I love stuff like this. Didn’t a tribe in Africa send America some cows after 9/11? Like this is holy and the most valuable thing we have. We hear your suffering and want to do anything in our power to help
It was not a potato famine. The famine didn’t happen because of the potato yeald failing. Ireland was actually producing more than enough food. However it was almost all land owned by Brittish landowners, who took all of the food out of the country to sell in UK. Potato was what the Irish farmers ate, because it was cheep and could be produced in worst parts of the land, where more profitable food couldn’t be grown. When there were no longer potatos, the decision for the farmers was to either starve and sent the food as rent to the landlords or loose their homes and then starve.
The Brittish goverment was unwilling to do anything for two reasons. First was the laissez-faire capitalistic ideology, that put the rights of property owners to make profits above human lives. Rent freeze was unthinkable and they even were unwilling to do proper relief efforts as free food would lower the cost of food. The second reason was distain for the Irish, and the thought that they were “breeding too much” and the famine was a natural way to trim down the population, aka genocidal reasoning.
This is why it’s important to stress it was not a potato famine. The potato blinght was all over Europe but only in Ireland there was a famine. The reasons behind it had nothing to do with potatos and everything to do with the Brittish.
Apparently what made Choctaw want to offer relief to Irish was the news about the Doolough Tragedy. Hundreds of starving people were gathered for inspection to verify they were entitled to recieve relief. The officials would for *some reason* not do that and instead left to a hunting lodge 19 kilometers away to spend the night and said to the starvqing people they would have to walk there by morning to be inspected. The weather conditions were terrible and many of them died completely needlessly during the walk thoroung day and night.
This apparently reminded the Choctaw of their own very recent (and much more explicit and bigger scale) experiences of ethnic clensing, where they were forcibly relocated. It was basically a death march and thousands of Choctaw died from the terrible conditions also completely needlessly.
In 2015 a memorial named Kindred Spirits was installed in Southern Ireland to commemorate the Chactow donation.
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something that i DO find fascinating abt both phm and interpretations of it is when folks say things along the lines of “the point of grace’s lack of attachments isn’t that he’s aroace, the point of grace’s lack of attachments is that he’s refused to open himself up enough to form ANY close bonds because he’s a coward” because like. not only is it very possible for both to be true, i think that reading both as being the case continues to enhance the story AND speaks a very honest truth about how being aroace might have affected his life?
like. imagine you are grace. you have a life you enjoy where you get to teach kids you’re fond of about a subject you love. you’ve been hanging out with your friend marissa weekly for years (!) and you have a lot of peers on project hail mary who you respect and even have fun with. but! you’re also like 40, and you know how the world works - at the end of the day, at the end of the project, all of those people will go back to their parents and families and partners. the people whose names are on their emergency contact forms and birth certificates and marriage licenses and apartment leases. no matter how much you care about them, and no matter how much they care about you, there is always someone else in their life who is Above you, and Before you, because That’s How The World Works.
so like… yeah. lmao. aroace grace not opening himself up all the way because he anticipates pain and wants to avoid that is a kind of protective hedging that i find very likely for him to engage in? even if he opens himself up to the people around him, the fact is that most of those people will only reciprocate to whatever degree they/society deem acceptable for friendship, even if they like him a lot.
which is why, imo, the very careful portrayal of grace and rocky’s friendship in the phm film reads as extremely aroace-coded. because it’s not “rocky specifically is Special and Likable in a way which fixes all of grace’s hangups and allows him to open up” - it’s “rocky has a partner to go home to, but on multiple occasions, puts grace Above and Before that in a way which grace is unused to, because grace comes from a society which culturally and legally devalues the types of relationships he wants and holds most dear.” and once rocky shows that he is willing to reciprocate friendship and care to a degree grace could never expect from anyone on earth, grace no longer needs to maintain the kind of emotional defenses he always has. grace likes rocky and wants to be friends from the moment they meet, of course, but only lets himself form SUCH a close bond after rocky demonstrates that he, too, does not place an earth-society-style limit on the strength of their friendship. and they’re both better off for it!
you're not making enough of stone fruit season. that's another thing you're fucking up. a few dozen stone fruit seasons you get your whole life. you need to take a hard look at your peach and mango consumption.
