I've debated multiple times doing something like cataloging racist microaggressions I see in the danmei tags and making a post about it. I generally see at least one a day, and I block the worst offenders. But in the end I'm a white USAdian and it's really not my place. I'm sure I don't even catch them all.
It's a real issue and I've seen a lot of anecdotal evidence that it drives Chinese and Chinese diaspora fans out of participating in Westernized Tumblr danmei fandom, and that's utterly unacceptable.
One of the most common ones I see is how people talk about the character names. For example:
[Image ID: screen cap of a text post. It reads: "This all came about when I was looking at SVSSS memes on Ao3 and went like "My friends nor coworkers would get heads or tails of what in the world these alphabet smash assortment mean let alone know that they're referencing Soecific individuals or novels." End ID]
THIS IS A MICROAGGRESSION. For fuck's sake, people, acting like the names are ridiculous, incomprehensible, outside of what "friends and colleagues" could comprehend, is RACIST AS FUCK. And I see people say stuff like this constantly.
"But I only meant I was struggling--" THEN WHY DID YOU ASSUME OTHER PEOPLE WOULD STRUGGLE THE SAME WAY? STILL RACIST
"But I could say that about the abbreviations in any--" BUT YOU SAID IT ABOUT THIS FANDOM SPECIFICALLY AND CONTEXT FUCKING MATTERS AND IN THIS CONTEXT IT'S RACIST.
"But it was on my personal blo--" LOOK IF YOU WANT TO BE RACIST ON YOUR PERSONAL BLOG I CAN'T STOP YOU BUT IF YOU TAG ORIGINAL POSTS INTO MAIN FANDOM TAGS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL SEE YOU AND KNOW YOU ARE RACIST.
The person who posted the above, when I said it was a microaggression, demanded to know how. So, for them and everyone else in this fucking fandoms, I present what any of them could have learned by googling the term. The definition of microaggression:
(Source)
[Image ID: a dictionary entry for the term "microaggression." It reads: "noun. A comment or action that subtle and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member if a marginalized group (such as a racial minority)." End ID]
What that screen cap says about names is literally the textbook definition of a microaggression.
Chinese names are just names. The way Chinese sounds is just the way a language sounds. Cultivation is inherently based in Eastern culture and cannot be completely divorced from that context even for a cute AU. I'm so tired of seeing posts saying things like "MXTX just stole the plot of (insert Western myth/folktale/fable here)". Do yall realize how fucking racist you're being? Do yall realize how fucking racist even I've probably been by accident because I'm also a dumb white USAdian?
I've been holding this post in for like a year, but the person who posted that screen cap, who doubled-down by posting a non-apology to all the MXTX main tags, and who acted like I'd said something insane when I told them it was a microaggression...they're apparently my last fucking straw.
DO BETTER, WHITE WESTERN DANMEI FANDOM. We all need to learn and listen and knock it the fuck off already. Me included.
Please, please listen when people say "check yourself." Seeing this stuff everyday is exhausting even for ME and I'm not even in the marginalized group. Chinese people (including diaspora) who stay in the fandom here despite the constant deluge are strong as fuck and they do not deserve this and, as a white person, I'm so so sorry white people are like this.
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2023 F1 Predicts
This is based on my own person unhinged vibes and nothing else.
Driver’s Champion: Obviously, as a Charles girlie(gn), I want to write Charles name here. But I think Charles’ fate is to be fated to always be second. He wants it more than anything and we slowly watch the realization over the next few season’s that it might remain out of reach forever before he gets it in the most unexpected way. Next year is Max again. He gets three and then never another.
Constructor’s Champion: Stay with me. It’s Ferrari. They put up a good car that does just enough to ensure P1 in the constructor’s and everyone ignores that it’s mostly because the infighting in the RBR garage has reached a boiling point and their second driver is not really second driving. They pull it out. Charles goes home and cries in Pierre’s arms in French because he thinks it’s the only championship trophy he’ll ever hold. Pierre is long suffering and lovely about it. Carlos fucks about it. You fill in the blank on just who he fucks.
Best Midfield Driver: Lando Norris. Lando won F1.5 this year. I did not fuck with Lando before this season. Everyone was talking about him and maybe I was just being resistant to be a stubborn bitch (because I do that), but this year, I have done a 180 on Lando. The kid drove that orange crayon around the track and he’ll do it again next year somehow and I’ll be happy for him.
Biggest Flop Driver: I want to say Sargeant because I’m so mad about his existence in my happy place, but the reality is that he’s going to be in a Williams and unless Alex Albon makes a deal with a crossroads demon, we won’t be able to tell if he’s a flop or not. (Unless he pulls a Nicky, honestly.) There will be a “flop” in that someone from a top team will massively underperform from their teammate and everyone will be screeching for their heads. I’m not saying it’s Checo. But I’m not not saying it’s Checo.
