#and bipolarity is often misrepresented so there's that

[njpanther]

TUMBLR Blog #1: Empire

Empire is a predominantly black series created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong for Fox that first aired in 2015 and was canceled in 2020 due to Covid. The premise of the show is a hip-hop mogul and founder and CEO of Empire Entertainment, and how his ex-wife and his 3 sons battle for the throne. Being a soap, it is filled with cutthroat drama and extremes to keep viewers interested. That being said, this award-winning show can be accused of misrepresenting black culture by capturing and exaggerating black stereotypes to create humor and to keep the plot interesting. For example, Lucious Lyon (CEO of Empire Entertainment) was able to create Empire from the money he made from being a drug dealer. Another example is how they portray Lucious’ ex-wife, Cookie. Cookie is shown as a violent angry black woman that has complicated relationship with her kids. That includes tons of love and affection, followed by beatings when they disobey her.  

Yet many would argue that the show is breaking down certain black stereotypes. By forcing the viewers to judge the characters early on, followed by learning what caused those stereotypes; either from hardship or deep-rooted fear.  

Another theory is that the writers were essentially recreating what Blackface minstrels did. “Basically, Empire wasn’t created to entertain black people (although I’m sure it has black viewers). It is instead selling an image of blackness to a predominantly white audience that has long been fed stereotypical messages about what blackness represents,” (Watkins). When in actual reality 61% of the viewers were reported to be black in 2018 from USA Today. 

To represent how Empire portrays race, I have chosen 3 characters who seem to carry the most stereotypes. 

“Lucious Lyon (born Dwight Walker) is the main protagonist and antihero in the television drama, Empire.” (Empire wiki). Lucious from start to finish could be described as a criminal throughout the show. In the beginning he was a drug dealer so he could get enough money to start the company. Once the company was a multi-million-dollar establishment he lies, cheats, steals, and kills people out of cold blood to stay in power. They try and mitigate the hatred for the character by showing that Lucious’s mom was bipolar and tried committing suicide several times followed by him running away from home at an early age and living on the streets.  

Cookie is a well-rounded favorite on the show as Taraji P. Henson brings the character Cookie to life. In many aspects, the role portrays a positive image for black women. Cookie was successful, confident, and in the end always loyal to her family. However, “Cookie is the embodiment of all the stereotypes black women face on TV. Dressed flamboyantly with floor-length furs, color-coded nails and eyelashes big as a manhole covers, she is quick to anger and ready to throw down at a moment's notice" (Deggans).  

“Hakeem, first introduced as the youngest, lively, fame-hungry son, seems to get to his head” (Empire wiki), but it does not stop there. Throughout the show, the character Hakeem is often seen as reckless, arrogant, and unintelligent. The writers try giving sympathy to the character by showing that he was born into a dysfunctional family and motherless until the age of 17 as the cause of his problems. Hard to say if these are stereotypes of a young black man or just a boy born into extreme wealth. None the less Hakeem was hardly painted in a positive way.  

The show leads me to think if the media is really trying to create equality for all or is it just a cover to have a diverse cast while still portraying the same stereotypes? 

Citations 

Carlton, Kenya. “The Curious Case of 'Empire' and Its Representation of Black Life on TV.” For Harriet | Celebrating the Fullness of Black Womanhood, 21 Mar. 2015, http://www.forharriet.com/2015/03/the-curious-case-of-empire-and-its.html. 

Lawler, Kelly. “Study: How Diverse Are the Audiences for 'This Is Us,' 'Empire,' 'Westworld'?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 29 June 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/06/28/how-diverse-audiences-us-empire-westworld-nielsen/738216002/. 

Deggans, Eric. “Does Fox's 'Empire' Break or Bolster Black Stereotypes?” NPR, NPR, 18 Mar. 2015, https://www.npr.org/2015/03/18/393785570/does-foxs-empire-break-or-bolster-black-stereotypes. 

“Category: Characters” Empire TV Show Wiki, https://empire.fandom.com/wiki/Lucious_Lyon. 

(@ChuckCreekmur), Chuck Creekmur. “Dr Boyce Watkins: Here's Why I Won't Support the Coonery of ‘Empire.’” AllHipHop, 20 Jan. 2015, https://allhiphop.com/uncategorized/dr-boyce-watkins-heres-why-i-wont-support-the-coonery-of-empire/. 

[c0rpseductor]

I know it's not as stigmatized/"bastardized" (idk if that's the right word but I hope you know what I mean) but I find a lot of the same stuff in bipolar/bpd spaces...where people strangely romanticize splitting/having FPs while also being unable to talk about anything that would trigger "episodes" in anyone else. It's weird as fuck. I'm shaking ur hand rn I'm glad you found a space for you to talk about trauma because that shit is so hard

THANK YOU ;O; and shakes your hand heavily because that shit isn't easy to deal with either and the stigma is really rough

it's like...i think that's really often a problem in online mental health communities, where because they aren't moderated the same way, like, group therapy would be, you get a lot of people focused on a certain set of their symptoms, and then it becomes like...a thing where nobody really wants to recover for fear of losing their community. and then it ends up being severely misrepresented even by people who are struggling bc theyve become entrenched in like, the illness as an identity. you know what i mean?

[kenobihater]

Thank you so much for answering my previous ask! It was. A bit horrifying/sombering to read honestly, with the sheer amount of ways psychotic people are misrepresented and harmed in the media. I was aware that there was a whole ideology with eugenics and mental illness, but considering I haven't interacted with that concept since social studies in school, the fact people use it in their fics (well, stories in general) and handle it so fucking poorly was a slap in the face. I am so sorry you and other psychotic people are treated like that in fics and irl, what the fuck.

The "snapped out of delusions/illusions" trope is so prevalent I'm almost scared it's actually informed some people's actions irl ToT. Considering that "snapping people out of it" in fantasy/fiction often happens during mind-control too, it always read to me as pushing the narrative that the "real person" is somehow held captive by their delusion/hallucination and has to be "liberated" from it or something, which. It feels wrong. I don't know nearly enough about hallucinations and delusions as I probably should but from what I read, most people experiencing them are usually distressed by them or don't even realize they might be hallucinating/delusional and are still themselves, so the trope never fails to make my spine crawl. I cannot imagine a situation in which that kind of reaction wouldn't cause distress or worsen it.

Also also, are there any resources you'd recommend when one is trying to learn about real lived experiences of people with psychosis? One could technically go on tumblr and find some blogs to read through and reference, but I'm not sure if that is a good approach?

Ik you said the shepherd thing was way back in the day and short-lived but it made me think of Right Choice Shearing's shorts on youtube and I highly recommend them for some entertainment!! I think their commentary is very fun and also sometimes the animals they shear are so hilariously uncooperative - or so cooperative they're like sacks of potatoes. I love it. The line "he's a chonky pet sheep who'd like to be able to see again" is one of my faves and never fails to make me smile.

You're welcome for answering your ask!

