#ive never seen these ppl | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mishy-mashy · 15 days

Text

Kudo is actually such a kind, soft-hearted guy that had to toughen up because he cared too much

He looked at AFO's rule, and even though he was weak, he had that glint in his eye that has been referred to as the "will of a hero" to oppose him. A hopeful glint shared with Midoriya, Bakugo, and Hawks

He even parallels Hawks when they talk about that particular look in their eye

From a glimmer in the eye, to which eye is shown, how much of the face, a similar angle of the face, and placement of text questioning the existence of that light,

He stormed to kill Yoichi with Bruce, but couldn't, once he saw the state Yoichi was in. Even knowing he was the enemy, he still reached out his hand and never let go, even when they were running

When Yoichi died, even though they'd only been together for two months, Kudo still cried and froze up.

This is a reaction from a man who repeatedly used lives as a stepping stone for his own goal.

Kudo said himself, that victory was life, and defeat was death. He had killed and seen his friends killed over and over, but still cries when it happens again. And to someone he only knew for two months, at that.

Kudo gathered allies under his cause, and they were loyal enough to die for him. Bruce cries (still smiling tho) facing AFO, tried protecting Kudo when he froze up at Yoichi's death, and we see all Kudo's comrades dead in the end. Maybe Bruce was suicidal when he went to face AFO, knowing he'd die, but most of his comrades (and Kudo) were already gone. Their cause was snuffed out, but the will persisted.

Kudo is a bit like Aizawa.

A bit crass and blunt, doesn't like beating around the bush, but he can clearly see what kind of person you are. He's not openly kind, but you know he cares so much, but has also lost too much once. He's seen his friend(s) die, and shouldn't it have been him in that spot? Shouldn't he have died instead, but was forced to continue living for that dead person's sake?

His speech about why we call Abilities "Quirks", recognizing people's intent over raw power is the real power. (Ch 369)

He's blunt and goes straight to the results rather than beat around the bush, but it doesn't mean his heart is frozen and he doesn't care about you. (Ch 408)

He cares so much, and that's why he has to do so much. (His whole Resistance thing, figuring out how Yoichi's Factor works to make sure Yoichi and his will can live on in some way)

He recognizes that Midoriya isn't driven by duty, but that he genuinely adores Quirks too much. (Ch 414) He could look at Midoriya, read that immediately, and even though he looked through his memories, Midoriya's character was his takeaway. Not that Midoriya is an idiot for letting himself be stepped on, or that this kid was bullied, but that Midoriya could see the goodness in others.

Like how Aizawa saw that Midoriya was relying on the reason [It can't be helped] whenever OFA broke his bones and told him he can't always break himself just because he could be fixed (Midoriya's recklessness that showed itself on the first day of school). He called out something that was an underlying, innate belief to Midoriya, that was so normal to the teen, and no one else had brought up as wrong to him.

The first thing they perceive is a person's character.

When Aizawa tied up Midoriya on the first day of school, he wasn't telling him off over his Quirk destroying him being a PR thing or too gruesome for the public. It was out of the fact that his Quirk shouldn't destroy him, because it's dangerous for Midoriya.

Aizawa came off antagonistic, but he was looking out for Midoriya. He didn't want him to keep breaking his whole arm, he didn't want him to get stuck in the mindset that he had to get hurt to use his Quirk, he was looking out for his wellbeing from the start. A kid he didn't know personally until that day.

Kudo did a similar thing. He turned his back, and refused to help, because they were putting their hopes in a delusional boy who would go too far. When the vestiges realized their gathered Abilities and Quirks were letting Midoriya have the freedom to do as he wished, Kudo already knew, only saying "His path is the right one". He could relate to having to run full-sprint to see your goal realized, even if everything opposed him, but didn't want Midoriya to go through that same path alone.

If he were alone, he'd be like Nagant. He had to have comrades to be like Kudo, able to continue and stand for their beliefs, but having comrades to fall back on, or pull him back when it's too much. That's why he follows up in that moment with, "But, if there's something Midoriya does need..."

Kudo and Aizawa could see themselves or their comrades in others, and knew how to approach those character flaws that were normalized to others and said person.

