#its just so cool and really really encouraging and validating to see that other people enjoy it as well ♥ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

chaifootsteps · 1 year

Note

Suicide mention TW:

I have to say I've been keeping up with hell of a boss critiques for a while and while I know and see agree with why a lot of the subject matter is disturbing and can trigger and offend a lot of people, the only time I have felt this viscerally for myself is when the leaks of the ghost fight episode came out. I'm someone that has had to deal with suicidal thoughts a lot and has struggled with how terrifying they can actually be. It's one of the scariest most horrendous things to have to fight with, when your own mind is telling you disturbing horrible things, encouraging you to end it all.... it's terrifying.

The things that they had that Ronaldo character say is so similar to what my own brain says to me when I'm fighting those thoughts, that if it wasn't for my new coping methods, it would have fully triggered me completely... Even as I was watching it it was very much a close call and I had to look away in disgust.

The imagery of the imps' shadows hanging on a lynch because they killed themselves was absolutely horrific- and it made me feel physically ill.

A lot of people are ending themselves to suicide especially now more than ever because of what's happening in the world; this is not something light to be trifled with and this isn't even the type of dark joke that highlights why it's so serious and provides insight or awareness. Instead it really feels more like it's making complete mockery of it and is using suicidal imagery to be edgy and cool........ and that just leaves a disgusting feeling in my stomach. I've had to actually coax one of my parents out of attempting to do this to themselves many years ago.... so it is extremely sensitive to me. I've always felt that dark humor had its place in society to bring attention to issues in a way that other types of humor would never be able to do, because the whole point is that certain types of dark humor should still be respecting the victims it's showcasing. This is definitely not that....this is definitely someone that just wanted to do a really cool suicide episode to paint themselves as making it all about awareness, but all it really did was actually genuinely trigger someone like me that has struggled with this due to trauma.

What really bothered me is that if this was supposed to be something about bringing awareness to how bad suicide is and why it's important to not listen to the lies that your mind tells you when feeling this way, there should have been more rebuttals against what Ronaldo said. As it was all Blitz said to him was that Loony was going to attack him...which, is like...okay? But he didn't say anything as to WHY what Ronaldo said was wrong. Viv should have had it where he reaffirmed positive aspects about himself that debunked what Ronaldo said..... but he said nothing to any of it. Which even if it was in character for him not to, is still just not a good idea when portraying a scene like this. If not Blitz himself then someone else should have reaffirmed him after that whole fiasco...

They also didn't have it where Moxxie came in and told Millie why what Ronaldo said was wrong and why she's actually important to him and why she matters as a person, that she didn't need to be """"useful""" or do any certain thing to be VALID or worthy of being alive. And I really feel that they needed to scene like that. There needed to be scene like that put into place so that people who watch this and do struggle with those thoughts have at least some semblance of what needs to happen afterwards, which is turning to loved ones and using, then internalizing, positive affirmations, etc (amongst other things of course but this is still a cartoon so of course I wouldn't expect everything to be perfectly therapeutically accurate).

There was just nothing in this episode except distasteful imagery and using something that a lot of people really struggle with, as something cool and edgy to put into an action scene.

I don't think Viv has ever felt a single suicidal thought in her perfect pampered life. And if she has, then this episode is just extra worse. Why put something you struggled with into your own show in a way that could trigger other people rather than help them? Her life is extremely coddled and soft and she's always constantly babied, so much so that I'm surprised she actually thinks she's even been through anything in her life (even the struggles that she's dealt with online, a lot of them are valid of course but most of them are self-inflicted because she chooses to fight people, or are because of her own actions), when everything has been handed to her. I'm not doubting if she's ever felt these things or felt depression, because many have and I know that having a pampered life doesn't mean that you don't also struggle with mental issues, but if she has.....Then she should definitely know then that these things are extremely sensitive.

She's the kind of person that cares a lot about her own emotional struggles but does not care whatsoever about what anyone else goes through. It's so disgusting.

Vivian is a disgusting and horrible person for trying to write something like this and I don't know if she knows it but she's playing with a lot of dark forces here because this is not something that you can just do and take back.

Imagery of Ronaldo's circling Millie and telling her why she should end it all and the shadows of the imps that killed themselves is actually revolting. I hope Viv rots in hell for this.

Thank you for sharing all of this, Anon. And thank you for sticking around.

I don't know whether Vivzie's ever struggled with suicidal thoughts in her life and I won't presume. I do know that she took an experience that's terrifyingly real -- the shadow monster of a voice inside your brain telling you to give up -- and slapped it onto a female character she barely cares about in just about the most shallow, sexist, offensive way she could have possibly done so. Maybe there's something else in that episode that will surprise us all, but I doubt it.

Even if she changes it, the fact will still remain that it got as far as it did, that Vivzie thought this was a good idea. And you're right, that's disgusting.

#Anonymous #vivziepop critical #actual blog post

15 notes · View notes

bookwyrminspiration · 2 years

Note

But… but

I can’t just let it be

My brain can’t just let my gender be a gray blob or whatever it is

I have to have understand it or it’s bad

Cuz my brain doesn’t brain properly

-Lenore

Alright, I can see where you're coming from! I would encourage you to challenge that notion that not understanding a part of your identity makes it bad--I know it's probably something that your brain is doing that you're not consciously trying to do, but you've gotta start somewhere! I can personally vouch for how great it is to not understand a part of your identity. Couldn't tell you a thing that's going on with my sexuality or orientation, and I like it that way! I have no current desire to know anything more about it except that it's queer.

Just saying that to give an example of how it can be not bad, something you might be able to use to help challenge your mind. That being said, moving forward!

Everyone's different, so if you want to move beyond the grey blob of gender, I think the best way to do so it's to start experimenting. You can do it in private, do it with only a few people, do it with the world. A great way to find out what feels right is to try it. You won't know exactly how you'll react. I thought I'd love binding when I bought my binder, but it turns out for me it's just alright. I like binding more with specific shirts, but overall it's a neutral thing and I don't really care either way. Never would've guessed that when I bought it! Not to say you need to immediately jump into binding or anything, just using that as an example of experimenting; your experiments can be on a smaller scale.

You mentioned being afraid to try different pronouns, so perhaps instead you could write a short reflective something trying out those pronouns. Like a diary entry or a short third-person recount of something you've done (e.g., Quil opened his ask box and saw that it had another message from Lenore, so xi started answering!). That way it's doesn't feel as big as changing them and you can experiment with different ones. See if any of them appeal to you or not.

Another thing I've found that might help you figure out your gender is to try and recognize what you like in other people. For example, before I started using all pronouns I remember seeing a video of someone who used all pronouns and talking about its perks, and my reaction was wow! I wish I was like that! Turns out I am like that, and me finding that person cool and wishing I was like him was an indicator of my own expression and experience. You can observe and expose yourself to other people's experiences and see if any of it appeals to you. This isn't just for pronouns, that's just the example I happened to think of.

Those are a few ideas that might help you start to explore the grey blob. Sometimes part of the process is being uncomfortable and adjusting and making changes, and that's not a bad thing. Same as how not understanding isn't a bad thing. It's valid to want to understand, but just keep in mind that you don't have to. No matter what your brain tells you. Sometimes brains are wrong and we have to work to remind ourselves of something else.

Also, these things can take time. Don't panic if when you start to think about it there isn't an immediate answer. And sometimes when you think you've figured it out, you'll go back to questioning again. that's normal!

I suppose my overall point is try things out, look for what you like, and don't worry if it takes time. But at the end of the day, a grey blob is okay, too. There are no rules, just take care of yourself <3

Perhaps some of this will help, perhaps not! Either way, I will support your journey and am always here to talk

#quil's queries #lenore nonsie #gender identity #this may sound kinda amorphous. but gender is amorphous so there's not really specifics!#also I know saying 'challenge the notion' is kinda vague #but what I mean by that. is that sometimes you have to actively remind yourself of things opposite what your brain tells you #and that even though its hard. it can be for the better #if grey blob is bad it makes sense to try and understand it #but also understand that it could also help to try thinking of grey blob as not bad #even when its hard #idk if that makes sense but! i can try to explain more if needed #long post

3 notes · View notes

drewoclock · 8 months

Text

Lady Gaga: An Outsider's Journey into the Phenomenon

Originally published September 6th, 2013

When I first heard the song “Just Dance”, I thought it blended right into the bland club music I had been hearing on the pop stations. I didn’t like club music, and I didn’t like “Just Dance”. But the seemingly unimportant artist behind that song is so iconic now that her name is used to describe things. She has accumulated a massive fan base, some who refer to her as “the only pop icon” and “the girl behind the Aura”. While I couldn’t profess myself to be such an avid fan, I do find myself with an invested interest in why others are.

When Lady Gaga had her first significant step into the spotlight, I didn’t think much of her. I did not think she was worthy of inspiration like her ardent admirers did, nor did I think her style was very shocking or offensive. I acknowledged that she was distinct from her contemporary pop stars, but I didn’t view her as too distinct. At the time, my taste in music was very constricted, and it wasn’t until “Bad Romance” that I could even claim to really like one of her songs.

But also at the time, I was playing a game called “like everything your girlfriend likes”, and my girlfriend was very much enraptured with Lady Gaga. Not to mention, I wasn’t used to seeing such a strong obsession over something. I had seen fandom before, but the fans of Lady Gaga seemed particularly possessive. I felt left out in a way. I viewed my fanship of her as a form of validation, but I just couldn’t bring myself to admire her. Things only grew more frustrating as tensions in my relationship mounted and the relationship ended, making my desire to connect with Lady Gaga (and subsequently connect with a girl I liked) more and more of a priority.

