#but i just think we should be encouraging more ppl to just make stuff that isnt great cause itll still have value. quality ≠ merit

[yaniasogames]

okay i do agree the ai panic is overblown and dumb (what the tags say) and that not all creation of ai art is negative + if u wanna just do ai art for fun then go for it as long as you dont upload it and avoid saying its ai. but if u seriously wanna do art i dont really see why you wouldn’t want to yknow let yourself actually enjoy the process to some extent

[bendyartistic]

Be Aware of alexbstudios. (Part 2) TW: uh.. slur, sui mention.

Recently I've been requested by some people to make another awareness post about Alex, and what has been going on since I made my last callout. So.. let's take a look. I'm gonna be honest I have been paying little to no attention to him at all since my post up until this point, didn't think I'd have to.

Ever since I made it, Alex has been talking about me a lot more, and it feels much more obsessive in a way. I think it's funny but also pretty weird considering some of the things he's said about me. Eugh.

Anyways let's get to the stuff from after my callout to the present. This is just a rundown of everything, and there is some stuff I skipped since I didn't feel it was worth mentioning. Once my post had been made, a lot of people went over and said stuff to him (Though I didn't encourage that behavior, I only wanted to make my post so people knew about him, I'm not covering those unless it's important in this.) Little afterwards he made this... post. Erh, are you stalking me and other people?? ALSO don't say the r slur man, like what.

I find it really creepy that he has this list, and has notes along with them about why/who they are. Also why'd he spell my partners name like that? 💀 Next a little after that he reblogged someone's art and introduction saying this. (I don't want to really @ people in this, nor get anyone involved unless they asked to be.)

I still don't understand how Alex views me, but saying this in a reblog no less is so strange. Reblogging another post, saying this with it...

You're right Alex, I didn't need you in my life, yet here we are. Unfortunately. Besides that, no, 12 year old's should NOT be on Tumblr at all, even with restrictions, said restriction should be having the app blocked from their device.

I'm just gonna.. move on from that. Alex reblogged an art post, where he proceeded to @ over 50 people, myself included, saying "surely you can see the problem". I can't fit the entire thing sadly. I don't get what the point in these posts are honestly, besides annoy everyone. He's done it before as well. He got into a small bit of beef with a handful of folk not too long ago, which I got @'ed in at some point I think, didn't really pay much attention to it. Basically the original post is someone talking about art supplies and asking what one's other people use, which I personally think was a very neat post. Alex comes around though for some reason going off on nonsense. Hello? Who invited you!? (Again, censoring names cuz I don't want to get ppl involved.)

I'm honestly kind of wondering why he even showed up. He pretty soon after made this dumb post as if it could have some effect on the situation.. uh?

I guess mark your calendars guys for this date, where we have to immediately forget everything and forgive him! /j And there's this response he gave to an anon responding to his ✨patience✨ post.

Dunno, so far it hasn't because he's still talking about it, so clearly he hasn't gotten over it enough to let it blow over.

He's giving me those like.. stupid sigma edit vibes sometimes. Y'know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Also I'm not sure what to say about this really, but it's pretty funny.

Context for this next one: You and the person on your lockscreen fight god..? That's a weird one.

Wdym racist though? 🤨 Genuinely kinda curious about that. Btw wouldn't that make you like.. 9?? On a different note, I saw him previously talk about this "friend" he has going to a mental hospital, but I know nothing about it, nor do I really want to, however reblogging on an art post saying this feels off. Think the emotes are what do it.

Don't joke about mental hospitals at all, I shouldn't have to explain why. I'm going to move on from all the short stuff now because I do wanna start talking instead of making short joking comments.

Alex made this post, and so it begins with him talking about me again, eh?

Alex, you're already doomed. I can't put it any other way but from what I've seen maybe only 1 or 2 people even like you. The rest either hate you or want to avoid you at all cost, and I don't blame them at all considering you act like a fool and make everyone uncomfortable.

For my thoughts on you? I don't like you, never did. I just have to put up with you because this is the internet, and you'll probably never truly leave me alone like I once hoped. It's a shame honestly that you cannot follow a simple request from anyone. Don't think I don't know about your planned "response post" you're making, I'm still waiting for it. I don't know what good it's gonna do you though. Personally I don't care if you make one, I'd just read it to see the stuff you make up in it lol. (Edit: He decided to stop working on it after seeing this post lol.)

Enough of my rambling, I should continue with this so I can stop talking about him sooner. Regrettably I had to actually look up what this was about, I felt.. iffy reading it.

Saying gyatt right afterwards wasn't funny. At all. I'm quite upset now. There was absolutely no reason for that.

I was gonna be reasonable and say something genuine but I don't feel like it anymore, this ruined my mood. All I have to say is as much as I dislike you, don't actually do that. Sadly moving to the next nonsensical thing, he made a poll post asking this. (It's still ongoing btw)

Are people like.. forced into giving a reason? Like if I for example chose Bendy, am I immediately supposed to state my reasons? What if I don't want to, are we being held at gunpoint? What's up with that? I'm too lazy to interact with the post, I don't really feel like it anyways even if I wasn't lazy. Which one would you choose though lol I'm going to be serious now again cause this last thing is really just.. what the fuck. Palestine related 🍉, someone asking for help came to Alex, and this was his response to it...

MY GOD Alex. Did you really have to respond to that in this immature, insensitive fucking manner? Could it have not been in one of your stupid rambling posts. It should've been. I'm sorry to the person and I'm sorry I had to read it. You're pretty sick honestly. You need help.

That's it. I'm done.

In conclusion:

Alex is still the same and is still never going to change probably. He still shouldn't be here and I believe he really should get off now more than ever. If not I fear what else he might do next.

All I can really tell you folks is please, DNI with Alex, just leave him alone and block him. You're again not obligated to, but I am suggesting it if you want to be left alone by him. And hey, maybe you'll make it onto his dumb creepy list too, who knows. Alright, I'm finished, I stayed up way too late for this... I'm tired. Cya.

Reblogs are much appreciated, it helps spread the word, thanks.

[almightygremlinblob]

I LOVED UR SUKUNA HEADCANONS. I know you said he falls hard and takes time to accept his own feelings BUT do you think he would court the person he's interested in? like heian era style and all? I also think it's very nice you added the part where he writes poetry and that he'd use his skills to gift things to someone he loves. I think a lot of people forget he's also a poetry lover and poet himself.

Haha, I'm not taking 50 million years to answer an ask this time yeeey - AHEM.

AAA I'm so happy you liked them dude (gender!neutral).

Ok! Romantic Sukuna x Reader talk. So for those that don't wanna see this, just scroll past and have a lovely day/night/noon! 🫶🏽

Oh, ABSOLUTELY he'd court the person he likes! Although, when he'd court you, I feel like it would be with gestures or things that are small and actually MEANINGFUL to you - something that shows you he CARES and how much more beautiful you make his world. Oh, like, you know...things he doesn't realize can be considered courting cuz DENIAL 😀👍🏽

(At least it can be seen like that for someone with his status as a feared god, anyways.)

Like cooking for both you and him (and my LORD is his cooking GODLY tho - right up there with Uraume) more often, encouraging you when you're feeling down/upset (but in a cold and stern way that's, ehh...not very comforting tbh), making off hand compliments, letting you touch him in nonsexual ways, getting protective around you with other ppl, gifts that remind him of you AND are valuable to you, and other things like that.

If you're lucky enough to come across his sketchbook or his journal of failed poetry - you'll find half finished sketches and paintings of you, and unfinished poems about you there; comparing you to things like the refreshing sight of spring after winter, the warmth of gentle sunlight at dawn, the comfort of a well cooked meal. All of them unfinished because he failed to capture how he sees you, or how you make him feel. MANS IS WHIPPED. Don't test your luck going thru his stuff tho, homie (gender!neutral).

Ugh I could go ONNNN about this - maybe I should write a fic instead????

...

.....

.......

