Fanfics, fanfics, and more fanfics

I always love the og zoot suits made by black americans in Harlem, I really like looking at the changes from these clothes from the 30s to some of the more exaggerated renditions from the 40s. It's also so interesting to look at how fast the subculture spread, and especially in the american west integrated with mexican diaspora and pachuco culture to the point that that's what a lot of usamericans associate them with.

⬆️ long wallet chains and pork pie hats were classic accessories for mexican diaspora zoot suiters. Zoot suits/their components were also really popular with women and were a way to symbolize independence and a choice to move away from strict gender roles on top of the existing countercultural message ⬇️

Anyways it's kind of impossible to talk about zoot suits without mentioning the racism and violence that followed them. On top of a zoot suit making someone a target for individual racial violence, the national reaction of white america to zoot suit culture was part of the beginning of clothing and presentation being read explicitly as signals by police and justice systems, and the broad association of youth of color with gang violence through this specific excuse. Gang culture and how it's percieved in the western US and especially California is very influenced by this era. The most famous events from the zoot suit era are the collective zoot suit riots and the media characterization of all mexican american, filipino american, and black american youth as violent anti-american baby gangsters. Which, even if that was broadly true I mean. I'll take the opportunity to be flippant hell yeah??

As a side note, while making more new zoot suits during war rationing was pretty sick, most people weren't buying from the black market tailor shops and just wore what they already owned because the style had been popular for years already. People bought clothes less often to begin with back then. I think that misconception comes from the reasoning white americans gave to go beat up people of color with baseball bats in the street; i.e. it was racial and xenophobic violence to begin with and the nature of the suits themselves has been mushed around a lot to serve different narratives.

More zoot suits! ⬇️

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYINGGGGGGGG!!!! Like the last person said, tech bros (and Silicon Valley as a whole) fundamentally reject consent. This is why Microsoft refuses to let you say no permanently and "reminds you in 3 days," this is why AI """"artists"""" keep stealing from artists, this is why websites make you go through 14 menus to turn off tracking cookies.

anyways, go stream Slayr and Sawtowne

every time I see a video of a cat being goofy as hell because she’s in heat or neutered animals that might be trying to mount each other, the comments are full of people acting like we should feel awkward or horrified because the animal is “horny”. it’s natural behavior, we don’t have to clutch our pearls about it.

the house: