#with the exclusion of like bigotry of course | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

qcellbit · 8 months

Text

meta talk. i don't quite know how to word this properly, but adding french creators to the qsmp is the riskiest thing quackity studios could've done and it doesn't surprise me that the success to which it was executed was minimal.

adding portuguese speaking creators exclusively from brazil as the first batch outside of the initial english and spanish speakers was the perfect "soft expansion" for the server when you consider the reason for the project's conception - because quackity had experienced poor treatment from white americans as a bilingual latino creator and sought to unite his two communities in an empowering way, further expanding this very noble and personal idea to encapsulate all communities and all languages spanning across the entire world. inviting more latino creators who have likely had the same experiences and would be able to appreciate what the project is trying to achieve is a no-brainer.

it's an uncomfortable thing to touch on (which is why i've never, ever, seen it spoken about on this website), but minecraft projects and communities have always had massive problems with all forms of bigotry, but especially racism. white americans and white europeans have probably not felt the euphoria of seeing their culture celebrated in mainstream global entertainment projects as they already absolutely dominate the entertainment industry on a global scale. as someone who is visibly brown and living in europe, i've always got a lot of grief from classmates and co-workers in the form of ignorant jokes and flat out exclusion - it's an unfortunate cultural norm that bleeds into streaming due to the medium's casual and open nature, unnoticed or unchallenged by white viewers who don't want to have to confront a content creator's bigotry in fears of having to stop watching them. something that cannot be ignored by the people it's actually affecting. there is a reason dsmp and hermitcraft cosplay meet ups are dominated by pale skin.

i love the qsmp because its inclusion of latin american creators and quackity's selectiveness based on personal experience have largely (and i do mean largely, not entirely, but that's a discussion for another day) eliminated that problem.

the most prominent and succinct example i can think of is the photo of quackity's bedroom that was mocked countless times by his english speaking community and his bigoted english speaking friends when he streamed on the dsmp - when that photo was brought to the qsmp, forever, a fellow latino creator, was the first person to gently offer solidarity because he had come from the same impoverished latin american background. to me, and to a lot of minorities, that is what the qsmp is about. yeah, sharing languages in a minecraft server is novel, it's a fun way for americans who did poorly in high school to get back into learning spanish, but it stands for so much more when you're a racial minority. when your pleading in the dsmp fandom was drowned out and ignored for the entire duration of its run. when you're completely unrepresented in minecraft tournaments, and when known bigots are encouraged to participate in said tournaments to boost viewership because numbers are paramount. when you are finally seeing your culture appreciated rather than mocked on streams with tens of thousands of viewers all over the world as part of a massive project with a brilliant, engaging story.

it was obviously necessary to branch out of the americas at some point with what the project is attempting to achieve, but such a task is daunting when the next group you're inviting and their community probably do not have the capacity through personal experience to appreciate what the project stands for at its core in the same way the first batches do. can non americans all relate in discussions of the internet and entertainment industry being america and by extension english speaking centric? yeah, of course. but can white europeans relate when the only representation you have in said media revolves around harmful bigoted stereotypes? can there be a quiet solidarity between a white frenchman and a brown brazilian based on experiences with government, racial profiling, and online mockery? no. and in the landscape of livestreaming stupid jokes for entertainment alongside fast paced gameplay, these nuances are probably not going to be acknowledged.

in complete contrast to the solidarity exhibited between quackity and forever when discussing their poverty growing up in latin america, i have not forgotten and never will forget aypierre excusing his constant racist jokes aimed at the brazilians on his uniquely "french dark humour" that the brazilians, hurt by his comments, could "not understand." this is not an excusable cultural difference, but a symptom of white european privilege, and total ignorance towards what the project is meant to stand for. a smooth integration of all the world's cultures necessitates white european and white american introspection in a way that i haven't seen a lot of streamers capable of. admitting fault to such a degree and the ego of a large online personality do not often mesh well.

i'm always very irritated when people (especially english speakers) complain about them not "adding the germans" sooner despite us seeing applications for german speaking admins many months ago - because it would not be a task of simply throwing out server invites to content creators and cobbling together an animation of a submarine crashing into the island. you cannot downplay the ambition of this project and the mammoth task its trying to accomplish. people take for granted and forget that this is an unprecedented melding of cultures that would never otherwise interact and clash on the rare occasions they do. the french qsmp community being small and the french creators largely being outliers when it comes to the qsmp is not something born out of malice or purposeful exclusion, but simply a symptom of an unspoken lack of solidarity and inability to meaningfully relate based on everything from wildly varying privilege to global placement.

and don't get me wrong - i'm not excusing things like the times at which events are broadcast (i literally live in europe and have to stay up until sunrise to see most events, i think the admins do have to bite the bullet and begin structuring events around a new timezone that isn't the globally inconvenient unsustainable PST), or the exclusion of clips from french content creators at the presidential dinner, but i think attributing those admin choices to the brazilian community being unfairly favoured is downplaying what the qsmp as a project means for minorities, especially when the brazilian community receive the most scorn for infamously being the first to call out bigoted behaviour from qsmp content creators. yeah, it sucks that the french haven't slotted into the qsmp as well as the brazilians and aren't anywhere as numerous, but with all these unspoken contributing factors being taken into account, i can't be surprised.

i wish quackity and his team the best in smoothly integrating more languages and cultures in this amazing project in the future, but for the love of god please understand that the implications of this project and its impact are far larger than any streamer "drama" you might've witnessed in the past. and stop underplaying what this project is trying to achieve in an online landscape saturated in bigotry.

#sorry if this is worded weirdly im still recovering from a brain injury. ill fix typos as and when i notice them reading back on this #also dont tag this as discourse because its like.....not. and thats so unhelpful in recognising what im trying to get across #edit: ive seen a few people bringing it up now YES dont worry i am aware that etoiles isnt white thats why i made sure to specify white #when talking about where the issues were coming from #mine #qsmp

348 notes · View notes

catsvrsdogscatswin · 11 months

Text

Thanks to my post about the 28th, it’s come to my attention that a significant portion of humanity don’t read history books for fun, so here’s a few broad strokes of what, exactly, is going on with the cultural connotations of race within Dracula, as understood by an American:

European racism of the day was predominantly based on cultural ethnicity rather than skin color, and one of the main sliding scales (other than how old and prestigious the ancestry was) was how far west you were on the Eurasian continent. The further east you went, the less “civilized” things became, until you hit Asia and Oceania and just became inundated with absolutely rancid racist caricatures. Stuff from the “Orient” was there for exotic/shiny toys and moral lessons about how much better the West was, and not much else, so you can imagine what depictions of actual Asian people thus became.

(We’re faced with this east vs. west scale in Jonathan’s very first entry: Budapest straddles the line between the “civilized” western part of Europe and the “uncivilized,” opulent, and exotic world of eastern Europe. Jon is going from the known and familiar city into the mysterious, unfamiliar wilderness, an extremely common Gothic horror archetype.)

Both the fear of the unknown and the exoticizing/othering of Eastern Europe play heavily into Dracula’s themes, with the sexually predatory Count Dracula coming to England to do all sorts of unspeakable sordid things to innocent English women. (Not exactly Stoker’s finest hour, but this was a typical attitude of the day.)

Following that, it was also thought at the time that one’s moral character was essentially genetic. Certain people of certain races were predisposed to be “better” or “worse,” and your own moral character was also influenced by your parents’ status in society and behavior. A prostitute mother or a criminal father meant you would inherit their dubious moral quality, which is partially where “this person has bad blood” comes from. Bad blood is literally the negative morality passed onto you from your parents: you’ve inherited the bad qualities carried in their blood.

