#diya answers

[collectingthestars]

why pjo's portrayal of the greek gods is fucked up and how it's affected perceptions surrounding ancient Greece.

*breaks down the door to your inbox with an axe*

start talking now oh my god I want to hear your hot take so bad. I've been interested in religious studies (primarily the Hellenistic and early Roman religious atmosphere (of course acknowledging that the word religion is post-Enlightenment and conceives of supernatural belief as a subjective individual belief, which is inconsistent with how supernatural matters were dealt with in the Ancient world) and how they intersect with early Christianity and proto-Christianity) and I've been fascinated with the Greek gods and I need your hot take on why their portrayal is wrong and leads to incorrect assumptions about Ancient Greece.

oh you bet your bottom dollar i will talk about this. true to the post from which this originated, i will prep no material and all this is off the top of my head so don't quote me!

If you follow my Greek mythology sideblog, you'll know i am unequivocally a Zeus defender. Now I can make a million posts about Zeus alone but I will take a more holistic approach on the gods in general and the perception of Ancient Greece.

The West has been obsessed with Ancient Greece for centuries: the culture, philosophy, history, mythology, mathematical and scientific advancements, and much more. Now it's one thing to take interest in a country's history or a historical era; it is completely another to claim it as your own and make it an ideal state of life to achieve, because if you know literally anything about Ancient Greece, it was anything but. What I'm trying to say here is that Ancient Greek culture has been commodified, glorified, rewritten, and reclaimed by the West when it was never theirs to do so. I've often seen this sentiment expressed by Greeks about their homeland: "The history comes first, the people second." I think a prime modern example of this mindset was when same-sex marriage was legalised in Greece, which was a huge step forward for an Orthodox country with an extensive history of homophobia, but people outside of Greece began making jokes of Greece "returning to their own values" (referring to Ancient Greek practices of pederasty which is hugely problematic and not at all representative of any gay rights if you know what it entails) and people excited to "finally hold lesbian weddings in Lesbos" (signifying the West's perception of Greece as simply a tourist hotspot and not a country with an intricate history and culture). In short, Greece is already unfairly used for the West's agenda of glorification and attempts to build itself a culture that frankly isn't theirs at all.

Now, how does this involve pjo? A lot, my friends, a fucking lot. The publication and popularity of the Percy Jackson series has simply exacerbated all the aforementioned issues in this post. First off, the worldbuilding on which The Lightning Thief relied and the rest of the series ultimately holds is that "Olympus moves with the centre of Western power", which is just. Wow. There are a million things wrong with this concept that would need its own post, so I recommend this article called The Whitening Thief that essentially explains the white supremacy of it all. If you do not want to read the full article, the main premise is that the Percy Jackson series equates Westernism with civilisation and that without it there was "chaos and darkness", which as Paule describes it, is "sipping at a pretty racist cocktail".

note: I have realised how aggressively off-topic this is to the original statement I made, I'm getting there, I promise (although I did warn you it was something I could talk on for hours with little material)

Let's finally delve into the depiction of Greek gods in Percy Jackson. I'll actually start on a bit of a positive note that apart from the weird (for lack of a better term) comparisons of Hades to Adolf Hitler, the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians had some okay characterisation of the gods (I have some reservations about the goddesses on which I will elaborate later). They're prideful and neglectful parents (the myths actually contradict that latter part but I digress) but each with their own complexities and concerns. To use Zeus as an example because he's actually the god who falls short the most in terms of consistent characterisation in my opinion, he lets Percy live in TLT "for the sake of peace in [his] family", indicating a care and sense of duty for Olympus and for his fellow gods, and while he lets his pride and paranoia get the better of him at times, he is shown as a serious authority figure and someone who's trying to keep his realm together, and such characteristics wouldn't be too far off from his mythical counterpart.

But as the series progresses, either Rick got lazy or he attempted to further capitalise his work to make it more palpable, he turns the gods into caricatures by excessively inflating one characteristic they may have into their entire personalities. Returning to Zeus, his paranoia is amplified to an absurd extent that one can simply not fathom why the gods would be the better option than the Titans. As I said initially, he had bouts of paranoia that would be almost normal for someone with such a powerful position, but this is completely derailing any connection with his mythological counterpart, he may as well be an OC with the same name and title as him. To use other gods as an example because I promised a holistic approach and I have seemed to only talk about Zeus (sorry!), the writing of the goddesses Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Athena is simply misogynistic. I'm sorry, there is no other way I can find myself to describe it. Typically feminine goddesses Hera and Aphrodite are extremely demonised and condemned for their flaky and vain attitude; Hera is the evil stepmother archetype and Aphrodite ultimately becomes weak and useless. The "virgin" (quotations referring to Athena) goddesses Artemis and Athena also don't seem to extend past superficial, unoriginal characteristics like being a vehement man-hater who kicked out two sapphics from the Hunt and a goddess who Rick stops at nothing to render her a horrible parent and person (using the Roman myth of Medusa, exaggerating her prideful nature, etc) respectively. And you cannot tell me they're not misogynistic portrayals because just a few minutes on pjo tiktok will show you just how many times Hera is referred to as a bitch (keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!!). Then there is TOA and COTG, which makes me want to cry just thinking about Zeus' portrayal there (yes we're going back there). The god who was consistently thought of as a gracious, protective saviour of the people in Ancient Greece (full list of epithets of Zeus, read at your leisure) is an abusive autocratic tyrant?

