#thoughts on gender that aren’t focused on femininity

[hadesoftheladies]

masculinity is 99.9% grooming boys to be the bestest toy soldiers ever. the violence it is characterized by, so that oligarchs can always have bodies to throw at the territory they want from their competitors. “you are savage” “a meat-eater” “such a strong little boy” “buy another shooting video game” you are being bred for a war that will never end because the greed of your overlords has no limits. war wouldn’t happen if men didn’t start them and hinge the global economy on them. they want men to identify with the role they want them to play. and it’s worked so brilliantly. they really think they’re heroes. male identity is so steeped in violence on a peer and societal level. and it’s been happening for ages.

[self-loving-vampire]

Re: shonen-and-shoujo as someone who is hoping to write her own girl shonen someday: It is nice to see some more thoughtful additions to the shonen v magical girl thing! Thanks for breaking it down in that post.

Though I do have a point to kind of add to the convo: I think a part of the reason why I was more eager to suggest magical girl stuff to people who wanted a shonen but with girls *was* because a point I had heard a few times from a couple of people was how they disliked that female characters in shonen had to “act like men” in order to be strong. Which was where my point of confusion came from.

People who say they want a girl shonen that specifically has more tomboyish characters makes a lot more intuitive sense to me, and it will be what I aim for in my project. But I think that might be one reason why some people do instinctively rec magical girl stuff.

To be frank, I’m not fond of the dismissiveness around female characters who “act like men” in these circles. Like, I am a woman who can be classified as pretty feminine, and I get why people would be annoyed at like, not having the traits they typically inhabit be framed as strong. But on the other hand, like, media rep for masculine women is also pretty sparse. And at least for femme girls, we do have something close to that. (Also tbh a lot of women in shonen aren’t even masculine).

(Tangential thought, but it is worth noting that a lot of currently existing media which could be classified as girl shonen does feature feminine girls. I think Soul Eater is the big example.)

Anyways, apologies for rambling. This is something I have quite a few thoughts on and I had wanted to share them with someone. 😅

Yeah, I agree. A lot of the time there's this idea that female characters are somehow obligated to "act like men"[1] in this kind of media, but if you actually look at it those characters are generally still feminine[2], just strong and willing to fight as well.

I think part of it might just be that a lot of people have such a strict view of gender roles that even that comes off as overly tomboyish to them. That's probably how we get stuff like "the butchest girl twitter can handle before they start getting scared" or that one sad mormon conservative losing his mind over princess Peach wearing pants for a little bit in the Mario movie.

When acceptably gendered behavior is extremely narrow, practically anything (especially anything that would make you all that relevant in a series focused on training and fighting) makes you non-conforming.

[1]: And why gender behavior like this either way? What does "acting like men" even mean when men are not a monolith and women also have a high degree of variance to their personalities and interests?

Personally I think most people have varying combinations of traits considered "masculine" or "feminine" but social expectations and upbringing may force them (sometimes through abusive means) to suppress this variance in order to conform.

So I don't think women, fictional or otherwise, ever really "act like men" because I don't believe "acting like men" is a coherent type of behavior to begin with. Gender roles as a whole are just blatantly fake in my opinion.

[2]: Soul Eater definitely fits as an example of this. It has a lot of really cool female characters, but they still tend to largely abide by the social expectations forced on women. If we translate "acting like men" as being gender non-conforming, then they definitely don't seem to be doing even that to a significant degree.

Like, I love Maka and Tsubaki but if someone called them GNC I'd be kind of concerned for the reasons explained above.

And the same is true of shonen women more generally. A lot of them don't even wear pants. How are we going to scandalize the trads again if they're not wearing pants?

P.S. Read Fate/stay night and the Tsukihime remake coming to Steam soon! They have some nice, properly violent fight scenes that women have very major roles in.

[mirimangarecs]

lady crystal is a man - jeoneona

crystal, an illegitimate son of a concubine, has been raised as a girl since birth in order to save her life. but when she’s finally about to be married off, she seeks refuge with a political enemy of her family in a fake marriage. her husband, the duke, is a woman forced to take up the position of duke in order to protect her family’s title

the couple: boy do they ever have a lot of baggage. the duke is sweet to crystal and finds her amusing, but so far has remained emotionally distant. crystal is sheltered, naive, and adorable. it’s early days so i’m interested in how they’ll finally bond

story & setting: historical with very light fantasy elements. it has a dark, almost gothic tone, and it’s been really focused on crystal and the complicated situation surrounding their fake marriage

the art: gorgeous. absolutely impeccable

this is a story about a Lot Of Gender Stuff (spoilers, my thoughts on queer readings, potential transphobia, and magical puberty blockers):

it’s a gender swap/role reversal story and that makes it, consequently, Complicated when viewed through a queer lens

crystal is basically in a marina fear & hunger situation where she’s been raised as a girl from birth in order to save her from a terrible fate. she’s not exactly uncomfortable being a woman, since she’s been one her whole life, but she still dreams about cutting her hair and trying men’s clothes someday when she’s fully escaped from her family. she’s very afraid of her identity being revealed, which would lead to her being killed by her family or potentially having her marriage annulled, so i’m very interested in how she’ll cope in a situation where she no longer needs to worry about that and can choose freely

the duke has a much more bitter relationship with her gender identity because she was happy as a girl before suddenly having the burdens of a son forced on her by her father. she’s accepted it as her responsibility, but it’s more like a mask she wears than anything she embraces. her story is actually very similar to the premise of “finding camelia”, another gender-subversive manhwa where a daughter is forced to live as a man in order to fulfill a societal role.

the pronouns for both characters are situational- the duke is called she and a woman by those who know her, but to the wider world she is still a man, he, and duke.

crystal is mostly called she, even by her closest friends who know her secret. i think they use he a couple times, but usually revert back to feminine terms quickly.

in text, there are some “wait a minute, aren’t her hands large, doesn’t she seem tall, she’s got a husky voice” moments with people who observe her which are just like. i understand that the tension regarding crystal’s secret is a big plot point but Was That Really Necessary. i get he/him’d based on my husky voice too it doesn’t make anybody transvestigator of the century it makes you Nosey

on that note, crystal’s secret does get revealed when she’s unconscious, which takes away a lot of her agency in a morally dubious way, while it doesn’t cause anyone to be hostile to her, some characters are just downright pushy about crystal’s gender. when they discover her secret, they switch to using mostly masculine pronouns for her when discussing her privately. however, no one outs her or reveals this to her except for one situation (below)

one interesting thing about the plot is the existence of “magical puberty blockers”, which crystal has been taking for years. however, the ingredient is harmful when taken for a long time and is slowly poisoning her, so she has to be taken off them. as of the current official uploads, we haven’t seen the consequences of that or how crystal will feel about it given that she’s still so afraid of her agab being discovered. this plot point is the only instance of her identity being leveraged against her, because of the danger involved in continuing to take them. in order to make her stop, someone has to know she’s even taking them basically

i’m cautiously optimistic about the direction of the story! i love the characters and want to see them be happy together and free from the societal constraints of gender and gender roles

[virtual-babyboi]

i know for sure that i’m not a cis woman. like i really don’t feel like i belong to that category, like it just doesn’t feel accurate to be called a girl.

these days i let myself just wear whatever feels good without worrying too much about gender. i really don’t like using the language of femininity or masculinity because even that feels too restrictive. i used to try to prove my queerness through my wardrobe but it doesn’t feel authentic doing that…because all along i’ve been nonbinary, i’m the same person, i just use a different label now, a different framework, i understand myself differently.

yet i can’t help but feel the social gender anxiety creep up on me again. i got top surgery that was more like a radical reduction, so i’m not flat. i bind sometimes, most of the time i don’t. this year i’m focusing more on my mental health and recovery and home life so i don’t go out much anymore. but in doing so i haven’t really gone to much queer community events, haven’t really engaged with queer community besides my close circle of friends who are all trans.

i’m nonbinary and pansexual but i’m also monogamous and married to a cis man. i’ve never dated anyone who wasn’t a cis man. but i for sure know my sexuality and attraction isn’t limited to cis men. i want to buy a home and have a kid and live a simple life with my happy little family. one time i got called “traditional” for being married and that really stung cause they were very much implying throughout the whole night that monogamous people aren’t queer enough and can’t be radical.

so yeah, i’m feeling pretty worried these days that my queerness isn’t valid because of my lack of engagement in social queer community. i just don’t think about my gender all the time. i’m getting self-conscious again about the validity of my queerness due to my relationship status and my goals in life being viewed as “traditional” therefore not queer.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

like, am i still queer if there isn’t anyone around to see it??? lol besides my partner and close friends.

