#unlike the mysoginy

[dustteller]

Not to get too literature major on the five other people in this fandom, but have you guys ever read Montaigne's On Friendship bc that's just Esen’s brain. That's what going on up there.

To paraphrase exactly what I mean, the argument of the essay, but it's Esen's version: Hey guys. Have u met my bestie, Ouyang? He's so cool and smart and talented. We share a friendship so deep and intimate that nothing can compare. Sure yeah u can fuck women but what is romantic yearning when compared to our friendship. Some people would call this brotherhood, but they're wrong, bc this is better. I want to talk to him and grow old with him and delight in his company for the rest of my life. Women could never. Imagine if they were capable of cultivating so deep a bond tho, then both our souls and bodies could be tied together. That'd be the ultimate form of friendship, but u can't have sex with a guy, that would be gay, and women can't love like this so they're out the window too.

He explains this to his brother once, who immediately goes that's kinda gay and he immediately goes "no its not u just don't know the epic highs and lows of having the ultimate homie relationship. That's so sad for u, I hope you one day find hapiness like this. Ouyang is my bestie <3 (i desire him carnally but thats just bc hes pretty u know how it is).

I just think Wang Baoxiang has to be the most long suffering person in the entirety of these books bc he's the only B plot character self-aware enough to truly realize he's surrounded by idiots. Esen is Dumbass Prime.

[unlikely-cherry-blossom]

The post you made about the ketil supporters? I'm shooketh. I don't follow fandoms much but this was like... just what the hell. What kind of shit is this?

Good question: I'm just as shocked as you.

I mean, I maybe understand not liking a character even without a reason. Your choice, and everything.

What strikes me though, is the blatant mysoginy end even slave advocating. The notion that a person has to settle down with a derogatory title for their whole life just because treated "better" than others, because their owner is "nicer" than others.

Manga

Anime.

Does this look like a happy woman? Does this look like a satisfied and fulfilled person?

Ketil was nice? Yes. But that was that. It was rather clear that he was possessive of her and wouldn't have given her the possibility of freedom, it was even explicitly stated at one point. Unlike Thorfinn and Einar, she couldn't have her freedom back. He must have loved her veeeeeery much, for sure. Unlike Einar, that cared about her happiness and was happy if she was happy.

Because Ketil is Nice™

Poor rich Ketil, poor manly man Ketil who doesn't have a damn a damn bone and prefers to beat children instead of appearing "weak" on a bunch of people WHO HE PAYS TO WORK AND DEPEND COMPLETELY ON HIM ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING. And can't even protect the woman he supposedly loves from his wife and cannot even stand up for himself. What he could do? Have sex of HOW terrible his life is, on his SLAVE's lap.

"But she was happy to have his child-"

Do I have to remember WHAT happened to her child with her husband? Do I?

Is disgusting too how they had to bring up her status as a sex slave, as if she applied for it.

"But Askeladd/Thorfinn did worse, she killed four people with her stupidity-"

What a balancing indeed. Four pieces of shit on earth died (sorry, not sorry Snake I don't care about your feelings here) who years prior wanted to kill Einar and Thorfinn. Because they were slaves.

Poor Snake :(

Poor man, he must have suffered for his piece of shit bros, they sure have been pure angels that now are part of God's angels for how good they were

Just say you hate her for being a woman who dared to have sex with more men (only two I guess) instead of faux reasons.

Believe me, I hate using the word "mysoginy" on fandom discourse because of sjws around, but how can I describe this even? And defending SLAVERY too, just the cherry on the top. And they literally justify EVERY MAN, NAMED AND UNNAMED that casually is A MAN.

Sorry for this grammatical horror if a rant, kinda got boiled here. And now, Rize out.

[ihateliterature]

Well, Twitter discourse was... something, today, especially when you meet a new specimen in the willd, the fujo radfem

I wish I was joking

You know how transphobes started the anti-fujo discourse to attack trans men? Well they are on the other side of the fence too

It all started with this. The slur, the attitude, easy to spot radfem, like a clown in a funeral house

I see that unlike anti-fujos, the fujo radfems not only believe that women have a place in bl (a very reasonable and correct thing btw) but that bl is FOR women, that anyone else (including gay men) apparently creating and consuming it should be grateful towards women for it

Homoerotic art has existed for centuries but that's for another time

Now, I've never seen someone like this before. I've seen fujo lesbians in the past that gave me bad vibes, but nothing so on the nose (I count myself lucky)

So, like you do with all stupid shit you see on twt, you qrt, and she answered me

Now, this woman was arguing with the literal walls. Because she responded to nothing I said and put words in my mouth

Why would it bother me that most bl creators are women, I stated from the beginning that I support fujos

Like all radfems she seemed to be angry at no one and everyone at the same time

At one point I literally asked her who she is arguing with and she deflected the question back to me

This one is pretty on the nose too. Radfems believe that mysoginy is the be all end all of oppression and, in relation to transmascs and trans men, they believe that we have no say in any talks about oppression unless we accept being misgendered and let cis women do all the talking for us

For anyone who has seen the anti-fujo mob, it is clear that although they are severely mysoginistic, their fury is equally (if not more in some cases) about transphobia at it's core. In the western fandom, this discourse has started from transphobic parts of fandom with the "fujoshi to trans man pipeline", a popular transphobic cracktheory that claims that trans men are nothing but straight women fetishizing gay men

For more information I recommend https://www.fujoshi.info/

And the creator's other social media, Sam is one of the most knowledgeable about the subject in the English speaking fandom. This is what he has to say about the foundation of anti-fujos:

Anyway. Just like me, many people are not aware that we have terfs in our midst, so I thought I would share this for awareness and in case someone needs it one day

[sweetmastermind]

I think you are one of the few kpop stan who didnt justify/supported Irene treatment towards her staff, obviously power trip is not as horrible as SA, but even in 2023 many Irene's stans still keep making up things like "The staff was a male who was disrespecting Irene giving her short and ugly clothes/burned her hair/ electrocuted her ear, and Irene as the heroic feminist she is just stood up for herself", these kids clearly never had a job in the service industry, the treatment can make you feel subhuman, stans say it is mysoginy that I hated her after that scandal, I never sent her death threads nor online harrassmeent, she just made herself unlikeable, I dont know how she currently is like, if she changed I may stop disliking her,

What she did was wrong and she apologize only because she was going to be exposed with a video/recording, and if the roles were reversed all would be making the life of that staff hell, so why one is justified and the other doesn't? because one is famous and the other doesn't?

Staff has to do more than the idols and make mistakes too, one shouldn't treat them like trash because sometimes they make mistakes (if they are doing it on purpose that's another story and it doesn't make the trashing an excuse either). And the idol wouldn't be an idol without all the team that is behind doing things to make things work (and this applies to different areas of life)

Being a feminist is not equal to supporting every woman out there (the terms change there because it uses the same "supporting" as misogyny), females can be trashy persons too and I'm not going to justify such behavior only because I'm a woman too.

Apart from that, Irene is a grown woman, she knows what is wrong and what is right, and she tainted her career herself. Having a bad day, being immature, or the other person making mistakes, is not an excuse for being a shitty person

Misogyny would be if you hate her for her being a woman or because she is a feminist but you dislike her because of her actions. You are mature enough to understand what she did was wrong, don't like how she behaved, and not go around saying horrible things like we have seen. Saying you dislike someone because they do something shitty is not wrong (we could take as another example, Poc people deciding to stop supporting an idol because they did something that they don't like and feel offended, they are in the right to do that)

At the moment, she has the benefit of the doubt since we don't know if she did it again or sm is paying silence. But really, stans need to stop believing that their idols are gods, that makes mistakes and you are not less of a fan when you recognize they did a shitty thing

[fairyofsilence]

0. NAMJOON'S PROLOGUE | OBSESSION SERIES |

Pairings: Yandere!Namjoon x Reader, Yandere!Jungkook x Reader

Word count: 3.3 k

This is part of the obsession series, you can find my main masterlist here.

Warnings (for this chapter): Obssesive beheaviour, toxic relationships, abuse of power over a romantic partner, cursing, slut shaming, mentions of past sex work, mysoginy, manipulation, possessiveness, mentions of death, Namjoon has questionable thoughs, he also has somewhat of a savior complex (yikes).

