#saying 'no race mixing' be fucking for real. its a fucking critique

[robotpussy]

anyways there really is too much interracial couples with white ppl propaganda going on rn cause I've been seeing white ppl left and right for MONTHS claim any black person either critiquing the abundance of this existing in media rn because it is not only a marketing ploy in some cases, they have to include white people because of the thing white people do where they force themselves to see themselves in anything they watch (which explains why they turn away from things that don't have a white lead because "they cant relate", or they have to change a character that isn't white to be more appealing to them in fandom)

but it is also done so white people can feel better about themselves by making themselves believe they are not complacent in white supremacy because they have a black partner or simply because ppl don't want to ship a black character with a white one (this month its been about spiderverse obvs) because they simply don't want to or because in the comics a certain character has a black partner are just a bad as racists like WOAH who gave you the authority to speak on shit like this?

[xxextrie]

Can we just agree Alastor is one of vivsie's worst characters?

Disclaimer this post was meant to share points about the demonizing a real religion I have heard been said by people of color especially people in those religions who have been overlooked and diminished due to vivsie stans who are mad at the critiques.

So for one he does voodoo in the show which I wouldn’t trust Viv or any of the others to do, but a lot ended up very demonizing, Vivziepop made one character who does voodoo (which is a closed religious practice and Black/Creole/Haitian culture that is constantly demonized in media, like actually fucking stop). and is a demon and that’s all she thought was necessary for the representation, she could’ve had Sera/Emily practice voodoo as they are black women with powerful magic maybe characters who aren’t completely shown as demonic? Vivziepop tried to control the backlash from her using a practice she is not a part of by stating the alastor was mixed. (showing how little she cant draw non-white characters if she can just race swap them at the flip of a switch) Alastor most recently was said to be white/Creole.

But this also just was incredibly weird seeing as he is now a mixed man giving a black man/feline character a contract that allowed Alastor to "own" him with tons of imagery of Alastor pulling him around on chains. Which feels strange for him to be a supposedly “likeable character” (and by that I mean in fandom not necessarily in world) I feel like im crazy to have to say no matter your race you shouldn’t “own” somebody. And I don’t think a slaver should been shown in this fan favorite type character ignoring the important part to have character who does bad be shown as doing bad.

Not only is Alastor a shitty character people will defend the writers saying "it’s hell" like really? yea there are awful people in hell but he is shown constantly in a fun quirky way leading him to be a fan favorite so if they were meaning to show how bad of a person alastor is they are doing a shit job.

Along with all of this Al is Vivsiepops only Ace character wtf is that supposed to say about how ace people are portrayed in the show? as Slavers? Rasicts? Heartless? This is her idea of acespec people, the only ace repersentation in her show and this is what she hands us?

Not only that but she refuses to confirm Alastor's romantism to "let people have their fun" aka she doesn't care about aro representation because it might ruin peoples ship. Our romanticism and sexuality shouldn't be something to shove to the side anytime a fan is horny. Imagine if someone shipped Stolas with a girl? do you think she's say that its all fun? No because she doesn't care about ace people or poc people all she cares about in her non-con demon porn.

there is my rant Alastor is Shit Ace representation SHIT voodou representation

Also Mammon and Octavia haven’t done anything in the actual show to achieve ace rep. Also mammon? Really?

[meggannn]

Can you give a review of disco Elysium? Your reblogging of that content makes me mad curious about the game to where I'm debating to get it for the switch

Yes! This is going to be part review and part gushing, because obviously you probably know by now that I love it, but I will try to be honest and say where I think it does work and doesn't.

Long story short, I think it's one of the best games I've ever and probably will ever play, but it's not for everyone. It has dark topics, it can be very dense, and is more like reading a fucked-up detective novel than playing a game at times (though ironically, you can read an actual detective novel in the game, while playing as a detective). Just to give you an idea, the main character also literally hears voices in his head in the form of his "skills" that you can invest points into; this is played with as a springboard into the topic of mental illness and his deteriorating state of mind, but also an insight to how this world works. (It's implied that other characters have skills and stats of their own, but they just don't "hear" theirs speak like you do as the player.)

Note, I hear mixed reviews for the Switch port (I've heard it crashes, has long load times, and it can be hard to read all the text on small screens) but there is a physical cartridge coming out on March 15 so maybe they'll fix some of the bigger problems by then.

Spoiler-free review and breakdown of the game's major mechanics and themes below the cut. Cut because it's long; I tried to divide it based on what reviewers might normally write about.

Gameplay: Disco Elysium is an isometric RPG with a limited map with its core gameplay mechanics being dialogue interactions, choices, and table-top style dice rolls for more difficult actions. There is no active combat. Things like "prying open a dumpster to look for evidence" and "come up with a motive for why someone would do this" are actions you'd have to roll for, and equipping different outfits, and leveling up related skills (physical instrument, empathy, logic) can make these checks easier. Since the dialogue is such a core feature, the writing can get very dense, and DE tackles some very complex topics, including everything from the politics, economics, and races of this universe, to the brands of chewing gum and popular karaoke songs. Think of it like part detective story, part RPG, part mind-twister.

Gameplay 2: Rolling to pass checks: Passing checks isn't automatically a good thing and failing them isn't automatically bad; you should think carefully if you want to make some rolls, even if it's tempting when you see you have a high chance of passing. Some of the checks are fun (sing karaoke), some are serious (talk down someone with a gun), some are morally gray (steal drugs from another addict just to take them yourself), and some of them are downright terrible (punch a child). Also, if you fail one, there are almost always ways to get around it or solve the quest a different way; I appreciated that a lot cause it forced me to solve quests in other ways I wouldn't normally.

Content warnings: A lot. Substance abuse is rampant and the player can participate in it (mild spoiler: your character is an alcoholic and drug addict, you can choose whether or not to partake), descriptions of dead/decomposing bodies, police brutality, descriptions of rape and sexual violence, racism, sexism, child abuse, children using substances, real life and in-world slurs, mental illness and depression, suicide mentions and possible depictions (it is possible for your character to kill himself, though it results in a game over, and it IS something the player has to select with full authority), and overall viscous critique of various political ideologies. I'm being deliberately vague in this post to avoid spoiling but if you want any details about certain things, let me know (like how far the potential suicide scene goes, or how sexual violence appears).

Story: You wake in a trashed hotel room with no memory of who you are or how you got there. There is a body hanging from a tree in the backyard of the hotel, as it has been for seven days; you discover that you are a detective who drunk himself into such a stupor that you literally forgot his past, and it is your job to solve the murder. To help you, a detective from another precinct arrives, and together you have to investigate clues, interview around the neighborhood, and navigate the complexities of a local union and their company as the case becomes more intertwined with an ongoing worker strike.

The World: The story takes place in the fictional world of Elysium; more specifically, in a slum area called Martinaise in the city of Revachol. Revachol is a bit of a mess. From the developers' blog: There is no city in the world with more contrasts than Revachol. The broken, magnificent, disgraced former capital of the world. A great sky on fire, reflecting off broken glass. Revachol the Suzerain, Revachol the Commune, Revachol the Administrative Region where all forms of government have failed. Revachol the Resolver, the answer to the great burning questions of history. How should we live? Will the horror ever end?

Revachol is just one small part of Elysium, but this corner of the world has a mix of European influences that are difficult to quantify: playing in English, at a glance I recognized French, Spanish, Dutch, and I think Polish scattered throughout. Seol, a faraway continent, is implied to be based off of Korea or Japan.

