hot take but… i’m not happy with vivi’s casting in the one piece live action.
and before anyone starts—this isn’t about “race” in the shallow sense, and it’s not a personal attack on the actress. this is about cultural erasure and orientalism, and i’m saying this as an egyptian and a middle eastern person who’s tired of seeing this exact pattern in hollywood.
alabasta in one piece is very clearly inspired by middle eastern and north african cultures—from the desert kingdom setting, to the architecture that echoes egypt and mesopotamia, to the clothing and even the political history woven into the arc. when a live action adaptation chooses not to reflect that heritage in its casting, it’s not just “creative liberty.” it’s part of a bigger, exhausting trend where mena cultures are mined for aesthetics and “exotic” vibes, but mena people themselves are erased from the story.
it’s not about “matching appearance”—it’s about opportunity. roles that are openly inspired by middle eastern culture are rare in mainstream media. and when they do exist, they often go to non-mena actors, while actual middle eastern and north african actors are rarely considered for anything outside of stereotypes: terrorists, background merchants, nameless “exotic” figures.
this is what orientalism looks like in modern media: take the architecture, the clothes, the sand dunes, the political drama—but strip away the people it came from. and when those people ask why, they get told they’re overreacting.
i don’t blame the actress. i blame the industry that continues to borrow from my culture while making it clear it doesn’t actually want us in the picture.
like mena actors have been replaced by indian actors for years in western media and enough is enough. oda has only ever named egypt as the sole inspiration for alabasta—never once india. and even if you didn’t know that, just use your eyes: the people of alabasta wear ghutras and abayas, they eat kunafa, they live in cities with walls covered in hieroglyphics.
and even if we pretended alabasta was some “mix” between egypt and india, it’s obvious that egypt makes up like 95% of the inspiration while india maybe makes up 5%. so in what world does that tiny 5% justify only hiring indian actors for the main characters of that nation?
this isn’t an accident. hollywood has been erasing mena people from our own stories for decades. it’s not “diversity”—it’s replacement. and yeah, a big part of it is because hollywood is zionist and will always side with erasing arabs and our narratives.
think about it: alabasta is literally a nation under the occupation of a foreign dictator who starves its people, cuts off their water supply, and sows discord to destabilize any sense of safety. that is exactly what’s happening in palestine right now.
and you wonder why netflix didn’t cast arab actors for this country. they know exactly what they’re doing.
hot take but… i’m not happy with vivi’s casting in the one piece live action.
and before anyone starts—this isn’t about “race” in the shallow sense, and it’s not a personal attack on the actress. this is about cultural erasure and orientalism, and i’m saying this as an egyptian and a middle eastern person who’s tired of seeing this exact pattern in hollywood.
alabasta in one piece is very clearly inspired by middle eastern and north african cultures—from the desert kingdom setting, to the architecture that echoes egypt and mesopotamia, to the clothing and even the political history woven into the arc. when a live action adaptation chooses not to reflect that heritage in its casting, it’s not just “creative liberty.” it’s part of a bigger, exhausting trend where mena cultures are mined for aesthetics and “exotic” vibes, but mena people themselves are erased from the story.
it’s not about “matching appearance”—it’s about opportunity. roles that are openly inspired by middle eastern culture are rare in mainstream media. and when they do exist, they often go to non-mena actors, while actual middle eastern and north african actors are rarely considered for anything outside of stereotypes: terrorists, background merchants, nameless “exotic” figures.
this is what orientalism looks like in modern media: take the architecture, the clothes, the sand dunes, the political drama—but strip away the people it came from. and when those people ask why, they get told they’re overreacting.
i don’t blame the actress. i blame the industry that continues to borrow from my culture while making it clear it doesn’t actually want us in the picture.
like mena actors have been replaced by indian actors for years in western media and enough is enough. oda has only ever named egypt as the sole inspiration for alabasta—never once india. and even if you didn’t know that, just use your eyes: the people of alabasta wear ghutras and abayas, they eat kunafa, they live in cities with walls covered in hieroglyphics.
and even if we pretended alabasta was some “mix” between egypt and india, it’s obvious that egypt makes up like 95% of the inspiration while india maybe makes up 5%. so in what world does that tiny 5% justify only hiring indian actors for the main characters of that nation?
this isn’t an accident. hollywood has been erasing mena people from our own stories for decades. it’s not “diversity”—it’s replacement. and yeah, a big part of it is because hollywood is zionist and will always side with erasing arabs and our narratives.
think about it: alabasta is literally a nation under the occupation of a foreign dictator who starves its people, cuts off their water supply, and sows discord to destabilize any sense of safety. that is exactly what’s happening in palestine right now.
and you wonder why netflix didn’t cast arab actors for this country. they know exactly what they’re doing.
hot take but… i’m not happy with vivi’s casting in the one piece live action.
and before anyone starts—this isn’t about “race” in the shallow sense, and it’s not a personal attack on the actress. this is about cultural erasure and orientalism, and i’m saying this as an egyptian and a middle eastern person who’s tired of seeing this exact pattern in hollywood.
alabasta in one piece is very clearly inspired by middle eastern and north african cultures—from the desert kingdom setting, to the architecture that echoes egypt and mesopotamia, to the clothing and even the political history woven into the arc. when a live action adaptation chooses not to reflect that heritage in its casting, it’s not just “creative liberty.” it’s part of a bigger, exhausting trend where mena cultures are mined for aesthetics and “exotic” vibes, but mena people themselves are erased from the story.
it’s not about “matching appearance”—it’s about opportunity. roles that are openly inspired by middle eastern culture are rare in mainstream media. and when they do exist, they often go to non-mena actors, while actual middle eastern and north african actors are rarely considered for anything outside of stereotypes: terrorists, background merchants, nameless “exotic” figures.
this is what orientalism looks like in modern media: take the architecture, the clothes, the sand dunes, the political drama—but strip away the people it came from. and when those people ask why, they get told they’re overreacting.
i don’t blame the actress. i blame the industry that continues to borrow from my culture while making it clear it doesn’t actually want us in the picture.
katsuki comes home, marches right up behind you in the kitchen, and tosses you over his shoulder.
