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I literally can’t get myself to sit through movies that don’t have women. I’m like where the fuck are the women? Why are there so many men? This is boring as fuck goodbye

sir-cockhammer-duke-of-chode

Even if it’s historically accurate?

marzipanandminutiae

as everyone knows, women were invented in 1990

ranger-truth

All the notes of “women weren’t on old time battlefields” are wrong. There were more prostitutes and merchant women than there were soldiers in most every encampment. They followed the armies, marching alongside them, and notably ran the camps.

Many more women dressed as men to fight.

Long before female nurses were officially considered to be a part of the military, they were already on the battlefield. They merely didn’t get written into official reports because they were “invisible women”, “not supposed to be there”. Usually they would be local women running a makeshift care center out of their homes.

Movies involving ancient societies? Guess how many had female fighters?

Spies? Mostly female. Yeah, only the men were caught, usually (because nobody suspected the servant woman), but historians believe most cases had more women spies than men. Most cases meaning across time and continents.

Giving me a movie on samurai? Women were trained as well to avoid being captured and raped, and often fought just as hard as men. One woman notably survived multiple battles, and became a hero alongside her sisters after taking out 7 men before dying in her last fight (usually in sword fighting you’d be lucky to take out 2 enemy soldiers. 7 is fucking insane, but because she was a woman it was shoved under the records how the lord managed to survive).

Women have ALWAYS been on battlefields. Women have an intense history in driving victories and losses alike. They were supply runners, fighters, spies, assassins, prostitutes (look up how prostitutes essentially ran the western world, or even the social status of harem members. They literally fucking ruled), even underground activists.

The only time there weren’t many women were with cowboys. Actual western cowboys tended to be both POC and gay. In fact, any time women didn’t have a near equal or greater presence, there was a LOT of gay men.

darthlenaplant

History: either 80% female or 100% gay. And it’s 95% POC.

lizswyverns

ALSO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WITH BOOBS WERE PROBABLY TRANS MEN I SCREAM AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

turtle-paced

So, why exactly (book)Cersei loves Joffrey so much, to the point of being furious when Robert hits him for gutting a pregnant cat? I get that she's a mother and all, but she has to be at least somewhat aware how fucked up that was and explain it to him?

She does not have that awareness. When Cersei recounts the incident, she describes it as “some mischief with a cat.” (Tyrion VI, ASoS) Robert hit Joffrey so hard that he knocked out two of Joffrey’s baby teeth; I don’t think Cersei’s at all unreasonable for the being angry bit, just about describing Joffrey’s actions as “mischief.”

See also Cersei and Joffrey post-Red Wedding, the incident that led to a broader discussion of Joffrey’s cruelty.

“They should all be put to the sword,” Joffrey declared suddenly. “The Mallisters andBlackwoods and Brackens… all of them. They’re traitors. I want them killed, Grandfather. Iwon’t have any generous terms.” The king turned to Grand Maester Pycelle. “And I want RobbStark’s head too. Write to Lord Frey and tell him. The king commands. I’m going to have itserved to Sansa at my wedding feast.”

“Sire,” Ser Kevan said, in a shocked voice, “the lady is now your aunt by marriage.”

“A jest.” Cersei smiled. “Joff did not mean it.”

“Yes I did,” Joffrey insisted. “He was a traitor, and I want his stupid head. I’m going to make Sansa kiss it.”

[…]

Cersei put a protective hand on her son’s shoulder. “Let the dwarf make all the threats he likes, Joff. I want my lord father and my uncle to see what he is.”

Lord Tywin ignored that; it was Joffrey he addressed. “Aerys also felt the need to remind men that he was king. And he was passing fond of ripping tongues out as well. You could ask Ser IlynPayne about that, though you’ll get no reply.”

“Ser Ilyn never dared provoke Aerys the way your Imp provokes Joff,” said Cersei. “You heardhim. ‘Monster’ he said. To the King’s Grace. And he threatened him…”

- Tyrion VI, ASoS

That’s the incident with the cat writ large and all the more politically troublesome, and it’s clear that Cersei has no clue that this is messed up. If Tywin and Kevan Lannister think you’re going too far with your cruelty…

Cersei’s got a very limited and warped view of what strength is. It’s a big part of her establishing thought processes in AFFC.

This might be the work of Stannis Baratheon, through some catspaw. It could well be the prelude to another attack upon the city. She hoped it was. Let him come. I will smashhim, just as Father did, and this time he will die. Stannis did not frighten her, no more than MaceTyrell did. No one frightened her. She was a daughter of the Rock, a lion.