It reached a point where I became cynical of the artist. What was all the buzz about anyway? Her music wasn’t that deep. The songs were more or less four chord songs, the lyrics dull and repetitive. Sure, she had an impressive fashion sense, but her personality was so manufactured. Why would people gravitate toward something so plastic? And not to mention, she’s so arrogant. Always putting “Gaga” in her songs. Really? Clearly these “little monsters” were just misguided and a bit too obsessive.

Despite all the cynicism, it did not end up satiating my curiosity toward the phenomenon. What was I missing that would make me idolize Lady Gaga as much as her fans? And so I found myself interviewing her fans, looking for answers. Lady Gaga had become a research project for me, and any mention of her would encourage me to take rigorous mental notes.

I watched something I remember being called “A Very Gaga Thanksgiving”. While watching the special, I was certainly a bit offput by its title given its mien of self-importance. But the special itself was not ordained with that kind of arrogance. Rather, it seemed very pleasant and calming. Lady Gaga would talk in her trademark voice, a low and soothing croon, and play some of her songs on a piano. There was something very comforting about it, which was not a sensation I had ever associated with the pop artist. I compared it to that of a mother.

That’s when I made a peculiar connection: Fans referred to Lady Gaga as “Mother Monster”. Perhaps now I understood why. To the little monsters, Lady Gaga wasn’t just a cool pop star. She was someone who loved them and who they aspired to be. Like a mother. At last, I was beginning to see through the perspective of a fan.

And just as I found myself on the cusp of an understanding, Lady Gaga took a step out of the spotlight. As her prominence fizzled, so did my desire to interpret her. But now, in late 2013, Lady Gaga is stepping back, and her sudden return to the mainstream has encouraged me to settle the score once and for all; to figure out exactly what is fueling this craze, and what separates me from it.

She recently performed a concert in London where she premiered several of the songs that will appear on her album, due out just before my birthday in November. I listened to it, ready to once again begin the lengthy detective work of cracking her. But to my surprise, an answer came to me almost immediately. There she was, talking about how she had missed her fans, talking oh so dramatically about how hard it was for her to sing a certain song, parading around in costumes full force and singing her heart out—everything I had expected. And I realized that my perspective was all wrong. Lady Gaga was not an artist for the analysts. She was an artist for the fans.

The bombast, the spectacle, the self-importance, the dramatics, the identity, the motherliness—Lady Gaga’s doing everything she could to give her fans something to be a fan of. She wants to give them the experience of unadulterated emotional intensity. To truly appreciate Lady Gaga, you can’t sit there taking notes. You have to lose yourself to how truly awesome a figure she is.

It made so much sense to me. That’s why her little monsters love her so much—because they can love her so much. Pop stars like Katy Perry or KeSha or Douglas Bubbletrousers just don’t go to the lengths Lady Gaga does to provide such an amorous experience. And I couldn’t help but appreciate the irony. My whole reason for delving into Lady Gaga stemmed from my own unadulterated emotional intensity. Of wildly loving someone I dated enough to want to be like them, and like what they like. And the more I tried to figure out how to like Lady Gaga, the further I drifted from that unadulterated emotional intensity I needed.

I have mixed feelings. For one, I’m glad that I took a step away from that unadulterated emotional intensity (and for the record, I like that phrase too much to stop using it.) I’ve found myself very comfortable these last two years looking at this phenomenon, and life itself, so objectively. Being so in touch with the rationality of the real world has given me a harsh but honest perspective that ultimately makes me more comfortable. I’m not as confused or susceptible to hurt feelings anymore. I have control, and you could even say I’ve grown up a bit.

And yet, I realize I shouldn’t live a life without embracing unadulterated emotional intensity. When I was able to see through the eyes of one of her fans, I found myself in touch with a side of myself that I had abandoned for a while. A side of myself that could just love the fuck out of something without asking questions. I hadn’t gone the last two years without experiencing deep emotions, no—but I hadn’t felt myself become stupidly lost in them. And as stupid as I know it is, I want to.

Lady Gaga is a very talented person. She can write music, she can dance, she can sing, she can perform, she can dress, she can decorate, and best of all, she can think. She has crafted her fame to become the paradigm of fandom. I think her music is pretty good, and I respect her considerably, but I’m no little monster. I find myself wanting my artists the way I want my life: With half their steps in reality and half in spectacle. But I owe something to Lady Gaga. While I could never completely understand her, the conclusion I came to reminded me to let myself go. To forget reality. To be stupid. To just dance.

0 notes

yourmoonmomma · 1 year

Note

Alex..may I ask for some advice?

I’ve been dating someone for about 6 months now, at the beginning of the relationship it was great..we spoke quite often, went out a fair bit, good morning texts etc the whole scheme that you expect during the honeymoon phase.

Now it’s like..im talking to a brick wall. they will say that they love me but some days we wont speak at all (which i understand is normal btw just one change i noticed), they’ll only text me late at night, say things like its no big deal that i havent seen them for over a month. I said i was upset at the idea of not seeing them for a month but i understood that they had other things to do. At one point I was stressed and busy and I did push them away a bit because I wasnt sleeping for days on end I didnt have anything to talk about. i’ve asked repeatedly if I’ve done something wrong to warrant this “cold” front but they keep saying we’re cool and that nothing’s wrong and that they love me.

idk whether i’m just making a big deal of things. but i don’t understand this change. its weird because i’ve never felt this way before, it’s a pain that hurts my heart. I’ve cried so much trying to understand and saying that its ok to give it time and maybe they’ll go back to normal. i really dont know tbh, my heart aches because it doesn’t seem like they care anymore. I dont want to leave them because truthfully they’re my first love and it took so long to find someone that I fear i might not find someone else. i dont think i want to find someone else either.

Unfortunately, we do have to run under the assumption that they are telling the truth about what they say. If you've encouraged them to open up about what is bothering them or going on, and they say nothing, we have to assume that is correct, as we can't force people to open up past what they're comfortable doing, especially if they are telling the truth. So, because of that, I would wonder if this is just what love looks like for them. If everything is okay and they think you two are are fine, it could be that they don't realize they need to keep putting in that effort. A LOT of people will put in more than they usually would for the first little bit of a relationship. Not in a manipulative way, but just because it is what is expected! But once they are truly in love with you, and feel secure in the connection, they pull away because they recognize that they can be their true self now. They have faith that you aren't going to leave, so they can relax. We all have different romantic needs, and different attachment styles, so it could be very likely that this is just their way of feeling loved. They may just genuinely not require the same things you do.

However, that doesn't mean you have to suffer and feel unloved. I know you said you don't want to break up, which is very valid, but please know you CAN find someone else with similar needs to you. If you would rather stay with this person though (which is very understandable! I would too!!) you need to have a talk. Let them know how serious this is for you. How the way they pulled away makes you feel. Let them know exactly what you told me. And ask them how they feel about what you said. It isn't an easy talk to have, but it will hopefully help some!

During our rough patch (which tbh we are still going through) I at one point had told Jayson "I am going to have to leave if this behaviour doesn't change." I told him straight up that whatever it was he was doing made me feeling unloved & like he didn't appreciate me anymore, and I could not stay in a relationship where I was feeling that way all the time. I didn't say he had to fix the behaviour immediately, but explained that I did need to see some improvement, or at least have him acknowledge me in those moments. It's scary, but sometimes we have to phrase it like that, so they understand how serious we are.

#anon #abt me

0 notes

transgenderteensurvivalguide · 4 years

Link

“Elliot Page doesn’t remember exactly how long he had been asking.

But he does remember the acute feeling of triumph when, around age 9, he was finally allowed to cut his hair short. “I felt like a boy,” Page says. “I wanted to be a boy. I would ask my mom if I could be someday.” Growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Page visualized himself as a boy in imaginary games, freed from the discomfort of how other people saw him: as a girl. After the haircut, strangers finally started perceiving him the way he saw himself, and it felt both right and exciting.

The joy was short-lived. Months later, Page got his first break, landing a part as a daughter in a Canadian mining family in the TV movie Pit Pony. He wore a wig for the film, and when Pit Pony became a TV show, he grew his hair out again. “I became a professional actor at the age of 10,” Page says. And pursuing that passion came with a difficult compromise. “Of course I had to look a certain way.”

We are speaking in late February. It is the first interview Page, 34, has given since disclosing in December that he is transgender, in a heartfelt letter posted to Instagram, and he is crying before I have even uttered a question. “Sorry, I’m going to be emotional, but that’s cool, right?” he says, smiling through his tears.

It’s hard for him to talk about the days that led up to that disclosure. When I ask how he was feeling, he looks away, his neck exposed by a new short haircut. After a pause, he presses his hand to his heart and closes his eyes. “This feeling of true excitement and deep gratitude to have made it to this point in my life,” he says, “mixed with a lot of fear and anxiety.”

