starryarchitect

[starryarchitect]

You know I used to think "tumblr's absolute refusal to actually engage with the Trolley Problem in favor of insisting that there must be a third, morally pure option that doesn't require them to make a hard decision and anyone who asks them to make a binary choice is just a short-sighted idiot is really fucking annoying, but I guess it's not actually doing any harm".

Anyway that was before we asked tumblr at large to decide between "guy aiding a genocide but making progress elsewhere" and "guy who would actively and enthusiastically participate in a genocide and would also make everything else much, much worse for everyone elsewhere" and the response was that there must be a third, morally pure option that doesn't require them to make a hard decision and that anyone who asks them to make a binary choice is a short-sighted idiot.

#the mindset that allows people to step back and not vote is exactly the same mindset that allows palestine to happen #it's the same thing. you guys get that right? #if you step back and the greater evil wins then you passively supported the greater evil. it's not fun but it's true #this is how it works when fighting for queer rights. this is how it worked with the holocaust. this is how it works with palestine. #and that's also how it works with the 2024 election #I don't care if you don't like biden #it is so important that trump not win. if trump wind everything goes to hell. I cannot articulate how bad that would be. #google “if trump wins” and read every article you have access to #I live in constant fear of what will happen if trump wins #please guys trump won in 2016 because we thought we could afford to not vote #and he'll win again because we think we shouldn't vote #your vote is your most powerful weapon. a blazing tool. it will do more than a thousand angry tumblr posts ever will. #by existing in the same space as a crime you have a moral obligation to prevent it #if you decide to not vote because you don't want to support a lesser evil then you are supporting the greater evil when it wins #and that means you're doing exactly the same thing as every damn country that's not getting involved in palestine #there is no moral reason to not vote in this election. there is no moral reason ever to not vote. #you have the power to make the next four years not-great rather than horrific. USE IT. #if trump wins and you didn't vote then you supported him #and you supported every reprehensible thing he will do in the next four years #please please please vote in the 2024 election. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE #I cannot believe there are people out there who care about these issues who think that not voting is the better option #PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE #we need your vote your vote is everything an uncast vote is a vote in favor of the greater evil #VOTE #apologies to all non-americans! but this is important and I'm mad about this so looks like it's going in main

[starryarchitect]

You know he would.

#adolin #adolin kholin #stormlight #stormlight archive #cosmere #brandon sanderson #arts arcanum #barbie #barbie movie #barbie 2023 #i am kenough #ken #just ken #kenergy #kenough #words of radiance #way of kings #rhythm of war #oathbringer #my art

[starryarchitect]

That was the most asexual movie I've ever seen and I am here for it.

#without the pink she doesn't really look like barbie but eh #barbie #barbie 2023 #barbie movie #ace #asexual #asexual barbie #asexuality #the barbie movie #ace barbie #my art #I read-mored an even more ace version because it felt . . . TOO on the nose.

[starryarchitect]

okay yeah yeah villain but the diagram is so cool you guys

Wall I made for this (featuring: Russian, Spanish, toki pona, DNA code, women's script, a few alphabets, some geometry and arithmetic, and a language that I invented, among other things. I had fun with this)

#what is composition anyway #ugh this is such poor spacing. COMPOSITION AAAA #but hey! it's the only thing I've drawn that looks BETTER when you zoom in! #you know. except for the image quality. um. I'm sure there's a solution to that and I just don't know it #oh well. here have crazy guy #but anyway yeah I've been rereading and I just couldn't resist #maybe more coming? maybe? MAYBE. #brandon sanderson #words of radiance #arts arcanum #rhythm of war #stormlight #my art #way of kings #cosmere #cosmere fanart #taravangian #stormlight archive #wok #wor #oathbringer #idiot king #is that a tag? #the diagram

[starryarchitect]

carbs > abs

#that is all #originally this was going to have pictures of garlic bread and abs but tumblr didn't like the abs picture #and frankly neither did I so this is just a text post now #ace #garlic bread #asexual #asexuality #pride month #queer

[starryarchitect]

I've mentioned that I'm obsessed with @bigfatbreak's Feralnette, right?