I don't agree nor condone any of the actions made by any of the characters throughout the story, I also do not belive that any of the members of BTS would act this way or have this type of behaviour, this story it's fiction and it's written with the sole purpose of entertainment, please proceed with caution.

Summary: Your husband adores you and he would do anything for you, but little do you know, so will the man who's watching you from the shadows.

A/N: Hello dear reader, there's a few things that I would like to make clear before you start reading: This prologue it's more of an introduction of the relatonship Namjoon and the reader have before the story begins (since the story focuses more on their 'strong' marrige) and to understand Namjoon's character a little bit more, the way he sees things and how he acts, I didn't want this story to begin with anyone thinking he's a good guy (He's really good at hiding his yandere tendencies from the mc, please beware, this man is clearly delusional). Pretty sure there's some spelling errors on this, but I wanted to post this before finishing the semester (the way I should be studying for my chemistry exam instead of writting), I'll try to edit this before the weekend, this is my first time publishing my work here on tumblr, so any feedback would be appriciated by me, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this story. [EDITED ON 23/05/2022]

Even before he was born, Kim Namjoon was expected to be perfect.

The perfect son, the perfect student, and the perfect leader.

He has always been a calm and collected person, even as a baby, he would never cry unless he was hungry. As a child he would stand out from other students with how smart he already was at such an early age, he was independent and quickly learned how to do things himself, always kept himself in check and tried his hardest to never disappoint his father, not like his brother had anyway.

His unstable older brother who, in his father's words, "was a terrible lost cause". Because in the end, that is what his children were for, keeping a legacy, his pawns to make his empire grow further.

Unlike his father, Namjoon respects and admires his brother a lot, he always thought he was brave, rebelling against their father on how he "wouldn't run his shitty company for all the money in the world", he knows better than disrespect their father, but he can't lie and say he doesn't care about him, after all, he was the only person who was there for everything.

He was the one to drive him to his first day of school, he taught him how to tie his shoes, how to shave, how to drive, how to be a man.

Namjoon knew he could expect everything from his parents except their love and support, his mother was never gentle or caring for either of them, she only tolerates them at the very best, no one was shocked about this, his mother was by his father's side to look flawless and provide children, anything else was just a bonus, and his father was just there, always in the picture but never present, but Jin was always present.

The only memory he holds dearly relating to his family is when he graduated middle school. Although he graduated first of his class, Namjoon wasn't expecting anyone to come to his graduation, but after he received his diploma, he looked up to the crowd and there he was, Kim Seokjin holding a bouquet of flowers and right by his side was a smiling Yeri, their housekeeper and practically their mother, that was perhaps the first time in his life that Namjoon felt true happiness. After the ceremony, both Jin and Yeri alongside Hanseo, who was their driver at the time, took him back home where they decorated the dining room and Yeri made the best dinner he’s ever had, it was probably happiness what made the food taste so good, he wasn't sure, either way, Namjoon would never forget about the way he felt that day.

He became addicted, trying all kinds of stuff to feel something similar or even better, and it wasn’t long until he found something to fulfill his addiction.

Or well, someone.

You both met in High School.

Namjoon had a small circle of friends since middle school, but Hoseok was the one who stayed by his side ever since they met when they were kids, even if he's a little wild and unpredictable (just like his brother), Namjoon knows he can trust Hoseok with his life.

"The new girl is looking at you" Hoseok said with a teasing tone, Namjoon slowly turned around to look for you in your usual spot, but you quickly looked down at your feet before he could catch you staring at him, so adorable, he thought.

The first time he saw you, Namjoon swears he heard an angel sing.

He froze, time just seemed to stop, he was mesmerized by you, the tone of your voice, your cute facial expression, how shy you were, everything about you seemed perfect to him.

"Hello everyone, my name is Y/N, it's a pleasure to meet you" A smile adorned your face as you introduced yourself in front of the class, too many pairs of curious eyes watching you had you gripping the edge of your school skirt and he just thought you were adorable, it was that moment where his infatuation had begun.

Since Namjoon is part of wealthy family, it was expected that he attended the most prestigious schools in the country, where everyone (even if they don't speak to one another) knew each other, their background, their families companies, where they lived, so when a new face comes, you cannot expect a bunch of teenagers not to be curious about it.

News spread fast in this school, so it wasn’t unexpected that in the span of a single day, everything there was to be known about you, was now common information for the entire school.

Y/N Y/L/N, an only child from a single mother, never knew who her father was until her mother finally made him recognize her as a legitimate child, none other than Lee Jungwoo, one of his father’s most valuable associates and one of his closest friends. Even though you have your father's last name at your disposal now, you refused to use it, preferring to keep your mother's last name instead. The most scandalous thing out of this was not only the fact that you were a product of an infidelity, but the fact that your mother used to be a prostitute as well.

At the unexpected background and considering that Lee's two other sons were attending the same school, gossip spread around like never before, people avoided you like a plague, you, the cutest thing Namjoon has ever seen, he has never felt angrier in his life, later followed by a sense of tranquility, because if no one saw your potential, that means he can have you all by himself. But there was one big problem, he is way too shy to approach you. It’s not like you’re going to turn him down (he knows you look at him as much as he looks at you, as if he wouldn’t notice), he just doesn’t know how to speak to you directly without stuttering and sweating so damn much, even though he’s been practicing in front of the mirror for days on how he’s going to talk to you. He would prefer a painful death before you think that he is not worth talking to, it had to be the perfect interaction, where you should realize that you needed him as much as he needed you.

Much to his delight, you are the one to approach him first.

“Hi” You were so afraid to talk to him he felt horrible, he’ll make sure to give hell to everyone who has given you the side eye ever since everyone found out about your upbringing, which was pretty much everyone at school “I’m really sorry about this, and it’s okay if you don’t want to, but the teacher said that you are the one who has all the notes since the beginning of the semester and since I’m kind of far behind I would really appreciate if you could-” Namjoon didn’t even think about anything first before handing her his notebook with complete heart eyes, she let a tiny gasp before giggling and he felt his heart beat a little faster for being the reason of her laugh.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Shut up, you’re embarrassing yourself right now, get it together “Of course you can, and if you have some questions I can explain everything to you”He smiled at you and almost instantly your face was burning from how flustered you got over a single smile, stop being pathetic, you told yourself while trying to stay calm, he’s only being nice, don’t screw things up, you returned the smile and while holding his notebook and answered “I would appreciate that a lot”.

After setting up a  “study” date at the library, Namjoon couldn't believe how easy it actually was to make you feel comfortable with him, both of you spent the entire afternoon just getting to know each other, barely getting any work done, the staff even had to throw you out of the library, so wrapped up in your conversation you hadn’t realized everyone had left already, he noticed how your mood dropped after exiting the library, and decided that now was the perfect chance to ask you out. He invited you to have dinner with him and you accepted before he could even finish his invitation, making both of you laugh and nervously stare at each other, those pure, innocent eyes starting at him like he was God himself, Namjoon didn’t have a single doubt at that point, you were made for him, and you were going to be his, forever.

After your first date, Namjoon had set himself a new life goal: keeping you by his side until your last breath, a goal that seemed to be difficult after getting a glimpse of your personality.

Namjoon is a smart man, he knew that no matter how much he needed and wanted to keep her locked in a cage, he knew Y/N was not the type of person that you own, such a stubborn girl you are, he had to be careful in the way he slowly but surely started to take control over you. It was a long and thought-out process, he had planned every step and action he made towards you, everything is easy when you just plant the seed, because all you need to do is water it afterwards, the more he got to know about you, the easier it became to know what sensitive spots he could take advantage on.

It started in a very subtle way, back when you first started dating in high school.

If there’s something thing that needs to be known about Namjoon is that he always seems to know what to say and how to say it, so it wasn’t shocking to him how easy you started to fall for his backhanded comments.