these have been my thoughts lately

[devilsskettle]

obviously there are a lot of problems with the token strong female character trope but part of it is that mainstream media took the idea that women wanted female characters who were written like male characters the exact wrong way, i.e. women who had traits associated with masculinity and were differentiated from other women, instead of understanding that what people meant was that we want female characters who are afforded the full scope of personhood like men are — and maybe part of that was female characters who weren’t excluded from the action or fighting because of their gender, but that’s not the be all end all of representation. that’s not something new to say but honestly i think it says a lot about how men see themselves in the media and how they think women perceive men — as strong! powerful! smart! stoic! rational! tough! which then informs the way they see themselves differentiated by being men and performing a certain model of masculinity.

and i think that’s also where they get the idea that there is an equivalent for men to female beauty standards or the “male gaze” (through a misunderstanding of that term), which they think is the superhero body type (i.e. super jacked), and they act like that’s being generated by female demand/desire and don’t recognize that it’s a male power fantasy, not a female sexual fantasy, and that many women do not necessarily find that attractive and even less expect men to actually look like that in real life. so i think part of the problem is that when male writers tried to appeal to female representation, they imitated the male power fantasy and filtered it through what men find attractive in women, so they thought they could get points for feminism without actually changing how they thought about or wrote or saw women. and of course they can still objectify women to appeal to men at the same time. and now i think after recognizing the failure of the token strong female character trope, there’s been a demand for “flawed women” which i think has once again been misinterpreted, because again what they’re asking for is female characters who are afforded full personhood (including flaws) but we’re being given regressive demonized stereotyped femininity instead. however, i’ve also recently seen a lot of media that is focused around realistic, messy, fully developed women and i think a lot of people recognize the shallowness of bad female representation and have rejected it and people in the media have taken notice. so even while i complain about a general trend of writing women, i think there’s a wave of media countering it as well which i’m happy to see

i also think that part of the problem is that if a piece of media only has one female character and many male characters, the woman becomes a stand in for all women where the men can just be people. a really easy fix to this problem is just stories that have more than one female character and where women aren’t written in only one way. also what happens is that if there’s only one female character, their role for representation is seen as already checking a box so to speak, because she fulfills getting points for progressiveness already just by being a woman, and the “default” for a character is white and straight so the writers don’t think they have to write women of color or queer women or women with any other trait that deviates from that “default.” i also think we see how men see male characters from the way they seem to see characters as models of behavior (so flawed female characters means you’re modeling bad behavior for women) which is why, you know, fight club. and why there are so many coming of age and/or manic pixie dream girl movies with “just a normal average guy” protagonists who the male audience is meant to identify with. and why men reject watching female-led movies so much more than women reject watching male-led movies (which women are not expected to do at all) — they can only identify with other men. they don’t see women as full people. they don’t write women as full people. and like i said before, there is a lot more media now that’s driven by well written female characters, but i think it’s primarily women who are watching those shows (though i would like to look up the demographic breakdown of those shows’ viewers to make sure that perception is grounded in actual fact instead of prediction and personal, therefore limited, observation). and i just really really really wish that more men were willing to engage with female-led media, i wish there was the same expectation for them as there is for us, that we’re supposed to watch all the critically acclaimed movies that can be horrible about writing women when women are included at all, and they can’t even be expected to watch a movie where “only” half of the cast is men. i am so sick of seeing women as empty vessels while people insist that they’re well written because look, she has a gun!! or whatever

anyway i literally feel like i am slamming my head into a brick wall every time i get frustrated about sexist writing because it’s fucking everywhere, it’s blatant and it’s subtle, it’s deeply ingrained in many of the stories we uphold as classics, it’s evident in the way that men see us in real life. because men do not see us as people!! men do not see us as people. even if individual men see individual women as people, it literally feels impossible to change at a cultural level. i am so sick of it

[agenhyst]

Meeting diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria: physical dysphoria

I experience incongruence between my experienced lack of gender [agender] and my assigned gender. While I also experience social dysphoria, my dysphoria is primarily physical dysphoria about some of my sex characteristics. Even if there were no social/cultural concepts of gender, even if I lived alone on a deserted island, I'd still have physical dysphoria. This dysphoria is inherent, between my brain and my body.

Physical dysphoria is often characterized as "hating one's body", but I personally don't hate my body as a whole. I'm fine with the parts that are more unisex than sexually dimorphic.

However, there are certain sexually dimorphic characteristics--such as my reproductive parts, chest, and hips--that don't match my brain's map of my body. My brain doesn't expect these characteristics, and they simply should not be there. I've always felt disconnected from these characteristics, as if they're foreign objects and not a part of me.

The reason I have dysphoria about having e.g. a uterus or breasts isn't strictly because of their cultural association with women or femininity. It's because my brain's map of my body absolutely does not include a uterus, breasts, or their respective functions. I'm not supposed to have a body that can conceive, carry, birth, or breastfeed a child. I've never wanted children, but it's not just that--it's that these abilities are completely alien to me and aren't supposed to be part of my bodily configuration.

I recognize that I objectively have certain hardware in/on my body, but I feel like I lack the drivers for it. It's an existential discomfort that is always with me.

Reproductive Dysphoria

I can trace my desire for a hysterectomy as far back as age 10. Shortly before my 11th birthday, we got two kittens and took them to the vet to get spayed. Upon learning what that entailed and that I had the same sort of reproductive system inside me, I insisted that I also wanted to be spayed. I had no experience of menstruation and very little idea about reproduction, but I wanted nothing to do with any of it.

As I got older, I experienced significant mental distress over my reproductive system. Starting in my teens, I wished that I would develop medical problems that would necessitate removal of my reproductive organs. Also, I had and continue to have persistent, vivid, and intense fantasies of destroying my uterus. I fantasize about sticking something "up there" to destroy the organ--for example, burning it using something really hot. I have thoughts of cutting my uterus out myself, ripping it out, or stabbing it to destroy it. These fantasies have persisted for over 15 years without abating.

So far, only one thing has partially alleviated my severe reproductive dysphoria. While still thinking I was cis, I successfully pursued sterilization in 2013 at age 23. Strictly speaking, I had no need for permanent birth control, but I experienced severe mental distress over the ability to become pregnant. It disturbed me that my body had that capability/function. After the surgery, my mental health improved considerably. Still, if I could've had a hysterectomy in 2013, I would've jumped at the chance.

However, I still have significant reproductive dysphoria and associated mental distress. I have dysphoria over the fact that I can technically still carry a pregnancy and birth a child. My body still has an organ reserved and maintained for carrying a pregnancy/growing a baby, and there just shouldn't be a place in my body for that.

Note: In this post, I've focused on physical dysphoria resulting from possessing the organ itself. I also have physical dysphoria resulting from having a period, which I didn't address here because there are less invasive ways to stop or suppress one's period; it wouldn't justify a hysterectomy on its own. However, even without a period, this organ shouldn't be a part of my body and should never have been.

[theswearyscholar]

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about my Twitter community (I know, #waitwhut) has been the development of the #AcademicSelfie. I encountered this movement through the international law and legal studies community. It was initially championed by Prof Douglas Guilfoyle and has been taken up by quite a few of us in the ANZSIL community. It’s delightful because one of the unspoken rules of academia is that you must simultaneously care very deeply, and also not care at all about how you’re dressed: be professional, but not superficial! Your brain is the important thing, not how you present yourself. But also, don’t look like a slob. And women? Be “professional” but don’t be pretty! Wear a suit, but not a pants suit (too masc), and not a dress or a skirt that is too clingy, form fitting, or flowy. We all know the “I don’t care” lewk is a signifier of how clever (white) men are, because they focus on their Very Important Thoughts rather than frivolous (feminine) things like fashion. The Academic Selfie hashtag confronts this discourse: is populated by scholars across the genders and is generally focused on style over fashion. It’s also a great space to explore vulnerability, such as those days where you’re feeling like an academic fraud, and therefore put on the costume of the academic. Or the days when your emotional and psychological resilience needs replenishing and you are living in the same tracksuit for the third day running, or in an animal onesie. The Academic Selfie has offered a place for people who are expected to inhabit only their minds to also inhabit their bodies. It enables scholars who are often focussed on Very Serious Thinking about relationships between States, corporations, and individuals, with issues of human rights, of justice, of politics, politicking and Realpolitik to explore and show their creativity. It’s not merely populated by sports jackets in tweed, but by Corporate Goths, by Homecounties Drag, by Candy Kids and some of the most beautifully tattooed middle-aged Punks I have ever seen. We even have an International Law Barbie, and she is ICONIC.

