bearthehobbit

[bearthehobbit]

^She totally gets it. :)

Okay, guys, this is kinda important to me personally. No, I do not personally vape, but my husband does. Vaping kept him from going back to smoking, a bad habit he has struggled with staying away from for the entire time that we’ve been together (that’s literal years of quitting, starting again, smoking, quitting again, missing smoking every day for around a year and a half, and then almost starting again… literal years of that vicious cycle.)

Vaping is not smoking. Vaping, in fact, has been studied intensely, and not one properly conducted study has ever found it to be significantly harmful, and certainly NOT as harmful as smoking which has been proven time and time again to be very harmful.

There are many good reasons to support vaping and to support distancing it from the “tobacco products” label. For one thing, vaping products are not tobacco products. Some e-liquids have nicotine in them derived from tobacco, but not all e-liquids containing nicotine have tobacco-derived nicotine, and also some e-liquids don’t have nicotine at all! Essentially, the nicotine in some liquids is where the similarity to tobacco products ends.

The ingredients in e-liquids are almost always listed. Also, said ingredients are ingredients that are in other things (foods and medications for example) and are FDA and/or USDA approved. You certainly can’t say that about big tobacco’s cigarettes.

If you’re anti-smoking, I would encourage you to support vaping because vaping helps a lot of people to quit smoking. Not only does it help people quit, but it’s been shown in studies (and I have also personally heard anecdotes from people I’ve met) to be more effective than other methods such as patches, gums, and the classic “cold turkey” approach that my husband attempted.

Vaping also helps promote small, local businesses in the form of vape shops. Many towns and cities have at least one vape shop, and said shops are almost always a small, locally-owned business. If we allow, vape products to be lumped in with big tobacco products this could all be threatened. And I, for one, love that aspect of the vaping community, that promotion of the local, small business and of the local economy and community. I’d hate to see that threatened by anything.

TL;DR Vaping is NOT smoking; vaping products are NOT tobacco products. Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking that should be promoted and not lumped in with the very evil it could very possibly defeat. 

PLEASE consider signing this petition. If not for yourself or anyone you know, do it as a favor to me and my husband and the community we’ve come to care a lot about.

[bearthehobbit]

Lol, I took back nothing I said (backpedaling? lol).  I just gave you the courtesy of showing you a tiny bit of respect to further explain my issue with you. It is plain this effort was wasted. Oh well. Good to see I rustled your jimmies so badly though. :) It has indeed been a pleasant evening! 

BTW I went back through what you wrote and corrected some errors. I bolded them for you, I know how much you like bold font! Talk to you in 5 minutes!

I want to write a friendship between a werewolf Muslim boy and a Jewish girl, do you think there are thing I should avoid in this case?

Muslim Werewolf Boy and Jewish Girl Friendship

I assume this question was meant in regards to interfaith friendships, but I’m focusing on the aspect of a Muslim werewolf - and how problematic this is.Stella notes that her knee-jerk reaction is being disturbed at the idea of a brown or Middle Eastern boy (if he is one) having to be a beast. My response on seeing this character was quite similar. I believe we’ve discussed before how Muslims code the drinking of blood - even in raw meat - as Haraam. The consumption of human flesh is reviled. Why, then, would there be a need for a Muslim werewolf?The same goes for a Muslim vampire - and I know people will quickly chime in to mention A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, but one film does not represent an entire group of people…people who are not a monolith. People who, even if they practice Islam differently, will likely be offended, reviled and hurt by such a representation. There is no getting around the fact that these creatures, Twilight aside, are known to be feared, savage, vicious, and particularly brutal towards women.If this character is brown, it is all too easy to read this as a commentary on how people see brown men, how I’ve been tentatively asked if my father is like. Does he snarl? Does he bite? Does he smack and slap and terrorize you?I can see an argument about Remus Lupin of the Harry Potter series: “but maybe he is struggling with his humanity!” But maybe brown boys have to do that enough. Maybe they are already villainized, caricatured, suspected, hunted, and seen as anything but normal boys who are trying to live and find their path like anyone else in this world.Why does a Muslim boy - or let’s face it, any brown boy at all - have to become this dreaded, fearful, inhumane creature? I strongly advise placing your concerns about the friendship aside and finding another character to fill this role.

-Kaye

I agree with my co-mods about staying away from associating Muslim characters with the supernatural, but veering away from that and just speaking about Muslim-Jewish interfaith friendships:

-Yes!