"This hairstyle suits you so well my love, I can't believe you look even more beautiful that you do every day" It only took a few comments like this for you subconsciously started to change the way you did your hair, desperately seeking for his approval, and he made sure to only compliment you when you styled it the way he wanted, a youthful yet not childish style, perfectly fitting for your age back then, he isn’t trying to change who you are, God no, he loved you just the way you are, he’s just adding upgrades to your already perfect self,  you needed to be guided into the right direction and who's  better than him to do that? Nobody knows you like he does anyway, not even yourself.

“Your makeup looks beautiful tonight darling” He forced a perfect smile while inspecting at your face, that’s way too much makeup for a girl your age, this was not appropriate at all, of course, it was only a high school party you both were attending, but you were going to be his wife in a couple of years, you had an image to maintain now, you were supposed to be a classy woman, and that kind of woman doesn’t go around wearing that lipstick shade and such dark eye makeup, but he knew it wasn’t your fault, it was her fault, Da-Som, god he hated her, she wasn’t a good influence on you but he couldn’t separate the two of you even if he tried, she was the only friend you had at school and you seemed to appreciate her friendship a lot, which he finds utterly ridiculous, you shouldn’t need anyone else than him, but your friendship means nothing to him if she keeps encouraging you to act so rebellious, he couldn’t tolerate that kind of behavior from you, but he was weaker back then, couldn’t help to indulge you at times, you looked so happy in that dress, which was completely inappropriate but he couldn’t lie and say he hated it on you, Namjoon might be smart but he was only a teenager then, seeing you in that dress gave him the boner of his life, so while he was absolutely going to change this kind of behavior and not letting you step out of line again, he let you enjoy the night, don’t misunderstand though, after tonight, he’s definitely going to take over your wardrobe from now on.

With his quiet yet very effective manipulation tactics is how he got you to become the perfect woman in his eyes, subtly making you change the actions he disliked, and it worked in his favor for quite some time until you hit him with something unexpected.

“I’m going to study psychology Joonie, I want to be a therapist so I can help people, what do you think?”  Fuck, this isn’t supposed to happen, his future wife shouldn’t want a career or want to work, isn’t that what his father told him? Why the fuck would she want to work? in that moment, he could only respond with “I think is great darling” It is not great, not for him and not for his father, he was already against their relationship, claiming his darling isn’t worthy of him.

“Give me a rest Namjoon, that’s the child of a fucking prostitute, just because Lee gave her his name doesn’t change what she is, I won’t be putting up with your little obsession anymore, you need to get over that girl” as if he would, but his father wasn’t wrong, your reputation wasn’t good, but it wasn’t your fault, it was your mother who was to blame for it, but that’s what he’s there for, to elevate your status, to make you (in his father’s eyes) worthy of being a Kim.

He wasn’t thrilled with your decision of going to college, but he had to see the good things that might come with it, if you have a career you’ll become more respected in your social circle, it wasn’t a masculine career in his opinion so he’ll not be worried about too many man being around you, and most important, it would make you happy, so he’ll allow it, only for the sake of your reputation, it really doesn’t matter to him, but his father won’t allow him to marry you unless he proves him how worthy you are, but he’s not worried, you were such a good girl, who wouldn’t be glad to have you as their daughter in law? Only a fool like his father, Namjoon would never let him break you guys apart, he has worked hard to be the heir of the company, and giving that his brother was not an option, he had to agree for you to be his wife, whether he like it or not. Namjoon giving up on you was never an option to begin with, he’ll make him understand in a good way, and if he chooses not to, there was always the option on making him understand in a very bad way, his father should know by now that his son wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to get what he wants, and Namjoon only wants you.

You both set up a plan, you agreed that after finishing your education, you will get married as soon as possible, he spend many sleepless nights planning the perfect wedding while you focused on your studies, he just needed to make sure it was going to be the perfect day for the two of you, he's worked so hard over the years for this day to come and he was not going to accept anything but perfection, but you are a very practical person (sometimes he wishes you just let him spoil you), no matter how much he wanted to show the entire world that you were his wife now, you insisted that the wedding should be a small, private moment.

“The only thing that matters it’s that we’re finally husband and wife, isn’t it my love?” You knew exactly how to get him, giving him those perfect puppy eyes with an adorable pout, he’s gotten better at not saying yes immediately to any of your request but he couldn’t help but to agree with you on that, you did had a point on making it a private event, it's supposed to be a happy and joyful day, not something that could be taint by hateful gossiping, it was a day for the history books in his opinion, the day he finally got his legal claim over you, a contract that sealed what was clear from the beginning, you belong to him and no one else.

The married life only proved to be anything but what Namjoon has heard from other men his entire life, instead of detesting the idea of going home to his wife and spend time with her, he yearned for it, counting every second that was left for him to go home and have his darling in his arms, his only consolation is that you were safe at work, spending your time doing what you love which is helping other people, all while still being dedicated to your duties back at home, proving him how lucky he was to have such a dedicated wife, he wanted to laugh at his father’s face, such a fool for not trusting Namjoon with his decision, Namjoon never made mistakes, he should’ve known better than to doubt his darling, she was the perfect fit for him, he shaped her to become the perfect wife and he had done an excellent job at it, his father needed to learn his place now that Namjoon has been named CEO, he doesn’t make the rules anymore, Namjoon does.

Thankfully for him, there was no need to get his hands dirty to get rid of his father, even if he didn’t respect him as much as he used to, he’ll never would’ve guessed that a man like his father would die of something so minimal as a heart attack, maybe that’s his punishment for being rude to his darling, he crudely thought, his father always thought he was above everyone, and now, Namjoon feels at peace knowing that his father is now where he belongs, in the depths of hell.

Contrary to what people might think, for the very first time, Namjoon could say he was happy with his life, he has a beautiful, kindhearted, smart woman by his side, he's the leader of one of the most influential companies in the country and he finally feels free to do anything he wants, Namjoon could swear this is nirvana, he's work so hard to achieve all of this and he’s so wrapped up in his little paradise that he doesn't think that anything can ruin this.

But for once, Namjoon was wrong, something can ruin all the effort he has made over the past few years, most specifically, someone.

This new patient of yours, practically a kid in your eyes, he can't even know his name because of something you said about "patient confidentiality" or some shit like that, you’re beginning to grow a soft spot for this kid and Namjoon couldn't accept that, not in a million years, he doesn't care if he has the saddest life story in the whole world, you were his, and now you think you can just invest so much time and effort in another man that wasn't him? Your own husband? Absolutely not, you can't do this to him, not after he allowed you to have a career and a job just for the sake of making you happy, he thought you've learned by now that no other man should occupy your thoughts, but apparently you haven't, that's find, he doesn't mind start taming you all over again, in fact, he thinks he's going to have a lot more fun this time around than he did back then.

He'll make it clear for you this time, you are his, you belong to him, and he was kind enough to give you the chance of choosing him the first time, but now he'll be the one to choose for you, and you best believe he’ll make the right choice. 

No one knows you better than him after all, not even yourself.

next>

[hello-nichya-here]

It’s so fucking weird how people try to refute the testimonies of women who are/were pornstars and say they loved the job and were treated with respect by their co-stars and directors by bringing up testimonies of other women that were abused by other co-stars and directors. They basically go “See? These women were abused, so naturally all pornstars were abused and it’s impossible for any progress to have happened in protecting the rights of women in porn”

Literally nobody is saying that the porn industry is perfect and has never treated the people involved (not just the women) with unbelievable cruelty. Far from it. But the fact that this happened, and unfortunately still happens doesn’t mean that this is the universal experience. For God’s sake, marital rape was seen as completely normal, for YEARS, many so called “modern” societies took forever to even make this a crime, and you still find people who say shit like “But she’s his girlfriend! How could that possibly be rape?” yet if someone went “Every woman who has a boyfriend or a husband is being abused by her partner” any reasonable person would instantly recognize that this makes no sense. The same applies to women in porn. 

There are porn sites that have interviews with the actors both before and after scenes, and show them completely pleased. There are bloopers of porn movies showing everyone involved laughing and making fun of themselves. There are women who have not worked in porn for a long time, have no more ties to it whatsoever, have nothing to lose if they exposed some awful secrets and nothing to gain if they keep quiet and still say nothing bad happened to them. For fuck’s sake, some women dated and married their co-stars. 

