#while on the d/s spectrum they are POLAR opposites | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stupid-stew · 4 years ago

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character names keep me alive, toh is my lifeblood.

i am literally obsessed and this show really does provide (i still have to add more smh my head dana terrace why do you do this to me jk i love it so much please never stop) COPY AND PASTED FROM DOC UNDER BREAK

NAMES INCLUDED:

FIRST NAME

LILITH

EDA

LUZ

KING

WILLOW

GUS

ASSORTED BLIGHTS

LAST NAME

BLIGHT

CLAWTHORNE

NOCEDA

PORTER

PARK

BUMP

MISCELLANEOUS

BELOS

HIERONYMUS AND BOSCHA

ADEGAST

HOOTY

OWLBERT

KIKIMORA

GWENDOLYN

RAYNE

NOTE EVERYTHING BEFORE GWENDOLYN AS OF 6/24/21 WRITTEN WITHOUT SEASON 2 KNOWLEDGE, TO BE REVISED, REVISIONS IN BOLD!

Hello and welcome to the ramblings of a mad man. Before we get into it I think you should note that I do write like I talk because I think like a talk and I write how I think, so if you are confused as to why it sounds like i’m not making sense its because I'm not making sense also my capitalization and punctuation suck so sorry about that but we don’t have time for technicalities in this house. TO ADVENTURE!

FIRST NAME

LILITH

EDA

LUZ

KING

WILLOW

GUS

ASSORTED BLIGHTS

LAST NAME

BLIGHT

CLAWTHORNE

NOCEDA

PORTER

PARK

BUMP

MISCELLANEOUS

BELOS

HIERONYMUS AND BOSCHA

ADEGAST

HOOTY

OWLBERT

KIKIMORA

GWENDOLYN

RAYNE

GILBERT

FIRST NAME

LILITH

Ok so because I'm lilith’s bitch we are gonna start with her because her name is so cool and I love her and we should be besties Lilith hmu. Anyways as most people know Lilith is a pre existing mythological character which makes this very much good because that means it’s all outlined. Most people know her as a demonic figure, which I very much dig but similar to our lovely queen of curses out here, that's not all she is. There isn’t going to be a chronological explanation of similarities and conclusions, cope. The basic gist is that Lilith was this chick with fiery red hair (this is important iykyk) who refused to be beneath or below adam, more specifically to subjugate to him, funny because of the tapestry with belos what says subjugation on it, probably a coincidence but I do not believe in coincidence right now. Anyways basically she runs off and becomes this chick who like snatches children and will make them sick if they don’t have an amulet with the names Senoy, Sansenoy, or Semangelof on them, thats a different story but what I find interesting is this one passage,

“(12) Her nobles shall be no more, nor shall kings be proclaimed there; all her princes are gone. (13) Her castles shall be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She shall become an abode for jackals and a haunt for ostriches. (14) Wildcats shall meet with desert beasts, satyrs shall call to one another; There shall the Lilith repose, and find for herself a place to rest. (15) There the hoot owl shall nest and lay eggs, hatch them out and gather them in her shadow; There shall the kites assemble, none shall be missing its mate. (16) Look in the book of the LORD and read: No one of these shall be lacking, For the mouth of the LORD has ordered it, and His spirit shall gather them there. (17) It is He who casts the lot for them, and with His hands He marks off their shares of her; They shall possess her forever, and dwell there from generation to generation.”

And there are separate part of this that I find relevant, especially the description of the location, i’m not all that familiar with symbolism of animals in religious texts, so i’m gonna take it at face value and say that this is more or less a description that could be given to the physical owl house itself, sort of a place for people who don’t fit in, its a little messy and I guess one could say overgrown, but it’s a place for anyone, a place to rest now hopefully for Lilith away from the coven, there shall the Lilith repose. On top of that we see the “the hoot owl…” and you’re probably thinking what that so crazy wacko because like why are they referring to Lilith as the hoot owl isn't Eda the owl lady, yes she is. That’s why the actual meanings of lilith’s name that come from her mythological depiction as a demon lady are so important. We have night monster, night owl, night spectre, vampires, night hag, night creature, nightjar (which is another kind of bird), and night bird, all of these seem to fit lilith’s dark aesthetic very nicely which is very good for her, but there are two other ones, hot owl and screech owl, which draw her closer to Edaand away from the coven and her depiction in the mid-later episodes of the show as a monster for cursing eda, but also the name night monster could come into play if while sharing the curse Lilith acquired some of its traits, similar to Ed aas the owl beast. Ultimately, we have this little red head girl who eventually fights back against the men who are attempting to get her to be under them, for the character that is belos, for the other Lilith that is adam, god, and his angels, and now hopefully both of them will find solace and repose among the owls in a place they never thought they’d belong. All this talk of owls and god brings us into the other clawthorne baddie:

Lilith did find her repose! I love her staying in the owl house, get it queen oh yuh.

EDA

For this I'm going to use her full name edalyn, because you know like that’s just how it be it is her name. There isn’t a wiki page for her name like there is for Lilith which makes this a little bit harder but the general consensus seems to be that it means something along the lines of “gift of god”, which I find very interesting. If you are going to name a child gift of god i’m assuming that you are referring to the child themselves, but I don’t think that really applies to eda. I’m not religious, but its my impression that someone who lies, cheats, pranks, and steals their way to the top and isn’t exactly the most responsible witch on the isles and might not be the best gift god could give. I do really love Eda though, her character flaws are still a part of her character, but I think this refers to her powers. Eda considers herself to be the boiling isles gift to magic, which I mean like, have you seen the woman. In agony of a witch we see her at what probably 30% of her power with how much the curse was already tolling on her and how much magic she was probably using to fight it off, and like goddamn. She was almost beating lilith, definitely beating the shit out of her, but she was almost defeating Lilith who was at her full power, and that is just a fraction of what she used to be able to do. Her powers were a gift of god, and I think that the loss of them will greatly affect her. She’s already admitted that she doesn’t know how to do much without her magic, and I think going straight from the second most powerful witch on this isles to having no power at all is going to be incredibly taxing on her, physically and mentally.

Luckily for her the name edalyn also means patience, another thing about her name is that it not only means gift of god, but also similar things like gifted by the gods or even goddess, and this draws a connection to Lilith who is named after a demonic figure, casted out for having defied god, they are quite literally polar opposites on the name spectrum, and we see that a lot in the show, they are completely different people, I mean have you looked at them they don’t even look related, but the funnier thing is that their personalities do the same thing. You’d expect Edain her youth to be a gift from the devil, just ask principal bump, and Lilith seemed to be a goody two shoes who worked her ass off, their names could be switched based off their characters alone.

A random baby name site I found said that :

“Persons with the name edalyn are usually highly flexible and well equipped to making and accepting change throughout their life. They always seek excitement and are sometimes a bit of a risk taker. They are imaginative, and often, through their unconventional way of thinking, are naturally able to solve complex problems with ease. They are quick thinkers and observers who are clever, analytical and versatile”

Which I mean like very much applies to eda, she takes change like a champ, either genuinely or by pretending she’s ok with everything, and is always seeking excitement. Like literally all of the time. Always. I think she takes felonies as a compliment, and one of the biggest changes in her life that she genuinely was able to adapt to and appreciate was

OH MY GOD HER LEARNING THE NEW GLYPHS WAS SO CUUUUTTTEEE, I love her being able to adapt, she really is doing well. As the beginning of separate tides shows, she’s working around it, and is doing a damn good job, living up to her name.