“No one is to enter or leave without my permission,” she told them. The command cameeasily to her. My father had steel in his voice as well.

Within the tower, the smoke from the torches irritated her eyes, but Cersei did not weep, nomore than her father would have. I am the only true son he ever had.

Should I scream and tear my hair?They said Catelyn Stark had clawed her own face to bloody ribbons when the Freys slew herprecious Robb. Would you like that, Father? she wanted to ask him. Or would you want me to bestrong?

- all from Cersei I, AFFC

But you just have to go back to the Starks to see how shallow this notion of strength is.

Bran thought about it. “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?”

“That is the only time a man can be brave,” his father told him.

- Bran I, AGoT

And the reader knows perfectly well that Catelyn didn’t just claw her face to ribbons and cry during the Red Wedding, but tried to bargain for Robb’s life, crossbow bolt in her back and all.

To Cersei, strength is “smashing” people, quashing any and all disagreement by force, and never being disgracefully emotional. She’s got “strong” confused with “vicious.” Forget establishing thought processes, this is one of her most infamous establishing character moments.

The queen regarded him coolly. “I had not thought you so niggardly. The king I’d thought to wed would have laid a wolfskin across my bed before the sun went down.”

Robert’s face darkened with anger. “That would be a fine trick, without a wolf.”

“We have a wolf,” Cersei Lannister said. Her voice was very quiet, but her green eyes shone with triumph.

- Eddard III, AGoT

Yeah, she sure showed the Starks. They were quaking in their boots after that one, rather than keeping in mind that Cersei’s contemptible and cruel and needed opposing. Afraid of her, yes, but brave with it.

With this confusion between strong and cruel, she thought Joffrey - yes, Joffrey - was strong.

Tommen did as he was bid. His meekness troubled her. A king had to be strong. Joffrey would have argued. He was never easy to cow.

- Cersei II, AFFC

Tommen’s eyes were filled with tears. “Weep quietly,” she told him, leaning close. “You are a king, not a squalling child. Your lords are watching you.” The boy swiped the tears away with the back of his hand. He had her eyes, emerald green, as large and bright as Jaime’s eyes had been when he was Tommen’s age. Her brother had been such a pretty boy … but fierce as well, as fierce as Joffrey, a true lion cub.

- Cersei II, AFFC

Joffrey would have seen through [Margaery’s] schemer’s smile and let her know her place, but Tommen was more gullible. She knew Joff was too strong for her, Cersei thought, remembering the gold coin Qyburn had found.

- Cersei VI, AFFC

She doesn’t love Joffrey in spite of his cruelty, she loves him because of it. She is neither willing nor able to correct this behaviour.

“The king is my son!” Cersei rose to her feet.

“Aye,” her uncle said, “and from what I saw of Joffrey, you are as unfit a mother as you are a ruler.”

- Cersei II, AFFC

lizswyverns

Hi toxically masculine Cersei!

gotgifsandmusings

Complaining about Daenerys trampling all over Dothraki cultural traditions is dumb. They're a civilization of rapists, slavers, and murderers, eradicating their culture is a good thing. It's not even particularly unrealistic either. Can you name a single positive legacy of the Crimean Khanate?

#whitemansburden I guess.

lizswyverns

Also, most of Westeros is full of rapists, serfholders, and murderers. There’s a lot of white dudes in the fandom who’ll see Drogo as a rapist but who will never see Edmure, Robert, Jaime, and Tyrion as one.

I know a lot of people call out Dany’s romance with Drogo as problematic, and it is. But I wonder if we’d see that same level of outcry if Dany had married Brandon Stark? Lysa never wanted to sleep with Jon Arryn. Cersei never wanted to sleep with Robert. Even with Ned and Cat--these two people love each other very much, and yet Ned has the legal right to rape Cat whenever he pleases. Every romantic relationship and every marriage in the story is inherently rooted in an unequal power balance that permits, among other things, sexual assault. Dany’s relationship with Drogo, in a Watsonian sense, is what every girl on Planetos is conditioned to desire.

