gloamists

[gloamists]

The Myth of Functional Solidarity

“We don’t think you fight fire with fire best; we think you fight fire with water best. We’re going to fight racism not with racism, but we’re going to fight with solidarity.” — Fred Hampton

In light of the current ICE kidnappings happening across the country and the current protests happening across Los Angeles, there is a rhetoric going around amongst Black people on the internet that this “isn’t our problem.” Whether it be because of the large Latino voting percentage in favor of Trump or the “Foundational Black American” crowd, who quite frankly don’t like or support anybody but Black Americans, many Black people across the internet are spreading this “stay the f*ck home” narrative. I am here to tell you just how stupid you all sound.

I want to start by getting a few of the talking points that annoy me out of the way. A lot of this sentiment being echoed on the internet is coming from people who say things like, “They always call Black people to be on the front lines when it is time to protest!” I can’t stress this point enough: nobody is asking you niggas to do anything. They may say, “Hispanic people are racist to Black people all the time!” They’ve never helped us!” The notion that Hispanic people have never stood in solidarity with Black people is ahistorical. Fred Hampton founded the Rainbow Coalition in Chicago, which united people across racial lines under one socialist banner. This included the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican street gang in Chicago. As for the notion that Hispanic people engage in anti-Blackness? Yes, they do; however, to that I raise two points. My first point is that if you retract your support for all Hispanic people in America because of a certain subset of them, what happens to all of the Black Hispanic people affected by the ICE raids? This goes into intersectionality, which I will touch on later. My second point is, your activism should not be transactional. You should support the struggles of ALL oppressed people. This support should not be conditional, because if it is, then nobody will be free.

Now for the meat of the argument. Intersectionality and why your politics should be centered around the concept. The concept of intersectionality describes the interconnectedness of different social categories such as race, gender, class, and sexuality, especially in regard to how people experience oppression. When I say your politics need to be intersectional, I mean that you need to take into account all of these things before you make any decisions regarding these groups of people. If you fail to do this, your politics are weak and therefore invalid. For example, one cannot claim to be pro-Black and also claim not to accept people who identify as LGBTQIA+. This is because you are discounting all of the Black people who identify as LGBTQIA+; they exist at the intersection of the two identities. Excluding them in your pro-Black politics makes absolutely no sense if you claim to be in support of Black people.

In the very same lane, claiming you will not show support for the Hispanic people being affected by the ICE raids across the country while also claiming that this thought process stems from a pro-Black framework makes absolutely no sense and is quite frankly stupid. You fail to take into account the Black Hispanic people being affected by this tragedy, which makes your pro-Black stance utter trash.

White supremacy is an invasive monster that destroys everything in its path. If you believe ignoring how this monster affects other marginalized groups will do anything but hurt all of us, then you need to read more books.

[gloamists]

The Art of Afro-Surrealism and the Revolutionary potential of black youth

“Sometimes you have to be irreverent. Sometimes the situation is so absurd that the only way to address it is to be absurd.”

Recently, there has been a trend going around on the internet referring young black kids in the hood as “young niggas” or “yns”. I guess the joke or punchline is that they are overly aggressive and prone to violence. It was funny at first, but the more I see it the more it devolves into plain old anti-black rhetoric. Which I suppose it was always that, I just wasn’t thinking about it at first. The more and more I think deeper about it though, the more I start thinking about Afro-surrealism and how this all connects to a point I heard on one of my favorite podcasts (Grits & Eggs podcast with Deante Kyle y’all should check it out). On the podcast he talks about the untapped revolutionary potential of the black youth (the people the internet is referring to as “them yns”). He makes a point that if they channeled that militant energy through other more disciplined means that worked in favor of the community, it would be MUCH more beneficial. Back in the day the word for these people wasnt “yns”, it was “warriors”. He also makes a point that all we need to do is listen to these kids and show them love and understanding, because that is truly all that is lacking. As products of their environment, they are just doing all they can to survive in the ways they know how. There’s no rule book or manual for this shit man. If your father and grandfather sold drugs to put food on the table, you would probably also do the same thing. This is all fallout from the 80s-90s crack era, but I digress.

A lot of this rhetoric about black youth comes from the music that is coming out of the community. Some people may argue that this hyper violent/aggressive music coming out of the black youth is regressive for the community overall, and I am not disagreeing. However, I do feel like if you look at this music through a lens of Afro-surrealism then it becomes more understandable. When I think of Afro-surrealism I always think about stories told about the black experience that are bizarre and make no sense to someone who has never experienced it themselves. Shows like Atlanta and the Vince Staples show are good examples of this. Matter of fact, I think Vince Staples is one of the best Afro-surrealist artists of our generation. From his music, to the music videos, to his tv shows, to even his interviews. Vince gives a look into the black experience that can only be truly understood by black people, and that is what I think is the core of Afro-surrealism.