It’s not hard to understand why a trans person would be dealing with conflicting feelings in this moment. Increased social acceptance has led to more young people describing themselves as trans—1.8% of Gen Z compared with 0.2% of boomers, according to a recent Gallup poll—yet this has fueled conservatives who are stoking fears about a “transgender craze.” President Joe Biden has restored the right of transgender military members to serve openly, and in Hollywood, trans people have never had more meaningful time onscreen. Meanwhile, J.K. Rowling is leveraging her cultural capital to oppose transgender equality in the name of feminism, and lawmakers are arguing in the halls of Congress over the validity of gender identities. “Sex has become a political football in the culture wars,” says Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU.

(Full article with photos continued under the “read more”)

And so Page—who charmed America as a precocious pregnant teenager in Juno, constructed dreamscapes in Inception and now stars in Netflix’s hit superhero show The Umbrella Academy, the third season of which he’s filming in Toronto—expected that his news would be met with both applause and vitriol. “What I was anticipating was a lot of support and love and a massive amount of hatred and transphobia,” says Page. “That’s essentially what happened.” What he did not anticipate was just how big this story would be. Page’s announcement, which made him one of the most famous out trans people in the world, started trending on Twitter in more than 20 countries. He gained more than 400,000 new followers on Instagram on that day alone. Thousands of articles were published. Likes and shares reached the millions. Right-wing podcasters readied their rhetoric about “women in men’s locker rooms.” Casting directors reached out to Page’s manager saying it would be an honor to cast Page in their next big movie.

So, it was a lot. Over the course of two conversations, Page will say that understanding himself in all the specifics remains a work in progress. Fathoming one’s gender, an identity innate and performed, personal and social, fixed and evolving, is complicated enough without being under a spotlight that never seems to turn off. But having arrived at a critical juncture, Page feels a deep sense of responsibility to share his truth. “Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric—every day you’re seeing our existence debated,” Page says. “Transgender people are so very real.”

That role in Pit Pony led to other productions and eventually, when Page was 16, to a film called Mouth to Mouth. Playing a young anarchist, Page had a chance to cut his hair again. This time, he shaved it off completely. The kids at his high school teased him, but in photos he has posted from that time on social media he looks at ease. Page’s head was still shaved when he mailed in an audition tape for the 2005 thriller Hard Candy. The people in charge of casting asked him to audition again in a wig. Soon, the hair was back.

Page’s tour de force performance in Hard Candy led, two years later, to Juno, a low-budget indie film that brought Page Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations and sudden megafame. The actor, then 21, struggled with the stresses of that ascension. The endless primping, red carpets and magazine spreads were all agonizing reminders of the disconnect between how the world saw Page and who he knew himself to be. “I just never recognized myself,” Page says. “For a long time I could not even look at a photo of myself.” It was difficult to watch the movies too, especially ones in which he played more feminine roles.

Page loved making movies, but he also felt alienated by Hollywood and its standards. Alia Shawkat, a close friend and co-star in 2009’s Whip It,describes all the attention from Juno as scarring. “He had a really hard time with the press and expectations,” Shawkat says. “‘Put this on! And look this way! And this is sexy!’”

By the time he appeared in blockbusters like X-Men: The Last Stand and Inception, Page was suffering from depression, anxiety and panic attacks. He didn’t know, he says, “how to explain to people that even though [I was] an actor, just putting on a T-shirt cut for a woman would make me so unwell.” Shawkat recalls Page’s struggles with clothes. “I’d be like, ‘Hey, look at all these nice outfits you’re getting,’ and he would say, ‘It’s not me. It feels like a costume,’” she says. Page tried to convince himself that he was fine, that someone who was fortunate enough to have made it shouldn’t have complaints. But he felt exhausted by the work required to “just exist,” and thought more than once about quitting acting.

In 2014, Page came out as gay, despite feeling for years that “being out was impossible” given his career. (Gender identity and sexual orientation are, of course, distinct, but one queer identity can coexist with another.) In an emotional speech at a Human Rights Campaign conference, Page talked about being part of an industry “that places crushing standards” on actors and viewers alike. “There are pervasive stereotypes about masculinity and femininity that define how we’re all supposed to act, dress and speak,” Page went on. “And they serve no one.”

The actor started wearing suits on the red carpet. He found love, marrying choreographer Emma Portner in 2018. He asserted more agency in his career, producing his own films with LGBTQ leads like Freeheld and My Days of Mercy. And he made a masculine wardrobe a condition of taking roles. Yet the daily discord was becoming unbearable. “The difference in how I felt before coming out as gay to after was massive,” says Page. “But did the discomfort in my body ever go away? No, no, no, no.”

In part, it was the isolation forced by the pandemic that brought to a head Page’s wrestling with gender. (Page and Portner separated last summer, and the two divorced in early 2021. “We’ve remained close friends,” Page says.) “I had a lot of time on my own to really focus on things that I think, in so many ways, unconsciously, I was avoiding,” he says. He was inspired by trailblazing trans icons like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox, who found success in Hollywood while living authentically. Trans writers helped him understand his feelings; Page saw himself reflected in P. Carl’s memoir Becoming a Man. Eventually “shame and discomfort” gave way to revelation. “I was finally able to embrace being transgender,” Page says, “and letting myself fully become who I am.”

This led to a series of decisions. One was asking the world to call him by a different name, Elliot, which he says he’s always liked. Page has a tattoo that says E.P. PHONE HOME, a reference to a movie about a young boy with that name. “I loved E.T. when I was a kid and always wanted to look like the boys in the movies, right?” he says. The other decision was to use different pronouns—for the record, both he/him and they/them are fine. (When I ask if he has a preference on pronouns for the purposes of this story, Page says, “He/him is great.”)

A day before we first speak, Page will talk to his mom about this interview and she will tell him, “I’m just so proud of my son.” He grows emotional relating this and tries to explain that his mom, the daughter of a minister, who was born in the 1950s, was always trying to do what she thought was best for her child, even if that meant encouraging young Page to act like a girl. “She wants me to be who I am and supports me fully,” Page says. “It is a testament to how people really change.”

Another decision was to get top surgery. Page volunteers this information early in our conversation; at the time he posted his disclosure on Instagram, he was recovering in Toronto. Like many trans people, Page emphasizes being trans isn’t all about surgery. For some people, it’s unnecessary. For others, it’s unaffordable. For the wider world, the media’s focus on it has sensationalized transgender bodies, inviting invasive and inappropriate questions. But Page describes surgery as something that, for him, has made it possible to finally recognize himself when he looks in the mirror, providing catharsis he’s been waiting for since the “total hell” of puberty. “It has completely transformed my life,” he says. So much of his energy was spent on being uncomfortable in his body, he says. Now he has that energy back.

For the transgender community at large, visibility does not automatically lead to acceptance. Around the globe, transgender people deal disproportionately with violence and discrimination. Anti-trans hate crimes are on the rise in the U.K. along with increasingly transphobic rhetoric in newspapers and tabloids. In the U.S., in addition to the perennial challenges trans people face with issues like poverty and homelessness, a flurry of bills in state legislatures would make it a crime to provide transition-related medical care to trans youth. And crass old jokes are still in circulation. When Biden lifted the ban on open service for transgender troops, Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che did a bit on Weekend Update about the policy being called “don’t ask, don’t tuck.”

Page says coming out as trans was “selfish” on one level: “It’s for me. I want to live and be who I am.” But he also felt a moral imperative to do so, given the times. Human identity is complicated and mysterious, but politics insists on fitting everything into boxes. In today’s culture wars, simplistic beliefs about gender—e.g., chromosomes = destiny—are so widespread and so deep-seated that many people who hold those beliefs don’t feel compelled to consider whether they might be incomplete or prejudiced. On Feb. 24, after a passionate debate on legislation that would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people, Representative Marie Newman, an Illinois Democrat, proudly displayed the pride flag in support of her daughter, who is trans. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, responded by hanging a poster outside her office that read: There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE.

The next day Dr. Rachel Levine, who stands to become the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate, endured a tirade from Senator Rand Paul about “genital mutilation” during her confirmation hearing. My second conversation with Page happens shortly after this. He brings it up almost immediately, and seems both heartbroken and determined. He wants to emphasize that top surgery, for him, was “not only life-changing but lifesaving.” He implores people to educate themselves about trans lives, to learn how crucial medical care can be, to understand that lack of access to it is one of the many reasons that an estimated 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide, according to one survey.

Page has been in the political trenches for a while, having leaned into progressive activism after coming out as queer in 2014. For two seasons, he and best friend Ian Daniel filmed Gaycation, a Viceland series that explored LGBTQ culture around the world and, at one point, showed Page grilling Senator Ted Cruz at the Iowa State Fair about discrimination against queer people. In 2019, Page made a documentary called There’s Something in the Water, which explores environmental hardships experienced by communities of color in Nova Scotia, with $350,000 of his own money. That activism extends to his own industry: in 2017, he published a Facebook post that, among other things, accused director Brett Ratner of forcibly outing him as gay on the set of an X-Men movie. (A representative for Ratner did not respond to a request for comment.)

As a trans person who is white, wealthy and famous, Page has a unique kind of privilege, and with it an opportunity to advocate for those with less. According to the U.S. Trans Survey, a large-scale report from 2015, transgender people of color are more likely to experience unemployment, harassment by police and refusals of medical care. Nearly half of all Black respondents reported being denied equal treatment, verbally harassed and/or physically attacked in the past year. Trans people as a group fare much worse on such stats than the general population. “My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today,” Page says, “and of course I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can.”

