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We looked inside some of the posts by yesthisisagoodidea-blog and here's what we found interesting.
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fun gender neutral ways to greet ur friends
- whats up fidget spinners - hey flat earthers - look it’s my favorite cars 3 fans - howdy pardner - emoji movie comes out july 28 2017
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Queen Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt. She has a lovely smile for someone who’s been dead for thousands of years.
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so no one told ya’ life was gonna be this gay 👏🏼 your job’s a joke, you’re broke, the girl you like is straight 👏🏼
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“STEM for Girls” doesn’t mean “Make STEM Pink”
Considering some ethics in marketing Children’s Media…
The past few years have seen a drastic increase in the amount of STEM programs, products, and especially toys targeted towards girls. As a girl who studied life sciences in university I couldn’t have been happier. This was perfect! What a time to be alive! …at least, that’s what I thought at first.
Now before you shoot me I AM ALL FOR GIRLS IN STEM. Like I said before I was ecstatic at first with all the emerging efforts to bring more inclusion into the field I always had great interest in myself. But as I tend to do, I thought about the issue more and more, and as I tend to do, I began to have some doubts. My doubts aren’t from the idea of making STEM accessible for girls through toys, but rather how we seem to be doing it.
Keep reading
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The Ethics of Homonormativity and Gay Assimilation in Mainstream TV
When I was fifteen, I didn’t know any gay people. The only access I had to queerness was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer in my parents’ basement and secretly downloading t.A.T.u music videos. Let me tell you, nobody should ever have to validate their identity by watching a t.A.T.u. music video.
But as problematic as EVERYTHING about t.A.T.u is, they were transgressive and exactly what I needed to see. They kissed girls, they knew how to operate explosives, and they drove trucks. #Lifegoals.
(Great role models)
Queerness in the media has undergone some significant changes since I was a teenager. This is undeniable.
Now mainstream TV shows have gay characters, but they’re usually white, cis, monogamous, affluent, and male. How revolutionary! So diverse!
This is called Homonormativity. It refers to when LGBTQ folks don’t challenge the systemic oppression of marginalized groups within the queer community, such as racism, sexism, transphobia, classism, and ableism.
(A homonormative family in their natural habitat)
Homonormativity is harmful to the LGBTQ community because it allows a small percentage of privileged gay people to be accepted in heteronormative society, while reinforcing heteronormative social values and exclusion of people with intersectional identities. It is especially damaging for queer youth to see only a certain type of queer relationships.
The show can advertise to left-leaning audiences and say “look, we have gay characters, we’re open-minded and progressive” and earn themselves a gay fan base at the same time. This is garbage because it exploits queer viewers and doesn’t represent the majority of what LGBTQ families and relationships really look like.
(Homonormativity poster)
When gay couples are assimilated and depoliticized, it contributes to the idea that the battle is won, and queer people no longer face discrimination.
This is also assumed when homophobia is shown as laughable caricatures, like an ultra-religious character ranting about homosexuals. This does not accurately portray the microaggressions and systemic violence that is part of daily life for LGBT people. As well, homonormative gay couples may depict internalized homophobia in an uncritical way, for example, with characters who avoid femininity or interactions with other queer characters.
Some examples of shows that fall into this are Modern family, The Fosters, and Glee.
Modern family has a white cis gay couple, Cam and Mitch. Cam is coded as the more effeminate partner, and many jokes are centred around him filling the “mother” role in their family, while Mitch is the “dad.” Both characters are clearly affluent, and actively police each other’s stereotypical mannerisms, so as not to appear too gay.
(Mitch and Cam from Modern Family)
The Fosters has a little more diversity, as Lena is black, but they still fall into roles set by heteronormativity. Stef is a cop, which plays into her role as the more masculine, authoritarian partner, while Lena’s character is more in touch with her feelings and is more maternal. They are also affluent enough to support multiple foster children, and their values are traditional American values.
