==>

Thank goodness.

For example: Beowulf does not follow the hero's journey. I have a pet theory that Beowulf is three or four stories that kind of got mashed together since it's a collection of a couple vignettes about this warrior's life and the dragon episode is rather disconnected from Grendel (unless you're John Gardner, who ties it all together in his novel Grendel). Beowulf emerges as a full-blown hero when he enters the narrative, does not have a mentor, does not refuse the call (and rather wholeheartedly embraces it in fact - "Not only am I gonna slay your monster, I'm gonna slay your monster with my ass hanging out to show off"), does not live in the normal world at any point. One could argue he returns with the elixir to his home, given that the later story has him as a king, but the story's not interested in explaining much about how that happened and keeps going after the hero's journey would claim it should end, instead jumping to Beowulf's noble sacrificial death. You really have to squeeze to fit Beowulf into that framework, and by the point where it does, you've lost all semblance of a common structure the monomyth claims to represent. Arguably, the Iliad doesn't it either, given the scope of the story is a lot smaller than some people seem to believe.

Like I get the point that the original post was making about the western canon being so heavy with authors from the US and western Europe and not caring much about works from cultures beyond that, but I feel it's worth noting that even if you grade Campbell's ideas on the most generous possible curve, they don't hold up.

And even if we pretend they did, he never intended them as a writing guide. They were only popularized as one when George Lucas took that structure and adapted it to Star Wars.

Which is besides the fact that ancient tarnished coin is a defunct currency. Valuable only as a collector's item.

Then you got Dungeon Meshi which is like:

And boom, you have already let your guard down - you would never fall for a scam (or cult, etc.) so you can safely click on that link or read that pamphlet because if it was a scam you'd have identified it as such immediately, because you are smart. You don't need to stop and question. You're too smart. And, really, if they didn't want to get scammed they shouldn't have gone out dressed like that.

Not to mention that the important way to not get scammed is dont click links just go to the website yourself, but everything is always changing their system 3 times a year to a new URL and something you have to navigate differently, so half the time I ignore hte emails then I have to call them on the phone to be like "Ok how do i do this thing"

And my school is sending me a thousand actual legitimate emails a week anyway like "You have to do this thing or you will explode or something" expecting me to click the link in the email

And freshman orientations are always expecting kids to download some sketchy app called Goox or some shit that Accesses Your Everything Conveniently. Well what if I don't want to access my everything conveniently

oh yeah also during covid the school i was going to made me download literal actual malware to monitor me during test taking. lockdown browser, that thing that can access your camera at any time and use it for god knows what?

A qinggong master

Some women are expected to be strong at times when they can't. Her feminism would involve reassuring her that it's okay to not be strong.

Some neurodivergent people are raised to believe that they're too stupid to ever amount to anything. Their disability activism would involve reassuring them that they're capable.

Some neurodivergent people are raised to believe that they're smart and gifted, and are expected to live up to impossible standards. Their disability activism would involve allowing them to fail, make mistakes, be stupid, etc.

Some children are constantly reminded "you're the child, I'm the adult" in order to deny their autonomy. Their youth rights activism would involve treating them like an adult at times when they feel ready for it.

Some children are treated like adults in order to justify increased expectations or to downplay abuse against them. Their youth rights activism would involve allowing them to be a child.

Via @sashayed

My favorite detail, though, is his performance of Pure Imagination. On the surface, the song is charming and inviting, but if you look closely at him throughout the scene, you'll notice that Gene never blinks. He looks around, down at his feet, up at the trees; his eyes never fully close. He moves erratically, stuttering up and down the steps of the chocolate room. The lyrics are warm and friendly, but his face is blank. He bows to permit his visitors to run amok, but his posture is stiff. He helps Violet and Mike reach a couple of treats, but there is no joy in the gesture. The final post-chorus feels like a dirge, a threat, and a warning, all at once; Wonka sits in repose under a tree, but his eyes are glassy and dispassionate. "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination; / living there / you'll be free / if you truly / wish / to be.......... "