So the #AcademicSelfie is a place where I can touch in with my peers and my students. I can share my good days, and my bad. I can share the days when I am nailing because I am a GODDAMN GENUIS and gorgeous to boot, and the days where I am amazed that the academy has not yet figured out that I don’t belong there and I am faking it and also aren’t we due for a Cave Hag Winter right about now? I will genuinely miss that point of connection when the Twitterverse finally implodes/ eats its own tail all the way down/ when Twagnorok finally arrives #Twitterdämmerung.

The other thing that the #AcademicSelfie helped me to realise is related to my AuDHD (I was diagnosed last year at the age of 40. I went through THREE goddamn bachelor degrees and a PHD undiagnosed. I am SALTY AF. This is another story. However it also explains the regular asides because #ADHDTangents). So lockdowns revealed to a lot of folk with ADHD that they needed to put together new strategies to enable them to work remotely because just sitting down in front of the computer DOES NOT WORK FOR US. So maybe it’s timekeeping, maybe it’s drinking mint tea, maybe it’s putting on shoes but you need to do something to make your body feel like it has to work when it is not in its Work Space.

Now, I want you to bear in mind two things:

1. I wasn’t diagnosed until 2022.

2. My industry (academia) is unstable on a good day: we move between offices (usually shared) and classrooms. We often teach classes in the evening (so people who are working can study), we sometimes work on campus, we sometimes work from home. Many of us are precariously employed: in Australia we might be on six or 12 month fixed term contracts (if we are lucky), or casual contracts by semester (these mean the universities don’t have to pay us over the Summer break which is usually from late October to early March. I shit you not. That is the LONG SUMMER OF CENTRELINK and no one, NO ONE, want that). In the US this sort of teaching is described as adjunct teaching. I also want to stress that in Australia (where our union is running a campaign regarding wage theft by the Universities) we are significantly better paid as casuals than are the UK or US members of the academic precariat. Not enough to make it long term viable to work this way (she says after she’s worked this way for 10 years), not well enough to call it “financial security”, but well enough that (if I teach the equivalent of 2 full time teaching loads at 2 institutions during the academic year) I can mostly make it through Oct-Mar with my rent pre-paid and my Christmas shopping done in the October sales. Then I just spend that time working admin/retail/teaching if I can get it/doing research/trying to write/searching for jobs/failing to write/having ZombiePlagueFlu/having AuDHD burnout and depression.

Anyway, my point is that I have always struggled to focus when working from home (which I often do). There is washing/vacuuming/napping to do. The Academic Selfie helped me to realise that what I needed when I wanted to work wasn’t shoes, a playlist, or mint tea: it was make up.

Every morning as part of my routine I put on makeup.

This is often something that women in the academy are low key shamed for: it is conformist, it is a tool of patriarchy, it’s superficial. I’ve read the arguments against makeup. I see it, I understand them. Also, I’m femme, this is a political position that is

I don’t fucken care. Makeup helps me to focus.

I shower I get out and dry my face, I put on whatever serum I’m using at the moment. My skin care and makeup routine is not a habit for me, because my ADHD means I don’t form habits (I form Compulsions, and boy-howdy do I form them well). My skin care and makeup routine is, however, meditative and creative. My choice of textures and colours are premised on my outfit, on my skin’s needs at that point, on what character I want to present to the world.

Am I a Very Serious Grown Up?

Am I Professional Business Lady?

Am I Scatterbrained Professor?

Am I Manic Pixie Nightmare Broad?

Am I Soft Femme Romantique?

Am I Middle-Aged Mall Goth?

Am I Miscellaneous Pill You Found On The Floor At Revolver?

Each of these requires different bases, eyeshadow colours and styles, eyeliner colours, textures and applications, and LIPSTICKS.

Honestly, I can and have turned up to teach a class in every single one of these aesthetics.

Even when I’m teaching from home, or working from home, or reading from home, if I put on my slap in the morning I will guaranteed be more focussed throughout the rest of the day.

This leads me to the thing that made me want to write this morning:

I’m sharing the knowledge. I have a lot of makeup. I will never show my mother the extent of my makeup collection, but it’s one of my hyperfocuses, I love experimenting and I am perpetually on the search for the perfect red lipstick. (Things I would tell my daughter if I had one (I don’t): spend money on a good red lipstick. There are days where it will make you feel powerful. Line your lips, put the lippie on your top lip, do the mumumum lip smoosh. Apply eyeshadow or flush or something. Blot. Apply a light dust of powder to your lip. Apply the lipstick again. Mumumumumum. Blot. Go forth and battle evil.)

So here are my faves.

Primer:

L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab: I fucken miss the Garnier 5 second blur primer, but in Australia this has been my next fave.

ELF Poreless Putty Primer: This shit is hardcore, but well priced, smooth AF and holds all day. Bless KMart.

Foundation:

I miss The Original’s foundation which was perfect, because I’m not into a heavy coating. Usually I go with a tinted CC cream. But I recently picked up two products from W7 that are amazing. The one for heavy coverage is the W7 Ultimate Cover Up and that sadly seems to be discontinued so that sucks. The other one is:

W7 Genius Foundation: for a pasty bitch like moi, this is a light, soft, serum like cover with a matte finish. It’s perfect for every day and cheap AF.

When it comes to blush, shimmer, eyeshadow, I honestly just play around.

Mascara:

Generally I try to keep my makeup budget friendly (except for perfume, that’s a whole different ballgame), but I make an exception for mascara

Fenty Frontal Volume: Holy shit this mascara is flawless.

Lips:

Make-Up Studio Matte Silk-Effect Duo: I got this as a sample in the Velvet Mauve and I will repurchase. Long lasting, great colour, doesn’t dry out.

Fenty Stunna Lip Paint: I still haven’t forgiven Fenty for discontinuing my fave every day lipstick, but this red is currently the greatest of the red lipsticks available IMHO.

In terms of general makeup brands my fave (Kiko Milano) isn’t available in Australia, so I have to stock up when I’m in the UK. Their eyeshadows and shimmers are amazing and I love every lipstick of theirs that I own.

In terms of perfumes I’m a fucking monster. I love them. I spend FAR too much money on them. However, if you want a long lasting scent that is going to be sexy, elegant and professional, but also not everywhere and not going to bankrupt you, you can’t go wrong with checking out Fragonard. I get mine through Libertine because they send out samples with purchase that are basically a show bag for adults who love perfume. I am currently wearing their pomegranate one which is sweet but tart, and gorgeous for winter. I also love their violet perfume because I’m not super into florals that are rose-based and violets have a delicious, vintage edge to them. This perfume also has a bit of a citrus and berry sharpness to cut through the floral-powdery nose feeling. (How good is that autism, eh?)

Honestly, now that I’ve finished with this information, the urgency is gone and I’m like how the fuck did I get from Twitter to lipstick? Fuck it. I haven’t written this much in ages, so I’ll take it. I’m going to make lunch.

Do with this information what you will.

[juniordpsplayschool]

Importance of teaching gender roles to the children

What are gender roles?

Gender roles in society refer to how we’re expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and behave based on our sex. Girls and women, for example, are expected to dress in traditionally feminine styles and to be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. Men are typically thought to be strong, aggressive, and courageous.

Gender role expectations exist in every civilization, ethnic group, and culture, although they can vary greatly from one group to the next. They can also change over time in the same civilization. Pink, for example, was once thought to be a feminine color in the India, whereas blue was seen to be masculine.

Injuniordps we brief children about the gender roles and how these roles are becoming stereotype these days.

Let us understand what is stereotype?

Even if it’s unduly simplified and not necessarily correct, a stereotype is a widely accepted judgement or bias about a person or group. Gender stereotypes can lead to uneven and unfair treatment based on a person’s gender. This is known as sexism.

Examples of gender stereotype -

The following are some of the most common gender stereotypes for women:

1-Pink is a popular colour among females.

2-Women are expected to be courteous, accommodating, and caring.

3-Women should not be overly assertive, vocal, or intelligent.

4-Women are in charge of housekeeping and childcare.

5-Women should educate and care for their children in every manner possible.

6-Women should not be allowed to work. Women’s advancement in the workplace should not be a priority.

7-Women aren’t particularly good scientists.

Men are likewise frequently pressured to conform to gender roles:

1-Boys enjoy racing automobiles.

2-Strong, assertive, and daring men are desirable.

3-Men are guardians and providers.

4-Only men should be concerned with advanced professional degrees.

5-Men are not required to help with kids or housework.