Kudo could see others for who they were, and I think it's this, and his caring nature, that he gathered so many allies with him. He knew when to be blunt, when to show kindness, that the truth hurts but needs to be seen, was actually very logical and witty, and when to step aside and let people do their thing, even if it wasn't the best move (like saving All Might). Because that was what was best for that person.

It's not like people would join someone so wholeheartedly without conviction and being left unseen by that person. So many people were willing to die with and for Kudo, and Bruce believes in him so much.

When All Might's vestige was fading and becoming more solid, Kudo had to look away. They knew it meant All Might was dying in the real world.

Kudo was telling Midoriya not to intervene with Gearshift there. But once he saw All Might genuinely dying out, he couldn't look at him, and kept quiet. He stopped hanging onto battlefield logic of necessity, shut up, let Midoriya do his thing, and it saved All Might. It saved Midoriya from seeing his idol die in front of him, and Kudo didn't have to see another ally die beside him.

The chapter is literally called [We Love You All Might!!]. Even if it's just meant to focus in Bakugo and Midoriya, and only has 2 exclamation marks, it can't discount the world is watching. The vestiges care about All Might too.

When the vestiges come up with the plan to forcibly transfer themselves to deal damage, Kudo volunteers himself as the test dummy. Sure, he backs it with a lot of reason too, but he didn't want anyone else to go first as a test drive

He, with a Gearshift Ability that resembled a manual car, was the test drive. Ha ha pun- *gets shot*

En tried going first. Kudo rejected him, saying he would go first.

"Part ways with Gearshift [me], and you'll be free of the crippling recoil too."

Too. TOO.

KUDO JUST WANTED TO GO AND BE DESTROYED FIRST. HE PUT THE FREEDOM OF RECOIL DOWN AS AN EXTRA BONUS SO THEY'D AGREE WITH HIS CHOICE.

I'd cut the image so it looks better, and I can use Bruce's words elsewhere, but this is an image limit, so,

- Kudo refused to let anyone else go first. This was before giving reasons to convince them he should leave first

- En gives reason to why it can't be Kudo. Kudo just says, "Listen." and reminds them of now.

- Look at Kudo's face when he says that. The guy knows what he's doing when he cuts off En, and would probably be a horrible liar. He might as well be pulling this out of his ass.

He's said "The world will end" "You have to or else" "Five minutes" "You're going to die" a few times in this fight already. DUDE STOPPP

(Terrible liar and a guy who purposely eggs you to torment? What a great friend he would be [yknow, when u make ur friends freak out by being ominous or reminding them of stuff. Like Toast to Lilypichu in a game of Observation Duty])

- "Too."

- Bruce's trust in him, but knowing when to pull Kudo back from going too far

Also, when he's transferred, he smiles to Midoriya. He knows he's about to die again, but the last thing he does for Midoriya is

1) Take away the recoil of his existence as a Factor on the boy

2) Reassure him that it's okay, so it doesn't weigh on his conscience

Even if only in thought, STILL!

KUDO LOOKED SO PROUD OF MIDORIYA!

I bet Kudo is suuuch a sentimental fool

> [Be me and watch your new friend die]

> [I have Yoichi's Factor]

> [It's like I carry his will now]

> [Have a glint of opposition in my eye that drives the Demon Lord and my comrades (Bruce) crazy]

> [Hey Bruce, let's figure out how it transfers]

> [Bruce's common sense VS my rabid ideas]

> [I win]

> [Bruce was unwilling the whole time and still ends up with the Factor]

> [The Factor is named One For All, after something in Yoichi's favorite comic book series]

> [We pass it on to the future to carry forward]

> [Even as everyone else and me dies, I make sure Yoichi and his will are safe from his Demon Lord brother that locked him up]

> [Decades later, my sweet vaulted friend reminds me of when we met]

> [I turn around and give my whole-hearted support to believe in some 15-year old boy because Yoichi believes in him too]

SEN - TIM - ENT - AL!

When Shinomori was stolen by AFO, Shinomori pushed everyone away before they could really notice the invader. Kudo called out for him.

Everyone is in shock, but I don't think it's a mistake that the text bubble calling out for Shinomori is pointing from Kudo.

