the thing about when people say fanfiction is their comfort reading/ writing so them don’t want to deal with heavy themes like misogyny etc is this.
what’s their non-comfort reading?
are they reading feminist and anti-racist literature elsewhere? or are they just completely hiding in fanworks that have a comfortable form of misogyny for them (because yes completely writing women out of stories is misogynistic.)
i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: reading is safe practice for life. it should make you uncomfortable sometimes. maybe the author has bigotry that you clock and have to contend with (people can be kind and funny and brilliant and sweet and profound and still have dogshit ideas about women and poc.)
maybe the book helps reveal your own biases. i grew up in a conservative culture, so a leading woman who used fantasy birth control and had sex with multiple partners in a normal healthy way was eye opening for me.
i think comfort fic is great! i read it myself. but i also read other things. because if i only eat cotton candy my teeth will fall out and i want to be able to bite when it matters.
genuinely irritated about the prevalence of brother-sister character designs where the brother has a huge nose and the sister has a tiny nose. 1) why are you a coward who hates the joy and beauty of women with big noses 2) have you looked at any real human siblings lately 3) why do you appear to think the nose is a secondary sex characteristic
wishing all women with big noses a beautiful day i hope you get everything you want forever and i'm sorry about the rank cowardice of general society you deserve better
Cellbit and Lore telling the story of how they started talking in earnest-- Cellbit told Lore she looks like the Grinch but hot.
Lorena: I had posted a story, at the time I posted a photo and was asking who I looked like. And then, it showed up in the answer box that cellbitos [Cellbit's Instagram handle] had responded: "You look like the Grinch but hot."
Cellbit: I said, 'oh, she looks like the Grinch, but prettier, hotter.' I told her "grinch gostosa," and went back to the party. After thirty seconds I said, 'Oh my G-d, the Grinch is a green, hairy guy, shit, she's going to think for sure I'm such a scumbag.'
Full transcript in English under the cut!
Lorena: Can I mute for a second to ask you something?
Cellbit: You can, you can.
[Lorena mutes to ask if she can tell the story, then unmutes when she's finished.]
Lorena: There was a period of time where Rafael and I hadn't talked for like two, three months--
Cellbit: Two months.
Lorena: Two months. We hadn't talked in two months, and I hadn't talked to him again! And I see that he talked to me-- I had, I had--
Cellbit, interrupting: It wasn't like this, you have to give the whole background, it wasn't like this, I'm not a terrible monster
Lorena: What whole background? Ah, okay. I had posted a story, at the time I posted a photo of me and was asking who I look like with the answer box. And it had been two months since we'd spoken, we hadn't been talking. And then, it just showed up in the answer box that cellbitos [Cellbit's Instagram handle] had responded: "You look like the Grinch but hot."
[Cellbit brings a photo of the Grinch onto the screen.]
Cellbit: Smile a little.
[Lorena smiles at the camera, laughing, and points at her cheeks.]
Lorena: It's because of this, I have dimples up here. He said "you look like the grinch but hot." And then he wasn't satisfied! He sent another response, "my G-d, Lorena, I'm sorry. It's a compliment."
Cellbit: I'll tell my side of the story. There was a birthday party for my friend, I was drunk. For a second, I opened Instagram, I saw the stories-- when you open Instagram, they're the first thing you see. And I clicked, and this one appeared. I said, 'oh, she looks like the Grinch, but prettier, hotter.' I told her "grinch gostosa," and went back to the party. After thirty seconds I said, 'Oh my G-d, the Grinch is a green, hairy guy, shit, she's going to think for sure I'm such a scumbag,' I went back and said "No, it's a compliment," fuck, how awful--
Lorena, interrupting: And the detail, because we hadn't talked. We hadn't been talking.
Cellbit: It was a compliment, don't get it wrong. I promise. I know it's crazy. I didn't-- I didn't think--
Lorena: Really, how did a relationship come out of this, how did a relationship come from something like this. Only G-d knows, only G-d really knows, because I don't know. It's a mystery to this day.
hey man. nice regional dialect. mind if i apply some baseless assumptions about your personhood to it? i was also gonna prescribe morality to it as well. if that’s cool with you
guys. Guys please you're allowed to say big boy words. please we cannot keep just rolling with the sanitization of every space on the internet ok. you're allowed to say suicide. you're allowed to say porn. they're not bad words, they're just words.
also by ''censoring'' the words with silly spellings you're actually making it much harder for people to filter out. please just say Sex you don't have to call it woohoo like it's the fucking sims. i promise the Word Police aren't going to arrest you
Hi everyone! If you saw a previous version of this post, please reblog this one instead! We forgot to add some information before, so this is your up-to-date VirtualDash post :)
We are so excited to share with y'all a *locked in* version of the schedule, beautifully visualized by our social media team on our instagram!
Don't have your VirtualDash ticket yet? Get it here!
