#misogyny mention CW

[elderscrollsconfessions]

Confession: I started playing Skyrim since 2018 and I'm a and I don't understand anything about computers or modding really still despite having a few mods (it just takes me too long to get everything working perfectly) and I'm very ashamed of it because as a man you're supposed to know everything about technology and stuff. Some people called me feminin brained on modding forums because of that. I'm just very sad because of those comments and the fact that I'll never have an "ultra modded ultra immersive realistic next gen 4k Skyrim" that doesn't look and feel like Skyrim like in all those cool YouTube videos. :( However I love Skyrim nonetheless, it always pulls me out of dark times.

mod note: You are not doing anything wrong, and it sounds like there are some very toxic (in multiple ways) people who are trying to police how you enjoy your game. No one deserves that. There are modding guides run by people who want to help you enjoy it, but you should use the mods that you want. If you’re not having fun, then the game isn’t doing its job.

[deputyrabies]

Headcanon Dump #1 : Childhood and Adolescence

Potentially triggering topics ahead:

Shane and Rick originally began to hang out because their mom's were best friends. As they grew older, they grew inseparable. Shane idolized Rick in every way possible, to the point he genuinely believed Rick could do no wrong. Rick easily and quickly became his best friend and brother.

Shane's mom passed away when he was young (probably around the age of 13). He'd often times spend his nights and weekends at the Grimes' household so he didn't have to go home.

While Shane's dad wasn't frequently abusive, he was a drunk. Throughout his youth, Shane'd do stupid shit to try and get his attention, and often times, the attention was violent when it came. Still, Shane took it because at least it's some time with his Pa. Shane's father also got aggressive with him whenever he acted or spoke any "less than a man should", leading to a lot of internalized homophobia and misogyny.

to be continued

[hasmephydoneanythingwrong]

Interesting two-fold story I’ve got (/ref). It involves a Berserker concept I rejected, and a Berserker concept I thought I’d keep around. That second part is long as fuck, though, so I’m gonna put that under the cut.

So last night, I was toying with the idea of myself as a Servant. I figured a really cool idea to explore would be a Berserker version whose Madness Enhancement makes them think only about Mephistopheles. The Madness Enhancement would force Berserker!me (henceforth referred to as “me,” “I,” “they,” or “Brucersker) to speak only in regards to Mephisto, sort-of switching around second- and third-person.

Example:

What I would like to say: “From what I’ve seen, is it safe to say that Mephistopheles hates you?”

What “I” would actually say: “I’ve seen your interactions… you hate her, right?”

What I really liked about “me” was the badass-sounding summoning line I came up with (content warning for misogyny, suicide, blood, repetition, and mentions of death in the link):

“Servant, Berserker. My incompetent self came for one reason and one reason only. Where. Is. My. Wife?”

I imagined that this would lead Guda on a sort-of goose chase around Chaldea, trying to figure out who Bruce’s “wife” is, with Brucerker merely saying “I’ll know him when I see him.” (I wrote “them” this way for the sake of dramatic tension, but who’s to say this isn’t also a result of Madness Enhancement?

I could probably write a ficlet on that search alone, but here’s the CliffNotes version:

Brucerker: "Where. Is. My. Wife?”

Guda: “I don’t know… But I can help you find her! What is your wife like?”

Brucerker: “...coy, and sly.”

Guda: “Okay… (that’s not enough to go off of…) What if I introduce you to all of my Servants?”

Brucerker: “Yes… Master should start with the one that’s been with them since the beginning.”

Guda takes Brucerker to meet Mash.

Guda: “This is Mash Kyrielight, my first Servant! Class: Shielder.”

Brucerker, as the Madness Enhancement unclouds some of their memories of being a Master: “No… She’s like you, but different… A protector, but much younger…”

Mash, not knowing how Brucerker’s Madness Enhancement works: "’Like you but different…’ hmm…”

Mash, Brucerker, and Guda go to see Berserker Lancelot.

Brucerker, remembering the effort they put into strengthening Lancelot out of pity: “Those golden crystals I gave to make him stronger… I could have given them to you. Was it worth it?”

Lancelot is enraged by this disrespect and tries to attack Brucerker. Luckily, Mash intercepts with her shield.

Guda (to Mash): “Okay, so we know they used to be a Master.” (to Bruce) “What else is your wife like?”

Brucerker: “Kind… so kind… so full of love.”

Guda ponders the information.

A protector like Mash (but not the same age)...

Kind and full of love...

There’s at least one Servant in Chaldea who fits that description who has told Guda of her experience in a previous Holy Grail War.

Factoring in the Madness Enhancement, it’s entirely possible that Brucerker is confusing being “sly and coy” for something else.

Guda decides that it could be Jeanne, with Brucerker mistaking her more laid-back attitude toward being burned at the stake for aloofness.

Guda and Mash take Brucerker to see Jeanne, who is in the cafeteria hanging out with Astolfo.

Guda introduces them to Brucerker (Astolfo is ecstatic to meet someone new and shakes “their” hand without hesitation) and asks if Jeanne is “their” wife.

Brucerker says the line I used as the Madness Enhancement example, and adds that “you hate her because she can’t admit her problems.”

Guda is overcome with realization.

Astolfo: “But who would do that?”

Guda: “Like Mash but different… full of love… hates Jeanne for not admitting her problems!”

Guda: “It’s Meph!”