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I really just have to summarize Thomas's entire life:
He was in a committed relationship with a male swan named Henry for 18-24 years before a female swan named Henrietta showed up and mated with Henry.
Thomas was initially jealous of the pair and attacked them, breaking 2 of the 5 eggs Henrietta had laid. However, once the remaining eggs hatched, Thomas warmed up to them and helped raise them.
Henry couldn't fly because of an injured wing, so Thomas taught the cygnets how to fly.
When they needed to reduce the goose population in the pond where Thomas and the swans lived, they dyed Thomas's feathers red so he wouldn't be separated from Henry.
Henry, Henrietta, and Thomas remained in their happy throuple for years and raised 68 cygnets before Henry died in 2009. After Henry's death, Henrietta found another swan and flew away, leaving Thomas alone.
Thomas finally met and mated with a female goose in 2011 and had his own babies. However, another goose named George stole them and raised them himself.
As Thomas grew elderly and blind, he was relocated to a wildlife center where he raised orphaned cygnets.
His caretaker at the center described him as "pretty high maintenance."
Thomas died in 2018 at the age of around 40. He had a funeral that included a small coffin and a procession that was led by a bagpiper. He was buried under the stone where Henry was buried, the two finally reunited in death.
Before and after his death, Thomas has been celebrated as an icon of the LGBTQ+ community for obvious reasons.
The other night husband and I were watching a documentary about the yeti where they were doing DNA analysis of samples of supposed yeti fur, and every one of them came back as bears.
Anyway, the next night we watched a thing about some pig man who is supposed to live in Vermont. People said it had claws and a pig nose but walked upright like a man. Now, I happen to know that sideshows used to shave bears and present them as pig men. So every piece of evidence they gave of this monster sounds to me like a bear with mange.
So now the running joke in our house is that everything is bears. Aliens? Bears. Loch Ness monster? Bear. Every cryptozoological mystery is just a very crafty bear.
Bears. They’re everywhere. Be wary. Anyone or anything could be a bear.
As the OP of this post, I’m going to threaten that if this gets to one million notes by the 10 year anniversary on 1 June 2026, one year from today, I will get a lower back tattoo of the loch ness bear monster.
Listen, we have to keep this thing circulating on the internet for at least another two decades, because I have to believe that one day that little girl will be grown enough to stumble upon it and She Will Explain
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very disappointing when someone says "the bird app" and for one lovely moment I think they are talking about Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab, the free app that allows you to identify birds by appearance or sound, make a list of birds you have seen, and explore all the birds native to your region.... and then I realize they are talking about twitter.
No but seriously what the fuck did Merlin and Arthur talk about on the way home from the Labyrinth of Gedref. Did the two of them just ride back to Camelot in dead silence waiting for the other to bring up that they're now seemingly prepared to to die for each other no questions asked ???
For those who have missed it, a tourist in Hawaii decided it would be fun to chuck a rock (a BIG rock) at a monk seal. He missed, but he was captured on video, and when told it was illegal to interfere with them, said "I'm rich, I can pay the fine."
Is the best part that he got doxxed? No.
Is the best part that he got tracked down by a local and beaten? No.
Arrested on state at federal charges, looking at up to 5 years and 50K? Nope.
The best part is the local city council's reaction.
And the best part of that is the look on the attorney's face.
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Morgana takes Merlin instead of Gwen to the Dark Tower AU
Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 (You're here) , Part 7 , Part 8 , Part 9 , Part 10 , Part 11 , Part 12 , Part 13 , Part 14 , Part 15 , Part 16 , Part 17 , Part 18 , Part 19
In Morgana’s Lair
A bird arrives. For a moment, Morgana’s stern expression softens, thinking it's a long-awaited message from Merlin. But as it lands, her brow furrows. This is not the raven she has given him.
She unties the scroll with quick, impatient fingers. It's from the Dochraid.
The King of Camelot knows your slave. He seeks the Cauldron of Arianrhod to cleanse Emrys.
Morgana: (in disbelief and fury) No!
