#what do you mena this isn't canon | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

olderthannetfic · 12 days

Note

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/749680765765337088/a-food-but-in-this-context-it-doesnt-really#notes

Ohhh, it's good to have a term for this. Out of curiosity, what would you say is the line between like.... not whitewashing a character, reflecting their culture, not just Writing Them Like a White Person.... vs. giving into these kinds of stereotypes?

I'm in a fandom with a prominent MENA character who is one of the more popular characters in fanfic, and this character largely isn't defined around "his culture" in the canon. A lot of people see this as a problem to correct. I think sometimes that they could do some thinking for why a non-white character needs to be "close to their culture" and they don't similarly do this for white characters who come from specific countries, but I get that some of this is coming from people from that background who want to see themselves represented better in media and are tired of their culture being erased. To me the difference between what I've seen in fic from those people reflecting their real-world experiences (or also, non-MENA people who are more informed) is that there's an awareness of how modern culture is not the same as traditional culture, and how most real people do some picking and choosing of what practices they embrace and which they are could do without. The stuff where you can tell it's an ignorant person trying to be "progressive" but just being Orientalist is when they feel like they have to check off every single box for what it is to be "Middle Eastern" to them, and all those boxes just so happen to coincide with media stereotypes. I was wondering if you thought that was the line too or if you also had some other ideas about how to avoid the "space tamales" thing.

The biggest help is just to write a three-dimensional character with internal motivations that make sense. A decent amount of stereotypical tripe is the result of weak writing skills. But yes, thinking there's one specific standard for a group and needing them to be very different and marked is a lot of the issue.

The space!tamales problem shows up heavily when people do things like conflate completely different cultures (Latin America has more than just Mexico in it) and when they completely ignore canon to graft on what they think of as "authentic" (many canons set in space are not actually set in the future of our earth, and the ones that are are often set many centuries in the future when cultures will have changed).

The equivalent would be the Old Guard fandom thinking that people from the Crusades era are going to strongly identify with the modern cultures from their places of origin. I mean, they might... if they've been living there lately... But that's certainly not the only possible interpretation, and they're absolutely not going to be equivalent to a current 30-something from there.

37 notes · View notes

essayofthoughts · 1 year

Note

canonically, is percy the type of person that’s too embarrassed/stuffy to say “i love you” or show pda to vex in public?

You seem to be asking for a straightforward ruling and sadly, I cannot give you one because you're assuming the factors in play and assuming, so far as I can tell, wrongly.

Percy is a very private person. He's hesitant to show affection to anyone, even Keyleth - his best friend and one of the only people he reliably accepts hugs from in the whole group. Even Vex's kisses to his cheek make him blushy and stuttery before they get together, but it's not really about him being embarrassed or stuffy - it's upbringing and trauma.

The man was tortured, remember. He has every reason to be incredibly iffy about touch, especially non-consensual touch, from relative strangers and people he doesn't like or trust.

Additionally, Percy has said before "We didn't touch in my family," and Taliesin has elaborated that he was kind of riffing on a British/Prussian idea of stoicism and not showing affection much even within family. Percy isn't really that opposed to physical affection, he's just more used to verbal expression of affection and gift-giving, and was probably taught that needing physical affection was childish - everyone else's liking for it (aside, notably, from Vex) probably contributed to his feeling like the only adult in the room.

He rarely initiates hugs - usually only when he's drunk or highly emotional or both and usually with Keyleth - and rarely initiates physical affection at all - other exceptions being things like the kiss with Vex - and has been known to recoil from physical affection with certain people - Tiberius after the Slayer's Take; one can point out Percy was recovering from injuries, but he did also accept Keyleth hugs then despite that. We also know that when in a bad mood with someone - Keyleth, after he got blinded because of her - he can be more standoffish, because Percy is a prickly bastard sometimes, especially when he feels hurt or betrayed.

I mean, why wouldn't he? The most significant time he was hurt and betrayed, his personal tutor betrayed his whole family and he was tortured. What started out as probably a mild teenage defensiveness has been drastically amplified by severe trauma.

Further, Percy has his own self-worth issues; combined with his upbringing he is very unlikely to impose his desires on others especially where they relate to affection. It gets easier the longer and better he knows someone - hence his increased ease hugging Keyleth over the course of the campaign, and how he's perfectly comfortable going arm in arm with Vex at several points.

