#srb: rant

[thesecretravenblu]

I love reading Obey Me: Shall We Date fanfics and people just forget that Barbatos is limited to how often and under what circumstances he can use his powers. Like no, he cannot predict MC giving him a lil’ peck on the cheek or the little D’s causing chaos. If he predicted everything, then it removes the fun of his character and kinda makes him too OP.

[thesecretravenblu]

I am still of the belief that artists like Koolean have immense skill issue.

Your art style has nothing to do with your inability to draw diversity (whether that is skin color, face shapes, body types, hair types, etc.) especially when there isn't a cemented idea of a certain type of person (i.e. a Korean person with darker skin vs light skin, or a white person with curly hair vs straight hair).

I will always be cautious of an artist who draws the same character base (or bases if they draw women and men) with just different hair colors and clothes. Same face syndrome happens, but we as artists should learn to avoid it in order to better our skill, not rationalize it, and stagnating ourselves, by calling it our art style.

If you feel familiar with certain characteristics (or a consistent character), draw them the most, and post them the most because of that familiarity - I understand and have no complaints towards that. But I will never understand someone with a massive art portfolio failing to have any examples of diversity. (I am not saying a black artist, for instance, cannot draw art centered around black people, but I am saying that I hope that a black artist is showcasing all forms of black people and not copy and pasting the same exact base.)

At the very least, you shouldn't be out there insulting characteristics that don't fit your "aesthetic". Don't be a Kooleen and call non-Eurocentric traits ugly - or any version of this.

Side note: A part of me fears that the rationalization of those behaviors tend to stem from more dangerous beliefs such as fetishization, racism, colorism, and/or some types of phobia (like fat or queer) rather than just being a skill issue.

Plus, some of these artist really be out here pretending that its hard to color/shade different skin tones or draw some features as if they couldn't just look up examples online or that there aren't plenty of tutorials to help teach interested parties. Some of them are just lazy artists who don't care to actually improve their art and its quality.

[thesecretravenblu]

Leaving a community..

I fear I have to leave an online commentary community I have been apart of for a while and it sucks.

At first, I thought the community was pretty open-minded and open, even after there was one incident where a mole brought up a lot of panic with anti-queer comments. Unfortunately, we were reviewing a rather controversial person who has identified as trans and people misgendered them.

I am of the belief that misgendering someone just because you don’t like them/they’re a bad person/they’re a criminal doesn’t mean you can be transphobic (ignoring someone’s identity) or practicing trans infantilization (as you may be implying that a trans person cannot be a bad person/criminal).

Add on top of that, there were a mix of comments that surrounded the “lack of masculinity” in Asian men implying that they were unmanly, beautiful people - a person straight out said that they prefer “a man’s man.”

I felt like I belonged there for a bit, but I don’t want to keep seeing bigotry. :(

[thesecretravenblu]

Why not just make a new character?

I love fandoms and I love the work they can produce, but it has always left me confused when people would change so many traits that it no longer feels like the same character (sometimes it is just clearly someone stealing the popularity of the character to increase their own popularity). Connecting to a character and projecting some of your traits onto them is one thing, but reforming all the characteristics except the hair or an interest or some other small but general trait makes no sense to me.

For example, I know putting non-humans/non-human-looking-characters into Human AUs is popular and also allows for a lot of personal liberties. However, I've seen people just slap the name and relationships on completely knew characters with different personalities and designs.

For me, a good example of this is Mina from BNHA. I've seen artists draw her as a black girl with afro-styled hair. Mina doesn't present as typically human in the series so her design is up to your imagination in a (typical) Human AU. Plus, in BNHA, she has a mutation quirk, which we are shown can lead to discrimination in that world. For many people who are minority races within their own communities, they may see that correlation and build a bond with her character. Adding these traits don't take away from her character, they add without deleting other characteristics.

Unfortunately, I've seen this perspective be corrupted, for a lack of a better word. Instead of making a small adjustment to the original character or a completely new character that barrows traits from the original character, people just make a new character and slap the name on them.

Why not make a new OC and state that you were influenced/inspired? Why do some people feel the need to add traits that would realistically change the character fundamentally? If you want representation from a character, why slap it on an old character instead of making a fresh, organic character?

Like I love imagining, for instance, Cater from Twisted Wonderland just using queer slang. There is nothing funnier to me imaging him grimacing, scolding you gently but directly, and ending it by calling you girly-pop. It fits his characteristic of being chronically online as well as his canon laid-back-but-fun personality.

Honestly, I don't really have any bad examples in mind right now, but I do remember them popping-up here and there. As a whole, I definitely know the difference between a headcanon, canon, AU, and just a whole new character using a popular name/body.

Please, if you feel like you are missing representation, make a character with that in mind. That character you are projecting onto will never fully be able to give the needed representation the justice its deserves if the original character never had that trait in the first place.

Heck, pull a Spider-verse (or, well, Comic Books in general) and make a new AU where your whole new character is in place of the original character. Remember the main concept of that whole series: Miles Morales is NOT Peter Parker. Miles Morales is Spiderman.

[thesecretravenblu]

SAY IT WITH ME:

CRITICISM IS NOT CANCEL CULTURE

[thesecretravenblu]

Why do I cry so easily when I see other people cry?

[thesecretravenblu]

1.2..3...

People who say that “This world has gone backwards” or “People are too sensitive these days” or any other version of these phrases are either:

Extremely privileged or rarely, if ever, has faced oppression,

Lack a terrible amount of empathy and should be evaluated,

In extreme denial about their own trauma and are still diluted into thinking that if they agree with the oppressors that they will receive special treatment as they will be “one of the good ones.”

No, people being more open-minded and accepting is a great thing. Progression is a great thing. People calling about abusive behavior is a great thing. Correcting the lies that keep oppression breathing is a great thing. Reinforcing the existence and importance of neurodivergent people, mentally ill people, disabled people, queer people, non-white people, and many more identities is a great thing.

Yes, some people try to abuse or overcompensate using tools of progression, but that brings less harm than hate could even dream of giving. We know not all these tools or perspectives are intuitive to everyone and that some people need to be taught, but we need to stop pretending that any progression is evil/harmful.

As someone who is scared of change, I can understand seeing everything change so much being overwhelming, but I don’t understand the hate towards it? Why hate it? What do you loose?

I gained knowledge researching this information and being exposed to different perspectives. Increased diversity in everyway has made me more aware, knowledgeable, and more at peace with myself. Why wouldn’t someone want this for themself?

If I am to be honest, without the progression that has happened within these past decades, I wouldn’t exist anymore. It was only my exposure to diversity and open-ness and progression that has kept me here. And I know this is true for many others.

These groups have never brough nearly as much harm as “traditionalists” or anyone who opposes progression. To me, there is a net gain from oppression, why do some people disagree?

[thesecretravenblu]

There is a difference between hate and criticism.

If someone wants to make a video about a person they just don’t like, picking them a part without providing constructive comments or evidence, its hate.

If someone wants to make a video about a bad person, mocking said person while also pointing out what makes them a bad person, that is still criticism.

Saying, for example, “Finally, this isn’t a hate video about *insert a personality-less individual who has shown to be an abusive partner as well as a pathological liar (repeat offender on both fronts, might I add)*” isn’t it bestie.

People having a laugh at this disgusting person’s expense isn’t hate, its literally them making a person lacking a personality entertaining while also ensuring all the evidence of their discretions (new and old) continues to be circulated around. Your statement gives off the feeling that you don’t actually know who is being criticized and why, or you just don’t care to actually pay attention to the very real issues being discussed.