(Stef and Lena from The Fosters)
Glee had characters with a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities, but the writers seemed to prioritize the storylines of the white male gay characters over those of the other queer (and more marginalized) characters. One of the main differences was the coming out storylines. The white male character, Karofsky, had a sobering, shocking coming out event that reminded viewers of how seriously we should treat outing a gay person. On the other hand, Santana was forced to apologize and thank Finn when he outed her to the whole school (and all of Ohio). This alienated many queer women in the Glee fandom, myself included.
Glee also ended the series with all four of the main queer cast getting married at a very young age. This emphasized the need for queer characters to validate their relationships through heteronormative systems.
(I am a cog in the wheel of systemic oppression)
Despite the disappointing number of shows that only show homonormative couples, there are ways that writers, showrunners, and production companies can avoid falling into this trope.
We can have more queer/trans writers of colour, and make writer’s spaces more welcoming and inclusive to writers/producers who aren’t white, straight, cis, or male. We need queer storylines to come from a place of experience and understanding to have authentic, relatable stories.
The benefits of implementing these changes is that LGBTQ youth will see themselves in a more honest way on screen. We ALL need to see ourselves and our struggles shown as meaningful and important.
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Excellent article on LGBT+ representation in children’s TV from a classmate of mine.
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Bait and Bury: Queerbaiting in Teen Media
Image via twitter.com/MaryneeLahaye Spoilers for The 100.
The internet erupted last Thursday with outrage over the death of Lexa, a lesbian character on The CW series The 100. Emotions have ranged from fury to misery, but perhaps the most upsetting aspect is the feeling of fatigue. The LGBT community is sadly accustomed to being pulled into a series with the promise of representation, only to have it sent away or worse- killed off. For teens struggling with their sexual identity, this practice of “queerbaiting” could have potentially devastating consequences.
The 2015 GLAAD report of “Where We Are on TV” shows 4% of TV characters are LGBT+, compared to an estimated 10-20% of the actual population. With so few characters to represent the community, the weight of responsibility is heavier on the writers to give meaningful depictions of queerness. However, due to many factors including network restrictions, lack of queer writers, and a tendency to rely on tropes, queerness is often handled poorly or merely used as a tool to gain a queer following.
Queerbaiting is not a new phenomenon. One of the earlier examples in the teen sphere is the band t.A.T.u.’s 2002 music video for “All the Things She Said,” in which the 17 year old female singers share a kiss, going on to affirm their heterosexuality in interviews. This is echoed years later by Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” (2008) and Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” (2014), both of which use homosexuality (in the titles, no less) to draw the listener in, but within the same song reassure them of their hetereosexuality. This turns queerness into a gimmick to be exploited to attract attention, yet all are songs are massively popular both in and out of the LGBT+ community. With so few sources of representation to choose from, it’s unsurprising that queer communities rally around even the slimmest examples of queerness, and those marketing to teen audiences are definitely aware of this.
Consider the marketing of shows such as The OC, Gilmore Girls, and Gossip Girl. All are guilty of running ads featuring a main character engaging in a same sex kiss (Marissa, Paige, and Chuck and Nate, respectively) that never transpired in a serious queer relationship.
The most significant queer relationships occur in shows built around the premise of a queer main character, such as Sugar Rush, South of Nowhere, or more recently, Faking It. All of these shows use their characters’ sexualities in their advertising, though considering the heft of the story being about their sexuality, it’s understandable why. However, it still presents a sensationalism of queerness that is viewed by marketers as a “good hook” more than an intrinsic and personal part of life.
The worst offenders of this trope, however, are those who combine queerbaiting with the more heinous cliche dubbed “Bury Your Gays.” This is named for the disproportionate amount of deaths queer characters suffer in media. Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw the death of two of its four queer characters (Larry, Tara), Degrassi killed its only trans character (Adam), Supernatural brutally murdered a lesbian in an act even the cast has reproached (Charlie), two of the nine major deaths on Pretty Little Liars have been queer women (Maya, Shana), and now The 100 joins these ranks with Lexa’s death. It’s bad enough to be manipulated through queerbaiting, to see identifiable characters killed off, but to do so to a teen audience is downright irresponsible. LGBT+ teens are at four times the risk of attempting suicide, and following Lexa’s death on March 3, at least one teenager in New Zealand was hospitalized due to a suicide attempt in response to it. A week after Lexa’s death, the topic “LGBT fans deserve better” trended on Twitter with over 200 000 tweets in an effort to bring awareness to the issue, raising over $30 000 for the LGBT+ suicide prevention foundation, The Trevor Fund. These fans are passionate about the characters that make them feel less alone, and they deserve to see those characters get happy endings. Enough queer characters have been sent away on a bus, have been “just experimenting,” have died or been murdered or committed suicide. As content creators, we have to do better.