And tying back to what I said earlier - Percy is fine with verbal expressions of affection; it's actually the thing he's most comfortable with - and even sometimes tips his hand with, because he can be so verbally expressive. Who here remembers "Never forget you're my favourite and I'm so sorry"? Verbal affection is far and away what Percy is most comfortable with, closely followed by gift-giving. His awkwardness around physical affection isn't stuffiness or embarrassment - it's his upbringing and his trauma. He gets more affectionate as it goes on and while his sense of privacy means he clearly has some ideas of what is and isn't appropriate - "This is a deeply inappropriate convincing mena-mechanism and it is working" when Vex is holding his face in front of everyone to convince him to come with her to Elysium - he also has no compunctions being sickeningly cute with her verbally and kissing her in public - remember the debate over who gets death ward? And the fact that, when told to "Just kiss already" both Laura and Taliesin just went "we do"?

So, TL;DR: It's not embarrassment or stuffiness that makes Percy hesitant with physical affection, it's his upbringing and trauma, and over time, he gets increasingly at ease with it when it's people he likes and trusts. Verbal affection, meanwhile, is absolutely one of his most preferred ways to express affection, and he is absolutely unstinting in it.

He's never going to be unable to say "I love you" to Vex in public - when fighting Thordak he goes out of his way to reassure Vex that of all the things he regrets, being with her and showing his love for her is not one of those things. Percy is deeply considerate of his loved ones (if not always the most reliable about it with others and people he's drifted from, see: Cassandra) and, knowing her self-worth issues, he is never going to let Vex doubt he loves her. He may have compunctions about certain forms of publicly shown affection, due to his upbringing and the etiquette he was raised with and his sense of privacy, but he also knows how easily some of that could, for Vex, butt up against her feeling unwanted or like something to be ashamed of and hidden, and he will never ever contribute to those feelings. Percy loves Vex, is aware of her self-worth issues and the trauma she gained from Syngorn, and will do everything in his power to reassure her and help her feel loved. Even if that means he feels uncomfortable - before Umbrasyl, the soot facepaint, Percy refusing until Vex draws a line down his face and his only response is "I feel violated but thank you".

Percy has his hangups, but he will always end up doing all he can to set those aside if he thinks they'll hurt Vex. He loves her and the last thing he wants to do is hurt her.

#percy de rolo #vex'ahlia #perc'ahlia #vox machina #anonymous #ask #living up to my username #cr meta

123 notes · View notes

aquaburst3 · 23 days

Text

I saw a post where OP brought up how the game did Kalim and Jamil so dirty, especially with the cultural aspects of their characters. While I'm not SA or MENA, so I can't speak for whether or not they're good representation, the narrative glosses over a lot of key details about them and their stories are underdeveloped.

For starters, the story never makes the nature of their dynamic super clear. The story implies that there might be a caste system involved in Jamil and Kalim's dynamic. Same goes for the Kafala one. (Click here if you want to learn more about that, since this explains it a lot better than what I can.) Neither are explicitly stated to be true by the narrative, leaving all to audience speculation.

And if they are under a Caste System, then the game is doing a horrible job at showing them being affected by it on a deep level. Like OP said in that one post, any love story featuring Jamil would be a forbidden one if that were the case, since he would be always "falling for someone of a higher caste." If he's ever caught "breaking caste", he could be legit stoned. And not the fun kind, either. These things are never brought up, even as fuel for Jamil's desire to rebel.

(Personally, I lean towards the Kafala theory more than the Caste one, because it fits better with what the game showed. Both are equally as valid for the time being. Hell, both might be true at once.)

The story completely glosses over the fact that a fucked up hierarchical system started this mess in the first place. Neither one of them do anything to change or improve anything.

Plus, if you read between the lines, the story heavily implies that the Asims are not good people and are more like the Lannisters from GOT with Kalim just being deeply in denial about this fact. Both Riddle and Jamil come to the conclusion that one of Kalim's immediate family members were the one who poisoned Kalim on multiple occasions. Kalim's father is heavily implied to have a fucking goddamn harem in the JP version. None of these things showcase that his father is a good person. Is this ever expanded upon or explored at all? Nope. They are relegated to off screen villains, and that's it.

You're telling me that the Asims are like the Lannisters and that's never explored it at all!? Why? That would lead to plenty of story opportunities and add much needed depth to them! Not to mention, it would do a better job at demonstrating what the full extent of their issues are.

