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goldenpaint

i hope you find someone that matches your capacity to love

a-flickering-soul

OTC BIRTH CONTROL APPROVED BY THE FDA

i-aint-even-bovvered

Apparently some people think America Ferrera's speech in the Barbie movie is "corny" or "obvious" or something like that. But here's my personal perspective

First thing out of the way: I am nonbinary. I am not a woman. I am AFAB, though, and was therefore socialized like a girl and young woman, even if I felt like those words never really applied to me. Most of the time, though, other people who don't know me will see me as a woman. It's whatever.

No, this movie is not saying anything new. It is not a groundbreaking statement to say women face all these exhausting contradictions that cause them to bend over backwards to do the slightest thing.

But I don't think it's supposed to be groundbreaking. I don't think most people at the Barbie movie are going to have a huge revelation because America Ferrera said something that never heard or thought before. In the context of the movie, the character is speaking to a literal doll who has only recently learned that the real world is kinda shitty for a lot of people. Because this doll is literally something little girls project on, and little girls very often grow into women who deal with this shit. Yes, this is feminism 101, because it's speaking to a character who, until a day ago, lived in a matriarchal society where she never HAD to learn feminism 101. The oppression she faces is literally new to her!

And let's not forget that this is being said by a Latina woman in a blockbuster film. How often do you see that? She describes herself as a "boring mom with a boring job," and then she gets to rant about the fact that she's expected to always be extraordinary, but at the end of it all, she just wants her daughter to love her back and have a good day. And because of that, she's the hero of Barbieland!

Yes, it's cheesy. No, it's not subtle in the slightest. But sometimes, it's nice to hear someone say the words out loud.

And honestly, if you're going into the Barbie movie expecting subtlety, that's on you.

inkskinned

ah spoilers but i genuinely think the majority of the real feminism actually happens in the final scenes of the movie, not in this part of the movie.

the "feminism 101" part of the movie, as you said - is still groundbreaking when a latina gets to say her piece to an actually-receptive crowd. nobody interrupts her. nobody shouts her down. she says her piece, and it's correct, and it saves the day.

also (like you said!), in the context of the movie: these women never actually needed feminism 101 until then, because the influence of the patriarchy literally hadn't even been known to the world. ken brings an invasive species into the world, one without any natural defenses. these women need basic feminism because they haven't had to battle injustice in the same way. this is also notably not framed as the climax of the movie.

because i think the climax might be barbie - stereotypical barbie - turning away from an idyllic world of basic feminism ... and accepting something else entirely. she has seen the humanity of the real world (that first moment with the old woman) and she knows it is loud and obnoxious and strange and complicated. and then she turns to her creator (a woman!), and she asks her creator: can i be a person?

feminism 101 is "it is hard to be a lady!" and "i am woman, hear me roar!" ...and it is still occasionally exceptionality. it is still assuming we are all powerful and smart and brave and supermom whatever else. but sometimes you are just 30 and bad at math and you're still a fucking person. feminism isn't just "women can be presidents" it's women can be failures. they can be cruel, manipulative, violent. because women are humans.

a woman's personhood shouldn't rely on how palatable she is. you shouldn't have to be white and thin and pretty and pouty with bouncy hair and margot's face in order to be taken seriously. being a woman is also the """"ugly"""" parts that men fucking hate thinking about - being a woman is also hair caught in a zipper and eye gunk and sweat stains and and blood chunks and cellulite and ripped earlobes and yes going to the gynecologist.

the final scene of the movie isn't a woman who accepts her role as president or who is gleefully ready to try to rebuild society: it's a human person having to deal with her human body. it is her Creator giving her the same choice she was given at the start of the movie - perfection, feminism 101, the ideal! ... or mortality, and just having to be a person inside of the patriarchy, every single fucking day.

and this time... barbie chooses the world where it is hard, and ugly, and painful. she chooses the hard way.

and that's a kind of feminism i think... like. might have gone unnoticed. that's all i am trying to say.

rylandsgrace

KEN Things Ryan Gosling Can't Live Without | GQ

whitepeopletwitter

everyfreakingusernameitryistaken

Tony Hawk’s Twitter is a gold mine honestly

everyfreakingusernameitryistaken

rosslynpaladin

We Stan this San Diego Man

sugawara--san

this

dooflizard

C o m e d yy

hugtheteadrinkthekitten

Some recent gems:

hugtheteadrinkthekitten

And of course there’s

theseaissilent

disease-danger-darkness-silence

#where is race war tony hawk tweet thats my fav (via @laughingfish)