CARRYING YOU WHEN YOU'RE TIRED ASKFDKLSK- 😩😩😩😩😩

Ok that part is super OOC - even for a Sukuna x Reader but, ya know, we can dream LMAO.

[velvetvexations]

I'm not saying the real thing doesn't happen, maybe it does often — and I just haven't seen it much because most irl trans spaces I've been to were over mostly trans fems and they usually asked us about trans masc stuff when they didn't know — but I feel like there's a possible other side to the issue of "afab trans people using their agab against trans fems" which is that online at least trans masc experiences are way too often just assumed. Both cis and trans people who don't want to listen to us love to talk about which issues we do and do not face, how we did and did not grow up and how it did or did not affect us.

So that's how you get TERFs assuming that we must have been raised to believe that girls can't do things boys can and that's why we think we aren't girls and some trans people assuming the opposite, that we got to wear and do whatever we wanted and never had to experience misogyny because our masculinity was seen as superior and encouraged.

But if you make assumptions, you will upset people whose experiences you're misrepresenting and you may get pushback from said upset people.

I think we all know how hard it is to put the transmasc experience into words in a way that doesn't imply that female/male socialization is a real and universal, so I can imagine why someone who's upset might say some things in a way that could make trans fems feel attafked and invalidated in their femininity.

There are trans mascs who weren't allowed to do or wear anything masculine whatsoever as children, there are afab trans people who were beaten for wanting to do things boys do and forced to marry and have children young, there is still systemic misogyny that affect all trans people who happen to have been born with a uterus and vagina, girls and "girls" are still more likely to be paid less for the same work and less like to be encouraged to be good at sports or math, more likely to be murdered by romantic partners etc.

I can't blame random normie trans people just living their life for not knowing how to explain all of this in a way that couldn't possibly be interpreted as radfem rethoric implying "trans fems aren't oppressed/don't know what it's truly like to be born a girl" for example in an emotionally charged situation where maybe someone told them to shut up because they don't know what it's like to experience misogyny.

The solution imo is to keep working on developing trans theory to make it more inclusive so that we can find ways to express those ideas and spread awareness in less confrontantial ways. So much time & effort is spent just pushing back against transphobia, which don't get me wrong is important but I hope we get to a point where we (trans masc & other gender diverse ppl) can just talk about our experiences and have people listen and vice versa we would enjoy reading transfeminist theory a lot more if we could expect it to be inclusive or at least not to be making up falsehoods or generalizations about our lived experiences.

But I can see why disciplining people with an overtly transphobic 4chan insult is much much easier & satisfying for people who refuse to acknowledge their shortcomings.

Honestly, I love you, and I love this analysis, but I think you're being too kind. I think at some point some people have to just...be better. I know I say a lot I think a lot of transradfems are just genuinely awful people - certainly I refuse to be swayed the ones at the top are anything else, to say nothing of the explicit tankies - but even if someone has sympathetic reasons for their transandrophobia and exorsexism, it's like, okay, yeah, we should keep trying to do better at outreach, but at the same time it's absolutely on them to stop coping with trauma by hurting people and ignoring that that is in fact what they're doing. It's not on transmasculine and non-binary people to be their therapists.

And the lengths I've seen people go to, like this very ask, to try and be as patient as possible yet still get met with immediate dismissal and readings that sound like Christian moms explaining how the names of Pokemon are Satanic codewords just boggles the mind.

Like, if I were to say "I disagree" it isn't that I think people should stop trying to be nice, I do think we should be doing what you're saying we should be doing, but at the same time it's their responsibility and can only be forgiven up to a point. No matter what they may have gone through or still go through, they have a responsibility to their fellow human beings let alone trans people to be better.

I'm for sure also not trying to say you're implying otherwise, I don't believe you were saying we should totally let them off the hook and coddle them until they stop being bigoted, but I just feel very strongly about stressing that they have to fix their hearts.

But that's also why Velvet Nation is composed of so many better activists than me. At most what I can do is bite someone's head off and maybe make some people feel like they have a supporter that's passionate enough to get that angry on their behalf. I'm not nearly as constructive as yall and that's more important than me and my woe unto the wicked thing.

[mazzystar24]

Hi, a 'BT' here! (Although I also happily ship buddie too because multishipping is so valid!) I come in peace and just looking for some discourse if that's okay? I saw the ask in regard to apparently BTs are saying that all the focus on rg means he's leaving? I haven't seen anyone say that on either side so a strange one huh!

But it was more your comments in terms of pushing for Tommy to replace Eddie as lead when Ravi is right there and I just wanna say I agree! And I have seen many bucktommy shippers including myself pushing for Ravi to be main cast. He absolutely should be and deserves it and is an absolute darling angel and I love what he brings to the whole dynamic!

My biggest hope for Tommy is for his to be recurring much like Karen! Speaking of, there's another character I'd love to be main cast and who I think is ahead of the queue in front of Tommy to be main cast. Heck I'd love if all of them got to be main cast but, as much as I love bucktommy, I definitely can see there's an order to who should be main cast and don't want any 'queue jumping'

One other thing I want to out out there as food for thought, is that on both sides I see a lot of discourse thrown out through anonymous asks of 'oh the bts are saying this' or 'the buddies said this ridiculous thing!' And something I would love both sides to seriously consider is... did they really? Or are there just a few people out there who feed on the chaos that it all brings and will send out anon asks that they know will increase this 'fandom war'and pretend they are kn the other side when doing so just to get a reaction and give ammunition to 'their' side to make it seem like one side is delusional and the other side isn't?

Tldr I just wish we all got along and stopped taking messages intended to stir up hate as gospel.

Peace and love

Glad you agree on the Ravi/ main thing front!

As you know I want tommy out already so no recurring hopes from me sorry 😔💔 ngl at first I was like hmm it can be interesting and I’m not opposed to exploring bt and their potential dynamic and maybe they can redeem him and make him likeable it’d be perfect (like my comparison was if they wrote him like Hannah from bones) but like buddie endgame but as eps went on both he and a section of the fandom became so insufferable to me that I’m like I don’t care about the potential juicy storylines I just want this man off my screen - but it’s totally cool if you like him and ship them it’s just not my cup of tea

For the other part I totally get what you mean and that may be the case like I totally agree that that is possible but I hear like so many things that happen in the bt fandom secondhand cos I’ve got so many of the toxic/annoying ones blocked (my block list is a mile long genuinely) and so many have me blocked too but usually stuff that my anons mention will be talked abt by more people in the fandom (like this is) or like there have been times where if I ask my anons for elaboration links ss etc and they are able to do so

That’s why half the time when I reply it’s more so like “damn didn’t know that if that is the case then xyz” you know? Or if I saw something I’ll mention it and be like oh yeah I saw xyz and this is my opinion on it or answer

Also like I’ve first hand seen things that are like 10x worse or more delusional than the “rg must be leaving and s8 lfj main” thing like no lie some of this stuff makes that seem tame in comparison so it’s like the chances they’ve said this are like HIGH

Genuinely I agree with you on that last point I do wish that this fandom was how it used to be and more peaceful but certain things I follow this kinda mental rule I’ve always had which is that I won’t respect a disrespectful opinion

Like from the very start of the discourse I’ve been very oh let ppl ship what they want and enjoy their fandom space and from the start I’ve encouraged proper tagging to help people do that and like even if you’re fully delusional abt your ship I fully respect that (not saying YOU are but I’m saying like let’s say one side is like yesss they are getting married in s8 and having a baby on the first episode I would genuinely just mentally be like woah that’s a bit delulu but love that for you and move on)

My only issue really has been where people from the bt fandom (not saying they are the only ones who do this but I’m saying personally speaking it’s what I see and what I experience also not saying it’s all the bt fans and I do try to say that as much as possible) being disrespectful whether this be through being racist, being ableist or rude to the buddie fans just to boost their ship

Like I’m so not against hating stuff like seriously idc hate whatever you want rant about it and make twenty posts and make so many jokes but when you’re being disrespectful or when it crosses certain bounds it’s like you’re a piece of shit

Anyways I got carried away but thanks for being so nice and respectful in your ask 🫶

[georgiapeach30513]

He’s def still got it. You should see how many comments on YouTube from randos asking why he’s not in more or Better movies. It’s both sad and encouraging that in any video with him there’s ppl asking for him to do more projects and GP showing disappointment that he’s not doing better stuff. It’s at least promising that people are noticing he is being underused and also ppl are still rooting for him to do better. I really wonder sometimes where it all went wrong. I rarely see a famous person of his level have so little faith or at least, showing faith in themselves. Makes me wonder what goes on BTS and if it’s all him doing it to himself or if others are contributing to the I’ll faith.