Characters: Phenomenal across the board. I love how NPCs will actually react to your weirder video game–typical behavior (like hogging everything you pick up and clearing out conversation topics like it's a checklist), and it will affect future interactions with them. A standout character and fan favorite is Kim Kitsuragi, the lieutenant from Precinct 57, who serves as the "straight man" in most situations where you run around asking NPCs basic questions like "what is money" and "who am I again?" It's hard to nail the balance of a character who's a little dry and stiff, but is also a serviceable deuteragonist while also being likable; I don't think I've seen another character that has affected players' behavior to the point where people are willing to change their play styles altogether just to avoid displeasing or disappointing him. Aside from Kim, you really get the sense that everyone is a fully-fledged human with a life to live outside of the map you see; some of them already have lived their lives and you're seeing what the world has made of them.

Voice acting: So so good. Some of the voices were odd choices, and I won't deny certain ones didn't do it for me, but for the most part, I think they're consistently excellent. It might be a case where mediocre performances just stand out negatively when compared to the rest of other brilliant talent.

The writing: This game has some of the best writing I've ever seen. Hands down. It may not always be accessible, is the thing; there's a lot of dense world-building, political negotiating, and even a bit of telling and not showing, but mechanically, effectively, and emotionally, easily the best-written game I've ever played. I mentioned that it tackles a lot of dark topics, but I would do it a disservice to not mention how genuinely funny it is. A lot of it is dark humor, but a lot of other scenes are just genuinely hysterical.

Skills: Imagine 24 people gathered around a table and divided up your brain’s functions. That's what your skills are like: people with jobs to do, and they all have opinions on how you should do yours. You can invest in these skills to help you solve the case and interact with the world. The fact that all of these skills are fully voiced means they all become their own characters—24 often sarcastic voices inside the main character's head helping you try to solve the case. Some are more informative, designed to vibe you information, but others have opinions. They are all unique, tailored to their own interests, and all want different things. They're divided into four categories:

Intellect: has Logic, Encyclopedia (offering you information on the world's lore, or at least what that your brain remembers as an amnesiac), Rhetoric (controls your own speech for maximum effectiveness and also understanding what other people are saying behind their words), Drama (can lie and detect lies), Conceptualization (your creativity skill, or the ability to find motives initially beyond your understanding), and Visual Calculus (for reconstructing crime scenes)

Physique: has Endurance, Pain Threshold, Physical Instrument, Electrochemistry (mostly known as the drug skill that wants you to indulge early and often, it can also detect when others are high or drunk or if there are drugs around; it's sort of your instant gratification skill, so it's your id in a way), Shivers (the ability to hear—and feel—the city around you, to the point where it literally gives you "shivers"), Half-Light (your fight-or-flight instinct)

Psyche: has Volition (your willpower and mental health stat—the ability to mentally make it through), Inland Empire (gut feelings), Empathy, Authority (the stat that wants you to push your weight around, and also senses when someone's trying to do it to you), Esprit de Corps (understanding—and sometimes seeing—other police throughout the city), Suggestion (for charming and manipulation)

Motorics: has Hand-Eye Coordination, Perception, Reaction Speed, Savoir Faire (coolness stat), Interfacing (help for dealing with machines and tools), Composure (helpful for interviewing witnesses)

There are two health bars: your physical health bar (represented by how many points you have in Endurance) and your morale health (represented by Volition). If either of these hit zero, you die. You can take drugs to increase these bars, however, a drug might boost your stats temporarily but lower your health; drinking will boost your health but lower your morale; and of course, if you're trying to play as a recovering addict, then you might want to avoid substances entirely.

Each of these skills has their own time and place, of course, but since they all have voices and wants of their own, you have to decide when to listen to one and not another. Rhetoric will read between the lines and tell you what a suspect is really saying; Drama will assume they're lying; Authority will want you to interrogate her forcefully; Empathy will want you to, well, show empathy; Suggestion will want you to subtly play her against her allies; and Inland Empire will want you to back out of this conversation now because she's starting to remind you of your ex.

An interesting feature is that too many points in one skill can start to make them unreliable. Electrochemistry is great for understanding when someone is high and what they're high on, but too much into that skill and it'll tell you licking up that whiskey from a puddle on the counter is a great idea. Even so-called "good" stats, like Volition, have their downsides at high levels: Volition cares about your mental health and willpower and will focus on getting you through the tasks at had sometimes at the cost of others.

My personal favorite is when you get the chance to talk to the skills, or even when the skills talk to each other.

Mechanics: DE does assume you know the basics of how games work. There is a tutorial page and tips that crop up regularly, but it doesn't always hold your hand and sometimes you have to figure out how to do things on your own. The map is beautiful, but it is also sometimes confusing to navigate what is walkable and what isn't. Fortunately, there is a way to highlight all interactable objects and people, so you can quickly see where the rough edges of the map exist within your vision. So overall, there are some things that work fine and other things that are just awkward. Mostly, I recommend saving often just in case you run into an unfortunate bug or something.

Is this game good for beginners? Yes and no. There are no quick-time reactions, so it doesn't require you to think or react fast; in fact, the game moves very slowly, so you can take your time to decide every move. That said, it does assume you know the staples of any game and are familiar with role-playing: an inventory system, a quest log, a map, etc. I also recommend saving frequently; it doesn't autosave that often, and given how often it is possible to accidentally mess up or even die from low morale by way of a heart attack. I do generally recommend against save scumming (when you reload a save and re-roll dice to get another result, e.g. to try to pass a check you failed), but some people want to get the most out of one playthrough and aren't interested in playing a game twice, so I won't judge.

Politics: The game is very political and the politics are unavoidable. There are four factions in this universe: fascism (nationalism), communism, ultraliberalism (although I think this is based off the European version of liberalism, which basically capitalism), and moralism (centrism; basically what the game assigns you by default if you keep saying "none of the above" to any political topic).

Also, and this might sound a bit gatekeepery, but... I think the game assumes you can analyze what you're reading and playing and won't take everything at face value. It trusts you will understand that just because a corporate negotiator is nice to you, and has sympathetic moments, doesn't mean she's on your side or even that the game is agreeing with her. Just because a union leader is mean and corrupt doesn't mean the writers are against unions. Etc. You'll have to judge who to trust on your own.

And the elephant in the room: The game is about the police. You play as a policeman, and the characters will react to you as you'd expect many people in a poor ghetto would react to a cop. You can be polite and considerate, or you can also be a raging, abusive cop pushing around his authority. Mild spoilers: As you find out more about who you were, you also get the sense that pre-amnesia, you were not always (if ever) a... uh, great person while in uniform.

Real world relevance: The creators grew up in Estonia during Soviet occupation, so it's not hard to see how they were influenced. You can speculate on what they were trying to say with the game, but personally it seems to me to be a story made by leftists who are very, very tired of not only right-wing and center but also left-wing politics, and want to represent life and living after revolutions and politics fail the people. The story of Revachol is a story of a place where communist revolutionaries tried to make "something new" happen, but were ultimately taken over by foreign powers that forced capitalism upon the region, and now people have to figure out how to move on when they have no government of their own but they are a "Zone of Control" under a centrist, slow-moving foreign power.