Abuse does happen but pretending that it always happens to absolutely everyone of them isn’t “protecting” women, is ignoring their thoughts, feelings, and agency the second you realize that what they have to say is not convenient for you and doesn’t confirm your bias. And let’s not forget the blatant infantilization, bordering on mysoginy and sometimes straight up crossing that line, of telling a woman that she does not really understand the experiences she personally went through, unlike you, who were not even there, and so you should decide how she should feel about what she lived.

[femme-dor]

Putting other women down to glorify yourself and your chances of getting (rich) men or benefits overall is Pick-Me behavior full stop! I’m sick of seeing these High Value/ Pretty Privilege/ level up/ hypergamous blogs be so horrid towards other women to praise themselves in their physical attractiveness, virginity, access to benefits most of us don’t have, ethnicity and location (ex: Non-American women comparing themselves to American women), privilege to travel or study at university and proximity to the upper echelon. “Why aren’t you like me, ladies? You don’t want to be a low value woman like the rest of these jezebel booty shakers do you?” Disgusting.

Keep in mind most of these girls are giving an online persona, an image backed up by other pretty images on their blogs with base level life advice that makes them seem well traveled, when in real life they’re just as ordinary, horrid and classist as their opinions on women they deem of lower caste. They’re not about women as they say they are if they’re posting things like “It’s not your fault if other girls are ugly you should dress up anyway”, “American women wear too much makeup & are too opinionated unlike [non-american] women where we’re exotic, clean, & quiet so men like us more” and my personal favorite, “Predatory Losers Men like virgin girls better” while proceeding to compare women & their genitals to various items of consumption.

It doesn’t matter how smart or well versed these women are. It doesn’t matter if they have full access to the upper echelon & have the credibility, lifestyle, and tips to back their shit up, if they have to tear down women to prove their point they’re low class. Don’t be fooled by the dazzling pictures & stories of a lavish elevated lifestyle as you’re essentially being told to groom yourself for some rich man who might give you the time of day because he prefers this woman & not that one. Posts telling you not to make a variety of friends & have fun in your youth because “high value ladies” should always close themselves off & focus on work/studies at all times, stripping you of your personal identity because it doesn’t fit this restrictive bougee fantasy mold many young girls are forcing themselves into. Look at these blogs through a strong filter and take most of what they preach with a grain of salt as behind them aren’t really elevated women, but girls with internalized mysoginy, purity, & superiority complexes who need therapy more than they need pink gloss.

💕𝑳’𝒇𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒆 𝑫’𝒐𝒓

[dudeandduchess]

Kyōjurō x F!S/O: The Way I Loved You (Angst with Happy Ending, SFW Scenario)

Warnings: Angst with Happy Ending, Toxic Relationship, Arguing, Screaming, Fighting, Kissing in the Rain (lmao), Mild Mysoginy (since this is set in the Taishō Era)

Note: It feels so good to have written this down. Please don’t be too harsh on this piece, as I’m still not in the best condition. I just couldn’t resist not writing it down immediately. 😅💖

***

The wedding was beautiful. At least, it was supposed to be.

It was going to be the wedding of the year— according to all of (Y/n)’s relatives; especially her mother. They parroted those words over and over, until she was so sick to her stomach from having to hear it get dragged out over and over.

The wedding that (Y/n) was planning was supposed to be a big one; after all, it was her dream wedding, to her dream husband. He was so perfect, so incredible— he even got along with the most unhospitable of (Y/n)’s relatives.

Her husband-to-be was just that amazing. He was always there when it mattered, and even when it didn’t matter. She only needed to send him a letter to get him to come to her side. She couldn’t have asked for anyone better.

He was so unlike Kyōjurō.

The name sent a pang through her chest, tugging at her heartstrings in the worst of ways that left her a little teary eyed and shaky. Kyōjurō wasn’t like her betrothed at all, but she couldn’t help but still want him.

She was still so desperately in love with the Flame Hashira, that she had kept putting off her wedding— in the hopes that he would swoop in at the last second and take her away from there. Still, even after months of lying through her teeth about anything and everything that she can with regards to the wedding, she had finally given up.

Accepted that she had made the worst mistake of her life when she told Kyōjurō to never show his face to her again.

“I hate you! I hate everything about you! I hate that I let you hurt me like this; that I let you affect me this much!” She remembered screaming the words at him on the day that they had parted ways.

But, even though she tried to shake the memory away, it still played in her head. A painful memory that had her closing her eyes and rubbing the area just above her heart. “I hate that you’re never there for me! I don’t even see you, Kyōjurō! We’ve been together for years, but I’ve still yet to get a proposal from you! Am I just a good time to you? Someone not worth marrying? Because I gave everything to you, Kyōjurō; everything that would define me as a woman worth marrying.”

She didn’t know what Kyōjurō had been thinking about in that time, but it was obvious that he was also conflicted. Until he closed his eyes and sighed heavily; so heavily that (Y/n) felt her heart sink to her stomach.

It was a resigned sigh, and it told her everything that she needed to know.

So, instead of crying and begging him to marry her to preserve her dignity as a woman— as well as mend the broken fragments of her heart— she gritted her teeth and walked away from him. (Y/n) walked as fast as her feet could take her, biting back tears while on her way home.

And that was the day that she swore that she would forget all about him. Only, she never did.

The young woman hadn’t even realized that she was already crying; not until she felt the first warm tear land on the back of her hand. It shook her from her painful reverie, and had her quickly swiping at the tears that wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes.

“(Y/n), we’re going to have dinner with your husband soon. You should change,” (Y/n)’s mother chirped happily from outside her room, totally oblivious to the fact that her daughter was biting down on her bottom lip to silence the sobs that threatened to wrack through her body.

The action made her chest hurt, even when she hunched over and tried hugging herself— if only to keep herself together, when she felt like she was coming undone. She didn’t even know what she wanted anymore— the wedding of a lifetime with her dream man, or to be stuck in an endless cycle with the man she loved.

It hurt her to even think about it, to the point where she had slipped up and accidentally released her bottom lip. And that was the catalyst for all of the heartbroken and painful sobs that had her feeling so weak.

She couldn’t even breathe, let alone move from where she was. All that she could do was cry and heave, and silently call out for Kyōjurō.

But even that, she knew, wasn’t enough to get him back.

***

It was the end of the night, with (Y/n) having been the envy of every other woman at the restaurant. Men and women alike couldn’t resist turning their gazes over to her and her betrothed— but maybe it was mostly because of all of the scars that littered his body.

Sanemi was perfect for her; strong, serious, steadfast and— most of all— someone who could charm everyone with his manners and politeness. He just looked gruff on the outside, but (Y/n) couldn’t have asked for anyone better suited for her; someone who accepted her as she is.

He never made her wait, and never made her feel bad. Even when he was away on missions, he never failed to send her updates. He was everything that Kyōjurō wasn’t, yet he was also everything that (Y/n) realized that she didn’t really want.

She wanted those goofy, late night strolls with Kyōjurō, and having to wait for days for a five-page letter that was mostly apologies for forgetting to write. She wanted to feel so much again with the love of her life, instead of stewing in her hollow achievement with who is seemingly the perfect man.

A sad smile tugged up on the corners of (Y/n)’s lips as she tucked all of her things away. She was already ready for bed, but the memory of a smiling Kyōjurō as he helped her get on a stone bench played in her memory.

It was one of her most treasured moments, because it was the moment that she realized that she was truly in love with the blond.

He had wrapped his arms around her waist while she stood atop the bench, lifting her up and spinning her once just to elicit a quiet scream from her. He always had fun with joking around with her, that it had become a normal occurence for him to do it just to see the progression of her getting mad to her smiling at him as she called him a goofball.

Kyōjurō had never told her, but it was those moments— among so many more— that he treasured the most.

He loved her with his whole being, but the only problem was that he couldn’t fully commit himself to her; not when he wasn’t sure if his next mission was going to be his last.

He knew that he couldn’t do that to her; so, instead of tying her down to him, he chose to just let her go— even if it was the most painful thing that he’d ever had to do in his life.

