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agentnico · 4 months

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Top 10 WORST Movies of 2023

For every good movie there’s always a dozen stinkers, and 2023 brought out a lot of turkeys, and I’m not referring to all the poor birds that ended up in our bellies this Christmas season. It’s become a tradition for me every year to do a top 10 best and worst movies of the year list, and I tend to leave the top 10 best list till later as I catch up will the awards potentials, however with the bad list I get right on into it. There are of course many bad movies this year I didn’t see, as I don’t actively seek out to watch the bad ones, but I have heard that these following haven’t been the best: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Marvels, Indiana Jones 5, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Expend4bles, Children of the Corn, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey…… damn, a lot of films got a bad rep this year. Yet I have 10 other ones that I’ve seen that I thought were crap. Don’t worry if a film you loved ends up on this list, it will simply mean your opinion is wrong and your have to live with that. With that in mind, here’s my humble list of the shit-fest Hollywood had to offer in 2023…

10) ANT-MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA - Everything that is wrong with the current state of Marvel is exhibited on full display here. Lacking a sense of direction and exploiting the idea of the multiverse just for the sake of it, the movie is a dud. It feels like whilst trying to focus on going bigger and bolder, the movie lost the sense of fun that elevated the earlier instalments in the tiny hero’s franchise. Paul Rudd is still as charming and likeable as ever, however the introduction of Kang as the next MCU Big Bad is pointless seeing as this big baddie can be defeated by a bunch of ants. Don’t make no difference now anyway with Jonathan Majors losing the court case, but who in the first place thought “oh yeah, Kang is a badass who killed many Avengers, but a giant head of Corey Stoll should weaken him no problem”. Look, there’s no sugarcoating it - this movie is bad. Also, Bill Murray appears in this because…?

9) THE BEANIE BUBBLE - Zack Galifianakis without any facial hair is truly a sight to behold, but that’s not enough to make this fluffy yet bland behind-the-scenes look at the famous Beanie Babies toys even remotely interesting. It’s as if this film can’t bear (thank you) to show the creepier side of these toys, as this should have been a more darker and messed up tale, especially with the lightly implied institutional sexism. Oh well, that’s that then.

8) WE HAVE A GHOST - If ever there was a movie that fit more to the phrase “Netflix & Chill” then this is it, as you will be too busy banging your partner or your sock than caring about a silent speechless David Harbour creeping about Casper-like and being all quiet and mysterious. To be fair he’s the only redeemable quality as the rest of the movie is a mishmash hodgepodge of genres that is neither funny, nor effective in its family drama dynamic. At least seeing Jennifer Coolidge jump out a window was mildly amusing. Mildly. Anyway, where’s that sock?

7) THE OLD WAY - It is truly fascinating that after starring in over 100 films, this is Nicolas Cage’s first ever western. Aside from that mind boggling revelation, this movie comes out with less than a bang. I don’t know, I was hoping for something a bit more mad, especially with Cage’s involvement. Heck, in the movie’s opening sequence Nicolas Cage is introduced with a sprawling Poirot-like moustache, and immediately I assumed that I am in for something ridiculous. However following that scene the movie cuts to 20 years later, and with that both the moustache and the hope for something exciting or weird is diminished to singular unseen atoms.

6) FOOL’S PARADISE - The directorial debut from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day (who also writes and stars), misfiring Hollywood satire Fool’s Paradise wastes a strong ensemble cast that also includes Adrien Brody, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Kate Beckinsale, Ken Jeong, Common, John Malkovich and the late Ray Liotta. Look, in a way I feel bad about including this film on this list, as you can tell this is a true passion project for Day and one that has good intentions by attempting to go back to the old-school slapstick Charlie Chaplin-era of comedy, with a lighthearted satire on the way the film industry works. In this case the result is neither sweet nor funny enough, and as such it’s an unfortunate misfire, but easily the most disappointing inclusion on this list.

5) GHOSTED - Adrien Brody’s crappy French accent in this movie I could have forgiven, if only I have not seen John Wick: Chapter 4 a couple of weeks prior where I experienced the most delightful Parisian mouthing of Bill Skarsgard’s villain, so now Brody’s French-ish slur sticks out like a sore thumb. What else sticks out is that Ghosted feels like a film from the early 2000s, featuring every cliche of the genre and with a romantic pairing of Chris Evans and Ana de Armas whom share zero chemistry. Their kissing scenes reminded me of that Andrew Garfield/Emma Stone SNL sketch where they don’t know how to kiss on camera, only in this case it’s unintentional. Also featuring a slew of pointless cameos, and I do mean pointless, this is a throwaway campy spy-action flick that is destined to be forgotten.

4) THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER - Billed as the true sequel to William Friedkin’s original horror masterpiece, it really shouldn’t have strived for that. Ellen Burstyn’s return is a waste. For those excited to see her, she’s only in 3 or 4 scenes total, and the creative choices made with her character are such a disservice to the original movie. Without spoiling, it’s a choice that seems to be inspired by the modern woke culture, with Burstyn’s Chris having being studying the art of exorcism ever since the events that transpired with her daughter, and then when questioned about why she herself did not partake in her daughter’s exorcism she blames the patriarchy. The choice of bringing her into this narrative and then what happens to her…it’s basically taking a classic character and making them dumb. I must say though that the only actual shocking moment in the movie comes in a scene involving her character, and though that moment itself is memorable, the build up towards it is so stupid. Also, with the return of Burstyn it comes as no surprise within the movie when a certain other character pops in for a cameo. Does it add anything to the movie’s story? No, it’s just there for cheap fan service. As for the movie itself, the horror hardly works. It’s not scary at all and you really shouldn’t believe in this one.

3) THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE - Yeah, I know, my inclusion of this film on the list will rattle some feathers, but I don’t care, as for any of you pricks out there thinking that stupid “Peaches” song deserves an Academy Award nomination, you guys are stupid and must be high on some very powerful shrooms. If so, I hope you’re having a great trip, but the fact stands that this movie is bad. Simply doing fan service for the sake of fan service don’t make for a good narrative. Me and my friend were bored throughout, as this movie is 100% for kids. There are nostalgic elements to it all, but I do believe that Illumination and Nintendo should have followed more in The Lego Movie’s footsteps and targeted the film for audiences of all ages, due to the fact that many who grew up with Mario are now adults themselves.

2) LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND - So much wasted potential. A long drawn-out slow shuffle to Nowheresville. A movie that offers so many ideas, plot points, and thread lines that are never answered or go anywhere. In Leave the World Behind things are truly happening under the motto “just because” and “why the hell not” and it makes the viewing experience immensely frustrating. Especially when the movie is nearly 2 and a half hours long and the anticlimactic abrupt ending is a slap to your face for wasting your time. Oh, and if I weren’t a fan of the Friends show before, now more so than ever.

1) 65 - Right ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to ask you all so kindly to rise up from your seats and give a humongous round of applause to 65 - the 2023 film to exhibit qualities of a top contender of the worst movie of this year. Look, I’m disappointed as you are. Adam Driver fighting dino-dinos’?! You’d be a madman to not want to see that! However here’s 65′s first mistake: there actually aren’t that many dinosaurs, let alone fights with them. I know right, I can sense the resounding aura of you, my kind audience, in unison thinking “what the f***?”. Exactly, what the fudge indeed. No, instead what we get is a couple of somewhat thrilling dinosaurs interactions, but overall the movie is just Adam Driver and this little girl walking. Just walking. Walking and whistling. Bunch of jackasses.

That’s it - we did it! Now I can happily forget I ever watched any of these and mentally prepare for what wonders of stupidity 2024 will bring to the big screen. As for my Best Movies of 2023 list, don’t worry, it’s a-coming. Still need to watch The Boy and the Heron and Poor Things and then all will be revealed…

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machineryangel · 7 months

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any turkish movie recs?

HI YES i've been waiting for this ask my entire life

Kurak Günler (2022) dir. Emin Alper*

Emre, a young and dedicated prosecutor, is newly appointed to a small town hit by a water crisis and political scandals. After an initial welcome, he experiences an increasing number of tense interactions and is reluctantly dragged into local politics. When Emre forms a bond with the owner of the local newspaper pressure escalates under heated rumours.

trigger warnings: animal cruelty & abuse, graphic animal death, sexual abuse & rape (potentially of a minor, the victim's age is not clear), hunting, drought, sinkholes, drugging, hallucinations, homophobia, physical assault, harassment, guns & rifles and other weapons, riots

Bizim İçin Şampiyon (2018) dir. Ahmet Katıksız*

The mid 90’s. Turkey’s political instability, inflation and hopelesness on people were increased. In those years when all hope was lost, people deeply bond with Bold Pilot and Halis Karataş who win every race coming from the last place. People see themselves at the point where this horse and jockey are: at the back. This duo make people to believe that everybody can win. The race ends at the finish line and the first to cross this line are Bold Pilot and Halis riding it.

trigger warnings: terminal illness, misogyny (+ possibly more, it's been a while since i've seen this movie)

Mucize (2015) dir. Mahsun Kırmızıgül

1960s Turkey countryside. A newly assigned teacher finds out that the solitary village is missing a school. He gets fond of the village people and especially a disabled man. The teacher helps the village to build a new school and educate the children and the disabled man.

trigger warnings: ableism (very graphic; e.g children & teenagers are seen throwing rocks at a physically and mentally disabled person), use of ableist slurs, misogyny & sexism, guns & rifles, celebratory gunfire, animal cruelty & killing, brief non-sexual nudity, suicide attempt, harassment

Dedemin İnsanları (2011) dir. Çağan Irmak*

A feature film that tells the story of the director’s grandfather who was forced to leave Crete in the 1920s during the Greek-Turkish population exchange.

trigger warnings: forced displacement, death of an infant by illness, xenophobia, homophobia, suicide

Kedi (2016) dir. Ceyda Torun*

A profile of Istanbul and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.

Also I haven't seen Yedinci Koğuştaki Mucize (2019) dir. Mehmet Ada Öztekin & Babam ve Oğlum (2005) dir. Çağan Irmak but i've heard rly good things about them & they're on my watchlist <3

Additionally, pls note that except for Bizim İçin Şampiyon & Kedi, all of these movies are very political. They include population exchange, military coups, the hypocrisy of rural people, anarchist people getting arrested unjustly and disappearing in custody, etc. If you're not familiar w Turkish political climate in the last century, they could be hard to follow at times, but all of them are rly worth watching.

the ones w asterisk are my faves <3

#also imo mucize has a questionable ending but i don't wanna spoil it in this post so if you want to know more you can dm me <3 #this took me a while to compile so ty for ur patience <3 #answered

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ouachitafolkwitch · 21 days

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April 8th, 2024 New Moon Total Solar Eclipse Manifestations:

This celestial event is in the sign of Aries, the zodiac’s symbol of release & rebirth, taking action, endings & new beginnings, resistance & revolution. This eclipse is a prime time for humanity to do the work to abolish oppression and manifest universal peace, love, compassion, joy, healing, and liberation for all.

Under the power of this eclipse, We are focusing our thoughts and actions to manifest an end to the oppressive old world during this 21st century to bring in a new world and reality of universal peace, love, compassion, joy, healing, and liberation. We are all awakening to the divinity that lives within each and every one of us, inspiring us to take action to recycle the old oppressive world and transmute its negativity into the new universally liberated world that we all long for.

During this 21st century, We will put an end to the ongoing Palestinian genocide and colonization of Palestine, as well as the Zionist regime, Christian nationalism, Christian supremacy, Christofascism, and more. All individuals, organizations, corporations, and entities that enable Palestinian (and all other) oppression will have their influence, resources, capital, and power banished from them; these enablers will also receive sufficient divine punishment for their numerous crimes.

