#particularly with how correlates with the discussion of perspective here

[age-of-moonknight]

“Scars,” Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu, (Vol. 2/2024), #5.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Devmalya Pramanik; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[cinnamonest]

I'm not looking to start shit so I'm not linking it or anything, but you may have seen a recent anti-dark-content post circulating with a lot of notes making rounds in the x reader sphere and while I have nothing against people posting their feelings in their own private spaces, every time I see these kinds of posts there's a lot of misinformation that gets regurgitated in the reblogs/replies and I saw what looked like a battlezone in the replies, so.

I know posts like that can be very jarring and affects people like my readers, so to combat misinformation/shaming for anyone who saw it, I'm going to share some of my information on combatting fandom puritanism/misogyny/kinkshaming in its most common forms.

The most important fact, if you read nothing else, is this:

Most women have rape fantasies.

62% to be exact. I think the most pervasive myth on this content is that consumers are "weird" for it, when the numbers don't indicate that. You're in the majority!

The vast majority of people who have rape fantasies do not put them into practice in real life. A variety of factors can determine whether or not they do, particularly specific psychiatric disorders. (X)

To specifically address common harmful and pervasive myths:

the "go to therapy!" line

Generally any academic or professional resource will immediately tell you that consuming and engaging in "dark" fantasies is accepted and encouraged by mainstream psychiatry and part of the professional education for psychiatrists. (This also used to be pretty well-known until like the last 5 years or so, not sure why that changed.)

Here are some particularly insightful resources:

1) This article by Dr. David Wahl, in my opinion, hands-down does the best job of simply and thoroughly explaining why these fantasies occur and why couples practice CNC, as well as the fact that they are both harmless, psychologically beneficial to those with them, and not at all correlated to real-life rape.

2) Dr. Claudia Six has some of the best and most thorough material out there on the subject, specifically explaining why this is taught in mainstream academia psychology and how it is incredibly helpful to rape victims (X).

3) Lisa Diamond is a professional who focuses on this subject a lot, and was featured in the documentary "The Dilemma of Desire," in which she specifically focuses on how these fantasies are not correlated to real-life desires. (X)

4) Dr. Casey Lyle has specifically talked a lot on his socials about how fantasies, even in men/the perspective of the offender, do not correlate to actual risk of offending.

5) This article is not by a professional, but from the perspective of a survivor discussing how it is beneficial to survivors.

the "why would you want that?" line

The idea that fictional tastes = what you want to happen to you in real life is actually of misogynistic origin. I don't want to seek out or add links on this one, but if you're really curious, you can research about how the idea that "women read rape fiction, that means they secretly want rape!" was originally a classic "red pill"/MGTOW/4chan talking point that made its way into mainstream dialogue and thus the public mind in the last 15 years or so due to the incel epidemic popularizing those communities.

the "it's only valid for survivors then!" line

On one hand, yes it's very important to acknowledge that trauma victims use it to cope, however I feel that over-emphasizing that gives the impression that non-victims should be excluded from consumption of dark content, so to clarify, it's a very valid means for all women. Many women who have not personally experienced rape still fantasize about it, and that's fine.

The full explanation as to why this is true for many of them would be lengthy (and addressed in the aforementioned Dilemma of Desire documentary), but in the simplest terms, nonconsensual sex is the only context in which patriarchal society permits women to have sex at all without feeling guilt. For many women, particularly those in more heavily misogynistic or religious cultures, these fantasies are appealing because the idea of consensual sex may give them feelings of shame, guilt, "sin," etc. These fantasies allow them to experience the feeling of being desired without guilt of participation.

No society on earth is free of the psychological grip that cultural misogyny has on women, and shaming women for adapting to the conditions they are forced to exist under is as harmful as the misogyny that causes it itself.

ALL women experience a form of psychological trauma inherent to female childhood and female adolescence in a patriarchal world, and that is just as valid as coping with individual traumatic events.

Good resources on the subject of why women have these fantasies and how they are helpful in general:

(X) (X)

The "what you consume will make you do it in real life!" myth

Although the resources above already address this, it's important to establish why this myth is so prevalent and what its origins are.

The idea that consuming media with dark themes leads to or indicates desires to replicate those acts is a residual element of two major events:

1) Puritan revival culture, popularized in the US and UK in the 90s and 2000s (also known as "Satanic Panic"). A major facet of this movement was TV megachurch preachers making money off of exploiting well-meaning but paranoid parents into believing that your child playing Dungeons and Dragons or Pokemon would make them future serial killers and lure them into satanic cults. (X)

2) at the tail end of this, it was cemented in the public mind as a cultural ripple aftershock of the Columbine shooting, where this sentiment became popularized as the general public blamed violent video games like Doom and "dark" music like Marilyn Manson (whose life was temporarily completely upended by the events and took him years to recover/be safe from) for the 1999 shooting. This event had MASSIVE permanent and global effects in all sorts of ways that the public often underestimates the sheer scope of, notably that it solidified, prolonged, and, in the minds of many, "proved" the paranoias of the preexisting Satanic Panic. (X) This established a precedent, leading to virtually any major horrible event being blamed on the perpetrator's media consumption, including murder and sex crimes.

What this myth ignores in the cases it references (the slenderman stabbings, columbine, sasebo slashing, batman shooting, etc) is two crucial facts: that hundreds of millions of people consume the same media with no negative effects (helpful effects even), and that in every single case cited as "evidence" to the claim, the perpetrator had a preexisting psychiatric condition correlated to acts of violence (which usually went ignored, downplayed and even accelerated/worsened by those around them rather than the help they needed).

Sorry for the wall of text, but I feel an ethical obligation to combat this kind of misinformation, and I hope these resources are helpful for those who may be negatively affected by common misunderstandings.

You are not abnormal or wrong for the fictional content you consume or the fantasies you have!

[leportraitducadavre]

Naruto and the "hero" concept

Volumes Covered: 1-27 (first part)

How Naruto as a character interacts with those in power, particularly those who represent the position he wants to achieve (Hokage) is an interesting discussion to have. However, since the manga is particularly long, such debate would inevitably become far too extensive, so I’ve decided to indulge in some investigation on the matter during the first part of the manga. The driven question: How does Naruto interact with the notion of Hero and how (or if) does evolve through his development?

Be warned, this is mostly an incredibly organized rambling of mine. Many things might not make enough sense to you and some specific moments could have been interpreted differently by some: This is a specific reading of the canonical material, not definitive facts.

Long post!

Wave Arc

“If something is precious to you, you need to protect it with all the strength you’ve got, even at the risk of your own life” (x)

Such words were spoken by Kaiza, Inari’s father and the first character to introduce in a deep manner the idea of what being a “hero” entails. These words, plus Kaiza’s sacrifice to save his son (and the town’s citizens), are both glorified by the narrative as something Naruto should aspire to want and become (even if later on the own narrative twists itself and destroys its own “heroic” concept when justifying the UCM and Tobirama’s Curse of Hatred).

I don’t think, and the manga in itself quite literally encourages to do so, that Naruto really understands the link between Inari and the concept of “hero” he possesses (I'm making no judgment since he uses his own conception to approach the subject). To the small civilian boy, the word hero was meant to categorize a person that protects what and whom they love even at the cost of their life. It’s pretty much highlighted here when Inari finally understands what Kaiza was trying to convey when they first met now that he formed an emotional connection with him (father-son). When Kaiza is killed -here-, Inari’s pain makes him turn his sadness into anger, and he gives sense to that feeling by accusing Kaiza of abandoning him and, therefore, taking away that “hero” status (he’s not there to protect him as a hero would). 

Upon hearing this, Naruto’s response “I’m going to show Inari that there are still heroes in the world!” (here) not only twists the narrative to introduce himself into an issue he wasn’t asked to be part of (furthermore, Tazuna had no right to tell) but also, realistically: it fixes absolutely nothing. Here’s the thing: Heroes, to Inari, are people emotionally invested with what or those they’re saving -it doesn’t have to do exclusively with being physically capable of doing so, but about wanting to because of the deep connection between them. Kaiza didn’t fail as a hero because he couldn’t defeat Gato, but because he “disappeared” (died). 

Naruto rescuing Inari should (from a narrative point of view, at least for now), not change Inari’s perspective because they have no relationship and because Naruto is pretty much paid to carry out a duty (even if canonically the mission Tazuna paid for doesn’t cover the costs of what Naruto is about to do, Inari knows nothing about it, there’s no panel that tells us otherwise).

So why is there a dichotomy between Naruto’s perception of a hero and Inari’s? In the very first chapter of the manga, there’s a direct link between the “Hero” concept and the “Hokage” title. Naruto’s wish to become a hero (or more specifically, The Hero), is a direct correlation to the mighty leader of Konohagakure, whom Naruto aspires to be. 

[The importance of the “hero” concept is mentioned again in chapter 8, where Naruto learns that there are shinobi who are considered “heroes” because they died for the village (sacrificed their life for Konoha’s benefit) and, in exchange, were rewarded with their name upon a stone.] 

However, as I presented before, Naruto’s way of approaching the subject has more to do with being physically able to save someone (for him, a hero is someone who is powerful enough to help, like how the Hokage is considered the strongest shinobi of the village), than understanding what the concept entails for Inari.

During Naruto and Haku’s conversation, the MC’s approach to the entire concept is finally addressed (x), Haku asks him if he has someone precious to fight for (x), and after hearing Naruto’s response, he tells him that people become stronger when fighting to protect someone they care for (x). It’s just then that Naruto relates that idea to Iruka (specifically Iruka sacrificing for him and his own decision to protect Iruka against Mizuki), to Kaiza’s story, and to Kakashi’s phrase: “I’ll never let my comrades die” (here). 

He understands upon speaking with Haku the importance of a bond and, therefore, of having an emotional reason (person, place) to fight for (and become stronger), yet this understanding doesn’t necessarily contradict Naruto’s previous belief. He still wants to prove a point and earn the recognition of the village that ostracized him by becoming the strongest ninja; whilst the notion that both Kaiza, Inari, and Haku preach does not necessarily include any sort of acknowledgment for their actions (Kaiza was literally used as an example of what happens to those who defy Gato while Haku establishes himself as a tool at Zabuza’s disposal -both are okay with that for their wants rested elsewhere). 

In the next chapter, 22, we have an important interaction: On this page, Inari, mad at Naruto, screams at him that not only he won’t be able to win against Gato’s tugs, but also he accuses him of speaking of a subject he has no idea of, being foreign, and (assuming) Naruto has experienced nothing of what he had to go through. 

As readers, we know that Naruto has been mistreated by his own people, but Inari’s point is understandable: Naruto knows nothing about Wave other than what was told to him, in the same manner, he puts himself in the position of becoming the island (Inari’s) hero: He wants the help he provides -or he’s about to provide, to be recognized, for the Hokage is Konoha’s hero, and his existence, relevance, and power are acknowledged. [Perhaps calling it Naruto’s idea of a hero is misplaced, for it could easily be labeled as Konoha’s idea of a hero].

After an emotional manipulation at the hands of Kakashi (yes, Naruto’s words also influenced the little boy, but he lacked the experience to understand what he was doing), Inari starts to respect Naruto and acts “heroically”, to which Naruto responds by displaying a better attitude towards him. I’ve spoken a little bit about it before it but there’s no harm in repetition: Shinobi’s cultural, economic, political, and social spheres are different from civilians’ -in that sense when in a non-shinobi space, ninjas have no say in civilian customs or actions; yet none of them (I’m including Kakashi and somewhat forgiving Naruto, giving his young age and the fact that this is the first time he ever went outside Konoha) are able to detach their world-view from their specific ninja cultural and political rules. Inari would have never obtained Naruto’s respect hadn’t been because he performed the “heroic” thing (the shinobi thing, which endangered his life for he had no tools to perform in the same manner Naruto or Kakashi did). Furthermore, his relationship with Naruto hasn’t changed, they had no interaction after their fight, but because Inari is suddenly brave enough to stand up for his mom instead of escaping to ensure his safety, their relationship is suddenly fixed.

[Just an idea: perhaps Naruto did approach Inari with the idea of apologizing before he saw him defending his mother -perhaps Haku’s words did modify his perspective, but that doesn’t change the fact that Inari was coerced to perform the “shinobi” thing by Kakashi].

There’s nothing in the narrative that suggests Inari was actually a coward before, the only reason why he didn’t jump to save his dog was that he couldn’t swim. One instance of being afraid to move -because of genuine fear and the knowledge of a more than likely demise-, does not define his entire person, plus, he was even younger, if during Wave Arc he was eight, then it means he back in the flashback that Tazuna tells, he was five-years-old. It would have been slightly more understandable if Inari was born and raised in a ninja village, but for a civilian kid? Why such pressure? Again, the problem isn’t with Naruto exactly, he judges other people with the same bar with which he was/is judged (let’s remember, back in chapter 10, Kakashi shames Naruto when he froze during the attack of Kiri ninjas, despite that being the first time he was attacked in such degree), but we, the readers, are given the tools to question the exchange, not simply nod alongside everything the characters say. 

In the end, Naruto apologizes to Inari for calling him a baby, again, after he displayed bravery (which, I admit, was kind of greatly staged), and Chapter 23 ends with Naruto stating “man, this ‘hero’ thing is a lot of work”. Inari recognizes Naruto’s strength first, not his heroic capacity, until their “bonding” moment.

Naruto still doesn’t exactly question the central issue presented before: the main objective of becoming a hero isn’t about getting recognition (his current belief), but about protecting those he loves. The narrative tries to make a foreshadowing of what might come: Naruto learning that him being a ninja on duty -a person that gets paid to either protect or kill, immediately clashes against what a hero should be (Kaiza’s definition); his current belief is put there only to be questioned, but that questioning ends up nowhere, after the first part (and I dare to say Wave Arc) it disappears (at least for Naruto, since Sasuke seems to be the one who carries this notion afterward). 

Naruto’s speech to Zabuza (here and here) about the way shinobi apparently need to be emotionless in order to follow through with a mission or become strong is a direct contradiction to the rule introduced by Sakura herself. The way Kishimoto wrote those scenes means that the clash of ideals is on purpose, even Zabuza admits that shinobi are human beings and they aren’t able to completely erase their feelings (yes, that also contradicts the Curse of Hatred that is later on introduced). 

The Hokage is a person that -as stated by Ebisu, “knows and understands the eight principles that are the cornerstones of all the knowledge of the shinobi”, furthermore, Hiruzen (a direct example of who Naruto wants to become), expects the future shinobi to know and follow a number of rules, it’s are a requirement to pass the initial course. This is the first time Naruto questions the basis of the shinobi’s belief system (being as heartless as Zabuza = being strong = becoming a hero = becoming Hokage).

In chapter 33, we are able to see Zabuza and Haku’s funeral, which introduces the idea of Naruto growing up to question the current system: Here and here. We are shown the mentality of “shinobis are tools” being disputed by the main trio -Kakashi, their sensei, admits that the value put on ninjas’ lives by the present mindset makes him uncomfortable, yet, he does nothing about it. We are to believe that this new generation of shinobi (with Naruto at the front) will finally question and take action against that belief; however, we are also shown how shinobi who go against the system are considered rogue (Zabuza), so Naruto will have to either reach power in order to change things (fight from within -with all the issues it brings) or fight against the system from the outside, meaning, becoming a missing-nin.

However, by the end of the Wave Arc, Naruto is starting to build up a reputation (the main goal he was introduced with, which makes all the debate presented before absolutely irrelevant for he changed nothing of his views and got the reward he expected), the bridge is named after him (because I guess he inspired Inari who was in charge to name the bridge, instead of naming it after Tazuna, who built it, or Kaiza, to give him a “post-mortem recognition”). The emotional connection between Naruto and Inari was made after Naruto saved him, yet it can’t be said that it isn’t significant. Kakashi convinced Inari to “like” Naruto (directly), and Haku convinced Naruto to “like” Inari (indirectly) -their relationship was made by other people. 

Chünin Exams

When already inside the Chünin Exams’ arc, more specifically, chapter 39, we have an interesting occurrence: Naruto, having put on the over-confident mask he often displays to portray a confidence he doesn’t exactly feels, yells that no one will beat him. Now, that in itself isn’t truly remarkable, yet the Otogakure’s team takes it as an insult to their village. It’s intriguing to think why they take what seems to be an innocent statement with such a negative value because of the village Naruto represents (his Hitai Ate is on his forehead, where everyone can see). 

This interpretation, however, is introducing something of a bigger scale: The resentment of smaller villages towards bigger ones like Konoha -we have yet to know their reasoning, but since we already know Konoha is one (if not the) strongest village, the wording in which the Otogakure’s team presents the conflict is to be noted. Naruto never mentioned the places of precedence of those in the room -he even included the shinobi from his own village (when facing the room, he’s also looking at Lee, Neji, and Tenten) yet the Oto team takes it personally because they can see his headband: they know things that the reader has yet to learn, therefore, Naruto seemingly innocent statement automatically translates onto Konoha shinobi insulting other villages’ capacities.

[It’s also to be noted that Otogakure is ruled by Orochimaru, who deserted Konoha and wasn’t really a fan of his former village, their distaste for Konoha as a village and Naruto as a shinobi might have to do with their commander’s personal feelings if they know about Orochimaru’s past]. 

By the end of the first exam (chapter 43) - Ibiki asks the tenth question, Naruto jumps before Sakura can raise her hand and forfeit (she did so because she didn’t want Naruto to fail and be stuck forever as a Gënin should he answer incorrectly) while yelling that he won’t quit and he’ll become Hokage even if they doom him to be Gënin forever (Kishimoto actually made this to be true: he stayed as a gënin until the very end of the manga). His character is particularly marked by his necessity to go against those who underestimate him, to the point where he sets all of his interactions under that premise until proven wrong; that is, he usually assumes people are belittling him even if they aren’t particularly doing so. 

In Chapter 48, after being attacked by Orochimaru disguised as a Grass ninja, Sasuke decides that the best course of action in order to survive is giving him the Heaven Scroll they have so he would leave. Up until then, Orochimaru has overpowered both him and Sakura yet, Naruto intercepts the exchange and punches Sasuke, calling him a “fake”, because the real Sasuke isn’t a coward. Now, Naruto knows nothing of what both Sasuke and Sakura experienced, so perhaps he truly believes that it isn’t a fight harsh enough for them not to overcome (they have fought against Haku and Zabuza and they won); but what interests me is the weight and value that Naruto seems to put over the notion of “brave” and its counterpart “coward” since he’s done the exact same judgment when in Wave (to Inari), and it was an assessment made towards him by both Sasuke and Kakashi. 

Kishimoto even acknowledges this parallelism through this panel: here. Even the next chapter (49), it’s titled “Coward” [After Orochimaru attacks Naruto, Sakura helps him and yells at Sasuke (who has been frozen since Naruto saved him) - at her intervention, he immediately remembers Itachi’s words which are a direct reflection of Naruto’s words to Sasuke].

Up to this point, for Naruto, a Hero is someone strong enough to help others (I assume since he spoke with Haku that Naruto understood the “fighting for what/who you love” phrase, even if that is incredibly manipulated and he subscribed to the Will of Fire, where the love he possesses for Iruka and his friends translates into him caring for Konoha as a symbol), someone who is acknowledged by others because of their sacrifices/capacities and, now,someone brave enough to jump into dangerous situations.

After the end of the Second Stage of the Chünin Exams, we have a thought-provoking interaction between Iruka and Naruto. There, Iruka advises the tree cell team not to overexert themselves during the next round, to which Naruto replies with -basically, “since I’ve got the Hitai-ate (that you gave me), I stopped being a kid and became a full-fledged shinobi” (x and x). I have pointed this out in some other posts but there’s no harm to reiterate: the pass from childhood to adult -unlike in the civilian society that follows different rules, is marked by the bestowal of the headband. That is, adulthood has little to do with age and more to do with rank. With that mentality, Naruto’s behavior towards Inari is slightly more understandable, since his age is not an excuse to behave like a “child”. Yet, again, where Naruto (and Kakashi) fails is in understanding that Inari is not governed by the same principles that he is.

In the introduction of the preliminary rounds, we have Hiruzen’s speech about the exams and their true goal, I won’t put here everything that they encompass but I will mention the so-called friendship Hiruzen preached about and what will ultimately become Naruto’s own conception of the term: The “friendship” that Hiruzen often speaks about (and many fans still take in the strict term of the word), is more about preserving the balance in between the villages at the risk of people’s lives. That’s the type of friendship that Naruto will end up defending -to keep the balance between the greater villages, massacres, discrimination, and even wars (and war-like scenarios, such as the Chünin Exams), are permitted, because balance equals friendship.

The Hero (The Hokage) keeps the balance. If they feel Konoha is losing power, they’ll start a war, if they sense a small village or a petit organization jeopardizes the position of the Big Five, they obliterate them -I wish more people would read that specific panel: the system isn’t supposed to be good nor fair to everyone, the parameters to be “good” or “evil” are completely different from our own, we are speaking of military, corrupt and powerful states that thrive on wars, they -by our own standards- could never be “good” even at its most basic level. Allow me to copy-paste a response a gave about Jiraiya’s character to illustrate this point:

“We can’t separate his characterization from the universe he was created for (which is not to say we can’t judge him based on our own standards, but calling him a hypocrite would only be factual if he counters his own definition of peace, which he doesn’t).

Who is he killing? People that aren’t from Konoha nor loyal to it, which instantly justifies his actions. Why is he killing? Because it will benefit his village in the short and/or long term (...) The problem in itself isn’t Jiraiya not aligning with our views -he doesn’t have to (furthermore, the narrative doesn’t have to either, which is the apparatus that validates him inside the story, specifically), is the fandom that puts him as a paragon of morality -using him to put other character views/behaviors down, (...) How come Jiraiya is singled out as ‘the’ hypocrite when the system he defends and on which he based his entire views is nothing but hypocritical? You can’t take any other Will of Fire believer/Shinobi system supporter and spare them from the same criticism. If the system he aligns with is nothing but paradoxical (state-sanctioned genocide to “maintain peace” -rather, keep specific people in power- is only one of the most notorious actions perceived narratively as necessary), he has no other choice but to become paradoxical as well -otherwise, he’ll become a traitor.” (x)

However, in chapter 94, we have this interesting piece of interaction, where Hiruzen tells the future generation of shinobi that they are free to live and die as they please (we readers are aware that this, given Konoha’s parameters of both freedom and death, is not necessarily true), but they need to protect those who “are precious to them” (Kaiza’s notion of a hero), alongside this Hiruzen, as the Hokage, claims that he’ll protect everyone in the village -because all of them are equally precious to him. This particular method of emotional manipulation is applied to the young minds of future soldiers, and the truth about the real implication of what is asked of them to do would not come to them until much later -either on their first mission or during their Chünin Exams. 

I’ll repeat: There’s a reason why Hiruzen doesn’t allow the façade of Konoha’s practices to fall until the very last stage of the exams, because Konoha’s educational system (particularly), holds itself by ingraining the idea that Konoha as a symbol equalizes to everyone composing it. In trivial terms: If you ask a young child what they rather save, Konoha or their parents -they’ll probably save the person precious to them rather than a piece of land; however, if you convince the kid that Konoha is a symbol far greater than any person because it’s a place where their parents’ presence (or legacy) will still linger even after their deaths (“sacrifices”), then the decision isn’t as easy as it was before. Tsunade doubting about whether to help Orochimaru or not under the promise of seeing Dan and Nawaki again just reiterates the idea of tying Konoha (the symbol) to those dearest to her. Nawaki and Dan are, at this point, either at the same level or higher than the village itself -it’s after, with Naruto and Jiraiya’s intervention (offering of the Hokage’s title and, later on, threatening her), that the village becomes a symbol for both of them and she finally internalizes her master’s teachings. Even Dan states that he loves the village and all of his friends that live there, which is why he wants to defend it, further proving the idea previously mentioned. Furthermore, When Tsunade saves Naruto from Orochimaru’s attack -he asks her “why go to such lengths to save a Gënin,” to which she replies “I’m doing this to protect the village of Konohagakure”; there’re things to point out about this that intertwine this line with my previous point.

Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the nine tails, if he dies Konoha loses possession of Kurama.

Naruto’s dream is to become Hokage, and the remembrance of Dan and Nawaki allows Tsunade to make a connection between Naruto’s dream and theirs. She also might be referencing Naruto becoming Hokage as a way to save Konoha in the future.

Naruto is the representation of Konoha and its people. 