Linking back to the east-west thing, the further east you go -you’ve guessed it- the worse this supposed ancestral bad blood gets. People of “lesser” races included the Romani, Jews, Slovaks (and sometimes the Russians), and they were just supposed to be, like, naturally inclined to be bad. They were Programmed For Crime from the moment they were born, so you didn’t need to explain why such a character was evil when they showed up in your novel: I mean, they’re [INSERT RACE], aren’t they? It’s in the blood. No explanation needed. Everybody knows that.

The assumption of the time was that such people were literally born bad, which of course naturally justified how they were treated. When they showed up on a page, you were supposed to distrust them on sight.

Occasionally, low-class people were also treated as a race all their own, like poverty was some kind of moral failing. After all, the older, more prestigious, and wealthier your family was, the better their inherent moral quality, so poor people are obviously uncouth and have bad blood, right?

(It’s an extremely stupid circular way of thinking, but that’s bigotry for ya.)

Dracula is a nobleman with old lineage, but he’s also steeped in the flavor of Eastern Europe: “barbaric” and proud, yet initially treating Jonathan with extreme courtesy; threateningly exotic and yet also familiar with English customs. As we go through the book, you’ll see that he almost exclusively hires Romani, Jewish, or extremely poor for his henchmen: he’s a force of evil that uses other “evil” tools, who bend easier to his will than “normal” people of “proper” races.

(By all means, please pause here a moment to scrub yourself of the nauseating feeling that such a bullshit attitude evokes.)

In any case, Dracula himself is a pretty good example of all these racial ideas converging, which was also why he made such an effective monster to the Victorians: there’s just enough that’s familiar and proper in him that they couldn’t quite properly Other him, which links back to the transformative horror of vampirism turning something formerly good into something very very bad, which with their worldview of “you are born with this moral code because of racial predisposition and lineage” is just shocking. You mean this Eastern European man can infect our formerly good and pure citizens and make them act his way, just by an act of force? Uh-oh.

Anyways TLDR Dracula is a book steeped in the cultural traditions and expectations of the day which means that it’s lovely horror but also an absolute crock of shit at times due to racism (and several other -isms, which I will not cover here because I am trying not to make this an essay).

#Dracula Daily #cw: racism

276 notes · View notes

jewishvitya · 1 year

Note

Hi! Everything I see about this hp game is just worse and worse, but one thing I don’t get is the Sirona Ryan character? I don’t get why that’s bad, but I think it’s maybe because I don’t know how to pronounce it? This game is a trash fire of hate crimes, but I truly, honestly don’t get the name. Could you please explain it? Thank you very much ❤️

I edited that out of my post because I was worried that I'm just being ignorant about it. I still worry that maybe I was wrong to bring it up. So I'll walk you through my logic, but if this is just cultural ignorance on my part, I apologize.

I saw someone on tiktok explain it, and I'll repeat that if you don't mind. There was a joke in a show I never watched (friends? himym? can't remember) where a character meets someone's parent and that parent looks like, you know, the "man in a dress" transphobic gag. And she asks "what's your name?" and the parent says "Amanda." So she goes "Ohhh, of course, A Man DUH."

Amanda is a real name. But it still got used for a transphobic joke.

So. Sirona is a real Celtic name. It's genuinely a beautiful name. And Ryan could have been harmless as a surname. But in the context of a franchise that belongs to the most well known TERF, a franchise that has the repeated problem of names like Kingsley Shacklebolt, and even names like Remus Lupin that are just "I named him what he is," I just don't think they picked this name for harmless reasons. This is the kind of thing you'd avoid when you know you're writing for a franchise where the fans are used to reading into names this way. This is a world where more than one name is an on-the-nose wordplay based on the character's marginalized identity. Why wouldn't people see this as the same thing, with the new writers continuing JKR's pattern?

This is the same game that gave the player character a slave, advertised itself for letting us visit the kitchen with the other happy slaves, and has its entire premise drowning in antisemitism. Like JKR's choices of names, these issues have been criticized for years. The choice to double down on them rather than choose any other story is deliberate. This game is steeped in bigotry, and people are rarely single-issue bigots. They didn't put in a queer character for us, they put in a queer character for an opportunity to hurt us. That's why I said I'm sure they went to a list of names and picked the one that starts with "sir." Like with the ram's horn (which could have been harmless in a different story, since ram's horn instruments aren't exclusive to Judaism) the larger context is what makes it feel targeted.

Again, if this is my cultural ignorance, I apologize. But this is why I found it uncomfortable. Even if I'm wrong to feel this way, I hope you at least understand where it came from.

#riki babbles #hogwarts legacy #sirona ryan #HP #JKR

339 notes · View notes

thewebcomicsreview · 8 months

Text

Well, I always said that the only thing left for Sinfest was to explicitly go after Jews, and that I'd let you know when it happened, and here we are. It's honestly even lamer than anything I could have expected.

The fact that he's depicting a literal Jewish Space Laser is kind of interesting.

The term comes from a claim far-right dingus Marjorie Taylor Greene made about (((Rothschild)))-Controlled satellites starting wildfires in California with lasers in order to get a rail project approved, but the term "Jewish Space Lasers" has almost exclusively been used by leftists making fun of her. Tats using this term kind of feeds into my growing suspicion that he's not actually super invested in this and is just appealing to the current alt-right trends to chase clout.

Not that it makes things better, of course. And lots of right-wingers like to dress up their bigotry in "It's just a joke!" language, though that's not exactly been Tats' style in the past.

But it's a sad, pathetic end to him, isn't it? Like, the one single admirable trait Tatsuya Ishida could be claimed to have is that he wasn't afraid to stand up for his insane hateful beliefs even in the face of collapsing patreon revenue, and now here he is pretending to care about Twitter drama so he can get clicks from more mass shooters.

#Sinfest

77 notes · View notes

cock-holliday · 6 months

Text

When comparing types of oppression, there have been lots of good discussions about how they aren’t 1:1 comparable, but I wish it was a concept grasped by more when it comes to gender.

Topics like “transracial” made it abundantly clear to many that race and gender are not as directly comparable. Good posts have come out about how fatphobia and classism operate similarly because the ability of some to move their position on the spectrum is used to insist that everyone can, when that simply isn’t realistic. So there is generally more flexibility than race, but less than gender.

I know a lot of my ire stems from the chokehold RF spaces have on feminism, but I would really love for it to be more commonly understood that misogyny does not operate in the same way as racism—nor along a binary (neither does racism, but I digress), the existence of trans people automatically means your standing can change quite flexibly*, white supremacy views ‘stolen’ maleness/masculinity as a threat and so being perceived as a man can actually make your experiences in other areas of oppression worse so it doesn’t necessarily cancel out anything, and while identity is true and valid, societal perception unfortunately carries greater impact on your gender experience than your identity.

*this does not mean that transition is easy or accessible (accessibility of course then ties into other forms of ists and isms, predominantly classism—which, let’s be honest, is impacted perhaps most of all by racism), it means that when you do have access to transition, the ability to completely pass as cis negates the idea that your birth assignment is forever tied to how society perceives you.

It’s tiring that we can move beyond Cis Man and Cis Woman as the only gender experiences, but too often discussions stop at Trans Woman Like A Cis Woman vs Trans Man Like A Cis Man when these experiences are not the only ones or even the most common, and when operated exclusively in a vacuum, there is no consideration for how racism, ableism, homophobia, ethnic and religious discrimination, intersexism, exorsexism and more completely change the discussion of gender.