-But don’t obsess about the differences especially if you’re a member of neither group. If they’re truly friends then they’re going to have conversations that aren’t about being from two religions a lot of people from Christian backgrounds think of as being Jets and Sharks. (I just played in several performances of West Side Story.) They’ll talk about TV and other friends and their families and history and lots and lots of other things, too. Religious differences may not even come up, out of mutual respect, especially if their friendship is, like, a workplace one or something. It depends.

-If they’re in a certain type of environment — overly Christian, for example — they might bond over their shared, although different, marginalization. I know I did.

-If the Jewish girl’s mom is Islamophobic (or vice versa) and she repeats what Mom said to the Muslim friend, that is cruel. So be careful about depicting this unless your intention is to characterize the repeating-the-slur friend as thoughtless. (I speak from experience. I had a friend who once told me every homophobic thing her mom ever said about me.)

—Shira

[bearthehobbit]

The fact that I am married to Caitallolovesyou is irrelevant. She is her own independent person with her own thoughts. You may also be suprised to find that one need not follow a blog in order to see their post. That explains how she read the post. “Just in case you want to see how these things usually go when you’re a WoC online.” I’m not criticizing anything about your religion, gender, sex, race, ethnicity... It is your ideas that I am attacking. Ones that I am sure are not shared by every WoC, or Muslim, or whatever else you may identify as. The idea that anytime a white person disagrees with a PoC (or a cis person disagrees with a trans person) on Tumblr, then it must be about what makes them a minority. I am treating you just like I would treat any person who expresses an opinion I find ridiculous. You can think it is about your skin color all you want, but the fact is that if you were another white cis male discussing something and I found your opinion ridiculous, I would have written the same reply. I treat you equal to everyone else, which means I hold you to the same degree that I hold other strangers on the internet. So yeah, I believe in equality. I believe in equal representation. If it is possible for a white person to become a werewolf in that universe, then it would also be possible for a PoC to do the same. Imagine for a moment that those creatures are real... Would it not make sense that there would be a pretty equal number of them across the population? The writer is trying to take a version of folklore, turn it into something which represents minority populations in a very real way, and is attempting to do it in as respectful of a way as possible (it seems). The whole reason we view these creatures as monsters is because they are in fact, monstrous. Its not acceptable to drink blood and eat flesh as a WASP either, that is why the creatures are scary. I’m sure there is a whole level of folklore regarding monsters shared among Muslims, but I admit it is not an area I have studied much of yet myself, though I do find it quite fascinating, and as a Folklorist and Anthropologist, particularly one interested in Supernatural Folklore, it is an area I plan on studying at some point in the future. 

So, I find your idea foolish because on the basic premise, you do not seem to be seeking equality. Equality means that I can read about a PoC being the hero or the villain, just as easily as I can a white person. It must not always be a reflection of stereotypes or anything like that. Yeah, people may misconstrue pieces to think they are advocating racism, but that doesn't speak to the work itself. It speaks to the psychosis of the person. After all, Charles Manson had his own idea about what Helter Skelter was that had nothing to do with the Beatles... It didn’t matter is Ringo wrote that song or not, he was still going to do what he did. The point is that is obviously NOT what the dong is about, and if we let the idea of depraved people misappropriating art stop us from making it then they have won. I do hope you sleep well, and have a great night. I am sorry that you probably do experience issues on a daily basis as a result of your skin color, but this is simply not one of those cases. :)

I want to write a friendship between a werewolf Muslim boy and a Jewish girl, do you think there are thing I should avoid in this case?

Muslim Werewolf Boy and Jewish Girl Friendship

I assume this question was meant in regards to interfaith friendships, but I’m focusing on the aspect of a Muslim werewolf - and how problematic this is.Stella notes that her knee-jerk reaction is being disturbed at the idea of a brown or Middle Eastern boy (if he is one) having to be a beast. My response on seeing this character was quite similar. I believe we’ve discussed before how Muslims code the drinking of blood - even in raw meat - as Haraam. The consumption of human flesh is reviled. Why, then, would there be a need for a Muslim werewolf?The same goes for a Muslim vampire - and I know people will quickly chime in to mention A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, but one film does not represent an entire group of people…people who are not a monolith. People who, even if they practice Islam differently, will likely be offended, reviled and hurt by such a representation. There is no getting around the fact that these creatures, Twilight aside, are known to be feared, savage, vicious, and particularly brutal towards women.If this character is brown, it is all too easy to read this as a commentary on how people see brown men, how I’ve been tentatively asked if my father is like. Does he snarl? Does he bite? Does he smack and slap and terrorize you?I can see an argument about Remus Lupin of the Harry Potter series: “but maybe he is struggling with his humanity!” But maybe brown boys have to do that enough. Maybe they are already villainized, caricatured, suspected, hunted, and seen as anything but normal boys who are trying to live and find their path like anyone else in this world.Why does a Muslim boy - or let’s face it, any brown boy at all - have to become this dreaded, fearful, inhumane creature? I strongly advise placing your concerns about the friendship aside and finding another character to fill this role.

-Kaye

I agree with my co-mods about staying away from associating Muslim characters with the supernatural, but veering away from that and just speaking about Muslim-Jewish interfaith friendships:

-Yes!

-But don’t obsess about the differences especially if you’re a member of neither group. If they’re truly friends then they’re going to have conversations that aren’t about being from two religions a lot of people from Christian backgrounds think of as being Jets and Sharks. (I just played in several performances of West Side Story.) They’ll talk about TV and other friends and their families and history and lots and lots of other things, too. Religious differences may not even come up, out of mutual respect, especially if their friendship is, like, a workplace one or something. It depends.

-If they’re in a certain type of environment — overly Christian, for example — they might bond over their shared, although different, marginalization. I know I did.

-If the Jewish girl’s mom is Islamophobic (or vice versa) and she repeats what Mom said to the Muslim friend, that is cruel. So be careful about depicting this unless your intention is to characterize the repeating-the-slur friend as thoughtless. (I speak from experience. I had a friend who once told me every homophobic thing her mom ever said about me.)

—Shira

[bearthehobbit]

Lol, its funny because you are a bad troll, right, ramentic? You honestly can’t read someone’s interest in adding diversity and say they are trying to portray Muslims in a negative light as a result. For someone who claims to have a degree in English, you really suck at reading comprehension. Perhaps you should show this post to the administrators of your college and get your money back. Then again, I’m sure The University of Phoenix is a bitch to deal with... No one before you mentioned being Muslim or of color, (and you reblogged this from Caitallolovesyou, so, that means she made her case FIRST...) so no one was operating under the idea that there was any advice given from an actual person of color or a Muslim. Now all we have to do is wait for well thought out/good advice from someone who is a person of color and/or Muslim... In all seriousness though, you must be quite unfamiliar with the writing of the supernatural. Much to my dismay, it is not all horror, blood, guts and mindless killing monsters now. People write those characters, even Zombies, as sympathetic characters. Its really not my cup of tea, because I absolutely love horror, but, it is in fact a thing.

Caitallolovesyou was wrong about one thing though... Not that she should have known better than to express an opion on Tumblr, but that she should have known better than to come to Tumblr in the first place. It is a festering cesspool of middle school suburban white girls who think they should be angry all the time and try to out-do one another on how SJW they can be. I have never observed so much random bullying over nothing. The funniest part about the whole SJW thing is that it is the best way to present yourself like you care about something, without ever having to do anything but argue with people. Its also amusing how they hate vegans, and claim “You can’t care about two things!!! WTF is wrong with you!!! Care about my thing!!!” when what is really being said is “Hey, someone actually made a lifestyle change and did something for a worthy cause?! Not fair! The game is rigged!” The rest of the world is laughing at you, and when you get old enough to learn how stupid all of this is, you will be very sad about your wasted youth. I mostly wasted mine on sucking at skateboarding, but, we all have our own paths to choose. Don’t get be wrong, I am all for feminism and equality and acceptance for all... Just not to the point that I am going to whine and bitch and say stupid shit. And before anyone *cough ramentic cough* sends me a bunch of anon hate, I really don’t give a shit. I come onto tumblr like once every few months when I feel bored and argumentative so I’m never going to see anything you send me anyway. Waste your time, its all you ever seem to do, anyway. Furthermore, I’m not a fan of literature that revolves traditional horror creatures into non-horror things, but if you are that is okay. No hate here from me. I have no opinion on the actual story/character thing, its just not my thing. Anyway, its been fun, but I’m gonna go drink some more. kluvyoubye!

I want to write a friendship between a werewolf Muslim boy and a Jewish girl, do you think there are thing I should avoid in this case?

