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gimme-mor · 3 years

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ACOTAR THINK PIECE: ELAIN ARCHERON, UNTOUCHABLE

*DISCLAIMER*

This will be a long post.

Please take the time to read this post in its entirety and truly reflect on the message I am trying to send before commenting. My goal is to use my background in Gender and Women’s Studies to deconstruct the comments I have seen on Tumblr and Twitter and bring awareness to the ACOTAR fandom.

The reason I am tagging “Elriel” in this post is to call attention to the arguments in the Elriel fandom that: weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions about Elain’s character and her relationship with Lucien; victimize Elain’s character in fandom discussions; and coddle Elain’s character, which limits fandom discussions about her narrative development and prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions in the same way that the fandom holds other characters accountable for their actions and inactions. It is for these reasons that I WILL NOT remove the “Elriel” tag from this post because all of the above points contribute to the toxic discourse surrounding Elain’s character.

I urge those who use these arguments to understand their implications, why they are problematic, regardless of intent, and reexamine their contributions to the ACOTAR fandom. I WILL NOT tolerate anyone who tries to twist my words and say I am attacking people and their personal shipping preferences. In fact, I AM CRITIQUING THE ARGUMENTS THEMSELVES NOT THE PEOPLE USING THE ARGUMENTS.

Also, I highly encourage the Elriel fandom to read this post because it addresses how the concept of choice as an argument enables arguments to exploit social justice and feminist languge in order to vilify Elucien shippers, among other problematic things.

Elain Archeron is one of the most polarizing characters in the ACOTAR fandom. Though opinions about Elain vary, arguments in the Elriel fandom cite society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters as the reason behind the hate, and this belief is used to provide an explanation as to why other characters in the series are favored over her. In the series, Elain is portrayed in a wholly positive light and this image carries over into the Elriel fandom, painting her character as a good and kind female who has been unfairly wronged and a victim of circumstances that were out of her control. When arguments in the Elriel fandom oppose other viewpoints in the fandom, they fall into one of three categories:

Category 1: Weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions

Maybe people who hate Elain are just jealous of her in a weird way similar to when someone hates the pretty, nice, and charming girl in school just because she is too perfect

Disliking Elain is misogynistic

What happened to feminism? What happened to women supporting women? What happened to she can say no? All of that disappears the second you force Elain to be with Lucien

Elain antis are misogynistic

All Eluciens are Elain antis

Antis claiming they’re feminists when in reality they hate on Elain and Feyre but love Nesta

Elain antis are such sore losers. Y’all were that bunch of people who could not get over being rejected from hanging out with the cool kids so y’all are projecting your hatred towards pretty people now to get validation

I don’t get how Elain’s love for gardening equals boring for some people. I’m sorry your misogyny finds traditionally feminine activities boring

Why are you attacking a female? What did Elain do? Where are your feminist voices?

The fandom is misogynistic towards Elain

If people loved Elain they would ship Elriel

If you hate Elain it says a lot about your feelings toward women

If you hate Elain because she has no “development” then you must hate Azriel because otherwise you’re misogynistic

Eluciens are turned off by the idea of a woman that has the autonomy to reject a man for the simple reason that it is her choice

Eluciens are all about feminism and “it’s HER choice” until it comes down to females not wanting a male

Eluciens don’t respect Elain’s feelings when they ship her with someone that was part of her trauma and makes her feel uncomfortable

The way some Elucien shippers completely disregard how uncomfortable Elain is around Lucien is so hilariously not funny. Prioritizing being mates over Elain’s feelings is just regressive

It’s hard as a fan of Elain to see someone ship her with a person who makes her physically uncomfortable to be around. Wouldn’t you want both characters to be happy to be around each other

Imagine if SJM saw all the awful things her “stans” had to say about Elain

It’s true that we know comparatively little about her, but is she really boring or do you just not value stereotypically feminine traits?

So y’all are just gonna tell me you prefer Elucien over Elriel? Even though Lucien treats Elain as if she’s something that belongs to him? The only reason he wants to be with her is because she’s his mate, he doesn’t respect her, doesn’t treat her as his equal, even though that’s what mates should be? He doesn’t bother to look past what’s on the outside to see her for who she is. And Elain is obviously repulsed by the idea that she should belong to anyone or have no choice in who she can be with. Azriel is her friend and the only person who sees her quiet strength. He has so much faith in her, in her abilities; he’s the one who kept her company when no one else did, he’s the only one who bothered to see her for more than her brokenness. You’re going to tell me you still prefer Elucien over Elriel?

The more I see Gwynriels that ship Elucien out of their hate for Elain, the less I can understand Elain stans that ship Elucien. Pls Elain has made it very clear that she doesn’t want Lucien, why would you ship her with him? Do you hate her too? Smh

The real question would be, if you care and understand Elain why would you ship her with Lucien (where she canonically shrinks when he is near)?

People crying over Helion and Lucien’s mom not getting to be with each other and her being forced into a relationship she didn’t want, but also ship Elucien? Just say you hate Elain

When Elain’s book is out, Gwyn stans will look like clowns and I will laugh because they set her up by shipping her with Azriel just because they hate Elain. Watch them play the victims now because Elriels are clapping back the hate they’ve sent towards Elain

As romantic as wanting girl who is visibly uncomfortable around a guy who caused her trauma to end up with the said guy. Guess their standards for romance are in hell

Category 2: Victimize Elain’s character

Gwynriels only want Gwyn with Azriel because they despise Elain

Gwyn stans and Gwynriels are Elain antis

No one in the books dislike Elain, so why are there so many people who do?

Elain hasn’t done anything wrong or questionable to warrant the hate she gets

Not having Elain’s POV makes it easy for people to be swayed a certain way about her character if you already don’t relate to her in some way

It’s been years since this series came out and we haven’t gotten a lick of an Elain POV, but people still hate her for what? We don’t know her thoughts, dreams, or aspirations

We haven’t even had Elain’s perspective yet and people are passing these judgments off on her

Elain antis who say she’s boring are just cruel when she has obvious symptoms of PTSD like Feyre and Nesta

Gwyn is one of the most overhyped characters and that’s only because most people hate Elain and they couldn’t wait to find a random girl to ship Azriel with

Nesta was abusive to her sisters but Elain (who has only ever been kind) is painted as the villain

From the text we know that Elain is the epitome of feminine stereotypes (gentle, gardening, baking, non confrontational for the most part). Yet people still call her boring or deny that she has any interesting character traits?

You can’t love Nesta and hate Elain

People hate Elain because of internalized misogyny and lack of taste. All the girl does is tend to her garden and mind her business and they treat her worse than Tamlin

Does Gwyn deserve all this support? Of course yes! She is amazing! But where’s that support when Elain was in the same situation as she? Where’s that support for her right now? Why do they idolize Gwyn for her interactions with Azriel and hate Elain for having any interaction with him?

It’s not even a ship war anymore, they just hate Elain

People hate Elain for no reason

Some of y’all don’t like feminine traits and it shows

We know less about Eris and Helion but people don’t call them boring. Why would rejecting femininity make Elain more interesting?

Elain has had a lot forced upon her

The main reason I believe most people love Gwyn so much is to get Azriel away from Elain. It’s not a secret that Elain has been a widely hated character for years so suddenly we get a new female who has a minimal amount of interactions with Azriel and BOOM. New ship that once again doesn’t make sense (just like Azriel x Emerie after ACOFAS)

Elain hasn’t done something so terrible for her to get this hate. At this point some of you are just being misogynistic and you don’t want to accept it. Don’t call yourselves feminists and then say bs like this, it’s embarrassing. She’s pretty and everyone agreed to hate on her

Just a personal feeling, but I feel like a lot of the Elain hate stems from internalized misogyny. That to be a strong female lead, you need to pick up a sword and fight. That to be strong, you need to adapt traditionally masculine traits

Elain is feminine. She is beautiful. She loves to bake and garden. She is docile, quiet, observant, and a people-pleaser. All traditionally feminine traits. Yet for some reason, she’s like the worst in these people’s eyes?

I think also maybe a lot of people can’t relate to her femininity? That her being so beautiful and quiet doesn’t allow for the people who dislike her not to self-insert? Most of the hate stems from people not wanting Elain to be with Azriel. It’s mean, but maybe the people who hate Elain literally just can’t self-insert if they have a story and that’s why they’re vehemently against it?

Poor Elain. The Cauldron dealt her a bad deal. Upon emerging as Fae, she is immediately declared by Lucien as his mate, never mind that she was already engaged to a prick. Her love life is not good

It blows my mind how they really think that they can compare all the shit that Elain gets with some dumb jokes about Gwyn on Twitter (and yes, the “hate” towards her started mostly because Elriels are clapping back, it was bound to happen)

I would think of it as anti-feminist with Elain and Lucien because she has consistently stated that she does not want him so if she was forced to embrace the bond that would be taking away her right to have a choice but with Az she feels comfortable around so if they were mates then Elain would be happy and feel safe which again should be the priority for women to feel safe in their relationships with anything and to not be forced into any type of situation aka the mating bond in this

Category 3: Coddle Elain’s character

Elain has value the way she is, in all her domestic girly glory. Not every character has to be badass

We don’t speak of Elain’s flaws frequently because everyone else already speaks badly of her, mainly in an unfair way

There is definitely something deeper going on with Elain but by no means will she ever be evil or any less feminine. That goes against everything we already know about her

It’s ok to critique Elain because she needs growth but y’all keep forgetting the shit her and her sisters went through

The last “bad” thing Elain did in ACOTAR was not help Feyre when they were impoverished and I’m tired of people acting like she’s a terrible character when it was their father’s responsibility. It happened 4 books ago and Feyre has forgiven both Nesta and Elain

Elain’s character and the evil Elain theory are a great example of the trend where people only consider female characters interesting if they reject femininity

We don’t know enough to hate Elain

Many people want Elain to turn evil (which in my opinion seems to come from a place of internalized misogyny)

However we don’t tend to talk about her faults, at least not publicly, as that has been, and still is, done to death, and I--personally, at least--find it much more fun to theorise about potentially interesting aspects of the overall plot, than dwell on negatives

And ultimately, I would be shocked if Elain has a more karmically-charged story than Nesta, considering that Elain’s “wrongs” are so much less severe and bad than Nesta’s, and Elain has already apologized for them (or paid the price in other ways, like through what Graysen did)

I guess I also think Elain has suffered and been punished enough. I hope her story is about finding hope in terrible situations, and learning to love her new life, and choosing her own path after everything that has been done to her. I don’t think she needs to be punished anymore or face any additional trauma

Also, why is she being judged on her decisions as a human at all? Fae are monsters to humans! They enslaved them for thousands of years, and the Wall was erected to keep them out

Like I’m sorry, but think Elain would want to leave her ONLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS for the Spring Court where she has no one because--oh look, lots of flowers!--is the craziest thing I have ever heard

Her sisters are in the Night Court. Her nephew is in the Night Court. Her closest friends (Nuala and Cerridwen) are in the Night Court. Her love interest is in the Night Court. Her extended family is in the Night Court. Her home is in the Night Court

SJM isn’t going to keep two sisters together and split up the third. Especially not keep Feyre and Nesta together and separate Elain. They were either all going to end up in separate places, or together. Not 2 here and 1 there