We break these stereotypes by teaching and giving examples to our children that’s why we are best preschool franchise in India.

As we have seen that nowadays gender stereotypes are becoming more and more particularly focused on women only.

To understand this, we at the best play school in India teaches the role of a women in the society-

Women are the nation’s forerunners. Women, who make up half of the world’s population, are highly valued in Indian culture. According to a UN survey, women account for half of all human resources, making them the second most valuable human resource behind men with high potential.

1-Women’s Role as Educators

Only the mother of the household has been observed to encourage her children to attend and stay in school. As a result, women’s contributions are at the forefront of the reforms that contribute to the family and community’s long-term viability.

2-Women’s Contribution as Global Volunteers

Global Volunteers’ community development work increases the capacity, health, and development of women and children around the world. Volunteers assist in ensuring academic accessibility, parental involvement, psychosocial support, nutrition, and health education, providing scholarships, constructing schools, tutoring literacy and numeracy, and more under the leadership of local authorities. The role of women in society has supported the stability and long-term growth of nations throughout history. Women account for 43 percent of global agricultural labor, and 70 percent in other nations.

Now being a best preschool in India it is our duty that we let our children to know how we can break these stereotypes and fight against them-

Gender prejudices are probably all around you. You may have also witnessed or experienced sexism, or gender prejudice. There are ways to challenge preconceptions and make everyone feel equal and appreciated as a person, regardless of gender or gender identity.

1-Mention it: Negative gender stereotypes abound in magazines, television, movies, and the Internet. People don’t always notice stereotypes unless they’re pointed out to them. You can be that person! Discuss the preconceptions you’ve noticed with your friends and family, and educate people on how sexism and gender stereotypes may be harmful.

2-Be a role model for your friends and family by living an example. People should be respected regardless of their gender identity. Create a comfortable environment for people to express themselves and their genuine qualities, regardless of gender stereotypes and expectations in society.

3-Speak up if you see someone making sexist jokes or comments, whether online or in person.

4-Consider whether you’ll be safe doing something that isn’t generally associated with your gender before attempting it. Give it a shot if you believe you’ll enjoy it. Your example will inspire others.

We at juniordps gives our children a sense of strength and tell them they are not alone if they have been battling with gender or gender identity and expectations. Talking to a trustworthy parent, friend, family member, teacher, or counsellor may be beneficial.

And at the end we prove that juniordps is the best preschool in India for a reason .

[yanderemommabean]

anon submission

from the clown (can i be 💉 bean?) that thirsted over dr lee soft domming his emotionally constipated s/o ! it’s mediocre porn ! this formatting is probably apeshit sorry yall

the s/i has a pussy nd i use traditionally feminine terms for their anatomy, but they/them is used exclusively, and no gendered terms of endearment are used ! it was SO hard to not use “good boy” as a trans man with a praise kink lmfao

  lee’s hand rubs their clothed thigh, and upon looking up from their lap they find that he’d gotten much closer, his unoccupied hand coming to rest on the sheets next to them, and his eyes filled with nothing but the adoration they still weren’t used to him so blatantly expressing.

“I just want you to feel good, my dear”

the hand on their thigh stops rubbing, shifting to tap at their groin, the lynchpin of this entire conversation.

“may i?”

eyes hazy with tears they’ve only now allowed themself to shed—can’t cry, makes you vulnerable, easy to hurt—they nod silently.

lee sighs, looking impossibly more lovestruck as he moves past them to sit at the head of the bed, before motioning them to join him.

unsure, with emotions still running high, they move to sit between his legs, before stopping, standing on the precipice of uncharted territory. they’ve always taken loving, attentive care of lee, letting him fall to pieces in their hands, trusting them to hold his heart gently.

what do they do now?

they don’t have to ponder for long, because lee pulls his legs up, crosses his calves, and motions to his lap.

“come, sit. I want to touch you.”

they nod again, lost for what else to do, and obey, sitting sideways in his lap and grasping fistfuls of his shirt, leaning into his shoulder.

he kisses their head, resting his cheek in their hair, as one arm comes to rest around their waist and the other begins working at their pants buttons.

“oh, i can’t wait. i’ve wanted this for so long, you can’t even know.”

they jolt with an aborted half-whine as he finally pulls their underwear down their hips and presses his thumb to their clit, and bury their face in his shoulder when he begins rubbing in firm circles.

their legs are already shaking. embarrassing.

“oh, darling. i love you so much.”

the thumb on their clit doesn’t let up as his other hand begins its way up their shirt, their muscles jumping as he runs his fingers up their abdomen. lee can’t help but let out a triumphant “there we are.” at the way they jump as he pinches at a pert nipple.

they grab at the back of his shirt, hiding their face further as they shake apart from the lightest of touches. weak, weak, weak, they immediately try to think, but more rambling affirmations cut those thoughts down before they can even fully form.

“you’re so lovely,” another kiss to their crown. “i can’t believe i let you worry for so long!” a tug to their nipple, firm and eliciting a muffled sob. “thank you for letting me do this for you,” his index and middle fingers spreading their labia, exposing their slicked core to the chill air. “it makes me so happy to make you feel good.”

it’s all so much, and by the time he actually sinks two fingers into them, they’re crying into his shoulder, legs twitching as he fucks them slowly, with a focused intent that, were they coherent, they’d be flustered to see directed at such a task as getting them off.

“there we are. so warm and wet and lovely. god i love you, i’d do anything for you, anything to make you feel this good all the time.”

watching them moan into his shirt, drooling on his nice slacks, lee couldn’t ask for more! one can’t blame him if he lets his pace, originally slow and controlled, get away from him!

and they wail, so loud and free and beautiful, when he fits a third finger into them and drives all three into their pussy repeatedly. he’s so focused on the point where his fingers disappear into them, that at first he fails to notice their readily approaching peak, but when they shriek and their cunt gushes around his digits, he can’t help but let his smile, soft and loving before, grow into a grin.

“oh, darling. that was perfect.”

they begin removing themself from him, releasing their stranglehold his shirt, and relaxing their legs from where their thighs had clamped down on his hand, only for said hand to begin moving again.

now, lee wasn’t upset with them being plastered onto his front before, not at all! but now that they aren’t, he can’t resist dipping his head down to suck a mark into their throat as they whine, their newly freed hands shaking.

“dear, you didn’t expect me to stop so soon, did you? after neglecting you for so long?

“we have all night, don’t we?”

{Very well done bean! I love this, and how you portrayed Lee! -Mommabean}

[centeris2]

(belated) impressions, thoughts, ideas, etc about the Dark Riders + their redesigns. Under the cut because I'm sure it'll be long af. Now I wanna talk about how I’d redesign the soul riders but that’ll be another post

tl;dr - Basically I have an icky vibe, not because of any single design but because collectively, compared to the soul riders, they are more diverse. Which gets into vaguely icky "gender non conforming/not being Pretty Obvious Ladies is a Villain Trait." I doubt it was intentional but it is a shame that the soul riders are all basically, well, gender conforming and traditionally pretty. Their body type differences are extremely minute to me, I could only see the differences when looking at their nude models. But the dark riders are all radically different in body shape and color. Hell even Katja, the 'white' one of the group, falls more into the albino category, which is isn't great given albino characters are generally villains. It's a shame that the Soul Riders didn't get the variety in body type and gender presentation, at least they get points for making Lisa visibly hispanic (even though her mother had a canon appearance and I miss her spiky bright red hair rip). It seems like it accidentally reinforces the terfy "(traditional and proper) Girls Only Power!" feeling that SSO is developing. Only girls can be the heroes, if you are gender non conforming or don't fit into the acceptable Pretty Girl mold you're a villain.

Sabine

First impression: Wait why does she look like XCX Charli, whose music gives me Sabine vibes (especially Vroom Vroom. I can not explain it). I imagined she could straighten her hair or leave it super curly. This has to be a look that she'd pick after pretending to be a high school student, not before, especially with the face scars. Why any scars when you can choose your physical appearance? When you literally imagine and shape the body you are walking around in (and it isn't your true physical one) would you have any true scars? So it's just cosmetic to look scary then. Aight. Why is she giving me Native American vibes. Skin + cheek bones + super straight black hair in a braid(?) or impressively held together ponytail I guess? Can she ride a motorcycle may as well go all out. She should absolutely have a motorcycle. I appreciate the muscles and height, just wish one of the soul riders had a similar build. Why not Alex? Alex could be tall and buff.

Jessica

First impression: tf. what does SSO have against highly feminine characters? first Anne now Jessica? Also hold on Jessica looks like one of Garnok's human forms what. That's. SSO how do you keep reading my mind and using it in strange ways???

