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and-then-there-were-n0ne · 4 months

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I read this week that Instagram is pushing “overtly sexual adult videos” to young users. For a Wall Street Journal investigation, journalists created accounts that could belong to children, following young gymnasts, cheerleaders and influencers. The test accounts were soon served sexual and disturbing content on Instagram Reels, alongside ads for dating apps, livestream platforms with “adult nudity” and AI chatbots “built for cybersex”. Some were next to ads for kids’ brands like Disney.

This is something I’ve been trying to get across to parents about social media. The problem is not just porn sites. They are of course a massive concern. Kids as young as nine are addicted. The average age to discover porn is now 13, for boys and girls. And many in my generation are now realising just how much being raised on porn affected them, believing it “destroyed their brain” and distorted their view of sex.

But the problem is bigger than that. Porn is everywhere now. TikTok is serving up sex videos to minors and promoting sites like OnlyFans. The gaming platform Twitch is exposing kids to explicit live-streams. Ads for “AI sex workers” are all over Instagram, some featuring kids’ TV characters like SpongeBob and the Cookie Monster. And there’s also this sort of “soft-porn” now that pervades everything. Pretty much every category of content that kids could stumble across, from beauty trends to TikTok dances to fitness pages, is now pornified or sexualised in some way for clicks.

I think this does a lot of damage to Gen Z. I think it desensitises us to sex. I think it can ruin relationships. But beyond that, I also believe a major problem with everything being pornified is the pressure it puts on young girls to pornify themselves. To fit the sex doll beauty standard; to seek validation through self-sexualisation, and potentially monetise all this like the influencers they’re inundated with.

Which, of course, puts girls at risk of predators. Predators who are all over TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Predators whose algorithms helpfully deliver them more content of minors and steer them towards kids’ profiles. Predators who are taking TikToks of underage girls and putting them on platforms like Pornhub.

And this is even more terrifying because adolescent girls are especially vulnerable today. They are vulnerable anyway at that age—but today they have far less life experience than previous generations of girls did. They are extremely insecure and anxious, and much less resilient. Combine this with the fact that they are now more easily exposed to predatory men than ever before in history, and served to strangers by algorithms. And another thing: girls are also able to look way older now. They have AI editing apps to sexualise themselves. TikTok filters to pornify their bodies. And access to every kind of make-up and hair and fashion tutorial you can think of to look sexier and more mature. I don’t think enough parents realise how dangerous this situation is.

Which is why I find it so frustrating to see some progressives downplay the dangers of all this. Those that dismiss anyone concerned about the pornification of everything as a stuffy conservative. And somehow can’t see how the continual loosening of sexual norms might actually empower predatory men, and put pressure on vulnerable girls? That seems delusional to me.

Let’s just say I have little patience for those on the left who loudly celebrate women sexualising themselves online, selling it as fun, feminist and risk-free, but are then horrified to hear about 12 year-olds doing the same thing. C’mon. No wonder they want to.

But I also find it frustrating to see some on the right approach this with what seems like a complete lack of compassion. I don’t think it helps to relentlessly ridicule and blame young women for sexualising themselves online. I don’t think it’s fair either. We can’t give girls Instagram at 12 and then be surprised when as young women they base their self-worth on the approval of strangers. We can’t inundate kids with sexual content all the time and be shocked when they don’t see sex as sacred, or think sex work is just work! We can’t give them platforms as pre-teens where they are rewarded for sexualising themselves and presenting themselves like products and then shame them for starting an OnlyFans. We can’t expose them to online worlds where everything is sexualised and then be confused why some of Gen Z see their sexuality as their entire identity.

And again, on top of these platforms, girls are growing up in a culture that celebrates all of this. They are being raised to believe that they must be liberated from every restraint around sex and relationships to be free and happy, and many have never heard any different. Celebrities encourage them to be a slut, get naked, make/watch porn and make money! Mainstream magazines teach them how to up their nude selfie game! Influencers tell millions of young followers to start an OnlyFans, and pretend it’s about empowering young girls to do whatever they want with their bodies! I can’t say this enough: their world is one where the commodification and sexualisation the self is so normalised. It’s heartbreaking. And cruel that anyone celebrates it.

So sure, young women make their own choices. But when we have children sexualising themselves online, when girls as young as 13 are using fake IDs to post explicit content on OnlyFans, when a third of those selling nudes on Twitter are under the age of 18, I think it’s safe to say we are failing them from an early age.

I guess what I’m trying to get across is this: it’s tough for girls right now. It’s tough to be twelve and anxious and feel unattractive and this is how everyone else is getting attention. It’s tough to constantly compare yourself to the hyper-sexualised influencers that the boys you’re interested in are liking and following and thinking you have to compete. It’s tough to feel like the choice is sexualise yourself or nobody will notice you. The sad reality is we live in a superficial, pornified culture that rewards this stuff, and in many ways punishes you if you’re modest and sensitive and reserved, and a lot of girls are just trying to keep up with it.

We need serious cultural change. We need to wake up to how insane this all is, how utterly mental it is that we allow young girls anywhere near social media, and how we’ve let the liberalising of sexual mores escalate to the point where pre-teens are posing like porn stars and are lied to that it’s liberation. And where we need to start is with an absolute refusal from parents to let their kids on these platforms.

So please. If the relentless social comparison and obliteration of their attention span and confusion about their identity wasn’t enough, this has to be. Don’t let your daughters on social media.

#social media #freya #freya india

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tinselxoxo26 · 1 year

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𝓐𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸 𝓞𝓫𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓥𝓘 *ೃ༄

[Note: This post is about tropical astrology. Remember I'm no way a professional astrologer so take it as a grain of salt ✧]

Part 5

❄︎ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 might be controversial, they're the type of people who tells you about their ideals & beliefs but gets mad when someone doesn't agree with them. Since capricorn is an earth sign, they're often stubborn or might be close minded and may force/argue with your point.

❄︎ 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐬/𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 are so easy to spot, if you know that they're smart or see someone who's tall or them in a group super chatty & wanting to go somewhere, chances are they're most probably a sagittarius moon. (Or maybe I just attract a lot of sagittarius moons in my life)

❄︎ 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐲 could indicate that you have conflicts/arguments with women in your life like your mother or female friends/colleagues. Something that you said could easily trigger them.

❄︎ 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐬 are most likely the ones that skips grades or grabs concepts easily.

❄︎ I wouldn't be surprised if 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬/𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐲 love language is roasting ppl. Like damn y'all can be mean sometimes 😭 I'm also convinced y'all are sadist

❄︎ 𝐓𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬 are so attractive especially if they have an 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 , even if they don't fit with your standards of beauty something about them is captivating.

❄︎ If you see attractive ppl that are famous online, chances are they have 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟏𝐇 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬. Aquarius & 11H deals with technology (social media/online platforms) & Venus is the planet of beauty.

(Bonus of they have venus in Libra/Taurus/7H/2H.)