I really liked Brucerker’s vibes and concept, but I didn’t want to settle on one specific idea for my Mastersona as a Servant. I fluctuate between ideas for that concept too often. Instead, I went onto a Fate/Grand Order server I’m in and suggested a “game” of sorts (now we’re getting to the good stuff).

Content warning under the cut for mentions of death, burning, and incest

I put Brucerker’s summon line in the server, without telling them whose it was, and my friends had to assign a True Name to it. One friend, @/hasspartacusdoneanythingwrong, guessed that it was Pygmalion. I did a few quick Google searches, and I found out that Pygmalion is the sculptor who constructed and fell in love with Galatea.

I think the personality facets I had in mind for Brucerker translate very well to a hypothetical Berserker Pygmalion but can be taken in directions that are quite different. I can see it now…

He’s self-aware enough to know that he’s a Berserker and how Berserkers should act, but he doesn’t know why he’s a Berserker (The answer is love. It’s always love).

He still puts Galatea up on a ridiculously high pedestal (it’s hard to tell how much of this has been exacerbated by Madness Enhancement). Because of this, he is devastated that Galatea is a Berserker as well. “Of course,” he’s not upset for his own sake, but for hers. “Why,” he wonders, “was my beloved put into the class of violence and madness? She should be a Ruler, a Caster, anything would be better than this.” (It should be noted that he only has a rudimentary understanding of the classes) He blames himself for this, and while he’s technically right, he doesn’t get that Galatea is a Berserker due to his love. Rather, he thinks that while building her, he made some kind of mistake, and he treats this nonexistent mistake like his greatest failure, because his beloved deserves only the best.

Me: If I had a nickel for every Servant I came up with who held a gold Servant to such a high standard that they thought that person should be considered a Ruler, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

His manner of speech is the same as Brucerker’s, but with Galatea instead of Mephistopheles (I should also clarify that Brucerker and Pygmalion can still refer to those people in third person)

He hangs out with a lot of Servants who have similar levels of devotion for one person or deal with love in a similar way. However, only the devotion factor allows you to understand him (it doesn’t have to be romantic in nature). It’s kind of like Mental Corruption in that regard, so I’m not sure if I’d rather use MC or ME for his kit. MC would make him more unique, though, so if that’s the one that makes more sense, I’m all for it. Anyway, here are some of the Heroic Spirits he likes to hang out with (he always gushes about his wife), as well as Heroic Spirits who can understand him.

Those who he hangs out with (italicized names can understand him): Sigurd, Artemis, Nobukatsu, Brynhildr, Odysseus, Gilles de Rais, Erik, Kama, Galatea (of course), Jeanne d’Arc, Xu Fu, Abigail Williams (Summer), Europa

Pygmalion, Sigurd, Brynhildr, Odysseus, and Xu Fu: the “I fucking love my spouse” club

Artemis, Kama, and Europa: the “mistaken for various Alters of Aphrodite” trio

Pygmalion will follow them around and shower them with gratitude for bringing Galatea to life. Europa gently tries to correct him but is ignored, Artemis smugly accepts the praise, and Kama, well…

Pygmalion and Nobukatsu: the “I am compelled to die for this person” duo

Pygmalion, Brynhildr, Gilles de Rais, Erik: the “our love was considered ‘mad’” gang

Other noteworthy relationships

Salome and Kiyohime: “You hurt your beloved? You decapitate/burn them like the firewood tree? Scorn for Salome/Kiyohime! Scorn for Salome/Kiyohime for a thousand years!”

Erice and Yu Mei-ren: Pygmalion respects them for their devotion, but they avoid him because he’s weird.

Caligula: “Get that incest bullshit out of here.”

Tamamo no Mae: There’s a sense of mutual respect between them.

Cleopatra: “...why would you ask your beloved to change something about him that isn’t even a problem?”

Summer Sessyoin: Disgusted that her devotion, which he considers equal in strength to his own, is toward the idea of a Little Mermaid sequel rather than a person; views it as selfish

Other Servants who can understand him: Rama

He’s been waiting for eons to be summoned at the same time as Galatea (I always got the vibe that Heroic Spirits are self-aware while they’re waiting in the Throne to be summoned), so he has no patience for anything else.

If he and his wife are in Chaldea at the same time, he’ll soon want to escalate things, telling Guda to summon his and Galatea’s kids as well. Try as Guda might to explain that it doesn’t work like that, Pygmalion will keep on trying to pressure them.

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

also! i've been picking up some mutuals and interactions lately since i started posting ffx/iv stuff, and i just want to disclaimer that i get Pretty Loudly and Strongly Emotional sometimes about things in fiction + related shittiness from a fanbase that i have negative feelings toward, and it's important to me to be able to express that. (the vast majority of the time when this happens, it's because the subject is one that really hits home for me and/or is about a heavy, serious issue.) i do have people i try to check in with to make sure i step back when i need to, but it's worthwhile to me to engage with it carefully, both because there are vital things to process there and because if i don't get it out it'll just stew in my head forever.

BUT: to be totally clear, i don't judge anyone for personally liking or disliking a character, or not being viscerally upset by something in the same ways i am. i think it is very much possible to be shitty in ways where that's a factor, but personal gut reactions to or interest in something =/= having asshole takes or silencing people who are expressing legitimate upset. i really appreciate the existence of [Thing That Upsets Me] likers who enjoy and talk about the thing without being dickheads about it, it's a relief to know they're out there and i salute y'all.

i also know it can be really draining, exhausting, and unpleasant to constantly engage with negativity about something you like, even if you think the negativity is fair, and i 100% don't hold it against people for needing to tap out of that. i try to tag it for blacklisting when i can, although i do occasionally forget; general negativity about fandom is tagged 'the salt files,' negativity about a piece of media is tagged 'the crit files,' and negativity about ffx/iv specifically is tagged 'ffxivcrit tag.'