--

So I think that's all I've got without getting into spoilers. This game made me laugh and think and turned my brain inside out. That said, it is definitely a commitment, but it's easily my new favorite indie game of all time; probably in my top three games ever. It's a shame that the Hugo Awards only started giving awards to games in 2021 (going to the well-deserved Hades), because if they had started just one year earlier, I think this would've won in 2020.

[masterthespianduchovny]

Although there is critique to be made about Anthony, fans need to take accountability and responsibility for how they engage with media. As absurd as that sounds, I need people to actually listen.

I just read a tweet that said, "How rude of the actor. I clung to ships when I was in the closet Bc I craved representation. so glad Mark gets it, he a truly good ally."

This is what I meant yesterday when I said fans will dehumanize actors (to further their own goals).

"How rude?"

What is rude about Mackie wanting better m/m platonic relationships represented on screen? What? Because a person is no longer able to vicariously live through the character they're representing or who a fan paired them with?

It's the entitlement for me.

And that may sound wrong to say about the LBGTQ community, but there are levels to this shit when you add race to it, especially when they add in Mark Hamill. Mark was just portraying a character--one he cared about, but he wasn't trying to help influence the perception and dynamics of a group.

As a lead, Anthony wants to allow black men to have platonic relationships with other male characters without it being sexualized or romanticized because, let's be honest, most male friendships on screen (and many in real life) are toxic. If this person can get validation from fictional characters being gay, doesn't that say a black kid or black man can get validation from seeing a fictional black man be vulnerable and have close relationships with other male characters without it being sexual?

It's not like these fans cared about Sam until it was time to pair Bucky with a new man and now it's the responsibility of these actors to reinforce these fans' head canons???

Like, I completely fucking get where people are coming from at times with these criticisms, however, fandom and actors/crew were NEVER supposed to mix like this. I don't know if it's because of the increasing popularity of cons or the accessibility of people apart of the given show or movie, but the idea that actors and crew can't speak their mind thus them being "rude" for clarification and explaining the narrative is bonkers.

Head canons are GREAT! But when you're seeking validation from some form of media for representation that they've never indicated they're setting up, you've set yourself up for failure. How is anyone disappointed that Mackie said, "These are two men who are close, but it's not romantic--it's platonic."

Back then, fans fully embraced the fact that our shit wasn't canon and we were fine with that. Like, yeah, there is a lot of nuances and shit. I get that, but this entitlement in trying to dictate the narrative and color everything as queer baiting is wild as fuck and diminishes actual queer baiting.

I literally spoke to someone who said queer baiting is whatever a queer person thinks it is and that is wrong. This take completely muddles the meaning of queer baiting and, consequently, decontexualizes everything to give power to fan meaning. As a result, this is why some fans are upset when they faves they've coded as a gay man ends up with a woman. They've spent so much time ignoring canon and living in their own reality that when the show actually addresses romance, it feels homophobic to them.

Queer baiting is intentional for the most part. And if someone is always going with their meaning of something, they're going to think someone is "rude" and see anything in contradiction to their beliefs as homophobia.

There is this huge dishonesty about what goes on in the community and acting as if fans are always on their best behavior. Regardless if its m/m, m/f, or f/f fans can and have harassed actors about their ships. Fans have behaved poorly. Fans aren't telling these actors about these ships in a wink wink sort of way or just sharing something, they're constantly seeking out validation and, in return, are trying to influence the narrative. And when that doesn't happen, "WE WERE QUEER BAITED!!!"

These actors, writers, and show runners are being put in an impossible position. If they don't validate a fan's feelings, "they're rude and homophobic." Then if they keep with their narrative that doesn't support the fan interpretation, "They're rude and homophobic." If the validate the fans feelings and stay on course, its queer baiting. "But they said they shipped x and y!!!"

That twitter user projected their personal struggle onto Mackie and made him responsible for their feelings. In the process, she completely disregarded his personhood as a black person. And that's the shit I'm talking about.

If people truly understood that how you interact with media in a non canon way is your personal relationship that no one can interfere on, most wouldn't be upset by Mackie's words. Because shit that happens in fandom has shit all to do with canon most of the time.

One last point, for those who keep claiming that this was just an innocent little fandom thing that Mackie shat on, shall I remind y'all of Endgame???

People convinced themselves that Steve and Bucky were going to end up via a subtle nod and were mad as fuck when Steve ended up with Peggy. There was literally nothing to support this idea except head canons and actors going the Mark Hamill route of supporting fan feelings. After Endgame, their was fucking articles and pissed off fans because they were "queer baited", despite literally nothing in the narrative supporting this.

People can talk about tropes for days, yet a prime example of the MCU doing whatever the fuck they want is Steve and Natasha. You can lay out all the tropes you want, but they didn't go down that route. After having them kiss, change in front of each other, run away together several times, imply Steve had a hard on due to Natasha, etc THEY NEVER TOUCHED ON THEM ACTUALLY BEING TOGETHER. In literally the next movie after winter soldier, Natasha gets involved with Bruce.

They're always presented as good friends who genuinely care about each other.

It's fine if people ship Sam and Bucky. It's fine to want the MCU to actually explore their dynamic. What is not fine is to disregard and ignore canon to peddle your fantasies, and then claim you were baited because you didn't like the outcome.

The fandom at large can be so fucking dishonest and that shit is so appalling.

[veryberrybrenda]

Just One More Bet

Pairing: Adam Du Mortain x Lucia Langford

Prompt: Guilt

Notes: I goggled the French curse words because I don’t speak French, so idk if they are 100% correct. I’m sorry in advance. This is Day 5 of Wayhaven Week 2020 by @otomefandomevents 

Respect was something that came easy to Lucia. Her work ethic in the office was what granted her the promotion to Detective after all. What people respected most about her was her ability to do what was needed. Whether it be staying late to finish paperwork or helping out Verda with his work, she was always the one who did what most people didn’t want to do. It was something she took pride in, that was the case until recently.

Adam made her question everything. He made her own body betray her. Pulse racing, cheeks flushed, voice stuttering. She was used to being the one with the cards in her hands, but the world decided her winning streak should come to an end.

But right now, she was in control. Perspiration made her bare feet slick against the blue mat. Her breathing was ragged as she kicked the punching bag. It stood its ground, barely swaying against her valley of kicks and punches, mocking her.

She had been getting better, thankfully, not a small part due to Adam. He had been sacrificing his brooding time to train her – make her stronger against those who wanted to hurt her.

Lucia hated the feeling of being helpless, having to rely on others. Being a burden doesn’t sit well with her independent nature. That was why she chose combat with Adam over research with Nate. Although she was better suited to learning about the weaknesses of supernaturals, with her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and all, knowledge itself, won’t stop a creature from snapping her arm off like it was some crispy taco.

Creak.

The sound of the door opening interrupted her assault on the punching bag as she turned to face the person responsible for the noise. Before even taking a glance, she already had a guess to who it could be.

Who else would train at 10 o'clock at night.

Standing at the doorway was a man with an approved expression, posture as stiff as always. “Your form is getting better,” Adam said, voice echoing in the large room.

“That’s progress,” Lucia panted, breathing rough from exertion.

Adam walked, his usual brisk strides, over to Lucia. His hand clasped behind his back as he eyed Lucia as though he were critiquing a piece of art. “Have your legs spread a bit wider when you punch. It will help you keep your balance better.”

A devilish grin formed on Lucia’s lips. This is too good. The man is setting himself up.