The Collective will continue to awaken, being enlightened with divine light, wisdom, and spiritual clarity. We are all open to channeling and transmitting the loving, peaceful, and liberating energy of the divine for the highest good of all! We will no longer support any individual, organization, corporation, or entity that enables and supports any form of oppression. The Collective is screaming for Palestine, Hawai’i, Turtle Island, Aotearoa, Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Iran, Iraq, Australia—DURING THIS 21ST CENTURY, EVERYONE WILL BE FREE TO EXPERIENCE THE UNIVERSAL LIBERATION WE HAVE ALL WORKED FOR!

With the renewing power of this eclipse, We the Collective will abolish all forms of oppression that run rampant throughout our universe, including the colonization of Turtle Island, Aotearoa, Palestine, Australia, and other lands; slavery, violence, land theft, war, crusades, genocide, cultural erasure, ecocide, racism, sexism, queerphobia, xenophobia, capitalism, classism, ableism, poverty, mass hunger, homelessness, and more. All these forms of oppression will cease to exist in the new reality of universal liberation thanks to the perseverant efforts of the Collective.

Humanity and all other organisms that We share the earth with (with the help of our ancestors, spirit guides, deities, what have you-) will collectively do the work to manifest us all a reality of universal love, peace, compassion, joy, healing, & liberation; this reality includes ecological restoration, land back, and decolonization; liberation of all indigenous peoples, cultures, lands, and languages; abolishing all forms of religious and spiritual oppression including sexism, queerphobia, xenophobia, racism, colonization, “mission work,” compulsory spiritual conversion, genocide, and more; abolishing capitalism and all other oppressive economic systems; promoting food sovereignty, climate change mitigation, and poverty reduction through local sustainable farming and foraging, native agroecology, agroforestry, and regenerative/indigenous farming; making sure everyone has a healthy home; taking care of ourselves *and* others; ensuring the survival of rural communities; ensuring the survival of all life on our planet.

In the 21st century of this Age of Aquarius, the Collective will ultimately manifest the abolishment of all oppression and the creation of universal peace, love, compassion, joy, healing, and liberation.

And it is so.

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rae-arachne · 3 months

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🕸the spider's gaze: horror film reviews🕸

Welcome to the spider's gaze, where I pluck something from the Cave of Carnography and see what it has to say about drugs, sex, violence, and the human condition. Tonight's film...

American Mary (2012)

(Does the Dog Die) (🏴‍☠️)

Horror: 4/5 (Very gory at times but only rarely horrific)

Horny/Homoerotic: 3/5 (the sex is not very sexy. the surgery and blood however...)

Good as in well constructed: 2.5/5

Good as in I like it: 4.5/5

Overall: A-

Summary: American Mary is a movie that is obsessed with the body and the things people do to it. It sees sex as violence, surgery as sadism, and extreme body modifications as love. It's part the story of an impoverished medical student overcoming the sexism of the medical field to do great things, and part the story of the birth and death of a monster. It is a modern classic to me.

The movie opens with close up, almost erotic, shots of a turkey having surgery done on it to the sound of classical music, so you know you are in for a ride right away. We soon learn that Mary is a medical student who is the granddaughter of a Budapest immigrant and is plagued with financial troubles. These troubles are relieved one night when she goes into a strip club looking to become a dancer, and leaves as an emergency, off the books surgeon and extreme body modifier. At first reluctant to accept this role that has been thrust onto her, Mary soon dives in head first after being assaulted by one of her professors and subsequently dropping out of medical school and taking revenge on her assaulter.

This is where a lot of people might be turned off of American Mary, and see it as another "woman scorned" story, and that is definitely valid. But what I love about it is that it never seems like this story line removes Mary's agency. She never becomes a complete monster or loses herself. She does plenty of fucked up shit, and becomes petty and dangerous and sadistic, but she also tries to help people become their "true selves" through the power of extreme body mods. She really feels like an underdog trying to improve the world with the skills at her disposal.

Dr.Mary Mason (if Frankenstein can be refereed to as a doctor, so can Mary) is a slasher on the order of Norman Bates and honestly should have been just as impactful. Unfortunately, this movie came out about 10-15 years too late for that to have happened. She is iconic and unique in everything. Katharine Isabelle pulls off the complexity and contradictions of the character beautifully and makes her unlike any "woman turned monstrous by the patriarchy."

Personally, the character of Lance, who becomes Mary's bodyguard, is my favorite. I love a big softy who is capable of incredible violence, and this line gets me every time. It is delivered perfectly.

I do agree that the ending leaves something to be desired, as does the toxic straight-yuri plotline that goes nowhere. Dr.Mary is eventually killed by the husband of one of her clients after he finds out she has been "dollified". While this does have thematic appropriateness (the theme of men only valuing women when they can provide them with sex) it does feel anticlimactic. This is a movie that leaves you wanting more in a bad way. If Mary had miraculously survived and disappeared into the night, Michael Myers style, that would have felt more complete. As it is, it feels a bit disappointing that she can never escape patriarchal violence.

It is still a love letter to the alternative freaks, creeps and sickos trying to make it in the world, and something of a comfort movie to me.

#rae writes #the spider's gaze #horror #horror films #alternative #american mary #film review #carnography

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gaymer-hag-stan · 1 year

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In anticipation of today's Winner, I wanna share my three all time favourite Eurovision acts

1. Ruslana - 🇺🇦 Ukraine - 2004 - Wild Dances

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An absolute LEGEND. Queen gave it her all. This is such a powerful performance. A true classic. She is powerful and she commands the stage.

2. Helena Paparizou - 🇬🇷 Greece - My Number One - 2005

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This is not out of national bias. She is an absolute legend. The Lyra part is one of the most iconic gimmicks in the history of the contest. She looks hot, she can sing, she can dance. Amazing.

