuses to do the same, thus setting a positive example and showing solidarity with his son. He instead pushes him away and distances himself, loses himself in focusing on Natuso and, once his Quirk turns out to not be what he wants, Shoto. Touya continues to push himself despite his limits in a desperate bid for Enji to look at him the way he used to; with pride and love. 

What caused the fire that “killed” Touya? His anguish over being neglected and abandoned - left unloved - by his father yet again. It’s clear that Touya’s mental health is in need of some real focus that he has never gotten - due to both his parents negligence as well as the fact that mental health is highly stigmatized in Japanese society - and pairing that with the emotional and mental abuse he suffered at Enji’s hands broke him.

So many people are claiming Horikoshi is trying to make Enji “more redeemable”, but how do you get that? Enji abused Rei, his own wife, physically and emotionally and mentally until she had a psychotic breakdown, hurt their youngest child, and then robbed her the right to mother her children further by having her locked up in a psych ward for the next decade or so; built their oldest son, Touya, up only to then emotionally and mentally abuse him to the point he damn near killed himself in a frantic bid to garner Enji’s support only to return years later completely unhinged and looking to murder his entire family out of spite; neglected Fuyumi and Natsuo to the care of each other and hired help; alienated Shoto, his youngest son, from his siblings for his entire formative years, physically and mentally and emotionally abused him, groomed him to accomplish a task he never wanted, put him through such extensive physical training that Shoto would get sick or pass out.

Enji was a shitty father. He has a long ass road to continue walking if he ever wants redemption. The fact he didn't physically hit Touya doesn’t mean that Enji didn’t abuse his son and it doesn’t make Touya any less of a victim.

* End TodoFam Rant*

On a slightly lighter note, I also like all the information with Hawks’ past and all the parallels we’re seeing develop!

I’ve rambled briefly about this in other places the Huwumi discord but I want to expound upon this a bit more here.

I feel like Touya/ Dabi and Keigo/ Hawks are meant to be parallels to one another.

Back to back, we had proper name claims by these two characters. We had Dabi reveal his true identity as Todoroki Touya and then we have Hawks choosing to abandon his hero name to instead step up to fight as Takami Keigo.

I feel like “Dabi” was always a mask, of sorts. Dabi is typically pretty calm, cool, composed with the occasional bites of snark and cruelty. Meanwhile, we see Touya emoting and moving in a manner more akin to himself as a child, dancing about in manic delight over revealing his true identity and intentions. The pair of them are two drastically different people when you stop and look at it. “Dabi” was the mask he wore to gain ground to enact his revenge, and now that he is there? Now Touya can burn everything tethered to it down to ground.

Meanwhile, we have "Hawks” as he was forced to become as per the Hero Public Safety Commission. We had it revealed quite a while back that Hawks was a man of many faces, jumping from laid-back and chill to serious and focused quite frequently. “Hawks” is the presentation for the public and the Commission, groomed to be the perfect little canary in the mine that was Pro Heroics. The reveal of his true heritage, however, is not the killing blow Touya wanted it to be. Instead, it allows Keigo, the one who wanted to be a Hero to help people, the chance to truly dedicate himself to that. In being freed from the cage of “Hawks”, he is given the change to really soar as Keigo.

Now, I feel that “Dabi” and “Hawks” are most certainly parts of Touya and Keigo as well, respectively. Even though those titles were masks, they were masks made from parts of the men who wear them. I think what we’ll see going forward is the true elements of those masks bleeding back into the whole, and seeing the truest forms of each character.

For better or for worse. 

#crumbles grumbles #half baked headcanons #Wow I haven't busted that tag out in fuckin forever #Might have to do more headcanon posts about BNHA #If any of yall wanna read me ramble about that stuff? #BNHA Spoilers

[snkpolls]

SnK Episode 64 Poll Results (for Anime Only Watchers)

The poll closed with 60 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results for the Anime Only Watchers’ poll. If you wish to see the results for the Manga Readers’ poll, click here.

Anime only watchers, beware of spoilers if you venture over to the manga readers’ poll results.

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RATE THE EPISODE 53 Responses

The poll closed with 54 responses. The overwhelmingly positive response to the season continues, with 97.9% of folks giving it a 4 or higher and not a single person giving a rating less than 3. 

10/10 acting, atmosphere and music

MAPPA couldn't have done a better job. Inhumanely impossible. 20/10.

Just pure hype

Amazing episode, one of the best in the entire series.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING MOMENTS WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 53 Responses

The overwhelming majority of respondents enjoyed the last scene of the episode, with Eren transforming in the basement and assaulting just as Willy formally declares war on Paradis. Behind the climactic moment, the rest of the favored scenes were various moments throughout Eren and Reiner’s conversation prior.

WHICH INTERPRETATION (BY RBA) OF THE OLD MAN’S STORY DO YOU THINK IS CLOSEST TO WHAT THE MAN ACTUALLY THOUGHT? 54 Responses

The Old Man’s story and its motifs have been present all throughout this season, so it’s interesting to see how people see it. When it comes to understanding the Old Man’s thoughts specifically, the plurality (46.3%) agrees with Bertholdt’s interpretation. Others (35.2%) see more to Annie’s idea of the Old Man’s final thoughts. Only 18.5% believe that there’s little use in predicting what’ll never be known.

IN THE SAME VEIN, WHICH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED INTERPRETATION FITS REINER’S STATE OF MIND IN THE BASEMENT SCENE? 54 Responses

In that same vein, the plurality (42.6%) also believes that Reiner wanted to receive judgement, perhaps from Eren. Just a little under 26% believe that in addition to receiving judgement, Reiner also wants to receive forgiveness. Few believe Reiner solely wants forgiveness. Finally, a little under 15% simply aren’t sure what Reiner wants. 

He just cant take it anymore, he wanna die. If he stays alive he will become the reason of death of more people which he doesnt want

He wants it to be over 

He wants to be killed as an atonement because he can’t live with his contradictory feelings about what he’s done

He wants what happens after someone is judged- to be sentenced. Reiner already judged himself.

I dont care

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET A HUG FROM PIECK? 54 Responses

An incredibly serious question with a lopsided result. Just under 69% would like to receive a hug from Pieck, in contrast to 13% who’d rather not. 18.5% don’t really care about stuff like this. 

DO YOU THINK HELOS ACTUALLY EXISTED? 53 Responses

The majority (little under 53%) believe Helos was a complete fabrication, down to his very existence. Some others (18.9%) think he existed, but wasn’t anybody special or (13.2%) think he existed and was actually involved with ending the Great Titan War. A bit over 15% just don’t care.

“I’M THE SAME AS YOU.” EREN SAID THIS TO REINER A FEW TIMES IN THE EPISODE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? DO YOU THINK EITHER OF THEM HARBOR A GRUDGE AGAINST THE OTHER? 29 Responses

One of the episode’s focuses was the meeting between Eren and Reiner, in addition to their general relationship. Here’s what a few people thought about the central motif of the meeting: 

At this point Eren's attitude is all like "It's nothing personal." 

Eren is in the same state of mind like reiner, he wanted to become the hero, yet he became a villan in the enemy's eyes

I think Eren's right. They're the same, and S1 and S4 parallel their actions in multiple ways. I honestly don't think Eren has any kind of grudge against Reiner anymore. I think he's moved on from his hatred and is just doing what he thinks he has to. And Reiner just seems ready to die so he doesn't have any kind of grudge either.

I think Eren is definitely holding a grudge, it’s not like him not too. 

Hell no, Reiner is an irredeemable monster. Based on the preview for the next episode, whatever Eren does from here on out is justified.

If Eren kills someone dear to Reiner, maybe Reiner will hold a grudge against Eren, otherwise they understand each other reasons.

I think they recognise each other’s efforts to protect their homelands (even if it means destruction) and their determination to do so, and that they have the same motivations and values. i think they don’t have a grudge against each other because they are able to see they are similar people who have just been placed on opposing sides, and that it is nothing more than their duties to bring down the enemy, but at heart, they hold the same values and morals.

I think it mainly shows how Eren has matured over the last few years. He knows Reiner’s intentions now, and he can admit that the two of them are similar without lashing out at him immediately and labeling him as a completely evil man (like he used to). I think Eren might still have some harsh feelings towards Reiner, but it definitely doesn’t seem like it’s his priority right now. Reiner doesn’t clearly display that he has a huge grudge against Eren (though I bet he still isn’t very fond of Eren). More than anything, Reiner seems to be struggling with his thoughts about his time in Paradis. It seems like he can’t accept the fact that Paradis Eldians are not all devils; he may be struggling to suppress this new perspective, and he forces himself to commit to his “honorary Marleyan identity” instead. Thus, I don’t think Reiner hates Eren as much as he used to, as he seems to be showing slight signs of sympathy towards the Paradis Eldians.

No Eren is now a grown ass adult when je was making his decision. Reiner was a kid he was like 11? 12? He didn't know he was an indoctrinated child and he suffered all his life for that. Eren isn't at all the same as Reiner. 

I feel like that emphasizes that the people of Marley and Eldia are no different from each other, just that they are on different sides. I do not think Eren and Reiner harbor a grudge against each other.

They’re both pretty fucking broken. I don’t think Eren or Reiner hate each other because Eren said “if it’s to save the world, then you didn’t have much of a choice.” But I also think part of Reiner wants Eren to hate him because he hates himself so much.

i think the old eren would hate him but it’s been 4 years and now i think he has realized that they are in fact very similar. i feel it is very interesting what happened but i think there would still be a minor grudge against each other

They both have the same purpose but different paths, to protect their loved ones from a threat. Since it's not really a personal issue but a bigger picture I don't think they resent each other, it's just a coincidence how they both ended up against each other.

DO YOU THINK THAT EREN AND REINER ARE EFFECTIVE FOILS TO EACH OTHER? 52 Responses

The vast majority (88.4%) seem to agree with the notion of Reiner being a foil to Eren, be it a complete or partial foil. 9.6% dissent and argue that there’s no comparison.

LADY KIYOMI OF THE AZUMABITO CLAN SEEMED TO NOT STICK AROUND FOR TYBUR’S THEATER PRODUCTION. WHY? 52 Responses

An interesting development came in Episode 5 in the form of Lady Kiyomi of the Azumabito leaving Tybur’s Play before it started. The majority (just under 52%) thought it meant that she had ties to Eren and/or the SC. A large minority (34.6%) on the other believe that although she somehow found out about the attack beforehand, she has no ties to Eren. Some others were either already spoiled, believe she got lucky or think she had her own plans of assaulting Tybur during the play.

MR. LEONHART SEEMED ADAMANT THAT ANNIE IS STILL ALIVE AND WILL COME BACK HOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 53 Responses

When it comes to Mr. Leonhart’s appearance and his convictions, the vast majority (83%) believe that Annie is alive. The major division comes about whether Annie will be able to reunite with her father or not. Some others believe that Annie is neither dead nor alive and is more permanently stuck in her crystalline state. Only one person believes she is simply dead and that’s that.

REINER IS SHOCKED BY EREN’S PRESENCE ON THE MAINLAND. WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST WAY YOU COULD ENVISION EREN GETTING ACROSS THE SEA? 52 Responses

A bit of a less serious question came out here. How could Eren get across the sea in a less serious manner? Some thought him walking on water would be rather amusing, others believed piggy-backing on Armin’s Colossal Titan would be most humorous. Other options included free-styling across the sea or kayaking. 

A ship? Maybe one of those Marley sent to Paradis in the last four years?

bOAT

Had armin yeet him across 

He rode on David Hasselhoff

Used one of the Marleyan ships that was sent to Paradis to go to Marley

WHO IS THAT LANKY SOLDIER WHO TRAPPED PIECK AND PORCO IN THE HOLE? 53 Responses

A plurality (45.3%) believes the lanky soldier who trapped Pieck and Porco is someone we already know. Though a little under 23% think that it’s actually a new character only Pieck knows. In a similar vein, 13.2% think that it’s a new character from the SC. 17% appear to have been spoiled, however.

MAGATH ASKS, “HAS IT BEGUN?” WHEN HE LEARNS THE WARRIORS HAVE GONE MISSING. WHAT “IT” IS MAGATH TALKING ABOUT? 51 Responses

Just shy of 50% think that Magath was already aware of Eren and/or SC’s presence in Marley when noting that “it” has already begun. Others believe that he either had some other plan created in conjunction with Willy or was waiting on an attack from the nation of Hizuru. A little under 20% just aren’t sure. 

He was anticipating enemy attack

DO YOU THINK WILLY WAS TRUTHFUL WHEN REVEALING THE “TRUTH” TO THE WORLD? 51 Responses

When it comes to Willy revealing the “truth” to the world, the vast majority (72.5%) believe that Lord Tybur was largely truthful when it came to dropping bombshells, but also made sure to twist certain things to get a favorable narrative. Some others think that he was either completely or only partially truthful.

WILLY ACCUSES EREN OF WANTING TO UNLEASH THE COLOSSAL TITANS UPON THE WORLD. DO YOU THINK HE IS JUST DEMONIZING HIM TO GET THE WORLD TO ATTACK PARADIS, OR DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING EREN IS CAPABLE OF DOING? 51 Responses

A rather noted accusation from Willy rained down upon Eren in this episode. And as a result, we gained a rather colorful pie chart to boot. In it, a slight plurality (23.5%) seemed to believe Tybur’s accusation when it came to discerning Eren’s future plans. Slightly less (19.6%) thought that Tybur was making up BS about Yeagerboy. The same percentage (19.6%) took a middle group, arguing that although Tybur actually believes this is Eren’s plan, Eren actually wants something different. Some others simply note that Eren couldn’t do that dastardly act, even if he wanted to due to lack of royal blood. 21.6% were spoiled about the story’s future. 

Pretty sure Eren wants to kill every last person outside of Paradis and is going to use Zeke’s royal blood to do so, but I think Zeke will be tricked or forced into it sonehow

ON A SCALE OF 1-5, HOW BADLY DO YOU FEEL FOR FALCO ABOUT THE WHOLE LETTER FIASCO? 52 Responses

When it comes to Falco and the whole letter fiasco, there is much sympathy for the boy. More than half gave a rating of either 4 or 5 and only 13.5% gave a rating of either 2 or 1. In conclusion, Eren is a mean poopy-head!

EREN TOLD FALCO LAST EPISODE THAT HE HOPED FALCO WOULD LIVE A LONG LIFE. YET HE TRANSFORMED ON TOP OF HIM IN THIS EPISODE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 52 Responses

Staying on the topic of Falco, and Eren’s actions being contradictory to his words, almost 56% believe that although Eren was honest with his words in regards to Falco’s future, he had no qualms about letting that get in the way of his plans. A noted minority (28.8%) think that Eren hoped Reiner would protect the young boy. A small percentage also thought that Eren was simply lying to Falco.

DID YOU EXPECT EREN TO TRANSFORM ON TOP OF REINER AFTER HIS SPEECH ABOUT THEIR SIMILARITIES? 51 Responses

When it came to the episode’s ending, the majority seemed to expect Eren’s transformation, be it because of spoilers or own predictions (58.8%). A noted minority (41.2%) did not expect it, however, predicting either a recruitment attempt from Eren or something else entirely.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

I loved the music. It made all so tense my heart was beating like crazy.

WILD AND AN EMOTIONAL ROLLARCOASTER

As an anime only, i think that the choice of ost in this episode was beyond good. I don't see why people are complaining about the ost. For me it was perfect because Eren's transformation was like a sudden turn and 2Volts is perfect for that just like when they reveal the owl as the Attack titan. Wayyy better that YSBG or any ost that these manga readers were hoping it to be. Mappa and the production crew doesn't deserve any of these hate. Done ranting fgs.

Grim Reminder 2.0, but with Marley and the Warriors finally getting what they deserve for what they've done? I'm DOWN for that!

I’m wondering whether Historia is still Queen and how much character development she had gone through as a monarch during war

The people who complain about the music choices of the directors are just pure titan idiots

Assuming he lives through this battle, I think Falco is going to be one of the main characters in season 4. He has been telling himself that he “does not want to fight anymore” and he was probably influenced by what Eren (Mr. Kruger) had said to him on the bench. I can see Falco maybe rebelling against Marley in the future, but for now he’s clearly still devoted to Marley. Overall, I loved this episode, and season 4 is finally picking up with the action. I was looking forward to seeing our protagonists (Eren and the Scouts) again, and I thought it was interesting how Eren seemed much more mature, yet still somewhat insane in this episode. I am very excited to see the next episode, particularly to see the rest of the Scouts and to see what happens in the “war” Eren starts. I am also curious to see if anyone from any other nations decide to side with the Eldians, or if all of them simply believe Willy and hate the Paradis Eldians too.

manga readers really need to shut up and put bigger spoiler warnings 😐 loved the episode despite getting spoiled.

It was one of the best episodes of AOT I have seen, I truly don’t understand why or how people could complain about it. I’ve seen the posts about the soundtrack not fitting the episode but I honestly do not agree. The whole episode was perfectly directed and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. 

Ost's totally fine, so is the CG. I think most are too invested in the episode to give a fuck except Manga readers. 

I wish the Paradisians would have found another way to achieve their objectives instead of killing innocent civilians, like maybe targeted attacks on key military targets, or demonstrations of strength or public information campaigns to dissuade Marleyans and other people from wanting to go to war against them.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 48 Responses

Thanks again to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again next episode!

#snk poll #snk polls #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #snk #aot #snk spoilers #snk s4

[thatyanderecritic]

i really like the yandere dynamic but i dont openly post or reblog about it anymore cuz i've had people give me a hard time over it being problematic. and i get told im terrible, get called a freak... idk. do you have any advice for dealing with this...?

Hey anon, sorry for not getting to you sooner. We have a lot of questioned queued up to be answered but I decided to put you first since this is a pretty big issue. 

To be a yandere fan, we’re in a rather precarious position. Like any fandom, we are plagued with bad apples that end up painting the community’s face as a whole. You know the type of bad apples that all fandoms have: the overzealous stans that either attack those outside the community for not sharing a view or catering to our fandom. We also suffer from infighting/bullying between yandere fans because not everyone shares the same views on what a yandere is or even for something as stupid as a yandere headcanon for a character that never was a yandere, to begin with. But unlike most fandoms, the works that we support tend to go against us at times. That is to say... since we��re a bit of an under “funded” (e.g. don’t have enough yandere media. Especially for male yanderes) fandom, people tend to quickly put CrAzY characters on a pedestal without question. And this hurts our credibility, ALOT.  Having group within the fandom worshipping some non-yandere, psychotic girl as a yandere just because she’s kawaii while the more “sane” fans try to explain, “No, we swear yandere’s aren’t like that” doesn’t look good for our case. 

Is there anything we can do about people attacking us for our preference? Not exactly, I’m sorry to say. The moment humans gained self-awareness and free will, universal mental unity became a myth. There will always be a disconnect, even on concepts that all humans should be in agreement on. Would you believe me if I say that some people don’t believe that people should be allowed to have a livable wage? Of course, people will have their reasons as to why they think a certain way regardless if it sounds logical or not. Just because they have a reason doesn’t mean it’s reasonable but in a world where emotions is king, logical will never win.

People who attack you for liking yanderes most likely were victims of abuse and went through some sort of trauma that yanderes are usually identified/linked with. If they weren’t direct victims then they know someone who is a victim. And if it isn’t either of these two, then they’re most likely a bleeding heart with a “higher than thou” sense of morality. Regardless of the reasoning, they all have their hearts in the right places but rigid in their perspective of the world. Already, the decision is cemented and may never change. To most, we’re as egregious as pedophiles and incest-lovers just because we like villains. After all: “How in the world could anyone remotely ‘like’ such awful people?! Clearly, there is something wrong with THEM.” Of course, we have our reasons for liking yanderes but most people close their ears and eyes since they already judged us based on our interest. For those who were victims of abuse or know someone, I understand that they’re reaching out to attack those who seem to defend characters that may or may not be similar to their assailant/abuser. They attack, they defend invisible victims, and in a way, looking for purpose... looking at how they can turn their trauma into a positive. But most of the time, they overstep their boundaries and try to enforce their authority in something they don’t understand. 

The only way we can approach these types of people is to send an open invitation for a diplomatic talk in trying to reach a middle ground. While a change of opinion would be nice, it would be nearly impossible since a lot of people are grounded in their personal moral compass. If they are open for a conversation, then all hope is not lost. Ideally, if a conversation is open then the most important thing is to validate their emotions invested in this situation. 9 out of time 10, people are stubborn in an argument because they feel like they’re getting personally targeted either by their identity, their pride, or their emotions. Therefore, they double down and become louder in their argument, not because of their view but because they believe they are defending themselves. From there, once the other recognize that you aren’t attacking them, you shift the conversation onto yourself and point out how they were making you feel the same away but they were actively attacking you; not only that, treating you as less than human just because you prefer villainous FICTIONAL characters. Ideally, at this point, the other recognizes their hypocrisy and you both agree in staying in your own lanes. If by some miracle they’re open of a different perspective, then you’re given a platform to say why you like yanderes... typical reasons being the idea of unconditional love or coping. 

But this is all hypothetical and the most desirable outcome. But more than often, people are more than comfortable at screaming at you every time you try to open your mouth... most likely something they learned because someone shut them down in such a way. Not only that, they most likely formed their own counter-arguments already since a lot of yandere fans have the same reasons as to why they like yanderes: unconditional love or coping. The counter-argument can usually be boiled down to two reasons: unethical and risking future victims seeking a “yandere” partner. Ethicality... this is a low hanging fruit to argue. Everyone (well the majority of people, again it’s universally impossible to be on the same page) would agree that it’s bad to stalk a person. Even a yandere fan would say never to stalk a person IRL. But because of this, they think they got you in an “ethical checkmate”. It’s a cheap argument and they’re just trying to make you feel like a monster for your preferences in fictional characters. Funny enough, this is a tactic that abusers would use to shame their victim into compliance... hm...

The second counter-argument people use is “think of the youths!” Let’s be real... it’s scientifically proven that kids and teens are easily impressionable because of their underdeveloped brains and lack of experience. Not only the concerns of the younger members of society, they fear that by allowing us to enjoy our media, we are “normalizing” abusive relationships in society. Considering the state of the United State’s government, I understand where the fear is coming from. But they’re barking up the wrong tree and especially using the wrong method in preventing this dystopian future. I always see these people bring up the ‘Jaws’ case as to why there should be no yanderes and no support for them. You know, the case where there was a sudden increase in shark hunting due to public fear which pushed certain shark species into endangerment. It’s always this argument, I swear... anyways, they always toss this without never diving in deeper as to why this happened. 

Before Jaws, people didn’t know anything about sharks in general. There just wasn’t any interest in sharks because we humans just didn’t find time interesting at the time. They were there and we can’t really eat sharks. But, there were already tales about sharks being “man-eaters” from those stranded out at sea or curious citizens. The stereotype was already there. But Jaws brought sharks to the forefront of public scrutiny and shark hunting competitions came up because “what’s the harm? Sharks are man-eaters”. This dropped the shark population, but because of this there was an interest in sharks, funding to research them suddenly increased. Scientist turned their attention on sharks while later on fed to informing the public, making them educated and less scared of shark attacks. Jaws came out in 1975... Shark Week on the discovery channel came out in 1988... there’s a reason, folks. People became interested in sharks. Yes, Jaws hurt the shark population but it’s slowly been going up. Damage takes time to repair. But it also brought about awareness. While the stereotype isn’t dead (that’s just humans at this point and it’s always been a stereotype ever since man was on a boat), it opened a conversation. And that’s the key point here. (Here’s a link. But you can go even further if you research)

Abusive relationships, manipulative people, toxic actions... these are nothing new. “Getting rid” of yandere fans will not solve this issue, just like telling your kid “there are kids starving in Africa” will not end world hunger. For the Jaws example, I point to the argument that politicians make about how video games create violent people. We know that it’s nonsense, you know it’s nonsense. But there is a fear of the “unknown”. People back then thought that cartoons like Tom and Jerry would cause kids to grow up violent. And even further back, people thought that reading books created lazy people. The fear on what’s on TV is a fear people had since the beginning of time. People aren’t as soft as they believe they are but they can lack information... Instead of shutting down people and censor what goes on TV, use it as a stepping stone for the bigger conversation. It’s a lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown that killed the sharks but it is knowledge that is now protecting them. 

This is especially important for our younger peers. Raise of hands, who actually changed their minds as a teenager after someone called you stupid or told you “no” with giving a logical reason besides “because I say so.” I’m going to guess we got an empty room here. Attacking our younger peers or those who are older just because they like a character trope IS NOT HELPING THEM AND ESPECIALLY NOT MAKING THE ATTACKERS LOOK LIKE HEROES. THEY LOOK LIKE JACKASSES. Fuck man, the younger ones want acceptance and looking a supportive group by joining a fandom. Calling them toxic just pushes them to the edge these people never wanted them to be. The same applying to the older ones. We all got our issues and y’all never know what it is. That’s why I hate seeing people in our fandom gatekeep against our younger peers. They’re going to come in even though you say crap like “Lmaooo, my blog/game is 18+! Okay, byeeeee!” If you want to protect them then be their fucking guide, my dudes. You can have a mature conversation with them and explain the difference between fiction and reality and what’s wrong and right. “Yanderes are pretty cool, ay sport? But notice how that guy gaslighted the girl? That is a common tactic people do IRL. Be sure to recognize it as a red flag.” Fuck, is that so fucking hard for everyone? Some people act like they never grew on the internet during the early 2000s.Y’all were a teenager once. If what you’re doing wouldn’t help teenage you in the past, then you’re doing it wrong. Smh. 

Finally, I do want to make a point for those who use coping reasons. While I do understand where you’re coming from, you guys are our most vulnerable to these attacks but also the reason for the attacks as well. It’s the mindset of “How could you support something like this?! You must be a horrible person.” I know a lot of people aren’t like that but also, we got bad apples... people who take this for coping reasons way too far. To them, I ask them to come back from the edge and let’s look for help together. Using yanderes to embrace “yandere tendencies” or rationalizing your abuse as normal isn’t the way. Use it to help you breathe and help you feel grounded but don’t let it define you... especially don’t make it a lifeline. As for those who know the difference and can separate fiction from reality, I applaud you but you got some work in helping those who are too deep. I’ve seen some of the yandere Tumblr group chats on the app. I’ll be real... YIKES. It’s a bit of an echo chamber. I ended up having to message a user on a side since I saw red flags in the group chat when I was lurking. People were trying to give the wrong help by encouraging their actions. Just... don’t do this y’all. I get you relate but don’t get your homie in jail or a court date for a restraining order. 

Anyways, I’m sorry anon for pulling farther and farther away from you specifically since this is a big issue that everyone tackles and I’m also sorry that I can’t give you an “end all” answer. First, you can try having a civil conversation with these people. Try for the middle ground and if you feel like you can push further, then try to do a change of mind. But I know this is hard, especially when tensions build and emotions get heated. But it’s important to never explode that anger... or at least direct that anger into a logical response. The moment you explode and made an error of judgment, you will lose and suffer publically. If a conversation isn’t possible, then encourage these people to stay in their lane and unfollow you. Why the fuck are they following you if they hate the things you reblog? Sounds unhealthy... suggest some hobbies or blogs to follow instead. From there, if they try to continue the hate, just block them and delete the messages. As they say, don’t feed the trolls. Y’all may think you’ve seen all the hate anons we get but we get a lot more than what we answer. We just delete them because they’re typically incoherent or stupid. They don’t come back lol. 

From there, anon, surround yourself with people who you find agreeable and who you relate to. A lot of yandere blogs are down for a talk, I’ll be real. Just be sure you open up that you want to be friends lol. So... yeah. I’m sorry this isn’t perfect, but I hope it helps. Don’t be afraid of being yourself!

#anon #yandere #male yandere #female yandere #feel free to reblog or share it with people #post it where ever you want #we aren't afraid of responses #Anonymous

[merlions]

hey i think it's time to stop being like, for example, "let's violently destroy these awful people for tagging the q slur" (the word queer) or like other words for identities

and start: recognizing that the ouroburotian nature of the internet punishes children for not having Purity Of Thoughts and committing Thought Crimes and doing anything slightly wrong and like help the world reevaluate that ideology?

like if you're taught from an early age that Some Words Have Weight then things start seeming Sensitive. like even identifying as an agender pansexual person at age 14, I had a hard time saying the word "transgender" or even "gay" to my parents at age 17, even knowing my mom's best friend throughout her entire life (until he died during the AIDS epidemic) was gay and that she was not gonna like Hate me or Know smth abt me for saying it

it's just like so clear why people think those are slurs - being that they are emotionally charged words unless you spend a LOT of time dismantling that in yourself and if the people around you do the same - and if you attack people head on saying they're fucked they just think they should double down because we train these same, again, CHILDREN, who are raised on the internet (even if they're now adults who have just maintained these ideas) that any attack on what they think is Good and Right and Just is made by a Bad Person who doesn't have love and compassion in their heart. like if someone is mad at you for tw-ing something, they're an alt right redditor fuckboy who's about to call you a snowflake cuck

alternately: addressing "yes I know this is an emotionally loaded word but hey, it's just the name of my identity, and being told that's a bad word hurts my feelings" is an appeal to what these same ppl have been indoctrinated in since they started interacting with the internet: a genuine want to do good, while lacking the ability to deal with more than black and white in terms of ethics

and listen i know it's hard to not be mad but 1. i was indoctrinated in just this exact way, was predisposed to it even because black and white thinking characterizes ocd, and it's taken years of learning how to be a human to move away from that and i still dont always know what's right! WHICH IS ALSO a really important thing to always bear in mind, but that kind of indoctrination paired with cancel culture means it's a really fragile and terrified state of mind so opening things up to just instinctively react as NOT mad, instead of instinctively reacting with "fuck you" is the ONLY way to let these ppl learn, TRUST ME I HAVE BEEN AND AM ONE OF THEM

2. have you ever met someone who has changed their mind when you yelled at them. even once have you ever met someone who has done that even one single time. or is approaching with understanding always at least going to give you a chance to change their mind??? and can you kinda see how saying "well fuck you for thinking queer is a slur, you shit hell fuck destroying my identity" is black and white thinking instead of saying "I understand you're trying to do a nice thing and your intentions are good, unfortunately the consequences of these actions are sadly harmful, but you're not a bad person for doing that unintentionally, so it would just be a really great and meaningful act to change that habit" as well as "i know you should know already but it is literally possible that you have actually never heard this said from a kind voice instead of a yelling one"

I dunno yall like let's treat people who are clearly trying to do good with kindness empathy and understanding or else what are we even doing

#i mean seriously like #what are we even doing here

[lucidpantone]

Sorry if this comes across as uneducated or ignorant but as a non American the last few years I've only heard terrible things about Trump and how no-one understands how he got elected and he needs to get out.. But why are there so many people voting for him, I genuinely thought the vast majority of USA hates him, why does it look like he could win.. Are they voting for the colour (red) or for him.. I know this is random and if you don't want to answer I understand

Hey anon no worries you dont sound ignorant. This is a complicated statement or semi question you’re asking because you sorta of have to understand the American populist. I think sometimes people do themselves a disservice when they paint Americans as dumb or uneducated. Lets be 100% realistic right now have a very frank conversation. This election always came down to the beliefs and values of white liberal Americans and white conservatives. You see these kinda of privileged demographics in some European countries too for example the UK  those less wealthy and uneducated creating a whole other sector of voters with differing beliefs(you can see this in the brexit data). However the issue at large in the US in a way is very different since we are a capitalist country and a lot of issues being voted on have direct financial hits to both voting sectors.In away removing Trump for a second I understand why white people in rural impoverished areas in America feel the way they do. They are simply scared. White liberals have over the years in metro cities woken up from some the societal racism embedded into them since birth and advocated for more diversity, regulation around gun control, queer rights and so on and they have done this with little care on how it would effect white conservatives.This has created the divide of the elites and the non elites and let me be 100% honest with you this idea of the white elites is 100% real. I grew up in LA and have lived in NY for years and yeah there is clearly the white men/women who go to ivy league schools/private colleges who all belong to the middle to upper middle class and who have never worked for minimum wage a day in their life and most likely never will and these people hold a lot of power in American industry. This enrages white conservatives because to them these white liberals have spent all their energy to help “others” (blacks,latinx, asian americans) instead of helping poor white people (which btw there is a lot of poor white people in America).

 So trump and what you’re seeing now is a full on street brawl for the future identity of white America. There is white people in the middle too who just want to get back on track and help their communities without attacking minorities and the more impoverished and those are the people that will decide this election but its gonna be close because no one is going into the night quietly. It is very much a situation that half of white America is going to drag the other half of white America kicking and screaming into whatever the future looks like. There is a whole bunch of legislative stuff too but identify politics wise this is basically what's happening and why Trump who basically advocates for the preservation of whiteness won and could still win this presidency.

#lucidpantone anons

[shametheshadow]

It's been a while. A lot of shit's been going on since I was last kinda active. Sorry, I dont remember how to hide this under a read more line... feel free to scroll past if you arent in the mood for existential whinging. I got a new job and it's pleasant. The people are nice. It's still food, but it's at a fancy restaurant where the management actually cares and tries to keep their crew happy. The hours could be better and I'm currently sick of salads with how many I've made. They give hours based on reliability and if you're a hard worker who is nice to work with. But like... everybody is nice and hard working so it's hard to just muscle in sometimes. But on the positive side I've dropped ten pounds, probably thanks to how light my wallet is. Had an issue with my little brother. Well, there's been an unspoken issue for years that I've been trying to just give him space on, but it finally came to a head. I called him out and he said some pretty hurtful things. I saw him on Christmas, but it wasnt the same. I think it kind of damaged something between us, or at the very least it certainly has me. I think, as people, we build these pillars of absolute truths into our identities. The things we know without a doubt, that we can rely on to stay true even when things are bad. Like, that the sky is blue or that a parent we have will always love us. When those truths are shaken they really make you wonder what else could be wrong or if there was ever any truth in it to begin with. For me, no matter how bad I felt or hated myself, I knew I could be a good sister. I'd throw myself down for it. I have done so, unfortunately, many times before. We all see the world a little differently, so my truth may not be the truth someone else sees. I dont know whether that makes it any better, but I certainly feel unsure about more things now than I used to. Some days I even feel like giving up on our relationship. I'm just too tired, too worn down, and I don't think I can handle being called a failure again. Which sucks, because I dont really want to. I just want to know how to fix it, even though I'm not sure I have any more energy to try again if it's just going to lead to another failure. And on top of all of that my bio dad and all those siblings are tasting the bitter consequences of their actions. My youngest sister got taken away from her parents because instead of breaking up and being adults about it they have to be petty and cowardly. One has unchecked anger issues mixed with plenty of excuses and the other thinks she's owed some sort of respect despite her immature actions. Thing is, I've had plenty of talks with my bio dad about the effects their toxic relationship have on his 6 year old daughter. He knows. He isnt stupid or blind. He'd just rather keep it going despite everyone's unhappiness and dig a deeper hole so he doesn't have to risk losing custody of his daughter if they break up. And here we are now. With his daughter taken away and given to our 21 year old sister who doesn't have a clue. And they've failed to regain custody once already. And you know the fucking hilariously tragic part of it? Me and my sister Des are the only two without some sort of record so nobody else in the family can help. Just a fucking warning for any teens out there who think being a gangster is cool, life always has consequence. Doing drugs, selling pills, pimping, stealing cars, assault, having unregistered weapons... my family has probably done just about anything. Apparently my bio dad's stepfather even threatened to shoot my grandma once. There's an argument to made about the environment they all grew up in, but I really wish people would just have the self awareness to realize that things will always find a way to bite you in the ass and it's it big enough then it'll get the people around you too. I normally get my sister on weekends, but I need to work Saturdays as a requirement for my employment. I try to cut it short so I can be there when they drop her off, but half the time they dont and send her somewhere she isnt supposed to go. I'm risking my job trying to be there when I'm needed, just for them to change their mind at the last second because I wasnt home soon enough. They'd rather risk losing our sister to the system by breaking the rules. CPS doesn't play around. I've had to tell them two or three times that I couldn't take our sister because I was sick or dealing with some really stressful family stuff that Koral didnt need to be there to see. Every time I feel like the punishment is that they stop letting me see her by not bringing her over anymore. Then out of the blue they call on a weekday and ask if I can take her because she has a day off or something. I have never once said no but every time it sends me into an anxiety attack because I can't handle being kept in the dark until they need me. It's got me so worked up that sometimes I genuinely wish I had never been told my dad wasnt my real dad. Of course, I know that by knowing I can help a little girl who needs help, but I wont lie and say that I never wished I didn't have time deal with any of it. I got the news today that my bio dad is in trouble for something else, though they wouldn't say what. So they arent going to give him custody until that's settled at the very least. Shortly into it my sister had asked me to take over the guardianship. I was so out of the loop that I thought the question was absurd. I thought they'd pull it together and get her back in a short time, so what would the point of moving her to another town and school be? How would I go about that? What would the home requirements be? Would I be able to provide for the both of us? I wouldn't be able to leave work until 4 at the earliest shift, so would after school stuff be best or daycare? There's so much that goes into taking care of a kid to just spring that question onto someone. Now it's been four or five months and I'm hating the idea that she's stuck there in the middle of it all more and more. People keep telling me I should take her. Even my manager after I broke down and told him everything after my sister's call left me a mess at work, said that I would be the better option. I know what it's like to be fought over in custody battles and I understand way too well the fear of being taken away from your home as well as what it's like to change schools. I dont want that for Koral. I dont even know if I would be the better option. I talked to my cousin, whom I live with, about it for a while last night and she said she wouldn't be opposed to having Koral with us... but I feel bad making this her issue too. I want what is best for my sister. She's way too smart. You know when unqualified pet owners get a dog breed that is really smart and they struggle to meet the needs to keep it entertained so it just makes trouble? That is what my sister is like. My family has their strengths, but Koral is 6 and could run circles both physically and mentally around them. It might be "funny" now, but Lansing itself is a shitty influence on people and by the time she's a teenager and wants to go to a party, nothing is going to keep her from getting out short of bars on the windows and doors. The only thing stopping her from doing it now is motive. But would I do any better? I genuinely dont know. I wish I could talk to my brother about it. He knows where I come from and, even if he thinks I failed, he could at least tell me how to be better so I dont fuck up again for a little girl who is in a situation similar to one we were in. I asked Des today if she wanted to talk to their case worker about transfering guardianship. She said she's have to talk to her dad... which is bullshit. He lost the right to dictate where Koral goes when he fucked up. How is he supposed to be motivated to fix this if the only thing that has changed is that she doesn't sleep in her bedroom anymore? He shouldn't see her when he wants to or be able to say what happens to her. And I dont say that because I think he shouldn't ever be able to, because I want him to step it up, I just feel like he wont if things keep going as they are. I dont want to lose my sister to the system. Supposedly the social worker said that Koral also has to stay in the same school and can't see anyone not on the already approved list of people for the sake of consistency... but that's stupid. I know that changing schools can be traumatizing, and if Lansing was a good place to live and raise a kid, then maybe I'd try to make that work, but it isnt. So it makes me wonder that if I came to the table with a clearly stable, appealing plan would they change their minds? If it were my choice, I'd have her in therapy to help deal with everything, maybe a sport like gymnastics or whatever else she might be interested in to keep her engaged. I'm planning a kids d&d session for her and another kiddo that she plays with when she's here because last time she found my monster manual and got obsessed. And I know it wont be all good. She's a handful and a brat, and she can be a force of nature when she doesn't get her way, but I've been an older sister since I was five and my family didnt out up with bratty behavior. I know how to deal with it, and I also know how to use the internet and other resources to learn. Hell, I live with a child therapist/youth minister. I know I could do it. Even if it ended up being a permanent thing. I'm torn between the fear of not being enough at the expense of my sister's wellbeing and knowing that I'd gladly twist myself into a pretzel to try and do right. But when it comes to other people, especially a kid, is trying enough? Good intentions don't equal a quality of living. So yeah, that's where I am right now. Trying to be better and figure out who I am while also being incredibly stressed out and lost. If you read through this, thank you for listening to this TED talk. I'm open to advice.

#That's how far down this rabbit hole I am #I'm looking for guidance from the internet #long post

[not-close-to-straight]

Black Panther Review!

SO For the first time since my surgery I put my contacts in and did my hair and my makeup and wore Real Clothes instead of yoga pants to get out and FINALLY see Black Panther and it was totally worth how many times I had to re do my eyeliner (four, because I suck at make up and have worn it a grand total of ten times in my life) AND it was totally worth the freezing cold theater and even though I had a massive migraine, I refused to let it bug me. 

So here we go. A list of everything I loved about the characters, favorite lines, maybe a little of my thoughts on the scenes. 

Heads up for spoilers below the cut!

First of all, just a heads up, every person in the movie was beautiful. Every single one of them. My poor worthless pansexual heart was DYING over it all. 

(Oh also, very quickly-- there was a new Coke ad before the movie where they very clearly mentioned Non Binary people (them) and LGBT (lesbians) in their montage of people who Coke was for and it was honestly lovely.)

The movie takes place a WEEK after T’Chaka dies in Vienne in CACW, so literally just a day or two after Tony is left in Siberia to die and it just brought up all these Post-CACW feels for me and also like... Tchalla you poor thing, this has been a hell of a week for you, omg. 

Chadwick Boseman/T Challa opened his mouth to speak and I almost melted through the floor. His accent is gorgeous and the words are so smooth its almost a little difficult to understand but so so beautiful. 

The way T’Challa looks at Nakia with these amazing puppy dog eyes. He loves her so much, looks at her as if she is his whole world and even though he asks her to stay with him, he respects her enough to not push the issue when she says there is other things she needs/wants to do. 

The Queen Mother! Angela Basset in all her glory! I love her and her endless beauty, may she reign forever. 

SHURI! You guys SHURI was the cutest fucking thing Ive ever seen in my life! Everything about her was equal parts bratty little sister making sure her newly crowned brother doesnt get cocky, and loyal Wakandan determined to use every bit of her genius to save her country and I love her?!

Also MORE GROSS to you guys who want to ship her with anyone. She is just so obviously a child in this. Yes, a teenager, but still a child, right down to the pranks she pulls and the way she dresses (minus her ceremonial clothing which was pretty enough to make me need some of my own) she is just a baby, stop trying to over sexualize her and ship her with older men. (or anyone for that matter. Let her be sixteen and giggly and adorable for as long as she can be). 

OKOYE. Where do I even start with this woman? First of all, she was bald (as were the rest of the dora milaje) and this is sort of a big thing for black women. Because there is a whole toxic idea of black women not being able to grow hair, or being bald as if its a bad thing, and I LOVE so much the scene in Korea where they are in disguise and she has to wear a wig and says “This is a DISGRACE” because for her to have to cover her head, her tattoos that show her culture and her status is an insult to her very person, and I love that she is angry about it. That to fit in to a white mans world, to be acceptable, she must change/cover up something fundamental to her identity, and she is ANGRY about it and I love it. 

I also love that she was allowed to be angry. Black people in general are already seen as “angry”, as the aggressors, and women are taught to hide it away as if its shameful to feel anything in the extreme, but ESPECIALLY anger because then we are just “another bitter black woman” and it is so important that she and the others are allowed to be ANGRY, visibly and audibly angry at what happens (for example, when one of their own dies.). Its raw and honest, and in its honesty, it is beautiful. 

I need me a red dress like hers just so I can feel like 1/10th of a BAMF as she is. 

“If he touches you again, i will impale him on that table” 

“Does she speak English”

“When she wants to” 

I loved everything about that interaction between Okoye and Ross. Very reminiscent of the moment between Okoya and Natasha “Move, or I will move you” and in both scene T Challa is sort of laughing over it because he knows Okoye is about two seconds from fucking someone up. Hilarious. 

Klaw! What an odd Villain, because I felt like he wasnt really a villain. He was just sort of... the guy that was always around the bad guys, and then ultimately nothing more than a tool to be used for Killmongers vengeance. His sonic hand was a nice nod to the comic character who is just solid sound and emits it through his hand. And he was just amazingly obnoxiously AMERICAN and I both loved and hated him for that. 

Nakia. How I love her. Not only is she entirely her own person, doing what she feels is right, but she is fucking FIERCE and gorgeous and smart and is not about to give up what she wants/needs because T Challa is in love with her. In fact, I love very much that the T Challa/Nakia love story wasnt even... a story. It wasnt even a driving force of the movie. She didnt have to get hurt to inspire him to greatness. She didnt have to break his heart to give him something to fix, really she didnt even go searching for a way to save him when he went over the falls, she went looking for the person that could save their country. Their love story was something quiet, something in the background, because a love story is NOT necessary to keep a movie going (do you hear that, oh pushers of the awkward heterosexual relationship to fill the down moments? not necessary). 

HOWEVER, she absolutely was his rock, who he turned to in his moments of need. He crossed country borders and potentially could have ruined her mission (which was reckless and fairly selfish) because he needed her there when he was crowned King, and she wanted to be there for him. She was the only person he told about his uncle’s death and the truth about Erik, and she was the one to help his mother and sister escape because they are just as much her family as his. 

But back to Nakia-- I think one of my favorite scenes is when they go to Korea and she speaks the language so well, laughs over the trouble she gets into, and very much makes it clear to T Challa AGAIN that she has her own life that has nothing to do with him. Holla for Strong Females. 

How much did I love the Queen Mothers hair being blonde/white underneath her beautiful head-dress. Lovely lovely lovely. 

M’Baku. I have mixed feelings about his character. I very much appreciated Marvel NOT using his “man-ape” persona from the comics because hello, that is Racist As Fuck. Instead they made him lord over a people who used the gorilla as a symbol just as other tribes used the rhino/the panther etc. He was all sorts of big and beautiful and the challenge scene at the waterfall was just, brutal and incredible and PRIMAL and honestly there isnt much better than seeing two men (or women) really battle it out with just their strength. Of course the landscape and backdrop was incredible, but the fight scene was just INCREDIBLE. The way MBaku waited until the last minute to yield, the way T Challa BEGGED him to yield. I love it all. 

I thought it was very interesting when Nakia came to him with the heart shaped herb, he didnt accept it. As someone who had challenged T Challa for the throne, I expected him to at least consider it, but it was obvious in his face that he was both honored, and then humbled, and yet still turned it down because he knows T Challa needed it more. 

And yet when T Challa asked him for an army, for help, MBaku turned him down, said that this was the first king in CENTURIES to visit him. CENTURIES. These people had been living in the mountains, cut off from the rest of Wakanda and the other kings hadnt even visited them. No wonder the man is bitter. BUT NOT BITTER ENOUGH TO TURN THE QUEEN MOTHER AWAY. He still promised that she would be safe, no ham would come to her. I love that so much. 

He did not just forgive centuries of being ignored because they need help, but he wasnt willing to completely turn his back either. I thought it was a realistic depiction that kept him very human, versus the usual “no i wont help at all because our ancestors battled” or even the “i have had a sudden change of heart and now will completely help you even if it means giving up my life for you, who I suddenly support.” 

Also, the way he snorted and giggled over his vegetarian joke??? HE SNORTED AND GIGGLED and no one else laughed. Just his big ass on his throne cracking up and everyone else was like uhhhh....

Martin Freeman as Everett Ross. I love that they let his character be a smaller than average, soft spoken, older white man. No one overly intimidating, no one that seems to inspire fear and yet, when they are attacked by Killmonger when he rescues Klaw, Ross THROWS himself on Nakia (who could probably protect herself) and takes a bullet in the spine for her. That bravery, that instinctual “cover the women and children” and how quickly he reacts speaks to more of his character than anything else. 

Also, the end where he “flies” the ship to stop the weapons from being shipped out and Shuri tells him “you are a great pilot AND HE IS A FUCKING GREAT PILOT he wants so badly to save them, and I love that he just doesnt give up. Like, he realizes that how they healed him was damn near impossible, so he will do the impossible to stop the worst from happening. I love it. (Also I just love Martin Freeman)

“Dont scare me like that, colonizer.” 

“My Names Ross.”

“I know.” 

^^^^I laughed so hard my friend frowned at me and I shoved her and said, “quit scowling colonizer” and then laughed harder. She did not think it was funny. 

ERIK KILLMONGER. First of all, the scene where we meet him. Come on. He looks like such a goddamn fuck boy I almost wanted to smack him. Or maybe fuck him. I cant decide lol. I am in love with him though. 

Growing up where I did, I saw so much anger in the black youth, especially the young men, and for that reason it was so hard to see him as a villain. He is just another abandoned black boy in a forgotten neighborhood, who is angry at the system. And yet he is also brilliant and talented and DRIVEN and he pulled himself up out of the situation he was thrown in and now is determined to change everyone elses situation. He talks of how where he is from, the black people who start the revolutions dont have the weapons they need to protect themselves/to ready themselves and its just... its so true in this very painful way, especially now, recently, and I just hurt for him. 

The way he scarred himself, one for every kill so he could work his way up to challenging for the throne. It is horrifying to think of him marking himself after every kill, all around the world because every body was a step closer to his goal. 

I could talk forever about his character, because I think it was a very accurate, interesting look into the truth underneath the “angry black man” that society paints these young men as. 

I wont talk forever though, because holy shit Im actually talking forever lol, but I WILL say, that the differences between Erik and T Challa, from the speech patterns to the way they walked (cocky versus confident) to the way they dressed and talked/treated the women (I would throw a pan at Killmonger if he talked to me like he talked to them lol). it was just an incredible contrast between one who was given EVERYTHING and someone who had to take everything they wanted just to have a SHOT at anything in the world. The difference between rich and poor and the lines that it draws and the different worlds it creates whether we realize it or not. 

The only person I dont want to spend alot of time on is W’Kabi. I have mixed feelings to his joining with Killmonger, but I realize he was driven by vengeance and that can be a poisonous thing. 

HOWEVER, I thought he had one of the most beautiful scenes in the move. Him and Okoye are in love, and yet when it comes to them ready to fight each other, he asks her, “would you fight me, my love” and she says,. “for wakanda i would” (paraphrasing) and HE is the one to put his weapon down. He is the one to sacrifice his vengeance for love. Not the woman. She did not change. She stood strong in what she believed to be right, and he loved her enough to give up what he wanted. 

I love so much that this movie allowed her and other women to be the strong ones, driving the men to make the right choice. 

I will stop rambling now lol 

End Thoughts--- This movie is so important right now, such a wonderful thing for our young people to see-- Strong black characters, who go that way without a history of drugs or jail or anything like that. Strong black women who are beautiful (stunningly so) even without wigs/straightened hair/lighter skin, and Strong black men who are not any less strong for loving the women in their lives and being humbled enough by past mistakes to try and change. 

My favorite line is easily the very last one, where the young black boy asks T Challa-- who are you?

Every white child has had the chance to ask their hero-- batman, superman, spiderman, wonder woman etc etc etc-- who they are. Who is this hero that has saved my life and given me hope and is going to change this seemingly hopeless situation? 

But seeing a little black boy asking the same question-- maybe I read too much into it, but it really struck a cord with me. 

OH and the last scene. 

I will be the first to admit, I was like... foaming at the mouth to see Bucky in Infinity War, with his new arm and a new gun and like YASSSSSS BABY FUCK THEM BOYS UP LET ME SEE YOU KILL SOMEONE. 

But like?? Stepping from a hut looking like Jesus?? Long hair?? Like god Marvel, please just let my baby stay by the lake and meditate with his half pony tail and man bun. PLEASE just let him play with the children who call him White Wolf. PLEASE just let him light scented candles and have the women braid his hair and when Steve comes looking for him, just let him say no I have found inner peace here in my little hut by the water??? 

I JUST WANT HIM TO BE PEACEFUL?!

Alright, thats it. Sorry for the long ass ramble, this literally isnt half of what I wanted to say. Feel free to hit up my ask box about anything black panther related lol 

#black panther #wakanda forever #t'challa #erik killmonger #fan girl fainting

[parchnposies-mod]

This is a companion post, the main post will be linked below

( ◞･౪･)click here to go to the main post [Link] Please do not reblog this WITHOUT reblogging the main post as well. 

This is all speculation on my part, but its important to note that you should always ask yourself why someone might have said or done something. Even if the answer is incorrect or you dont agree with it, you might find yourself disagreeing with your most impulsive reactions and taking a calmer approach to the situation.

1) “if you’re not jewish you dont get to say “jew” period“ As we know now, the original sentiment here was “referring to people as a demographic they fit can be offensive and reductive, so instead use their demographic as an adjective (jewish) instead of a noun (jew).” so with that in hand we can clearly see that this is really just someone who’s tired of being called “a jew” in the same way that I am offended when someone calls me “a queer” without knowing if I’m okay with it. Most of the discussion around jewish people is hurtful and 

2&3) “holocaust, hitler, and nazi jokes aren’t funny period“ and “seriously quit saying “grammar nazi”“ keeping in mind that this was a post made in 2014/2015 think about the climate back then. This was back when it wasnt socially acceptable to be an out and out nazi/white nationalist/identitarian/kekistan or whatever the fuck, and a lot of the ways people were saying something was bad or irritating was by calling it a nazi. Both groups actually contributed to making nazis seem less like the horrific thing that they were: a political party that advocated for the genocide of millions. This would be incredibly frustrating to watch, to have people invalidate and joke about the reason your people are less than 1% of the world’s population. 

4&5) “also when the subject of the holocaust or hitler happen to come up DONT TRY TO SAY THAT HITLER WAS DOING WHAT WAS BEST FOR HIS COUNTRY OR THAT HE WAS HUMAN” “SERIOUSLY HE WAS A MASS MURDERER AND DISGUSTING IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD” No controversy around this one, please see my original reply to get my full response to this. But its good to again note why this sort of thing would be prompted to be said at all. One of the common ways people try to make white nationalism/nazi ideology more tolerable is by trying to paint Adolf Hitler as a sympathetic figure. This of course doesnt excuse what he did, but imagine seeing people say “hitler wasnt that bad” “Hitler was only a human being” “hiter was just trying to do what was best for his people.” over and over again. It would be upsetting because of fuckin course it would be. Hell its STILL upsetting. 

6&7) “dont make jokes about us being penny pinchers or greedy or any of that its gross and racist“ and “if youre a goyim dont tell me that “_____ was a very jew thing for me to do”“ I feel like being upset with stereotypes and reacting aggressively is super understandable, especially as a kid in their mid teens. I dont think this really needs further elaboration. Its insensitive and shitty, and makes someone feel bad for doing a “jewish thing” because they feel like behaving like how they are you’re buying into stereotypes. I relate to this specifically when I perform a behavior associated with my stereotypes, such as liking pink (i’m dfab*). My example is really toned down, but i think its a good way to relate because all of us have some dumb stereotype that we can relate to just being like “fuck i cant do x because i might reinforce preconceived notions.

8) “dont use yiddish, goy always mispronounce it and tbh it sounds stupid when you try“ Okay, its really important that i stress here again that OP does NOT agree with this statement anymore. To quote them directly, “i realize now that yiddish should be shared with all. Its not just a Jewish thing anymore“. However its still important to think of why would someone say something like this in the first place. This is where I speculate the most. I personally believe OP said this because yiddish is a part of their culture that they treasured at the time (likely still do) and while they were upset at people speaking it poorly it wasnt just because people were speaking it poorly. They were upset because of everything else in this post. The erasure of their history and the lessening of the severity of what happened to the jewish people through nazi jokes. The cruelty of having your identity stripped away from you beyond just another “jew”. The people sympathizing with Adolf Fuckin Hitler and trying to make him less repulsive and more “understandable” (read: forgivable). People using stereotypes to define your actions as something that “a jew” would do. The mockery of traditions and holidays “because they’re different.” These things are cruel, and when you hold something close to your heart and its attacked, as a child you will usually either react with anger and lash out to defend it, or shrink away from it and be ashamed. I wouldnt even be surprised if OP had at one point been ashamed of their heritage, only to have this post be the result of deciding to be proud of it and shifting far over to the other end of the spectrum past “happy and proud” to “aggressive defense”. 

I feel like i covered points nine to eleven pretty well in #8, but here they are for posterity  

• dont call our traditions weird just cause theyre different • be aware that jewish holidays dont get the same respect from society as christian ones do • seriously our holidays are almost never seen as “a legit reason” to miss work/school

Then finally is 12) “Educate yourself.”  I hope all of you leave this post feeling a little more like you understand what happened here, and more so i hope you have the tools to take a step back from snap judgments and ask yourself whats really going on. What someone really meant. Its not always what it seems at face value!  d(･∀･ ´*)

#supplementary post #SEE THE MAIN ONE

[btsxlami]

How Kim Namjoon ISNT as problematic as he was before and how he is growing/owning up to his past actions

(dick sclaimer, I am not and NEVER defending his actions in the past, they are not excusable and I am very sorry if I am offending you)

*at the end of the day I’m not forcing you to accept or support Namjoon, if you don’t want to.... I guess “fuck” with him because of his actions in the past thats totally okay 

*also dont feel as if I am biased towards him I’m trying to write this with a open mind, I won’t baby him and be like My POOR BABY AND WENT THRU SO MUCH BLAHDUFU

So lets start off with what  Namjoon did for him to be called problematic:

“Talking black as a talent”

Saying the n-word during Shinhwa’s cover (k but why did no one beef shinhwa tho?)

RM said: “When I first saw V and J-Hope, I couldn’t see them because they were too black.. Yeah when the nights get too dark I couldn’t find them.” (this was in English

Just cultural appropriation of black culture, like having dreads (many of my black friends referred to him as a blackboo

Also I don’t personally like the term “trying to act black” but my black friends said he was basically “a wannabe hoodman”.

His background

Overall I feel as if Namjoon had a little phase where he really was lost in identity (i talk about this more don’t attack me). Like I’m not saying LOL HE WAS HAVING A KPOP PHASE, but as he mentions further on in post he had a really closed minded view on hip hop.That rapping only had one style, one culture, one way to act and speak. When Namjoon first started rapping he had the whole dreadlocks thing going on, kind of showing that he believed you had to black in order to rap, overall he was receiving and interpretating a close minded view on hip hop. I definitely don’t think Namjoon has hateful thoughts against black people. But you can still NOT be racist and culturally appropriate. He was just being oblivious and ignorant that his actions are offensive (I explain this more).

How he learned from his mistakes (so basically the proof section of my rant)

*Acknowledging he had a close minded view on hip hop

Namjoon admits his mistakes, in his mixtape interview: in 2015

Q: You shouted, “Westside Till I Die” during ‘If I Ruled The World’.

RM: That’s well… I was really wrong then (laughter). After the album came out and I listened to it, I thought “Ah”. I think I was immersed in the emotions while recording and ended up shouting like that.

Q: What’s the specific reason why you feel you were wrong?

RM: First off, I didn’t even live in the 'west side’… And even if that song had a G-Funk sound, what I shouted wasn’t the way to respect the west coast hip-hop musicians. I believe there are many meanings inside the words “Westside Till I Die”. Sweat, struggles, pride, etc. Isn’t it a phrase that compressed all these factors of life.

Q: Are you saying that you overlooked the weight and complex undertones that the phrase has within hip-hop?

RM: That’s right. I believe it’s different from words like “Yo!” or “Check It!”. As a result, I was thoughtless.

Q: Are you admitting it to be a mistake?

RM: Further than a mistake, it was a wrong. I have nothing to say.

*honestly this part is really self explanatory. This interview was in 2015 while the song was in 2013. So he was basically justified how in the beginning of his career he was ignorant and oblivious to the real meaning of hip hop. You can definitely see his music grow for the better after this.

*Why I M Y S E L F personally forgave him for this action.

I feel as if this quote doesn't only signify him saying “west side” when he’s not from the west side, but him acknowledging his mistakes of having a close minded view hip hop IN G E N E R AL and being ignorant of “what hip hop is”. He definitely owned up to his actions “ Further than a mistake, it was a wrong.”

He acknowledges them and admitted to them “ First off, I didn’t even live in the 'west side “

and never repeated them ever since. His music now definitely doesn't fit the stereotype of rapping nowadays. Might I suggest watching politically woke MV “CHANGE” he did with black rapper WALE. 

Respecting black culture or hip hop’s origins (THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF HIS MOST OPEN MINDED MOMENTS THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS I FORGAVE HIM)

I’ve seen many people think Namjoon mocks black culture but this interview really opened up my eyes to many things and how we can learn from our mistakes

In this interview he did in 2015 >> you can really see how compared to the last interview, he seems more confident with what he is saying, he has no hesitation, and CLEARLY states what he feels about hip hop and black culture.

“There are two things that Warren G told me that I will never be able to forget. The first is, hip-hop is open to any one. Despite what your race is or where you’re from, hip-hop is a type of music that is always ready to give you space for anyone who enjoys hip-hop. So, don’t restrain yourself behind any type of prejudiced thought, and the other one was you’re doing well, so no matter what others say, believe in yourself and do what you want.”

This connects to what I mentioned before of Namjoon having a close minded view on hip hop before and thinking hip hop was associated to one certain race. Now he fully understands that hip hop is for everyone. 

“Defining hip-hop is the same as trying to define love. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then there are 6 billion definitions of love, and like that, each definition of hip-hop is different for each person. Of course, it’s possible to give a dictionary definition. In 1970, there was a person called DJ Herc in South Bronx. At a party that he was hosting, he set breaks on a beat and during that break, someone would be rapping, someone would be dancing, and someone else would be doing graffiti… That’s how hip-hop was born, and they call that the 4 elements of hip-hop, but dictionary definitions like these is something anyone knows, but to explain that spirit… In one word, it’s something that can’t be explained. It’s a way that expresses me as well as being a meaning for freedom and rebelling. Because it’s something where people play and have fun with, it can have messages of peace and love placed in it. If you compare it to a Pokemon, it’s like a Ditto. Personally, hip-hop to me is the world. The world that I’m living in… It’s difficult, right? To be honest, it’s still hard for me too.”

He is now owning up to his actions by making his own music about his own life. His own hip hop.

“The culture of shooting guns and doing drugs is not the actual self of hip-hop. It’s just become a by-product that appeared around hip-hop music, it’s not the actual self of hip-hop. Although there’s a certain image that pops up clearly when you think of hip-hop fashion, that’s also becoming something that’s more broad. Look at A$AP Rocky or Kanye West. They don’t wear pants that drag around any more. To understand ‘swag’, you need to understand what kind of meaning ‘making it on your own’ has in hip-hop. Making it on your own is a very cool and important concept in hip-hop. I’ll use Jay-Z as an example. Jay-Z was a drug dealer. He’s someone that sold drugs on the rooftop of a very large stadium called Barclays Center, but he succeeded and bought that building. After buying that building, he dressed up in hip-hop and then went up to the rooftop and looked down at that building. Then they took a picture of that and posted it. After seeing that, everyone died. Kya… Just how cool is that?”

Namjoon acknowledges that there are many stereotypes associated with hip hop and also a “culture” to it. But he should try to do his own thing and not generalize.

Namjoon’s personal apologies

Personally I noticed especially for bighit, when it comes to western fans that seem to have a problem with what BTS is doing they never allow their idols to apologize. I’ve seen Namjoon apologizing facing korean fan based controversies.

The two interviews were already big indicators of how Namjoon grew from a close minded hip hop enthusiast to his own rapper and artist, but I found one v live where he personally talked about his actions as a general. He wasnt as specific but it was short and sweet kinda XD. 

Long story short he mentions how he apologizes if his action ever offended anyone and that he was oblivious that what he could say or do could cause others harm (relate to this man) and finally how he needs to hold responsibility and think before he acts and speaks.

Overall I am saying that Namjoon isnt an idol who made the best decisions in his life but he definitely should not be viewed as someone who is evil but at the same time I don’t view  him as someone who is a wOKE KING!212 Mistakes are mistakes but its how you own up to them which ultimately says how you are as a person.

He is human after all and instead of degrading him I simply just recognized his growth and willingness to learn and that was enough for me.

#bts #bangtan boys #bangtan #kpop #rap monster #bts problematic #rap monster problematic #bts rant #namjoon rant #rap monster rant #namjoon #hoseok #seokjin #jin #suga #j-hope #taehyung #v #jimin #jungkook #yoongi #bts thread #btsxlami #problematickpop

[topsolarpanels]

Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films need is high time to marinate’

The director of the cult favorite Donnie Darko was once hailed as the next David Lynch. Now, as fans rediscover his 2007 flop Southland Tales, he explains why patience is still a virtue and Trumps victory was a grotesque inevitability

Talking with the writer and director Richard Kelly, its easy to steer the conversation toward the end of the world. After all, Kelly developed a fervent cult following( and alienated it) through tales of prophesied apocalypse 2001 s cult curio Donnie Darko and 2007 s cult-classic-in-the-making Southland Tales. But its not the collapsing buildings or rivers of blood that fascinate Kelly; its what comes right before. The sneaking anxiety. The normalizing of madnes. The casual disregard for your neighbor. The glob in your throat that signifies your newfound understanding that this was inevitable.

If those impressions sounds familiar in our current Trump-addled dystopia, that was not Kellys intention. Southland Tales, a post-9/ 11 satire melded with a retelling of the Book of Revelation that also includes a complex theory of hour traveling, was never meant to feel like a pre-game show for the next decade of global misery.

The sprawling narrative set in an alternative 2008 in which a nuclear attack on Abilene, Texas, triggers a third world war revolves around an amnesiac action starring named Boxer Santaros( played by Dwayne The Rock Johnson) who falls in love with a porn starring/ talkshow host/ entrepreneur/ pop superstar/ psychic who goes by the professional name Krysta Now( Sarah Michelle Gellar ), who has written a screenplay about the end times.

Oh, and theres also a government agency dedicated to spying on Americans, an underground neo-Marxist cult, alternative solutions energy source that might be ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, a United States military been supported by Hustler and Bud Light, and a mind-altering medication that keeps American soldiers docile and dependent. Jon Lovitz plays a racist cop, Seann William Scott plays identical twin police officers, Amy Poehler shows up as an anarchist improv comic, Justin Timberlake plays a drug-addled war veteran and Wallace Shawn of The Princess Bride fame is the antichrist( or a reasonable fax ).

Its overwhelming to process, and reflects so much of the nervousnes of our age, even if it isnt always pleasant to watch. I actually wanted it to be something that you would get lost in and that would sustain multiple viewings, Kelly tells me over dinner in Los Angeles. When discussing the movie, his eyes widen and he projects an impish yet tentative enthusiasm as though hes feeling out whether youre going to receive his ideas without judgment. Now, that ambition can be a self-defeating prophecy, as we watched clearly.

Kelly seems wistful about the experience of making and releasing the film, which, after a disastrous Cannes screening at which the movie was booed heavily, virtually lost theatrical distribution. We were in Boston, in pre-production on[ his Southland Tales follow-up] The Box, the weekend Southland Tales opened in 50 -some theaters. The upcoming Monday was our first day of principal photography. We were scrambling for our first day. We had done the AFI Fest premiere and they rushed me back to Boston. And then, I remember that morning, were shooting Cameron[ Diaz] and Frank Langella, this really emotional scene in the Boston Public Library. Someone comes up to me and tells me per-screen medians on Southland Tales. It was such a bummer. A screening Kelly attended with the actor James Marsden was attended by only four other people. Roger Ebert likened the cinema to the third day of a pitch session on velocity. One of the rare positive reviews of the movie came from the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis, who called it funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired.

I definitely remain proud of the ambition of it. I feel like sometimes things just require is high time to marinate, he says. The cinema has started to find a new audience. At the time of our meeting, hes in between hosting screenings of Southland Tales thanks to a roadshow tour of the film sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse chain of arthouse theaters. The newfound appreciation for Southland Tales by both audiences and emerging pockets of critics hasnt yet translated to tangible opportunities for Kelly. I dont ever want to feel defeated or that Ive let the system defeat me, he says.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Southland Tales. Photograph: Publicity image from cinema company

Southland Tales discovering an audience nearly 10 years later would not mark the first time one of Kellys cinemas gained esteem upon second( or third) glance. Donnie Darko grossed a scant $517,375 when it was released a month after 9/11. When it observed a huge audience on video and DVD, Kelly became a hot commodity, an heir apparent to the surrealist tradition of directors like David Lynch. Sometimes, the wind is at your back. Sometimes, its at your front, Kelly says about the ups and downs of his career. Darko remains his greatest up, a cinema thats become a touchstone work for the generation that grew up with it. Darko was a disaster at Sundance too, he tells me. No one remembers that, but it was. Im grateful for any rosy light of hindsight. I remember it took us virtually six months to sell the movie. It nearly ran immediately to the Starz network. We had to beg them to put it in theaters. Christopher Nolan stepped in and persuaded Newmarket to put it in theaters.

After those issues, Kelly could have gone the expected route and taken on a big-budget studio tentpole. He could have directed the sequel, which he declined to do( it aimed up being terrible and running straight-out to DVD ). Instead, he choice this peculiar, dense story about the decline of American power.

President-elect Donald Trump was merely a reality show curiosity when Southland Tales was released, but his mixture of profane and pious could easily have constructed him a character in the film. I think that Donald Trump is this grotesque inevitability that has gotten this far because there was something really, really dangerous concealing beneath the surface, that has been concealing beneath the surface for many, many years. The Republican Kelly imagined in Southland Tales were the neocon religious zealots that seem almost quaint to modern eyes. They seemed like the ultimate boogeymen in 2007, but as Kelly points out , no one in the Bush family would even show up at the RNC[ Republican national convention ].

What Southland Tales conveyed better than most politically charged films of the Bush era was the sentiment that it would get worse, that something had been unleashed that could not be put back. At the time that we were building Southland Tales, it was Iraq war and Britney Spears. That dichotomy on your Tv screen. The branding and everything was happening. It seemed inevitable that everyone would start to co-opt branding. Social media hadnt actually exploded yet. To watch legislators running after each other on Twitter, its bizarre. To insure Elizabeth Warren quoting the monorail on the Simpsons. To see legislators co-opting this millennial social media branding, its a blur of the lines.

Each of his three cinemas reflects that sheepish rebellion that is part of his personality. Donnie Darko was a mostly passive protagonist struggling against both the oppressive system of high school and the levers of fate that he could only pull at the cinemas climax. Boxer Santaros is a pawn in a conflict between fascism and socialism, religion and science, and love and demise. Eventually, those characters succumb to a power greater than any on Earth, something unknowable. So does Kelly think all this is down to higher power pulling the strings?

I dont believe any of this happened by accident. Thats just depressing and absurd, in my opinion, he answers. I do think theres a design to things, and we can never hope to know it in any of our lifetimes. Proportion of the challenge is trying to make sense of it. Thats whats cathartic for me as an artist, to try to make sense of it.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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The Turkey-Netherlands Spat Is A Reminder Of A New Specter Haunting Europe

ISTANBUL Flying back to Istanbul after a warm week in Britain where it felt liberating to be away from the constant political chatter back home I came to the shocking realization that the Netherlands, of all things, had been dominating Turkeys news cycle in my absence.

In Germany, and now in the Netherlands, Turkish politicians who support Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoans proposal for an executive presidency in the upcoming April referendum, had been barred from organizing public rallies for Turks there who can vote, I learned.

Those countries are important in my personal history I lived in them and wandered in their streets. I fell in and out of love in their bohemian quarters. And in my 20s, they represented freedom to my youthful mind, even while I was witnessing the rebirth of a specter in their dark corners the specter ofthe barbarian.

‘Turks are ugly, regressive and violent; they are rapists and murderers; they need to be stopped.’ This is the message spreading in Europe nowadays.

At the time, I was unprepared for the ominous power of identity politics, ready to prove to my European hosts that I was not a barbarian but a civilized young man from Turkey. The same was not expected from students who didnt come from Muslim-majority countries.

I am not a conservative, but reading about the recent violent events against conservative Turks there the Dutch police had attacked those who came to the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam to support a conservative Turkish politician deeply unsettled me.

I came across an article about a video of a group of men in Switzerland dressed as terrifying Ottoman Turks they had thick beards and fezzes on their heads, the piece reported. Marching like Death Troopers, with the Turkish president representing a kind of Darth Vader, they seemed to scream, Turks are ugly, regressive and violent; they are rapists and murderers; they need to be stopped. This is the message spreading in Europe nowadays a new ghost set to haunt the continent even more than it already has. While the tone in Switzerland wasnt as harsh toward Turkey as Germany or the Netherlands on rallies, this footage, which I cannot verify but which was spread around on social media here, was shocking for many Turks. But for me, this terrifying bogeyman seemed eerily familiar.

Dylan Martinez / Reuters

Riot police stand guard during clashes with demonstrators near the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, Netherlands. March 12, 2017.

I dont like murderers, but I dont like European politicians telling me I will be perceived as one of those nasty people if I act too Turkish, for that is clearly the sentiment, part of a larger anti-Muslim sentiment, being disseminated from cities across Europe these days.

Thanks to the rise of right-wing politics, the most liberal countries in the continent have changed beyond return.

In the Netherlands, where I was a graduate student a decade ago, I had once taken much pleasure in being away from the kind of nationalism that had been brewing up in Turkey back then. As someone deeply weary of jingoism and the political rhetoric of patriotism, I had long disliked Turkish identity politics. And yet, it was also in the Netherlands that Id realized the uncannily inescapable power of national and religious identity of the misery of being pigeonholed into categories inside which I couldnt help but appear to Europeans.

I dont like murderers, but I dont like European politicians telling me I will be perceived as one of those nasty people if I act too Turkish.

On the day I arrived in Amsterdam in 2004, a Dutch-Moroccan extremist had cut the throat of filmmakerTheo van Gogh near Oosterpark, a public park located a few hundred meters away from my apartment. I had had little idea then but I would have no other choice but to experience my new city under the shadow of that murder.

As my plane flew over the Rhine, I remembered that day November 2, 2004 when I headed out with my flatmate and a graduate student I had just met. There was outrage on the Amsterdam street a feeling equally intense to that produced by the assassination, in 2002, of Pim Fortuyn, a politician who held anti-Islam views similar to those of Theo van Gogh and Geert Wilders.

In the liberal capital of Europe, Fortuyns assassination, the first in Dutch history in centuries, had sent shockwaves. The killing of van Gogh in 2004 rekindled that feeling with a fervor. That was understandable. When someone is assassinated in a park of your city, you are perfectly entitled to be outraged. But then again, ideology cunningly makes use of such feelings. And so it did in Amsterdam from my first day there.

Michel Porro via Getty Images

People watch a TV broadcast near to the crime scene where Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed in Amsterdam. Nov. 2, 2004.

A war had been waged against liberal values by barbarians, locals whispered to each other, and that needed to be answered with equal ferocity for people like now-far-right candidate Geert Wilders, but also for mainstream politicians, this sense of outrage would turn into an opportunity. Despite Wilders defeat by incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte in this weeks elections, mainstream Dutch politics had already turned right-wing and anti-Islam back then, thanks to the instrumentalization of that 2004 murder. The fact that Wilders party came in second shows its still a contender.

That night, we had made our way to an avant garde bar. We were full of hopes and dreams. We talked about Jacques Derrida and wanted to explore minds as curious as ours I wanted to discover new views and face new ideas. Instead, I was lectured by a group of old local hippies at the bar about the beauty of freedom in Europe. Learning that I was coming from Turkey, they instructed me to tell my Muslim countrymen about the importance of Enlightenment.

Oh, the Enlightenment, that sacred word! The idea that destroying Islam from the face of the earth was a necessary condition of our liberation was almost laughable. Gradually, I was realizing how coming from a Muslim country was equal in this land to having the potential to become a barbarian.

Wear a white mask and no European fears you … But behind masks and the erasure of ones perceived self, lies the seeds of subjugation and self-denial.

It is a difficult task, for a liberal to understand his condescension towards the regressive people of the world. The liberal worldview smoothly provides the comforting bubble of opinion outside of which all seems barbaric.

In Amsterdam all was fine as long as I acted in a non-Turkish way and agreed to de-Turkishize my character. As an aspiring Oscar Wilde scholar and, like him, someone deeply suspicious of nationalism, that was easy.

But did I really want to hate my own past and memories and experiences? Just wear a white mask and no European fears you any longer. But behind masks and the erasure of ones perceived self, lies the seeds of subjugation and self-denial.

Courtesy of Kaya Genc

Kaya at a cafe in Amsterdam in 2004.

Politics is theater, and whilst talking about books in Britain, I had almost missed the biggest play on offer, I realized as the plane flew over Europe: Turkeys foreign minister had been banned from landing in the Netherlands, the Turkish minister of families stopped outside the door in the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam before reportedly being forced to spend about four hours in her car, and others.

This reminded me of how the Turk is a crucial character in the European psyche. While in Britain on my most recent trip, a local gentleman told me that his aunt used to warn him against becoming a Turk when he acted violently. The Turk: the darkest fear of the European, the age-old stereotype goes.

What is more surprising to me is how the most liberal friends I have on social media have started expressing views that are but an evolution of that stereotype so masterfully repurposed by right-wing politicians my friends consider themselves left wing and yet they openly confess to agreeing with the views of Wilders on Turks living in European Union countries.

The Turk is a crucial character in the European psyche … the darkest fear of the European.

Reading about how a Dutch mayor said hed given special forces the go ahead to open fire on the Turkish crowd in Rotterdam if they found it necessary and the protests in Istanbul where someone reportedly changed the Dutch flag at the consulate with the Turkish one, I was initially reminded of the protest culture in my homeland or rather its violent suppression by the Turkish state.

This was, after all, precisely the kind of reaction the Turkish police force had towards protesters at Gezi Park in Istanbul during 2013s environmentalist uprising. Young activists were killed, and fear and anxiety had dominated the public space. The authorities acted cowardly, as they often do, and young people were understandably furious. Officials ruthlessly burned the tents of young people whose ideals they failed to burn they live on.

People watching Turkey back then might have pointed at the violence in Gezi as yet another reason to brand us barbarians. But just as it wasnt fair to label me with this term back in 2004 as a student looking to get an education in the Netherlands, this label isnt fair here either.

Scott Peterson via Getty Images

Turkish police clash with anti-government protesters in Istanbul over the Gezi Park redevelopment project. June 22, 2013.

Turks like the novelist Orhan Pamuk or the filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan have been inspiring youth all over the world because of their explorations of the Turkish psyche and the Anatolian heartland. They have challenged the stereotype of the regressive Turkish culture, instead choosing to focus on exploring its intricacies. From contemporary artists like Deniz Tortum and Deniz Gamze Ergven to musicians like Gaye Su Akyol, a new generation of creative Turks are also producing exciting artworks.

But why should I, a Turkish novelist, be forced to give examples of Nobelists, Palme dOr winners and Academy Awards nominees to prove that Turks can be creative, worthwhile members of the international community? Citizens of only some nations are put in this unsettling position.

Im afraid that the rise of this intensely creative new generation of Turks, as well as the existence of perfectly civilized Turkish citizens, will do little in combating the image of the barbarian that had long haunted the European psyche and made a comeback a decade ago. Having taken the shape of the fez-wearing Ottoman Turk, an image meant to terrify us and change our ways, this specter will prove ineffective in turning Turks, the majority of whom dont see their traditional culture as a form of barbarism, into something else it may even turn the Ottoman fez into a fashion item.

Despite Geert Wilders defeat, I fear that the genie put out of the bottle by right-wing European politicians will continue haunting the continent.

As my plane started descending on Istanbul, I had the distinct memory of an Amsterdam coffeehouse by a canal that I used to frequent as a 23-year-old. With a cigarette in my hand, I would reflect on the kind of nationalism brewing in my homeland and believed, naively, that the laid-back streets of this city could provide an antidote, and a solution, to all that.

Despite Wilders defeat, I fear that the genie put out of the bottle by right-wing European politicians will continue haunting the continent.

It was raining at Atatrk Airport when I touched ground, and the night seemed grim.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2nj6lKO

from The Turkey-Netherlands Spat Is A Reminder Of A New Specter Haunting Europe

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ISTANBUL Flying back to Istanbul after a warm week in Britain where it felt liberating to be away from the constant political chatter back home I came to the shocking realization that the Netherlands, of all things, had been dominating Turkeys news cycle in my absence.

In Germany, and now in the Netherlands, Turkish politicians who support Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoans proposal for an executive presidency in the upcoming April referendum, had been barred from organizing public rallies for Turks there who can vote, I learned.

Those countries are important in my personal history I lived in them and wandered in their streets. I fell in and out of love in their bohemian quarters. And in my 20s, they represented freedom to my youthful mind, even while I was witnessing the rebirth of a specter in their dark corners the specter ofthe barbarian.

‘Turks are ugly, regressive and violent; they are rapists and murderers; they need to be stopped.’ This is the message spreading in Europe nowadays.

At the time, I was unprepared for the ominous power of identity politics, ready to prove to my European hosts that I was not a barbarian but a civilized young man from Turkey. The same was not expected from students who didnt come from Muslim-majority countries.

I am not a conservative, but reading about the recent violent events against conservative Turks there the Dutch police had attacked those who came to the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam to support a conservative Turkish politician deeply unsettled me.

I came across an article about a video of a group of men in Switzerland dressed as terrifying Ottoman Turks they had thick beards and fezzes on their heads, the piece reported. Marching like Death Troopers, with the Turkish president representing a kind of Darth Vader, they seemed to scream, Turks are ugly, regressive and violent; they are rapists and murderers; they need to be stopped. This is the message spreading in Europe nowadays a new ghost set to haunt the continent even more than it already has. While the tone in Switzerland wasnt as harsh toward Turkey as Germany or the Netherlands on rallies, this footage, which I cannot verify but which was spread around on social media here, was shocking for many Turks. But for me, this terrifying bogeyman seemed eerily familiar.

Dylan Martinez / Reuters

Riot police stand guard during clashes with demonstrators near the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, Netherlands. March 12, 2017.

I dont like murderers, but I dont like European politicians telling me I will be perceived as one of those nasty people if I act too Turkish, for that is clearly the sentiment, part of a larger anti-Muslim sentiment, being disseminated from cities across Europe these days.

Thanks to the rise of right-wing politics, the most liberal countries in the continent have changed beyond return.

In the Netherlands, where I was a graduate student a decade ago, I had once taken much pleasure in being away from the kind of nationalism that had been brewing up in Turkey back then. As someone deeply weary of jingoism and the political rhetoric of patriotism, I had long disliked Turkish identity politics. And yet, it was also in the Netherlands that Id realized the uncannily inescapable power of national and religious identity of the misery of being pigeonholed into categories inside which I couldnt help but appear to Europeans.

I dont like murderers, but I dont like European politicians telling me I will be perceived as one of those nasty people if I act too Turkish.

On the day I arrived in Amsterdam in 2004, a Dutch-Moroccan extremist had cut the throat of filmmakerTheo van Gogh near Oosterpark, a public park located a few hundred meters away from my apartment. I had had little idea then but I would have no other choice but to experience my new city under the shadow of that murder.

As my plane flew over the Rhine, I remembered that day November 2, 2004 when I headed out with my flatmate and a graduate student I had just met. There was outrage on the Amsterdam street a feeling equally intense to that produced by the assassination, in 2002, of Pim Fortuyn, a politician who held anti-Islam views similar to those of Theo van Gogh and Geert Wilders.

In the liberal capital of Europe, Fortuyns assassination, the first in Dutch history in centuries, had sent shockwaves. The killing of van Gogh in 2004 rekindled that feeling with a fervor. That was understandable. When someone is assassinated in a park of your city, you are perfectly entitled to be outraged. But then again, ideology cunningly makes use of such feelings. And so it did in Amsterdam from my first day there.

Michel Porro via Getty Images

People watch a TV broadcast near to the crime scene where Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed in Amsterdam. Nov. 2, 2004.

A war had been waged against liberal values by barbarians, locals whispered to each other, and that needed to be answered with equal ferocity for people like now-far-right candidate Geert Wilders, but also for mainstream politicians, this sense of outrage would turn into an opportunity. Despite Wilders defeat by incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte in this weeks elections, mainstream Dutch politics had already turned right-wing and anti-Islam back then, thanks to the instrumentalization of that 2004 murder. The fact that Wilders party came in second shows its still a contender.

That night, we had made our way to an avant garde bar. We were full of hopes and dreams. We talked about Jacques Derrida and wanted to explore minds as curious as ours I wanted to discover new views and face new ideas. Instead, I was lectured by a group of old local hippies at the bar about the beauty of freedom in Europe. Learning that I was coming from Turkey, they instructed me to tell my Muslim countrymen about the importance of Enlightenment.

Oh, the Enlightenment, that sacred word! The idea that destroying Islam from the face of the earth was a necessary condition of our liberation was almost laughable. Gradually, I was realizing how coming from a Muslim country was equal in this land to having the potential to become a barbarian.

Wear a white mask and no European fears you … But behind masks and the erasure of ones perceived self, lies the seeds of subjugation and self-denial.

It is a difficult task, for a liberal to understand his condescension towards the regressive people of the world. The liberal worldview smoothly provides the comforting bubble of opinion outside of which all seems barbaric.

In Amsterdam all was fine as long as I acted in a non-Turkish way and agreed to de-Turkishize my character. As an aspiring Oscar Wilde scholar and, like him, someone deeply suspicious of nationalism, that was easy.

But did I really want to hate my own past and memories and experiences? Just wear a white mask and no European fears you any longer. But behind masks and the erasure of ones perceived self, lies the seeds of subjugation and self-denial.

Courtesy of Kaya Genc

Kaya at a cafe in Amsterdam in 2004.

Politics is theater, and whilst talking about books in Britain, I had almost missed the biggest play on offer, I realized as the plane flew over Europe: Turkeys foreign minister had been banned from landing in the Netherlands, the Turkish minister of families stopped outside the door in the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam before reportedly being forced to spend about four hours in her car, and others.

This reminded me of how the Turk is a crucial character in the European psyche. While in Britain on my most recent trip, a local gentleman told me that his aunt used to warn him against becoming a Turk when he acted violently. The Turk: the darkest fear of the European, the age-old stereotype goes.

What is more surprising to me is how the most liberal friends I have on social media have started expressing views that are but an evolution of that stereotype so masterfully repurposed by right-wing politicians my friends consider themselves left wing and yet they openly confess to agreeing with the views of Wilders on Turks living in European Union countries.

The Turk is a crucial character in the European psyche … the darkest fear of the European.

Reading about how a Dutch mayor said hed given special forces the go ahead to open fire on the Turkish crowd in Rotterdam if they found it necessary and the protests in Istanbul where someone reportedly changed the Dutch flag at the consulate with the Turkish one, I was initially reminded of the protest culture in my homeland or rather its violent suppression by the Turkish state.

This was, after all, precisely the kind of reaction the Turkish police force had towards protesters at Gezi Park in Istanbul during 2013s environmentalist uprising. Young activists were killed, and fear and anxiety had dominated the public space. The authorities acted cowardly, as they often do, and young people were understandably furious. Officials ruthlessly burned the tents of young people whose ideals they failed to burn they live on.

People watching Turkey back then might have pointed at the violence in Gezi as yet another reason to brand us barbarians. But just as it wasnt fair to label me with this term back in 2004 as a student looking to get an education in the Netherlands, this label isnt fair here either.

Scott Peterson via Getty Images

Turkish police clash with anti-government protesters in Istanbul over the Gezi Park redevelopment project. June 22, 2013.

Turks like the novelist Orhan Pamuk or the filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan have been inspiring youth all over the world because of their explorations of the Turkish psyche and the Anatolian heartland. They have challenged the stereotype of the regressive Turkish culture, instead choosing to focus on exploring its intricacies. From contemporary artists like Deniz Tortum and Deniz Gamze Ergven to musicians like Gaye Su Akyol, a new generation of creative Turks are also producing exciting artworks.

But why should I, a Turkish novelist, be forced to give examples of Nobelists, Palme dOr winners and Academy Awards nominees to prove that Turks can be creative, worthwhile members of the international community? Citizens of only some nations are put in this unsettling position.

Im afraid that the rise of this intensely creative new generation of Turks, as well as the existence of perfectly civilized Turkish citizens, will do little in combating the image of the barbarian that had long haunted the European psyche and made a comeback a decade ago. Having taken the shape of the fez-wearing Ottoman Turk, an image meant to terrify us and change our ways, this specter will prove ineffective in turning Turks, the majority of whom dont see their traditional culture as a form of barbarism, into something else it may even turn the Ottoman fez into a fashion item.

Despite Geert Wilders defeat, I fear that the genie put out of the bottle by right-wing European politicians will continue haunting the continent.

As my plane started descending on Istanbul, I had the distinct memory of an Amsterdam coffeehouse by a canal that I used to frequent as a 23-year-old. With a cigarette in my hand, I would reflect on the kind of nationalism brewing in my homeland and believed, naively, that the laid-back streets of this city could provide an antidote, and a solution, to all that.

Despite Wilders defeat, I fear that the genie put out of the bottle by right-wing European politicians will continue haunting the continent.

It was raining at Atatrk Airport when I touched ground, and the night seemed grim.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2nj6lKO

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Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films need is high time to marinate’

The director of the cult favorite Donnie Darko was once hailed as the next David Lynch. Now, as fans rediscover his 2007 flop Southland Tales, he explains why patience remains of virtue and Trumps victory was a grotesque inevitability

Talking with the writer and director Richard Kelly, its easy to steer the conversation toward the end of the world. After all, Kelly developed a fervent cult following( and alienated it) through tales of prophesied apocalypse 2001 s cult curio Donnie Darko and 2007 s cult-classic-in-the-making Southland Tales. But its not the collapsing houses or rivers of blood that fascinate Kelly; its what comes right before. The creeping anxiety. The normalizing of madnes. The casual disregard for your neighbour. The glob in your throat that signifies your newfound understanding that this was inevitable.

If those impressions audios familiar in our present Trump-addled dystopia, that was not Kellys intention. Southland Tales, a post-9/ 11 irony melded with a retelling of the Book of Revelation that also includes a complex hypothesi of time traveling, was never meant to feel like a pre-game show for the next decade of global misery.

The sprawling narrative set in alternative solutions 2008 in which a nuclear attack on Abilene, Texas, triggers a third world war revolves around an amnesiac action starring named Boxer Santaros( played by Dwayne The Rock Johnson) who falls in love with a porn superstar/ talkshow host/ entrepreneur/ pop star/ clairvoyant who goes by the professional name Krysta Now( Sarah Michelle Gellar ), who has written a screenplay about the end times.

Oh, and theres also a government agency dedicated to spying on Americans, an underground neo-Marxist cult, an alternative energy source that might be ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, a United States military sponsored by Hustler and Bud Light, and a mind-altering medication that keeps American soldiers docile and dependent. Jon Lovitz plays a racist policeman, Seann William Scott plays identical twin police officers, Amy Poehler shows up as an anarchist improv comic, Justin Timberlake plays a drug-addled war veteran and Wallace Shawn of The Princess Bride fame is the antichrist( or a reasonable facsimile ).

Its overwhelming to process, and reflects so much of the nervousnes of our age, even if it isnt always pleasant to watch. I genuinely wanted it to be something that you would get lost in and that would sustain multiple viewings, Kelly tells me over dinner in Los Angeles. When discussing the film, his eyes widen and he projects an impish yet tentative enthusiasm as though hes feeling out whether youre going to receive his ideas without decision. Now, that aspiration can be a self-defeating prophecy, as we considered clearly.

Kelly seems wistful about the experience of making and releasing the movie, which, after a disastrous Cannes screening at which the movie was booed heavily, virtually lost theatrical distribution. We were in Boston, in pre-production on[ his Southland Tales follow-up] The Box, the weekend Southland Tales opened in 50 -some theaters. The upcoming Monday was our first day of principal photography. We were scrambling for our first day. We had done the AFI Fest premiere and they rushed me back to Boston. And then, I remember that morning, were shooting Cameron[ Diaz] and Frank Langella, that is something that emotional scene in the Boston Public Library. Someone comes up to me and tells me per-screen averages on Southland Tales. It was such a bummer. A screening Kelly attended with the actor James Marsden were engaged in only four other people. Roger Ebert likened the cinema to the third day of a pitching session on speed. One of the rare positive reviews of the film came from the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis, who called it funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired.

I definitely remain proud of the ambition of it. I feel like sometimes things just require time to marinate, he says. The cinema has started to find a new audience. At the time of our meeting, hes in between hosting screenings of Southland Tales thanks to a roadshow tour of the cinema sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse chain of arthouse theaters. The newfound expressed appreciation for Southland Tales by both audiences and emerging pockets of critics hasnt yet translated to tangible a chance for Kelly. I dont ever want to feel defeated or that Ive let the organizations of the system defeat me, he says.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Southland Tales. Photograph: Publicity image from cinema company

Southland Tales observing an audience almost 10 year later would not mark the first time one of Kellys movies gained esteem upon second( or third) glance. Donnie Darko grossed a scant $517,375 when it was released a month after 9/11. When it observed a huge audience on video and DVD, Kelly became a hot commodity, an heir apparent to the surrealist tradition of directors like David Lynch. Sometimes, the wind is at your back. Sometimes, its at your front, Kelly says about the ups and downs of his career. Darko remains his greatest up, a cinema thats become a touchstone work for the generation that grew up with it. Darko was a disaster at Sundance too, he tells me. No one remembers that, but it was. Im grateful for any rosy glow of hindsight. I remember it took us almost six months to sell the movie. It almost went immediately to the Starz network. We had to beg them to put it in theaters. Christopher Nolan stepped in and persuaded Newmarket to set it in theaters.

After those issues, Kelly could have gone the expected route and taken on a big-budget studio tentpole. He could have directed the sequel, which he declined to do( it ended up being terrible and running straight to DVD ). Instead, he choice this peculiar, dense story about the decline of American power.

President-elect Donald Trump was only a reality show curiosity when Southland Tales was released, but his mix of profane and pious could easily have attained him a character in the film. I think that Donald Trump is this grotesque inevitability that has get this far because there was something actually, really dangerous concealing beneath the surface, that has been hiding beneath the surface for many, many years. The Republicans Kelly imagined in Southland Tales were the neocon religious zealots that seem virtually quaint to modern eyes. They seemed like the ultimate boogeymen in 2007, but as Kelly points out , no one in the Bush family would even show up at the RNC[ Republican national convention ].

What Southland Tales expressed better than most politically charged cinemas of the Bush era was the sentiment that it would get worse, that something had been unleashed that could not be put back. At the time that we were attaining Southland Tales, it was Iraq war and Britney Spears. That dichotomy on your TV screen. The branding and everything was happening. It seemed inevitable that everyone would start to co-opt branding. Social media hadnt really exploded yet. To assure legislators going after one another on Twitter, its bizarre. To see Elizabeth Warren quoting the monorail on the Simpsons. To ensure legislators co-opting this millennial social media branding, its a blurring of the lines.

Each of his three films reflects that sheepish rebellion that is part of his personality. Donnie Darko was a largely passive protagonist struggling against both the oppressive system of high school and the levers of fate that he could only pull at the films climax. Boxer Santaros is a pawn in a conflict between fascism and socialism, religion and science, and love and demise. Eventually, those characters succumb to a power greater than any on Ground, something unknowable. So does Kelly suppose all this is down to higher power pulling the strings?

I dont guess any of this passed by accident. Thats just depressing and absurd, in my opinion, he answers. I do think theres a design to things, and we can never hope to know it in any of our lifetimes. Part of current challenges is trying to make sense of it. Thats whats cathartic for me as an artist, to try to make sense of it.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films require time to marinate’

The director of the cult favorite Donnie Darko was once hailed as the next David Lynch. Now, as fans rediscover his 2007 flop Southland Tales, he explains why patience is still a virtue and Trumps victory was a grotesque inevitability

Talking with the writer and director Richard Kelly, its easy to steer the conversation toward the end of the world. After all, Kelly developed a fervent cult following (and alienated it) through tales of prophesied apocalypse 2001s cult curio Donnie Darko and 2007s cult-classic-in-the-making Southland Tales. But its not the collapsing buildings or rivers of blood that fascinate Kelly; its what comes right before. The creeping panic. The normalizing of insanity. The casual disregard for your neighbor. The lump in your throat that signifies your newfound understanding that this was inevitable.

If those feelings sounds familiar in our current Trump-addled dystopia, that was not Kellys intention. Southland Tales, a post-9/11 satire melded with a retelling of the Book of Revelation that also includes a complex theory of time travel, was never meant to feel like a pre-game show for the next decade of global misery.

The sprawling narrative set in an alternative 2008 in which a nuclear attack on Abilene, Texas, triggers a third world war revolves around an amnesiac action star named Boxer Santaros (played by Dwayne The Rock Johnson) who falls in love with a porn star/talkshow host/entrepreneur/pop star/psychic who goes by the professional name Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who has written a screenplay about the end times.

Oh, and theres also a government agency dedicated to spying on Americans, an underground neo-Marxist cult, an alternative energy source that might be ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, a United States military sponsored by Hustler and Bud Light, and a mind-altering drug that keeps American soldiers docile and dependent. Jon Lovitz plays a racist cop, Seann William Scott plays identical twin police officers, Amy Poehler shows up as an anarchist improv comic, Justin Timberlake plays a drug-addled war veteran and Wallace Shawn of The Princess Bride fame is the antichrist (or a reasonable facsimile).

Its overwhelming to process, and reflects so much of the anxiety of our age, even if it isnt always pleasant to watch. I really wanted it to be something that you would get lost in and that would sustain multiple viewings, Kelly tells me over dinner in Los Angeles. When discussing the film, his eyes widen and he projects an impish yet tentative enthusiasm as though hes feeling out whether youre going to receive his ideas without judgment. Now, that ambition can be a self-defeating prophecy, as we saw clearly.

Kelly seems wistful about the experience of making and releasing the film, which, after a disastrous Cannes screening at which the film was booed heavily, almost lost theatrical distribution. We were in Boston, in pre-production on [his Southland Tales follow-up] The Box, the weekend Southland Tales opened in 50-some theaters. The upcoming Monday was our first day of principal photography. We were scrambling for our first day. We had done the AFI Fest premiere and they rushed me back to Boston. And then, I remember that morning, were shooting Cameron [Diaz] and Frank Langella, this really emotional scene in the Boston Public Library. Someone comes up to me and tells me per-screen averages on Southland Tales. It was such a bummer. A screening Kelly attended with the actor James Marsden was attended by only four other people. Roger Ebert likened the film to the third day of a pitch session on speed. One of the rare positive reviews of the film came from the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis, who called it funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired.

I definitely remain proud of the ambition of it. I feel like sometimes things just need time to marinate, he says. The film has started to find a new audience. At the time of our meeting, hes in between hosting screenings of Southland Tales thanks to a roadshow tour of the film sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse chain of arthouse theaters. The newfound appreciation for Southland Tales by both audiences and emerging pockets of critics hasnt yet translated to tangible opportunities for Kelly. I dont ever want to feel defeated or that Ive let the system defeat me, he says.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Southland Tales. Photograph: Publicity image from film company

Southland Tales finding an audience almost 10 years later would not mark the first time one of Kellys films gained esteem upon second (or third) glance. Donnie Darko grossed a scant $517,375 when it was released a month after 9/11. When it found a huge audience on video and DVD, Kelly became a hot commodity, an heir apparent to the surrealist tradition of directors like David Lynch. Sometimes, the wind is at your back. Sometimes, its at your front, Kelly says about the ups and downs of his career. Darko remains his greatest up, a film thats become a touchstone work for the generation that grew up with it. Darko was a disaster at Sundance too, he tells me. No one remembers that, but it was. Im grateful for any rosy glow of hindsight. I remember it took us almost six months to sell the movie. It almost went directly to the Starz network. We had to beg them to put it in theaters. Christopher Nolan stepped in and convinced Newmarket to put it in theaters.

After those issues, Kelly could have gone the expected route and taken on a big-budget studio tentpole. He could have directed the sequel, which he declined to do (it ended up being terrible and going straight to DVD). Instead, he chose this peculiar, dense story about the decline of American power.

President-elect Donald Trump was only a reality show curiosity when Southland Tales was released, but his mix of profane and pious could easily have made him a character in the film. I think that Donald Trump is this grotesque inevitability that has gotten this far because there was something really, really dangerous hiding beneath the surface, that has been hiding beneath the surface for many, many years. The Republicans Kelly imagined in Southland Tales were the neocon religious zealots that seem almost quaint to modern eyes. They seemed like the ultimate boogeymen in 2007, but as Kelly points out, no one in the Bush family would even show up at the RNC [Republican national convention].

What Southland Tales expressed better than most politically charged films of the Bush era was the sentiment that it would get worse, that something had been unleashed that could not be put back. At the time that we were making Southland Tales, it was Iraq war and Britney Spears. That dichotomy on your TV screen. The branding and everything was happening. It seemed inevitable that everyone would start to co-opt branding. Social media hadnt really exploded yet. To see politicians going after each other on Twitter, its bizarre. To see Elizabeth Warren quoting the monorail on the Simpsons. To see politicians co-opting this millennial social media branding, its a blurring of the lines.

Each of his three films reflects that sheepish rebellion that is part of his personality. Donnie Darko was a mostly passive protagonist struggling against both the oppressive system of high school and the levers of fate that he could only pull at the films climax. Boxer Santaros is a pawn in a conflict between fascism and socialism, religion and science, and love and death. Eventually, those characters succumb to a power greater than any on Earth, something unknowable. So does Kelly think all this is down to higher power pulling the strings?

I dont think any of this happened by accident. Thats just depressing and absurd, in my opinion, he answers. I do think theres a design to things, and we can never hope to know it in any of our lifetimes. Part of the challenge is trying to make sense of it. Thats whats cathartic for me as an artist, to try to make sense of it.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

The post Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films require time to marinate’ appeared first on Top Rated Solar Panels.

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Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films require time to marinate’

The director of the cult favorite Donnie Darko was once hailed as the next David Lynch. Now, as fans rediscover his 2007 flop Southland Tales, he explains why patience is still a virtue and Trumps victory was a grotesque inevitability

Talking with the writer and director Richard Kelly, its easy to steer the conversation toward the end of the world. After all, Kelly developed a fervent cult following( and alienated it) through narratives of prophesied apocalypse 2001 s cult curio Donnie Darko and 2007 s cult-classic-in-the-making Southland Tales. But its not the collapsing buildings or rivers of blood that fascinate Kelly; its what goes right before. The creeping anxiety. The normalizing of insanity. The casual disregard for your neighbor. The hunk in your throat that signifies your newfound understanding that this was inevitable.

If those feelings sounds familiar in our present Trump-addled dystopia, that was not Kellys intention. Southland Tales, a post-9/ 11 satire melded with a retelling of the Book of Revelation that also includes a complex theory of time travel, was never meant to feel like a pre-game show for the next decade of global misery.

The sprawling narrative set in an alternative 2008 in which a nuclear attack on Abilene, Texas, triggers a third world war revolves around an amnesiac action star named Boxer Santaros( played by Dwayne The Rock Johnson) who falls in love with a porn starring/ talkshow host/ entrepreneur/ pop star/ psychic who goes by the professional name Krysta Now( Sarah Michelle Gellar ), who has written a screenplay about the end times.

Oh, and theres also a government agency dedicated to spying on Americans, an underground neo-Marxist cult, alternative solutions energy source that might be ripping a pit in the space-time continuum, a United States military sponsored by Hustler and Bud Light, and a mind-altering medication that maintains American soldiers docile and dependent. Jon Lovitz plays a racist cop, Seann William Scott plays identical twin police officer, Amy Poehler shows up as an anarchist improv comic, Justin Timberlake plays a drug-addled war veteran and Wallace Shawn of The Princess Bride fame is the antichrist( or a reasonable facsimile ).

Its overwhelming to process, and reflects so much of the nervousnes of our age, even if it isnt always pleasant to watch. I genuinely wanted it to be something that you would get lost in and that would sustain multiple viewings, Kelly tells me over dinner in Los Angeles. When discussing the movie, his eyes widen and he projects an impish yet tentative enthusiasm as though hes feeling out whether youre going to receive his ideas without judgment. Now, that ambition can be a self-defeating prophecy, as we saw clearly.

Kelly seems wistful about the experience of making and releasing the cinema, which, after a disastrous Cannes screening at which the film was booed heavily, virtually lost theatrical distribution. We were in Boston, in pre-production on[ his Southland Tales follow-up] The Box, the weekend Southland Tales opened in 50 -some theaters. The upcoming Monday was our first day of principal photography. We were scrambling for our first day. We had done the AFI Fest premiere and they rushed me back to Boston. And then, I remember that morning, were shooting Cameron[ Diaz] and Frank Langella, that is something that emotional scene in the Boston Public Library. Someone comes up to me and tells me per-screen medians on Southland Tales. It was such a bummer. A screening Kelly attended with the actor James Marsden was attended by only four other people. Roger Ebert likened the movie to the third day of a pitching session on speed. One of the rare positive reviews of the film came from the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis, who called it funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired.

I definitely remain proud of the ambition of it. I feel like sometimes things just require time to marinade, he says. The cinema has started to find a new audience. At the time of our meeting, hes in between hosting screenings of Southland Tales thanks to a roadshow tour of the movie sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse chain of arthouse theaters. The newfound appreciation for Southland Tales by both audiences and emerging pockets of critics hasnt yet translated to tangible opportunities for Kelly. I dont ever want to feel defeated or that Ive let the organizations of the system defeat me, he tells.

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Southland Tales. Photo: Publicity image from movie company

Southland Tales seeing an audience virtually 10 years later would not mark the first time one of Kellys cinemas gained esteem upon second( or third) glance. Donnie Darko grossed a scant $517,375 when it was released a month after 9/11. When it observed a huge audience on video and DVD, Kelly became a hot commodity, an heir apparent to the surrealist tradition of directors like David Lynch. Sometimes, the wind is at your back. Sometimes, its at your front, Kelly tells about the ups and downs of his career. Darko remains his greatest up, a cinema thats become a touchstone work for the generation that grew up with it. Darko was a disaster at Sundance too, he tells me. No one remembers that, but it was. Im grateful for any rosy light of hindsight. I remember it took us almost six months to sell the movie. It almost ran immediately to the Starz network. We had to beg them to set it in theaters. Christopher Nolan stepped in and convinced Newmarket to set it in theaters.

After those issues, Kelly could have gone the expected road and taken on a big-budget studio tentpole. He could have directed the sequel, which he declined to do( it aimed up being terrible and running straight-out to DVD ). Instead, he preferred this peculiar, dense narrative about the decline of American power.

President-elect Donald Trump was only a reality show curiosity when Southland Tales was released, but his mixture of profane and pious could easily have constructed him a character in the film. I think that Donald Trump is this grotesque inevitability that has get this far because there was something really, really dangerous hiding beneath the surface, that has been hiding beneath the surface for many, many years. The Republicans Kelly imagined in Southland Tales were the neocon religion zealots that seem nearly quaint to modern eyes. They seemed like the ultimate boogeymen in 2007, but as Kelly points out , no one in the Bush family would even show up at the RNC[ Republican national convention ].

What Southland Tales expressed better than most politically charged films of the Bush era was the sentiment that it would get worse, that something had been unleashed that could not be put back. At the time that we were making Southland Tales, it was Iraq war and Britney Spears. That dichotomy on your Tv screen. The branding and everything was happening. It seemed inevitable that all individuals would start to co-opt branding. Social media hadnt really explosion yet. To see politicians going after one another on Twitter, its bizarre. To consider Elizabeth Warren quoting the monorail on the Simpsons. To ensure legislators co-opting this millennial social media branding, its a blur of the lines.

Each of his three cinemas reflects that sheepish rebellion that is part of his personality. Donnie Darko was a mostly passive protagonist struggling against both the oppressive system of high school and the levers of fate that he could only pull at the films climax. Boxer Santaros is a pawn in a conflict between fascism and socialism, religion and science, and love and demise. Eventually, those characters succumb to a power greater than any on Ground, something unknowable. So does Kelly guess all this is down to higher power pulling the strings?

I dont suppose any of this happened by collision. Thats just depressing and absurd, in my opinion, he answers. I do think theres a design to things, and we can never hope to know it in any of our lifetimes. Portion of current challenges is trying to make sense of it. Thats whats cathartic for me as an artist, to try to make sense of it.

Read more: www.theguardian.com

The post Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly: ‘Sometimes films require time to marinate’ appeared first on Top Rated Solar Panels.

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