it’s scruffington monday, everyone cheer and clap
thanks @fred-erick-frankenstein for seeing and sharing the vision <3

oozey mess
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
Claire Keane

Product Placement
Jules of Nature
Show & Tell
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ

Kiana Khansmith

JBB: An Artblog!
Acquired Stardust
NASA

★

Today's Document
tumblr dot com

祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Peter Solarz
we're not kids anymore.
sheepfilms
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@susanvstorm
it’s scruffington monday, everyone cheer and clap
thanks @fred-erick-frankenstein for seeing and sharing the vision <3

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I've read a few recently published books, and there's this recurring pattern where if anyone does anything bad and interesting, they have to later talk about it in a way that makes it clear that it was a misunderstanding/ justified/ not their fault, so they're still a good person. and if they have a disagreement with another character, they have to therapy talk it out, regardless of their background. it doesn't matter if this is a street urchin with three teeth who just stabbed and kidnapped someone, you will get eloquent sterile therapy speak that will smooth out any possible emotional tension. and everyone asks for permission before they kiss, and waits for a clear enthusiastic yes. again, doesn't matter the character's background or situation, they will ask "can I please kiss you," because if they didn't, that could get all yucky and uncertain, couldn't it? and if a character is from a rich family, they will hate being in a rich family, and hate wealth signifiers, and actually be all for class equality. and everyone is casually queer, without thought being put into how that would mesh with the society that is being described. like yes, this is violent class-based system obsessed with inheritance, but no, it's not actually a problem that the child they've coldly groomed to take on the family mantle is unwilling to beget an heir because of gay. the parents might be terrible, cruel and fascistic, but they're not homophobic! I don't know, it just seems like EVERYTHING that could actually be messy gets sanded and sanded until it's smooth as a shark, but the Fun Violence is allowed to stay, because bloodshed doesn't actually bother anyone or have any consequence apart from your rogue character shrugging and going oops, was that me? the rogue is still a good person though. if you think they're not, just wait for the two solid pages of introspection. and yes they started the book by slitting two throats, but that was fine. they will ask permission before hugging you.
#bruh comoletely agree w everything u said here but it is nagging me that sharks arent smooth at fucking all my dude. sorry to break it to u
I don't know if you're new here but sharks are SO fucking smooth in both directions
potc rants
so, of course this is all based on my interpretation of characters, but i sometimes i find myself thinking of elizabeth and i just don't see her as interested in a romantic relationship, which is why i have pretty much no interest in her dynamic with will. it's not that i dislike willabeth, i simply think they're unteresting -or rather, uninteresting from elizabeth's pov, because, on the other hand, i think it works well for will.
but elizabeth? i see her as pretty detached and quite neutral to romantic engagement, which is why i enjoy her dynamic with jack, which i consider largely based in sexual tension and some form of fascination that, i think, has little to do with romance, but also find norribeth interesting. elizabeth cares for james, but i don't think she can love him the way he does her. she cares for him and would probably live a fairly good life by his side. i think she would even be content in that life. this sort of convenience marriage aspect can be quite fun to play with, in my head. i think elizabeth's romantic interest is somewhat muted and generally speaking not something she actively seeks. she's very focused on herself and i don't see her as a character who pays particular attention to the emotions of others. she reads them well, but it doesn't seem like those emotions influence her.
and this is what i like about elizabeth. i truly enjoy her in this muted way, where she's more rational than emotional. i wanna include her more in my writing tbh but i gotta get over this idea i have that people will be annoyed by my views on her lol
thinking of my friend i wrote angélica and will with. and what a beautiful relationship we built. i should incorporate it into a fic.
“...Pirate.”