That was why Kyōjurō didn’t know what he was doing outside (Y/n)’s house in the dead of the night, looking up at the window that he knew was hers— waiting for what, exactly, he didn’t know.

Maybe he was waiting for her to come out for him? To feel his presence like some lovers do, and just magically jump in his arms— as if he hadn’t hurt her before.

Kyōjurō wasn’t quite sure about his plan anymore. Especially since he remembered the look on her face when he chose to stay silent in the peak of her anger. He wanted nothing more than to tell her that he did love her, he just couldn’t hurt her more on the off chance that he died.

The Flame Hashira didn’t even know just how long he had been standing there— clearly trespassing— but he was past the point of caring. He just wanted even the smallest glimpse of her; one look and that would tide him over.

One glimpse of her and that would soothe his aching heart.

Kyōjurō felt something cold hit his cheek then; one tiny drop, that was then followed by more and more droplets— until he was standing under a torrential downpour. Yet he couldn’t care less about his dripping clothes, or his hair that was matted to his face.

All of that seemed trivial compared to the pain that he felt when he lost (Y/n).

The rain was pelting him harder than before, yet he still stood there— waiting right by her open window; hoping that she would take the time to even walk past it.

However, (Y/n) did more than what Kyōjurō was asking for. She went right up to her open window and had begun to close it, when she looked up and saw a figure that she would never forget in her lifetime.

Her hands froze right where they were holding on to the window, and her heart practically lurched in her chest before coming to an absolute standstill.

And, before she could process what she was doing, she already found herself rushing out the shoji and hastening towards Kyōjurō. She felt every possible emotion bubbling up within her, telling her to rage and scream at him— yet also telling her to pull him close and never let him go.

So, she did both.

She stopped right in front of a wide-eyed Kyōjurō and lifted her hand up— swinging it up to slap him across the face, before she cupped his cheeks and pulled him down to finally kiss those lips that she had been missing for so long.

Kyōjurō didn’t even fight it; not getting mad at getting slapped, at the very least. He knew that he deserved that, and he also knew that he didn’t deserve (Y/n)’s kiss— yet he still found himself melting into her. His arms had even wrapped themselves around her; pulling her in against his chest as he savored the taste of her lips.

Both of them didn’t know how long they stood there beneath the downpour, so lost in each other that they paid no mind to the cold seeping into their skin. Everything else came second to each other, as both of them had been longing for that reunion.

Even when Kyōjurō pulled away and tucked a few strands of hair away from (Y/n)’s face, the only thing that he could do was lean down and kiss her again— all before hugging her as tight as he would allow him to.

And, before he could stop himself, he found the words rolling off his tongue and meshing in with the rain— yet also rising above the sounds of the world around them. “Run away with me.”

[kirisaki-daichi-scenarios]

how would haizaki react to his s/o being insecure after giving birth? Would his attraction to her change after her body changes? I hope not because i love this boy lol but he has some (like lots of) mysoginy stored up

It really depends tbh. First off, can we presume that this child is one that Haizaki wanted - which would insinuate that he’s a little more mature, more capable of commitment, and actually loves his s/o? Because, if that’s not the case (say s/o got pregnant accidentally, and refused to abort the child), you know Haizaki’s going to be absolutely vile: both towards them and to the baby.

Lots of “as if you’re going to ‘bounce back’ - hell, you didn’t look good to begin with”, “look at all that loose skin - gross, you look like a fucking elephant seal” and so on. Haizaki will never pick the baby up, never interact with it being flicking its stomach, and fingers crossed that’s the worst he’ll do. (He also is unlikely to stick around much longer.)

If he wanted the child, it’s a slightly different story. I think you’re right in that he’d lose some attraction, particularly because of the non-glamorous aspects of the postpartum body: saggy stomachs, frequent urination, duller hair, etc - especially after the ‘pregnancy glow’ and all that, which Haizaki definitely enjoyed.

Either way, he’ll be very awkward if his s/o tries to express their insecurity, and his responses will reflect that - “of course you look like shit, you gave birth a week ago”. (To be fair, he doesn’t know nice ways of saying things or dealing with emotional people.)

And, goes without saying, he’d make pervy jokes about breast-feeding.

[quinn-fucks-shit-up]

I'm not generally a hater, but I'll make special exceptions for three artists:

Phillipe Starck

Daniel Lismore

and Anish Kapoor

setting the first and last aside as the more famous and less offensive of the three, I'm here to talk about why Daniel Lismore is a figurehead of what is wrong with a very certain group of people

To preface: I have done my research, I know who this man is, I have gone to his exhibit, I have looked at this man's art and have found myself in awe of it for all the wrong reasons, and I do hope that if he sees this post (unlikely) he will read it and understand why I have written it

Daniel Lismore is a white gay man, but it seems as if he's one of those white gay men that thinks this means that they get to use every other type of prejudice to benefit them. Every outfit showed clear and repeated disrespect for many cultures and blatant mysoginy

I will provide photos

first, the cultural appropriation, I repeat, this man is white, yet he felt the need to take culturally significant items of clothing, (intricate beading, finely painted silks, hand carved masks, etc.) and hotglue them to literal rubbish, I actually saw a crushed beer can in one of these pieces. This is an insult, it shows exactly what he thinks of these cultures, intentional or not, and to add in the satan patches and the pictures of dicks, it feels like they were made purely for shock value, which is unbelievably disgusting

and now, for the mysoginy

I only felt the need to take one picture, but there were plenty like this, I also feel that I shouldn't need to explain why this is unacceptable, yet I will.

This is clear fetishization of the female form, from the grotesque latex kink dress on the far left, to what seems to be an implication of tits being some kind of cancerous growth on the far right, and of course, the alienation of pregnancy of the middle right (ik you can't see it in the picture, but there was literally a fake alien in there)

being a gay man does not give you the right to disrespect women's bodies like that, in fact I would say it gives you the least right out of anyone, you don't have to come into contact with it, ever, this isn't your place to speak just like it isn't any other man's.

And now: some hypocricy

Daniel Lismore is a climate activist, one of the pieces that was less repulsive was about stopping overfishing, a good sentiment

The red stings in this garment, real coral.

I don't have to explain why that's an extremely bad choice for a 'climate activist'

In summary, from a purely objective stance, this art shows a person of privilege having one disadvantage in the world and deciding that it was ok to use any other disadvantages that he may or may not have for publicity and profit

from a purely subjective stance, it looks like a hot mess and is pretty ugly all round

if, after reading this, you want to comment that I simply don't get art, or that I'm being homophobic, please consider that I have talked this through with people from these cultures he is disrespecting and that I am gay myself, then, shut your mouth.

[mc-critical]

One of my most favourite confrontations between Mahidevran and Hürrem in the series is the one after Mahidevran sent Olga to Süleiman in episode 61. It's both fun, yet filled with meaningful character dialogue, managing to successfully deliver a thematic message that eventually finds its retroactive way, despite of it all seeming like a yet another smackdown fest by Hürrem at first.

The scene begins with their typical confrontational energy, the rivalry chemistry immediately paves its way forward. Hürrem is ready to face her for what she did and Mahidevran, while not being interested at first, goes with her flow regardless, setting the mood for what follows.

Hürrem: You've sent a concubine to his majesty.

Mahidevran: I'm replacing Valide. Pleasing his majesty is one of my duties.

Hürrem: Let God not give you other worries. Do you want to cover the lack of your femininity this way?

Mahidevran seems very engrained in her role as the head of the harem and connects it with her own desire to take revenge for her wounded pride and for all the pain they caused her. The first excuse she finds for sending Olga to SS refered to the rules and tradition that give her that right, but we know by context that there's something else going on, this was both a move driven by her vendetta and a provoked move - she decided to do this after Hü told her she's the one ruling the privy chamber and perhaps Mahidevran accepted it as a challenge to her power, because, honestly, I doubt she would've attempted such a thing if she weren't provoked like this. Hürrem, on the other hand, gives her own "interpretation" as to why Mahidevran took action. To be blunt, it sits wrong with me right from the start, because it demonstrates a huge amount of internalized mysoginy on full display and it's sad, in a way, that this is what the system encourages at the moment - you're nothing if you sleep alone in your bed, if you don't have the sultan's back. There's a glimmer of possibility Hürrem said it only to render Mahidevran vulnerable and one could understand where she comes from, since she has experienced quite a lot of similar offenses from that same person. And when a confrontation of the like occurs, her first instinct is to think of a comeback, to pull rank and highlight why she's better than her like she does in all their encounters in this batch of episodes. That hardly excuses or whitewashes this statement, though, because for a person who has been shown to fight the system and call out prejudice (even though it was mostly only she was subjected to it or it was about something that concerned her specifically), seeing that she had absorbed some of it and applies it without a second thought leaves a sour taste for me.