“Spread my legs. Got it,” she replied with a smirk, eyes searching for the slightest crack in his once impenetrable walls.

The flirtation only made Adam narrow his eyes, jaw clenched. “This is not some game, Detective. Your life is at stake.”

“I make fun where fun is needed. I heard it makes it easier to remember stuff,” Lucia quipped confidently as she awaited the leader’s comeback.

“Your life is no joke. It is precious to me- I mean us.” Adam’s eyes widen at his slip up, but he hastily plastered back on his stoic mask. “Besides, Agent Langford would be highly disappointed in me if something happened to you.”

His almost confession had Lucia blinking for a few seconds. Maybe there is hope after all. She just had to do what was necessary to get it out of him.

Taking a step closer, she fully gazed into his emerald eyes, searching for some sign of the real unguarded soul behind it. “Would you be disappointed if something were to happen to me?”

She saw it. The slightest twitch of his lips as he concentrated on maintaining his mask. “Yes, of course. It would be quite an annoyance to have one less team member to utilize during missions.” Although his expression was unreadable, his voice wasn’t. There was a slight pitch to it that betrayed him.

I hooked him. Now it’s time to see if the world will deal me a good hand.

This was turning into a gamble as she took another step, his eyes trailing her every move, but thankfully he wasn’t fleeing…yet. Rolling the dice yet again, she reached out to grab his hand, his fingers limp against hers. She could sense the smallest tensing of his fingers like he’s fighting himself not to hold her hand.

Lucia still gets surprised each time she feels the delicate skin of his palm. Where she expected them to be hard, rough, and calloused from his centuries of work, they were soft, smooth, and lacking any imperfection. He would make an amazing hand model.

His mouth opened then promptly closed shut with unsaid words. Adam’s pupils were blown, turning his eyes dark as the green disappeared. A battle is raging inside of those eyes. The man who wants to be set free vs. the vampire who has survived centuries of loneliness and pain. Lucia can only hope her bet on the former wins.

There is no better time than now to confront him. I just hope he doesn’t run away this time.

Her volume has died down to a mere whisper, “Adam, I want to say- “

As though he knew where she was going with this, he suddenly whips around, yanking his hand away from hers, and knocking down a wooden dummy in the process. Lucia flinches at the loud thud the dummy makes when it hit the floor. Adam just stares at the dummy menacingly as if its existence offended him.

After a few seconds of silence, Adam crouches down to pick up the dummy. His eyes still radiating hatred when he sees Lucia also couching down to help him.

“I got it!” Adam snarled, tone low and threatening.

“I want to help.” Her tone not making any room for argument, but Adam always seemed to find a way.

Adam grips the dummy. “I don’t want your help.” His voice coming out in a single breath as he heaves the dummy up.

She desperately tried to think of something to say - to prevent his walls from rising up again as he wipes the dust off the dummy. Clenching her hands, she builds her resolve that she hopes will be enough to stand against a 900-year-old vampire.

“Tu Omnia.” It comes out as more of a command than a statement, which she hopes Adam will obey.

The phrase had Adam’s body freezing up like ice, his back, taunt as it faced her.

“You are everything.” She said the phrase slowly, afraid that if she said them a little too quick, she would’ve spooked him. This time, raw emotion spills into her voice, making Adam’s knuckles tighten over the wooden dummy, fingers white.

“Where…did you hear that?” Adam questioned accusingly.

Determination filled Lucia once again. “You told me that just before the medication kicked in after the fight with the trappers.”

“I…never said such thing!” Adam shouted defensively that emphasized his continued digging of his grave.

She crossed her arms, anger starting to simmer inside of her at the man’s lies. “Just ask Nate. He was the one who translated it for me.”

“No, you’re wrong!” An animalistic snarl escapes from his lips. The wood under his fingers finally break with a snap. “Fils de pute (son of a bitch)!” Adam curses in what she assumes is French as he chucks the broken wood aimlessly to the side. He throws it with so much force that it shatters the mirror beside him, sending shards scattering everywhere.

Without a word, she bends down to pick up the shards on the ground. Adam is still turned away from her while she silently cleans up the collateral damage, something she has gotten too used to doing.

Unfortunately for her, she made the terrible mistake of forgetting that she’s bare foot and she steps on a shard, a subdued scream escaping from her lips.

“Fucking hell!” She shouts angrily, while clutching her injured foot. Crimson drips readily from the sizable shard embedded in the center of her foot.

Maybe it was the pain of her wound or the frustration of being lied to by the person she trusts the most, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. She felt tired. Tired of pretending that it didn’t hurt every time Adam would show her a piece of his heart then proceed to snatch it away, leaving her to deal with the consequences. She knew this was no way to live her life, but if she was honest with herself, she was addicted. Addicted to seeing him smile at a joke she made or when his gaze would soften around her. Living 900 years alone had its baggage, sure, but her stupid heart couldn’t help itself. She’s neck deep in her bad habit that she just can’t bring herself to quit.

Maybe I’ll win the next round, she keeps telling herself, but the cards were slipping from her hands and she was powerless to stop it.

She would never be able to quit Adam Du Mortain for as long as she breathes.

Tears were forming in her eyes as her own walls that were meant to defend her, came caving in, trapping her under the rubble.

-

Lucia’s scream pulls Adam from his state and he instantly appears behind her in a blur, arms wrapped around her waist as he gently eases her down on the mat away from the broken glass. Her hands are coated in warm blood. The aroma of it overpowered his senses, crying out to his primal side to surface, to drink it, but he suppresses it as he tucks a piece of stray hair away from her face that have come undone from her ponytail.

Her black eyes always fascinated him and the same time, annoyed him. They gave him a hard time because he could never see her pupils that mixed with her black iris. Not that he has to of course, her hammering heart always was a telltale sign of her true feelings - ones that he tries his best to ignore, for his sake. They were two black holes, reeling him in and refusing to let go until he was consumed by them. They contrasted nicely with her bright lavender hair that set her apart from everyone else, but right now, he wishes he could see those eyes.

Lucia’s bloody hands covered her dark eyes as she chokes on her sobs. The sight of her in such a state because of him made his heart constrict in guilt.

Crying didn’t come naturally to her, so it wasn’t the glass that had tears racking her body. It was something else – something that he refuses to acknowledge because once he does, he won’t be able to stop himself. The only time he had seen her cry was when she visited him when he got injured by the trappers. Her tears had weakened his walls, which made him say those words that he wished he could take back. Tu Omnia. The DMB had made his mind weak and it slipped out before he could stop himself. She hadn’t brought it up since and he thought she didn’t hear it, but he was surely mistaken.

He admired her tenacity. He would shoo her away and she would still find a way back to him like some lovesick puppy. Her fighting spirit reminded Adam of himself. He would sacrifice anything for his team – and for her. So the sight of her broken and beaten in his arms caused him to feel like a failure. He failed to protect her from danger – failed to protect her from himself.

I wish you could see how much you deserve someone better than me.

Adam laid a hand under the back of her head to hug her closer to him, hoping that it would offer her some peace in her battle to find the shadow of the man that had been lost to time. Her head instantly tucked into his chest, and so he did his best to shield her from the dangerous world that threatened to destroy who she was. He was glad that she wasn’t able to look at him because if she did, his walls would’ve instantly came crashing down.

Sliding one hand under her legs and the other under her back, he lifted her up bridal style in his strong arms. Her cries had turned into small whimpers now as she struggled to regain her composure. She felt lighter than he expected – smaller, more fragile. Her tendency to project strength, just like her mother, almost made him forget how delicate humans actually are.