Yes, Leona and Jamil have their heart to heart in Book 6. I admit that does fix some issues. But that doesn't negate the fact that he and Kalim just go back to square one like nothing happened. Jamil is still a servant and Kalim is still in a position of power, being tied to a family of assholes. The only real differences are that they're more aware of each other's situation and Kalim is trying to be better...albeit marginally.

In all honesty, as super dark as this sounds, if things continue as they are in the canon, it's only a matter of time before one or both them overblot and die. Almost nothing about their situation has changed. The only thing that can save them from that fate is if someone in the Asim family has the courage to cut the chain and set all of the servants free. But with how things are playing out now, who knows if that ever will.

The English version made things worse by taking out all hints of their master/servant dynamic. (Which is still baffling to me since Malik from YuGiOh still retained his backstory in the fucking 4Kids dub.) But the source material was never good to start with.

Hell, Leona suffers from a lot of these same issues. But since I'm not black and others in the fandom have talked about that at length, I'll leave it there for now.

This isn't all that surprising to me. While Black Butler fans will deny this until the cows come home, Yana has a past history of adding Orientalist and Sinophobic tropes to her writing. The way she writes characters like Agni, Soma, Lau and Ran-Mao showcase that. (I also think she does a poor job tackling a lot of other topics, but I'll leave it at there for now.) Let's face it. The Aladdin movie was super orientalist to begin with, so this is somewhat of a "sins of the father" situation. But it's still disappointing nevertheless. Those two and even Leona have so much potential, but the canon keeps on screwing them over.

One aspect I'm trying my best at in my own writing is incorporating more cultural aspects into all of the characters, even the white ones. While I don't always hit the mark and I have made mistakes in the past due to writing another culture, at least I always try. Considering I've received a couple of comments about this subject, one thanking me for correcting Kalim's surname to be more accurate and the other where OP said they appreciated me and my cowriter adding some food from their country (they were from Malaysia, I believe), I think I must be getting some things right at the very least.

One thing we can all agree on is that those three deserve better. Both from the creators and the fandom.

#aqua rambles #twst critical #twst negative

0 notes

fyodorkitkat · 9 months

Text

These are my basically unedited batshit notes about the diabolik lovers bsd AU I might never write but if I do I am so sorry 💀 I've only outlined what is going on with the DoA so far. Absolutely none of this will make sense if you haven't played the games because the anime doesn't explain shit and is basically fanservice. And yeah it is basically overlapping dialovers universe with bsd universe and abilities still exist but at least for the DoA there are some memory issues and willful trickery there because abilities are a convenient cover to hide other supernatural things...

Bram: from Makai. Vamp. Related to Karlheinz but lost his memories and thought he was an ability user. He doesn't turn vamps the normal way like he should he is basically using magic/his powers and not realizing he is doing it. This is also why his vamps are easily controlled by him and also kinda monstrous instead of being normal and in control of themselves. Mfer is using powers not actually putting humans through the awakening (which majority wouldn't survive anyways). The reason the sword is working on him is because he is essentially letting it and not realizing he can actually overcome it if he wanted to and regenerate his body. If the sword is removed though he will likely realize he can do this for himself.

Fyodor: First Blood/Founder. Went kinda off the rails during the Endzeit genocide which is why he has memory issues surrounding his origins and true nature. Like he isn't even for sure. He knows he is functionally immortal and inhuman in some way but he thinks it is connected to his ability. He is the first son of Menae (illegitimate heir sort of? Prior to Menae marrying Burai of the Vibora. Maybe raised as part of the Tsukunami household but as an adoptee? Like he knows his lineage but wasn't recognized as royalty) his frail constitution that acts up sometimes is just residual effects of Endzeit that like Carla he survived. (But maybe he is still dying super slowly too? Unless he learns his origins and goes back to Makai to that one area to be healed by the miasma and become Ghoul instead)

Nikolai: Vamp. Nobility but not royalty. Knows he is vamp. Doesn't care that he is vamp. Like he eschews Makai culture and the chains of obligations being in the upper echelon. Obsessed with Fyodor still but amused by his memory issues. He wouldn't have known everything that happened with the Founders given his position but he does know Fyodor is Founder but doesn't have the heart to tell him. He still makes subtle jokes here and there around it though hoping it might jog his memory so he can figure it out for himself. The overcoat is just a cursed item he bought from a shop in Makai and he is playing it off as an ability. He is hiding the fact that he is vamp from the other DoA and pretending to be an ability user.