3. Sertab Erener - 🇹🇷 Turkey - Everyway That I Can - 2003

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This is actually the first winner I have childhood memories of. The first show I actually watched was 2004 but I still remember seeing her on TV afterwards. At the time I couldn't understand the lyrics and, admittedly, a woman begging for her lover to get back with her is not it BUT! Hear me out. Sertab is such a commanding force on stage that it cancels out the sexism. Yes she is begging for her former man but, I mean look at her. She is powerful, she is a queen. She will fuck him up if he tries anything funny. The impact of her iconic dance break is still felt today, I mean Sacha Jean-Baptiste literally had Remo Forrer do the exact same bondage thing this year, and the part where she goes "HA!" before belly dancing is peak Eurovision.

Y'all are either too young to remember them or have shit taste, because I barely see them get the recognition and acknowledgement they deserve online and I'm here to change that.

This was the strongest string of consecutive girl boss winners and I honestly can only hope we can ever reach this level of excellence again. Sing in your native language, sing in English, sing in Swahili, I don't care, just PLEASE bring in girl bop songs with an ethnic vibe much much more often and then PLEASE, tasteless Europe, show proper respect to the actual Queens of the contest and vote for songs like that more often and give them higher placings!

That's the herstory lesson for today. Dismissed.

#Eurovision #Ruslana #Helena Paparizou #Sertab Erener #Ukraine #Greece #Turkey #ESC #Eurovision Song Contest #Youtube

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madtomedgar · 10 months

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books read in June:

Orlando, Virginia Woolf: Third time’s the charm for actually finishing this I guess. It’s very whimsical. I had thought it was just Orlando who didn’t age, but it’s most of the characters, because, I think, they are all representatives of aspects of “the age” or a zeitgeist, and Orlando, I believe, is the English Spirit. The way Woolf treats the Tudor era as a kind of quasi-historical, quasi-legendary sandbox was very interesting, and got me thinking about how different historical periods take on a fairy-tale quality in different cultures. The one I tend to associate with that type of gilbly ahistorical playfulness is the “Medieval” period of Europe, or the “Regency” period of England, so it was interesting seeing an author from the 1920s doing this with a different period, because which period gets that treatment shifts with time. The way she writes Orlando’s gender change is both more modern than I was expecting and also very much a meditation on sexism and gender-roles first, and a story about “what if sex and gender were fluid” second. There is, however, a ton of racism, anti-Romani racism and orientalism baked into the crust of the story. Orlando’s sex change is brought on in Turkey, possibly by their marriage to a “gypsy” woman, and then the newly female Orlando spends many years wandering with some more “gypsies” who live in a mythical state of gender equality and shun wealth and art. Yeah. I did think it was interesting that the way Woolf, an English person writing in the early 20th century, described the Ottoman empire of the 1600s was as a generic orientalist fantasy, where these exotic backwards brown people a prone to dangerous and ignorant superstition and religious fervor, unlike the English people living there. This is, of course, how someone living in the late British Empire would see any culture that wasn’t theirs. It is NOT how an English person from the 1600s would have seen the Ottoman empire at all. (The Ottoman Empire in the 1600s was seen a exotic, yes, but also geopolitically dangerous, someone your country had a history of war with and who could not only hold their own, but take territory and people in “Christian” countries, a major and important trading partner with advanced goods, and religiously also very dangerous. There was a preoccupation with Ottoman women who were seen as both cloistered and loose because of the stereotypes and misconceptions around harems and also assumptions stemming from their ways of dress being different from European standards for women’s clothing.) There was also a point where you could feel Woolf wanting to take the sex change in the direction of lesbianism, but pulling back and instead having Orlando become a reluctant heterosexual. An interesting and mostly fun read, but very much a product of an English middle class late imperial author.

Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde: Easily one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read, and I’m kicking myself it took me that long to read it. One of the reasons I drug my feet was that I am very used to seeing Lorde’s words as pithy slogans used by other progressives in ways that shut down dialogue, and I had assumed they were using her words in the spirit in which they were written. They were not. Her commitment to accepting differences, and using those differences as a starting point for growth and for relationship was astounding and enlightening and not something I feel like I see often. I was also struck by her commitment to critique and anger as avenues for repair rather than cudgels to silence other people with. Her essays on her trips to the USSR and Grenada were also very enlightening. (I am aware that her purpose in writing was not to enlighten me, but that was the effect nonetheless). Overall, some of the most powerful clear-eyed prose I’ve ever encountered. I think there are some parts of this that have not aged the best, however. Her letter to Mary Daly, while a master-class in how to communicate with someone you are in community with who has harmed you along lines of oppressed identity who you still want to be in community with, does praise a lot of what is written in Gyn/Ecology while calling out the racism in it. There’s a non-negligible amount of talk about spiritual power and magic that I was able to parse as basic hippie and specifically Black hippie stuff with a feminist bent that I know writers who claim to be feminists but aren’t have taken as support for their divine womb weirdness. I do also think it’s necessary to look at this as a historical document. Spirituality was big on the left in the 70s. Its not surprising that many feminists in the 70s were also exploring that. Spirituality and religion had been largely on male terms up to that point. It’s not stupid that part of the explosion of feminist projects included trying to create a woman-focused and centered spirituality or try to recenter women in religious practice in a way that wasn’t just slotting women into the current system. The necessary reckoning between feminism and trans liberation hadn’t happened yet when most of these essays were being written, so there is a big blind spot there, though much of what she says is very applicable to trans liberation struggles. So, one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read, period.

Inside the Money Machine, Minnie Bruce Pratt: I’m glad I found this book (by accident, in the used section of a poetry bookshop). The poems are very approachable for someone who isn’t used to reading much poetry, and they are all portraits and explorations of the alienation and in/dignity of employment and unemployment in the USA, specifically from a working class perspective. I found every one of them struck a chord, and I think it’s a crying shame that Leslie Feinberg is a household name in specifically Queer circles, but Minnie Bruce Pratt (Leslie’s long-term partner and spouse) is not, especially among people who consider themselves champions of femmes. Anyway. “Inside the Money Machine” is amazing.”

Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado: Some of the stories in here were very good, and I would like to see more from this author, especially if she leans more into horror/sci-fi. Some of them did that Thing that I’ve noticed debut collections of short stories do where they write incredibly mundane things with this air of vague menace that I think is supposed to be a more intellectual or literary way of doing horror or thriller? And I’m unfortunately not a fan of that. It was cool the first few times I saw it but mostly I’m left feeling like there was all this build up and no pay off, because in these stories nothing bad actually happens, and that’s supposed to Say Something, but I never quite get what, I guess. I did think she very effectively crafted feminist horror, where the horror was men’s entitlement, or beauty standards, or the way society demands a particular type of gendered self-erasure from women. Good, but I’m not sure I get why it won the National Book Award.

Written on the Body: Jeanette Winterson: So other than Winterson deciding to take whatever she misremembered about Jewish people and create a Dickensian caricature with that (bad, don’t do this), it was a great read and exactly what I come to Winterson for, namely that extravagant interiority and rich prose. I applaud Winterson’s effort to write a narrator that could have been any gender, but personally, I don’t buy the narrator as a cis man. I don’t think that’s a flaw, just that it’s interesting that the author’s project stumbled on that wrung because of how she wrote the romance. The story is steeped in eroticism, which is especially seductive because all descriptions of sex must remain vague to support the original conceit. It forces the author to abandon any cheap shorthand of sexiness and instead find ways for everything to be erotic. It is the opposite of “everything is pornographic and nothing is erotic” and I very much enjoyed that.

#long post

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wishblown · 1 year

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And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep.

— Kurt Vonnegut; Slaughterhouse-Five

February Reads!

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib — 5/5: what a collection!!!!! hanif!!!!! so good, so important, so packed with heart, memory, feeling, and history — written to perfection. the interplay of pain and love and perseverance and plain connection put so well into words. also an incredible collection of essays on black history in the performing arts (in America) which was super interesting to learn about

From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming — 2.5/5: Fleming my worstie </3 what’s with him and Bulgarians??? also what happened to him in Turkey wtf??? it’s so xenophobic it’s absurd. (not to mention the sexism but in a way that’s also used against Bond to bring him down?) the raw plot is good though!!!! loved the plotting and scheming parts in the SU. Fleming why are you like this

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut — 4.75/5: ever read a book that introduces a concept, a thought, that resonates so deeply with you, a thought that you thought only you’d had before, a way of thinking about the world you believed you were alone in, and then it’s suddenly just out there, put into words? anyway, the Trafalmadorian concept of time, am I right? iykyk. what a human book.

#hanif abdurraqib #reading diary #read in 2023 #ian fleming #kurt vonnegut #lit #books #booklr #bookblr #readblr #reading #me #storygraph #goodreads #mine

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hagiographer13 · 1 year

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AC Community Relief

Ubisoft issues and OG AC dude sexism aside, sometimes we all can come together and help those in need ... This is a great way to join in solidarity with other Assassin's Creed fans and try to help the people in Turkey and Syria impacted by the recent earthquakes.

https://accommunityrelief.org/

#Save the Children #Assassin's Creed

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froggy-1988 · 1 year

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Thing that made me want quit the internet and society on whole this week:

Stating that though one historian has labelled Queen Charlotte a black queen many historians disagree as her moor ancestors were like 14 generations previously - and being called racist - seriously -from pointing out one historians reading of evidence doesn't make it necessarily true.

I suggested that some children's education benefits from holidays (my family always took trips to historical places) and got a barrage of messages about how all parents do is leave their kids in creches, lay on beaches, and get drunk....

Watched a loads of people 'diagnose' five year old Prince Louise with ADHD because after sitting quietly through a two hour ceremony he fidgeted whilst posing for photos and waving to people.... Honestly, that's just being five and if he was neurodivergent so what, but no trained psychologist would make that call from a two minute video unless they were a total quack.

I trained as a historian- disagreeing with other historians is literally what we do, but the evidence on Queen Charlotte is sparse and though a handful of people at the time said she was unattractive like a mulatto - because hey they were racist - she was a woman in a great position of power so people were going to insult her looks and question her parentage as men are always going to try to bully and undermine women in power - in the era she lived a cheap way of doing that was to sneakily suggest she was the product of a black man, not a true princess but the daughter of an affair partner.

Was it possible she had African features due to her ancestors? Absolutely, sometimes features skip lots of generations, and paintings of her when she was quite young - well you can see that she has some features that are more African than Caucasian, painting of her in older age seem to lack these though and it can be very difficult to judge what a person looked like from a painting because they were not always true to life and often had some hidden political messages - if you look at official photos of royal families you'll see that many of them are sending strong messages - the people most important to the monarchy at the centre others on the outside is an easy example. King Charles photoed under a tree highlights his commitment to nature in a year where he invested heavily in green energy ect... In paintings at a time when a lot of people wouldn't get to actually see the King or Queen in person they had a lot more freedom to paint what they wanted rather than what was in front of them.

Was it possible she was the product of an affair and actually mixed race? I don't really know the circumstances around her birth but perhaps.

Are men always going to take down a woman in power - absolutely.

Do people often question the parentage of members of royal families to undermine them? Oh yes, Prince Harry is often said to be the product of an affair and some people suggest our late Queen Elizabeth was the product of a gay footman and a turkey baster.

What is my actual opinion: I think given that she was German, given she was a Princess, and given her line of ancestors- Queen Charlotte would have classed herself as Caucasian so I class her as Caucasian - I was always taught to use the words that people used to describe themselves as a sign of respect - I think she was probably pale skinned with some African features popping up either because somewhere along the line she had more moor blood than history records or because genes are funny things and sometimes pop up generations down the line. I think she faced bullying because she was a woman in power and there is some racism underlying that but a whole heap of sexism - whatever her heritage she was going to face people being horrid to her because she was a woman in power.

We can still celebrate Princesses we know we're black like Queen Victoria's adopted daughter -

Or Princess Angela of Lichtenstein:

Or not entirely royal but very high up in English Aristocracy Emma Thynn Marchioness of Bath.