Mahidevran: Worry about your own problems, Hürrem. Did you really think his majesty couldn't be with other women?

Hürrem: This is impossible.

Two major beliefs of Mahidevran and Hürrem's characters come on the surface: they drive the dialogue and help the rest of the scene unfold the way it did. Mahidevran brushes off Hürrem's last statement and brings back tradition to the forefront, which begins to highlight a belief of hers that she shared with Valide, that there is a constant cycle in the harem that no one, not even Hürrem, is capable to entirely break. To Hürrem it's impossible for SS to ever have other women at this point, it's something unthinkable for her already. She feels she has fully broken that cycle.

This scene, unlike the confrontation in episode 58, has well done retroactive irony while serving the context of the episode it's in in a plausible enough way that doesn't seem showed in just for the sake of it. The context of the episode puts Hürrem in the right by showing Olga returning from SS's chambers almost immediately after Hürrem says: "This is impossible." and it's the place where this plot-line transitions to another one, leaving the rest of the confrontation to hang in the balance for a while. Maybe SS had truly given up taking other women ever since the wedding, as shown by this and SS refusing another concubine sent by Valide in the wedding episode.

However, we know that this stops being the case later on and whether it's through the decision to bring in yet another drama tool, yet another annoying stretched narrative opposition in the face of the concubine arcs, it's a fact and we could say that this scene ends up being a good enough framework to set us up for it, intentionally or not.

Mahidevran: Then why is there a concubine in his chamber?

Hürrem: What concubine? Maybe that one?

This, to me, is a demonstration of how the tables can turn in the harem at literally any moment. Meryem Uzerli's little amazing, subtle facial expression says it all. When Mahidevran asks the question, we see for a very split second that Hürrem's wondering how to refute her until the concubine appears in the heat of the argument due to sheer luck. Like, if she had already returned to her rooms before the scene occurred, it would've gone much differently! This isn't all that important here, but I love how Meryem showed a slight probability for Hürrem to lose the argument, which contrasts with all her confident remarks before and after this moment. It's just very neat stuff.

Hürrem: Many girls were introduced to his majesty. Among them, there was even a princess. Where are they now? Look around you. You will not see anyone but me.

Speaking of confident remarks, there comes another one of Hürrem's that no matter how many concubines came, they all went and now there is no one other than her. This line further sets a consistent trend of ambiguity, because she's right in the context of the episode and it encapsulates the resolution of these particular plot-lines of Hürrem and Süleiman in the season and we can get behind her words overall both in the arc and in rewatch, in spite of the retroactive irony, but she's wrong in that it's the end of her harem fights, very far from it, as season 3 and season 4 prove. She hasn't completely won yet, even though she sets the impression that she has.

What I also find interesting in this scene is the back and forth throwing of past - present - future between the two sides. They make a perfect showcase of what these characters represent, their states, their losses, their desires, their hopes, dreams and philosophies. Here, in example, Hürrem makes a reference to a part of her obstacles in the past, acknowledging that they were there regardless, but then she immediately goes back to the present with "Where are they now?". Nowhere in the scene she considered the possibilities of the future, the sheer probability that it all may change one day (as it happened, in many ways, through Firuze), focusing on the currently undeniable truth the present day presents.

That same throwing back and forth continues, but with another note which instantly places the two women against each other again:

Mahidevran: I was also loved once, Hürrem. Mustafa is the fruit of that love. Ask Gülfem Hatun if you want. She will tell you how much she suffered because of me.

Hürrem: You always tell this story.

Unlike Hürrem, who only references the past, Mahidevran laments it and takes pride in it, it being the highlight of her once beautiful life. But we know what went down afterwards, adding in the possibility that maybe, it would all be temporary and what one may have now, may change, because Mahidevran was also in Hürrem's position once. Hürrem however, calls out her fixation on the past, in a similar fashion to how she has done it before (E59: "Are you being proud of your past now? Let me remind you: You're still a slave."), what she had doesn't matter, it's the now that is important to Hürrem, which is a solid thematic note to her character arc.

Though, we have this line of dialogue in response:

We here notice that no matter how long it took for them to do it, Mahidevran and Hürrem actually had parallel arcs, in terms of letting go of the past. This line makes for such a striking revelation of Mahidevran's emotional state from her perspective that only continued what episode 46 hinted at and episode 55 directly started. (E55: "I ripped out the love I had of your father of my heart, I threw it into the sea! He doesn't matter to me anymore. Now you are the only one in my heart.") It's rather surprising that she says these words now - Mahidevran's rule of the harem is arguably her at her worst, doing what she does out of the last ounces of her wanting payback for the sad, bitter years. It's precisely what she lost that motivated her, that was a sure part of the reason she sent Olga to SS and yet, we have that honest confession, that grasp of acceptance. Mahidevran's battle with SS was lost very early on and it took her very slow and gradual development for her to accept it and by E61, she was doing the last steps to do so. She tries hard to convince Hürrem that no matter how hard she tries, there is a cycle in this harem that cannot be changed, Mahidevran has come to terms with it, so Hürrem has to do the same. In a way, she was probably trying to say that they both have been fighting a losing battle and she expresses a small amount of sympathy over it, too - she knows what it's like and it's hard, but it's like some unwritten law that it's not worth it in the end and that everyone gets affected by it, without exception. That's how she begins to look upon her present and show a hint of the future.

Out of the particular context, this line could be a very nice stronger endorsement of the franchise's themes, because, truly, no one ever got a good, triumphant, heroic ending. And it was like a cycle: everyone had to face the feelings of sorrow, grief and loss, everyone had to suffer in this time period, everyone dies. Gülfem called Hürrem's life a fairy tale in E134, but that "fairy tale" came to an end after her death. And if we leave that aside, there is hardly a breather episode even for the biggest of victories, no matter how many victories you've won, they would always "have their end", the narrative would always condemn them one way or another.

Mahidevran: One day a woman will appear and would destroy your indestructible love!

The future is finally put on the front with the scene overall and with Mahidevran herself. It's a continuation of her belief that Hürrem would be "detroned", regardless of all. Thing is, she also doesn't consider her own future, only the one of her rival's. She believes in her own victory that is opposed in the present, but would surely come in the future, a belief she holds until the end of the series. Even though I doubt the writers planned Firuze's existence right back then per say, this line sounds like such foreshadowing to her in retrospect, which makes Mahidevran both right and wrong with this quote. Firuze caused an actual continuous rift between Hürrem and Süleiman, making her doubt his love in ways she hadn't before. Nazenin comes into the picture, as well. But no one truly succeeds to properly destroy the love between Süleiman and Hürrem and they managed to prevail, despite of all the narrative opposition. She still stayed the most dear woman to SS's heart, no matter what. There is a slight possibility of Mahidevran judging the situation one hundred percent to herself here, claiming rather that the appearance of another woman would make Hürrem fall out of love with SS and destroy that, instead, just like it was with her, but since Mahidevran called the same line back during the Firuze episodes, I think she was referring to the rift Firuze would cause and how would Hü fall deeper and deeper.

Hürrem: Mahidevran, don't think of me as your equal.