LUZ

Ok I think at this point everyone knows that at this point the name Luz means light, and if you didn't, oopsies now you do. The character Luz was named and designed after a real life person the miss dana terrace knew at the time she was starting to really think about the show, Luz ’s personalty comes more from dana herself and we love that, but the character has really started to grow into her name. This is made most obvious when the first spell Luz learns is the light glyph, not only coming into her own as a witch, but also starting to live up to her name, which along with light also has to do with “Our Lady of Light”, which is the virgin mary, fitting her right in with the other biblical names we got going on here. I really want to stress that I know next to zero about religion, and all of the connections I am making come from wikipedia, so bare with me here. But most of the time mary seems to be this pure, saint like figure, which I think is what a lot of people see Luz as, especially on the isles. I’m going to flat out say that this is in no way meant to pass off Luz as simple minded, pure, or oblivious, because we have seen what that girl is willing to do, she faced death and poked him in the with an ice cicle. In terms of life on the isles, however, she is more or less pure and sheltered, she’s completely new to the world she’s in, but she does quickly adapt, and shows more of her strong side, and remains a good person throughout all of it, taking losses as they come, and not letting them remain losses at the same time.

Back to the whole light thing, we already touched on the whole literal bit of her and the light spell, but can you think of a better way to describe Luz ? She literally brings light everywhere she goes, even Eda admits that she’s changed things for the better, for everyone around her too. Willow got a new friend, probably the first friend she’s had in a long time, and even got to begin repairing her relationship with amity, and got placed in the plant track so she could do the things she loves, all because of Luz . Edagot to grow as a person and a mentor, and finally got someone willing to accept all her eda-ness, unconditionally, someone to really care about that really cares about her back, all because of Luz . Amity got a friend who cares about her, not just her family name and money, someone who supports her and will do anything for her because she is her friend, and a bit of self discovery along the way for amity, all because of Luz . Not a single person on the isles who has had more than 2 minutes of interaction with Luz hasn’t had their lives improved, even belos got his portal, and the thing is that even characters who people might not even consider changed have been, characters such as

Luz my beloved, she seems a little bit less of a light this season, and i do mean little. That’s totally fine though, it’s expected, i didn’t want her to just be this bright shining star after the events of the last two episodes of season 1, and appreciate her going and starting to take the fantasy of the isles with more than just a grain of salt. Obviously like in escaping expulsion, she’s still trying her best to make everything better and make friends with everyone, but there’s something a little different about it and i’m here for it tbh.

KING

The name king itself is obvious, he is royalty, the king of demoNS HIMSELF ASMODEUS hahahaha pulled a sneaky on you now accept my ideas as your own. I am on a mythological name kick, deal with it. The most important thing here is in the bible, asmodeus poses himself as a false god, which I know is something we have all considered with king, that he might be a full on liar, not be a king of anything and is just your ordinary street demon, it’s even come up in the show with him calling himself the king of artists and Luz asking him if he was just making it up at this point. It’s a good theory, I can see it, and this could be used as proof. There is also another legend that paints him as a good natured dude, who eventually banishes the king by literally throwing him, and then he loses his powers and is banished, but this is also the same legend where he marries Lilith and that is not something I am down for. There is another text in which he tells the king (the same one he threw in the other one) that his kingdom will one day be divided and the king does not believe him, and this is the same text where he admits to hating water and birds because they remind him of god. Lets think class, who has the god name and is related to birds here? King’s name by itself holds true to his character, who (regardless of if it is truthful or not) holds himself as if he is a king, and he isn't the only one with a name like that, there is also

WILLOW

Ok I know we all thought it, willow, the plant girl, how fiendishly clever. This also happens to be the only descriptor for her name I could find, which is totally fine because I think it’s a very cute name and willow is also very cute. This means we get to go into the symbolism of the willow tree wwwooooOOOOO aren’t you so very excited I know I am. Its kind of interesting, willow trees seem to match the character, understanding, warm, a safe space really, but most of all the ability to let go of pain and suffering, sometimes outright ignore it, and move on. Willow does always say out of sight out of mind does she not? She is willing to ignore, even excuse people bullying her, be it bosha or even amity, and the moment she got the chance her inner willow decided to try and literally burn the painful memories she had, willing to cause damage just to forget. Willow as a character is very willing to move on like nothing happened most of the time, key word most because another thing about willows is the ability to grow from the pain. Before understanding willow, we never really saw willow stand up for herself until she really had to, but hy the end of the episode she is willing to tell amity that she isn’t willing to fully forgive her, but she’s willing to grow and try. Heck, we see this over the entire first season, we see this little girl who can barely pull it together long enough to stand up for herself grow into this amazing character willing to publicly oppose the emperor and break into his castle for her friend, she tried to full out attack Lilith when 19 episodes earlier she wasn’t able to stand up to amity for bullying her. And I am in no way calling willow weak, she never was, she just needed to find the ability to show everyone that she’s strong, god I love willow so much, you wanna know who else loves willow?

GUS

Gus, my main man, love you but for this we are gonna have to use the full on augustus sorry babes. The name augustus means majestic, or venerable, which while I must say that the illusion of kiki doing the worm was probably one of the most majestic things I have ever seen, I’m going to focus on venerable a bit more here. Venerable is a big word, it means “accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.”, which for gus the age part might play a smaller part here, but he is good as what he does, Luz and willow both respect him, Eda Respects him, he’s this little dude who is younger than everyone and has to rely on his ability to succeed, not only with his power but with his personality. Gus seems to be confident in himself, communicating with everyone regardless of who they are or what power they hold, similarly to willow he was willing to do anything to help Luz , leading into the second description of venerable, “heroic in nature”. Now, you might be wondering, bestie where ever did you get that description, it totally wasn’t from a religious page okyesitwas but that's fine because being pronounced venerable guarantees a spot in heaven so get it bestie. Overall, the general meaning for augustus is that they are strong, respectable, and powerful, which takes us right into the

Gus, shawty, ily but please stop the obsession with death babes ur starting to scare me. I hope with the upcoming Gus content in TTLGR we will see more of him growing into his powers and such.

ASSORTED BLIGHTS

The blight first names bring me joy so I am putting amity last because I think its really funny, starting off with alador, the name alador evokes diplomacy, correctness, and confidence. We know zilch about alador, but if the vibes of the blight family have anything to say it’s definitely something along those lines. The name odalia means wealth, which I mean like have you seeeen blight manor? Also back at it again with the fact that it’s a variant of the name odilia, like the saint olilia which I don't have ties for you right now because again, we know nothing about her. Edric also means wealth, fortune, riches, powerful, you get the vibes, same thing with emira which means commander, or prince, princess, leader, or star. So you know like we have all these super powerful names happening, and then, oh boy and then we get to little miss perfect herself, amity blight. It means friendship, or harmony. If I was her I would be so mad at my parents like yall have these mad powerful names and I got stuck with friendship? Hand me the emancipation papers. You know what they say, friendship is the real magic (even if no longer taught in schools due to budget constraints). I hope that this leads more into season 2 with amity working on her friendships and ultimately her relationships in general, which we got a bit of already with her working on repairing her relationship with willow, and making the moves to cut off old toxic friendships and moving into more genuine ones with willow, Luz , and gus. I guess you could say that the only thing ALL the blights have in common with each other is their

They are rich assholes, alador is a little wacko, odalia is hot asf dana seriously what the hell man that was out of pocket. The only thing about alador that lives up to his name is his money, odalia seems more obsessed with image and money, and i too am obsessed with her image literally boy what the hell boy.