Compared to the other female characters in the series, Elain is the only character whose femalehood is at the center of conversations; this is because arguments in the Elriel fandom fixate on it when discussing her character. While Elain, Feyre, Nesta, and Mor are all representations of white womanhood and white beauty, Elain epitomizes the most fragile version of white womanhood. It’s easy to blame society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters when it comes to the discourse surrounding Elain’s character because it: falls in line with the fixation on Elain’s femalehood to silence opposing viewpoints; is a simplistic explanation that fails to tackle the underlying issues with Elain as a character, the same issues that are downplayed in-universe; absolves Elain of her wrongdoings; prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions within the series; and diminishes the impact Elain’s actions and inactions have on those around her. It’s not that Elain is hated in the fandom because she’s a traditional female character; it’s the fact that arguments in the Elriel fandom deflect a critical analysis of Elain’s character because she’s a traditional female character who embodies the ideal white woman in need of protection. White fans and white-aligned fans of color, especially white women, have a tendency to vehemently defend, gatekeep, and coddle white female characters in fandom; this makes it difficult for other fans to engage in critical discussions about these white female characters because they’re viewed as flawless and all around perfect characters despite evidence to the contrary. Since Elain is viewed positively by the other characters in the series, it has rendered her character untouchable to any perceived slight or criticism in fandom discussions because those negative opinions challenge what has been said about her character thus far. And as a result, her character has been placed on a pedestal and implicitly hailed as the epitome of white womanhood; and when she’s criticized, it’s seen as a direct attack against white womanhood. Arguments in the Elriel fandom: exploit feminist language and perpetuate white feminist tactics under the guise of defending Elain’s character; center Elain in conversations about female oppression in the ACOTAR world and uphold white feminist ideologies in their critique of ACOTAR’s patriarchal society; and use the fragile white woman narrative to victimize Elain in Lucien’s presence, playing into racial biases that are associated with white supremacy’s defense of white womanhood.

Feminism is a social movement that seeks to promote equality and equity to all genders, and feminists work toward eradicating gender disparities on a macro-level, in addition to challenging gender biases on a micro-level. As feminism became more mainstream, a flat and oversimplified version of feminism emerged: mainstream feminism. The mainstream feminist movement is meant to represent all women, but rarely does it center conversations around issues that concern most women. The problem with mainstream feminism is that it’s just a popularized version of white feminism. White feminism has relied extensively on an individualized understanding of women’s oppression, exclusively from the lens of privileged white women. White feminism only focuses on the oppression experienced by white, able-bodied, affluent, educated, cishet women; and it views gender as the key mode of privileged white women’s oppression, isolated from the privileges granted by their other social identities. White women can be and are oppressed under the patriarchy but only because they are women; their identity as women does not exempt them from the privileges granted by their whiteness. The term white feminist does not mean any feminist who is white, but refers to feminists who prioritize the concerns of privileged white women as though they are representative of all women. However, the term is not exclusive to white people. Because white feminism is so pervasive, people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds often buy into white feminism, believing that if they work hard enough, they may be able to reap its rewards.

Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism only recognizes the identity of being a woman, assumes that all women share common experiences of gender oppression, fails to address other social identities in relation to overlapping systems of oppression, and disregards privilege in relation to various social identities. Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism is palatable because it doesn’t seek to challenge the systems in place, instead its goal is to succeed within them. Essentially, mainstream feminism and white feminism are extensions of performative feminism. Performative feminism is a type of performative activism that’s used to describe feminist views that are surface level and solely for the benefit of one type of person. It’s a pretense which often has nothing to do with genuine activism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom normalize and promote performative feminism because the topic of feminism is only referenced when discussing Elain. This indicates that these arguments are engaging in disingenuous discourse to push a personal agenda within the ACOTAR fandom, and it becomes more apparent when they use white feminist tactics to shut down opposing viewpoints:

White feminists weaponize and exploit feminist language to silence the opinions of other women, especially when they’re called out for their problematic behaviors

White feminists use the phrase “Women supporting women” to defend other white feminists who exhibit problematic behaviors instead of holding them accountable

White feminists weaponize phrases like “Women supporting women” and “You just hate women” to attack other women who disagree with them on any given topic

White feminists use phrases like “All women face challenges” and “Stop pitting women against each other” to sidestep conversations about privilege

White feminists divert conversations away from privilege and towards the Trauma Olympics to equate their struggles to the oppression of marginalized people

White feminists skirt around the realities of other forms of oppression and discrimination, downplaying the experiences of marginalized people

White feminists diminish or ignore the ways in which gender oppression affects other marginalized people

White feminists paint those they harmed as aggressive, mean, or divisive when confronted with the ways they have harmed a marginalized group

White feminists deflect criticism by focusing on the anger or emotions being expressed rather than the issue that is being discussed, invalidating the concerns of marginalized people

White feminists speak over marginalized voices in an attempt to sound “woke”

White feminists get defensive and insist there’s no way they could be a part of the problem because of what they’ve done to help marginalized groups already

White feminists say they don’t see color in an attempt to obscure racial issues that need to be addressed

White feminists center and victimize themselves in conversations about racism, which derails necessary conversations from taking place

White feminists who are white weaponize the intersectionality of their race and gender to avoid accountability

Feminism is not meant to be approached from an individualistic perspective nor is it only about addressing the experiences of privileged white women, it involves addressing the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, and other social identities as well; and it involves addressing how these social identities relate to privilege. Moreover, feminism is not about women upholding complete loyalty to other women because of a shared gender identity, and to claim that it does implies that women should be held to different emotional standards than men. If men are able to dislike and criticize other individual men, real or fictional, without their characters being compromised, why aren’t women granted that same privilege?

It’s clear that SJM set up the ACOTAR world to mirror a patriarchal society, and that the imbalance of power between males and females stems from sexism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom analyze the ACOTAR world through a feminist lens to show how ACOTAR’s patriarchal society, to which the mating bond is innately tied, contributes to female oppression and limits their agency. When choice and free will are emphasized as part of Elain’s arc, they imply that Elain, through the mating bond, experiences female oppression under ACOTAR’s patriarchal society because of her identity as a female with that identity being the focal point of her oppression in the world. Elain is one of the most privileged characters in the ACOTAR world: she’s High Fae; she’s the sister of the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, which gives her access to wealth and political influence because of that connection; she’s able-bodied; she was magically blessed by the Cauldron; and she lives in Velaris, a place that grants females autonomy and power because of the beliefs of Rhysand and Feyre. Arguments in the Elriel fandom trivialize female oppression in the ACOTAR world because they disregard the fact that Elain’s privileges prevent her from experiencing female oppression in the same way that other marginalized females in the world do. The mating bond being one such example because those around Elain are not forcing the bond on her, instead they’re allowing Elain to reach a decision about the bond for herself; a privilege that other marginalized females in the world probably wouldn’t have. Just because Elain has endured hardships in her life and is a female in a patriarchal society, they do not erase the privileges she holds within the ACOTAR world. The failure to include Elain’s privileges in discussions about Elain being a female in a patriarchal society feeds into white feminist ideologies because white feminism operates from a very narrow perspective; it doesn’t take other intersecting identities into account when it examines gender oppression, leaving no room for discussions about privilege (or lack thereof) in relation to those intersecting identities. When discussing oppression in hierarchical societies, it’s imperative that privilege is also included in the conversation because privilege and oppression are not mutually exclusive; they equally affect the ways in which people navigate those societies through their social identities.

Rather than attributing Elain’s uncomfortability to her new life as a Fae female or the mating bond itself and her trauma to the Cauldron, the King of Hybern, or Ianthe, they’re placed on Lucien to cast his character in a negative light. Moreover, fandom discussions portray Lucien as a possessive character to further emphasize Elain’s discomfort despite the inaccuracy of this characterization in canon. Arguments in the Elriel fandom play into racial biases when it comes to Lucien (a male character of color) because they mischaracterize his character in order to victimize Elain (a white female character), placing her character in the role of the white damsel in distress. In Western society, the concept of womanhood has been conceptualized from a Eurocentric perspective with femininity and feminine attributes favoring white women. It’s the idea that a certain type of femininity is only inherent to white women as they are seen as the embodiment of an ideal womanhood. White womanhood has been a symbol of innocence and purity, and white women have been viewed as fragile beings in need of protection. The reason white womanhood functions within white supremacy is because it’s the same idea that has motivated white men to kill and beat black and brown men. The so-called protection of white women has been used as a justification for the horrific violence committed by white men because black and brown men were stereotyped as aggressive and seen as a threat to the virtue of white women. The white damsel in distress trope considered white women as worthy of protection because of their perceived innocence and purity; women of color were not granted that same treatment because they did not fit into the ideal image of womanhood. Over the years, this trope became a means for white women to exercise limited power in a patriarchal society with white women weaponizing their status as the damsel much to the detriment of black and brown men. It’s through the white damsel in distress trope that white supremacy sustains its dominance in Western society. The misrepresentation of characters of color in fandom, the dismissal of their importance to the overall story, and using them as tools in arguments centered around white characters are the foundation of fandom racism; they’re examples of how racism moves silently in fandom spaces. Instead of examining their behavior and taking constructive criticism from fans of color, white fans will often double down on their bigotry and center their uncomfortability in the conversation when confronted with their complicity in fandom racism. White fans expect fans of color to swallow fandom racism in its many forms in order to not ruin the experience of fandom, dismissing the fact that racism is prevalent in nearly every aspect of society. This mentality ensures that no one is held accountable for the harm they caused and alienates fans of color in fandom spaces.

To reiterate what I mentioned in my first think piece: terms like “oppression”, “the right to choose”, “feminist”, “feminism”, “anti-feminist”, “anti-feminism”, “internalized misogyny”, “misogyny”, “misogynist”, “sexist”, “sexism”, “racist”, “racism”, “classist”, “classism”, “discrimination”, and “patriarchy” are all used in specific ways to draw attention to the plight of marginalized people and challenge those who deny the existence of systems of oppression. Yet these words and their meanings can be twisted to attack, exclude, and invalidate people with differing opinions on any given topic. When social justice and feminist terms are thrown around antagonistically and carelessly to push a personal agenda, it becomes clear that these terms are being used to engage in disingenuous discourse and pursue personal validation rather than being used out of any deep-seated conviction to dismantle systemic oppression. Being an ally, activist, or feminist is not an identity, it’s a practice. It requires: ongoing self-reflection; holding ourselves accountable; listening to marginalized people; educating ourselves; dismantling implicit biases; challenging those around us who are exhibiting problematic behaviors; and action behind our words.

It’s important to be aware of the language that is used within the fandom when defending or critiquing characters and ships. It’s also important to question how an argument is framed and why it’s framed the way that it is to critically examine the intent behind that argument: is it used as a tool to push a personal agenda that reinforces problematic behaviors, or is it used as an opportunity to share, learn, enlighten, and educate?

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Tagging: @spell-cleavers @bookofmirth @m0bulidae @ilya-boltagon

#elain archeron #elriel #acotar fandom #acotar: fandom critical

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theminionjcfucked · 3 years

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I’m gonna say this and then I’m moving on:

Tiffany’s commentary on SB’s sexuality was an over step of a boundary and her actions will be dealt with. As will DF with his comments about women, and DX with his r*pe comment.