As Adam was in the process of carrying her to her room, he passed by Nate, who instantly rushed towards him, expression worried as he took in Lucia bleeding and whimpering in his arms. Adam had hoped that no one would notice, but everyone must’ve heard her cries by now.

“What happened?” Nate asked, brows knitted in worry.

“Please, not now Nate.” Adam pleaded. He hoped that his old friend can understand the look in his eyes to back off.

Nate must’ve understood. “Okay. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Can you clean the broken glass in the training room?”

“Of course.” Nate replied softly. He quietly walked away, something that Adam found oddly strange, given his size.

With no more interruptions, Adam arrived at Lucia’s brightly decorated room. He was glad that the lights were off because the bright colors made his sensitive eyes hurt.

He slowly eased her down onto her bed, her hands stubbornly refused to let go. He had to peel them off of his waist, which wasn’t difficult since her lack of energy meant her resistance was weak.

He was no stranger to treating injuries. During his time as a human, he was an expert at stitching himself up, a skill he learned growing up as a knight. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom, running it under the tap. He also knew where the first aid kit was.

Under the sink cabinet and next to the shampoo bottles.

He memorized this detail when he helped Nate set up the room for her first stay at the Warehouse. With her being so clumsy, it was an extra precaution that had paid off.

He came back to Lucia, quiet and staring at the white ceiling, eyes swollen and glossy from crying. She slowly sat up when she saw him, black eyes still in a state of distress. He tried to ignore the way her sad eyes followed him as he began his work.

He gently grasped her ankle, glancing at her when it was time to pull the shard out. She understood his look and slowly nodded as she turned her gaze away from her foot. Adam firmly gripped the shard in his fingers and with one swift motion, yanked it out causing a whimper from Lucia. He quickly stopped the fresh flow of blood by cleaning it with the wet towel, her muscles tensing from the pain. After all the blood was cleaned, it was time for the most painful part. He poured the alcohol on a cotton ball and did his best to be quick and efficient. A few hisses signaled her pain. He was now wrapping her foot in gauze, careful not to make it too tight so the wound can breathe.

Once he finished, she still refused to look at him, her jaw clenched tightly.

It’s better for you to hate me. That makes it easier.

Thinking that there was nothing else he could do to ease her suffering, Adam stood up from the bed, but a small, weak hand gripped his arm, still fighting to keep him from walking away.

“Please, don’t leave.” It was mixture between a whisper and whimper that had Adam retreating back to the bed, Lucia’s hand still clutching his arm as though it was a life preserver in a stormy sea.

“I’m here, Luc.” He reassured her, eyes softening. “I won’t leave you.” He surprised himself at how naturally the words flowed from his mouth

“Can you lay next to me until I fall asleep?” She whispered, eyes pleading.

Even if Adam wanted to, no words would have come out of his mouth, so instead, he nodded and laid back on the bed, pulling the quilt over Lucia and tucking her small head in his chest. He could sense her heart slowing down as she drifted away from reality, but what he didn’t expect was his heartbeat to slow as well, synchronizing with hers. The familiar rhythm combined with her comforting scent of cherry blossoms lulled Adam to sleep, one where his nightmares wouldn’t dare touch him.    

[queernuck]

i really wish the "justin trudeau’s real father is fidel castro" conspiracy theory wasn’t reactionary propaganda bc it’s fucking hilarious to think about like "hello i’m fidel castro and my bastard son is a neoliberal" is that not the funniest shit

the fundamental problem is that any humor derived from it is going to be at least somewhat similar to, say, the meme about Jeffrey Epstein not killing himself, in that the decontextualization, the repetition of it (in the Deleuzean sense) effectively creates the same reactionary series of claims over and over until it is associated with Trudeau, and moreover associated with him in a profoundly incorrect fashion.

“neoliberal failson” is a well-established category, one of the most prominent at the moment is Pete Buttegig as the son of an incredibly important Gramsci translator. and the humor in that, the sort of ironic reversal that a radical’s child adopting hegemonic politics denotes is a kind of allegorical representation of the greatest fear of a critical theorist: the death of their writing in impotent critique, in appropriation to support the academy. This is the fate seen in Foucauldian concepts applied to designing “better” schools and prisons that still retain the same disciplinary regimes. This is seen in how Deleuzean concepts are developed by the IDF, the restructuring of the urban space that they pursue through Deleuzean critique of architecture and space itself by conceiving of Palestinian cities and towns as rhizomal, as not being arboreally confined by the structure of the street. While Israel did not originate the idea of anti-armor weapons being used as a means of movement, they did refine it to such a degree that the contemporary usage of the concept is impossible to discuss without discussing Israeli tactics in Gaza. And so, in turn, for a radical to fear their child’s complacency is a recognition of the fear, the Oedipal return one looks to one’s parents with, and wondering what that would be like for one’s own children. 

However, there are multiple elements that rather quickly make the Trudeau conspiracy one that is rather unsettling to think about, even jokingly. First, the racialization involved is rather open, is based around the exact kind of sexualized “cuck” politics that Trudeau is seen as having, and if this is not seen as a genetic determinism, it is implied to be a kind of fitting counterpart. Trudeau’s policies, mischaracterized as a vaguely leftist understanding of borders rather than correctly as a neoliberal and neocolonial series of principles is attributed to a mythic mixed-race heritage that he either refuses to acknowledge publicly, will not willing accept but is influenced by anyway, or a sort of secret drive, secret desire that he gains a sort of satisfaction from hiding, almost a mirroring of the white supremacist ideology that so many hold without admitting it. 

It also relies so much on cherry-picking, on making sure to affirm this fetishized politics of cuckoldry, the way in which it sees itself as an example of the White Replacement/White Genocide myth in action makes it so that it becomes a dogwhistle rather quickly, the attempt to cleave what is clear reactionary fantasy from any salvageable joke becomes all but impossible. Furthermore, it implies a great deal about concepts of Castro, Cuba, and the Cuban people as invaders, as an inscrutable Other, rather than part of a nation that has been stricken by decades of embargo but still managed to lower infant mortality to incredibly small levels, that has been the target of American interference for decades, that is still today part of American fetishization of what must be done to attain peace: Cuba must die, Cuba must be reclaimed, the Global North must make Cuba its own again. 

When discussing Epstein, the clear reasoning for many is that there was a worry that even going to trial, without his compliance, would lead to the exposure of more of those involved with him, and that these people tend to be powerful members of the bourgeoisie, ones who would have no qualms killing to keep up appearances. After all, if the Clintons were implicated, their respective records in government would not show much of a fear of killing to get out of it, let alone the numerous stories about the Clinton Foundation and so on. Epstein’s death in custody, furthermore, strikes many as suspicious who think nothing of the death of Sandra Bland, as one somewhat over-simplified but justifiably common response goes. Even if he had killed himself, the notion he might do so in order to avoid the consequences of others being exposed is not unthinkable, and his blood is still on the hands of the guards. However, it also frequently is a mere half-measure removed from outright stating that it was part of this pedophilic cult, one named with blood libel and conspiratorial rituals that are as much a part of fascist aesthetics as fascist rituals themselves.

So, the whole “...why the fuck does Trudeau look like he’s Castro’s kid?” may be a funny and absurd thing to offer at first, it quickly turns toward fascist propaganda when one considers exactly what is implied and what connections are desired by the combination of the two.