LAST NAME

BLIGHT

The word blight by itself means a plant disease which boy oh boy can you believe how nicely that fits into amity bullying willow because I sure can. Outside of just the plant bit it overall just means like something that damages another thing, and this works beautifully for each member of the family. The parents are damaging their children, the twins just causing general damage, and amity and her goddamn relationships, but fortunately that whole plant thing brings us into the next couple of last names

CLAWTHORNE

The last name clawthorne means “cold or exposed thorn tree” which had me kind of like what the heck so I went off and had some fun and got you some presents that I think are funny, so there was this guy right, his name was joseph clawthorne, and he created the term whiffenpoof, which is the name for a wildly fictitious animal, things like a jackalope, or even a griffin with spider breath, though I guess that would be the work of a

NOCEDA

Back again with the trees good lord, it means field of nut trees, so again I went into prominent people an found this guy named jorge noceda sanchez, he was a painter and some of his works are kinda baller actually it seems like something that would fit in on the isles, but also not all of the names have a deeper meanings, names like

PORTER

Ok I am like pretty sure this was just meant to be a play on the fact that gus’ dad’s name is perry and is a reporter, get it, perry porter, perry porter, reporter, but nonetheless I did some digging because why the heck not, it means doorkeeper, or gate keeper, someone who guards something like an important building, which honestly I think this would be a good last name for hooty if he ever gets one, but again not all of these are important names at the moment, or maybe they won't ever be at all, names like

PARK

At first I was kinda like l m a o willow park plant girl hahahahah plants in the park parks have trees willow is a tree but then I remembered that someone pointed out that park is a traditionally korean surname and then like a week later disney posted about it for aisian pacific american heritage month which kind of confirmed it, and I don’t know if the whole intention behind it was to establish willow as representation or not, but the surname park by itself means gourd and willow I am so sorry that is so unfortunate LMAOSIFN

BUMP

To be honest I was not expecting bump to have a last name that meant anything but it means swift walker and I think thats funny so you have to know it now

MISCELLANEOUS

BELOS

BIIIITCH LISTEN UPPPP there is a butt tone of mythology surrounding his name and its mostly a different form of it, belus, that is referenced, but same thing different shape. Most of his depiction is as a great king or ruler, in babylonian mythology being the equivalent of zeus of jupiter, which liiikkkkkeeeoajolnjojnkjakjavnjfvdfkjf but its fine everything is great its all ok most importantly, he is recognized as the god or ruler of war, and in that same mythology he lived in babylon, which “... was originally water, and called a sea. But Belus put an end to this, and assigned a district to each, and surrounded Babylon with a wall; and at the appointed time he disappeared.” and idk about you but the smell of him assigning a divide and disappearing smells sour like funky to me babes

HIERONYMUS AND BOSCHA

I am only putting this here because the fact that it’s totally a play on hieronymus bosch makes me cackle and you all have to know it thank you

ADEGAST

B-but brevyn he was only there for like one episode, yeah ok and? Radegast is the slavic god of hospitality, and there is no host like a host that pretends to take you on a mythical quest and then tries to eat you and your mentor and her deranged cat demon, ok? His name translates to “dear guest” or “welcomed guest” and I mean I think if my host tried to suck me into some fantasy would delusion i’d feel pretty welcomed

HOOTY

He is an owl

OWLBERT

He is also an owl

KIKIMORA

First and foremost, she is a little night gremlin who hates children and I think that really fits her, but she is also a little house demon, who is very difficult to get to leave, have we seen her outside the castle? Will she be a spy along with the mask next season? She also has a name that means nightmare or night demon, similar to a certain other night creature we might have heard of a while ago. She tried to strangle children and I love that for her,and she is described as a little old ugly messy haired lady and I feel like her current character has the personality of one so i’ll take it, but what really gets me is her villain origin story, which is that she "grows up with a magician in the mountains. From dawn to sunset the magician’s cat regales Kikimora with fantastic tales of ancient times and faraway places, as Kikimora rocks in a cradle made of crystal. It takes her seven years to reach maturity, by which time her head is no larger than a thimble and her body no wider than a strand of straw. Kikimora spins flax from dusk and to dawn, with evil intentions for the world.”

GWENDOLYN

Ok, the queen herself, haven’t met her yet but like who knows. Not really a whole lot here (my ears are ringing oops one sec ok i’m back hi) anyways um uh rings? Her name right off the bat has a lot to do with rings, and really that only applies to eda, because her ring was a big thing for her, she gave it to lilith, we all watched wing it like witches you know what’s up, but i mean like was that gwen’s ring? I really wanted the hand on eda’s wall to be gwen’s, very upset to see she has all of her body parts so far. I am also not sure if that’s how it’s spelled, but it means the same thing anyways. Also meaning fair or blessed, any woman who created both eda and lilith is probably mad powerful and we love to see it, also she’s a beastkeeper and i like i want to talk about that with eda’s curse but now is not the time for shenanigans (that’s a lie every time is the time for shenanigans i’m just exhausted)

RAYNE

Bitch, sorry, ok listen like um sidebar I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS CHARACTER AND YOU ALL NEED TO KNOW IT but also at this point i’m not really sure about this character, is this their name, is that even how it’s spelled, girl idfk but like whooptydooo I do what I want so cope. Right now, we are assuming that they are the new bard coven head character, and like let me tell you the way that I am fully pissing my pants atm like bestie, anyways, if spelled rayne, then it means counsel or song, and this is why, do you see why this is why we spell it like this? It’s also scandanavian which means like nothing but it’s cool. This spelling fits because like counsel, head of the bard coven, you get it it’s fine, and then song, also head of the bard coven, you know. It fits so well, especially since this is supposed to be a friend from eda’s past, and like is supposed to try and recruit eda for a rebellion against the emperor in the episode eda’s requiem, i cannot convey to you how goddamn excited I am like there are not enough words in this realm or any others to tell you how prepared i am for this character to rock my world.

GILBERT

I AM S O B B I N GGGGG apparently one of willow’s dad’s names is gilbert and that is literally so cute I cannot like actually this knowledge makes up for coronavirus anyways it means bright promise and idk what that even has to do with anything but I love it and you should to omg

Now i have to go update the other characters see you in hell <3

#the owl house #luz noceda #lilith clawthorne #eda clawthorne #gwendolyn clawthorne #amity blight #alador blight #odalia blight #blight twins #willow park #gus porter #principal bump #rayne #hooty #character names

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tsumugimagines · 5 years ago

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Hi, sorry if this is kinda annoying since I know you have a lot in your inbox, but I had a bad day and I need some comfort. Take your time with this one! Anyways, can I please have Korekiyo, Byakuya, Kyoko, and Tenko with an S/O with ADHD? Thank you! It’d be a big help if you could write this! :D

Sure thing! Sorry this took so long! I hope your days are getting better now!