HOWEVER what we’re not gonna do is compare Tiffany’s comment to anything Paul did to Dominique on BB19 or how the majority of the cast behaved on BB15 or BB21. Because those things are not fucking comparable.

Those seasons were full of racism, bullying, and hostility towards houseguests that was despicable. Paul did literal blackface.

There is always cattiness on the show. SB has been just as catty towards Hannah and Tiffany as they are back to her. It’s not bullying. What happened to Dominique in BB19 and the behavior in 19 and 21, that was bullying.

Dominique was ostracized by the house and antagonized whenever they felt like it.

Tiffany over stepped a boundary and made a comment about SB.

Notice how one was directly towards someone, the other was not. Had Tiffany said this directly to SB, maybe then a comparison could be had, but even then questioning someone’s sexuality versus racism is a hard comparison.

And I swear, some of y’all in this tag are hellbent on vilifying any black women. And if you’re reading this, and you feel as though I’m talking about you, I probably am, pookie 😁! So swallow your internalized racism, and get a grip!

Tiffany is not a villian. If y’all can understand and see that DX’s comment was out of line and still support him, you can extend that same grace to Tiffany.

I loved Ian last season, but he messed up a few times, was held accountable, and owned up. What makes you think they can’t do the same?

And one more note: these people are human. They will fuck up. We all do. If you’re sitting there looking for a saint in the house, it isn’t gonna happen. So realize they will make mistakes, hold them accountable, and then move on.

That’s all I have to say about it.

#big brother #bb23 #cbs

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livelovesimallways · 3 years

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To New Beginnings For The Muse Family…..Pt. 4

(Previous)

After his appearance on the Teal Table Talk, Mason and his family trended heavily on social media. While some bashed and “dragged him for filth”, most commended his honesty. With that amount of support, Mason is hopeful that his apology will get through to the people he’s hurt. After personally reaching out a few days ago, he’s finally heard back from one of them. To his surprise, the person he least expected and caused the most pain, is the first that’s willing to talk.

As soon Mason walked in, Vivian’s demeanor changed. She thought she’d be okay with meeting in person, but seeing him after all she’s been through, got to her. Sensing tension, Mason sat as far away as he could. After waiting a minute to gather his thoughts, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Alright...First, thank you for letting me come here. I know I’m the last person you wanna be around, so I appreciate it for real.”

“Humph...Well, you didn’t give me much of a choice...The Teal Table Talk? Did you really have to take it that far and put our business out there?”

“Believe me, that was the last thing I wanted to do. The way you were getting trolled and vilified on social media made me feel like I had no other choice. I saw the Shaderoom’s comments. People were blaming you for me and Mo’s falling out. That shit wasn’t right and I knew I needed to publicly address it. I owed you guys an apology and I felt that going on the show was the best way to give it.”

“Right...” *rolls her eyes* “”Well since you gave your apology, there was no reason to come here. I don’t get why you needed to meet in person?”

“To apologize for the things I couldn’t mention. Therapy really helped me. I was forced to face everything I’ve done. I didn’t realize a lot until now.”

“Wow, if only I had that luxury.” *laughs sarcastically* “So what things didn’t you realize?”

“Look, I’m not asking for forgiveness or trying to clear my conscience, Viv. I just wanted to fully apologize to you. If I hadn’t fucked up your relationship with Brandon, none of that shit with Mike would’ve happened. If I didn’t do that or give him your IG, y’all wouldn’t have met. He wouldn't have had the chance to put his hands on you.” *shakes his head* “...And that was only the recent shit. The way I handled our first divorce??...shit was foul. I’m sorry as hell for treating you like that. It was always about me in my head. I never thought about how the shit I was doing affected you and your mental. If I knew how serious it got, I swear I would’ve moved differently...Especially the second time around.”

“Differently?...And what exactly does that mean?” *clearly triggered by his last comment, ignoring the apology* “Would you have wrapped it up? Stopped yourself from fuckin the one who got away? I heard everything on that recording Mason. You said all your children were made out of love. Mitchell and Micah are 16 years old, born a few months apart. How old was he again when his mother came forward!?”

“Nine…” *reluctantly*

“Humph, exactly! That means for at least nine years before our first divorce you were looking for another wife. Nine fuckin years! That’s why you gladly gave me one. You only came back out of convenience when things didn’t work with Cay. When shit seemed like it wasn’t going as well as you’d hoped, you called who you truly wanted. Then when I finally had my peace, you sought to destroy it. Not out of love and longing for your wife…only because it was convenient. Now that I think about it, you’re right. You should’ve moved differently…You should’ve left me the fuck alone!”

*After a minute of awkward silence and Vivian realizing she failed to “keep it cute”*

Look, I get that you’re sorry and I’m glad therapy helped you understand more. Hell, That’s the reason why I wanted you to go. The situation with Mike or Brandon isn’t really your fault. There were things I could have done differently with Brandon, and Mike is solely responsible for his own actions. From now on, I just feel like everything needs to be left in the past...You know?”

*hesitates* “Yeah...It’s probably for the best.”

“It is, especially for Micah and the girls. We may not be friends but we’re not enemies, so moving forward I’ll try my best to be normal.”

*chuckles* “So umm, I guess I’ll see you when it’s time to drop them off?” *gets up to leave*

“Yup. See you then.”

Hours Later.........

Over the years Vivian has used songwriting as a coping mechanism to deal with pain. Seeing Mason brought out more than she could handle, so she chose to express her feelings through music. Their conversation also made her think of how much she misses Brandon. If given the chance to start over, she’d take it in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile at Carter Studios.......

“So now that everyone’s gone, how do you feel about that Teal Table Talk shit? Mase ain’t really name drop you, but it’s obvious you’re her ex he was talkin about. It seemed like he was apologizing, whatchu think?”

“Man, I don’t know. That shit kinda has me fucked up. I was so sure that they would get back together...That’s why I left. On the surface you would think going on that show was a ploy, but nobody like him is gonna publicly admit shit just to get his girl back. I think somethin happened that he caused.” *looks down* “I should’ve stayed...”

“Nah, you did what you needed to do at the time. Mase is my boy but he was wild disrespectful. She ain’t try to stop him, so you did what anybody would in that situation. So how long you been missing her?”

“Shit...A while....”

“Well, damn lil bro...I would’ve been told you to hit her up.” *shakes his head* “You are gonna call her right?”

“I don’t know. It’s a lot going on for her right now. I don’t wanna upset or overwhelm her.”

“Man if you don’t go somewhere with that. I’m not sayin immediately pour your heart out. Just see how she’s doing and take it from there.”

To Be Continued....... NEXT

#black simblr #black sims #sim story #ts3 story #vivian #mason #brandon #jay #sorry this took so long #story:vivian #IYLIML

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sometimesrosy · 3 years

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1) hey rosy. this is kinda late, but when S7 ended, I was so upset, I just compartmentalized and moved on. then a couple days ago, I just somehow saw a bellarke fanfic and I feel so very sad at how bellarke ended. maybe it's sad, but I truly have never seen a relationship like theirs in tv OR in real life. Built on so much reciprocal unconditional compassion, love, respect, support, and growth that flipped gender norms. it was so beautiful. it could've been the greatest love story.

2) I was so looking forward to them ending together in a beautiful way, and having a show to rewatch forever. but now, it's hard to rewatch any of it, knowing how it ends.just thinking of how the writers vilified clarke (how sexist was that, esp for a show that prided itself on being feminist) and completely erased bellamy, and just crushed both characters and a relationship they spent seasons building to be so complex and significant, reduced them to a joke, is so painful to me.

3) so I guess I have a few ?s for you. Q1: is it normal to feel this level of pain/hurt at something that's not even real?? Q2: are there any fanfics you can recommend where S7 is written so they end up together? Q3: I cannot fathom how JR was able to destroy his own creation. how do you make sense of it?? it makes me feel like he never actually saw the value in what he created that we all did. but I don't get how that's possible, given HE made it. Bellarke was truly a revolutionary relationshp.

+++

1. I think it’s normal. I also felt the same way as you did. Still do. When you’ve invested so much energy into a thing and then at the end, it just falls apart and there’s no catharsis, and it just overall fails? Why wouldn’t it hurt. Also it might be, in your subconscious, connected to the world and all it’s struggles. Pandemic. Political. Power. Racism. You know it’s a show about the apocalypse, and here we are smack dab in what seems like our own real life apocalypse. It’s not even symbolic. So I think it’s normal to maybe feel a little transference with the fictional show.

2. I am not good at giving recs. I just can’t remember the titles of what I read. And besides, I haven’t read fanfic in a couple of years (for a few reasons, some related to fandom and some related to my mental health and some related to my job ghostwriting.) HOWEVER, I can ask people if they have any good recs for S7 bellarke fics. Can y’all share, if you’re still around? People are still reading and people still care about bellarke. please and thank you.

3. Why did he gut his story? I have a few theories. I don’t think it was accidental. I don’t think he didn’t know how to finish his story. There was plenty of evidence that it was heading towards a bellarke ending in the narrative. And he was wrapping up the story through other subplots. Here’s my theory though. People on twitter cut and pasted stuff the last time I wrote this and completely misinterpreted what I was saying, and put me on JR’s side which is the farthest from the truth.

I blame JR for being a little sellout bastard. I’ve always said that hollywood is dangerous because any show can sell out. I think he sold out. I think someone wanted an ending that did not empower ‘the revolution’ of liberal BIPOC and LGBTQ+ and other minorities that were represented by the delinquents our story was about. And I think they offered him his new show if he made it so Clarke did NOT end up as the hero. So he tanked his story in order to tell that other one. Anaconda. The way the story ended just was too similar to the beliefs of the religious far right, even down to the apocalypse and rapture being swept up into heaven where you’d get your reward... except Clarke didn’t because she was unworthy of heaven, even though the other murderers and villains were. ??? What makes Clarke special? She rebelled. She was bisexual. She was a woman who took power from tyrants. All things the right did not want to see.

So why did he tank Bellarke? I think fandom was right. He was a vindictive man, like they said he was. And I think he hated the bellarke fandom for harassing him for five years. I mean, the bellarke fandom is very hatable. Not the whole fandom of course, but a big portion of it. A very LOUD portion of it, who demanded what they wanted and ignored it when they actually GOT what they wanted. I think he denied us Bellarke because he didn’t like the fans. For good reasons. So thanks to us... no not us. thanks to the Bellarke antis who bullied the cast and crew, JR took out his frustrations on the story and ruined Bellarke.

And then again, he screwed Bob over for taking time out. I think he had already given up on the show, and Bellarke, and Bob needing to take care of himself was the last straw, so he just fucking erased him. Same as he did Lincoln in season 3, although that story worked better as a narrative. He cared more about the story at that point and this time he just didn’t give a fuck anymore. He had already moved on.

I could never have done that because I love my stories and my characters, but he’s from hollywood and hollywood is full of assholes.

#the mess

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bi-rising · 4 years

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I will never forgive the lot of you that demanded to add QIA on the end of LGBT.

I'm bisexual. My mother doesn't know this. She likely won't ever know--or at least, won't know until I'm long out of her house. And I just got done having a discussion with her where not only did I have to explain to her what those letters meant, but also get into LGBT politics to explain WHY they were invalid and that a screaming minority of the community were able to add them.

I had to look my mother in the eye and tell her that Q is for q*r, that it's a slur, and that the community should never, ever be identified as q*r, especially by straight people.

I had to tell her that I is for intersex--the people that have ASKED US not to include them in the community because they have a genetic defect.

i had to explain to her what asexual people are and that even tho they aren't oppressed, they're lumped in with us anyway.

and more than that??? I had her ask me about pansexuality. you know what she thought? she thought that because pannies put trans people into their own separate category unlike bisexuals, that trans people don't ever want to transition. that they're just feminine guys and masculine girls using different names and pronouns to be trendy, and that THAT is what pansexuals are attracted to.

do you understand what you've done to us? do you get it? you are causing vitriol in people because you're trying to be "inclusive" and "special".

when I explained to her what gender dysphoria is, she said, "oh, so, many of them don't transition because it's really expensive" LIKE!!! Y'ALL!! my mom does not like the LGBT community!! but even her homophobic ass figured out that, since there are no known treatments for trans people besides transitioning, that they should have insurance covering it so that trans people can transition!!! I took her from being angry and annoyed and upset bc if she didn't get the acronym right she'd be vilified in today's society as well as viewing trans people as trenders bc of pansexuals, to actually somewhat supporting trans people's rights to transition!!!

how many people feel the way she did?? and furthermore, how many of these people have someone willing to risk their own closeted asses just to correct misinformation??? not a lot!! extremely few!!

the bullshit that QIA+, mogai, m-spec, and tucutes have spouted are making their way into the real world. you’re ruining the progress we were making. you’re causing confusion, anger, and rejection. you are HURTING the LGBT community and I, for one, am fucking sick of it. fight beside us for ACTUAL equality, or shut the fuck up and keep your grubby little fingers off the real world where, you know, things actually matter and have real consequences.

y’all make me fucking sick.

#anti qia #q slur tw #Anti mogai #Anti tucute #Transmed #Anti mspec #anti pansexual #Battleaxe bi #homophobia tw #I’m so fucking tired

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blodreina-noumou · 4 years

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there have been many unfair and unjust deaths on The 100.

Wells (the first male lead of color, let’s not forget) was slashed to death by an 11-year-old girl in order to correct the tone of the show’s first four episodes - the writers needed to make up for Jasper not dying in the first episode, to guide the show away from its teen drama roots, and to prove that no one was safe.

Finn was on the path to be tortured to death, but was instead mercy-killed by Clarke, while Raven watches and screams in grief and despair. While his death feels inevitable by the time it happens, and is more or less a joke in fandom now, he was a lead at the time, and it was shocking to see Clarke kill him.

Lexa* was killed by her most trusted adviser, on accident, with a stray bullet, just moments after consummating her relationship with Clarke. She doesn’t survive a wound that should have been survivable, despite Clarke’s previous medical capabilities being near-miraculous in other life-or-death situations.

Lincoln* was put on his knees and shot in the head, brutally executed in the mud, sacrificing himself for unnamed Trikru villagers who are never seen or spoken of again. Octavia is forced to watch.

Jasper commits suicide in an exceptionally sad and brutal scene - he could have lived, but had given up on survival at that point, so he didn’t take the chance. Made worse by the implication that Jasper probably didn’t hear Monty’s final declaration of love.

Luna* is killed by Octavia after an unexpected and poorly foreshadowed heel turn, despite seemingly being foreshadowed for three seasons as a peaceful alternative to the violent society of the Grounders.

Shaw* is randomly killed by a radiation shield, after an entire season of building up his relationship with Raven as endgame - another romantic relationship which is cut short just a few hours after it was consummated. Another man of color killed off in a violent and sudden way.

And Bellamy* is shot through the heart by his canonical best friend (and for a very large chunk of the audience, fanon love interest,) dying alone, an enemy and stranger to his former friends and allies, believing in a faith in which the audience has zero interested or investment.

(*It’s worth mentioning that all of the starred characters were written off in part because the actor wanted to leave for another show. In Bellamy’s case, Bob allegedly “asked for some time off” according to Jason Rothenberg. In my opinion, the number of people leaving the show early or wanting time away does not indicate a very positive or happy working environment.)

So, what’s my point?

Bellamy’s death is absolutely on brand for The 100.

Look, it’s okay to be upset. In fact, it’s natural! It’s clear that Bellamy’s death was intended to be upsetting and meant to spark a lot of conversation, if not outright outrage.

But to say that this was out of character for Clarke, who has already made it very clear that she will do anything to protect Madi, or not fully on brand for this show, which kills characters at an alarming rate regardless of perceived status, is just silly.

Death is an integral part of this universe, and we’ve very rarely seen situations where someone’s death is justified or satisfying. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve enjoyed seeing a character die on this show.

If you were pulling for a happy ending for any of these characters, but especially for Bellamy and Clarke - if you were pulling for a canonical “Bellarke endgame” - I truly just don’t think you were paying very much attention to the actual show for the past seven years.

This is why so many people who don’t ship Bellarke have been so irritated and baffled by Bellarke shippers for so long. The 100 has never and will never be a romance. JRoth made that painfully, painfully clear in 7x13.

But the thing is, it was already made clear for so many of us, so many times over, who have lost our own favorite couples to unexpected and unjustified deaths. And most of those OTPs were actually canon!

(This show has taken something from all of us. Welcome to the club!)

While we mourned Clexa and Linctavia and Zaven, so many of y’all rolled your eyes and just churned out endless Bellarke content and theories, and demanded more and more and more.

You stole meaningful moments from other characters. You harassed, bullied, and threatened actors like Lindsey Morgan when she spoke out against the ship. You attacked Tasya Teles constantly, and refused to recognize the significance of Echo’s role in the universe and in Bellamy’s life. You cliqued up hard and ostracized people who disagreed with you, especially those who pointed out the inaccuracies in your theories. Some of you even celebrated Lexa’s death, certain that meant that the door was open for Bellamy and Clarke to get together. Ever since Becho became a thing, you’ve vilified Echo and rooted for her downfall and death. You’ve behaved like spoiled, entitled children.

You convinced yourselves that this sci-fi show was a ship war! And you convinced yourselves that you were winning, that you were destined to achieve that bullshit golden ring of a canon romance.

But that was never real! No one ever promised you a canon Bellarke ending, or a happy Bellarke ending, or even a neutral Bellarke ending!

If you feel cheated out of something, that’s on you.

Fanfiction and headcanons are great! But assuming you have all the answers to someone else’s creative project, to the point where you’re getting angry and acting entitled and throwing around accusations of baiting, only because things didn’t play out the way you wanted them to/assumed they were destined to, is just not a good look for anyone, anywhere.

You aren’t entitled to any ending in fiction. You aren’t entitled to a happy ending or a satisfying ending.

Yes, you can criticize a creative work if you don’t like it, or the choices don’t make sense to you, or you wanted something different. You can absolutely decide that you won’t continue to support a creator’s work moving forward, if you don’t like what they do with their stories.

But this melting down in the Bellarke fandom, while entirely expected and very on brand for y’all, is just sad. It’s juvenile and it’s embarrassing.

I hope y’all move forward from this with some lessons learned. Fanon is not canon. And no amount of screaming and crying and tantrum throwing can force someone to write the story you want them to write.

#saltblogging #bellarke #the 100 spoilers #the 100 s7 #the 100 7x13 #the 100 meta #stephspeaks #I still have some angry feelings though #I just keep swinging back and forth #complicated thoughts about it #there's just a lot #I'm not happy with the how and why but the what doesn't bother me #and a lot of people are far more bothered by the what than the how and why #be mad about Bellamy because he was a man of color and it was shitty storytelling #not because you ship just sank #imploded really #like wow yikes

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kanmom51 · 3 years

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not yall reblogging a post antagonzing jimin to hell for keeping his boundaries. gross af. "If you all want to vilify Jungkook and victimize Jimin, then news flash, Jimin is not “innocent” either. Just last week we got a Bangtan Bomb where he literally flung Jungkook’s arm of off him and nearly smacked him in the balls, to which Jungkook’s answer was to mandhandle him into a backhug."

Ask 2:

“yall jikookers defend jungkook and jikook as a relationship more than you care about jimin. very obvious.”

Ask 3:

“jikookers need to stop using jimin as their point maker. saying things like jimin's not a damsel and he can stand up for himself and then saying that what jk does is typical male 20 year old behavior. yall got your ideas of them on lock. you don't care about jimin and you surely would not put him on the pedestal that you put jungkook on if he did the mocked jungkook time and time again. jungkook literally sat there with taehyung complaining about jimin's voice, but of course he loves jimin right”

So where do I start with these 3 asks?

First, I assume these are all the same anon (same vibe), so I gathered them together and will address them together.

Dear anon, when you start asks with “y’all”, well you lose me at the start.

I’m not into generalizations. “y’all jikookers”. Who are those? The ones that are JK stans? The ones that are JM stans? The insecure ones? The ones that believe and support JM & JK’s special connection? Who?

Same with “y’all reblogging”. Who’s y’all?

Look, I said I am open to every opinion out there, as long as it is voiced respectfully, amicably and not aggressively. If you would have stopped a second, taken a breath, and thought out your asks without all this aggression and generalization, then maybe I would have given you a proper thoughtful answer, addressing your concerns (that I can’t really understand because of all the venom). You talk about hate, when your own words are spewing hatred.

I can only talk for myself. I love BTS. I love JK & JM and fully support the very special connection between them. I, personally, believe they are involved romantically, but whatever the nature of their relationship, I adore them both.

Both of them are gorgeous human beings. But they are as such, human beings, and just like us, they are less than perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect human being, that’s just the way it is.

So if once in a while they are caught doing something less than perfect, including to each other, so what? Does that make them less amazing? Is that vilifying them? No way .

These asks are so out there, I don’t really understand the point you are trying to make anon.

What I will say is, stop hating. We are all BTS army. We all, supposedly, love all 7 members. If some think there is a special relationship between specific members how does that take away from the others? BTS stands for love and tolerance. Try living their message. Life will be so much better without being consumed with hatred.

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dh8one · 3 years

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Vaccine rape culture Subject to some of the conversation on yesterday’s I thought I’d share something I came across with you all. "If you support the v mandate, you support rape culture — end of story.⁣ ⁣ If you think it’s okay to pressure or coerce someone into doing with their body what you want them to do, you’re a rapist.⁣ ⁣ And, yeah, I know I sound like a liberal right now by assigning such an extreme label onto an ideology — but apparently, we gotta get louder to wake those asleep at the wheel!⁣ ⁣ ➡️ I do not need a single piece of research to back up my choice.⁣ ⁣ ➡️ I do not need to look at the numbers, the statistics, or the “science.”⁣ ⁣ ➡️ I do not need to take into consideration the needs of others, or “trust the experts.”⁣ ⁣ There are no experts in the world that can trump the wisdom of my body.⁣ ⁣ My body knows.⁣ ⁣ AND NO MEANS NO.!!! ⁣ How is this constant social pressure to take a gene therapy into our body against our will or face social ostracism from the public sphere, lose livelihood, and the ability to live a free and dignified life — any different than a man trying to pressure me into sex I’ve said no to?⁣ ⁣ How is this any different than sexual harassment in a workplace?⁣ ⁣ IT’S F*CKING NOT.⁣ ⁣ The government is literally saying: Let me penetrate you or else!⁣ ⁣ Jab mandates are fucking gang rape.⁣ ⁣ And if you stand with them — you’re guilty.⁣ ⁣ And here’s what society seems unable to get through their heads about us so-called “conspiracy theorists” — ⁣ ⁣ There’s not enough “credible” studies or “expert” advice in the world that could market us away from our intrinsic knowing.⁣ ⁣ Or social pressure to cause us to stay mum and placate this downright coercion.⁣ ⁣ This is not how integrity works.⁣ ⁣ This is not how body wisdom works.⁣ ⁣ Y’all think we’re out here going down YouTube rabbit holes about this when, in reality, we’re listening deeper than most people in this culture even know they can go.⁣ ⁣ My decision is not a result of me mentally weighing the pros and cons and letting the statistics have the final say.⁣ ⁣ Honey, I ain’t that disconnected from myself!⁣ ⁣ I make decisions with my body.⁣ ⁣ I place my trust in my Creator.⁣ ⁣ I trust, even, in my inevitable death.⁣ ⁣ And, most importantly... ... I don’t need to be presented with any information to know the difference between right and wrong!⁣ ⁣ Despite any way the government tries to spin this blatant tyranny as a means to an end for public good, if you support this mandate in any way — no, if you are not utterly outraged by the mere proposal of this mandate — you are on the WRONG side of history.⁣ ⁣ No matter how much they shame, threaten, vilify, gaslight, or try to socially-engineer you to believe otherwise — your body will always be the safest place you can be on this planet.⁣ ⁣ Listening to it will ALWAYS be your safest bet.⁣ ⁣ And you never need to justify or explain yourself for choosing it.⁣" ⁣ ⁣~Written by Jessica of Luminary Woman

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a-queer-seminarian · 5 years

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Edited March 30, 2020

__________

currently thinking about how Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was hailed and celebrated by the people -- how they shouted “hosanna,” an exclamation of adoration and praise; how they waved palms and spread their cloaks for his arrival........and then turned on him. let the Romans take him and torture him and brutally execute him.

and how because this happened to Jesus, he knows intimately what it feels like when similar things happen to us. when we are welcomed at first and then, when we fail to meet expectations, we are vilified and thrown out -- Jesus gets it. God really, truly, has been there.

a Black woman is employed by a church as part of a diversity initiative, and is welcomed by all -- until she starts pointing out things that need to change, pervasive issues of racism and misogyny and cissexism that should be addressed. excitement sours into resentment, openness into anger; she is ostracized, treated rudely, isolated until the environment becomes so toxic she leaves. she is blamed for the way things “didn’t work out.”

parents promise their son their love is unconditional; he grows up hearing the promise to “love him no matter what.” but these parents are also not quiet about making their anti-gay views known. he has to wonder -- will that unconditional love survive him going out?

a trans person comes out to their loved ones, who express support, a willingness to learn and a promise to work on the new name and pronouns. but months pass by and those loved ones are still misgendering them and growing more and more frustrated, not at themselves but at the trans person -- “Why are you making life so hard?” “Why can’t you just be normal?” “Why would you even want to change your body like that?”

a congregant comes out to her pastor and some of the elders of the church, who respond with compassion and a promise that she’ll always be welcome at the church. the congregant is relieved, and even emboldened to bring her girlfriend to church a few weeks later. but the pastor and some church members confront her, horrified -- “you can’t hold hands with another woman in a place of God!” “This is not okay! If you’re going to act on your desires, we will have to take severe action.” She realized that when the pastor promised her welcome, he’d assumed she would remain “celibate”...she goes home disillusioned brokenhearted. Church will never feel safe again, she tells her girlfriend.

i and people i love dearly have lived through some of these scenarios, and that kind of pain seeps into your psyche and nests in your bones.

but i do find comfort in knowing that my God has been there too -- that the God who throughout the scriptures professed to know, really know the pain and suffering of Their people (e.g. Exodus 3:7) did experience it firsthand. it breaks my heart that Jesus, whom i love, knows this pain too....but it also brings me comfort. because he gets it -- he really, really gets it.

and the God who knows, who sees, who feels with us, is a God whose power is compassion, suffering with and being moved to act -- God does not leave us alone when faith communities abandon us; God shares our pain when others afflict us; and God will act to make things right.

as we enter Holy Week, i plan to meditate more on Jesus’ pain -- the pain of rejection, of having loved ones turn on you, of being handed over to torture and death -- and offer my deepest gratitude for that ultimate act of solidarity with all whom the world rejects and tortures.

thank you, Jesus. you share our suffering always -- give me the courage to try to share your suffering with you, so that i may be moved to act for all who suffer today.

________________

So. I wrote this little reflection during Holy Week last year. We are now approaching Holy Week once again. I will be preaching (via the internet) at my home church this Palm Sunday, and so naturally I remembered, “Oh, I wrote a little something about Palm Sunday before, let’s dig that up and see if it was any good!”

I re-read what I wrote below, and was aghast. embarrassed. ashamed.

Because what I wrote has the same kind of antisemitic tinge to it that has enabled hate crimes against Jewish communities across the centuries.

“But I didn’t say ‘the Jews killed Jesus’ -- I made it clear that Romans are the ones who executed him!!” Sure, but I clearly imply that his Jewish community “let” the Romans kill him; I literally used the language “they turned on him” and rejected him.

When I wrote this piece just last year, I was so sure I was a Good Christian who Knew About The Dangers of Antisemitism In Christianity -- I patted myself on the back for knowing that the Romans are the ones who actually tortured and crucified Jesus. But I wrote this! Even while checking over everything I wrote and thought about Passion Week in particular, being aware of the horrific violent history of this week, this not-even-subtle antisemitic thinking completely flew past me.

What antisemitism continues to lurk in my theology, unchecked?

I think I’m ~so good~ at noticing antisemitism and other dangerous bigotry embedded in my beliefs and language. Clearly, I’m not.

This post spoke to a lot of people, you can see in the comments on it. Last year, I was happy to have moved them with my words. Now, I blush, knowing I let antisemitic thinking spread.

Now, I have no clue how to rethink the Passion narrative that is so central to my faith but so corrupted by antisemitism. How do we read the stories of Jesus being handed over to death without being antisemitic? We can remind the listeners that “The Jews” of Jesus’s days don’t = the Jewish communities that came after them and that continue today. We can remind the listeners that Jesus and his friends were also Jewish, and his was an intra-community struggle. But I don’t think that’s enough.

I have to preach in just six days about Palm Sunday -- a Triumphalist passage if there ever was one! How do I preach it without indicting “the Jews”? Especially now, in this time of pandemic, when people will be expecting my message to be about that very immediate crisis, rather than the timeless crisis of antisemitism in our scripture.

If anyone has articles for me, thoughts for me, I’m all ears. Here are a couple resources I’ve got so far:

I just downloaded an ebook called Jesus Wasn’t Killed by the Jews: Reflections for Christians in Lent

An article about the “Moneychangers in the Temple” that Matthew’s Gospel shows Jesus “driving out” directly after the Palm Sunday scene

A church’s reflection on Passion Week

“A Note on ‘The Jews’ in Palm Sunday’s Passion Reading”

I especially appreciate any Jewish person’s perspective, but don’t expect it -- I know y’all don’t owe me anything. I am deeply sorry for my role in perpetuating antisemitism, and I’m going to be working on doing better.

#palm sunday #jesus #lent #church hurt #god with us #homophobia #transphobia #racism #essays

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grimoire-of-geekery · 4 years

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I’m No Angel: An Update and Some Stuff Regarding Pedestals and Pits

Hey guys.

So I’d say I was sorry for not updating more regularly, but honestly, I’m so overwhelmed with everything I’ve been doing and everything that’s been going on in this world that I’m just not able to muster any sort of contrition. I’m a fairly private person by nature, even if I try to be personable and reachable. Sometimes filling out the mental questionnaire about “how are you feeling, what are you up to, who and what matters to you right now” and sharing it is just a lot more exhausting than it probably needs to be.

Some of that is because I run a blog that’s focused on a body of work and interest that is very specific, and I don’t really feel comfortable with posting personal stuff on my professional blog. That’s not what we’re here for. Well, I know that’s what some of you are here for, some of you follow my blog as a way to stay close to me as a person, and y’all know who you are, and you know I really appreciate the support. The rest, however, are here because they found my articles and my books and stuff, and they want to stay connected or involved in the work itself, for their own reasons and in their own ways.

That fact all on its own makes me incredibly happy. I’m a geek, and people who share my love and passion for my geeky subjects are hard to find, because I’m so specifically focused, so it’s wonderful to have people to talk with and share with. And I’m super grateful for the people who have shown support for my creative works, like Pack of Cards and the Clow Book and things like that.

If these are the things which brought you here, then I’m glad, and you have my gratitude. They’re what this blog, my side blogs, and my Patreon are about. I hope you continue to enjoy what I produce, and I hope you continue asking the thoughtful and insightful questions I’ve come to look forward to reading in my inbox and my message feed.

Just, keep in mind, I’m a person. I’ve got personality flaws, I try real hard and don’t always succeed or hit the mark, and I often make mistakes. Nobody is more aware of this than I am, and as a result, I get very nervous any time people start telling stories about me.

And I’m talking good stories or bad ones. The good ones, I feel like I’m pressured to live up to, like I need to start getting used to rarified air and elevated status, which makes me EXTREMELY uncomfortable. That discomfort is compounded by my equal dislike of being vilified or thrown down into a pit via someone’s narrative. The bad stories make me feel like I need to start sharpening weapons and preparing for trouble.

There’s this weird thing that happens with me and friends, which I and those close to me call “Angel or Devil Syndrome.” Throughout my life, a large number of people have followed a pattern where they get close to me, and lift me up onto a pedestal, treating me like their angel of providence or something (rarely with any sort of warning, or discussion or consent on my part). This lasts until they decide I’ve violated their sense of good in some way (again, rarely with any input from me), and then they cast me down into a pit and treat me like the devil. To be fair, some people move straight to demonizing me, and obviously others don’t do this at all, because I’m not really relevant in their life. Unfortunately, both the “angel” treatment and the “devil” treatment are common enough that aside from a few lovely exceptions in my life, I have had to be really wary of who I get close to, and how far I let them in. Because as we know from folklore, the Devil is supposed to be a fallen angel, so either way, I get treated like something I’m not, and often the backlash falls upon my family and friends.

And I’m not okay with that. With any of it.

Like, I realize everyone has the right to like or dislike people, but after nearly forty years of dealing with unearned notoriety and irrational-and-often-seemingly-disingenuous accolades, I can confidently say that not only do I not like people doing this, I also don’t think any of it is healthy.

Just in the last three months, I’ve dealt with two preposterous “rumors” about me and my family, one which could have proven very hurtful to people I care about. And these rumors came from people whose narrative was that they cared about me, and they were trying to “help.”

Rumors and gossip aren’t help. And it’s not as if it’s hard to find out what’s going on with me. I’m not that much of an enigma, guys. I’m pretty much what it says on the tin. I’m often cranky, occasionally snide, I value humor and hope and romance, and I’m prone to strong emotions and fits of something like artistic expression.

I like good people and bad witchy fiction, I’m a lover of music and contemporary/modern fantasy. I’m queer, half-Latino, polyamorous, and not at all a fan of bigotry or nihilistic rhetoric or effete behavior. I prioritize practical results and that which is relevant right now over ambition or ancient history (which I also love in a geeky way, but not in a way which insists it be put on the top of my list).

I think all of this should be apparent, and if it isn’t, I dunno how to make it clearer.

If a person sees these qualities as admirable, great, so long as nobody sees them as supernatural. If a person sees them as contemptible, that’s fine, so long as they don’t make their opinion into a problem for my life or the lives of those I love.

If I were to advise anyone getting close to me, I would say three things: don’t think of me as a paragon, don’t treat me like a monster, and consent is 100% required on all levels, so ask for it before you trespass all over my boundaries.

I don’t feel like any of those are unrealistic, y’know? And I’m at the point in my life where I’m really uninterested in people demanding explanations or trying to poke at me like I owe them answers. Questions, I like. Polite inquiry is the best thing ever. Rumor-mongering, malicious gossip, and drama cycles are not something I want as part of my life anymore. I’m theatrical, but the capes and the sparkly glitter are for fun and mood, not for stealing spotlights or seizing narratives, and if any of you are experiencing a situation where someone is doing either of those things, please please please get away from them. And definitely don’t involve me and mine.

Now, an update, since it seems like people were interested:

I’m still working on my next book, Paper Bones. It’s an uphill struggle, it’s not as easily written as Pack of Cards was.

I’m also working on my Patreon, and helping to maintain our community on Discord, Zoom, Second Life, and other locations.

I’m teaching more classes than I have in a long time, and it’s pretty tiring, though I do find the work to be its own reward.

I’m hanging out with my family and friends I’ve been sheltering with. They make me feel safe and loved.

I’m working on a new podcast, and that’s a struggle all on its own, as I don’t find myself as charismatic as I did the combination of myself and Felix, which is a pretty sore subject right now. In any case, I hope to have at least one episode out this month.

That’s about it. No plans of saving the world or dominating it. I just wanna live my life, do my work, practice my Craft and find joy with my loved ones. Things are scary right now, and I’m committing myself to protecting and nurturing those places and people which love and sustain me, and working to protect other people’s rights to have the same happiness I think we all deserve.

Feel free to ask questions if you’ve got them, any time. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.

#yes I'm aware of what he said #there are a lot of people who know what happened with us and why I left him #and I'm not surprised he's saying what he's saying

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whateverisbeautiful · 5 years

Text

Reveling in Richonne

#154: The People We Love (9x14)

Michonne Grimes will always fight for the Grimes. You just trust with Michonne that they’re gonna be okay cuz she fights for the people she loves. And that’s what gets expressed in these final moments of 9x14.

Michonne and Judith had that sweet moment on those rocks and I love that we get a second heartfelt heart to heart from them this episode. They are why I stuck around this show after all, so I’ll take as many moments between them as I can get.

And I hope we get a lot more mom/daughter moments in Michonne’s last season coming up that further illustrate how Judith couldn’t have a better mom. The things her mom has done for her, it’s just a testament to the ultimate love of a parent. 😊

In the moment on those rocks, that’s where Judith got to express herself and now in this conversation Michonne gets to take the floor and express her side of things, which i appreciate.

And this really deep moment between Michonne and Judith comes in the present as they stand over Carl’s grave. 😭

It’s emotional seeing the two of them here paying their respects to Carl specifically. Carl loved them both so much and as we know from his final episode, he wanted these two to get each other through.

Carl told Judith to listen to Michonne and asked Michonne to be strong for Judith and here we see them honor that.

(Side note: It’s super cute that Michonne and Judith are wearing similar outfits with a denim jacket and pink/peach colored shirt. I love that.)

Michonne starts by saying, “Your father and I dug this together. And that day, standing right here, I made a promise to never bury another child again.”

It’s heartbreaking hearing Michonne recall the day her and Rick had to dig this grave for Carl. We saw those clips of R&M digging that grave and how distraught Michonne felt. So it’s deep knowing that as we watched Michonne bury Carl in 8x09 she was promising herself never again. That as long as she lives she’d make sure her kids live. Whatever it takes.

As much as Michonne’s heart was breaking so soon after losing Carl, it’s powerful to know that she was already building this resolve to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Already believing she could do everything in her power to prevent another loss of a child. You know at that point she considered Judith her daughter so she was definitely thinking of her first and foremost, and how even though death surrounded them constantly, she’d ensure that Judith lives.

Michonne then gets emotional and vulnerable and says, “But then your father was gone. And I was…lost.” 🥺

Utterly heart shattering. Y’all, hearing this hurt. Magnets aren’t meant to be apart at all. Let alone six years. And Michonne has gone through the losses of many people during her time on the show, but with Rick that loss was a special level of painful because in losing him she lost a huge part of her. So it makes since that she acknowledge how lost she was afterwards.

We didn’t see the days that directly followed Rick’s absence but it breaks my heart to think about how Michonne spent those days/months/years feeling lost without him. Y’all, as hard as it is to know Michonne felt lost without Rick, it’s deep to see how connected the two were and how even six years later she’s still so clearly in love with him.

Judith looks up at Michonne with tears in her eyes cuz the rule is true; when your mom cries you cry. 👌🏽 Michonne continues, saying “And then you were lost and I was scared. More scared than I have ever been. Before or since.” 💔

Once again my heart shatters over this line. It is really significant to have Michonne say this was the most scared she’d been before or since. In the seasons she’s been on the show there’s been a lot of stressful and scary things she’s been through and yet losing Judith was what scared her more than any of those other things. Michonne loves this little girl so much.

Also I really appreciate Michonne getting to say she was scared. People seem to forget that’s an emotion Michonne’s allowed to have and act out of, just like everyone else. Of course as a parent, the kidnapping of her daughter would have her absolutely terrified and also scarred in more ways than one. That would make anybody switch up a bit and get highly on the defense when it comes to protecting their children.

Michonne’s protective cuz she lost her sons and then temporarily had to feel what it was like to have lost her daughter and she doesn’t ever want to lose her again. She’s already had to bury a kid twice and it’s horrible cuz I’m sure after returning to Alexandria with all the kids, sis then had to be nervous if she’d have to lose another child with wondering if RJ would make it after everything Jocelyn and those kids put her through while pregnant. After all that trauma she endured honestly people are lucky she didn’t go more off the deep end, and still has a sound head on her shoulders.

I like that Michonne is vulnerable with Judith about not just what she did and what happened but how it made her feel. And it’s deep to see Judith shed tears and feel for her mom as she finally gets to understand this trauma from Michonne’s perspective. Cuz Judith was there when that Jocelyn stuff went down but she wasn’t there.

Michonne thought she had to carry this secret and burden for everyone but there’s something liberating about her realizing she can be transparent with Judith about more things. Cuz Michonne had expressed the whole I protect you thing to Judith, but Judith is getting older and is ready to hear more and see more sides of her mom.

I mean she wants to defend her mom too, cuz when Magna was outside their house in 9x06, Judith was ready with the strap for Magna lol. She sat on those steps ready to post up with that gun like...

Michonne goes onto say, “And I wasn’t the only one (who was scared). So we decided to make this place only about the people who lived here.”

Y’all...hold up wait a minute. This made me so upset cuz I was like this means that multiple people knew what went down, felt at least an inkling of what Michonne felt, and agreed on this decision to make the community more isolated. She wasn’t the only one. Multiple people! And yet, those multiple people were nowhere to be found in this time jump so I was looking around like...

Cuz they sure did seem to say nothing and let Michonne carry the brunt of this on her own and be the only one vilified. And for not standing up and defending Michonne and their joint decision to close things off, someone needs to give them a serious talking to and/or whooping.

Plus it totally adds up that it would’ve been a more collective decision too cuz Michonne’s not a dictator and she wouldn’t have closed things off had there not been supporters of the idea. Those people and parents are forever indebted to her. And the fact that Michonne is still so committed to this place shows she’s doing a great job both raising her kids and this ungrateful community.

Michonne then acknowledges that only being about their own is “not what Carl or your dad gave their lives to create. But it kept you and RJ safe. That’s what I wanted. That is all I wanted.”

At the end of the day, before Michonne is Head of Security or the unspoken leader of Alexandria, Michonne is a mother. And mother’s do hard things if it means it’ll protect their children. She said in 9x06 how she watched Rick’s sole focus be about keeping Carl safe and how she’s adopted that mindset with their remaining children.

Not once has Michonne’s intent been malicious or divisive, it’s just that she’s a mother and all she wants and wanted is to keep her kids safe. Regardless of how the decision would reflect on her or how hard it would be to close off from the others because she loves and cares about them so much (and honestly sometimes more than they seem to love and care about her, smh). She was willing to go to extremes and trade being liked and supported for the sake of her kids.

Michonne put the kids first because who wouldn’t? I think the majority of parents would do the same. Plus Rick and Carl gave their lives to create a future. And kids are the future. So Michonne got laser focused on making sure the kids had an environment that protected them at all costs.

In an ideal world I know Michonne would want to still be welcoming and all, but after the trauma she chose to honor being strong for Judith even if people don’t’ understand it.🏽 Even though everyone both in show and out of show should’ve been did understood.

It’s tough seeing how Michonne feels the weight of honoring so many people. She wants to protect her kids and community. She wants to honor what her husband and son gave their lives to create. She wants to honor her daughter’s thoughts and opinions.

She wants to keep everyone alive, be it literally or in memory. And that’s a lot for one person to carry and so I hope we finally get to see more people take that load off Michonne and genuinely be there for her and honor her the way she deserves in her final season.

So then Michonne stoops down and looks up at Judith in such a humbling position, and she smiles through tears and says, “You were right. We have to protect the people we love. All the people we love. And we will.”

Michonne is the best mom. I love that Michonne makes Judith stronger but also Judith makes Michonne stronger. And Michonne continues to show that she’s willing to really hear Judith out and come around to seeing things her way. She stoops down to Judith’s level to show I hear you. I’m listening. 👌🏽☺️ She’s willing to take leaps towards change for the sake of her daughter like the magnificent mom she is. 😊👌🏽

And a super subtle thing I noticed in this moment is that before Michonne looks at Judith she low key looks down at Carl’s grave when she says “you were right.” It makes me emotional cuz it’s like she’s saying it to both of them. To Judith and Carl. 😭

Cuz for Carl she’s saying to him; I might’ve steered from the original vision a bit but you were right and I’m ready to go after it again. We’ve gotta protect all the people we love and think bigger picture.

Carl entrusted to Michonne this vision cuz he knew she’d fight to make his vision reality. And she always has. Starting with making sure everybody got their Carl letters, even Negan.

One of the sweetest things about Michonne and Carl’s relationship was the way she didn’t write him off as just a kid, and with Judith it’s the same. She hears her out and wants to try and take big leaps to honor what they’d want.

It’s meaningful that Judith does sort of help bring her back to the boldness they have to have to love and protect people regardless of risk. But it makes a lotta sense why she’d feel like the risk was too large before this.

And while I so admire Michonne’s resolve to protect the people she loves, I remember watching this and saying, “But who protects Michonne?”

Cuz sis needs someone to be resolved to look out for her too. She had that person in Rick, but without him it feels like everyone has an expectation for her to help them rather than vice versa.

I know she can protect herself of course, but with Rick gone, who’s the person who looks out for Michonne the way she looks out for and fights for everybody else?

Like I don’t think the moral of this story should just be “Michonne has learned to take care of everyone again”. She’s done that and is doing that. To me there needed to be more emphasis from this show about those in TF who dropped their responsibility to take care of and be there for Michonne. Especially during her most vulnerable time when she needed them most.

She goes through the most trauma and then is expected to just put that aside in order to help patch up everybody else’s stuff, otherwise she’s the “difficult” one??

Not here for that. And I’m not saying she shouldn’t have the heart she has to care for all the people. I admire that. I just think a lot more people need to come to this same conclusion when it comes to being a good friend and family member towards Michonne.

I genuinely believe I can think of at least one scene between Michonne and pretty much anyone from TF where she showed love, care, and support to them. And Michonne deserves that same energy back.

So then Michonne stands up and takes Judith’s hand and they walk off hand in hand and it’s just beautiful. 😭

Truly, they’re both better for having each other in their life. And it really feels like Rick and Carl live on through their beautiful bond. 😌

I think about all the times Michonne has taken Rick’s hand, and now she takes Judith’s hand and they’re a comfort to each other like R&M were. 😭You know Rick would be so proud and over the moon to see the bond his girl’s have.

To put it simply, the Grimes girls are...

Michonne, Judith, and RJ were the best way to reset the series cuz it keeps the focus on what one of the show’s original premises was which is; a parent trying to raise their kid in an apocalypse. (Side note: I hope Rick gets to find these kids while they’re still young. 🙏🏽)

Also shout out to Cailey cuz she did some great acting in this scene without even uttering a word. 👏🏽👏🏽👏That girl is talented. And she’s also very smart as this comment shows...

So then this lovely mom and daughter ride over to the fair and they’re all smiley which is super cute. ☺️

Judith asks if her wound will leave a scar and Michonne is so sweet and supportive when she says, “No, but it’s okay if it does.” I love it. 🥰

Michonne knows firsthand that sometimes scars are just proof that you can and will do anything to protect the ones you love, and it’s proof you fought and survived. They show that you can make it. And I think that’s how Michonne’s come to view her x scar. As long as people you love are living then the scars are worth it.💯

Y’all, I just know the reoccurring direct quote from Judith’s mind has got to be...

As they ride through the woods they find Daryl and Connie and co. They all smile and hop in and head off to what will certainly be imminent disaster lol, otherwise known as the fair. 😂

But at least they’re all happy right now so I’ll at least be happy they had this moment to enjoy.

And that’s the analysis of everything from “Scars”.

I love all the beats Danai got to play in this episode. 👏🏽The mom jumped out and was so believable. She got in that mama bear mode real quick and I was here for it.

I knew Michonne and Danai would deliver in a Michonne-centered episode. And she delivered more than Santa on Christmas.

Danai got to shine like the star she is in this heavy episode. The range. The phenomenal delivery. She has so many layers to everything she says and does. It’s excellence. 💯 #QueenInEVERYWay

And don’t get me wrong I don’t like Michonne suffering and in pain at all. I hope we never have to see her get beat up again. No more Michonne brutality. 🙅🏽‍♀️I don’t love the episode for that. I love it for showcasing Michonne’s versatility, resilience, and vulnerability. I love that it illustrated the love she has for Rick and her kids. I appreciate it highlighting this multi-dimensional fascinating character and that we got to learn more details about the queen this episode.

So TWD, keep the Michonne-centric episodes coming in her final season but no more putting Michonne through trauma. No more abuse in her final season. Let her go to the movies. Let her find Rick. Let the Grimes family reunite. Give us a movie that’s five hours of R&M living life with their kids and then call it a wrap lol. 😋

I hope all the range and gloriousness of Danai gets highlighted more and more in her last run as Michonne in season ten. 🙏🙏🏽

What I most appreciate is that Rick’s presence is so kept alive through Michonne and Judith and their moments together like the ones in this episode. Y’all, Richonne won’t ever stop blessing us. 🙌🏽😭💯

🏽gifs source: @michonnegrimes @winterswake @superestrella9

#richonne #s9 #9.14 #they are the people I love

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arainbowparadise · 4 years

Note

twitter*com/itslouevil/status/1225872181453783040 this is what chandler actually tweeted it has no relations to jingle balls or whatever and that still doesnt justify why he was booked for pre jingle ball gigs held in PARKING LOTS along with literal tik tok ppl n other no name bands . Niall was being booked for jingle balls since 2016 and HE wasnt even as big as louis at that time. Also radios DO play louis' songs when he did radio promo for WMI n the song was added on allaccess so thats a lie

Lol ur so pressed ur sending this to me too?? Literally the way she phrased that entire tweet is showing she supports him and is trying but the industry and their reception of him is limiting what the label can do. Y’all seriously think labels run EVERYTHING in the music business? that’s a fucking JOKE. While I do think their effort to market his album isn’t very good I do NOT think your vilifying of them and spreading of lies is appropriate or right!

Just admit you made a mistake and are now spreading lies.

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sometimesrosy · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,310 times in 2021

159 posts created (12%)

1151 posts reblogged (88%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 7.2 posts.

I added 190 tags in 2021

#lol - 51 posts

#meow - 30 posts

#writing advice - 29 posts

#shadow and bone - 23 posts

#writeblr - 12 posts

#woof - 11 posts

#s&b - 9 posts

#rosywrites - 9 posts

#sab - 8 posts

#writing process - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#funny though my sister's first name is chinese and my brother's first name is spanish so the three of us have names from all over the world

My Top Posts in 2021

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I could never have done that because I love my stories and my characters, but he’s from hollywood and hollywood is full of assholes.

57 notes • Posted 2021-04-21 13:50:41 GMT

Do you still post about The 100? I'm one who has read the books so watching the way they treated Bellamy as well as Bob pissed me off it also didn't make any sense reminded me of how Lincoln and the actor who played him was treated I don't know if I'm the only one who feels that way or not of course I shipped Bellarke and seeing how Jason also baited and trolled the fans I don't like it I think he even said in a interview once that they'll get there with their relationship obviously that was

a lie but seeing their relationship every season you can see how it was getting there only to be ripped away from us I thought at least by the end of season 6 something would happen between them but nope then maybe season 7? Sadly we got nothing and if that doesn't make it bad what's worse is Bellamy's death was basically excused like he deserved it even though later on he was right. Another thing though is the way he acted in the later half of season 7 is nothing like him.

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I do still post about The 100, but much more rarely. I'm not obsessed anymore and I'm still a bit pissed about how they ended it, how they treated Bellamy and how they treated Clarke.

I'm mad at JR. Long ago, when he screwed over Ricky, I didn't want to judge because, well, I didn't have enough information to judge. But as JR repeated his behavior with Bob, it turns out that the fans that hated him were correct. He was an asshole. I mean, he's a hollywood director so I assumed he was, as it's like a professional requirement or something, but he was an asshole in service of his ego instead of an asshole in service of his story. So they were absolutely right.

And he DID say Bellarke would get there eventually but it was a long journey. He also had Bob and Eliza act as if they were in love. And he wrote a story with that love at the center-- whether it was consummated or not.

It was NOT a lie. That was the story he was telling. But something kept him from declaring it within the narrative every time. We don't know what it was. Was he afraid of the Moonlighting curse? (where the two love interests lost their chemistry once they consummated? of course those actors HATED each other while Bellarke's actors married each other.) Was he waiting for the BEST moment, and then waited too long? Was he truly just screwing with the Bellarke fans? Did he RESENT the bellarke fans? (they were harassing him so my money is on this. it was revenge.) Did he get angry at Bob for betraying him and taking care of himself? IDK maybe. Seems like. Also I read something anon from people on set, and apparently JR essentially dropped The 100 in anticipation of his NEW series. He sold out his current show so that he could get picked up. And he had plenty of opportunities for Bellarke romance, and chose, each time, not to go there.

I hated how he erased Bellamy from the story and then whitewashed every character who loved him in order to erase his importance. It didn't just affect Bellamy, who was unrecognizable. It also affected Echo, who no longer had a purpose in the narrative, and Octavia, whose very identity was built on Bellamy's love for her, and of course Clarke, who was the head to his heart, and without that heart, she just became.... well, literally crazy.

So disrespectful to the main character. But then that is what happens when someone erases the second protagonist.

...

This is why I don't talk about The 100 anymore. Because every time I do, it devolves into me ranting about how season 7 betrayed the story and characters and became some other kind of show in which the evil cultist is the hero and the rebels who are trying to make a better world are not worthy of heaven. Which is exactly the OPPOSITE of the first 6 years and instead, plays into trumpism and fascism and all the current political bullshit, and that's just too damn coincidental for me. JR sold out and it's all his fault. I will never watch that new show. He betrayed the story and his audience, and lost our trust. And that isn't about bellarke being denied, it's about story for me. Bellarke WAS a love story whether it was consummated or not. All those near misses means that was the story. But he didn't even give us the TRAGIC love story he could have, because he was a dick.

65 notes • Posted 2021-09-18 14:21:35 GMT

Y'all, I just wrote this thing about Alina from Shadow and Bone finding a happy ending by rejecting the power that threatened her life and happiness, and how it's okay for her goal to have been just Mal and a home and belonging, and it wasn't a bad ending because it wasn't about empowerment and her reaching for more power as the sun summoner, and then I saw a gifset of Danerys from Game of Thrones, and remembered how she was vilified and demonized for actually reaching for power as a leader and mother of dragons. And then I remembered poor Clarke Griffin from The 100 who was turned into an irrational shrew after years and years of standing up to tyrants and becoming a leader and Wanheda. And like.

Like is it any wonder that Alina didn't want to be queen or a saint or sun summoner?

What happens when women reach for power in this world, both irl and in fiction?

IDK. I'm sure there's more to say here, but that just struck me.

74 notes • Posted 2021-07-17 01:27:51 GMT

other side by gaits came up on spotify and it's like... 'I know I'll see you, see you on the other side' but she DIDNT. UGHHHHHH forever, I'm sorry if this breaks the no-negativity rules but anyway big hugs to all former Bellarke fam

I don't mind talking about the fact that the show stopped telling the story of Bellarke (romantic OR platonic) in season 7 and failed to follow through with the central relationship OR the two main characters of the previous six years.

I always wait to see what the story will be, that's why I try not to project on a show and complain about what I think is going to happen. That's why I like "stick to the text," right? Because I'm in it for the story being told.

But The 100 took most of the stories being told, about the delinquents trying to make a better world and be better, about Clarke learning to have faith and be a better person, about Bellamy and his leadership and love for his people, the head and the heart, about the redemption of humanity, AND about bellarke as an epic love story (again EITHER romantic or platonic-- both interpretations were trashed,) and just decided to tell a different story about Cadogan and his cult and obsession with some alien judgment day, and made him the one with all the agency in the story and made his cruel leadership into the one that was defined as correct, and forced all of freaking humanity to die and stop being or die and get sucked into a collective alien existence where humanity STILL stops.

I mean, yeah, the cult won. The grounders NEVER stopped being stupid tribalistic idiots (I was tired of that in season 4,) the emotional connections between the delinquents were ignored, Raven and Octavia scrambled to keep humanity from getting erased, but they all should have stopped Cadogan from starting that last battle. The whole concept of which was, frankly, stupid. HOW did we frame that as a GOOD ending? It makes no sense. Aliens move through the universe wiping out races and either erasing them completely or removing all self determination by swallowing their energies? How was Clarke the bad guy in this? The only one who wasn't worthy?

Sorry, Going off into a rant.

What I meant to say was I wait until the end to see how they tell their story, how they wrap things up. I don't judge until we get all the pieces and we can see what the creators were really trying to say. Most tv shows don't get to the ending, but usually if they do, and they've been crafting it the whole time, we get a wrap up that satisfies a lot of the loose threads but mainly, the main story, the main characters, and the main themes.

And this was like, "humanity trying to be better and do better?" nope. "Being responsible for your monster?" nope. "trying to create a better society?" nope. "the head and the heart?" nope. "Clarke as wanheda?" nope. "giving people a second chance?" nope. "Bellarke as an epic love story?" nope. And here's the thing about that. It could have been a tragic love story where they never got together, but they literally just ignored that story and pretended they had no special relationship and didn't care about each other. Actually they pretended NO ONE had a special relationship with Bellamy.

ANYWAY. (ranting again) They fucked up. They didn't wrap up their story. They didn't "meet on the other side." Everything having to do with Bellamy, Bellarke, or Clarke's development as a hero was ignored. Also anything to do with hope for humanity.

None of it mattered in the end. Grim dark. Humanity has no hope. They suck. Let's wipe them out. Instead:

SParkly PuRple ALieNs

80 notes • Posted 2021-07-12 14:42:55 GMT

Rosy that's fantastic news for your book!! I'm really happy for you. And just seeing "bellarke consum their love and even have grandkids" makes my heart full. Bob and Eliza said tthey were disappointed that 1/the charaters couldn't have kids in the end and that 2/ there was no hope. I totally agree with their interpretation of the end. Some people said the ending was super cool, and inkeeping with the whole show, and somehow hopeful. HOW WAS IT HOPEFUL?? the human race gets wiped out...

People said the ending was “super cool?” How?

Wait. I need to wrap my head around that. What are they looking at that seems super cool?

I actually don’t have a problem of the concept of transcendence that they worked on all season, nor Cadogan, the fake-spiritual, love-your-fellow-man-but-also-sacrifice-them-because-they-mean-nothing cult leader who favored his daughter, used his son, tossed his exwife into the apocalypse and killed Becca because she had power and knowledge beyond him.

Like, that could have been super cool if they’d kept him the villain, the antagonist, but instead they made him the protagonist who was, somehow, right about transcendence as if it wasn’t just another fucking doomsday cult that wanted humanity to end. I mean, it WAS just another fucking doomsday cult that wanted humanity to end, and the aliens vacuumed up humanity and allowed for no dissent. Here, have your perfect happy transcendence...but your body dies, the world ends, and humanity is gone. That is EXACTLY what ALIE did, and she was a villain. Perhaps a well meaning villain, but a terrifying villain.

How did the SAME story, get switched around to being some sort of victory for the state of humanity? How did the end of humanity, no chance to continue on, because they removed their ability to have children and carry on?

Why couldn’t they just fucking stay on The Ring if that was going to happen. At least they could have a small community up there. But no. Without the info that our heroes brought, they wouldn’t have reached transcendence.

That wasn’t transcendence. It was judgement day. Transcendence means you have worked your way to a higher state, and yes, it might be condescending and elitist, but you at least worked for it. And it wasn’t really a judgement day because they just took everybody, despite the fact that those idiots were fighting for no fucking reason. It was a PUNISHMENT day for Clarke, one of the only people who was actually TRYING to be better and do better.

What was cool? The way the aliens brought back the people they cared for? Yes, that was cool. It wasn’t them of course, but some people would be impressed by the alien dressed up in the costume of their fav. I could see that being considered super cool. But honestly... that’s a story line that would have worked better in season 3 and in fact DID work remarkably well in season 3 when Lxa showed up in the COL. And it was ACTUALLY her, not some facsimile.

Was it cool to take away the agency of the hero of the story who we’ve been following for 7 years? Was it cool to erase the personality and motivation of our dual protagonist? Ok. So lets say you didn’t love Clarke or Bellamy. Octavia’s character was erased and she didn’t have a thing to do until the final battle, and then she got a romance that frankly made me uncomfortable but that’s taste. Echo was erased and she didn’t have a thing to do until the final battle. Raven was also erase although she got to be the one to convince the aliens that they weren’t totally awful beings. That was cool, but it seemed like a patch put on top of a story that had failed. The story being about how Clarke saves humanity, and Bellamy saves Clarke, which has been THE STORY FOR SIX YEARS. We spent six years building up a team with these two heroes who have been through so much shit and made the CHOICE to be the good guys, and in the end, Bellamy gives his power over to a charismatic obsessive leader (also happened in season 3 with Pike who was a great character and FAR better than Cadogan and actual sympathetic awful villain who thought he was saving his people while doing evil.) And Clarke actually becomes THE BAD GUY, who loses her sense of reason and commits violence due to loving too much-- a really tired, misogynistic storyline. Give women power and they go crazy. The hysterical woman. THIS DOES NOT FIT WITH CLARKE GRIFFIN. Also, we saw her go through that trauma of fear for her daughter, and she DID NOT GO CRAZY. Ruthless, yes. And then she worked through what she had done and recognized she was wrong and promised not to do that again. I honestly don’t know why she did it again. Even if Bellamy betrayed her again, it didn’t make sense that she couldn’t work through it.

They had to keep the two characters apart in order have that ending happen. Why? Because Clarke acts as the center to Bellamy and Bellamy acts as the Center to Clarke. This season is the story of the FAILURE of the duo protagonists of the show. They separated them and broke them individually, and this meant they were unable to save the universe.

Is it cool to make a show about heroes and then destroy them in the last season? But frame that destruction and the end of humanity as a VICTORY and positive ending? Maybe if you hate those characters and humanity and think there’s no hope for us anyway, so lets just burn it down.

Oh wait. I’m trying to figure out what’s SUPER COOL about that ending.

The purple sparkly aliens. Ok. How is that cool? That there’s actually an omnipotent alien out there that has the ability to just snap a whole race of people out of existence or into their big ole stew pot of consciousness.

1. Why? 2. How? 3. Where did that power come from? 4. Who are they? 5. What do they get out of erasing races and basically eating them?

Okay, putting aside the questions about how these omnipotent gods aliens came to be... is it possible they can be see as “super cool?” Let me go through.

1. Omnipotent aliens going through the universe, deciding when life forms were “ready” to be judged and then either wiping them out totally, or wiping them out totally but accepting their consciousnesses into their massive consciousness where they don’t want any “bad” lifeforms, which makes them now a higher lifeform but not at all what they once were.

Cool/Not Cool. I dunno. Kind of seems like some sort of puritanical god who willy nilly decides if people are worthy of heaven. Will He, Nil He. That’s what that means. If we’re gonna get aliens at the last minute, I want aliens. I want to know who they are and what’s up with them. THAT’S the story. Those alien guys. Instead, the story was about the flotsam and jetsam at the end of humanity, either getting swept up into the god-form in the sky or being pounded to bits on the rocks. The heroes of our story have no say in what happens. They’re toast either way. Oh you mean we can be erased into nothing or erased into your hive mind? The only way this is cool is if you like nihilism. Which, yeah, some people do. NONE of their struggle over the past six years meant a damn thing. None of it. Their beliefs, their sacrifices, their mistakes, their heroism. It al reduces down to whether those sparkly purple aliens like them or not. That’s some bullshit.

Not cool.

2. Cadogan. Cult leader from the first apocalypse who conned the bulk of his followers and left them shady shelters that let them die. Kept the good stuff for his “best” followers. Paternalistic, obsessive, ruthless, megalomaniac framing his leadership and personality as “Love for Humanity,” while discarding every human who he deemed unworthy. Including his own family. Actually. Pretty cool. AS A VILLAIN. Ending up at his cult colony in space hundreds of years later with thousands of years of development in time dilation. Cool. They’re creepy but make some bit of sense. Ok. Waking him up and then making him this fucking GURU who preaches love for humanity but sacrifices 99.9% of humanity all so that he can reach his mythical transcendence which is really the eradication of all humanity.... well, that’s actually cool. AS A VILLAIN. But somehow in the last season, Cadogan turned out to be the one who was right all along, and the story seemed to accept HIS concept that transcendence was the best thing that could happen to them, because humanity sucks and they always fight so they should be erase by paternalistic omnipotent gods. CADOGAN’S choices were the ones that were enacted. Bellamy gave his will to Cadogan and made CADOGAN’S choices, not his own. Never before in all the seasons did Bellamy “need it all to make sense.” He fucking KNEW it made no sense and he didn’t want to make those choices any more. And he did it to be a better person and make better choices and keep his family safe. The excuse they used for our hero to side with Cadogan did not fit. CADOGAN became the protagonist in the second half of the season. CADOGAN made all the choices that furthered the story. Our heroes were reduced to either brainwashed followers or ineffective, hysterical messes, our really not wanting anything to do with anyone’s salvation and just interested in their love life. It left Raven, Echo and Octavia to scramble around in the end and try to convince the purple sparkly gods not to erase them out of existence, just erase them and swallow them. :/ Cadogan as protagonist bringing humanity to “transcendence.”, Our supposed heroes as useless flotsam and jetsam floating around on the wreck of humanity whose choices and actions make no goddamn difference.

NOT COOL.

3. Character Storylines

Clarke’s storyline. NOT COOL. Bellamy’s storyline. NOT COOL. Octavia’s storyline. S.A COOL. S.B NOT COOL. Raven’s storyline. COOL. Echo’s storyline. S.A COOL. S.B NOT COOL. Murphy’s storyline. SUPER COOL. Emori’s storyline. SUPER COOL. Indra’s storyline. COOL. Hope’s storyline. S.A COOL S.B NOT COOL. Jordan’s storyline. NOT COOL. Diyoza’s storyline. COOL Gabriel’s storyline. COOL. Madi’s storyline. NOT COOL The grounders. Fucking morons. You really shouldn’t make a whole culture’s choices based around being absolutely too stupid to be allowed to live. EVEN when you get past xenophobia and learn about who they are and why they do things. NOT COOL. The culty people. Cool set up and world building. The society was dumb and had too many plot holes. MIDDLING SHEIDHEDA. NOT COOL. pointless plot device just used to make everyone forget everything they learned from 6 seasons. CADOGAN. COOL AS A VILLAIN. But he was the protagonist. So the ruination of the entire show and universe they created. NOT COOL.

SEASON A COOL OVERALL. SEASON B NOT COOL. TOTAL SEASON NOT COOL

I think if people think the ending was supercool, they’ve never heard of a deus ex machina, and how that’s a BAD ending that is really just a cheat because you can’t figure out a way to get out of the story mess you made.

I really hate post apocalyptic fiction that ends with no hope for humanity. JR kept telling us there was hope. I mean narratively, not in interviews, although he did that too, and in the last half season, he switched it around so they wouldn’t have hope, not even just our heroes, but all humanity. It was a bait and switch I did not appreciate. And I’m not talking about ships, I’m talking about the essential genre of the show.

PS. thanks. I love my book and I hope someone picks it up so you all can read it. It also has elements of Han/Leia and another couple, Brashen/Althea from the Live Ship Traders book by Robin Hobb. They are, however, less traumatized than the characters in The 100.

109 notes • Posted 2021-03-16 17:44:29 GMT

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