so this is part of a project i’m working on…

under construction in google sheets rn is a set of helpful lists to catalogue three things (there may be other things later if i think of them but for now it’s just three), which are monsters that you shouldn’t use when writing, characters that you should be careful with or not use when writing, and fics that are particularly discomforting due to racist or xenophobic content.

this submission form exists to help inform me on the presence of that last one, because i’ve only been in the fandom a couple years so comparatively speaking the amount of fics i’ve read isn’t particularly expansive. and it would also be next to impossible for me to actively seek out “fics with racist elements” because how would you even search for that comprehensively.

anyway, there’s already a couple fics that will go in the list, these being 4lw after the author and his fans pitched a screaming shit-fit over being called out on a couple unsavory moments in that work, and the 2014 hockey fic for reasons i detail here.

the purpose of me making these spreadsheets is not particularly to shame readers or writers. racism, antisemitism and xenophobia are so heavily baked into usamerican culture (which is where most of the fandom seems to be situated) that it takes awhile to unlearn everything. instead, it’s to help inform - for writers to make better choices in their narratives and for readers to not keep spreading around harmful content.

even if you don’t know any fics to submit off the top of your head, pls rb to help raise exposure so i can make as comprehensive a dataset as possible.

Pinned Post spn racism ao3 reader things writer things

circle--of--confusion

fearlesslarrie28

I need to settle an argument for a friend. Which is worse?

winter

summer

If you can reblog for bigger sample

angelcasendgame

unforth

Gentle reminder that very little fandom labor is automated, because I think people forget that a lot.

That blog with a tagging system you love? A person curates those tags by hand.

That rec blog with a great organization scheme and pretty graphics? Someone designed and implemented that organization scheme and made those graphics.

That network that posts a cool variety of stuff? People track down all that variety and queue it by hand, and other people made all the individual pieces.

That post with umpteen links to helpful resources, and information about them? Someone gathered those links, researched the sources, wrote up the information about them.

That graphic about fandom statistics? Someone compiled those statistics, analyzed them, organized them, figured out a useful way to convey the information to others, and made the post.

That event that you think looks neat? Someone wrote the rules, created the blogs and Discords, designed the graphics, did their best to promo the event so it'd succeed.

None of this was done automatically. None of it just appears whole out of the internet ether.

I think everyone realizes that fic writing and fanart creation are work, and at least some folks have got it through their heads that gif creation and graphics and moodboards take effort, and meta is usually respected for the effort that goes into it, at least as far as I've seen, but I feel like a lot of people don't really get how much labor goes into curation, too.

If people are creating resources, curating content, organizing the creations of others, gathering information, and doing other fandom activities that aren't necessarily the direct action of creation, they're doing a lot of fandom labor, and it's often largely unrecognized.

Celebrate fan work!

To folks doing this kind of labor: I see you, and I thank you. You are the backbones of our fandoms and I love you.

hell-hole-system

jemineye

for the record, disabled people don't have to automatically know their limits. we are allowed to push ourselves and learn our limitations. what is not allowed is able bodied or even other disabled people who think they know us tell us that we have to keep going. my disability and body are not science projects for anyone to play with.

circle--of--confusion

yu-gi-oh-slavia

Touchscreens do not belong in cars

yu-gi-oh-slavia

And gauges and dials should be gauges and dials, not screens

taken-aurally

Door releases should have a direct mechanical link to a latch, not send an electronic signal to a servo

lithominium

You should not have to have your phone alive to unlock your car

rayclubs

Most touchscreens have a temperature resistance of less than 40°C (104°F). They do not belong on cars, toasters, ovens and stoves, any kind of safety equipment, or any equipment that requires precision of operation to maintain safety. They do not belong anywhere near a working engine.

circle--of--confusion

brightlotusmoon

spankerella

Story time. I was looking for these at the hardware store not too terribly long ago and didn't know what they were called. When a sales associate asked me if I needed help, I said I was looking for the drunk octopus hooks and held up my fists in a boxing pose.