(this applies to any fandom with aspects i feel Like This about, but i figured it'd be good to specify here in particular, because i know ffx/iv has had some truly almighty wank and i don't want to pile onto bullshit like IF YOU LIKE EME/T-SELCH YOU'RE A GENOCIDE APOLOGIST discourse just because i Do Not Like Him and some parts of his fanbase have been awful. i am Absolutely going to complain about things like racism toward hermes and making 'hitler was right' jokes about eme/t into a meme while actual nazis are hanging around his fandom, but i am not here for harassment, misogyny, queerphobia, and transphobia either, fuck that.)

BUT yes, tl;dr no shade, take care of yourselves if you need to, and either way i hope you enjoy.

[isatoru]

‘your gender limits you’ 😐 hope you die fr

[irishmammonagenda]

ngl, my least favourite character has to be leviathan.

like, the calling himself an otaku, (idk if he has body pillows or if thats just fanon, so i wont add it) being obsessed with a fictional female anime character, being shown to have a bad temper. (think after mc won that one TSL quiz start of the game)

idk bro has those 'nice guys finish last' self-depreciating vibes. in my head i can 100% see him being extremely misogynistic. he just feels like a stereotypical incel and i'd be insanely uncomfortable around that. it just reminds me of real life men and events yknow.

(this is on account if i met him in real life mostly. i get that his character has more depth. dont hang me)

[nebulouscoffee]

The thing about Kai Winn's storyline ultimately being a tragedy is, it's not only a tragedy because her fate (in the eyes of the non-linear Prophets) was already known and nothing she did or said was ever going to make them acknowledge her- not only because she wanted so badly to have a big role to play in the grand, historic story of the newly independent Bajor and just couldn't handle the fact that she was never meant to- not only because the Prophets spoke to Sisko and Bareil and Kira and literally even Quark but not her- not only because she was deceived and raped and killed in the end- but most of all because, it was partly her love of Bajor that killed her.

Think about it- her whole regression during that final arc with Dukat is so tragic precisely because she was THIS close to redemption! Throughout the show, we see that her brain processes information in very rigid, binary ways: if you are not my ally, then you are my enemy. If you disagree with even one of my opinions, you are my enemy. If you refuse to endorse and support me in this mission, you are my enemy. That's part of why she's so easily swayed by fascist rhetoric, I think- she's just unable to cope with nuance. (This is foreshadowed in 'Shakaar', where she puts the whole of Bajor under martial law just because Shakaar disagreed with her over how she was handling soil reclamators.) Her personal narrative is I am the one who will save Bajor -> anyone who gets in my way is my enemy and therefore an enemy of Bajor -> I must stop them using any force necessary for the good of Bajor because I am after all the one who will save Bajor.

But when Sisko discovers the city of B'hala in 'Rapture', she is for the first time forced to accept the truth that he really hasn't been faking this whole "talks to the Prophets" thing- he's the real deal. We learn later on (when she tells "Anjohl" about how she honestly felt nothing the first time she saw the wormhole open) that a small, small part of her actually always doubted the existence of the Prophets. Now, she is faced with definitive proof that they are not only very real, but they also really do have a bond with Sisko. And for a while, she even comes to terms with this! In fact, at the end of the episode, she and Kira have possibly their first completely honest exchange:

KIRA: Maybe we're the ones who need to trust the Prophets. For all we know, this is part of their plan. Maybe they've told Captain Sisko everything they want him to know.  WINN: Perhaps. I suppose you heard that Bajor will not join the Federation today. The Council of Ministers has voted to delay acceptance of Federation membership.  KIRA: You must be very pleased.  WINN: I wish I were. But things are not that simple. Not anymore. Before Captain Sisko found B'hala, my path was clear. I knew who my enemies were. But now? Now nothing is certain.  KIRA: Makes life interesting, doesn't it?

Like, YASS babygirl- you too can learn to handle nuance!! I believe in you!!💪💪

And later on, at the onset of the Dominion War, she comes to Sisko for advice herself. She doesn't want to see her planet colonised again, and she's even willing to put aside her desire to be the main character to ensure it doesn't happen. Driven by pride and the need for power as she is, she is also driven by the desire save Bajor (and preferably be the one saving Bajor, which is the subsection of this desire that ultimately ends up being her downfall) - and she does briefly decide that cooperating with the Emissary is the best way to do this! I think about this scene from 'In The Cards' so much:

WINN: ... I have asked the Prophets to guide me, but they have not answered my prayers. I even consulted the Orb of Wisdom before coming here and it has told me nothing. So I come to you, Emissary. You have heard the voice of the Prophets. You were sent here to guide us through troubled times. Tell me what to do and I will do it. How can I save Bajor?  SISKO: You want my advice? Then this is it. Stall. Tell Weyoun you have to consult with the Council of Ministers, or that you have to meditate on your response. Anything you want, but you have to stall for time.  WINN: Time for what?  SISKO: I don't know. But I do know the moment of crisis isn't here yet, and until that moment arrives we have to keep Bajor's options open. I'm aware that this is difficult for you, given our past, but this time you have to trust me.  (Winn holds Sisko's left ear.)  WINN: Very well, Emissary. We put ourselves in your hands. May we all walk with the Prophets.