All For One made it through and is ready to steal them, but the first thing Kudo did was call out for the one at the very front.

[On the post I made that mentions Shinomori pushing everyone away] What if Kudo wasn't pushed away? What if this was him at the front, realizing the danger and turning around, but being unable to do anything for Shinomori when he saw?

Like Bruce, Kudo communicates. He doesn't expect you to just follow or understand him. He actually lays it out and makes sure you keep up.

He explains

- the transfer of vestiges, and why he should go first

- his Quirk

- why Quirks are Quirks

- reports to Midoriya what's happening and what's next

- to Yoichi why they couldn't trust in a delusional boy. In a way that wasn't Bruce's roundabout "we lived in a terrible era and a leader gathered us"

When En panics, he barks at En to keep up. By barking at him, rather than any other way he could've used his tone, it shuts up En in his frantic babbling. Kudo also lets Vestige Might put in his thoughts to understand better, and uses it.

Eye reflection. Kudo can really see people for who they are, and understands others, and himself.

I can't repeat the pics cuz image limit, but look at previous panels here. For example, Kudo saying Yoichi's will lives in him, and when AFO reflected in his eyes

It's something I learned from Re:Zero. When a person in reflected in one's eye, something something that person can see the true core of you, of what you really are underneath everything. The eyes are the window and mirror [glass] of the soul. I finally see the true you.

AFO never reflected anyone.

But Kudo reflected AFO when the man accidentally killed Yoichi. He saw that AFO wasn't seeing anything, so later, Kudo smiled and mocked AFO at his own death.

"Yoichi?"

"He's gone."

"You killed him, Demon Lord."

And AFO hated that reminder.

Kudo was reminding him of what the truth was. Kudo saw it himself, and AFO blocked it out from the get-go. Kudo already knew what AFO was, what he was seeing, what he was doing to himself by blaming Kudo instead of himself.

And then, Kudo's eyes reflected his own hand when he realized Yoichi's Factor was in him.

Kudo clearly saw himself, and in himself, Yoichi. Nothing distorted it. It really was a clear mirror.

He really perceived Yoichi's will was living on, and was right. Otherwise, his eyes wouldn't have shown it.

Kudo was right about AFO. It's even implied back when he and Bruce had their backs turned; Kudo knew what AFO's real goal was. That was back when AFO preached unity and division under him.

Kudo could always see right through AFO. He really understood people from the start. And he never tried making up truths to justify what he was seeing, facing it head-on.

Kudo's lying about the world being black and white.

Kudo and Bruce saw the world as black and white. This was mentioned in the void.

Kudo also says, "Victory meant life. Defeat meant death."

But it's the Resistance. It's when Japan and the world was at their lowest. The world wasn't black and white; there's lots of gray.

Kudo and Bruce would've seen this. Kudo even admits that there's gray, just not directly.

Kudo says Yoichi knows, how he killed and trampled so many lives, to get back at AFO. He knows it wasn't right, or an amazing choice. Later, he says that when your back is against the wall, you have to make callous judgements. These hint at gray moments.

Kudo and Bruce have faced and been in the gray. But it's too hard to make the right choices, and there are times there is no right answer.

Historically, soldiers would convince themselves the enemy were monsters. They wouldn't be able to fight and kill them otherwise. They wouldn't be able to live with themselves without believing in this so badly.

Kudo and Bruce had to have been the same way. They were Meta Humans [Monsters] in a time they were viewed as diseased humans. The monsters were real. And they had a Demon Lord. Kudo and Bruce literally dressed up as soldiers.

Even if they were monsters to society, being Meta, Kudo and Bruce were still human. They knew this. The ones who tried believing in only black and white were inhabitants of the gray itself.

But they have to protect themselves. Kudo is so adamant that the world is only black and white, because he can't stand the gray. What it makes him do, what it means, that he's too weak to do anything.

Yoichi is an example of that gray area. The mortal enemy's younger brother, was actually locked up and sickly. He's just a comic book nerd. And it humanized the other side Kudo opposed so vehemently.

Kudo says victory is life and defeat is death. And Yoichi asked why he reached out to him then. He reminded Kudo of that gray area, and Kudo opened up.