Dany’s romantic feelings for Drogo should be disturbing to readers as a commentary on a patriarchal rape-culture that conditions young boys to assault women and young girls to love their attackers. But a lot of people single it out as the only problematic relationship, instead of a commentary on how rape culture makes every relationship problematic. And if Drogo was a white Westerosi knight, instead of a brown Dothraki horselord, would anyone notice he’s a rapist?

babyanimalgifs

literarysext

I can’t stop laughing

lamaenthel

okay but corgis are the wildest baseline doggo, u breed a corgi with any other pure bred and the dog will look like a short corgilicious version of the non-corgi breed

husky:

german shepherd:

dalmatian:

they’re all so beautiful thank you for your time

catastrophiccharlie-deactivated

I’m hyperventilating a little bit

hollowedskin

they’re all corgis in cosplay

deebrisbyfish

This weeks strip is a sensitive one, because I know it will cause a few people to probably get a little upset. Heidi and I HAVE been invited to a few of these Gender Reveal Parties. We’ve always declined, but never offered up any reasons why, per say. But today’s strip has been a punched up version of a very real conversation we have each time it happens. As a transgender woman, I have a real issue with the idea of Gender Reveal Parties. My own existence kinda negates the real impact of saying “It’s a GIRL/BOY!” when me just being there would be like holding a sign that says “Well, you think that NOW…” And I have to question to morality of taking that “reveal” as the guide by which you will try and essentially indoctrinate a child in a gender that you won’t REALLY know for a few years at least is correct. I KNOW that it fucked ME up. Just my two cents, for what they are worth. I AM sorry to anyone that finds this strip or my comments here uncomfortable. But being asked to gender reveal parties makes ME really uncomfortable, and I guess it’s better if that’s out there.

lizswyverns

Yeah, its’ weird that The Straights have parties to announce shit about the genitalia of their fetuses. Like, if someone said “want to come to my house and talk about the private parts of babies,” I’d call the fucking police

apricops

hey writers if you want to make a metaphor for racism, please maybe remember that racism is literally based on nothing. Africans weren’t enslaved en masse because the Robo-Musa threatened to destroy the world, they were enslaved because it was economically rewarding and politically convenient. If at any point your allegory for racism includes “so <oppressed group> did this major catastrophe and” then you have not only missed the point but you are literally reinforcing the ideas that racism have let racism self-perpetuate (that e.g. black people are naturally dangerous and violent and must be contained or begrudgingly accepted by the Nice White People)

nkjemisin

Just a personal note on this, ‘cause I’ve had some folks ask me how orogenes in the Broken Earth trilogy can be an allegory for oppressed groups, given that orogenes actually are dangerous.

I was completely aware of the Unfortunate Implications of orogenes as black people/Jewish people/closeted queer people/neuroatypical people and having Special Powers. That was the point, actually. At the time I was early in THE FIFTH SEASON, I was watching Ferguson unfold, and listening to Darren Wilson’s bullshit about how Mike Brown seemed superhuman (or subhuman) to him. And the whole time I kept thinking, “So-the-fuck-what if he was a demon? He was still an unarmed 18 year old whom you shot 10 times while he was running away.” From that to stories of doctors assuming black people aren’t capable of feeling pain to the same degree as white people – I was just done with it. Fucking done.

Because it should not matter if we are big, or dark-skinned, or wearing “villain clothing” like hoodies, or whatever. All that shit’s just an excuse anyway; racist white people are scared of us when we’re small and light-skinned and wearing business suits. The problem isn’t us. The problem is chickenshit white people and the imaginary monsters they carry around inside them.

And over the course of the Broken Earth trilogy I poked at this notion. The society of the Stillness could at any point choose to accommodate orogenes in a way that is safe for all… but it chooses not to. Orogene parents have no trouble raising orogene kids. Orogenes in communities police each other the same way non-orogenes do – because at the end of the day, they’re all people. Even if some of those people are extraordinary, they can live together if there is respect.

Black people are extraordinary in so many ways. Not superhuman, obvs – but we aren’t white, which is what this society insists upon calling “normal.” We will never be white, and that’s fine. We will never be “ordinary” in the eyes of racists – and we shouldn’t have to pretend otherwise. We shouldn’t have to stoop if we’re naturally tall, or speak softly if we’re naturally deep-voiced, just so that small-minded people will be less afraid in our presence. Our children shouldn’t have to think and act as if they’re older than they are, just because white people misjudge their ages. The problem isn’t us. And a good, diverse society, one that actually accommodates and respects all of its members, should be able to handle both the ordinary and extraordinary with no trouble.