In the earlier seasons, Winn would often casually make claims that the Prophets had "told her" something, or that she was just "doing what the Prophets asked"- and her political position as Kai always allowed her to just lie about being in contact with them all the time. Now, you can see the sheer humility- the embarrassment, even- on her face as she (for the first time) openly admits to Sisko that she has never actually heard them speak before; and that they clearly "prefer" him. Yes, there's some (understandable imo) bitterness here- but not at him, at THEM. And when she tries to read his pagh at the end- something she probably does to dozens of people every day, most of whom would unquestioningly believe anything she declares afterwards- she doesn't even try to pretend she felt anything there. It's one of her most genuine moments in the whole show, you can just SEE the redemption arc in reach and it's so heartbreaking!!

I think 'The Reckoning' is a huge episode for her too, for many reasons- but let's talk about how it sets up this fascinating parallel between her and Kira (who Odo describes in this episode as having "both faith and humility"). The Prophets choose Kira as their "vessel" because she was "willing"- meanwhile, Winn was right there just begging to be a part of this! Here she is, with a Prophet right in front of her face- and she prays and postures and begs and prays some more, all just to get ignored. Kira's brand of faith is very, "I am ultimately insignificant and I surrender my power and my body and pagh to the Prophets"- Winn's is more, "if I do all the right things, then I will be able to prove to the Prophets that I am worthy of their attention, worthier than everyone else, and maybe then they'll appoint me the saviour of Bajor! It's My Destiny, You See!! (Why Isn't This Happening For Me??)" And the events of this episode are kind of a big slap in the face to her honestly, because they sort of prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Prophets have no interest in her. Maybe stopping the battle was also an attempt at regaining some kind of agency with them- I DID THIS, I pulled a switch and it had a direct effect on the Prophets, so there!! (Whatever that effect entails). She does care about Bajor. Of course she does. But her ideal configuration of Bajor involves her being a major player in its salvation, which she was just never meant to be. And this is why she's so tragically susceptible to Dukat's manipulation- he was the first person ever to tell her everything she always wanted to hear.

And the intriguing thing about Dukat's deception is, it doesn't all fall apart at one go. It falls apart in layers. And this makes for some excellent, excellent Winn characterisation imo.

First, she thinks the pah wraiths are the Prophets- and they tell her, hey, The Sisko has faltered, Bajor needs you, and only you can fix this. Good lord, imagine finally getting to hear those words after a lifetime of silence! And it's very telling that her first reaction isn't to gloat like she would've in the earlier seasons, but instead to humbly- even anxiously- pray. Bajor needs her, the "Prophets" have asked her to do something, this is her moment! Then, this random lovely Bajoran farmer comes in and tells her even more things she has always wanted to hear- that her activism during the Occupation (ignored by Kira and Sisko alike) saved lives, that he always wondered why the Prophets would choose an alien as their Emissary, that surely Sisko and his followers were mistaken- and finally, "our world will be reborn- with YOU as its leader". Sounds good, right? But THEN she finds out she's been speaking to the pah wraiths and the lovely farmer is a devil worshipper actually. And she tries the "wash away my sins" approach- she wants some kind of quick fix ritual that will "purify" her, so she can continue to be Kai the right way. She even admits to Kira that she's always been power hungry and she wants to change- and I believe her! Unfortunately, Kira then tells her something she doesn't want to hear- that she has to step down as Kai. And surely that can't be, right? She's the saviour of Bajor! She's so complex... it's not simply her love of power that this scene reveals imo, but more significantly, her inability to see herself as not a vital part of Bajor's history; of this whole larger narrative. Like-

WINN: I'm a patient woman. But I have run out of patience. I will no longer serve gods who give me nothing in return. "GIVE ME"!! ADAMI MY BESTIE MY GIRL MY BUDDY THEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM!!!

So, okay, fine, now she's swayed over to the side that maybe the Prophets aren't that great, and maybe the pah wraiths are the true gods of Bajor (because they were willing to talk to her), and maybe she's okay working with the devil worshipper. But then it turns out he's DUKAT- and at this point, she's literally murdered someone, she's ready to stop this, to go back to Sisko and set things right- but then the book of the Kosst Amojan lights up because of the blood she spilled. She did that. It happened as a direct result of her actions. She's just so desperate to be acknowledged... to have a role to play in all this, no matter who offers it to her. So the pah wraiths actually giving her a reaction isn't something she can resist. And here's where things get even more tragic.

WINN: But the prophecies! They warn that the release of the Pah wraiths will mean the end of Bajor.  DUKAT: The old Bajor, perhaps. But from its ashes a new Bajor will arise and the Restoration will begin.  WINN: Who will be left to see it?  DUKAT: Those the gods find worthy. It will be the dawn of paradise. And you, Adami, are destined to rule it.  WINN: You're sure of that?  DUKAT: It is meant to be.

Again with the ease at which she's swayed by fascist rhetoric! Let's be clear, she was (and is) absolutely against the Cardassian Occupation. But her worldview is built on the pursuit of being "worthier" than everyone else, of being "closer to god" than everyone else- her expectation of faith is that it's some sort of determiner of who's doing it The Most Effectively, rather than it being a practice- and she just completely misses that any sort of plan that executes masses and spares whoever is deemed "worthy" is... literally exactly what people like Dukat did to her planet. Something something faith as competition, faith as determiner of inherent superiority, faith as a way to gain power via proximity to god… never faith as submission. And the worst part is she’s self-aware. It’s heartbreaking.