Kudo might avoid the gray area because it's a matter of the heart and a moral dilemma, but it's what makes him human. When there's no right answer in the battlefield, he decides on his feelings instead.

He wishes the world was black and white, because it'd be so easy. But it's not.

Yoichi reminded him of how entering that gray area led to OFA ("when you reached out your hand to me"), and it had been the best choice in the end. The gray area is real, and Kudo's left a bare man with only his emotions when he's there.

Kudo is actually really kind and understanding. He's too soft for his own good. Thanks if you made it this far, I hope it makes sense (tag and image limit)

#KUDO IS UNDERRATED NEEDS MORE CONTENT RECOGNITION HES THE KINDEST WITTLE BOY EVER #my thoughts #i think ppl who write resistance stuff should also consider that not everything was black and white #there will be moral arguments where you cant decide. and the resistance has faced those sorts of things where There Is No Right Answer.#kudo is really kind tho. exactly because he cares so much he does all these things and tries to harden himself #but like exoskeletons work - its only an armor to protect the soft squishy insides and keep them from drying out #i woke up and had to put this stuff down #me: *picks up a sentence note in my fic notes* *puts it down here and elaborates*#the line was in relation to putting down stuff about the vestiges to remember dynamics #[Kudo is the kindest despite appearances]#kudo seems like he would be fiercely protective over ppl he cares about. exactly because hes seen so many of his comrades die over and over #kudo #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #spoilers #ofa #one for all #bruce #bruce is the meme of “*chuckles* I'm in danger” and its just. Kudo w/ his new crazy idea chasing him down with Gearshift and Yoichis Factor #hikage shinomori #en tayutai #yoichi shigaraki #ive been thinking he was kind for a long time but never elaborated why. if u look at his actions words and thoughts it all makes sense #theres underlying kindness in there. he wants to be kind but the world would scorch him if he didnt have a stick up his ass #also adding on to the prev tag of kudo and fiercely protective- because in their times comrades were everything. otherwise you were alone #the world sucks resources are limited and youre a diseased human [Meta]. but you have someone willing to walk with you.#also about the [Kudo is the kindest] note among the vestiges- i dont think any of the other vestiges would do what kudo did #calmly volunteering himself rather than it being in panic. extending a hand and saving what shouldve been his mortal enemy. yknow

75 notes · View notes

buttercupart · 2 months

Text

not-so-happy Holidays

#my art #rudy holiday #mayor holiday #dess holiday #noelle holiday #deltarune #utdr #dr #claire holiday #Ok ok infodump time #ive seen a lot of ppl posit 'carol' as a potential name for mayor 'c' holiday #and it makes perfect sense! c-themed christmas name that fits the bill #but ive just never vibed with it. one i think its too close to chara (care-ull and care-uh)#two! rudy is obv based on rudolph and in the movie rudolph's love interest is named clarice #therefore rudolph -> rudy and clarice -> claire #nothing wrong with carol holiday headcanons its just not my personal one ofc #also Claire is based off a certain type of deer! if you can figure it out you get uhhhhhh #the satisfaction?#hint: she's an adult who has retained (and passed on) fawn spots

64 notes · View notes

adelinamoteru · 4 months

Text

purely fanon jason vent below so feel free to ignore

every other fic in the jason todd tag whether its romantic or platonic or whatever just has to include something about the no kill rule or him giving up killing like is it not enough ! have we not hashed out this argument enough already ! can I not read some jason content without having to be randomly bombarded by the morality police and how “oh jasons not killed anyone for x amount of months thats great! we knew u could do it jay”

and I wish I was just joking like I really do but I have scoured the tag almost from top to bottom and it always, without a doubt, has to come up at some point. its his fucking defining character trait apparently. mind u he’s not even the only dc character that kills but yall just won’t let it go! I do not need jason giving up his stance on killing to be written out for me to be able enjoy content about him

and whether its included so that his relationships with other characters can be viewed as ‘realistic’ is just so. what does it matter. its already fan-fiction who the hell cares about justifying the universe that you’re choosing to write him in