For Naruto, the title of Hokage is so important that he deems it unfathomable that someone would reject it -as Tsunade did the first time it was offered to her. It’s not only about his lack of knowledge about what the title entails and the responsibilities that come with it (something that isn't propagandistically mentioned, as the only thing highlighted about the position is the physical power the wielder needs to have in order to earn it. Realistically speaking, we know the title isn’t just about power -as Tsunade isn’t the strongest of the three Sannin, yet she’s the most valuable as the last Senju descendant), but also about the acknowledgment position she’s declining. Naruto has glorified the idea of Hokage (hero) to such a degree that questioning the position (or whoever has obtained it) seems incomprehensible, and when Tsunade does question it -he reacts violently. She’s questioning the very thing he wants to be, that’s why he reacts so fiercely against her when she both declines the position and questions its relevance and this is exactly why he’s set to never dispute the notion that was ingrained into him -Naruto questioning the system that killed thousands through the years is being practically buried here.

Regarding Naruto’s characterization, antagonizing the "prodigy" notion is incredibly important to him, not because he (truly) denies the strength of those who are given the title, but because their existence denies him of the acknowledgment he seeks, as all his accomplishments are "overshadowed" by Neji and Sasuke's sole presence. Therefore being recognized (positively so) by their ninja skills (as such is the political and cultural importance of such aspects inside the Shinobi system) is, to him, the most important category when pointing out a person’s value. 

To Naruto (and a big portion of the fandom) Neji is not considered a failure (unlike himself, Hinata, or Lee) therefore he somehow has an easier life despite being, in every other manner, oppressed by his family. This is a mindset Konoha in itself teaches to its citizens as this dogma’s value rests on the fact that it guarantees the success and preservation of the status quo established. Therefore, for Will of Fire supporters,  Sasuke couldn’t be discriminated against because he was praised for his techniques/was popular, Neji might be a slave but he’s incredibly valuable to Konoha due to his strength, so there is some sort of “retribution”. 

The problem with this mindset is that it diminishes valid criticisms as it downgrades minorities' arguments by pointing out the person's "worth" inside the overall structure: They're valuable for Konoha's militia as their power benefits them militarily, therefore this recognition discredits any other way they are politically, culturally or economically oppressed.

This nationalistic mindset, vastly sustained in the "greater good" rhetoric, also tries to diminish the relevance of ethnicity identification inside the Narutoverse. Let me explain it further: Being part of a clan isn't -or shouldn't be by Konoha's standards- as important as being a Konoha citizen. People inside the village should consider themselves Konoha citizens first and part of a clan second, so if the greater good (meaning, Konoha's survival or superiority) entails clans' oppression or the tolerance of slavery practices, not only these practices are narratively perceived as necessary but also are to be accepted by those affected by them because they have to see the bigger picture.

This rhetoric isn't as challenging for those in power: some fans claim that all shinobi are forced to forfeit/diminish their identity as clan members to be Konoha's shinobi first, yet it translates differently in practice. It's easier for those who benefited from the system to consider themselves part of their nation before their clan because their ethnicity isn't perceived or treated differently.

If we roughly translate it to real-life dogmas, it'll be as if a (mostly white populated) nation asked their citizens to "forfeit" their ethnic identity (and I'm comparing the Uchiha and Hyuga with real-life ethnic groups as biological differences inside the Narutoverse are marked by the presence or absence of Kekkei Genkai, as Haku introduces) in order to use their nation as an identifier. The white population of such space won't see nor understand the issue with such a request because their whiteness has never been used as a reason to diminish their relevance or capacities inside the spheres of power; furthermore, their nation's bureaucracy was built around their whiteness whilst POCs political value/capacities are constantly challenged. One (or few) instances of POC individuals being praised by those in power for meeting (or surpassing) the established standards isn't the same as them being treated as equals to their white counterparts.

In this “prodigy vs. hard worker” theme, we have two dogmas introduced in the manga: “A ninja is one who endures” (x) of Jiraiya, vs. “A ninja is one who wields Ninjutsu” of Orochimaru -this is an interesting dichotomy, as none of them contradicts the other, it’s also incredibly accurate to represent both Sasuke and Naruto as a ninja. Sasuke -up until the last chapter, is far superior to Naruto when it comes to Ninjutsu, but Naruto is incredibly tough and continuously increases his power/strength out of sheer stubbornness. Both of them have natural resources to move around the dogma they represent (Sasuke, the Sharingan; Naruto, Kurama), so they’re well-matched in that regard. 

The Naruto fandom seems to think that Naruto lacking a vast repertoire of Jutsus is the way Kishimoto uses to undermine the main character, completely missing the point of his characterization. Naruto isn’t supposed to be flashy nor interesting, he’s supposed to stand against the norm (a.k.a the literal definition of a ninja, which is Orochimaru’s, hence, Sasuke’s), which is why he has mostly two Jutsus during the whole manga. This, again, doesn’t contradict Sasuke’s characterization, as being able to wield Ninjutsu isn’t opposed to being able to endure -and considering Sasuke’s arc and how he, until the very last moment, refused to give up on his journey, only shows how he grew up to fulfill both visions. The narrative tries to show us how Sasuke's path is wicked, which is why his decision to continue is painted in a negative light.  

Sasuke Retrieval Arc

Once Sasuke leaves Konoha, he’s “followed” by Shikamaru and his newly formed squad (you can see an analysis about sexism here), and in chapter 202, we find this phrase uttered by the leader: “I should place more value on the lives of my teammates instead of the person abducted by the enemy (...) besides abandoning a teammate to protect yourself? There’s no one in my squad like that.” (x, x). However, Shikamaru is lying, both to himself and Tayuya. Sasuke wasn’t abducted, he left of his own volition (x). Shikamaru isn’t risking his life to save a kidnapped comrade, he’s risking his life so Orochimaru wouldn’t have the last Uchiha descendent by his side, which is proved by the way Tsunade references Sasuke’s deflection and Orochimaru’s “attempt to have the power of the Uchiha” (here); he’s protecting more Konoha’s possession of the last Sharingan user than Sasuke himself. 

Sure, he does have a sense of duty since Sasuke is a comrade, and it wouldn’t be weird for them to think that Sasuke was forced into accepting Orochimaru’s help as Tsunade is incapable of replying to Shikamaru’s question (she isn’t even sure of the answer as nor Kakashi or Jiraiya spoke to her about their suspicions); yet what interests us here is the weight that surrounds the use of the word “save” as it’s likely more for the children’s benefit to put them under a “savior” mindset in order to build their sense of duty and the imperative necessity of bringing Sasuke back; as it’s also likely that they gave sense to Sasuke’s escape by attributing it to kidnapping since they cannot conceive one of them deflecting. Here, the savior complex shifts, as we learn that it isn’t an individualistic ethos that it’s solely linked to Naruto’s character due to his background (it’s simply far more visible in his case), but it’s a learned mindset (un)consciously taught to ensure loyalty and obedience (“I’m not the bad guy, I’m saving you”; “this if for your own good!”; etc); it’s not really different to how real-life soldiers are told to perceive themselves.

“Does Konoha mean nothing to you?!” (x) Peak perfection in the sense of the nationalistic mindset Naruto has been constructing during the whole first portion of the manga, here, Naruto’s sparkles of revolutionary interests are crushed –and I mean, they were never bright to begin with. He never questioned Konoha’s relevance but rather Konoha’s structure when it presented challenges or negative preconceptions of his nature as Jinchuuriki that he needed to overcome or modify, as they did in Wave where he refused to become “just” a tool like Haku was (x), since a tool doesn’t need nor deserves recognition, which he craves. Here, the nationalistic mindset of Kakashi gets reflected upon the student, as Naruto internalized the Will of Fire and exposes it (and rather clearly) here: 

Naruto is contemplating Sasuke abandoning him and Team 7, which is the primary fuel in this quest and the reason behind his pain, he mentions the team that Shikamaru gathered (per Tsunade’s orders) to bring him back as these are individuals that put their life on the line to “rescue” Sasuke, yet Sasuke cares not. Naruto’s words are not a coincidence, he never states that the people searching for him are Sasuke’s friends (they aren’t, they never interacted in any significant way), the only thing they have in common is their village of origin and loyalty. For Naruto, that’s enough for a bond, for Sasuke it isn’t.

Sasuke himself put no one in danger, as he fought nor hurt anyone, it was Tsunade who sent inexperienced gënin to search Sasuke in order not to give Orochimaru the “Uchiha’s power”, Sasuke deflecting put no one in any immediate danger as he was, at most, to be killed and possessed by Orochimaru (which, alright, can be argued his body might have been used to destroy Konoha later on –despite Orochimaru being quite capable of doing so prior to having Sasuke’s body as well, so him having or not Sasuke isn’t detrimental for a possible retaliation from the Sannin) which, as he states, isn’t important (x)

I do believe that this specific claim: “You think I’m just gonna let you go?!” which is the culmination of Naruto’s speech about how Orochimaru will grant him power in exchange for his life (x) is understandable as Naruto is both hurt by Sasuke abandoning them and scared for his friend’s life (Sasuke is even leaving despite being aware that he’ll be likely killed, which is quite worse as not only Naruto feels pain as a result of his only friend escaping, but also him leaving to certain death). Naruto’s primary knowledge about Sasuke’s goal (killing Itachi) is that he’s willing to die for it (x) that, in regards to Naruto’s own goal, it’s unfathomable –as death is not one of the lengths Naruto is prepared for in order to get the acknowledgment he seeks. Furthermore, Sasuke’s death will automatically jeopardize his own objective, as Sasuke’s recognition is the one Naruto craves the most (here and here Naruto remembers Sasuke denying Naruto the equal status he wants, and Sasuke once again refuses: “who cares what you want?”). 

“You were my Idol, and so… hearing that… I was never happier, with those words, for the first time… you acknowledged I was good.” (x) Can’t make it clearer here Sasuke’s relevance on Naruto’s life and the importance of him staying, of him acknowledging Naruto.

This is not specifically about Naruto, but it’s interesting for this post. Look at this interaction in between Shikaku and his son, Shikamaru: 1, 2, 3. Here, Shikaku was questioning Shikamaru’s claim that he was not fit to be a shinobi (x), as (he states) all he can do is use this experience in order to improve. This whole conversation happens while both Chöji and Neji are in surgery, by the way, so not only is Shikamaru upset about the mission in itself, but he’s also concerned about his best friend’s and comrade’s lives. He’s putting himself as the only one responsible for the failing of a mission that was way over their skill level to begin with (this is Tsunade’ responsibility, not Shikamaru’s) x, and such notion is not questioned by anyone in that hallway (not by his father, Temari, or the Hokage); furthermore, Shikaku makes a point to drag his child through the (metaphorical) mud in order to “tough him up” for the next mission. This rough treatment wouldn’t have happened if Shikamaru had not questioned his future as a ninja, Shikaku is making sure Shikamaru doesn’t quit as a shinobi, emotionally manipulating the boy to convince him that “missions will continue to happen with or without you, so why resign anyway?” Couldn’t the same be said in the opposite direction? If he’s not detrimental to the structure’s function why does he have to stay? Because it sets a bad precedent: one person resigning does desestabilizes the structure, as then that practice becomes normalized which puts the entire shinobi structure in jeopardy as no one is willing to sacrifice themselves for Konoha, so Shikakau needs to stop this mindset in order to guarantee a faithful soldier. The excuse is “if missions are happening anyway, why not make sure they all come back alive? Be their leader and guarantee their safety!” Yet not only was this said before Tsunade and Shizune communicated the health status of Shikamaru’s colleagues (so Shikaku wasn’t aware if they were even alive), but also, it changes nothing, as Shikamaru’s doubt not only is about his own insecurities as a leader, but also about his reluctance to be under this kind of mental and emotional pressure and responsibility, which will continue to happen until either he gains enough experience or resigns. Furthermore, having experience doesn’t even guarantee such doubts going away, as they might still be present but controlled enough because of Shikamaru’s constant exposure to them. This specific conversation is Konoha’s teachings in a nutshell, emotional manipulation and rough treatment while a child is on the verge of a mental breakdown and all.

There is no closure suitable for this analysis because it would imply an end to this theme that is not given by the simple fact that the manga continues on Naruto Shippuden. However, I don't remember any intrinsic changes in the main character's thinking for the rest of the story, but it would be far-fetched to affirm it without doing the pertinent analysis.

[melatonin-melanin]

welcome to melatonin-melanin!

☆ greetings! this is a blog i made on a whim to talk about a variety of things regarding the alternative fashion world (particularly japanese fashion), how people of color are seen in it, and how this view affects them. i'll most likely discuss many topics through the lens of intersectionality, a theory explaining that the multiple facets of one's identity inherently determines their life experiences. these facets include (but are not limited to) race, gender, class, and disability. most of my posts will focus on the particular intersection of racial identity, skin color, and mental illness, and how they come together in alt spaces to influence the experience of alternative people of color. there may be more correlation than you think! my goal is to create a space for people to vocalize their own struggles related to race and mental health, as well as for people to feel more comfortable discussing these issues openly and to learn from others' perspectives. i feel that there is a particular lack of openness in the j-fashion and menhera communities when it comes to discussing race-specific issues, intentional or not. i believe we can change that with some time, patience, and will to improve!

admin info, dni, and tagging system below the cut. ☆

★ admin info: you can call me mela or tonin! i identify as a part of the menhera subculture. i use she/they/it, and i adore j-fashion and its history. my favorite aesthetics and styles include yumekawaii, yamikawaii, and girly! i'm also very invested in ethnic studies and race theory, which present themselves in a lot of aspects of my life. these are what i'll be using as the basis for many of my posts!

★ please do not interact under any circumstances if you:

are racist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist in any way

are a TERF or SWERF

are a nsfw/kink blog

are pro-ed, pro-sh, or generally anti-recovery

believe jirai kei/landmine-type refers to girly fashion, and/or that you can "reclaim" the term

★ tagging system: along with some general tags, i'll be using personalized tags for this blog to hopefully make searching for specific kinds of posts easier! the list is as follows:

#rise and shine - the main category for my general posts discussing fashion, culture, race and/or mental health

#sunny day - any cute coords, accessories, hairstyles, and diy tips and tricks i come across

#cloudy noon - any interesting articles i've found that are related to the contents of the blog

#starry night - posts directly speaking out against, and bringing awareness to racism, ableism, and current events in the world

#sweet dreams - reassurances, affirmations, and comfort for those who need it

#tonin talks - answers for any asks i may receive. im open to asks about many things ranging from silly to serious, so go right ahead!

#misc - anything that happens to not fall into any of these categories

thanks for stopping by, and i hope you learn something new while you're here!!

[batsplat]

who were the underrated early 00’s riders in your opinion or who did you enjoy watching the most?

gonna go for the boring options first and say both biaggi and gibernau are commonly underrated from today's perspective. this kind of thing often happens where one athlete is really dominant, so it's assumed that the opposition isn't that strong... but it's a bit of a circular argument, right, because the reason why their resumes aren't stronger on paper is because of that one athlete's dominance. (I hate to accidentally be doing federer prop, but how people discuss his noughties dominance is actually a really good parallel here lol - like he was just very good and we'd remember the other blokes in that era very differently if he hadn't been around.) so the reasoning goes biaggi and gibernau had to be mid given they were constantly being beaten

this is obviously particularly egregious with biaggi, the joint most successful bloke ever in the 250cc category (another achievement that has suffered over the years because newer fans don't quite get how much more meaningful these titles were than moto2 ones) - but honestly it's also irritating with gibernau. again with the late bloomer syndrome... yes, it took him until 2003 to reach his potential as a rider, but that doesn't mean he didn't have a lot going for him! they're both good riders! they gave us a lot of really cool battles! they had plenty of impressive signature performances - just look at biaggi winning his first ever race in the premier class. gibernau's transformation as a rider at welkom 2003. really interesting individual stories (both with quite unusual paths to the top of the sport) that get flattened when you allow them just to be reduced to one guy's chew toys

speaking of, I do just enjoy gibernau as a rider. I like good wet weather racers as a rule, just something about that skillset that's particularly appealing to me... yes, it's about adaptability and there will be some element of 'talent' involved, but it's also about your wits and your decision-making skills and your ability to judge risk vs reward. (also, it's FUN that it doesn't correlate neatly with how talented we'd usually consider the riders. look at how good vale/casey/marc are in the wet versus jorge/dani's... struggles. most people wouldn't consider dovi more naturally 'talented' than the latter two, and yet! and yet.) I do also have a fondness for cerebral riders, the smart operators who are better racers than qualifiers, which, again. sete

the other big one is alex barros, who had already been around for a while by the time the early noughties rolled around, and as a result has a quite old school style for the time... did you know he's the only rider to have ever scored podiums with five different manufacturers in the premier class? really demonstrates his longevity better than anything else could. he doesn't really get discussed enough imo - I still think he was valentino's main on-track rival in 2002. the championship standings don't exactly reflect it, in part because he was still on a 500cc for much of the season, but they had like. a bunch of really fun battles. known for both his raw pace and for what a phenomenally later braker he was

singlehandedly made the 2002 season watchable, quite frankly

another one is... I don't know, is someone really underrated when it's possible newer fans just straight up haven't heard of him, and most fans who are aware of him do appreciate him plenty? anyway, garry mccoy was one of those blokes with a more obviously 'spectacular' riding style, which made him really easy to appreciate. his strongest season was in 2000 and after that injuries did unfortunately derail his career, but hey, 2000 is still the noughties. he was nicknamed 'the slide king' with his dirt track-inspired style... going side on into the turns in a way that was very much unique at the time. won three races in 2000! here's some sliding footage (the interesting music choices are part of the charm). troy bayliss another very distinctive rider though I suppose within motogp he's most known for his 2006 victory as a wildcard, so not technically early noughties

I have no clue how highly shinya nakano is rated but I will say people don't talk enough about his helmets these days:

aren't they great??

anyway, yeah, those are probably the main ones. is capirossi underrated these days? I do feel like he's pretty widely respected and is about correctly rated, but if not then he obviously counts too. very plausibly could have won the 2006 title if he hadn't gotten unlucky early on, and obviously won some... rather. uh. eventful titles...? in the lower categories in the nineties. also, even if he didn't end up winning a title with ducati, he was the rider who developed the bike that did. involved in quite a lot of dramatic races and quite a lot of drama, certainly contributed plenty to the sport. otherwise barros is definitely the rider who stands out, my hero of 2002. cut him out of that season and you'd have to throw away the whole year

[dryogeshgupta]

What is Alzheimer? What are its causes?

This disease is an example of a neurological disorder that has a progressive nature and impacts the lives of many citizens globally. It is important to set out the cause of Alzheimer's to initiate more ways of enhancing the treatment methodology and possibly the elimination of the causes of the disease.

The list of disorders includes Alzheimer's, a major neurological disorder, and Dr. Yogesh Gupta, the best brain surgeon in India. He has vast experience in handling. He is also the top brain surgeon in India. Here we will discuss what leads to Alzheimer's disease and risk factors.

The Genetics Role

This disease has been known to have genetic predisposing factors among its causes. Past studies evidenced that people who have a family history of Alzheimer's are more likely to develop the disease. Some specific genes are linked with Alzheimer's, with perhaps the most prominent being the APOE-e4 gene. The presence of this gene raises the risk of getting the disease but it is not a sure thing. There may be other genes involved, particularly in early-onset, which affects people under 65 years of age.

For people of Jaipur, consultation with a specialist such as Dr Yogesh Gupta, considered the brain surgeon in India with prior experience in neurological disorders, is crucial to timely diagnosis.

The Impact of Age

Age primarily governs the risk of getting this disease. It is a known fact that the risk of Alzheimer's rises with age. It is mainly because of the progressive functioning decline, and neurodegenerative diseases are more common and manifest with symptoms in this period. The brain changes structure and function, and the degeneration from proteins such as Beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles are more apparent in this stage.

Thus, when in Jaipur, it would be helpful to consult with the best brain surgeon in India, like Dr. Yogesh Gupta. His vast knowledge about the neurological changes that occur with age would help handle the symptoms of Alzheimer's and probably even slow down its advancement.

Environmental Factors

Another Alzheimer's disease cause is lifestyle including other factors such as exposure to toxins. Adverse environmental factors correlated with the development of this disease are laziness, improper diet, and non-engagement in intellectual tasks. Also, the effect of heavy metals, air pollution, and other environmental pollutants leads to early brain ageing and predisposes the patients.

Alzheimer's disease prevention tips, according to one of the Best Brain Surgeons in India, Dr. Yogesh Gupta is the promotion of healthy living and awareness of the environment. Neurology and brain specialist, he provides credentials on how those willing to avoid or manage Alzheimer's can do it naturally.

Chronic Diseases in Perspective

We cannot argue with the fact that hypertension, diabetic conditions, and diseases of the cardiovascular system raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease. They affect the flow of blood to the brain; hence, they cause Alzheimer's. Properly controlling other medical conditions with the help of medication and a healthful diet, coupled with primary care checks, lowers the chances of getting Alzheimer's.

In Indian states such as Rajasthan, where specialised health care is more important, there is a brain Surgeon in India aptly named Dr. Yogesh Gupta who has talent in handling chronic illnesses and causative agents of Alzheimer's disease. His broad perspective towards the patients makes him guarantee that those in his custody receive the best treatment and advice possible.

Inflammation and Alzheimer's Disease:

Another impact of disease is chronic inflammation. According to the cause, inflammation in the brain can be categorised mainly as infections, autoimmune diseases, and stress inverses. This inflammation destroys the cells in the brain and also speeds up the development of this disease.

For people looking for a specialised doctor in Jaipur, Dr. Yogesh Gupta, regarded as the best brain surgeon in India, offers tips for handling inflammation to decrease the possibility of this disease. That is why his approach to treating the disease implies the overall management of inflammation, which means that patients will receive the necessary and individualised care.

The Moderation of Cognitive Deterioration

This cognitive change, MCI in particular, is a known precursor to Alzheimer's disease. MCI consists of memory and other cognitive dysfunctions that are more profound than the expected decline in mental faculties due to ageing but do not markedly impair individual functioning. People with MCI have a higher chance of developing this disease should other elements of risk or inherited diseases be incurred.

By speaking to a brain Surgeon in India like Dr. Yogesh Gupta, situated in Jaipur, where cognitive decline is something they understandably would be fully aware of, it is possible to have a better understanding of the disease with approaches for early management. Specialisation in this field guarantees that the patients are provided with the required care to minimise the chances of Alzheimer's disease.

On the Role of Education and the Intellectual Activity

Notably, any form of learning and mental exercise helps to reduce the likelihood or risk of Alzheimer's type of dementia. Some researchers have established that men and women educated or who use their brains frequently are less likely to develop this disease. It is because cognitive activity promotes brain reserve and connectivity - brain reserves that one can use to postpone the effects of Alzheimer's.

According to Dr. Yogesh Gupta, a brain surgeon in India and a neurological surgeon, it is critical to engage the brain and keep learning new things to avoid the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease. Some of the patient recommendations he gave them include reading, puzzles, and learning new skills that improve cognitive function.

Conclusion

The research conducted allows for the revelation of the fact that Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disorder that has causes that are genetic, age-related, and environmental, as well as disease, inflammation, cognitive decline, education, and the level of intellectual activity. Knowledge of these causes is helpful in early detection, prevention, and management and, hence, this article seeks to explain them.

In Jaipur and the whole of India, many people requiring medical advice regarding Alzheimer's are free to contact Dr. Yogesh Gupta. And other neurological conditions given the fact that he exercises a very patient-oriented medical practice.

Suppose you are worried about changing your ways to reduce the chances of Alzheimer's disease. Treating chronic conditions. Getting pre-symptomatic testing, or understanding how to get the earliest and most accurate diagnosis. Then you should consult Dr. Yogesh Gupta, the Top Brain Surgeon in India, for the finest quality healthcare and consultation.

[civicsavvy]

The Complexity of Donald J. Trump: A Psychological Exploration by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s conversation on Donald J. Trump offers a nuanced, multi-dimensional view of the former president’s personality, leadership style, and the broader psychological impact he has had on society. Peterson approaches Trump not simply as a political figure but as a psychological subject whose behaviors and traits evoke intense reactions, both positive and negative, in the public sphere.

The video is insightful for several reasons, mainly because Peterson, a clinical psychologist, applies his understanding of personality psychology to analyze Trump’s complex personality. By examining Trump’s leadership qualities, public persona, and social impact, Peterson offers a blend of psychological, social, and moral perspectives that reveal how Trump's personality influences not only his own behavior but also his supporters and critics alike. Here are some key points Peterson raises:

1. Public Persona and Influence as a Celebrity

Peterson observes that Trump’s public persona is central to his success. He notes that Trump built his brand as a celebrity and businessman long before entering politics, giving him a unique, almost “larger-than-life” status. His background in real estate and as a television personality shaped his ability to command attention, charm certain audiences, and polarize others. This larger-than-life image, Peterson argues, equipped Trump to break traditional political norms and capture public fascination in a way that few others have been able to achieve.

2. Leadership Style: Bold, Direct, and Unorthodox

Trump’s approach to leadership is bold, often unfiltered, and confrontational, which Peterson suggests aligns with certain personality traits, including high extroversion and assertiveness. This style appeals strongly to his supporters, who see these traits as signs of strength, decisiveness, and authenticity. On the other hand, these same qualities provoke intense opposition and criticism from those who interpret them as aggressive, narcissistic, or dangerous. Peterson sees Trump’s leadership as embodying a kind of “charismatic authority” that deviates from typical political decorum but resonates deeply with a significant portion of the American public.

3. Key Personality Traits: Extroversion, Openness, and Plasticity

Peterson specifically points to Trump’s high levels of extroversion and openness as defining traits. High extroversion often correlates with assertiveness, energy, and sociability, all of which have been apparent in Trump’s public appearances. Openness, which reflects creativity and willingness to embrace novel experiences, is another trait that likely contributes to Trump’s risk-taking and adaptability.

A unique aspect Peterson discusses is “plasticity”—the capacity to adapt and change, which Trump demonstrates through his ability to switch roles and professions, from business mogul to television star to politician. Peterson believes this plasticity allows Trump to survive and thrive in rapidly changing social and economic environments, a skill that has helped him remain relevant across different decades.

4. Humor as a Strategic Tool

Peterson examines Trump’s use of humor, particularly his “ruthless” style, which combines sarcasm, irony, and directness. This humor often disarms his critics, energizes his supporters, and disrupts traditional political rhetoric. Peterson notes that humor is a powerful tool in leadership because it allows a person to communicate complex or controversial messages in a less direct, confrontational way. However, Trump’s style of humor can also alienate people and feed into negative perceptions, especially among those who view him as disrespectful or divisive.

5. Trump’s Appeal to the Working Class

One of the more compassionate aspects of Peterson’s analysis is his acknowledgment of Trump’s empathy for the working class. He argues that Trump’s straightforward, brash communication style resonates with people who feel alienated by political elites. According to Peterson, many working-class Americans appreciate Trump’s perceived authenticity and see him as a defender of their values and economic concerns. This, Peterson posits, may explain why Trump’s support base remains loyal, even when his behavior challenges conventional standards.

6. Empathy, Narcissism, and Agreeableness

Peterson recognizes that Trump’s personality is paradoxical in several ways. For instance, while Trump often displays traits associated with narcissism, he also exhibits moments of genuine empathy, particularly towards those he perceives as “ordinary Americans.” Peterson discusses how Trump’s low agreeableness (a personality trait associated with cooperation and kindness) contributes to his confrontational and competitive demeanor, which some perceive as a lack of empathy. However, Peterson suggests that Trump’s empathy for his base is selective rather than generalized, leading to complex public reactions.

7. Social Media Mastery: Power and Pitfalls of Twitter

Trump’s unique use of Twitter (and other social media platforms) has been a defining aspect of his public image and political influence. Peterson notes that Twitter allows Trump to bypass traditional media and speak directly to his supporters, creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy. However, this direct line of communication also intensifies polarization, as Trump’s unfiltered remarks reach a global audience instantly. Peterson points out that social media amplifies both the positive and negative aspects of Trump’s personality, further fueling division within the public.

8. Controversial Populist Appeal and Psychological Impact

Trump’s approach often aligns with populist themes, positioning himself as an “outsider” against an entrenched political establishment. Peterson suggests that Trump’s populist appeal may be psychologically reassuring to those who feel disempowered, as he promises to “drain the swamp” and restore power to the people. However, this populist stance also invites criticism and concerns about authoritarianism. Peterson weighs these risks carefully, noting that populism can serve as both a force for change and a potential source of division.

9. Adaptability and Reinvention as a Survival Mechanism

Trump’s life is marked by continual reinvention, a quality that Peterson finds psychologically significant. Unlike most people, who become more set in their ways as they age, Trump demonstrates a remarkable ability to adapt, whether it’s shifting from the world of real estate to television or, ultimately, politics. Peterson sees this adaptability as part of Trump’s resilience and success, though he cautions that it can also contribute to volatility.

10. Is Trump Dangerous? Peterson’s Final Thoughts

Peterson concludes his analysis with a reflection on the broader question: “Is Trump dangerous?” While he acknowledges that Trump’s personality can be polarizing, Peterson does not reduce Trump to a purely positive or negative figure. Instead, he emphasizes the complexity of Trump’s influence, arguing that Trump’s impact depends largely on how his personality traits interact with the context and the responses of those around him. Peterson encourages a balanced view that recognizes both Trump’s strengths and potential risks, emphasizing the importance of understanding complex personalities in political leaders.

Conclusion

Dr. Peterson’s analysis of Donald Trump goes beyond simplistic judgments, exploring Trump as a case study in personality, psychology, and social impact. Peterson’s approach is both empathetic and critical, allowing readers to see Trump’s strengths and weaknesses as two sides of the same coin. His focus on Trump’s personality traits—extroversion, openness, and plasticity—helps to explain how Trump’s unconventional behavior connects with a significant portion of the public while also intensifying divisions. Ultimately, Peterson’s conversation sheds light on Trump’s lasting influence and encourages a more nuanced view of one of the most polarizing figures in modern history.

Introduction: Understanding a Controversial Figure

In today’s polarized world, few figures have been as divisive and influential as Donald J. Trump. From his beginnings as a real estate developer and television personality to his tenure as the 45th President of the United States, Trump has reshaped the political landscape and challenged conventional norms in ways that continue to provoke strong reactions. For some, he represents a bold break from the status quo, a leader unafraid to speak his mind and tackle issues with a directness often missing in traditional politics. For others, he embodies a threat to established democratic values, with his unconventional style and polarizing rhetoric deepening the divides in American society.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s approach to examining Trump’s personality offers a unique and thought-provoking perspective. As a clinical psychologist known for his insights into human behavior, Peterson does not attempt to cast Trump simply as a hero or villain. Instead, he approaches Trump as a complex psychological subject, one whose traits and behaviors reveal much about leadership, charisma, and the psychological undercurrents that influence both individual and collective behavior. Peterson’s analysis is grounded in his understanding of personality psychology, which allows him to explore the ways in which Trump’s distinctive personality traits resonate with his supporters while repelling his detractors.

This essay aims to unpack Dr. Peterson’s in-depth examination of Donald Trump’s personality, exploring the ways in which Trump’s traits—such as his high levels of extroversion, his adaptability, and his confrontational style—intersect with the expectations and demands of American political life. Through this lens, readers will gain a clearer understanding of the impact of Trump’s public persona and the reasons why he has become a central figure in contemporary political and social discourse.

In doing so, we will delve into the nature of Trump’s influence: How has his background as a businessman and celebrity shaped his public image? What psychological traits contribute to his leadership style, and why do these traits provoke such strong reactions from people across the political spectrum? How does Peterson’s psychological perspective help us make sense of Trump’s enduring impact on American politics and society?

Through this analysis, we hope to move beyond simplistic judgments and offer a balanced view that highlights both the strengths and challenges presented by Trump’s unique personality. Whether one sees Trump as a transformative figure or a destabilizing force, Dr. Peterson’s insights provide a valuable framework for understanding the psychological and cultural factors that shape our perception of one of the most controversial figures of our time.

In the following ten sections, we will examine specific aspects of Dr. Peterson’s analysis, exploring Trump’s personality traits, leadership style, use of humor, appeal to the working class, and mastery of social media. By approaching each of these topics from a psychological and cultural perspective, we aim to offer readers a comprehensive understanding of the many facets of Trump’s public persona and the lasting impact of his unconventional approach to leadership.

Section 1: The Public Persona – Celebrity and Businessman

Donald Trump’s journey to becoming a household name began long before he entered politics. With roots in New York real estate, he leveraged his business acumen, showmanship, and a keen understanding of branding to build a public persona that blurred the lines between businessman, celebrity, and, eventually, politician. Trump’s rise to fame highlights the ways in which he crafted an identity not only as a real estate mogul but also as a charismatic figure capable of captivating the public’s attention—a skill that would serve him well in his political career.

Trump’s Ascent in Real Estate and Entertainment

Trump’s early success can be attributed to both his ambition and his deep understanding of the value of visibility. Starting his career in his father’s real estate business, Trump quickly established himself as a risk-taker willing to pursue high-profile projects. His ventures included high-rise developments, luxury hotels, and casinos, often emblazoned with his name—a branding choice that symbolized the “Trump” lifestyle and made him synonymous with opulence and success.

Beyond his business ventures, Trump recognized the importance of cultivating his image in the media. His brash style, larger-than-life personality, and unapologetic self-promotion were not just traits but strategic tools that he used to stay in the public eye. By the 1980s and 1990s, he had transformed from a relatively unknown businessman into a public figure whose name alone evoked wealth and status. His ventures may have been financially tumultuous at times, but the strength of his brand allowed him to maintain relevance, demonstrating the power of perception in shaping public influence.

Trump’s role as the host of The Apprentice in the early 2000s took his celebrity status to a new level. The reality TV show presented Trump as a decisive, no-nonsense figure with an aura of authority, cementing his image as a successful businessman who understood the principles of winning and losing. In the eyes of millions, he became a symbol of the American Dream—a self-made success story, whether fully accurate or not. This portrayal tapped into viewers’ aspirations and desire for guidance on achieving success, reinforcing his image as a “man of the people” who had mastered the complexities of both business and life.

The Calculated Moves Behind His Public Persona

Trump’s public persona is not simply a reflection of who he is, but rather a carefully constructed image designed to attract attention and maintain relevance. From his early days, he understood the psychology of fame, recognizing that being controversial could be just as effective as being liked. He embraced controversy as a tool for staying in the public eye, frequently making bold statements that captured headlines and drew widespread attention. This strategy of using shock value to maintain visibility has proven effective, as it aligns with the media’s preference for sensational stories and public fascination with polarizing figures.

Moreover, Trump’s approach to fame involves creating a clear and consistent narrative about himself. He often positions himself as an outsider—a fighter going up against an “establishment” that doesn’t understand or respect him. This narrative resonates with those who feel similarly overlooked or disenfranchised, particularly within the working class. By painting himself as a fighter for the “forgotten man,” Trump has tapped into a powerful, unifying theme that allows him to appeal to a broad demographic despite his wealth and elite status. His understanding of the audience’s desires, combined with his talent for self-promotion, has enabled him to cultivate a following that sees him as both a leader and a relatable figure.

The Psychology of Fame and Attention

Fame, in psychological terms, is a powerful and complex phenomenon. It creates a perception of authority and influence, often regardless of the person’s qualifications or experience. In Trump’s case, his fame has acted as both a protective shield and a magnifying glass. It has allowed him to maintain influence even in the face of controversies, while also amplifying his actions and statements. The “celebrity effect” works to his advantage by drawing public interest and lending credibility to his persona, simply because he is a known figure.

Psychologically, Trump’s rise reveals a deep understanding of the human desire for strong, decisive leaders. Fame provides a sense of familiarity, which often translates into trust, regardless of whether that trust is well-founded. For many, Trump’s persona as a self-made billionaire and television icon made him seem like someone who could “get things done” in the political arena as well. His unfiltered and often provocative style is appealing to those who see it as “real” and unpolished compared to traditional politicians who carefully curate their image.

In the realm of psychology, people are often drawn to larger-than-life figures who embody traits they aspire to or admire, such as confidence, success, and resilience. Trump’s calculated public persona taps into these desires, positioning him as a “winner” in a world where many feel like they are constantly losing. This appeal is enhanced by his unapologetic approach to confrontation and his readiness to challenge anyone who criticizes him, reinforcing the perception of him as someone who doesn’t back down and who “says what others are afraid to say.”

Conclusion

Trump’s early career as a businessman and his role on The Apprentice laid the foundation for his eventual foray into politics by establishing him as a well-known and polarizing figure. His skill in managing his public image and his ability to use fame to his advantage reveal a deep understanding of human psychology and the cultural power of celebrity. As we explore Trump’s political impact, it becomes clear that his public persona—crafted with intent and precision—has played a significant role in shaping public perception, enabling him to transition from a celebrity to a political force in a way that few could have predicted.

In the next section, we will explore how Trump’s personality traits, particularly his high extroversion and adaptability, shape his approach to leadership and contribute to his unconventional style in the political arena. Through Dr. Peterson’s lens, we’ll gain insight into how these traits manifest in Trump’s actions, decisions, and interactions on the world stage.

Section 2: The Leadership Approach – Bold, Unorthodox, and Assertive

Donald Trump’s leadership approach defies many conventions traditionally associated with political figures. His style is characterized by boldness, unorthodoxy, and a direct assertiveness that stands in sharp contrast to the more measured and calculated approaches of typical politicians. His decisions, statements, and overall demeanor are unapologetically straightforward, often provocative, and reveal a leadership approach that prioritizes action, immediate impact, and visible results over long-term strategy or cautious diplomacy.

Trump’s Leadership Style and Decision-Making Processes

Trump’s leadership approach is rooted in his background as a businessman rather than a career politician. Unlike traditional politicians who might value consensus-building and careful deliberation, Trump’s decision-making style is more rapid and instinctive. He often relies on his own judgment and intuition rather than the advice of experts or long-standing protocols. This business-minded approach favors decisive actions, and he is known for making bold moves that he believes will yield immediate benefits, regardless of their polarizing effects.

For example, Trump’s willingness to take risks is evident in some of his highest-profile decisions, including renegotiating trade deals and engaging in unprecedented direct talks with foreign leaders. His decision-making process often emphasizes breaking away from established norms. Rather than gradually working toward change through bipartisan efforts, Trump frequently aims for sweeping, attention-grabbing shifts, positioning himself as a disruptor willing to challenge the status quo.

This approach is both a strength and a liability. His willingness to act decisively has, at times, led to rapid results in areas such as regulatory rollbacks and tax reforms. However, it has also drawn criticism for perceived impulsiveness and a lack of adherence to established processes. Trump’s decision to frequently bypass traditional channels of communication and governance creates an image of unpredictability, which resonates with supporters but can frustrate allies and partners. This unpredictability often keeps opponents off-balance and can serve as a strategic advantage by preventing others from fully anticipating his next move.

The Impact of His Extroverted and Assertive Nature on His Leadership

Trump’s high extroversion and assertive personality play central roles in shaping his leadership style. Extroverts tend to be energized by social interactions and seek out environments where they can assert themselves and stand out. Trump’s preference for rallies, media appearances, and public events showcases his desire for the spotlight and his comfort with engaging large audiences. His assertiveness translates into a leadership style where he does not shy away from expressing his opinions boldly and directly, often challenging or even dismissing those who disagree with him.

His extroverted nature allows him to connect with his audience on a visceral level, speaking in ways that resonate deeply with supporters. Rather than using technical language or carefully worded political jargon, he speaks in a way that feels more conversational and relatable, which has endeared him to many who view him as a “man of the people.” This connection fosters a sense of loyalty and trust, as Trump’s supporters often feel that he speaks directly to their concerns, without the perceived filters or hesitations typical of other politicians.

Trump’s assertive nature also contributes to his combative approach. He is known for responding swiftly and firmly to criticism, whether it’s from political opponents, media figures, or even members of his own administration. This assertiveness creates an image of strength and resilience, appealing to those who prioritize a leader who is unwavering and unyielding. For his supporters, Trump’s confrontational style is seen as a sign of his commitment to stand firm against opposition and to fight on behalf of his ideals, reinforcing his image as a leader who is both bold and fearless.

How His Leadership Style Compares to Traditional Political Figures

Comparing Trump’s leadership approach to that of traditional political figures highlights his distinctiveness. While conventional politicians typically prioritize compromise, diplomacy, and stability, Trump often embraces a direct, transactional, and results-driven style. For example, former U.S. presidents, such as Ronald Reagan or Barack Obama, often emphasized unifying rhetoric and sought to maintain cordial relationships across the aisle. Trump, however, is more inclined to draw stark contrasts, creating clear divisions between allies and opponents.

His leadership style resembles that of a CEO or an entrepreneur more than that of a politician, reflecting his private sector background. Whereas traditional leaders in government might rely heavily on advisors, committees, and institutional frameworks to guide decisions, Trump tends to prioritize personal intuition and loyalty. This approach aligns with his emphasis on loyalty and his preference for surrounding himself with close allies rather than career politicians or institutional experts.

While some view this as a refreshing departure from “politics as usual,” it has also invited criticism. Detractors argue that Trump’s disregard for established norms and his reluctance to work within traditional channels create instability and undermine institutional trust. Yet, for his supporters, this approach is precisely what makes him appealing—they view him as a disruptor, someone who is willing to challenge the status quo and make significant changes where others might proceed with caution.

Conclusion

Trump’s leadership style is a product of his unique personality, background, and beliefs. His bold, unorthodox, and assertive approach to leadership is both a strength and a source of contention. By embracing a direct and often combative style, he has energized a base of supporters who value his “outsider” persona and his willingness to defy norms. At the same time, his approach has highlighted the tension between business-oriented and political styles of leadership, sparking debates about what qualities are essential in a public servant versus a business executive.

Let's move on to the next section of our reading, which delves into the psychological analysis of Donald Trump's personality traits and their impact on his leadership style. This section explores how Trump's extroversion, openness, and plasticity have contributed to his success and appeal, as well as the controversies surrounding his unorthodox approach to policy-making.

Section 3: Personality Traits – Extroversion, Openness, and Plasticity

Donald Trump’s unique personality has played a central role in shaping his public life, business success, and political career. According to Dr. Jordan Peterson, Trump’s personality is marked by significant levels of extroversion and openness, which together contribute to his adaptability and remarkable ability to reinvent himself. These traits are not only apparent in his approach to leadership but also in his response to challenges, his media presence, and his enduring appeal. This section explores these defining traits in depth and introduces the concept of “plasticity,” which describes Trump’s capacity for change and growth—a crucial factor in his ability to thrive in the unpredictable arenas of business and politics.

Key Personality Traits: Extroversion and Openness

Extroversion

Trump’s extroversion is one of his most visible and influential traits. Extroverted individuals tend to be energetic, assertive, and sociable, finding stimulation in interactions with others. Trump’s extroversion manifests in his comfort with the spotlight, his energetic engagement with crowds, and his bold communication style. This trait has been essential to his success in various fields, as it allows him to confidently navigate high-stakes environments, engage in public speaking, and connect with diverse audiences.

Extroversion also contributes to Trump’s resilience under pressure. Unlike more introverted leaders who may seek time alone to recharge, Trump appears energized by public appearances and interactions. His frequent rallies, press conferences, and use of social media illustrate his preference for active engagement over introspection or detachment. This extroverted nature not only makes him highly visible but also creates a perception of strength and approachability, which resonates with his base. Supporters often view him as a “man of the people,” a quality that is rooted in his genuine comfort with public life.

Openness

In addition to extroversion, Trump exhibits high levels of openness—a trait associated with creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to explore new ideas and experiences. Openness is often linked to innovation and a readiness to challenge conventional thinking. For Trump, openness translates into an unconventional approach to both business and politics. His career spans multiple industries, from real estate and entertainment to politics, demonstrating a remarkable willingness to venture into new fields without fear of failure or public scrutiny.

Openness also drives Trump’s ability to adopt new strategies and take risks that others might avoid. This trait is evident in his reality television ventures, where he effectively turned “The Apprentice” into a cultural phenomenon, as well as in his decision to enter the political arena as a complete outsider. Rather than following a traditional path into politics, he leveraged his background and celebrity status to connect with voters in unexpected ways, capturing public attention by promising to disrupt “business as usual” in Washington.

Trump’s openness to experience allows him to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and to think outside the box when addressing issues. In politics, this has led to policy decisions that depart from conventional norms, from rethinking trade agreements to engaging directly with foreign adversaries. While his openness has been a source of innovation, it has also been polarizing, as it sometimes leads to decisions that appear impulsive or unorthodox compared to those of more traditionally minded politicians.

Plasticity: The Capacity to Change and Reinvent

Dr. Peterson emphasizes the concept of “plasticity” in Trump’s personality, which refers to his capacity to change, grow, and reinvent himself over time. Plasticity combines elements of extroversion and openness, enabling an individual to remain flexible, resilient, and responsive to new challenges. For Trump, plasticity is evident in his ability to adapt his image and strategies to suit different roles and industries. He has successfully shifted from being a real estate mogul to a television personality and, ultimately, to a political figure, each time modifying his approach to fit the demands of the role.

This adaptability has been critical to Trump’s success, as it allows him to adjust to shifting landscapes and maintain relevance. In business, he has rebranded himself multiple times, with each reinvention bringing him renewed public interest and opportunities. For example, during economic downturns, he has often found ways to reposition his brand, whether by shifting focus to new ventures or by capitalizing on his status as a media personality.

In politics, Trump’s plasticity has allowed him to pivot from one narrative to another, depending on the audience and circumstances. He presents himself as a populist and outsider, yet he also appeals to business leaders and conservative voters by championing free-market principles. This ability to shape-shift and align with various groups demonstrates his skill in adapting his message to suit different audiences, making him a complex and, at times, polarizing figure.

The Role of Plasticity in His Political Career

Trump’s plasticity became particularly relevant during his presidency, as he navigated the complexities of government and public scrutiny. Unlike many politicians who rely on carefully crafted personas, Trump’s personality is dynamic and less constrained by the need for consistency. He often shifts his rhetoric and positions, depending on the context, a strategy that some view as adaptable while others perceive it as inconsistent. His supporters, however, often interpret this adaptability as a sign of pragmatism, arguing that it reflects his willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals.

This flexibility also allows Trump to weather controversies and setbacks in ways that would be challenging for more conventional leaders. When faced with criticism or political opposition, he often shifts the conversation or adopts a new stance, allowing him to remain resilient in the face of adversity. This resilience is one reason he has been able to maintain a strong base of support, as his adaptability enables him to respond to challenges without losing his core identity.

For instance, during his presidency, Trump was criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of getting defensive, he shifted the conversation to his administration's efforts to develop vaccines and reopen the economy. This ability to adapt and pivot helped him maintain his core identity as a strong leader and problem-solver, which has been key to his enduring support.

Another example is how Trump has handled controversies surrounding his business dealings and personal finances. When faced with criticism and legal challenges, he has been able to redirect the conversation to his success as a businessman and job creator. This resilience has allowed him to maintain a strong base of support among his fans, who see him as a fighter who can withstand adversity and come out on top.

Overall, Trump's ability to weather controversies and setbacks is a key aspect of his leadership style and appeal. By shifting the conversation, adapting to new challenges, and maintaining his core identity, he has been able to stay resilient in the face of adversity and continue to attract support from his base.

The Psychological Basis of Trump’s Public Appeal

From a psychological standpoint, Trump’s extroversion, openness, and plasticity contribute to his appeal as a larger-than-life figure who defies conventional expectations. His extroverted energy draws people in, making him a charismatic and captivating presence in public settings. His openness attracts those who appreciate his willingness to challenge norms and think differently, while his plasticity reassures supporters that he can handle whatever challenges come his way, adapting as needed to remain effective.

For his supporters, these traits represent qualities of strength, resilience, and boldness—qualities they believe are essential in a leader. For his critics, however, these same traits can be seen as erratic, unpredictable, and even reckless, as his willingness to adapt and change is often interpreted as a lack of consistency or adherence to principles. Nonetheless, his personality traits give Trump a unique profile that stands out in the political landscape, drawing both admiration and criticism.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s personality traits—particularly his extroversion, openness, and plasticity—are central to understanding his public image and approach to leadership. These qualities have allowed him to remain adaptable and resilient, enabling him to navigate different industries and roles with relative ease. His extroversion fuels his energetic engagement with the public, his openness allows for bold and unconventional ideas, and his plasticity provides the flexibility to reinvent himself as needed.

In the next section, we are going to explores how Donald Trump's humor has shaped his public image and impacted the broader political landscape. We'll see how his use of humor has been both a defense mechanism and an offensive strategy, and how it has resonated with his supporters while alienating others. Additionally, we'll compare Trump's humor to that of other political leaders, including those in democratic societies and authoritarian regimes.