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Peg + Cat: Declawing Math
(Image via fredrogers.org)
The challenge for every educational preschool show is how to weave learning into the narrative without patronizing the child. The problem is especially hard when dealing with a subject like math as the series Peg + Cat (PBS) does. In the series, aimed at children aged 3-5, the titular preschooler Peg and her cat named Cat solve problems using math in their everyday lives. What’s so expert about the show is not just how they flawlessly incorporate basic math in their stories, but in the way they present math to their audience.
It’s noteworthy that the episodes reviewed, specifically season one episode five, “The Tree Problem / Another Tree Problem,” adhere very nicely to the Ontario kindergarten curriculum. Both parts of the two-part episode revolve around Cat getting stuck in the same tree, which is not only used for comedic effect, but to teach the skill of using multiple methods to solve a problem. In fact, there’s a whole song about it!
It subtly works in skills such as spatial relationships (Peg looks for Cat and describes him as not being behind, under, or on either side of her, eventually finding him above) and height comparisons (Peg initially tries to jump to reach Cat, but cannot jump as high as the tree). Were it not for having curriculum with me as I watched, I might have missed these as being part of the lesson, that’s how well they were worked into the story.
When it comes to the climactic problems, where the learning is more explicit, the math used is also age appropriate. Basic geometry is taught by Peg having to stack different-shaped objects to save Cat, and in the second part the same problem is solved using giraffes of descending height as a makeshift staircase (measurement and comparison). The education is used gracefully and is both humorous and creative.
None of this excellent handling of the subject matter, however, is as important as the way in which it’s approached. The Ontario curriculum specifically states:
“Developing a positive attitude towards mathematics and the ability to persevere in solving problems will have a significant impact on children’s future success,”
which is exactly what Peg + Cat does.
Traditionally, children are given “math problems,” making math the enemy to conquer. Without any connection to the real world, the concept of math seems to exist only to confuse us. It is a necessary hurdle we must jump to get… a diploma? An A in math? In Peg’s world, it frames math not as a problem, but as a tool used to solve problems. If Peg were a knight, math would be her sword, and each challenge she’s met with is treated with as much excitement as a dragon. Creating a passion for and a good attitude towards math- especially for women who are typically underrepresented and discouraged in STEM fields- can be far more important than learning the skills themselves. It just so happens that this beautiful little show does both
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Resources: Master List of WQA Posts
Beginning a Story: New to Writing Advice for Teen Writers Getting Better at Writing How to Perfect Your Writing Creating the Perfect Writing Space Finding the Time to Write Beginning a Novel Figuring Out a Plot How to Give Your Story a Purpose Resolving Plot Points Building a Story Off a Loose Timeline Outlining a Scene How to Tell if a Scene is Necessary Outlining and Planning a Series The Series Arc vs Each Book’s Arc Brainstorming for Ideas Finding Focus During a Storm of Ideas Turning Ideas into a Story Finding an Entry Point Into Your Story The Opening Line The Opening Scene Introducing Characters Where to Post Fiction Online Concerned About Plagiarism When Posting Story Online What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo Tips Collaborating With Another Writer Coming Up with a Title
Character Development: Character Authenticity Recognizing a Flat Character Fleshing Out a Flat Character Choosing a Personality Different Kinds of Antagonists Strong Female Protagonists Name Resources How to Write a Witty Character Tricks for Visualizing Your Character Figuring Out Who Your Characters Are Creating a Truly Evil Villain Ethnicity and Skin Tone Literal Skin Tones: An Experiment To Kill or Not Kill a Character Alternatives to Character Worksheets Finding Your Character’s Voice Keeping Character Personalities Separate and Unique Good and Bad Reasons to Kill a Character Emotionally Muted Characters Levels of Friendship