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audreygcblog · 2 years

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The Lady versus the Man

Pope makes love to Lady Mary Montagu, 1852. Print from oil on canvas original at Auckland City Art Gallery

Who was Lady Mary Wortley Montagu?

After reading Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's Turkish Letters in class, I had to know more about this woman who traveled and published her writing despite the negative bias against women participating in what they considered a man's area of expertise. She was born in 1689 and was the daughter of the 5th Earl of Kingston and Lady Mary Fielding (a cousin of the novelist Henry Fielding). Throughout her adult life in 1700s Europe, she was known as a traveler, essayist, poet, feminist, and, by her male colleagues, an eccentric. She was a highly intelligent woman who had not only widely read literature to her name but also was known for her work in the medical field. Her fascination with smallpox derived from the unfortunate marring of her beauty by the disease. While in Turkey, she discovered the Turkish practice of inoculation and brought it back to Europe. Unfortunately, her work on inoculations was stolen by men who worked in the medical field in England. Montagu's battle with the men in her line of work was nothing new. Her ideas about women and medical knowledge made her an object of ridicule by the men who felt threatened by her. From her worst enemies to her closest friends, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's progressive ideas had her society turning against her.

The Frenemy

One of the most notable rivalries between Montagu and one of her male contemporaries is her rivalry with her friend, Alexander Pope. Pope and Montagu met while she was traveling with her husband who was a member of Parliament. Later on, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Alexander Pope, and John Gay became friends and shared their works with one another. Unsurprisingly, Pope was enthralled by Montagu's intelligence and witty personality. While traveling he wrote letters to her, hoping they could meet up. However, Montagu was not as interested in him as he was in her. It was even rumored that when Alexander Pope confessed his love to her, she laughed at the absurdity of the confession. It's clear that this rejection was a blow to the ego of Pope. Afterward, Pope went on to mock her writings on feminism and her progressive ideas in his satirical works. The piece most obviously addressed towards her is in Pope's most famous work, Dunciad, where he describes her as a prostitute that is made fun of for her feministic ideals. Although she wrote poetic responses to his criticisms, Montagu quickly abandoned their poetic warfare. Montagu saw how Pope was enjoying her responses as if they were simply a form of entertainment, and Montagu was not going to give him the satisfaction of thinking he got under her skin. Instead, she let him continue to make a fool of himself. His bitter and sexist writing would, later on, show modern audiences how petty and hurt he was when he did not get his way with Montagu.

The Opponent

Alexander Pope was not the only well-known writer that had beef with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Johnathan Swift, the satirist best known for Gulliver's Travels and "A Modest Proposal", wrote his poem "The Lady's Dressing Room" in 1732. "The Lady's Dressing Room" follows a man entering a woman's dressing room without permission. He then proceeds to discover all of her hygiene and grooming products, along with her dirty laundry and area for relieving herself. At the end of the poem, he concludes that women are disgusting and are simply lying to men when they dress themselves up and put on make-up. Montagu took to the pen and called Swift out for his sexism and misogyny in her poem "The Reasons that Induced Dr. S. to Write a Poem Call'd the Lady's Dressing Room". The poem describes the protagonist called the Doctor, referring to Swift, and his attempts to woo a prostitute named Betty. When he fails to enamor her, he angrily blames her for his sexual failures and vows to write "The Lady's Dressing Room" about her. To which she wittily replies, "I'm glad you'll write. / You'll furnish paper when I shite," referring to the male speaker's disgusted reaction to discovering the lady in the dressing room defecated like a human being. Montagu's poem addresses the ridiculousness of Swift's misogyny and observes why he reacts with such an absurd attack on the female gender.

Fragile Masculinity

Both Pope Alexander Pope's and Johnathan Swift's misogynistic writings stemmed from one thing in common: rejection. It is a common consensus that Pope's sudden switch from being close friends with Montagu to being one of her biggest critics is due to his bruised ego after being rejected by her.

For Johnathan Swift, Montagu straight-up calls him out for attacking women because of feeling emasculated after being rejected. Montagu is open about the Doctor in "The Reasons that Induced Dr. S. to Write a Poem Call'd the Lady's Dressing Room" being Swift. After the Doctor can't perform in bed, he tries to blame his failures in his sexual life on Betty. After vowing to write "The Lady's Dressing Room", it is clear to the audience that this is Montagu's way of accusing Swift's misogynistic writing of being a response to rejection from a woman.

Although Alexander Pope and Johnathan Swift continued on to be celebrated writers, Montagu's critiques on their sexist ideas and writings would become important works of literature that helped further the feminist movement. Without her observations on the toxic masculine ideas that flourished in her society, other women may not have been able to deduce the roots of the sexism in their societies.

Conclusion

In both instances, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was able to point out the direct cause of Alexander Pope's and Johnathan Swift's fits of rage against the female gender. It makes me wonder how many male writers and artists included sexist and misogynistic rhetoric without being corrected by anyone. Without women like Montagu, perhaps we would not have come as far as we have in addressing such issues as misogyny and sexism in literature and other writings today.

#Spotify

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minetteskvareninova · 2 years

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What are the most misogynistic things about MC?

...really only throwing the softest of balls at me today, aren't you OP? It's very hard to think of "the most misogynistic" stuff, since authorial sexism in this show is usually as subtle as it is fucking constant. Its treatment of gender nonconforming women, especially action girls, Nigar's whole situation, especially by the end, Isabela Fortuna... There's a lot that I could point to, and honestly sexism in Magnificent Century could make for a series of exceptionally long metas. It's also hard and ultimately unproductive to assess which instances of sexism are worse than others. So sorry for ultimately not being able to answer your question, OP. Hope you have a nice day (or rather next day, seeing as it's already evening in Turkey too).

#magnificent century #answered asks

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musings-of-a-lit-student · 9 months

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The Sheik: Part 5

Disclaimer: I don’t own Maus or any of Spiegelman’s work. I have attached the photos from the work itself, but do not claim to own the scanned version either. I highly recommend purchasing the book to support the original author. My thoughts do not represent the author's work and are merely my own interpretations.

