screaming-in-the-corner

[screaming-in-the-corner]

When it comes to equality, the most important thing to know is that everyone is a person. Yes, even people who you hate. Yes. Even him. Even her. Even them. They are people and you are too. Everyone is living their life and doing what they think is right. Does their "right" look the same as yours? No, not always. But they're still a person.

When it comes to dehumanization, the most important thing to remember is that everyone is a person too. In The Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, Freire explains how people who choose to oppress do so because they believe that the people that they are oppressing aren't actually people. In turn, due to their actions, the oppressed look at these people and see them as monsters.

You don't need to prove that you're a person to them, but be open to sharing your personhood with them. Show off your joy, your sorrow, your liveliness. Do it like nobody's watching (as long as you feel safe to do so). Being human and feeling joy are so so important.

It's also a pretty decent defense. If you're in trouble, it can help to share things about yourself. It doesn't have to matter too much. Share a story from when you were young. Maybe talk about your first pet. Maybe tell them about a book that you like. Tell them that you're scared of rollercoasters or that you like to ride a motorcycle. Tell them about hobbies that you have works-in-progress for. This helps to move you from "Target" to "Person". Try not to share too much personal information if you think that you might be found later for whatever reason, just small things.

Also, begging doesn't tend to hurt. There was a study on empathy where the subjects had to turn off a little robot. The first time, the robot didn't react. The second time, the robot begged to not be turned off. And you know what? People listened. Out of 89 subjects, 13 of them didn't turn off the robot and 30 took about twice as long as their initial time. 43/89 isn't the best odds, but the little robot didn't even try to make itself human. Think about what a human could do.

Take care of yourselves and others. Remember your personhood.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

A reminder

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© Magdalena Koscianska, Instagram: magda.moonsavage | Check also my Tumblr photo blog, Shapes and Shivers

[screaming-in-the-corner]

Republicans wrote laws in the House, Republicans in the Senate approved.

Trump is not in office.

There is no executive order.

Yet everything changed and changed back.

This is a performance.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

Mark Vomit (2020)

[screaming-in-the-corner]

I was reading some of Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire (a very good read if you're looking for theory to read!) and towards the beginning Freire talks about dehumanization of both the oppressed and the oppressor. The act of an outside force making one seem less human versus the acts of oneself to make them less human in the eyes of the oppressed.

The oppressor does not see the oppressed as human, or at least believes that they are LESS human than themselves. This is how they get their power. They believe that they belong on a higher pedestal than others because of who they are, so they feel entitled to do whatever they want to them. The way to combat this is to show them that others are people. This is why diversity matters. The more familiar a person is with people unlike them, the less likely they are to view other people as less than.

The oppressed, on the other hand, is likely to start viewing the oppressors as less human as well. This is less "They are monsters" and more "How could a person do this to another person?" This tends to cause the oppressed to want to oppress their oppressors in retaliation. This cannot happen. If it does, we are just creating a different oppressed group. This is not helpful.

Be kind to others. Take care of others despite what they might do. Of course, you have every right to leave an abusive relationship, but still continue to view them as people. If you continue to view everyone as a person, you can help take us closer to how we should be living. Help others view everyone as people. A great way to do this is to create art. Books and movies have been helpful tools in teaching people the wide spectrum of humanity. Everyone deserves to live healthy, happy, and without fear of others.

Remember this during the next four years. Try to keep from viewing others as monsters or "Others". One of the best ways to defend yourself is to start talking about your life. This is because it helps others view you as more human if you have a dog or your mother called you or one time when you were little you got a scar from something dumb.

When I was in elementary school, I flew paper planes in an experiment. I love Harry Potter but it's been soured for me. I still have the 8-disc box set though. I like to read comics. I'm a college student. I like bike riding because I like the feeling of the wind on my face when I go fast. My mom made me and my brother learn swimming because she doesn't know how to. My dad likes to fix cars but he's not amazing at it. He wanted to be a mechanic but ended up going into civil engineering. I love the world and I care about where we end up because I believe that we can reach equality, it'll just take elbow grease and people who are dedicated.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

It’s wild to me to see transvestigator conspiracy theories online that could be so easily explained by natural human variation. That woman has a deep voice? Yeah, sometimes they do. A woman has broad shoulders?? Maybe she plays rugby or hits the gym a fuckton. There’s a “bulge” in her tight pants?? Maybe her vulva is just fat. All the “markers” of trans woman that transvestigators use to harass any woman aren’t even things unique to trans women.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

2025

BE A STUDENT OF WHAT YOU ADMIRE

DO IT BADLY RATHER THAN NOT AT ALL

TO DESPAIR IS TO CEDE VICTORY TO THOSE WHO DO NOT DESERVE IT

BROADEN YOUR CULTURAL HORIZONS

REVEL IN THE ANALOGUE

ACTION ABSORBS ANXIETY

GRIEF IS PRODUCTIVE; GUILT IS NOT

[screaming-in-the-corner]

I love that we've gotten through a grand total of two weeks of 2025 and things have already gone sideways in the US. Something about everything that that man says is so exhausting to hear. The absolutely ridiculous things that he spouts astound me. I genuinely don't know if he's doing it on purpose or not, but I'm almost inclined to think that he does.

There's a thing that cult leaders do where they put themselves in the position of the prosecuted. They victimize themselves to appear like an underdog or revolutionary to their followers. "If they think that I'm stupid, they think YOU'RE stupid. But I think that you're smart. I understand you like they don't." It's pitching the narrative of "Us Vs. Them" and it helps with control.

It also serves the secondary purpose of throwing a flashbang into the argument. If we're more focused on the ridiculous things that he's saying, we're more likely to overlook the things that are happening behind the scenes. If we're focused on the confetti thrown in our face, we're less likely to see the birthday candles burning up the presents. It's important to overlook the things that he says. Treat him like a toddler throwing a tantrum and look around at what's actually happening instead of focusing on the shouting.

Take your time to take a jab or two if you want, but don't stop to look at the smoke and mirrors. Take a look at what it might be hiding. You might find more than you thought you did at first glance.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

legit so annoyed about the way the corporate media wants to paint those women waiting outside the court as crazy and as only being there because Luigi is hot. I looked up pictures of them outside the court and they all held signs and were there to send a message: "health over wealth", "denial of medical care = violence", "murder for profit = terrorism", "the United States healthcare stole my livelihood", "insurance lobbyists line politicians' pockets", "healthcare reform NOW". Yeah, they're there because he's hot for sure. Also, there were a lot of men as well but hey, that's not helping the narrative right?

[screaming-in-the-corner]

"Personally, I am rather haunted by discourse, by the fact that particular words have been spoken"

me too, Foucault, me too

[screaming-in-the-corner]

“I don't feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning. If you knew when you began a book what you would say at the end, do you think that you would have the courage to write it? What is true for writing and for love relationships is true also for life. The game is worthwhile insofar as we don't know where it will end.”

— Michel Foucault

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There's something about RPF that really irks me. I know that people get attached to real people and all, but a lot of the time it goes too far. These are not characters for you to play around with. These are real, living people with lives of their own. They are not toys for you to play with just because they seem so far from where you stand.

I get it. People have fantasies. People have celebrity crushes. But you cannot headcanon REAL PEOPLE. These ideas will bleed into the public perception of them.

This happened with Septiplier. This happened with Dan/Phil. THIS HAPPENS TO SERIAL KILLERS. And my particular point of interest today is Luigi Mangione. Yes, I know, I've made a post or two about him before, but the way that the internet has treated him is atrocious.

This is a real-ass person who is on trial and facing the death sentence. And people are writing smutty self-insert fanfiction about him. They are sexualizing a man that they have never met and really don't know much about. We are so focused on how attractive he looks that we are COMPLETELY missing the bigger picture. This is a man who is being charged with crimes against one man. And the murder of this one man is being called an act of terrorism and Mangione is potentially going to die for this.

We are missing the fact that one rich, powerful man's death is worth more than countless students, teachers, queer people, trans people, and many other communities because of the way that they have shaped this system. Cruelty is allowed, but not when it's one of them.

Remember that Luigi Mangione is a person. He is a living human being who is facing consequences for a crime that he may have not committed. And yet he is facing death for it. Don't let that fade away.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

Spectator recounts attending Luigi Mangione's arraignment in New York

In about a second after I saw [Luigi Mangione, walked into his arraignment in New York on Dec. 23], all the memes/thirsting/online discoveries about his good character were wiped away as I realized the significance of this young man's LIFE being at stake. I felt so inappropriate to me that I, a random stranger, felt the right to sit in on this arraignment. They walked him in like he was a "spoil of war". The cops are parading him around like a pig on a stick. All of America is obsessing over him, digging up every possible trace of his online presence. And focusing on his appearance and personality instead of the danger he’s in in real life. For example, the sweater from court selling out. This isn’t a thirst trap or a joke, it’s this man’s LIFE! I realized how sick and wrong this all is for me and everyone else there, and all the people obsessing over him online to be a voyeur to this terrible process. I felt like I was contributing to the problem by watching him be "put on display". For example, seeing the way the [mainstream media] wrote about the "dozens of fans who lined up in the early morning, mostly young women" minimizes the point of how unjust this guy's legal process has been. I was nauseous the entire arraignment, and I felt depressed for several days after. I think if I were in his shoes, all of the attention from the public and the online obsession (even though it's supportive) over his personality, looks, and personal history would make me mad uncomfortable. I think the priority should be on supporting him. And some people are saying that digging up all of his online info it could hurt the case. And I think that would be terrible for his fans to end up causing him more injustice. Also, putting up his personal private photos online — including when he was a child— seems really wrong and insensitive to me. Which is why for now I'm going to focus on what people can do to concretely help: writing letters, maybe not sending books (because prisoners only get to take a few into their cells and the rest might be thrown away), calling for healthcare reform, helping with protests, and raising support in a non-creepy way. PS: I would never go back to another hearing. It was horrifying. And I encourage anyone here to not go as well. I don't think it's the right way to help him. I think my perspective is worth sharing as I had a very close view of this in person.

Excerpt of a post by user Theoffice94 on the subreddit FreeLuigi, for which moderators state they had verified that the user attended the arraignment through private communication.

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Hello!

I've realized that my account has been getting some recognition from my Luigi Mangione post so I figured that I should make an intro post.

You can call me Emile (Emil, not Emily). I use they/them pronouns. There's a bunch of disabilities going on with me (mental and physical), I'm queer, and I'm an Asian person.

The autism trait that runs this blog is a strong sense of justice. Also a little bit of "too much nuance!" going on.

I think that the lynchpin of my ideology is to treat people well until they don't deserve it. Now, it takes a lot for me to stop treating someone well. Nothing that they can't change can exclude them. One mistake or a few can't exclude them. The only thing that can exclude them is repeated cruelty.

I align myself with communism (mostly in theory) and anarchism. The system is fucked up and I can yell about it for hours.

Tl;dr: I'm who they warned you about when they were talking about Chinese commies and don't be a dick.

[screaming-in-the-corner]

a lot of behaviors that get attributed to "female socialization" can be so much more easily and accurately understood as a person recognizing the power differential surrounding them and behaving sensibly in response to that.

like. does a woman politely listen to a man monologue at her because of some experience she had when she was twelve that magically cursed her to behave that way forever, or does she do it because the man has the power to hurt her and she knows it?

does a woman do all the dishes in her household because she is less capable of breaking out of a long-ago conditioned response than, like, your average trained dog, or is she doing that because she knows that all the men in the house will blame her if she doesnt and will make life worse for her if she speaks up?

maybe a lot of sexist patterns of behavior that are widely observed in society arent caused by women like, lacking willpower or backbone? maybe it is super fucking weird for supposedly feminist movements to imply this is the case when they talk about female socialization as the end all, be all of predicting human behavior?

isnt it both more useful and more respectful toward women to consider that they are perceiving their present circumstances accurately, and recognize when power is already being wielded against them, and take logical measures to deescalate and protect themselves because it works? is it not fucking clear to everybody that trans women in particular have to do this all the fucking time?

[screaming-in-the-corner]

Something you need to remember is that journalistic photographers are still artists at heart. When you are providing a source of information that is to be seen as "the truth" you are going to frame things to look a certain way.

You will publish the ones that look like what you want. The framing of Luigi Mangione's transportation is incredibly evocative of paintings of Jesus being arrested. It also (not so) coincidentally is often the framing of a hero being captured for the greater good.

This is ON PURPOSE. Do not discredit the artist by calling it a mistake. This was on purpose. The artist supports him and is framing him as a hero.

No matter how much corporate news may attempt to drown out the support for Mangione, artists always have the ear of the people. A picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it?

[screaming-in-the-corner]

The world feels quiet for the first time in ages

Everything feels still in this time and place

There is wind

There are animals

There are cars passing by on quiet puttering engines

There is a pang in my chest, a quiet ache to match everything else

The world has slowed and her children are in mourning

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Written Nov, 2024

Context: I wrote this the day after the election