#jason todd #dc #red hood #dcu #pls do not interact if u have issues with jasons stance on vigilantism or whatever bc this is rlly not my point #idc whether u hate him for it or not to each their own #I just wish it wasn’t treated as some sort of stain on his character that needs to be addressed in every fic he appears in or else he —#cant be liked or something #like thats a topic that has to be addressed for my love of jason todd and his character and the love other charas have for him to be valid #its giving ‘jason u cannot be loved the way that u are’#and this reiterates the point I made in a previous post about how ppl genuinely dont know how to perceive this conflict and its resolution #the other way around #and how bc of that its always jason who has to be portrayed as making amends or taking a knee #there are so many interesting facets to jason todd so why does it always have to circle back to this one thing #why is it that hes one of the only charas ive seen where a certain plot point can never be looked past when enjoying him in fandom

106 notes · View notes

stupidrant · 25 days

Text

im seeing the pattern of being an atreus/angrboda fan (or u just like them) and having to go through this weird initiation process of: liking them in the game (wether its themselves, their relationship or both), then trying to find content of them only to be shocked to see a bunch of haters (on both sides but angrboda gets it the worst and thrud is often times oddly used against her), only to then get severely disappointed and realize u probably have to do a bit of contribution yourself which isnt bad but it sucks when its characters that are ridiculously hated 😭😭😭

#Putting the girls against each other for a dude is sooo tired and with them is completely unnecessary and makes no sense #“IRONWOOD IS TRAHS ITS 5 HOURS LONGGG AND SHES A PIECE OF SHIT BITCH CUNT” IVE SEEN PPL SAY THIS #Like what yall like but the problem is mfs get CRAZY when it comes to angie in particular i be like girl…?::?!::&/&!;!#then expect nobody to say smth like umm u good bruv? Cuz the way u dtm over a vg character is concerning #Things have gotten a bit better but im just pointing out the pattern of becoming a A/A fan 😭😭#Im sure it is gonna lift by next game but it doesnt mean i cant get annoyed behind it still #This is def one the most mentally stagnated fandom ive seen and thats saying ALOT #We already know its cuz the dudebros want to be kratos so bad #you mfs will never be that man.#atreus #angrboda #god of war ragnarok #god of war #Gowr #Gow #God of war fandom #shitdom

39 notes · View notes

pinkeoni · 1 year

Text

Was it a “retcon” or did they just reveal previously unknown information that messed with your false perception of the canon

#‘they retconned the mindflayer from an ancient eldritch being to it being vecna the whole time’ no they didnt dummy!!#there was nothing to say that the mindflayer actually was an ancient eldritch monster ppl just assumed that because #the design was lovecraftian #it /could/ have been an ancient monster of its own free will but that was never established #so it being vecna behind the scenes isnt a ‘retcon’#idk man ive seen other takes that things are retcons when its not #stranger things #byler #<- target audience

204 notes · View notes

peasantexchangeprogram · 26 days

Text

regarding my post abt ppl using judaism to feel more oppressed/racialized (n opt out of whiteness/privilege) (n this is v much a general jewish thing, far from exclusive to a specific brand of converts) is how progressive/reform jews will pick n choose jewish traditions they like/follow (which is fine by itself) but "coincidentally" pick anything and everything that will make them seem more "visibly" jewish, and more than that, more racialized. its so so telling how a lot of progressive/reform jews (n its v much a white thing but i dont think its exclusive to white ppl) will choose to cover their hair in an obvious attempt to mimic hijabis, bc theyre more racialized. (annoying "neopagans" n xtians do it too but theyre not what the post is abt so). when married women do it its one thing n like wearing headscarves for fun is another thing as well, i used to do it too, but dont kid urself n us by pretending its some ~deep spiritual connection to judaism~. ur neither a woman nor married, why r u covering ur hair.

#20smth y/o white single nonbinary w tattoos covering their hair ''for jewish reasons'' will never not b funny to me #gentiles thread carefully #n ive seen so many annoying pagans like 'omg ppl think im a muslim woman???? im LITCHERALLY a veiled nonbinary neopagan'#babe ur wearing a hijab ppl r gonna think ur a muslim woman.