Since his disclosure, Page has been mostly quiet on social media. One exception has been to tweet on behalf of the ACLU, which is in the midst of fighting anti-trans bills and laws around the country, including those that ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says he will sign such a bill in the name of “protect[ing] young girls.” Page played competitive soccer and vividly recalls the agony of being told he would have to play on the girls’ team once he aged out of mixed-gender squads. After an appeal, Page was allowed to play with the boys for an additional year. Today, several bills list genitalia as a requirement for deciding who plays on which team. “I would have been in that position as a kid,” Page says. “It’s horrific.”

All this advocacy is unlikely to make life easier. “You can’t enter into certain spaces as a public trans person,” says the ACLU’s Strangio, “without being prepared to spend some percentage of your life being threatened and harassed.” Yet, while he seems overwhelmed at times, Page is also eager. Many of the political attacks on trans people—whether it is a mandate that bathroom use be determined by birth sex, a blanket ban on medical interventions for trans kids or the suggestion that trans men are simply wayward women beguiled by male privilege—carry the same subtext: that trans people are mistaken about who they are. “We know who we are,” Page says. “People cling to these firm ideas [about gender] because it makes people feel safe. But if we could just celebrate all the wonderful complexities of people, the world would be such a better place.”

Even if Page weren’t vocal, his public presence would communicate something powerful. That is in part because of what Paisley Currah, a professor of political science at Brooklyn College, calls “visibility gaps.” Historically, trans women have been more visible, in culture and in Hollywood, than trans men. There are many explanations: Our culture is obsessed with femininity. Men’s bodies are less policed and scrutinized. Patriarchal people tend to get more emotional about who is considered to be in the same category as their daughters. “And a lot of trans men don’t stand out as trans,” says Currah, who is a trans man himself. “I think we’ve taken up less of the public’s attention because masculinity is sort of the norm.”

During our interviews, Page will repeatedly refer to himself as a “transgender guy.” He also calls himself nonbinary and queer, but for him, transmasculinity is at the center of the conversation right now. “It’s a complicated journey,” he says, “and an ongoing process.”

While the visibility gap means that trans men have been spared some of the hate endured by trans women, it has also meant that people like Page have had fewer models. “There were no examples,” Page says of growing up in Halifax in the 1990s. There are many queer people who have felt “that how they feel deep inside isn’t a real thing because they never saw it reflected back to them,” says Tiq Milan, an activist, author and transgender man. Page offers a reflection: “They can see that and say, ‘You know what, that’s who I am too,’” Milan says. When there aren’t examples, he says, “people make monsters of us.”

For decades, that was something Hollywood did. As detailed in the 2020 Netflix documentary Disclosure, transgender people have been portrayed onscreen as villainous and deceitful, tragic subplots or the butt of jokes. In a sign of just how far the industry has come—spurred on by productions like Pose and trailblazers like Mock—Netflix offered to change the credits on The Umbrella Academy the same day that its star posted his statement on social media. Now when an episode ends, the first words viewers see are “Elliot Page.”

Today, there are many out trans and nonbinary actors, directors and producers. Storylines involving trans people are more common, more respectful. Sometimes that aspect of identity is even incidental, rather than the crux of a morality tale. And yet Hollywood can still seem a frightening place for LGBTQ people to come out. “It’s an industry that says, ‘Don’t do that,’” says director Silas Howard, who got his break on Amazon’s show Transparent, which made efforts to hire transgender crew members. “I wouldn’t have been hired if they didn’t have a trans initiative,” Howard says. “I’m always aware of that.”

So what will it mean for Page’s career? While Page has appeared in many projects, he also faced challenges landing female leads because he didn’t fit Hollywood’s narrow mold. Since Page’s Instagram post, his team is seeing more activity than they have in years. Many of the offers coming in—to direct, to produce, to act—are trans-related, but there are also some “dude roles.”

Downtime in quarantine helped Page accept his gender identity. “I was finally able to embrace being transgender,” he says.

Page was attracted to the role of Vanya in The Umbrella Academy because—in the first season, released in 2019—Vanya is crushed by self-loathing, believing herself to be the only ordinary sibling in an extraordinary family. The character can barely summon the courage to move through the world. “I related to how much Vanya was closed off,” Page says. Now on set filming the third season, co-workers have seen a change in the actor. “It seems like there’s a tremendous weight off his shoulders, a feeling of comfort,” says showrunner Steve Blackman. “There’s a lightness, a lot more smiling.” For Page, returning to set has been validating, if awkward at times. Yes, people accidentally use the wrong pronouns—“It’s going to be an adjustment,” Page says—but co-workers also see and acknowledge him.

The debate over whether cisgender people, who have repeatedly collected awards for playing trans characters, should continue to do so has largely been settled. However, trans actors have rarely been considered for cisgender parts. Whatever challenges might lie ahead, Page seems exuberant about playing a new spectrum of roles. “I’m really excited to act, now that I’m fully who I am, in this body,” Page says. “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.”

This includes having short hair again. During our interview, Page keeps rearranging strands on his forehead. It took a long time for him to return to the barber’s chair and ask to cut it short, but he got there. And how did that haircut feel?

Page tears up again, then smiles. “I just could not have enjoyed it more,” he says.”

#suicide m #transphobia m #Elliot Page #transgender #representation #celebrities #actors #tv #movies #rep #trans #transmasculine #nonbinary #queer #long post

2K notes · View notes

gimme-mor · 3 years

Text

ACOTAR THINK PIECE: ELAIN ARCHERON, UNTOUCHABLE

*DISCLAIMER*

This will be a long post.

Please take the time to read this post in its entirety and truly reflect on the message I am trying to send before commenting. My goal is to use my background in Gender and Women’s Studies to deconstruct the comments I have seen on Tumblr and Twitter and bring awareness to the ACOTAR fandom.

The reason I am tagging “Elriel” in this post is to call attention to the arguments in the Elriel fandom that: weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions about Elain’s character and her relationship with Lucien; victimize Elain’s character in fandom discussions; and coddle Elain’s character, which limits fandom discussions about her narrative development and prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions in the same way that the fandom holds other characters accountable for their actions and inactions. It is for these reasons that I WILL NOT remove the “Elriel” tag from this post because all of the above points contribute to the toxic discourse surrounding Elain’s character.

I urge those who use these arguments to understand their implications, why they are problematic, regardless of intent, and reexamine their contributions to the ACOTAR fandom. I WILL NOT tolerate anyone who tries to twist my words and say I am attacking people and their personal shipping preferences. In fact, I AM CRITIQUING THE ARGUMENTS THEMSELVES NOT THE PEOPLE USING THE ARGUMENTS.

Also, I highly encourage the Elriel fandom to read this post because it addresses how the concept of choice as an argument enables arguments to exploit social justice and feminist languge in order to vilify Elucien shippers, among other problematic things.

Elain Archeron is one of the most polarizing characters in the ACOTAR fandom. Though opinions about Elain vary, arguments in the Elriel fandom cite society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters as the reason behind the hate, and this belief is used to provide an explanation as to why other characters in the series are favored over her. In the series, Elain is portrayed in a wholly positive light and this image carries over into the Elriel fandom, painting her character as a good and kind female who has been unfairly wronged and a victim of circumstances that were out of her control. When arguments in the Elriel fandom oppose other viewpoints in the fandom, they fall into one of three categories:

Category 1: Weaponize Elain’s femalehood to shame real life people for their opinions

Maybe people who hate Elain are just jealous of her in a weird way similar to when someone hates the pretty, nice, and charming girl in school just because she is too perfect

Disliking Elain is misogynistic

What happened to feminism? What happened to women supporting women? What happened to she can say no? All of that disappears the second you force Elain to be with Lucien

Elain antis are misogynistic

All Eluciens are Elain antis

Antis claiming they’re feminists when in reality they hate on Elain and Feyre but love Nesta

Elain antis are such sore losers. Y’all were that bunch of people who could not get over being rejected from hanging out with the cool kids so y’all are projecting your hatred towards pretty people now to get validation

I don’t get how Elain’s love for gardening equals boring for some people. I’m sorry your misogyny finds traditionally feminine activities boring

Why are you attacking a female? What did Elain do? Where are your feminist voices?

The fandom is misogynistic towards Elain

If people loved Elain they would ship Elriel

If you hate Elain it says a lot about your feelings toward women

If you hate Elain because she has no “development” then you must hate Azriel because otherwise you’re misogynistic

Eluciens are turned off by the idea of a woman that has the autonomy to reject a man for the simple reason that it is her choice

Eluciens are all about feminism and “it’s HER choice” until it comes down to females not wanting a male

Eluciens don’t respect Elain’s feelings when they ship her with someone that was part of her trauma and makes her feel uncomfortable

The way some Elucien shippers completely disregard how uncomfortable Elain is around Lucien is so hilariously not funny. Prioritizing being mates over Elain’s feelings is just regressive

It’s hard as a fan of Elain to see someone ship her with a person who makes her physically uncomfortable to be around. Wouldn’t you want both characters to be happy to be around each other

Imagine if SJM saw all the awful things her “stans” had to say about Elain

It’s true that we know comparatively little about her, but is she really boring or do you just not value stereotypically feminine traits?