When you think about trap music, most of the time you aren’t putting it through an Afro-surrealist lens, you’re just listening to it as what it is. But when you put this music through a lens of “These are real experiences that people in this community go through every day” it truly starts to sound different in my opinion. The black youth has created an art form to express themselves by recounting their experiences. When I think about it like that, I then start to think about how we can channel that into something more beneficial for the community. Just as I was writing this I started realizing that this is already being done. What exactly is the difference between someone like say Kendrick Lamars music and the trap music that people say is regressive? Besides a couple of trap drums sometimes, Kendricks music is more introspective. In essence both artists are saying/doing the same thing, which is making music about the things they have experienced. But Kendrick is reflecting on those experiences and talking about how it made him feel and how he grew from them. Telling stories about them while also reflecting on how he has evolved as a man. I think that is the disconnect here, introspectiveness and growth. And again, I think that goes back to truly listening and trying to understand people.

I guess I’m saying all this to say, don’t give up on the young niggas man. That could have just have easily been you if circumstances hadn’t been in your favor. Listen, show love, try to understand. There is so much untapped potential in these young niggas and it’s our job to unlock it.

[gloamists]

Humanity Craves Creativity

“Life beats us down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.” - Stella Adler

I believe humanity has an innate craving for creativity. Creating things is humanities true nature. You can see this everywhere. There is a reason the children of rich people often become artists of some sort, whether it be musicians, painters, actors etc etc. When unbound by capitalism and not having to worry about money or resources, the human mind gravitates naturally toward art, towards creation.

When you are bored what do you do? Watch TV? Read a book? Draw? Write? Cook? Make music? All of these are forms of art. When you have nothing to do that involves monetary gain to help you survive, you naturally start consuming/creating art.

It seems to me like each and every part of our current system was created to stifle that inherent desire to create that is within all of us. Instead we spend the vast majority of our time working for a corporation of some sort. Using our time to help the ultra-rich stay rich while we get relative scraps in return. Hell, they’ve even made it hard to make a living through most creative avenues. Since of course we rely on small green paper to live. So with no other choice we are forced to stifle our creative will to instead do things we would rather not be doing. This has become so normalized that now people will ridicule you for pursuing a creative path.

So the next time you are doing/consuming something creative and feeling content, I ask that you remember this. This is how you SHOULD be feeling. This contentness is what they took from us. What we have to take back.

If that doesn’t radicalize you, idk what will.

thanks 4 reading ily guys ❤️

[gloamists]

Walking through the fog of the past: Why Cowboy Bebop is the best anime of all time

“You’re gonna carry that weight.”

Cowboy Bebop is the BEST anime of all time. I’ve watched it countless times all the way through and each time it’s like i’m watching it for the very first time again. A recurring theme i’ve noticed throughout my many times watching this anime is “the past” and the “falling action”. Every member of Cowboy Bebop (apart from Ed, i’ll get to her later) reached the “climax” of their life before finding their way to the Bebop, meaning they are now on the falling action. Throughout the series Spike Spiegel, Jet Black and Faye Valentine are all trying to deal with their past in some way shape or form.

Spike Spiegel

I’ll start with Spike. Spike is constantly living in fog of his past, never really being able to get past it. In one of my favorite episodes in the series, Spike tells Faye that he is always seeing the present in one eye and the past in the other, always seeing patches of reality but never the whole picture. I think this not only perfectly describes Spike, but the theme of Cowboy Bebop as a whole. Are you really alive if you are always living in the past?

Jet Black

Jet Black is a bit different from Spike because Jet’s fog comes primarily from unanswered questions from his past. Jet is a character plagued by uncertainty and self-doubt. Why did his wife leave? What could he have done differently? Much like Spike, Jet also can not come to terms with his past. And even when Jet gets the answer he is looking for, he is left unsatisfied. I like to think this means that no matter what, only you can make yourself move on.

Faye Valentine

Faye’s case is a bit different, seeing as for the majority of the show she does not remember her past. But also in a sense I think that makes her the most interesting. She lives her life simply trying to survive, with no memories of the connections she made in her past. However, much like her colleagues Faye is still in a sense living within the fog or her past even if she has no recollection of it. She thinks that inside her lost memories is the home she has been searching for her entire life. Loved ones she has so desperately pined for. But much to the contrary, her memories leave her with nothing but melancholy sadness.

Edward Tivrusky IV

Ed is the only character on the bebop (aside from the dog Ein) who is not living within the fog of her past. This is because unlike the others Ed has not reached the climax of her life yet. So unlike the others, Ed is not in her falling action, she is in her rising action. Which is why I believe she ultimately leaves the Bebop with Ein. Ed, unlike all of the rest of the members of the Bebop has never had a brush with death. She is not a tragic character like the rest. So she must leave, to go find a place where she truly belongs.

What does this mean?

In my opinion, Cowboy Bebop is a show about dealing with your past. Which is why the quote I put at the beginning of this post is so important. “You’re gonna carry that weight.” To truly live, you must be able to let go of your tragic past. By the end of the show, all of the characters have done this. Jet finds the answers he was looking for. Faye get’s her memories back and realizes she has already found comrades with whom she can build a true home with. And Spike finally confronts Vicious, though his ending is much more tragic.

Cowboy is an amazing, intricately written masterpiece on a level I have never experienced again since I watched it. I have never truly related to a character more in my life than Spike Spiegel. His internal struggle with his own past really resonated with me.