Gender is treated like the ultimate form of oppression from which all other forms stem, when really gender is so uncontainable that every other form of bigotry drastically changes gendered experience.

#LJsm

32 notes · View notes

captainjonnitkessler · 2 years

Text

Any non-Christian: Please don’t call me a cultural Christian, I am not a Christian and it’s kind of shitty to force a religious identity on someone you don’t even know

Half the people on this site: Aww sweetie :) If you weren’t so busy being a bitter angry atheist :) you would know that OBVIOUSLY you still hold a bunch of Christian ideologies like (long list of ideologies that are universal among humans and have nothing whatsoever to do with religion). So maybe :) you should work on unpacking all of the bigotries you obviously believe in, such as (long list of random bigotries that OP has never alluded to whatsoever and are DEFINITELY not exclusive to Christianity). If people saying that you’re a brainwashed idiot who is forever tainted by your association with Christians upsets you :) that just means you know we’re right and you’re angry about it :) Because all atheists are angry all the time of course :)

#'thinking that you're right and everything else is wrong is christian ideology' is probably the dumbest fucking thing i've ever heard #and yet! i have seen it multiple times from multiple people!#bonus points if op is literally not from a christian country or is not an atheist #atheism

257 notes · View notes

dueling-jesters · 23 days

Note

What are your thoughts on women romanticising or fetishising gay men via shipping. And when you draw the line when this happened. (Sorry for bad english)

Anyone who's been following me since I started this blog knows that I'm personally annoyed with the fetishization of gay people that has run rampant in fandom spaces for decades. Shipping on its own is completely fine, but I think it becomes something of an issue when people use it to implement harmful stereotypes or to hurt someone directly.

One way I often see is when some people will take two male characters and change their appearance and personalities to project heteropatriarchal standards upon them, essentially turning them into a stand-in for an abusive straight couple. This is, of course, an extreme example.

One related form of it is,via headcanon, the association of body type, personalities, and sexual positions (i.e., making the shorter or curvier male character more feminine, weak, and submissive). This oftentimes overlaps with fandom racism (making a darker-skinned character aggressive and abusive) and transphobia (people who have a trend of making all of their transmasculine-headcanoned characters soft, submissive bottoms exclusively paired with cis-male-headcanoned characters).

One of the most obvious indicators of someone doing this is if they are obsessed over whoever is the top and who is the bottom in a way that's one step from asking "But who really is the guy and who's the girl in the relationship?". This becomes incredibly apparent when a multishipper exclusively headcanons submissive/feminine bottoms and dominant/masculine tops, devoid of any variety or versatility. It's a telltale sign that someone may not care what gay people are actually like in reality.

This doesn't necessarily mean that top and bottom headcanons are inherently fetishizing, but rather, when there is an amalgamation of it being a fandom member's main priority in shipping alongside reinforcing heteronormative stereotypes.

I personally think it's fine for someone to be primarily focused on shipping characters in fandom. It's extremely common for lgbt+ fans to project their experiences onto characters or to otherwise feel connected to them through shipping-even if they're of a different gender/ orientation. (Cisgender, heterosexual fans can be avid shippers as well without harming gay people!) A fan lusting over a character and shipping through projection is not inherently problematic, either. Perhaps my stance is biased as I am guilty of both. There could be a grey area or situations that may seem suspicious if taken out of context.

The perpetrators of fetishization are not exclusively women, nor should they be blamed for it as a whole. Just as some gay people are homophobic, and some trans people are transphobic, there are occasionally members of our community who treat gayness and/or transness as an "othering" quality- whether they separate themselves from the rest of us in doing so, or if it's a form of internalized bigotry.

There are, of course, plenty of cisgender, heterosexual men who display a similar, dehumanizing attitude towards lesbians and bisexual women - whether through media or in-person. In its entirety, this is not a fandom-exclusive phenomenon.

Fetishizing behavior has been weaponized in harassment and abuse towards gay people. Essentially, the preconceived bigotries and assumptions one may have fuel harmful stereotypes cast upon fictional characters, which in turn reinforce one's beliefs and can result in one holding the same assumptions about actual people. I won't go into much detail, but I have personally experienced and witnessed sexual harassment from self-proclaimed allies and fellow members of the lgbt community due to fanfiction-influenced mindsets.

In many aspects, I think the fetishization of gay men in fandom runs parallel to the patriarchal gaze prevalent in similar spaces - although it can absolutely converge at times. It can definitely make someone who would otherwise participate as a fan, or even as a shipper, feel alienated.

#ace's answers #thanks for sending this ask in!#although i am curious to if there was anything specific that prompted you to ask me this?#i hope my answer makes sense! i have many thoughts on this topic but it was difficult to coalesce all of them together into a solid respons #long post #this might completely go over the heads of some...#others may be too scared to interact with this post for they know themselves very well to be crossing the line

9 notes · View notes

flaetsbnort · 1 year

Text

What RPG systems do the guilds of Ravnica play?

Azorius: They exclusively play GURPS, as they believe it's the only system thorough enough to actually simulate reality. Some of them got really into Paranoia but they can't make it work because they can't help playing it straight.

Selesnya: Prefer cooperative worldbuilding games (Microscope, Ex Novo, i'm sorry did you say street magic, etc.) If they're feeling spicy enough to play actual characters it'll still be something nice and/or ethereal, like Nobilis, Wanderhome or Do: Fate of the Flying Temple.

Gruul: You'd probably think they like something violent and full of crunchy combat, but when you remember that the things the Grull hate the most are needless complexity, mathematics, authority and bigotry, you understand why they only play Belonging Outside Belonging games.

Rakdos: "FATAL, of course" they'll say with a smug grin. They're technically saying the truth. They won't say that while their ongoing campaign did start in complete debauchery, it moved into what is essentially collaborative storytelling, barely using the game's mechanics and rarely more offensive than a Ren & Stimpy episode. They're also quite fond of Toon but will never admit it.

Dimir: The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Played in what they call 'hardcore' mode, in which they'll just start telling an outlandish story and others have to figure out the game has started.

Boros: These are the ones who like stuff that's violent and full of crunchy combat. They're usually playing some flavour of d20, although most of them have dropped the pretence of roleplaying and moved on to Zombicide-style skirmish board games. Some of the higher brass prefer Gumshoe games, but even then they play it in very pulpy, 'punch out Cthulhu' style.

Izzet: Do you want to play Guaxinins & Gambiarras, the generic hack of Lasers & Feelings made for a Brazilian podcast? Or maybe Roguelite, a game in which you find letters of alphabet and can only roll for actions that starts with them? Every time you drop by they'll have a different one-page game with a bizarre mechanic. They absolutely adore Grant Howitt. If you want a longer campaign, though, ask them to take Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast off the shelf. I guarantee you they'll have a copy.

Simic: "Well it's Electric Bastionland, except we're using GLOG classes, and also a few MOSAIC modules to spice things up. Oh, and the setting is completely homebrew, of course."

Golgari: You'd think they'd all be playing grimdark adventures full of death and decay (and probably using Lamentations of the Fire Princess, or Trophy if they're cool), and they are, but their favourite game by a long shot is The Quiet Year.

Orzhov: Physically unable to have fun playing anything that doesn't use treasure as XP, they're mostly stuck playing really old editions of D&D and their retroclones, albeit some of them did make the jump to Esoteric Enterprises. But if they ask you to come over for a game, refuse: they're trying to have you play as the Business Tycoon in Conspiracist, the character that can pay the DM actual money for in-game benefits.