To go back onto the topic, how do Riordan's works affect the overall perception of Ancient Greece? Well, as I said before, it contributes to the white supremacist view of Ancient Greece as the epitome of civilisation and the glorification of the era, but it also turns Ancient Greece into a fandom to an extreme extent. Now, obviously, I'm not talking about people with a healthy obsession with Ancient Greek history and Mythology (myself included) who like to engage in content about it. I'm talking about people who claim Ancient Greece as an extension of Western, mostly American culture, and ultimately engage in a form of cultural appropriation that strips Greeks of their own history and narrative. This includes writing 'feminist' retellings of Greek myths, taking Riordan's (inaccurate) readings of the mythology as indisputable fact, and removing the myths from their historical and cultural context. People forget that much of these myths were stories written for entertainment and take them as a sort of Hellenic Bible (which delves into the Christianisation of Greek Mythology but that's a whole other post). In short, Westerners think they can do whatever the fuck they want with Greek mythology and Greek gods because they think it's theirs with which to play around, ultimately ignoring the country, history, and the culture from which they actually originate, and it's thanks to Rick Riordan that this attitude has blown up to an insane extent.

*sighs* Thank you for coming to my TedTalk and I seriously admire you if you made it this far.

#diya answers #i wrote all this instead of doing the pile of homework i have so yeah enjoy #sunset-telepath #rr crit

[sworeontheriverstyx]

As you are Zeus Defence Lawyer I suggest we put in the motion that either people stop villainizing him Or villainize Poseidon (who was just a little bit better than Zeus) and Hades (literally called the Zeus of the Underworld)

the way people jump through hoops to defend hades and poseidon and simultaneously denigrate zeus astounds me. like hades cheated on his wife as well, but y'all don't hear shit about that, instead it's just "zeus did this!" and "zeus did that!". also the way that every god gets their own complexities and character insights in any adaptation or retelling of greek mythology but not zeus pisses me off to no end. the double standards are showing!!

but also i am firmly of the camp that none of the greek gods should be villainised because, well, they're gods beyond human morals and comprehension. this is not to say that gods shouldn't be the antagonist in any story but if they are, it needs to be done right and not in the uneducated wishy-washy way it is done nowadays

#diya answers #i will happily engage in media where zeus is the antagonist but y'all better do it right and actually acknowledge the complexities of gods #anon

[thestarsofnyx]

DIYA HAVE YOU SEEN THAT ONE PHOTO OF DISCOVERY (the space shuttle) BEING LAUNCHED

sie show me right now and i’ll love you forever

#diya answers #sierice

[collectingthestars]

I'm always curious about your Taylor opinions. What are your least favorite songs from each album?

oooooh you are out for BLOOD, just know that these songs are still dearly beloved swiftblr please have mercy

debut- a perfectly good heart

fearless- we were happy

speak now- mean

red- i knew you were trouble

1989- this love

reputation- getaway car

lover- you need to calm down

folklore- the last great american dynasty

evermore- no body no crime

midnights- karma

#diya answers #anon #ts

[collectingthestars]

Tell me a Debut song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a Fearless song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a Speak Now song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a Red song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a 1989 song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a reputation song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a Lover song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a folklore song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me an evermore song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

Tell me a Midnights song that reminds you of someone and tag them.

mary's song: @dorotheado

fearless: @pengillys

electric touch: @faggot-friday

all too well: @asinglethreadofgold

new romantics: @youareinlovetv

gorgeous: @reputation-gf

death by a thousand cuts: @deathbyathousandcuts obviously

hoax: @decoratedlawns

tis the damn season: @folkloredeluxe

dear reader: @bazkrekkers

#diya answers #missed you bestie!!! #sorry if i missed you besties #blogrecanon #ask game

[collectingthestars]

Taylor: "this album took 2 years"

Swifties: wdym she just dated matty last year. And i know for a fact she dated him (something she never said) and that these songs are about him (another thing she never said) and believe that over the fact that this album took 2 years to write (something she did say)

Like if you'd rather believe "sources", like 5 pap shoots where they're standing next to each other, and your own speculation than the actual things she is saying, maybe this album, that's about real things that happened to her and her real feelings, isn't for you.