This line is very telling in that Hürrem considers herself different than everyone else. It has always been a part of her character, perhaps a running reminder of her unprecedented elevation in the system she's telling us about through words. And most of the interpretations I've encountered of this line are exactly this: it is epic, badass, it is delivered in such a shading sassy way that could only be respected or applauded. However, it is just as possible for this infamous one-liner to be presented as the culmination of not only her persistent insistence to assert herself as different and special, but her continuous unwillingness to be compared to anyone else in the harem. And usually she's compared to guess who? Mahidevran. She doesn't want to even think of the possibility to be compared with her by this point (starting from E40 where after she was freed, she said: "Now I'm not equal to you." right to Mahidevran's face and continuing forward into S03 with: "I told you not to compare me to others, to Mahidevran never!" -it was something like that), but at first, which is now probably buried deep within, she feared becoming like Mahidevran. She repeated "I'm not Mahidevran!" when she was out of favor like with the Russian concubines, Mahidevran's words that she would make the same mistakes she did echoed in her head during the Isabella arc in episode 31 and earlier had a nightmare of Süleiman giving the emerald ring to Mahidevran instead of Hürrem in a completely parallel scene. (there's also the other nightmare where Mahidevran was taunting Hürrem to tell her about Leo.) Hürrem dreaded all of those things happening and tried her very best to avoid the very thoughts of it. Now, in a season nearly full of victories in her part, she had gained the belief that whatever happens, she'll always stand above the others. She wants to give off the vibe that no one would ever stop her. She has broken so many traditions and the narrative is currently rooted at her favor, all well and good, right? This line could be a mask, in a way, hiding the fear of being rejected just like the others (that doesn't completely disappear, seeing her suicide attempt in E72; also E106's menopause plot.) and striving to leave it behind her, now reaching its peak by putting not only Mahidevran, but the rest of the women into the picture, without a second of realization of the implications it causes, because well, who else was given such special attention by the Sultan? Who else was freed, who else had such a marriage, who else got out of death's door so many times, who else overcame everything, who else had a chance to "rain as fire" over all her enemies? Even though the quote applies on a much grander scale in execution, in later seasons and the way it got called back to in MCK, I feel, in this particular context, it refers to the harem and Süleiman specifically - his majesty doesn't need any other women, there is no such woman that could take away what Hürrem has and even if they stand together, they wouldn't stand a chance, because Hürrem is that massive and powerful.

The retroactive irony hits hard and here: she's right in the events of this particular episode, but the subsequent events definetly tell a different story. Hürrem's influence and power is acknowledged, especially in her last episodes, but that she's the only one capable of having such power is not necessarily true, given the existence of the SOW, some members of which reached more highs than she did, due to the evolving extent of power they could exercise in the system.

Mahidevran: Your arrogance will end you, Hürrem! One day when you're suffering in pain, I'll remind you this!

Hürrem: Mahidevran, you're not here anymore. You'll be leaving soon!

Mahidevran: You're not powerful enough for that!

The focus on the present and future is back with this quick, but substantial exchange. Mahidevran seems to count completely on what will happen in the future in the first line, while Hürrem accounts for both the present and the future, seemingly in accordance, and Mahidevran brings the confrontation back to the present, for what Hürrem talks about is currently unattainable. These lines look like a brief summary of what was established before about the beliefs of both characters: they both desire the end of one another - for Mahidevran it would happen eventually, because Hürrem would end herself in her eyes and Mahidevran would live for this moment and even witness it (and while she didn't witness it exactly, she lived and outlived them all, because there would be no death for her until they get what they deserve, a belief that carries on the strongest in season 4); for Hürrem it has already happened, but it would keep going, fueling her will to get rid of all her enemies and being in conjunction with the ongoing plot arc itself, for her attacking her enemies in all fronts in ways she hadn't before. The last line of Mahidevran's stops the dialogue between both of them for good (followed by Hürrem's smug grin), resting back on her current position, that is also how her whole set of dialogue began in the first place. Even though there was a hint of realization that she has been fighting a losing battle a while before, the part of hers that would prefer not going to the sanjack than give up now, is directly reflected on. It sets more of a parallel between how both of them are, because Mahidevran told Hürrem that arrogance would end her a few seconds ago, but now she's the one that demonstrates this same arrogance herself, starting to underestimate her own opponents yet again, simply because she rules the harem. Claiming that Hürrem doesn't have the power to send her to the sanjack by force, is true, actually, because Ibrahim interfered at the last moment, but this way Mahidevran seems to brush off Hürrem's victories completely, somehow convincing herself that she's forgotten how far has Hürrem gone and just like her rival, thinking of herself as unstoppable. (that goes on the season finale, too, where she says: "If you're powerful enough, face me by yourself!".) This attitude more or less cemented her downfall in this arc, as it would cement major flaws of Hürrem's in the future.

And then they're stopped by... Süleiman himself and I love that, because they have to stop because he comes, they have to stop because he's watching them and give him the necessary respect. Symbolically, it could be a showcase of him being the decider of everyone's fates and them having to accept his will at the end of the day.

And after he leaves, of course, Hürrem and Mahidevran prepare to carry on with their bickering, as they usually do. While that's the end of the whole confrontation, their expressions tell us it's not over yet.

It's particularly interesting, even as a confrontational scene alone: it's longer than many of the confrontational scenes between them, it speaks more volumes about the opposing sides than any other of the kind has dreamed to. While I love Mahidevran and Hürrem's chemistry, I wish there were more scenes like this one, more nuanced interactions than vitriol and constant, almost formulaic smackdowns. Because, to me, this whole confrontation, while simple at hindsight, raised the bar to what could we have had. The rivalry of the two ladies is fascinating on a thematic level and not exploring its depth further, would be a myriad of wasted opportunities.

This scene did right all you could think of: composition, soundtrack, attention to detail, chemistry, dialogue and opposing two sides on a respectful, unbiased, while narratively provoked, way. I adore the way it aged: as I said, it created a perfect blend between context of the episode/plot arc and retroactive irony and the mix of cause and effect of soapy intrigues, character exploration through lines and all the coming thematic stuff, while being filled with dynamic and fun energy. And it's absolutely sublime for it.

[discoscoob]

Just a random thought, but I love that, when they don't know anymore how to respond to your legit points and objective datas about the mysoginy or very biased opinions of certain people, they come up with "I have a degree in *insert subject, usually literature and/or psychology*, and so that means I'm right, it doesn't matter your objective points". As if, especially in humanistic subjects, it's not unlikely that there are big bunches of people who can't do their job or get nothing from their studies, despite their degrees (sorry, I know this is a very controversial opinion, and probably it will earn you some angry anons)

If you require a degree to understand a TV show based on comic books then it is a sorry world we live in 😭

[meltdownwillbeawesomethisweekend]

"For comparison, M is an “expert” at buying cheap shit and lying vs C, who is writing and directing a film based on his NY Times best selling series." I love these nonsense comparisons Abby does btw C and M bc it just highlights again that he's a stand in for her. She's really comparing herself to Mia and assuring herself that Darren would TOTALLY choose her bc she works hard just like Chris, unlike lazy cow Mia. Abby, you and Mia aren't in competition. Darren doesn't care about you at all.

Abby wants to be the one living the high life with a hottie like Darren at her arms. She worked hard so she’s so much more deserving right ?

What’s sad is that ... Abby is not and will never be a competition for Mia ... She’s not even a possibility, cause even more than not caring about her, he’s not even aware of Abby’s existence. And he’ll never be aware of it more than the 1 min M&G Abs will buy here and there. 

As for comparing that, I’m not even sure she understands how ridiculous she sounds. It’s so pathetic that need to compare people like that. I’d even say using a man to put down a woman is mysoginy. But shh we wouldn’t want baby Abby to pull a tantrum on us over that. 

Chris is defintely a self insert, and maybe that’s why he’s that perfect entity without flaw that Abby worship and treat like he was an angel sent on Earth by God himself.

[kojoty]

>kinning pacrim ever, let alone in 2019

>consistently getting called out for your Mysoginy and somehow thinking you're still an ally

>consistently derailing, cp-opting, barging in, being mean and rude, and over all just being an unlikable person to literal strangers on a daily basis

>being considered a fallback joke to numerous friend groups and social circles because of how abhorrent you act

>

[didiwaffles]

Long post with personal real life shit ahead.

So... My brother has finally admitted he doesn't care about his son.

