#Those of us who didn't meet the ideal body standard made do

[sorrowandpride]

I don't think Gen Z understands why Millennials are so terrified of y2k trends coming back into fashion. A lot of Gen Z was still in diapers when this look was in fashion. However, we grew up and spent our preteen and teen years during that time. The quintessential bared-midriff look created by crop tops and low-rise pants is limited (in that for most body types it is very uncomfortable) to an extremely specific body type (very skinny with narrow hips, relatively small bust, and small bottom), which was viewed as the only acceptable body type. Women and girls were considered "fat" even if their BMI fell into the "healthy" range. This left a lot of us with horrible senses of self-esteem and, in extreme (but still a lot of) cases, eating disorders. What's now considered "thinspo" was normalized back then and advertised as the ideal. Content that people on ED Twitter are called out for was pervasive throughout the internet, and not considered very extreme. This look was pervasive in both mainstream and alternative circles. There's a reason why people started pushing for body positivity, and a lot of people (especially afab) are still dealing with the consequences of it. We thought that by embracing body positivity we could prevent future generations from falling victim to the grips of heroin chic. Now we see it coming back, and we're terrified that the cycle's going to repeat itself. So many of us started pursuing excessive thinness as kids and hated ourselves when we failed to obtain it. We don't want anyone else to have to go through that.

This is not to say that people can't recreate looks from the '90s and '00s. People can wear whatever they like. I'm just explaining why so many people are expressing visceral reactions to these old trends coming back.

[undertale-data]

[Image Description: an Undertale chat box with the name "PAPYRUS", in all caps and Papyrus font, in its center. On its left is a talksprite of Papyrus sweating anxiously, and on its right is a talksprite of Papyrus wearing sunglasses. End I.D.]

The Great Papyrus is the most popular Undertale character among the fans surveyed here. 19.6% of responders chose him as their favorite. That’s a total of 519 fans! (Wowie!!)

Not all Papyrus fans are unified on his characterization, however. The most obvious divide was between fans who call him a “cinnamon roll” or “precious baby,” and those who find these takes infantilizing. A lot of people like the friendliness and optimism of this character, while others recognize this but highlight his maturity too. Fans who worry about his infantilization seem most concerned with how he can be portrayed as naive or dumb by the fandom. A portion of fans specifically mentioned this naivety as a point in his favor, though the marginally more popular take seems to be that he is not naive, regardless of how he first appears. This fandom divide seems to relate to Papyrus’s autistic or ADHD coding. Many fans relate to him as ADHD and autistic themselves.

Fans also related to him in his desire for friends. Many responders think of him as a friend and a comfort character, so at least in one way his wish has been fulfilled.

The phone calls were a major reason that fans said they felt connected to Papyrus. Thanks to these calls, he has the most dialogue of any character in the game. His humor and dialogue were often highlighted as favorite qualities.

While fans may disagree on some aspects of Papyrus’s personality, it is clear that his fans all value his optimism and kindness. His fans do not see his kindness as weakness. Many talked about the complexity of his character and the strength it took for him to show mercy to the player character, even when the player doesn’t show it in return. He believes in himself, and he believes in you! This kindness and trust has inspired his fans to be kinder themselves.

Papyrus fans were also drawn to his mysteriousness. Several responses pointed out that he is a more mysterious character than Sans, who is also often loved for his mystery. As shown in the phone calls, Papyrus will put on fronts depending on who he is around, making it even more difficult for fans to uncover his secrets. Some people in other sections of the survey found this frustrating, but Papyrus fans tend to see it as another point in his favor.

Among the greatest proportion of responses were from fans who couldn’t choose a favorite trait, or who just love everything about Papyrus. While these responses may be less lengthy, they are still as full of love as the essay-length answers. These responses tended to say phrases like “cool dude” or “Papyrus my beloved” or “THE GREAT PAPYRUS.”

(You were overcome by writing about such a handsome skeleton. He understands.)

Highlights: (under the cut)

Honestly Papyrus just feels like joy. Funny, incredibly kind, with a few mysteries/weird quirks about him that are fun to ponder over. I especially love how he often acts proud and self aggrandizing without putting others down, and in fact sometimes uses that to lift his friends up alongside him. You don't see this take on proud characters often.