So y’all are just gonna tell me you prefer Elucien over Elriel? Even though Lucien treats Elain as if she’s something that belongs to him? The only reason he wants to be with her is because she’s his mate, he doesn’t respect her, doesn’t treat her as his equal, even though that’s what mates should be? He doesn’t bother to look past what’s on the outside to see her for who she is. And Elain is obviously repulsed by the idea that she should belong to anyone or have no choice in who she can be with. Azriel is her friend and the only person who sees her quiet strength. He has so much faith in her, in her abilities; he’s the one who kept her company when no one else did, he’s the only one who bothered to see her for more than her brokenness. You’re going to tell me you still prefer Elucien over Elriel?

The more I see Gwynriels that ship Elucien out of their hate for Elain, the less I can understand Elain stans that ship Elucien. Pls Elain has made it very clear that she doesn’t want Lucien, why would you ship her with him? Do you hate her too? Smh

The real question would be, if you care and understand Elain why would you ship her with Lucien (where she canonically shrinks when he is near)?

People crying over Helion and Lucien’s mom not getting to be with each other and her being forced into a relationship she didn’t want, but also ship Elucien? Just say you hate Elain

When Elain’s book is out, Gwyn stans will look like clowns and I will laugh because they set her up by shipping her with Azriel just because they hate Elain. Watch them play the victims now because Elriels are clapping back the hate they’ve sent towards Elain

As romantic as wanting girl who is visibly uncomfortable around a guy who caused her trauma to end up with the said guy. Guess their standards for romance are in hell

Category 2: Victimize Elain’s character

Gwynriels only want Gwyn with Azriel because they despise Elain

Gwyn stans and Gwynriels are Elain antis

No one in the books dislike Elain, so why are there so many people who do?

Elain hasn’t done anything wrong or questionable to warrant the hate she gets

Not having Elain’s POV makes it easy for people to be swayed a certain way about her character if you already don’t relate to her in some way

It’s been years since this series came out and we haven’t gotten a lick of an Elain POV, but people still hate her for what? We don’t know her thoughts, dreams, or aspirations

We haven’t even had Elain’s perspective yet and people are passing these judgments off on her

Elain antis who say she’s boring are just cruel when she has obvious symptoms of PTSD like Feyre and Nesta

Gwyn is one of the most overhyped characters and that’s only because most people hate Elain and they couldn’t wait to find a random girl to ship Azriel with

Nesta was abusive to her sisters but Elain (who has only ever been kind) is painted as the villain

From the text we know that Elain is the epitome of feminine stereotypes (gentle, gardening, baking, non confrontational for the most part). Yet people still call her boring or deny that she has any interesting character traits?

You can’t love Nesta and hate Elain

People hate Elain because of internalized misogyny and lack of taste. All the girl does is tend to her garden and mind her business and they treat her worse than Tamlin

Does Gwyn deserve all this support? Of course yes! She is amazing! But where’s that support when Elain was in the same situation as she? Where’s that support for her right now? Why do they idolize Gwyn for her interactions with Azriel and hate Elain for having any interaction with him?

It’s not even a ship war anymore, they just hate Elain

People hate Elain for no reason

Some of y’all don’t like feminine traits and it shows

We know less about Eris and Helion but people don’t call them boring. Why would rejecting femininity make Elain more interesting?

Elain has had a lot forced upon her

The main reason I believe most people love Gwyn so much is to get Azriel away from Elain. It’s not a secret that Elain has been a widely hated character for years so suddenly we get a new female who has a minimal amount of interactions with Azriel and BOOM. New ship that once again doesn’t make sense (just like Azriel x Emerie after ACOFAS)

Elain hasn’t done something so terrible for her to get this hate. At this point some of you are just being misogynistic and you don’t want to accept it. Don’t call yourselves feminists and then say bs like this, it’s embarrassing. She’s pretty and everyone agreed to hate on her

Just a personal feeling, but I feel like a lot of the Elain hate stems from internalized misogyny. That to be a strong female lead, you need to pick up a sword and fight. That to be strong, you need to adapt traditionally masculine traits

Elain is feminine. She is beautiful. She loves to bake and garden. She is docile, quiet, observant, and a people-pleaser. All traditionally feminine traits. Yet for some reason, she’s like the worst in these people’s eyes?

I think also maybe a lot of people can’t relate to her femininity? That her being so beautiful and quiet doesn’t allow for the people who dislike her not to self-insert? Most of the hate stems from people not wanting Elain to be with Azriel. It’s mean, but maybe the people who hate Elain literally just can’t self-insert if they have a story and that’s why they’re vehemently against it?

Poor Elain. The Cauldron dealt her a bad deal. Upon emerging as Fae, she is immediately declared by Lucien as his mate, never mind that she was already engaged to a prick. Her love life is not good

It blows my mind how they really think that they can compare all the shit that Elain gets with some dumb jokes about Gwyn on Twitter (and yes, the “hate” towards her started mostly because Elriels are clapping back, it was bound to happen)

I would think of it as anti-feminist with Elain and Lucien because she has consistently stated that she does not want him so if she was forced to embrace the bond that would be taking away her right to have a choice but with Az she feels comfortable around so if they were mates then Elain would be happy and feel safe which again should be the priority for women to feel safe in their relationships with anything and to not be forced into any type of situation aka the mating bond in this

Category 3: Coddle Elain’s character

Elain has value the way she is, in all her domestic girly glory. Not every character has to be badass

We don’t speak of Elain’s flaws frequently because everyone else already speaks badly of her, mainly in an unfair way

There is definitely something deeper going on with Elain but by no means will she ever be evil or any less feminine. That goes against everything we already know about her

It’s ok to critique Elain because she needs growth but y’all keep forgetting the shit her and her sisters went through

The last “bad” thing Elain did in ACOTAR was not help Feyre when they were impoverished and I’m tired of people acting like she’s a terrible character when it was their father’s responsibility. It happened 4 books ago and Feyre has forgiven both Nesta and Elain

Elain’s character and the evil Elain theory are a great example of the trend where people only consider female characters interesting if they reject femininity

We don’t know enough to hate Elain

Many people want Elain to turn evil (which in my opinion seems to come from a place of internalized misogyny)

However we don’t tend to talk about her faults, at least not publicly, as that has been, and still is, done to death, and I--personally, at least--find it much more fun to theorise about potentially interesting aspects of the overall plot, than dwell on negatives

And ultimately, I would be shocked if Elain has a more karmically-charged story than Nesta, considering that Elain’s “wrongs” are so much less severe and bad than Nesta’s, and Elain has already apologized for them (or paid the price in other ways, like through what Graysen did)

I guess I also think Elain has suffered and been punished enough. I hope her story is about finding hope in terrible situations, and learning to love her new life, and choosing her own path after everything that has been done to her. I don’t think she needs to be punished anymore or face any additional trauma

Also, why is she being judged on her decisions as a human at all? Fae are monsters to humans! They enslaved them for thousands of years, and the Wall was erected to keep them out

Like I’m sorry, but think Elain would want to leave her ONLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS for the Spring Court where she has no one because--oh look, lots of flowers!--is the craziest thing I have ever heard

Her sisters are in the Night Court. Her nephew is in the Night Court. Her closest friends (Nuala and Cerridwen) are in the Night Court. Her love interest is in the Night Court. Her extended family is in the Night Court. Her home is in the Night Court

SJM isn’t going to keep two sisters together and split up the third. Especially not keep Feyre and Nesta together and separate Elain. They were either all going to end up in separate places, or together. Not 2 here and 1 there

Compared to the other female characters in the series, Elain is the only character whose femalehood is at the center of conversations; this is because arguments in the Elriel fandom fixate on it when discussing her character. While Elain, Feyre, Nesta, and Mor are all representations of white womanhood and white beauty, Elain epitomizes the most fragile version of white womanhood. It’s easy to blame society’s perception of traditional female characters in comparison to non-traditional female characters when it comes to the discourse surrounding Elain’s character because it: falls in line with the fixation on Elain’s femalehood to silence opposing viewpoints; is a simplistic explanation that fails to tackle the underlying issues with Elain as a character, the same issues that are downplayed in-universe; absolves Elain of her wrongdoings; prevents the ACOTAR fandom from holding Elain accountable for her actions and inactions within the series; and diminishes the impact Elain’s actions and inactions have on those around her. It’s not that Elain is hated in the fandom because she’s a traditional female character; it’s the fact that arguments in the Elriel fandom deflect a critical analysis of Elain’s character because she’s a traditional female character who embodies the ideal white woman in need of protection. White fans and white-aligned fans of color, especially white women, have a tendency to vehemently defend, gatekeep, and coddle white female characters in fandom; this makes it difficult for other fans to engage in critical discussions about these white female characters because they’re viewed as flawless and all around perfect characters despite evidence to the contrary. Since Elain is viewed positively by the other characters in the series, it has rendered her character untouchable to any perceived slight or criticism in fandom discussions because those negative opinions challenge what has been said about her character thus far. And as a result, her character has been placed on a pedestal and implicitly hailed as the epitome of white womanhood; and when she’s criticized, it’s seen as a direct attack against white womanhood. Arguments in the Elriel fandom: exploit feminist language and perpetuate white feminist tactics under the guise of defending Elain’s character; center Elain in conversations about female oppression in the ACOTAR world and uphold white feminist ideologies in their critique of ACOTAR’s patriarchal society; and use the fragile white woman narrative to victimize Elain in Lucien’s presence, playing into racial biases that are associated with white supremacy’s defense of white womanhood.