My nephew is 14. He is in the 8th grade. He is clearly suffering from ADHD, and additionally he's got vocal tics from all the shit that's going on in his life. He has been failing classes for years now, but this year it's gone to an extreme. His mother was called to the principal's office because the kid is unlikely to move on to the next grade.

I started helping him with homework ever since I moved back to my mom's house. Suddenly, he started getting good grades, and even was able to do correctly all the questions I explained to him on his math test. On his own! Last three days we were studying English barely for half an hour a day, and he's made more progress than for the entirety of his school life. Heck, this "only know how to play video games" kid, how his mother says, was not asking, begging me to let him do English that, for a moment, he claims to hate!

This is the dumb kid that doesn't want to do anything but play games, doesn't do what his parents say, and is failing at the most basic stuff in life. This! His mom calls him dumb and ungrateful because he's failing classes and refuses to be her housemaid while she goes to get drunk with friends. His father calls him dumb too, yet neither of them has done the most basic thing up to this point: making him want to do what they need him to do.

On top of all of that he absorbed into himself all the homophobia and transphobia that can ever exist, like a sponge. I doesn't see too much mysoginy but he absolutely doesn't know what consent is.

And the people who raised this now scream off the top of their lungs how they're his parents. What exactly did you give him except loads of trauma?

His clothes are all worn off to holes. He keeps losing his keys because they keep falling inside his jacket through the holes in the pockets. He doesn't have spare change of clothes. He weights 45 kg! He eats here like an elephant to compensate for not eating at all at home! At all!! Until like a week ago his home was not even looking like humans live there, it was the cockroaches' home! And you say you're his parents?? He owes you something?? You have the audacity to choose what he does with his life?!

And so, after much debate, my mom has decided that we will get him out of there, and he'll be studying at home. Unfortunately, there was a precedent, and it didn't go well the last time, but back then he didn't have me. But while my mom understands this, and sees the results of barely few weeks I've been studying with him, I don't want to say it, but my brother and his ex-wife are much dumber than she is. Shocking, I thought that was impossible. Or maybe they just hate their son that much.

So that was when my brother woke up. He started desperately searching for tutors, talking to the principal, only so his son finishes the school.

First of all, mister "I would spare no money for your education", where were your generosity when your son was starving for years?! Did you send money once to your mother that lived on $30 a month and feed your kid? Did you at least buy him new clothes?!

Second of all, where were you all these years? It's not like he started failing just now. It was going for years, and you knew that, and what did you do? Nothing! And now? It's too late! You can't get him out of this in two months if you wanted!

And lastly, it won't even help! He fails because he has ADHD. Because he needs to be taught at a different pace than anyone else! And you can give him the best teacher that "teaches at school unlike me", that'd be actually the worst thing you can do! If it's someone who would not take a different approach just for him, that'd be just a waste of time and money. And you'll scream at how stupid he is again, when it's not his fault at all! Not even speaking how he just might not build a trusting relationship with the teacher, even if the teacher is the best in the world, and it won't work out!

Meanwhile I:

1) Already have a trusting relationship with him. Yeah maybe he didn't take me seriously in the past because we don't have that big of an age gap, but he grew to see me as an equal, making our relationship even closer. But how would you know, right? Not like you care about how your son feels.

2) Know how he feels. Because I also have ADHD. Because I've been where he is right now, multiple times. Because I failed there, and I know what was missing that would help me succeed. I know what he needs. And I've already proven I can do this. But not like you can hear me from within your bubble.

3) I dunno if you know it, but I'm actually smart. And unlike you, who haven't finished the 8th grade, I graduated school, and I did it with near perfect grades. Before my mental health died, but let's not talk about that. Yeah, I maybe not remember a lot from the school programme, it's been 10 years, but I'm smart enough to be able to relearn that if needed. It's really not hard at all.

You could pay me instead of infinite tutors, and I would do more for your son than anyone else. Yet, you decided to make me your enemy?

He really thought his son was dumb. He tried to manipulate him. But you know you failed as a parent when even without me saying anything, he understands what kinda shit you're pouring in his ears.

Let's break it down, shall we?

He started with "you're 14, you're a grown up, and you shall make your own decision". A standard manipulation tactic to make him choose what you want. And if he doesn't, say later "you didn't have a choice". Which he did, accompanying that with threatening to kill him, me, and my mom. Looks like there's one person who's unable to hold an adult conversation and, surprisingly, it's not a 14 y/o.

"You see how they live, and you see how I live. You see everything yourself." And indeed he does. And funny you would include our elder sister in that. Let's see. She lives in her own flat, has a high paying job, can afford to buy whatever she wants, with time. The only thing that can be considered less than perfect is that she has bpd. Which you kinda already are making sure your kid develops. Except... You don't even rent an apartment. You live in an apartment rented by your girlfriend. You don't have a job, you've been constantly trying to start a business for the past 10 years or even more that is failing as consistently as your son at school. And your son lives below the poverty line. And then let's look back at me, constantly buying him snacks he never sees from you, making sure there's always food in the house, owning a laptop that can run pretty needy games, owning a ps4 he's free to play whenever he's here, and even having figurines and posters of my fav characters. Huh. I wonder. What life would he want to choose to live?

And then he went on a rant how he had to buy a school graduate certificate. Sir, you want his school to draw him the certificate, you literally say that, what is the difference?

And he thought he did something. He didn't convince me, and he sure as hell didn't convince his son. And when his son did as he said - chose the life he wants to live, he got mad. I'm sorry, honey, you just suck that bad. You used to be better. Your lies used to be able to convince anyone. Now you can't even convince your own son...

I've got myself that deep. I was ready to fight for this kid. My brother kindly left me evidence he's manipulative and abusive in case I need to go to court. I even found out it wouldn't cost me a penny to do so. But...

You see... My brother never wanted a son. Did he want a daughter? He claimed, but I don't think that is the case either. He wanted a pet. No. Not even a pet. Pets require more care than he's ever given his son. He wanted a doll. An alive doll he could play with from time to time. But when you give birth to a child, you bring a human to this world. A human, with human needs, human desires, human emotions. And that little human cannot develop and exist on its own. You already fucked up the developing part. And now, when the consequences of that have come to the surface... It's too much for you to handle.

Now, when his son needs help more than he ever did... He played Yeltsin on him.

He gave up. He doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. He "doesn't want to take responsibility". When did you? When you were smashing his head against the wall because he couldn't understand something? When you were beating him up to the point he couldn't feel pain anymore? When you were screaming at him to shut up as he was crying? Did you ever take responsibility for all the trauma you've caused him?

Well, easier for me. I will take the responsibility for making this kid a human he deserves to be. You really think I can't do that? You really think he'll come to you on his knees? Please. Don't end up crawling to him on your knees, begging to forgive you. He seriously has more chances in life than you.

And I will make sure he doesn't fall.

[djangojayne]

let's be honest Uhura's hated more than Chapel also because, unlike her, Spock loves her back. They are a couple. If Uhura was another girl who hopelessly tried to get his affection, the wouldn't see her as a threat to destroy. Even Kirk is attracted to her so they project on both men to deny the fact both of them care for or love her. It's internalized mysoginy and racism because she's too important in a world where they teach us that only guys deserve importance, love and attention

Yes! You’re definitely right. Uhura’s relevancy not only to Spock but Jim makes her a threat to the spirk romance. You can’t write Uhura off as meaningless because her character and her relationships with the crew are anything but insignificant. Spock and Jim’s attraction to Nyota brings out a response similar to the one experienced around the 70s when Jim and Uhura shared a  kiss,and despite the fact that it was forced, the show received backlash anyways. Yet no one cared how many orange, green, and polka-dotted aliens received his attentions because not only were they were passing romances and always discarded by the next episode, but they were white women in stage makeup.  People are discomfited by the image of  a black woman receiving not only love from two very outstanding men but also that they respect her as an equal where in our own universe, as you said, they teach us that men are the focus and deserve our positive emotions while women are to be scorned and seen as bitter and self-obsessed. To take away the power and so called threat of her existence, they turn her into a prop or extinguish her from the story altogether. There’s no doubt in my body that while Spock and Jim may be soulmates they respect and love Uhura as a trusted friend/badass and would drag anyone who says otherwise.