#teaching critical thinking

[pommedepersephone]

I loved Harry Potter as a kid. It was the first series my younger brother got really into, and it was something we shared. And even then, some things bothered me - the treatment of the house elves always felt ick. But I missed the blatant transphobia in the way all her female villains were masculine because, well, if you were around in 1997, you know villains being LGBTQ+ coded was pretty par for the course.

But now I have kids, and they love Harry Potter. And you know what, we just tackle the problematic shit head on. We TALK about how fucked up the descriptions of villains are, how the goblins and house elves aren't being given any control over their own narratives, and how that might be influencing how they are represented. We talk about the real world history of antisemitism, transphobia, racism and slavery, and how it shows up in this fantasy world. And we talk about other stories that are less problematic, and those that are problematic in different ways.

Honestly, this is part of making them critical thinkers, savvy media lovers, and more compassionate humans. They are going to look back at things that were new and amazing from their childhood that in hindsight are kind of ick because as our society evolves we actually DO get better at this whole loving and caring for one another thing. Let the way your perception of art changes remind you that it gets better.

hey do you think you could expand a bit on separating the art from the artist? clearly you’ve done it with jk rowling but what are your thoughts on it as a general idea?

okay, but you’re not going to like the answer.

here’s the truth: you can’t separate the art from the artist. not entirely. HP Lovecraft was an incredibly talented, but much more incredibly racist man. It would nice to say you don’t agree with his views but you can enjoy his works without that leaking in but…. well, I’m afraid that would be misunderstanding his books entirely.

Consider, for a second, that Lovecraft’s works were horror stories about extradimensional alien monsters having mutant children with humans, they were about invasions from distant monsters, they were about the purity of quaint European towns being tainted. Consider how this may have all been inflicted by the fact that he just simply despised anybody who wasn’t white. Consider how is opinions on “mixing the races” might fight into this; consider why being unable to maintain the “purity” of white Europe was the scariest thing of all to him.

This extends to Rowling too.

I would love to say we can just acknowledge that she is an awful, racist, antisemitic, transphobic person and then say “but at least her books are good,” because, well, they are, aren’t they? I would say so, for sure. But to suggest that one can separate her from them is…. ridiculous.

Consider why an antisemitic woman wrote about a species of goblins who live among us, but who for the most part keep to themselvesand are maybe a little bit oppressed by the institution, but also hold all the cards, all the money, run the banks.

Consider why a racist woman would write about a species of slaves who loved being enslaved, who enjoyed working for no pay, and cleaning up after humans, with the only small caveat of that they didn’t want to be beaten. Imagine that only the most radical of their species wanted to be free, and he still spent the rest of his life working for no pay and helping out a little white boy and his friends wherever he could. Consider why the only person in the story who thought they should be free, that they should have rights, was treated as an overzealous joke, who was acting against the wishes of those slaves who really LOVE being enslaved. Consider that Rowling went on to say that she kind of considers that girl to be black, now.

Consider why JK Rowling, an open and proud transphobe, wrote Rita Skeeter as having a large square jaw, thick “manly” hands, and dressing incredibly gaudily with the most obvious fake nails and fake teeth and fake hair and fake everything. Consider why a woman who tweets about how trans women are “foxes pretending to be hens to get in the hen house” might write this Rita Skeeter to then illegally transform her body in order to spy on children.

Harry Potter is full of Rowling’s bigotry, start to finish. Not even tangentially, like, “oh the goblins are bad, Rita Skeeter is bad, the house elves are bad, but most of it’s good!” because the deeper you dig and the longer you think the more you realise the entire story is based on her prejudices.

Harry Potter pretends to be an aracial story about found family, but if that were true, why are Harry’s distant ancestors important to who he is today even in the seventh book? Why does Harry have to live with his cousin and aunt and uncle? Because magic inherently prefers blood ties. Whilst Rowling was writing a story that seemed to say, “your heritage is not that important and doesn’t make you better than others” she was still writing a story about a boy who got all of his money through his bloodline, who was protected by living with his bloodline, no matter how evil, who was uniquely able to stop Voldemort because his bloodline passed down the invisibility cloak for generations and generations. Any step Harry takes he is compared to his perfect parents who were exactly like him — he looks just like his father, but he has his mother’s eyes, you know! — consider WHY a woman who is racist might’ve written a story like this. A story that on its surface, condemns a blood caste, but still in every step it takes, validates the idea that blood is thicker than water, and your geneological origin is what makes you special.