60 notes · View notes

cardentist · 2 years

Text

I think one of the most important things we can do to bridge the gaps between trans spaces (and really queer communities in general) is pushing the idea of Balance, Connection, and Cohabitation between all the identities that exist under these labels.

not just in the sense of every label having experiences in common, including those that may seem very different on the surface level, but in the sense of how we view these different identities in relation to each other.

what I mean is this:

when you have identities that are close enough to inhabit the same spaces not just by necessity but by naturally existing (such as binary, nonbinary, and neutral trans people) there’s often this mindset of not just competition but a natural tug of war between imagined polls.

if you position trans feminine people as the Opposite as trans masculine people then for many the conclusion to draw is that one is the Oppressed group and the other is the Privileged group in comparison to the other. and what follows is both the idea that talking about oppression of one group means taking Away said oppression from another (if this is a trans masc experience then trans fem people can’t have it and vice versa), And this idea that talking about intra-community issues is instead claiming that one group is being oppressed by the other (and therefore only one group can Cause Harm to the other).

and you see this manifest in both ways. you see anger one group trying to assert their own experiences and needs as somehow being detrimental or actively Aggressive to the other (because of course if you’re saying that This group is worthy of having these issues spoken about then obviously you must mean that the other isn’t), and you’ll have people Preemptively claim that whatever experience they’re talking about is exclusive to one group in order to assert the value of both the experience and said group.

or to say it in a simpler way, the basis of the oppression olympics is the idea that only one group of people can matter at a time, and so to Win you have to prove that all of the other groups are less important somehow. sometimes that shows itself in overt bigotry towards those groups (like the pervasive bigotry towards nonbinary and trans neutral people attempting to push them out of the community), but more often than not it presents as insisting in a hierarchy where you decide which groups are the Most oppressed (and therefore deserved to be talked about and deserve to have their own spaces and deserve to have their needs met).

the way to combat this isn’t Just in pointing out how this mindset is flawed or how it’s harmful, because for the most part it stems from fear and anxiety about someone’s Personal needs not being met. it’s harmful yes, but it’s also stemming from real feelings of instability within the community.

and the way to Really fix that is emphasis On the stability within the community, on the unity and balance. because this picture of importance as a finite resource that only some groups get to have isn’t real. talking about the experiences of All trans groups at the same time, giving them all seats at the table, giving everyone the space to express themselves and set up their own communities Within these spaces, only makes those spaces stronger.

it’s important for everyone to recognize that we are not competing for a resource when we talk about our experiences, we’re Adding to the resource that is information. the more people talk about the same issue from different angles the more we understand it, the more we see the surprising connections, the more we get the whole picture.

solidarity isn’t a one way street, when everyone puts their hands into the community that means there’s more hands to hold You up. scoffing at the differences in your community members and refusing to play along makes these chains weaker, and given enough corrosion those chains will break and suddenly there won’t Be a community anymore.

another community member should not have to “admit” that they’re lesser than you, less important than you, has pain less real that yours, in order to be Allowed to talk about their experiences and to insist otherwise (no matter how nicely, no matter how sugar coated) is not just an exercise in insecurity but is an act of lateral aggression that breaks trust and stability within the community.

never assume you know more about your neighbors than they do. don’t declare that your experience is unique to people who are close enough to you to count. don’t insist that there Must be some hierarchy where you get to decide who has it bad enough to count. don’t look at someone asking to have their needs met and paint is a threat to your needs.

there are differences and similarities everywhere. it’s not the end of the world if you have to share spaces with people who aren’t like you, and you’ll find that people who look different on the surface have more in common with you than you could’ve ever realized if you hadn’t talked to them and Listened.

be kind to your neighbors, don’t force your siblings to be a reflection of you. we’re not the same, but we’re all still Connected. that’s balance.

#discourse #long post #I reckon like #three people are gonna read this all the way through #but I'm not making this shorter and risking people misinterpreting my point

173 notes · View notes

ghost-party · 2 years

Text

CHAPTER 1

Masterlist || Next

Pairing: All Might x F!Reader

Rating: Mature — IF YOU ARE A MINOR, DO NOT INTERACT!

Word Count: 4.4K

Warnings: canon divergent, homesickness, grief, anxiety, mention of injury, critical examination of hero culture, general awkwardness, swearing, brief references to bigotry, alcoholism, and abuse

A/N: It’s finally here! 😄 I started writing this for @mybigbangacademia, and it’s shaping up to be a pretty long fic. Thank you to @whats-her-quirk, @stigandr-the-cat, @titan-fodder, and @lady-lauren for reading and keeping me going with your comments.

It’s the first day of his first semester studying abroad in America, and Toshinori Yagi is hiding in a bathroom stall. Considering he’s roughly seven feet tall, this is easier said than done. But if he hunches down, it’s doable. He listens as fellow students enter and exit the restroom, toilets flushing, water running in the sinks, laughter as friends complain to one another about boring lectures and ridiculous course loads.

And there he is, staring down at his phone — specifically, at a photo he took of the view from his now-vacant apartment in Japan. It overlooked one of the local parks in Musutafu. Taken in early April, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the sky is the most perfect shade of blue, with only a few wispy clouds strewn across the horizon.

He expected to feel homesick. But he didn’t think it would be this bad, like a constant ache in his chest. Everything here only reminds him of everything he left behind.

When he swipes his thumb across the screen, the next photo in his camera roll only makes him feel worse. Dark hair, dark eyes, a warm smile he still sees in his dreams —

Nana.

The pain is sharp, but it brings him back to himself. This is why he’s here. To learn, to grow, to become the hero he’s always said he would be. A symbol of peace.

He takes a few deep, steadying breaths and then exits the stall, grateful that he’s alone for the time being. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he washes his hands and stares at himself in the mirror — or what’s visible of it amidst colorful flyers for club sign-ups, fraternity and sorority rush, and welcome week events.

When he smiles, that wide, familiar grin, brimming with confidence and charisma — the one he’s practiced so often, to assure others that all is well, that there’s still hope — it’s easy to pretend everything’s fine.

And maybe if he pretends enough, it actually will be.

The California Institute for Hero Studies is an exclusive university. It requires a standard application, including an admissions essay, a virtual interview, and a minimum of four reputable references, usually pro heroes or established hero course instructors. Over 40,000 applications are received each year, with less than 2,000 accepted, yielding a 4% acceptance rate. Although Toshinori earned excellent grades and graduated at the top of his class, he was still surprised when Gran Torino handed him the letter and heartily congratulated him.

Unlike a typical university, students are enrolled in a three-year track. Classes vary, depending on advisor determinations and proven skill sets. While some students excel enough to be placed in courses preparing them to start their own agencies and take on the responsibility of becoming high-profile heroes, others are deemed better suited for sidekick work or behind-the-scenes support.

The Institute has its own dorms, varying from traditional shared rooms to suites and apartments. One of the many forms Toshinori was required to fill out was a questionnaire, so that someone in the student life office could select the most appropriate living situation for him. He was also sent a glossy catalog full of photos of the university’s various training grounds, support labs, recreational facilities, libraries, student union, and 24/7 dining halls.

It was all incredible. He felt excited and lucky, especially to have earned a full scholarship, one of only a few to do so. But it was also overwhelming.

He spent the weeks leading up to his departure training harder than ever, as a means of distraction. He could tell Gran Torino was worried about him. But he couldn’t stop, because stopping meant thinking, and if he thought about the wrong thing, if he opened that door and stood at the edge of what felt like a depthless, yawning chasm of grief, he knew he might never come back from that. It terrified him. So instead, he spent every waking moment keeping busy.