Copyright: Referencing Other Works in Fiction Using Real People as Characters Fiction Based on Original Works Plagiarism & Sharing Your Story Online Acceptable Borrowing Description: Describing Skin Tones About Describing Ethnicity The Great Ethnicity Debate How to Make Simple Writing More Vivid Describing Physical Appearance Writing Fight Scenes and Elemental Magic Horror by Daylight Horror in Darkness Describing Actions Describing Clothing and Appearance Fight Scene Resources Battlefield Scene Resources Battlefield Aftermath Avoiding the Info Dump Give Your Story a Darker Tone Weaving Details Into the Story Describing Architecture Describing Everyday Settings
Dialogue: How Much is Too Much? Cutting Dialogue Down Portraying Sign Language in Dialogue Balancing Description and Dialogue Writing Dialogue Writing Accents Translating Foreign Language for the Reader Making Dialogue More Detailed Reducing Name Tagging Smooth Dialogue & Tag Help Dialogue Tags and Punctuation “Said” and Dialogue Tags Getting Dialogue to Flow Smoothly
Editing: Four Drafts Minimum Ways to Tighten Up Your Writing Expanding the Word Count Cutting Down the Word Count Late Stage Suggestions Different Types of Editing Getting Feedback Self-Editing After First Draft Finding a Beta Reader Finding a Critique Partner Grammar & Style: Writing Concise Sentences Motivation: Getting Back to Writing What to Do When Your Story Stalls Moving Forward When You’ve Lost Interest (In Your Story) Finding Inspiration When You’re Stuck for an Idea Take a “Vacation” to Re-Charge Your Creativity How to Get Excited About Your Story Again Beating Writer’s Block Frustrated with Writing Quality Getting Better at Writing Staying Motivated Struggling to Get the Ball Rolling Too Stressed to Write Experiencing Enough Shushing Your Inner Editor During the First Draft
Plot and Story Structure:
How to Develop a Plot Plot and Story Structure The Prologue Should I Cut My Prologue? Writing a Dramatic Ending Cliffhanger Endings Chapter Titles and Endings Incorporating Back Story Publishing: Where to Begin Typical Word Counts Contests, cover letters, and Query Letters Posting Novel or Sections on Blog E-Books Agents (Everything You Need to Know) Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing Building a Writing Portfolio Keeping Image Private A Guide to Self-Publishing Getting Published Abroad Research: Research Tips How Much Research is Enough WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Romance: How to Avoid Forced Romantic Sub-Plot Kissing Scenes Sexual Tension Writing Romance without Experience Subtle Signs of Love Getting to Know Your Neighbor Guide to Love Triangles Delicate and Relevant Sex Scenes Love at First Sight and the Stages of Love Using Timelines to Pace Romantic Relationships
Story Elements:
Tone and Theme Suspense, Climax, and Ending Conflict and Tension Foreshadowing Symbolism Making a Point Without Tongue-Wagging Writer Responsibility Accounting for Lost Time in Scene Transitions Flashbacks Alternatives to Flashbacks
World Building and Setting:
Establishing a Non-Traditional Fantasy Setting Creating a Fictional Calendar Creating a Language Telling Time Without Clocks Going Too Far with Fantasy? Map Making Creating Religion in a Fictional World Cultural Appropriation Creating and Naming Kingdoms Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place Choosing a Setting for Your Story Naming Things Setting Your Story in a Fictional Town How to Set Up an Oppressive Government
Writing Process: How I Plan Drafts Timelines Organizational Tools Budgeting Your Time
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My program is incredible. Watch this video to find out why! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiNEhsrMkeM
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Yes This is Good Practice
I broke the ice by reblogging some dogs (and one cat). Now I can start blogging, even though I’m not supposed to use tumblr. Yes, this is a good idea.
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Tasting the rainbow is hard (Source: http://ift.tt/1o2QDzW)
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