Disclaimer: I am on the autism spectrum, but I don't have ADHD. I'll do my best, though!

- Mod Tsumugi

Korekiyo Shinguji

- He thinks you are an interesting and beautiful human, and you having ADHD doesn't change that. If anything, he sees it as a beautiful part of who you are.

- If you are ever getting distracted, he will calmly remind you of the task at hand, and will do his best to help you complete it.

- You take turns rambling to each other. You might talk for a while about something you want, and then he would go on talking about some interesting myth or tradition that he wanted to talk about.

Byakuya Togami

- He might have trouble dealing with it initially, as he's lived a rather sheltered life and this isn't something he's prepared to face.

- He might get impatient with you sometimes, but he learns to calm himself and remind himself that this is just the way you are.

- You teach him a lot about interacting with and being patient with people, and he finds himself able to apply that to business.

- When he realizes that, he gives you a nice kiss on the cheek as a little way of saying thanks.

Kyoko Kirigiri

- She is usually rather calm and collected, so she's basically your polar opposite at times.

- She will calmly remind you if you are distracting yourself from your work, or if you are distracting her.

- If you want to ramble about something, though, she'll listen. She finds it enjoyable.

Tenko Chabashira

- Tenko is able to relate to you! She often had problems with having too much energy when she was younger, which is why she was sent to the monastery and learned aikido.

- If you ask, she'll teach you aikido as well! However, you might have second thoughts after being thrown a few times.

- You both try to keep each other on the right track, but on occasion, you two wind up abandoning whatever boring thing you have to go and just do whatever you both want.

#danganronpa imagines #korekiyo shinguji #byakuya togami #kyoko kirigiri #tenko chabashira

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dudeandduchess · 6 years ago

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Sorry I'm weak for your headcanons. ﾟ( ﾟஇ‸இﾟ)ﾟ can I please request some hdc of rengoku and sanemi sharing s/o?? I'm in love with the Hashira sandwich ♡

Awww there’s nothing to be sorry about, bby. Thank you! You’re very sweet. I hope you like it. :D

***

Sanemi and Kyōjurō Sharing a Lover: Hashira Sandwich (NSFW HCs):

Those two are polar opposites in actuality, but their personas in the bedroom are so similar that it’s so eerie.

It even amazes their s/o so much, bc they’re like two different ends of the same spectrum.

They’re both dominant, have a penchant for dirty talk, love rough sex.

They also love spanking, choking, and hair pulling.

Plus, both of them have a breeding kink a mile wide.

Yes. BOTH. OF. THEM.

Their only difference is that Kyōjurō is constantly in a happy mood, while Sanemi is in a sadistic serious one.

Low key, Sanemi wants to be the one to knock their s/o up, but Kyōjurō won’t have any of it.

Bc the Flame Hashira wants to be the one to be the father of (Y/n)’s first child.

Rengoku isn’t completely opposed to having their s/o carry Sanemi’s child.

He just wants to be first.

But Sanemi also wants to be first.

So there’s always an unspoken competition in the bedroom.

Dvp almost everyday. Yum.

Usually, they have (Y/n) hold her legs up and spread her pussy open so they could shoot their cum inside her.

And when some cum spills out, both men carefully scoop it up with their index fingers and put it inside her.

Bc they don’t want their seed to go to waste.

One time, Uzui caught them in such a scene— which he enjoyed immensely.

However, the Sound Hashira just watched and jacked off.

And when Kyōjurō’s not home, their s/o takes her time and traces all of Sanemi’s scars with her tongue.

Sanemi has a scar at his hip, which ends right above his cock, so (Y/n) likes to say that it’s the ‘paradise at the end of the rainbow’.

Hence, my brain coming up with “somewhere over the rainbow, a big dick lies”

Please don’t sing that to the tune of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

It will ruin The Wizard of Oz for you forever.

I’m so sorry.

The growth of all the shrubbery just depends on if Sanemi took the time to trim himself or not.

Both Sanemi and Kyōjurō keep themselves neatly trimmed down there.

But they prefer to have (Y/n) trim it for them, as opposed to doing it by their selves.

They like to take baths together as well, so Sanemi had a custom-built outdoor bath installed at his home— just for the three of them.

Can we say boujee?

Also, both men love to have their hair played with, so they always tend to use their s/o’s thighs as pillows.

All while she toys with their hair.

It’s always guaranteed to put them to sleep.

So there were a few instances where Sanemi and Kyōjurō woke up in each other’s arms.

All bc they thought (Y/n) was the one next to them.

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hoard-of-hecate · 5 years ago

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Day 13 - Daily Draw 2020

Threads of Fate Oracle Deck - Daily Draw - Strength

“ This card indicates a time where you need to tap into your reserve of strength and resilience. There may be things coming up in your life right now that require your courage and the willingness to be uncomfortable. Our ability to adjust to any transition, loss or change will depend on our patience in riding out the storm. Sometimes we have to do this without a map. Whatever is coming up for you right now, understand that it will pass and you just need to believe that you can move through it.”

- Well isn’t that just a little foreboding... Though I guess it is nice to have a heads up that shit is likely to hit the fan, time to bust out the umbrella. Joking aside, it takes a lot of strength to face problems head on, to do what must be done even when it is difficult. But remember, like all things in life, it will change... you just have to give it time. Some changes come naturally, others require work to get them going. Remember that you got this.

More on the card-

O R C A

The Orca is also known as the “Killer Whale” for its hunting ferocity, but is simultaneously thought of as a gentle giant. They live in the same pod for their entire life and they rely on one another to hunt and protect the pod. In this way, Orca shows us that we are not alone. It encourages you to hold counsel and call on community as you navigate the rough waters.

S Y C A M O R E

The sycamore is one of the oldest species of trees on this earth. The name Sycamore comes from the fact that the tree looks “sickly” – the old layers of the bark tears and peels away making way for the inner bark. This results in a collage of different hues of brown, green and white. It is a reminder that while we may be going through trials and and do not feel strong we are growing through our determination to endure. Call upon Sycamore as a guide in getting in touch with your strength when you feel uncertain and shakey. Allow yourself to simultaneously hold your strength and your vulnerability.

L A B R A D O R I T E

Labradorite is a stone that can open up our psychic and intuitive abilities, while also strengthening our will and protecting our personal energies. It is helpful when we are working through challenges and need to protect ourselves from getting drained or taking on things that are not ours. It is also a teacher of paradox – when we feel the weakest, it is a reminder that at the opposite end of that spectrum is our power. While it may feel like polar opposites, they exist on the same continuum and you can transit between them. Use Labradorite as a teacher of self-preservation and to help you see the strengths in your perceived weaknesses.

#daily card draw #threads of fate #shadow deck #be strong #you got this

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theliberaltony · 7 years ago

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via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to our Election Update for Tuesday, Oct. 9!