Sigma: Adler. We don't know shit about the Adlers from canon material really but that works here because Sigma is Adler and what I say goes then. 1. They don't bite or feed of anyone. No fangs. 2. Can shape-shift into an eagle but retain the coloring of what their hair was in humanesque form. So yes half white half lavender eagle. Can use magic and power basically like Founders but also can just sprout their wings and fly (ofc one white one lavender). Sigma is a younger Adler and isn't very strong so they prefer weapons over using their powers or brute strength but they rarely have to fight. Only recently came to the human world from Makai. Recruited as a spy basically their mission is to keep tabs on various people that Karlheinz might target for his plans. The Adler clan is concerned with being aware of everything going on because they don't trust Karlheinz and want to see it coming if he is going to try to eradicate anyone. Does not have amnesia but is very good with their cover story so they have their "ability" but it is just them using basic ass powers any other clan can use against humans. Or against someone like Fyodor who had forgotten who he actually is.

Fukuchi: Human and thinks he is surrounded by other ability users. Same goals as before. But Fukuchi's plans are influenced by Socrates. Yes Karlheinz is still playing chess with Socrates in the room between time and space in this and Fukuchi is one of Socrates' pieces.

#if you read this ty ty that was sweet of you #diabolik lovers #dialovers #bsd

1 note · View note

food-fantasy-support-group · 6 years

Photo

what do you mean bamboo rice wouldn’t be this meme if he had social media??? of course he would

#meme edit #food fantasy #ff bamboo rice #ff shitposting #as the master attendant dies inside looking at his posts #what do you mena this isn't canon? bls #mod wine is a disgrace #my graphics #meme

136 notes · View notes

onlyforthebabes · 3 years

Text

✨HL playlists by onlyforthebabes✨

(Edited to include 🎵when you know you know (HL6), 🎵close enough to touch (HL11), 🎵burnt romances (HL13), and 🎵too far gone (HL18))

This post is long overdue, but I've finally made a master list of all the HL playlists I've published here. They're listed in the order I created them, so there are some gaps in the numbers where I haven't posted (or maybe even finished) some, but I'll update if I ever publish more! I've put a lot of thought and time and love into these playlists, so I really hope y'all find something to enjoy here.

✨🎶

🎵a truth so loud

HL. The OG. A canon inspired playlist based on some of the most iconic H/L songs. (ft. 1D, Troye Sivan, Ed Sheeran, Lorde)

🎵honey (make this easy)

HL2. There’s no denying the chemistry between them from the moment they meet - so they don’t even try. While discretely hooking up with a fellow X Factor hopeful sounds like just another part of the fun, it’s hard to ignore that this thing between them is way more than physical, and “X Factor hopefuls” has become wholly inadequate to describe where they’re going. But in the midst of all the chaos, it’s hard to resist something this good. (ft. 1D, Hozier, Lizzo, Carly Rae Jepson)

🎵no matter how sweet, no matter how brave

HL3. New fame, new friends, new feelings. Jealousy gives way to mutual infatuation, which evolves into steadfast love. Growing up too fast doesn’t feel so scary when you’ve got someone to hold onto. (ft. 1D, Fleetwood Mac, Niall Horan, The Head and the Heart)

🎵Entirely

HLFOUR. Coming soon. (ft. 1D, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson)

🎵when you know you know

HL6. It's all about that one person... (ft. 1D, Maria Mena, Yellowcard, Beyoncé)

🎵one foot in sea and one on shore

HL10. A traveling sailor whose sense of home is the familiar warmth of local bars, a charming bartender in a seaside village, and a brief affair that leaves them both longing for a life far from everything they know. (ft. Regina Spektor, Bright Eyes, Feist, The Format)

🎵close enough to touch

HL11. Love can be frightening, for sure. (girl!direction) (ft. 1D, Louis Tomlinson, Hozier, Jake Scott)

🎵sunset couldn't save me now

HL12. Part-time suburban youth, summertime neighbors growing up together and blurring the lines of love and friendship; chasing dreams, traveling the world, and figuring out that sometimes home is a person. (ft. Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend, Regina Spektor, Neutral Milk Hotel)

🎵burnt romances

HL13. A canon-compliant au where everything goes wrong, but love finds a way. (ft. The Weepies, Lewis Capaldi, Bleachers, The Head and the Heart)