Warning: MAUS is a graphic novel based on the author’s father’s experiences during the holocaust and includes anecdotes and scenes including violence, blood which may be considered triggering.

Introduction: The work MAUS by Art Spiegelman is a novel that tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman and his experiences during the holocaust using an allegory and parallel storylines to depict the Vladek's past and Artie's present as he hears the story from his father. This work includes an autobiographical and biographical element due to the inclusion of two main characters - Vladek and Artie. Spiegelman makes the decision to introduce himself as a character in the work as a mouthpiece for himself.

Main Characters: Artie: The author Vladek: Artie's father Anja: Artie's mother Mala: Vladek's second wife Françoise: Artie's wife

Navigation ->The Sheik Masterlist -> Previous Part

MAUS by Art Spiegelman

Points of Interest:

Opulence

A reference to Anja's wealthy family is seen by Spiegelman's artwork, since he presents both a chandelier and a turkey in the bottom panel. This is a striking and gorgeous image, developing a picture of happiness. However as the book goes on and the jews fall into dire straits, Spiegelman uses this image to create more contrast to highlight the aftermath of the holocaust.

Housekeeper

Vladek checking Anja's closet violates her privacy on so many levels. Additionally the sexism ingrained in him is seen, since he refers to the role as housekeeper. Spiegelman doesn't conceal the unsightliness of his father's actions and even emphasises it with his drawing out the cupboard in detail to bring out his flaws and mindset.

Illness

There's an awkward ambiguity to Vladek's dialogue when he discusses the possibility of Anja being sick. "If she was sick then what did I need it for?" creates confusion since Vladek's broken English resurfaces. It could refer to the note of the medicines which makes the sentence more confusing. Since it suggests that Anja being sick means knowing what her medicines is unnecessary. It could also mean that the engagement is pointless knowing she is sick, or that Anja herself isn't needed if sick. Either way knowing of her sickly stature does her no favours and brings on Vladek's disappointment.

Shadow

The interruption of the party with Vladek's "Ach" jolts the reader out of the story, and the reintroduction of Lucia from the back like a shadow to make her look more villainous. This is a strange retelling and the chapter seems to jolt back and forth to highlight Anja's greatness and Lucia's villainy which Spiegelman heightens this with his art.

Lucia

This scene is callback to the title card of the chapter and it is a reveal to the readers about Vladek's character. This depiction puts Lucia at a position of submission and desperation. While she can barely lift her snout above the panel, Vladek is standing upright and Spiegelman makes them bleed (move out of the panel) at different levels to emphasise the hierarchy. Furthermore the movement of Vladek's shoe to be further away from her between the two panels creates a sense of abandonment. The division of the panel to show Lucia at the same level as Vladek's feet creates more unequal and dismal image. Finally leaving Lucia alone in the panel on the floor, highlighting the "slam" with large and fat text, Spiegelman emphasises on Vladek's cruel abandonment and mistreatment of her.

Next part

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blackleopardgirl · 1 year

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hey everyone 11/28/22

since it is THEIR day, i just want to say that i have learned A LOT from March of this year. i learned a lot about their original culture, their music, dance, and approach to life. i really do enjoy seeing how close-knit their families are, and how dedicated they are to improving their countries and the people who live in their country's lives. i know i may have seemed a little harsh in the past but it's just because well- w there were a lot of problems... like a lot. like blackface, making racist comments about other people, and the sexism that's extreme there. the amon\ of profound ignorance. BUT they're trying and that's what really matters.

i think that musically, still what would help them would be:

a vocal coach seeing and spending time with them ONCE A WEEK!!!! (THEY NEED IT)

instrumentalists wit their original songs constantly.

stage training BootCamp. like for a month just train.

media training for some of hem (more simling and warm faces whenver you see people)

focus more on THEIR original sound

GHOST WRITERS EVERYWHERE!!!!!\

learn to play an instrument it'll make you more inteliegne tbaout music

tour either Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Colombia (not Columbia idiot!), The United States: Chicago, Miami, LA, Philly, or Turkey.

watch a documentary on those countries to see WHY it's so nasty that you use their culture as a costume and speak to someone from there about it. tell us what you learned.

dance studios!!!! immediatley

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filaantrocrowdfunding · 2 years

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https://filaantro.org/blog/international-youth-day/

International Youth Day, often known as World Youth Day, is one of the awareness days observed on August 12th. This day is observed to highlight the significance and hard work of the youth, as well as to call attention to the cultural and legal concerns that our children face. International Youth Day is one of the most significant days for promoting various ways to engage the young people in our community in order to be more responsible for our society.

The globe has been (and will continue to be) confronted with numerous changes and problems. Let us focus on some of the most significant ones: conflicts (Syria, Afghanistan), pandemics (globally), humanitarian charities (globally - primarily in Africa), political unrest, and natural catastrophes (earthquakes – Mexico, Turkey, Albania, Indonesia.)

According to the United Nations, the goal of International Youth Day 2022 is to spread the idea that all generations must work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leave no one behind. It also aims to increase awareness about specific impediments to intergenerational solidarity, such as ageism, which affects both young and elderly people while having a negative influence on society as a whole.

Ageism is a pernicious and frequently neglected issue in health, human rights, and development that affects both older and younger populations worldwide. Furthermore, ageism frequently overlaps with other types of bias (such as racism and sexism) and affects people in ways that hinder them from reaching their full potential and contributing fully to their community.

This year's International Youth Day has the topic "Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health." The goal is to emphasise that the success of such a worldwide endeavour would not be possible without the active engagement of young people.

We recognise the need for inclusive support structures to guarantee that kids continue to participate and volunteer individually or collectively to repair the world. It also emphasises the need of incorporating biodiversity into the transformation of food systems. The population continues to grow, and it is possible that it may reach 2 billion in the next 30 years. It is understood that merely producing more food in a more sustainable manner would not secure human and planetary well-being. Poverty alleviation, social inclusion, healthcare, biodiversity protection, and climate change mitigation are all critical problems.