A VirtualDash ticket gets you access to livestreams of all the IRL panel rooms, a Virtual-exclusive track of panel programming, the VODs of all these streams, lets you try out our all-new Virtual Ballpit, gets you a vote in the democratic execution, invites you into the attendee server for an immersive convention experience, and much more! Also, 10% of our Virtual ticket sales goes towards the Rainbow Railroad charity <3
↓ View all of our Virtual-exclusive programming below the cut ↓
Pre-Con Programming
We’ve been cooking this up in the background: A week prior to DashCon proper, please join your fellow DashConners and Tumblrinas as we dip our toes into a VirtualDash experience on July 25th, at 12:00 - 7:00 PM EDT. Important: The events below are open to all VirtualDash and IRLDash ticketholders who connect to the Dashcon 2 (2026) discord server as described in your ticket receipt email! (For questions, contact [email protected] )
Tumblr Heritage Posts Kahoot hosted by AnonymousSong
12:00pm-1:30pm EDT
How well do you know this hellsite? Get quizzed on some of the site's most popular posts in a Kahoot game against your fellow Tumblrinas. Run by a long-time Tumblr hostage resident!
Crow and Tell
1:45pm-2:45pm EDT
A virtual crow exchange– participants (like you!) can present to the room unique items, strange artifacts, and meaningful trinkets. To sign up to share your Crow and Tell offering, please click the following link for more details, share your precious with us, and we’ll be in touch! https://forms.gle/tLUGyfpJYCDbj1dR6
Dashcon 2 Magma
3pm-4pm EDT
Blorbos welcome! Join us on a collaborative whiteboard to noodle, share and exchange doodles, and help us create a virtual “group photo” to hang on our fridge.
Hamilton Sing-Along
4:15pm-7pm EDT
The World’s Turned Upside Down, and we’re singing along to Hamilton in 2026. It’s been nearly 11 years since the broadway debut of Hamilton, and I still have a certain drawing of Thomas Jefferson on my desktop.
Saturday, August 1st at VirtualDash
Saturday, we have a very special treat for everyone. We are hosting Tumblr University! This block of panels all in some way teach us a selection of skills, or in some other way remind us of that theme :)
‘Frog tongues attach at the front of the mouth’ and other fun facts: Science and stories from the Curator of Herpetology at the Natural History Museum Denmark
10am - 11:30am EDT
Hosted by @markscherz
Last year, he said that DashCon 2 could have used more frog science. This year, he delivers.
One Fan Band: The Basics of Making Your Own Fanmusic
11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Hosted by @caramiaddio
Everyday, fanmusic is left behind. But with YOUR help, it can thrive. Join the lead composer of Goncharov in the basics of writing fanmusic!
Unmasking the Masq: What do know before joining your first Cosplay Masquerade
1pm - 1:30pm EDT
Hosted by @mackdizzy
Want to hop into the world of the Masq? Join this cos-performance veteran as she walks you through the ins and outs of the cosplay Masquerade.
Yarn wig styling with Julie Joyful
1:45pm - 3:15 pm EDT
Hosted by @hazelri
This little monster needs a new wig! Come learn about yarn wig styling from a Julie Joyful cosplayer: is knee length hair.. long enough?
3AM to Ao3: A Guide to Writing and Posting Your First Fanfiction
3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Hosted by @publiccmenace
A quick guide to writing and posting your first fanfic!
Fanwork Exchanges 101
4:45pm - 5:45pm EDT
Hosted by @antimony-medusa, @mackdizzy, @jaybin-superiority, @creetchure, @that-fall-guy
Do you want to host a fanworks exchange? Join Fanworks Exchanges 101 to learn about hosting exchanges, participating, and general fanworks!
The Muppet Joker’s Quiet Sock Puppet Craft Corner
6pm - 7:30pm EDT
Hosted by @the-muppet-joker
Bring sock. Hot glue gun. Cardboard. Felt. Scissors. Yarn. Googly eyes. A ritual, reversed. A murder, unsolved. Oh baby. We makin puppets.
Syd and Marti Dissect Classic Literature: Why the Road not Taken by Robert Frost is an Allegory for Dreamnotfound
9:15pm - 10:15pm EDT
Hosted by @disaster-syd
Join us on a journey of a brain melting fandom analysis and totally not fake DNF kiss proofs!!!! (not clickbait! We cried?!)
Strange Croaker (TTRPG)
10:30pm - 12am EDT
Hosted by @em-7dice + players!
Join in watching a live playthrough of the DashCon 2 themed one-page TTRPG, Strange Croaker.
Overnight Programming
AMV Showcase
After the final panel on Saturday, we will start off our Virtual AMV showcase! Expected to run for hours, feel free to tune into the overnight stage and enjoy some awesome AMVs submitted by all of you!
Sunday, August 2nd at VirtualDash
On Sunday, we have a grab bag of panels somewhere on the spectrum between informative and bonkers, with some deep dives into Internet/Tumblr/DashCon 2 history and peculiarities!
Bionicle and Gender
8am - 8:30am EDT
Hosted by @LucasBuilds
It turns out one of LEGO's most iconic themes lends itself to some interesting readings when it comes to gender. Join me as I attempt to explain just how Bionicle has become a part of trans culture.
The Prince and Blorbos
8:45am - 9:45am EDT
Hosted by @theabigailthorn
Join Abigail Thorn as she talks about fanfic, blorbos, and The Prince!
Victorian Children
10am - 10:30am EDT
Hosted by @thesequelnobodywanted
We've all seen the online meme: "[insert modern thing here] would kill a Victorian child," but…would it? Join me as we BECOME the Victorian child, and take an amateur deep dive into their society, and their own smut literature. Together we'll find out how much hot cheetos, McDonalds Sprite, and sentient smut books would REALLY shock our Victorian counterparts.
"I block all blaze posts, but yours."
10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Hosted by @millenniallust4death
If you've celebrated Martin and Bosco Day on July 13, then you already know them. What happens to a post that Tumblr users keep blazing?
The Unofficial Neopets Crash Course to Late Stage Capitalism
12pm - 12:45pm EDT
Hosted by @maryjubran, @iammai, @dreadpiratecthulhu
Neopets has thrived since 1999. But at what cost? A story of what happens when capitalists greedily take over a virtual pet game.
Unsinkable: A History of Shipping Culture
1pm - 2pm EDT
Hosted by @watchinghimrakeleaves
This panel will journey through some of the earliest examples of shipping, going all the way back to antiquity, before delving into the birth of modern fandom in the 20th century as we discuss the highs and lows of current shipping culture
Underpants on the Outside: Why do superheroes Look Like That?
3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
Hosted by @ohnoitstbskyen
A brief history of the superhero costume, what it used to mean and what it means now, and what it teaches us about character design.
Intro to Presidentblr (Or How I Found Myself Dedicating an Absurd Amount of My Time Pretending to be President Richard Nixon on Tumblr)
5pm - 6pm EDT
Hosted by @nixon-official
The mod of Nixon-Official attempts to unravel Presidentblr – Tumblr blogs role-playing as U.S. presidents and related historical figures.
A Musical Analysis of Shrek: Let's Get this Ogre and Done With
6:15pm - 7:15pm EDT
Hosted by @biggestdumbestduck
Come on a musical journey through the Shrek movies, as we analyze changes in a Totally Scientific way. BYOO^.(Bring Your Own Onion.)
da fanfiction of da fanfiction: Adapting My Immortal for the Stage
7:30pm - 9pm EDT
Hosted by @myimmortalplay
The team behind the My Immortal play explore where fan culture and performance collide. Dis iz4 al da goffik theatr kidz!1 No TERFs allowed!
Vampires Never Die: Why Vampire Fiction & Symbolism Never Goes Out of Style
9:15pm - 10:15pm EDT
Hosted by @yvesdot
Exploring everything vampires have ever symbolized—for classic Tumblr queer-monster types, and those impatient for whatever comes next.
Gregoria: A Historia
10:30pm - 12am EDT
Hosted by Lizzie Teddy & Gregory
The Dashcon 2 Discord is filled with mentions of "Gregory". Learn who she is, how she got there, and contribute to the Gregory lore yourself!
After the con
After the con weekend, the 2026 attendee server will be archived for viewing - meaning you'll still be able to read the messages, but won't be able to talk there any more. Join us for teary goodbyes and see-you-laters after our programming wraps up!
If you don’t let go of your prejudices and past grudges, your heart won’t blossom. 2013 is coming, let’s make a change. We only have one planet so let’s show each other some kindness.
I hate you Ozempic craze I hate you 'heroin chic' I hate you weight loss ads on public radio I hate Burn Fat Fast ads every thirty seconds I hate you I hate you I hate you
I grew up before the term 'thigh gap' was invented I grew up before 'hip dip' was invented I was born before 'muffin top' was a thing before 'clean girl look' was a thing before 'glass skin' was a thing before razoring off peach fuzz was a thing and I'm so so so fucking tired of us inventing new concepts purely for the purpose of convincing people to hate their own bodies enough to buy products
the real horror is a months or years long time loop. no speedrunning your torture here. you have to sit with the consequences of your actions for a loooong time before the release of knowing the consequences and actions have been erased.
but oh, all the actions and consequences are gone. those relationships you built? empty. you can never build them again without the constant guilt of knowing that it's not as real the second, third, thirtieth time when you already know all their secrets and they none of yours.
but you can't hide. you can't isolate yourself because what if this is the time the loop breaks and then what? years gone by of missed chances with people who have changed you a thousand times and now circumstances have changed. you can never build back what was washed away by your own inaction. they'll never be able to meet you like they did the first time if you don't choose to meet them the first time every time
its 2026 i cannot handle any more fucking "author A obviously ripped off author B" discourse by people Who Have Only Seen the work of author B and admit themselves that they have no further knowledge of the literary landscape they are moving in. like.
ellievsbear
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
vaporwave
pixelskylines
tangentwithtanner
prguitarman