Carry that weight. Let go of the past. Live on. Because there is oh so much to live for.

See you space cowboy…

[gloamists]

“Will you tear down the system or become part of it?” Why Percy Jackson will always be better than Harry Potter

JK Rowlings blatant transphobia and horrible writing skills aside, Percy Jackson as a character is leaps and bounds better than Harry Potter, and it is not particularly close.

These two characters often get compared to each other, and for good reason. Both are characters under the “chosen one” archetype. Both presented as prodigies within their given stories, and both are subject to oppressive governmental type forces throughout their stories. However, one of these characters decides to tear down said oppressive force by the end of their book, while the other decides to work within it. And that, at least in my opinion, is the glaring difference between them.

If you haven’t already guessed, Harry Potter is the one that decides to work within the system rather than tear it down. At the end of his series, HP decides to basically become a wizard cop, after being completely shafted and done wrong by The Ministry of Magic throughout his story. When Harry tried to convince the Ministry that Voldemort is in fact alive and killing people once again, they brush him off and call him a liar as to not incite panic and distrust of the Ministry. When Harry uses magic in self defense outside of school grounds they decide to try and expel him instead of hearing him out. Hell, they even try to put his Godfather, Sirius Black, to DEATH in the 3rd book. But despite all of this, Harry decides to join them at the end of the final book? Why? Because Harry is not hero, and he is no revolutionary. He is the product of his own creators blatant bigotry and ignorance.

Percy Jackson on the other hand, is completely different. In the Percy Jackson series, the overarching problem really is that the Gods are not claiming their children. Leaving them to fend for themselves in a world where almost everything is out to kill them. This results in Demigods like Luke Castellan to rebel and side with the Titans to bring down the Gods. Throughout the book, Percy clashes with Luke and other like minded Demigods who want to take down Olympus. And at the end, Luke ends up sacrificing himself to save the people he loves. Due to his part in fighting against the Titans, Percy is granted 1 wish, anything he could want. The Gods offer him immortality, assuming that would of course be what he wanted. Because what could be better than being a God? What could be better than being them. But instead of taking immortality and eternal power, Percy decides to make the Gods promise to claim ALL of their kids. Pointing out that if they had done this from the beginning, Luke and the other Demigods would never have rebelled and none of this would ever have happened. Notice what I am trying to get at here. Instead of using the wish to grasp immortality and benefit from the oppressive system like another main character from another series did, Percy used to the power at his disposal to tear down the oppressive system in front of him and change it for the benefit of the future Demigods.

Both of these characters are presented as hero archetypes, but it obvious to me that only one really fits that mold. And it isn’t Harry Potter. Hell, we were shown signs of Harry’s indifference to the oppressive force in his world early on. When Hermione informs Harry that the house elves are effectively slaves working for the wizarding world, Harry tells her that because they seem to enjoy it that it really isn’t their problem. And that right there told me all I needed to know about his character.

Now it is no secret that JK Rowling herself is a terrible person. The constant transphobic rhetoric she spits out of her mouth on the internet is disgusting. Not to mention the blatant racism and antisemitism seeping out of her writing. Naming the only asian character in her book “Cho Chang” and the only black character “Kingsley Shacklebolt”. And the Gringotts Goblins are obviously jewish caricatures. This ignorance and indifference undoubtedly plays a role in how terribly written Harry Potter is as a character.

Anyways, Harry Potter is a terrible series read Percy Jackson instead it’s much better thanks ily bye ❤️❤️

[gloamists]

The complex gift of Immortality: A Frieren thought process

“The greatest joy in magic lies in searching for it.”

I finished the first season of Frieren recently and i’ve been thinking about it ever since. Often I feel like the general public looks upon immortality as a curse, who would want to live long enough to see everybody with whom they’ve made connections with die? Everything you’ve ever known swept up in the storm of time?

However, I have always been more on the side of seeing immortality as a gift. To me, what could be more fun and fulfilling than simply experiencing life? I think this point of view is explored very well in Frieren. Frieren is a nigh immortal elf who has lived for well over a thousand years. She has seen civilizations come and go, and has seen people whom she called friends pass on, and yet she still goes on living.

She uses her seemingly eternal life to embark on an endless search for magic, she collects endless amounts of spells that do basically anything. While I was watching I kind of attributed this to the thought that “Life is what you make it” I guess. Frieren isn’t living her life trying to find a certain concrete meaning, she is living it how she wants to live it. Pursuing something that she cares a lot about.

When I think about it from that perspective immortality doesn’t seem all that bad. Using my eternal life to go on endless quests pursuing the things that make me happy. Yes, I would see all of the people I make connections with pass on eventually, but I feel like that would happen whether I am immortal or not. Also, I think if I knew someone who was immortal I would find comfort in knowing that someone who remembers me would go to live on forever, but I don’t know this is just me thinking.

Also, yes yes I know i’ve not mentioned all of the practical worries of immortality. How will I get money and all that blah blah fucking blah. Can a nigga be imaginative without thinking about the struggles of living under the oppressive maw or capitalism once in a while? Damn