And yeah, the you're right about the "snapping out of it" trope being so universal and not good. You're also right about many people being greatly distressed by delusions/hallucinations and are often not even aware that they're out of touch with reality, but at the end of the day, they're still themselves!

When it comes to psychosis education, I can't think of any resources that are specifically about psychosis off the top of my head, but I can think of a couple resources about bipolar disorder, of which psychosis is a hallmark (if any psychotic ppl out there have any resources for schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or any other psychotic disorders pls chime in!) Polar warriors is a great youtube channel run by a bipolar person. Carrie Fisher's entire deal was bipolar education and destigmatization of addiction, so I'm sure there are some interviews with her about the topic (I've been meaning to pick up her memoirs for a while now and have heard rave reviews). Some more books I'm planning on reading about bipolar disorder that are from bipolar people are Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness, Only More So by Mark Vonnegut and An Unquiet Mind by Dr Kat Redfield Jamison. Tumblr can be a great, accessible resource, too but I'd double check everything you read here bc misinfo can be rampant. The best advice I can give you when it comes to learning about psychosis is to listen to psychotic people, which sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of the media that people get their info and misconceptions about us from are from non-psychotic viewpoints and really miss the mark.

Thank you for the channel rec, I'll save it for a rainy day! 🐑

[brooklynislandgirl]

🍁 + Questions are hard so what's an aspect of Beth that you would seize the opportunity to explore more.

Curious Cat || Always Accepting

I honestly would love to develop Beth's mental health better, especially the way it is with Andy, and the way it is with other people, because the two are vastly different. I mean this in the way that Beth has rapid-cycling Bipolar Disorder.

A brief explanation: RC/BiPD is often diagnosed when a person experiences for or more episodes of mania {or the milder version, hypomania} and depressive episodes within the scope of a one year {12 month} period. For some, rapid cycling can be temporary, and it can occur with any type of bipolar disorder.

With Andy, it's as mild as it can get. Just as her spark of life offsets his pain and bodily dysfunction, he's always been critically aware of her mental health, charting things in his own way and mending the rough parts when he could. In most verses where he ends up dying as per canon, he never actually gets strong enough to cure his sister, a regret that he carries with him into the afterlife. In the verses where he survives, Beth makes it very difficult for him to even try and their relationship is never what it once was. Andy is hyper-protective about her illness and her in general, which leads to the occasional outburst of his temper.

As for herself, Beth doesn't really like to talk about it. It's bad enough that she can't hide her audio-processing disorder, she doesn't want to throw something else into the mix. She is extremely {negatively} self-aware and self-critical. A giant portion of this comes from growing up under the Admiral's constant abuse, the man has effectively destroyed Beth's sense of self, and her worth to others. She does her best to take her mood-stabilisers as prescribed but those are only crutches and not cures. During Beth's highs she often feels like she doesn't need them. During her lows, she's convinced they're part of what makes her sick, and that the Admiral has something to do with it.

Beth gravitates towards other 'damaged' people because of these feelings, getting on with people who are not neurotypical or with their own challenges than she does with anyone else. Deep down, it's easy to believe that people with disabilities of any kind or those with some kind neurodivergence might more readily accept her. The reason I don't delve into it is...I have clinical {chronic} depression, but not bipolar disorder and I don't want to misrepresent anything or upset anyone, especially my beautiful friends who do live with it. Also, as you can imagine, those threads are not exactly fun to right for the other person, and none of my partners signed up to be therapists. {With apologies to: @ronmanmob, @whosxafraid, and @mynameisanakin for having threads where this is a root cause}

[bloody-wonder]

ok so i've totally been rampaging through all of your aftg posts and i absolutely agree with you on everything except! i do think that andrew being bipolar is really the only thing that makes sense (not saying he can't have cptsd or anthing because he totally does!) even without nora confirming that's what she intended. 12am on tumblr has some really good posts i'll link in a different ask but u don't have to read them if u don't care lol. one of them is about the realistic and unrealistic (1)

hi there! i’m gonna just copy the rest of your asks in here and answer them as one :))

parts of his medication and basically what i got out of it was that the situation that gets him on his meds is pretty much unfeasible but the meds do make sense only if andrew is actually bipolar and misdiagnosed with depression, thus he's put on antidepressants. and andrew's only off his meds for about 4? months in the books so we really just may not have time to see him in a manic state (or, as another post says, he could have had a short hypomanic episode that neil never noticed). (2)

obviously a lot of what people might construe as poor bipolar rep is mostly just the effects of his trauma, but i personally do think andrew is actually bipolar ii alongside having cptsd. nora definitely didn't have a disgnosis in mind while writing and she admits it herself but a lot of how she wrote him does actually line up ok sorry for invading ur inbox lol!! i just love all of ur takes and when i saw that i wanted to share what i think

the posts you sent me are really very informative and written by people who actually know things about medicine and bipolar disorder in particular.

this one is about why they might have put andrew on pills, what kind of pills they might be and what lasting consequences on his mental health it might have

https://12am.tumblr.com/post/615311912973090816/hey-i-saw-your-answer-that-anons-question-really 

this one is about how andrew’s drug-induced mania is different from bipolar mania

https://12am.tumblr.com/post/615313802919084032/hi-when-andrew-is-not-on-his-drugs-do-you-think 

this one dives deep into andrew’s mental problems

https://battlefieldheart.tumblr.com/post/162732478229/lets-talk-andrew-minyard-more-specifically

this one does the same but is shorter

https://12am.tumblr.com/post/615315252774584320/i-wasnt-even-the-anon-for-that-last-one-but-i

it looks like both of them come to the conclusion that andrew has bipolar II. i didn’t even know there are different types so obviously i thought that andrew’s bipolar is either not there or misrepresented. i won’t say that andrew isn’t bipolar so matter-of-factly in the future bcs there’s obviously enough evidence to interpret him that way (and it’s confirmed by the author and we must welcome the rep). however i think it’s also important to note this remark op makes

More often than those things, we see depressive episodes in Andrew when he’s off his meds: feeling tired, thinking about death, feel empty, low activity levels, don’t enjoy things, hopelessness. It’s worth noting that a lot of those things are just Andrew. He’s got PTSD, and he’s depressed. If someone is always irritable and tired, those aren’t symptoms of an episode, it’s just their personality.

they also say that while there’s room for interpreting andrew’s diagnosis, there’s also no single canon answer. i suppose irl as well there are patients who can’t determine what exactly is “wrong” with them, all the while trying to discern their own personality traits from the symptoms of some disorder. my issue here is probably not with whether andrew is bipolar or not bcs it changes nothing in my perception of him, so much as with this - once the disagreeable behaviors that he has are framed as symptoms of a mental illness that’s where what i call “the fandom recovery narrative” kicks in: andrew has to recover which means he has to get rid of those disagreeable traits, he has to smile more, he has to express his emotions in “normal” ways etc. unless he does, he doesn’t recover, and if he doesn’t recover, then what’s even the point? what is a person who “doesn’t recover” even worth? why have we even wasted our time reading a book about them? 

do you see my problem?

but ultimately what i knew already but still learned once more while writing this post is that my boy andrew is an intricate mesmerizing MESS and it’s important that we love him the way he is, no matter what diagnosis he has exactly.

just like neil does.