And really, it wasn’t difficult. He needed a new passport, he had to complete an application for travel authorization, and then he needed a visa. After that, Gran Torino helped him file paperwork to obtain an American probationary hero license. Based on how well he performed during his first semester at the Institute, his instructors could recommend that it be upgraded to a full license.

He planned and packed, he said goodbye to friends and former teachers, he double- and triple-checked all the lists he had made. He even watched old American films and TV shows about college life, though he later questioned how helpful this actually was.

Before he knew it, the day had come. Gran Torino drove him to the airport, his oversized suitcase crammed into the trunk. Although Toshinori insisted he stay in the car, his mentor had demanded that he call him as soon as he landed. He agreed and then unbuckled his seatbelt, leaning across the center console of a vehicle he could barely fit into and hugging his mentor tight.

Neither of them knew when he would be back. All they knew for certain was that Japan was no longer safe for him, and it might not be for a long time. But when he returned, he would be ready to make good on his promise to Nana Shimura.

He would put an end to All for One.

As he exits the rec center, Toshinori peers down at his phone again, checking his schedule. He’s only taking four classes this semester.

• Fitness and Wellness — MWF 9:40AM - 10:30AM (REC 213) • American Hero History — MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM (Forrest 171) • Intro to Public Speaking and Relations — TuTh 9:45AM - 11:00AM (Auburn 302) • Performance Lab — TuTh 2:00PM - 4:00PM (TR 003)

Fitness and Wellness seemed simple enough. Although he was hesitant to write it off as an easy class, he already knew the importance of proper physical training and taking care of one’s body and mind. His next class, American Hero History, was one he had specifically requested. While he knew plenty about Japanese pro heroes, his knowledge outside of that was admittedly lacking.

He decides to cut across the quad, where some students have laid out blankets and beach towels, enjoying the morning sunshine. Los Angeles in late August isn’t all that dissimilar to Musutafu. It’s not even midday, and he can already feel sweat beading on his brow. He doesn’t mind the heat, especially since he’s wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts. But when he steps into Forrest Hall and feels the air conditioning against his skin, he can’t deny it’s a welcome relief.

Rather than the informal classroom at the rec, a weight room with metal folding chairs, this one looks more like what he was expecting: auditorium seating, with a projector screen and podium at the front. Having realized a while back that his size often prevents those sitting behind him from having a clear view, he claims a seat in the back row, placing his backpack on the floor between his feet.

He’s early, so he has an opportunity to watch as his classmates wander in. He hasn’t talked to many people yet. On move-in day, he met one of his dorm’s resident assistants, Aspen, who was assigned to his floor. He had teal blue hair, several nose rings, and an impressive knack for reassuring anxious freshmen. After offering Toshinori some herbal tea, he gave him a whirlwind tour of the Honors Complex and then walked him to his suite.

The accommodations weren’t at all what Toshinori was expecting. But his high test grades and scholarship had gotten him placed in Honors housing, which Aspen explained came with “perks.” He pointed out the small kitchenette, a common area with a couch, armchair, and TV, a private bathroom, and two separate bedrooms. “Your roommate won’t be here for a few more days,” he said, “so you get first pick.”

When the older student offered to help him unpack, Toshinori politely declined but still ended up promising to come to one of Aspen’s poetry readings sometime this semester. After all, he was determined to be social. Make friends. Be the same cheerful, encouraging presence he was back at UA. Someone not weighed down by profound, unspeakable grief.

Nevermind that he’s a terrible liar.

He met a few other students that day, as well as his academic advisor, with whom he had only ever exchanged emails. Phoebe Summers, formerly known as Slingshot during her pro hero days, was peppy and energetic, asking him question after question about growing up in Japan, how he’s acclimating, and what he’s most looking forward to as a student at CIHS.

During their meeting, he didn’t ask about her early retirement. He felt it would have been rude, and it was easy enough to find information about it online. After a debilitating injury, she decided to leave hero work behind and accept an advisory position at the Institute. Her story was one of many that the media tended to shy away from, proof that this job, this life, was far riskier than many average citizens assumed.

Toshinori has seen firsthand what happens when you’re strong but not quite strong enough. He knows he could very well end up in the same situation one day. But until then, all he can do is his best.

He’s jolted out of his meandering thoughts when someone asks, “Is this seat taken?”

And then he looks up at your face and somehow loses the ability to speak. His mouth opens, the words are hanging there — No, it’s not. — but it’s as if his brain ceases all functions. In reality, it only lasts a few awkward seconds. But in his mind, it stretches on for a painful eternity.

Because you are beautiful. It’s the very first coherent thought to register, right before he finally manages to say, “No?” making it sound more like a question than a definitive answer. Even so, you offer him a small smile and sit beside him, reaching into your backpack for your laptop.

As class begins, the instructor, telekinetic hero Mastermind, reviews the syllabus in painstaking detail, something Toshinori has learned is standard for the first day. He goes over learning outcomes, classroom expectations, and the tentative schedule, noting planned due dates for essays and briefly touching on the midterm and final exams.

Toshinori probably absorbs half of it, at best. He’s not usually so distracted in class. His grades can attest to that. But it seems impossible to focus with you sitting right there.

Like everyone else, you’re dressed for the end-of-summer swelter, wearing a tank top and shorts. He can glimpse a few buttons pinned to your backpack, which you’ve moved into the empty seat next to you. The National Hero Academy logo, in bright red and blue on a white background, an adorable, smiling sunshine, Be kind to your mind, and… a sloth riding a T. rex.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see that you have the course syllabus on one half of your screen, while the other half is occupied by what looks like a digital textbook. The print is small, but he catches sight of the phrase “thermal radiation heat transfer” before his attention is drawn back to the lesson at hand.

“Today, we have just enough time to begin our unit on early American heroes, starting with Captain Victory.” Mastermind uses his clicker to move to the next slide, which features an old photograph of a large, muscular man with a movie star smile. His costume features the classic stars and stripes of the American flag, and he’s posing in front of a bronze statue of himself.

You make a soft, derisive noise, quiet enough that no one but Toshinori hears it. Noticing his glance, you look slightly embarrassed. “Sorry,” you whisper.

Unable to reign in his curiosity, Toshinori leans a little closer and asks, “You don’t like him?”

There’s zero hesitation as you answer, “Nope.” After checking to make sure your instructor hasn’t noticed the two of you talking, you quickly explain, “He had this shiny, perfect public image. But he was actually a bigoted asshole with a drinking problem who used his money to pay off all the interns he abused.” Your smile turns sardonic. “And yet everyone conveniently forgets all of that because he was patriotic.”

Toshinori is stunned into silence, and before he can say anything in response, Mastermind is closing out his lecture with homework — assigned reading in the online course module — and a reminder to purchase the required textbook by the end of the week. The classroom grows noisy with the sounds of conversation and bags being packed and jostled.

After tucking your laptop away and swinging your backpack over your shoulder, you smile apologetically. “Sorry…. I get a little carried away when it comes to this stuff.”

Toshinori shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. I just… had no idea.”

You shrug. “It’s not something we really advertise, you know?”

Toshinori can understand why. It’s upsetting to know that one of the iconic symbols of the early days of American pro heroes — someone who was meant to be a symbol of freedom — was such a disgrace. But he knows it’s a profession that, to this day, entices some people for all the wrong reasons, enabling their worst qualities rather than encouraging their best.

Realizing the lecture hall is now nearly empty and he’s still sitting in his seat, he quickly stands and grabs his backpack. Thrusting his hand out perhaps a little too eagerly, he says, “I’m Toshinori Yagi.” Although he’s been studying English since he was a child, he always stumbles a little when he introduces himself, having to swap his surname and given name.