[tanadrin]

@bpd-anon:

I think I agree on some points and disagree on others but mostly I would love an expansion of this part: "I don’t think he actually understands fantasy as a set of generic conventions as well as he thinks he does." Can you explain the parts that he is misunderstanding and what true understanding looks like?  

For some context, I have never seen GOT. I read the first book and it's tied for my favorite book ever but then college and its stress hit and I mostly stopped reading (same reason Blindsight is another favorite book ever but I haven't read Echopraxia). I mostly read science fiction books and I haven't even read the all-important LOTR (mainly because I hear there isn't any moral greyness, sounds boring). 

Martin has said things like this:

“I admire Tolkien greatly. His books had enormous influence on me. And the trope that he sort of established—the idea of the Dark Lord and his Evil Minions—in the hands of lesser writers over the years and decades has not served the genre well. It has been beaten to death. The battle of good and evil is a great subject for any book and certainly for a fantasy book, but I think ultimately the battle between good and evil is weighed within the individual human heart and not necessarily between an army of people dressed in white and an army of people dressed in black. When I look at the world, I see that most real living breathing human beings are grey.”     

“Ruling is hard. This was maybe my answer to Tolkien, whom, as much as I admire him, I do quibble with. Lord of the Rings had a very medieval philosophy: that if the king was a good man, the land would prosper. We look at real history and it’s not that simple. Tolkien can say that Aragorn became king and reigned for a hundred years, and he was wise and good. But Tolkien doesn’t ask the question: What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he maintain a standing army? What did he do in times of flood and famine? And what about all these orcs? By the end of the war, Sauron is gone but all of the orcs aren’t gone – they’re in the mountains. Did Aragorn pursue a policy of systematic genocide and kill them? Even the little baby orcs, in their little orc cradles?” 

“By the time I got to Mines of Moria I decided this was the greatest book I’d ever read… And then Gandalf dies! I can’t explain the impact that had on me at 13. You can’t kill Gandalf… Tolkien just broke that rule, and I’ll love him forever for it. The minute you kill Gandalf, the suspense of everything that follows is 1,000 times greater. Because now anybody could die. Of course, it’s had a profound effect on my own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” 

Taken together, Martin is one of the people I’m thinking most of when I say things like “nobody reads Tolkien, only their caricatures of Tolkien.” About the only thing I can say for him is that he’s right on Tolkien being about an external battle of Good versus Evil a lot of the time; though for my part, Martin’s world doesn’t come off so much as Gray versus Gray as Evil versus Evil, and a lot of what he seems to take for “moral ambiguity” to me is perfectly unambiguous: they’re all (or mostly) villains, doing villainy things to each other. Sometimes for quite human reasons; but the best villains have comprehensible motivations beyond pure evil. Doesn’t make them not villains.

First of all, he’s simply nakedly incorrect that Tolkien never considered the difficulties of rule, or never looked at the practical aspects of his worldbuilding. They don’t come in much for emphasis, but they’re absolutely there (most notably in the scenes set in Minas Tirith, in the run-up to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields), and indeed the moral nature of the Orcs, and therefore the correct stance to take toward them, was of deep concern to him, and subject to a lot of later revision as he struggled with the idea of what we would now refer to as an Always Chaotic Evil fantasy race.

Tolkien certainly critically interrogates the morality and moral authority of rulership. In the Silmarillion, he has plenty of figures who cut heroic profiles but make bad (or at least ambiguous) kings, with much resulting conflict; and indeed, that ambivalence is something he’s in part borrowing from his medieval sources! To say that the medievals had a totally black-and-white view of kingship is to betray a lack of familiarity with actual medieval writers, who even (especially?) in the Early Middle Ages are adept at portraying leaders with powerful qualities that turn against them in the wrong situation. Beorhtnoth, the heroes of Njal’s Saga, and Beowulf would have all been extremely familiar to Tolkien, and are good examples I think. Tolkien absolutely understood that people come in shades of gray, and there are various admixtures of light and dark in almost all his characters. Even Frodo for Chrissakes puts on the Ring at the end--and Gollum redeems him. Like, come on! That’s one of the most memorable parts of the main trilogy! But from Galadriel right down to the Sackville-Bagginses, Tolkien is intensely conscious of the moral complexity of everybody in his stories, he just doesn’t need them to say “fuck” in order to express that.

What Martin seems to have confused for Tolkien is, like, the semi-mythic style of Arthurian romance (which... is still not always super black and white?), which is only a small part of the generic conventions Tolkien is drawing on. Tolkien is much more steeped in the conventions of the realist novel, with its penchant for psychological complexity, even as he’s borrowing the setpieces of older literature. I think that’s important because it’s what marks Tolkien out as a fundamentally modern writer, despite his sources; yet people skate over this and like to pretend he was some kind of reverse Connecticut Yankee who stumbled out of the 13th century with medieval sensibilities intact. Which is... weird.

The quote about Gandalf is especially telling. Gandalf’s death happens for extremely clear structural reasons: it provides a climax to Book II (if you’ve never read LOTR: each volume is divided into two “books”; the three-volume split was a post-writing publication decision, LOTR was originally written as a single continuous unit, and the “books” are like mega-chapters), much like, but stronger than, the Flight to the Ford at the end of Book I; it sets up the sojurn in Lorien (recovering from the trauma of the loss of their nominal leader); it helps the narrative transition from the low-stakes, bucolic setting of everything west of the Misty Mountains to the high-stakes dangers of the rest of the story; and it serves the conclusion of the story because without Gandalf’s sacrifice (plus many other events), the Ring never would have made it to Mount Doom. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but Gandalf comes back, in a way that feels sensible within the world Tolkien has built, and which sets up further development of both the main plot and the the themes Tolkien is concerned with.

If Martin had written Lord of the Rings, Gandalf would have died to a random Orc arrow, would never have come back, and the Ring wouldn’t have made it to Mount Doom at all. And you’d be left feeling like Gandalf dies for basically no reason--and you’d be right. The suspense in Lord of the Rings doesn’t come from wondering who will die (the only major named characters who die permanently are Boromir and Gollum; both similarly serve important thematic and plot functions when they do, but by Martin’s standard, Tolkien isn’t even trying), or wondering how things will turn out--does anyone ever doubt that the good guys will win?--it comes from seeing how they get there, from wanting to experience the emotional and narrative beats of the story, wanting to see the narrative logic being brought to its conclusion. It’s why it’s a good story even if you know the ending! And all of Tolkien’s work is like that: a well-constructed narrative that is perennially satisfying is far better than a one-off surprise that can never be repeated. That’s a mistake a lot of modern media is making right now, which the rise of undue emphasis on spoilers isn’t doing anything to reduce.

More generally: there’s nothing wrong with high fantasy externalizing the conflict between good and evil. That is in fact one of its functions, as a kind of moral metaphor or moral proving ground in the same way that, say, science fiction often serves as moral and philosophical proving ground for ideas around technology or exploration or the alien. It’s not obligatory, but to cite that as an insufficiency of any work in the genre is to fail to understand the genre. Tolkien specifically provides some arch moral figures (Morgoth, Sauron, Manwe, Aragorn), but he also provides some much more mixed ones: Denethor, Saruman, Grima Wormtongue, Boromir, Gollum, etc. (also Thorin, Feanor and his sons, and in fact just like a huge chunk of the cast of the Silmarillion in general), and gives his characters plenty of opportunity to reflect that, even in a conflict with a literal evil spirit, there is room for ambiguity (cf. Sam’s meditation on the Haradrim in Ithilien). And the sum total of the effect in Tolkien’s work is that it actually feels like something is at stake. I don’t feel like that in Martin’s world. I feel like if the Night King were just to destroy all of Westeros that would make as much sense and be about as satisfying as any other outcome, because there’s nothing that feels especially worth preserving there.