Muslim Werewolf Boy and Jewish Girl Friendship

I assume this question was meant in regards to interfaith friendships, but I’m focusing on the aspect of a Muslim werewolf - and how problematic this is.Stella notes that her knee-jerk reaction is being disturbed at the idea of a brown or Middle Eastern boy (if he is one) having to be a beast. My response on seeing this character was quite similar. I believe we’ve discussed before how Muslims code the drinking of blood - even in raw meat - as Haraam. The consumption of human flesh is reviled. Why, then, would there be a need for a Muslim werewolf?The same goes for a Muslim vampire - and I know people will quickly chime in to mention A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, but one film does not represent an entire group of people…people who are not a monolith. People who, even if they practice Islam differently, will likely be offended, reviled and hurt by such a representation. There is no getting around the fact that these creatures, Twilight aside, are known to be feared, savage, vicious, and particularly brutal towards women.If this character is brown, it is all too easy to read this as a commentary on how people see brown men, how I’ve been tentatively asked if my father is like. Does he snarl? Does he bite? Does he smack and slap and terrorize you?I can see an argument about Remus Lupin of the Harry Potter series: “but maybe he is struggling with his humanity!” But maybe brown boys have to do that enough. Maybe they are already villainized, caricatured, suspected, hunted, and seen as anything but normal boys who are trying to live and find their path like anyone else in this world.Why does a Muslim boy - or let’s face it, any brown boy at all - have to become this dreaded, fearful, inhumane creature? I strongly advise placing your concerns about the friendship aside and finding another character to fill this role.

-Kaye

I agree with my co-mods about staying away from associating Muslim characters with the supernatural, but veering away from that and just speaking about Muslim-Jewish interfaith friendships:

-Yes!

-But don’t obsess about the differences especially if you’re a member of neither group. If they’re truly friends then they’re going to have conversations that aren’t about being from two religions a lot of people from Christian backgrounds think of as being Jets and Sharks. (I just played in several performances of West Side Story.) They’ll talk about TV and other friends and their families and history and lots and lots of other things, too. Religious differences may not even come up, out of mutual respect, especially if their friendship is, like, a workplace one or something. It depends.

-If they’re in a certain type of environment — overly Christian, for example — they might bond over their shared, although different, marginalization. I know I did.

-If the Jewish girl’s mom is Islamophobic (or vice versa) and she repeats what Mom said to the Muslim friend, that is cruel. So be careful about depicting this unless your intention is to characterize the repeating-the-slur friend as thoughtless. (I speak from experience. I had a friend who once told me every homophobic thing her mom ever said about me.)

—Shira

[bearthehobbit]

I like the show but I quit using the term brony to describe myself quite a while back when I quit keeping up with new episodes. My issue isn't about being a "brony", it is about the inherit hypocrisy involved in degrading a fandom based on false and ridiculous views based on unsupported claims made on the internet (i.e., Tumblr) or actions by small groups within the fandom (usually hated by the majority of the fandom. Most bronies hate clop). Really, rather than being on your ass about a subculture, I am challenging you to actually think for yourself, do independent research and the like. Or rather I was, but I have given up hope of you actually desiring to think for yourself because doing so makes one unpopular on Tumblr. I don't know what the thing about nude photos has to do with anything we were discussing, but whatever. I will respond to you, however and mention that you are correct, the demographics are different. MLP:FIM is targeted towards families (at least according to the one who started the show... ) and glee is targeted towards teenagers. As someone who grew up in the Era when SpongeBob was a favorite of most I their teens and twenties, I fail to see the relevance. Then again, being relevant is apparently not one of your strong suits. Go back to studying, a closed mind is a wonderful thing to lose.

I got a fucking brony nagging at me about my views on the subculture and comparing it to Glee. The meant to be demographics of of Glee are very different then meant to be demographics of My Little Pony. Also the glee fandom I have watched call shit out when people sent nudes to actors.

[bearthehobbit]

You do realize that gleeks write pornographic fan fiction and make fan art about underage children. This bullshit is just as stupid as the whole thing where everyone thinks all furries are into having sex in fur suits and all that stupid garbage. The whole brony culture was born of the internet, specifically 4chan and the use of the prefix 'bro' is a meme generally used to poke fun at the bro-types. Yeah, Tumblr people hate 4chan, I get it, Tumblr thinks shock humor is a horrible awful thing and all... I'm not defending stupid stuff that bronies do, I'm saying to discount an entire Fandom as a result is just plain moronic. Yeah, I find it really creepy when adult women write graphic erotic fan fiction about underage characters from a TV show intended for young teenagees. I find do it even more disturbing that this often stems from a desire to fetishize the sexuality of others. However; I realize they don't represent the whole of the fandoms, they are merely sexual deviants who have attached their self to this fandom and don't realize the harm of what they are doing (often not acknowledging that they are fetishizing young gay teens).