She crushes the note in her fist. The mandrake root is supposed to be irreversible! It cannot be undone! But it seems she was mistaken. If Arthur succeeds… if Emrys is restored, his magic will return, and with it, his loyalty. He will be Arthur’s weapon and shield once more. Her doom.
The sound of hurried, limping footsteps break through her spiraling thoughts. She turns.
Merlin: (emerges from the treeline, disheveled and breathing hard) My Lady!
Morgana: (stares, momentarily thrown) Merlin?
Meanwhile, in Camelot.
Arthur: (almost shouting, angry) I gave you one task. ONE! He is a single man. Unarmed. We have guards on every stair. Every corridor. How on earth did he escape?!
Leon: (his report is flat, professional, but his eyes are shadowed with failure) Sometime after the third watch, he braided a rope from his bindings and the bed linens. He went out the window.
Percival: He knows the castle as well as you, Sire. He used that.
Arthur’s knuckles are white. He has the urge to roar, to cast blame, but chokes it down. Rage won’t find Merlin.
Arthur: Search parties. Now. Every road, forest path, and hovel within a day’s ride. He’s on foot. He cannot be far.
Elyan: (shifts uncomfortably) Er…
Gwaine: He also stole a horse.
Arthur: WHAT?!
Leon: (quickly adds) Riders are already on the main roads. We found the trail. It leads east, into the White Mountains.
East. Toward the mountains. Toward Morgana.
Arthur: Saddle fresh horses. We ride within the hour.
Leon: (steps forward,his voice firm but respectful) You have just returned, Sire. The kingdom requires its king, if only for a moment. Give the orders, leave the city secure. We will follow the trail. You can rendezvous with us by nightfall.
Arthur wants to argue. Every instinct screams at him to move, to chase, now, before he loses Merlin again. But he can't deny Leon’s logic no matter how desperate he is. The king can not simply vanish. He closes his eyes, a wave of sheer exhaustion battling with the frantic need to act.
Arthur: (a defeated, ragged sigh) Fine. Go. Do not lose his trail. I will meet you at the eastern fork by dusk.
Back with Morgana.
Merlin: (stumbles forward and drops to his knees before her, head bowed) Forgive me, my lady. They discovered me. I was imprisoned… I couldn’t send word.
Morgana: (her momentary surprise hardens back into icy displeasure) Did you administer the poison?
Merlin: (doesn’t look up, voice thick with shame) My plan was small daily doses… but the physician was giving him an antidote without my knowledge. I failed you. I’m so sorry.
The last thread of Morgana's composure snaps. With a scream of pure rage, she sweeps her arm across a small stone table, throwing a clay vase and scrolls to the ground, both scattering and shattering. Merlin flinches.
Morgana: (shouts) You incompetent fool! You lasted mere weeks! How the hell did you manage to hide your magic for years? Now you have no magic, no closeness to the king left. What use are you to me now?! (Turns her back on him)
Merlin: (a desperate, broken whimper) I know…I know. I failed, I'm useless. But please. Please don’t cast me out. Don’t let them take me back. (crawls forward, his fingers clutching desperately at the fabric of her gown) They kept lying! They treated me like a fool, like I was sick! I hate them!
Morgana: (rolls her eyes, exasperated, thinking) Don’t worry. I’ll kill you before Arthur can get a hold of you, Emrys. At least I’ll have that pleasure.
Merlin: Arthur is the worst! With his manipulations… he even pretended to have feelings for me, just to try and win me back to his side.
Morgana: (goes very still, and then turns around, her eyes wide) What?
Merlin: I said he’s the worst.
Morgana: No. The other part. About his… feelings.
Merlin: Oh, that (his jaw tightens). That idiot thinks that because we kissed once while drunk, I’d fall at his feet for a few words. But I see his disgust for me. I always have.
Morgana: (even more surprised) YOU KISSED?! 😨
Merlin: Twice, my lady. (wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, a gesture of pure revulsion) I want to scrub my mouth clean just remembering it.
Once the shock passes, she feels a wave of pure, incandescent fury. Arthur. He took Guinevere from her, claiming love. And now this? His own manservant?
Then, the fury cools, hardening into a crystal-clear realization.
If Arthur truly has feelings for Merlin… then Merlin is not useless. He is a vulnerability. A way to torture the king in a manner far more intimate than any blade or spell.