For real though, first Anne is rewritten so she doesn't like being a model or her appearance and she's super smart, and now Dark Princess Jessica is switched into nonbinary(?)/androgynous(?) territory? Sabine feels like a better option for going androgynous/masculine. Or Chiyo! They literally have a blank slate for a fourth dark rider! Instead it just seems like SSO is just another "Girl Power! But not that type of girl power!" as if enjoying make up or being highly feminine or focusing on your appearance automatically makes you a bad woman. Like I get them not wanting Anne to be a snobby bitch (though she wasn't one by the end of the Starshine Legacy games anyway since she made friends. growth!) but they could have left her wanting to be a model and make a career out of fashion/her appearance. I'm getting off topic. Kinda. Feel like it's the same deal with Jessica, can't have a female character that is a princess (think of how many movies, including recent disney movies, scoffing at princesses, with the female protagonists insisting no of course they aren't some weak, useless princess!). Literally just let Jessica still be super feminine, she was the only one established to be super feminine with the Princess thing. Like yeah sure I can come up with stuff in my fics for why Jessica has a Jay phase but that's not gonna be a thing in SSO. Let's experiment with gender, but only when it's a villain >.< (I'm not counting Concorde because as soon as characters find out Concorde was born a filly it's all She/Her pronouns. Shame Concorde can't talk yet and tell everyone hell nah I'm a Stallion.)

I didn't expect Regicide to be her official horse's name but I'm still sad about it. But that's what fanfiction is for! He'll always be Regicide in my heart.

Katja

First impression: we've been seeing this exact same teaser art for years there are no surprises here. Guess she's not pretending to be a model anymore, or she's a somehow younger looking model. Idk how she looked older in the Starshine Legacy games but she did. Wish all the dark riders had musical instruments with them, be funny if my Dark Chord headcanons were accurate, at least in them all having some musical skill. I guess Stalker wasn't a Kid Friendly enough name, what a shame.

Chiyo

First impression: what happened to Elise? We literally only had her name? Okay whatever SSO guess we have Madison's evil twin now. Of course the Asian coded character has purple hair, but the others all have natural hair colors. Give Jessica a streak of green so Chiyo isn't the only one with unnaturally colored hair won't ya? And why is she presenting as a child is she trying to not get taken seriously? Adults are just gonna try to put her into school. Whatever as far as my fics and headcanons are concerned EliseChiyo doesn't exist. Or at least not as a general. Is her causing discord in the group just because she's a literal child that 3 immortal generals have to work with for some ungodly reason? I'd be pissed too if one of my coworkers was a 10 year old with a hobby horse pretending to be a leader. Is that how generals and advisors felt when a child would take the throne in a country?

The real question is will SSO change "Elise" to "Chiyo" in quests, or will they forget.

[baited-beth]

I've just had thoughts about gender nonconformity and why it's become possibly less socially acceptable in recent years? I'm hypothesising so bear with me.

Recently I cut my hair short, which I've always wanted to do. My mum's friend commented that I was nice to see because women my age all seem to want to conform with long straight 'girlish' hairstyles. And I realised she's right...

There is a style that my generation of women, at least in my corner of the world, aspires to. The best description I can think of is sleek and delicate. Long straight hair, doe eye make up, everything kind of nipping smoothly at the waist and muted tones. Basically the Kate Middleton look. Ultimately it's both conformity and a look that sort of allows you to blend into the background.

I think this started when I was at school - I straightened my hair daily until I was about 15, but others continued. 5 years ago I went out with work friends and one was desperate to straighten my hair for me and looking back I don't know why. All it did was make me look just like everyone else, which is boring. I also know that my friend, at 28, is still straightening her naturally curly hair every single day.

I appreciate I'm focusing on the hair, but I feel like it feeds into the whole. The hair is the first part, then all the other bits follow. All of it adds up to a delicate feminine look that doesn't really challenge anyone. You can just blend in and be accepted.

So you get girls growing up and feeling a need to conform, but being unable or uncomfortable to meet the ideal woman requirements because they aren't naturally delicate, their style is more colourful etc. They're more likely to struggle if they're also not naturally very GNC, but it's not a requirement. So they start disassociating from being a woman. Suddenly it's okay to not look like the ideal girl or woman because you're not a girl - you're non binary or trans. You can cut your hair short, or stop straightening it, because again, you're not a girl so you don't need to conform to the ideal type. You can wear bright colours and wacky prints because you're not a girl and so you're allowed to stand out.

So that's kind of by thought ramble on the topic. There's definitely other people who've said it better and there's probably more I could say but I'm hungry so I'm leaving it.

[cherub-cafe]

ayup, sent an ask a few weeks ago as "canon Tommy fictive" for a cottagecore self care kit (thx for that btw ^^)b), but ive recently come out as transfem (Clementine!! 's a pretty name i think) and was wondering if i could get some headcanons for coming out to others (like. the members of lmanburg) if that's cool? thanks ( • •)b

i remember u !! congrats on coming out, i’m so happy for you! clementine is a lovely name :)

some of these r a bit short but i wanted to include the characters that all came to mind ^_^ if there’s any others u want me to add i’m happy to

niki :

niki is the first person you tell

she offered to braid your hair as it’s grown out a lot since exile

while she plaited your hair, you accidentally let it slip after making some offhanded comment about feeling feminine

she was happy to provide advice to you on coming out to others and feeling comfortable with yourself however

tubbo :

your best friend ! he couldn’t be anything other than supportive!!

he’s so incredibly excited for you and insists on announcing it to all of l’manburg

of course even you have limits and talk him out of it

and he’s only slightly jealous he wasn’t the first person to find out

but he loves you as you are anyways!

ranboo :

it’s no surprise tubbo couldn’t stay quiet for too long

as the next time the three of you hung out together, tubbo was sending you glances and nudges the whole time

you were hesitant and tubbo was sick of it

he finally blurts it out and gets a swift (but delicate) smack to the head and a lecture from you

ranboo is unphased as he doesn’t quite understand gender anyways

it takes a lot of explaining and he still doesn’t understand everything, but he has a better idea of what you’re feeling

and he is excited to call you clementine and correctly refer to you!

wilbur :

he’s very surprised at first

but understanding nonetheless!

he has a lot of questions and is very focused on getting everything correct

sometimes he slips up and freaks out, frantically apologizing

you aren’t upset typically but you like to make a game out of antagonizing wilbur about it ;)

jokes about him being a transphobe or hating women are some of your favorites

wilbur DESPISES these jokes yet never picks up on them until you start cackling at his desperate apologies

fundy :

fundy surprises you when he tells you he’s also trans!

he transitioned much earlier than you did, but you’re both excited to have each other to talk to :D

wilbur tends to eavesdrop on a lot of your conversations with each other to learn more

other current members i thought were kind of funny to add :3

purpled : “ok and? i use it/it’s pronouns + swag + based + ratio”

ponk : soo excited to have another trans person but just wants to know why you’re in their house

karl : literally so pumped. he makes u pronoun and flag patches that you sew onto your clothes :)

[quitealotofsodapop]

MvA assorted headcanons

General:

So many years together has made the core monsters inseperable. If something affects one member, it affects the group.

All. The. Monsters. Are. Family.

It takes Susan a while to understand inside jokes and past incidents because of being the most recent addition.

There are Other anomalous creatures kept in Area 5X, but they are either non-sentient and/or are too dangerous to be kept around the more human-friendly monster group.

Area 5X is so gotdang big because they were expecting a lot more kaijus like Insecto to crop up. Sadly not many have surfaced to justify the space.

There’s a hangar in Area 5X full of wrecked UFOs. Some are spacecraft wreckage while others are stuff like weird meteors (Susan’s is in there), and at least one alien creature that got crystallised upon entering Earth’s atmosphere.

There’s significant difference in staff employed at different points throughout the past 50 years. There are far more women on the Area 5X worksheet than back in the 50s, and the guards are generally more sympathetic towards the monsters. Many modern staff members have been reprimanded or let go for failing to uphold secrecy, or for unnecessary cruelty towards the monsters.

Budget cuts were a legitmate concern up until the Battle of Golden Gate Bridge. The facility was far more barebones and sterile before the government had to formally recognise Area 5X’s importance. There have been a lot of redecorating at the facilty since the fat checks started coming in.

Putting individual characters under read due to length.

Susan:

Enjoys many hobbies considered stereotypically feminine; baking, sewing, cosmetics, etc...