Honestly - if only someone would tell him that and also if he would himself listen to it. And also maybe don’t eat soba noodles anymore 😆 - omit it from your diet and you may find immediate improvements and also never go back to them.

I think it shows that people in the GP are interested in good quality projects with him in it. Pain Hustlers wasn’t great, but he was. If picking scripts is his problem…get a better script picker. I volunteer as tribute. Damn, can we get him a decent role?

He’s going to have to possibly take a pay cut though. It happens to all of us. He’s not in Marvel, and I don’t think his name alone deserves top dollar. But a good ensemble cast, a psychological thriller, something different! It’s what we want to see! These are free golden ideas!!

Soba noodles need to be cut out of his diet. They’re too high in sodium and bad for him. I just want him to realize his potential and seize it. And I haven’t changed my viewpoint on him 😌 I’ve remained the same 😉

[orpheuslament]

weird question. how do you feel abt artistic trends and do you think someone should strive to be as unique and un-predictable as possible or do you think its okay to just add to an existing movement that you love? im a (not yet published) trans guy poet and i love the trends im seeing in trans ppl making poetry abt religion, cannibalism, angels, vampires, its all stuff that i find inspiring and when i read other poets’ work of that kind i want to contribute, add my voice to the collective chorus. but i see people already mocking these trends as unoriginal and boring, telling people to put down these themes and make something more original. but… does it have to be that way? it used to be that an artistic movement could last a century, or many. is there anything wrong with seeing something, loving it, and wanting to help make more of it, even if you end up sounding the same as what inspired you in the first place?

this is such a good question & its too late / early for me to answer it the way it deserves. still i will try.

i think its important for any artist to not stick to what they know, to explore, innovate, create out of their comfort zone. if i only wrote about the things i was writing about in the beginning i wouldnt have grown as a writer. pushing boundaries is not only encouraged, but necessary as an artist. that being said, there is nothing wrong with playing with existing themes & ideas. thats how artistic movements are made. its normal & expected for a group of like-minded individuals to write or explore similar topics. its normal & expected for people to feed off each other's work. i was just joking earlier about being called a siken wannabe, & thats because when i started to seriously write poetry i took a lot of inspiration from him. the things i was writing about were similar to the things he was writing about because thats what spoke to me at that moment. we all take after someone, oftentimes a group of people. anyone who says theyre 100% original is lying & a twat. poetry is a rely sport.

[electrifiedgears]

Slightly tired of mental illness and neurodivergency symptoms/traits in media always needing some magical/paranormal/etc reason for occurring instead of ever just being symptoms

It just feels kind of weird that so many movies/shows will encourage the idea that delusions/hallucinations are actually NOT mental illness and actually the worst case scenario IS happening!!! And the character will be like “am I going crazy?!” And other characters will treat them weird about it and it almost seems like accurate representation until “you were cursed by the wizard when you were 2 and now you get visions!!!!” Like cool. That’s interesting. Anyways can somebody get me a character with mental disorder symptoms that don’t occur supernaturally? Thx

Like IDK I don’t wanna sound like a hypocrite actually. Because I have object OCs that have a magic system and esp clocks have a lot of (projected) mental illness/neurodivergency/etc metaphors but. It’s different. Idk how to explain jt. It’s like wreck it Ralph. Or the Lego movie.

Like there is a difference between a characters traits being comparable to mental disorders/disabilities and being compared to or just being them in the media itself. In the Lego movie they don’t like say “EMMET BRICKOWSKI IS THE AUTISM EXPERIENCE!!!! He struggles socially!!!!” But they show him being excluded by all his friends and him just not knowing why he doesn’t seem to fit in or why people view him the way they do. They show him sticking to a structured routine and loving to follow written rules, including written rules on how he should socialize with others!! And that is something I really relate to!! I recently got a job and I struggle a lot with doing my work without a list of what I should do, and my boss keeps telling me to “do what I think is right,” but that is really hard for me to do because I’m used to just doing what other people tell me to 😭 which we could also see Emmet struggles with when others tell him to come up with his own idea.. you guys see.. they didn’t have to say emmet the Lego was autistic for me to be like

“That lego is autistic”

But then you have horror movies. They will make the mental illness the entire point of the movie and make it as horrifying and inaccurate as possible.

And others, even non-horror movies at times, will be like “everybody thinks I’m crazy but now my delusions and hallucinations are real!”

Some will be like “mental illnesses give you super powers!!!!!!!”

Like, most neurodivergent people will find that the characters they relate to most don’t have anything explicitly said or perhaps even implied at all.

It feels like a lot of “representation” of mental illness is made painfully obvious, showing characters in a hospital, or saying shit like “the voices😥” either for horror or as a joke. (Which in tern leads to a lot of ableist jokes in society!! I love hearing my family joking about ppl who get hallucinations whilst I’m secretly in the midst of a psychotic episode!! Sure hasn’t hindered my ability to ask for help at all! It also likely makes a lot of people feel their own symptoms must not be bad enough, because they don’t act as extremely.)

Like. I do think some people show more symptoms externally than others. But when only extreme cases are explicitly shown in media (and frequently explained by some supernatural event)

It’s just weird. And then the most relatable ones don’t mention it at all! It’s almost as if.. most experiences with neurodivergency and stuff.. are casual!

I do think in recent years there have been some media that have been including more casual/better representation of things, buuuut I don’t watch TV enough to give a solid opinion.

Another case I just think is rlly hilarious is when it feels incredibly implied that a character is something (autistic) but they don’t outwardly say it.

Arin from Ninjago dragons rising is SO. autistic. There are SO MANY dialogues where he’s just like “oopsies! I missed a social cue again! 😮” and it’s just. So silly to me. They never say he’s autistic but it’s so funny and obvious that they’re implying that to me. I’d be surprised if they aren’t (esp considering they’ve been getting more inclusive over the years.) Then there’s Jay who also has much much more subtle traits (saying he has sensitive hearing, having a lot of stim-like movements, a very intense interest in Fritz Donnegan movies, etc. ) and Zane who all his traits were explained away by him being a robot.

Idm if ppl agree or disagree with me I’m just rambling. Thinking thoughts.

Casual symbolism and codedness > obvious for sensationalism/interest

[scarlet97531]

⭕️❗️okay I gotta say something because this has wormed itself into my brain and I will not be able to sleep if I don’t talk about it

I think the issues and hate surrounding the radqueer community mostly come from a confusion between “all identities are valid” and “all behaviour (related to valid identities) is valid”

Like for example, the difference between identifying as transharmful(I also have thoughts about this transx format but that’s a different conversation), and wanting to “transition” by harming someone. I, as a killer sans fictive, could be considered transharmful because of my pseudo memories of harming people, and I don’t think it’s bad to see that as a fully valid part of my identity. But obviously the behaviour of harming someone else to try to turn that internal experience into an external one should never be encouraged.

(This is one reason I think the transx format for these labels isn’t great, because the word trans is obviously strongly associated with transgender people which is an issue because physical transition is often necessary for transgender people’s health, whereas physical transition for most trans ids is not a realistic or healthy goal. Of course there is also social transition, but generally when people hear transition they think of physical transition. It would be better to use different terminology that doesn’t have those associations, similarly to how therian and otherkin communities have their own terminology even though their experiences can be similar.)