In discarding everything about both the moral and narrative structure of high fantasy, Martin’s world leaves nothing for one to hang one’s hat on, nothing to use as a fixed point of reference when it comes to orienting yourself in it; he is writing a critique against many things, perhaps, but not an argument for anything. The result leaves me quite cold.

[buzzworddotie]

RPDR S11E01 - Silky "Screen Time"

Season 11 of Rupaul's Drag race is here and what a whirlwind it's been to this point. We had our 2 magnificent Queens get the double crowing in the shakiest editing in TV history, the return of Vanjie, a new group of sisters and one very special Cyster plus the Queen Miley Cyrus in the worse boy drag ever (that facial hair... Girl...)

But in a show with so much diversity and love AND so many toxic, racist and straight up DUMBASS fans it's clear that one Queen may have a target on her back from Episode 1.

Attitude Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Miss Silky Nutmeg Ganache. I think it was pretty clear from the pre show build up these Queen was going to be quite the character.

If you're anything like me, you'll indulge yourself in the full, dirty world of Drag Race, including the sub Reddit where all the Nancy Drew's and Tea brewers like to play!

So today I pop onto my favourite sub and topic of interest seems to be around the debate of Silky and if her "extra-ness" is cute or you know set to drive people CRAZY!!

Act the Fool Girl, Act. The. Fool

So, a recent post showed this tweet of Ms. Ganache replying on the subject to someone and pulling the ever familiar and frequently debated EDIT card.

Check out Silky's response. It is a very fair and very valid point. We all know that any "reality" TV show is produced, edit and constructed for our entertainment purposes.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ms.Silky was super lovely and warm and nice to all in that work room. I don't doubt it for a second. She seems like the type who wants to have fun and bring joy, lovely gal.

And there is a good chance that what we saw on screen was the height of her "extra" behaviour.

But it was enough!!! If I was working with her, she'd have driven me CRAZY!!! I worked with a girl a bit like that, just very loud and constantly at me and my tolerance would drop to 0!!

Was she nice and all the rest? Course she was. Professionally did she annoy the fuck out of me?! YES!!!

Untucking the Character

Thankfully, Netflix Ireland is hosting Untucked this year as well. Praise the entertainment gods! And when you watch Untucked you may notice what I did.

Silky wasn't all up in everyone's grill. She was far more subdued without totally annihilating her personality.

Well, right up until Miley popped back in but let's go ahead and press pause on that right now...

In defence of the Ganache

My fear for Silky is that due to her initial behaviour, they say you get one chance to make a first impression, and probably due to the colour of her beautiful skin, the Queen may well come under attack of the vicious and disgusting racist fans. Unwarranted attacks on a Queen who is taking part in a reality TV show.

It won't be fair and it won't be nice.

My thoughts are that Silky probably was a bundle of nerves, her first TV gig (as far as I am aware). Stepping into a show where there is a level of self awareness that doesn't exist in most reality shows.

Come Thru.... The Fourth Wall

Drag Race is so interesting to me because it consistently breaks the fourth wall.

The Queens have a level of awareness of being on TV that most reality shows don't give us.

They sign up with a check list, make an impactful entrance? Check. Nail some catchphrases for merch? Check. Become a meme? Check.

Silky, like all the Queens, walked in with that on her mind, that's the impression I got. And she was all guns a blazing to get it!

You know word vomit? This was personality vomit.

But people can smell desperation and will attack it.

Own it Sis

So does Silky deserve to be attacked online for acting "extra"? Of course not, give her a minute and let her settle in before you heap on the judgement and leave the goddamn hate at the door. It's a fucking TV show!!

However, girl you jumped in with both feet and obvious awareness of being on TV and wanted to be on TV, you're out there talking about your spin off show, making your merch quotes, ALL IN.

And bitch, if you know all those sides of Drag Race then you need to be aware people are going to be critiquing you.

Don't just go on and start blaming the edit girl!!! The edit didn't manipulate you to pick up Miley, the edit did not make you loud!!

If we learned anything from the All Stars 3 finale its that the editing of this show is really not some kind of magical wand that can make things that didn't happen look real!!!

Did the edit choose to highlight certain moments ahead of others, yup! But they could only do it because it happened!

I Don't Want Anymore God Damn Excuses!

I think this is going to be a fun season. It's a fantastic mix of girls with varied experience in the Drag scene and plenty of different personalities, agendas and outlooks.

But what I want too see this season is less Queens feeling like they have to defend themselves.

Don't tell me on one hand that you're extra and you know you're extra and all the rest and then on the other hand jump on the defence and point the finger at production for only showing that side of you!

Don't announce you're brand as being THAT Queen and then denounce it. Fucking own it and use that big ass personality and voice to shout out all the good shit you have to say!

Vanjie Knows Best

Vanessa Mateo is the best example for these Queens. She accidently became a meme master in S10 and she's not out here apologising for it.

She owned it and now she's ready to show us more. She's not there to force shit to happen, she is proof that what works is the organic moments.

Alyssa Edwards is beloved because all her nonsense and memes are purely organic, it's here.

So going forward for this season I really hope we see people like Silky just relax into it. Don't keep forcing it, just do you Queen and let your bubbly persona shine through.

Again, the edit didn't do this to you girl, the edit didn't put words or tone in your mouth and the edit didn't make those other Queens get frustrated.

Like I said, I have high hopes for this season and my major hope is that we don't end up with Queens getting death threats or racists attacks or any of that other shit.

I hope that Queens like Silky don't feel like they have to defend and blame others for their show time appearance and just let the losers who want to come for them disappear.

Water off a Duck's Back, Queens.

Before I sign off, this season I've decided to follow the Queens on social as they get eliminated (well except Vanjie who got me season 10). Let's not allow these Queens who leave early to go unnoticed.

If you like, join me and follow each Queen when they are eliminated because they all have interesting things going on and it's a shame when they don't get the love because of elimination order.

Or don't and just follow them all from the get go. Do you Queens.

[acephysicskarkat]

crab boy what is gamergate and why is it controversial

I’M GONNA PUT THIS UNDER A READMORE BECAUSE IT’S PRETTY LONG AND SHOUTY AND REFERENCES SOME PRETTY SHITTY THINGS, OKAY?

IN BRIEF, A FEW YEARS AGO, A SHITHEEL NAMED ERON GJONI DECIDED, IN A PRETTY COLDLY PREMEDITATED FASHION, TO RUIN THE LIFE OF HIS EX, A GAME DEVELOPER NAMED ZOE QUINN. IN HIS SHITTY LITTLE BID FOR REVENGE HE HANDCRAFTED, FOR MAXIMUM OUTRAGE, A POST ABOUT HOW SHE DID A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT SHE DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO, AND DROPPED IT INTO THE OPEN SEWER THAT IS CHAN CULTURE. IT PICKED UP A LOT OF MOMENTUM WHEN ADAM BALDWIN PICKED IT UP AND COINED THE NAME “#GAMERGATE”.