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wilf (wip i’d like to finish)
Yo, I saw your post about orientalism in relation to the "hollywood middle-east" tiktok!
How can a rando and university dropout get into and learn more about? Any literature or other content to recommend?
Hi!! Wow, you have no idea how you just pressed a button. I'll unleash 5+ years on you. And I'll even add for you open-sourced works that you can access as much as I can!
1. Videos
I often find this is the best medium nowadays to learn anything! I'll share with you some of the best that deal with the topic in different frames
• This is a video of Edward Said talking about his book, Orientalism. Said is the Palestinian- American critic who first introduced the term Orientalism, and is the father of postcolonial studies as a critical literary theory. In this book, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the concept and a deconstruction of western stereotypes. It’s very simple and he explains everything in a very easy manner.
• How Islam Saved Western Civilization. A more than brilliant lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda. This, in my opinion, is one of the best lectures that gives credit to this great civilization, and takes you on a journey to understand where did it all start from.
• What’s better than a well-researched, general overview Crash Course about Islam by John Green? This is not necessarily on orientalism but for people to know more about the fundamental basis of Islam and its pillars. I love the whole playlist that they have done about the religion, so definitely refer to it if you're looking to understand more about the historical background! Also, I can’t possibly mention this Crash Course series without mentioning ... ↓
• The Medieval Islamicate World. Arguably my favourite CC video of all times. Hank Green gives you a great thorough depiction of the Islamic civilization when it rose. He also discusses the scientific and literary advancements that happened in that age, which most people have no clue about! And honestly, just his excitement while explaining the astrolabe. These two truly enlightened so many people with the videos they've made. Thanks, @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog
2. Documentaries
• This is an AMAZING documentary called Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies A People by the genius American media critic Jack Shaheen. He literally analysed more than 1000 movies and handpicked some to showcase the terribly false stereotypes in western depiction of Arab/Muslim cultures. It's the best way to go into the subject, because you'll find him analysing works you're familiar with like Aladdin and all sorts.
• Spain’s Islamic Legacy. I cannot let this opportunity go to waste since one of my main scopes is studying feminist Andalusian history. There are literal gems to be known about this period of time, when religious coexistence is documented to have actually existed. This documentary offers a needed break from eurocentric perspectives, a great bird-view of the Islamic civilization in Europe and its remaining legacy (that western history tries so hard to erase).
• When the Moors Ruled in Europe. This is one of the richest documentaries that covers most of the veiled history of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Bettany Hughes discusses some of the prominent rulers, the brilliance of architecture in the Arab Muslim world, their originality and contributions to poetry and music, their innovative inventions and scientific development, and lastly, La Reconquista; the eventual fall and erasure of this grand civilization by western rulers.
3. Books
• Rethinking Orientalism by Reina Lewis. Lewis brilliantly breaks the prevailing stereotype of the “Harem”, yk, this stupid thought westerns projected about arab women being shut inside one room, not allowed to go anywhere from it, enslaved and without liberty, just left there for the sexual desires of the male figures, subjugated and silenced. It's a great read because it also takes the account of five different women living in the middle east.
• Nocturnal Poetics by Ferial Ghazoul. A great comparative text to understand the influence and outreach of The Thousand and One Nights. She applies a modern critical methodology to explore this classic literary masterpiece.
• The Question of Palestine by Edward Said. Since it's absolutely relevant, this is a great book if you're looking to understand more about the Palestinian situation and a great way to actually see the perspective of Palestinians themselves, not what we think they think.
• Arab-American Women's Writing and Performance by S.S. Sabry. One of my favourite feminist dealings with the idea of the orient and how western depictions demeaned arab women by objectifying them and degrading them to objects of sexual desire, like Scheherazade's characterization: how she was made into a sensual seducer, but not the literate, brilliantly smart woman of wisdom she was in the eastern retellings. The book also discusses the idea of identity and people who live on the hyphen (between two cultures), which is a very crucial aspect to understand arabs who are born/living in western countries.
• The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole. This is a great book if you're trying to understand the influence of Islamic culture on Europe. It debunks this idea that Muslims are senseless, barbaric people who needed "civilizing" and instead showcases their brilliant civilization that was much advanced than any of Europe in the time Europe was labelled by the Dark Ages. (btw, did you know that arabic was the language of knowledge at that time? Because anyone who was looking to study advanced sciences, maths, philosophy, astronomy etc, had to know arabic because arabic-speaking countries were the center of knowledge and scientific advancements. Insane, right!)
• Convivencia and Medieval Spain. This is a collection of essays that delve further into the idea of “Convivencia”, which is what we call for religious coexistence. There's one essay in particular that's great called Were Women Part of Convivencia? which debunks all false western stereotypical images of women being less in Islamic belief. It also highlights how arab women have always been extremely cultured and literate. (They practiced medicine, studied their desired subjects, were writers of poetry and prose when women in Europe couldn't even keep their surnames when they married.)
4. Novels / Epistolaries