I think the radqueer community’s trash reputation is probably the result of a lot of trolls pretending to genuinely be radqueer supporting horrible things, misguided people who have genuinely good intentions but the way they approach or present things is bad and/or makes them look really bad, and then people with good intentions and a good approach that don’t get talked about because they are inoffensive and outsiders just want drama.

I think there’s a lot of young and neurodivergent people in both of the more genuine catagories, and that probably contributes to these issues.

Overall I think the radqueer community is a “good idea, bad execution” kind of thing. I think there are ways to do “all good faith identities are valid” right, but between the bad reputation and the many issues within the community itself(again, I think mostly the identities vs identities and behaviours thing), I don’t think the term “radqueer” is really viable anymore and it’s probably best for people with genuine intentions to find similar terms and communities that don’t have those issues.

This is all based on what I’ve seen on Tumblr in like.. the last two months or so (we literally never heard of radqueer before we started using Tumblr more recently) of seeing “radqueers dni” in 90% of ppls intros and having no idea why. So we looked up definitions, tried to look at the actual radqueer community, and arguments for and against a bunch of radqueer related stuff. We are absolutely not an expert on this stuff, this is just the little scraps we’ve finally started piecing together to start to maybe understand some of this. There’s a good chance we’re totally wrong, and we’re open to being corrected on stuff.

I also wanna add another note here though, I think the hate towards radqueers is massively disproportionate. From what I’ve seen the radqueer community is really small, and 90% of the posts I’ve seen related to it are just coining posts for obscure terms. Not exactly something I would think would be worth being so well known and so intensely hated. We all know the internet has weird stuff on it, I don’t know why this particular category of weird is considered so much more important than the others.

Damnit this is way longer than it was supposed to be. I’m just gonna stop here and try to sleep now. I jumped around a lot while writing this so there might be a lot of mistakes and confusing stuff.. yeah I’m just gonna try to sleep though.

[bfwonho]

AITA but i dont wanna use reddit

ok you know what here is the situation. my (only recently) 20 yr old friend (i met them four years ago when we both worked at mcd) lived with their strict, emotionally abusive, overprotective parents until recently. their parents would confiscate tech for yrs at a time, wouldn't let them get vaccinated (i had to help them do that), guilt and shame them, etc. also obviously homophobic and my friend is transfem nb and queer. theyre also the eldest sibling of quite a few and had to handle the pressure of that responsibility and their parents never wanted them to do normal things like getting a car and moving out. i was always there encouraging them even when we stopped working together bc i was like fuck this naive gullible homeschooled kid has no one and they remind me of my younger sibling and im gonna be there for them as much as i can. the only reason they even got a car eventually is cus i kept telling them to so they cld move out

cut back to barely a year ago, they're still so naive and gullible they've lent like 1k+ to ppl who won't pay them back, but they still have like 10-20k in savings and now their own car. they also get into digital art with my help and get into furry porn or whatever. im like ok i guess ur an adult now do what u want. and then theyre like "ive got an online partner from CANADA!!! (we r australian) don't freak out i know it's bad but he's 30." i'm like oh god. they've been together 3 months ish and my friend RLY wants to visit their fuckass boyfriend and i'm like please be careful, please wait at least a year, i know u wont wanna listen to how i rly feel about this but at least just take these precautions. i'm also like when you do meet irl he should come here ur barely 19 and he's 30 like it only makes sense. and theyre like "thank u i promise i will do that"

and then maybe 10 or 11 months into their relationship i find out my friend is in canada with their bf, and has been for like a month, and i only know this bc they're asking if i can pick them up from sydney airport. im like errr that's pretty far away but take the train and i'll pick you up from the station and they're like ok sure! and i ask a bit more about it and find out they believe their parents have been hacking into their laptop because why else would they be suspicious that this canadian guy is their boyfriend, i'm like actually no offense but it's really fucking obvious i don't think they did that... and they're like "yeah anyway my parents are no longer picking me up which is why i need a lift, i admitted i have a boyfriend and they're calling him a pedo (and i almost agree but i just smile and nod) and so i'm not going back and taking their bs anymore, i'm gonna sleep in my car if i have to" so i offer for them to stay at my place for a few weeks.

they go get their stuff from their place, i buy them a pizza cus they havent had dinner, i help them get their stuff inside, set up a temporary bed. they tell me they plan to be out within a few days, i tell them they can stay longer if they need to, but currently their only job is doordash and they should focus on getting a real job so they can find a place and i'm more than happy to help them find somewhere. theyre the type of person to say sorry for everything and not let themselves ever feel comfortable, so i make sure they know they can use the kitchen and bathroom and everything while they're here and to not feel like a huge burden, im gonna be charging them a tiny bit of rent anyway so yeah.

now tell me why it's been over a month, they've applied to only a few places, i specifically put in a good word with them at my job and told them to call back and ask about the application and they just haven't, they've just been doordashing and filling my entire fridge and cupboard with their food, i tell them to use the laundromat cus we don't have enough space for their washing too and they end up asking if they can use our washing machine anyway (i reluctantly say yes), they destroy all my kitchen sponges on washing this one shitty pan i have cus they have to cook an entire grand meal from scratch for breakfast lunch and dinner, they wash up but i'm the only person who cleans the floors and the bathroom so now i'm feeling cramped and stressed out...

i ask my mum about what to do, she says give them 2 weeks to move out, my mum is a guarantor on my lease so in the group chat i explain the situation and say they have 2 weeks, they NEVER RESPOND and start not coming home until late at night... i'm considering moving into another place with a friend atp so i'm like yo maybe you can get on this lease and THEN they respond and start showing up again... and today i called and updated mum on the situation and her partner got on the phone, me and my sibling only got this place cus he apparently called in a favour cus we were rly struggling to find any fucking housing, and so he says "tell him i mean THEMMM if theyre not out tomorrow i will forcibly remove them" and so my sibling makes sure to tell them this face to face so they cant avoid actually responding. i also find out today that this whole time they've been flat broke (to the point they had to borrow my money just to get petrol despite doordashing like 40 hours a week) because they HAVE BEEN HELPING. PAY. THEIR GROWN ASS. SHITTY FUCKING USELESS. PARTNERS. RENT. THIS GROWN ASS MAN NOT ONLY HAD THEM PAY TO GO SEE HIM AND SUCK HIM OFF AND COOK FOR HIM. NOT ONLY WAS LETTING THEM GO BACK TO AUSTRALIA AND JUST BE HOMELESS. BUT HE IS ACTIVELY TAKING THEIR FUCKING MONEY. despite all of this i am deep down INCREDIBLY GLAD that my mum's partner put his foot down to get them out of my house and i feel guilty about it despite risking eviction cus im breaking my lease agreement by having them here loooll

tldr my 20 yr old friend has been living in my house illegally for over a month bc they refuse to go back to their shitty parents, they are however broke and don't have a stable job and their 30 yr old boyfriend is leeching off of them, and now i'm essentially kicking them out of my place within 2 days because my own housing security is at risk

[heterophobicdyke]

We need to make sex a convo in lesbian spaces, yes!! Idk about the male gaze sex stuff but it sounds disturbing af! I mostly ran into asexual you’re-cute-but-let’s-be-friends types. And that made me feel weird personally about my own desires and that sucked as someone who had gotten over my internalized homophobia, “lesbians are predatory” issues. I wish this issue of de sexualizing lesbians was talked about more than fake lesbians (just saying). 

I agree that there are cases of trauma/dysphoria with some of these touch me not and pillow types. However, the “queers” are tryna to normalize this, giving pillow princesses their own queer flag, etc. I read a good think piece about it back in April I can link. I didn’t think it was that big of an issue, but people are tryna spin it into a good thing. I also don’t think not wanting to do certain sex acts or being uncomfortable with xyz is a problem it’s more of, we shouldn’t normalize sex where one person is not getting pleasure. It should go both ways where everyone is comfortable/happy and want to please their partner & vice versa. 