The whole reason why people don’t like bronies is more complicated then a bunch of guys really like a show about ponies meant for 6 year olds. I have seen stories pop up on my dash of little kids being harassed, of people making watches for google to make sure rule 34 fan art doesn’t get seen by…

[bearthehobbit]

I'm not into Glee, and I'm not disagreeing with what is being said, BUT: I have never known anyone in the Glee fandom to be able to say anything they feel about the show only once...

LISTEN UP CAUSE I’M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE. KURT HUMMEL DESERVES BETTER THAN THE CRAPPY STORY LINES THE WRITERS HAVE BEEN GIVING CHRIS SINCE THE MIDDLE OF SEASON 4 IF NOT EARLIER. HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH CRAP AND YET EVERY TIME HE GETS SCREW OVER ALL OVER AGAIN BY THOSE HE LOVES. I NEED KURT TO BE INDEPENDENT, STRONG, SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT FOR CHRIS.

[bearthehobbit]

The movie I believe you are thinking of is "Tower Heist". Pretty much everyone wanted a ticket to "Tower Heest". There were many other notable examples, but this is one almost everyone got wrong.

mALEFISHIENT, MARK

ive been meaning to make work-related comics forever, so enjoy some choice movie title bastardizations.

(these all actually, seriously, happened, with no humor or awareness on the part of the customer at the time as far as I could tell. so, yes, someone actually asked for a ticket to “Detergent” with a straight face.)

[bearthehobbit]