And it's about to get even more heartbreaking, because she truly believes she has arrived at her girlboss moment in the finale (I think the tragedy of her being a rape victim and knowing this and having to hide the body of the one (1) person who was looking out for her while being stuck with her rapist speaks for itself.) After kicking Dukat out on the street (lol), she studies the eeevil texts and realises that to set the pah wraiths free, you need to make a sacrifice. So now she gets to deceive him in return. And she does! The look of shock on his face when he discovers she poisoned him is priceless imo, and her triumph as she taunts his dead body, the sheer joy on her face as she casts off her Kai robes, when she recites those incantations and something actually happens- and that too such a large pyrotechnic spectacle- is so sad knowing what's coming. Because ultimately, the pah wraiths want to destroy Bajor, right? And Winn just doesn't. Of course they don't choose her. Of course they choose Dukat over her! She really thought that by tricking and murdering him, she'd made him the unimportant piece of the puzzle, that she was stealing back his thunder- but tragically, it turns out even the pah wraiths see her as disposable. Of course they resurrect Dukat (a man who's proved time and time again that he wants to see Bajor & Bajorans destroyed) and turn her into the sacrifice. The way she screams "NO!" here breaks my heart- she's betrayed her planet, and it was all for nothing. (Dukat's "are you still here?" is particularly devastating.) I think it's very significant that her final words are "Emissary, the book!"- it shows that in her last moments, she's owning her mistakes- she's stepping away from power and putting Bajor first, and leaving her own fate in the hands of the Prophets. Who, of course, once again ignore her, and choose to save Sisko instead. God.

The utter tragedy that even in the pah wraiths' plan, she was just a pawn. That she died at the hands of the gods she thought chose her, but used her, all while the gods she'd coveted her whole life stood by and did nothing. The Prophets chose Sisko because they believed he would put Bajor's interests over even his own- and now they ensure he will be back one day to see the new Bajor. She never will.

Yes, it was her pride that got her here. Her mean streak. Her inability to cope with nuance. Her inability to see herself as ultimately insignificant. Her inability to surrender to a higher power in any way that didn't involve becoming more powerful herself; more relevant, more "close to god". But it was also her love of Bajor. Because if she'd cared about Bajor less, then maybe the pah wraiths might have chosen her- or at least spared her, or taken her to their realm after she burned, the way they did with Dukat. Now, she ends up being the one thing she never wanted to be: insignificant.

Honestly if I had to summarise the tragedy of her arc in one sentence, it would probably be Kai Winn: Too Evil For The Prophets, Not Evil Enough For The Pah Wraiths. She and Dukat are not the same! She is a perfectly pathetic, sad and wet blorbo and I am holding her gently in my hands while apologising for her crimes <3

[battybiologist]

James Somerton is a misogynist piece of shit, but the way he speaks about lesbians is an infuriating betrayal of the queer community.

Legally, lesbians were and are treated on the same level of bad as gay men. Gay panic doesn't and has never excluded them, same as convertion therapy, same as anti-sodomy laws, same as police brutality, and many more I could mention.

And socially? Women as a whole are already persecuted, so add homophobia to the mix, and I doubt that'd lead to less discrimination than what gay men suffer from. And that's not even getting into how shittily trans lesbians are treated

But frankly, we all know why he said that. The section where he misgenders Nate Stevenson and Rebecca Sugar and throws them under the bus really says it all: it's because, in his fucked up mind twisted by misogyny, there was more "lesbian representation" in media.

The kind of representation where they're demonized, dehumanized, and erased, where their deaths and hardships are treated shallowly and without a hundredth of the compassion spared for their straight leads, where they're fetishized and objectified for the sole eyes of straight men, sometimes all of the above at the same time.

Fuck this guy.

[bonebabbles]

I keep starting and abandoning posts that go into my drafts, as I try to stay tasteful about how fucking revolted this part makes me. Like, I'm legitimately unsure if the very relevant trauma I have is making me see things that aren't here

But first we see that Star Flower is trying to ingratiate herself to the group, just after she reappears from chapter 5. Chapter 5 is about how Clear Sky is still abusive towards his son, and she comes in after stroking his ego, stressing how alone she is, and appealing to how she'll be loyal unlike his child. (She glances over at Thunder, directly implying this.)

Now in Chapter 9, she's babysitting and trying to care for Milkweed's kits (in spite of discomfort from Milkweed), taking a wet sleeping space away from the others, and pulling more than her own weight "without complaint." Putting herself through harsh sitations to prove her worth.

All while trying to appear extra attractive to Thunder, and later Clear Sky. Basically every man in power who can "protect her"

Like, am I going fucking crazy? With how we later find out that Star Flower was "promised as a mate" to One Eye's subordinate Slash, is... is that hypersexualization? One of the extremely stigmatized symptoms of sexual abuse?

She goes to find Clear Sky alone to throw herself at his paws, and he's very quickly attracted to how she promises to perfectly obey him, have no needs of her own, and finally be the perfect servant that he desires

"I don't deserve your trust because I am dirt. I understand you because I also regret something. I'd die for you. I'll never betray you unlike those who have."