• Granada by Radwa Ashour. This is one of my favourite novels of all time, because Ashour brilliantly showcases Andalusian history and documents the injustices and massacres that happened to Muslims then. It covers the cultural erasure of Granada, and is also a story of human connection and beautiful family dynamics that utterly touches your soul.
• Dreams of Trespass by Fatma Mernissi. This is wonderful short read written in autobiographical form. It deconstructs the idea of the Harem in a postcolonial feminist lens of the French colonization of Morocco.
• Scheherazade Goes West by Fatma Mernissi. Mernissi brilliantly showcases the sexualisation of female figures by western depictions. It's very telling, really, and a very important reference to understand how the west often depicts middle-eastern women by boxing them into either the erotic, sensual beings or the oppressed, black-veiled beings. It helps you understand the actual real image of arab women out there (who are not just muslims btw; christian, jew, atheist, etc women do exist, and they do count).
• Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This is a feminist travel epistolary of a British woman which covers the misconceptions that western people, specifically male travelers, had recorded and transmitted about the religion, traditions and treatment of women in Constantinople, Turkey. It is also a very insightful sapphic text that explores her own engagement with women there, which debunks the idea that there are no queer people in the middle east.
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With all of these, you'll get an insight about the real arab / islamic world. Not the one of fanaticism and barbarity that is often mediated, but the actual one that is based on the fundamental essences of peace, love, and acceptance.
"#and don’t get me started about vague ‘islamicate’ aesthetics in diversity-fanart…#that is outright just SLB-bollywood core#aka biggest cultural export and one of the clearest methods of ‘erasing muslims while using sexy mughalcore aesthetics’"
hello sorry this is not directly relevant to your tags but i was wondering if you had any thoughts on like. (correct me if i am wrong) the indianisation of middle-eastern media (e.g. the 2019 live action aladdin and the casting of charithra chandran in one piece live action as the princess of a middle east/north africa inspired country) or if you had any leads on commentary about it!
OH BOY OH BOY THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, and apologies in advance that I have, as per, taken the opportunity to yap, and run… the comparison did have me Thinking A Lot on my train ride today so thank you for that as well, considering my commutes are normally very dreary…
Also before I actually start, a quick note re: my tags referring to fandom, I do want to note that it’s not that I’m calling these elements “problematic” or whatever, hell I often enjoy the spectacle, and have used these aesthetics myself. I also think Islamicate aesthetics do have progressive potential when done with a degree of self-awareness and used as a tool rather than a medium, especially in period-fantasy eg Tolkien (and not to blow smoke up my own ass but thinking about how Maglor and his musicality is introduced in Prayers via old-timey romantic ghazals and qawwalis before he starts singing about “waspfuckers”), or even in cinema itself as with the old Kamal Amrohi film Pakeezah, one of the best “queer death/anti-futurity” narratives that Indian cinema has come out with.
It’s more that I see these aesthetics replicated so often as progressive in and of itself, “representative” of a culture, specifically, the South Asian subcontinent and India in particular, where said representation just directly echoes the dominant cultural narrative whilst framing itself as transgressive or antiracist… without such a framing, the aesthetics aren’t “regressive” in themselves. I see it kind of like, idk, making Tinkerbell wear a Wonder Woman leotard, where the leotard isn’t a problem and can be cool, but the intention of it is deeply uncool. Or to use a MENA example, a 2025 Iranian state production of LotR starring Ayatollah Elrond dealing out fatwas to Sauron Rushdie. But with both examples being called “progressive antiracist portrayals” that will decolonise fandom/cinema/literature/whatever. Each region or regime has its own nationalistic propaganda, but Bollywood and Hollywood have a much larger stake in global film culture so to speak, hence me focusing on them. Basically, less “this is bad and people shouldn’t do it” and more “this is what’s actually happening here”.
I also have reading recommendations/reference list at the end because I don’t want to look like I’m talking out of my ass lol.
So my (academic) background when it comes to film studies is more in the Indian popular cinema area since the cultural exports I worked on were from the subcontinent, in that I did a comparative study and Malayalam regional cinema read against Bombay-produced ‘cultural export’ films… And coming from that position, I’d say the ‘Indiafication’ of MENA aka Middle Eastern & North African identities in Anglophone cinema, primarily Hollywood, and the ‘Islamicate’ tropes of Bollywood cinema, are two manifestations of a very similar visual-political logic, but also that the former is proof of the latter’s relative “success”.
Hi Ari!
That was me who sent the last ask (I get a little shy when it comes to asking for requests 😅). I was wondering if you could draw Angelica? I want to see her in your art style!
Hii Avery!! Yesss!! Of coursee🖤
One gorgeous spanish pirate queen 🖤🖤🖤
don’t take my defeatism too seriously I will always begin again and again no matter what

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hello hpi fandom can anyone fluent in french help me with a thing
HPI community are u alive i need to discuss the last ep im so mad at how much i disliked it 😭😭😭
it appears everyone agrees it was terrible. hence: i am writing a fic to fix it. (french is not my first language, be gentle) (will be posting an English version too)
HPI community are u alive i need to discuss the last ep im so mad at how much i disliked it 😭😭😭
such a majestic ep7, such a let down of an 8th.... fix it fic incoming bc i hated it
AI being used in HPI was not on my bingo card...

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Gang gang gang gang gang
i keep thinking of adam stumbling into an old song compilation of his mom's. and it's warda or fairouz. and he thinks of morgane. idk