[thecloudcastlesystem]

Big PSA since some of ya'll don't know how to act

Don't use serious mental illnesses or disorders as your story plot unless you've properly done your research!!

Especially severely stigmatized disorders like DID, Bipolar, psychotic disorders or BPD. People with those disorders are stigmatized enough without your shitty "uwu this person has multiple personalities and one of them is a murderer owo" or "yeah this character is bipolar so they're insane and abusive ewe" plots!!

First of all, especially with DID that "evil split personality" storyline is fucking overused as all hell and boring as fuck and all stories like that sound the fucking same. Yes, there can be alters who hurt people or commit crimes but at least have a good reason for it!! Proper sources and places to do research are one Google search away!! Do your research on alter types and their reasons to develop!!

Also more often than not "evil" alters, aka persecutors, hurt the host more than they hurt anyone outside the system. And even if they do, they're very unlikely to do it physically!

Also stop using the term MPD, it's outdated and misleading. Again, it's literally one Google search away to find the proper terminology. Don't just throw around disorders and terms because you think it's fucking quirky. Plot twist! It's not!

Also!! People with personality disorders can be manipulative! But they are not INHERENTLY manipulative and even if they are, they're not fucking evil!!! Most of them want to get better and are ashamed of their shitty or manipulative behavior!!

Do your research and don't pretend to know shit you have no idea about! And you know what? Ask! I'm sure most people with certain disorders would love to help you improve your views and plot rather than be misrepresented! Thank you! :)

[potagepotiron]

Moyo

I’m trying to wrap my mind around how the character Moyo is written in season 3. First and foremost, a team of 3 male white writers decided that the only black character in the WTFock season 3 universe should be the only person to display sexist and homopobic behavior and carry it through. This unbalanced decision has rightfully upset a part of the show’s audience, and those that aren’t upset should read up on what representation is, why it matters and why they too should care.

That being said, character growth is a thing and so while we cannot undo the damage that has already been done, we should take balanced look at the rest of the season. So when we meet up again with Moyo after a few days of silence, in the company of his friends and Robbe, there are questions from the start. Has his behaviour been adressed already? Is this one of their famous “it happened off-screen moments”?

In today’s clip, Moyo corrects Robbe when he wrongly assumes bipolar disorder has impacted Sander’s feelings. He tells him Sander can’t have been manic for 2 months. He then delivers a watered down version of the minute by minute speech. Moyo helping Robbe is a good thing. You could argue that his reply acknowledges that Robbe and Sander are (or once were) together. But it is also perfectly reasonable to argue that Moyo only corrects Robbe because he feels his mother is being misrepresented. Most of his lines concern his mother and not Sander, who he calls “this dude”.

I have no idea what the writers want us to think at this moment. Was it their idea to link Moyo’s past behavior to his role as a helper? Do they believe the audience will agree that Moyo redeemed himself because he helped Robbe? Or could it be that the writers decided to remain ambiguous? Do they want to emphasize he’s getting there, but he isn’t quite ready yet? Up to now it is not clear whether or not Moyo has had a change of heart concerning his sexism and homophobia. Maybe they should have given Moyo a few more lines. I think the public needs to know. We’re in week 9 of 10, we deserve an explanation now.

There is, however, one aspect of the clip I found intriguing. You can see that Moyo finds it difficult to talk about his mother. Probably, he thinks it doesn’t fit his image as a cool guy. And when Jens asks why he hasn’t told them before, he asks Jens if he even has parents. Moyo has a point, though. The Broerrrs spend a lot of time talking to each other, but they don’t talk about the important things. They should do so more often, because that is what friends do.

[hamliet]

(1) Thank you for explaining what OCD does. The media too often defines it solely by its accompanying physical compulsions, which admittedly do comprise a significant portion of OCD symptoms. However, the failure to depict the intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and obsessions makes the disorder seem cartoonish and laughable. In addition, this incomplete portrayal of OCD makes the disorder hard to recognize.

(2) That’s why I went so long without being diagnosed with pure obsessional (Pure-O) OCD. Plus, people need to stop assuming medication and therapy to be immediate and permanent solutions. Everyone’s brain chemistry is different. Some people respond well to medications that cause negative reactions in others. You will have setbacks and triumphs, then setbacks again.

(3) I had a disastrous reaction to my first prescription. The reason why I agreed to a medication regimen in the first place was because I could barely meet deadlines with my untreated OCD. The ironic thing is that my grades started to slip only after I started taking medication. Until then, I had justified my self-worth with my academic progress and writing, so I felt like I was losing control over my life.

(4) I started to wish I had a “serious” disease like Bipolar Disorder, because I felt ashamed that this “joke” of an illness could destroy my ability to function (i.e. complete schoolwork, listen to class lectures, write, or even enjoy a song without the intrusive thoughts blocking out my sight and hearing). (Note: I have since realized that Bipolar Disorder and other diseases are also gravely misrepresented).

(5) I’m sorry to rant on your blog. Please know that I do appreciate you shedding light on an often underrepresented and oversimplified disorder. I’m sorry you also suffer from it. My sincerest sympathies.—BSD Chat Anon

Sending hugs, BSD Chat Anon. My inbox is always open. And yeah, agreed. Compulsions are one thing, but the thing about OCD is that it’s not “oh no the books need to be rearranged;” it’s actually disruptive to your life: extremely agonizing and not cutesy, not even remotely.  

The fundamental thing I think is that OCD is founded in the belief that you are a bad person and you will be a bad person because of circumstances outside of your control, so you try to obsessively control what you can (compulsions) even if they don’t at all address the intrusive thoughts. Obsessions/compulsions don’t bring satisfaction like the media portrays it; they bring shame and terror. 

For me, my OCD has gotten a ton better. I have bad days, but honestly they’re only a few times a year now (really)--that’s how much better they’ve gotten (would that my depression and PTSD could do likewise... someday!) But that’s to tell you, Anon, that while I don’t know what it’ll be for you--medication, therapy, a change in circumstances--you can improve and learn healthy ways to cope for any bad days. It will not necessarily be an illness that torments you relentlessly all your life. (For me, escaping a religious cult was kind of--let’s just say my OCD got a TON better after that. Who’da thunk that might be a toxic environment for mental health lol.) 

[clstories61-blog]

CONCLUDING POST

As a huge fan of fictional works that have an emphasis on medieval or ancient history (e.g. Game of Thrones television series and the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise), I had hoped to focus on a storyworld that possessed two key qualities: a strong foundation in history and creative interpretation that still respected historical accuracy. My initial choice was the Assassin’s Creed gaming franchise because of its ingenious retelling of major historical events, but after seeing Steven Spielberg’s television epic Band of Brothers that contains elements of a docudrama, I was reminded of the Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire “Nero” I had seen in Latin class during high school. The purpose of my storyworld was to really explore the history and actual life of an incredibly misunderstood and misrepresented historical figure. My goal was to help inform the public about this dark period of Roman history and the man behind it all. Indeed, the 5th Roman Emperor Nero did commit many atrocities, and I do not condone nor try to excuse his actions. In fact, he would most likely rank in the bottom tier of Roman Emperors in terms of the effectiveness of their rule. 