37 notes · View notes

britneyshakespeare · 6 months

Text

wait james somerton sounds a lot like some people on tumblr when they start spouting off about queer history or supposed controversies within it. is that where you guys are getting your stuff? is it james somerton brain poisoning?

#i had never watched or heard of his channel before hbomb and todd's videos #im still watching todds video i just got past that stupid nambla part #tales from diana #i suppose there's a lot to say about people making as nick called 'observational' statements but what todd more aptly calls #pulling shit out of one's ass.#it's the same thing as somerton talking about straight women or white women or straight white women being offended at gay sex scenes #yet supposedly seeking out queer media that would have gay sex scenes?#or slighting more chaste/fluffy queer media ie heartstopper?#ppl who have these sorts of biases against certain types of gay people or their media if it's not what they see as #the most radical progressive form of queer visibility and acceptance.#creating strawmen enemies that they stand in defiance of #yeah this stuff is really getting my mind rolling #i swear ive seen a lot of these points james somerton has made being later used elsewhere on social media #was it ppl watching him who were inspired to go on these rants?#bc ive always seen these sorts of citationless rants and ravings in queer-friendly spaces and been like 'what are you talking about'#maybe someone with a scarf and a video essay voice told them smugly that these things were true #crazy. crazy #but also then again how much of this baseless speculation on social media just fueled/inspired the writing of these video essays...#idk. misinformation is a self-perpetuating cycle.

89 notes · View notes

caesarflickermans · 5 months

Text

I've seen multiple claims about how the rebellion functioned already and have seen many of those relate to Finnick's place in the rebellion.

I do not know where people exactly get takes like "If Katniss hadn't happened, the 75th would have had Finnick as the face of the rebellion" comes from, but I'd nonetheless like to speak to some of those misreads of this above interview quote.

It should be very clear to anyone who read the books to know that Katniss' actions in the 74th were both not predicted nor planned by the rebels. Katniss' point in the story is her randomness. The rebels did not secretly rig the District 12 reaping.

Equally, I don't see the 75th Hunger Games as pre-planned stages for the rebellion before Katniss, either. The fire that those events brought could only have happened with Katniss' actions a year prior. And, again, those were random.

The uprising and war that followed wouldn't have existed without Katniss. You cannot plan a rebellion.

And in that sense, I think a lot of people in much less egregious ways misread the Finnick mention in the above interview. Collins mentions Finnick on the side. He is unlikely to be the first nor the last in a row of tributes (whether they survived or not) that Plutarch might have seen potential in.

This isn't a "well, next to Katniss, Finnick would have led the rebellion". Finnick, very specifically, did not lead the rebellion. His case was one of many that did not work out. If Katniss hadn't come around, there wouldn't have been a rebellion.

Nor does Collins speak to Finnick being the best of the potential figureheads. I'd find it even much more likely that there were tributes that had much more potential and who were killed off by the Capitol because they saw them for that, too.

This isn't a dig at Finnick! I still think he was one of the likeliest candidates—but he was just that. A candidate. And a failed one at that. Plutarch saw hope in him, and then nothing came from it. Finnick's chance of leading a rebellion were born and died in the year of his victory.

And I do not think Finnick was the first—that role likely falls to Haymitch—or last of those "candidates" Plutarch saw.

For all we know, someone like Annie or Johanna—those who came after—might have had chances, too. Annie who was likely seen as a disgrace of a victor, who so openly showed to Panem how horrendous those Games were. And Johanna, who was the one playing the Capitol with her pre-Game persona. Especially reading Haymitch as the "first" could-have-been tribute to Plutarch, Johanna's playing against the rules is especially in line with what Plutarch might have looked for.

In fact, I'd even argue that all those potentials are those that ended up being in on the rebel plan.

Finnick's tragedy as a could-have-been lies in the quantity of could-have-beens. There were so many, like Finnick, that never caught the spirit of the nation. Unlike Finnick, many of them are likely long dead by the time Katniss comes around.

