@discluded / discluded.tumblr.com
I feel like trump looking likely to beat a more competent and qualified female candidate twice, both being the only times a woman has been a nominated presidential candidate, is a real blow to the psyche for all women and girls in the U.S.. It seems to deliver a message of "no matter how put-together, professional, and smart you are, you will always lose to the dumbest, loudest man in the room."
เจอแมวชมพู @ Nnattawin1
via jeffsatur @ twitter | 18102024
Having ADHD is so fun because sometimes youre looking for something that you use regularly and definitely put away in a smart and reasonable place and you have absolutely 0 hope of remembering where and finding it. And then other times ur like "hmm I need a some kind of small pointed object. I feel like i remember seeing a paperclip under the left couch cushion a month ago, i wonder if its still there" and it is
"wait but if u saw the paperclip why would u just leave it there?" its the adhd. Also if i had put it away then i wouldnt have been able to find it a month later when i needed it. So. Checkmate neurotypicals.
Hey, do y’all remember how Tencent said they were developing faceID AI to identify people in riots, and then they suddenly created an AI art generator to turn your selfies into anime?
Do y’all remember that time that someone discovered facial recognition cameras couldn't see through Juggalo makeup, then Facebook had a fun “see what you'd look like with Juggalo makeup” thing, and then facial recognition cameras could suddenly see through Juggalo makeup?
Do y’all remember how, on Twitter, Elon started a tirade against artists who ask for credit when their art is reposted, and he suddenly he created one of the first big art AI programs?
Do y’all remember how AI destroyed the field of freelance translation, despite the inferiority of the machine translations, because companies didn’t care about the quality of the translations? They just wanted it done for free?
Do y’all know how companies will see a lot of money going into a New Tech Thing (like, say, AI art apps) and will jump to try and implement that New Tech Thing into their tech? For example, how it felt like every big company and celebrity had an NFT to sell?
Just wondering.
this yaoi is getting too real😭
Being poor is very stressful. US Social Services suck.
A quick and dirty meta in honor of the anniversary of KPTS episode 8: the date 😊
I think now with the entire arc of the series ironed out and all the haters having left, we can say this was definitely the second best episode of the series (behind 6, of course! sorry to episode 7!!!) and also definitively not a filler episode. I'm breaking this into two parts: some of which other folks have said already, and some which I don't think anyone has explicitly said though maybe many people feel.
You know media literacy is bad when a character explicitly says why the events following the statement need to happen and people still call it filler. 🙄
The events of episode 6 established that Kinn and Porsche love each other, not just desired or were infatuated with each other, but truly love each other in a soul-crushing, earth-shattering way that they're wiling to give up their own happiness and safety for the other. Episode 7 established they may love each other but they still don't know each other well. There's work that needs to be done.
So what does episode 8 say?
That it's not just infatuation, it's not just being in love, it's not just sex or desire. What they built when sheltered from the storm is strong. It's a foundation for a love that will weather the storm.
They're not just two people who love and care about each other, they're also two people who can build a life together and are doing just that. Episode 8 is them putting in the work.
So that despite what lays ahead for them, what they have is worth fighting for.
Oftentimes, what we see in romantic dramas (BL or otherwise) is solely focused on the earth-shattering feelings of emotion, about two people finally getting together. To be honest, I'm bored by that. And half the time, I'm not convinced it's a relationship that will last. Just because there are feelings doesn't mean it's meant to be. People fall in and out of love all the time.
It's so refreshing to see a series make an argument that says it's not just about the feelings, it's about two people who are working on making it work. It gives us the reason they keep fighting for each other and their relationship. And that's why KinnPorsche's episode 14 marriage vows are so believable. We saw them fighting for it, and we have a glimpse of what it could be. They love each other in the way adults who want it to work love each other.
The second part of this I don't see discussed as often is how it (re)establishes them as equals in the relationship, both within the context of the show and metacontextually.
Let's discuss within the context of the show first.
There's a notable power difference between Kinn and Porsche as members of society and of course, as mob boss and bodyguard. However, episode 8 lays out the argument that within their relationship, they are equals and it's important to them that they are equals. Emotionally, they give as much as they take from each other. (I'll discuss the physical aspect in the next section.)
Especially because this episode serves as a prelude to the Tawan arc, episode 8 importantly contrasts boyfriend!Porsche against Kinn's relationship with Tawan, and also Kinn's relationship with escorts. Kinn, being who he is, is often expected to be the one who provides: who provides comfort, or entertainment, or gifts, or experiences or luxury or money. And with those, there is an expectation to the quality of what he provides.
Tawan betrayed Kinn because he was bored and greedy and dissatisfied with what Kinn provided. Tawan saw what Kinn had to offer, both physically and emotionally, as deficient of what he could get elsewhere, and this is the basis of his betrayal.
Kinn's experience with his escorts is purposefully emotionally vacant, but even with those escorts, there is a certain expectation to what Kinn provides as well. While this is not explicitly textual within the show, the escorts gossip among each other and within high society. Kinn's life is full of expectations of who he is to even people who he doesn't know but who know him.
And instead Porsche came in and said: I want to take my man out on a date. I think he will like tiny cupcakes scones. (And Porsche was right.)