❄︎ 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 (𝟏, 𝟏𝟑, 𝟐𝟓) skin could easily turn red when drinking if not the red tone on their skin is prominent

❄︎ 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 - 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞/𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞/𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬. They have an unconditional love & are quite dreamy people. They might also fantasize about their ideal type/partner, this might explain why they like to read romance books to escape reality or live in a fantasy world.

❄︎ I think 𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 are attracted to older men with their 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭. Traditionally Saturn rules Aquarius so this could mean that Leo ASC are attracted to older/mature spouse.

❄︎ Oppositely, I think 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 are attracted to younger spouses with their 𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭. As Leo's have this childlike energy around them.

𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑂𝐼𝐷𝑆

❄︎ 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐬 (𝟑𝟕𝟏𝟏𝟕) 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 are people that can be self absorbed & focus solely on themselves. They only think of what can benefit them, if those work they think won't benefit them in any way they will not do it. They can't risk putting an important task at hand above their comfort & as a result they might be lazy.

❄︎ 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐬 (𝟑𝟕𝟏𝟏𝟕) 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐒𝐂 can be seen as arrogant/stuck up people. They might be too prideful & won't admit their faults/mistakes.

❄︎ 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐬 (𝟕𝟎𝟔𝟔) 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 might not tolerate with children & female/mother figures. They might purposely say hurtful words & lower other people's self esteem to feel better about themselves.

❄︎ 𝐍𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐬 (𝟕𝟎𝟔𝟔) 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧/𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬 might indicate being abused/manipulated by authority/father figures.

❄︎ 𝐃𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐫𝐚 (𝟏𝟓𝟕) 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 might not be into relationships due to their past experiences. For example, toxic relationships from their partners being manipulative/abusive. Especially if this asteroid is prominent in men, they might've suffered abuse from women before.

❄︎ 𝐃𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐫𝐚 (𝟏𝟓𝟕) - 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐲, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞/𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 could indicate being bullied in your younger years like primary/kindergarten by classmates or by your siblings.

Thank you for reading this far & wishing you a great day ahead! Till then ❄️

~ 𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑥𝑜𝑥𝑜26 🌸✨ ll masterlist

[ I do not own any of these pics ]

#astro community #astrology #astro observations #astrology community #astro notes #astrology observations #tinselxoxo26 #asteroid post #asteroids #asteroid #tropical astrology #leo ascendant #aquarius ascendant #capricorn moon #sagittarius moon #taurus sun #astroblr #Spotify

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queenofcoquette · 1 year

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beauty standards and curated aesthetics online

tiktok, pinterest and the promotion of aesthetics

curated aesthetics like coquette, downtown girl, cottagecore, femme fatale, that girl, clean girl, coconut girl

anti aging (promoting retinol, 10-step skincare routines, palstic surgery, not smiling to reduce wrinkles????)

normalization of plastic surgery

body types (heroin chic, curvy, etc.)

“energy” (divine feminine)

doe eyes, siren eyes

popular pretty, natural pretty or model pretty

why this is harmful

curated aesthetics- people are pushed to conform to a manufactured style. instead of creating your own style and wearing what you want, people are trying to fit into aesthetics

anti aging- people are now terrified of aging and are going thru great lengths so they don’t get lines on their face. at the end of the day, you’re going to get wrinkles eventually. when you’re 80 no $500 serum is gonna stop natural aging.

normalization of plastic surgery- plastic surgery is now seen as a trend. the kardashians did all that work, then got their BBL removed. no it’s about buccal fat removal. whats next? why do we view plastic surgery as a trend? fashion trends are one thing but our faces are another.

body types- beauty standards for our bodies shift all the time. 4 years ago it was big boobs, tiny waist and wide hips. now it’s heroin chic, ultra thin with slim faces and no buccal fat.

“energy”- no one cares about divine feminine energy. it’s a chronically online idea, similar to the whole alpha male, beta male sigma thing. in real life people aren’t gonna go “wow she’s so divine feminine!” outside of the online sphere, people don’t care at all about these terms.

conclusion- we’re all being pushed into boxes style wise. the clothes we wear, how our bodys are built, how our faces look, what energy we give off. if we have doe eyes or siren eyes, if we’re popular pretty, natural pretty or model pretty. it’s just another stressor that pushes people towards insecurities. and these social media platforms push this content towards young women and teens like me, making us feel like in order to be pretty we need to fit these labels and conform to these standards.

taking back our identity

recognizing online manipulation- when this content gets pushed so heavily, especially on tiktok, it’s easy to get caught in the algorithmic loop. but it’s important to take a step back and think- what am i actually watching? how is this affecting me?

cutting back on social media time- another thing that helps is just taking time offline and cutting back on social media. when you do so you realize how pointless these things are. in the real world no one is going to notice if you have “doe eyes or siren eyes” or if you’re a high value woman or a femme fatale or whatever.

embracing health over trends- my main point though is to prioritize your health over trends. prioritize taking care of your body- eating good, working out, taking care of your physical health. instead of getting caught up with anti-aging, just focusing on basic skincare and nourishing your body. by taking care of yourself you’ll be embracing your natural beauty :)

conclusion- social media can be damaging, and it can promote negative ideas. i’m getting tired of all the curated styles, the pressure put on appearances. it’s just another stressor in life, one that isn’t important. if you enjoy these styles online, thats great i do too! but its important to remember that it’s all pointless really. youre not a femme fatale, youre 15.

#that girl #that girl 2023 #self improvement #pink pilates princess #queenofcoquette

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iphnh · 2 years

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I would say at least 50% of the male Leftists you encounter online are former MRAs. You notice this in how they argue. Everything is about humiliation and dominance. I think these men realized that, as MRAs, they would largely be seen as losers; but as self-branded Leftists, they could easily seduce a female audience and thus double, triple, quadruple their following. I think this shift happened at the same time that social media platforms were making it easier to monetize content. These men realized that they needed to rebrand themselves if they wanted to make money.

I’m not sure where the idea that misogyny is caused by capitalism (and so didn’t exist before the 1600s) came from. But I’m willing to bet MRAs-turned-Leftists had something to do with it lol. The idea that capitalism caused misogyny fits into their idea that the “real victims” of society are poor people (read: poor men) and the fact that women of all classes suffer in society is just a weird coincidence.

Ironically, their communist king Engels came to the exact opposite conclusion. In Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State, Engels argues that misogyny is the root of capitalism. But of course, none of these self-identified MRAs-turned-Leftists have actually read anything.

#leftist men #radfems please interact #radfems please touch #I feel I could write a book about the chronically online leftist men of the world on god

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copper-16 · 1 month

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why do you reckon mapi and ingrid may be being more private with their lives? im not tryna be a freak or anything like that, im just curious if something happened for them to do that? or is it just a suspicion you have? again, not tryna come across as weird, i just wish the best for them and totally understand why they wanna be more private considering the eyes on them and especially more if something happened x

Okay so we did end up getting a birthday post (I’ve never been more thrilled to be wrong about something!), but I definitely have seen some discourse about Mapi and Ingrid becoming a little bit more private on social media. Not a whole ton, obviously they still post each other quite a bit (I haven’t really noticed a difference to be honest), but I have seen some people discussing it for some reason.