He can feel his cheeks grow warm when your hand disappears inside his much larger one. You introduce yourself with a smile, seeming more relaxed. But then your eyes widen and you fumble for your phone. “Shit — sorry, I mean —” You look down at the screen with a groan. “I’ve gotta go. I have another class across campus.”

You’re halfway to the double doors when you almost stumble, turning around and blurting, “See you on Wednesday!” before practically running from the room.

It may just be his imagination, but Toshinori almost feels a strange heat in his hand, an odd tingle left behind by your fleeting touch.

Considering it’s not even noon and he’s done with classes for the day, Toshinori doesn’t really know what to do with himself. His college schedule is so different from the one he was used to at UA, and although he’s sure he’ll get used to it at some point, he’s currently at a loss.

After stopping at one of the dining halls to pick up lunch — the featured special, Peruvian roast chicken with aji verde, rice, and vegetables, because the sheer number of options was too overwhelming — he makes his way back to the Honors Complex. He passes a group of students playing frisbee on the quad, one of them shamelessly using his elasticity quirk to his advantage. There are tables set up along the sidewalk, showcasing campus clubs and extracurricular groups looking for new members. And it looks like preparations are underway for the first Welcome Week event, an outdoor concert.

It’s a relief to step into the cool quiet of his dorm, and a short elevator ride later, he’s swiping his keycard and pushing open the door to his suite on the fourth floor. But he stops mid-step, trying to make sense of what exactly he’s seeing.

The common area is a mess. It looks like a makeshift robotics lab, mechanical parts and components wildly varying in size scattered across the floor. Sitting cross-legged in the middle of it all, his head ducked down as he tinkers with what appears to be an arm, is a young man. His light brown hair has fallen forward, obscuring his face until he lifts his head and rakes his fingers through it, combing it back.

“Oh, hey!” He grins at Toshinori, setting the robotic arm aside as he pushes himself to his feet. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be back. Sorry about the mess. I needed more space to finish this project I’m working on.” As he carefully makes his way towards the door, like a soldier navigating a minefield, he admits, “It’s due tomorrow, so I’m sort of in a time crunch.”

Toshinori blinks, taking in the complexity of the chaos in front of him. The idea of anyone producing something functional from it in less than a day is baffling to him. But the man now standing in front of him seems remarkably unconcerned.

“I’m your roommate, David Shield. But you can call me Dave.” He offers his hand, and Toshinori shakes it. For the briefest moment, he thinks back to shaking your hand, the lingering remnant of warmth that stayed with him long after. But then he realizes Dave is still talking.

“And you’re Toshinori Yagi. Transfer student from Japan. UA High School alum.” He must look surprised, because Dave explains, “I was curious, so I read your profile in the student directory.”

Noticing the paper bag he’s carrying, Dave waves him towards the kitchen. “Please, go ahead and eat. I promise I’ll be done soon. Well, hopefully.”

“It’s fine.” Toshinori realizes this is the first thing he’s said in this entire conversation and mentally chastises himself. “It’s nice to meet you.”

As he unpacks the cardboard food cartons and rummages in a nearby drawer, instinctively looking for chopsticks but then settling on a fork, Dave returns to his mysterious project. But it’s clear he’s distracted when the scent of spiced chicken fills the small space.

“Do you want some?” Toshinori lifts one of the cartons, showing Dave how much food there is. “We can share, if you want. I’m not hungry enough to eat all of this.”

A skeptical look crosses Dave’s face, as if he’s comparing that claim to the sheer size of Toshinori’s frame. But then he smiles. “Sure! Thanks. I sometimes forget to eat if I’m too deep in the zone.” He tiptoes his way over to the island, his sweatpants snagging on the edge of a piece of sheet metal before he nudges it to the side with his foot.

Perched on a stool, he eagerly accepts his portion and begins to devour it like a man who hasn’t eaten in days. Maybe he hasn’t, Toshinori worriedly thinks. He may need to keep an eye on him.

“So, what do you think of the Institute so far?” Dave asks, his mouth full of rice and bell peppers. “I’m a sophomore, so if you have questions or anything, I can probably answer them.”

Toshinori thinks as he chews, then says, “It’s nice.” When Dave stares at him, waiting for more, he reluctantly sighs. “And… overwhelming.”

“Ah, there it is.” His roommate offers him a sympathetic smile. “That’s understandable. It’s a lot to handle all at once.” He rests his elbows on the faux marble countertop, leaning in. “But seriously, anything I can do to help, I’m happy to.”

Deciding to take him up on his offer, Toshinori proceeds to throw out question after question, and Dave is quick to answer all of them.

He explains how the campus’s concentric layout is designed for ease of navigation, with training grounds on the outermost ring, followed by student housing, recreational facilities and dining halls, and then academic buildings. He confirms that yes, red Solo cups are still a thing, but he goes on to debunk much of what Toshinori learned from binging classic American teen comedies. And he gives him the rundown on things like homecoming, spring break, the annual student showcase, and fraternity and sorority rush.

“Yeah, some of the frats party a little too hard,” Dave admits. By now, the two of them have relocated to the common area. While Toshinori sits on the couch, Dave has returned to his spot on the floor, using his quirk to assist in connecting various small circuits to a sensor. It’s fascinating — and a little alarming — to watch his fingers bend at unnatural angles, allowing for better precision.

“But Phi Delta, the one I’m in? Honestly, we’re just a bunch of nerds.” He flashes Toshinori a grin. “I mean, we do throw parties now and then. But it’s not like in the movies. Oh.” Straightening up suddenly, he looks as if he’s just had a brilliant epiphany. “You should pledge! It’s a great way to make some more friends.”

Toshinori crosses his arms, unsure how to answer. Of course he wants to make friends. He wants to find his footing and make a place for himself at the Institute. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t nervous about doing so. He’s something of an introverted extrovert, and socializing doesn’t always come easily to him.

“I’ll think about it.”

Dave seems satisfied with his answer. “Cool, cool…” He lowers his head and returns to his work, reaching for a screwdriver. “We should go to some of the Welcome Week events, too. But maybe not tonight. I’ve got all this to work on, and I’m sure you could use some downtime.”

“You already have something this… big due tomorrow?” Toshinori has been wondering about it since Dave mentioned his impending deadline.

“Uh, well…” Dave looks a little embarrassed, exhaling hard enough to blow the hair out of his face. “Technically, this was supposed to be my summer project. But I kind of procrastinated, because I have an internship at this lab downtown, and we’re trying to develop a nano actuator that can —” Realizing he’s on the verge of rambling, he huffs out a laugh. “Long story short, I’m easily distracted. One of my biggest flaws.”

Feeling as if he could use the encouragement, Toshinori points out, “It looks like you’re making good progress, though.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Not that I know anything about building robots…”

Dave looks up at him and grins. “Yeah! I’ve got this. I just need a little more time. Thanks, Toshi.”

He doesn’t ask if he minds the nickname. He just says it, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Because we’re friends now. Something inside Toshinori’s chest tightens, and his smile feels a little more relaxed as he stands and leaves Dave to his work.

This morning, he was feeling too anxious to be productive. But he decides to make up for lost time, changing clothes and heading to the Honors Complex weight room for a workout. After taking a shower and unpacking the last of his clothes, he sends a quick message to Gran Torino, telling him about his first day of classes. It’s early in the morning in Japan, so he doesn’t expect a quick response.

His hair is still damp as he pulls on a fresh t-shirt and boxers and sits on his bed, opening his laptop. Navigating to the Institute’s web portal, it only takes a few clicks to find the student directory. His entry displays the headshot taken in the student life office the day he arrived. He’s wearing a yellow and blue UA sweatshirt, the same one he wore on the plane. But what really stands out is his bright, full-wattage smile, the one he’s carefully perfected over the years.