This isn't manipulation. She means this. The story is playing their romance sincerely. She's comparing "betraying" Thunder by telling her own father about an assassination ambush to Clear Sky's history of child abuse, physical assault, and murder

She believes she's on the same level as this; a monster who murdered a childhood friend in a fit of entitled rage. She was a victim of One Eye who really believes that the way her father used her means she "understands" this monster, deserves this treatment.

And Clear Sky LIKES that.

He likes that she will have COMPLETE FAITH in him. That she will follow him WITHOUT QUESTION. That she will OBEY his orders. That's fucking verbatim, that's THE TEXT!!!

WHILE HE'S STILL CRYING ABOUT "ive tried to atone every day" FOLLOWING THE LAST TWO BOOKS WHERE THE ONLY SHITTY THING HE DOESN'T DO IS MURDER INNOCENT WOMEN

Am I insane?? Am I wrong??? Am I missing something here???? Why the fuck is the fandom takeaway "haha sexy girl steals his dad." Did I read the same book

[spicypotstickerbliss]

Thinking about how canon!Dick would probably feel subconsciously guilty hitting/fighting women and might go easier on them out of respect, internalized misogyny, or both due to growing up in a more ‘old fashioned’ era.

Enter Jason “equal rights, equal fights” Todd.

[princelylove]

Dearest Prince,

Your La Squadra post is one of my favorites and it got me curious about some of the guys.

Ghiaccio is a name we barely see on your blog and I would love to know more about your interpretation of him. Whatever it is you got; from the regular facts to the complete degeneracy, I am interested in knowing.

Thank you for your time and interest, as well as your patience, I've been lacking in the "sending asks" department.

Heart heart xoxo

Oh, Ciocio. My favorite 4chan user. Sure.

Ghiaccio is one of those characters that, to me, are so established in my head that I feel as if I'm doing nothing by elaborating. It's very clear cut. Incel that actually goes to the gym and has a job, so he's automatically better than other forum users, yet he's not because he's always on there and is the first to make fun of 'the losers.'

Ghiaccio has a certain sense of superiority because he's not in that sort of Hazamada-ish porn addict incel category- yeah, he's a virgin in his middle-to-late twenties, and has basically no eye are el friends, but he's not a fucking degenerate. He's better. Yeah, he doesn't inherently see women as objects- it's just, uh, factual that they're only after... certain things.

Ghiaccio has a very complex relationship with women. They trigger his abandonment issues worse than any man could, even if all they're doing is acting indifferently. No matter what you do, you can't win. Play into it without trying? Tease. Don't play into it without trying? Prude. Bitch. Play into it on purpose? Whore. Don't play into it on purpose? You're playing hard to get. It's not like Ghiaccio actively thinks of women as lesser, or just less intelligent- obviously he doesn't think like that, intelligence has nothing to do with sex, jackass- it's just that those are the first words that pop into his head when he's angry and it seems like the one he has eyes for is leaving.

Always leaving. It's always something. He did something wrong again, and your stupid woman brain thought he'd just get it and would understand entirely when you didn't tell him what it was, and- He'll calm down eventually.

His relationship issues with women could stem from a lot of things. It could be his mother, the fact that he never had a long term relationship with a girl his age, the fact that he mainly consumes media (porn, or fetish content.) that objectifies them- any number of things could be it. His sexism actually isn't in the classic 'women are in their prime when they're younger' way, it's more of a 'women prefer older men because older men are real men' way. Which can get confusing at times, because he's the type to project heavily onto the women in his life, and he's not very good at explaining himself.

It's easier to ramble about a set topic with clear facts. It's objectively correct that Venesia- yeah, Venesia, say it in their fuckin' dialect you God damn [REDACTED. Reason for redaction: contains slur.]- is the actual name. Feelings aren't something you can fact check on a different tab.

It affects him more when a woman doesn't show interest in him. When a guy does it, it's like yeah, of course, fuckin' low value male would be jealous of him. Ghiaccio struggles with his self worth and meeting his own expectations. It's a lot of internalized loathing that presents itself as "Of course you're using me for dinner and want me to pay. You're trying to cuck me." Since Ghiaccio never really learned proper coping mechanisms, he usually just beats the shit out of whatever piece of furniture is closest to him. Goodbye, end table. It was nice knowing you.

Ghiaccio knows nothing of gentle love, but he knows he has to act right or his darling is going to freak out on him and give him a massive headache. He thinks he's above the guys that hit their bitch their partner, but he always manages to bruise them in some way, shape, or form. He has a bit of a problem with grabbing his darling too tightly and not easing up.

It's both a possessive thing and a complete accident. He just doesn't know what to do when you panic in front of him- holding you down works, usually? Yeah? Going for your throat should be fine, you can feel like you're secure in one spot, why the fuck are you hitting him now???? He's not going to seriously hit you, stop freaking out, holy shit. He's not a bad man that's planning on raping you or some shit, jesus christ, can you just calm down and think rationally?

When you actually calm down, likely after he gets pissed and fucks off for a while, he'll come back to check on you. He likes you. You should eat. He cut up some shit things for you. He just doesn't like when you're sobbing and assuming shit and acting hysterical.

He's really trying. He's really, really trying. It's hard to calm down and be the man his darling needs, but you keep saying such moronic shit- it's fine. It's fine. You're just a little stupid, he can work with that, if you start to listen to him.