According to the United Nations Global Identify on Ageism, which was released in March 2021, despite a paucity of study, young people continue to report age-related impediments in numerous areas of their lives such as work, political involvement, health, and justice. Intergenerational interventions are also identified as one of the three major techniques to combat ageism in the study. Intergenerational activities can also foster a stronger feeling of social connectivity and intergenerational solidarity.

Solidarity among generations is essential for long-term development. As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 epidemic, it is critical to understand and overcome these age-related hurdles in order to "build back better" by using the skills and experience of all generations.

Why does today’s youth need to be educated?

Education is a life-changing factor: Education for the youth is the vehicle through which they may quench their hunger for fulfilling their potential. As crucial members of society, adolescents should be provided with the greatest possible education and assisted with favourable conditions to be an asset to the community and participate actively in its growth via the attainment of their talents. In today's globalised and knowledge-based world, every young person should be given the chance to contribute to society while reaching their full potential.

As per United Nations, worldwide, 10.6% of young people are illiterate, lacking fundamental math and reading abilities, and so unable to earn a livelihood through full and decent employment. With youth unemployment and underemployment rates chronically high over the world, and many young working poor without even primary-level education, such rates of youth unemployment and underemployment undermine societal inclusion, cohesiveness, and stability.

Education policies, curriculum, and training programmes must be people-centred and aligned with national development objectives and needs, international development initiatives, and labour market requirements. This will improve the status of young people, combat severe poverty, and maximise the benefits of globalisation for youth.

Youth growth is hampered by the ongoing gender disparity in schooling. Gender disparity in education is defined by a lack of access to and availability of gender-sensitive educational infrastructure, resources, and training programmes, as well as a high dropout rate among females in secondary school.

Youth of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow: Today's young are students, but tomorrow they will either lead or instruct. Education is a "give-and-take" process and transaction. Education for all aspects of life is passed down from generation to generation. So, if the current generation is properly educated and instructed, the next generation will undoubtedly be even more educated and instructed. Youth should be adequately educated since they will assume leadership and larger duties in the future. They will be the leaders of tomorrow's society and country.

Start your crowdfunding campaign to full fill the dreams of the next generation or sponsor their dream careers. Donate to inspire the youth’s entrepreneurship skills. Be the change that you want to see tomorrow.

“The power of youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people”.

-Kailash Satyarthi

Author: Lubdha Dhanopia

#filaantro #fundraising #crowdfunding #charity #education #nonprofits #raise funds #donate #donations #volunteering

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voidingintotheshout · 2 years

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I hate the Taliban. I think everyone knows that they don’t actually represent actual Islam at all but I feel like this is a good time to mention some thing that I covered in an earlier post, maybe a week ago where I explained that there are two standards in Islam. There is a mandatory (based on the Qur’an) that is fairly loose and lax, and then there is the highly recommended standard (based on testimonials from the time of Prophet Muhammad called Hadiths, which is incredibly restrictive and often misleadingly interpreted and applied). Here, the Taliban are taking an incredibly highly restrictive optional stance as the mandatory. Men and women both need to cover up a certain amount of their body in Islam if they are around members of the opposite sex that are not their family. Men need to cover from above the belly button to below the knee so most swimsuits and workout gear are out. Women need to be covered except for hands and head, with some societies saying that below the knee and some amount of arm is OK (turkey, Indonesia, etc.). The Taliban are forcing women into a restrictive optional standard against their will so this is bullshit and has nothing to do with Islam this is just sexism and patriarchy in a religion hat. It makes me so sad because I’ve met a couple of Afghans and they are the nicest people and it hurts that a lot of the Afghans that are stuck there will have to suffer under Taliban rule for a very long time while the Taliban try to radicalize children into their hardline jihadist agenda. This news is not a surprise but it is still very depressing.

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crazyaboutto · 3 years

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Why Istanbul Convention is must have in Turkey

Oh hey it’s me, once again talking about Istanbul Convention! Why? Because 1) I’m Turkish woman 2) I’m a decent human being that can’t turn blind eye to something that’s against human rights

They withdrew from Istanbul Convention because it’s against family and religious values. Again FUCK THEM!

Do you want to know what the political leaders of the government party says about women? Some of them got replaced in recent years but the thoughts are still same.

Here are the original and translations:

“I already don’t believe in women-men equality. The violence against women is exaggerated” - President

“If the mother is raped, what’s the crime of the child? Let the mother die!”

“The unemployment rate is high because women are looking for jobs.” - Minister of finance

“The woman must be chaste, mustn’t laugh in the crowd.” - Vice president

“Aren’t the jobs at home enough for ladies?” - Minister of forestry and water affairs

Side note: Here “jobs” is used for “chores at home” such as ironing, cooking, taking care of child etc

Also normally, “bayan” is used for “woman” when you address to someone such as in letters etc. however, It’s sexist to use it when you refer someone’s gender because these men use “woman” as “girl who lost her virginity”. Basically they Act as if “woman” is something to be ashamed of.

“The rapist is more innocent than a woman who has abortion.”

“The one who gets raped should bear the child. If necessary, the government will take care of the child.” - Former minister of Health

“Mothers shouldn’t put any career but motherhood career in their center.” - Former minister of health

“When girls get education, men can’t find girl to marry.”

The ideology of men who run the country is this!

Now Istanbul Convention is out of the way! What do you think will happen to Turkish women now?

Help us to spread awareness about Istanbul Convention!

How to help:

Make Istanbul Convention or Istanbul Sözleşmesi trend on tumblr so we can get mass attention

Go to Twitter and use #istanbulsozlesmesiyasatir in tweets so it can be trending worldwide

Sign the petition in the notes

#istanbul convention #istanbul sözleşmesi #human rights #women's rights #women rights #feminism #femicide #turkey #türkiye #sexism

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