She knew exactly what I was talking about, though.

closet-keys

kelpforestdwellers

'fun' fact: you can starve to death and be fat the entire time. this piece of information saved my life, so i'd like to share it as widely as possible.

there's a common misconception that starvation will necessarily make you emaciated, and that if someone is fat they must be getting enough to eat, or an excessive amount.

this just isn't true. fat is an organ, not an inert storage of 'excess' calories. the old idea that gaining weight is caused by taking in more calories than your body needs, and its corollary that reducing caloric intake will automatically result in weight loss, is simply not true. the human metabolism is just way more complex than that.

one thing that can commonly happen is that, faced with repeated or long term caloric deficit, the body chooses to prioritize fat accumulation over other things in hopes of assuring survival. this can occur due to food insecurity, eating disorders, illness, dieting, or other factors.

caloric deficit can sometimes cause weight loss, certainly. but not in everyone, and not in the long term. 95% of dieters, for example, regain the lost weight and often more in addition. the science overwhelmingly supports this, including studies created by people who were trying to find long term weight loss methods. intentional weight loss is impossible in the long term in most cases, and the methods people use to attempt it are harmful to their health.

so yeah. whether due to anorexia, food insecurity, illness, or anything else - a person can be starving and still fat. or become fat(ter) due to repeated or ongoing caloric deficit, or both.

you can be fat and need a feeding tube, though medical fatphobia often makes medical professionals insist otherwise, to fat people's detriment or death. people can starve to death while fat.

sewickedthread

Someone doesn't have to be emaciated to be anorexic. It's behavior, not physique, that makes it a disorder.

kelpforestdwellers

your comment is correct but one of your tags is not.

"#fat stores mean you can survive the next famine"

the entire point of my post, indeed the first sentence, is that you can starve to death and remain fat. having body fat very much does not mean that you can survive famine. because, as i also said in the post, fat is an organ, not a 'store' you can draw on as needed.

when starving, the body begins to consume itself. it does not start with the fat preferentially. you also begin to digest muscles, which includes your heart, and organs. fat is an organ and having a larger fat organ will not in itself save you.

i am not trying to tell you off here, but make an important correction for others who may see this. if my tone comes across as harsh, please excuse me. i'm very tired and lack the energy to modulate the tone of this. it's not personal.

nochametzallowed

magnetothemagnificent

Ways to show a home in a show or movie belongs to a Jewish character that isn't just lazily having a menorah in the shot for 0.02 seconds:

-Mezuzah on the doorpost/s

-Hamsas hanging on the wall

-Shabbat candles on a shelf somewhere

-Basket or drawer full of endless monogrammed and logo-ed Kippot from past weddings, B' Mitzvahs, and holiday parties.

-A calendar with both Hebrew and Gregorian dates on the wall

-A collection of Jewish books

-Various Jewish ritual items scattered around

beanmom

soberscientistlife

whatbigotspost

Always nice when math helps make it all the more clear how ridiculously reasonable the worker demands are.

This is what the studios have brought everything to a grinding halt for.

magnetothemagnificent

khalid-von-riegans

hello. jew here

dont write jewish characters if u know next to nothing about us or our culture/religion pls. if u want to write a jewish character (or any character outside the scope of your personal knowledge, honestly), you MUST take the time to read about us and our beliefs, customs, etc. im not saying u have to be an expert on the torah or the tanakh or the talmud, but u need to do at least the bare minimum. and google isnt always reliable, if u have questions u should carefully analyze which websites u use. or have a jew beta your fic/writing!

im just tired of seeing “this character is jewish :) u can tell because they celebrate hanukkah” and that is it for the jewish characterization. like i get that u ppl know nothing abt judaism except for hanukkah but u HAVE to do better than that. because ur essentially tokenizing the character as ur Jewish Representation and it shows.

again, im not saying ‘dont write that hanukkah scene’, or ‘dont try writing jews at all’.

what i AM saying is that u need to actually do ur part in understanding judaism a little bit more before u decide to write a jewish character. if ur not willing to do the research or ask the questions, dont bother writing us into ur stories.

magnetothemagnificent

You (OP) 🤝 Me

Getting absolutely fed up with "you can tell this character is Jewish because look a menorah tehee :)" today

hell-hole-system

feels-of-wheeles

Something about the fact Covid is being talked about like a common cold now is horrifying to me.

"Oh yeah I got covid again, gonna be resting for a week or so"

"Coworkers came in sick again, now I've got covid. Oh well, whatcha gonna do"

Its normal now. The new strains, the repeated catching, the fact its no longer a pandemic and is now a part of our daily lives.