Your sources have failed you. Please let me enlighten you on cultural appropriation: FIRST: There must be a specific culture in mind to be appropriated. "White" is not a culture. "Black" is not a culture. "Brown" is not a culture. These are races. So, Culture: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture Race http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/race Now, and this is going to BLOW YOUR MIND: RACE IS IMAGINARY! Well okay, so our perception of race is very real, in that it does in fact exist in our heads. However; the prevailing idea that white people are biologically different than black people, who are biologically different from brown skinned people is false. In fact, other countries believe there are races that we (westerners from North America and Europe) don't recognize. In Brazil (Brasil) there is even the belief that one's race changes, depending on sun/tanning bed/tanning spray exposure. Check the chart under "controversy" for example here, sorry for not posting a better source but if you are interested, the Internet is full of useful information from places much more scholarly than Tumblr and Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_Brazil ) In Japan, one can be of a different race, not because of skin color, but because of the work done by ancestors (funerary work, work revolving around refuse and other unsanitary/undesirable jobs. Biologically, the only difference between races is melanin production. Melanin is what makes some people's skin darker than others, gives some people freckles, allows us to tan, etc. Even that can vary more within a race than without. Think about the lightest black person you know and the darkest black person you know. Does the person with lighter skin look more like say, the darkest white person you know, or the darkest black person? Chances are, it is closer to the darker white person. In fact, there is a good chance that white person may even be DARKER than that black person! And what about other variations, like height? The Baka people of Africa near the Congo Basin (often incorrectly and offensively referred to as Pygmy people) are known for being very very short (less than 5 feet tall) and stalky. Their short stalky stature serves them well in their environment in the dense vegetation in which they live, where being tall would result in more limited mobility. However; there are other places in Africa where it is more advantageous to be tall, the Maasai/Masai people, are very tall and lanky individuals, with women and men alike towering over the 6 foot marker. This much variation is not indicative of "race" but of a process called "Natural Selection" in which organisms over time adapt to their environment in a 'survival of the fittest' type way. There are more biological variances between the Baka and the Maasai than there are between myself and my friend Mitch, who is a black man of similar build, height, stature, shoe size, etc. So maybe you are thinking "but where does continent of origin fit into all of this? Obviously even if there no biological differences, black people come from Africa, white people from Europe, oriental people from Asia, etc." And you know what? You are right! However, the word we are looking for here is neither culture nor race, but ethnicity. Ethnicity can refer to many things, not just origin, but it all has to do with our ancestry. For our purposes here, it is not relevant however; it is a good term to be familiar with, especially in college as we continue to expand our mind. It is good to learn to differentiate these three terms, especially if you ever take a class dealing with anthropology, folk studies, sociology, culture or race. I won't even charge you thousands of dollars of tuition. :) So where do dreadlocks and cultural appropriation stand in this? Now that we have gone through the basics that they will teach you in any 100 level ANTH class, we can dig deeper into the issue at hand! Let us first look at dreadlocks/dreads/locks/locs/vines/etc., and what they actually are. Dreads (my preferred term) are very interesting, because it is the only hairstyle (or anti-hairstyle) that happens when you do not intervene. If you stop touching your hair, it will not turn into a flat top, layers, stacks, mohawk, pompadour, duck tail, mullet, braids or anything else for that matter. It will, however; inevitably turn into dreads (or possibly a Polish plait, which is similar but not quite the same in which the hair forms into one big mass, imagine a very large flat dread). This is because of what dreads are: a series of tangles and knots that combine locks of hair. Over time, more hair is incorporated, and these locks of hair grow together, and eventually a tangled "rats nest" turns into what would undeniably be known as (insert preferred term for what I am calling dreads). This phenomena is not unique to any one culture or ethnicity. In fact, pretty much every "race" has dreaded hair for one reason of another, either for fashion, spiritual reasons or simply because they didn't have combs. It is not even unique to humans. One need not look beyond a long haired dog or cat that hasn't been brushed to find matted hair (matts are for all intents and purposes the same thing as dreads, tangles and knots), other long haired primates, the mane of some male lions, etc. This process is completely natural. In fact, it is the ONLY 100% natural (the definition of natural meaning without human intervention http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural ) "hairstyle" there is. Well, obviously one cannot rightfully claim a cultural claim to something that is something that naturally occurs. That would be like claiming that body hair belongs to a culture, because they do not shave theirs off. However; for differing reasons, dreads do have relevance to some cultures, past and present, and this should not be ignored. Many of these cultures have a religious or otherwise spiritual basis behind them as well. So lets list some of these cultures now: Rastas (the most well known), Hindus, Celts, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Native Americans (not a very concise term, but it was popular among many groups and I am not familiar enough with which groups had them and not, so I apologize for that lack of specific knowledge), vikings, visagoths, Wicca, Pantheism... The list goes on but I think the point has been made. So, we are back to cultural appropriation. Obviously some of those cultures would include white people, some are exclusively white (as well as about any other skin color, but since white people with dreads are the ones being called into question, this is where the focus lies). Are we saying that if you do not belong to one of these cultures, then it is appropriation to have dreads? Well, if that is the case then race has nothing to do with it. This would mean that dreads for vanity sake (no matter your race) is cultural appropriation. The problem there, is that those most often claiming that white people with dreads are very seldom ever a part of any of these groups, because groups like Jews (who have taken a Nazarite vow) and Rastas (both drawing the basis of their dreads from the book of Leviticus, as well as a select few Christian sects) are inclusive. They are not the ones saying only certain races should follow their beliefs or anything. Take Bob Marley, known for his dreads and association with Rastafari (for those who do not know, the term Rastafarianism as well as calling Rastafari a religion are highly offensive to Rastas, so if you encounter someone who is Rasta, please choose words carefully). He abhorred racism. In his song "War" he sings "Until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes, there will be war". Every Rasta I have spoken to, of any color or ethnicity or geographic location, has been of this similar mindset. That skin color simply does not matter (well it DOES, but it SHOULDN'T). So what are we left with? An argument for cultural appropriation, in which we try to falsely/erroneously/ignorantly judge culture based on skin color. A small group of people who are not associated with a specific culture that reveres dreads claiming that one cannot have something that naturally happens because of their skin color. A different group of people who wish to alleviate their white guilt by telling other people how to behave throwing around terms they do not understand like "cultural appropriation" (that is not directly aimed at you, I don't know your race, and I'm not making assumptions). And several groups of people who have a legitimate cultural claim to dreads, not based on fictitious concepts like race, who don't care what color your skin is. For the record, you did not even know what cultural appropriation is earlier today, now you have been to two Tumblogs and are an expert able to call out others? I'm assuming you are a Freshman in college. Get used to this kind of stuff, with an attitude like yours you are going to get schooled by a lot of people until your ego falters. Also the girl you mentioned, is probably going the natural route with her dreads (not using any product of maintenance, the way consistent with most of the aforementioned cultures who do not believe in making dreads but letting them happen). This rats nest will, in a few months, maybe a year or two, be one of the most healthy crown of dreads you will have probably ever seen, as a result. There were a couple of other points I was going to make, but I doubt you are still reading this, and I have been typing for quite some time and my dinner has grown cold as a result. I think I will leave it there, for now.