"katsuki!" you shriek. you only barely let go of your steaming, freshly-poured cup of tea in time for it not to go flying as your world goes topsy turvy. "katsuki, what are you—?"
the man whose shoulder you find yourself so unceremoniously hoisted atop doesn't say anything, just carries you off in the direction of your bedroom and flops you down—in a surprisingly gentle way—into your bed.
his hair is still damp from his post-patrol shower, like he hadn't bothered to dry it before racing home. his cheeks are a bit pink. his eyes are narrowed in determination, but still loving.
"what is going on?" you breathe in bewilderment, sprawled out underneath your husband. there are butterflies in your stomach that you can't explain. there's an anticipation thrumming through you that you don't quite understand.
"i'm fuckin' sick of people being so damn nosy all the time," he says, his jaw clenching as he spits out the words.
his hands rest on your thighs as he stands between them at the end of the bed, holding you tightly, but not painfully so. they slip up under the hem of your oversized t-shirt, the one you'd been planning to wear to sleep, until you feel the heat of his palms on your hips.
"and who are 'people'?" you ask.
"just... everyone," he mutters with his brow furrowed in frustration. his fingertips knead into your waist, and you resist the urge to wiggle down the bed into his touch. you click your tongue in admonishment.
"that's not very specific," you remark, a bit cheeky, and katsuki's fingertips press harder into the soft give of your sides as he flashes you a fond, warning look.
"the assholes in the press, strangers in the street who stop me on patrol, the bastards at the commission, my old man and the hag, even fuckin' izuku's been up my ass lately about it," katsuki rattles off a list of names that don't really mean all that much to you without context.
"about what?" you ask him.
katsuki's palms flatten against you, slipping down until the rest over your tummy. he peers down at your body from his place between your legs, your skin exposed now that your t-shirt's been pushed up to your ribs. he sneaks a glance at you through the fan of his lashes.
"... havin' babies."
your breath hitches, and he quickly looks away.
"oh?"
katsuki hums in response to the inquisitive little sound you make. a low rumble that comes from deep in his chest and makes you want to squirm. that makes you want to press your thighs together for relief.
"... even the little guy's been givin' me hell about it."
'the little guy' meaning izuku's very sweet four-year-old son, tenko, who thinks his beloved uncle—referred to almost exclusively as kaccha!!—is responsible for hanging the sun in the sky and has the answers to practically all of life's questions.
you feel similarly, and therefore get along very well with the kid.
"well, that's a real problem, huh?" you murmur, and your husband's thumbs sweep up against your skin. he hums again, that same sound that drives you crazy.
he looks at you, properly this time—pinning you with his stare, as though you'd ever think of running away. the red of his eyes is as dizzying as the day you met him.
"think we can figure out a solution to it?" he asks you, his voice breathy. hopeful.
he takes you by the hips and drags you slowly down the bed until your hips are flush against his. your shirt rucks up over your chest in the process, but you make no move to pull it down again.
you reach up, and katsuki dips until your arms can embrace him—winding their way around his shoulders so you can pull him into your space. he kisses you sweetly, once, and then again a little longer.
"yeah," you whisper against his mouth once he pulls ever so slightly away, answering the question still left hanging in the very narrow space left between your bodies. "i think we can try."
i love thinking about bakugo getting hit with a time travel quirk and his symbolic nightmares become a very tangible and chaotic new reality. sth sth learning how to move on as a better person without letting your past and shame control you, even if it's gonna follow you for the rest of your life in one way or another.
i don't think bakugo should atone repeatedly for his childhood sins, but i also don't really agree with the sentiment that their childhood wouldn't affect their adulthood. i think a lot of their little habits (the good and the bad) were formed during their childhood and as a result of their friendship and falling out, i think sometimes that catches them off-guard in their adulthood and leads to unexpected situations that require them to manage their emotions well so it doesn't end in unjust accusations and yeah.
"Across the Gaza Strip, at least 2.15 million people, or 96 percent of the population, are facing high levels of food shortages, with one in five people facing starvation. (...) Fresh produce, including cucumbers and tomatoes, are among the most expensive after Israel destroyed most of Gaza’s farms, wells and greenhouses." (source)
Prices of basic goods fluctuate depending on how much aid has been let through on any given day. Right now though:
Flour (25kg): $150 in the south, $1,000 in the north. Before the war it was $9
12 eggs: $32 in the south, $73 in the north. Before the war it was $3.50
Cucumbers (1kg): $8 in the south, $150 in the north. Before the war it was $1
Tomatoes (1kg): $12 in the south, $180 in the north. Before the war it was $1
Faten & her sister both have dietary restrictions and both need at least fresh produce on occasion in their diet. This is especially true for Faten's little sister, who's diet can be the difference between needing invasive surgery and not. Displacement and relentless bombing has stripped the family of their livelihoods. They have no choice but to rely on donations for basic survival, but donations have basically completely stalled. Please keep donating and sharing, even the smallest donations will make a huge impact. (vetted here, #289)
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