And, if now that you don't have the excuse of certain songs being "fictional", the math doesn't make sense, and the things she's saying don't fit into your perception of her and her dating life, maybe there's a very real reason and you should look into that.

first off, don't you know by now that actions speak louder than words? pap shoots that you claim not to be real sources certainly count as elements of taylor's life. and even if taylor and matty never dated, which is what you imply, her being sighted with him on multiple occasions, him flying over to her show, the matching moments of "this is about you... i love you" at their respective concerts that happen way too close together to be a coincidence is still a cause for concern and evidence of a close association between the two. and it certainly says something about her if she chooses to associate herself with people like matty healy.

secondly, all this because i reblogged a post from my mutual joking about the fact that most of these songs felt like they were written last year?? because even if you ignore her dating life, there is literally a song about being on the eras tour while having experienced heartbreak?? when else could that have been written?? and if you say this album took 2 years to make, then 2023 is definitely one of the years which would be a part of the creative process. what i don't understand is that you're implying i am shitting on taylor for this, when that was never my intention, i just noted something a little funny, i am not trying to override her truth or whatever, so stop talking about it like that.

additionally, what is with your shitty comments about this album "not being for me" or that there is "maybe a very real reason" to look into in terms of my relationship with taylor as a fan, care to explain that? i think that's a fucked up thing to say to anybody, and i will not tolerate you coming into my inbox for that. if you are so fucking upset with my so-called speculation, then fucking block me, and let me post what i want in my own fucking space. i am pissed at taylor for a multitude of her choices and that isn't going to go away because some fuckass anon in my inbox tells me i'm not a real fan, because if your definition of a real fan is that, then yeah, you're right, i don't want to be a real fan, and i will happily denounce my label as a fan in terms of your parameters.

#diya answers #i find less and less time and energy for this kind of shit so say what you want #get it off your chest get it off my desk! #anon

[collectingthestars]

anyways orange juice best song ever fr (i have been saying this since the album released)

ARE WE ALL JUST CROWS TO YOU NOW!! ARE WE ALL JUST PULLING YOU DOWN!!!

#diya answers #you are so right #orange juice song of the century of the millenium of the universe #nandini <3 #noah kahan

[collectingthestars]

if taylor swift is mad because she thinks her fans are saboteurs for asking her to do better and do some self-reflection then she can go look at her bank account to feel better <3

death, taxes, and the insanely high figure of taylor swift's bank account are the true constants

#diya answers #and she can even vent to her fans about how they're vipers dressed in empath's clothing TO HER OWN FANS WHO PAID TO WITNESS HER TOUR #isn't that amazing #she has so many coping mechanisms at hand that are doing her wonders apparently 😊 #melone <3

[collectingthestars]

I'm dreading the inevitable onslaught of joe thrashing on april 19th

bestie you have no idea how scared i am for that day

#diya answers #like genuinely i don't know what i'll do with myself #expect my haterism levels to go 📈 #melone <3

[collectingthestars]

I miss sending you asks soooooo- what do you think all for the game is about based on what I've been posting

hiiii melone i miss you in my inbox too, welcome back!

ummmmm, there's gay people, and at least one french person? i honestly can gather nothing from what you post fhjdskhfk

#diya answers #melone <3

[collectingthestars]

It could be worse.... we could be on Swifttok, where they have even dumber takes or Swiftie Twitter where we'd have gotten doxxed by now

twitter would have my medicare number and tax file number along with my coordinates online 0.0000002 seconds after i say something, you're right

#diya answers #but still swiftblr sucks in the way they think they're better than the other places and have this superiority complex but they're not #jake <3

[collectingthestars]

"it was unnecessary should've let it stay buried" but it's me about bdilh and the asylum line

you are so fucking real for that, it's exactly how i feel

#diya answers #let's add the ect imagery in the fortnight mv and on tour to that #melone <3 #ts

[collectingthestars]

"#i also think that thalia holds a lot of pride in being a daughter of zeus#like she doesn't shun that part of herself very much but actively shuns being the daughter of fallen starlet beryl grace#food for thought"

FOOD FOR THHOUGHT INDEED. she was even textually introduced as thalia, daughter of zeus. no last name. it is later discussed that thalia literally does not like using her surname....... yeah, she is her father's daughter. i don't blame her for it bc beryl is beryl but i think it's interesting that she didn't even know zeus and still put trust on him.

like we didn't find out thalia's last name until the last olympian... thalia is constantly described as a daughter of zeus being her main epithet... she is so much like her father in ways i cannot explain coherently... even if she loves it and hates it at the same time...

#diya answers #thalia... #titansarmy #rrverse #and if i say pride in being zeus' daughter is fuelled by hatred for beryl as opposed to love for zeus then what #she literally accepts a leadership position that entrenches her deeper into the system #like she is literally her father's daughter #when people ask for an example of a daughter becoming their father i show them thalia grace

[collectingthestars]

DIYA HAVE YOU HEARD THE UNDERWORLD SAGA YET ITS SOOOOO GOOD IM IN LOVE

me after hearing anticlea and polites in the underworld

#diya answers #sierice <3 #IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD UGHHHH AN AMAZING WAY TO CLOSE ACT 1 #epic the musical

[collectingthestars]

I'm trying so so hard to separate certain songs from their subject matter but oh my god I just can't forget about what mr racist white saviour complex bigot did

i fear i can no longer listen to bdilh...

#diya answers #honestly i'm glad taylor was intentionally vague for *most* of the album about her muses #melone <3

[collectingthestars]

"chloe et all" on your tags had me CACKLING, i'm only gonna refer to this song this way from now on, thank you!!!!

ahaha you have to thank @eclipsedsuns, they said it first!

#diya answers #edith <3