You can enjoy Harry Pottwr, of course you can. There are fantastic parts. I love a small group of teenagers deciding to become anarchies rebels and train to fight against fascism in secret. I love the murder mystery plots, I love how the series tells kids that it’s a good thing to be brave, and a good thing to fight injustice, and a good thing to challenge the government. But I cannot separate it from its author because it is such a product of its author. All of the structures of the world, the way things work in the universe, and drenched in Rowling’s beliefs, her bigotries. Of course they are: she made them.

Again. This doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy it. But I think we are past the day where we can pretend that disavowing a bigoted author is enough, and that that somehow separates the text from its bigotry. I think we are past the day where we can pretend that Harry Potter isn’t a deeply, inherently bigoted piece of media. Even the bits we love. I think we are beyond the day where we can truthfully pretend to separate it from her, because she is present through all of it. We MUST recognise its flaws. We MUST admit that she is in every part of it.

[insightfultake]

Schools Must Teach Peace: Why Conflict Management and Empathy Are the New Essentials

In an era marked by rising societal tensions and digital echo chambers, education leaders are calling for a radical shift: a curriculum rooted in peace, empathy, and conflict resolution. At the 52nd Annual National Progressive Schools' Conference (NPSC) held in New Delhi, experts and educators made a clarion call for a peace-centered education system, emphasizing the urgent need for schools to go beyond academics and build emotional resilience among students.

[guzhufuren]

Wooyoung about AI use being unethical and his regret over making an AI ghibli edit of himself

[blondebrainpowered]

Artist Jonathan Harris and his painting titled “Critical Race Theory"

It’s a hauntingly effective image. A blonde figure stands, back to the viewer and paint roller in hand, covering up the images of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Malcolm X with strokes of white paint. Critical Race Theory (2021) has been embraced as a powerful reminder of the importance of teaching and preserving Black history.

The canvas is the work of Detroit artist Jonathan Harris, who, since taking up painting full time nearly four years ago, has dedicated himself to making work expressing his lived experience as a Black man in the U.S. Critical race theory, which examines the ways in which racism is embedded in our nation’s legal systems and policies, has been circulating in academic circles since the 1970s. But it began making headlines, especially in conservative media, in 2022 as some local lawmakers sought to proactively ban its teaching.

[trinityssantos]

not surprising how chappell roan has now made two videos explaining what she said (which...if you were smart you would know there was nothing wrong) and people are STILL saying she's a republican/tr*mp supporter...like there is no help for some of you

[thisrandomstuff]

Unlike some people, I actually DO blame families (and general audiences) who take their kids to watch live-action slop.

In the 21st century they have the option to:

Wait for something that's not a live-action remake to come out;

Watch something at home;

Search for indie animation online and watch that;

Buy popcorn, milkshakes, sodas, etc. outside of theaters/cinemas and just consume it at home while watching something at home

Wait for a screening of the older films in theaters, because those DO return to the big screen every now and again.

Adults aren't helpless children with no options; least of all those who can afford to go to the cinemas for this shit. Y'all just need to let go of your learned helplessness and start putting some respect on the creative process and animators.

Elio is coming out soon. So if you so badly want to watch something in theaters... there you go.

And DreamWorks movies DO return to the big screen from time to time. I've seen it happen with Kung Fu Panda 2 years back.

I also never got to watch the animated How to Train Your Dragon in cinemas when I was a kid. My family were also varying levels of broke back then. But I'm not here going to see the live-action remake just because "this might be the only time I get to do watch httyd in the cinemas".

This isn't a MUST. This isn't like needing to buy clothes, or food, or anything like that. You can go without watching movies in the cinema. That's a privilege, one some people are clearly keen on abusing to support this soulless plague of live-action remakes.

You know, there are people out there that went to school for animation in hopes it'd be their full-time job one day.

It's bad enough that these studios far too often underpay or exploit people. But for them to completely cut them out, or stomp over their works, or barely include animation so they can avoid paying for it?

Those of you who pay to see this sort of live-action stuff that only pushed studios away from animation pay to encourage studios to keep avoiding better treatment and more respect for their animators. You pay to keep the disrespect going and you pay to keep this a thing...

Remember how 2D got phased out of studios like Disney and DreamWorks?

So, no, you don't get to keep making cheap excuses. Learn from history, learn from the other remakes, and learn to control your urge to see everything on the big screen.

The great thing about those animated movies that got remade (not because there was much to be "improved", but because they were a commercial success, therefore presumed "safe") is that you could come out of it loving it without that cinema hype to build them up. You could fall in love with them long after they've stopped being the IT thing, because they're THAT good.