Section 4: Humor and Aggression – A Double-Edged Sword

One of the most striking aspects of Donald Trump’s public persona is his use of humor, which often combines sharp wit with a level of aggression that resonates strongly with his supporters but alienates others. Humor, for Trump, serves multiple purposes: it is both a defense mechanism and an offensive strategy. Dr. Jordan Peterson observes that Trump’s “ruthlessly funny” style creates a distinct political brand that uses humor to deflect criticism, engage his base, and, at times, intimidate opponents. This section explores how Trump’s humor works as a double-edged sword, shaping his public image and impacting the broader political landscape. We will also compare Trump’s humor to its use by other political leaders, including those in democratic societies and authoritarian regimes.

Humor as a Shield and Weapon

Humor is a powerful social tool, and Trump has mastered its use to both connect with his supporters and fend off critics. His jokes, often at the expense of his opponents, serve to shift the conversation, deflecting negative attention and reinforcing his status as an outsider unafraid to mock the political establishment. This approach creates a sense of camaraderie with his base, who view his humor as a refreshing departure from the typically serious and formal tone of traditional politicians.

Trump’s humor acts as a shield in several ways. When confronted with criticism or accusations, he frequently turns to humor to redirect focus. By making light of serious issues, he diffuses tension and creates a buffer between himself and the criticism. For example, when facing scrutiny over his policies or decisions, Trump often resorts to quips that both disarm his critics and rally his supporters. This “never back down” style prevents his opponents from gaining the upper hand, as they struggle to land substantial critiques when he sidesteps issues through humor.

At the same time, humor is one of Trump’s most effective weapons. He uses it to target opponents, often reducing them to humorous caricatures that linger in the public consciousness. By branding political adversaries with memorable nicknames or mocking their flaws, he diminishes their authority and credibility. His humor can be ruthless, playing on the insecurities of others or amplifying their weaknesses in ways that resonate with the public. This approach is particularly effective in a media-driven age where sound bites and viral moments define public opinion.

The “Ruthlessly Funny” Style and Its Impact

Dr. Peterson describes Trump’s humor as “ruthlessly funny,” capturing the sharp, sometimes brutal, edge of his style. This approach to humor is strategic, blending entertainment with aggression in a way that engages and excites his audience. Unlike the humor of traditional politicians, which often stays within the bounds of decorum, Trump’s jokes push limits, often provoking strong reactions. His supporters view this as a sign of his authenticity and fearlessness, while critics see it as evidence of a lack of respect for opponents and the democratic process.

This ruthlessness creates a unique dynamic in Trump’s public image. To his followers, his humor is a sign of strength, an ability to “tell it like it is” without concern for offending others. They appreciate his willingness to mock what he sees as hypocrisy or incompetence in the political establishment, interpreting it as a sign of integrity. By exposing the flaws of his rivals through humor, Trump reinforces his position as a disruptor, one who refuses to conform to the usual political rules.

However, this style of humor has its drawbacks. While it solidifies his base, it also alienates potential allies and reinforces negative perceptions among his critics. Many see his jokes as mean-spirited or divisive, contributing to a political culture that is increasingly polarized and hostile. His humor often blurs the line between legitimate critique and personal attack, complicating his relationships with other leaders and impacting diplomatic ties. In some cases, his jokes are perceived as undermining the seriousness of important issues, reducing complex matters to punchlines that trivialize legitimate concerns.

Humor in Political Leadership and Authoritarian Contexts

Humor has long played a role in politics, serving various functions depending on the leader and the context. In democratic societies, humor is typically used to humanize leaders, creating a sense of approachability and relatability. Politicians often employ self-deprecating humor to show humility and connect with voters on a personal level. In contrast, authoritarian leaders may use humor as a tool of control, mocking dissenters or using satire to diminish opposition. By ridiculing rivals, they send a message that challenges to their authority will not be taken seriously or will be met with scorn.

Trump’s humor draws elements from both of these traditions. In some ways, his style resembles that of a populist in a democracy, as he uses humor to engage and entertain his supporters, creating a bond based on shared amusement and camaraderie. However, his aggressive humor also carries shades of authoritarian tactics, as he seeks to delegitimize opponents and undermine critics through ridicule. His approach blends democratic populism with an authoritarian edge, creating a distinct style that reflects both his appeal to the public and his disdain for political opponents.

Comparing Trump’s humor to that of other leaders highlights the unique impact of his approach. In Western democracies, humor is often seen as a tool for bridging gaps and fostering unity, yet Trump’s humor often does the opposite, intensifying divisions and provoking confrontations. This reflects a shift in political culture, where leaders increasingly use humor as a means of solidifying their base rather than appealing to a broad spectrum of voters. By contrast, in authoritarian regimes, leaders use humor as a method of control, often mocking dissent as a way to discourage opposition. While Trump operates within a democratic system, his humor echoes the tactics of authoritarian leaders who use ridicule to maintain dominance over rivals.

Humor as a Reflection of Public Sentiment

Trump’s humor not only reflects his personality but also mirrors the frustrations and desires of his supporters. Many Americans are disillusioned with the political establishment, perceiving it as elitist, out of touch, and overly focused on political correctness. Trump’s humor resonates with this sentiment, as he uses jokes to express dissatisfaction with the “status quo” and to challenge the norms that many see as restrictive. His willingness to mock established figures and institutions speaks to a broader desire for authenticity and freedom from convention.

This resonance with public sentiment is a major factor in Trump’s appeal. His humor provides an outlet for frustrations that many feel but are reluctant to express. By voicing these frustrations in a humorous way, he gives his followers permission to laugh at the political establishment and feel validated in their dissatisfaction. This dynamic reinforces his role as a populist leader who champions the grievances of ordinary people, strengthening his connection with his base while deepening the divide with his detractors.

For instance, he often uses humor to mock the political establishment and the media, making jokes about the "deep state" and the "fake news" media, which resonates with his supporters who feel disillusioned with the political system. He also makes light of serious issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, although this has been criticized by some as being insensitive. Additionally, Trump often uses irony and sarcasm in his humor, poking fun at his opponents and the political establishment, and has been known to use self-deprecation, making jokes about his own hair and weight, which has been seen as a way of showing humility and relatability.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s humor serves as both a shield and a weapon, allowing him to navigate political conflicts while energizing his supporters. His “ruthlessly funny” style is a defining feature of his public image, embodying both his authenticity and his willingness to challenge norms. Through humor, he creates a sense of solidarity with his base, who appreciate his irreverence and rejection of political correctness. However, his humor also has its costs, as it alienates critics, intensifies divisions, and sometimes undermines the seriousness of important issues.

In the following section we're going to examines how Trump's unique blend of rhetoric, personality, and policy promises resonates deeply with working-class Americans. It delves into the elements that contribute to his appeal among working-class citizens, from his tone and language to his stance on issues that impact their daily lives. Dr. Jordan Peterson analyzes Trump's appeal to the working class, noting how his assertiveness, "rough" humor, and perceived authenticity create a sense of shared identity with many Americans in blue-collar professions.

Section 5: The Appeal to the Working Class

One of the most notable aspects of Donald Trump’s political journey has been his ability to resonate deeply with working-class Americans. His connection with this demographic reflects a unique blend of rhetoric, personality, and policy promises that speak directly to their experiences and concerns. Dr. Jordan Peterson has analyzed Trump’s appeal to the working class, noting how his assertiveness, “rough” humor, and perceived authenticity create a sense of shared identity with many Americans in blue-collar professions. This section delves into the elements that contribute to Trump’s appeal among working-class citizens, from his tone and language to his stance on issues that impact their daily lives.

Understanding Trump’s Connection with Working-Class Americans

Trump’s appeal to working-class Americans stems largely from his ability to communicate in a way that feels relatable and unfiltered. Unlike many politicians who adopt polished and often scripted communication styles, Trump’s approach comes across as raw and direct, cutting through what his supporters view as the excessive formality and detachment of traditional politicians. His speeches often use plain language, simple slogans, and memorable phrases that resonate with audiences who may feel left out of the complexities and nuances of “elite” political discourse.

His rhetoric often centers on themes of national pride, job security, and American strength—topics that hit close to home for many working-class individuals. For Americans facing economic hardship or struggling with job insecurity, Trump’s promises to bring back manufacturing jobs, protect American industries, and put “America first” align closely with their aspirations. By emphasizing these issues, Trump taps into a longstanding discontent with globalization and economic policies that many see as harmful to American workers.

Moreover, Trump’s background as a businessman who “understands” the economy contributes to his credibility with this demographic. Many working-class Americans appreciate his portrayal as a successful businessman who knows how to create jobs and navigate financial challenges. Although Trump’s actual wealth and lifestyle are far removed from those of the average worker, his focus on economic concerns makes him appear as someone who “gets it,” addressing the financial struggles that many working-class people face.

How His Rough Humor and Assertiveness Resonate

One of the key components of Trump’s appeal is his use of humor and assertive rhetoric, which both entertain and inspire confidence among his followers. His “rough around the edges” humor, which often includes direct insults or blunt commentary, is seen by many of his supporters as refreshing honesty. This style deviates sharply from the diplomatic language of typical political speech, giving Trump an “outsider” appeal that resonates with those who feel alienated by mainstream politics.

Dr. Peterson observes that Trump’s humor and assertiveness have a way of rallying his base, as they provide an outlet for the frustrations of working-class Americans. Many in this demographic feel dismissed or ignored by elites, and Trump’s willingness to speak bluntly—often addressing topics that other politicians avoid or gloss over—validates these feelings. His jokes and offhand comments about “swamp” politicians, the media, and foreign adversaries tap into a sense of shared grievance, allowing his supporters to feel that he is fighting for their interests against powerful, disconnected elites.

Furthermore, Trump’s assertiveness conveys strength and confidence, qualities that are highly valued by Americans in tough, often dangerous professions. People working in physically demanding or high-risk jobs, such as construction workers, miners, soldiers, and police officers, often admire leaders who demonstrate resilience and boldness. Trump’s style aligns with the mindset of individuals who tackle challenges head-on and value toughness, reinforcing his connection with working-class Americans who identify with these characteristics.

The “Real People” Connection: Soldiers, Police Officers, and Blue-Collar Workers

Trump’s ability to connect with “real people” in challenging jobs, such as soldiers, police officers, and blue-collar workers, is a significant factor in his appeal. These individuals often face high-stress situations, and many feel that their sacrifices are underappreciated by society. Trump’s vocal support for these groups, along with his criticism of policies and social movements that he claims undermine their work, resonates deeply with this demographic.

For instance, Trump frequently expresses strong support for law enforcement, presenting himself as a defender of “law and order.” At a time when police officers face heightened scrutiny and criticism, his stance is appreciated by those who feel their work is unfairly criticized. His speeches and rallies often include statements of gratitude for military service members, law enforcement officers, and first responders, reinforcing his image as a leader who respects and values their contributions. This respect, combined with his assertive tone, appeals to a demographic that views physical and moral strength as essential qualities in a leader.

Additionally, Trump’s willingness to address the concerns of veterans and promise improvements to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has endeared him to many in the military community. His focus on veterans’ healthcare, benefits, and the improvement of VA facilities taps into a long-standing issue within the military community. Veterans and active-duty service members appreciate a leader who recognizes the sacrifices they’ve made and promises tangible improvements to their post-service lives.

Appeals to National Identity and Economic Self-Sufficiency

A major component of Trump’s appeal to working-class Americans is his focus on national identity and economic self-sufficiency. Trump’s “America First” platform emphasizes the need to protect American jobs, industries, and borders, themes that resonate with individuals who may feel vulnerable to the effects of globalization and outsourcing. Working-class Americans, particularly in areas hit hard by deindustrialization, are drawn to Trump’s promise to revive domestic industries and bring back jobs that were lost to overseas competition.

This focus on self-sufficiency is reinforced by Trump’s stance on immigration and trade. Many of his working-class supporters feel that immigration policies and international trade agreements have undermined American job security and wage growth. By calling for stricter immigration controls and renegotiating trade deals, Trump addresses the economic concerns of these individuals. His criticism of companies that relocate factories to other countries and his calls for tariffs on foreign goods align with a desire to protect American jobs, an issue that deeply resonates with blue-collar workers.

Dr. Peterson notes that this connection to national pride and economic sovereignty has a powerful appeal for those who feel left behind by economic change. For many working-class Americans, Trump’s promises to defend their livelihoods and promote American-made products go beyond simple political promises—they reflect a desire for stability and respect for their hard work. This sense of loyalty and protection is especially meaningful to those who feel marginalized by the changing economy.

The Working-Class Divide: Supporters and Critics

While Trump has garnered significant support from working-class Americans, it’s important to acknowledge that his appeal is not universal within this demographic. Working-class individuals are a diverse group, and many remain skeptical of his policies and leadership style. Some see his promises as unfulfilled or view his rhetoric as divisive. For example, while some working-class voters appreciate his strong stance on trade and immigration, others believe that his policies have failed to deliver the economic improvements they hoped for.

Additionally, Trump’s often controversial comments on race and immigration have alienated certain segments of the working class, particularly those in communities that value diversity and inclusion. The working class in urban and multicultural areas may view his rhetoric as a threat to the social cohesion they value, highlighting a divide within the demographic. This internal division underscores the complexity of Trump’s appeal—while his style and policies resonate deeply with some, they are polarizing and off-putting to others.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s appeal to working-class Americans is rooted in his ability to connect on a level that feels personal, authentic, and direct. His assertive humor, focus on national pride, and promises to protect American jobs and industries resonate with individuals who feel underrepresented and undervalued by mainstream politicians. His support for soldiers, police officers, and blue-collar workers reinforces his image as a leader who respects and fights for “real people” facing real challenges.

However, this appeal is not without its complexities. While many in the working class view Trump as a champion of their interests, others see his approach as divisive or disingenuous. This divide reflects the multifaceted nature of the working-class demographic, highlighting both the strengths and limitations of Trump’s appeal.

In the following section, Peterson argues that Trump's empathy for the working class is one of his defining characteristics, albeit one that is easy to miss due to his combative style. Trump's ability to communicate in a way that resonates with "ordinary" people demonstrates an intuitive understanding of their frustrations and priorities. This pragmatic approach to empathy prioritizes practical solutions over emotional connection and is evident in Trump's messaging around trade and domestic industry.

Section 6: Empathy and Narcissism – A Paradox in Personality

Donald Trump’s personality presents an intriguing paradox, one that combines traits of both empathy and narcissism. His ability to resonate with certain demographics, particularly the working class, seems to suggest a level of understanding and empathy for their struggles. Yet, his brash, often unapologetic public persona and apparent focus on self-promotion lead many to view him as a textbook narcissist. Dr. Jordan Peterson’s analysis delves into this tension within Trump’s personality, highlighting the ways in which empathy and agreeableness can coexist—even within someone who often presents a combative, impolite exterior.

The Paradox of Trump’s Empathy and Agreeableness

Empathy, in its simplest form, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Agreeableness, one of the “Big Five” personality traits, involves qualities like compassion, cooperation, and a tendency to avoid conflict. On the surface, Donald Trump’s personality might seem incompatible with these traits. His confrontational style, quickness to criticize opponents, and strong need for attention can overshadow any impression of empathy or agreeableness.

However, as Dr. Peterson observes, there are moments when Trump’s actions reflect a surprising level of empathy, particularly toward the working class. His willingness to address issues like job loss, economic insecurity, and lack of recognition resonates deeply with people who feel marginalized or left behind by political elites. His direct approach—although often blunt—can convey a sense of honesty and concern that some find more genuine than the carefully crafted statements of traditional politicians.

Trump’s empathy may not always appear in the form of soft-spoken compassion, but it does manifest in his ability to understand and advocate for the struggles of certain groups. He frequently acknowledges the challenges faced by “ordinary” Americans, whether they are struggling with job instability, rising living costs, or perceived threats to national security. His rhetoric, aimed at protecting American jobs and industries, suggests a focus on issues that affect working-class lives—issues that might be overlooked by more polished, traditional politicians.

Dr. Peterson’s Insights into Trump’s Empathy for the Working Class

Dr. Peterson argues that Trump’s empathy for the working class is one of his defining characteristics, albeit one that is easy to miss due to his combative style. Trump’s ability to communicate in a way that resonates with “ordinary” people demonstrates an intuitive understanding of their frustrations and priorities. Peterson points out that this kind of empathy, while not always framed in gentle language, can be highly effective, particularly when it involves issues like economic security and personal safety.

Peterson also suggests that Trump’s empathy is more strategic than emotional. Rather than expressing empathy in an overtly warm or affectionate manner, Trump communicates empathy by addressing the concrete, tangible needs of his supporters. He speaks to the concerns that affect their daily lives—promising more jobs, stronger borders, and economic stability. This focus on real-life issues speaks to a certain pragmatic empathy, one that prioritizes practical solutions over emotional connection.

This pragmatic approach to empathy is evident in Trump’s messaging around trade and domestic industry. By promising to renegotiate trade deals and bring back manufacturing jobs, he aligns himself with the concerns of those who feel left out of the benefits of globalization. For many working-class Americans, these promises resonate because they address immediate, real-world concerns, even if Trump’s delivery style is more forceful than comforting.

Narcissistic Tendencies and the Public Persona

Narcissism, often characterized by self-centeredness, a need for admiration, and a lack of sensitivity toward others, is another key element of Trump’s personality. His critics often cite this as a defining feature, pointing to his tendency to boast, self-promote, and deflect blame. Trump’s focus on “winning,” as well as his insistence on being the best or the greatest, has led to perceptions of him as a quintessential narcissist.

However, Dr. Peterson argues that Trump’s narcissistic tendencies don’t necessarily negate his capacity for empathy. Narcissism in public figures is often tempered by a need for validation from their audience. In Trump’s case, his desire for public approval pushes him to address the concerns of his supporters in a way that reinforces their loyalty. This relationship between narcissism and empathy is complex: while Trump’s need for admiration may drive his behavior, it also leads him to prioritize issues that matter to his base. Thus, even his more self-centered tendencies can result in actions that benefit his followers.

Furthermore, Trump’s narcissism can serve as a motivator, pushing him to achieve and maintain power by delivering on promises that resonate with his supporters. His need for success and recognition makes him attentive to the concerns of his audience, as their approval is essential to his self-image. In this way, his narcissism may actually enhance his ability to act empathetically—at least in a way that satisfies his supporters’ expectations.

How Agreeableness Coexists with a Brash and Impolite Exterior

One of the most counterintuitive aspects of Trump’s personality is the coexistence of agreeableness with his often brash and impolite exterior. Agreeableness, in the traditional sense, involves a tendency toward cooperation, kindness, and a desire to avoid conflict. Trump’s public persona appears to conflict with this trait, as he is known for his confrontational style, frequent insults, and lack of concern for political correctness.

However, Peterson suggests that agreeableness in Trump’s case may not manifest in the traditional way. Instead of expressing agreeableness through politeness or conciliation, Trump channels it into a desire to protect and advocate for his supporters. His brand of agreeableness, then, is selective: he directs it toward those he considers “on his side” while remaining unyielding and combative toward those he perceives as adversaries.

This selective agreeableness is visible in Trump’s interactions with his supporters at rallies. His speeches often include positive reinforcement, encouragement, and even affection toward his followers, whom he frequently praises as “patriots” and “hardworking Americans.” In these settings, he displays warmth and camaraderie, creating a sense of loyalty and solidarity. This version of agreeableness is less about universal kindness and more about loyalty and group cohesion—qualities that, for his supporters, compensate for his lack of traditional politeness.

The Strategic Balance Between Empathy and Narcissism

The interplay between empathy and narcissism in Trump’s personality creates a unique balance, one that is central to his effectiveness as a public figure. His empathy, though often pragmatic and selective, allows him to connect with his base on a level that feels personal and genuine. At the same time, his narcissistic tendencies fuel his drive to maintain this connection, as his self-image depends on the support and admiration of his followers.

Peterson’s analysis highlights how this balance enables Trump to appeal to people who might otherwise reject a more overtly narcissistic leader. By framing his ambitions in terms of benefiting the “forgotten” Americans, Trump turns what might be seen as self-centeredness into a focus on advocating for the underrepresented. His self-assured and assertive demeanor reinforces this image, painting him as a leader who is strong enough to fight for those who feel left out of the political process.

The Broader Implications of This Paradox

The paradox of empathy and narcissism in Trump’s personality has significant implications for how we understand public figures and leaders more broadly. While narcissism is often viewed as a negative trait, Dr. Peterson’s analysis suggests that in certain contexts, it can coexist with empathy in ways that enhance a leader’s effectiveness. For Trump, the need for admiration and approval motivates him to address his supporters’ concerns, even if his style is abrasive and unapologetic.

This paradox challenges traditional notions of empathy, agreeableness, and leadership. It suggests that empathy does not always require gentleness or humility, nor does narcissism necessarily preclude a genuine desire to help others. For many of Trump’s supporters, this combination is precisely what makes him effective: he is seen as both tough and compassionate, as someone who will fight for their interests while refusing to back down in the face of opposition.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s personality defies simple categorization, as it encompasses both seemingly contradictory traits of empathy and narcissism. His ability to empathize with the working class, combined with his narcissistic drive for validation, creates a complex and effective public persona. While he may not display empathy in the traditional sense, his focus on concrete, relatable issues and his selective agreeableness allow him to forge a powerful connection with his base.

In the next section, we will explore Trump’s approach to media and communication, examining how he leverages his unique personality traits to influence public perception and maintain his influence in the ever-evolving media landscape. Dr. Peterson’s insights will shed light on Trump’s media strategy, offering a deeper understanding of his impact on modern political discourse.

[blogbyahad]

How Virtual Reality Enhances Data Visualization for Deeper Insights

Virtual reality (VR) is transforming the way organizations visualize and interact with data, providing immersive experiences that enable deeper insights and better decision-making. Here’s how VR enhances data visualization:

1. Immersive Data Exploration

3D Environments VR allows users to immerse themselves in three-dimensional representations of data, making complex datasets more comprehensible. This spatial context helps users identify patterns and relationships that might be overlooked in traditional 2D visualizations.

Interactive Manipulation Users can interact with data in real-time, manipulating visual elements with gestures. This hands-on approach facilitates a more intuitive understanding of data, encouraging exploration and discovery.

2. Enhanced Engagement

Increased Attention and Retention Immersive experiences capture users’ attention more effectively than conventional methods. The engaging nature of VR can lead to improved information retention and a greater willingness to explore data further.

Storytelling with Data VR enables data storytelling by guiding users through narratives in a visually impactful way. This approach helps communicate complex insights and makes them more relatable.

3. Collaborative Analysis

Shared Virtual Spaces VR facilitates collaboration among teams by allowing multiple users to enter a shared virtual environment. This enables real-time discussions and collective analysis, enhancing teamwork and decision-making.

Remote Collaboration Teams can collaborate from different locations, breaking geographical barriers. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for global organizations that need to analyze data together.

4. Better Pattern Recognition

Spatial Awareness The 3D nature of VR allows users to visualize multi-dimensional data in a way that enhances spatial awareness. This aids in recognizing trends and correlations that may be difficult to identify in traditional graphs or charts.

Complex Data Representation VR can effectively represent complex data structures, such as networks and hierarchies, making it easier for users to understand intricate relationships and dependencies.

5. Training and Simulation

Scenario-Based Learning VR can create simulations that allow users to explore data in hypothetical scenarios. This experiential learning approach helps stakeholders understand the potential impact of different decisions based on data insights.

Real-Time Feedback Users can receive immediate feedback within the VR environment, helping them to refine their understanding and analytical skills as they engage with the data.

6. Enhanced Decision-Making

Visualizing Consequences By visualizing the potential outcomes of various decisions in a VR environment, stakeholders can better assess risks and benefits, leading to more informed choices.

Integrated Data Sources VR can aggregate data from multiple sources into a single visual space, providing a holistic view of information. This comprehensive perspective helps decision-makers see the big picture.

Conclusion

Virtual reality is a game-changer for data visualization, offering immersive and interactive experiences that enhance understanding and engagement. By allowing users to explore complex datasets in a spatial context, VR not only improves pattern recognition and collaboration but also empowers organizations to make better-informed decisions. As technology continues to advance, the integration of VR in data visualization will likely become an essential tool for driving insights and innovation.

[impeccablebackside]

do all, or at least some of the queens have one or a few specific kinks that they don't tell anybody else about?

That is a good question anon.

If they do, it is not for fear of judgement in my opinion. The sexual openness of the entirety of adults in the junkyard would mean most things would not get a negative reception. Plus, I do not think any of the queens have a kink or fetish that could be deemed taboo or proverbially extreme in any capacity.