Things look good for Republicans in the Senate. According to the Classic version of our forecast,1 the Grand Old Party had a 7 in 9 chance (78 percent) of keeping control; in fact, they might even pick up seats.2 However, in the House of Representatives, the Democrats were in the lead. The Classic model gave them a 3 in 4 chance (74 percent) of winning the House.

If we drill into our House forecast, we expect the national House popular vote to favor Democrats by 7.8 percentage points, which translates to roughly 228 Democratic seats and 207 Republican seats. But what if the House popular vote shifts before Election Day? What if a blue tsunami crashes ashore and Democrats win nationally by 17 points? Or what if Republicans roar back in the polls and win by 1 point? What would happen to forecasted Democratic gains?

With the help of our model, I identified each district’s odds of going red or blue under those two extreme scenarios3 — and everything in between. I found that, from R+1 to D+8, Democrats’ gains in House seats were fairly linear: They gain between one and four more seats with every point they pick up nationally. (That’s less than 1 percent of House seats for each 1 percentage point of the vote.) But when you go from a D+8 scenario to a D+9 scenario, Democrats pick up 10 additional seats, or more than 2 percent of House seats. Then, they gain an average of 7.1 seats (1.6 percent of the House) for every additional percentage point they pick up in the popular vote total (up until D+17); in other words, seat gain outstrips popular-vote gain. Here’s the net number of seats that flipped Democratic assuming various House popular votes:4

It’s like a switch is thrown at D+8 that causes actual Democratic seat gain to go from behind their popular-vote gain pace to well ahead of it. So what happens at D+8? Republicans’ structural advantage in how districts are drawn (gerrymandering, as well as the phenomenon of self-sorting, whereby Democrats tend to cluster in cities, which are already heavily Democratic) begins to erode. That advantage normally allows Republicans to keep control of the House while still losing the popular vote by a modest margin. But if Republicans lose the popular vote by too much, their firewall might break all at once, and Democratic gains could multiply.

For example, let’s see what happens in GOP-gerrymandered states when Democrats rack up huge popular-vote margins. According to our model’s outputs, in Michigan, an 8-point Democratic win in the national popular vote would produce only one Democratic gain — but a D+16 wave would produce five. In North Carolina, Democrats would make zero gains in a D+8 scenario, but they’d flip five districts if they win the national vote by 17 points. In Ohio, Democrats could win the national popular vote by 10 points and not pick up a single seat, but go to D+16 and they could flip three. In Wisconsin, the difference between a D+13 environment and a D+15 environment is the difference between no Democratic pickups and flipping two districts.

The phenomenon is also present in states where Republicans didn’t have free rein to draw the maps they wanted. Virginia’s current congressional map is a hybrid of a Republican plan from 2011 and a court-drawn revision from 2016; in the commonwealth, Democrats pick up no seats in a D+3 scenario but zoom up to four wins if Democrats win the national popular vote by 13. Under Texas’s map, which was imposed by a three-judge panel but which Democrats still criticize for allegedly discriminating against nonwhite voters, going from D+8 to D+17 would mean Democrats go from zero to four gains. What’s more, in states whose maps were drawn to favor Democrats, the same problem exists: In Illinois, even if Democrats win the national popular vote by 10 points, there aren’t any places left for them to make gains. But win it by 12, and Democrats are favored to flip four seats in the Land of Lincoln.

The floodgates could open wide for Democratic gains even in states whose maps were (theoretically) impartially drawn, so simple demographic patterns play a role, too. In California, which has an independent redistricting commission, the difference between a D+4 environment and a D+7 environment is an additional four Democratic gains. Go from D+14 to D+17, and Democrats gain four more. The party projects to net one district in Florida (whose maps were drawn by a court under the state’s Fair Districts amendment) if they win the national popular vote by 8 points, but they could bag as many as seven if they win it by 16. And even though a court also drew New York’s congressional districts, Democrats could gain six seats if they win nationally by 17 points — up from just two Empire State districts if they win nationally by 13 points.

Certainly, though, not every state’s map is built this way. The effects of Republican-controlled redistricting and racial polarization are so strong in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee that Democrats don’t have any realistic pickup opportunities under any of the scenarios discussed here. On the opposite end of the spectrum, maps in Connecticut, Maryland and Massachusetts have already been drawn so effectively for Democrats that there is little to no room for the party to grow. So if Republicans incur massive losses in November, most of them are going to be in a handful of states — those whose maps, intentionally or not, are drawn to Republican benefit. The 2018 election may finally show us just how strong that Republican firewall is.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Nathaniel Rakich

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random-thought-depository · 3 years ago

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I think sex work and sex work adjacent institutions is a pretty solid set-up for status-polarity-reversed hub-and-spoke poly. Hiring sex workers costs money, so an obvious way for a friend group to economize is to share one!

I have a vague idea that tickles my 'problematic but hot' feelings of, like... a society with a social institution where a friend group of male college students (or whatever local equivalent institution is) will sometimes rent a house or apartment or something together and hire a woman to basically be a live-in maid for them (do their laundry, cleaning, cooking, washing the dishes, etc.), but, like... it's also a sex work thing where the woman is also there to have sex with them so they're less tempted to distract themselves with dating and high-effort proper girlfriend relationships and the like. The woman would have a contract to do this for a certain limited period of time, like 4 years or something, usually approximating bracketing the time the group home members expect to finish their degrees; some women make careers of going from one gig like this to another, others just do it once or twice. Sort of a temporary communal housewife deal.

I don't really imagine this as D/S; actually I think a part of what appeals to me about it is the sort of rolequeer elements where it's a little ambiguous which side of this dynamic is the dom side and which is the sub side? Like, on the one hand you've got the obvious "tradwife but twisted in a way trads would find incredibly degrading to the woman" vibe and the class subtext of being a live-in maid and sexual servant to people who are explicitly paying you for that. On the other hand... I'm envisioning this as a practice of young men who are not particularly affluent themselves, maybe one rung above the women who engage in this class-wise and not even necessarily that in terms of pure income/wealth (as opposed to more "intangible" class markers like "scored well enough on standardized tests to get into the being groomed to be a low-level bureaucrat or research assistant track"), the sort of people who often have parents in the same class as that woman (maybe had moms or aunts who did the same job!) and are on the first rung of hopefully intergenerational upward mobility from that and are sharing a two bedroom apartment with five room-mates because that's all they can afford on their student stipends; actual rich boys would just have their own personal maid, who's possibly also their own personal concubine in a society where this sort of thing is accepted. So you'd have a very different relationship than if there was a more substantial class divide. And the woman is often substantially older than the boys and kind of a mother/aunt or at least older sister figure to them; it's significant here that the boys are in the stage of life where their previous lived experience with this sort of feminine figure is not "wife" but "mom." And this sort of set-up seems like it would appeal a lot to young men who are shy and have poor executive function, e.g. often are somewhere on the autism spectrum (like that's a big part of the wish-fulfillment aspect of this set-up for me), so the woman often has, like... neurotypicality privilege over some of the boys. Like, a lot of the time a big part of the reason she's valued by the group is she's the functional mom friend who can interface with bureaucracy for them and stuff. In terms of sexual wish-fulfillment a major point of this for me is it lends itself really easily to group sex with a dynamic of a woman acting as a catalyst for sexual intimacy within a male friend group in a way that allows some of her partners to keep thinking of themselves as straight boys while experiencing sexual intimacy with other boys. I guess if you're looking for an unambiguous D/S fantasy that sort of ambiguous kinda-sorta egalitarianism might be the exact opposite of what you want lol, but I think this concept could definitely be adapted into something more unambiguously D/S.