Papyrus is strong. Strong in body, but also morally strong. He knows what is right, what it means to be merciful and kind, even in the face of danger or death. Some think him naive. And yet, even facing death and seeing the dust of those he knew, he did not falter or turn from his ideals of mercy and change for the better.

BECAUSE HE IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS

His optimism and his overall personality is endearing! You're always having fun with him :D

He's meeting all of my standards.

Papyrus is very under appreciated, and overlooked, and it's very frustrating to me—he's a complex character but people treat him like he's a baby!!! I like him because he's kind of goofy with how he talks and he's just very charming and kind.

He's weirder than Sans, and it wasn't acknowledged for years because he acts oblivious and dumb, even when he's clearly not. Quite frankly, I find it iconic. Also, his entire personality helps a lot.

I'm ND, trans, and projecting!

OK SO he's just a friendly guy!! A dude who likes cooking for his friends!! We love a hype man!! Also smart as hell and I feel like fanon majorly overlooks this. Making good, fun puzzles is HARD and setting up a flamethrower to go off wirelessly is complicated. Like even if that bridge puzzle didn't go off the components were complicated. Love that cool dude!!!!

I heavily relate to Papyrus as a character and consider him my favorite fictional character of all time. He is a very well-written and thought out character with several quirks and layers in his personality. It is headcanoned by some (myself included) that Papyrus may possibly be on the Autism Spectrum due to his nature, his interactions with others, and overall how he displays himself to the world we see.

I could talk about Papyrus forever, and you have made a grave mistake in allowing me to do so. He is a charming, strong spirited, well intentioned, complex character that is often wildly misinterpreted, and I think originally this is why I was drawn to him. He is presented as one thing and in fact acts as one thing (though not the same way as presented by fandom), and in reality when you look closer than you are meant to he is not, in fact, any of these things. It was intriguing to me. Secondly, and rather contradictorily, another thing that drew me to him is that he is very true to himself, when it comes to idiosyncrasies and moral values. It's true that he does not offer much in the way of personal backstory and feelings, but he offers very much indeed in the way of personality. What a guy! He wears silly crop tops and bright colors, he speaks in a manner specific to him that sometimes doesn't make sense, he cares about something or someone and goes whole hog with it -- he's passionate, damn it! I love him and his weirdo, goofy self with all my heart. He cares about other people to a fault, too. He would sacrifice everything to help someone, and his belief in the potential of both others and himself is indomitable. When faced with the responsibility of a kingdom, his friends gone, his brother lying to him, and himself all alone without a reliable support system, he recognized what he was facing and still bucked up and became determined to get through it. When faced with a murderous, over powerful enemy, someone who had killed many of his friends and fellow monsters, someone who had repeatedly been rude and borderline aggressive and showed no signs of stopping, he saw that they were having difficulty and offered to help and to care for them, and didn't regret his decision or change his opinion on what they needed and their potential for change, even when quite literally killed by them a moment after. Even in death, even directly after a betrayal like that, he never stops believing that they can get better, that anyone can be a good person if they want to be. That's important, I think; that concept of giving people the chances they need to grow and to change. I have a tattoo of that moment on my thigh, it's that important to me. I guess I really like Papyrus because even though he is fictional, watching him out there makes it easy to believe in people, in our inherent goodness and desire to love each other. He makes it easy to see that we can change, that no matter what you've done in the past or who you currently are, no one is inherently a bad person, and no one is incapable of learning how to be a good one. It is just a step by step process that we have to take day by day.

[Image Description: A wordcloud shaped like Papyrus. His gloves, boots, and cape are red; his Battle Body is blue, yellow, and white; and his bones are white. Some of the most visible words are: Kind, Love, Good, Cool, Relate, Funny, Friend, Mystery, and Papyrus. These are the words that responders mentioned most in their essays about him. End I.D.]

Read the full list of responses shared with permission by clicking this link! (The document is 25 pages long, so you may want to make a copy to prevent lagging.)

[wellashell]

Health, fitness, clean eating, wellness: all important; all good things, right? So why does it seem like the world of fitness has changed in face but not in practice? Where once we were sold "low-fat" diets to remain trim, saw models whose translucent skin showed collarbones and ribcages, we now see "low carb", we see "counting macros", we see a new wave of what "health" is supposed to be.