Reagardless, please see a non-exhaustive post about what sort of kinks the queens have, and one about things they would want to try for some information that correlates. Even with these, there is still so much information in the hundreds of posts on the blog before or since those linked posts that could apply too, but they are more or less the best immediate resource.

If they are keeping a kink closely held, perhaps they are merely waiting for an opportune time to bring it up as a suggestion with their partner. Relationships and sex are always developing and progressing, so something that would have seemed further off can always become an option down the road. Introducing small tastes of a kink works to slowly allow for a queen go all out with them too.

I think most of what is related to specific kinks the queens are still hush about would be tied to things they want to explore in the future, whether they get to or not. With some of these, they would eventually profess their desire, so it would not be a secret anymore. That is a best case scenario in my opinion. They get to dream and then reap the rewards when it comes to fruition.

Though, it is of course possible that whatever specific kink they have will never be divulged. Sometimes holding onto something is the best way to foster or explore it, particularly from a personal standpoint. Maybe another person would not quite have the same perspective of how a kink should be done. That would certainly lead to disappointment.

Anyway, let us discuss what kinks are locked away for the future or forever. Here it is by queen, so lend an ear:

Vic is not wildly kinky at all, and much of what she would want to explore is so vanilla that she has done it with Plato when they experiment with new positions or something. Much of any withheld kinks are wrapped into her desire to be outwardly dominant with her partners, which she is currently growing into and testing out. Plato loves it, and Rumple is always left flustered when she is out-teased by the white queen. Though, being even more in control still stokes her flames. She desires to be the world's most adorable domme and make her partners beg and whine as she flexes her muscles.

Rumple is very open about her kinks, and she has so many that she pulls from when the mood strikes her. Not many stay beneath the surface in all fairness. Built into her exhibitionist streaks, she does have a desire to be discovered while jilling it alone and taken advanatge of by her finder. That is a less secretive 'secret' kink. Her deepest kink is a weirder one. She thinks it would be pretty swell to quite literally fuck a version of herself, whether that be some sort of manifestation from another universe or an enterprising queen dressed in her song costume. Self-pleasure is a perpetual boost in her everyday life, and she has a thing about how that would be if it was actually possible.

Tanto's more secret kink is an offshoot of her interest in petplay. While she has not had a proper opportunity to explore that interest very much at all, she thinks it could be exciting to get fully into that headspace beyond a surface level. Fully submitting (in more than one way) to being another being (not in a weird sense, just that it gives a different perspective) and having someone be her owner. Realizing that something was sparked while pretending to be a Pollicle, she would be even more animalistic and let her feral instinct steer some fun. She is actually nervous about letting anyone know for fear of judgement, and for the fact that she is not sure how to start.

Cass is pretty open when it comes to kinks, as most of her interests are served from more BDSM leaning play and the associated reverence her partners must devote to her. There is nothing specific that she has not shared with any partner. She gets more than enough enjoyment in what she already dabbles in and would not change much. Realistically, dabbling more in her cumslut ways would be of interest. Being covered in one (or more) person's cum excites her, and it is quite a attainable goal. Even getting creamed and letting the cum slowly drip out of her as she goes along with her day afterwards would work.

Deme's more hidden kink is one that she has shared with someone else, but moving past that phase of her life has more or less left it behind. The fiery ownership and control of a dominant partner has lead for her to have a seed of piss related kinks planted for her. Mainly from a desperation play point of view, where she is getting fucked while also needing to relieve herself. Mac liked seeing her squirm for more than one reason. That also manifested in minor marking on his part once in a while, specifically on her thighs. In turn, Deme would like to make Munk hold it in at some point in the future while she plays with him and denies his release. She has not quite communicated the desire yet, but he would be open to it even if he does not quite get why she likes it.

Bomba is down for her already strong cum related kink to go even further. Something like a bukkake type cumfest between multiple partners, eating out a creampie, or multiple creampies at the same time / one after the other from her partners would satisfy some more hidden desires. Anything beyond that she has not quite figured out enough to undertand what exactly she would want.

Jenny does not currently have a kink that she keeps away from sexual partners. Whether it be her preference for anal, being tied down / restrained, any paddling and whipping, general domme-y mommy fun times, chances at orgies, or adventures in foodplay, if she has wanted it, she has gotten it. She is much too confident and sure of herself to hide any need.

Jelly has a deeper held kink related to objectivism, and it spans / includes somnophilia and forniphilia (human furniture type shit). It all comes as a extension of her fetishism with being degraded. Being fucked while asleep and 'used' in a way is an alluring premise, and being relegated to being a literal object of utilitarian use has an odd pull for her. Particularly if she can be a flat surface that gets used momentarily by another couple while they are fucking or even her partner cranking one out. Not one to only be used, she does wonder how it would be to flip the roles and have someone else literally beneath her.

[mitigatedchaos]

On Having “Whiteness”

(~2,200 words, 11 minutes)

Summary: A metaphysics of “Whiteness” has overtaken actual sociology in the Democrats’ popular consciousness - blinding them to racial interventions that might actually work and taking them off the table of political discussion.

-★★★-

Donald Moss - On Having Whiteness, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (emphasis mine)

Whiteness is a condition one first acquires and then one has—a malignant, parasitic-like condition to which “white” people have a particular susceptibility. The condition is foundational, generating characteristic ways of being in one’s body, in one’s mind, and in one’s world. Parasitic Whiteness renders its hosts’ appetites voracious, insatiable, and perverse. These deformed appetites particularly target nonwhite peoples. Once established, these appetites are nearly impossible to eliminate. Effective treatment consists of a combination of psychic and social-historical interventions. Such interventions can reasonably aim only to reshape Whiteness’s infiltrated appetites—to reduce their intensity, redistribute their aims, and occasionally turn those aims toward the work of reparation. When remembered and represented, the ravages wreaked by the chronic condition can function either as warning (“never again”) or as temptation (“great again”). Memorialization alone, therefore, is no guarantee against regression. There is not yet a permanent cure.

So both @arcticdementor [here] and @samueldays have linked me to this allegedly “peer-reviewed” article.  The Federalist has a bit more context, but it doesn’t really make the situation better.

Race Theory Problems

Obviously, this is a work of sloppy thinking.  The categorization of “white supremacy culture” or “whiteness” used by people like this is vague handwaving that describes being bad at management as “white supremacy culture,” and which in general labels universal human problems, like organizations being resource-constrained, or people being impatient, as somehow uniquely “white.” 

But this sort of article is really what I mean when I say that social justice’s approach to “whiteness” is about “spiritual contamination.” 

Samueldays called it “the ‘I’m not touching you’ of inciting race war,” and I may cover more of his response to it later.  Suffice it to say, it has the same general kind of problems as “stolen land” arguments (where an entire present population’s living area becomes undefined), unbounded “reparations” arguments where no amount of transfers by the designated oppressor are considered to clear the debt, and so on.

This is exactly the sort of material that conservatives are seeking to remove government funding for and prohibit from use in employment training.  This is the kind of material that the Trump Anti-CRT executive order prohibiting racial scapegoating was meant to cover.

Race Theory Definitions

This kind of stuff is, of course, not really defensible, so usually at this point people will argue that 1), “that’s not real critical race theory,” and then 2), “it’s just a few weirdos.”  For those, I would say...

1) If it’s not real “Critical Race Theory,” then what is it?

We can’t measure or disprove Moss’s proposed “Whiteness,” and this malevolent psychic entity said to “deform” white people obviously isn’t based on a comparison with other human populations or historical periods.  When it comes to “insatiable” appetites, one study argued that the Mongol invasions killed so many people that it showed up in the carbon record.

At best, it’s sloppy race science as practiced by an amateur, like twitter users idly speculating whether whites have ‘oppressor epigenetics’ - but with the veneer of official status.  And it has similar risks to proposing that there is such a thing as biologically-inherited class enemy status, and other collective intergenerational justice logic.

Presumably, the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association is intended as a journal of science, or at least serious scholarship, and not of bad racist poetry with no rhyme or meter.

Moss provides a relatively pure example of whatever-this-is. I need to know what it’s called, so we can get rid of it.

Race Theory Prohibitions

2) If it’s just the product of a few race-obssessed weirdos, then it won’t hurt to get rid of it.  So get rid of it.

The actual text [PDF] of the Trump Anti-CRT order does not ban teaching about the Trail of Tears, or Jim Crow, and so on, and both of those topics were taught in school before this recent wave of whatever-this-is was popularized.

Trump’s order banned teaching that any race is inherently guilty or evil due to the actions of their ancestors, and the level of resistance to this has been bizarre.

These teachings don’t seem to provide gains in relatively objective metrics like underrepresented minority test scores (or at least that’s not something I’ve seen - and the continued opposition to standardized tests suggests proponents do not expect it to), so it’s unclear just what of value is going to be lost here. 

Collateral Damage

Samueldays wrote,

Because right now the conservatives talking about "critical race theory" as they fire in the direction of Moss et al. are very important in preventing another race war and you have a moral duty to help them aim, not throw smoke for Moss.

Right now Conservatives are assessing just how much stuff they’re going to have to rip out to make “standardized tests are racist” and “it’s impossible to be racist to white people” stop.  While this may not be the message that Liberals are intending to send, it is the message that many people are receiving.  (I discuss problems with both, and some alternatives to handle them better, in another post.)

Liberals need to get out in front of this.  Sooner is better.

If Conservatives think that they have to gut hostile work environment law in order to avoid their children being taught that they’re permanently morally contaminated by their race, and Liberals have no means to actually close race gaps within a 4-8 year period (and right now it’s slim pickings on that front), Conservatives are just going to gut hostile work environment law.

Aether

From their perspective, why not? 

Everything in the world is only six degrees of separation from something racist.  Anything in the world can be tied to something racist.  (So can anyone.)

But nowhere in this pervasive atmosphere of tying things to racism are there solutions.  There are guesses based on correlations.  Proposals.  But usually when you reach out to grab them, to really get a grip on whether it’s correlation or causation, they dissolve in your hands.  The few that do have any solidity to them are moderate in their success (such as Heckman’s involvement in the Reach Up & Learn study in Jamaica) - and don’t appear to be based on the same style of thinking as shown by Moss and others.

It isn’t just that trying to turn combating an invisible, non-measurable, unfalsifiable, parasitic psychic force into an actual political program would inevitably be oppressive and totalitarian.  It isn’t just that articles like Moss’s are an in-kind donation to the 2024 DeSantis Presidential campaign for that very reason.

It isn’t just that unfalsifiable Metaphysics of Whiteness content like White Privilege Theory has been found to lower sympathy for the poor, and that present diversity training doesn’t work...

Race Content Crowding

This stuff is crowding out legitimate scholarship.  I don’t just mean in terms of funding, tenure track positions, or high-flying magazine coverage - all limited by their nature.  I mean among the base.  I have been interrogating Democrats on Twitter for months, and not a single one has been able to cite a strongly-demonstrated intervention that’s being held back, or even a past one that was conclusively demonstrated to be effective.  They can often recite a list of racial grievances on cue.

Tucker Carlson could run boomer_update.exe on a list of every educational failure since the 1970s, and they would be reduced to sputtering accusations of racism against people who increasingly don’t care.  He could do this tomorrow.  The only thing that prevents this is Tucker Carlson’s conscience.

I discovered the Reach Up & Learn program through Glenn Loury - described as a ‘conservative.’ Scott Alexander, attacked by the New York Times crew, brought some success with multivitamins to my attention.  When I first heard about the Perry Preschool program, I believe it was from someone well to the right of him.

About the only one brought to my attention by the Democratic establishment constellation proper was lead removal, and the gains on that are probably getting tapped out.  The frame it was proposed in was not Critical Race Theorist, as this was likely in 2012. 

As it stands, I’m more likely to find something that works from someone the New York Times would disapprove of than someone they wouldn’t.  Or, as Wesley Yang wrote,

Reality has been contrarian for a while.

Succeed Early

Even if we suppose that Conservatives are inherently racist, Liberals have a duty to support interventions that work.  In fact, the more that Conservatives are a seething, undifferentiated mass of uniform racial hatred, the more important it is that Liberals stick to racial interventions that work, because nobody else is going to fix the problem if Liberals get it wrong.

It isn’t just a matter of resources per year.  It’s also a matter of time.

From Heckman’s website,

Although Perry did not produce long-run gains in IQ, it did create lasting improvements in character skills [...] which consequently improved a number of labor market outcomes and health behaviors as well as reduced criminal activity.

Even if we propose an unlimited amount of funding (which is not the case), people and politicians only have a limited amount of time and attention each year.  Newspapers only publish so many issues with so many pages each week.  Television programs only cover so many hours for so many viewers each day.  Even the dedicated can only read so many books in a year.

Even though the Perry intervention was imperfect, and the sample size was not as large as desirable, every second Democrat I talked to should have been able to answer the question “can you name an effective intervention?” with “what about Perry Preschool?”

Every year that we have entire cottage industries working on and popularizing contentious, ineffective, and backlash-provoking Metaphysics of Whiteness content, based on oversimplified oppressor/oppressed binaries, or theories in which power is held collectively by races as monolithic blobs (rather than modelling power as a network of relations between individuals, in which an individual of any background might be destroyed by the racialized relations in their environment), is another year we haven’t spent that energy on finding or implementing something that actually works.

This isn’t just an individual failure by Democrat voters, who typically have day jobs to focus on - it is a failure by the institutions who are supposed to inform and guide them.  This institutional failure likely contributed to the popularization of Metaphysics of Whiteness content in the first place.

Okay, now what?

Donald Moss is a crackpot.  Metaphysics of Whiteness content is unfalsifiable.  The idea that there is a psychic parasite of “Whiteness” is not a legitimate field of study; it’s parasociology.  The idea that “a sense of urgency” is “white supremacy culture” isn’t much better. [1]

We already tried isolating this content to obscure corners of academia, where individuals with high racial attachment could write about it.  It leaked out. 

We need to get this stuff out of the popular consciousness to make room for stuff that might actually work.  The best way to do that may be to cut off the source.  Since Donald Moss is a crackpot, perhaps it’s time we started treating him, and everyone else like him, as what they are.

People involved in Metaphysics of Whiteness content, like Donald Moss, need to be (figuratively) grabbed by the shoulder, and firmly, but politely, told to stop.  Society has been recklessly handing out race-colored glasses to the general population since around 2014, resulting in a rise in amateur race science, of which both right-wing Twitter users memeing about Italians and Metaphysics of Whiteness participants like Moss are examples.  If they do not stop, they must be stripped of institutional authority.  Metaphysics of Whiteness content is unfalsifiable and we should not be certifying it.

If institutions refuse to reduce the authority of Metaphysics of Whiteness practitioners, those institutions must have their accreditation penalized, and their government funding reduced or eliminated, just as if they insisted on producing study after study on magic or ESP which failed to yield results.  If they do not comply, they must be replaced.

It’s possible that Metaphysics of Whiteness content might have had some obscure, niche function in terms of the exploration of the idea space. 

However, as it has displaced popular knowledge of interventions that might work, and the attention given to them in the political system, Liberals should seek to surgically remove it, at the very least until some more effective interventions see the political light of day.

If not, Conservatives will attempt to remove it with a bludgeon.  "They described an entire race as ‘voracious, insatiable, and perverse,’ and here’s the citation for the exact page where they did that,” is perfect material with which to abolish entire departments.

-★★★-

[1] If we go a bit farther out, scholars of “Decolonization” argue that the field is wholly unconcerned with “settler futurity,” a phrase not much less ominous than describing “whiteness” as “incurable.”  It seems that their entire job should be to answer the very difficult questions they have decided not to.

[sendmyresignation]

ok. so there’s this segment in venom that is ultimately too much of a divergence to include in my trans revenge meta outside of a brief mention, so i decided to give it its own post

venom is really interesting to me because it has some really heavy and dense verses but is largely unremarked upon outside of being an anthemic “anti-scene” song. but there’s a huge opportunity to dig into its deeper meaning to revenge as an album as well as just mcr’s mission statement. for the moment i just want to talk about this verse:

particularly looking at “black is the kiss, the touch of the serpent son” which, taking into account the verbage of prison specifically (the dichotomy of “God has made us vs “on your mother’s eyes say a prayer” with the uncertainty central to that particular song- “i can’t… well i can” like the song is a justification) as well as the associations with religion, fits into revenge’s narrative about gay love or at the very least gay attraction.

so there’s this constant struggle throughout revenge regarding “falling” which is a term that means so much within the narrative (death, defeat, losing control, ect) but in a classic religious sense can be directly correlated to damnation (hello paradise lost). But! what’s so interesting about revenge is how omnipresent the temptation of “falling” is. typically, “falling” isn’t something characters struggle to decide for or against, usually they actively are afraid of falling and the conflict manifests as a result of that fear of damnation. this is striking- the narrator has to continually stop themselves from falling, like as a concept! (think of the “if I fall” in ghost or the “I lost my fear of falling. i will be with you” in fashion statement). and the way falling is a stand in for an unnamed internal desire is almost textual blatant- the whole of revenge is a metaphorical representation of internal conflict in the first place.

theoretically, falling could mean Any Number of Things- it could be suicidal ideation, it could be used to discuss the gradual loss of humanity as the revenge story progresses, it can refer to the death of one’s sense of self and be used in a trans narrative, etc, etc, but for our purpose there lies the double entendre of falling as in “falling in love” that figure into a story that not only brings up concerns about the lost of identity (”am i losing myself”) but connects love and death pretty explicitly (looking at the entirety of to the end and again “i’ve lost my fear of falling, i will be with you” as ways in which falling can be a representation of falling in love as well as dying simultaneously).

so now taking this context and moving back to this verse, this lyric “black is the kiss, the touch of the serpent son” makes more sense when it ties into the idea of “corruptible” forces- the loss of self, the idea that your mother is crying and praying, the pleading justification being that you are both men “as God has made us”- that is introduced in prison and is filtered through the lens of damnation/falling/love as one unified temptation. Here, the serpent son isn’t referring to the Devil (the snake) but an extension of him, an evil force working for his benefit- which could easily be interpreted, in a song heavy-handed on its religious symbolism, to mean the ways in which gay love is viewed as sinful or ungodly by institutions of faith.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of this reading is the context surrounding this line, particularly the contrast between touch/kiss and mark/scar and the way even this association between the protagonist and the “serpent son” is depicted as softer/more comforting in comparison to whatever force left the mark or the scar (which might have multiple meanings- it could be a reference to the so-called “mark of the beast” in revelations that’s very loosely quoted/mentioned in maiden’s number of the beast so i can see gerard referencing it OR, more likely, it could refer to the way society at large, particularly the religious institutions in question during this song actively harms those it views as “deviant” or “sinful”). furthermore, its significant that the song becomes a denouncement of the foundation necessary for this perspective of damnation to even exist in the first place because the song essentially depicts religion as irrelevant to the narrator altogether. its not attempting to re-frame their love, but actively rejects the doctrine that views it as “wrong” altogether (”preach all you want but who’s gonna save me?” suggesting the protagonist isn’t listening or doesn’t care). Then, in the last line of the verse, it wraps all these threads together- illustrating how this conflict against something motivates the protagonist forward. The whole song is about using the circumstances of the past, the things that have opposed you and hurt you and defying them- “it ain’t the mark or the scar that makes you one” suggesting that the way the protagonist has been labeled or typified is not the reason they are an outcast of scoiety instead it is their active defiance that makes them dangerous/the enemy. it essentially reasserts the protagonist’s own agency- he is the one who made the choice, it was not inherent to his identity.

SO- this whole verse essentially puts the protagonist at odds with society/religious institutions, reevaluates the depicting of their love as wrong by establishing it as the one piece of comfort/love and THEN continues to stand in opposition to the forces that have persecuted him throughout the text and presumably his whole life. It is still a defiant anthem, there’s just so much more to the song as a whole than just telling music journalists and radio stations and such to fuck off about making my chem the leader of a scene.

ANYWAY. this is just a small little tidbit i noticed and thought deserved more than a footnote of a larger meta…. sorry this got long dsjfhkdsjhk

[callistolivia]

Lilith in the Birthchart

“Within Black Moon Lilith, we find a woman’s turmoils and fears, the balance between how people see women and how we wish to see women, the internal and external rejection of womanhood, absurd reactions and compensations to actively change perception (transformation), the snake. Lilith isn’t of lust, isn’t a creature, demon, seductress, witch, nor Adam ex-wife... She is purely a metaphor of young womanhood and coming to terms with woman’s fears and desires; the uniqueness of the female experience.” Look at this post here for my full interpretation of Black Moon Lilith.

I realize this post, as well as my other post on Lilith, plus other posts I’ve done on feminine asteroids, will be controversial to a lot of people as it heavily focuses on women/feminine experience. To me, I think the astrological placement of Lilith (among other certain placements) hold particular importance to the female experience. So I pardon my blatant exclusion of male experience and I can imagine that a lot of the themes I am describing can work in a male’s birth chart. The psychological history behind Lilith has strong connections to female representation which is why I interpret it this way. With that all said, everyone has both masculine and feminine energies working within their chart which is to be remembered. 

Black Moon Lilith in the Birthchart

Interpret by house first, as the house Lilith is in uncovers more of the whereabouts to its themes in your life. Though, by sign will also uncover themes, especially in a strong sign such as Scorpio. Aspects to Lilith can also indicate the condition of the affected house.

I House/Aries  Lilith here is on the forefront and becomes an integral part of the individual’s identity. Its as if Inanna herself is personified in the individual (especially true if Lilith conjuncts the ascendant!) and she is on a quest to carve her throne in the Huluppu tree. The fears enveloped here revolve around being true to oneself and having an authentic feminine experience in their lifetime. There are also fears of being perceived in an unfavoured way and others making poor assumptions about the individual. These individuals will go through many trials of what is means to be a woman, especially in very pivotal moments of their life. They’re going to go through many moments of questioning their identity and will likely struggle at times to accept that they are perfect just the way they are. These individuals may go out of their way to seek validation for who they are and these outlets aren’t always good (especially if Lilith is ill-aspected). Natural attractiveness is common for individuals with this goddess placement, but they should be wary of this power to draw energies force (Some already are and may even fear attraction of others, especially when its for superficial reasons). It’s important for the individual to stay with the right crowd and not worry so much about their authenticity as it comes more naturally than they think. 

II House/Taurus  Lilith in the house regarding value explores themes of self-value. Lilith at its worst here can manifest in issues dealing with body image; the individual may have trouble loving their body and neglect to care for it. The individual’s relationship with food and nutrition can be particularly troublesome, especially if Lilith is ill-aspected here. Compensation is another theme to follow as a consequence to issues dealing with self-value. The individual may compensate in areas where they feel inadequate with themselves by material means. Spoiling oneself, food, money, beauty, extreme alteration, or anything to mask one’s true self are all second house compensations Lilith looks for to feel better, worthy, or secure in this world. Remarkably, the individual’s capacity for transformation is great. If they can heal their wounds and fears around the value of themselves, they can redirect that perception of unreachable perfection into their work. Artists in particular can benefit from this redirection of energy. It’s really important for these individuals to navigate away from material things giving them importance to this world; every material thing they think they need is really just a compensation for something they failed to see within themselves that has always been there.

III House/Gemini  Lilith here resembles a tale of trickery, when the goddess Inanna intoxicates “lord of wisdom,” Enki into giving her all of his knowledge and wisdom. Symbolically, Lilith holds all of truth, wisdom, and knowledge here. Particularly the theme of women holding knowledge and the empowerment in that is strong here as well. Individuals with this placement tend to be cunning; this placement is comparable to Mercury-Pluto or Mercury-Moon aspects. Lilith speaks through the individual, some of what the individual has to say evokes fear, though there is just as much power to negate and heal fear as well. Lilith here at its worst can make individuals liars and manipulators, at its best unravellers of mysteries and forecomings of truth. Since the third house has rulership over siblings and early education, this placement can have a “coming-of-age” theme to it. Often the fears and anxieties the individual has is stems from observing their siblings and peers go through their struggles at a young age and they reflect on what that means for them (especially for young girls). Some of these fears and insecurities from their youth stick with them and they continue to ponder their adolescence as an adult. These individuals tend to have a fixed perception (especially true if the third house is occupied by a fixed sign) of womanhood and aren’t afraid to speak their mind about it. They are easily disgusted and troubled by observing others with opposing perspectives. With that said, some of these individuals tend to be hypocritical and aren’t aware of it. The individual may need to learn to be more of a safe-haven for open discussion to work through their insecurities. 