These people in my SF universe might have something kind-of like the institution I just described, but I think with them it wouldn't have the specific gendered charge I just described (and would be less hub-and-spoke-ish cause their society is pretty Everyone Is Bi And Poly) - though statistically the caretaker/hub would be a woman about half the time, and having some of the spoke relationships be with young women instead of young men still leaves you with approximately the same concept!

you can be the hub of the wheel and still be a sub. like, being the resident submissive in a shared housing situation. you get free housing in exchange for keeping them satisfied, and they treat you like a beloved pet/mascot.

hmm, i dont think thats having a harem! i mean. maybe graph theoretically. but its not like. its not a harem. however it IS cute. and also just. appealing. presumably theres an amt of physical attention from cute boys that would be too much for me. but i do not know that amount. also the idea of a house with this structure but theres only one sub/bottom is really funny to me, like, "there was only one bed" personified. enemies finding common ground when they both want to use me at the same time...touching.

(also i mean. being treated like a beloved pet. its very nice. maybe they talk about me while im there as if im not there... chefs kiss.)

#kinky fiction ideas #cw: problematic sex #cw: kink

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engmjr419 · 5 years ago

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The White Man: Identity as Opposition in 19th century America

Take up the White Man's burden-- Send forth the best ye breed-- Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild-- Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.

- The first stanza of The White Mans Burden by Rudyard Kipling from 1899.

1899’s “The White Man’s Burden!” by William H. Walker. The figures of Uncle Sam and Kaiser Wilhelm being carried on backs of subjugated people in the Philippines, India, and Africa. These figures have always been depicted as Caucasian, literal figures of white peoples. This and a series of illustrations are based off a famous poem by a Britain in reaction to American takeover of the Philippines, presenting the White Mans Burden as a thankless but necessary job in “civilizing” the savage, “Half demon half child” people. Source.

It is odd, as a white person, to hear news of a White Power movement growing in America, specifically among young white men in the right side of the political spectrum. I can’t help but ask, when was power taken from white people? We’ve always been the majority in America, dominating popular culture to a problematic extent. We’ve also dominated education, populate the highest priced residential areas, and make up the richest people in the world (though that is changing in all aspects). So, it’s strange to have watched people protest in Charlottesville with dollar store tiki torches, The president advocate for extreme immigration control, and that same president by advised by a major white nationalist advocate (Who likely influenced the prior decision). I ask again, why do whites need more power? To reference the poem above, does the white man carry a burden?

As American society begins to grip with its past, full of racism, colonialism, exoticism, and taking advantages of minorities, we see this sudden push back from this group of people who advocate for “white power”, more specifically, to defend this “white power”. Throughout their debates, we find references to “white genocide”, through immigration, racial based science, and eugenics, along with linking minorities (specifically the colored minorities) to higher rates of crime (Clark). They participate in this “othering” of “non-white” races, which finds an uncomfortable connection within the very history they (and society as a whole) debate with.

1960s Century propaganda for the Democratic party, illustrating the Democratic party as the respectful, hardworking White Man and the Republican Party as this cartoonish mockery of “the Negro” as a “Carpet-Bagger” (a term for traveling swindlers). Several similar posters can be found, with the same slogan. It should be stated that this is before the Democratic and Republican platforms switched platforms with each other around the early 20th century. Source.

As American began to find itself in the 19th century, meaning its identity along with the fact the nation had only recently been created, we find the identity of the “White” individual being emboldened by the othering of those races they considered “savage”. The figure of the white man is presented as this master of the nature, this excellent survivalist, who at the same time astounds audiences with his charisma and charm, all the while civilizing the wild world of the American West. It’s outlined by Minstrel Shows, Public displays of “History” like Buffalo Bills Wild West Show and to a lesser extent those of P.T. Barnum, and the depictions of both the white man and the Native American that find themselves in 19th century culture. To illustrate this plainly, look at “The White Mans Burden!” once again, the white man is carried forward only under the mistreatment of the Colored while at the same time this action being called his “burden”.

At the same time all this is happening, this identity allows other marginalized people, particularly the Irish, to integrate into society more easily. The identity of “the White”, in place of nationality, gets solidified in the 19th century as an aspect of being American by “othering” the savage, the minority.

An 1899 Lithographed Advertisement for William H. West’s Big Minstrel Jubilee, Carrol Johnson is depicted in his natural state and In black face. Notice the clear difference in how he carries himself between the two depictions. Source.

In the beginning of the era, we see both at the same time minstrel shows and minstrelsy in itself become immensely popular (oddly enough among the Northern states) and the westward expansion of America happen leading to Native American displays like Barnum’s and Buffalo Bills Wild West Shows (along with Medicine Shows offshoot). Both participate in the same type of “othering”, the colored (or rather those masquerading as the colored) as a show, a display for the white audiences to look at and place themselves in opposition to.

The minstrel show started, preceded by what were called “Ethiopian delineation” which stole black culture, around 1828 with Thomas D. “Daddy” Rice creating the character of “Jim Crow” (which was based off a young, disabled black stable hand of the same name). Typically, it consisted of a white man or men, with their faces blackened by shoe polish, performing a series of skits, comical speeches, musical renditions of slave songs in mock dialect, playing instruments, and “Negro” humor (Toll).

It boomed in the entertainment hungry, blossoming cities of the 1820s, “Working-class whites flocked to minstrel shows, where they could define their whiteness against the drama of blackness” (Browden 50). To quote Robert C. Toll of the American Heritage Magazine, “The “Jim Crow” song and dance, observed writer Y. S. Nathanson in 1855, “touched a chord in the American heart which had never before vibrated.” It brought black culture to white Americans.” It at the same time allowed white Americans to other the black figure, positioning themselves as the “civil” White opposition to the cartoony, caricature the minstrel show performers showed. It presented the black figure to an audience, that would have little true interaction with them:

The Northern white public before the Civil War generally knew little about black people. But it knew that it did not welcome blacks as equals and that it did enjoy watching minstrels portray the “oddities, peculiarities, eccentricities, and comicalities of that Sable Genus of Humanity.” With their ludicrous dialects, grotesque make-up, bizarre behavior, and simplistic caricatures, minstrels portrayed blacks as totally inferior. Minstrels created two sets of contrasting stereotypes—the happy, frolicking plantation darkies and the foolish, inept urban fools (Toll).

Both stereotypes that these Minstrel shows presented, neither the truth of these people, were more digestible and thus, more easily universally “othered” as inferior. “Whiteness is defined in opposition to blackness, which becomes performative and ridiculous”, the two become polar opposites to each other (Browden 49). One is seen as the civilized race, the clear White, and the other is seen as the lazy, silly black.