But it is vital to understand that Nero was not always a bad ruler or the monster history turned him out to be. His early reign was marked with a remarkable era of growth and peace, and Emperor Nero was beloved by his people. After surviving hundreds of assassination attempts as a teen even from his own mother and later constantly having to worry about the Roman Senate and his own Praetorian Guard, it is no wonder Nero became increasingly erratic and paranoid even without his psychological problems. What we have historically referred to as Nero’s “Descent into Madness” shows signs of psychological illness such as late onset bipolar disorder and schizophrenia as modern-day scholars now point out. I take great care to also ensure that the myths about his legend are dispelled: in the caption for the Tumblr page I made sure to include in his description “history’s greatest alleged pyromaniac,” since after all, his infamous legend is untrue. 

The psychotic despot who has been portrayed as laughing and singing as his city burned was in fact a heroic leader who took charge to defend his people and fight to protect his city from an existential threat. Overall, separating fact from fiction was extremely difficult, and the fact that our sources of Nero and the Roman Empire often come from ancient writings does not make this job of discernment easy. Moreover, trying to research Nero ended up being more of a “how do I separate the fandom of Fate’s Nero Claudius” spilling into any research. Seriously, try it. Type in Nero Claudius (as this was the 5th Emperor’s shortened actual name) and you’ll get FLOODED with images of the anime, gender bent Nero Claudius and texts of “UMU!”

Reddit has even so graciously created a meme to commemorate the two famous Neros:

Still, I am grateful to Type-Moon, despite its incessant commercialization of historical figures to pander to its male fan base, for promoting interest in ancient history and maintain an impressive degree of historical accuracy and adding in their own creativity. BBC docudramas like Ancient Rome can only do so much with a much more limited viewership, since its focus is on scholarship first rather than entertainment. In my opinion, looking through both perhaps is the best way to approach learning about the tale of Nero, the last Emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Through my storyworld project, I believe I was successful in both my goal of shedding light on a very complicated period in Roman history, helping uncover the true life of Nero, and encouraging individual learning of ancient history. Without doing a project on Nero, I would have also never have realized how popular “Nero Claudius,” or the Fate series by Type-Moon that actively promotes history with creative interpretations and entertainment. Though I do not see myself actively engaging in any fandom, I have already planned out some time to go watch Type-Moon’s Nero Claudius television anime series on Netflix!          

[maybeimmanicpodcast]

Sparkle person :

(NOUN)

A people or person of any origin or sect possessing an illustrious personality and character.

While the origin of sparkle people is unknown, they are sprinkled evenly throughout society and history. From birth, I sparkle person may be dubbed as such quite easily. These individuals are often classified as “happy babies“, and morph into generally agreeable toddlers.

Often also labeled as empaths, these people demonstrate great consideration and compassion for people from a very young age. Sparkle people tend to draw strong bonds with in adamant objects such as sentimental stuffed animals, dolls, or other sentimental gifts.

They believe that the essence of these items is directly related to the individual whom the item was gifted by.

This aspect of the Sparkle person can often lead them to be misclassified as a hoarder.

Throughout childhood and young preteen years, this person may feel often guilty for what appears to be no reason. If this person has siblings, they often feel responsible to care for them in a way that is not seemingly typical. They often feel the need to care for their parents, and are regularly described as “old souls” By adults around them.

Sparkle people demonstrate creativity very early on, and can often be found doodling on notebooks rather than paying attention in class. Despite an inherent need and desire to be seen as obedient, This level of creativity can sometimes make academia a bit difficult. Procrastination and taking on an unrealistic workload remains a staple in these peoples lives. Their desire to make things easier on others, and overdo it, however, will not affect their own personal vanity and self-care time. Sparkle people will stay up till late hours of the night grooming themselves or wake up early to ensure perfection. Incurable vanity, with the dedication to do so.

Sparkle people tend to be very outgoing yet shy simultaneously. They are known to befriend less sociable people, crossing typical social standards on the playgrounds.

Individuals may often be classified as “boy crazy,“ or “girl crazy,” due to their uncharacteristically early demonstration of needing or desiring “true love“.

It is difficult for these people to nurture a small crush without believing that the other person will be their future life mate, or is their soulmate.

These people are often involved in the theatrical arts department, and musical expression. Typically they enjoy many art forms, including but not limited to painting, poetry, or writing.

In the teen years, sparkle people are often found struggling with depression. This is likely due to the fact that they are overwhelmed with more emotions than the average teen. Often labeled drama queens, or drama kings, their feelings can often be ignored or belittled, due to the extravagant way they express them, leaving them in a constant state of unrest.

They relate to the anti hero, or the soap opera type.

Sparkle people often dabble in things such as bulimia, anorexia, self mutilation, but not generally for the typical reasons.

In romance and dating, sparkle people are often drawn to broken and abusive individuals. This also translates into their choice of friends. Sparkle people tend to surround themselves with people who may be classified as “lesser than,” by others. Sparkle people will defend their choice in romance and friendship, believing that they were put on this earth to see the best in people, and give everyone an equal opportunity.

This unfortunate aspect of the sparkle person, lead them down paths which may leave others concerned, but they believe that they “have a handle on it.“

Sparkle people may fear commitment, but relish the chance to challenge themselves, seeing each romantic partner as their soulmate almost immediately. Sadly, their often fast and passionate romantic endeavors seem to evaporate overnight, leaving them feeling immense guilt and shared pain of the other parties broken heart.

Bisexuality is incredibly common, and can sometimes be confusing due to the deep and powerful love they feel for their platonic friends.

They are often labeled as “the one that got away...” or “the best lover.” They often attempt to remain friends with past lovers, or, are unable to have any contact with the ex lover at all.

Individuals tend to save and cherish strange and unusual objects and Momentos from relationships and friendships. While they also remain somewhat obsessed with documenting their own lives, these people tend to be very expressive on social media and publicly. This stems from the belief that they were put on this earth to captivate and maintain attention from others.

This level of honesty is often met with fanfare, which inspires great joy in the person, well also may inspire great criticism.

Sparkle people can be amazing liars to close loved ones and friends, While feeling almost incapable of lying to the general public. This also makes them a bit of a spectacle at times. Often misrepresented as attention whores, sparkle people feel they are meant to be the martyrs for other people without a voice.

Sparkle people are often the advice givers in their friends circle, advising people on things well out of their realm of expertise, yet somehow demonstrating great knowledge of these subjects.

Although there is no specific look or style to my sparkle person, these people often take great pride in their appearance. They often have very brightly colored hair, or make fashion statements with their clothing. They enjoy cosmetic surgeries, physical altercations, and are often called a chameleon.