IV House/Cancer  Lilith presenting itself in the first of the three soul houses demonstrates ancestral fear, turmoils, and mysteries. Often these individuals fears start out very subconsciously and are developed from witnessing other family members (maternal figures especially) go through something traumatic. Witnessing their mother struggle through their own perceptions of what it means to be a woman in this world has a tremendous effect on the individual, especially at a young age; it often shapes how the individual will view themselves and their place in the world. It can also make the individual have many preconceived ideas on motherhood, domestic life, and relationships between parents based on being their mother’s observer in their youth. If the relationship between the individual and their maternal figure(s) isn’t good, it can be difficult to address and heal these traumas. Sometimes these individuals can be total estranged from their maternal figures and have an unclear idea of what their stories are; many secrets can be kept from the individual and there can be a bit of loss in identity (e.g. no feminine guidance in youth/how to be feminine/rejection of femininity). The individual’s household can sometimes be a reflection of their inner turmoils, they may neglect making it their safe space or they see it as a cause to a lot of their issues. Lilith here can also express itself in a form of past life karma or a karmic cycle the individual may be in. The individual needs to work through what their fears, turmoils, and angers are tied to in order to break this cycle. 

V House/Leo  Lilith here is a trial of what a woman is allowed to do. Since the fifth house rules over creations and pleasures, there is a lot of experimentation in just that. The individuals feel as though push their limits and test the waters in everything because the world is antagonistic towards their identity. Their fear is being casted into an archetype; at an early age they would be introduced to concepts of how the world perceives the role of femininity. A lot of their behaviour can be excessive or reckless, especially in their youth. There is a tendency towards promiscuousness especially; they’re putting the two feminine archetypes on trial and attempting to destroy the notion that you can only be of the two based on what you do; the virgin Mary or the prostitute. Though a noble intention, these individuals can often be misguided with their excessive behaviours. They spend too much energy on trying to prove something to the world about their being when they don’t need to. Lilith here has the capacity to transform and redirect this noble energy into creative efforts. Artists can benefit with this placement as their creations are often thought provoking and, in essence, demonstrate trials of femininity. The creative expression of Lilith here is much more healing, gratifying, and gains more positive recognition. Lilith here can also indicate either the choice of not having children or that the individual’s child will be very Lilithian in nature.

VI House/Virgo  Lilith here presents itself irrationally, particularly, and sporadically. Though the individual doesn’t feel Lilith’s influence on a constant, it can be experienced on a day to day basis temporarily while doing minute or seemingly regular things. The fears brought upon here correlate to injury or illness (diseases, losing limbs, loss of function, etc.). These individuals find themselves irrationally thinking of the “what ifs” of rather normal situations. It should be stressed though, that often these individual’s fears are often not debilitating, just invasive and vivid. However, a strong 6th house/Virgo influence coincide with Lilith being there can indicate some obsessive compulsive behaviours and just in general lots of situations where the individual feels the need to do something a certain way to negate harm. The other prominent theme of Lilith here is a women’s experience in the working world. The transition between a young, inexperienced woman to an experienced one is a pivotal moment in Lilith’s expression here. There may be many difficulties, assumptions, and fears correlated to getting work, job experience, and moving up in their field. The individual’s fears often are related to feeling inadequate based on their identity, presumptions about themselves, and inhibitions because of their heightened awareness that their identity (especially for women, as a woman) places them in a particular way in the world. Their own perceptions of themselves are often the most inhibiting; the best way to transform and feel empowered with Lilith here is to be unapologetically yourself and take the world by surprise. 

VII House/Libra  In the seventh house, Lilith expresses fears of counterparts, peers, and juxtapositions. Lilith here usually hints to a tainted perception of relationships developed at a young age (e.g. abusive relationships firsthand or observed). The individual can be very suspicious and distrusting of close relationships and partnerships, they are very skeptical of others motives, especially of the opposite sex. This may be troublesome for the individual in relationships as they can be suspicious of their partner even with constant reassurance and stability. These issues can only be healed over time with positive, healthy relationships. Lilith in the seventh house is also troubled by their perception of themselves in comparison to others and vice versa. In particular, the conscious awareness of differences (and similarities) between genders and gendered experiences. Alternatively, Lilith here manifests as the individual’s reflection in others. The individual encounters people whose stories inspire things within their identity they’ve failed to see before. The mirror Lilith presents to the individual can be empowering and beautiful or destructive and ugly. When the individual chooses to surround themselves with empowering and inspiring individuals, it will bring out the good Lilith has to offer, especially for female experiences. 

VIII House/Scorpio  Lilith presenting itself in the second of three soul houses demonstrates yet again, a level of ancestral fear, turmoils, and mysteries. Fears experienced on a more conscious level, but run as deep as their soul. Often their fears revolve around sexuality and severe distrust of other people’s motives. It’s very difficult for these individuals to ignore harsh realities and they may even go out of their way to witness gruesome things which awakens outrage within. These individuals can view sex and intimacy as something traumatic and have a difficult time opening up to their partners; intimacy requires a tremendous amount of trust. Even when that trust is gained, there can be a deeply rooted discomfort in being viewed in a lustful manner. They can be very hateful towards the opposite sex and protective of their own. These individuals hate (or fear) to appear small or vulnerable and may even act dominant or controlling in relationships. These individuals need to work towards trusting others in order to let go of the grip Lilith has here. Another theme Lilith expresses is a fear of death, fear of knowing, and fear of the occult. This can be especially difficult for a person who is psychically sensitive. The individual may go out of their way to inhibit or block their own gifts due to the fear of it showing something they were not prepared for. Again, trust is a big aspect of overcoming these fears, but also knowledge and perceptiveness to know how to keep oneself from harm. 

IX House/Sagittarius  Lilith in the ninth house carries some of the same themes as Lilith in the third, however the difference is that instead of fixed perceptions on womanhood, their perceptions are more like beliefs and morals. They think their beliefs are imperative and the highest of truths which ultimately can be dogmatic and misguided. Their fixed beliefs are usually rooted from fear and superstition. They can be just as hypocritical as Lilith in the third too, especially when their consciousness isn’t clear (drugs or alcohol or any sort of substance abuse involved). Inner insecurities need to be addressed and healed to have a more rational perspective on life. There is a hyperfixation on the higher learnings of womanhood, some of these individuals can become reclusive; some women with this placement even opt to not marry. These individuals find empowerment in independence. Lilith at its best here can become a teacher to others, particularly beneficial for people interested in women’s studies and women’s health; however these individuals should be wary of their biases and their perceptions that are deeply rooted in their personal experiences thus far. Themes of feminine ritual take place here as well, which is in part of their tendency to superstition. Individual’s ritualism is developed at a young age and becomes a prominent part of their truth and reality as an adult.

X House/Capricorn  Lilith here can be rather difficult for the female experience. The themes brought upon here are a lot to do with the public’s speculation of the individual. These individuals tend to have a seemingly easy-breezy path towards the top of their field, in fact, one might say the top of their ambition drew them in as much as they drew it. However, Lilith here has a magnifying glass over it; the watchful eyes of the public seeing, judging, and speculating the individual’s every move. The individual may find themselves dealing with a lot of rumours about them, prosecution by association, misconceptions, unwanted drama, and assumptions. A lot of the troubles are correlated to society’s perception of how a woman should behave. The public sees the individual as the dark and mischievous version of Lilith, the public desires and feeds on that perception of the individual. As a result, the individual may purposefully act out or feel complete shame and go into hiding. Issues dealing with feeling vulnerable all the time because of their identity are very present within the individual. Lilith at its best here can make a notable feminine figurehead, the individual just needs to work on transforming the public’s perception of femininity as something empowering. The other theme with Lilith in the tenth house is potential issues with the paternal figure in the individual’s life. There’s potential that the paternal figure had a great impact on the core of individual’s feminine experience and perceptions in life. 

XI House/Aquarius  Lilith in the eleventh house deals with themes of the individual’s collective consciousness being at the core of their feminine experience. Collective consciousness usually meaning their friends; prominent, reality shaping experiences with their friends and peers at a young age are at the core of their insecurities, fears, and perceptions of feminine energy. This placement does demonstrate not so great relations with friends, especially female friends. In fact, that is Lilith in the eleventh house at its worst; bullying from female friends and the psychological damage from that. It’s very easy for individuals with this placement to alienate themselves from others based on negative experiences. At its best, collective consciousness can be beneficial for exploring and understanding femininity and female experience as a whole, but the individual with this placement will have to navigate through to find the right people, or their people. Individuals with this placement may be interested in helping others struggling with feminine identity and some of the struggles of womanhood as they are quite empathetic to that experience. Another theme with Lilith here is the value of platonic relations. Individuals with this placement struggle with the stage between a platonic relationship and blooming attraction. There’s a deep discomfort with it, especially if they value the relationship as just a friendship and nothing more. They can also be suspicious of the motives of new friendships, perhaps from deeply rooted insecurity or simply that they don’t want a romantic/sexual relationship. 

XII House/Pisces  Lilith presenting itself in the third and final soul house is completely unconscious; Lilith is asleep and almost absent here. Loss of feminine identity takes place here. Individuals with this placement will experience Lilith’s themes within their dreams and times of total darkness. Individuals with this placement aren’t always aware of their trauma, fears, or turmoils. There’s a chance something traumatic happened to them at a time they cannot remember or it’s something they blocked out entirely, but tends to haunts them within their dreams. These individuals tend to be very angry at themselves for things they cannot control and for things that are often not their fault. These individuals are also escapists; they are very susceptible to addiction or obsessive compulsive behaviours. Though, Most 12th house Lilith individuals escape through sleeping. Excessive sleeping, however, leads to guilt. These individuals fear death and don’t want to watch life pass them by. There’s a big theme here of push and pull; doing everything you can in life to not regret missing out and the absence of living life. Lilith here needs to seek balance and acceptance instead of pondering too much about what fate lies within them. The unconscious traumas within them need to be carefully addressed and healed as well to feel comfortable with their identity and place in this world (especially as a woman).

[arizona-trash-bag]

I can totally explain a bit of my thinking behind seeing lwj as autistic and wwx as autistic/adhd!! Before I get into specifics though, let me preface with where I’m coming from. I first saw CQL and then read the EXR translation of the novel. I prefer MDZS to CQL, but also want to acknowledge that because I do not read/speak Mandarin I am inherently experiencing this story second-hand and therefore am probably missing out on a lot of nuances. I am trying to learn Mandarin, but it will be a long time before I am even a little close to fluent lol.

Another preface- obviously not all autistic people present in the same way, and many of the things that I will mention are not solely specific to autistic people either. It’s one of those things where all of it added up together points towards asd, but each one individually would not on its own indicate asd, you know? Also, I will say that many of the things I picked up on for both characters are autistic traits that many autistic people have vs the clinical characteristics (much like most of the case I could make for wwx’s adhd would be adhd traits he has rather than symptoms that would lead to a real-world diagnosis.) Edit: OH! I almost forgot to say, that also all of these traits I’m listing are from a western perspective, and I would LOVE to read more about how autism presents in different cultures and to see conversations between autistc Chinese people specifically, so as to see if these traits are specific to western autistic people or not, but again, I do not speak Mandarin or Cantonese or any other Chinese dialect, so that’s a little inaccessible for me atm.

Ok, SO, for both characters I would list: strong sense of justice, lack of care for society’s opinion (I feel like it could be argued that lwj does to a certain point, but imo he operates more from what he morally considers to be correct and from a place of familial duty vs catering to the opinion of society at large), and then more vaguely, they both seem to be “nerdy” (this doesnt feel like the most accurate term, especially because it's not like being scholarly is specific to their characters, especially in ancient fantasy China- it’s more that their particular hmmm, flavor?? of love of knowledge feels very neurodivergent to me, vs like, being scholarly because it’s the thing that is expected of a Young Master, if that makes any sense at all- like the difference btwn someone getting an engineering degree because it is expected of them vs because they genuinely love engineering), and lastly for both- I would say that they are canonically kinky, and while I can’t cite any statistics, there’s a pretty high correlation between being autistic and being into kink. Obviously, not every person who is not vanilla is autistic, and not every autistic person is into kink…….but there is a high correlation.

For lwj specifically, the things that made me think he might be autistic are his lack of outward emoting combined with his depth and breadth of emotions, how he seems to thrive in and quite enjoy the very structured environment he grew up in, and then the last one off the top of my head (side note, I feel like a week from now I’m going to randomly think of other examples lol) I’m not actually sure IS an example, because I know (thanks to the awesome post from hunxi that you linked to that I had read previously) that his succintness does not equal autism, but I do kind of feel like it is very autistic to Always be so formal and to Always talk in textbook perfect language.

For wwx, I also think he likely has CPTSD! I’m not going to list anything for adhd or cptsd since we both agree on those :) As far as being autistic goes, there is, of course, the high prevalence of adhd/asd comorbidity. For specifc traits- while autism can show up as lack of facial expressions/tone, it can also show up as being overly exuberant and overexpressive. Especially for younger autistic children this can show up as being overly friendly/no boundaries w/ strangers (just?? going home with a random man who says he knew wwx’s parents???), making unusual connections that others do not can be both asd and adhd, his disregard for social status (disregard might be a strong word, and also I feel like this might be one of those things that got lost in translation and if I had read the original text I might have a different opinon, but what I mean here is the way that often autistic people learn certain social rules and try their best to follow them, but often do not pick up on specifics related to social hierarchy that are not spelled out for them- I think jyl’s take down of jin zixun is a great example of the /oppossite/ of what I’m talking about, and is a very neurotypical interaction. An example also of what I mean by disregard for social hierarchy, but from my own life, is how I’ve reflected on past convos w/ my boss only to realize that what I thought was just an interesting conversation about our opinons on a particular subject was actually them trying to tell-me-as-my-boss something they wanted me to do. We ended up doing things the way I wanted to do them because I didn’t realize that they were telling me to do something because they didnt explicitly say so, and because I just don’t pick up on when people are saying something from a social hierarchy pov. Idk if this makes sense or not, so I’m happy to try to expand if you would like me to. I feel like wwx could be described as having alexithymia, which is very common in autistic people, but could also be due to his cptsd. And then, I don’t feel like this is a true point because it is kind of based on headcanon? but wwx feels very demisexual to me, which is much more common for autistic people than it is for allistic people. But him being demi is not canon, just my perception of him (I see him as demisexual gay w/ massive comphet, but I know lots of people see him as bi, which also totally makes sense!!)

Tbh, I’m having a harder time than I thought I would listing wwx specifics. I might go through the book sometime this weekend and see if there are specific moments that pop out at me, but tbh w/ him its more that he Feels very adhd/asd to me?? Idk, I was diagnosed w/ adhd when I was 8, and all 4 of my siblings plus my father have offical adhd diagnoses. I’m 29 now and was only diagnosed as autistic earlier this year.  All of my close friends have always been either adhd, asd, or adhd/asd. There have been multiple people I have met that I’ve suspected were neurodivergent who have later told me they started looking into it and are now seeking formal diagnoses. I mention these things, only to give full context when I say that I have spent a lot of time observing the differences between interacting with neurotypicals and neurodivergents. I mean, obviously, it’s possible that I could just be projecting, but to me, Wwx gives off late-diagnosed/heavy masker autism/adhd combo vibes. Again, maybe I am projecting, but I did try to analyze whether I was or not previously, and determined that since in the past with other favorite characters (who I probably share more similarities in personality with) I did not feel like they were neurodivergent, so I figured that probably I wasn’t? That feels like a very convoluted sentence, but what I mean is that I have not thought that about other characters who have been my fav, so I figured that while I do project in certain areas that this particular area probably wasn’t one of them. Or, to say it in yet another way, since i did not project any of my neurodivergencies on past favorite characters, I figured I probably didn’t start doing so now.

I would love to hear more of your perspective on this, particularly because I worry that I do not have the cultural touchstones to realize when something wwx or lwj is doing is not actually a sign of being neurodivergent. I try my best to research things I don’t know about and to listen to fans who actually do have that cultural understanding, but there’s only so much I can look into on my own when I only speak/read english. And also, I love mdzs and I love talking about both adhd and autism, so I’m glad to talk about these subjects with someone else who also likes all of those topics :) Sorry for sending a book of a response and also I hope you are having a great day!!

wow wow wow anon THANK YOU for doing your research and acknowledging your blind spots you seriously made my day. I wanted to get to this as soon as I made that rant while sharing cyan’s post bc this is specifically an example of a well researched proposition based on actual lived experience and critical thinking.

I almost want to ask you to come forward so we can take this convo elsewhere for a more nuanced discussion bc you’ve already hit upon an issue that’s been holding me back from making a big blathering masterpost on the matter - that the ND experience is so unique and individual, and no one person can dictate someone else’s experience. at the end of the day, if you personally relate to these characters and gain more understanding of yourself and your experiences from them, who am I to take that away from you?

in a public space though I have to make the discussion very broad in order to accurately contextualize these issues, bc in typical autistic fashion I feel morally compelled to Do My Best and Get It Right even as the masses show no inclination of returning the favor, so apologies for the boring backstories I have to get out of the way before we can approach anything resembling new ground.

first from a diagnostic standpoint, while I recognize the traits you listed (and appreciate your clearly nuanced understanding of ND expressions) and would find value in exploring them in a personal context, they are not unique to adhd and/or autism and wouldn’t constitute a basis for diagnosis in a clinical setting. I know that's probably beside the point for this anon, but there's enough edgy teens hoarding labels out there without tacit encouragement from scientists (yes I am technically a scientist, even though my ideologies these days range from conventional to... wildly esoteric, shall we say)

from a cultural standpoint, it’s important for me to emphasize that the concept of neurodivergence is a uniquely western notion. for those unfamiliar, the term 'neurodiversity' was only coined in 1998. I was born in 1991. I existed for a whole 7 years as an autistic person before the idea of being neurodivergent was even a thing. this ND acceptance thing is very, very new - people were not making tiktok confessionals about their adhd diagnosis journeys when I was growing up.

china, like most asian countries, is about 20 years or more behind on just about every social issue compared with western countries. to better illustrate, the experience of being ND in china falls much closer to the conventional experience of disability (i.e. being eugenicized out of existence) than the tentative ND acceptance movement that’s been kickstarted in the past 20 years in the anglosphere.

safe to say, there is no ND coding going on in chinese media. characters are either explicitly ND or they're not. there's no basis for a creator subtly inducing ND-like traits in a character, because there's no such thing as ND awareness in the cultural context of where mdzs was written and consumed. any resemblance is purely accidental, as they say.

as to how this resemblance could exist - I could go into the layers and layers of historical, cultural, social and religious context that make up these characters and the xianxia genre as a whole. for this anon in particular i'm happy to, because they've done the work. please please get in touch in some way where we can have a fully fleshed out chat if you're interested in taking this further, I realize i’ve basically addressed none of the finer points you’ve raised but honestly it’s another level of discussion to be had that cannot be summarized in one blog post haha.

as for those who would scream 'but special interests!!' at a character whose sect was founded by a literal monk - what would be the point?

PS. to comprise a starting point for why it's possible to see ND4ND everywhere in media if you looked hard enough - I refer you to the seminal red oni blue oni trope 💁‍♀️

[shay11a]

New Rules, an overly long review

Alright, let’s do this.

I’ll just start with a little disclaimer that english is not my first language and although I’m usually fluent-ish some of my sentences might not translate very well from french, so please bear with me. Also this i like barely edited so sorry about the mistakes.

I’m here to talk about my favorite fanfiction, not only in this fandom, but in all fandom (and trust me, I’m a part of a lot of fandoms), and of all the fanfictions I’ve ever read (and trust me I’ve read a lot) : New Rules by the amazing @tayegi

The first time I read, I binge read it, but make no mistake, I don’t mean that I rushed though the story in one day, oh no, I mean I couldn’t do anything else, every minute of my day that I wasn’t in class or adulting, I was reading it, but it’s one of those rare fictions where I knew I was reading something just that good that I needed to make it last as much as possible. Imagine my struggle, balancing the need to know what was going to happen next and my visceral need to make it last as much as possible because I knew I could never experience this first reading again. 

That’s how much I love this story.

Unfortunetaly, there came a time I caught up.

So I re-read it.

Again.

And Again.

To this day, I often come back to it, re-reading entirely or picking up at any point to enjoy again a moment that I particularly like. I do this often with fiction I particularly liked, but one thing that I find amazing with NR is that, contrary to most fic, no matter where I pick up, I know what is happening, what happened before that, because the plot is just so wonderfully crafted that everything has consequences, every character is relevant and their actions have consequences that they are held accountable to by the plot (dunno is this makes sense but it does in my native language sorry) I regret not posting a review under every chapter as I read, it was selfish on my part, but I needed to continue, I have some notes from this review at the end but they lack the specificity of first impressions, I apologize for that. 

I also have to mention that this review is NOT spoiler free so if you want to read it please, PLEASE New Rules before that there is absolutely NO way that you won’t thank me (and Tayegi of course) afterwards, and don’t ‘I don’t mind spoilers’ me this story DESERVES to be read spoiler free.

Alright, buckle up kiddos, let’s do this.

I. The writing

The way the plot unveils is downright cathartic. I recently re-read it entirely to make this review and going back to the first chapters and seing how everything just MAKES SENSE and how a small thing happening has consequences over everything later. Just HUH brilliant. (I’m thinking about OC’s crush on Jimin here and how through the prism of Mijoo we later see that her crush was her projecting // Jin, now THAT’S WRITING) 

The smut, how do I put it, is bomb but it doesn’t feel like smut smut, it feels like actual sex described, not idealized and in my opinion it just adds to the quality of the story, because sex is an essential part of the story, not something added to satiate the hormones of horny readers (as an ex-horny teenager, I want to thank people writing this kind of smut and say that there is nothing wrong with writing this kind of smut) or just for the sake of it because apparently having sex is the culminating point of a relationship. Sex scenes tell a story as much as argument scenes, if not more. First, because as a sex friends to lover AU (smh) it is inherently part of the story but also because the characters don’t just stop having a backstory, emotions and emotional baggage when they have sex, all those things are still present and they influence the way they act in bed. And THAT is satisfying to read.  

On many occasions, in the fanfic writing community, you can hear (read?) people saying, « this fiction could / should be published like an actual book » I’m not here to further the debate on real literature, fanfiction and so what not, but this fiction is one that, more importantly than it being published, I feel like I could study in english class, take an extract and study the amazing characterization, how the scene furthers the plot, what are the literary devices used to do so. I feel like I could study the running metaphors, the sub plots and how they correlate so well to the main plot and further the characterization of a character, the plot itself or something else. Everything feels like a neatly knitted masterpiece. 

In that aspect, one scene that I particularly liked was the one where OC is hidden listening to JK and Hyejin, and as she hears what he says, she crushes the rose in her hand. It’s such a simple and yet telling idea: her bourgeoning love and hope for a romantic relationship symbolized by the ultimate romantic symbol : a rose, and JK’s words make her try and crush those feelings, but she hurts herself doing so, because the action itself is a painful one — trying to refrain hope / trying to suffocate feelings — but also because love, just like roses has thorns that may hurt, that’s why JK is so afraid of committing it seems, and the irony is that he is doing exactly that to someone else. (My explanation is so messy plfnmesdmflfmqf sorry)

One recurring idea/plot device that I have noticed is the one of misunderstanding / misreading each others. OC and JK constantly misread each others (I’m thinking about the scene in the bar where she rubs his back affectionately and he interprets it in a sexual way) and idk but something about this really hits me hard, because it’s human, so inherently human, this makes the characters feel like human beings not fictional archetypes. Because in real life, we can’t take a step back and have a view of the bigger picture the way we can as an omniscient reader who remembers very well what one said or did earlier that explains their behavior. In real life we dont know and cannot guess why people act a certain way based on some hinted at tragic backstory that would explain their commitment issues.

On a lighter note, the writing is just so freaking FUNNY, like I can’t count how many times I cackled like an idiot reading. + Tayegi has a way of cutting from scenes to scenes or from dialogue to dialogue that is just so FUNNY (if it was a movie I would talk about editing because it’s exactly how it feels, like when you got A saying ‘I will never do that’ and it cuts and the next frame is A doing exactly that)

More on the writing in the notes for every chapter further below.

II. Feminism, social justice and me relating to everything 

Ok this part is going to be a bit more personal but I had to address how much main girl and her struggles resonated with me. As a feminist myself I VERY often struggles with the same problem : that is when my beliefs come brutally crashing with the social constructs I have internalized and have yet to deconstruct as well as the people surrounded me who don’t necessarily share the same belief. And the way Tayegi portrayed this is spot on not to say borderline genius. 