She looks down at the so-called mighty Emrys, still kneeling in the dirt, clinging to her skirts like a child. A calculated smile begins to curve her lips.
Morgana: (orders) Get up.
Merlin: (obeys immediately, pushing himself upright, but winces as he puts weight on his injured leg)
Morgana: (her expression softens into one of performative concern and reaches out, her touch hovering near his arm) My dear, you are injured. What happened?
Merlin: To escape, I had to make a rope to climb from the window… But it wasn’t long enough. I had to jump the last stretch.
Morgana: You fell. (gentle, with pitying warmth) My poor dear. You must have been so frightened. I’m sorry I yelled at you. (Cups his cheek, a deliberate gesture of comfort) You are still precious to me.
Merlin: (almost melts at her touch, leaning into the contact, his eyes closing for a second in sheer, grateful relief)
Morgana: (smiles, her thumb stroking his cheek before she withdraws her hand) Now, let’s have you healed.
Back in Camelot.
Arthur: (stands by his horse, hastily checking straps and saddlebags, his movements sharp with frantic energy)
Gwen: (arrives) Arthur.
Arthur: (doesn’t stop, his hands move from buckle to stirrup) Guinevere. Not now. He’s out there.
Gwen: I know, I was the last one to see him. We need to talk.
Arthur: Whatever it is, it can wait until I bring him back.
Gwen: It cannot.
Arthur: (Finally looks at her, his eyes wild with urgency) Merlin already has a head start. Morgana could have him by now—
Gwen: (shouts) NO! It cannot wait!
Silence crashes down between them, heavy and cold.
Arthur: (his voice drops, wary) What is it?
Gwen: Merlin told me. That you two kissed.
Arthur: (thinking) That bastard! (A long, heavy pause. Then says, filled with shame) It’s true.
Gwen: (the confirmation physically shrinks her, the last of her composure crumbling into a devastated acceptance)
Arthur: (looks past her to the dying sun,his jaw tight) I swear, we will talk. I will explain everything. But not now. Right now, he’s running straight into the arms of our enemy.
Gwen: (in angry disbelief) You will leave me? Now? After telling me that?
Arthur: This isn’t about leaving you! Morgana could be twisting him further as we speak! He is alone and in danger!
Gwen: (angry, with tear-bright eyes) Then let him!
Arthur: (eyes wide) Guinevere!
Gwen: If you ride out that gate right now, Arthur, we are finished!
The words hang in the air. Arthur stares, torn in two. On one side, his queen, his wife, and on the other….
Arthur: (voice strained) I am just asking for time.
Gwen: Arthur!
Arthur: You also betrayed me, Guinevere. With Lancelot.
Gwen: (flinches as if struck at the low blow, any rebuttal dying in her throat)
The king doesn’t wait for a response. He moves, swinging himself up into the saddle. Then digs his heels into his horse’s flank and he is gone.
Arthur: (curses to himself, regretting his words as he rides) Fuck.
Meanwhile. In Morgana’s Lair.
Morgana leads Merlin through a narrow passage that opens into a vast, hidden cavern. In the gloom, a pale, serpentine form shifts.
Morgana: There. She is—
Merlin: (Eyes widening with recognition,voice filled with awe) Aithusa! (limps forward and reaches a trembling hand toward the dragon’s snout)
Aithusa: (nudges against his palm, a low rumble vibrating in her throat)
Morgana: (Stunned, her eyes narrowing) You know her?
Merlin: (as if stating the most natural fact in the world) I called her from the egg.
Morgana: (a pause, then hushes with dawning realization) You are a Dragonlord.
Morgause taught her about Dragonlords—men born with the blood-gift to speak to dragons, to command them. One of the many communities Uther wiped from the earth in his magic persecution… Well, it seems not all.
Merlin simply nods, his attention wholly on Aithusa. His fingers traces the line of her jaw, then falters as they move over the twisted, malformed ridges of her spine. His breath hitches.
Merlin: (voice breaking, thick with guilt) I’m so sorry. I wasn’t there. I let this happen to you.
Aithusa: (lets out a soft, pained whimper, nuzzling his hand as if offering forgiveness)
Morgana: (thinking) You are full of surprises, Emrys. (Says) Come, Aithusa. Your friend is hurt. He needs your breath.