#she tired #feralnette #feralnette au #marinette #ml marinette #marinette dupain cheng #feral marinette #my art #miraculous ladybug #doodles #sketches #ml #mlb

[starryarchitect]

Redraw of this old piece because I was in that kind of mood again, even if this part of the story is over

#ladynoir #ladynoir angst #ladynoir conflict #ladynoir breakdown #miraculous ladybug #ml #miraculous #mlb #ladybug #ml ladybug #chat noir #my art #redraw #s4

[starryarchitect]

If you ask I will rant about this forever because I have OPINIONS

#like first of all. most importantly. Ender's Game is probably the only reason I survived seventh grade #I love that book. find something new to love in it every time I read it #it is my soul. my guidebook. my worst fears. my greatest desires. everything #but OSC on the other hand . . . I have complaints #and I hate that everyone blames all his problematic traits (sexism and homophobia namely) on his religion #because look. look at Branderson. same religion but none of the same issues #like Brandon Sanderson doesn't have a single character who plays into gender stereotypes. female OR male #and yes his queer rep is so far not great (although he gave us ace jasnah so he's already won in my mind) #but renarin is canonically gay and that will be explored. he has gaydar and it has picked up on shallan's and adolin's bisexuality #he is so careful and caring in how he writes his queer character he's trying so hard I beg you to read all the WoBs on this subject #because they make me cry #also brando sando is just a better writer #maybe not necessarily his prose (although maybe. osc ain't exactly a poet either) but certainly his characters and pacing #like . . . his philosophical ethical monologues are well-placed and justified thematically. unlike card's #also his monologues aren't kind of unsettling and yikes #also? minor point but sanderson romances are so much better imo #card seems to consider the peak of romance to be ''I can stand being around you and am physically attracted to you'' #whereas branderson puts actual respect and communication and affection and LOVE into his love stories #no his romance isn't perfect but I'm never going to marry someone I ''love'' in a card way. In a sanderson way however? yes I think I will #but back to their female characters #the only osc character I've ever seen myself in was technically written by johnston not card #whereas I see myself in like every brando sando female character #osc's women are just . . . eh #and his traditional views on marriage and family (yay) kind of leak into all the women he writes. and literally everything else he writes. #anyway I could write a dissertation about this but I gotta sleep so that's all for now #brandon sanderson #orson scott card #my rambles #homophobia #sexism

[starryarchitect]

kal doodle

#I meant to draw something when Brando dropped his insane announcement #but life got in the way #but I'm here now #I know this is bad #hence DOODLE #stormlight #stormlight archive #cfsbf #arts arcanum #cosmere #brandon sanderson #kaladin #kaladin stormblessed #my art #syl #sylphrena #rhythm of war #oathbringer #words of radiance #not really wok

[starryarchitect]

yes girl. cry. let it out

#miraculous ladybug #ml #ladybug #ml ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #ml fanart #ml finale #strike back #ml strike back #mlb ladybug #my art

[starryarchitect]

I love @bigfatbreak's Feralnette because she looks like she's getting just as little sleep as I am

#four and a half hours baby #it's not enough and it never will be #my art #feralnette #feralnette au #marinette #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous #ladybug #miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb #sleep deprivation #highlight reel

[starryarchitect]

So maybe I'm unqualified to say this as someone who's never been in a relationship, but actually, forehead touches are much more romantic than kisses

#look at that hair smush. look at how I pulled that off. I did that. me. #this was originally supposed to be ladynoir but then I accidentally drew adrien's hair and I actually did it right for once?? #never dreamed I would be able to draw adrien agreste's hair #so it stayed adrienette and I'm happy #valentine's day #adrienette #adrinette #miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #adrien #marinette dupain cheng #marinette #miraculous #ml #mlb #valentine #valentines day #forehead touch #fluff #my art #highlight reel

[starryarchitect]

Rory!

She, she screams in silence

A sullen riot penetrating through her mind

Waiting for a sign

To smash the silence with the brick of self-control

- Green Day, "She"

#I was just watching gilmore girls and couldn't get it out of my head #so . . . rory #rory gilmore #gilmore girls #rory #my art #also trying a new art style #also obsessed with this song and I think it kinda fits rory so #there ya go #if you don't think it fits rory then read distilla truant by peterstank on ao3 and THEN talk to me

[starryarchitect]

The proper move when you have a sucky week is to figure out what made it sucky, buckle down, and work hard so next week isn't as sucky. But I'm tired so instead I just drew Sep

#pro tip kids: seps are good for the soul but they do not solve problems #if you have problems go try and find a solution #or at least get sleep #seps are wonderful but will not make next week a good week #septimus heap #septimus #my art #angie sage #I guess he's my comfort character now #I won't complain

[starryarchitect]

Marigold from @zoe-oneesama's Scarlet Lady AU!

