one day, when my life isn't stupidly insane... @pondmud - Tumblr Blog

Justin Trudeau has had a number of careers: schoolteacher, snowboard instructor, and since last year, prime minister of Canada. Now he’s an action hero. A new issue of Civil War II from Marvel Comics, being released Aug. 31, has Trudeau facing evil-doers in the halls of Canada’s Parliament — and in the boxing ring.

The front cover shows Trudeau sitting in the corner of a boxing ring, elbows resting on the ropes. He’s wearing boxing shorts, a tank top emblazoned with a large maple leaf and a smile that’s a bit difficult to read.

“I was going for a little bit of, I guess, a little bit of attitude, a little bit of smugness, like you don’t know if he’s already been boxing for a little bit and he’s going back in, or he’s just starting out and gearing himself up,” says Ramon Perez, the cartoonist behind the depictions of Trudeau.

The image of the 44-year-old Trudeau is one of two covers Marvel Comics is using for its latest edition. The company will often produce a regular issue and one with a variant cover, which is usually in greater demand by collectors. The story line remains the same.

The issue with Trudeau on the cover — the variant — features a Canadian superhero squad called Alpha Flight, with members who have access to information about crimes in the future. The main cover only shows members of the Alpha Flight squad.

Can A Canadian Prime Minister Be An Action Hero? Marvel Comics Thinks So

Comics: Artwork by Ramon Perez/Courtesy of Marvel

tanuki-kimono

Otoko poi (cross dressing) challenge, original article with more pictures here

This huge gallery shows very interesting shots to compare women and men kitsuke. Those bloggers have used the same kimono for both of their outfits, their styling is great!

Gender fluidity and pansexuality have always been quiet issues for me...maybe the source of some low-level discomfort and awkwardness or long tortured conversations, but nothing difficult... And until recently, these issues existed only where I wanted them to, and with the people I love and trust. Then a thing happened at work. Can you believe that people who live on the Left Coast, in rock-throwing distance of MULTIPLE Pride celebrations, could actually sit there and talk about LGBT using terms like "confused" and "needs medication"? After shock wore off, I was enraged. *This required action*. As I considered several options, I also thought about all my past decisions to make others more comfortable, at the expense of my self-expression. For example, I don't talk about my sex life, or who I'm dating. I'm careful not to dress too aggressively masculine, even though I love suits and ties at least as much as I love a well-tailored dress. But you know what? Fuck 'em. They really don't deserve my effort, and I should stop censoring myself. Besides, maybe they're better off feeling a little uncomfortable. Progress never feels comfy or safe, and I've got a responsibility in this. Let's call the new look a form of quiet activism. I love this haircut. I'm glad I'm getting nervous compliments and shitty questions. And next time, I'm gonna ask my hairdresser to fade my shit.

#gendered bullshit #fresh cut #I'm not confused about shit

refinery29

Sesame just had the best response to “controversy” about the Refugee Olympic team

Amid recent anti-refugee sentiments, it’s inspiring to see a team representing the 60 million displaced people throughout the world. See Grover’s full loving speech.

Gifs: Sesame Street

omgthatdress

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

atheistj

Shout out to the Wonder Woman movie for having multiple Asian Amazons.

We have Mayling Ng, a Chinese-Singaporean actress, playing Orana.

Samantha Jo, a Chinese-Canadian actress, playing Euboea.

Eleanor Matsuura, a Japanese-English actress playing Epione.

Asian women are represented among the Amazons and that’s awesome.

starfleetcaptainvakarian

I’m sorry but don’t you realize that the Amazons were Greek?

atheistj

“The Amazons of Themyscira are a race of immortal warrior women that live on the mystically hidden island of Themyscira. They were created by a coterie of Olympian gods over three thousand years ago to serve as their messengers to the world in the name of peace and justice.” (x)

They’re a mythical people created from gods. Here’s a picture of them from the comics:

The Amazons have never all been white, Greek women, and they sure as hell shouldn’t be portrayed that way in a film that is supposed to empower ALL women of ALL races. Asian women should not be excluded.

Please don’t try to bring in the “historical accuracy” argument for why the Amazons should all be white because they are literally a race of women who have super strength and magical lassos and are created from clay, and you have a hard time accepting some of them as Asian?

amouria

For “historical accuracy”…according to Wiki, they were never Greek:

In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Greek: Ἀμαζόνες, Amazónes, singular Ἀμαζών, Amazōn) were a race of woman warriors. Herodotus reported that they were related to the Scythians (an Iranian people) and placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia (modern territory of Ukraine). Other historiographers place them in Anatolia,[1] or sometimes Libya.[2]

and

The legendary Amazons were thought to have lived in Pontus,[15] which is part of modern-day Turkey near the southern shore of the Euxine Sea (the Black Sea). There they formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen named Hippolyta or Hippolyte (“loose, unbridled mare”).

not-your-asian-fantasy

I just discovered that Mayling Ng was in a film called “Lady Blood Fight”. I’m not sure what’s more badass than that.

This was my lunch spot with the other weird girls back in high school. We were the ones who made physiology jokes, talked intergalactic travel, and Macross. Boys and thigh gap didn’t exist here.

Still flying that gloriously weird flag. Fuck you, high school, for ever making it feel not-okay.