Aithusa: (shifts her head, and bends low, noticing the awkward angle of Merlin’s ankle, the grime and swelling. Then exhales softly)
A warm, golden light emanates from her breath, wrapping around Merlin’s injured leg like a gentle, luminous bandage. The pain ebbs instantly, the swelling receding before their eyes. Merlin lets out a shuddering sigh of relief, his tears now falling freely—for the healing, and for the crippled creature who offered it.
Morgana: (watching, curious) Can you still speak her tongue, Emrys? Can you command the dragon?
Merlin: (closes his eyes in concentration and then opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Looks down, defeated) No.
Morgana: (already expected it, gives him a reassuring smile) Do not trouble yourself, my dear. Once Arthur is gone, all that was taken from you will return. Your voice will shake the mountains. You’ll see.
Merlin nods, a fresh, sharp hatred for Arthur hardening his features. Morgana smile turns into a smirk. It is a promise she intends to keep.
Time skip. In the Woods.
The search party find the horse wandering, saddle askew, in a mist-choked clearing. The trail ends as abruptly as if the earth had swallowed Merlin whole.
A raw, guttural scream of frustration tears from Arthur’s throat, startling birds from the trees. Of course. Merlin knows their methods. He has anticipated the trackers, the hunters. At some point, he surely slipped into the forest and sent the horse on a false path, a trail leading to nothing.
They search the area for days, beating the underbrush, scanning every ravine. They find nothing.
Leon: (quietly, face lined with exhaustion) Sire. We’ve lost him. We must return.
Arthur: (doesn’t respond, his back to his knights, his shoulders bowed with a crushing distress)
Leon: Our men are exhausted. Our supplies are low. We can regroup in Camelot and plan a wider search.
Arthur: (turns, his voice flat and drained) I know, Leon. I know. (Thinking) It’s what awaits me at home that worries me. (Says) Let's go back.
Time skip. In the Royal Chambers.
Arthur enters, the heavy door closing with a soft, definitive click. The room is lit by a low fire and shadows are dancing across Gwen’s rigid form where she is sat in their marital bed, her back to him.
Arthur: (exhales) Guinevere.
Gwen: (doesn't turn) Did you find him?
Arthur: No. We lost the trail.
Gwen: I see.
Arthur crosses the room slowly, coming to stand before her. When she still doesn’t look at him, he sinks to one knee, putting himself in her line of sight. It was a posture of supplication, not of a king, but of a penitent husband.
Arthur: Guinevere, I—
Her hand moves faster than he can blink. The slap is sharp, a crack that echoes in the quiet room. His head snaps to the side. He stays there for a moment, then slowly straightens, meeting her gaze.
Arthur: (quietly) Okay. I deserved that.
Gwen: I didn’t force you to take me back after Lancelot! You chose to. You don’t get to wield my past against me whenever it suits you!
Arthur: I know. It was unfair to bring it up. I’m sorry.
Gwen: (takes a deep, shuddering breath, the anger draining from her frame to be replaced by a weary sorrow) I owe you an apology as well.
Arthur: (looks up, confusion clear on his face)
Gwen: What I said…about letting something happen to Merlin. I didn’t mean it. Of course I don’t wish him harm. The way he told me was cruel, but I know that cruelty isn’t him. I was just… hurt. And angry.
Arthur: (takes a deep breath) About the kiss, I can expl—
Gwen: (lifts her hand,cutting him off) No. You were right before. We can’t speak of this until Merlin is here. He’s part of it. Once he’s back, and he’s himself again… then we will all talk. And then I will decide what to do.
Arthur: (blinking, not understanding) Decide to do what?
Gwen: (looks at him, her expression softening with a pity that is somehow worse than her anger)
Arthur: (realization dawns) Oh.
Gwen: Until that day, I will be staying in the guest chambers. (doesn’t wait for a reply, turns and walks to the door, pausing only once with her hand on the latch) Find him, Arthur. Bring our friend home.
Then she is gone, leaving Arthur alone in the too-large room, kneeling on the cold stone floor, the ghost of her slap still burning on his cheek.