Grandparents and extended family are farmers or are atleast connected to the business. Modesto is the agricultural centre of California after all. Her parents were the first of their generation to go against the mold and seek out white-collar careers.

Studied cosmetology in school and was working at a beauty salon to save up for her and Derek’s wedding.

Is very athletic and grew up doing a number of physical extracurriculars like cheerleading, dodgeball, and roller-derby.

Grew up being teased for being the shortest kid in her class/family. They still tease her for it.

Greatly fears causing collateral damage and/or harm to others through her size.

Has issues with anxiety, worsened only by her new job as “savior of earth”. She wishes for a confidant to tell her worries to.

Married life with Derek was doomed to fail. Susan had a plan in place for what came after the marriage, and focusing 100% on Derek’s career was not it. There’s also the line from Derek’s mother about Susan being “the weatherman’s wife”, implying that she was to be the homemaker and not have a career of her own. It’s possible that Susan was planning to settle down and have kids with Derek, but the lack of control she had in moving to Fresno implied that more was going on.

Is currently “taking a break” from love and dating, despite gaining many new admirers.

Tries her best to return to Modesto to visit her family and friends whenever possible, though work often keeps her away for weeks at a time.

If she retains her height-shifting abilities as in the series; Susan goes through really bad “growing” pains.

Link:

Was frozen in his relative late-teens during a cold snap. Got shifted around until he ended up somewhere in Greenland before being discovered by modern humans. Post-thaw he went a bit wild, swimming frantically back south to try and find his old enviroment.

Was one of many scrappy youngsters in his troop, with a number of adoptive parents. The strongest ruled the troop, and Link was fairly weak in comparision to the leaders. He had gotten into a fight the day of his freezing (over something silly in hindsight) and swam away to sulk. When he didn’t return after the cold snap - the troop accepted that he had likely died out on his own.

Likes to freak out humans by making up weird biology facts about his species and ones he’s fought against - like joking about laying eggs or having his tail dettach and regrow like a lizard. However there’s some things he has to ask about, because he doesn’t have medical knowledge or words to describe something.

A lot of his macho behavior came from imitating the guards who kept watch on him. 1950s violent military alpha males aren't a very good role model for someone who doesnt know what societal norms are yet. Link was a lot more insufferable back in the day but chilled out as he began interacting with other walks of life.

Has a high paternal instinct and immediately becomes softer around kids and smaller animals.

Has body language similar to a cat/alligator. Slaps his tail when angry or in deep thought. And yes; Link purrs/rumbles when happy.

Loves monster movies - especially the ones where the monsters “win”. He cried when he saw “Beauty and the Beast” and then immediately booed loudly when the Beast turned human.

Does Not Trust doctors or scientists due to bad past experiences. Will only go to Dr Cockroach and Monger if he ever gets hurt/ill. Gets stressed fast if he has to be in a waiting room or doctors office.

Link had no idea what gender indentities or orientations were until recently - he did come from a pre-human civilization that really didnt mind/care about the schemantics. It took him some time to wrap his head around it. He identifies himself as bisexual after much thought and many hours alone on the computer.

Don't press him about his body. He's built different from humans and cis people. He will punch anyone who doesnt respect his or anyone elses identity.

Has been in love before. It didn’t end well.

Will occasionally wear clothes, but finds it a challenge to find anything that fits him. Will give any shoes he finds to Dr Cockroach and BOB to eat.

The best driver/pilot out of all the monsters.

Dr Cockroach:

True name is Jaques-Yves Herbert. Prefers to just go by "Dr Cockroach" because he dislikes the association with his birth family.

Picks up human languages very easily, although not as quickly as he can understand animals.

Parents were a mixed scientist couple. His father was an aggressive “Strong British Man” that would beat him son down for not following orders or for not meeting his standards for a man. Dr C turned down both chances to attend his parents funerals.

This man isn’t straight. He probably uses old-fashioned slang when asked about romance such as; “I am Uranian” or “I wear a green carnation”. It took Susan a few times to realise what he meant, as she is used to a more open minded enviroment.

Got the idea of transforming into a cockroach from reading Franz Kafkas “The Metamorphosis” as a child. He sympathized with Gregor’s abusive situation, and began considering the possibilties of how one could survive better as a creature like a cockroach.

Studied in biology and entomology in the Uk before moving to the states to follow engineering. Obtained his degree in Dance as a “side gig” in University.

Has been barred from free access to the coffee maker/machine due to overnighters. Once stayed awake so long that he forgot the letter “R”.

Owned a terrarium of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches throughout college. He mourned each of them when his roommate’s iguana got into the tank.

Was a "beatnik" back in the day and still kinda is. Embraces and encourages modern counterculture as he himself was not given such acceptance in his youth. He has however shamefully eaten his old Lenny Bruce album.

Hasn’t actually aged physically since his transformation. He attributes this to the fact that certain athropods can’t age physically beyond maturity. Link is very jealous.

Has obtained more degrees while in captivity, as Monger allowed him access to research and learning materials. He has however had his allowances revoked for previous escape attempts/doomsday devices.

Does still enjoy human food, but the cockroach instinct of "eat detritus" tends to overrule his eating choices. Can’t cook either.

Ironically a terrible driver. The damages from previous drives has made Monger restrict him from operating even a razor scooter.

BOB:

Pretty much considers himself human. Was created by them, raised by one (Monger), and talks like one. Gets sad when he's reminded that no other humans are blue blobs like him.

Absorbed some dna from the scientists present at his "birth", leading to his eye, speech, and omnivorous diet.

Doesnt actually need to breathe (as he can just absorb oxygen through his mass) but the fact that humans Do means that BOB thinks he has to as well.

Shares some physical characteristics with tomatoes/nightshade plants, as he is technically half tomato. He refuses to eat tomatos for this very reason, considering it cannibalism.

Attracts garden pests looking for a tomato plant. This unwittingly makes BOB a pretty good bug zapper.

Still retains his "mental broadcast" ability from "BOB's Big Break" although at a more subtle level. He tends to parrot the things he accidentally "eavesdropped" on.

Is empathetic, and can tell when others aren't doing ok emotionally. Will flop down on someone who’s really sad to comfort them. No brain, only heart.

Best cook out of the monsters. If he doesn’t forget what he’s making at least.

"Whats a gender? Can I eat it?"

Insectosaurus:

Core body is that of a Japanese Silkmoth, although she ended up being spliced with other animals present on the island during her initial mutation; namely ants and ground squirrels.

Eats over a literal ton of mulberry leaves per day. Also enjoys oranges.

Secretly wishes to be more humanoid.

Was only able to pupate and transform due to physical trauma. It seems that her transformation was like a “power-up” that required her to be in geniune distress for it to activate.

First language is Japanese. She learned it from the intial recovery team, and later developed an understanding of English from years in Area 5X.

Goes into torpor in cold weather. Pretty much impossible to wake her up for missions during Winter, as she needs to “rev up” before becoming mobile.

Still very much Link’s best friend. Still enjoys sports, chicks, and beer.

Monger:

Full name is; Warren Rex Monger.

Is very protective of the monsters and will defend them to the death.

Pretty much raised BOB (as seen when BOB was a baby blob in “Night of the Living Carrots”), and considers him his “freaky gelatinous son”.

Has a reputation of being a “control-freak” due to his aggressive overseeing of the monsters’ containment. This toughness is partly because of incidents that occured without his knowledge. Lets just say some scientists have been wedgied/fired for running experiments on the monsters without Monger’s approval.

Has a very “Ron Swanson” emotional response and view of the world. Crying is acceptable only at funerals and at the Grand Canyon (if he hadn’t lost his tear ducts in the war).

Has been married multiple times. Will not confirm or deny if he is currently seeing anyone.

Invisible Man/TiM:

Legit got out but no one at Area 5X is sure how. He suffered a geniune medical emergency and disappeared after surgery. The other monsters were informed that he died from complications to deter them from getting escape ideas.

Is able to be detected in Infrared light. Dr Cockroach managed to rig up goggles to view TiM in case of injury and to foil pranks.

Was a scientist working on an invisibility potion for the military and used himself as a guinea pig. Hasn’t actually been able to replicate his results since - thinks the effect may have been caused by a genetic abnormality.

Dr Cockroach and him are massive rivals. Both actually met eachother pre-transformation through a CalTech expedition. This makes the pair one of few people that have seen the others human face.

Is 100% naked. Was forced to wear clothing once this was discovered.

A massive prankster and a cynic. Him and Link were a force to be reckoned with.

Has revisted the facility multiple times and has started a number of ghost stories.