The beauty industry, cleverly disguising themselves as the health and fitness industry, has sold us a new ideal woman. A woman with curves, who is "thicc with two c's", a more attainable woman, or so they'd have you believe. But those curves can't include cellulite on the perfectly round butt. It can't have stretch marks. It can't have a tummy. What they've really sold us is a new unrealistic standard we must meet. A thin waist and arms. A big bum from perfectly curated squat exercises in designer workout clothes, sipping on flat tummy tea. They've tricked us into thinking progress is being made, but really, it's just been repackaged with different buzz words.

I grew up fat. I knew way to young that fat equated to bad, less than, in need of change. I couldn't wear bikinis to the pool like my friends and cousins because I would show too much of myself. I needed to be smaller, take up less space. But I didn't know how.

I didn't want to be seen. So I learned to detest things like running, because the fat on my thighs would jiggle and my shirt would ride up and reveal my stomach. Gym class was a time of extreme embarrassment when I couldn't do a single push-up, when mean girls would trip me while we ran because it was funny to see me fall.

It's a double-edged sword, trying to workout while fat. The world tells you you need to lose weight, but then when you actually put in the effort, they laugh and you and ask why you bother. And then you eat your feelings because why do you bother, and the cycle continues.

It wasn't until the end of my college career that I really started seeing a change in my figure and my health. And it wasn't because I was starving myself or spending hours at the gym. It was because I started hiking.

I went to college in upstate New Jersey, surrounded by woodsy mountains. I learned to love getting lost in the woods, to crave that adrenaline high from surmounting a steep hill. Most of all, I loved the solitude.

Discovering my love for hiking, I finally found something to get my body moving that made me forget it was exercise. Going to the gym, lifting weights, or running on the elliptical, I always had one thing in mind: I am doing this to be skinny. Sometimes I enjoyed it (you can't fight the power of endorphins). Seeing the scale number go down and my clothes get baggy was a great motivator to keep doing what I was doing. But I was only enjoying it for the sheer fact that it was getting me closer to the goal of shrinking myself.

In the years since, I've hiked dozens of mountains. I've hiked twelve miles into the Grand Canyon. I've passed rocky scrambles in New England. I've lead the group in hiking tours, making it to the top first. Each peak is simply a new challenge. A new aerial view of the world. I never feel stronger or more confident than I do with my legs shaking and sweat rolling down my back, having climbed thousands of feet into the sky.

I don't focus on how long it takes me or how many calories I've burned. To be honest, when the trail gets tough, I'm often focusing on what I'm going to eat when I get back down (protein and beer is always my go-to).

I'm not saying that gyms are evil and weight-lifters are all shallow. But the motivator should be something other than fitting into a certain body mold. Because ten years from now, the beauty industry is going to tell us that big butts are out find a new way to commodify women's bodies.

My wish, with the rise of the body positive movement and fat acceptance, is that we find a way to better our bodies for the sheer reason that we love ourselves as we are. Because they can't sell products to women who are comfortable in their own skin.

@kaitlynrosewrites on insta

https://kaitlynrosewrites.blogspot.com/2020/08/an-uphill-climb.html?m=1

[semi-imaginary-place]

i made albinnaux a durendaire because i thought it'd be funny for him and carvallain to pass each other by in limsa. or worse if they met. and the thought of two long lost brothers meeting is very funny. since in his absence the whole house kinda of glorified him. according to jannequinard at least he was like the standard the rest of his generation measured themselves again. he probably wouldnt recognize albinnauc either since the last time they saw each other albinnaux was like 8 and pretransition. also as much as albinnaux hates his family (somewhat deserved somewhat not). its only because he leveraged his family name to smuggle stuff into ishgard that his transition went as smoothly as it did dragonblood may or may not have been involved, i havent decided. au feral in the woods albunnaux totally drank dragon blood, but more restrained canon albinnaux? not sure (going feral in the woods albinnaux actually ends up in a better mental health place come 2.0). anyways the lost house heir that everyone idealized now a pirate captain and the brother who didnt seem like brother the last time they saw each other who is also an adventurer and the warrior of light or stuck working a menial job as a customs officer depending on when they meet. very awkward. very funny. depending on when exactly they meet albinnaux would be furious since their father took a turn for the worse (in personality) after carvallain "died". or he'd be so depressed and tired it would shoot past anger into "well this might as well happened"