Time Skip. With Morgana.
The days bleed together in the dim light of her lair. In the quiet moments between planning and spite, Morgana finds herself watching Merlin, not as a weapon, but as a puzzle. The enchantment holds him firmly, his hatred for Arthur and devotion to her unwavering. Yet, beneath the surface, the ghost of the boy she once knew lingers in small, telling ways.
It begins with idle curiosity. Since when have you had magic? His answer—since birth—is simple. But her questions soon sharpen, probing the wounds of their shared past.
Morgana: Why did you poison me?
Merlin: (his face contorts, as if the memory were a physical burden) I never wanted to hurt you. Only to stop the sleeping curse. I was told… Morgause was using you as its vessel. That it was the only way.
Morgana: (angry) That’s a lie!
Merlin: (shakes his head, earnest) I swear it, my lady. I have no reason to lie to you.
She is about to argue, but the certainty in his enchanted voice stops her. It’s true, Merlin is not able to lie to her in this state. And he believes this utterly. And if he believes it, then perhaps it is… true. A painful realization settles in her stomach. Did Morgause use her?
Seeing her doubt, Merlin’s expression hardens, the enchantment swiftly repurposing the truth into another layer of grievance.
Merlin: Or perhaps that was one of their lies. Another trick to turn me against you.
Morgana: (quickly, smoothing over the crack in her own certainty) Yes. They have always sought to pull us apart, my dear.
Merlin: (Fiercely) Never again.
She learns more, piece by piece. His reasons for opposing her, for choosing Arthur’s side. Does she understand him better? Yes. The frightened, powerful boy trying to navigate an impossible path is clearer to her now. Does it justify his actions? No. Understanding is not absolution. Merlin still looked into the eyes of a sister in magic and decided to see an enemy. He still chose Arthur over her. Just as Gwen did. Despite her feelings toward her, forgiveness for Guinevere has been impossible. Therefore, for Merlin, it is unthinkable.
Later, as she sits by the faint glow of a brazier, she feels Merlin's careful hands in her hair.
Merlin: (softly, as he works through a knot) Your hair is beautiful, my lady. I don’t know any fine styles, but… I can at least keep it untangled for you.
Morgana glances up at his reflection in a polished piece of dark stone. Merlin's face is serene, focused on the simple, kind task. A faint, genuine smile touches her lips.
She will never forgive the real Merlin. That boy is a traitor, a living testament to her loneliness and betrayal.
But this Merlin…this one, shaped by her own magic, who looks at her with utter devotion and infinite care. This one, she can keep. This one, she can almost believe is her friend again.
...
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!
You're probably hating on Arthur very much now. Not saying it's not justified. But let's remember he's a man from a medieval—Or really, Pre-medieval—world. It was inevitable he would hold what happened with Lancelot against Gwen at some point, as any man would even in modern time. At least he has the decency to feel sorry. He is also a pre-mediaval man who is just beginning to understand his feelings for another man in a very stressing situation, so yeah... he is having it hard.
What do you think is going to happen next? Let me know in the comments ;)
>Particularly among Gen Z, our data shows an interesting duality: they are both the group most likely to agree that women who have a successful career are more attractive to men but are simultaneously most likely to agree that a wife should always obey her husband and that a woman should never appear too self-sufficient or independent.
I know these two things seem contradictory, but there’s nothing a conservative man loves more than to tear off an angel’s wings. There are plenty of women that would willingly choose the obedient SAHM lifestyle, but these kinds of men always seem to go for the opposite. Why? Because it’s a power play. There’s no need to break a horse that’s already broken, and that would do nothing to validate that man, his ego, and his place in a world he sees as designed for him.
Another factor is that these men avoid dating conservative women who already want the lives they want them to have because those women's standards are too high. Specifically, such women expect to be the obedient stay at home mum, but they also expect their men to be the masculine ideal from the other half of the equation -- they tend to look down on their men if they cry, they expect them to be able to financially provide for the household, they want them to uphold their end of the bargain. You see this again and again in groups of conservative men who go out of their way to date liberal women; there is a power play, to tame someone untamed and bring her into line with his expectations, but there's also her lack of expectations of him. They want a woman who will do all the household and keep the home but ALSO will not reject him for not being able to afford to finance the family alone. They want a woman who'll respect and obey him but ALSO be fun and relaxed and let him show whatever emotions he wants. They want the Perfect Trad Wife who won't expect him to be the Perfect Trad Husband.