Any additions are welcome! I proably have alot more to dump about. Might make one of the alien characters from the series

[potteresque-ire]

More ask answer about Word of Honour (山河令, WoH) and the so-called “Dangai 101 phenomenon” under the cut ~ with all the M/M relationships shown on screen, does it mean improved acceptance / safety for the c-queer community?

Due to its length (sorry!), I’ve divided the answer into 3 parts: 1) Background 2) Excerpts from the op-eds 3) Thoughts This post is PART 3 💚. As usual, please consider the opinions expressed as your local friendly fandomer sharing what they’ve learned, and should, in no ways, be viewed as necessarily true. :)

(TW: homophobic, hateful speech quoted)

Here are the key points I’ve picked up from these op-eds:

* The state believes Danmei can turn young people queer. * The state also believes Dangai dramas can turn young men “feminine” to suit the taste of Dangai’s young, largely female audience. * The state views queerness in both sexes, and androgynous beauty in men as negative traits. * The state is wary of Danmei and Dangai’s popularity and wishes to contain them as subcultures. * The state is particularly annoyed by how the Dangai dramas have achieved their popularity with CP-focused promotions and marketing tactics, in which the actors are involved and blur the line between fictional and real-life suggestions of queerness.

What do I think of, concerning the acceptance and/or safety of … everything, with the above opinions given by the state media about Dangai?

* For c-queers, I don’t think things are different from before—these op-eds didn’t change the big picture for me. The op-eds taking traditional BL characterisation for Dangai / Danmei means the state’s intended focus of the genres is not its queerness; this is not unexpected, as the established review system is supposed to have removed the show’s queer elements, and to characterise those elements as queer would be a critique against the NRTA.

 While unpleasant, the veiled, antagonistic view towards non-traditional gender expressions and homosexuality isn’t new: the state has long believed popular culture can turn its young male audience “feminine”; the NRTA directive that bans homosexual content from visual media already makes clear its stance that homosexuality is, while not criminal, something that is Not Good in its eyes.

A (very) good thing that can be said, I think, is that none of the op-eds explicitly disapprove of the queer elements, the things that got away from being censored—of which there were, arguably, many in WoH. While Article O2a noted such “playing edge ball” (note the articles use this term to avoid mentioning “queer”), the comment right after was neutral / positive (“provide their audience with room for imagination”). Article O3, meanwhile, acknowledged that Dangai can be imitated by introducing suggestive atmosphere between male characters in their plot layout, thereby admitting that suggestive atmosphere between male characters in their plot layout is a defining trait of Dangai—and it didn’t say anything bad about it; the criticism was only for non-Dangai playacting Dangai.

This signals, to me at least, that Dangai can continue to be the cover for queer relationships to reach its audience for now — which is, perhaps, the best case scenario for continued queer representation on TV, given the current sociopolitical climate.

* For Danmei / Dangai, I’d also venture to say the genres are safe. Upcoming Dangais may need to undergo stricter / further reviews (if the rumours surrounding Immortality 皓衣行 are to be believed), and whether they can still achieve explosive popularity after such reviews remains a question; the genres themselves, however, will likely survive. 

Article O1 was a very positive, very enthusiastic review of WoH; its determined focus on the show’s aesthetics (as TU’s review) signals to me that the state approved of the genre’s take on aesthetics—which, again, also includes the aesthetics of a world cleansed of its real problems, which also aligns with the NRTA’s directive on TV / web dramas to focus on the positives of life in the country (Previously translated in this post: D12: … They [Pie note: the dramas] cannot place too strong an emphasis on social conflicts, must showcase the beautiful lives of the commoners.). Article O2b was very critical at places, but actually tried to sever Danmei  / Dangai from its major complaint, argued that the attention-grabbing gimmicks path was taken * instead of * aspiring to positively, proactively guide and display Danmei culture, therefore positioning Danmei on the “good side”.  While Danmei was named a (bad) influence for potentially turning youths queer (and predator, by the cartoon) in Article O2a, no mention was made of eliminating the genre both in the same Article or its editorial (Article O2b). The focus was placed, instead, on the subculture’s “containment”, and how it has been broken for “Rot Culture” to reach mainstream. The implied solution to Danmei’s “bad influence”, therefore, was to re-contain rather than eliminate.

[Logically, of course, this makes little sense. Blaming Danmei on turning youths queer is already confusing correlation and causation—youths may be drawn to Danmei because they are queer, rather than Danmei turning them queer. Re-containment, meanwhile, suggests that the state, which isn’t a fan of gays, is okay with Danmei turning kids gay… as long as there aren’t a lot of kids.

However, I’m hoping to tease out what the state may do, not whether the state is logically sound.]

Article O3 had the harshest wording on Danmei—“the canon and the Rot Culture behind it still hides large amounts of pornographic, violent content…”; “this vulgar custom of “playing edge ball” as a means to tempt, to lead the audience into indulging in fantasies [Pie note: sexual fantasies implied by the idiom 想入非非] have spread from visual media production…” . Still, no word on axing the genre, only containment.

* For CP culture, specifically, actor-character based CPs that are promoted with the dramas: while I don’t see it on the chopping board yet, these op-eds are, I believe, warnings for those in charge of the promotion and marketing of the upcoming Dangai dramas to tread carefully. I find the reach of these warnings difficult to predict still, because these warnings can be genuine—as in, the government truly believes the CP-focused promotion and marketing tactics are morally objectionable—or they can be more for show, in that the true reason behind the warnings is that CP-focused promotions, which also put a heavy focus on in-drama candies, make the NRTA / censorship board look like a joke and the government had to put up some objections to save face. 

In all cases, companies will likely need to talk to the government to nail down its stance. Whether to heed the warnings afterwards, tone down or eliminate the CP-focused promotions will require a thorough risk-benefit analysis. After all, CP culture appears to sits at the heart of the money-making machinery of Dangai dramas. The expenditure of fans is mainly to support their favourite actors and see their interactions, and money is, ultimately, what Dangai 101 is about.

Finally, for the sake of completion ~ how likely did these op-eds reflect the actual opinions of the state? Here are the sources of the articles:

Article O1: 上觀新聞, which is under Liberation Daily 解放日報,  the official daily newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Article O2: 半月談 Banyue Tan, a state-controlled biweekly magazine published by the Xinhua News Agency, the official state-run press agency of China.

Article O3: 光明日報 Enlightenment Daily, a newspaper associated with Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央機關報).

None of them are of the calibre of People’s Daily (official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party). However, they’re all very well-respected state-sponsored sources. Banyue Tan does require an asterisk  ~ while affiliated with the Xinhua News Agency, the massive influence of which has earned it its nickname “the world's biggest propaganda agency”, Banyue Tan‘s authority on this particular issue of Danmei/Dangai has been somewhat undermined by a … strange (?) trivia to end this super long piece: the magazine has also been caught in the controversy surrounding 227. Due to its pro-TU, pro-Gg stance, antis have insisted there are Gg fans within its writer’s ranks, who have used the state-sponsored publication for their private, support-Gg purposes. To this day, the argument is ongoing—with the criticism of Danmei in Article O2 sparking another round of “discussion” due to its previous approval of TU—and the lead anti is a well-known international politics professor and CCP (Chinese Communist Party) mouthpiece named Shen Yi (沈逸), whose claim to fame was the US government cancelling his visa and denying him entry due to suspected espionage …

[Banyue Tan was not the only state-sponsored publication caught in 227′s cross-fire. This is one of the reasons why some political watchers have suspected 227 to have a political component, that some form of political power struggle was happening in the post-227 chaos and disguised as the fan war.

While the truth may never be revealed, one thing is for certain ~ fan wars are about the worst things fans can do for their favourite idols, by lending space for such veiled conflicts to happen, by lending the names of their idols / their idols’ fans to the actually warring parties who may not wish to reveal who they are.]

[Okay okay, I will shut up now :) ].

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 <-- YOU ARE HERE

[valley0fstorms]

The Vil Essay(tm)

Vil Schoenheit, the dorm leader of Pomefiore and a 3rd year at Night Raven College. He is a character that people seem to mischaracterize often, which is a shame. People like to write him off as narcissistic and vain and that’s about it, but these people miss every other aspect about him and only focus on the parts openly apparent due to his association with Snow White’s Evil Queen. He is such an interesting character, and it is a shame people dumb him down to his want to be beautiful as his only personality. 

Throughout the 19 character stories he appears in (at the time of writing this), he is shown to be a much deeper and thoughtful character than some people make him out to be. Out of the 57 notes made from every story he appears in, Vil has only shown the stereotypical nature that fanon has given him in 9 of them. So yes, while the traits are there, they are simply a small part of a greater, more complex personality. 