Most Improved Driver: Selfishly, I want to say to you all that it will be Pierre Gasly now that he’s away from AT, but unless Alpine fixes their reliability issues...and also, it’s not fair to say he’s “improved”, so I’m going to say it’s Yuki. He has a lot to prove. There’s no clear “driver 1 & 2″ at AT. He takes the winter break and gets his head on straight and decides that he’s going to make it work (and not just because he’s at risk). Pierre is very proud of him and finally gives him the address to his house.
Biggest Team Flop: Aston continues to disappoint actually and we call it a flop because it’s the thing that breaks Nando and makes him leave the sport for good. Lawrence Stroll has a nervous breakdown. Lance sells the team and disappears into the sunset and we catch a glimpse of him in 10 years when Scotty and Chloe have a kid who wants to get in a kart and occasionally on Canadian French television coverage of hockey games.
Most Improved Team: The real answer is Mercedes who will be back in the fight next year. The team literally no one will shut up about is McLaren. Which still brings an embarrassing car to the grid, but Lando is dominating the midfield and Oscar is consistently in the points. Australia has a reckoning over who the best Australian driver is. Somehow, Scotty James gets invited and he ends up winning. Everyone pretends like it never happened.
Best Rookie: It’s De Vries. Again, that name stealing bastard is driving a Williams and we won’t be able to tell. Oscar gets outshined by Lando and he doesn’t have the personality to make up for it. De Vries fully leans into the debris thing and he and Yuki try and out fruit each other so much and so often that Dr. Marko finally realizes the fruit factory he’s been facilitating for so long can not be dismantled. He also does well in the points and he’s just so fucking happy to be there. Everyone loves him. He gets three little gold star stickers during Max’s 3rd WDC championship celebration from Kelly because she thought he was an actual child and Daniel never forgets that and brings it up twice a year to Max until they die.
Best Race: Brazil delivers on both drama and at least one championship battle. Someone gets in deep shit in Las Vegas though so no one talks about anything else for an entire week. Singapore ends up being the most exciting race in terms of racecraft. Someone announces their unexpected retirement right before though so the Sky Sports commentators only talk about that instead of anything interesting on track. Sam Collins cries into his microphone.
Race Winners: Max, Charles, George, Carlos, Lewis. For sure. Lando Norris finally becomes a race winner. Carlos - purely self-indulgent - is P2. I cry like a baby on my couch while those two spray each other in the faces with champagne and Carlos cuffs Lando around the back of the neck and my partner looks at me and asks are we sure they’re not fucking and I eat my croissant in silence.
Surprise Pole Sitter: We have a KMag situation but with Bottas. He does not win the race, but he texts Lewis before he gets in the car and says just like old times. Lewis cries and thinks about retiring.
Points gap between 1 & 2: The Constructor’s championship is embarrassing and RBR gets flounced by both Mercedes and Ferrari. The Driver’s championship is a true fight to the end. Max wraps it up and when he and Charles shake hands in the cool down room (while George looks on like the awkward freak he can be), Max pretends he doesn’t see Charles’ tears and Charles pretends that he doesn’t see the way Max looks tired.
Biggest Team Rivalry: Internal? Oh, next year is going to be bad. Max and Checo snipe at each other in interviews until Christian is forced to insert Danny into every single marketing video and be present every time the two drivers have to be in the same room. Christian has to keep giving him raises, but don’t worry. It’s not coming out of the cost cap. Surprisingly, Esteban and Pierre get along fairly well until Estie Bestie gives Pierre’s car a little love tap and they both crash out. Este says it’s not his fault. Fernando doesn’t understand why this kid (Lance) doesn’t actually give a shit about racing and it blows up. Zak realizes that he is forcing twink on twink crime and they turn on him. I become the Lucille Bluth good for her meme.
Most wins by one driver in the 2023 season: Max again. But it’s close and it goes all the way to the end. We all cry every single week and we get many many new blogs dedicated to the math of the championship standings. One of them gets cancelled for being transphobic.
Wildcard predictions: We get an unexpected retirement announcement. A former driver gets outted and we all have to get on Twitter and educate the masses on how there’s likely a queer driver, but it’s not exactly safe for them to be out and holy fuck, why are we forcing people out of the closet? Mick has to fill in for someone who is too sick to drive and he finishes well in the points and he gets a full time seat offer for the 2024 season. Daniel never comes back to racing full-time, but he does regain all the weight he lost and we cheer for him and his silly little expensive merch.
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not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…
‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.
‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.
even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.
I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.
fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.
idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.
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