You see the same thing in conservatives who complain that all their leftie friends are abandoning them, but who won't just hang out with right wing friends instead. They don't want to hang out with other righties because a group of righties quickly becomes judgy and hateful and socially competitive, and is only fun to hang out with when they want to vent, whereas their leftie friends were more relaxed and fun. They want license to be unpleasant and expect unreasonable things of others, but want the people around them to be pleasant and not expect unreasonable things of them.
We have some excellent commentary here, but I want you to keep in mind an adage that will serve you well on the modern internet.
"If something immediately makes me feel anger, repulsion, or joy, with even a simple blurb, it's probably manipulating me."
First off, Newsweek is hardly an unbiased source these days. The majority shareholder is Dev Pagrad, is exceptionally wealthy, and has been repeatedly pushing newsweek to be an arm of the right wing's propaganda machine. It is HARD LINE far-right, Anti-trans, anti-woman, anti-immigrant, anti-science
To cite the Southern Poverty Law Center (by way of Wikipedia)
In November 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported that Newsweek had "taken a marked radical right turn by buoying extremists and promoting authoritarian leaders" since it hired conservative political activist Josh Hammer as editor-at-large. It noted the magazine's elevation of conspiracy theorists, publication of conspiracy theories about COVID-19, views such as support for a ban on all legal immigration to the United States and denying adults access to trans-affirming medical care, and failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest in the content published on Hammer's opinion section and podcast.
https://web.archive.org/web/20221106005834/https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2022/11/04/newsweek-embraces-anti-democracy-hard-right
Newsweek, when even linking to the study it cites, doesn't... actually link to the study. It just links to newsweek's "study" tab. It does MENTION the study, which allowed me to track it down.
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/almost-third-gen-z-men-globally-agree-wife-should-obey-her-husband
IPSOS is a MARKETING FIRM, whose CEO Jean Laurent Poitou, was the former head of Accenture, under whose leadership, sure did a lot of fraud, engaging in tax avoidance, and other such conservative-leaning behaviors, and who generally is affiliated with the traditional right.
Let's add another one.
The group "Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s Business School, King’s College London" just so happens to be at the school that the Current CEO of newsweek is not just an alum of, but is a major contributor to the funding for. It's always weird when something extremely polarizing comes from, a group that's directly funded by the CEO or owner of the conservative newspaper that's publishing it, as well as from research done by a Marketing firm in the pockets of wealthy conservatives! Funny how that always seems to happen!
But if we actually look at IPSOS's study, you'll see that a lot of the numbers have been gently massaged and their methodology is EXTREMELY opaque. After all, they're not a scientific institution. They're a MARKETING FIRM.
The biggest conclusion if you read their own paper, is ACTUALLY, that MOST PEOPLE seem to hold progressive views on women's autonomy, but think that THEIR COUNTRY still majority holds draconian views on women's autonomy.
Things their own study says:
A Majority of Gen Z believes that women shouldn't "always obey" their husbands.
A Majority of Gen Z has concerns that their society holds draconian beliefs about women.
What the results of the SPIN on this facts, as well as how many in the comments are reacting, is actually perpetuating the Traditional Right's views on Gender and Marriage.
I need you to understand that it actively benefits the traditional right when you lean into gender essentialism and believe that Men Are Evil. That Men Are Monsters. It makes the default assumption of men be that they will always be predators, meaning that when they DO do something predator, nobody's surprised; well that's just how men are; when he finds the RIGHT woman who can Tame Him, then he'll behave; that's the duty of a woman after all; to put up with men abusing her until she finds one who is the Right One, who she can handle.
What this article ALSO does, is scare progressive women, scares queerfolk, scares young folk, and makes conservatives feel emboldened and empowered.
You need to ALWAYS, ALWAYS, remind yourself: "If something immediately makes me feel anger, repulsion, or Joy, with even a simple blurb, it's probably manipulating me."
And more than that, you need to remember the follow up:
