#opinion and perspective on the situation + come to understand everyone elses perspective involved

[snekdood]

The biggest scam in leftist spaces is "leftists" selling other leftists fear, fear of everything around them and anyone who disagrees with them- you're not supposed to be so scared of other ppls opinions that you avoid them. You should be confident because you know you're right, you know reality has a leftwing bias, theres no reason you should be scared of rwingers when their whole ideology falls apart the more you ask them questions. Unless theyre physically threatening you, you should stand your ground. Do more research on your beliefs to be more firm in your position. You dont have to have a special intellectual debate or anything but you do need to be able to counter misinformation when it pops up in social situations and not get frustrated and leave. Because whoever sticks behind to hear the dipshit speeing misinfo will sit there and digest what he says w/o much pushback, and since we know how manipulative republicans are, when/if they do pushback the rwinger is just going to try to convince them to his side by appealing to their stances and trying to twist them into how whatever hes saying totally doesnt conflict with what they want. Since you cant trust average ppl to know shit, and even if you feel you can safely where you live, still, nonetheless, you need to counter them and assume everyone surrounding them doesnt know better. You can be scared in these situations, but you need to have courage and you shouldnt back down or retreat. Ik this post is supposed to be how ppl avoid anyone with different opinions but lets be honest. The reason left leaning ppl avoid anyone w even slightly different opinions is bc theyre worried theyre gonna be right wing opinions and have so little faith in themselves, their knowledge of their own beliefs and their ability to defend them that its easier to just run away from anyone who might potentially be sharing rightwing opinions/is rightwing. I also think the reason a lot of leftists online avoid having these conversations is because since they have so little faith in their ability to defend their beliefs, theyre worried theyll be subtley convinced to the rightwingers position. And like we know, theyre incredibly manipulative, so its a fair concern, but thats why you have to educate yourself, you especially in this day and age need to know their dogwhistles so you can point them out, everyone should be keeping up w them imo. Theres websites that has them all listed. Because otherwise if you just hide away and trust random "leftists" online to know everything for you... You're actually still likely to fall into rightwing beliefs. Because you dont know how many of those "leftists" are secretly comservatives try to slowly bring people over to their side, like by overtime eroding their ethics or the value of basic human decency... You need to be educated enough about these topics and honestly be socially and emotionally educated enough to be able to detect when someones manipulating you, rather than assume everyone w a slightly different opinion than yours might or wants to.

#i understand these situations can be scary but sometimes you're the person with the most knowledge on the subject and have #a better ability at countering people. if you think its too unsafe obviously you dont have to stick around but yeah #idk i just see a lot of leftist content creators who spoon feed their audience fear by demonizing and having them shun whoever #The Bad Leftist Of The Day Is and then all of their followers block them in fear of whatever they may do #instead of confront and look at the information critically enough and divorced from their own biases enough to form their own #opinion and perspective on the situation + come to understand everyone elses perspective involved #like some of yall will have this leftist guy you follow and trust way too fuckin much. he tells you to unfollow and block someone in like a #2 sentance explanation about how they committed every sin and then just block them and scurry away in fear. no checking to even see #if its true or anything you just trust this person online youve probably only ever messaged and havent even had a whole #personal conversation with. and decide theyre trustworthy enough to decide for you who is and isnt a hood enough person. #and this fear ppl perpetuate to eachother genuinely has some people unable to leave their own houses bc theyre so convinced everyone around #them is transphobic enough to want to physically hurt them and like idk. unless you're in really red states where your neighbors are #all yelling at you all the time i think ur okay yknow #FEAR is a rightwing tactic to politics. it shouodnt be ours. we dont need to rule or teach people through fear. #we have all the facts and information we need. #yes this is about b*dbunny lol

[sarcastictissy]

Hola :D I just wanted to thank you for being so positive lately and looking at things regarding the qstudio situation with nuance. It feels like people have been so stressed and angry after all of the admin stuff came that they began to take every bit of news we hear as some sign that bad things are to come . I think a lot of people underestimated just how long this process can take, there a lot of factors to be considered here, including: q's lack of experience, the union, the laws, the admins. And unfortunately there is no way to satisfy everyone when it comes to stuff like this. This was never going to take a week or two, I feel like people didn't fully understand that.

Some admins are going to be pushed out of the project due to the lack of funds and the fact that this is a legal issue first and for most. It's unfair but it's the law. Not everyone understands that and because of that people are going to say things without understanding the situation. Not every thing is black and white and sometimes things aren't going to work out the way we want them to. Nobody is perfect and we shouldn't expect people involved in this situation to act like that. Which is why you should always look at the situation from multiple perspectives before forming an opinion.

It makes me feel tired to see the same takes over and over agian with no nuance. So your post have really helped me feel better :) I've seen people from both qsmpblr and qsmptwt act like every ccs involved in this is a war criminal or like this is a admins vs quackity or french/brazil vs quackity. It's kinda drove me off most social sites and forced me to only watch YouTube and stuff (on the good side of things, I've been watching quackity's discord videos and some dsmp vods :D it's been fun)

What I am trying to say is that, scrolling through your blog feels like a breath of fresh air and has made me feel 8× more calm about this situation. I don't think doomposting is necessarily bad but after seeing so much of it, sometimes you just need to distance yourself and look at the good parts of life. No matter how much I complain, I am never changing the course that qstudio is headed and neither can any one else, The only one who can do that is quackity. I hope that he does the right thing and the studio gets better. I love the characters that qsmp has brought us and the community it has formed, qsmp is a beautiful project that I want to see thrive. For now the only thing I can do as a viewer is hope for the best <3

I'm sorry if this came off as a trauma dump, I just really wanted to thank you.

So, this has been in my askbox for a while because I was so grateful and happy to hear I've helped someone!! Thank you sm anon that means a lot to me and knowing I'm keeping others optimistic, helps me feel optimistic too! :D

This is a very complex situation with so many moral grey areas mixed with black and white. It's not simple, it's not easy. These things cannot be fixed in a matter of weeks, you're absolutely right about that.

I also agree doomposting isn't necessarily bad! It's a good way to get off some steam and vent/ rant for a bit. There's nothing wrong with that. We all need it at times. For me, personally, it becomes toxic when that's ALL I'm seeing in social media. When I go on my phone and all I see is negativity, that's when I need to call it quits and start blocking people or start taking time away (which is why I deleted twt off my phone) everyone's tolerance levels are different ofc, so, not everyone is affected by that negativity, but I certainly was. This is why I want my blog to be positive and uplifting and you know what? Each and every time I get a ask or a message thanking me for that, I gain faith in humanity and it just encourages me to keep being positive! I'm so thankful for your ask and dw it wasn't trauma dumping at all!! :D I hope you're doing well anon! Take care of yourself. You matter

#qsmp #quackity smp #qsmp discourse #qadmin situation #tissy answers #thank you for your ask!

[girl-of-eye]

placements i dislike as an air dominant ｡˚۰˚☽˚

˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳

❍ sagittarius moons,

i know many sagittarius moons, and they all share something similar in common. they don’t. shut. up. and it’s not like the funny kind of talkative, they’re just always saying random things that are so annoying and off topic. they mostly don’t think before they speak, and say things that offend others easily. also, another observation with this placement, they tend to show off often? they like to brag about their “talents” whether it’s subconscious or not. personally, i find them boring and unoriginal.

❍ a mix of leo + virgo placements,

some of the most. demanding. judgy. and hypocritical people. ever. the type of people to give you unsolicited advice that they literally never even follow. they have this ego to them that is difficult for them to see in themselves, because the mix of these two placements creates an individual who often feels they’re always right. and many times they are right when it comes to practical things, because they stick to the facts. however, they seem to have a hard time understanding that MY perspective is different from YOUR perspective.

❍ virgo venus,

i’m not 100% against this placement, but i have a problem with them because they seem to always have an opinion on your relationship, when they’ve never experienced a solid relationship before. it’s like they always have a problem with everything, and their standards in love are so picky and finicky, and then when they finally get in a relationship you look at their partner and are like.. “you were giving me advice.. and you pull this..?” LMFAOOO..

❍ scorpio stelliums,

just.. uncomfortable energy. because i can’t read easily inside the minds of their thoughts, i can only feel them. they’re so used to manipulation in their lives, they’re masters at it. they know how to twist your words and make you feel powerless and make you question yourself, even if you’re using logic. it’s scary because you can catch these people CONSTANTLY lying and creating situations that aren’t real. their words are so convincing and convicting that you question yourself. little sneaky ass bitches.. your trust issues give me trust issues lmao.

❍ personal planets in the 7th house,

there is definitely something respectable about this placement; they’re kind, easy going, friendly, and never really bother you up front. but truthfully they’re just so wrapped up and involved with the way people perceive them, that they struggle to really benefit anyone. they care so much about relationships and being in love and having someone around them and being perfect and making sure everyone likes them. these are the friends to constantly be talking to someone romantically, and oftentimes they never learn from their past relationships and experiences because they’re stuck in constant loops of getting involved with the same types of people. they can be really wrapped up in their own “perfect place,” and not realize how delusional they look lol.

❍ pluto in the 3rd house,

you just cannot be trusted. pathological liars. it’s like.. gemini moon x10. these people struggle with friendships and staying upfront. this is like a mixture of scorpio and gemini energy, and that creates someone who is a master at lying. they so easily come up with such intense, bizarre things that it’s difficult for you to not believe them… because… who would say that? but often times they tend to avoid and dodge conversations that they know will get them in a fickle, because they always find themselves caught up in the middle of drama. seriously the hardest people to put your trust into.

❍ scorpio venus,

listen i have nothing against the love a scorpio venus can provide.. but.. if you’re a scorpio venus and you make an opinion on someone else’s relationship.. shut the fuck up. just shut up. because you’re so afraid to be vulnerable and open up to someone but you crave it so badly. must be so sad.. do not project your insecure problems onto other people. your love life is bland but mine isn’t, so if there’s envy just keep it to yourself.

please do not take these 100% to heart! these are just my opinion, and everyone views things differently

˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳˳

- ᥫ᭡ liv

#astrology #astrology notes #astro community #astro notes #astro observations #chemic4lbal4nce #astroloji #sagittarius moon #virgo venus #scorpio stellium #scorpio venus #girl-of-eye

[hellfirebride]

oc info dump time !!

Gwen

Picrew depiction because the idea of trying to draw rn might kill me.

Gwen is a Death Note oc that's come up in some previous posts of mine (1, 2) as a former Wammy's resident who somehow weasels her way into working with the Japanese Task Force post time-skip. I haven't completely worked out all the details yet, but she probably acted as a foreign student attending the same classes as Sayu Yagami. From that point on, it's just a matter of using her new friendship with the girl to find her way in.

Gwen's got a place in the successor program, though she's very far from the ideal. It's extremely unlikely she would ever inherit the title of L because she's just not dedicated enough to taking up the mantle. Near and Mello wanted to succeed the man. Gwen couldn't find it in herself to decide her own fate, so she ended up just meandering down what's simultaneously the easiest and hardest path she could have chosen at Wammy's.

When it comes to it, she isn't particularly focused on finding Kira to bring him to justice, or to surpass someone else by finding him first. She'll help work on it if she could say she hasn't just been wasting her life in comparison to everyone around her. If she turns back, she thinks it means it's all been for nothing. (She can have a little sunk cost fallacy, as a treat)

At her core, Gwen's an amateur detective that's too afraid to admit that not only does she not know what she's doing with her life, but that she's failing at what she thought she might be able to do. She's not as clever as Mello, or as meticulous as Near. (If anything, she's probably more similar to Matt than either of them) There's absolutely notes of imposter syndrome buried in there.

She's definitely more emotionally driven than her peers, which is both a strength and a weakness in my opinion. It gives her different perspectives than those who would approach situations from a stricter, more logic-based route. At the same time, it's a potential distraction and she runs the risk of becoming too personally attached to her work. She's more outwardly friendly, something that makes her seem like she's ditzy at first (Think Elle Woods). In some cases, I think she would definitely use this to her advantage. She's not unintelligent by any means, it's just that most of her knowledge is spread out into a lot of different topics instead of any one specific topic.

She really did come to like Light, which is unfortunate. She's aware that becoming involved with him is a mistake and that they're both in the wrong, seeing as she's aware he's romantically involved with Misa (and later Takada) at the time. It's also a mistake considering he's an actual mass murderer, but

As for the rest of the task force, she's respectful of them. She understands that they're usually doing the best they can with what they have. The general response to her becoming friends with Matsuda is a lot of "Jesus, now there's two of them."

All of this is kinda just. Dumb stuff and me rambling. I guess I just wanted to share with anyone who might be mildly interested in this garbage because I think about it a lot.

#death note #dn #moth oc garbage #gwen #death note oc #mothy shut up #im putting myself out there and im scared dshgfdjghfdg

[willel]

Your saying that characters on their own is compelling is fine but that's not how stories and characters work. Just because I am also an introvert doesn't mean that I expect a show to do that to appeal to me personally. It just seems like you only like the characters who relate to you and the show references.

That is how characters and stories work. After all, there are different ways to tell a story. Character driven or plot driven. In my opinion, Stranger Things started as a character driven story but at some point in season 3, the agency was taken from the characters and the plot took over.

Season 1 is probably still my favorite season because the show allows you to really sit in the perspective of each character, whether they're introverted or extroverted so that the audience can understand their perspective and relate to them. Well, except the villains but even they get a little bit of headspace time. I LOVE when stories let me experience a scene from the eyes of a specific character and how they understand it vs how another character might feel and think about a situation.

Just because a character is introverted or passive does not make them objectively less compelling. That is completely down to someones personal preferences and if they allow themselves to walk in someone else's shoes while experiencing a story.

As for characters who are nothing like me but I like them a lot, Nancy, Lucas, and Max are top tier for me. I wouldn't really call any of these character introverts. They're also a lot more proactive and vocalize their opinions no matter what others might think. Lucas is seriously one of my favs. I guess I could "relate" to him because in some ways he reminds me of my younger brother, but still. I didn't go through a "want to be popular" phase or anything like that, but I guess there are a few things here and there I can relate to him with.

I have no one in my life like Nancy but I admire how every season she steps up to the plate to take charge. I can't relate to her live life given I am extremely aromantic but I do my best to understand not only is she just a teenager, but love lives can be messy and confusing things sometimes. I suppose I can relate to trying to figure yourself out as do most people even though we aren't very similar people.

My life has been nowhere near as terrible as Max. Like, if I were her, I'd be angry with how my life was turning out too. If I had a Billy in my life, I dunno if I'd ever have the courage to not only drug him, but threaten him with a nail bat and then steal his car. She is extremely brave and courageous. Someone you want to cheer for. Every headcanon of mine involving her rescue includes El, Lucas, and Will. My dream 4 to be honest.

In my opinion, everyone should be able to relate to all the Stranger Things characters in some ways (maybe not some of the villains, but still). Even the "boring" ones. Even the ones who are nothing like you. So I don't really understand where your statements about appealing to individuals or catering to anyone comes from? It doesn't matter if you're introverted or extroverted, that's the point. You should still try to walk in the shoes of the characters...

Maybe you think I'm saying "WILL IS FOR THE INTROVERTS ONLY"? No, what I'm trying to say is "Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, it's really not that hard to understand Will's character or point of view. He can still be a compelling character despite his introversion. Calling him boring just because he is introverted is silly."

#ask #Anonymous

[haleigh-sloth]

I know it's primarily Midoriya's goal to save Shigaraki, but with the current chapter watching the whole group putting in effort to save Bakugo do you think something similar could play out for Shigaraki? With the whole group each playing part to help save Shigaraki or to help Deku save Shigaraki?

There are a lot of people assigned to the Save Shigaraki Task Force.

I’ve always guessed that multiple people would help in different ways, yes. That hasn’t changed and that wasn’t ever not the case.

But it’s precisely that—everyone helps where they can.

The League? At this point, while it’s possible they will participate in a surface level way like, physically fending off AFO maybe—it’s kinda hard to see how they’ll contribute much right now, if I’m being honest.

Touya—do I even need to explain? Has he once thought or reflected on what he saw was happening to Shigaraki? Not that I can remember. He’s too lost in his own pain, and man, his priorities are definitely elsewhere.

Toga? Same thing. She is in no state currently to ignore her own wants and needs to go help Shigaraki. Even if she cares and is concerned. However, aside from her looking freaked out in chapter 335 in the background, she hasn’t been shown to reflect or think on the ShigAFO situation much. So aside from using Twice to help save on a large scale, idk how directly involved she will be.

Compress—not sure. He’s a wild card, but we know he’ll show up again. Him coming into the situation with fresh eyes may help him see things clearly for what they are, how bad they are.

Spinner—he will try to help somehow. But tbh idk how much help he’ll actually be. He’s still holding onto that severed hand. He ignored his instincts in favor of the dream he’s attached to Shigaraki in his mind. He’s idealized AFO’s little creation and doesn’t actually know anything about Shigaraki below the surface. None of the league does.

Kurogiri—-here is where the contribution to helping I think will go deeper. I think Kurogiri will help from the hero perspective through Aizawa. Help Aizawa have that necessary change of heart which will help the hero side of things see differently in the end, and accept help from the League when it (in my opinion) inevitably is offered.

Bakugo—I still don’t know yet. But 2nd user yadda yadda. He’s made an impression on Shigaraki in a way, and I think that’ll be important.

With Midoriya—there is an emotional, personal component that he is responsible for. He’s the only one with the vestige access, to see the symbolic representation of what’s going on (Shigaraki being consumed by AFO & little Tenko, both very telling). He’s the only one who has come to understand how Nana is the reason for Shigaraki, even if he doesn’t know the details. By having that personal insight into Shigaraki’s mind, he’s the one who will have the perspective to help Shigaraki combat the way he thinks about himself (destruction incarnate who murdered his family—which we all know is not true). Much like Bakugo, he made a huge impression on Shigaraki, enough of an impression that he’s the hero who comes to mind when Shigaraki wants help. Shigaraki just this chapter expressed his resentment for not being reached out to back then, AGAIN. And, yes anybody reaching out would have been enough back then, but currently the resentment is toward heroes. Who have proven that they will give it their all to save everyone, except Shigaraki. Midoriya, being the person who runs to help when nobody else will (a la Bakugo in chapter 1) is the one who will once again, run to help when nobody else ever did for Shigaraki. That’s the role Midoriya played in the very first chapter, and he’s set up to play it again for the person who needs him most.

A lot of people have potential to play roles, but for some it’s questionable as to whether they will at all, or how big of a role it’ll be.

The only people I’m fairly certain of are Midoriya, Bakugo, Aizawa, Kurogiri, and Spinner. Everyone else I think it’s too soon to tell for now, and it’ll be easier to guess what they’ll do as time goes on.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #anonymous #bnha asks #shigaraki tomura #shimura tenko #bnha spoilers #bnha 365

[thefeawl]

Living Authentically

March 29, 2024

Living authentically after years of being told what to do, how to do it, and for whom, all without proper explanation and against your own free will, then returning to your essence might be one of, if not the biggest, achievements in your life.

That’s the main issue with most of us today; we conform. We talk, think, and dress like everyone else.

I wouldn't be surprised if we do it as a survival mechanism. If we mirror the world around us we will inevitably be liked and accepted. 

Maybe not by everyone, but by most. However, mirroring comes at a price. A price that ultimately goes against natural laws; you’re lying, to yourself and others.

Most of us don’t desire to be disliked; most of us want to fit in. We are scared of being judged, misunderstood, and ridiculed.

Yet, here’s the secret: being disliked by many, if not the majority, is a good sign that you are doing something right.

Once you make the decision to truly be yourself, to embark on a journey of remembering who you are, you also need to have the courage to be disliked.

As long as you’re following your heart’s desire and advancing in the truth of your higher self, dividing the audience will be inevitable. It might take a while to rediscover your true essence after years of conformity, perhaps even the rest of your life on Earth.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be ready to be disliked by some. Your family might be confused, your friends might start talking behind your back, and strangers might raise eyebrows or even pass a little comment here and there.

As long as you’re living in truth and elevating yourself everyday, and you’re always sticking to your vision of the future regardless of what others might think or say, you will eventually find the light on the other side.

Isn’t it also why we’re here anyway? To remember who we are?

Here are some steps to cultivate greater authenticity:

Self-awareness: Understand yourself deeply. Reflect on your values, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. Awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is crucial for authenticity.

Embrace vulnerability: Authenticity requires being open and vulnerable. Allow yourself to be genuine and transparent, even if it means risking rejection or judgment from others.

Honesty: Be truthful in your interactions with yourself and others. Avoid pretending to be someone you're not or hiding your true feelings and opinions.

Consistency: Act in accordance with your beliefs and values across different situations and contexts. Consistency reinforces authenticity and builds trust with others.

Self-acceptance: Embrace your imperfections and flaws. Accept yourself fully, including your strengths and weaknesses. Self-acceptance is essential for genuine authenticity.

Courage: Authenticity often requires courage to express yourself authentically, especially when it challenges societal norms or expectations. Be brave enough to stand by your beliefs and values.

Empathy: Practice empathy towards yourself and others. Understand and respect others' perspectives while staying true to your own. Authenticity involves honoring both your own truth and the truths of others.

Mindfulness: Cultivate mindfulness to stay present and connected to your inner self. Mindfulness helps you recognize and acknowledge your thoughts and feelings without judgment, allowing for greater authenticity.

Self-expression: Find creative outlets to express your authentic self, whether through art, writing, music, or other forms of self-expression. Authenticity flourishes when you express yourself authentically and creatively.

Seek supportive relationships: Surround yourself with people who accept you for who you are and encourage your authenticity. Authenticity thrives in environments where you feel safe to be yourself without fear of judgment or rejection.

By incorporating these practices into your life, you can cultivate authenticity and live a more fulfilling and genuine life. Remember that authenticity is a journey, not a destination, and it requires ongoing self-reflection and growth.

[jackinalex]

Okay. Flawed characters. Stereotypes - the 'manly' man and the 'feminized' man (bc women can never win). You claim to hate capitalism, but you have an amount of it in every story ever to make it more attractive. You write things that have been written a thousand times before. Yes. You share your work with us and so we have a right to criticize and discuss it. You write for free, but that's your choice. We don't force you. And I'm not the only one feeling this way about your latest writings.

I'm only responding to this so it doesn't seem like I'm ignoring critiques.

As I said earlier, everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and feelings about works, but I am a little confused by you being put off by flawed characters? Nobody wants to read about someone perfect. I guess it's fair to say that the guys (namely Alex) are feminized in my stories, but I'll be honest, it's hard not to feminize male characters when writing from a female perspective. I'm not a man and I've never had many masculine traits in general. As a writer, this is one of my weakest points. I'll give you that. I have been getting that critique since before I even went to college and I've been working on it ever since, but again, it's a difficult thing to work through.

Also, the capitalism comment? I live in America, in late-stage capitalism, and several of my stories have included critiques of capitalism (see: You Were Mine and Stay Together for the Kids, in particular). If you're referring to the guys being wealthy or being around wealth in other stories, well...I'm just being truthful. That's their reality and if I'm not writing something that's au, then they're gonna be well-off. Sorry, I guess.

Finally, as I learned in one of my graduate school classes, the fact of the matter is that everything has already been done when it comes to practically every facet of art. Everything is an extension of something else. Wicked, the very famous and popular novel and musical, are work spun off from The Wizard of Oz. The fairy tales we grew up with were first folk tales. Hell, fanfiction in general exists because something else existed before it. As fic writers, we live in trope-land because that's what we (and most of our readers) are interested in -- seeing our characters in situations they haven't been in before (or fixing things that should have or shouldn't have happened). Obviously, you can find a similar fic to all of mine in nearly any other fandom.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel with my stuff. I want to have fun, writing something that I myself would like to read, putting a spin on tropes I've read countless times before, and weighing in on how I believe Jalex might be in those situations. Again, I respect your opinions and am more than happy to hear criticism, but I also just think that it wasn't necessary to ever say that my writing was meh. It's a hobby, not a living, and my readers are not my bosses. If you don't like how my writing has evolved, I completely understand and respect that belief! But it's not serving anyone involved to say something without offering suggestions.

#it's not your job to tell me where I can grow #but it's also not my job to write what EVERYONE wants bc that is simply impossible #have i read fics that i thought needed a ton of work? #absolutely! #but unless someone asked for that opinion #i'm keeping it to myself #bc again this is not a job #we are not paid #and writing is SO deeply personal #so annyway that's that #kalina answers

[carolinaenindiana]

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It involves being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes, recognize their emotions, and respond with care and understanding. Empathy is a fundamental aspect of human connection and plays a crucial role in building positive relationships, resolving conflicts, and fostering compassion and cooperation.

Here are some ways to develop empathy:

Active Listening: Pay close attention to what others are saying without interrupting or immediately offering solutions. Show that you are genuinely interested in their perspective and feelings.

Practice Perspective-Taking: Try to see things from the other person's point of view. Imagine how you would feel in their situation and consider the factors that might be influencing their emotions and actions.

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage people to share their thoughts and feelings by asking open-ended questions that invite them to express themselves more fully.

Validate Emotions: Let others know that you understand and accept their feelings, even if you don't agree with their opinions or actions. Validation can go a long way in making someone feel heard and respected.

Avoid Judgment: Try to suspend judgment when interacting with others. Recognize that everyone has their own unique experiences and circumstances that shape their behavior and emotions.

Be Mindful: Practice mindfulness to stay present in the moment and fully engage with others. Mindfulness can help you become more attuned to the emotions and needs of those around you.

Read Empathy-Building Literature: Reading books, articles, or stories that explore different perspectives and emotions can help you expand your understanding of the human experience.

Volunteer and Engage in Community Service: Getting involved in activities that allow you to help people who are less fortunate or in need can deepen your sense of empathy.

Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback from friends, family, or colleagues about how empathetic you come across in your interactions. Use their input as an opportunity for self-improvement.

Practice Self-Compassion: Developing empathy for yourself can also enhance your ability to empathize with others. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, as this can translate into more compassionate interactions with others.

Remember that developing empathy is an ongoing process that takes time and effort. It involves not only understanding emotions but also demonstrating empathy through your actions and responses to others. Over time, with practice and conscious effort, you can become a more empathetic person and build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

#empathy #compassion #acceptance #respect #personal growth

[allthingsvegan]

Obviously if someone needs to hunt to survive, or needs animal tested medicine, etc. that's fine. But what about meat as cultural ecosystem interaction? I get bad vibes when people say that Indigenous people should be allowed to eat meat "for survival" and not because that's how their culture slots into the ecosystem. I also recently heard about halal and kosher slaughter methods being outlawed in places because they appeared more brutal even though they were more humane than the standard methods iirc. I consider myself vegan but I am always wary of what I will call "white veganism". Because white people have the ability to undermine veganism just as they do feminism. Also if you know any Indigenous-run vegan blogs I would really really appreciate it.

Okay so before answering I would like to apologize that it took me so long to answer. I myself am white, so my "white" perspective is the only one I can offer you.

I think everyone, indigenous or not, of course can eat meat for survival if that´s necessary. I agree with you on what you call "white veganism" and I myself try to be wary to not fall into the trap or habit of telling less privileged people than myself what to do and what not and how exactly to do them. It is important to remember that your life experience isn´t automatically everyone else´s life experience too.

If I remember correctly, the halal and kosher slaughter method means, that the animal is cut open with a sharp knife at the throat, so like every other slaughter method it involves suffering and pain for the animal. I think the difference to "regular" slaughtering is that the animal isn´t numbed before the slaughter. Therefore, one could argue that it is more brutal.

Veganism means to reduce the harm and exploitation of animals as far as practicable and possible for the individual person. So, everyone can be vegan. I personally am neither indigenous nor Muslim or Jewish and therefore I cannot speak for those people. I can listen to those people, hear their opinions, views and experiences. There are indigenous vegans, Muslim vegans, Jewish vegans, disabled, vegans, Black vegans, Asian vegans etc and they deserve to speak for themselves. At the end they alone have the full understanding of what it means to be indigenous (with all the good and bad sides to it) or Muslim or Jewish... They understand their culture and backround better than I do. ( I think I saw a video of an indigenous vegan recently talking about being indigenous and vegan and will reblog it, if I can find it now).

I personally listen (and share) the views and arguments of non-white vegans when I come across them, but I respect that those discussions aren´t something I actively can take part in because I don´t have the full understanding of what it means to be in their position. (And if I ever happen to do “white veganism” please let me know so that I can learn from it and do better.)

There are more than enough issues with animal rights, e.g., zoos, workers-issues, breeding, animal testing, wool, leather, meat and dairy production. I can advocate for a generally more animal friendly life by trying to change how we often perceive animals as products. I can advocate and take part in discussions where I am concerned. I can advocate to my friends and family, who are in the same or a very similar living situation and life experience to my own, to change their habits and views towards a more animal friendly life.

Also veganism actually is not a white phenomen, the concept of veganism or vegetarianism has been around for such a long time and by different people and cultures. It´s just that you have some people who like to play know it all and go around believing that their way and view is the only accaptable one.

I advocate for veganism because that is what I believe in, but I do think it is important to understand your limits. We all, to an extent, are limited in our view and experience of the world.If there is one thing we all should have learned by now, it is that the earth is a very diverse place. We should encounter each other with mutual respect, both online and offline, as well as being aware of our place in life. Only when you know (and understand your place) you can become aware when you can take the front stage and speak up and when to take a step back into a more passive role. E.g. I am not homosexual, but I can listen to them, learn and understand their issues, better myself where necessary and show my support to them.

Sadly, I do not know about an indigenous-run vegan blog. Maybe someone else does? Also, I can recommend you the blog @acti-veg. It has a lot of information about veganism and has a hashtag called #indigenous issues. Maybe they know an indigenous-run vegan blog?

#ask #vegan #veganism

[piltrafas]

I have no doubt I'm misreading, overthinking a lot of it, you might disagree with your own phrasing or my interpretations, etc and as you say, you apparently don't recognize in yourself the biases I mentioned, and that's fair, I don't know you so I can't judge.

Don’t worry about it. I don’t mean to come off as defensive, I was genuinely confused by your comment and wanted to know what you were thinking.

This whole thing with approaching someone on anon is pretty aggressive by default. The fact that I’m voicing an opinion that is offensive in this particular space emphasizes that tone even more. So… I expect a negative reaction.

Plus, people generally enjoy feeling righteously indignant. I play that game too. It’s not a big deal.

—-

Is the fear that they will break up with you eventually? I genuinly don't understand what the wariness is about.

I wouldn’t call it fear so much as a struggle to take them seriously. Being okay with being gay is not a universal experience for me, but lately it has occurred to me that my perspective is likely warped because I almost always date conservative gays who were either formerly part of a fundamentalist religion or still actively part of one in some way. I’m not doing this on purpose. It’s a recurring coincidence that I haven’t been conscious of until recently.

This just comes across to me like you're projecting, that maybe if you could choose to be in a straight relationship you would and you can't see why everyone else wouldn't.

Yes, I am projecting. I have been dating men for the past two years trying to make a straight relationship work. At this point I know for sure that it won’t because I started getting physically repulsed.

Everyone else’s mindset here does not sound realistic to me. It comes off as someone lying about their level of commitment in order to either experiment or get laid.

I don't know how you think of sexuality so we might be operating on completely different frameworks here but I think if you wanna make out with women, for quirky reasons or otherwise, then you're not exactly straight to me. (To each their own, I'm not gonna tell anyone how to identify, just a personal appraisal I guess). You said you knew someone like that, but I don't, so I'm not sure how one defines who fits the stereotype.

Getting involved with the “quirky stereotype” person was an embarrassing situation for me because red flags were everywhere. This person was not stable. She killed someone’s pet as a power move, apparently. I’m not certain about this rumor but it’s not hard for me to believe. I do know for certain that she has stolen a lot of money from mutual friends. 

I ignored the red flags because I was lonely. Maybe you’re right and it’s rare to encounter partners like this. A lot of these problems had nothing to do with being bi. But the whole thing is an Experience. I felt used and it’s something I can’t help but constantly look out for.

Even virulently homophobic communities have queer people existing, living content, if private, lives.

This is not my experience. When I was in high school the closest thing I had to a gay friend, up to that point, was a Mormon who got sent to what I’m pretty sure was conversion therapy. (We were not out. We were not a couple, but other people regarded us as one.)

She disappeared and went off the grid without an explanation during our sophomore year. She broke down crying at school one day and was gone the next. This was in 2010.  I did not hear from her again until 2018, when she contacted me under a fake name on Facebook messenger.  I can copy-paste for you part of what she said to me:

Sophomore year was my last year at ______. Parents put me in hospitals and rehabs (2 hospitals before I was 18, 2 after. 1 residential rehab as an adolescent, 2 as an adult).  I did online high school and graduated with a class of 42 people in 2013. Got engaged at 18. Broke it off 2 months before marriage. ...  after 2 hospitals and 1 rehab, I weighed about 100 pounds. I was taking 9 prescriptions all at max dose and 3 over fda approved amounts. 18 pills a day. I did this for a year. 2015. I did not exist. They said I had schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type with mixed episodes, and pure o ocd.

She smoked weed a few times. She didn’t need to be in rehab, and Mormons use their own church-affiliated doctors. When I approached our mutual friend who was a part of that same church, she told me that this friend is a chronic liar. I don’t know what to believe because 1) it sounds too extreme to be real and 2) I don’t feel like I’m talking to the same person anymore. 

When we were in middle school this friend who later went to rehab used to slit her wrists. She also used to carve the name of a boy into her ankle and re-open the scabs with a sharpened stick so that it would scar. That never struck me as evidence of drug use. It struck me as someone who was struggling with their sexuality. 

Look. I’m not giving you a sob story as a maneuver to win pity points and use them a free pass to say whatever I want. If you want to get mad or offended, that’s fair game. I won’t get pissy about it.  

The reason I’m bringing this up is because if you or anyone else has seen or heard of anything like it, then I need to know. Because I can’t find tangible proof of similar situations anywhere and it’s alarming.

I feel like something similar happened a second time with someone I dated from a four square church as an adult, but it was not as extreme. (The disappearance was not unexpected and only lasted a few days.)

But I’m not certain if that’s what really happened. It’s entirely possible that I’m just overly cynical and making assumptions about what’s going on. 

------

------

In regard to your words on therapy: I’m spending a lot of money on it and I’m lying to my family about where I am when I go to appointments. I’m fairly certain there will be an ugly fight if they figure it out.

I don’t know if it’s really helping me. I’m still making up my mind. So far, it has just been sitting and talking and having this person periodically prying for details on shit that feels horrible to talk about. 

The reason I get so exasperated at the suggestion is becaue I don’t think it’s genuine. “Go to therapy,” is the sort of thing people on twitter will tell you in a smugly condescending tone if you say something that pisses them off enough. And of course, the message is never “This is a genuine suggestion that might help you.” it’s “I’m implying that you’re mentally ill in order to discredit your wrongthink.” 

But, again. Maybe that’s not so much the intention here. Many of the anons who responded to my ask were clearly well-intentioned. I just don’t understand why my own worldview comes off as so bizarre.

I don’t feel like I’m talking to a well-rounded sample of queer people. I feel like I’m talking to a lucky minority that has been living in a protective bubble; one that isn’t really seeing the world as it is. Any sensible bi person would not choose this. 

Being okay with being gay is not a universal experience for me Everyone else’s mindset here does not sound realistic to me

I guess this is kinda the center of all this. I'm okay with how I am, and yet I'm perfectly willing to believe someone when they tell me they are not. What's keeping you from doing the same? I guess this is more general because it applies to any interaction like this. e.g. for me it's people without mental illness saying they've never been suicidal - still sounds fake to me, but I understand that's a consequence of my own brain I don't assume they're lying or delusional. I've made a fool of myself enough times that the sheer diversity of the world has been kinda drilled into my head by force. I think having felt like an outsider in many groups throughout my life also gave me that, because if I was there, with completely opposite views to what I was seeing in front of me there's bound to be more, and all sorts of experiences in-between.

A lot of these problems had nothing to do with being bi.

Yeah. Still. She sounds… challenging.

I felt used and it’s something I can’t help but constantly look out for.

That's understandable. We all live and die by our own experiences, etc. I haven't had that yet, so it's not something I brace for.

But honestly? If the worse you're gonna do with all these feelings is opt out of dating bisexual women I think you're doing pretty good. I think the key with this kinda stuff is to not try to make it anyone else's problem. Without that, it's just a thought in your head that isn't hurting anyone (beyond yourself, I guess, if you were questioning your own bisexuality)

This is not my experience.

I get that it's not, but you don't get to decide this doesn't happen at all because of that.

But listen, I want to make it clear that barring incarcelation and gay men getting beheaded or thrown of roofs and shit like that… forced instutionalization and conversion therapy sounds about as nightmare-inducing as you can get when it comes to being queer. Of course we all sound out of touch!

Because I can’t find tangible proof of similar situations anywhere and it’s alarming.

I've certainly heard of conversion therapy before and some horrifying stories about medical abuse from trans people especially. I have friends who might be more informed about this kinda stuff so I'll see if I can find specifics. But for what it's worth, I don't think this is the part you're making assumptions or being cynical about. That is more about what you think is going on inside other people's heads.

The reason I get so exasperated at the suggestion is because I don’t think it’s genuine.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Like you very accurately described, there's a particular type of person that uses “Go to therapy,” to tell off people they think are freaks. That's very common with antis, for example. Franzeska is not only not an anti but further along the proshipper side than even proshippers are comfortable with, so I guess it's just very obvious to me, that it's a very different vibe from that, but if you're not familiar then maybe that doesn't come across. I think the key is that you could randomly grab any person that suggested therapy and say "I want to but I don't know how to go about it", then chances are they're gonna provide some sort of assistance or words of encouragement. That's how you can tell it's genuine. But yes, the "go to therapy" as a mallet used to beat people down is a thing, maybe it's even been discussed before on OTN's tumblr I bet.

I just don’t understand why my own worldview comes off as so bizarre.

I think the context of your environment helps. I am no longer baffled.

I don’t feel like I’m talking to a well-rounded sample of queer people.

… You aren't. I don't know why you'd think you'd find that on Tumblr? On OTN's blog? That's a subsection of a subsection of a subsection. About as niche as it gets.

I feel like I’m talking to a lucky minority that has been living in a protective bubble

I mean. Lucky minority, certainly - considering the atrocities that are commited against queer people worldwide - but you got answers from people talking about their fucked up environments and how they still don't hate themselves. How do you reconcile that? I mean, you've made it clear you can't right now, and that makes sense. But you mentioned you're moving sometime in the future so I'd be curious if any of this changes once you're out of your current environment.

Any sensible bi person would not choose this.

They would. Dunno how sensible any of us are. When I was in my own little hellscape of homophobia I certainly adapted to that - the consequences of being queer in a queerphobic society, even one not as extreme as yours, can be pretty bad and I'm not the martyrdom kind. I never, not for one second wanted to change myself. I wanted to beat people to death with my own fists sometimes. I admit it all made me angry and bitter, but it wasn't self-directed. Perhaps it's an inherent self-centeredness I have or the ego rearing it's head, who knows.

In any case, those people that would have gotten me kicked me out of school and outed me and harrassed me and perhaps even assualted me are still out there. About a decade removed from that one of the families lives two houses away from me, actually. As soon as I couldn'd be punished for it anymore I stopped giving a shit about anyone finding anything out.

Still, the fact that they see me in church every now and again doesn't change the fact that they know I'm an atheist, and the fact that they see me with men sometimes doesn't change the fact that they know I'm queer. Anyone that will make your hypothetical bi girlfriend's life difficult because she's into women will most certainly make her life difficult when she's with a man. Unless you completely uproot yourself and move to a different city and cut off everyone you know, sluttying it up with women when you're young will follow you around, homphobes don't care if you did it 'cos you thought it was quirky ime.

#I was gonna give you links to replies on otn's tumblr i thought were interesting but there's zero organization #and she answers 35 thousand asks per day #so i'm lazy #but i saw some interesting stuff from older people specially if you haven't seen #bad queer blogging

[shihalyfie]

What went down with the DigiFes situation, from the community and translator perspective

I think the events of the last few days have gotten everyone in a huge fuss, and because everything got caught up in a lot of chaotic social media stuff, there’s been a lot of questions about what came from what and who knew what at what time. Fortunately, I happen to be:

Someone who’s a veteran in this fanbase and thus has a small handful of friends in this community, who also have their own friends

Someone who understands a little Japanese (although not as much as others in this community do) and therefore can read things in Japanese myself to some degree without needing someone else to translate it for me

So hopefully I can shed some light on what kinds of things were being discussed, and what was known and not known at what time in this fanbase with all of this.

The most important thing I want to establish is that there was no organized coalition or smear campaign. (Kind of ironic I have to say this when the topic at hand has so much to do with conspiracy theories.) I’m a veteran, I know friends who are veterans, they know other friends who are veterans but don’t know me at all. My friends usually agree with and like the same things I do, and I give them advice and assistance with my skillset when I can, and they return the favor. We pass things along through the grapevine, not through some super-secret club grapevine, just via the nature of social relationships and some Discord servers (multiple; again, not everyone knows each other). So these are my impressions of what happened, based on said grapevine.

How it all started

Konaka’s blog is long. Like, really long. Which is only natural, because he was recapping basically the entire 51 episodes of Tamers in excruciating detail, so no translator in this fanbase would be able to translate all of that and not lose their mind! So for the most part people who couldn’t read Japanese had pretty much given up on reading it (with maybe a few dedicated people using machine translation), and some people who understood Japanese would point out parts they found interesting, but for all intents and purposes it remained untranslated and not super-accessible to the mainstream. (Even the Japanese fanbase itself wasn’t super aware of the blog’s existence.)

So when that first post in May about 9/11 dropped, the people who did read Japanese started going “uh...”

At the time, the DigiFes stage reading hadn't been announced yet. So, in other words, everyone reading it only knew it as, functionally, him namedropping an alt-right YouTuber and praising his observations. The reaction from anyone reading the blog at the time was something along the lines of “disappointed and mildly concerned.” (Note the mildly.)

The posts in June about the Great Reset and the anti-vaccine sentiment were when people keeping an eye on the situation started to get really worried about how far this was going to escalate. At this point, I want to make something clear that may not be apparent to those who weren’t keeping up or who are outside the fanbase: Most of the translators and Japanese-reading people deliberately chose not to be too public about this at this time.

Why?

This is the irony surrounding the fact that said translators are now being accused of trying to further “cancel culture”: cancellation was absolutely not what anyone wanted back then! If anyone wanted to create a smear campaign, 9/11 conspiracies, the Great Reset, and anti-vaccine statements are already more than enough to make a starting case. But at the time, this was a blog that very few people (Japanese or otherwise) knew about, translating it would basically just boost its platform more than it would have had in the first place (which would be counterproductive), and -- well, let’s be real, it’s not hard to imagine that people might get reactionary over it, and people would go nuts. Was there any real benefit that would come out of that? Not really, no.

So at the most, those keeping an eye on it might have vented a bit on their personal accounts, but some even tried to self-censor with “[redacted]” or vagueposting, because this was a matter that needed to be handled with delicacy. Thus, there were “mild rumors through the grapevine” about what was going on, but those who knew were trying to hold back with restraint and mostly inform people quietly in the hopes of this not needing to become some kind of huge social media campaign.

(Also, to be a bit blunt about it, it’s really hard to be in front of someone who loves Tamers and is gushing about it and showing admiration for Konaka, knowing all of this and wanting to say something, but feeling like a jerk if you pop their bubble like “also, he’s probably an alt-right conspiracy theorist now.” Not to say that the ignorance-is-bliss concept is always a good thing, but...)

But since the blog posts in question were discussing the prospect of having his sentiments in fiction, everyone reading them was on edge anticipating what might be in store for DigiFes. The hope was that it might blow over. Hopefully, everything would be in the form of subtle themes with plausible deniability, it would all stay within the realm of “it’s not worth causing a fuss over this,” that would be the end of it, and we’d all move on with our lives.

Unfortunately, “Political Correctness is activating Cancel Culture” isn’t exactly subtle.

DigiFes and the aftermath

I think it’s too easy to assign too much responsibility to the fansub group that was indirectly responsible for breaking the news for all of this, but actually, the truth is, this would have gotten out anyway.

Even when the stream itself was going on, there were Japanese livebloggers, and there were also English speakers who caught on that something was happening with “the Tamers fighting political correctness”. Some hours later, an upload of the stream went live on YouTube, and quite a few people started watching it and caught onto what was going on. If the fansub group that released the now-infamous version hadn’t done it, I’m absolutely certain someone else would have eventually (perhaps in a different language first, but nevertheless). And even before then, information about what the hell was going on was already starting to circulate in broken and incomplete forms. That fansub solidified what was going on, and perhaps accelerated the moment the bomb dropped on everyone, but if it hadn’t been there, it would have happened much more gradually and chaotically.

On top of that, while the use of Western alt-right rhetoric (seriously, please do not try to bring the “injecting Western politics into Japanese media” argument here when all of us are asking him to take the Western politics out) meant that it went over most of the Japanese audience’s heads (hence your answer to “who approved this?”), there was at least one Japanese person who was politically savvy enough to call it out for what it was in disgust. (I’m not linking them here because I’m not dumb enough to fling them in a place where some of you trigger-happy people will go after them.) They didn’t even need to be super in-tune with Western politics to get it; they understood enough to tell that there were some pretty alarming extremist views in there. If they understood that much, it was naturally going to follow that the Western side was definitely going to become aware one way or another.

Even all that aside, at the very least, said fansub is accurate; imagine how much worse this situation would have been if someone else had taken it up and confused things further with a misleading translation, or, worse, deliberately messed with the contents. Basically, this debacle could have easily been a lot worse.

I don’t think anyone expected this to get as big as it did (as in, to the point mainstream anime reporters outside the fanbase picked up on it). There was a similar tri. reading back in 2016, but even a lot of the hardcore fanbase barely remembers it exists! These aren’t even supposed to be canon, either! But when you have that disclaimer at the front, and the contents are really like that, it was probably inevitable for it to become a social media sensation. I mean the contents...sure are a thing.

One thing I should point out about the disclaimer is that it only mentions the program itself. It doesn’t bring up the blog, and it doesn’t bring up who wrote this scenario, just the fact that the program contains alt-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Because it does! It’s not even technically praising or condemning the content within, it just says “we don’t agree with it”! What the group did condemn was...approaching staff about it (and especially starting a fight). Because, in the end, that’s what the disclaimer was for: a heads-up about what was in there, and an added reminder that the people translating this are just translating it for the sake of informational purposes. Or, in other words:

It was a content warning. Even without the disclaimer, there were many, many people who would have recognized the contents for what they were and been caught by it unawares, and become upset by it. There were many people who said that they were glad to have that there because it at least gave them some time to mentally prepare for what they were about to be slapped with!

It really, really was a disclaimer. When you have something that level of extremely politically charged stuff, it’s only natural to start suspecting that the translation group had an agenda (official translations tend to get this a lot when content is remotely political). But no, the translation group did their due diligence, even if their opinions were starkly opposed to what was in there.

I was not personally involved in that translation, but I’ll give you this (copy-pasted with permission, from someone who wasn’t technically involved directly in it but was privy to discussions while it was being done):

no we brought up all of those questions like the fact that Yamaki's clearly off his rocker and this isn't supposed to be taken seriously in the first place or that maybe if we're lucky he'll just sound like a fake woke boomer but no matter how you slice it the plot is about him "convincing" the unbelieving Takato and co. into rallying up against the true enemy of Political Correctness and that's just literally the alt-right playbook in a nutshell

the thing even made it to YouTube, we were basically racing against the clock

I mean I really want to say this is plausible deniability but I don’t know how you can get any less subtle than this, this is not something you can mince words

like I really wish we could pass this off as “as long as you don’t know the blog you can take this innocently as political commentary or something” but I honestly don’t think this is something you can take innocently even without context

tbh the Political Correctness part is the most cringeworthy but Yamaki’s rant about fact checkers being evil and all that is probably a lot more worrying when you think about it

tbh I’ve never felt as conflicted about what’s the right thing to do as I do now

So in other words, it was not a reckless decision to just tack on a political label; it was done after a lot of consideration about the consequences to put the label on and what people would think of it with or without context, whether there might be a glimmer of light possibility to try and pass this off as more innocuous as it was, and eventually a determination that, in the end, there was indeed alt-right rhetoric in the program, and should be labeled accordingly.

The result was that, of course, everything broke out on social media, chaos burst out, a lot of hearts were unfortunately broken, and a lot of alt-righters started invading spaces accusing people of proving him right with cancel culture. Ironically, my personal observation is that, while there were exceptions, most people in the actual fanbase did honor the requests to not harass people about it, and this may actually be the most solidarity I’ve ever seen from the Digimon fanbase in my life, which is saying a lot considering how we usually tend to be a drama magnet most of the time. The ones who were actually directly messaging him were his newfound supporters locking down on offering him “support against people trying to cancel him” (I think they were more heartbroken and upset at him than anything...), and most of the harassment came from alt-righters not even in the fanbase, namesearching and sending harassing, accusatory messages to anyone involved for as much as expressing mild dismay. (You want to talk about harassment and being attacked for having an opinion? Pot, meet kettle.)

This leads us back to the question of the blog: if you’ll remember, I just said that the fansub in question did not bring it up at all. That’s because, at the beginning, there was no intention to bring it up if it wasn’t necessary; this was not intended as a smear campaign. The warning was attached to the DigiFes program because it was about the DigiFes program. But the resulting chaos had a lot of people bring up the blog because it better contextualized what was going on, and discussion led to people looking it up themselves and posting fragments of it on social media, sometimes even using machine translate.

Ultimately, that’s the reason this document was released: it was the same reason as the fansub being released at the time it was, which was “if it hadn’t been released, the alternative was watching things get disseminated more slowly and chaotically.” I will say outright that I was one of the people who got to lay eyes on that document before it was publicly released (and even helped out with some advice here and there); it’s no secret that it was being quietly passed around as an internal memo prior to the outbreak. The original version of the document had a request to not post it on public social media because of the chaos it would cause, and while I don’t know how many people got to see it before it was released, I’m under the impression that it was enough people that I was quite surprised everyone who saw it respected that request.

Why does the document contain a ton of analysis and debunking on top of just the translations? Well, when you’re translating those blog posts, you’re technically giving it a bigger platform (which was one of the reasons it was originally considered better to not post it publicly). Since the document exists primarily to inform people, especially about why certain things that may seem innocuous actually have wider context behind them, it’s going to need to contain an analysis like that.

The summary

There were a lot of decisions involved by a lot of different people through all parts of this ordeal. I think it’s fair to criticize whether they were the right decisions in retrospect or whether certain things should have been done slightly differently (including my small role in this), but nevertheless, it was one where the risks involved were thought through and taken into account in every step of the situation, with a desire to avoid chaos, or at least prevent it from getting too much worse. When you have contents like this, a controversy honestly is inevitable -- how on earth are you going to be able to put contents like Yamaki reciting off all the typical alt-right YouTuber talking points and ending in Political Correctness activating Cancel Culture and not expect that to make a stir at some point? -- and so, in the end, this wasn’t so much a conscious attempt at stirring the pot as much as it was the dam finally breaking, and a desire to keep it from spilling over too much. Nobody coordinated this! I think everyone just really hates drama.

Knowing all the steps and thoughts that went on behind all of this, I think being reactionary or accusatory for clout is the last thing anyone involved wanted to be. Considering just how many of these steps above could have easily been made into exposure, from the posts all the way back in May and June to the internal memo document that was made to keep friends quietly informed but could have been leaked to the public with only one bad actor, there was an active, common desire among people who didn’t even know each other to try and minimize the potential damage as much as possible. When you look at the situation now, of course it looks awful and hardly like something that came out of “trying to minimize damage”, but in reality there’s only so much you can do when the contents really are like that, and I personally believe everyone involved was doing what they thought was their best option as the situation kept changing.

I can’t speak for anyone else, especially since I don’t even know most of the people involved, and I didn’t have much of a role in all of this, but I think everyone involved, myself and my friends and everyone who’d been keeping tabs on this situation for months, has been going through a lot of heartbreak and conflict over what to do next, so please understand that there was a lot of thought put into all of it, and that it really was a difficult situation no matter how you look at it.

#digimon #digimon tamers

[my-darling-boy]

i am non binary and eventually want top surgery. i can't get it yet bc i'm a minor and i can't come out to my parents, but i'm gonna be 18 soon and have a question. if i want to get top surgery, do i need to tell the truth about it? like, do i have to come out and say the true reason behind it, or can i say it's for another reason? and what would be easier in the end? i'm really scared of having to be out like that to get surgery

Sorry for the length of this!

Some trans people give false reasons to their family for wanting top surgery, and this can be the case if you’re using parents’ insurance and don’t want them to know what you’re using it for. The problem with this is that if you don’t cover your tracks with the lie, your family can still find out, especially if you still live with them. While being over 18 (at least in California where I live) prohibits your family from accessing your health info because you are now legally an adult entitled to confidentially, it doesn’t stop them from opening up mail from health insurance or surgeon offices that arrive at the house. While the mail I was sent states my approved procedures were “Bilateral Masectomy” and nipple grafts, it CLEARLY states under the diagnosis section on the front page “female to male” and “Transsexualism”, regarding the diagnosis of gender dysphoria I needed for the surgery. If a parent doesn’t know you’re non-binary and they go digging through your mail, there is always he possibility they may see words related to the surgery being gender related.

For the medical setting, it’s much trickier to do completely in the closet. For top surgery, most places around the world—with some exceptions—require one or more of the following for insurance/medical reasons: a recent written and signed diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a licensed therapist, signed and written proof of hormone replacement therapy for X amount of time from either a physician or endocrinologist, having lived at least 1+ years socially using the name/pronouns you intend to use, or statements from close family members and/or friends that you exhibit dysphoria or that you have been living socially with the name/pronouns you intend to use. Those are the typical ones I’ve seen, but because surgeons/laws/and insurances or medical groups have varying definitions of what grants one permission for the surgery, it can vary wildly from person to person, and what can complicate this further is that insurance and surgeons will have different criteria you need to abide by. Some surgeons are very relaxed and will simply give you the surgery provided they deem you medically fit while your insurance company says you need dysphoria and Hrt for them to cover it. Which brings me to my next point.

A bilateral/double mastectomy is deemed a “cosmetic or non-essential surgery” by most insurances (unless you are a cancer patient, at least in the US) which means insurances don’t like to cover all of the cost. I’ve seen this procedure range from $3,500 all the way to $18,000. The average price is $5,000-$10,000. I don’t remember the cost of my overall surgery, but I know my office consult alone was $1,200. Using my parents’ insurance, I only paid $15 copays. The only way to get my insurance company to cover what could have been a $10,000 surgery was to make them see it was “necessary” and this is why they require the dysphoria diangosis. While I don’t believe you need dysphoria to be trans or have top surgery, unfortunately insurance usually asks for it (“dysphoria” for an insurance company basically tells them you have a mental health issue that is negatively impacting your life and the surgery is needed to correct the dysphoria). With this in mind, it might be near impossible to get coverage for a bilateral masectomy coupled with chest contouring while in the closet to everyone, unless you’ve had a serious medical condition such as cancer since “restoring a breast isn’t considered a cosmetic procedure. It’s reconstructive surgery. Since it’s considered part of the treatment of a disease, the law says insurance providers must provide coverage.” (x) Alternatives would be chest liposuction, however liposuction is still cosmetic and therefore probably not eligible for full, if any, insurance coverage and there are zero ways for chest contouring or nipple resizing.

And which route is easier? In my own opinion, if you’re not comfortable going behind your family’s back or you need their insurance, you might need to tell them the truth, provided you feel in a position to talk about it with your family, and I only say this cos there can be instances where not telling them the whole truth can have consequences for you in the end. Some trans people report issues where coverage was denied after they got the surgery and have to give a $6,000 bill they can’t pay to their parents, letters show up to the house referencing being trans and parents can open these and read them, and an insurance company or surgeon may need written proof from family members that you have been living under x name/gender for x amount of time to provide coverage or surgery. If you’re fine hiding the process from your parents and using your own insurance or paying out of pocket, then that’s an option. But the situation can get sticky if you pursue surgery and are still living at home or have lgbtq-phobic parents and need to hide any evidence of what the surgery is for. I understand coming out is a Huge Thing, but the unfortunate part about this sort of surgery is it can be impossible to go about it trying to conceal all your intentions. And from what I’ve been able to gather during my own process, it doesn’t appear to be possible to go through with this procedure and have it all covered by insurance without mentioning gender.

Again, I’m only speaking from the perspective of someone who lives in California and had my own set of experiences dealing with the hurdles of insurance and the process in general, so if anyone knows it’s different somewhere else or how you could do this in the closet to either family or to doctors, you’re welcome to add! I’m afraid I’ve never run into anyone who went through with surgery completely in the closet with everyone involved. The systems in place for this are based off an outdated binary “male or female” scales, which can make things uniquely difficult for non-binary people to obtain care.

You may find this article particularly helpful about receiving surgery specifically as a non-binary person.

TLDR; successfully acquiring top surgery while completely in the closet to your family or medical staff/insurance groups would be very difficult in most circumstances unless you go completely behind your family’s back and/or bring attention to your gender identity in a medical/legal setting.

#long post #trans health #non bianry #ftm #ftnb #top surgery #surgery mention

[japes-the-clown]

THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE: AN INVERSION ON “COMING OF AGE” FILMS AND A CRITICISM OF ADULTHOOD

Hi hello hey it’s me Jericho Jay “Japes” Marshall out here with a pretentious love letter to the filmmaking on display in nickelodeons The Spongebob Movie. Yes, I know it’s a kids movie. Yes, I know it’s not that deep. But I’m majoring in english, and deeply depressed, so I need to get this OUT and onto a PAGE.

I have watched this film many times over my lifetime, a few when i was just a kid, then in my early teens, even when i turned eighteen, and now, a month before i turn 20. Every time, I grow a new appreciation for the nuances that this movie brings to the table, and on my most recent watch my own deliverance from childhood makes me relate to the core themes the hardest I ever have. The Spongebob Movie isn’t just a movie about childhood, but a movie about adulthood.

Today, I’m going to make clear exactly how The Spongebob Squarepants Movie criticizes our understanding of adulthood and how society treats the neurodivergent, while effectively turning the “Coming of Age” genre on its head, within its 87 minute runtime.

START: CONSISTENT CHARACTERIZATION

One thing a lot of films (ESPECIALLY kids films) fail to nail is consistently showing aspects of a character throughout the runtime, enough that changes to a character feel impactful and justified instead of rushed and stifled. The best examples of movies that fail to do this are often the marvel movies that people tend to not remember- the first two thor movies, the avengers age of ultron, etc. In these movies, characters certainly have traits, but their personalities and motives can be very weak and make dramatic changes feel A LOT less dramatic. This can be seen in age of ultron, when quicksilver gave his own life to save someone else, which felt like nothing because he wasn't well developed. He wasn't particularly endearing, nor did him sacrificing his life contradict a part of his character. It felt very much like the writers trying to say "Look, this character which was once opposing the avengers, is now dying for one. Please cry." No hate to the writers of Age of Ultron, but it proves itself often to be an unmemorable part of the catalogue.

In the Spongebob Movie, the characterization is ON. POINT. After the introduction, with the pirates rushing in to watch spongebob, we get so much information regarding spongebob as a character.

Pictured: Spongebob holding a piece of cheese like an operator

The first scene of the plot is a dream sequence a large crowded scene at the Krusty Krab, with a customer not receiving cheese on his patty, and it being positioned in the same way as a bomb being located. In the dream, everyone is panicked, and Mr. Krabs is visibly distressed, almost like a damsel. Spongebob comes in, announcing his position as manager, much to the relief of Krabs. He goes in, and puts cheese on the burger (again, very akin to a bomb defusal scene), bringing the perturbed customer out safe and sound. Everyone lifts spongebob up as a hero, which is interrupted by his boat alarm.

This scene is JAM PACKED with stuff that both introduces the character to new watchers and introduces the crux of his arc to everyone else. Spongebob of course is very fond of the Krusty Krab, and wants to be the manager- he wants people to see him as cool, and as a responsible adult. He wants to be the sort of person that can be trusted with big responsibilities. And we also see, most importantly, that he is extremely childish through his faximile of what it meant to be adult. Everything is scaled up; it's a very silly situation, which well suits both the joke and his character as an inexperienced kid. This is one of the most direct ways to convey someone's character, because a dream can be interpreted as a direct port into a character's desires. This being the first introduction to the character in the movie sets the tone for EVERY following situation.

In the next few scenes you see Spongebob's real life, which involves his lengthy morning routine; his life is sort of whimsical, and so too is his routine. He showers by shoving a hose into himself till he bursts with water, he uses toothpaste to clean his eyes but not his teeth, and he puts on pants which he must fold to make. Again, all pretty solid jokes, but also very telling about his outlook. He is funny, weird, and childish, which is juxtaposed by the scene where he's- he's uh- showering with squidward. Squidward is an example of the "adult" that spongebob isn't. This has always been the case, but here his normal routine makes it very clear that other people in this world aren't like spongebob. They shower normally, they brush their teeth, they put their clothes on like normal. Spongebob's world is one of wonder and without responsibility, which makes it questionable as to whether he could handle one.

Pictured: Spongebob's room, adorned with childhood imagery

Pictured: Spongebob celebrating his position as a manager, despite Krabs saying that it was squidward who got it

Even his room in this scene screams "kid". He has toys strewn about, glow in the dark stars, and pictures of superheroes on the wall. He even says "Sorry about this calendar" as he rips a page, personifying inanimate objects as a kid would. The movie is telling you, "THIS CHARACTER IS A KID", but in a way that's masked because it's also just a set up for jokes. It's done so well, in my opinion, that it would go over your head because from your perspective you would be laughing along as spongebob did his wacky antics.

On top of that, his excitement for his assured managerial position at the Krusty Krab 2 continues to be bolstered. He marked it off with a cute drawing on his calendar, for those familiar he changes his normal "I'm ready" chant to "I'm ready- promotion-", and he's even already set up a party to celebrate at his favorite chain, Goofy Goobers, a child's entertainment restaurant similar to chucky cheese, albeit replacing pizza for ice cream. He hasn't just gotten excited, but has this childish anticipation for something which isn't even assured.

Spongebob arrives at the opening of the Krusty Krab 2, where he is so excited he can't contain his glee. He breaks the silence and makes members of the crowd uncomfortable, reinforcing again that spongebob is a standout in a world of adults, and a kid who doesn't understand certain social norms, which society looks down upon. When Krabs reveals that Squidward got the managerial position, Spongebob hyped himself so much that he starts celebrating, not even noticing that he wasn't picked. He gets on stage, and begins to give a speech, to which Krabs interrupts.

The next part I think best illustrates Spongebob's clear ignorance to society: Krabs attempts to subtly tell spongebob that he isn't getting the job, but spongebob repeats everything he says into the microphone. Again, fantastic joke, grade A, but the amount this shows how invested spongebob was. He already saw himself as an adult, someone who everyone would look up to as a manager- he could take the responsibility, and isn't aware of everyone likely cringing in the audience. This is the natural step for him in his mind, especially because of his exemplary work which had been previously celebrated through employee of the month awards. This was not an option for him. There wasn't a world in his mind where he would be outclassed by squidward.

Krabs has to break to him that he lacks responsibility, and that his childishness makes it difficult for Krabs to give him such a job. This might seem harsh, but I think the intro again shows how Spongebob saw the job; he didn't understand what it would be like, fantasizing another level in the menial work structure to be an amazing adventure of a job. People in the crowd reaffirm that in the eyes of society, spongebob is just a kid, a goofball. In my eyes, this is a story not just of childhood, but of neurodivergence. Spongebob isn't normal, and is blocked by society for his ignorance of social norms and sunny disposition. He finds things fun that other people can not, and he places values in completely different things. So he is blocked from the meaningful recognition he desired, despite the obvious evidence of his commitment.

I think this is a mighty interesting dichotomy!!! Simultaneously, spongebob's understanding of the world truly is warped, often resulting in a lack of consideration for others as well as harm for himself when things don't go his way, AND he is a good worker which puts in MANY hours of work without so much of a complaint. This is COMPLEX. You have to ask yourself, as a viewer, "would I give spongebob the job?" The answer can be different and can be REASONED.

And that's JUST spongebob! There are other characters with characterization that mixes into the themes of the movie very well, but I'm going to bring up any related points in future sections.

Okay, Okay. So now you're saying "WOW OKAY GREAT so why does any of this matter?" I'm so glad you asked. VERY glad.

2: THE BREAKING OF A YOUNG MAN'S SPIRIT

THIS is the point of the movie. The obstacle in this movie truly isn't adulthood, but instead self doubt. Spongebob's whole world is turned upside down by Krab's rejection of his basic personality. Spongebob asks himself: is it REALLY okay to be who I am? Am I an adult? Is the world fair? One of the most shocking scenes in the movie is blended so well in tone with the rest that you don't really notice; spongebob eating ice cream to cope with his disappointment, akin to that of adults drinking alcohol, and appearing to be visually "drunk" and washed up. This is BRILLIANT, and a recurring theme, where the true line between adult and childhood becomes blurry and impossible to see. Spongebob, the representation of a kid, gets hungover, spiteful, and angry about the injustice of his situation. This is often how adults act in the fact of adversity, but what's funny is that this too is how a kid would act; getting angry and overindulging, feeling entitled and acting socially immature when he didn't get what he wanted. He walks in to the Krusty Krab literally just to shit talk Krabs. And it doesn't stop there.

Pictured: Plankton finding "Plan Z" and looking at it like a centerfold in a playboy magazine

Almost every character in this movie juxtaposes another, again smearing the line of what it means to be an adult. For example, Spongebob and Plankton are polar opposites; plankton is cold and vengeful, angry at the world around him, and spongebob is a happy person who tends not to take things personally, a friend to all. In planktons first appearances in the movie, he is portrayed with clear adult themes, mocking spongebob, making pinup jokes about plan z, and living in a fairly dark and grey space. But, as the story moves along, we see many similarities; both spongebob and plankton are fairly one track minded, and when spongebob's perception is broken he himself gets a little vengeful. When eugene is put in danger over this, though, we do see that he places the lives of others over his own wants. And, even at the end of the movie, we see their similarities. Plankton reuses the "Sorry Calendar" joke that spongebob used at the start of the movie, drawing another line of what it means to be an adult. Is it childish of plankton to say that? Is the inherent irony he has impactful here? His want for something that isn't his, and his disregard for others in pursuing it feels just like how a younger child may steal the toy of another, without understanding what it means to share.

Pictured: Neptune flipping his shit at his lost crown

Then, there's the character of Neptune. Neptune is a big man baby. He rules the entire land, commands the most respect, and is considered the most powerful person under the sea, and yet, we see that he gets overprotective of his property, prepared to execute anyone who even annoys him. Throughout the film, he's obsessed with chasing an image of youth, as he is bald, and ignores the suffering of the people on bikini bottom to make sure no one sees his bald head. He throws what's equivalent to a tantrum when he finds his crown is missing, and believes a very crude note written by plankton saying that it was eugene who stole it. His character is an "acceptable" child because he's in a position of power, where spongebob is an "unacceptable" child as he is just a working class member of society. And the funniest part is, that he mocks spongebob for wanting to go for the crown, when even he, the strongest person in bikini bottom, refuses to go out of fear.

We see that these "bastions" of adulthood, plankton and neptune, are the ones who are responsible for missteps of society; we're ALL children in the long run, but the strict enforcement of a perceived true adulthood creates a space where they can act immaturely yet those under them/around them cannot. Dennis makes this case even more, as the only thing he does in this movie is hurt others. There's only one thing that seems to truly denote adulthood, and it's cruelty.

Even squidward, the adult that is supposed to be more responsible that spongebob, refuses to go on the quest to retrieve the crown, as he acts mostly in self interest, even later claiming to only care that plankton was stealing the secret formula as it was hurting his own paycheck.

Spongebob is the only one willing to go, willing to defend the man who wronged him, willing to value life over his own interests. He is both child and adult, just as the adults are too children.

As he moves through the plot of this film, he becomes less confident in his disposition, with his naivete causing moments like him and patrick crossing the state line and immediately getting carjacked, or them being put into an uncomfortable situation by all the bubbles they blew when they tried to get their car back. His bright personality is questioned constantly: Only five days to shell city? BY CAR. This is man's country. But weren't we the double bubble blowing babies?

Pictured: Spongebob caught trying to take back the key to the patty wagon when patrick fails to distract everyone

This is made more obvious to him as patrick remains oblivious throughout; patrick is a mirror for him, that acts as a childhood constant, that makes it clearer for him every day the draws of his childishness. There's the moment in the club where patrick's distraction was poorly thought out, and only because he said he wanted to do it adamantly, there's the moment where patrick challenged neptune on how many days they would have to do it, which served no purpose but for his own fun, there's the moment patrick points out the free ice cream trap- he is the unemployed uncritical lens that spongebob is afraid he is.

So everything's fucked, and anyone who is childish is bad i guess!!!

But that isn't so,

3: The illusion of manhood

So we've talked about spongebob's characterization as a naive child, how this is impactful in his transformation into someone who is anxious about that aspect of his personality, and how the society around him is hypocritical in it's own immaturity. But where does this all come together?

Pictured: Planktons dystopian world, which Mindy shows Spongebob and Patrick

It's at spongebob and patricks "conversion to manhood". At his lowest point, spongebob becomes a squidward- he becomes critical of his AND patricks interests, and regards them as childish, deciding that this means that they can't make it to shell city, as it requires them to be adults. When mindy shows them the dire situation back home, she hopes that spongebob's sunny personality and care for others would shine through, but instead he turns to what society has been telling him; it's impossible. He can't do it, he's just a little kid, and there is no point to any of this as he'll fail regardless.

Thinking about it like this, it truly is one of the darkest points in the entire series; spongebob just openly admitted that there was nothing he could do, that all of his friends were goners because he was effectively useless.

Mindy comes up with an idea; she'll trick spongebob and patrick into believing they're men; she convinces them of mermaid magic (their innocence allowing them to believe) and uses kelp to make them think they've matured into adults. Notice that physical modifiers being the only key to this "fake adulthood". With this, they jump off a cliff because they believe that with adulthood, they are invincible.

This is really telling about how the society they're in thinks of being an adult, and relays that to children. There's another level, a distinct separation between spongebob and adulthood, which seemed like the difference between a squire and a knight- being an adult means that you aren't weak anymore (as though he was weak in the first place), and thus you can do things you never thought before. Is it truly healthy that this is how a society tells kids that adulthood is like, for them to enter the world and feel a truly awful financial and literal hellscape waiting for them? uh, you can, you can decide that for yourself i think.

Nonetheless, they survive the fall, and conclude that they really are invincible, able to power through a ravine with their happy go lucky attitude, eventually befriending the monsters which were once trying to kill them. They weren't acting like adults, but the labels themselves made it possible for them to soldier on with the childlike disposition they had. I find that to be powerful. If we were able to be more hopeful as adults, and power through the worst things brightly, could we do great things? Idk but these depression meds sure do taste good nom nom

After crossing the ravine, spongebob and patrick meet dennis, and have their worldview crushed as it's revealed that they are actually still kids. Dennis being the "alpha male" that he is, is characterized by violence and a lack of morality. The pair are saved by a giant boot, which is the first of two humans in this movie. Spongebob and patrick are both taken by the man in the diver suit, as we fade to black, marking the end of their illusion of adulthood.

4: Back from the Edge (of death)

Spongebob and Patrick awaken in an antique shop, realizing that they were surrounded by fish that had been killed specifically for sale as tacky antiques. They are lifted out of their fishbowl, and put under a heatlamp, as their fate is sealed to become a member among those dead fish. In spongebob's final moments, he mourns his inability to be an adult, as well as to reach shell city; but before they both die, patrick points out that they truly did reach shell city, as the crown was within their reach.

This. This is a phenomenal scene. Why? Because of what it means for spongebob's arc.

Pictured: Spongebob and Patrick on their deathbeds, finding happiness

He sees the crown, and realizes that, unequivocally, that even if he didn't bring the crown back, he made it to shell city. Every person he met told him that he couldn't even do that. and he did it. He is a kid, yes, but he's a kid who went where not even NEPTUNE dared go. Everything people said about him, about how him being a kid stopped him from success, was suddenly shattered. He has been asking himself if it's okay that he is a kid, and he saw, unambiguously, that it is. He is allowed to be happy. He can enjoy things that other people don't. He can be naive. He can be himself, no matter what anyone says. And so can you. Great things can be done by people who are "childish", who are "naive", who are kind without expecting a return, all of it. YOU are okay. Your stims are okay, your comfort series are okay, your interest in tropes are okay, YOU'RE OKAY!!!!

with that, spongebob and patrick are dehydrated on the table, and ostensibly die, the kids that they are, shedding one final tear each, forming a heart beneath them.

...

Miraculously, the tear electrocutes that lamp at it's socket, causing smoke to rise and set off the sprinklers, rehydrating the pair, and bringing them back to life. The "Man in the Suit" attempts to capture them, seeing them about to lift Neptune's crown, but the rest of the dehydrated fish come back to life- squirting him with his own glue and beating him to the ground, as spongebob and patrick run out with the crown. David Hasselhoff offers them a ride back to Bikini Bottom, and the pair begin their ride back.

5: The confrontation of Adulthood and Childhood

Pictured: Dennis looking all lame and shit

As spongebob and patrick are being swam back to bikini bottom, the boot under which dennis was crushed rockets to Hasselhoff, spitting him back out to finish the job. The appearance of Dennis, IN MY OPINION, makes him look rather goofy, with his broken glasses making him look more like a office worker than a badass assassin as he attempts to kill spongebob and patrick. Spongebob, in trying to reason with him, is able to ruin his eyes with bubbles, and then survives as dennis gets hit by a raised platform which spongebob and patrick are too low to be hit by.

Having defeated one representation of adulthood, spongebob and patrick are shot down by HasselHoffs MASSIVE MAN TITS with the crown in order to prevent Krab's fate, blocking Neptune's lazer just in time as they crash in.

All seems to be well, but plankton uses one of his mind control helmets (which we'll be getting into later) to enslave even Neptune, putting mindy, spongebob, patrick, and Krabs against the wall.

In another stark moment of characterization, Spongebob tells patrick that "Plankton Cheated", which prompts plankton to tell spongebob that the situation wasn't a kiddy game, and that it was the real world. This sort of distinctions in their ethos tell you how spongebob interacts with justice; he believes in "playing fair", while plankton is bitter and believes in getting what he wants.

Finally, the apex to our plot, is a musical number. Spongebob begins to make a long-winded speech, where he takes ownership of every label he was called as he stood on the stage at the beginning, the similarity between the two events being clear (holding a microphone at an inappropriate time, making a speech as he blocks out input from an adult trying to talk him down). Spongebob then busts out into the film's rendition of Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock", "I'm a Goofy Goober". This results in spongebob reversing plankton's whole plot with "the power of rock and roll". Plankton is made powerless, and thrown into a little padded cell.

The final scene in the movie has Mr. Krabs freed from his imprisonment in ice, and spongebob is offered squidwards position as manager of the second Krusty Krab. He seems hesitant, and squidward offers an insightful analysis of what spongebob might be feeling (the typical analysis of a coming of age movie, where the protagonist finds out that what they wanted all along is not what they wanted, but it was what was inside all along). Spongebob refutes that squidwards fly was just down, and GLADLY accepts the job.

AND THAT'S THE MOVIE

6: AN INVERSION ON THE COMING OF AGE GENRE

A coming of age story tends to be one which is focus on the growth of a character from childhood to adulthood, asking questions about what it means to be an adult. A character reaches for their perceived adulthood, and realizes what it means to ACTUALLY be an adult, typically juxtaposing what people think (drugs, parties, sex) versus what the movie postures as the correct adulthood (responsibility). In this, I think that the spongebob movie directly criticizes the position of what "an adult" is, in the sense of how someone acts.

Like we discussed in part 2, every adult character in this movie tends to be very childish in themselves, unable to see through simple ruses, and often very possessive of personal property. I don't think we actually see a child in this movie as a speaker at any point, only really as background characters (in goofy goobers to solidify spongebob as childish, and I believe in the chum bucket as they're lead to an unsafe place by their parents, who are supposed to be responsible). Thus, what is mostly examined is how adulthood and childhood is a very thin line. Squidward, for example, going directly to plankton to accuse him of stealing the formula, instead of taking it to the top immediately, which would have ended this whole thing fairly quickly; that was rather silly, and was the fruit of his need to assert himself as an adult.

Spongebob goes through this movie FIRST not caring much about whether or not he was an adult, and it is only after the social pressure from adults does he start to chase it. He then chases his perceived image of an adult, going on an adventure, and is crushed by the fact that he isn't an adult. Instead of finding what an adult is, he instead becomes comfortable with his existence as a child, finding himself at the end of the movie able to comfortably chase after an ideal again, where in a normal movie he would humbly reject the job he was offered.

This is, truly, what we should all take from this film. Spongebob realizes that people who aren't necessarily socially adjusted or acceptable can do great things, regardless of what the people around them say, especially because the people around them are liable to throw tantrums and be actively harmful to society. He is allowed to find comfort in childish things, and to be naive, because the world needs more people willing to help others. It's a scathing criticism on the imposed adulthood that exists in a lot of coming of age films, which begs us to drop fun in the interest of doing the right thing, as though those two ideas are contradictory.

BONUS: EXTRA STUFF THAT I LIKED

The goofy goober song became really good storytelling, at first marking childishness, then marking a level of discomfort and judgement in the club, then marking spongebob recognizing that his happiness came from what he liked and not some vague idea of adulthood, and finally marking his full acceptance of his childishness, taking the form of rock, the music of rebellion. It's not as subtle as leitmotifs, but it works really well in how the same song can give very different feelings throughout, and inform how we interact with a story.

There are a lot more examples of adults being pressured into childishness, with the connected twins who liked goofy goober at the club, who were beaten senseless for absolutely no reason, which highlights the way that the society hurts people that, by all means, are just as much adults as anyone else. There's of course Plankton's helmets which created a society of people who simply slaved away with nothing to say, taking life as it came and listening to authority.

On top of that, this movie is PRETTY ANTICAPITALIST AND ANTIMONARCHY, despite those things being allowed to continue to exist at the end- monarchy is seen misusing power constantly and often for unfounded reasons, and Spongebob's diligence at work is rejected by a penny pinching Krabs, who cares only about money. Like, THE KRUSTY KRABS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER? THAT IS SOME MONTY PYTHON ASS SHIT. This year is the first year i laughed at that joke, because it's really some "capitalists are fucking dumb as shit" humor that slipped over my head when i was a kid. The villain literally being defeated by Rock and Roll, which was sung with a message against the oppression of differences in people? Yeah, I think the spongebob movie hated rich mother fuckers.

END: UH YEAH THAT'S WHAT IT IS

So yeah. The movie is good I think. There's a lot more i could go into, but I've been writing this post for hours and at this point i haven't even read it so...

I recommend going back and giving this film a rewatch!!! Pay attention to all the moments where adults act like children/kids act like adults, because it'll make ur brain pop like a zit. Anyways that's me, I'm Jericho Jay "Japes" Marshall, and I HATE facism.

#spongebob #spongebon squarepants #analysis #film #good movie #marvel #avengers age of ultron #funny

[dr-southernerd]

I think a lot about what it is to be a woman in science, but I have the inherent privilege that comes with being a white woman to shield me from the worst of it. I had an absolutely eye opening conversation with classmate of mine last year, and I’d like to share it with y’all.

This other lab member of mine became a great friend of mine around the time I decided to switch labs. She had a different PI and was a year ahead of me, so I was comfortable bringing my concerns to her. Her support was instrumental in my decision and my current happiness in my new lab. She presented in a lab meeting the day I went to the director of our grad school and requested a change in PIs, so I missed it. I knew she had been nervous (it was meant to prepare her for for her preliminary exam) so I asked her the next day how it had gone.

Now. To put this in context, I need to explain my old PI. He was an almost eighty year old white man, and if it wasn’t his opinion, it was wrong. He was very, very bad at being a PI. He was also probably worse at being a co-worker. I recall at least three lab meetings that devolved into him yelling with another PI, and several student presentations that he was terribly mean and unnecessarily fixated on insignificant details. So it comes as no shock that he went after my friend.

My old PI (who was not involved in bacteria research AT ALL) had taken some issue with the strain of bacteria she was using, one that was selected based on clinical relevancy. This had resulted in a dissolving of my friends presentation into him interrogating her about this strain, interrupting her explanations and generally getting louder and louder and louder until her PI stepped in. Upon hearing all of this, I apologized profusely for his behavior and asked how she was doing now. She expressed to me how she had struggled to remain calm, and how she was ultimately grateful to her PI for de-escalating the situation.

Now here’s the part that hit me hard: my friend explained to me that she was grateful mostly because she wasn’t sure how much longer she would have been able to withstand his nonsense without raising her voice, to which I responded, “he would have deserved it. You were right and he was wrong, and it’s beyond time he was put in his place. He’s not your PI, and he’s not on your committee, so I think you would have been wholly justified in standing up for yourself.”

“If I’d had raised my voice at him, even a little, I would have been labeled an angry black woman, and everyone in that room would have written me off as a stereotype of my race.”

Oh. Ohhhhh. OH that hit me in the heart and the brain and the soul and I’m shocked I didn’t get a bruise. My sweet, strong, smart friend, who was a mom and a wife and a brilliant student and a kind soul, had to weigh every word out of her mouth with a gravity I couldn’t understand, and had never considered until that moment. And it probably says a lot about my white privilege and my bubble I’ve grown up in that I was 24 years old before this came across to me. But this conversation has lived in my head ever since, and my perspective of the world shifted because of it. I think what made this particular incidence so eye opening to me was that being interrogated by this man over stupid details was something that happened to me regularly, and had just pushed me over the edge. Realizing some level of privilege had protected me all along from it being worse was enlightening.

I’ve benefitted my whole life from white privilege (a thing my family doesn’t think exists). I’m nowhere near perfect as an ally or a friend or a person, but I want to be better at standing up for and alongside those who need the protection my privilege offers. I share this now in case it resonates with someone else the way it did with me.

Black lives matter. Black people matter. Your hearts matter and your ideas matter and your feelings and your dignity and hurt and anger and fear. It shouldn’t require stating but it does, and I am so so sorry for your pain, for every situation I wouldn’t think twice in that you have to navigate carefully. I’m sorry, and I stand with you.

#gradblr #phd #phdblr #studyblr #grad #grad school #science #STEM #women in stem #women in science #women in engineering #biomedical engineering #engineering #bioscience #biology #microbiology

[lunarreaper-ut]

So this time i wanna know HOW killers and nightys relationship will Form, i mean how they progress? Also how and why they become lovers.. what do they like about the other and what makes them Fall for the other one in the end? I want to know about the Situation to it all happening and developes...

Also who and how do they confess to one another? How do they react to it? And do they get jelous sometimes? If yeah on what occasions? And how do they deal with it?

Another question is do those two any (more privat) activitys together? I mean things like taking strolls around town or going on a ride or going shopping or any Kind of quests outside from the Palace, etc? Are they spending time together other then when guarding sometimes and having fun or going on dates (later)? If yes where and what kind??

Many questions again uwu u can take ur time.

Oohh I sense another long one coming along~!

How does Nightmare and Killer's relationship progress?

It's certainly slow-going. At first the two tolerated each other, since they needed the other to get what they wanted. While it takes time, I would say Killer is the one who actually starts changing how their relationship progresses. Nightmare seems like a jerk because of his attitude, but he does care for his subjects and the people who work for him, even after everything that's happened. Nightmare takes the time to learn Killer's likes and dislikes without Killer even noticing, and even if he irritates Nightmare, he is still one of Nightmare's subjects.

To Nightmare, it's the mindset of "This person will only live for a short amount of time, while I have an eternity. I should take responsibility for that, and try to make things better.". Kind of like how you think of a pet actually XD

Soon enough Killer realizes that Nightmare actually tries his best to cater to others, and his perspective of the grumpy King starts to shift. He takes more time to observe Nightmare's behaviors and choices, and starts to realize that Nightmare, while he has an attitude and can be a jerk, actually gives a damn about his kingdom and his people.

Killer starts to change his behavior towards Nightmare after this realization. He follows orders with little complaint, doesn't poke fun at Nightmare as much, and even starts doing little things to make Nightmare's day better. Killer starts trying to hold conversations with Nightmare when he thinks it won't bother him, and tries to understand him.

Killer begins to realize his feelings just before Dream tells Nightmare he no longer needs to have Killer around. When Nightmare tells Killer that his job is done, he no longer needs to stay and that Nightmare will officially pardon him, Killer becomes very stressed and conflicted.

I won't go into too much detail because honestly it's really cute- but Killer ends up asking Nightmare if he could stay. He makes up an excuse about how he didn't really have anywhere else to go, and the bed in his room is the comfiest bed he has ever and will ever sleep in.

Nightmare, surprisingly (to Killer), allows him to stay.

Nightmare's perspective on things are a bit similar! In taking the time to find out Killer's likes and dislikes, he ends up seeing the more genuine side of Killer. Nightmare likes some of Killer's jokes, enjoys seeing him irritate his brother, and also rather enjoys watching Killer train. what makes Nightmare really take to Killer's company, is how Killer treats Nightmare.

Nightmare, for the vast majority of his life, has been used to being ignored, disliked, or looked over. Everyone has always preferred Dream to Nightmare. Nightmare spent a long time thinking of himself as nothing more than the "backup King". He is never seen as Dream's equal.

But Killer doesn't see it that way. Killer makes it clear that he actually considers Nightmare's opinions, and actually listens to him, (later on at least). Killer's snide remarks at his brother's way of ruling are amusing, but he never makes any remarks about Nightmare in that regard. At one point, Nightmare did ask about this, and Killer shrugged as he answered:

"I just think you're more suited to it, that's all."

Nightmare appreciates how Killer sees him as an actual King.

How do they confess to one another?

HOO boy, that doesn't happen for years

As in, "Killer is already accepted by Dream as a legitimate Royal Guard before that happens" years. This is mainly because of the two's insecurities about themselves. Nightmare is stuck in a cycle of low self-esteem because of his past and how the kingdom sees him, and Killer doesn't even think he deserves to be Nightmares Royal Guard, let alone be romantically involved with him!

The first one to confess, however, would most likely be Killer.

I would say more about how it happens, but I think I'd rather write out the scene later on, than just spoil it >w< Hopefully you don't mind being a bit patient! (๑ゝω╹๑)

I will say, however, the Nightmare probably won't believe him >:3

Do either of them get jealous?

Well, I would say yes, but there's not a lot of opportunities for either of them to get jealous! Killer and Nightmare are both kind of out-casted in that regard. They're both considered dangerous and intimidating, so not a lot of people approach the two.

That being said, even if there's not a lot, there's still moments >:3c

Most notably, Killer would get jealous of Cross. Nightmare, even though he may not like someone, will still acknowledge someone's skills. Cross is a very skilled Guard, and has been for hundreds of years now. He's good at his job, and is practically the golden child of the Guardsmen. Nightmare would say an idle comment here or there, praising Cross' skills.

Killer didn't really get a lot of praise at first, and since he and Cross didn't get along either? Well hearing his King praise someone else definitely rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't want anyone else to be better at his job, especially not Cross.

This resulted in a lot of late night training sessions for Killer. Even back when he hadn't fully realized his feelings towards Nightmare, Killer felt those spikes of jealousy.

There were also times later on, after Killer decided to stay as Nightmare's Guard, where some nobles would try to get on Nightmare's good side. It might not have been flirting per-se, but it was enough for Killer to decide to step in, claiming Nightmare was needed elsewhere.

As for Nightmare? Well, I did say Killer was a bit of a flirt, didn't I?

Nightmare has witnessed Killer act as such at various events hosted by his brother. Whether or not Killer was feared, some people couldn't resist his charms regardless, and if Killer made a move... Well I mean, would you deny his charms? (๑ゝω╹๑)

Nightmare would get irritated at seeing his Guard being so... friendly with others. He wouldn't immediately recognize it as jealousy, and would chalk it up to him being irritated at Killer slacking off. Nightmare is more of the type to ignore Killer when he's jealous, choosing to stew in his own emotions until he gets over it.

If Killer tries to talk to him, Nightmare might be a bit more cold towards him. At first, when Killer doesn't understand what's wrong, he doesn't do much about it and leaves it be. Once Killer gets to know Nighty more, he'll start trying to flirt with Nightmare to get him to warm back up.

It usually works >w<

Do Killer and Nightmare do any activities together?

Yes! Killer and Nightmare will often spend time together when they're not working! (Well, technically Killer is still working at these times, but that's besides the point XD)

When Nightmare and Killer become more friendly with each other, Killer begins to encourage Nightmare to take more breaks from work. Nightmare and Killer will do various things on these little breaks. Nightmare enjoys strolls in the castle gardens. He would tell Killer about how he and his mother planted most of the trees and flowers in the garden together, and how Dream and him used to play hide and seek in the garden once they'd grown.

Sometimes Nightmare will have a table set up out in the garden and have tea with Killer. They either have a chat, or simply enjoy the atmosphere together.

Nightmare isn't very fond of going around town. People will often stare and gossip about him when they see him. If Nightmare ever does need to go shopping, Killer is of course by his side. He tries to take Nightmare's mind off of the people around them, and tries to hold a conversation most of the time.

There are also times, at night, where Nightmare lets Killer relax in his room with him. Nightmare spends a good while before bed reading to relax, and Killer likes to sit with him. Nightmare asked Killer if he was going to read a book as well, and Killer stated he's not a fan of reading, because it gives him headaches if he does it for too long. He said it was because of his eyes.

Nightmare started to read to him after that. (He also began avoiding asking Killer to help him review documents, instead choosing to ask the assistance of his advisor more often.)

#Kingdomverse #luna's writing #killermare #KV!Killer #KV!Nightmare #eve416 #Thank you for your questions! #answered asks #I like when Nightmare and Killer are soft with each other >w< #They're cute