#blambleclaw

[disturbing-woods]

the kid!!! little sneak peek for the Eat Your Young MAP

> Support me on Ko-fi ! ☀️

>Design by GiingerSnaps!

[owenboketto]

Bramblekit - Bramblepaw - Brambleclaw - Blamblestar - Blambleclaw

[wordpress-blaze-63194361]

When Drag Queens Were King

With the conflicts about LGBTQIA+, it is fascinating to look back at the history of gays in American history. Once, not only accepted but widely celebrated, drag was a prominent face in the entertainment industry.

During the Shakespearean period, in the late 16th century and early 17th century, women were not permitted to perform on the stage. Men played the female roles. While this wasn’t exactly “drag”, it’s possible gay men took advantage of the opportunity to express their feminine sides.

Originally, drag was not only applied to men performing while dressed as women but, any performer dressed in costumes other than their own gender. In fact, the first recorded drag contest and “ball” in America took place in 1867! Men and women performed in Harlem, New York. There were drag queens and drag kings. Notable during the 1880’s and 1890’s was William Dorsey Swann. Known as the Queen of Drag, Dorsey was more than just a drag queen. An African American, born into slavery, was known for holding secret drag balls. The “Queen of Drag”, Swann, is believed to be the first person in the United States to lead a gay resistance. He held secret drag balls in Washington, DC. One part of the drag balls included a competition known as a “cakewalk”, originally held on plantations by slaves. Couples would dance in precise steps and formation. It is believed to have been a way to subtly make fun of the formal white dances pre and post emancipation. As dance contests, the winners were awarded with cakes!

The Jazz Age (from 1920 - early 1930’s) in large cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco saw the popularity of drag performers rise. Minstrel shows, vaudeville, and burlesque provided drag entertainment. Unlike many drag performers, Jean (Gene) Malin was not trying to impersonate a woman. During Prohibition, the days of the “pansy craze”, Malin was openly gay and proud of it. Described as flamboyant and effeminate, he entertained audiences with a wonderful sense of humor. At six feet tall and two hundred pounds, Malin had a lisp that delighted his fans. He was capable of defending himself when needed. He performed in high end nightclubs and was featured in films and on Broadway.

In 1920 Drag Balls and contests were so popular they were even represented in film. Men were referred to as “pansies” or “sissies” and were often portrayed as clothing designers or tailors, hairdressers, or choreographers and dancers. Flamboyant and effeminate, they added humor to films. Women were portrayed as more masculine and dressed in male fashions.

There were actors and actresses who were known to be homosexual, if not to the general public, usually within their professional circles. In 1930’s, Marlene Dietrich, who made no secret of her bisexuality, had the first passionate same sex kiss in a film. However, that wasn’t the first same sex kiss in film. In 1922, Cecil B. DeMille directed a silent movie l, “Manslaughter”, that included an orgy. Although the first same sex kiss has been attributed to the later film, “Wings” in 1927, it was the earlier silent movie that broke the mold.

Drag has once again become popular in America with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race. On the other hand, the country is in turmoil. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) community is already beginning to feel the change in the air, from the White House to every house, apartment, mobile home, hotel, or tent. The president has already signed several executive orders that will negatively impact LGBTQIA+ communities across the country. We can’t allow America to return to days of the Hays Code. We’ve too far to allow it to slip away.

Source: When Drag Queens Were King

[julicati]

I find it so hilarious how in like 3 books it's mentioned that Brambleclaw looks EXACTLY like his dad.

It's also so funny to me that Squirrelflight looks EXTREMELY similar to Firestar.

Imagine being firestar and you look at squirrelflight and branbleclaw arguing and it literally looks just like if Firestar and Tigerclaw were arguing.

Like seeing the interactions between Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight must seem so weird to firestar cause the kids look exatly like their parents.

Honestly I dunno how it didn't weird Firestar out.

AND IN THE NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS

blambleclaw literally looks so similar it's crazy. So imagine Blrambleclaw doing something wrong and Firestar is like I dunno lectuaring him, but firestar is also weirded out by the fact that he looks like if tigerstar was nice and felt bad and thinking of that dynamic makes me just wanna laugh. I know that isn't like canon but the fact that brambleclaw looks exatly like tigerstar is so angsty thats true, but like.

The amount of funny scenes that could make is hilarious to me.

[troutfur]

I find the idea of leadership in WC clans working on succession by tanistry to be a really interesting possibility. It could work not only to better justify the amount of nepotism going on but also I think making the clans more explicitly based off celtic clans could help them shave off some of the vaguely Native American-appropriating vibes they carry due to careless worldbuilding and thoughtless use of terminology like "medicine cat".

For the uninitiated, succession by tanistry works thusly: at the ascension of a new chieftain/king, the clan elects their successor, called a tanist. A tanist must be an adult descendant of the previous ruler. Thus, so long as they're of age, the current chieftain/king's siblings, children, niblings, grandchildren, grandniblings, and so on are elligible to inherit.

I'm not working out a full family tree just yet, but pondering how this might apply to ThunderClan as we see it in Into the Wild alone brings up interesting possibilities. For instance:

What are Redtail, Lionheart, and Tigerclaw's relationships to Bluestar? To each other? Presumably, they would've been close family so what does this say about Tigerclaw's ruthlessness in seeking to be elected as tanist/deputy?

Does Fireheart's ascent to deputyship thus imply he was adopted by Bluestar? Did she do it because of the prophecy? Did she think it meant he was supposed to be leader one day? How does this tie to the Clans' views on adoption?

And bringing it a little forward:

Would Brambleclaw, on account that the last leader was Bluestar, still be descended from the last leader and therefore elligible for deputyship? Or would he be too far removed from the direct line to be considered? Could Firestar have adopted him in turn? Or did he end up turning to the DF in frustration at the fact he won't ever be allowed to bring his ambitions to fruition? Was Tigerstar's pitch perhaps "If that kittypet hadn't meddled, I'd be leader right now and you could be deputy"?

Is the Clan perhaps expecting Squirrelpaw be perhaps considered a good candidate for deputy/tanist once she comes of age? Would she fell pressured to grow up into a good candidate? How does she feel about this whole system?

Overall, very interesting stuff. The wheels are turning on my head but I've got more questions than answers at this stage.

[purpuddle]

100 WARRIOR CATS CHALLENGE

#38 BRAMBLESTAR