So in my sexual science class I saw quite the sight. Some white girl came in with dreads, her head looked like a fucking rats nest. she had a cherry blossom branch going down her leg and on her shoulder she had a sugar skull, then on the other arm a…

[bearthehobbit]

[bearthehobbit]

Lobe stretching isn't specific to Africa. The Buddha had stretched ear lobes. The Mayans and Aztecs stretched their ear lobes. Many First Nations people (commonly called Native Americans) had stretched earlobes.

The baby carrying thing is a good idea, and has been used by nomadic people all over the world.

Dreadlocks have been worn by people of all cultures, and predate culture. It predates humans, many animals have hair that matts naturally. Dreads have also been worn by Vikings, Celts, Hindus, First Nations peoples, Jews, Christians, and many other religions and cultures for a variety of reasons.

*BONUS* You posted a photo of Bob Marley to exhibit dreads being a "black" thing... But Bob Marley was half white. He was also not a racist, "until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes, there will be war" (War by Bob Marley and the Wailers)

#IfItAintWhiteItAintRight

I always find it interesting how the world will shit on African people while simultaneously stealing and mimicking African culture. 

  They called Africans who stretched their earlobes “primitive” then proceeded to copy it.

  Remember that “dreads” were seen as derogatory ?

Whites would call it dreadful, dirty, ugly ETC…

African women been carrying Babies on their back since for ever.

There was criticism for that now that got “baby carriers”

They used to make fun of African Women’s BIG LIPS and ASSES now EVERYBODY want a big lips and big asses. 

White people have been obsessed with Africans ever since we came in contact don’t ever forget that. So obsessed they had to get their hands on your continent.

Now we running around here ashamed of our own people and our own heritage like fools.

Post made by @Solar_InnerG

#sancophaleague

#neverlovedus 

Shoutout to @oba_tayo for the Gauge Earring Comparison!  And the photo in the top right corner!

[bearthehobbit]

So are you admitting that dreads were appropriated from sheep? Animals have had dreads before people. ;) BTW, I don't want dreads like the guy at the top, they are twisted so tightly and appear to be interlocked. I can see so much scalp, I don't want traction alopecia. I like my hair, no transplants for me, thanks!

White people who get dreads think they gonna look like this 

But always end up lookin like this 

[bearthehobbit]

I do not underestimate the amount of discrimination you have faced as a black individual. However, you are wrong, and here is an extensive list of reasons why: 1.) Many cultures have dreads, and those cultures are of different races and ethnicities. Celts had dreads. Vikings had dreads. First Nations people (Native Americans, as they are erroneously called, because they were here before it was "America"). Jews (as outlined in the Old Testement/Torah, on taking the vow of Nazarite. This included Samson who had 7 locks, John the Baptist was likely to have had dreads,as was Jesus. Jesus was called "Jesus of Nazareth", but there is not now nor was there at the time a geographical location called Nazareth. It is believed Jesus was a Nazarite because of is and his bloodline), many Hindus and Sikhs have dreads, as did Egyptian Pharaohs, among other cultures.

2.) They happen naturally, and you can't claim something that just happens as part of a culture. Anyone's hair will dread if you stop combing and cutting it. This is not unique to black people. I have dreads that formed 100% on their own, with no tools or products. I know people of all colors and cultures who have natural neglected dreads that happen. People eat, sleep, reproduce, their nails grow, their hair grows and their hair dreads. None of these can be claimed to any specific culture. It is the most natural thing possible.

3.) Dreads predate culture. They predate humans, actually. A lion's mane will matt up. As will bears, dogs, cats, apes... So are all of us dreadheads appropriating Simba's culture?

4.) You have the erroneous belief that people having dreads mean they are trying to be part of your culture, or steal from it. My decision to let my hair dread is not based around a concept of race, it is based around a concept of liking dreads in general on all people of all colors and backgrounds, and my wish to live a more natural life, and be associated with that lifestyle. I also have far more personal reasons which I will not get into on here as they are irrelevant and, well, personal. I have my own culture, my own belief system, my own worldview and although I am interested in everyone else's as well, I'm not shopping for a new one and definitely not shoplifting one.