I think it feeds into a bigger discourse of footballers and the line between their private versus public lives, and where fans fit into that.

Mapi and Ingrid both have been very open in the past, but they are both getting more famous. And with more fame, comes more online abuse and just overall more dialogue about their lives and choices. Perhaps they just want to live their lives as they please, without having to appease or perform on social media, or be subjected to any sort of abuse/homophobia/whatever it is. Everyone has their limits.

I think it’s important for people to remember that these are real people, with real lives, and we cannot grow so attached to people or the idea of a person in our mind that we aren’t still respectful of their boundaries. I probably sound like a huge hypocrite saying this, but as much as I enjoy writing about these women, I don’t find myself in any sort of like para-social relationships with them, and I caution anyone against growing so invested. When I write about them, I’m not attempting to write about real people, but more along the lines of a character that is based off of that person (utilizing the fact that my audience already understands the characters and often the setting, and I don’t have to do that myself). Thats one of the reasons that fanfiction can be so enjoyable for people to write and read, is this idea that it’s easier to understand because both the author and audience already have an idea of the world/people/setting, and the author doesn’t have to spend the time and word count setting that up. It’s not that writing about these people is us trying to invade their lives or change history, but rather utilize our own creativity to think of our own stories. No writer, including myself, should ever claim in this sphere of writing to be writing the truth, because we don’t know these people!

I know there has been a lot of discussion on invasions of privacy, and I might get some push back on this but I figured I would state my own thoughts. People are more than allowed to disagree, I think there’s room for healthy discussion without being cruel toward one another:

I don’t see that big of a problem with writing about or discussing football and footballers on platforms like Tumblr and ao3, where the chances for these people to actually view what is being discussed is very, very low. In my mind, players would at that point be seeking out that information, and that is their choice and within their boundaries to do or not do, as they see fit. People are naturally curious, they have questions and want to connect with others about things they enjoy, and I see platforms like Tumblr and ao3 as a way to do so. People can learn, discuss, debate, etc with the freedom that these players are not on the platform, and will therefore not see what they are saying. I think it’s healthier that way, for all involved, to have a level of disconnect. I do think there are still lines to be drawn on these apps, I’m not saying it’s a free for all, but I tend to be more forgiving of potential mistakes or more risqué posts because I doubt that these people will ever see them.

I personally see a much larger problem being had on platforms like Instagram and Twitter and TikTok, with heavy amounts of abuse and overly harsh criticism about honestly all aspects of their lives. There is a difference between discussion and constructive criticism and bashing someone, or being abusive. Players see these things, we clearly know this, they are people too with feelings and bad days and people need to respect that and have some empathy. I find fault with Tumblr posts when someone on twitter/instagram/tiktok pulls a post and put it on one of those platforms. Why people would do that and open players up to seeing these things is beyond me, and feels disrespectful to all parties involved honestly.

I also see a lot of issues on those apps with invasion of privacy. My take on the issue has always been if a player has posted something, that is public knowledge that is allowed to be consumed, because they have made the choice to post and share that with the world. There’s a difference between scrolling back a few years to find a funny picture of a player when she was younger on her instagram page and ending up on her aunts friends Facebook page, digging up pictures from 2012 to use in some facet. Or taking something that someone has since deleted, or somehow getting a photo from a private account that might be a personal photo. There’s a line, and sure, it might fluctuate a little depending on the person because we all were raised differently and have different boundaries, but I still believe there is still a universal level of respect that can be upheld. We are not entitled to anything, the fact that we get to engage with these women and learn about their lives is a PRIVILEGE, and not a RIGHT. I think people often forget this.

Anyways, this got very long and waxy, which I apologize for. I’m sure I’ll get some pushback for this, because everyone feels a little differently on the subject, but this is simply where I stand. People are welcome to disagree and discuss as long as it is done so respectfully!

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mitigatedchaos · 4 months

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[ tumblr user ]

"Afab trans woman" why do you view trans womanhood as a Vibe you wanna adopt and not a collection of a wide range of experiences based on the material circumstance of being assigned male at birth and transitioning to become a woman. We've always had afab people who call themselves trans women (it's why so many of us are so militant about tme vs tma, because these people would try to pass themselves off as us and speak over us) and it's cause people want the culture and coolness that we have cultivated for ourselves without having our struggle. They want the cultural view of being the epitome of queerness that's thrust upon us without having to deal with the transmisogyny that that same culture throws at us

We've gotten a few isolated and largely unconfirmed reports of AFAB people identifying as MtF trans.

It's difficult to tell if this is a real thing, or if it's a one-in-a-million thing that's just being noticed and amplified by the internet, or if it's some people making these stories up for internet clout or for other reasons.

I've been considering the increase in identification as "non-binary" compared to 2008 levels, and I have a theory.

Back in the 2000-2008 era, the Internet was still a separate place you would go. You would physically sit down at your computer, log on, and then go on websites or use messenger services, etc. Corporate and government use of the Internet was more limited. There was more socially acceptable use of alternate channels such as phones, physical meetups, etc.

Cyberspace was real, but it wasn't ubiquitous. It didn't follow you around when you logged off.

Now, thanks to smartphones and increasing dependence on the internet, cyberspace is almost everywhere. Data is light, it doesn't weigh much, and it can smoothly glide at a moment's touch. Privacy in physical space can disappear with only a few seconds of notice.

The cyberspace layer is a new layer on the stack of what has to be considered in social interactions.

The social contagion theory is about the idea of male-identifying gender non-conformity spreading to girls and young women from outside as a meme (in terms of a self-replicating idea) resulting in local social pressure. However, we can invert it:

What if it's a hiding place?

Our current system of ordinary laws is not designed for constant, thorough enforcement. If we were constantly monitored by AI to enforce our current laws, it would be intolerable.

The ubiquity of smartphones and social media may have lead to a radical increase in internally felt social pressure for gender conformity, and a narrowing of what's considered acceptable gender behavior.

While from the outside, most of us would say, "Yeah, there can be masculine women, so what?" for people who have a high internalization of social pressure, that might not be good enough.

Identifying as "non-binary" provides social permission (including internal social permission) not to be layered with 3mm of makeup, even though the influencers are presumably off presenting their unrealistically flashy lives on internet video platforms doing just that.

As for MtF specifically, in terms of what's visible it tends to be a pretty intense band of humanity, culturally, and especially online.