So: I agree with the OP; don’t reinforce racist notions in your worldbuilding. Or if you do, make sure you interrogate the fuck out of them, and make it clear that the problem is still racists, not race.

lizswyverns

The Broken Earth series is an absolutely brilliant deconstruction of this trope! Read it everyone!

the-bookshop

Source.

gotgifsandmusings

An ASOIAF moan here. It winds me up in the books at how the Ironborn treat Euron as if he is some living god rather than the lying shitstain he actually is. The man is so full of crap and nobody really questions him. He sits there and says "Oh, I went to Valyria, I threw my dragon egg overboard" and instead of saying "you have any proof for that?" they just accept it. And he is seen as intimidating when a well placed axe to the head would sort him out. GRRM's stupidest creation by far.

I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s commentary on the Ironborn culture more than anything. Rodrik certainly wasn’t buying his bullshit. (And that guy is totally Meta Martin.)

Though I will say I personally have a very difficult time finding the exploration of said culture particularly compelling. Asha’s far and away the best PoV in that theater (Theon is separate), and even she sort of like…lacks an arc. Rereading it straight I was less put-off, but yeah, I’d consider it anything involving Euron one of the weaker plotlines at the moment.

Even with the “oh he’s not making stuff up” theories it’s just like… That all sounds like the opposite of interesting to me. But Martin has the benefit of the doubt, so I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

lizswyverns

Euron is so unrealistic. Literally everything he says is a lie. He makes all these stupid brags about how great he is that are so easily disproven. And all these hypermasculine dudebros elect him their king over a far more qualified woman?

So unrealistic

filmbutch

if you read this section on someone’s wikipedia before the other sections you’re gay

lizswyverns

How did you know?

fireandwonder

Reading Alanna like ten years after I read it the first time is a bit of a belated revelation, because the characters are like “you must embrace your womanly body and one day reveal yourself to be who you truly are!” which made me soooo uncomfortable as a teen and now that I know I’m trans I’m like “oh I get it now, it’s not me, it’s you.”

And then the two white kids turn out to be the heroes of prophecy for some brown people and I’m just… nope. nope nope nope.

Honestly the best thing I can say about the Alanna books is that TPierce did get better after that series, but damn. Soooo much White Feminism. This series has not held up well through the decades.

lizswyverns

I’m tooooootally writing a trans version of this now

fireandwonder

I think overall the stupidest part of Dizzy Duberville isn’t the blatant Mary Sue protagonist, but the matriarchal society that is so obviously written by a dude it almost isn’t funny. Because as far as I can tell, males in Mezzopotamia have opportunities to rise in society on their own merits and can play any role except priestess/head of family. Also, nearly all the major characters are male, and an NPC’s gender is usually only mentioned if they are female, instead of things like “so-and-so was surprised to see a male is a position of power.” Salvatore’s idea of a matriarchy seems to be women walking around yelling “ew boys suck!”

Now, if you really wanted to do some gender inversion with an all male cast, you would have:

the father who Dies Tragically before the protagonist is born (I mean, Dad Drizzle is definitely going to die soon, but he’s still present and a viewpoint character before then)

the protagonist’s Younger Brother or Childhood Friend who is sweet and gentle and Too Good For This World and must be protected. He doesn’t die until the very end but does get sexually assaulted in Act 2.

the Love Interest, a plucky Prince who disguises himself as a woman in order to go adventuring and avoid being married off. He insists that he is a Big Strong Boy who doesn’t need protection but has to be rescued at least once every book.

the Evil Seducer who is sleeping with either the local Queen or the Protagonist’s mother (or both if they are the same person). He hates other boys and only has power because he has awesome dick. He dies a gruesome death shortly before the Final Battle.

the strange tribe of Savages run by men who run around mostly naked and hide their women away out of sight. The protagonist sleeps with one but he Dies Tragically to make room for the actual Love Interest.

And these would be the only roles available for boys in this universe.

Or if you wanted to do some commentary on the nature of gender, you could make a society where, say, the military is considered and inferior class because it is mostly men, while heroes are people who are skilled negotiators, businesspeople, and crafters.

But for the love of the Spider Queen, have some subtlety. Salvatore’s drow ladies seem to devote an extraordinary amount of conscious time and effort to keeping men subservient. Like he assumes that is the only way a society in which men are considered inferior could develop. Seriously, no wonder men think sexism doesn’t exist, if that is what they think it looks like.

lizswyverns

I’m going to drop some quotes from my WIP. TL/DR, it’s all about me trying to do an oppressive matriarchy right:

The force of impact left the fillets wobbling. With my right arm, I flung the cutpurse back over my hip. My essence lent me strength, and she slammed into a jeweler’s stall. Bracers, collars, and fajixa clattered to the ground. The crowd cheered.