Honestly maybe I am letting the queer weirdos get to my head into thinking this is a bigger problem than it actually is??

ah yeah i have witnessed the let's be friends stuff for sure. i probably was like that before i was sexually mature enough tbh like i went on dates when i was 18-20 with girls my age and idk i just wasnt ready for sex enough to be fully confident about moving it to the next stage (sex). but also im into older women and was only dating these girls to try and be more normal lmao so i wasnt super into them enough to want sex

i think all flags besides the gilbert baker rainbow one (meaning gay and lesbian, not queer) are kinda redundant tbh so i agree w that. i dont use any lesbian-specific one either really. the labrys one is ok ig but feels a bit political (and feels connected to polilez like the lesbian feminism movement kinda is - like the flag is used in the lesbian feminism wiki page and the first sentence is pretty polilez).

i think stones and pillows make sense if they date each other (which i've seen they often do) because then both are getting pleasure because that's the sex they both want (one only giving one only receiving). i also think ppl can have fun/get pleasure in many ways we might not understand

but i definitely think you're within ur right to be sick of the million micro identities in the community, even if i dont personally see the issue with stone/pillows simply bc if i did have an issue w it then i feel like id be encouraging ppl to push their boundaries to prove their lesbianism.

i think where the distrust of pillow princesses come from is that there are so many non-lesbian women who holiday in the lesbian community when they're tired of men, and they don't care to take any active role in sex ever because they see lesbians as some mechanic servicing their car while they temporarily avoid men. like a masturbatory tool. and that's not on.

however i have interacted w actual lesbians (and i do trust they're lesbians) who are pillows, or who are with stones so have sex in a pillow way despite being fine with touching their partner otherwise, and yeah like i said i just dont feel comfy judging it bc regardless where it comes from (natural preference or trauma) it still is a hard sexual boundary that shaming it might make them have sex they dont want

i guess on the topic of whether they should be actual identities or not, i mean it makes sense for stones and pillows to find each other? which would be important bc they are rare preferences after all. i dont think it's so common that it needs to be a central part of the lesbian community or anything and i understand ur concern that creating flags and speaking as if theyre more common than they are might make esp young lesbians feel like they must fit into one or the other but ime they're not common enough to have major influence to the point that every lesbian will identify as either as stone or pillow. and if they did there would def be questions ab that

[meangirlsautism]

do you have any headcanons for any ships ?? id love to hear them mean girls is like my new obsession

HEHEHE YES!!!!!!!!!!

im just kidding im like the worst person to ask this BUUUUUT i shall conjure something up.. jsut for you... ALSO NEW MEAN GIRLS FAN YAAAY

going throuhg my notes, i made a lil ship headcanons thing on my notes app in april 2020. and all i got around to making was stuff for karen/cady. completely random but ! better than head being completely empty. so i shall reference some of that and make other stuff up on the spot (for that and other pairings). enjoy!

also im like.. super unfamiliar w/ how romantic relationships Are and how human beings function in general so like.. youre fully allowed to view these however you want (platonic, romantic, etc), i just enjoy dynamics and character interactions. i know you specifically asked for ships but ! my lil headcanons will def be more vague, if that makes sense, sorry abt that! still, hope these suffice! if you ever wanted to ask for SPECIFIC pairings too just hmu or send an ask or smth :] (as a disclaimer, im not referencing a specific MG here, im more familiar w/ slash enjoy the musical the most but ! interpret them as any version i suppose)

karen/cady

not really a headcanon but the whole like "i like cady, she's nice to me." i eat that shit up. i love them and their relationship, in like, all adaptations

and specifically for the 2024 movie.. the way karen is the only person to text cady during her suspension... and how she reassures her that thyere still friends.. (similar to the bway version)... UGH!!!!!! love that so much

actually, we should be more insane for cady / the other plastics. both romantically and platonically

anyway, on to the actual hcs

karen rly likes to fidget w/ something so cady always gives her like hand or hair to play with

karen LOOVES cady's freckles. def loves to count / trace them

karen is def a tad confused as to why cady is so patient w/ her, so nice to her, etc. since i feel she's been often ... dismissed her whole life. and treated Not Great due to how she functions

that doesn't rly matter to cady. she constantly reassures karen and is there for her and reminds her that she's more than other people's opinions of her, more than her intelligence, etc. and cady never gets tired of it

cady always listens to whatever karen has to say, even if it's the tiniest, most ridiculous thing

cady helps her w/ school stuff

karen def sits + listens to cady infodump abt the wildlife she observed / learned abt in africa

i can see karen enjoying nature and whatnot. she doesn't necessarily "understand" the science aspect behind it all btu she enjoys it bc :) hehe. animals.

i can see her getting good at like.. identifying species and stuff bc of cady though

karen prob enjoys physical touch and stuff. i dont think cady is opposed to it but she's not like ... used to it much

or i suppose, used to giving it much? she's cool w/ receiving it, and as ive mentioned earlier, karen def likes to be feeling / playing w/ something. its like a fidget / stim for her

anyway autism🤝autism

gretchen/cady

ALSO autism🤝autism

they def love infodumping to each other... abt what exactly? yes

not too sure abt gretchen,still have to come up w/ special interests and whatnot fo rher but. cady its def like. math. and biology and zoology and shit

gretchen has sort of been told and taught that her input isnt needed or appreciated, so near the beginning of w/e relationship they have, she often kept to herself and didn't ramble as much

cady ofc noticed this, and tried her best to like.. encourage gretchen and whatnot

but, at the same time, she understood why she wouldnt open up RIGHT away yk. she understood that these things take time

once again, cady often reassures her, abt different things than w/ karen ofc but, its still reassurance

gretchen obv becomes like .. SUPER attached to ppl who pay attention to her and whatnot. even if the overall situation is shitty

at some point, she probably just thought she didn't deserve anything more. that what she got was the best she was going to get. and so, she felt she couldn't leave and find something better for herself

anyway. of course in canon (esp in the bway version) cady also wasnt the greatest / most understanding towards gretchen blah blah. whatever .

deep down we KNOW that cady is a kind and caring and nice person. she just wants to be well liked

whatever!!!!! cady shows gretchen what love and care TRULY feels like . and i think after some time the codependency on gretchen's end lessens a bit. esp after she realizes that . oh... this is what ive always deserved. and needed. and she understands that she's not expendable, that cady DOESN'T actually secretly hate her. that cady WON'T just throw her away if the opportunity comes

i think gretchen would chill out a bit if she's just shown true love and compassion im serious. and maybe some medication would help too

gretchen def likes / wants cady to be touching her at like.. all times. hand holding mostly, but stuff along the lines of that

gretchen is like .. weird w/ touch i think. considers it sacred, and yet craves it sooo bad

she probably only rly allows it w/ ppl she REALLY trusts . despite being very touch starved

both sooooo awkward lbr

ESP w/ deeper relationships

cady is just.. obv was homeschooled for most of her life. gretchen is just a ball of anxiety

also, based on gretchen's past experiences, her relationships (both romantic and platonic) havent been ........ the greatest, as ive talked abt before, and so she finally finds someone who like.. she's comfortable with? who she knows will Love her? she's extra awkward fr

doesn't want to mess up, lose them, etc etc

regina/cady

a loooong time ago i think, i saw a headcanon talking abt how regina has freckles. but she just covers them up

and i LOOOOVE that thought soooo mcuh

eventually wrote a little messy thing for it

but anyway. cady finds this out eventually and she is so :D

bc i see cady as having a ton of freckles too and yeah

but yeah. cady finds this out and is SO happy bc regina's sort of look like hers and ough

cady likes to compare them to like.. constellations and stars and shit. esp when regina complains abt them / is openly negative abt them

regina doesn't necessarily like her freckles bc its an imperfection in her eyes i suppose

but cady absolutely changes her mind on them

in fact, i bet they start reminding her of cady

she goes about it so nonchalantly but, some days she "forgets" to put on makeup . not just for cady or anything, nooo way

which is saying something for regina bc you just knoooow she barely leaves the house without applying SOMETHING

(i dont have freckles myself so sorry if this sounds ignorant or smth!)

cady is ..... very awkward . i think . esp w/ relationships, ANY relationship at that

regina should know this (she doesn't)

she lowkey expects these special things and whatnot from cady and cady is just :)?

bc she does NOT know what the hell is going on

most times, anyway. i t hink she sort of picks up on shit as she goes through school but like..

that's cause she purposely observes other ppl / couples / friends to see what they do . and then she basically adopts that shit

i started making these and i didnt evne like.. have a set timeline in mind for them. bc realistically a lot of these relationships would not last in canon / post canon. or form at all lbr. but lets pretend. i guess most of these follow canon / is canon compliant. w/ some wishful thinking / AUs. ...IF THAT MAKES SENSE

janis/gretchen

dont rly think theyd be toooo good for each other but. honestly who else here really is LOL most if not all the characters would have a loooot to do introspective wise before actually getting into any relationship BUT . for these few minutes . let us pretend

assuming we're talking abt them in a canon compliant world, they'd..... def have a lot to unpack together. from regina alone esp

i think they'd be able to help each other out w/ that sort of thing

ESP w/ the trauma they got from regina

it just affected them both in veeeery different ways

janis' turned into anger. where gretchen's turned into anxiety

they both realistically would NOT be ready for a romantic relationship, as i mentioned previously

and even something non romantic? i dont think theyd ever be able to form a normal relationship of ANY kind ever again

BUT. but. maybe they see themself in the other . maybe they want to help try and fix the other . bc maybe then it will help fix themself

hopefully that makes sense idk im just saying shit atp

most relationships where the ppl involved r incredibly similar dont end up working but like ..

janis and gretchen arent necessarily similar. they just have similar experiences. which could easily strengthen their relationship

they're fucked up in the same way.. you feel me

ANYWAY

i wrote this idea thing awhile back and its like.. gretchen cutting her hair short and janis seeing this and going ... hm. bc she senses the repressed homosexual or whatever. and she confronts her about it blah blah

anywho. i see gretchen as a lesbian. unsure atm whether shes like.. aware of it or not. ANYway, as we all know, janis is a Professional Lesbian or whatever, so i think janis like... helps her w/ that sort of stuff?

uhhhmmm oh right the hair. i totally see gretchen fucking w/ her hair following the canon events. and ofc i also see janis as someone who has messed w/ her hair a TON...

i think she helps gretchen experiment w/ that. her style too

sort of related.. but janis also def helps gretchen in managing and dealing w/ her anger and shit

bc janis sees that its THERE. its just buried deeeep within her

and gretchen helps janis deal w/ her more ...... softer? emotions

as seen in the musical... janis is NOT afraid to physically express her love. which seems super unlike her and her demeanor, i love it

and once again, gretchen is like ..... she needs this shit or else she will DIE (and yet touch lowkey makes her uncomfortable, depending on her mood and the time)

and so.. perfect pairing. janis isnt afraid to offer her touch.(?) and always provides it when gretchen asks for it (she asks a lot)

regina/gretchen

once again, realistically, this would not happen. esp in a canon world . even if everyone "got better"

however, i loved these 2 for whatever reason when i was younger LMAO

i had a bunch of little things written down for them in my notes but . i do not feel like going through them rn unfortunately. may revisit this at some other point. in order to see exactly what younger me thought of them

unlike gretchen w/ cady... iiii dont think gretchen's clingy-ness / codependency would get much better w/ regina

unless regina like . rly changes herself. if they BOTH rly change themselves

i think they'd both view each other as how they were in the past . regina would see gretchen as this clingy pushover and gretchen would see regina as this passive aggressive ruler . and REALISTICALLY i think they would prevent them from pursuing anything big, ykwim?

like. gretchen still admired regina and she lowkey HATED herself for that but its like.. as ive talked abt previously, shes probably not gonna get anything better yk? so she stayed w/ regina

ANYWAY. ENOUHG OF THAT SORRY

honestly? in an "everything is perfect and happy" world , i think theyd both be clingy af LOL

regina would, like, never admit but like.. shes super clingy

i think their relationships w/ touch are very ... unique

ive talked abt gretchen a bunch w/ touch and shit but regina... i dont know

she's def okay w/ it .. in terms of being on the receiving end but .. im not sure if she rly provides it much

shes def shit at recognizing and managing her emotions.. esp the more positive ones.. so i think she like. i think shes weird w/ providing affection

and i suppose receiving it too sometimes, esp if its from someone she REALLY likes

but yeah.. they're both weird w/ touch IDK hopefully this makes sense!!!!

i think gretchen is very patient w/ regina... and regina tries to be w/ gretchen, but fails most times (she's trying)

regina finds it like. embarrassing to ask for stuff (ESP affection) but.. she does learn that it is Okay eventually

and gretchen, unfortunately, is very awkward when it comes to this shit!

ESP since its w/ REGINA GEORGE

so she lowkey like.. freaks out when first asked to do ANYTHING towards her

regina tries her best to calm her down but shes shit at emotions and . yeah .

(its ok they got throuhg it) (i think)

gretchen/karen

won't lie rn. dont rly care for them much. def prefer other non romantic relationships for them

buuuut since im doing stuff for NOT just romantic relationships... i shall say a few things

as ive talked abt in previous gretchen pairings / duos... she just needs someone who'll love and appreciate her for who she is

and i dont doubt that karen would provide. she def would

they def have an interesting and fun bond, esp throughout the whole regina thing, throughout their friendship w/ regina as a whole, etc

anywho. krystina alabado once put on her story abt this like.. cactus that was in the dressing room she shared w/ kate rockwell. turns out it was fake. and kate watered it for a full 2 years

anyway thats a total gretchen and karen situation LOL

(gretchen acts liike she wasn't watering it too. she absolutely was)

karen and gretchen def buy a bunch of lil succulents and take care of them together

gretchen def feels super comfortable w/ karen, more comfortable than w/ most people

so that sort of made like .. getting a deeper relationship w/ her a lot easier

once again, gretchen is fs a lot more awkward when they take things farther in regards to their relationship

and karen has NO idea what the hell gretchen is on about

but she tries to remain as comfortable and supportive as possible

gretchen touch starved... karen touch provider... its perfect

gretchen def isnt afraid to ask for stuff from karen. she has to be a lot more precise and direct but . yeah

okay.. sorry that most of these aren't "shippy" but. hopefully theyre okay! i left out a few potential pairings bc i either 1. dont care for them much or 2. dont have much to say. HOWEVER if you still want to hear abt one i did not talk abt here, just lmk :3 i will come up w/ something.. thank u for sending this in :D

[youredreamingofroo]

Okay just to preface, if you're from butters discord, i'm gonna be repeating a lot of what I said in the server, possibly more or less refined, we'll see how my brain goes

I really cannot believe plagiarizers, like you REALLY said "Don't flatter yourself,"... Don't flatter YOURSELF HELLO? You had the AUDACITY to copy someone and claim it as your own, not only that but you did a shoddy job at copying, the thumbnails weren't good, the titles weren't good and were too lengthy, like come on. (only applicable to this person in this situation, if you think your titles [or thumbnails] are too long or are bad they ARENT its perfectly fine the way it is and i love it :))

Additionally, what's so wrong with credit? What's so wrong with saying you were inspired?? Why have some people just devolved to assume that it's bad to credit and talk about/mention the people you're inspired by??? Oh I know why, because those people are short of an imagination, short of creativity, and they want an original idea! So of COURSE the only possible and excusable way to get an original idea is to COPY! Ah yes! Sounds about right, haha. 😐 (all sarcasm) Do people not realize just how lifeless copying is? It's literally just taking someones work and ripping out the guts of that work, the beauty, the effort, the PASSION!! If you copy someone's work, you are just as bad as AI "artists".