#thirty years later #nerdy girls #high school

outofcontextdnd

DM: As you peer into the dark, seething orb, you see a winged creature seated upon a throne of bones…

Warlock: Ooh, is he single?

jaspersboy

outofcontextdnd

“I told you a rectal check was better!” - our DM, after we’d found the missing key by slicing the dead ghoul in half

pondmud

DM sounds like a nurse.

refinery29

This is what a real, qualified OBGYN will tell you about what women feel when they get an abortion

Dr. Willie Parker, who is trained as a gynecologist and OBGYN, is a hero for the pro-choice movement because he’s honest about the undiscussed aspects of getting (or not getting) an abortion. Watch how he gives a consultation.

poems-and-words

Book of the day:The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

Get the FREE Kindle Reading App

ollebosse

A ghost town destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, Belchite, Spain @carlos_santero

If only I could tell this person I love them.

#dr who #fangirl #police box #cosplay for cars

quillyfied

vergess replied to your post “i would love to do lolita and traditional japanese clothing versions…”

Lolita fashion is open to everyone, it’s not culturally restricted. Traditional clothes probably are, though, so unless your characters are from that region, probably don’t do that

see, that’s what i thought, too, but in the interest of having a nuanced discussion about this rather than settling on “lol okay” one way or the other, i did some research and found these two Japan Times articles:

Underneath the “Orientalist” Kimono

Of Kimono and Cultural Appropriation

The gist of both of them, to my understanding, is that the kimono industry is dying out in part because the kimono is seen as a traditional garment rather than a facet of Japanese culture that can update with the times, in part because of the “cultural appropriation” arguments of mainly Asian-Americans rather than the Japanese themselves. Outside of the realm of cosplay entirely (let’s set that part aside rn, not important), the biggest question I have is that is wearing a kimono and all pieces of traditional Japanese clothing culturally appropriative no matter what even if worn with respect, or is it a part of the culture that can and should be shared lest it die out entirely?

And I’m opening this question up to anyone who has an insight, bc I’m legitimately curious about this topic, having seen a lot of people at the anime convention I was at this past weekend walking around in kimonos.

loochoonukwa-deactivated2016120

I want to point out that cosplayers often make their own items and from a business standpoint, for cosplay, do not often buy from or support a company or artisan that sell legitimate kimono.

I worked with a kimono rental company that has ties with this Japanese tea house that often brings in Japanese from Japan (such as Hiromi Asai, the woman who did the Fashion Week) who are artisans or who are seriously involved in kimono and other Japanese activities and they did not want or like cosplayers to be their market because they’d either deconstruct the kimono they bought or they would not actually buy from them.

As a Japanese-American and Okinawan-American with a family that is and has actively supported the kimono businesses since two were traditional dancers and because we have a huge Japanese population here (so basically, for quite some time), I do not think it will die out entirely if foreigners do not participate. After all, the biggest market to this day will be Japanese in Japan. And I also think it is rude to perpetuate the message of, ‘us “outsiders” are so important that it will fail and fall without us’.

It is not cultural appropriation to wear it with respect but it is very rude to feel entitled and to talk down to diaspora who feel uncomfortable for good reason. The culture that America has bred and created and perpetuated has harmed many Asian Americans and many Japanese Americans as well. That is where the problem is as well, the treatment of us and the lack of respect for our cultural clothing.

solacekames

Underneath the “Orientalist” Kimono was written by a Sophie Knight

Of Kimono and Cultural Appropriation was written by a Shaun O’Dwyer

They’re both typical weeb diatribes against us nasty Asian-Americans, cherry-picking a few Japanese opinions, only a very few, out of the very wide possible range that exist in reality.

I wonder if the Japan Times actually pays these assholes any money or if they just constantly solicit and publish rants by white expats as a kind of national service to keep them busy and out of trouble.

shinigami-rn-blog

Here is my Asian-American cosplayer/ opinion on all this:

1. Most kimono aficionados and cosplayers will purchase vintage kimono, which doesn’t help keep kimono-makers afloat.

2. The argument that cultural appropriation doesn’t exist if Japanese from Japan are fine with it? That’s bullshit. It is a totally different thing to wear kimono in Japan vs. kimono in Ohio. Asians in Asia probably haven’t had to deal with the race-related crap that Asian-Americans do.

3. For example: for me to wear a qipao in China or Taiwan, the reaction I’d receive may sound like “hey nice qipao. What’s the occasion?” The reaction would NEVER be “hey china doll, will you love me long time?” “Can I get a table for four?” “Oh, do you speak English?” Even if these comments occasionally happen in America, that’s too often.

More example: When I wear traditional clothes here, it opens me up to bullshit. When you wear traditional clothes, it opens me up to bullshit…what if you wore my ethnic outfit, and YOU said “I love you long time ”? I don’t know you, and this happens too often. That’s why we cringe in anticipation.

4. Possible solutions/ suggestions: please wear that kimono. Or qipao. Or sari. They’re gorgeous and they make you feel gorgeous. But BE AWARE. If you appreciate the culture and the costume, appreciate the people, too, by being sensitive to their concerns. If you are white, you may not realize just how racist America is, and how much the racist stuff reminds us every damn day that we will never be simply “American”, no matter how stupid that sounds, no matter how many generations our families have been here, no matter if we’ve served in the military…. Be aware. You might argue that Asian-Americans have it pretty good in America…I won’t disagree, but please ask a Sikh if they felt on edge after 9/11, or ask any POC if they’re a little on edge when they see a pickup truck flying a big American flag rolling their way. The shit exists even without burning crosses, and we don’t know where you stand, or what you know.

Ask for opinions - more than one opinion - if you feel unsure.