#I am so so in love with marigold's design #marigold #scarlet lady au #miraculous ladybug #marinette #marinette dupain cheng #my art #zoe-oneesama #sl marigold #bee!marinette #ml #mlb #miraculous

[starryarchitect]

My hand slipped and, um . . .

I wrote another all left fic for the au by @sabertoothwalrus! One chapter up, the other two written. It's what I've been referring to in my head as the prosthetic fic. I am quite happy with it actually and, um, I would be even happier if you would read it . . .

#I still think about this au all the time #I know it's died down but not in my heart #ml all left au #miraculous ladybug #all left au #my writing #adrien agreste #angst #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng #ml #mlb #post reveal #prosthetic #The Prosthetic Fic #tw limb loss #whump? #fluff #adrienette #ladynoir #ml adrien #ml angst

[starryarchitect]

I feel a need to bring this back in the wake of the canonical representation of Adrien as a princess and Marinette as his knight in shining armor

Gender Roles in Miraculous Ladybug

Miraculous Ladybug is filled with excellent subversions of gender stereotypes. And no, I'm not just going to say it's feminist, because what I'm talking about is much broader than that. The show is filled with characters that refuse to fit the standard roles their gender lays out for them, both for female and male roles.

Let's start with the most obvious example, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, or Ladybug. It's pretty clear that her character and function in the story revolts against stereotypes of femininity: she is a woman—well, a girl—but she leads her team, which is a traditionally male role. She is the decision-maker, the rationalist, the realist, the one who catastrophizes before she hopes—this is stark contrast to the traditional expectation that women follow and comfort, holding the team up with optism and joy. She is the head, not the heart (that's Adrien). She is driven, strong, determined, and self-assured.

Adrien, too, subverts stereotypes—perhaps more than Marinette, although it's not something you notice immediately like Marinette's subversions. (This is because we're familiar with the patterns of feminist characters, but not the anti-sexism found in Adrien.) At heart, Adrien is arguably the most clasically "feminine" character in the show. On the surface, it's easy to see—he is a model, objectified for his beauty, something that has been done to women for all of history and is still being done today. But it runs deeper, too. He is submissive, mild, willing to bend to other's will—both his father's and Ladybug's, as well as the desires of other people in his class like Chloe and Lila (both of whom are, interestingly, women). His kindness and sensitivity, as well as his role as the heart and support when suited up, all mirror traditionally feminine traits and roles.

And yet, despite all this subversion, neither of the main characters are simply a rebellion against stereotypes. It's clear in Chat Noir's tendency to flirt and his function as a protector, but it's especially evident in Marinette, who doesn't just subvert female stereotypes—she also fulfills them.

Marinette is a leader, a thinker, a pessimist, but she's also interested in fashion and art, both of which are considered feminine. More than that, she's incredibly kind, exemplifying that women can abandon the negative feminine stereotypes of submission and obedience without sacrificing the positives like kindness and selflessness. And finally, she's clearly not a "strong independent woman who don't need no man" because she wants a man. No, she doesn't need a boyfriend, but she wants one. True feminism doesn't mean women throwing aside all romantic relationships, it means not pressuring women either way, into or away from romance. Marinette can be strong and independent while still loving someone and wanting to be loved back.

The characters in Miraculous Ladybug are not governed by stereotypes. They were written to be good, nuanced characters, not feminist characters. Marinette has both feminine and masculine traits, proving that traditional "feminine" values are just as valuable as "masculine" ones. Adrien has both, but far more feminine than masculine traits, demonstrating that masculinity is not superior, and that toxic masculinity is just as harmful as classic sexism.

Miraculous Ladybug didn't say "We need to stop forcing women to be feminine," which is a common and harmful misinterpretation of the feminist vision. It didn't say "We should let women act like men!" or "Femininity is bad! Let's leave it all behind." It said, "Stereotypes—both for men and women—are harmful, and we should let people just be people instead of defining them by their genders." It created a world where there are no traditionally feminine and masculine traits, there are just people traits, and anyone can be anyone.

#they said screw gender roles and we all loved it #and like. they clearly weren't trying to be feminist #they were just using the best metaphor for adrien's imprisonment #and it WORKED because these gender-nonconforming roles are baked into their characterization and it's beautiful #my rambles #miraculous ladybug