Not to namedrop (i mean atp most ppl know who was involved), but Oshin (@/Oshinsims on youtube) has SO much passion for her story and her storytelling and such, and it SHOWS!! IT DOES!!!! And you can tell she loves what shes doing, there's so much feeling, and emotion. But to take her work, and copy that word. for. word, it will not be the same, no matter what you do, it will NOT sound the same. Everyone is different, and we all have our artistic styles, and of course, Oshin's method of expressing and writing story will NOT be the same for everyone, you can draw inspiration, but you still have to put in your own work for it to sound like you and once something sounds like you, it sounds beautiful, it will look beautiful and you'll feel the passion. If I were to take Deja (@/dejasenti99) and then swap their storytelling with Bree (@/stellarfalls), Deja would not tell Bree's story and express Bree's story as good as Bree does, and vice versa, this is not a matter of storytelling, reading/writing skills or anything (because both of them are incredible people, and phenomenal creators and storytellers, do check them both out), it's a matter of style, and those two in particular have two very different styles, both styles can be good, but both styles will not give off the same feeling. Give two people the same outfit and they'll wear it differently. Give two people the same script and they'll tell two different stories.

Make your own work! Do your own stuff! Write your own stories! It's an effort and it takes time. But it PAYS. OFF. No amount of stealing and posting plagiarized work will help you improve and crediting/mentioning inspiration from others WILL NOT KILL YOU, do you understand? There's so many of my mutuals and my peers who would (and probably do) literally cry from happiness at hearing someone is inspired by them and their work. And also, plagiarizing is NOT EXCUSABLE! STOP PUTTING DOWN HOW BAD PLAGIARIZING IS, AND DONT TELL SOMEONE THEYRE BEING DRAMATIC FOR RESPONDING TO A PLAGIARIZER

I will note (make sure to read ALL. OF. THIS. PLEASE); It's okay to practice and use/copy other peoples' work as practice, but DO NOT SHARE WHAT YOU DID, this is PRACTICE/COPIED WORK and SHOULD NOT be portrayed as original work. By copying other peoples' work, you can get a gist of what you want to do and how you want to do things. In the art community, it is often encouraged for beginner artists to trace other peoples' work (specifically people who they draw inspiration from), but in doing so, they are told to NOT SHARE that copied work, this is practice and meant to assist the beginner artist in finding their own style. Take this as being a baby bird, you start out with assistance from your parent bird (other peoples' work) but eventually you'll get to a point where you're ready to fly out the nest and start flying by yourself (making your own work with an inspired style) You can copy other simmers' work [as practice], but don't share it because this is meant to be practice, and you need to work on applying what you've practiced onto your OWN. WORK. (renders/gameplay screenshots/story screenshots/storytelling/writing/character creating/sim style/ETC!) ^ If I worded ANY of this shoddily, please correct me/inform me and sorry for the repetition, but some of you need this drained into your brain lol ^

[gaypolls]

Submission Guidelines/Disclaimers

First, things to keep in mind when you submit:

there is a limit of 12 answers for polls, and on this blog one of those answers will always be 'show results,' to allow for people that the poll doesn't apply to to see without skewing data. so in reality you have a maximum of 11.

there's also an 80-character limit on the options

SO, if you go over those limits, know that I will take it into my own hands to decide which answers to omit and/or how to re-word it to fit the limit.

even otherwise, expect that the wording of your submission may be slightly altered in order to be more inclusive (when it doesn't affect the data), or because i think you missed an option that you probably meant to include, or just to make it sound less clunky. if you have an issue with any changes upon posting, i'm happy to hear you out.

currently there is no wait time, but if things go as expected, soon enough it'll likely be about a 4-5 day wait between the time you submit and the time it gets posted

if your poll is addressing a very small group, don't be surprised or angry when the 'see results' poll is the biggest. that needs to be there to keep data from being skewed by anyone's curiosity.

Base Guidelines For Submitting:

poll must be related to gayness in some way. it doesn't have to be directed exclusively at gay people, but it should center same-gender attraction. if you have a poll in mind to direct specifically at bisexuals, there's @mspecpolls

it CAN be a general LGBT poll, but if it's specific to something that has nothing to do with gay attraction, you're better off submitting to another blog. there's @transgenderpolls for trans stuff and @aspecpolls for ace/aro stuff.

it CAN be directed at a specific type of gay person, such as gay men, lesbians, specifically trans lesbians, nonbinary mlm, gay poc, disabled wlw, etc - literally you can address any specific gay group you want, just make sure to say so.

...this DOES include 'cis gay men/women/people' but tbqh you're gonna have to provide a good reason to be excluding trans people from the poll

in general if you want to explicitly exclude people who have a nonconforming relationship with gender, you better explicitly say so AND have a good reason. otherwise it'll be assumed that all sorts are included and if your options don't reflect that, i will change them or reject the poll.

it CAN relate to sex (i expect many polls here will be), just try to be tasteful about it. like, as long as it sounds like you're trying to collect data rather than arouse people lol

What would make me NOT post a submission:

as mentioned previously, if it's excluding subgroups without a good reason

if it's an opinion poll about the validity of any particular type of gay person. "validity" is a moot topic and i'm not going to encourage it, and in any case i'd like the focus of this blog to be about recording experiences (real, undeniable, forever in stone) rather than opinions (always changing, meaningless)

pride discourse polls, lol

anything that tries to pit issues against each other. no "which intercommunity issue is more important to you? ableism? racism?" like cmon

if it's just way too niche and would make a pointless poll. if a poll is "who's your favorite lgbt character" and then you've got 11 options from different TV shows, you gotta know that most of the ppl who see that poll will NOT have seen ALL those shows, so they'll really just be voting for the show that they know. it's just dumb.

if it's something like "gay people: do you like pineapple on pizza?" or some other question that doesn't actually have anything to do with being gay. if you wanna send something like this, make your case for why it's relevant that the poll is directed at gay people.

if it's some other obviously offensive shit, obviously. no racism or whatnot here.

FAQ:

Who counts as gay?

Like most of these guidelines I'll continue the same sentiment from the trans polls blog: We self-define here. But I will stress answering in good faith and understanding what any given poll is asking and what definitions they're using. If you're, say, nonbinary and bisexual in a way that makes all your attraction gay, or you're gay in a very specific way (like nb4nb), or you call yourself gay bc you're mostly gay but you're technically bisexual, or you're definitely homosexual but don't actually like to call yourself gay, etc, it'll likely just depend on the poll. It's totally up to you to decide if it includes you or not, or you can always ask if you want to be sure.

Though if it's not explicitly stated that the poll excludes transmasc lesbians or transfem gays, or other trans/nonbinary gay people, you should still for sure assume it includes you.

Why isn't there an option for X?/You missed an option.

Sometimes I may genuinely miss an option, but 9 times out of 10 the lack of the option is either due to the poll limits on tumblr, or because it goes against the point of the poll. For example, if the question begins with "If you're in a relationship," then "i'm not in a relationship" isn't going to be an option. If the prerequisite of the poll doesn't apply to you, then what you click is "see results." If it's something a little less concrete, polls will usually include some kind of "other" option anyway.

Can you make more polls for X type of gay person?

*I* make polls based off what I'm personally curious about. If you're curious about something, submit it!

Do you know that some people are gay in very unconventional ways that your polls aren't accounting for?

Yes, I know. When there's room on the poll, I try to be inclusive, but often there's not, and that's really the main thing there. However, I will admit that a secondary reason is that when a poll is addressing exclusively gay people, the fact that they're only attracted to one gender is relevant, regardless of whether or not it would still be gay of them to be attracted to more.

Can you get rid of the 'see results' button? Or can you not include it on this particular poll? I only want X people to respond. This poll is ONLY for X people.

If a poll is on this blog, it's for everyone, questioning and simply curious people included. It's also not going to stop curious people from clicking if there's no 'see results' button. It ensures that the data doesn't get skewed, and gathering data is what polls are for. It doesn't hurt you to see a big see results bar. The data is still there. If the bar does wind up obscuring more significant data, that means the poll was addressing too small of a group to begin with. And that's NOT the end of the world. This blog is far from the only place where you can get information about other gay people's experiences.