THIS KICKED OFF A MASSIVE INTERNET WITCH HUNT THAT USED “ETHICS IN VIDEOGAME JOURNALISM” AS AN EXCUSE TO BEHAVE TERRIBLY UNETHICALLY TOWARDS FEMALE AND MINORITY INDIE DEVELOPERS AND GAME CRITICS - NOT JUST QUINN, BUT ALSO BRIANNA WU, ANITA SARKEESIAN (BECAUSE OF FUCKING COURSE SEXIST NERDBROS WOULD FREAK OUT ABOUT ANITA SARKEESIAN, IT WAS AFTER ALL A YEAR WITH NUMBERS IN IT), VEERENDER JUBBAL AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. THIS WENT ON FOR AGES. PEOPLE ARE STILL GIVING ZOE QUINN SHIT TODAY.

THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF NOISE TO ANY SEMBLANCE OF SIGNAL, BUT THEIR ARGUMENTS BOILED DOWN TO AN ELABORATE AND DISCONNECTED ARRAY OF INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF COMPLETE AND UTTER HORSESHIT, IN BRIEF:

THE IDEA THAT FEMINIST CRITIQUE OF A VIDEOGAME WAS THE SAME THING AS A DEMAND FOR GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP FOR THE ENTIRE GAMES MEDIUM;

THE IDEA THAT GAME REVIEWS SHOULD BE “OBJECTIVE”, OR IN OTHER WORDS THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER DISCUSS SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES OR PERSONAL PREFERENCES (A TRULY OBJECTIVE REVIEW IS IDENTICAL TO THE TECHNICAL SPECS);

THE IDEA THAT DEVELOPERS TYING THE SALARIES OF DEVELOPERS TO THEIR PRODUCT’S METACRITIC SCORE MEANT REVIEWERS WERE OBLIGATED TO NEVER SAY BAD THINGS ABOUT AAA GAMES;

THE IDEA THAT THE BIGGEST THREAT TO ETHICAL VIDEOGAMES JOURNALISM WAS NOT ALL THE ADVERTISING MONEY BEING PUMPED INTO THE GAMES PRESS BY FANTASTICALLY WEALTHY AAA PUBLISHERS, BUT INDIVIDUAL INDIE DEVELOPERS USING THEIR MAGICAL TIME-SHIFTING SEXINESS TO BRAINWASH INDIVIDUAL JOURNOS INTO GIVING THEM POSITIVE REVIEWS;

THE IDEA THAT VIDEOGAMES WERE “ART”, NOT IN THE SENSE OF “A THING WORTHY OF CRITICAL ANALYSIS TO THINK ABOUT”, BUT IN THE SENSE OF “A THING YOU PUT ON A PEDESTAL AND PEOPLE NOD AND SAY IS GOOD”;

THE IDEA THAT IT WAS SOME HORRIBLE AFFRONT TO THEIR FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE TO PREEMPTIVELY BLOCK THEM ON TWITTER;

THE IDEA THAT INDIE GAMES MADE BY WOMEN, ESPECIALLY ENVIRONMENTAL NARRATIVE GAMES AND GAMES MADE IN TWINE, “DIDN’T COUNT” AND “WEREN’T REAL GAMES”;

THE IDEA THAT “GAMER” WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF A GENDER, AND A BUNCH OF OTHER CLUMSY ATTEMPTS TO CO-OPT CARGO CULT SOCIAL JUSTICE TERMINOLOGY TO PRESENT “KEEP THOSE ICKY GIRLS OUT OF MY CLUBHOUSE” AS SOME SORT OF CRY FOR JUSTICE;

THE IDEA THAT WOMEN AND MINORITIES WERE BEING USED AS A “SHIELD” FOR PEOPLE MAKING SOCIAL JUSTICE CRITIQUE, LEADING TO THE “#NOTYOURSHIELD” HASHTAG, WHICH WAS PRETTY IRONICALLY AND PRETTY CONSISTENTLY USED AS A SHIELD FOR #GG’S TERRIBLE BEHAVIOUR - ESSENTIALLY, AN ENTIRE HASHTAG FOR “I AM HIS BLACK FRIEND SO HE’S NOT RACIST”;

MIXED WITH THE ABOVE, SOME INCREDIBLY BLATANT SEXISM AND TRANSPHOBIA;

THE IDEA THAT WHEN #GG-TINGED HARASSMENT HAPPENED IT WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY OKAY BECAUSE ~BOTH SIDES~, AND A HOAX THAT THE ~PROFESSIONAL VICTIM~ WHO WAS RECEIVING IT WAS SENDING TO THEMSELVES;

THE IDEA THAT IT WAS OKAY FOR 8CHAN, THE WEBSITE THEY CONGREGATED ON AFTER 4CHAN THREW THEM OUT, TO HOST SOFTCORE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, BUT A MAN WHO LET EVERYONE KNOW IT HOSTED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY NEEDED TO BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE;

A WHOLE BUNCH OF ~IRONIC~ NAZISM AND HOLOCAUST DENIAL, COMPLETE WITH AN ENDORSEMENT FROM STORMFRONT;

THE IDEA THAT BEING WILLING TO ACCEPT THE ABOVE MADE THEM “MORE TOLERANT” TO THOSE EVIL SJW’S WHO *AREN’T* WILLING TO ACCEPT OUTSPOKEN NEO-NAZIS WITH OPEN ARMS, BECAUSE MUMBLEMUMBLE WHY WON’T YOU TOLERATE MY INTOLERANCE;

THE IDEA THAT IT WAS “UNFAIR” WHEN PEOPLE WENT INTO THE PUBLICLY OPEN, IF SHITTY, FORUMS WHERE THEY CONGREGATED TO PLAN THIS SHIT, TOOK SCREENCAPS AND TOLD THEIR TARGETS WHAT WAS GOING DOWN, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW TURNING DOWN THE BRIGHTNESS ON YOUR MONITOR MEANS YOU’RE ON THE DARKNET.

IT WAS BASICALLY THE VERY WORST OF NERD CULTURE - THE ENTITLEMENT, THE RESENTMENT OF WOMEN, THE BIGOTRY, THE GATEKEEPING IMPULSE, THE REFUSAL TO CONSIDER - ON OPEN DISPLAY, AND FOR A PERIOD OF A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO IT WAS EVERYWHERE, SPURRED BY A COUPLE OF EARLY SUCCESSES (SUCH AS GETTING SOME ADS PULLED FROM A WEBSITE THAT HOSTED AN ARTICLE THEY DIDN’T READ).

AFTER A WHILE THEY STOPPED USING THE HASHTAG, ALTHOUGH THEIR INFLUENCE LINGERS ON IN MORE FOCUSED SHITHEEL BRIGADES LIKE THE RABID PUPPIES, WHATEVER POINTLESS SHIT ZOE QUINN AND ANITA SARKEESIAN ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH TODAY, ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SHIT UP ONLINE DISCUSSIONS OF LGBT ISSUES, RACE OR SEXISM BECAUSE OF “IDENTITY POLITICS” OR “CULTURAL MARXISM”, AND JUST GENERALLY EVERY DISPLAY OF NERD-CULTURE TOXICITY AND BIGOTRY - IT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE, A LOT, BUT #GG TAUGHT ITS PRACTITIONERS THAT IT WAS “ETHICAL”.