People possessing the sparkle are often missed labeled as bipolar, narcissistic, or borderline personality types. This is due to the lack of understanding and research on these types of humans.

Another common misconception of sparkle people , is that they are insecure. This could not be further from the truth. Although they remain incredibly critical of themselves, they are very generally comfortable and who they are, and Will never stop evolving.

The sparkle person is an incredibly strong individual, it is very important that they stay away from excess amounts of alcohol, or drugs. These absences have been known to snuff out the light of many great sparkle people including Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith, amy winehouse, and other icons.

Sparkle people are complex and resilient. They are often able to feel many emotions at the same time, although the emotions may be conflicting. They parade through life entering and exiting different phases, and enjoying the experiences that come with it.

Sparkle people often possess supernatural powers. They are psychics, mediums, and often known as great readers of personalities.

Although not all sparkle people will achieve fame, they will always desire it on some level. And they will be known as famous “in their hometown.“

See also:

Lady Gaga, Elton John, Cher, Madonna, Evita peron.

[subreid]

So I was curious as to why people get offended over the cm episodes where people with mental disorders are portrayed incorrectly. I have severe depression, but I love the heck out of this show and enjoy it for what it is. I can see where people are coming from, but also kind of can't... Can you help me out?

i mean, most people getting upset are people with mental illnesses/disorders like schizophrenia, bpd, ocd, bipolar, did, and other highly stigmatized disorders. 

the reason we are upset is bc we are already portrayed as violent and scary. our disorders are already largely misunderstood by the general public and it’s really upsetting to see a show you love misrepresenting you + your illness in a way that also makes you seem like you could, at any second, snap and become a mass murderer, especially when in actuality none of these disorders make you any more likely to hurt others, and in fact we are far more often abused and murdered by other people.

a lot of us are fighting really hard for more accurate portrayal of our mental illnesses because inaccurate ones lead to our abuse and death. they also cause a lot of invalidation and feed stigma - i see people surprised to find out i have bpd all the time, bc they thought all people with bpd were abusive monsters because of media portrayals of us. or i see people getting defensive around me when i say i have ptsd because they think ill murder them during a flashback or smth. one of my dearest friends whom i trust with my life is a did system and he doesnt tell anyone about it unless hes close to them because portrayals that reduce it down to some ‘dr jekyll and mr hyde’ kinda Evil Alternate Personality shit have made people think he could hurt them any second.

though i love the show, one of the most upsetting parts of CM is that all of the unsubs seem to be mentally ill in some way or another. that doesnt reflect reality. it’s hard to watch episodes where you see your disorder spoken about negatively, inaccurately, or in a ‘of course the killer has to be mentally ill, no sane person would ever do that kind of thing’ kinda way when the fact is that most killers are...not mentally ill. 

so tldr - we’re upset bc it hurts us, both in the sense that it hurts our feelings & that it makes other people afraid of/hateful towards us and more likely to hurt us, and because we too watch tv to escape from reality, and thats kinda hard to do when microaggressions follow you everywhere you go.

[kasiadances]

To The Bone: A Reaction

Warning: Spoilers ahead

To say I was skeptical when To The Bone popped up on my Netflix page is an understatement. I am always wary of shows or movies about ED or with a character suffering from ED; oftentimes the disease gets glamourized or completely misrepresented. But I watched the trailer for To The Bone, read some articles about it, found out that the woman who wrote it took from her own experiences, and well - the trailer looked pretty damn good so I thought ‘why not?’

I think To The Bone is the closest accurate representation of ED that we get in film and television, and for the most part I enjoyed watching it. It was funny, graphic, and heartbreaking at points. That being said, I think it misses the mark in some places, and instead of being a great film it is a good one. Were there moments that were spot on? Sure. Did some moments make me cry? Absolutely. Did some moments hit very close to home? Yes. But the amount of stereotypes, tropes and cliches that filled the script impeded these successes.

Let’s talk about things I liked:

1) There is a boy in treatment. It is estimated that 10 million men will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder in the United States (nationaleatingdisorders.org), and since ED is often stigmatized as a women’s disease men are often less likely to come forward with their eating disorders. Many think it’s impossible for them to even have one. When I was in treatment there were three men, all over the age of 40 (age is neither here nor there, but I will be discussing age later). The fact that Luke is a large part of this film helps bring to light the men that eating disorders affect, which rarely (if ever) happens in media.

2) Keanu Reeves’ no bullshit doctoring. I was in treatment with Doctor Strober and a therapist named Maureen (her last name escapes me. Just know that she also had a no bullshit attitude and refused to accept self-pity). I liked that Keanu Reeves wasn’t always present - it is actually very rare in treatment to see the head doctor all of the time. I also appreciated his nuggets of wisdom, his decisions to not pursue the past or parts of therapy he deemed might be unhelpful. There were some things about him and his treatment model that I didn’t like (we’ll get to that later) but for the most part I felt his character was well developed and someone I genuinely liked in the film.

3). The sister. Eli’s sister definitely needed more screen time. Her open, honest, and heart wrenching talk on what it is like as a family member of someone with an eating disorder made me laugh out loud and cry simultaneously. Hers was the only family member that seemed like a genuine person, and I loved that she had a full healthy body. She also said things like: if you ever do this again I’ll punch you in the vagina. What a gal.

4) The moments of humour dotted throughout this script. I laughed a lot in treatment. I also cried a lot in treatment. And screamed a lot in treatment. And kicked and complained and bitched a lot in treatment. Eating disorders are terrifying. They are messy and confusing, not just for those witnessing them but also those struggling with them. And like with all things, treatment and recovery can be filled with moments of beauty and fun, of laughter and joy, of pain and regret. This film does a great job encapsulating the ups and downs of dealing with this disease - shit, the ups and downs of life. Bravo.

Now for the nitty gritties. I’ll start from the beginning and work my way down, shall I?

Issue #1) The stereotype that anorexia is a rich white girl disease is perpetuated in this film. I don’t think it was intentional, but the fact that Eli comes from an affluent family and that they are able to pull strings to get her to see the ‘best new doctor’ in the heart of LA paints a stereotypical picture. Luke, who comes from London and New Jersey (how exotic) makes the comment that he’s there because ‘it’s the best.’ And aside from the one black girl, everyone else is a white girl that seems to be from LA. This does not represent the entire ED community. Sure, it is probably true that people from affluent families are more likely to have the means to go to a treatment facility, but when I was in hospital we had a mix of races and genders and backgrounds. Some of us were well off, some of us not so much, some of us were just lucky that UCLA was the hospital our military insurance sent us to. Hand in hand with this is the stereotype that this is a young person’s disease; ‘a cry for attention by college aged girls’ is how my grandfather put it, and indeed there are only young people in the treatment facility. It is true that there is generally a split between pediatric treatment centers and adult treatment centers (and adult centers are severely lacking; the program that I was in shut down right after I left), however Megan seems to be the oldest one at maybe thirty, and our two leads are both under the age of twenty-one. There is also the stereotype that people can be in control of their ED and that they do it for attention. This was subtle, but when Eli runs away from the treatment center her reasoning is ‘I’m about to get the tube and Dr. William doesn’t even care.’ This statement paired with the earlier scene she has with the doctor makes it seem like she’s pushing herself to this limit because she wants a response from someone else, when truthfully it’s probably that she is spiraling and can’t find a way to stop.

Issue #2) The romance. Luke is a great character. I love Luke. Everyone loves Luke. Even our girl loves Luke, because this seems to be Luke’s sole purpose in this film. He’s great, he truly is. He’s on the tail-end of his inpatient treatment; he’s hopeful, he’s optimistic, he tries to help and encourage the other women (which is actually a big no-no, you don’t want to take care of other patients, that’s not your job). He’s big hearted and big toothed and he’s a delight to watch. The problem is that he is in love with Eli and that is where the film focuses. The other issue with the romance, and Luke’s characterization, is that it makes it look like Luke is almost all better. That once he hits ‘a BMI that matches my age’ tweedly-dee he’s free to go and that’s that. One of the hardest parts of recovery is not the inpatient, it’s not the treatment facilities, it’s what happens after. Luke’s fears are only briefly talked about, his struggle only hinted at, and when he has some semblance of a character arc his response is ‘you’re my next thing’ (to Eli). While it is outwardly stated that this isn’t a healthy outlook, it is never actually commented on and it is insinuated that the two get together in the end.

#3) OUR ONLY POC IS AN OVERWEIGHT LESBIAN WHO BINGES. It is also a stereotype that black women only have BED (binge eating disorder) which is wholly untrue, and it is also a stereotype that all lesbians are overweight. Another thing, I don’t remember this girl’s name. Why? Because all she is there for is to be the token POC. She sits at the table and eats peanut butter with a spoon, has a talk about her way of purging, and make the comment “wow doc, you tryna make me straight” when Keanu Reeves shows up all disheveled. It feels very much that she is only there so they can say that they have a black lesbian in the film, which is sad because there could have been actual constructive thought on what BED is, what her struggle is, what her life story is. Which brings me to

Issue #4) There are only three characters in this movie. Eli, Dr. William (aka Keanu Reeves) and Luke. Everyone else feels like a shadow or a caricature of a person - or characters that started to get developed and were never finished. Pearl is the girl who is obsessed with My Little Pony and ‘has to get the tube’ (by the way, we never see her actually eat). Megan is a pregnant woman in treatment who loses the baby (a story arc that is unfinished in my personal opinion; she simply disappears after the fact). There is the girl who binges and hides her puke in a bag under the bed (and how does no one notice this? Really?) And there’s another girl who is little side kick to our POC who is only there to talk about how she liked to puke up ice cream and make angry eyes at Eli. Eli’s family is a portrait of dysfunction; her dad isn’t present at all, her step mother is a neurotic who always says the wrong thing, and her biological mother is a lesbian who has ‘visions’ and is (whispered of course) bipolar. While there are moments of great dialogue and some of the family responses are spot on, many of the characters were not memorable for me.

Issue #5) The ‘open talk’ about ED tricks and the messages that they send. I’m all for open dialogue; anyone who knows me personally can attest to this, and I do believe that being open and honest about ED should happen in the media where it is represented. That being said, I don’t believe it is worthwhile if we cannot see the consequences of the actions being openly described. It is hinted that Megan loses her baby because of purging, but it is never actually discussed. The topic of binging and using laxatives is brought up in great detail, but never mentioned again. At the very beginning Dr. William comments on the fuzz growing on Eli’s arms, but other symptoms are never mentioned. (Speaking of, one of the nurses says ‘we know all the tricks’ and yet everyone seems to get away with them; what message does that send?) Weight is openly shared but never openly talked about between nurse and patient (when I was in treatment if we had a bad ‘weigh day’ we had to process it right then). Perhaps the worst offender is Dr. William’s statement that Eli needed to ‘hit bottom’ in order to get better. While this is, in a way, true - we have to reach a point where we want to get better and that generally requires hitting a bottom of some sort (mine was me losing my best friend and a heart attack at 21) - he callously states: ‘we don’t like to see them get to bottom because it’s too ugly, but for Eli it’s tantamount’ - specifically referring to her size and health. Eli is lucky that she manages to hike the Arizona mountains and have an out of body experience. She is lucky that she survives, that she makes it home, that she never actually collapses or gets decommissioned. Eli is a lucky, lucky girl - lucky that her recovery comes to her in the form of

Issue #6) Seeing her teeny tiny body on the ground. “Oh my god,” she says through tears, “is that me?” And then she’s on her way to being all better, like it’s that easy, like she hasn’t spent the entire film so deep in body dysmorphia. I am three years into recovery, am in the final fucking stretch, and I still cannot see myself clearly. I still can’t look at old pictures of myself and see that I was too thin. This is something I continue to struggle with every day, and will continue to struggle with until I am recovered. And even when I am fully recovered, there will be some days - like we all have - where I won’t see myself. That is when (as Keanu Reeves so eloquently states) I need to shout ‘FUCK OFF VOICE.’

As I stated above, To The Bone is one of the best ED representations we have; despite my complaints I do think people should watch it. Marti Nixon wrote the screenplay as one who is recovered, and that is clear through the accurate depictions of ED symptoms and so called ‘tricks of the trade.’ It is also clear in her characterization of Dr. William. However, there are many areas where this film falls short. I wish that Eli was not played by naturally thin, beautiful Lily Collins - it is easy to want to look like her even when she is sickly. I wish the girl still struggling with puking in a paper bag wasn’t so healthy looking - or that there was at least a discussion about how you can look healthy and still be very ill. I wish there was even more conversation when the doors were open for it to happen. This film has garnered a lot of talk, and there have been mixed reactions from those who have had eating disorders; I happen to fall on the ‘I got issues with it’ spectrum. I know that everyone’s illness is different and everyone’s recovery is different, but those moments that are universal need to be shared with honesty, care, and grace.

At least one takeaway from this film is that Susan is a great example of all the things to not say to a person with an eating disorder.

Seen the movie? Have thoughts? Please share your comments! I would love to hear them.

[an-actual-real-live-eevee]

overlywhirly replied to your post “why do people still think signing a petition is gonna boycott a movie...”

https://youtu.be/Fnij3MHfl6k

friend

buddy

pal

chum

I am already of the opinion that your video here is disrespectful to the mentally ill as it uses ‘triggering’ in a sarcastic manner and triggers are a legitimate thing and should not be joked about or taken lightly, signed, a person with PTSD....but that’s a discussion for another time. just know that I already have an extremely low opinion of your video. it’s not coming from a place of caring about the mentally ill or understanding the stigma around our disorders, and therefore, it really can’t make any valid points.

but that doesn’t mean I won’t do my best to rip the “points” apart anyway, so here we fuckin’ go!

two-face? first happened in 1942. there was so little understanding for the disorder then, first off. there wasn’t even a community to rally against bad portrayals of it. on top of that, I wasn’t alive. I’m twenty. you, uh, see the problem there, right?

in addition....do you have any idea how hard it is to change media that already exists? do you realize how difficult it is to try and get people to retcon shit that’s been canon in a media world for any period of time that is over a month? the reason we’re rallying against Split is because it’s brand-new and it’s barely out. there’s still time with this one. on top of that, it’s been incredibly hyped, and it’s in a popular genre--horror films. something like Criminal Minds? not quite as big a following as a horror film. so not only does it make more sense to oppose a new thing than all the old shit that’s existed for ages and would be much harder to even try and get rid of or point out as a problem, it’s also a much more hyped thing than past media portraying DID as scary and bad.

why don’t I talk about films demonizing things like bipolar? simple: I don’t have bipolar, and therefore, I know nothing about the stigma around it....so I’m not equipped to speak on it, just like the person in your video isn’t equipped to speak on this subject here!

“does the fact that the antagonists are scary or mean or evil make it okay?” wow, somehow both you and this guy managed to completely miss the point of everything we’ve been saying! no. that’s exactly the fucking problem: the antagonists have our disorder and they are scary and mean and evil. that’s the issue we’re talking about here, that’s the problem, please try to keep up. (also, Psycho came out in 1960, I was again not alive and there still wasn’t much of a DID community....are you getting the problems here yet?)

and yeah, sure, there’s shit that hits way closer to the mark in terms of general mental illness....but nothing that hits anywhere near the mark for DID. funny thing I can’t help noticing here? this dude in this video keeps using ‘DID’ and ‘mental illness’ like they’re interchangeable. news flash, buddy: they’re not. and this is an issue specific to DID, that affects only people with DID, not the general ‘mental illness’ community.

“people need to be victimized.” ....you know, I’m suddenly getting the feeling this is one of those guys who doesn’t think sexism is still a thing.

no, people don’t “need” to be victimized. sure, there are probably people who enjoy feeling that way, but they’re not the majority and don’t try to pretend that they are. “people need to feel victimized” is an extremely typical response to actual fucking problems like racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, and so on. and dismissal of actual problems is what leads to shit like Trump’s presidency! but you keep on toting that “people are making shit up because they want to feel victimized!” flag if it helps you sleep better at night for being so self-centered.

oh wow, we managed to hit on something I actually think is a problem! people fabricating mental illnesses while I, a person with the actual disorder, wonder why anyone would ever want it for themselves. yes, there are lots of people who fake DID or similar on Tumblr, and no, I don’t really get why they would; DID sucks ass, if I’m being honest. it’s just too bad that you and this fellow here can’t put two and two together to realize “people with the actual disorder are upset over people faking it inaccurately and causing problems for those with the actual disorder who need to be taken seriously” is also applicable to “horror movie blows disorder out of proportion, calls it the by the disorder’s name, and uses it as a cheap horror scare while making people with the disorder seem dangerous.”

almost every antagonist in a horror film suffers from some kind of mental condition, you claim? mmm...maybe. I’m sure, if we looked at every antagonist ever in a horror film, we could probably diagnose the undiagnosed ones with some form of a psychiatric problem, based on what was close to what the antagonist seemed to display. 

however! 

this movie, Split? it’s a DID-based movie. it uses the disorder’s goddamn name. it talks about multiple personalities. it makes it VERY fucking clear that this is DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER and nothing else. I can think of, off the top of my head, three horror films I really liked that didn’t label a mental illness for the antagonist to have the way Split does. that right there’s a big part of the problem. in addition, Split’s gone after a very distinctive mental illness--even if they hadn’t labeled it, it would be very clear what they were talking about. also a problem! on top of that....no, this claim is absolutely false; not every antagonist in a horror film is given a mental illness the way Split has given one to their antagonist. I can think of two off the top of my head that I’ve seen and enjoyed that didn’t use mental illness for horror factor at all. I can think of a third that used an extreme version of an existing autoimmune disorder as part of the horror factor. so no, this claim is very false. but even then--you’re not wrong. mental illness is often used as a scare factor in horror films. especially the “scary and dangerous” ones, like psychosis. it may shock you to find I also have a problem with that! but surprisingly, I have a limited amount of energy to devote to online stuff and opposing things, and so I’m trying to take this whole ‘trying to get better portrayals of the mentally ill’ thing one fight at a time. Split caught my eye because it’s been so hyped, and I went from there.

and hey, guess what? part of the whole fucking problem here is that Split is super inaccurately representing DID....in exactly the same way it’s been misrepresented many times before: as a scary disorder that makes you a murderer. like....again, this is part of the problem. (really starting to wonder if you read any of my posts at all, dude.)

why no outcry against the PTSD portrayal of the pink stuffed bear in Toy Story 3? I can posit three guesses: one, it’s a movie targeted for kids, who are rarely in a position to recognize or speak out against PTSD and portrayals of mental illness. kinda an obvious fact there, I’d think? anyway. two, PTSD absolutely can make someone overreactive, easily upset, easily triggered, and sometimes downright cruel or dangerous. that’s not an incorrect portrayal on the whole, and so I wouldn’t actually be upset by it. three, there are decently positive portrayals of PTSD in existence--something DID doesn’t have. PTSD affects many people and is relatively well known about and talked about and not horribly demonized as “having this makes you scary and terrifying”. which isn’t to say it’s totally accepted, but it’s doing better than DID! DID, on the other hand, partly because of its media history and partly because of how few people it affects, is rarely discussed, often demonized, and sometimes even viewed as fake....all of which makes it very hard for actual sufferers of DID LIKE ME to talk about their disorder, discuss it with anyone, be open about it with friends, family, or even therapists--which are PROBLEMS. problems that movies like Split definitely contribute to, but movies like Toy Story 3 really don’t, for aforementioned reasons.

oh boy, here we go with twisting the facts and ignoring the actual truth of how PTSD is handled in most media versus how DID is handled in most media! no, idiot, Toy Story 3 is not teaching kids to ‘fear people with PTSD’. for one thing, by the time a kid learns what PTSD actually is and puts it together that the bear has it, they’ll probably have seen a positive portrayal of it, or they’ll know someone who has it, or at worst, they will have it, and they’ll have to accept it and learn that people with PTSD aren’t scary. on the other hand, DID doesn’t get positive media, people rarely know someone who has it, and it’s even rarer that someone will have it themselves. in addition, this is media directed at adults, who will be able to process that Split is about a real disorder since they NAME IT IN THE MOVIE (the disorder of the bear in Toy Story 3 is UNNAMED), and will already know about mental illness and mental disorders, and will probably take away that DID is a scary disorder at the bottom line.

re: isn’t it teaching kids that if they had a traumatic experience, they’ll probably become evil? ahahahaha. wow. it’s almost like that’s not a rhetoric tossed out to abuse survivors with PTSD all the time, that they’ll grow up to replicate their abuse....OH WAIT IT IS WOW WHAT A COINCIDENCE

.....I don’t think my DID makes me a better type of person, lmao, so I’m not sure where we got THAT from

anyway....in conclusion, I think you and this guy are both idiots who didn’t do their research, and I think you didn’t read my posts at all, and I hope you’ve appreciated this picking apart of this dumbass video! assuming you’re still with me, that is, which I assume you’re not--people like you tend to be giant narcissists who don’t care about others and just want to enjoy things without those damn whiny babies it’s harming speaking up.

[chilldeanne]

2017.5 | skam 

I thought I would start making a note of my favorite shows/films/music of the year because I always forget my favorites by the time December rolls around. 

We’re only a couple weeks into the new year but I am fully obsessed with Skam. It’s a Norwegian show about young adults who are dealing with love, friendship, family, etc. It sounds unoriginal but it’s unique in that it’s real, and not ‘real’ in a “Girls” kind of way. Not in a way that slaps you in the face because it’s trying to be real. It just feels like a genuine representation of the trials and tribulations that a young person goes through. 

I only watched the third season which had a queer main character and discussed mental illness, coming out, internalized homophobia, bipolar disorder, pansexuality and other very important topics that are mistreated or misrepresented in media. It respected all of these issues and had characters that were supportive and understanding, but also confusing and challenging. The conflicts made sense, they weren’t overblown or dramatic. The interactions between the characters felt like they were pulled out of my own life. Everything worked. The acting, the writing, the storytelling and how it’s shot. It all works perfectly. 

I feel like shows that choose to include representation of mental illness or queerness often come off like they are trying to make a statement. They have ‘the bullying episode’ and the ‘suicide attempt’ episode or ‘the coming out episode’. But, Skam feels different. It feels real. Mental illness and queerness affect everything in my life all the time. It’s not something that just pops in to make a statement and then leaves. Everything the characters do, all of their interactions, are informed by these traits of their personality or these identities. It’s so well done and well thought out. I have never felt more understood by a tv show in my entire life.

I highly recommend at least watching the third season of Skam. It’s structured so that every season has a different main character so it’s not a huge deal, I don’t think, to start at season 3. I can not tell you how much I adore this show. Now, I go back and watch Seasons and 1 and 2. Fun fun fun.

[animelgbtq-blog]

LGBT Anime Done Right

Anime is a medium that has the potential to tackle some really important issues. Many of them can consist of suicide, domestic abuse, and corruption. One of these issues that is commonly addressed but not accurately represented is the topic of LGBT. The most common representation of LGBT in the anime and manga medium is through yaoi and yuri. However, there have been cases when anime has tackled these issues more seriously and it is here when anime can really shine. These cases are what I’d like to call LBGT anime done right.

No.6 is an anime about a dystopian society where the privileged humans shelter themselves from the dangers of the world in walled cities. Within these walls, people live without worries. The main two characters consist of Shion, one of the privileged, and Nezumi, one of the people that live outside the walls, a fugitive. Shion meets Nezumi one day when he finds the latter extremely injured and treats his wounds. After that, their relationship develops as they discover the truth of the city called No.6.

The reason why this series works is because the romance is a subplot. Though their relationship is important and develop in the duration of the anime, the main concern is survival. There is little time to sexualize their actions and they are still relatively young when their relationship develops. They also start as friends rather than the immediate jump to a romantic relationship often shown in many yaoi relationships. Because of the dangerous environment, both characters focus on protecting one another rather than the sexual aspects of a relationship. Although it is not the most accurate representation of gay relationships, it is a great step forward.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, or Rakugo Shinju for short, is not about LGBT. In fact, there is no gay characters in this series. However, it shows how exploring sexuality is important in success. Rakugo is the art of storytelling that involves a storyteller sitting upright on stage with only a piece of cloth and a fan as props. Rakugo Shinju’s first season follows Yakumo’s life as a rakugo performer from his childhood until his death. During a time period of his life, he experienced a slump and was unable to grow as a performer. His solution to this problem was to live as a woman as a period of time. During this time, he learns how to embrace his more feminine traits and to use them in his craft. This shows the audience that gender is not bipolar and that people should accept both femininity and masculinity.

Now you might be wondering, are there animes where LGBT relationships are the main focus of the story? There are plenty of anime that focus on the growing relationship between two people of the same gender.

Doukyusei, Classmate in Japanese (top) and Sweet Blue Flowers (bottom), have many things in common. Both animes involve two high school students realizing their feelings for one another after engaging in a friendly relationship. In Doukyusei, the two students, Hikaru and Rihito, are two completely different students. One has the book smarts and scores high on exams while the other is a mediocre student that has a passion for music. When their class needs to perform a chorus, the two begin talking and teaching each other about music, trying to harmonize with one another. It is at this point when their relationship starts to develop.

In Sweet Blue Flowers, two childhood friends meet once again in during their time in high school. Both go to separate all-girls high schools but frequently connect with each other as they encounter romantic problems. As their relationship develops, they both begin to question their sexuality and possibly love for each other.

One thing that both these series do right is the pace. Despite Doukyusei being a one-hour movie and Sweet Blue Flowers being a 11-episode TV series, both series are slow and take their time to develop the time that the two main characters spend with each other. Although both series have their clichés, both relationship value equality between the two characters. In many yaoi series, in particular, there is generally a uke (bottom) and a seme (top) which define a more feminine character and a more masculine character. Both series ignore this trope as all the characters are a bit awkward in their own right. There is no objectification of characters and can represent how one discovers their sexuality. Sweet Blue Flowers also explores bisexuality in a realistic manner as one of the main characters question both her love for men and women.

One of the more misinterpreted representation of a gender are transgender people. In most anime, they are presented as more of a drag queen or an okama, a Japanese slang term for gay cross dressers or transwoman. Not only are many of them usually misrepresented, they are also a small minority group in anime. However, “Wandering Son” takes transgender people and put them at the forefront of the transgender issues. This series explore gender identity as two children grow up with personalities that conflict with their biological gender. Not only does this take place in school, where many adolescences feel judged, it is during the age of puberty.

This is one of the first anime to take a serious route in lives of transgender people and the LGBT issues. One key part is related to surveillance and how many LGBT people are constantly attacked by people who aren’t attacking. Constant surveillance, unstable friendships, and body changes are all problems the main two leads have to deal with as they go through school and discover their gender identity.

Though anime generally has a questionable image to most people inside and outside of Japan, it can touch upon very serious issues that deal with today’s society and acceptance. Amongst the myriad of anime, few series are able to really take on the subject of gender identity seriously. However, there are works that can approach gender seriously and question one’s gender identity and sexuality. These series usually fall under people’s radar because it is lost as it falls under the umbrella term of LGBT which is generally associated with yaoi or yuri in anime. That is why there should be more series that tackle this topic and take gender in a more realistic approach. By doing so, the genre of yaoi and yuri can be separated from LGBT in order to accurately represent the struggles of those in the LGBT community.

I would like to thank Gabriel Adam Clarke for his panel at Anime Boston 2017 which proved to be very informative. Many of these recommendation came from attending his panel.

-Richard Chen