Her mixed feelings when facing Hoseok « not like other girls » comments or the conversation where she struggles to explain why she is fucking the notorious fuckboy despite her talks about hook-up culture were punches in the guts to me, because feminists are always the ones to be criticized the most easily (I am aware that my phrasing here is horrendous but I don’t know how to word this differently again sorry English is not my native language) and the slightest slip-up will be pointed at by people who aren’t even feminist but see an easy way to gaslight them. So, to read this, to read another woman facing the same situations and being as utterly upset and sometime powerless as I felt, god was it cathartic. 

And don’t get me started on the way she always ALWAYS sticks by her principles of sorority, even to the women that have been nothing less than mean to her and how hard it is to support other women when we live in a society that always pit women against each others. I FELT that. But nevertheless main girl tries to, she compliments Somin on her dress, Hiejin as well even though they both have been openly hostile (and even mean sometimes) to her. I truly felt this, all theses little moments, just a sentence here and there, but I felt them in my guts.

III. The characters 

The characters, oh god, the characters. OC ? Marry me. JK? Marry me (also I want to slap him but it’s another story). Taehyung ? Marry me. Mijoo? Marry me.   

The relationship between OC and her BFF is in my opinion one of the best thing about the pic and one that really remarks it from other, the twist about twist alsmot made me believe it would be like every other pic where oc ends up with virtually no friend (especially female ones because like everyone know girls cause drama riiiight ) but it happens so early ? How could it ooooh it’s not like that, OC and her BFF and mature enough to discuss it, it still has  consequences, the scene where OC accuses BFF of pushing her onto Jk to make herself feel better about jimmy still gives me chills because, yeah, it makes sens that she would, and it kinda feels like she did with how insistant she has been, but again, we are told the story from OC’s perspective, so obviously she feels bad when BFF insists that her and JK are meant to be bc she knows that JK wouldn’t date her, but again, as readers, we can kinda see from BFF perspective, they indeed look perfect for one another and only misunderstanding and insecurities and Jk’s past seems to be in the way (okay granted when you say it like that it seems like a lot), but in the end, Mijoo also seems genuine in the way she pushes them together, even though, yeah she might have, consciously or not done it for that reason.

i don’t know if I want a happy ending for OC and JK, I want one because they are so good and sweet together and after everything they’ve been through I feel like they sort of deserve it, but after everything they’ve been through, especially the way JK has behaved, it seems hard for a happy ending to happen. I feel like it’s going to take a lot of time and talking (including his backstory that has been hinted at a few times wink wink) for them to work things out, if they work things out.

I’ve mentioned that before but : THE SORORITY oh lord where do I start? OC standing up for Hyejin and Somin even when they had a few rough patches, sign me the fuck UP. OC not turning totally on her best friend Mijoo (my girl btw) and overlooking their friendship and what she had done for her in the time of Jin because Mijoo made a selfish mistake ? Yes please, MORE.

Hoseok is, in my opinion, spot ON. It took me some time to exactly pin point who he reminded me of but then I realized he is exactly what I call the 'apolitical guy’, who is convinced to not have controversial opinion and would deny ever having prejudice when he clearly has (i.e. the scene where Oc calls him out on his misogynie

I have to admit that Hyejin and Somin are amongst my favorites because even though the plot (and the fact that we are basically supposed to be on OC’s side as the story is told from her perspective)  makes them very unsympathetic, your writing allows us to understand their actions and empathize with them. Learning about Hyejin’s past with JK makes her look like the character of a fan fiction where she could have been the main character unfortunately for her, this is OC’s story so Hyejin can’t get the guy in the end. But truly, her backstory feels like an entire other ff in the story and to be honest basically every other character’s backstory as well as the subplots feel this way. And Somin, well Somin is basically going through the same thing as OC but with Hoseok so how can we mock her for it while crying for OC ? That’s impossible and that’s why your writing is so powerful, there is no clear ‘bad guy’ (appart from J*n but who cares about that roquefort face) and everyone is in that gray, humane area. 

Every character has so many layer (I don’t count JK and OC in this because at this point we can’t talk about layers anymore it’s a damn millefeuille) and getting to discover more about them is amazing. 

Basically, every side character reflects something on OC and JK and further the plot, the themes while feeling like their own individuals with their own complex thoughts and problems and I think that’s fucking brilliant. 

And now onto my notes for every chapter (it’s low-key very messy sorry)

Chapter 1 :

Lord to thing that it started with a simple friend request :’)

I love how in the very first line, OC telling Mijoo how she knows JK instantly characterizes him to the reader, it’s smart BUT also characterize OC as someone quick witted and serious/professional but also very sarcastic, funny and taking no shit from anyone. Incipit done well here. I mean, so much exposition is crammed into the very first lines but it just feels soooo natural!

I also love how the dynamic between Mijoo and OC can appear « basic » but will later be revealed to be so much more complex and profound and that’s basically how everything in this fic just keep getting better and more complex as you read.

Also, I love how OC and JK’s first encounter is because they are both trying to help their best friends, I missed it in the first reading but it’s so telling of their characters. Also I appreciate OC not hating on JK just because she hates him from afar and he suddenly notices her and gets turned on by that (like in a lot of ff let’s not lie, I love myself some bad boy!AU but it’s getting redundant), she genuinely seems to not give a fuck about him and it’s so funny to me somehow, my girl just minding her business, getting her straight A’s and doing charity work, we stan. Also, the entire part where they complain about Jimin and Mijoo is downright hilarious 

I really like the way JK says the poetry assignment is easy, hinting at the fact that he is, in fact, not a stupid fuckboi cliché (+ what happens with their presentation and him working his BUTT of)

The entire part where OC and Jk act like they are together is so DAMN FUNNY but at the same time it just shows that they have great chemistry from the get go and I love that. (But seriously it’s so f*ing funny)

I love they way OC’s crush on Jimin is brought up, it’s not outwardly said, but the way he is described form her pov makes it obvious and her helplessness when looking at him and Mijoo is just so heartbreaking (+ getting to me on a personal level since I’ve been in a very similar situation for years so :))) like, you can feel that she doesn’t want to be feeling this way, and is obviously trying to help her BFF and be selfless but cannot help but feel jealousy.+ JK immediately catching up on her crush, showing he is more observant than you’d think.

JK and OC being dumb & dumber AND partner in crime is everything I’ve ever wanted

The description of the feeling of loneliness post-parties is so accurate, and the way she feels is so relatable and heartbreaking. 

The part about anguish and the way she feels suffocated by her feminine attire got to me and honestly I got really close to cryingThe end of the chapter upsets me in the best way, to see JK be so oblivious to how vulnerable and lonely OC is, man it really makes the entire thing so much more gutswrenching.

Highlights (basically lines that made me laugh or that I find particularly well written) :

“then I don’t know why he’s friended you”

“should I block him too?” 

“can you get you get more obvious without tattooing ‘Park Jimin’ on your ass? It’s obvious he owns it anyways”

“why does this kid has so many shirtless selfies”

“it’s like this boy is like a walking cliché of the world’s most basic fuckboi” I see what you did here ;)))

“Ah… you knew?” The way I laugh EVERY time at this line

“Would you be really mad at me if I poured this all over your boobs?“ alkfnenfmefnkgjh Mijoo is my queen

“try her ass instead” JK you absolute moron genius

“Mijoo as been trying to get you laid since freshman” I looove how this just sounds so random and plays into the cliché of the extroverted BFF trying to drag OC to parties and get her laid but with OC’s backstory // Jin it makes SO much more sense

“I won’t feed you lies” he, said, you know, like a liar.

“Your worth as a woman isn’t defined by your purity or whatever bullshit” love the hint at the later reveal that JK is, indeed, a woke king. We stan

“But unfortunately, you aren't the altruistic saint you wish you could be. You suffer from the same human emotions that plague everyone. And they aren't pretty.Despite what the artists and poets claim, the world works in a logical way. It's a simple mathematical formula. Girls like Mijoo end up with their princes. And you remain a bitter stepsister, helpless but to watch their happily ever after from a distance. One that you'll never achieve.” God that part.... 

“Here is a man who actually wants you. Not you, but your body, a little voice in the back of your head reminds you. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is that someone might actually desire you…  ... He feels so thick inside of you that for a moment, the hole in your chest is filled”  This is what I mean when I say that the smut in this story makes SENSE

“You wish you could cling onto this feeling forever so you'll never feel empty again.” The way this scene is supposed to be all smut sexy time but it is actually one of the most emotionally packaged and heart wrenching scene, really I can’t with your writing </333 

“He grins at that, "I thought you knew me better than to take anything I said seriously?“Jk you manipulative mf I hate your fuckboi ass

"Ugh, please don't tell me you're a cuddler," you grumble as you twist in his embrace. "I'm not," he denies, but the way he buries his nose in your hair says otherwise, "And don't think about asking me to stay the night, because I'm not that kind of guy." The dynamic of the entire duo summed up in one paragraph

Chapter 2 :

The moment she reassures Mijoo and see what she is missing is :((

I remember than the first time I read new rules and feminist JK came clean I was honestly shocked (years of being guarded around men’s misoginy and fake feminism I guess) but re-reading it, it’s so nice to see the hints everywhere that he genuinely is and it warms my heart.

The convo JK and OC have about relationships and meaningless sex is not only such a good foreshadowing of the problems they will face later when it comes to coming clean about both their feelings (looking at you JK you moron) but also such a relatable feeling of ‘I know I said men are trash but I’m still vaguely heterosexual and would really like to believe that some aren’t and I know it sounds like I’m reassuring myself and honestly I am because it’s starting to become hard to really believe that’

The twits oh god the TWIST!!! The heartbreak it gave me, I was going to put some sentences in the highlights but honestly I almost ended up putting the entire scene so I gave in but it’s just so well written and nerve wracking to see what could have been and to realize that the friend that OC has been putting so much effort into helping betrayed her.  Like, I can emphasis enough how much I cried reading this, considering I have been in a very similar situation, and that’s probably why this struck a chord so powerfully but wow. 

The blowjob scene is simply another brilliant double meaning smut scene, the way OC is trying to regain control over something, someone, even if it’s not the one she wants, the way she makes him beg to hear compliments, heartbreaking (I know I’ve said this word like a million time and we’re just on chapter 2 but your writing really is something else) 

The scene where she confronts Mijoo is in my opinion one of the BEST I have ever read, the way you can feel her heartbreak and her powerlessness but also the maturity she exudes, the way she tries to be the bigger person and do what’s right, lord I see myself here and it fucking hurts.

“He really likes you, Mijoo. Don’t let him slip away… You’ll only regret it.”  The double meaning that applies to OC here is killing me  

“On any other day, this is the kind of party you would protest, running around with a half dozen other of your feminist friends as you collect signatures for a boycott.” <3

“Wait… what makes you think that we’re supposed to be the hoes?”  <3 <3

“Yeah. You really do.” Jk sometimes I really like you 

“No, sweetheart. You’re the childish one for not being able to accept grown up emotions. Why is falling in love and caring for someone outside of their physical appearance so shameful to you? You need to grow the fuck up and realize that feeling for another human being does not make you weak.”<3 <3 <3

“Frat brothers are despicable…except this one, of course.” Absolutely love how first reading makes it sound like her crush is speaking and second reading shows her idealization of him here 

“You swallow the lump in your throat. It would be one thing to see them wildly making out or grinding in the mosh pit like all the other horny kids. But to see them so enveloped in each other, content to just hug for the rest of the night… It hurts you more than you can express. You’d rather walk in on them fucking. This display of the purest affection… No one has ever held you like that before.You’re jealous. It’s shameful how horrendously jealous you are.”</3

“You need me?” you repeat in a small voice.” OC baby I get you I love you and you deserve th world ;(( </3

“You feel like such a villain, grilling this angel and making her upset. It’s such an irritating feeling, but you can’t choke it back.“It’s not like I liked him anyways…” Lord what have you done to my heart and I think it’s my favorite sentence in the entire story !

Chapter 3 :

OC protecting and looking out for Yerin is just so adorable I CAN’T

The discussion with Hyejin, the foreshadowing!!!!!!!

The way OC is self-aware and thinks JK only wants her body (and at the time it was highly likely) just makes the scene that much more heartbreaking, which makes me realize that all the smut scene up until now have been that way. 

The entire chapter feels like a BIG call out to me thanks for that I guess. (I’m kidding it was wonderful and actually got me reflecting a lot on my habits and self deprecation)

“the ugly cage around your heart loosen a bit”

“Wow, your fungal cream is so nice. I hope you get that infection checked out." We love a considerate and caring man

“You would take this over the hollowness in your chest. You would gladly take the meaningless sex, the hard pounding of your pussy without a single gesture of affection. Who needs an emotional connection when you can have the pain beat out of you? Who needs someone to like you when you have someone to use you?”  No words.

Chapter 4 :

I don’t know if I said that already but I just looooove the way you sprinkle hints here and here about everything ! Foreshadowing events and future revelations it’s just so nice to read and makes second (and third, and fourth) reading sooooo much more entraining and satisfying <3333. Like Oc and Mijoo are drunk and we get a snip at what happened freshman year, there were other hints previously but this just makes the reader WANT to know what the f* went down. And it makes up for Mijoo betrayal, it’s a nice way of explaining why OC « brushed » over her betrayal, we know that she was there in such a hard time for OC and yes it really builds the suspense around that whilst portraying Mijoo as more than the fake BFF who betrayed, I love that.

I love the way you use the word ‘ugly’ and how it’s very often associated with jealousy.

I want to address how much I adore your side characters and sub-plots. Like all of them are so likable (even Somin) and feel like genuine people with their own complex thoughts, seriously your characterization is out of this world! (special shout-out to Yoongi who is spot-ON imo). Like, I want to hangout with these people and be their friends. 

ALso I feel like we are really starting to see Jk and OC’s chemistry (unrelated to being evil little matchmaker) and it’s SOOOOOO good, it feels so natural and seeing them slowly slide into a romantic relationship (don’t tell Jk) seems like the most  natural thing (+ everyone thinking they are actually together and honestly they are)

"Hey so you like kick around a ball or whatever?" I love your humor I genuinely laughed at this 

"Balls?" he says pointedly.” Same here

"Who are you talking about?" Jungkook asks in confusion, "I don't have a—ah you mean ___?" You sure didn’t think for long jk 👀👀and you didn’t even deny it 👀👀👀and you came as soon as being asked 👀👀👀👀👀👀sus 

"Beats me," he whispers back, "I didn't even know we had a soccer team until this week!"LMAOOOOOOOOO

Chapter 5 :

The foreshadowing with Bang telling JK he is worried about his performance !! That’s why I love this fic so much! EVERYTHING is here, nothing happens out of the blue, you just have to pay attention to things to see things coming and not in a predictable but rather gratifying way.

The scene where OC hugs JK ? a masterpiece. I don’t know what more to say about it, it’s one of those things that touch on such a level that deconstructing it feels impossible and would break the spell, the intimacy I felt between the two of them and the stark contrast with Hyejin are perfect to characterize their relationship. Feels natural behind closed doors but lacking the words to clarify what they are, especially when faced with other people, and themselves. I L O V E it.

“you watch Taehyung roll around in the grass with his high-tech camera” don’t know why this is so funny to me but it is 

"Are we not speaking the same language right now?!" Jungkook barks into the receiver, "Are you fucking high?" The fact that he barks it makes it even funnier

Chapter 6 :

Oc’s conversation with Taehyung about hookup culture (and her behavior at large) just SCREAM ‘I have had such a terrible experience with love before that I cannot even begin to think about letting it happen again otherwise I will never love again’ and it HURTS. But! The way she approaches things with such maturity and is so in touch with her feelings is simply admirable. 

When OC is caught between Hoseok and JK at the party !!! It’s so frustrating but in the best  way possible because they got soooo close to actually talking things out clearly and making things better but their pride and whatever got in the way and we know it! JK and Oc I love y’all but also you’re so stupid. (Also it’s exactly what I was talking about in my ‘misunderstanding each others’ part. I feel like this is during this chapter that they really start to fuck up the communication because that’s the chapter where it becomes abundantly clear that feeeeelings are starting to get into the mix, they both try to distract themselves (unconsciously or not) with someone else, HYejin and Hoseok, and miserably fails. 

Also the domesticity!! That’s cute and fluffy and I’m blushing like I’m 12 year old again. 

“You’re right, » he says « I have to get more creative” I have said that Taehyung is hands down the funniest character here ?

"I want someone to choose me," you admit in a small voice, "I want someone to fall for my personality—to love me because of my hot temper and annoying disobedience, not in spite of it. I want this person to be surrounded by prettier, nicer, sweeter girls, but still seek me out… I'd rather them fall for my personality first, then settle for superficial traits like my lacking appearance… Is that really too much to ask?" Once again, thanks for calling me out also I’m crying this is one of the best paragraphs you have written

“He's like a character from a 1950's romance novel stepped off the page” Oc sweetheart remember something else about the 50’s 👀👀 Like ... the sexism ?

“The moon is high in the sky at this point of night, not shrouded by dark clouds for once, and illuminating the entire rooftop with its luminous silvery gleam. But for some reason, it seems like all the moonlight concentrates into a single beam on Hoseok, surrounding him in a brilliant white halo. You swallow tightly and drop your gaze as though burned.” The imagery here is beautiful and I like that you associated him with the moon when he is usually the sun 

"Oh, honey… You don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me." And there goes my heart.

"Did you think I was going to let her sleep on the streets or something?" is his sarcastic reply.You roll your eyes, "Thanks, Yoongi." We love character development (their friendship is so endearingly funny)

"Right… But um… what happened after the game on Saturday… uh…" A blush suddenly suffuses his cheeks, coloring his skin a lovely shade of rose, "I… I just wanted to—""Ah, that's right. There's another game next week," you hastily steer the conversation away, terrified by what he might say. "Don't worry, I'll be there too. I really need to start writing this article.""Oh, right… That's exactly what I was going to say," he says, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.” I want to slap some sense in these idiots’ heads 

"Yeah, but the problem is that I don’t want to." I am S C R E E C H I N G

Chapter 7 :

The scene where they wake up together and he smiles and calls her pretty and the misunderstanding scene makes me want to slap them you belated idiots

SO MUCH things happen in this chapter and I think it’s one of my favorite!! I have to say that the scene where OC protests against the date auction and faces the resistance of her sorority hit close to home. It’s always so heartbreaking to see fellow girls complying to sexism. 

Also also, feminist JK keeps me up at night. Fuck yeah. (You know the lisa simpson meme with the orange juice, that’s me with feminist JK, give me MORE of that. 

Also, her performance : I C O N I C

"You're just exclusive fuck buddies… Even though you don't do casual sex and Jungkook doesn't do exclusive. It totally doesn't feel like you're hiding your feelings." My thought exactly Mijoo

“Staying so guarded might protect you from pain… But it'll also protect you from any happiness." *Slow clapping*

“Why would you go for someone who doesn't see your worth? You deserve to be with someone picks you out in a sea of people. Who likes you the best." 👀👀👀

"…Do not resuscitate… Got it," you solemnly note.” You’re so funnyykekzldk

“You aggressively bid from backstage, even as Taehyung motions for you to get lost” I laughed out loud at this

« sold » HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIfhehfqenfoneqlfnqdkfncqefnlmzfkbnrdbfksvm kjnefkenfe hAAAAH ????!!! flefnekf HIIII ç!!!!ç!uj

Chapter 8 :

I’m sorry there is not much commentary about this one but I can for the life of me read it with a critical eye since I’m too caught up in the suspense and the fact that a million things are happening, the only thing I can think about is that your fiction, although it is a college AU is so versatile and you touch on so many other genre (here : sport) and manage to successfully make every single one enthralling and further your plot!

“Maybe if I had lost, you would've hugged me again." HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJZKELMLDIZPEKDLEBDLLDKKEJ 

"Please, ___. Please don't go."But sheer panic flashes in his eyes when you attempt to shake him loose. "Don't leave me," he croaks out in desperation, "Please, ___. Don't leave me…"Not like she did." Don’t think I’m not seeing what you’re doing here 👀👀

Chapter 9 :

I feel high-key stupid because that’s like the 6th time I read New rules but I just realized that there might be a parallel going on between Jk and OC’s story, it’s obvious with the hints that you’ve sprinkled that something bad happened with JK’s past girlfriend but it’s just now re-reading Oc’s backstory with Jin that I realize that JK might have been in the ‘fucking around to get back/over his ex’ stage of his breakup like OC in the summer Freshman year, which led to him having his fuckboy reputation despite not ‘really’ being one (i.e. him saying that he hates hookup culture when Oc talks about her story)

Also, empathetic, feminist and understanding men make me w*t. 

"Yes," he says, a smile tugging at his lips, "Yes, you did." I sEE YOU 

"I don't know what goes through that fantastical imagination of yours” This might be my favorite line ever

“But you don't move one inch. Because you know Jungkook better than that.” Aaaawwwwwwww

Chapter 10 :

This is some greek tragedy shit right here. Mijoo trying to push OC and Jk because she feels guilty about JImin (she way you write it makes it seem so believable but I can’t decide if it’s true or not because we are seeing Oc’s perspective here and she knows she actually crushed on Jimin while Mijoo doesn’t, which would be a huge factor in her pushing OC towards JK) and also because she is the only one with a brain? Oc refusing to believe it and opposing semi-logical semi-bullshit arguments to convince Mijoo and even more herself that this isn’t happening because she heard JK talking to Hyejin ? Jk saying that because he’s an insecure asshole (and also very probably because of his ex girlfriend wink wink) whilst acting like the most belated man, ever ? Na a TRAGEDY!!!!!

Also, the entire speech that Mijoo gives, everything she says ???? A punch to the GUTS! ! ! 

THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER THEY CONSTANTLY THINK THE WRONG THING I WANT TO TIE THEM TO A CHAIR AND FORCE THEM TO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING (in a oh god HOW are they going to fix this and finally come to an understanding of each other kind of way)

He finally breathes when she says his name I’m :(((((((((

“it wasn’t fun” Love how this simple line implies that Mijoo and Jimin have problems and arguments of their own and makes them feel like human beings who have a life outside of the story.

“Or was your image of him so perfect and unrealistic that you couldn't tolerate these humanizing details?" Ouch!

"You're only pushing Jungkook on me to ease your guilt for stealing Jimin away from me!" I don’t have the words to explain the way I felt when I first read this line except : oh fuck. Goosebumps. Literal goosebumps.

"I like him," you abruptly confess, your soft voice breaking through the tense silence the same way the brilliant meteors abruptly burst across the darkness of night. "I like him so much." Masterpiece 

“It's equally horrifying and an absolute relief to finally admit this deeply harbored secret after so long. After all these months of repression, it feels like a dam has burst with the way your emotions come tumbling out, threatening to choke you and sweep you underwater.” I said MASTERPIECE ! !

“Mijoo," you gasp, "What do I do?" Im crying. This isn’t a figure of speech. This isn’t an exaggeration. I’m crying. This entire scene is so powerful 

“You know your role. You're just the side character—the best friend or comic relief. You have no right to even dream about a life by Jungkook's side—much less to feel this amount of pain and jealousy seeing him with another girl” .... talk about being relatable 

“The loud electronic beat is pulsing through your veins with the same painful intensity of the tequila beating against the soft tissue of your brain. You feel like you’re being consumed by the powerful sensations… and yet, it's not enough to protect you from the helpless thoughts drifting across your mind, no matter how much you try to ward them back.” You really shine when it comes to making me cry 

"Can't you just let me be petty and sulk for once?" Baby :(

“How could you have misinterpreted the situation so horrifically?” Well we have this saying in French that goes : love makes you fucking blind 

“At this point of night, the moon has fully risen overhead, and its silvery rays cast down across the ocean, illuminating everything in white-gold. Awed, you can't help admiring the way the moonbeams kiss the top of Jungkook's black hair and the angles of his face, sheathing his figure like a cold halo.The waves continue to beat against the sandy beach like clockwork, and you  sway with them, as though lost in a rhythmic dance lulled by the force of the moon. Your thundering pulse acts as a metronome in this dance, pounding away at a dozen beats per each drag across the shore. You are cold. So cold that you've lost all feeling in your hands and legs. But for some reason, you don't feel the need to shiver anymore.” <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

“Could it have possibly been a defense mechanism? Was he just trying to protect himself in advance?” We are making PROGRESS

"Why is everything about sex with you?" HE SAID! AS IF HE WANS’T ABOUT TO DO WHAT HE IS AVOUT TO DO AND MAKE IT ABOUT SEX I HATE THIS MF

Chapter 11 :

My heart is non existent.The way Oc swallows her feelings to protect Yerin and stands up for her ❤️

I want to thank you for introducing a gay character in your story also Yoongi is one of the most interesting character in the story.