#thg #the hunger games #plutarch heavensbee #finnick odair #katniss everdeen #annie cresta #johanna mason #just gonna tag those i mentioned!#but i can def see Beetee and co. in there too #just that Plutarch only realised their potential in retrospect #young plutarch heavensbee binging the hunger games ahaha #if the spark had never come for katniss #she and peeta would have been recruited eventually #ALSO! this isnt @anyone specifically!!#ive just seen A LOT of those posts on reddit and here #and i suspect that a lot of ppl dont know the OG quote

62 notes · View notes

plutos134340 · 5 months

Text

Digital art from me? Surprising

Design by @synthshenanigans

Other background color and original sketch below 🥶😰🤞🥳😱

#i love love love your designs and the colors you use #so i tried using them #its mostly just a mix of everything ive seen from your heart art #i hope thats ok i never know if ppl are good with this #chonny jash #cccc #chonnys charming chaos compendium #cj heart #cccc heart #cj fanart #my art #🗣️#also i had the heart acoustic playing the entire time so woohoo #love this song #cw gun

56 notes · View notes

northern-passage · 1 year

Text

i've been thinking a lot about the word "representation" and what it means and how it's changed over the last few years, particularly when it comes to the writing/publishing landscape but also in movies and tv shows… and i really don't like it anymore. to be clear, of course i think it's important to have diversity in your work, i'm not saying i hate the concept of representation. but i do really dislike the way it's used now, and i really just hate the word itself

in a broader sense it's just become a marketing tool. i'm not impressed by any publisher or author who just describes their book by listing all of the minorities/identities the characters represent as if that should be enough. it feels very gross, very exploitative and disingenuous. it also really bothers me because it's always marginalized identities- which i understand Why, but it feels very othering to me (and again. Very exploitative as an advertisement). you would never list out "cishet able-bodied white man" as a character description to pat yourself on the back over. so why do it to everyone else? why insinuate that one is the "default" and the other one is "special"? (and when i say this i'm mainly talking about advertisements/marketing. i understand why people would specify about characters in descriptions with the plot, but i don't like to see an ad that's just "this book has gay people!" with nothing else)

which then leads me to my other point, which is that a lot of people treat "representation" as if it's "too hard." like "oh i don't know enough to write about that, i don't have that experience, etc" which is a fair way to feel! however… it's weird that people only say this about writing trans characters or characters of color. i'm writing a story right now with a character who is really into motorcycles. i personally do not know that much about motorcycles, so i researched what parts are what & what different kinds of models there are & what basic bike care looks like. i guarantee Most people will have to google something at some point in their writing process. so what's the problem? it also, again, feels very othering when authors treat certain groups of people as "impossible" to write, "too hard" to understand. they are just.. people. you write them as a person. and then you figure out the rest later.

and i think part of the refusal or fear to write something outside of your experience is because of the way representation is treated as So Special. these characters are So Special that they aren't allowed to be anything other than "representation." they're Not allowed to be characters with complex emotions and interesting motivations, they have to just be Trans or Gay or Disabled or whatever. they're not allowed to be people. which means, at the end of the day, we loop right back around to where we were at the start….

there is bad representation. there are depictions of certain marginalized people that are harmful and that are damaging, i'm not trying to minimize that or argue against it at all, in fact we should all be mindful of that while writing and reading. but i also think it's possible to swing too far in the opposite direction as well and put certain groups of people on a pedestal and not allow them to do anything at all but be Perfect Representation, if that makes sense.

#anyways. is this anything #sorry i dont have anything insightful to say at the end here i just wanted to ramble #especially abt the way ppl market books now it like. genuinely disgusts me #cannot imagine marketing tnp in that way. my characters are many things AND they are trans. and their transness #is not just a flashy feature for attracting attention #also i do understand the fear of 'getting it wrong' but that's why you have beta readers or even actual sensitivity readers #that's why you ask for feedback. especially in this space like... people will give it #that's what makes sharing your process and early draft in this community so rewarding #and there's also just the reality that no matter what you do some people will Not like it 🤷#and ime a lot of ppl look at representation very individualistically #as in it's only good representation if it represents Me #which sucks. and you're never going to please those people #ANYWAYS also to be clear this is not a vague or meant to be targeted at any one person please don't be fucking weird #this is just some thots i've had recently esp since ive seen the representation conversation pop up quite a few times #and since i've been doing research for characters in my other project #personal

269 notes · View notes