In this opposition of the White and the Black, we oddly find this integration going on at the same time of separation of race. During this time, Irish Immigrants would be in the same niches of African Americans, being compared and put on the same unequal level as them.

However, these shows of race offered immigrants “the chance to develop an identity that downplayed their own “foreign” ethnicity and offered them an opportunity for a common, Americanized identity in opposition to blackness” Simply put, Minstrelsy as a whole “made a contribution to a sense of popular whiteness among workers across lines of Ethnicity, religion, and skill” (Browder 50). It created this highly specifically American white identity (Some could say it becomes the American identity itself), that enabled the immigrant to integrate themselves more easily into the new America as it lined its sights on skin tone rather than nationality.

Yet, this came at the price of denying Black Americans the same courtesy, as Minstrelsy refused to work in both directions. The White could mock the black by becoming them temporarily, however the Black were ridiculed. The White American could act Black, however the Black American could not “act white”, as it was put for the White was seen as the norm, the goal.

A group of Native Americans (assumed Sac, Fox, and Iowa personages) Barnum had perform at his American Museum to perform dances and “war-like” reenactments. He is recorded as calling them “a lazy, shiftless set of brutes” Source.

I would be remised to talk about popular displays of race and entertainment (along with arguments of authenticity) without talking about P.T. Barnum and his American Museum. He displayed various African Americans as freaks, like Joice Heth or “What Is It?” who was malformed African American man presented as the link between man and ape, although he wouldn’t allow African Americans into his museums until the 1860s (Browder 56). He offered a similar role Minstrelsy offered to the white audiences, a chance to create White identity in opposition to Blacks he presented as “freaks” and “oddities”. Additionally, Barnum, before Buffalo Bills Wild West Shows would come onto the scene, displayed Native Americans at his museum, presented simply as themselves which was enough to create opposition to the population that would have little interaction with Indians in a non-performance, spectacle based space.

In 1843, he had those Native Americans pictured above perform at his museum for his audiences. He stated, “These wild Indians seemed to consider their dances as realities” referring to the Indian performers refusal to understand the “performative nature of their lives” (Browder 57). Later that same yet, he would present to 24,000 spectators in New Jersey a “Grand Buffalo Hunt” where a “white man dressed as an Indian chased a herd of yearling buffaloes across the Hoboken race course” (57). In this instance, “the national drama of westward expansion was reduced to a child-sized joke”, as Laura Browder puts it.

Later in 1863, He would group up the most popular Indian chiefs in the country in one area, from their peace conference with President Lincoln. One of those chiefs was Yellow Buffalo, famous for his battles, “During the show, Barnum would make a great pretense of saying respectful and admiring things about him, put his around him and so forth….while his patter (which Yellow Buffalo couldn’t understand because he didn’t speak English) described all of his blood-curdling atrocities” (Stewart).

Finally, by 1884, He would present the “Grand Ethological Congress of Nations” (after his days of Museums and into his Circuses), “in which he presented all the known world’s “uncivilized races” and “savage and barbarous tribes”, including a group of North American Sioux people amongst the Zulus, Polynesians and Australian Aborigines” (Stewart). Needless to say, Barnum pictured American Indians as the popular culture did, savage.

He presents these displays of Native Americans as he did his Black American displays, as oddities that find themselves outside of the White, “civilized” society. These “performances” offered yet another chance for the White populace, including immigrants, to define themselves by their Whiteness. “Many immigrants first saw Indians at the museum; it was here that they might affirm themselves as Americans viewing the vanquished subjects of their newly adopted nation” (Browder 57). They hold themselves in opposition to the “wild Indians” and African Americans (Depicted as semi human or mystically old). Barnum offers a in between for Minstrelsy and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows, this performance of exaggerated caricature of both Black Americans and Native Americans while at the same time trying to perform in this authentic, historical context.

A poster for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West (and Congress of Rough Riders of the World). The description reads “Representing various tribes, Characters and Peculiarities of the wily dusky warriors in scenes from actual life giving their weird ward dances and picturesque style of horsemanship”. The American Indians are characterized as this odd mixture of earthy colors, in these wild and savage positions as they attack a wagon train (based on a real life event) reflecting cultural thought of the Indian as a war-seeking people. The Whites are depicted as innocent, or respectful like Buffalo Bill, sitting on his horse evenly in comparison to the “rough rider” way (which even the horses seem scared of). Source.

In the same vein, Buffalo Bills Wild West Shows (and later Medicine Shows after these shows lose popularity) depicted the American Indian as another opposite to the “White” identity (Although not entirely on the surface level). Buffalo Bills Wild West Shows began in the early 1880s, when these displays of Indians and Buffalo Hunts had become acts of nationalistic, solemn pride rather than the comical acts of Minstrelsy and Barnum’s displays (though it almost replaced Minstrelsy to a point). Buffalo Bill, his real name being William Fredrick Cody, authenticated these shows as being historical in nature, in truth they were recent enough that the lines between reality and history became thin enough to affect eachother (Browder 58).

These shows of “historical events” would present various acts, “The show's constantly changing format consisted of several exhibitions and competitions involving activities such as riding, hunting, shooting, and dancing” along with reenactments of famous battles or particular events, such as the famous “Attack on Settler’s Cabin” where Indians “played” themselves (in this odd act of authenticity against the cultural thought of the Native American) while “white performers would defend a homestead of women and children from native raiders” (White 35-36). These shows started more basic, with basic shooting demonstrations of Annie Oakley, but as the shows became more popular they became more violent, more “loud”, “As one reporter wrote "[t]he more there was of banging pistols and scurrying Indians, the better apparently the spectators liked it" (36).

While these shows were no where near the level of mockery and caricature the likes of Minstrelsy was to the native populations (along with other minorities later allowed to perform), it still portrays a divide and opposites between White and Colored peoples. It is the fantastical version of the Wild West History, that the easterners likely would have never interacted with other than through other people (who would likely be White). The Wild West became Buffalo Bill to eastern audiences and American Indians became walking advertisements for the show (along with being used later in Medicine Shows as mascots for authenticity). Joy Kasson says, In her book overlooking the entirety of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West:

“In its crude form as a dime novel or melodrama, and in its more sophisticated form in the animated outdoor drama, this Wild West story reached for the power of myth. And to attain this mythic level, it required an enemy, a counter-force against which the hero displayed his virtues. American Indians were consistently cast in this role” (161).

The white actors would be displayed as strong, skilled, outdoors men, holding shooting shows, rounding buffalo, acting as the heroes in historical reenactments saving captured women, and defeating those the popular culture considers “savage”. Meanwhile, the American Indian actors, being primarily from the Ogalala Sioux, would be presented doing war-dances, only participating in specifically “Indian” activities, and the fallen in fake battles.

While Buffalo Bill might not have meant the view of them to be so, excuse the phrase, Black and White, it would easily be digested that way in the eyes of spectators. “Stage actors can walk away from the parts they play, but the Wild West confounded distinctions between “reality” and “representation”, and just as Cody was considered a “real” hero because of his dramatic enactments, the American Indians in his company were identified with the villainous roles they played in the show” (Kasson 162). After all, the white man cannot be the loser to the audience of whites, it simply wouldn’t be satisfying.