Toshinori Yagi tyagi@/cihs.edu Year: Freshman Hometown: Musutafu, Japan High School: UA High School

When he types in Dave’s name, he finds a similar listing, along with links to published articles. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, and the high school he attended is a private STEM-focused boarding school in Sacramento that even Toshinori has heard of. It looks as if he’s already established himself as a rising star in his field, winning awards and landing a summer internship at one of the nation’s top support tech companies.

But it’s clear that his headshot hasn’t been updated since last year, probably because he missed move-in day this time around. He looks a little younger in the photo, with noticeably shorter hair and a clean-shaven face as opposed to the light scruff that now shadows his jawline.

Toshinori hesitates before searching for your profile. It feels weirdly invasive, even though all he’s doing is looking at publicly available information. It’s not like he’s searching for your social media profiles or private photos. Shaking his head, he pushes away his indecision and clicks on your name.

You’re a freshman, just like him. And he was correct in assuming you’re a graduate of the National Hero Academy. Your hometown is a city he doesn’t recognize, in the heart of the American Midwest. And then there’s your photo. He tries not to stare at it for too long, but there’s something about your warm smile, the way your eyes seem to light up with excitement…

He exits the browser window a little too quickly, his embarrassment getting the better of him. In an effort to distract himself, he checks his email, reads the brief, encouraging reply from Gran Torino, and then moves on to scrolling through what few social media feeds he has.

It’s easy to lose himself in his friends’ recent photos. While some of them are continuing their studies at different universities in Japan, many have joined hero agencies across the country, as low-level sidekicks or interns still working their way up. He types a few supportive comments and reacts to posts with thumbs up and hearts.

Checking his notifications, he finds that many of his former classmates have left messages for him, telling him they miss him and that they hope he enjoys his time in America. A few jokingly demand that he post more often than his usual once or twice a month so they can live vicariously through him.

But even after boredom sets in and he ventures out to make sure Dave hasn’t electrocuted himself or forgotten to eat dinner, he finds his mind wandering back to you. By the time he curls up in his too-small bed — one that the university has assured him will soon be swapped out for another more suitable for his size — he’s already made his decision.

While Dave is the first real friend he’s made on campus, he’s determined that you will be the second.

#my hero academia #mha #bnha #all might x reader #yagi toshinori x reader #toshinori yagi x reader #toshinori x reader #mybigbangacademia

246 notes · View notes

ladyluscinia · 2 years

Text

I've already expressed that I think people who read Izzy as a clearly racist / homophobic villain are setting themselves up for disappointment - doubly so if they are throwing around "irredeemable" or expecting he'll be harshly punished somehow - because the show is simply... not that kind of show.

But I've also decided they are just plain missing out on good writing.

Just in general, do you know what standard straight romcom couples pretty much never have to deal with? Extreme bigotry as a major obstacle to their relationship. It's not a normal thing to, say, set up an interracial couple and then have one particular character constantly around spouting segregation era views because that's a slap in the face you don't need in a romcom. If a story does go that way it's pretty much exclusively a brief, "oh shit did they just go there?" moment, kills the lighthearted tone immediately, and leads directly to a huge climactic explosion because, again, slap in the face.

So why should Stede and Edward have to face seasons of explicit homophobia and racism (without even a cathartic explosion up front) for the crime of being a non-standard romcom couple? They shouldn't! Canon gay couples deserve to get the romance and the lighthearted tone without having to run through a required Homophobia Exists obstacle course. At the same time, though, that can be kinda difficult writing-wise because homophobia does exist.

And the OFMD writers were actually really fucking smart about it!

Like, as people have pointed out around Izzy, any character being hostile to a gay couple is going to ping homophobia radars, because in reality that is a likely explanation. Same for insulting gay characters based on their appearance or manner (so... the basis of most insults?). This means you probably can't just copy the obstacle characters from a straight romcom and play them out the same way - they would just read as homophobic without ever saying it out loud - but also you need obstacle characters for a lot of the romcom beats. So instead of doing that, they wrote Izzy reasons for his behavior that make sense.

Setting up one of Stede's primary character flaws (and a major theme of the show) as his unconscious class privilege, and then dropping in an aggressively working class guy as the main onscreen antagonist? That's brilliant. Izzy can insult and despise his clothes, his manners, his very existence in the world, and not only does it work, but it's also sympathetic and fixable and crucially based on a real flaw of Stede's. Making him hate Stede for something Stede has actually "done wrong" makes it more difficult to slip into a mindset where a neutral reason (like finding him annoying or something) is just disguising a bigoted one. And then making him hate the relationship because Stede, who he hates, is stealing Edward, who he is in love with? Classic romcom trope AND another clever sidestep of more serious and less sympathetic motivations.

The show is fantastically pulling off getting a man to hate a gay man and a gay romance for realistic, messy, straight out of a romcom reasons entirely unrelated to them being gay, and a bunch of people are STILL obsessed with proving that, no, it's definitely irredeemable, awful, "I'll kill you for being yourself" violent homophobia at work. Why not just consider the alternative?

#our flag means death #and this is all before we even get into the cycles of abuse and toxic defense methods against emotional vulnerability #which hits on the working class struggle to survive AND clever use of comedy violence to play with in universe severity #just... how are the same people putting the show on the highest pedestal i've ever seen the ones also ignoring good rep writing?#izzy hands ofmd #stede bonnet ofmd #blackbeard ofmd #homophobia #racism #ladyluscinia #(disclaimer - i don't actually watch romcoms very often but i'm pretty sure everything i've said here applies)

186 notes · View notes

annihilatius · 3 months

Text

Welcome to my blog where I document my descent into mental insanity. If you forced me to give this blog a label I'd say it's fandom-centric but I post a lot of other diverse stuff too, such as memes/shitposts, art, photography, so on. I also want to post about my original characters + their story. I am an artist but I don't post it often because of how long it takes and I don't really do sketches, so I post other things in the meantime. I try to stay away from intra-community discourse or general negative topics because it just makes me sad, and this blog is meant to be a form of escapism from my problems not a reminder of them. But of course I don't entirely ignore those things, so watch out for that if you don't wanna see it either. (Lots more under cut)

On stuff I actually like, you can just check my highlighted tags to see what I'm most into at the moment but there are more that I don't post often so I feel like I should address all of them at once. In fictional media, I like Bioshock (current hyperfixation), Pokemon (previous hyperfixation), Resident Evil but I don't really consider myself to be apart of the fandom because I don't play for the story or characters (I do like. Some of them though), Nexomon (previous hyperfixation), Fran Bow, Outlast, Amnesia. On fandom stuff, I'll talk a lot about the thing I'm currently hyperfixated on or have a special interest in, which for the moment is Bioshock (wow what a surprise). I mostly make shitposts, but I sometimes make serious analyses mostly on stuff I don't like because theres a lot more for me to say there, I don't do it to be negative I do it because it's fun to talk about. My brain for some reason is incapable of being hyperfixated on more than one thing at a time (I define hyperfixate by thinking about one thing 24/7 and making it about everything not *just* liking something a lot) and it can flip-flop often, so I apologize if you followed me for one specific fandom and then I got hyperfixated on something else. I never stop being deranged about a piece of media though, it just lays dormant like a sleeper agent waiting to be awakened again.

I know I said I don't like posting discourse but people apparently care about this stuff. I really, really hate DNIs because they're entirely redundant for a multitude of reasons, so instead of saying "if you are this thing then kys I hate you" like all DNIs do, because I cannot stop you from interacting I'm just going to list off things I do not support so if you do support said things I am going to block you because there are definitely things I have strong opinions on. All kinds of bigotry I shouldn't have to say. Exclusion/hatred of any queer group that's "acceptable" to shit on because reasons x y z (multisexuals, nonbinary people, aspecs, polyamorous people, queerhets, transmascs/trans men). I don't care for either side of "shipcourse" but if you are an antishipper or a proshipper and you harass ANYONE or justify harassment, please get a hobby and don't bother me. Don't come to me with ship, flag, or slur discourse in general.

Tag navigation! #v.txt < orginal text posts #v.jpg < finished art #v.png < wip art #asks?!?! < asks #pinned post < current or previous pinned posts #ocs < my ocs, if you're curious about them then I'd reccomend looking at my ToyHouse (specific ocs get their own tag) #scuffed game reviews tag < serious game reviews #❤ < my favourite posts (reblogs)

Last updated: 15/4/24 (DD/MM/YY)

#v.txt #pinned post

7 notes · View notes

aconstantstateofbladerunner · 1 year

Note

Blade, do you feel vindicated in your dislike for HP now that Rowling showed their true colors?

Here’s the thing: i didn’t hate HP before Rowling imploded. I didn’t really like it, but in the same way i don’t like stuff like Friends or the Mission Impossible movies, what little I saw didn’t grab me so i didn’t keep watching. No strong opinions whatsoever. Just a popular thing that wasn’t personally for me. And I still don’t particularly hate the books or movies themselves, I still haven’t seen anything besides the first 2 movies and that was years ago.

But over the past few years, as Rowling’s bullshit has gotten bolder, as critical eyes have looked back on the more questionable aspects of the series, as more new merchandise continues to be released decades later that goes directly back to Rowling’s hate campaigns, somehow, there are still people who worship the franchise like it’s god’s gift to earth. From the dumbass articles that act like Rowling ‘invented’ tropes that have been around for decades just because she made the most money off them, to the shameless weirdos who try to relate all their real world political stances to the HP fandom because it’s “just like the books,” to the sad nerd adults who would come into my dollar store a few miles away from Universal Studios Florida after a full day in the HP theme park wearing officially licensed robes, and still have the balls to act like middle school outcasts hated by the world because the only HP merch we sold were subpar T-shirts and keychains. Yes, I know that people like this are not exclusive to HP, but the difference is the sheer scale of it all, and the fact that supporting it directly funds a hate group.

I couldn’t give less of a shit about the books themselves, but the cult-like worship of everything to do with the franchise has overstayed its welcome. My sympathy for people who’s beloved childhood memories have been tainted by bigotry has limits. Of course you can be sad and upset, but you also have to move on eventually. There are millions of better books out there waiting for you once you do.

#shut up about harry potter #answers

45 notes · View notes

assorted-queer-thoughts · 2 years

Text

My Thoughts On: Lightyear

Ok, I've been hearing a lot of things recently about this movie, and even from my own parents, who aren't sure if they want to let my little siblings go see it. It was even banned in 14 countries, but why?

There's a lesbian.

That's right, there's a canonically lesbian character in a stable, loving, long-term relationship in a Disney movie. Surprised? Maybe you weren't, but I sure was. That is, of course, why my conservative parents aren't sure if they want to take my younger siblings to go see it. They very strongly disagree with queer representation in general, and they think that "Disney is trying to expose as many young kids as possible to LGBTQ+ lifestyles, and they're really pushing that agenda". Additionally, they're quite displeased that Tim Allen is not returning to voice the character of Buzz Lightyear, saying that "Disney has kicked him to the curb for his conservative political views".

Now, if you've done any reading on this subject, you'd know everything that I've just written is wrong. Recently, there's been a large portion of Disney staff speaking out against the company that claims to be queer-friendly, but still censors most of their content, and has also recently taken a lackluster stance over Florida's "don't say gay" bill. Pixar creatives have said that they've seen many beautifully diverse stories sent to Disney review boards and come back almost entirely stripped of the representation. One of these things was a lesbian kiss in Lightyear, which was removed for unknown reasons. After this speaking-out by queer employees, the kiss scene was actually added back into the movie, showing not only that the employees voices have been heard and are making a difference, but also validates their claims of censorship on Pixar films. This scene's return has sparked international backlash, banning the movie in 14 countries, and earning some hate from conservative parents like my own. While Disney is making progress in their representation, the fact it became a talking-point at all is just sad. Disney tried so hard to subtly censor things like this, and the employees have finally decided to speak up about it and come against it. It makes me so happy to see our community stand up like this. Disney is not as queer-friendly as they'd like to seem, but they're making progress, and progress is the first step.

On the subject of Tim Allen, he was NOT "kicked to the curb" for his conservative views. Disney hasn't been cutting him off. In fact, he just signed on to produce a Disney+ exclusive show based off of his The Santa Clause movies he did with Disney. I don't know about you, but signing on to do a new show worth millions of dollars doesn't exactly seem like getting "cut off". The creative minds behind Lightyear have already commented on this, explaining why Allen wasn't asked to voice Buzz Lightyear. They said that in the initial stages, there was confusion between Buzz Lightyear the toy, and Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger, so they decided to make the two characters as separate and distinguishable as possible. While Tim Allen perfectly captured Buzz Lightyear the toy as a goofy, fun guy who serves as a sort of comic relief, they wanted Lightyear, the action movie that inspired the toy, to have a more serious tone, so as to not undercut the drama. To do this, they asked Chris Evans to voice Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger, and his voice is perfect for the role they wrote. Tim Allen himself has not commented on this yet, but there's enough information here to make it obvious this choice was creative and not political.

Ultimately, there's an underlying factor of hate and bigotry here. When conservative parents condemn Disney/Pixar for trying to "normalize LGBTQ+ lifestyles", they do two things. One, they marginalize queer people as a "lifestyle", like being vegan or having a regular exercise regiment. Being queer is not a choice, is a part of who we are, and how we were made. It's not a lifestyle, it's a fact of life. We are here, and we won't go out of fashion like some people want us to. Two, they confuse "normalize" with "accept". Maybe this is just me, but there's a huge leap from seeing something all the time, and accepting that thing and being okay with it. We see crime all the time, it's a normal thing to hear about, but we don't accept it as alright in our society. If these people aren't going to "accept" us, that's on them. However, the first step to providing more safe spaces for queer individuals is making it a common thing to see queer people. Decades ago, the same thing had to be done with African-Americans as segregation was ending. Lots of conservatives (and conservatives who claimed to be "Christians" despite their clear contradiction of Christian values) acted out socially and physically against African-Americans and their integration into society. Everyone had to adjust to seeing them out and about in places that were previously reserved for white people. Even though not everyone accepted them (and some still don't today), they normalized the African-American in everyday life. I don't think there's many outspoken Christians (or "Christians") who would say that racism is okay, but they did back then. The first step to correcting bigoted beliefs was normalizing the people being hated. Once you can see the person as a human being, and not just an object of your hate, it changes your view. It changed mine. It's changed the view of countless Christians who fought against racism, and now fight against homophobia and transphobia. Love is beautiful, and as Christians we are called to love. Where do people get off spreading hate? Step one to revising that view is normalizing.

I hope I didn't come off too preachy. This subject came up very suddenly, and I felt I should say something. Sending prayers and best wishes to everyone out there, that these issues will be resolved in a loving manner, and that in the end love will win! Stay safe, stay hydrated, and God bless!

~Alex

172 notes · View notes