A deadly disease that can and does permanently disable people who catch it is being treated like an inconvenient stomach bug.

And it was avoidable.

People are dying and being disabled in fucking droves and all anyone can say is "whelp, that's how it goes!" As if there wasn't/aren't vaccines, as if there wasn't/aren't methods that can help (masking, social distancing, etc), as if other places who took it more seriously didn't have better survival rates.

This outcome wasn't a guarantee. Selfish, ableist, racist, conspiracy loving ass-hats made sure it happened.

Looking at the numbers and then talking to people who didn't want to mildly inconvenience themselves to save lives is horrific.

Millions died.

Millions more will follow.

Thousands were disabled by it.

Thousands will follow.

And it. Was all. AVOIDABLE.

jemariel

modern-politics111

‘People need to be riled up’: meteorologist names US heatwaves after oil and gas giants

Guy Walton has christened two previous heatwaves this summer Amoco and BP in attempt to name and shame fossil fuel firms

the Guardian

ms-cellanies

CHEERS TO GUY WALTON FOR “OUTING” THE FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES

From the article:

Walton has devised his own criteria for named heatwaves in the US, based on duration and extremity, on a one to five scale similar to hurricanes. Heatwave Chevron is classed as a four and is “historic”, Walton said. The meteorologist said he has a list of 20 oil and gas companies – including Exxon and Shell – for upcoming heatwaves and will turn to coal companies if he runs out of names.

headspace-hotel

OUTSTANDING MOVE

headspace-hotel

Y'all know what to do. Use Walton's naming system. Make it catch on.

girlboy-danielcain

balaclava-trismegistus

its really bizarre how after a couple decades of mostly uncensored internet access and raunchy premium cable made it so nobody gives a shit about swearing, we're now re-entering an era of quaint self-censorship in the name of platform marketability rather than politeness. im sure nobody actually cares. im sure none of the advertising dicks, or boardmembers, or anybody really cares that much personally. they just think it will scare people off somehow. so now grown adults are saying "h-e-double-hockey-sticks" ass bullshit on the same social media websites where they try to get their meat slonked and find a dealer.

girlboy-danielcain

ourflagmeansgayrights

ngl the "im white so i dont talk abt any characters' race ever bc im afraid of accidentally saying something racist" approach to fandom is like. very weak. imo.

like first of all: i get that "i dont incorporate race into my media analysis because i'm afraid of messing up" comes from a different place than "i don't incorporate race into my media analysis because I Don't See Race 😊 there is only The Human Race." but it has the same functional effect, right? that effect being that your analysis of [INSERT MEDIA HERE] ignores the very real way that race impacts people.

second of all: it feels kinda lazy! like ur saying "i dont know enough abt race to feel comfortable commenting on how race affects this show and i dont care enough to learn." the only way to become more comfortable discussing race is to actually practice discussing race. but when i see people saying this it feels like they're saying "i'm white, which means i don't know how to talk about race, and i don't have to know how to talk about race, and i don't ever have to know how to talk about race, so i'm choosing to never learn how to talk about race."

third of all: just because you don't openly talk about race doesn't mean you're any less likely to accidentally say or do something racist. implicit biases run deep, y'all. it's probably already there in your interpretation of the show. but the "i don't want to accidentally say something racist" implies that you are positive that your interpretation of the show isn't racist. and i'm not saying you're wrong. but i'm saying that if a person of color tells you that something you said about [INSERT MEDIA HERE] was racist, you better be prepared to actually listen and not just brush them off because "i can't be racist! i purposefully never talk about race just to make sure i'm not racist!"

which brings me to my final point: if you do accidentally say something racist... literally just apologize. if someone says you've been doing something racist, apologize and stop doing that thing. it's literally not that hard. i've done it. i've seen other people do it. "i'm scared of being called racist!" is such a weak excuse im tired of it. getting called racist is not the end of the fucking world. calm the fuck down and grow a spine. jesus.

ourflagmeansgayrights

and yeah sometimes you’ll apologize for saying or doing something racist and people won’t accept the apology and they won’t forgive you.

that’s also fine. people are allowed to not forgive you. and you’re allowed to move on and try to do better without agonizing over the people who dislike you, even if they have a good reason for not liking you. it takes some maturity yeah but like it’s possible to do.

racism