Kathy White displays this definition of identity through opposition along with the division the White and the Colored have in these shows:

Riding exhibitions and competitions played a key role, although winning and losing depended on the day because competitions were debatably rigged; one Chicago Tribune article boasted that the American cowboy always beat "them all" (Indians, Mexicans, and other foreign performers that were later invited into the show).

Indeed, the definition of identity is often sought in its opposite. What is "right" is what is "not wrong" and in this case, what was "civilized" was supposedly that which was "not savage." One way to be delineated as "not savage" and, therefore, "civilized" was to have a relationship with technology. Correspondingly, Warren notes that the most technological feature of the show, the shooting competition, always saw white Americans victorious over Indians and Mexicans (36).

Through this “othering” of Native Americans as lesser, inferior to the White performers, it creates this affirmation of the “White” identity as higher. Granted, Kathy White also lays out points where Indians were often praised for their strength, their dexterity, ability to ride, and unique customs, however those are all put in opposition to the White, nevertheless. Of course, the Wild West is more complex than it is presented, however the history of it is written by the White victors, and the identity of the “White” is cemented by opposition.

The cover of a Phonoscope produced by Walt Disney in France titled “La Ballade De Davy Crockett”, depicting Davy Crockett fighting a Native American. The figure of Davy Crockett has become ingrained into America history as a true American icon, to the point a racoon tail cap can be directly tied to him without any other context. Source.

To summarize the cultural image (and ideal) of the White American, we can look no further than Davy Crockett. This performance of whiteness, which exists majorly in opposition to non-whiteness, becomes somewhat tangled together with the performance of being American. From his beginnings as a popular icon in the 1830s, Davy Crocket employed “a combination of autobiography and melodramatic performance to craft an image of himself as an archetypical American, one whose stature depended in part on his ability to keep blacks and Indians in their places” as Laura Browden states. She captures an odd element that repeats in these narratives of the frontier, specifically in context of the White Man, this mixture of Historical context and fantastical exaggeration of prowess. Browden continues, “Crockett’s version of Americanness emerged in opposition to the other; his national identity came not from ancestry, blood, or essence but from his ability to conquer the land and its original inhabitants” (51). Crockett creates this uniquely White American image, that summarizes what Minstrelsy, Barnum’s displays, and Buffalo Bills Wild West Show all demonstrate below the surface.

To expand on this, it is no coincidence we see Crockett also align himself with people like General Andrew Jackson, who owned more than one hundred slaves, “bought with money gained from speculation on land from Native Americans, built his political reputation on his role as an Indian Fighter” (51). The identity of the White American comes from this violent, oppositional force built on this image of the wilderness taming man, who at the same time tings on animalistic qualities (primarily that of raw, brutal strength) that are accepted simply because of his skin tone.

He presents as the white primitive, compared better to the Indian barbarians and the Black savages. Crockett’s status as a white American “was set off against a background of inferior others”, boasting about boiling Indians for medicine for his pet bear, being able to swallow “a nigger whole without choking if you butter his head and pin his ears back”, along with describing Mexicans and Cubans “as “degenerate outlaws,” Indians as “red niggers”, and African Americans as “ape-like caricatures of humanity” (Calling back to the Barnum display of “What is It?) (52). Davy Crockett created, paraded, and summarizes these concepts of Whiteness and Americanness as one null category, and that Identity existing only in opposition above others.

“Buffalo Bill’s Duel with Yellow Hand” by James W. Buel from Heros of the Plains, or, Lives and Wonderful Adventures of Wild Bill, Buffalo Bill ... and Other Celebrated Indian Fighters ... Including a True and Thrilling History of Gen. Custer's Famous "Last Fight" from 1881. Buffalo Bill is seen the victor of his 1876 duel with Hay-o-wei of the Cheyenne, he reenacts this event in his shows later. He holds the scalped hair and feathers of Hay-o-wei, an odd allusion to a practice Native Americans did. Source.

The identity of the White American in the 19th century mostly thrives in Opposition to other races, of skill, of morality, of humanity, and of civility. The theatrical tradition of Minstrelsy, The Displays of P.T. Barnum of both blacks and Native Americans, along with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show all participate in this othering, intentional or not, of race ignoring nationality and blood. While it offers Immigrants an easier integration into American society, it also participates in this unkindness towards the “colored” peoples. Black Americans are depicted as lazy, frolicking slaves or foolish urbanites all the while their culture is stolen and commodified for the White identity to laugh at. Native Americans have their culture commodified as well, used as entertainment and exoticism-focused exhibits, along with having to reenact brutal battles and deaths where they are always the victim. Davy Crockett stands as the figure of ideal White Americanness in opposition to all these stereotypes, this strong, nature conquering frontier man with condoned animalistic traits mixed with this racial oppression of the most American people and Blacks.

A photo of a sign displayed at a Trump Rally being reported on Fox News, reading “Coming for Blacks & Indians First: Welcome to the New World Order”. This “New World Order” is uncomfortably mirroring Antebellum Age America, zeroing in on the most oppressed races in the era (Not to downplay the oppression all other “non-white” races received). Source.

This growing White Power movement in America finds itself uncomfortably close to the 19th century’s ideals of the White American. Perhaps it is no coincidence though. Is the power the White frontier man had the “White Power” they to reclaim? This perceived strength and domination over the land and its natural people, all the while being seen as the most skilled, civilized, and powerful race all at the same time? Perhaps, moreso, as the percentages of races in America begins to balance more, they begin to see these fears of losing more power, that is more influence over culture than the “power” they already perceived they lost during the 20th and 21st century (perhaps by the movement to remove Antebellum age statues of Slaveowners). I state again, as a white individual, what power have white people lost that isn’t one that we didn’t deserve? If coming to terms with our mixed, racism-tinged past is a loss of power then, it is a loss of power in exchange for further equality.

Browder, Laura. “Staged Ethnicities: Laying the Groundwork for Ethnic Impersonator Autobiographies.” Slippery Characters : Ethnic Impersonators and American Identities, The University of North Carolina Press, 2000, Pgs. 50-51, 56-58.

Clark, Simon. “How White Supremacy Returned to Mainstream Politics.” July 1, 2020. Center for American Progress, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2020/07/01/482414/white-supremacy-returned-mainstream-politics/

Kasson, Joy K. “American Indian Performers In The Wild West” Buffalo Bill’s Wild West: Celebrity, Memory, and Popular History, Hill and Wang, 2000, Pgs. 161-162

Stewart, Donald Travis. “P.T. Barnum and the Indians.” November 18, 2013. Travalanche, https://travsd.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/p-t-barnum-and-the-indians/

Toll, Robert C. “Blackface: the Sad History of Minstrel Shows.” Edited with Introduction by Edwin S. Grosvenor, American Heritage Magazine, Volume 64: Iss. 1, 2019 (Republish of a 1978 Article). https://www.americanheritage.com/blackface-sad-history-minstrel-shows

White, Kathyrn. “"Through Their Eyes": Buffalo Bill's Wild West as a Drawing Table for American Identity.” Constructing the Past, Illinois Wesleyan University, Volume 7: Iss. 1, Article 8, 2006, Pgs. 35-36. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1079&context=constructing

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