🎵fell in love with the fire

HL14. Harry's long since accepted that fame comes with a closet. But a chance encounter with a friend from a past life may change everything (or, an au about identity, fame, missed connections, and giving love a chance) (ft. Florence and the Machine, Maren Morris, St. Vincent, Sam Smith)

🎵trip and i fall in

HL15. Undeniable chemistry turns a spontaneous hookup into fast friendship (with some pretty nice benefits). They know from the start it’s not exclusive, but that doesn’t stop anyone from catching feelings. (ft. Zayn, Ariana Grande, Brockhampton, Selena Gomez)

🎵learning to breathe

HL16. Harry and Louis have always been best friends, even within their close-knit group. Closeted, small town kids with little experience, an innocent first kiss turns into an agreement: to experimentally "date" in secret until high school ends. When it’s time to move on, they do. But as the years pass, they can never quite figure out how to let go. (ft. Maisie Peters, Julia Michaels, Lana del Rey, Lauv)

🎵too far gone

HL18. Love, illness, religion, and fear. A kiss between friends on a quiet winter's day changes everything. (ft. Sufjan Stevens, Brand New, Haley Heynderickx, Phoebe Bridgers)

🎵if i'm butter...

HL19. Louis’ an art student who spends his days wandering the city in search of inspiration while his hot-but-elusive craigslist roommate works ungodly hours as a baker. When the pandemic hits and the two near strangers are suddenly quarantined together, they find themselves growing closer in more ways than one. (ft. Relient K, BENEE, Fiona Apple, Samsa)

🎵pretend it isn't strange

HL20. A hopeless wanderer, lost and disillusioned with life, finds himself taken in by a small mountainside community: a friendly local band, a safe place to rest his head, and a stranger who makes it feel like home. Together they learn to let love grow. (ft. Wild Rivers, Ben Howard, Town Meeting, Birdtalker )

🎵yesterday (when you were young)

HL21. Coming soon (ft. Jon Bellion, AJR, Raleigh Ritchie, fun.)

🎵coming up lavender

HL22. New friends who feel like old ones, long drives home up the coast, and finding love in every color. Or, a girl!direction college road trip au (ft. Gretta Ray, dodie, Ingrid Michaelson, Mitski)

🎵it is what it is (till it ain't anymore)

HL23. An impending marriage, a secret affair, and either fate or bad timing. Harry and Louis fall in love one summer in rural Georgia. Years later, they meet again. (ft. Shania Twain, Kacey Musgraves, Gregory Alan Isakov, Andrew Bird)

And lastly, the playlists I've made based on other peoples' stories:

nothing but you on my mind 🎶for Nothing But You On My Mind by @absoloutenonsense

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again. (ft. dodie, Julia Michaels, Dermot Kennedy, Lewis Capaldi)

little by little 🎶for Little by Little by @absoloutenonsense

Harry Styles is an omega who works at the London Planetarium, has lived in the same flat for ages, and is happy enough on his own. When he gets home from his first (horrible) attempt at dating in years, a new pregnant neighbor knocks on his door after smelling his cooking. He and Louis quickly become close, but their friendship gets complicated when Harry begins questioning who he is and what he likes. Or Harry discovers figuring out who you are is more complicated than a potato metaphor. (ft. Jordy Searcy, Bruno Major, Lizzy McAlpine, Sleeping at Last)

love after the end of the world 🎶for Love After the End of the World by @mercurial-madhouse

When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong. (ft. Bastille, Hozier, Fall Out Boy, Lorde)

#hlcreators #hlsource #hljournal #tracksintheam #yourlarrysource #i worked way too hard on this but i'm glad i finally have a master post!!!#even gave a little teaser there.... lots of things coming soon #pls share if you care :)#hl series

60 notes · View notes

samwpmarleau · 2 years

Note

I am trying to do better with my Dornish fancasts for ASOIAF and though by no means are you required to put up with me and my ignorance (not malicious ignorance but becoming less so is still something I am working to correct- I'm not trying to pat myself on the back here just trying to communicate that my intentions aren't purposefully hurtful), I was hoping you might be willing to answer a question for me. It is my understanding that the Dorne is analogous to Spain during the Moorish occupation. Would a mixed race fancast be acceptable for a dornish character? Say Nina Dobrev as Ashara Dayne? She is listed as being of mixed race from what I can find? Or perhaps would a Hispanic actor like Ana De Armas or Alba Galocha be more appropriate for the "Stony dornish"? Once again, I am very sorry to bother you- I just don't have anyone else to ask-and I pray that you are not terribly offended by my ignorant questions. Have a great day!

I'm certainly not offended, and I'm glad that you're seeking out better fancasts!

I think mixed-race fancasts are fine. The most important thing is that the Dornish characters are fancast with people of color. While sticking to canon as close as possible is a goal, things like hair and eye color shouldn't be the primary goal. One of the most egregious examples of this is Tyene — people prioritize her blonde hair and blue eyes over her race, which they absolutely should not. After all, in a scenario where the fancast would be actually cast, those sorts of things are easily fixed with movie magic.

Re: Nina Dobrev, do you have a source on her being mixed race? I did a brief Google search and didn't come up with anything.

Ana de Armas was born in Cuba, but according to an article she did, her grandparents were Spanish, and generally speaking, Spanish people are white.

I can't find much information on Alba Galocha, but Google/IMDb says she's also Spanish, so the same would apply to her as to Ana de Armas.

The MENA region (Middle East/North Africa) is the ideal area to find fancasts from, as GRRM has described Dorne not only as Moorish Spain (the Moors being from North Africa) but also as Palestine (the Middle East). Which absolutely isn't to say you can't use fancasts from elsewhere — South Asia or Latin America, for example — but you need to be cognizant of things like how Moorish Spain is not the same thing as present-day Spain and make sure your fancast of choice is actually a person of color.

A gold mine for "stony" Dornish fancasts is the show "The Magnificent Century" and its spinoff, "The Magnificent Century: Kösem," which consist almost entirely of Middle Eastern actors, most of whom have lighter coloring.

Hope that helps :)

#asoiaf for ts #do NOT clown on this post

5 notes · View notes

olderthannetfic · 1 year

Note

One person I saw in the "End OTW Racism" crowd was someone who I remembered solely for their interactions in my very fandom way back in 2010. They basically have a reputation for getting angry at you for writing a character with no canonically stated ethnicity as a different race than they pictured that character. To be clear, I agree with their take that this character is probably not white, given he is described as having black, coily hair and his surname is an Arabic language one.

But if you ever wrote this guy as mixed, any ethnicity that isn't black, or being from a MENA country, this person would always lose their shit at you. It was really irritating because their logic was always that you were the racist one, the anti-black one, the one upholding white supremacy, the person who was making fandom unsafe for BIPOC, all the while they were the one tearing down anyone who wrote him as non-white who didn't do it the "right" way.

I don't hold their involvement against End OTW Racism. I think End OTW Racism is correct that harassment in fandom spaces is a problem that BIPOC face disproportionately to our white counterparts, and that OTW should recruit more volunteers to look over reports. That would undoubtedly help harassment be dealt with more efficiently. But I also think that a lot of white cishet people like this person are using supporting End OTW Racism as a shield to hide their own harassment of BIPOC in fandom spaces.

Like a lot of Amazigh people, I saw this character as possibly reading as Amazigh. That doesn't mean I hate black people. That doesn't mean he can't be both; black Amazigh people have existed for centuries due to intermarriage, after all. That also doesn't mean I have the right to harass people who write him as black as having written him incorrectly. The idea that you must hate [insert group here] if you don't write a character as part of that group is ridiculous.

And I just want to note that no black person has ever given me shit for writing him as Amazigh. Actually, several black people have told me that they relate to having to make your own representation in fiction where there isn't any. So it's messed up for a white person to step in and say they're offended on behalf of black people when no black person has stated they're offended.

The good news is that this person has switched fandoms since 2010, probably because no amount of having meltdowns made people abandon their versions of the character. And without them throwing a fit, we've been able to see a lot of variations on him - Amazigh, Arab, black, mixed, Muslim, Jewish, follower of Indigenous North African spirituality, atheist - that the fandom has had a lot of fun with.

White people, I get that there are assholes who need telling off in fandom. Believe me, I've met them. But respectfully, please learn to listen to black people before you rush in to defend them. If none of them are offended, what are the odds that you know better about racism than they do? (The same goes for other races. Don't rush in to defend people who are not under attack on a whim.)

I know a lot of people are trying to be progressive but until white people learn not to do this, they are still contributing to a climate that's hostile for BIPOC fans.

93 notes · View notes