Ghiaccio's good for hugs and that's about it. He won't let anything harm you. It's stupid to think that he'd just allow some other guy to touch you or speak to you enough to harm you. Come on, stop crying, he's right here, he can give you what you need to survive and be happy, he can be good to you if you don't piss him off intentionally. He can, and will. He's just frustrated right now.

The next day, when the bruises form. . . it's hard to hide how pleased he is. God, that's hot. Should give you more. What's a better way to get frustration out of his system?

[enbycrip]

We’ve seen it everywhere. But it’s incredibly important that this is seen, discussed and accepted in academic discourse for a whole bunch of reasons.

The misogynist idea that AFAB and AMAB bodies are fundamentally very different and that AFAB bodies are fundamentally inferior is putting up a huge fight atm.

It’s not only “gender criticals”, though they are a big part of this and transphobia is one of the big battlegrounds of it. It’s also the anti-choice stuff rolling across the US trying to define any body capable of pregnancy as having its primary function being a vessel for foetuses.

And to do that you need to play up the idea that those bodies are fundamentally very different, and that AFAB bodies are fundamentally “intended” for pregnancy and birth. Enforcing this fake history where AFAB lives were entirely defined by pregnancy, birth and child-rearing is a weapon in that, and exposing it as ideological rather than evidence-based is *incredibly* fucking important.

This *doesn’t* mean that we should stop pointing out the fundamentally ridiculous nature of considering hunting as important as it is painted in popular culture when most studies consider that 80% minimum of “hunter-gatherer” societies’ food is foraged. It’s a fundamentally Victorian construct that considers “hunting is the active, ‘masculine’ work so therefore it must be the *real* work of a society”, no matter how much evidence is found that foraging was far more fundamental to survival.

It is *so* important to keep on emphasising the constructed nature of not only human gender, but gendered structures in human societies.

There is this huge sociopolitical push from “conservative” religious and cultural forces all over the planet rn to push the idea that certain social structures - fundamentally misogynist ones - are somehow “innate”, “inherent” and “natural”.

Hence the push to attack trans people in particular. We put the lie to so many of their cherished myths just by existing. We are living magic - the proof of human fluidity; the living potential for change; the living promise that things Don’t Have To Be This Way.

[lolotheparagon]

Helluva Boss is Hella Sexist to Both Men and Women - Part 1

Just saw a video about Helluva Boss and whether its sexist or not with portraying its female characters and that got me thinking:

Are Helluva Boss' writers misogynists?

No. No one INTENTIONALLY writes misogynistic material unless you're Bruce Timm or Blizzard but what they're writing DEFINITELY COMES ACROSS AS SEXIST because the writers are so busy juggling every plot thread and character arc at once, they forget to write the main fucking characters apart from Blitzo. ESPECIALLY its female characters like Millie, Loona, Stella and Octavia.

You can use good faith arguments until you're blue in the face, but the truth of the matter is treating ALL of their main female characters as vehicles for the male characters' development with little characterisation beyond that IS misogynistic.

Lets start with Millie.

Millie is the most egregious case since she's one of the main employees at IMP yet we barely see Millie do anything other than be Moxxie's wife or a killing machine. And the fact her only s1 episode "where we see her family " plot getting sidelined for a Moxxie plot is unbelievable. Millie is by far the show's most promising character you can write mountains of stories about. But instead the show makes her a crazy lovable girlboss TM without any goals or aspirations and only exists as Moxxie's support system. Shes fine if shes meant to be a side character but shes in a main ensemble cast and you CANT have one of your main 4 characters be just the cool badass wife who can benchpress a tractor. That's fine for a tumblr art post, not for a character in a professional episodic animated tv show

Loona is supposed to be 21 or something yet she acts like every surly teenager who abuses her adoptive father Blitz, who's done nothing but love and cherish her. Yet she always beats him up whenever Blitz is merely in her vicinity. And so far we havent got an episode or even A SCENE where Loona and Blitz just sit down and unpack everything. That one flashback of Loona being from a hellhound orphanage/pound wouldve been so interesting to explore as a full episode, but it was only set up so Blitz can have a panic attack. So, much like Millie, Loona's character arcs and plotlines get shifted aside for more dumb scenes and Brandon Rogers references. Loona doesn't even change her attitude towards others throughout the series so far and remains as sardonic and bitchy as ever, cos heaven forbid we have our characters develop. Fans wont buy our overpriced merch of our furry waifu otherwise.

Octavia only exists in the story to make Stolas look like the most wholesome dada so the fans will completely forget hes in an unhealthy power-imbalanced relationship with Blitz, a lower class imp, purely for sex but then grows romantically attached to which Blitz adamantly refuses to see it that way. (Stolas also has imps as servants which he treats with apathy or contempt so already sets a bad precedent) but circling back to Octavia, Stolas claims to love his daughter very much but we've never shown that often BUT STOLAS DOESNT EVEN CARE ABOUT OCTAVIA UNLESS SHES IN ACTUAL DANGER COS HE GETS DISTRACTED BY HORNY BLITZY OR IS TOO IMCOMPETENT TO DO ANYTHING PROACTIVE

In Loo Loo Land, he learns to be more considerate of her feelings and comforts her after ignoring her throughout the whole episode. What happens in the next Stolas and Octavia episode? Octavia gets dismissed by Stolas AGAIN, this time by his ex-wife, when she asks about a star event THEY PLANNED TO GO TO, so she runs away to the human world to see it for herself. And yet who consoles her at the observatory scene? FUCKING LOONA OF ALL PEOPLE! WHY CANT STOLAS GO UP THERE, FINALLY FINDING HER AT LAST AND TALK TO HER? YKNOW THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT WHY STOLAS IS IN THE HUMAN REALM TO BEGIN WITH??! HE'S WAITING AROUND IN A SITCOM AUDIENCE WHILE BLITZO DOES HIS FAILING ATTEMPTS AT COMEDY

Octavia's own feelings about her relationship with her dad, how her parents divorce has affected her, her relationship with her mother Stella, ITS ALL SIDELINED for more self-indulgent Stolitz shipping. I feel so sorry for Octavia, she deserves better. She should be adopted by Blitz, he's more an actual father figure than Stolas.