Feminism is a social movement that seeks to promote equality and equity to all genders, and feminists work toward eradicating gender disparities on a macro-level, in addition to challenging gender biases on a micro-level. As feminism became more mainstream, a flat and oversimplified version of feminism emerged: mainstream feminism. The mainstream feminist movement is meant to represent all women, but rarely does it center conversations around issues that concern most women. The problem with mainstream feminism is that it’s just a popularized version of white feminism. White feminism has relied extensively on an individualized understanding of women’s oppression, exclusively from the lens of privileged white women. White feminism only focuses on the oppression experienced by white, able-bodied, affluent, educated, cishet women; and it views gender as the key mode of privileged white women’s oppression, isolated from the privileges granted by their other social identities. White women can be and are oppressed under the patriarchy but only because they are women; their identity as women does not exempt them from the privileges granted by their whiteness. The term white feminist does not mean any feminist who is white, but refers to feminists who prioritize the concerns of privileged white women as though they are representative of all women. However, the term is not exclusive to white people. Because white feminism is so pervasive, people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds often buy into white feminism, believing that if they work hard enough, they may be able to reap its rewards.

Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism only recognizes the identity of being a woman, assumes that all women share common experiences of gender oppression, fails to address other social identities in relation to overlapping systems of oppression, and disregards privilege in relation to various social identities. Just like white feminism, mainstream feminism is palatable because it doesn’t seek to challenge the systems in place, instead its goal is to succeed within them. Essentially, mainstream feminism and white feminism are extensions of performative feminism. Performative feminism is a type of performative activism that’s used to describe feminist views that are surface level and solely for the benefit of one type of person. It’s a pretense which often has nothing to do with genuine activism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom normalize and promote performative feminism because the topic of feminism is only referenced when discussing Elain. This indicates that these arguments are engaging in disingenuous discourse to push a personal agenda within the ACOTAR fandom, and it becomes more apparent when they use white feminist tactics to shut down opposing viewpoints:

White feminists weaponize and exploit feminist language to silence the opinions of other women, especially when they’re called out for their problematic behaviors

White feminists use the phrase “Women supporting women” to defend other white feminists who exhibit problematic behaviors instead of holding them accountable

White feminists weaponize phrases like “Women supporting women” and “You just hate women” to attack other women who disagree with them on any given topic

White feminists use phrases like “All women face challenges” and “Stop pitting women against each other” to sidestep conversations about privilege

White feminists divert conversations away from privilege and towards the Trauma Olympics to equate their struggles to the oppression of marginalized people

White feminists skirt around the realities of other forms of oppression and discrimination, downplaying the experiences of marginalized people

White feminists diminish or ignore the ways in which gender oppression affects other marginalized people

White feminists paint those they harmed as aggressive, mean, or divisive when confronted with the ways they have harmed a marginalized group

White feminists deflect criticism by focusing on the anger or emotions being expressed rather than the issue that is being discussed, invalidating the concerns of marginalized people

White feminists speak over marginalized voices in an attempt to sound “woke”

White feminists get defensive and insist there’s no way they could be a part of the problem because of what they’ve done to help marginalized groups already

White feminists say they don’t see color in an attempt to obscure racial issues that need to be addressed

White feminists center and victimize themselves in conversations about racism, which derails necessary conversations from taking place

White feminists who are white weaponize the intersectionality of their race and gender to avoid accountability

Feminism is not meant to be approached from an individualistic perspective nor is it only about addressing the experiences of privileged white women, it involves addressing the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, and other social identities as well; and it involves addressing how these social identities relate to privilege. Moreover, feminism is not about women upholding complete loyalty to other women because of a shared gender identity, and to claim that it does implies that women should be held to different emotional standards than men. If men are able to dislike and criticize other individual men, real or fictional, without their characters being compromised, why aren’t women granted that same privilege?

It’s clear that SJM set up the ACOTAR world to mirror a patriarchal society, and that the imbalance of power between males and females stems from sexism. Arguments in the Elriel fandom analyze the ACOTAR world through a feminist lens to show how ACOTAR’s patriarchal society, to which the mating bond is innately tied, contributes to female oppression and limits their agency. When choice and free will are emphasized as part of Elain’s arc, they imply that Elain, through the mating bond, experiences female oppression under ACOTAR’s patriarchal society because of her identity as a female with that identity being the focal point of her oppression in the world. Elain is one of the most privileged characters in the ACOTAR world: she’s High Fae; she’s the sister of the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, which gives her access to wealth and political influence because of that connection; she’s able-bodied; she was magically blessed by the Cauldron; and she lives in Velaris, a place that grants females autonomy and power because of the beliefs of Rhysand and Feyre. Arguments in the Elriel fandom trivialize female oppression in the ACOTAR world because they disregard the fact that Elain’s privileges prevent her from experiencing female oppression in the same way that other marginalized females in the world do. The mating bond being one such example because those around Elain are not forcing the bond on her, instead they’re allowing Elain to reach a decision about the bond for herself; a privilege that other marginalized females in the world probably wouldn’t have. Just because Elain has endured hardships in her life and is a female in a patriarchal society, they do not erase the privileges she holds within the ACOTAR world. The failure to include Elain’s privileges in discussions about Elain being a female in a patriarchal society feeds into white feminist ideologies because white feminism operates from a very narrow perspective; it doesn’t take other intersecting identities into account when it examines gender oppression, leaving no room for discussions about privilege (or lack thereof) in relation to those intersecting identities. When discussing oppression in hierarchical societies, it’s imperative that privilege is also included in the conversation because privilege and oppression are not mutually exclusive; they equally affect the ways in which people navigate those societies through their social identities.

Rather than attributing Elain’s uncomfortability to her new life as a Fae female or the mating bond itself and her trauma to the Cauldron, the King of Hybern, or Ianthe, they’re placed on Lucien to cast his character in a negative light. Moreover, fandom discussions portray Lucien as a possessive character to further emphasize Elain’s discomfort despite the inaccuracy of this characterization in canon. Arguments in the Elriel fandom play into racial biases when it comes to Lucien (a male character of color) because they mischaracterize his character in order to victimize Elain (a white female character), placing her character in the role of the white damsel in distress. In Western society, the concept of womanhood has been conceptualized from a Eurocentric perspective with femininity and feminine attributes favoring white women. It’s the idea that a certain type of femininity is only inherent to white women as they are seen as the embodiment of an ideal womanhood. White womanhood has been a symbol of innocence and purity, and white women have been viewed as fragile beings in need of protection. The reason white womanhood functions within white supremacy is because it’s the same idea that has motivated white men to kill and beat black and brown men. The so-called protection of white women has been used as a justification for the horrific violence committed by white men because black and brown men were stereotyped as aggressive and seen as a threat to the virtue of white women. The white damsel in distress trope considered white women as worthy of protection because of their perceived innocence and purity; women of color were not granted that same treatment because they did not fit into the ideal image of womanhood. Over the years, this trope became a means for white women to exercise limited power in a patriarchal society with white women weaponizing their status as the damsel much to the detriment of black and brown men. It’s through the white damsel in distress trope that white supremacy sustains its dominance in Western society. The misrepresentation of characters of color in fandom, the dismissal of their importance to the overall story, and using them as tools in arguments centered around white characters are the foundation of fandom racism; they’re examples of how racism moves silently in fandom spaces. Instead of examining their behavior and taking constructive criticism from fans of color, white fans will often double down on their bigotry and center their uncomfortability in the conversation when confronted with their complicity in fandom racism. White fans expect fans of color to swallow fandom racism in its many forms in order to not ruin the experience of fandom, dismissing the fact that racism is prevalent in nearly every aspect of society. This mentality ensures that no one is held accountable for the harm they caused and alienates fans of color in fandom spaces.

To reiterate what I mentioned in my first think piece: terms like “oppression”, “the right to choose”, “feminist”, “feminism”, “anti-feminist”, “anti-feminism”, “internalized misogyny”, “misogyny”, “misogynist”, “sexist”, “sexism”, “racist”, “racism”, “classist”, “classism”, “discrimination”, and “patriarchy” are all used in specific ways to draw attention to the plight of marginalized people and challenge those who deny the existence of systems of oppression. Yet these words and their meanings can be twisted to attack, exclude, and invalidate people with differing opinions on any given topic. When social justice and feminist terms are thrown around antagonistically and carelessly to push a personal agenda, it becomes clear that these terms are being used to engage in disingenuous discourse and pursue personal validation rather than being used out of any deep-seated conviction to dismantle systemic oppression. Being an ally, activist, or feminist is not an identity, it’s a practice. It requires: ongoing self-reflection; holding ourselves accountable; listening to marginalized people; educating ourselves; dismantling implicit biases; challenging those around us who are exhibiting problematic behaviors; and action behind our words.

It’s important to be aware of the language that is used within the fandom when defending or critiquing characters and ships. It’s also important to question how an argument is framed and why it’s framed the way that it is to critically examine the intent behind that argument: is it used as a tool to push a personal agenda that reinforces problematic behaviors, or is it used as an opportunity to share, learn, enlighten, and educate?

-----------

Tagging: @spell-cleavers @bookofmirth @m0bulidae @ilya-boltagon

#elain archeron #elriel #acotar fandom #acotar: fandom critical

335 notes · View notes

sepublic · 3 years

Text

I really dig how now that a lot of FNAF kids are grown up, it’s become a lot more mainstream and openly beloved now; It helps that FNAF has had recent content and lore.