His strictness and attention to his appearance aren’t out of narcissism though, he is in no way narcissistic. The definition of a Narcissist is, according to Merriam-Webster definition A of Entry 1, “an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance,” and yeah, if you take Vil at face value, you could assume this is true of him, but if you look more into him and read the stories he appears in, you would quickly see that this is not the case. Another thing is that Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), according to Oxford, is “a personality disorder characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for other people.” That last part, “lack of empathy,” is a big thing, as it is seen that Vil does have empathy. He knows that he is strict, and he knows that the routines that he makes the students of Pomefiore go through can be hard and stressful for them, and he understands that not everyone can keep up with it, which is why he looks for effort overall. If the students he looks after put at least some effort into trying to keep up with the skin and hair routines Vil puts in place, he will be happy. 

Moving on from that, it is seen that Vil is rather observant. For example: In his lab SR story, he is able to tell the slight difference in the color of the potion he and Rook were trying to create, and in Jamil’s Fairy Gala SR story, it is seen that he can accurately pick out the issues in 3 separate people that he was coaching at the same time, telling Leona, Kalim, and Jamil the flaws in their practice. To elaborate on this, he was able to tell Leona wasn’t motivated just by watching him practice, he noticed all of Kalim’s mistakes in his dancing, and how Jamil’s dancing fails in being able to captivate an audience. He watched the 3 of them practice at the exact same time and picked all of these out, informing them of their shortcomings. 

Now, for the idea that Vil is self-centered and doesn’t care about anyone but himself… There is much evidence that shows this is not the case. One of the biggest is the entirety of his Ceremonial Robe SR story. The story is focused on him and Jack for the most part, to the point he makes a cameo in the Groovy art for the card.

If you haven’t read the story, the basic summary of it is this: At the Entrance Ceremony at the start of the school year, Jack, a 1st year, sees Vil in the crowd and calls out to him. Vil responds, remembering Jack from their home is the Land of Pyroxene. He comments that Jack was one of the few people who weren’t prejudiced against Vil because of his choice of career and expression, and they spoke for a while, Vil noticing that Jack’s robes were messy but deciding to not comment on it. Later they ran into each other once more. Jack makes an offhand comment about how his ears make the robe’s hood uncomfortable, and Vil questions him on it, commenting on how the entire Robe was put on sloppily, making Jack let him fix the uniform for him so that he wears it correctly, commenting on how Jack’s build and how he should wear the robes for it to be most comfortable all while looking nice, giving him a small lesson about how the Ceremonial Robes are the most formal uniform they have.

With this story in mind, it is clear that Vil cares quite a bit for the appearance of others, and not just himself. And if his entire Robe story wasn’t enough, Leona’s uniform R card story also shows this, where Vil comments on how one or two of Leona’s buttons are loose, though he doesn’t fix it for him, given that Leona is a 20-year-old man who should know how to fix a button, until Leona annoys him enough that he just does it for him. Vil will take note of other people’s appearances, telling them the issue with their appearance and possibly how to fix it, though he has no intention of fixing it himself most of the time. And how could I forget Vil’s strict beauty regimen that he wants his entire dorm to do? He says it is in place simply to keep up Pomefiore’s beautiful image, but in reality, he wants his dorm members to become better. One of Pomefiore’s biggest things is becoming comfortable in your own body, which is, in all honesty, probably why Epel, the small, feminine-looking boy who wants to become physically strong and more like Jack, was placed there. 

And speaking of Epel, one of the reasons people seem to dislike Vil is his treatment of Epel in Epel’s robe SR story, where Vil almost crushes Epel’s head in his hand and forces Epel into speaking “properly,” having good table manners and posture, and generally not letting him act like a “mud-covered potato” as Vil so lovingly referred to Epel. While yes, this behavior from Vil is a valid reason to dislike him, he has his reasons for this. Epel is considered to be extremely beautiful by nature, with his small frame and feminine appearance, and Vil knows this, which is exactly why he is so strict with Epel. Vil knows Epel hates his body for being small and frail, he knows Epel wants to be stronger, and while the way he is going about it certainly isn’t the best, Vil does want Epel to become comfortable with himself, and looking at the Ghost Marriage event, which is set after the Pomefiore chapter coming this September, it can be assumed that, during the events of Chapter 5, Vil does become laxer with how he treats Epel, given that he seems to ignore some remarks made by Epel towards him getting slapped by Eliza for not owning a large dog.

To go on a small tangent, speaking of Ghost Marriage (GM), In this event, we saw a new side to Vil, one probably coming out after he Overblots in chapter 5. He seems less forceful than he has been shown to be, especially with Epel, but for sake of not repeating information, let’s look at another detail; Vil’s use of personal pronouns. In Japanese, the terms used to refer to oneself are gendered, and Vil uses Atashi (あたし), which is a more feminine term, as opposed to using Boku (ぼく), which is generally more masculine, and for the first time in GM, we heard Vil use boku to refer to himself, specifically when he had to act like the perfect prince for Eliza, the ghost bride. Leona had specifically made a remark about Vil while he was in his act, basically saying that he knew Vil was uncomfortable referring to himself using such language and that he should stop, but for the sake of the act, he kept it up, until he got slapped that is. What can be taken from this is that Vil prefers to use feminine terms for himself, but over all he is still a man and refers to himself as such, even if he uses feminine personal pronouns

Vil is a character who is and does many things. Vil is strict. Vil is punctual. Vil critiques others. Vil points out their strengths and weaknesses. Vil helps others, in his own roundabout way. But above all, Vil cares about other people’s opinions. In most of the stories he appears in, he listens to what the person he is speaking to has to say, albeit with varying levels of patience depending on the person. He may seem forceful, yes, especially with how in Leona’s Gala SSR he ran to Savanaclaw and banged on Leona’s door demanding he came out after Leona ditched practice for the Fairy Gala, but as explained earlier, Vil has good intentions with this and he knows how Leona can get sometimes, and as such he knows that some force is needed, though there are times he can get too forceful and cause an issue. 

There are so many aspects about Vil that can be taken just from his personal stories, and the way people normally portray him is definitely there, but those traits are just a few of many that create Vil’s personality. As a character he is complex, and until Pomefiore’s chapter comes out, we cannot be sure as to his true motives for wanting to achieve true beauty, but even without that, we can still look at his character and make speculation. Before the release of Chapter 5 mid September, it should be said that, whatever happens and whatever Vil does in it is going to be him at his worst, as is the trend with the Overblots. It is perfectly fine to dislike him for his actions and criticize him for them, but ultimately he is just a character. Don’t berate someone just because he is their favorite, even if you yourself don’t like him; this can be said for any character in any series, not just Vil. 

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

To the anon I feel you. It’s the same with plus sized women. The public can try and act as inclusive as they want and while for some I do believe it’s genuine but I know a lot are gaslighting us to make us feel better. At the end of the day plus size women are still not the top pick or really even in ppls line of sight. Lots of guys would still pick a Lori over a lizzo. I guarantee some of these pro plus size ppl laugh at us behind our backs. I’ve seen and heard it before. I’ve been single for 26 yrs no boyfriend ever and the only guys who’ve approached me have been guys I wasn’t attracted to or guys who were not on the same life path as me. I asked a guy friend why men don’t approach me and told him to be honest. He said it was bc of my weight/looks and how dominant I was. I don’t give off natural feminine energy bc I’m a brown skin cubby girl who isn’t really girly and I’m very blunt. My reaction was to get mad at him for not sparing my feelings and telling me what I hoped I’d hear (basically that it’s them not me) but I asked for him to be honest. I can’t tell a man what a man thinks. Then I started to think about how my refusal to fall under traditional gender norms has also taken away the inherent desirability from men that comes with them. They see me as one of the guys or bc I can be quick to be defensive or short I can come across as an angry black women. (I’m guilty asf sometimes) I also use to think that unless it came from my own thoughts I don’t have to fix anything about myself internally or physically. Like somehow that’s not staying true to myself when really it was an excuse to not care and then get mad when those flaws were pointed out. I think as much as it sucks we have to accept society hasn’t and probably won’t within our lifetime grow to where it should be. We must love those who love us. Accept that there is always room for improvement in all facets. We aren’t always right. We won’t always have a Disney movie fairytale. We can have a fulfilling life if we stop focusing on the lack of what is and focus on the promises of what can be.

Very well said yes society won’t change and we have to love the people who genuinely love us for who we are. Also we have to stop comparing ourselves to the women out there because it’s doing nothing but damaging our minds. Focus on what you can be and stop tearing yourself down.