For the record: I DO also blame corporations. But you support these corporations when you don't HAVE to. You're all acting like Disney/DreamWorks has a gun to your head and is whispering "watch the live-action remake or you'll never get to see another movie again" into your ear.

[saintjasperira]

bullying is abuse but also like a lot of people who think they’re being bullied kind of are not. like. to be honest. if you’re overly sensitive to being told no and being criticized, i think you maybe need to consider that you may not be being bullied. if you just don’t like it when people set boundaries or call you on something you did wrong, you’re definitely not being bullied. i’m really kind of tired of this culture of being super duper so so nice to everyone all the time and softening and sugar coating your words and watering yourself down because if you hurt someone’s feelings you’re some horrible evil abuser. like it’s just dumb. everyone should not be walking on fucking eggshells all of the fucking time

[pocketgalaxies]

beau and caleb butting heads so bad about what to do with essek...oof!

[fulgurbugs]

MORE TAX DOLLARS TO ABORTION NOW!!!!

[victusinveritas]

Abolish bed times.

It's great to see all the left unite to defend teachers (even and perhaps especially when it is from folks who consider themselves leftists).

[barufisher]

i had time to play a decent amount today and actually further the main quest & companion quests and. i dont have anything eloquent to say this time and im not feeling generous anymore... taash's writing sucks dogshit

[ayrennaranaaldmeri]

[once again here be dragons]

ngl one thing that IS making me roll my eyes into the sun is how bland and flavourless some of the interpersonal conflicts between companions are as I've seen them in reviews.

Rook is standing between two companions and "sorting out" their arguments like they are talking to fucking children and the problems these chars have with each other are kind of just tiny, petty things? and so much which amount to shit like taash no like skeleton, emmrich find dragon boring, harding think emmrich takes too long to pack or has too many books, emmirch judging harding for sleeping on the dirt?? like what is this, genuinely. rook is always talking to these grown ass adults like they are fucking toddlers and i'm like...really. i saw one scene between davrin and lucanis that appears to have at least a bit more bite (even though the line i saw from davrin was legit just jacob's beef with thane) but apparently even that gets resolved very quickly and doesn't come up?

also rip dorian, he has been completely teaganed.

[xxprincess1x]

Izzy when Ed is signing the Act of Grace document:

"Think about what you're doing, Ed. Do you really want to lick the King's boots?"

Meanwhile Izzy literally earlier that week:

Plotting with the English Navy (essentially the sea police) to get Stede killed just so he can have Ed handed over to him, in exchange for his services to the King.

I'm sorry to break it to you Iggy, but isn't that also licking the King's boots? But for an entirely selfish reason that disregards the feelings of the person you're supposedly doing it for?

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

the last sentence would be true if we lived in a society where we had not linked having a college degree to being able to access even the possibility of all manner of jobs that 100% do not require skills that can only be acquired through attaining a college degree. But Alas.

[dollypopup]

'the pictures are STAGED!'

the man is in a baseball hat and sunglasses, pajama joggers and baggy clothes to hide his build, sporting stubble to be less likely to be recognized as a dude from Bridgerton, taking part in a morning coffee run and a smoke, looking at his phone for like half the pics

like, uh, in what way would it be MORE obvious that he was photographed without his consent?

[vaguely-concerned]

few things bring me as much joy as my rook's expressive capacity for sudden withering disdain. (he's looking at illario here, of course lmao.) he's so hey i'm just a little guy...🥺 coded most of the time and then someone says something dumb enough that the mask cracks for a moment and every line of him says 'that is the stupidest fucking thing anyone has ever said to me and I'm aggrieved to even have had to hear it'. rye is mostly very kind but there IS a bastard lurking in his head waiting to be let out as well. not just solas but solas too I suppose. two bastards in rye ingellvar's head they keep each other company and are trying to strangle each other as we speak 😌.

(vs. him looking over at lucanis a moment later during the same line delivery. since lucanis was actively into viago once I cannot imagine that getting to watch rye crack and be kind of mean to people who've earned it when too sorely tried is like. entirely without allure to him fhskjadf. witnessing illario pulling the old ingratiating 'rooook reason with him would you~ I'm the cousin with the charisma stats' routine and This being rook's response probably opened some as of yet ill-understood '...I think I hauve covid' corners of lucanis' soul. tfw your buddy has your back so completely (dawning erotic implications))