And finally, Stella. Stella is an interesting case cos I have no qualms with having a bitchy abusive wife villain for Stolas to fight back against. Im totally fine with Stolas standing up to Stella and finally divorcing that bitch. But I really wish Stella had more presence throughout the first season, constantly bringing up tension and stress to piss off Stolas, since she likes tormenting him so much. Cos piling all of her insults and cartoonishly over the top bitchiness in one episode (The Circus) was too much and with how that episode woobified Stolas already, it only added to the problem. Nothing inherently wrong character-wise with Stella, shes established as a unrepentant bitch and stays that way. She is ultimately a vehicle for Stolas' character development but shes not a main character so its fine. The story is not about her.

But I find it pretty rich that the show treats being Loona being abusive to her father figure for no good reason like a joke, whereas Stella's abuse of Stolas about to slap him is portrayed as a serious, shocking moment.

So in conclusion, Helluva Boss DOES push several negative stereotypes of women. The one-note girlboss wife who's plotlines always get shafted in support of the male characters (Millie), the teenager who's desperate for paternal love from her father, leaving her bored and neglectful but the father in question does some bare minimum effort and that's suddenly okay in her eyes (Octavia) and the double standard that abuse is funny when a woman is hitting a man (Loona and Blitzo). Except when it isnt (Stella and Stolas)

This show is a fucking mess: part 1

(I will elaborate on the male characters treatment in another post. If I forgot anything or made a mistake, let me know, im always open for feedback!

And yes, I'm aware I omitted Verosika Mayday from this list because she's ultimately harmless as a character and only exists as a rival to Blitz. Also she only appeared in two episodes so I dont have much to say about her.)

[madness-combat-confessions]

(this confessions a lot about fandom drama shit from my personal experience. Mod if you don't want any drama feel free to delete this confession!)

I full heartly believe this fandom hates women, or trans people, I'm not sure. Maybe both. Because whenever I tried to post my trans fem headcanons for any character. I would have people jump on me like it was a fucking crime and tell me about how "they're a masculine man! Baa" "Madcom isn't about gay relationships! Waa" "It makes no sense! Wa wa wa wa wa"

And I was like why the fuck did it bothered them so much that I headcanoned ONE of their oh big masculine daddys as a trans women and use she/her when refering to them. Do they just hate women? Or are they just transphobic? Do my knowledge legit every madcom character is represented like a masculine man, is it really that fucking bad that I headcanoned one of them to be a woman??

(I'm honestly convinced they really just fucking hate women, because when there FINALLY was a female-character that was popular in the fandom [White Hank] all they did was sexualise her, which says a lot to me)

Honestly I'm not that surprised after all. I did posted my headcanons on fuckin Reddit. I should had excepted that reaction from Reddit lolziez but whatever

.

[cyberthot666]

this is why I feel the argument of “forgiving” a rapist when there was/ is no justice is a spit in the face to the victims & all women bc it’s also making the argument that rape is inevitable & something that just happens to women so we should just get over it. instead of something that men do and should be held accountable for and face the utmost consequences for. women are taught to forgive & humanize their rapists so that others don’t have to put in the work to obtain justice for them. that way the system doesn’t get uprooted you can just sweep everything under the rug & go about your day.

[disventurecamptakes]

I guess I'm officially the person who bitches to you about HunTessAlly after each episode comes out because no one would wanna listen to me :P Anyway, that last scene between Hunter and Tess. WHY DO THE WRITERS KEEP DOWNPLAYING HOW MUCH TESS MEANT TO BOTH HUNTER AND ALLY IN THE FIRST SEASON??? SHE WAS PART OF THEIR CHARACTERS TOO! Hunter cared about her and helped her deal with her depression. They both liked their kiss in the kissing episode. Ally was there for Tess when she had a breakdown in that cave. Tess was there for Ally when Hunter kissed her after they all agreed to wait until they all spoke to do stuff. Also the "...You two have something real. I noticed the moment you two spent all night talking at the Awake-a-thon last season". WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU FUCKING FELL ASLEEP. YOU WERE FUCKING CONKED OUT. The writers fucking up Hunter, Tess, and Ally are making me realize I only stuck around as long just to watch HunTessAlly. I literally could not give less of a shit about everyone else. Oh boo-hoo you still have feelings for a whiny baby that you ghosted for two years. Oh boo-hoo the racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic piece of shit feels alone. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, I like Gabby, Ellie, and Grett.

The failing to write a polyamorous relationship after leading us on for a whole fucking season is genuinely giving me the most motivation to write a fanfics of HunTessAlly because I know that I, a person whose most experience in fictional writing is the few comics I make and whatever fictional stories I had to write for school, can make a better story with these characters than a group of people who write stories for a living.

The first scene between Hunter and Tess was cute though, I'll give them that.

.