Because back during its debut it was seen as ‘cringey’ and ‘for kids’ and you had a lot of older people making fun of it, and it was a niche sort of thing. But now that a lot of FNAF fans have gotten older and gained more of a presence as experienced content creators, there’s like... This resurgence of people who get to vocalize how they really liked this stuff, and find other people who also have the same appreciation; And it’s just really encouraging and validating to see. It’s incredibly sweet seeing how popular perception has turned around, when back then the only popular creators who DID do FNAF (like Markiplier or MatPat) were seen as appealing to a ‘lower’ demographic.

Obviously the constant, upwards stream of content and lore also helps. But still, FNAF really does seem so much more popular and prevalent in meme culture now, that it’s legit become something ‘acceptable’ to like, and not in a New Fad type of way either (not that kids should need ‘acceptance’ for their interests). People grew up on it and now they’re old and confident and united enough to express their enjoyment without guilt, unironically. And that in turn influences other people who haven’t really heard or are impartial, and now you’ve got Freddy Fazbear memes all over the place. There’s even the lasting influence that leads to stuff like the freaking Banana Splits movie, which was originally a FNAF film! Kellen Goff made a name for himself with FNAF and is a recognized VA.

It’s legit all over the place and a trending sensation and people are nostalgically into it, they think it’s legit cool; FNAF has legitimate staying power in people’s minds and recognition, it’s got a solid reputation and Freddy Fazbear is now a cultural gaming icon, a household name like in-universe. Creators who made stuff back in the day are just as beloved and have triumphed despite the sneering accusations of ‘cringe’. People aren’t afraid to be mocked for it or have it labeled ‘overrated’, and I think it just says a lot about how kids usually get shamed and made fun of for their interests... How all this ‘back in my day’ generational talk is just utter bullshit, how every generation before has lamented the ones after, talked of the decline of ‘good media’. It’s just people enjoying themselves and whatever criticisms one might have for the creator, they certainly weren’t at mind back when kids were being mocked for their fun.

I just think it’s fascinating and surreal to see, that stuff you enjoyed as a kid, or you saw as ‘kid’ stuff... Knowing that now or in a few years, there’s gonna be all of these older people on the internet recognizing it, talking about it with one another; Excited to see people also liked it, speaking of how it was their childhood! It’s just weirdly nostalgic even if you yourself weren’t involved in the thing, because you can really relate. You can relate to that sense of going on the internet and finding other people who also loved that! For a while you thought you were alone, but now it’s cool now, other people find it cool, and you can be casual about being into it!

It’s honestly rather uplifting, seeing it firsthand that people are gonna grow up. That your generation and the one after will grow, and actually impact the world in the future. There’s gonna be actual change of some sorts, and even if it’s something as small and innocuous as a franchise about killer animatronics... It makes me feel hopeful? Like we’ll have an impact and maybe we weren’t for nothing, after all.

So it really is important not to make fun of kids for just enjoying themselves, because what’s ‘cringe’ is so arbitrary and will easily turn around; It just isn’t worth it to ruin others’ fun, surely you remember also being shamed and scolded? This situation perfectly exemplifies about how us fully-grown geezers really should know better and be more sympathetic and patient, not be buzzkills for these kids; It’s not for us but so is a lot of stuff we enjoyed back in the day, no longer for ‘us’ as we are now! Times are a-changing as are the generations, we just gotta accept and embrace and be happy for that, because that is the best thing or everyone would’ve been way more miserable for millennia.

It just really is the best feeling growing up and enjoying that thing clearly meant for kids and being a bit embarrassed by it... But then growing up and finding others who also loved and still love it, and thus get to express and continue that enjoyment! Make new stuff for it as an adult when you’ve got more experience, which again leads to this type of fandom renaissance I mentioned. Like, it’s gonna be okay; You felt like such a silly loser, but you’re gonna find other people like you who will show otherwise. It was valid, YOU’RE valid and it was awesome just for giving you joy. No more guilt. It’s gonna get better.

(Anyhow I just gotta say as someone who left a while back but still has some memories, it is SURREAL learning through osmosis how much of a juggernaut of lore this franchise has begun. The enigmatic purple guy has a name and family members and a face reveal. It’s apparently about kids’ souls being stuffed into robots to bring back the dead? Remember when it was so simple, and now it’s so spiraled into so much more, with all of the elaborate theories no longer a stretch from canon? Reminds me of how my other childhood interests have developed, and it’s all nostalgic as a result.)

#FNAF #five nights at freddy's #ramblings

26 notes · View notes

kokichixreaderthings · 3 years

Note

Idk if you've already done something like this or not but may I request kokichi having an s/o who stims a lot and owns stim toys? I love your blog btw your "kokichi reacting to s/o coming out as non binary" literally made me so happy to read :D

kokichi x s/o reader who stims <3

i haven’t done something like this yet! and this was pretty enjoyable to write :) i do stim sometimes, so i used my own experience with this but also combined with all the other experiences i’ve seen from other people! and thank you!! im glad i made you happy!! i hope you like this too!

i headcanon that kokichi stims too!!

he’s just very subtle about it in public

he wants to keep up his ~supreme leader~ and ~mysterious~ ways and he feels like stimming too often would ruin that

(it wouldn’t ruin it btw to anyone reading this who stims! you should feel free to stim anytime you want!)

for example, in public, he rocks back and forth, plays with his hair, etc, but it’s subtle, you’d only notice if you’re staring at him

but when he’s in more of his playful ways, he does stim a lot more noticeably since it could technically go with his persona

like shaking his hands or repeating phrases

and also he’s always fidgeting

like always

he has a lot of energy!

so yeah he completely understands your stimming habits!

and when he finds out you stim too he’s pretty excited! he’s glad he’s not alone

“woah you stim too?! *sniffles* i-i’m s-so happy i’m not the only o-one!!!”

he uses fake tears to hide that he’s actually happy :)

you stimming too just makes him feel a little more validated

he doesn’t usually stim often in front of people but since you stim too he might start feeling better about stimming in public

or at least he might be encouraged to stim around just you!

he feels comfortable around you, you’re his s/o and he loves you, and now he knows you definitely won’t judge him for this!

though truthfully it takes a lot for him to reach that point

stimming in front of you=being vulnerable in front of you

so when he finally starts letting himself stim around you instead of hiding it, it’s a sign of trust!

also, kokichi is the type of person to 100% own a huge collection of stim toys

he owns like everything

he just loves having multiple options!

...and he also does it so it could seem like he’s collecting the toys just to be “cool”

so no one knows he stims,,,

(again, don’t feel afraid to stim!!!)

but you see through that! it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t just have these toys just because they’re cool, he plays with them all the time

and obviously you’ll want to share! there’s so many!! it’s a lot more than you would have

“oh? my beloved wants me to share my precious stim toys? wellll you’ll have to give me a kiss first!”

a kiss isn’t a bad price to pay..

and you two will share stim toys sometimes!

and kokichi thinks it’s really cute when you stim sometimes!

but only when it’s because you’re extremely happy! and only if you aren’t having any harmful stims

he just really likes seeing his beloved so happy!

“nishishi, i love you too much y/n. you look wayyyyy too cute right now! *mwah!*”

but if you do have any harmful stims like hitting yourself, he’ll try to stop it by encouraging you to use a toy instead

“hey, don’t hurt yourself, here! use this instead, ‘kay?”

becuase of you, he has stim toys on him 24/7

one for you and one for him !

but if he notices that you’ve been restraining from stimming the way you usually do...

he’s definitely not standing for that, stimming is normal, you should feel comfortable doing it!

“y/n you cant hide from me yknow? i know all about keeping secrets, its how i take down my enemies! and i know you haven’t been stimming lately so c’mon! tell me what’s wrong!”

he’ll listen to whatever you say and assure you as many times as you need that stimming is perfectly okay to do!

“beloved, don’t ever be afraid to stim. that’s so dumb! if anyone ever makes you upset, i’ll send all of D.I.C.E. after them! you don’t have to worry!”

after that, he’ll make sure he has stim breaks with you sometimes just to make sure you’re getting your energy out and relaxing!

overall, he loves you and he’ll definitely support you over this <3

thank you so much for reading!! and remember kokichi loves you!!💜💜💜

#danganronpa kokichi #kokichi oma #kokichi ouma #kokichi oma x reader #kokichi ouma x reader #kokichi x reader #a request! 💜#fun fact: i wrote this entire thing in school over the span of a few weeks i think #like every day i wrote a part and then another day i wrote a part #😎 im so cool-

80 notes · View notes

professorspork · 3 years

Note

Hot take, perhaps, but if/when Penny 3.0 happens I don't think she should have Floating Array, etherial or otherwise. It's just too bound up with her self-image as a Weapon instead of a Person. If Penny gets a sword, it needs to be a sword she can put down.

This is-- a fascinating take! I’m not sure I agree with it, but I think there’s some meaty ideas here worth unpacking. And I do think we agree on the fundamental premise (i.e. Penny’s autonomy needs to be foregrounded above all).

You assert that Penny’s current problem is that she sees herself as a Weapon and not a Person, and I don’t think that’s exactly the case.