“Not bad for a boy!” called a watching police captain. “How much does it cost to have you wrestle me?”

******

“Are you looking for a wife?” she said as we walked out together. “I could drown my husband in the bath if you’d like. He’s always nagging me about a second child. You have those bright eyes, and you look like you know how to enjoy yourself. I’m no dull myself.”

he knot of anger flared below my breastbone. I wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep, Rarafashi’s banquet be damned. Even if I could see Vashathke punished, I’d still live in this exhausting world. “You can’t afford me, thotha.”

“Whore.” She spat at my feet.

In the mirror, on an arm, I was a perfect canvass for women to paint their fantasies upon. I always had been. And nothing was more dangerous than the risk I might shatter those fantasies by opening my mouth.

*******

“Even boys can protect the essence store. We all have a duty to it. Did you ever hear the story of the Veiled Groom?” Without waiting for my answer, she said, “once, there was a pretty little boy who was prettier than he should be. His father was a whore, and he would fuck honest dzaxa and trick the essence from their marriage bed. He was vain, and his son was vain, because even though they were poor in gold, the father had plenty of essence and would tithe it to his son. The boy grew stronger, smarter, and more beautiful with every dzaza his whore father fucked. Like you, Kore.”

I lowered my eyes. “I don’t have a father, great dzaxa.” I didn’t know the meaning of half the words she’d used, but I could taste the bile in her voice. A tide of corruption that threatened to splash over onto me.

******

“You have a sweet little voice, boy,” Akizeke said. “Perhaps I’ll make a sweet little son with you. An ornament fit for the house of a judge.”

“Please don’t!” I bit my lip, watching the air around her for the silent thunderclap of a conception. Terror swamped me. I’d been taken by dozens of women, but I’d never even considered— “It wouldn’t be fitting, dzaxa, we aren’t married, I’m dishonored, I—”

*******

“It’s not fair how Radz treats you. You deserve courtesy. You deserve real love.” She took the needlework from my hands and locked her fingers around my wrists. “I wanted you to know you could trust me. That you could tell me how you really felt.”

“What?”

Naja pulled me forward and kissed me, clumsily smashing her lips down on my own. I froze. Let her finish.

“Did you like that?” Her grip tightened. I nodded. “Good. Remember that. I’m going to save you from my sister. I’m going to make you mine. Use your tongue next time.”

*****

“Sweep me off my feet?” I laughed. “Why not just propose marriage? It’s your protection I need, but I won’t trade my freedom for it. No one gets to control me. No one.”

“Oh.” She stared at me for a very long time. I almost could see the moment when understanding dawned. “I’ve never been friends with a boy before. There’s my dad, some of my exes, and we do let them into the Fire Weavers, but I’ve never considered how that . . . vulnerability . . . shapes how you must see the world, Kore.”

“It’s no fun having your fragile bits hanging outside your body.”

thesuperheroesnetwork

Texts From Superheroes

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inaheartbeat-film

In a Heartbeat - Animated Short Film (2017)

A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams.

It’s here! After a year and a half of hard work, we are both so excited to finally share our film with you. Thank you all for your support and encouragement - this film means the world to us, and your kindness and enthusiasm has made this journey all the more meaningful. It is our great pleasure to share with you this labor of love, and we hope with all our hearts that you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.

cassandraclare

unidentified snippet

He bent down and tore a strip of material from the shirt he’d worn at the Council meeting. It was stiff and dark with his sister’s dried blood.

He tied it around his wrist. It would stay there, he told himself, until he had vengeance. Until there was justice. Until everyone he loved was safe.

lizswyverns

Stop being so freakin’ codependent, Julian!

I just kind of had to paint it :)

#the adventure zone #taz #lup #episode 68 #spoilers

More WIP art!!!

#Silk Fire #art

gotgifsandmusings

Lol B/W have a new interview with Time. Talk about past controversies, and Lol, they still don't get it: "WEISS: We talked about, is there any other way she could possibly avoid this fate that doesn’t seem fake, where she uses her pluck to save herself at the last? There was no version of that that didn’t seem completely horrible."

Well not agreeing to exact revenge on an enemy before an impeding battle might have been a start, but clearly I’m just underestimating how devastating a Sansa Marriage Strike can be.

lizswyverns

Well IDK she could have just teleported to Kings Landing like her buddy Batfinger but i have no Emmys so what do i know???

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