5.) As you may have noticed by now, I take dreads very seriously and they are not just a hairstyle. My dreads reflect me and I reflect them. They are a part of my spiritual path, they are part of my personality, they are individual hairs interconnected with one another, just as I am one life interconnected with all others. My hair took time, patience and still is taking those things. I can see evidence of my life in them, I associate certain dreads with certain events in my life. Notice I never mentioned race, because that is not relevant to my feelings about my dreads. I have altered my life as a result of them, they are a lifestyle in and of themselves.

5.) This argument always singles out white people with dreads... What about Hispanics? What about Asians? Are you arguing that they are a black thing, or that they are open to everyone but white people? Either way your argument is ethnocentric and racist, I am just trying to find out in what degree that is so.

Dreads are not a black thing, a white thing, a First Nation's thing, a Middle Eastern thing, an Asian thing... But all of those people's have had dreads. Why? Because dreads are natural, they happen to everyone (if you have ever had to brush a tangle out of your hair, it will dread on its own), they are spiritual, they connect us with nature, and yeah they look damn cool on everybody, but that isn't the point.

I always try to avoid the “White people stop wearing dreads/locs posts” but to me, hair and Blackness are SOOOO important, that I can’t avoid them. These people don’t understand what it’s like to exist the way we do and have them wear OUR hair for fun. People already dress up as us on a daily...

[bearthehobbit]

Basics Name: Bear Gender: Male Favorites Food: Pasta, rice, potatoes... I love carbs. Drink: Beer Book: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, or Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions Song: Ripple by the Grateful Dead Movie: Lord of the Rings Trilogy TV Show: The Simpsons, especially the first fifteen seasons. Life Dream Job: Working as an activist, or a stay at home dad. :) Tattoos: 2, the green dancing bear on my right leg, and a tree of life with the word Compassion written as part of the border. Piercings: currently just my stretched ear lobes, have had septum and labret. Tumblr Reason Behind URL: I am Bear; I resemble a hobbit in my short and broad stature and wry large feet and hands. Reason Behind Icon: its me, an old picture of me, but me nonetheless.

[bearthehobbit]

The real reason #sjw hates animal rights activists...

Don't let them fool you, they aren't so stupid that they don't think someone can care about humans AND animals...Its just a clever rouse. The problem, I believe, lies that there is a problem out there that involves activism besides sitting behind a computer and blogging about stuff and signing 20 petitions a day. That a difference can be made by something as simple as changing your diet. And that you can save lives, not only of animals, but of people as well. Slaughterhouses are one of the most underpaid and dangerous industries, and they target illegal immigrants because they don't report accidents. Vegetarianism/veganism can be just as much about human rights as it is about other animal's right!

I realize the difficulty involved in changing the shopping list... And I realize having to actually do something, actively do something besides sit behind a computer screen, seems a daunting task. I also realize that if this gets any notes at all, I will be getting many notes from people trying to justify their choices, or even the attempted humor of those who make jokes elluding to eating meat, or the ever-so-old and boring "PETA- People For the Eating of Tasty Animals" type posts. I want you to know, I give you all the same regard as you give your racist unintentionally offensive grandmother when she still uses the "N" word to refer to black people.

[bearthehobbit]

Leela, is that you?

Ah yes the flawless mike wazowski look Just what I wanted

[bearthehobbit]

"The last thing we need is heterosexual advocates!" said no gay person ever.

"Every time I see a white person who claims to believe in race equality, it makes me sick!" said no civil rights advocate ever.

"What the world needs if more men who think a woman's place is in the kitchen and bedroom!" said no feminist ever.

If you are going to hate Macklemore, do it for the right reasons: Because all rap music is shit. Don't hate him for being a heterosexual advocate of the LGBTQ society.

Then again, I am a heterosexual white male, so my opinion doesn't matter. An advocate for LGBTQ or a member of Westboro Baptist Church, my opinion as a voting American citizen doesn't matter, apparently.

BTW, I am an advocate of LGBTQ. I'm just not an advocate of DASJNOT (Dumb Ass Social Justice Nazis Of Tumblr).

Not trying to start anything, but I’m genuinely curious:

Why do so many Tumblrians seem to hate Macklemore so much?