One of the things I admire most about Penny is is that when people try and tell her who (or, insultingly, what) she is, she quietly but assertively refutes them. Though early on her conviction in her own personhood was somewhat shaky, when her friends encouraged her she took it to heart. After Ruby “I Love You And Your Beautiful Soul” Rose told her that she was real and Winter “Everyone’s Feelings Are Valid Except For Mine” Schnee told her that her opinions mattered, she got-- really quite bullish about this. To illustrate:

Random citizen: It's Ironwood's robot! Robyn: [suspicious] Penny. Penny: I-- I didn't! [7.06, A Night Off]

Vine: I thought you were supposed to protect the people, not hurt them. Penny: I would never hurt anyone. Elm: Well Winter’s in critical condition, because of you. Harriet: And you repaid her by stealing the power that should have been hers. Penny: But taking the Maiden power was the only way to stop-- [8.03, Strings]

Cinder: You’re just a tool to be used! Penny: You do not know what you are talking about. ... Cinder: I don’t serve anyone. And you wouldn’t either, if you weren't built that way. Penny: That is not… I choose to fight for people who care about me. [8.05, Amity]

Which isn’t to say Penny isn’t prone to self-doubt, because she absolutely is, or that Penny doesn’t have a self-sacrifice streak a mile wide, because she absolutely does. But Penny wouldn’t have that reflexive, Janet-saying-“Not-a-girl”-style reaction to people telling her she’s nothing but a weapon unless she genuinely thought they were wrong. She’s not defensive, in these moments, even though she’s defending herself. She’s certain.

Maybe this is me splitting hairs with your argument, but I don’t think Penny’s issue is that she sees herself as a weapon. It’s that she sees herself as a hero. Not just a soldier, but THE soldier. The Protector of Mantle. She’s not Winter; she’s not most comfortable when she’s got orders she can hide behind so she can reassure herself she’s doing the right thing because someone else already did that math. She’s-- she’s Spider-Man. She feels a tremendous responsibility to save everyone she can, because that’s what you do. And yes that’s also, literally, what she was built for, so I can see where the argument is coming from, but I think it matters that the argument’s being made about someone from Remnant.

And on Remnant, your weapon is an extension of who you are.

We’ve never, as far as I can remember, seen anyone straight up switch their weapon. Ironwood made the nuke attachment for his pistols, but it’s still Due Process underneath. Maria only carries one of her two canes, now, but she didn’t make any design changes. Same with Yang and (lefty) Ember Celica. Jaune gave Crocea Mors substantial upgrades, but it’s fundamentally the same weapon; Blake chose to solder Gambol Shroud back together rather than replace it... and if anyone had an argument that using the same weapon might be too traumatic, it would be her. I mean, hell, the Messrs Oz have been using the same staff for millennia.

Weapons aren’t something you turn your back on. I don’t think it’s something that would occur to people. It would be like-- like turning off your Aura. That’s you.

Unless, of course, you’re Cinder.

Cinder gave up on Midnight after the Beacon arc, and we’ve never seen it since. She relies exclusively on Maiden weapons instead-- some of which she molds into forms quite similar to her old swords or bow, but still. She tossed it aside. This follows the logic of the show: Cinder discarded the weapons, and with them the person she used to be, when she found it all to be lacking. Instead, she embraces what she sees as a higher form of power.

I don’t think Penny would think of Floating Array that way; as a sign of her failure. Nor do I think she’d see it as the prophesy/burden your take implies.

Granted, Watts used a sword from Floating Array in order to get access to her code and install the virus; it ended up being the vector for a huge breach of autonomy and violation of consent. But so was Tyrian using Harbinger to murder Clover, and Qrow’s still using it.

And granted, Penny didn’t choose Floating Array in the same way most people chose or designed their own weapons. She was born with it; activated combat-ready. But then, that’s not so different from Jaune inheriting Crocea Mors, is it? It might not be what either of them would have selected or been most suited for if they’d had the chance to say for themselves at the start, but... well, we’re far from the start, now. And Penny does choose Floating Array, when it matters. When she conjures weapons in her new, self-created body, she instinctively reaches for what she knows, what’s familiar. Her father’s providence. So for me, the moment you’re alluding to... it’s already happened. The whole point of leveraging Ambrosius’ limitations in the way they did is that Penny is separated from the parts of her that can be weaponized-- she watches her synthetic body eat itself, consumed by its own self-destructive urges. It doesn’t get much more metaphor-made-literal than that!

What remains, then, is Penny. And Penny uses Floating Array.

If Penny comes back and doesn’t resume the Winter Maidenhood (which I think is... low on the list of options, given Winter’s desperation and the likelihood that Maiden transference shenanigans are going to be a part of the vehicle that allows Penny to return in the first place), then she won’t have a choice. Either because that will mean she’s back in a 3.0 robot body (in which case it’s the same lack of choice she always had; Pietro wouldn’t give her an unfamiliar weapon after all that) or because she’s a Regular Normal Flesh Gal now and unless her Semblance is telekinesis (which it may be!!! we don’t know!!!) a weapon like Floating Array just isn’t on the table. But all of that, as I’ve already laid out, has to contend with so many unknown factors. How she comes back, and in what form, and at which time.

If Penny does end up designing a wholly new weapon, to me that would signal total transformation, given the rules and themes of the world. And that... well, it depends on the execution, I suppose, but I think I’d find that a little alarming. That she’d choose to have so little of her old self in her new form. But on the other hand, maybe I’m dead wrong there! That could also be read as yet another gorgeous act of creation by the Maiden best suited to it; it could be Penny choosing to yes-and herself into doubling down on her identity. She could be SO MUCH of a person that she, and she alone, gets to make a new weapon for her new self. I’m not against any of that!

But even if that’s the case, I still think we’d see the hard light version of Floating Array again, especially if we have a Maidenbowl Redux. Even if I were to concede to your point that it’s too bound up in her self-image issues, that doesn’t imply to me that she’d have to move beyond it. If she’s to contend with herself, if she’s to decide she’s a person and not a weapon as you lay out, she’s going to put all of herself in the effort. As the speech goes, it’s a part of her. Even if it’s just a part, that’s still... a part. And this show has never been about severing yourself from your broken bits; it’s been about embracing them tenderly and letting them actually heal.

...also, Floating Array is *checks notes* cool.

#rwby #penny polendina #Anonymous

160 notes · View notes

roleplayerconfessions · 2 years

Photo

🌴 It's pretty scary how deeply-entwined brands and media have become in some peoples' identities, and self-worth, to the point of being incredibly destructive, both for them and others. Especially when you combine this with a total lack of critical thinking and self-awareness.

There used to be a time where you could dislike something without being othered by people who did like it. There was a time where you wouldn't get told you "weren't a real fan" because you didn't like a new adaptation. But now, people get crucified for both of these things, because people have internalized their favourite media and brands so much that they literally cannot differentiate between the brand and themselves as an individual anymore. It's all been mixed up into one unvaried thing. If someone says they don't like a brand that you happen to like, well, it must mean they don't like you as a person! And that can't be allowed, no sir, something something No True Scotsman.

Case in point, and the reason I'm writing this: the Marvel fandom. Good grief. Consider this for a moment: it's totally acceptable, and even encouraged, when you don't like all of the comic book writers and runs for a character. Love David? Hate Taylor? Cool! Agree to disagree! There is so much variety; it's impossible to like everything. But the moment you say you don't like certain MCU movies, which are basically the film equivalents of comic runs, it's a cardinal sin, and you're looked at like you have a third eyeball. People genuinely don't understand how you can write a Marvel character, yet dislike many MCU movies. Because they're so absorbed in the MCU and its hype, its fandom, its everything, that now they see the MCU as the be-all, end-all of Marvel. They're so absorbed in it that everything remotely resembling a dislike for it now, no matter how valid the reason, is a personal attack on them, and they react by alienating anyone with a differing opinion. And boy, have I suffered a stupid amount of this shit without even going out of my way to provoke it. So many muns, who randomly looked at my blog, have decided to bitch and moan when I did literally nothing except say "I'm not interested in the MCU anymore, please don't talk about it with me".

Like, gasp! How can I possibly write a Marvel character, but not love the recent MCU movies?! The horror! I must not be a real fan! I must be a horrible person! I mean, I wrote this character way before the MCU came around, but sure - I guess I should drop them, and all those years of development, just because Disney recently made some stuff I don't like! I certainly can't continue writing them as usual, and simply ignore the releases I don't like! ...Ugh... This seems ridiculous, but it breaks a worrying number of peoples' brains, and their reactions can be vicious. The Marvel fandom feels less like a fandom these days, and more like an echo chamber.

I stay so, so far away from certain RP fandoms now because of this, including the Marvel fandom. And it's a damn shame, because I'd really love to write with Marvel and MCU characters, but so many muns are totally incapable of understanding the above stuff. And at this point, frankly, interacting with anyone in the Marvel fandom feels like playing a game of minesweeper where there's one safe tile and the rest are all mines.

#Submission #Muns #Fandoms #Bullying #Discrimination #Muses #Portrayals #Fandom Specific #Anxiety #Coarse Language

17 notes · View notes

probably-haven · 3 years

Text

after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons.

Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-

time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately

The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself. This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.

Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already. Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception

Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often. Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan.

I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is.

not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so-

It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)

Now lets talk about Venti...

uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me. I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit.

Venti’s response to this:

He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)

he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?

Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.

savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk-

fact time!

Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom.

now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:

Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-

also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you

so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.-

Okay! enough talking about that mindset!

idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already-

idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-

again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao

#genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin venti #xiaoven #genshin barbatos #opinions #discourse #? idk ill tag it just in case #dont mind my constant backtracking and justifying and repeated disclaimers-#i just have a crippling fear of being cancelled lol

52 notes · View notes