There are a number of reasons for this, but to emphasize one of them, if you have people that are uncomfortable in real life, they may spend a lot of time online, and if they're not mindlessly devoting that to social warfare, they may devote that to cultural development. As more culture development shifts online, they'll have a disproportionate influence. The current cohort of MtFs also hit a bit earlier, so they're a bit further along, career-wise, and a bit more knowledgeable.

So it wouldn't be surprising for a number of young AFAB people, who are evaluating 'who they want to be', to look out there, and decide to try on 'trans woman' as a label and see how it fits, see if it changes them, or helps them fit in.

But is that actually happening? I dunno.

#gendpol

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garbageday · 2 years

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I came across this thanks to a tweet from @rustbeltjacobin. The weirdos over at r/elonmusk have not been having a great time. Musk’s extremely embarrassing handling of Twitter is causing a lot of them real anguish because it flies in the face of the idea of him they have in their heads. To Musk’s stans, he’s the smartest man in the world and everything he does fits into a larger, perfectly executed longtermist plan to get us to space. As that becomes increasingly unlikely, they’re spinning more and more elaborate conspiracy theories to explain what he’s actually doing.

“I suspect he found something big and is trying to keep control of it. I wouldn't be surprised if a new legal claim is filed by Musk against the previous management of Twitter before the end of the year,” the user above wrote.

It’s important to note how indistinguishable this is from QAnon… or a Snyder Cut fan. Many online fandoms, particularly ones enjoyed by men on Reddit, have reached a level where they function like benign cults. But when the shared reality of the community starts to fracture, they get genuinely very panicky. There is some of this behavior on Tumblr or Archive Of Our Own, but I think because those platforms emphasize iterative fan works, there’s less of a fixation on canon and hierarchies. Whereas on Reddit or YouTube, there’s more of an incentive on fan theories, analysis, and reactions. Which is how you get Star Wars fans editing all the women and minorities out of The Last Jedi or this poor soul fantasizing about Musk suing the former managers of Twitter for some reason.

[Read more at Garbage Day]

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stiffyck · 4 months

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Hi stiff!! I was writing this as a comment but I think it’s a better ask. It’s very long and I will not be upset if you don’t answer! :3

I think part of peoples aversion to it is that it doesn’t conform to the style people are used to seeing online by popular artists. There’s this sorta phenomenon I’ve noticed where people tend to move their style towards a very cartoon/anime ish style with little variation because it’s pretty and that’s what people/algorithms like. People gravitate moreso if they intend on selling their art though.

So, when someone has a stylistic choice that doesn’t really fit that mould people find it “weird”. Exaggerated features (or in this case and many others like, a feature people just have???) are often seen as ugly or strange. An example of this is the person on TikTok who drew characters with big foreheads and lower eyes and got bullied off the platform for it! Another example could be “the tumblr art style” where commentary channels bullied artists who drew any minority ever or “ugly” features. It really exemplifies to me how online culture (especially on western apps) views western standards of beauty as the only way people can be beautiful. And why, in their mind, would someone create art that isn’t beautiful in that way unless they’re trying to be weird or make a statement? When, in reality, the beauty is in that they’re drawing what they see, what they want to see, and what they think is beautiful. Without diversity in what we consider beauty there is no beauty.

In this case it also feels a bit. Weird. To have the big nose be such a big issue. I don’t see people getting mad at hooked nose scar? How is this any different? There is nothing different about the way you draw scar now and the way you drew him before aside from that. You’ve always drawn him with body hair and fat and with these details that really just. Humanize him. And I think the point I’m trying to make here is that drawing people with big noses or crooked eyes or acne scars isn’t bad or weird and only adds to your art. It only makes you a better artist and I’ve genuinely watched you improve really really fast as you’ve drawn these characters with so much body diversity. Anyway. Big nose scar sweeeeep

honestly yea. sometimes when i see people draw certain characters it almost feels like theyre afraid of making them "unattractive" if you know what i mean? like i dont know how else to describe it but its really weird.

making their nose smaller, giving female characters bigger eyes and fuller lips, drawing only skinny characters, drawing older people with less wrinkles then they actually have or should have etc. and like people can draw whatever they want of course but tbh i see those "unattractive" parts as beautiful.

like i genuinely think wrinkles are pretty. i think big noses, hooked noses, small noses, crooked noses or just any kind of noses are beautiful. i think someones lips dont have to be full to look pretty. i think fat people and skinny people and just all kinds of people are beautiful. acne scars and and skin markings of any kind are beautiful.

idk just all those things and imperfections even make people beautiful to me.

like i find diversity beautiful and its kinda sad that some people dont see it that way? not everyone is skinny and buff, not all women will have the perfect hourglass figure or full lips etc.

those body types are beautiful too of course but sometimes i feel like people should see beauty in other body types and features as well.

anyway thank you for the ask it was very sweet and i do agree with you <3

#stiff talk #asks

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withsara-ab · 4 months

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Move it or Lose it! Stiff Body? Unstuck Yourself with Movement!

Stuck in stiff-ville? Don't wait! Move your body to feel better, like I did with my tight shoulders. Consistent movement (think stretches, foam rolling, even yoga!) works wonders.

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#best home workouts for women #hiit classes #fitness programs & classes #barre workouts #online women's fitness platform #home workout platform #withsara workout #women's fitness guide #workout program #yoga classes #Stretch Classes

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ngardgni · 2 years

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...So, we've been reading a few posts about how "Warrior Nun" is the best because it isn't like all the other queer shows, where apparently the queer couples have sex right away or non-queer shows that queer bait viewers, etc.

Let's just get something straight:

The original L-Word came out in 2004. That show was criticized for being too white, too narrow, too limiting in its depiction of gay women. In fact, it was mostly lesbians, and one bi woman (Tina) and most were femmes. Over the years, the show tried to course correct with the addition of other characters, most notably Max (Daniela Sea) and even that was fraught with controversy. At the time, Daniela Sea was interviewed about this and she had said (and we're paraphrasing here, that was a long time ago), that L-Word doesn't claim to represent all gay women, and she had hoped that there would be more representation of gay women, more movies, more tv shows to show the diversity, the variety, the spectrum of the gay experience.

At the time, pre-L-Word, there were only a handful of les/bi movies, mostly indie, some of questionable quality (there were a lot, we're not going to name names), some good (our favorite being "When Night is Falling" and "Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love"). On TV, we had "Ellen" which was groundbreaking and promptly cancelled, and there was "Carol the Lesbian" on "Friends", who was treated more as a joke, along with Chandler's trans-mom.

Cut to now - where we have so much more to choose from: we have period dramas with A-List directors and actors ("Carol", "Tell it to the Bees", "Portrait of a Lady on Fire"), we have shows on TV networks and online streaming platforms (tho the line between those are blurring). So we can watch Cyrano de Bergerac style movies ("The Half of It") or Asian American ones ("Saving Face") or pretty straightforward ones, really ("Imagine Me and You"), and though some, if not half or most series/shows have been cancelled ("Teenage Bounty Hunters", "I Am Not Okay with This", etc.), we still have more shows/series now that tell our queer stories than ever before ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "The 100", "Glee", etc.) and we still think that's better than the time the only thing we had was stories with only subtext to keep us company ("Fried Green Tomatoes", "Thelma and Louise", "A League of their Own").

So, whenever we feel like it's getting bad, let's also remember the time when queer stories weren't even mainstream, when directors and actors wouldn't even touch or go near our stories, when we didn't have as many allies in the industry willing to put our stories out there. A lot of our queer stories from before, though far from perfect, paved the way for stories like "Warrior Nun"to see the light of day. And we love that yeah, "Warrior Nun" is about a friends-to-lovers queer story, but that isn't just the one queer story that can be told. The diversity and complexity of the queer experience can hardly be encompassed by just one series and it's not fair to ignore or put the others down just because they don't fit what you like. We like that we have the more adult, they-had-a-one-night-stand-right-away-and-fell-in-love story of Kacy on NCIS Hawai'i, the sex-positive one of Leighton on "The Sex Lives of College Girls", the stranded-on-an-island one of "The Wilds", the vampire-and-vampire-slayer-falling-in-love narrative of "First Kill", etc.

So, let's keep celebrating the diversity and complexity of the queer female experience onscreen but still honor the stories that came before them. They may not have been perfect, hell, they were even problematic, but, again, at least we got these stories and our lives are better for it.

And let's keep pushing for "Warrior Nun"and other stories to keep getting made and renewed.

Like and reblog if you agree.

Drop your favorite queer women story (movie, series, show) below.

#alba baptista #ava silva #avatrice #kristina tonteri young #warrior nun season 2 #warrior nun #buffy the vampire slayer #lword(original)#the half of it #imagine me and you #saving face #when night is falling #incredibly true adventure of 2 girls in love #portrait of a lady on fire

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osovarro · 7 months

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STATEMENT FROM THE ARTIST:

To anyone who may see this,

I don’t have a large following, I’m not a popular artist, nor do I have a large overall influence online. Despite this, I still exist online and I exist as an artist in this world. Although I have been trying to spread awareness through reposting videos/resources via other social media, it felt wrong to not make my own personal statement.

As of now, I don’t really have a career as an artist. I’ve yet to build one, but I have a lot of big dreams I hope to accomplish some day. And even with nothing to lose & everything the gain, it was still important to me to declare the following:

If you’re a person in the world today, you should know that Palestine and it’s people have been suffering from some of the most inhumane treatment I have witnessed in my lifetime. I’ve witnessed countess men women and children be brutally attacked without access or food, water & resources. It’s wrong, it’s genocide & it’s happening thanks in large part to the United States & it’s government. Listen to those who advise you to speak up, spread awareness, bear witness & never stop advocating for justice to prevail.

That is why, as long as I am an artist, I will stand with Palestine. I will not makes excuses for their torture on behalf of any country or company. If any and all money I ever stand to make as an artist is blood money, I’d rather have no money. I hope that anyone who ever comes across my art knows exactly where I stand.

If there’s anything I can do to “effectively” use my platform on this here internet is draw Sonic the Hedgehog, so be it. It’s fitting, my love for this character is what made me want to be an artist in the first place. What use would being an artist be if it wasn’t to spread a message I believe in? So here, I was inspiring by the cover of Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #236.

From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

CALL YOUR REPS

BOYCOTT DISNEY

BOYCOTT STARBUCKS

BOYCOTT MCDONALDS

DONATE & EDUCATE YOURSELF

DEMAND CEASEFIRE

-Oso Varro, 2023

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic fanart #palestine #free palestine #free gaza #protest art

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neotrances · 1 year

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What opinion?

on my old blog i was talking about the porn industry preying on marginalized communities namely corporal giants knowingly hosting trafficking material / underage material / swarms of incredibly racist and bigoted content and ignoring the people begging to have their content taken down / introspection of the content being hosted on their platforms and how different irl sex work (stripping, full service, escorts) is from onlyfans and essentially how different irl sw is from camming regarding basic risk and battery ect ect and ppl got rlly mad about it but my main point is not that swers cant make choices or shouldn’t have the right to make their career however they see fit bit that the industry is deeply misogynistic in nature and saying so is not an attack on them but rather a criticism of why sex sells, namely the discussion had points about the differences of how statistically transfems swers have a wildly different experience with sw compared to people who offer services solely online and we should be listening to experiences from all sw and not just online creators who have the opportunity to screen and choose clientele that many irl swers do not have, only bringing this up bc of seeing mutuals comment on a post where the op centers men who pay for sex services and incels (they specifically mentioned incels im not just calling these clientele incels) as ‘sad’ and in needing of defense for mild mockery, which to me i don’t find the act of purchasing porn or paying someone for sex inherently harmful to a degree but i don’t understand how mildly being like “lol this guy had to pay someone to sleep with him” is bad or evil especially when the op themselves mentioned incels in regards to who could be clients as if being a self identified incel isn’t an inherently misogynistic state, yadda yadda before someone gets mad no im not a terf, trans women r women, and trans women across the board make up a large portion of irl sex workers specifically bc of facing transphobia that often makes it hard for them to remain in the regular workforce, feminism has to be intersectional or it is meaningless, criticizing industries that are built on the backs of mostly women is not an attack on women who participate but just a criticism of how they are often not protected and subjected to unfair treatment by their bosses and the police force, i think my experience of growing up and mainly seeing curb escorts in my community as well as being trafficked myself has given me a lot of ig perspective? i think the convo is more nuanced than “all clients are saints and if u joke about them being lame ur just a misandrist / hate sex workers” and i also dislike how a lot of the conversation centers online sw when a majority of swers are irl workers, not to say online sw isn’t real and has no risk but that it is a different ball park

#✉️

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abybweisse · 1 year

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Hello! Not a kuro related ask but can i ask how can u tell if someone is a bot or not on tumblr? Also can they do any harm to your account?

⚠️ I originally expected to give a short answer, but there's actually a lot I can say about this, having become a regular target of bots. My blocked list has quite the collection! So it's kind of a long post.

How to spot bots and why they are bad

Some bots are easy to spot while others are not. And they are getting harder to spot, as whoever programs the bot generators is learning how to make them less noticeable. Or an AI that's been made is learning. 😳

Blog name patterns

You might have noticed how default blog urls here have four random words stuck together, and early bots used a similar pattern. But it has evolved. I recall seeing names that were two or three random words and a two digit number, typically from 20 to 50, presumably meant to be seen as a person's age. Like these:

Then a different pattern was used, like two or three words then a hyphen then a number. Then another, like a first name mixed in with random words, etc. Now, it's harder to see a pattern, so some bot names now look more (or less) random... more like real blogs. If you see a new follower with a random name, it doesn't mean much, but if you see more and more followers with names that seem to fit a pattern (and it's not simply the tumblr default username pattern), then chances are, they are bots created with the same or a similar program. Here's an example of getting new followers where the names seem too random to be real but you don't really notice until you get a bunch in a row, and the randomness is itself a pattern:

Profile pics that real tumblrs wouldn't choose

Often they used to have closeups of female faces. Now they still tend to have pictures of women, but not so zoomed in, and some even feature two women. Like here:

Notice that three of the above examples follow a naming pattern of what could be actual people names and a number. The fourth is like that, too, but with a hyphen tossed in.

And bots sometimes have default profile pics that may or may not be changed later, so watch out for default pfp's that later get replaced with pics of random women. Usually young and somewhat attractive. Most of the bots are geared towards attracting hetero men, hence the female pfp's of generally attractive women. The hope is we see one of these pics and think that's actually what the blogger looks like.

Truth is, Tumblrs rarely choose pfp's like that. This isn't the kind of social media platform where we typically show our faces (unless it's a personal fashion or cosplay blog, and then we are probably wearing makeup and costumes). We choose pics of plants and animals, fictional characters, historical figures, celebrities, artwork, etc. It's unusual for us to market ourselves based on personal appearance. So, when you see a blog with a pfp that looks like it's from Instagram or LinkedIn... or from a dating profile... it's probably fake. They are just random pics found online and essentially stolen from whoever originally uploaded them.

Default header images or more random women

Usually, bots have blank or default blog header images (see the examples above). I used to see a lot of bot blogs where the pic used for the header is the same as the pfp; those usually have descriptions where it's just a name and a suggestive emoji or a name and a plug for dirty pictures. Like:

More recently, they've started using images that show women who match or at least look like the women in their pfp's, but they aren't the same photos. Just like those pfp's, the header images are likely stolen from profiles elsewhere or random pics online. The ones that have header images that "work" with the pfp's also have a tendency to include links in their blog descriptions.

Sus blog descriptions or none at all

Most bot blogs lack blog descriptions entirely or just have a name or something about photos, like those examples above. But lately I've been seeing ones where there's a short description. In those cases, it's usually a link to who knows where, and it's best not to even find out. The text, whether there's a link or not, is usually an age (assume that's fake), something about the person's identity or preferences (often of a sexual nature), sometimes a reference to ranking on OnlyFans (it wants you to think any link there might take you to that sort of content), and a collection of oddly chosen emojis mixed into it.

Zero posts or sus posts and reblogs

A lot of legit blogs are created for the sole purpose of following content they want... and maybe asking questions, usually as anons. Those "don't follow me, I'm just lurking" type blogs rarely post or even reblog anything. Most bots also take this approach.

But some reblog sexually suggestive posts and some reblog more explicit content -- even links advertised as naughty games -- but the most realistic looking ones reblog a mix of sexual and innocuous, even innocent-looking content. As you scroll down through images of puppies, mysteriously inviting landscapes, and teacups next to open books... you eventually find images and even sometimes gifs of very mature content. Often with suggestive emojis and links that should be avoided at all costs. Some even just make one or two posts with links and leave the blogs untouched for years. Like this one:

This blog only has one post, and it's from 2019. Claims about some free training program that'll earn you large incomes. Notice the tags on it are kind of generic, and some don't fit, like #home #decor #gardening. But it's a link to... something.

They might try to chat, but what they say is sus

It's very rare, in my experience, but I will occasionally get a dm from a random blog that just doesn't sit right.

Sure, sometimes a new follower will contact me to let me know they found my blog and enjoy it. Even longtime, mostly silent readers/followers will occasionally decide to reach out and privately tell me they were a particular anon in an ask... or simply that they finally found the nerve to say hi. That's all fine and dandy.

But when a new follower (who doesn't seem to share interests with you or has interests that don't match your blog topic) or a random content blog that doesn't even follow you just dms with "hi" or "how are you?", I get very suspicious it's just a bot. Their blog might look default or not but lacks content. It might be full of content that simply has nothing to do with your content. And they send a random starter message, completely open to your response. You can test them by asking if they are a bot. If they ignore that and respond with something like "I'm lonely" or "what are you doing tonight?", they are definitely a bot. If they say "no I'm not a bot" (or something like that) then ask leading questions like the "what are you doing" one, they might not be a bot, but they are likely just phishing/scamming.

One of the best tests is to ask them what they think about your own blog posts. If they ignore that and act like they might be following a script? Bot. If they say something very generic, like "I like it a lot" but immediately change the subject back to personal questions or something phishy (might also be a bit scripted)? Scammer. Either way, best to report the chat as spam, which will also remove the conversation from your view.

It's often not one thing but a combination

If you get followed by a blog that looks completely default, the best thing to do is maybe dm them to ask if it's a real person/legit blog. If they don't respond within a decent timeframe, they might just be too shy, but chances are they are a bot. If they respond with something that feels too general or scripted, probably either a bot or a scammer -- some are sleepers that wait for you to contact them. But a blog just being default doesn't mean it's bad; it could be a shy lurker or it could be someone new to tumblr who hasn't chosen pics, themes, etc. yet.

However, if you see a follower pop up (either new or their blog has changed since they started following), and the blog has some combo of the traits mentioned above, chances are super high it's a bot.

What bots do

I'm not entirely certain about all the different things they can do, and some of the things are likely more harmful than others.

I've gleaned a few ideas from posts I've read about the bots, though, including a good one I saw that had been reblogged by Neil Gaiman. I reblogged it from him, though I might have moved it to @aby-off-topic.

My understanding is that the same creator (person or program) makes a whole bunch of them. And there are probably many different individual creators, each making large groupings of them. Some of the bot blogs have content, usually of a sexual nature but occasionally not, like cryptocurrency or some random-sounding business venture. Those will have links to other sites, though some might actually link to other, related blogs in the same grouping. The content blogs also tend to be full of various tags, typically reusing key tags copied from the posts they reblog. If they have "original" posts, those will probably have the same key tags. The grouped content blogs boost each other and make their suspicious content become more noticeable to users who follow certain tags. It mostly clutters those tags with useless content, annoying those tag followers. But the point of them is to lure in the occasional individual who doesn't know any better; once they click a link, they could fall victim to stuff like:

Automatic exposure to malware

Mature content that requires payment (and might steal personal and financial information at the same time)

Phishing attacks of various kinds

Cryptocurrency and/or NFT scams

Companies that sell fake products (like cheap knockoffs, items that just don't work as promised, and items that are never shipped and might not even exist in stock/inventory)

People who try to recruit for MLM (multi level marketing), pyramid schemes, and similar money pits. These days it could still include wasteful timeshare programs, but now there are AirBnB scams and all sorts of things. Something that requires a time and money commitment and promises profit or some other benefit, but it just drains your energy and funds. Someone profits, but it's not you.

The bots that have no content except links in their descriptions are just hoping someone clicks. Then the unwitting person might fall prey to the same things listed above.

Bots that just follow but have zero content? Well, that's possible but not always true. The ones that truly have zero content might want you to interact with them in messages. Other bots don't have any posts or reblogs, but they might allow you to see the posts they've ❤️'d and/or the blogs they follow. You have to check out their Likes and Follow tabs to get this information, so it makes the blogs seem kind of legit and innocent. You are snooping around their blog, after all, right? But some of the posts they "like" and some of the blogs they follow will send unsuspecting individuals down a rabbit hole that might quickly lead to content blogs with those same suspicious links and too-good-to-be-true schemes.

Harming your blog

Ultimately, their main goals are to part people from their money and steal information. But they can cause problems for your blog, too. Like:

Decreased exposure 1: By making your posts disappear in a sea of junk posts with the same tags, it might be harder for new readers to find your content that matches their interests.

Decreased exposure 2: Similarly, people who follow certain tags and typically read your content that way might stop following those tags. They might choose to follow you directly, but they might not. They might unfollow a tag and then realize they don't recall your blog name. Some will be interested enough to figure it out and others won't.

Damaging your reputation: It's not common now, and changes to the website/app might have actually helped to stop this, but some blogs used to reblog others' posts with one or more images, remove the original text, then add their own links and tags. This happened to several of my old posts, too, and the alterations made it look like I'd posted manga panels or whatever with a link to a porn site or something. I had to report the reblogs and also assure readers that my original posts didn't contain these potentially harmful links. To get this remedied, I think I had to use a special reporting method that allowed me to give the Tumblr reps specific information about what the blogs were doing to my post content. I also explained that those blogs were doing the same thing to posts from other bloggers. Were they truly bots? Idk, but possibly.

Simply put, they can decrease your exposure to readers, make the tagging feature less useful for everyone, and even cause a PR nightmare for your blog. All in the name of trying to scam the occasional person who falls into their traps.

When you decide a blog must be a bot, please report them as SPAM (more likely to get it removed) and block it.

#off topic #but important #tumblr bots #stop the bots #how to spot them #why they are bad #anon asks #i answer #answered asks #this has been a psa #feb 25 2023 #long reads #long post

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womenhelpingwomen · 2 years

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Welcome to the Women Helping Women blog! We are the public face of the private Women Helping Women group chat. Follow for helpful resources, networking opportunities, and practical advice.

Why We’re Here

Given the overrepresentation of men in the majority of spaces to discuss skilled trades, STEM, survivalist/homestead, and general life skills, I thought it was time we carve out a space for ourselves. I know that when I want to learn something, the first thing I do is try and seek out the women who are talking about it. The reason for this is two-fold; for one, I know I’ll get information more pertinent to me if it’s coming from another woman, and secondly, it helps to build my own confidence in myself to think of women as the ones with knowledge I want to learn. I hope to build that confidence in other women as we realize we truly can do anything we set our minds to, especially if we work together.

We’re also all aware of the general harassment women face in mixed-sex spaces both online and in person. We deserve space that is exclusively for us and caters to our needs and concerns as women. Keeping in mind the risks of online networking, we are striving to be at the cutting edge of privacy technology. One of the perks of this community is access to women who know what they’re talking about with tech. **This is why we will not be using Discord to host the group.** We aren’t doing anything wrong by creating these groups, but there will always be those that see women networking with each other as a threat. There will always be men trying to gain access to spaces women build for ourselves. With all that in mind, if you’re interested in building this community with us, we are so excited to have you.

How to Join

Send a DM or an ASK to us here on Tumblr at the Women Helping Women blog letting us know you’re interested. Feel free to ask questions about the group if you have them. We will be vetting at this stage based on social media presence alone. If you are new to Tumblr but can prove you’re an active part of the feminist community on a different platform, such as Ovarit or Spinster let us know that and we’ll confirm your presence that way.

Use the instructions provided in the response to sign up for the secure email service as well as the secure messaging service we use. Note: You will need to sign up for the email and the messenger in order to have full functionality of the group. If you have questions about how to do this safely, let us know.

Send a DM with your new username to us here, and a mod will reach out to you on the chat app linked in the instructions.

Participate in further vetting on the messaging app to ensure we’re women-only.

Then you’ll be added and be free to participate in the conversation, share resources, or lurk until you feel inclined to jump in!

FAQ

Q: Is this group on Discord?

A: No. Due to security concerns with Discord we are hosting our chatroom on a more secure platform. This platform may change if/when needed to maintain the privacy and security of members.

Q: What is the criteria for joining?

A: We’re looking for motivated women (preferably radical feminist) who want to learn as well as share knowledge. All the better if you’ve got some sort of project you’re trying to get off the ground, or would like to chip in to make another women’s vision come alive. We check blog history or ask various questions to assess prospective members. If you seem like a good fit, you’re in.

Q: What is the Ask a Woman button?

A: If you’ve got a question you’d like to pose to the chat, but you are unable to join yet or would like to maintain anonymity, use the Ask a Woman button and we’ll pose your question to the group and publish the answer on the blog. This gives you an opportunity to see what we offer, as well as gives us an opportunity to spread more knowledge.

Q: What type of posts are you looking for with Submit a Post?

A: The types of posts we’re accepting are Resource posts, Networking posts, and Workshop posts. This could include recs for media (podcasts, You Tube, bloggers, etc.), links to online workshops lead by women, or posts promoting other women’s networking groups.

#radical feminist community #radfem #radblr #radical feminist #radical feminists do touch #radical feminism #seperatism #radical feminist safe #radfems do interact #radfems welcome #radfems do touch

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nxmuzluv · 5 months

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THE FIRST SINGLE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

“GIRLS DON’T CRY” is the debut single by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on April 5th, 2024, the song went on to top charts in various countries. Hailed as one of the best debuts of 2024, critics and fans alike fell in love with the song’s “girlish” and carefree production, and praised how Chouka stayed so true to her hyperfeminine, “princesscore” image. The song’s success as caused critics to name her as a pop girl on the rise.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY ! LEAD SINGLE

CAKE ! B-SIDE

GIRLS DON’T CRY (SPED UP)

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Highly praised for its sound and how it fit Chouka’s style, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a resounding success. The music video’s teaser, which was released with no prior notice onto a completely new YouTube channel (“c.a.”) with no previous content (it was later turned into a channel for all of Chouka’s music related endeavors), garnered over 3.2 million views within its first twenty-four hours after Chouka posted it to her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The single’s title was revealed on both platforms an hour later, coinciding with the launch of her official website, which displayed the title alongside a countdown timer.

The song received over 400,000 pre-saves, and the title was trending on Twitter with over a million Tweets. Shortly before “Girls Don’t Cry” dropped, Chouka’s website was updated with the single’s cover, and she posted behind the scenes photos of her on its set, which received over two million likes within the first day.

Upon the song’s release, it was a smash hit. The music video garnered 32 million views within its first 24 hours, finding itself at #1 on YouTube’s trending page, and topping both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. It went on to become the second most streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams. “Girls Don’t Cry” topped charts in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines (it also managed to remain atop the Oricon chart for seven weeks).

Surprisingly enough, “Girls Don’t Cry” would debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with sales of over 200,00 units, despite industry insiders predicting a Top 20 debut; probably due to the song’s immense popularity online. Unfortunately, it would never reach #1, falling to #7 after five weeks and staying there for two until falling off, but Rosettes were still happy to see that Chouka’s debut managed to get that high. In total, the single would sell over 850,000 units within its first week, cracking a million by the end of April.

Additionally, the song was also praised for its lyricism and feminist commentary on how women who are seen as “strong” or “smart” are not allowed to cry or display negative emotions and are expected to act as role models, while women who appear as if they have everything are told to “just deal with it” and that they have “nothing to be upset about.” Many Rosettes (and critics) were also surprised to find out that Chouka had written most of the lyrics, as she never expressed interest in songwriting before.

“Cake” was released as a single a month later, on May 3rd, 2024. Although the music video received over 11 million views within its first twenty-four hours, Rosettes were … a bit divided. It seemed like none of them could figure out whether they liked the song or not, with certain Tweets saying …

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ y’all are just HATERS ! like y’all have truly forgotten what real pop music sounds like bc cake is a hit idc ! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ chouka girl with all due respect i think letting a major label get a hold of you was a mistake ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ no bc this is girly girl music ! it’s cute it’s fun it’s bouncy and it’s so HER ! chouka bby get behind me PUT DOWN THE HATERADE NOWWWW !! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ #notmychouka girl why does this sound so EMPTY ??? republic needs to pay for their crimes bc ….. ”

Despite the confusion, “Cake” also went on to top charts. It also debuted atop the Apple Music chart, and came in second beneath “Girls Don’t Cry” on Spotify. It managed to debut at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, although Rosettes were gunning for a higher placement (it was definitely because they couldn’t stop beefing with each other). The song remained on the chart for two weeks (managing to jump to #5 during its second), before completely falling off the Top Ten.

Luckily, more retrospective reviews shows that Rosettes have warmed up to “Cake,” saying that it fit the aesthetic of the lead single. Everyone loved the “sugar sweet” concept that Chouka had going on, and expressed pleasant surprise that her try at a music career was going so well.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Definitely a fun era! Republic was truly pushing this single and girl, it showed. There were billboards playing her music video (Rosettes in New York even crowded around one when it first launched), ads plastered all across YouTube, “Girls Don’t Cry” was all over the radio, and it was the most popular song on TikTok for a good month.

The promotions were insane! Chouka was all over television this era. She was on the Kelly Clarkson Show (which was too cute! Like Kelly literally complimented her accent), she was on Jimmy Fallon, she was on GMA … like you truly could not escape her! She also had a photoshoot with Harper’s Bazaar and people ate it up! It was very Marie Antoinette themed with huge dresses, pastries, and of course, it was shot at a chateau in France!

And of course she had to promote in Japan! Chouka performed both “Girls Don’t Cry” and “Cake” on Music Station, and no one expected either song to have choreography. But the choreo was so cute, and especially for “Girls Don’t Cry!” Like you could truly tell that Chouka was having a blast, and everyone was so surprised at her stage presence because she’s literally a YouTuber. She also held a press conference in Tokyo, and she even got to visit a pop-up event held by Rosettes at a café in her hometown, Kyoto! It was the cutest thing to see her interacting with her fans, and she thanked them at least five times.

Chouka managed to squeeze in Korean promotions, as well! She performed both of her singles on M Countdown, Inkigayo, and The Show, and she was even on Weekly Idol! She held a small fansign for 200 fans who participated in the pre-order and received a “mystery ticket” with their album, and it was so cute! Chouka was cracking jokes with them and receiving SO many gifts (most of which were either pink or ridiculously expensive; she got a lot of bouquets, too!). Her Korean promos even saw the birth of her first fansite, Strawberry Sweet! She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Korea, and after that, Korean promotions ended unfortunately.

Side note, every performance of “Girls Don’t Cry” started with a costume change! It was usually Chouka tearing off a huge ball gown like skirt to reveal her shorter costume underneath, and her performance on M Countdown was literally her playing a princess getting ready for a ball. There was also a lot of ribbons, platform heels, and satin gloves used styling wise, and Chouka’s makeup was always so soft and pink!

Although she didn’t have enough songs to perform a full set, Chouka attended Coachella anyways and met a bunch of Rosettes! Jason (her fiancé) also tagged along, so fans got to meet him, too! Fashion girls were all over her festival looks too … being raised in Milan truly did wonders for her fashion sense.

Girl, the way the “#GirlsDontCryChallenge” blew up on TikTok is insane. The song had over a million videos underneath it by the start of June, and Chouka was doing it with celebs like Kelly, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, the members of Aespa, the members of Itzy, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Nayeon and Momo from TWICE, Yuju, the members of Viviz, and a few members of Stray Kids and NCT; among others! Chouka also did the challenge with Leeseo, Rei, and Wonyoung of IVE, and the way Dives and Rosettes were across every social media app absolutely freaking out that Chouka and Wonyoung were the same room was truly crazy.

Towards the end of promotions, a full length documentary covering the making of “Girls Don’t Cry,” the music videos, and the subsequent performances premiered on YouTube. It was a mix of professional camera shots and footage personally shot by Chouka herself, which was refreshing since Rosettes got to see a sillier side to her personality. The documentary garnered over 3 million views within the first twenty-four hours, and would end up at #5 on YouTube’s trending page.

At the end of promos, Chouka posted a long, heartfelt letter to her Instagram thanking fans for their support and expressing how surprised she was at the single’s success. She wrote, “I know that you guys have been waiting three years for me to try my hand at music, and words cannot express how happy I am that it was worth the wait. Over these last few months, you all have shown me so much love, and just thinking about it is moving me to tears as I write this! I promise that I’ll repay your support tenfold. You guys truly mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for you. You are truly my other half, even if I unfortunately don’t know you personally (don’t tell Jason I said that). I hope and pray that one day, I’ll be able to meet every single one of you from around the whole world in person, and tell you just how much you mean to me. Until next time, my loves. Ti amo sempre e per sempre. Ciao ciao. ♡”

Additionally, there was also a remix planned with PinkPantheress, but unfortunately, plans ended up falling through because Chouka simply … didn’t want to do it. However, Rosettes ended up finding out about the planned collab, and demand for it was huge. So the remix could happen in the future! Who knows.

All in all, this era was great. It truly showed how much untapped star power Chouka had, and the numbers proved it. It reinforced her “It girl” status, showing that no matter what industry she tried her hand at, she would still dominate. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

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