[animation-is-my-jam]

Halo heloo!! Popping in to say if you have any more Wordgirl hot takes? I'm new to the fandom and I saw your post about the opinion meme. (Btww my favorite character is Lady Redundant Woman and I ship Tobecky-- I wonder if you also have unpopular opinions on those mostly cause im curious)

Hi!! Thanks for the ask.

Kinda funny that I'm asked fandom/character questions considering my activity and obscurity, but I have been in the Wordgirl space for 7 years and observed it back in the early 2010s.

As for hot takes...hmm, I could give some since I was watching through the series again, and I recently had some discussions with a friend about Wordgirl stuff. (The Disclaimer, aside from one of the takes I have, these aren't that serious, or do I want to come across as confrontational, just my thoughts and opinions):

Scoops is not a jerk. Random, I know, but it's also connected to the idea of Scoops being this secretly selfish boy and why he's the least liked kid character in the fandom next to idk Eileen. Yes, Scoops is a bit of dunce and can often say or do stuff because he gets carried away or his ego--but he wouldn't straight up be malicious. He's a kid. And idk, I think it's pretty funny how oblivious or callouse he can be to others. But no Tobecky fans, Scoops wouldn't just straight up hate or stop being Becky's friend if she either confessed to him or started seeing Tobey. (I agree that he's such a dummy at times and could say the wrong things, but come on, look at Scoops and tell me he would treat his friends terribly.)

Granny May is funny. I know a lot of people don't like her or her episodes because they hate the gaslight or turn on Wordgirl schemes, but idc I think it's hilarious that this 75 year old is beefing with a child and gets away with manipulating people for the 100th time. Plus, I think it's interesting that her episodes could bring out a Becky that makes us question if she's doing good deeds bc it's the right thing or doing them because it gives her purpose and adoration. Either way, I'm like the only Wordgirl fan who is interested in Granny May character lore, and what exactly is her relationship to her own kids and grandkids. And that's cause she makes me laugh.

(Oh boy, serious time) Okay, so this is a very recent observation and discussion I had with a friend who is more educated on this matter over the entire fandom perception of Two-brains|squeaky. And I'm gonna say it on mine and on their behalf... I don't like the usage of squeaky as this ultimate evil or an overt metaphor for the difficult/bad side effects of mental illness. Like, okay, I know this is touchy for people since Two-brains is the favorite--but I don't like the constant fandom aesthetic sticking to making Two-brains the ONLY character with either DID or any number of serious mental conditions just because he fused with the brain of a evil mouse, especially when their depiction of it is worse than Detroit Become Human with racism. At worst, it could be ablelist and ignorant to people with those actual diagnoses. What do I mean by this? Well, it's mostly for people who think that Steven is still inside Two-brains or that Two-brains could be fixed. I'm one of the Steven is gone believers, but regardless--it's kinda ehh to try and make Two-brains represent someone with mental illness or addiction and just say "dw he can be cured if we kill this other part of himself". Even worse than when he does get "fixed," it's only squeaky's influence that encourages his bad behavior and that others would care for him more if only he got rid of the "problem" and went back to being "normal". Like...that's not how a mental illness/condition works. I should know. And this idea kinda makes me uncomfortable because idk, it's like the equivalent of when TOH was still airing and some ppl going: "Why doesn't eda just isolate or destroy the owl beast?" Or the audacity to say that she should have been fully healed at the end when no, she was a good example of the metaphor, and it would completely ruin the purpose. (Plus, I don't get the Jekyll and Hyde comparisons if you try to apply the mental illness metaphor).

As for the other parts of your question. Hmm do i have unpopular ideas/takes of Lrw or Tobecky?

For LRW, um, not really? She's one of my favorite villains, so I'm good, not really any complaints with her or how she's done in fandom tropes. All I know is that fandom actually makes her cooler somehow, and I get mad about that bc shes so awesome/lhj

For Tobecky...yeah I know, another discussion about them, lol, can't help it. But for unpopular ideas/takes...I guess one is that I don't think Wordgirl was completely terrible during the Miss Power scene with him. Like obviously it hurted Tobey's feelings and Wordgirl shouldn't be so mean, BUT you can't lie to say that if not then...Wordgirl would have blown up at him one day and it's good that Tobey at least knows what she deep down thought of him. I know a lot of people who like Tobey don't think he should be treated badly ever, but no, the kid kinda needs the humbling (the stuff of his appearance was uncalled for though. Like who cares about his drip Wordgirl--he destroys buildings and belittles others 😭 thats the least of his issues.)

Another one is that I don't think Wordgirl/Becky owes him anything just because he likes her and is secretly lonely. Like you can have Tobey as your favorite and want him to be happy, but, to me, it's like don't just make Tobey the one who only gets Becky because he like deserves it after getting mega sad or he "won" her (im saying this as a tobey fan). What's Becky thoughts? Or make her the one to realize why she would be with Tobey? How does Tobey make her happy? And that it's okay that Becky rejects Tobey in a fic or art. It doesn't make her the bad one in the scene or that she's treating him unfairly. (Something I realized in my own fic).

[katsu-curry835]

I cannot stress this enough tiktok has a policy whereby it CENSORS CONVENTIONALLY UNATTRACTIVE PPL. They will demote your video if you have wrinkles, an obvious beer belly, are too fat or too thin or have dwarfism. Among other horrid policies of course. The below is a leaked document from the moderators detailing what should be demoted by the algorithm.

I’m aware that most social media apps harvest your data, are prone to pipelines and shadowbanning and don’t pay their creators enough but TikTok is genuinely the w o r s t in every category. You genuinely lose nothing by not using it. Below is another image of a glitch that showed activist hashtags such relating to BLM with 0 views (they got shadowbanned)

Another huge problem that exists on the app is the radicalisation pipelines are so strong because the three minute vid and 150 character comment format completely flattens nuance. All it takes is for someone to sound confident and talk fast enough with a vaguely coherent argument before you start thinking that overpopulation is a myth and engaging in needless drama (see: Drew Afualo and Bela Delgato, Danisha Carter and her critics etc.) This is poisoning how we interact with politics. YouTube is nowhere near perfect but it at the very least rewards longer form content this stuff like video essays is promoted on there. Tumblr has no character limit so you can read the entirety of this shitty essay without me needing to cut things for brevity. Typing a TikTok comment has driven me insane before because 150 characters is not even close to enough to have an informed discussion. Who is correct has now become who can slam dunk on someone else the best.

I do genuinely think that Drew Afualo is a net positive for the world and I’m glad she’s using the TikTok algorithm to spread good messages. But let’s be honest here, her videos aren’t well researched takes on misogyny. And I don’t think they’re trying to be either. Drew shouldn’t be expected to sit down and research a TikTok while she’s shitting on some asshole; that’s not her style. I think the problem is beyond her control. People are taking her quips and one-liners to formulate their opinions on the world around them. This is ok in this example given that Drew a positive influence. But this can and has been weaponised so easily to spread harmful rhetoric left and right and when you’re on political TikTok it’s impossible to tell which is which. Misinformation is also shockingly common and incentivised by the format.

Finally, your attention span is dying. Let’s look at YouTube. YouTube’s policies make it so that longer content is rewarded and, and this is a crucial point, you choose what you want to watch. On TikTok, because you are given content with the assumption you’ll enjoy it, you have to decide while watching if you want to scroll or not. Eventually your window of tolerance of videos before they get good shrinks and you’ll end up judging the quality of the content based on the first seven seconds. Comparatively, YouTube has you choose videos assuming you’ll like them and therefore you’ll spend more time with the art before you decide whether or not it’s for you. When your attention shrinks to seven seconds on TikTok, this bleeds into other aspects of your life and is incredibly unhealthy (speaking from experience). I had to watch two hour long video essays to compensate for how TikTok was just wrecking my focus.

Most people know TikTok sucks and use it anyway but then encourage others not to get it. Why don’t we delete it? Here’s an idea, if you have TikTok, get rid of it now. Destroy its ubiquity and only use Tumblr and YouTube /j No but seriously delete the app I’m so happy I did. My life has improved infinitely since.