I gotchu, bro:

trilllizardstrikesback

abysmallylost23

i’m wheezgJmf stoP

assassinregrets

parlezvousladybug

Honestly every time this thread just makes me laugh. And new additions…excellent.

diasporaslippage

teeposting

I don't think I've seen an actor who is this passionate about their role ever

soberscientistlife

Climate change is real and happening faster than scientists thought.

yms1

You're on Tumblr a lot

This is my house

sadclowncentral

What uh. What's the frog story 👀

back when i was in second grade, my elementary school organised a school market with every class selling their crafts for charity. the contribution of my class were hand-sized ceramic frogs we made in art class. each one of us made one of them to be sold for five euros a piece (this is important later). the quality of the frog i made varies drastically based on who is telling the story, and for reasons that will become very apparent later there is no way to check, but i stand by the fact that it was average looking, if a bit wonky.

the day of the market arrived, and all frogs were bought within minutes, snatched up by enthusiastic and proud parents. all except - mine. because my mother hates spending money on unnecessary things, and she hates children's crafts even more. so she - loudly and vehemently - refused, in her thick eastern european accent, to "spend five euros on an ugly frog".

i will never forget seeing my ceramic frog alone on the slightly wet cardboard, surrounded by the imprints left behind by the already sold frogs. all the while other parents are getting more and more agitated, trying to get my mother to put the frog out of its misery. eventually, she budged, and spend five euros on a wonky frog. she was absolutely furious about this.

so furious, in fact, that when we came home to where my father was remodelling the kitchen, she WALLED IT IN. that's right. she cask of amadillo'd that poor ceramic fool. put him into the open wall and slapped concrete over it faster than my poor seven year old self or my dad could protest. out of pure anger over loosing five euros. and that's where it remains, until this day.

my mom hates when this story is brought up, which is why we bring it up all the time. she also thinks she what she did was right, because "do the other parents know where the frog is? no. only your creation is safe. because i love you." morally, i would disagree, but on a pure factual basis, she has a point.

i made her another ceramic frog for her last brithday, which was not buried like some pharaoh, and everytime guests compliment it my brother loudly goes "oh you should see the other frog he made" and when they ask to see it, he points at the wall. this is hilarious to him and infuriating for my mother. and that's the frog story.

sadclowncentral

people in the notes are strongly divided on whether this is tragic or hilarious. well let me tell you a secret. it is both. all the best stories are

narrie

Twitter dying but tumblr is still standing

goldentruth813

Reasons to Love Harry J. Potter

It has come to my attention that some of us need reminding about the reasons to love one Harry James Potter (this is absolutely no order whatsoever)

The first time he gets any pocket money of his own he wants to buy a fucking solid gold cauldron

Sass level 10

Unconditionally loyal

He is a total loveable weirdo. He compared his attraction to Ginny as a chest monster and called Snape’s potion book “The Prince”

Despite being anti-authority (for good reason!) and disliking to be told what to do, he clearly craves approval

“No need to call me, Sir, Professor.”

When he realizes Malfoy is being used by Voldemort he feels sorry for him. Even as an angry, bitter teenager he can feel empathy for someone he dislikes.

His repeated use of expelliarmus, even against death eaters. People make jokes but I think this shows the extent to which he did not want to cause harm to someone else even once he realized he could.

Dug dobby’s grave by hand

Even Dumbledore is surprised that Harry manages to feel sorry for Voldemort. THE LEVEL OF HARRY’S COMPASSION AND DESIRE TO FORGIVE IS OVERWHELMING.

He returns to the elder wand. So fucking powerful and HE DOES NOT WANT POWER

Going back to save Malfoy in the burning room of requirement was his idea despite the things Malfoy had done

able to get the resurrection stone out of the mirror or erised because he had zero desire to use it. Literally at age 11 was filled with so much goodness even then he wanted to save a world he barely knew.

he was able to forgive Snape and Dumbledore

Filled with anger and fear, and despite being shunned by many he still helped lead the D.A. to teach other’s how to protect themselves. Harry wanted people to find their inner strength and talents.

His moral compass is strong. Despite the years of abuse, and the many temptations he faced his goal never wavered.

Harry is exceedingly generous. He buys out the sweets trolley to share with Ron, he buys his friends omnioculars at the world cup, gives his winnings to the twins for their business, etc… This is not because he has endless wealth but because Harry cares more about equality and making his friends happy than having things for himself.

Despite being labeled as unobservant Harry actually noticed a lot of things (like Draco in 6th year!). He didn’t ignore things that seemed out of place or didn’t make sense.

He chose to save Gabrielle rather than beat Victor in the second quest because he’s that good a person. He cared more about doing the right thing rather than winning.