Stephanivien and co are some of the only people he told he was leaving. it was from Rostnsthal that he learned about the musketeers guild and got the idea to go to limsa. he also knew about haurchefant though i dont think they were friends between haurchefant (possibly) being an angry teenager and albinnaux also being an angry teenager but one that was obsessed with status and being seen with the right people oh i do want to say that teenage albinnaux was very manicured and poised on the outside, he was only foaming at the mouth furious on the inside and careful to not let it show. which is why the au where he snaps and runs off to be a heretic is possible

if you'd met albinnaux in his early to mid twenties he very much was constrained by politeness. i wouldn't say he's naturally all that nice or polite, they were tools for him and when they failed him he left them behind. cant remember if i said this but albinnaux was a temple knight not a house durendaire knight. he wanted to forge a legacy on his own outside of the shadow of his house. rumors of course dogged him that he used his family name to gain his knighthood and officer position and they aren't entirely wrong. his unit didn't really like him ranging from apathy to hatred. so even while his tactics and directions were sound, of course nothing would come of them when his unit doesn't follow him half the time. some of them didn't like another highborn brat that didn't earn his position, some didn't like house durendaire and their supposed wealth, some didn't like him because he's trans, and some just didn't like his personality. he was never able to inspire loyalty in those under him and his career never advanced.

ishgard and feeding bodies into the machine of war. (albinnaux is my ishgard lore character if you couldnt tell lol). i never told you why albinnaux wanted to be a knight in the first place. the short answer is glory, knights are highly respected (even though at the top of the chain is the archbishop its a long long way down to the bottom ranks). albinnaux tried to do what aymeric eventually accomplished: become knight commander, end the theocracy, and become the new leader of ishgard. which albinnaux didn't even get close to accomplishing.

he's a former high house noble so he knows a good chunk of the characters if only by reputation. while i do like the idea of albinnaux being friends with all the ishgard characters. given what he was like theres no way. its only toward the end of his time in ishgard that he starts letting go of his prejudices. so meeting haurchefant again is the meeting of the dude who didnt make it in ishgardian society and ran away meeting the guy he used to look down on for being a illegitimate child who has Made It and found his way and succeeded in his career. im also cheering haurchfant on in this. get dunked on albi.

im not sure on albinnaux's relationship with religion yet. its complicated because raised orthodox that got more conservative when his father had his ideological foot heel turn. buys into the narrative of ishgard winning the war over the dragons. but also naturally skeptical over any sort of literal interpretation and disliking the idea of higher powers interfering in his life (its HIS and he wants to do it all on his own).

he is VERY repressed in almost every way.

i dont think albinnaux ever quite experienced the lowest lows of ishgard the way hilda and those of the brume did. his life always had worth in the eyes of society (not as much as he wanted), he always had his family name to fall back on, a safety net even if he resented that fact albinnaux has struggled within the confines of ishgardian society yes and has been oppressed and faced both misogyny and transphobia but he's also had privilege far surpassing most of a place where birth and blood matter above almost all else. he recognized that privelege and tried to use it to his advantage to bring about his grand ambition of revolutionizing ishgard (with him at the helm of course), like he planned to get rid of the high houses AND the theocracy, give equal education and employment opportunities to everyone regardless of birth, etc. he genuinely wants the best for ishgard, but in his early twenties he still hasn't gotten his arrogance checked. pride before the fall and all that.

he is intensely jealous of haurchefant and aymeric and between that, the politics of alliance that he loves and middy, 2.x is juicy which makes sense since i made him while playing 2.x. albinnaux like alphinaud rather fancies himself a politician though at this point in the story he's mostly just kinda angry and resigned to being hydaelyn's pawn but that spark that hope of changing the world for the better is there.

he sometimes wonders if coming out shot him in the foot career wise. but as a teenager he was greedy and both wanted his cake and to eat it. i also wanted to explore some of the high house politics. like theres the quest where you deliver a bottle of haurchefant's favorite wine to him for one of francel's knights because of course they cant overtly give him gifts because it would look like a bribe so they need an unaffiliated 3rd party.