The way everything is slowly coming to a conclusion and every piece of the puzzle settles in the right place is so damn satisfying UGH

The scene where OC confronts Jk is so fucking satisfying, a masterpiece, 10/10, everything I wanted to hear come out of her mouth, my girl knows what’s up and won’t let this fucker get away with it.

"I've told you since day one that I'm not that kind of guy. God, can you even imagine me in a relationship?" he says with a derisive snort that feels like a punch to your stomach, "Did you honestly think that you could trap me into one with sex, ___? Or with a kiss? Come on. Get real." Your insecurities are showing asshole

"I hope you get over this soon, ___," he tells you in a sincere tone, "So we can get back to the way things were." Fight me in a parking lot salopard de merde

“Well, at least you've learned your lesson now.” I had to take a pause after this part 

"What if they were my parents?" he asks in a quiet voice, "My siblings? My community back home? The people I love most in this world? What would you have me do then?" As a closeted bisexual this one hit close to home

“But Yoongi turns to you with an incredulous look, "You can't be serious. Anyone with eyes could tell that Kook is completely whipped for you. Where is this coming from?” Yoongi is my man 

"You're a fucking coward." My thoughts exactly

Chapter 12 :

Getting through this chapter without crying is genuinely hard..All the girls standing up for themselves and not taking shit for the shitty men in their lives ???? YES PLEAse. And thank you for not only that but also including the girls that the story pushed us not to like that much up until now like Hyejin and Somin when really they were going through the same things as the holy trinity of best girls OC, Mijoo and Yerin. 

I have… mixed feelings and I feel like these feelings are exactly what OC has been feeling all along with the conflict between her beliefs and her heart. I wanted them to go through this and by being « willing » JK would have eventually just realized everything and stuff  because I love romance and shit. But I also want OC to get what she deserves, and it’s not that. I want them to have this happy ever after end but I feel like we won’t get that before long because as Hyejin pointed out, JK clearly needs to grow the fuck up.

"Oh, ___," she sighs your name.” Don’t mind me I’ll be crying over there 

“For a split second, you consider feigning ignorance. It would be so damn easy to laugh along with him and continue living this lie of being the cool, sporty tomboy who doesn't care about stupid "girly" things. After all, Hoseok isn't a bad guy. He's so handsome, popular, and kind. And he likes you. Someone actually likes you. Isn't that better than being alone? For a split second, you're tempted to grab his hand and flash him an award-winning smile. For a split second, you contemplate giving up all your morals and living a life of comfort with this lovely, charismatic man.” I love you so much for writing this

"Sexist?" he repeats in horror, "The fuck are you talking about?! I'm no sexist!" You’ve perfectly channeled the  and OC’s entire speech to him should be taught in school 

"We're just in different places right now," you inform him in a small voice, "It'll never work out, so please don't make this harder than it needs to be." I’m dying but also proud, producing

"I think I'll channel Somin and cut the toxicity out of my life." Attagirl 

To wrap up this overly long review, I want to say thank you to Tayegi for writing this piece and feeling generous enough to share it with us, reading this story and seeing the plot unravel, characters be introduced and developed was a true privilege. I rarely connect with the « reader » in reader fics and just say a random name in my head (or even 'your name ») but here, here… Never have I been so close to actually feeling like I’m the one in the fiction, not for the romance but for the way she is portrayed, for her ideas and how hard it is to stand by them sometimes, for her past and traumas. New rules is a masterpiece, and the fact that I connected to it on such a personal level, which, arguably could cloud my judgement, doesn’t make it any less.

[makeste]

BnHA Bonus Rant #4: Bakumom

Okay guys. This is my post about Bakugou Mitsuki. This is actually my third attempt at trying to write a post on this topic; I tried to do one back when I was getting ready to post the recap for chapter 96, but wasn’t able to coherently get across all of the thoughts I wanted to convey, so I ended up deleting it. Then in response to one of the comments on that recap, I ended up writing another post, and this time I managed to get out almost 1200 words on the subject! But during the editing process, I realized that it just wasn’t something I had the energy to discuss. The topic of “is this character abusive” is obviously a very sensitive one, and something that a lot of people have very strong feelings about, and I realized that my post wasn’t going to convince anyone one way or the other, and that it was more likely to lead to a discussion that I had absolutely no spoons for. Like, all my spoons went into the post itself, and that was it. So in the end I scrapped that too (and my apologies to @temperatezone, who made a very reasonable point very tactfully, which I basically ended up just ignoring because at the time I wasn’t ready to get into it).

Before we start -- regarding spoilers, I’ve done my best to keep this post spoiler-free so long as you are caught up with the anime (or have read up to the manga equivalent, which is around chapter 125 or thereabouts). There is, however, one manga spoiler in here from chapter 165 (which, if you’ve read the chapter, you’ll know why it was unavoidable, seeing as it pertains directly to the subject at hand). It is not in any way a plot spoiler; it’s basically a single line from one of the characters, and the details regarding where and when that line is said are irrelevant, so I’ve left that out. So if you are anime-only, it’s up to you whether you want to skip this post or not, but that will be the only spoiler in here.

So now that I’m on my third attempt, I’ve done a bit more thinking on how I want to approach this. Basically, I think the problem I kept running up against before is that as far as I can see, there are two ways to look at this. The first is by looking at the author’s intent. “Okay, the scene is clearly presented in the context of humor and is a classic example of the well-established Tough Love style of anime parenting (see also: Izumi from FMA, Reborn from KHR, Isshin from Bleach, etc.) and not meant to be taken in an overly deep way. The scene immediately afterward with her ruffling Katsuki’s hair and thanking Aizawa for his understanding and mentioning her worry and relief during and after the kidnapping and asking his teachers to help guide him is meant to serve as a contrast to the violence and shouting and insults to show that contrary to that initial impression, she loves and cares about him just like any other mother. The scene is meant as a lighthearted way of showing where Bakugou inherited his loud and angry temperament from, and kind of jokingly implying that he’s more or less just a clone of his mom.”

Whereas the other approach is to look at what the author is actually portraying. “It doesn’t matter if it was intended to be a joke or not; she is abusive. She smacks him repeatedly for basically no reason, and screams at him and insults him to this degree even when there are other people present. Perhaps more disturbingly, she implies that him being kidnapped was his own fault, because he was ‘weak.’ Later on we learn that he genuinely believes this and has internalized it, and blames himself not only for getting kidnapped, but for what it led to with All Might losing his powers as a consequence. Even further down the line, Bakugou makes a throwaway remark to the effect of ‘[violence is] how I was raised.’ This implies that it wasn’t just a one-time thing and that his mother is like this all the time, to the point where violence is basically the norm for him and he doesn’t even realize how fucked up it is.”

So those are basically the two perspectives here. And for me, I realized that the problem that I had was that both of these perspectives are valid. At least I think they are. If I were to try to argue the former -- which was my first instinct -- I would in all likelihood have to try and refute the latter. And honestly, I don’t think I would be able to do that, because that argument is a completely valid argument. Not to mention I don’t have much of a leg to stand on as far as trying to argue that Horikoshi’s intentions matter more than his end results, because if you’ve read any of my recaps, you know that this is basically the one and only time I’ve ever said that, lol. I’ve never particularly cared about his harmless intentions when it comes to Mineta, or overly sexualized teenage girls, or Ochako being comically poor, or any of the other topics I’ve occasionally bitched about. So it seems a bit hypocritical for me to suddenly start arguing that now.

So I won’t. Instead, I’m going to go ahead and acknowledge that it’s a valid interpretation. Regardless of what Horikoshi was going for, if you’re looking solely at the end result, then yeah. What he showed us can definitely be taken as abuse. I don’t think it’s an overreaction, and there is a lot to back it up.

That being acknowledged, what I’m going to talk about instead is why I have such a strong desire in this case to ignore the clumsy way the relationship is presented in canon, and to instead view the relationship the way I believe it’s intended to come across. Why do I so badly want for Bakugou to have a (more or less) healthy relationship with his parents? Why does the idea of him having a bad home life leave such a bad taste in my mouth?

And I think this is what it is: one of the key things that draws me to Bakugou’s character is that he doesn’t have A Tragic Past. There’s this tendency in shounen manga to give virtually every important character a sad backstory (looking at you in particular, Naruto and One Piece), with the level of tragedy gradually escalating as the series goes on, until you get to a point where the fandom is literally having debates over whose past is the most tragic. And this has kind of indirectly given rise to several beliefs that I often see articulated and/or implied in fandom:

That there must always be some observable external reason for a character’s personality and temperament, rather than that just being who they are.

That there is a direct correlation between the severity of a character’s past and the validity of that character’s actions. In other words, the person with the more tragic backstory has the moral upper hand in any dispute, simply because they’ve been through more bad shit.

That a character’s potential for redemption is directly tied to how sad their backstory is.

I see this all the time, and not just in shounen fandom for that matter. The basic idea seems to be that if bad things have happened to a character in the past, then it means any bad things they themselves have done are not their fault, and they should be forgiven and given a second chance. The thing is, I’ve always disliked this way of thinking, because to me it strays from what I think is the most crucial element of any redemption arc: taking responsibility. 

Redemption, to me, shouldn’t simply be about whether we feel sorry for the character, or whether they have suffered enough and been punished enough for whatever it is they did, or even whether or not they had a good reason for it. To me, it’s about one thing and one thing only: is the character trying to be better. Do they want to change? Are they making the same mistakes over and over, or are they actually learning and trying to grow? 

To me, redemption is an active process. It’s something the character has to seek out themselves. It’s not something that’s granted to them (key difference here between “redemption” and “forgiveness”), nor does it matter whether or not anyone else thinks they deserve it. For me, at least, it’s simply a matter of whether or not the character is willing to take responsibility for their mistakes, and whether they actually take action toward becoming better.

That being said, this is the main problem I have with the “Mitsuki is abusive” line of thinking: from what I have observed (and not always, mind you, but often enough), this headcanon tends to overlap with the idea that Bakugou’s violent behavior is not his fault, and that he’s only like that because of the way he was raised. In some cases I’ve seen it taken even further than that, with basically Bakugou’s entire backstory basically being rewritten to make him out as just a poor traumatized kid who would never have abused Izuku if it wasn’t for Mitsuki’s abuse, and so the blame actually falls on her and not him. And that, right there, is probably the biggest problem I have with this. That shifting of the blame. Making it so that Bakugou is absolved of responsibility for his own shitty actions, because it turns out that he was just a victim too. 

And actually, it’s even more than that: it’s also the implied suggestion that this is the only way he can be redeemed. That he only qualifies for redemption if he had a good reason for his actions. That we can only feel sorry for him if he’s not to blame for the mistakes that he made, and if it Wasn’t His Fault.

And damn it, but I just take so much issue with this. Because to me, ironically enough, this narrative robs Bakugou of the agency that I personally believe is key to him getting the redemption arc he actually deserves. Does that make sense? Basically, I want Bakugou’s mistakes to be acknowledged as his own mistakes. Because they are. I want him to be able to take ownership of them and to realize what he did wrong. I want him to learn from those mistakes and to grow as a person because of them. I don’t want it to be all “oh sweetie it’s okay, it’s not your fault.” I want it to be “oh fuck, I really screwed up, and I hate the way I feel now because of it, and I never want to feel this way again, so I’m going to do better.” 

Because that’s the only way that real change actually happens. When it comes from within, from the character’s own desire to change. I don’t want a “he was never really bad, just misunderstood” narrative; I want “he fucked up, but he is learning from it, and he is growing.” That’s what I want.

So that, I think, is why the whole thing bothers me so much, and why I just can’t get behind the idea. Again, I won’t deny that the evidence is there. I just choose to interpret it another way. And it is just that: a choice. It’s a conscious choice to read between the lines and to add my own headcanons where necessary and insert little justifications and explanations for things when needed. 

Because to me, Bakugou having grown up in a supportive -- if chaotic -- household is important. It’s important because it shows that even people who grew up in healthy environments with no obvious trauma can fuck up regardless. And those people are still worthy of redemption.

I hope that all makes sense. (Particularly since if it doesn’t, I've just gone and pissed a whole bunch of people off, probably.) Anyways. So with all that being said, I’ll wrap this up with a list of my own personal headcanons about Mitsuki’s and Katsuki’s relationship.

First and foremost, if any of you have ever seen Malcolm in the Middle, I can very easily sum this all up by just saying that Mitsuki = Lois and Katsuki = Malcolm, Francis, and Reese all rolled up into one. That’s it. That’s the dynamic, right there.

But if you haven’t seen MitM, basically what I’m saying is that Katsuki is a precocious little brat who’s headstrong and rebellious and extremely independent and prone to only learning things the hard way, and Mitsuki is the stern and stubborn mom who is still caring and loving but also overbearing and aggressive. The two of them are always butting heads because they’re both extremely prideful and view themselves as always being right, and because Mitsuki’s overbearing tendencies clash directly with Katsuki’s independent streak.

Mitsuki actually is right more often than she’s not, which only fuels her own stubbornness as well at Katsuki’s teenage resentment towards her. She spent a lot of time when he was younger just trying to keep him from setting the house (and himself) on fire, and because he hardly ever listens, the two of them end up getting into a lot of screaming matches with each other, and nowadays that’s just kind of their dynamic and they’re just used to it.

She doesn’t actually think he’s weak, and she only said that because she knows that’s one of the few insults that rankles him enough to actually make him listen, and she was trying to get him to hush up and be respectful to his teachers, who were guests in their home and also his teachers, one of whom just saved his life and the other of whom defended his honor in a nationally broadcast press conference. And also this was part of the whole Japanese culture of being overly humble, and since she knew he was never gonna do it, she was kind of doing it for him. You know, like “thank you so much for saving me, I apologize for inconveniencing you.” Even though it wasn’t actually his fault.

He didn’t internalize the guilt about All Might because of what she said. I honestly think he barely even processed what she said because they’re always just yelling bullshit insults at each other that don’t actually really mean anything. He’s always been terrified of being weak precisely because he never has been. It’s the unknown. He wouldn’t know what to do if he wasn’t strong. It’s a fear he’s always had, and one that had been secretly growing stronger since he first started at U.A. What happened to All Might simply exacerbated that fear. It was already there, and he’d just kept it hidden for a very long time. His mom didn’t put the idea into his head, and never would have said it if she had even the slightest inkling that her cocky, arrogant, loudmouthed, forceful son was secretly harboring insecurities about that very thing.

Any violence in their household is the comedic shounen type of violence where no one is actually hurt in any way. But mostly it’s just loud.

They are so used to this being Just The Way Things Are that ironically, Katsuki would have been much more unsettled if, after he returned home following the kidnapping, his mom had been tender and affectionate. Mitsuki, being a smart mom, picked up on this, so in an effort to make him less uncomfortable, she took deliberate care to behave The Same As Always around him so that he could feel more normal. In fact she was actually still very freaked out herself for days afterward, much more so than she let on (because she’s just as bad at showing vulnerability as he is).

It actually helped. He will never ever acknowledge this out loud, but he realized what she was doing, and he’s grateful.

And I could go on and on, but I think this more or less summarizes how I view the two of them. They basically have their own language by this point, where phrases like “fuck you too” mean “I love you”, and so forth. She loves him to death and worries about him constantly and is so, so proud of him. He loves her too and she doesn’t piss him off nearly as much as he pretends, and he would be devastated beyond words if anything were to ever happen to her. He actually thinks she’s the strongest person he knows, maybe even tougher than All Might, and he would never, ever say this out loud.

Sooo... yeah. I’m trying to think of a good way to end this post now, but I can’t think of anything lol. I think I’ve said everything I wanted to. Tl;dr, I’ve made a conscious decision to view Mitsuki as a highly combative but loving parent to her troublesome tsundere son because I want Katsuki to man up and take responsibility for his own shit, because I love him. The end.

[naruhearts]

OKAY SO I've just spent the best part of an hour scrolling through your blog and reading a bunch of your destiel meta and I HAD to message you... I was one of the many people who STRONGLY believed destiel had a chance of being canon after season 8 (more like season gr8 am i right), but throughout the years I slowly lost all hope. However, S14 has made me 110% invested in the show again and YOUR META IS GIVING ME HOPE FOR DESTIEL, which is TERRIFYING. Your writing is wonderful and I'm STRESSED.

Got back from Washington late last night!

Oh my gosh @alovelikecas, your message really made my day and I’m SO glad you enjoy my meta xox (even when most of my meta looks like, to me, sloppy-ass writing, haha! I’ll probably make an end-season meta post after 14x20 — if I have the time — that touches upon SPN’s current and repeating themes since Season New Beginnings S12/Dabb Era, not to mention I have, like, some more unfinished meta in my drafts >.>)

Yeah I mean, I didn’t join Destiel land until Summer 2016, and before that, I was late to the Season 11 party, so I basically had no narrative context for anything, and I’ll copy-paste what I said here: 

Looking back, one significant thing I recall? S11 gave me a sense of Destiel’s true narrative validity (as not a ‘fanon’ ship but organically developed in the canon) when I perceived it as a season that was ‘missing something’. Keep in mind I had no idea about Destiel yet while watching S11 at the time.

I was literally asking myself — repeatedly — why Dean/Amara seemed to contain odd narrative holes, considering A. Dean explicitly said that the non-consensual attraction he felt for Amara was NOT love and “it scares him”, B. Amara told Dean that ‘something stops you - keeps you from having it all’, C. Djinn!Amara stated that she can: ‘feel the love [Dean] feels, except it’s cloaked in shame,’ and D. Mildred’s iconic ‘You’re pining for someone’ —> which did not logically correlate with A and C, meaning: since Dean doesn’t freely love Amara and thus isn’t possibly pining for her — with female love interests as currently non-existent (I remember crossing off the dead/gone girls on a piece of paper lol) — who the hell was he pining for, then?

Originally posted by elizabethrobertajones

Obviously, without writing long-ass paragraphs of meta about it again in this post, S11 made sense as soon as I watched it within the Destiel context (especially after I read up on some grandiose pieces of Destiel meta (@charlie-minion was the very first person who inspired me to write meta; I followed her once I joined the fandom <3)). CAS was the missing piece. Free/Chosen Love vs Coerced/Forced Love. I pretty much choked. I was like Oh my god, here we go, holy crap this subtext – I’m invested in this godforsaken ship because they’re in love with each other and I’m not getting off any time soon. The rest is history.

I’m aware that I do come off as positive (and I’m still Destiel-positive; whatever happens in 14x20 this week may or may not change that), but I hope you don’t mind if I use your lovely ask as an additional opportunity to clarify my meta standpoint: no one’s saying Destiel WILL become text. 

The general Destiel meta community (all subfactions: Destiel-positive, -negative, -neutral, and in-between) is not the Most Holy Canon Word, and we aren’t SPN writers, and again, we can’t actually speak to the veracity of Destiel as guaranteed-gonna-go-textual, but we — a diverse pool of critical thinkers from all walks of life: particularly those who have some degree of experience in literary academia/English literature studies (fun fact: I was actually pursuing a Minor’s in English until I changed my mind - my first love’s Health Science/Biology, which I stuck with, but here I am doing lit-crit analysis on the side *wink*) — can speak to the veracity of Destiel as a real, palpable, and ever-substantial long-running romance narrative aka the love story between Dean and Cas IS THERE. I see it. We all see it. We didn’t pluck it out of the random ether one day. It naturally evolved across the show’s overarching narrative like some vast spiderweb, linked together by numerous character arc amalgamations of Dean Winchester and Castiel as separate individuals who were then brought together — who brought themselves together, by the sheer force of free will and choice — and are now inherent parts of the other’s story (and respective character progression).

I say this too many times to count: the entire point of writing meta? Personally, it enables me to appreciate the literary gorgeousness of Dean and Cas’ relationship as, first and foremost, a tentative alliance offset by the very moment Cas raised Dean from perdition (it’s a poetic beginning). Their alliance then inevitably proliferated into a rocky — at times, necessarily turbulent — friendship, then a deep profound bond…one that crossed platonic boundaries since S7/8 and is, ultimately, indelibly rooted in romance. Together, Dean and Cas build up each other’s strengths, complement each other’s flaws, and narratively motivate the other to self-introspect — to become the best version of themselves that they were always meant to be: self-actualized entities who let go of their painful, horrifying, psychologically/emotionally destitute pasts.

These above reasons and more are why I think Destiel belongs right up there on the shelf of Ye Olde Classics, similar to epics by John Milton, Shakespearian tragic dramas, Homeric characteristic cruxes, and the great Odyssey journey: a legendary journey, fraught with circumstance, that finally ended with Odysseus (now an enlightened man) returning to Penelope, the love of his life.

Channeling the scope of Homer’s Odyssey, Destiel is an incredible storytelling feat of obstacles, both internal and external, romance tropes, mirroring, foreshadowing, and visual cadence/emotion, enhancing SPN’s already character-driven main plot in that Dean and Cas try to make it back to one another; like Penelope, their love holds true despite everything. If Destiel were an M/F couple, we all know their love story would be absolutely undeniable to the GA.

I do understand the bitterness S14’s fostered in some viewers, though. I do understand that Dean and Cas seem distant (and yeah, it’s a noticeable difference compared to S12/S13), but I believe the Destiel subtext is still heavy and holds steady.

Right now, at this point, there remains multiple personal issues for the characters to solve, you know? Dean and Cas aren’t talking properly; their love languages stay mistranslated, although we’re persistently shown that they still understand each other on a certain level that no one else can, and the visual narrative keeps framing them as on-the-nose solid counterparts: a domestic-spousal romantic unit independent of Sam.

Originally posted by incatastrophicmind

They want to be there for the other. They need to quash the final remnants of their respective internal loathing (Dean’s self-worthiness, Cas’ self-expendability) before they’re able to give the other 100% of their time, efforts, attention, and love (as flawed and complicated but compellingly beautiful as it can possibly be). During the times Dean and Cas do try to talk shit out, extraneous issues continue to get between them.

As other friends/meta pals discussed with me, S14 is like S10 in that it’s confusing the cast/audiences. And exactly: S8, besides S11/S12/early S13, also belongs in the close-to-canon serious Destiel narrative transition! I can discuss the showrunning/writer problem of SBL (Singer + Bucklemming; @occamshipper hits the nail on the head) that tugs subtext – especially subtext linked to Destiel – back and forth, sometimes in the weirdest nonsensical ways, but I won’t go too far into it here. I agree, however, with the recent idea that Jensen does seem a bit confused as to where he should bring Dean emotionally this season (don’t get me wrong, I do NOT believe Dean is OOC; OOC is a completely different concept vs expected character behaviour). And if Dean’s consistently romance-coded past interactions with Cas are any indication, Jensen would also — in the same vein as all of us — want Dean and Cas to start getting their shit together. Long-running fictional characters like Dean and Cas, conceived over 10 years, are so well-written to the point where you, the author, can predict what they’ll do even if you just plop both of them inside a room and give them no direction, and I personally feel that nowadays Jensen is prevented from achieving Dean’s further internal growth/unsure how to act in the moment because of some dumb SBL scripts saying one thing while his character’s heart says another. Wank aside—

Season 15 should hopefully convey a much more logical subtextual perspective e.g. unbelievably amazingly cohesive Season Destiel 11 that aired after choppy S10. Not all hope is lost!! I also want to clarify that I personally LOVED Season 14 in general. It’s been mostly Emotion-centric constant, with Yockey, Berens, Perez, and Dabb usually making my top-rank SPN writer list.

Currently the narrative’s still allowing pretty significant (imho) wiggle room for the lovers to fracture apart and get back together, where their miscommunication comes to a dramatic head. We just saw Dean and Cas argue over Jack’s well-being in 14x18 and 19. Dean — besides putting Cas at the top of his You’re-Dead-to-Me-Because-You-Lied-but-I-Still-Love-You-Goddammit hitlist (for clear spousal-coded reasons) and taking Cas’ actions to heart (he’s the person he trusted the most who lied to him) — no doubt blamed himself for what happened, and Sam was, like I said, the mouthpiece of truth. TFW were all culpable. They all failed Jack in some way, shape, or form.

I’m not expecting anything for 14x20, but I’m nervous either way! Thanks for sticking with my long answer <3