Though Porsche was worried about the restaurant being closed ruining the date and disappointing Kinn, the secret ingredient was there from beginning: when Porsche said, I want to romance Kinn, I want to take him on a cute date.
Kinn deserves to be romanced as much as Kinn wants to romance Porsche. The secret ingredient is that Porsche cares and Porsche put in the effort. That he doesn't see Kinn as a means to an end of where he gets something shiny, but as a partner in a relationship they are building together.
It was never going to be about the specific date experience or how expensive it was -- it's about effort. The main thing that Kinn and Porsche can put into their relationship in equal amounts is effort.
Metatextually, Porsche being the one initiate and organize the date is also important. To understand this, we have to back up to look at the context of heteronormativity and gender role expectations within society that is reiterated and reinforced by drama tropes.
I've mentioned to friends that romantic dramas, particularly a certain class of kdramas, reinforce to their primarily straight female audiences expectations of falling in love and being romanced, without taking into consideration the realities of relationships. And I don't mean the mundanity of the day-to-day here, I mean specifically that women expect to be romanced without expectation that they have to romance someone in return. Or if it is, the gestures are gendered in specific ways (e.g. flowers and being taken out for an expensive dinner vs. cooking a homemade meal).
The thing is, we do see those types of heteronormative tropes reinforced in gendered ways in BL dramas as well, where the [straight] audience brings in expectations of gender roles based on who tops and bottoms in the relationship, not even taking into account that many queer people are switches.
But even putting that aside, there is nothing wrong with queer folks having a top/bottom preference, sometimes even a strong preference. For one, it's refreshing to see Porsche being portrayed as a bisexual man who didn't realize he was bisexual until he realized being a bottom was an option and that his preference in bed (and this one is a preference) isn't tied to his masculinity, his physical prowess, or being kickass and kind of scary.
I also found it so refreshing that Porsche deciding he wanted to go on a date wasn't tied to hokey gendered roles of who asks whom on the first date. In fact, it was even more pleasantly surprising to have Porsche reveal he's never gone on a date before: so his initiative can't be tied to the fact he's "used" to play the "masculine" role of initiating dates. It's just Porsche deciding he wants to go on a date to romance his boyfriend and even though he doesn't have the experience, putting his whole heart in it.
Even something as simple as this can be demystifying of the queer experience. There is no "man" or "woman" assignment in the the relationship, even when there are sexual preferences. And having a sexual preference doesn't reinforce or take away from masculinity. They are two men who are both men and are in a relationship. And they both put equal effort into romancing and taking care of each other.
Episode 8 supremacy forever. 💖
*pats myself on the back*
what did i say
blow by blow (ha!) commentary about all the subtle choices the show made that made it feel so vulnerable and authentically queer
One of my roommates is from China and neither of us speaks the other’s language but lately when she’s in a chatty mood she comes into our kitchen and shows me these douyin Matt Damon x Ben Affleck RPF videos and puts her theories about how Ben has been pining for Matt into google translate for me to read. fujoing out transcends language barriers
this is so charming to me. doomed boston yaoi
an update
Have you been watching four minutes??!?! Baby gurl Bible is everything I've ever wanted.
hello nonny ! 🙈 I'm a coward who likes to binge series all at once so I'll probably start watching when like 10 or 12 episodes are out so I'm not vibrating out of my seat. I actually did that for kinnporsche as well!
there is all I know about 4M so far... rip. thank you to @pzxce for explaining
y'all, I need y'all to read Wet Sand because I have been the victim of a single target harass-angst campaign by @moerusai for weeks now and MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT. I DON'T WANT TO SUFFER ANYMORE I WANT TO BE HAPPY 😭😭😭
plot: Korean gangsters in Brooklyn. some of them have gay sex, but all of them deal drugs and commit violence 🤗🙏
also if Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakul was your baby girl like he was mine, let me introduce you to: Oh Taejoon. droopy eyed puppy boyfriend. bisexual disaster. untouchable gang boss. the man that he is 😭
Mo is gonna make y'all cry whether or not you're ready so chop chop get in it :')
My love for TJ is endless. At first I was just "Wow daddy u hot and cool" but in the latest chapters... I'm completely done. If the author will eventually decide to kill him (I don't know why but I feel it could happen) I would hold his funeral and cry like a widow.
That 3 chapters car sex scene (iykyk AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW VERY WELL) lives rent free in my mind. Sometimes I have to go back and read it. Those eyes. How they look at each other. Please. Those eyes.
as I've been telling @moerusai, with how far we are into the story and how the narrative is shaped, I can't think of any scenario in which TJ and Ian aren't end game *unless* if one of them dies. Doyak is all about that realism angst so I don't trust having a happy ending until I see it with my own eyes 😭
when (redacted) were making fun of TJ's scar, someone pointed out that TJ proudly wears that scar like a Cartier love bracelet. like fr, what is more romantic than seeing the love TJ has for Ian literally carved into his skin 😭😭😭😭
If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading
*slams fist on reblog*
I'm (re)reading Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry and if you like rivals (who are fuck buddies) to lovers (who are rivals) to husbands (who are still rivals) then you will love this.
TALK TO ME ABOUT ILYA'S SANDWICH THAT HE MADE SHANE I'M SOBBING
also Red Candy, as always.
This episode we’re discussing the romance(?) genre(s?) of Yaoi, Danmei, and BL. We talk about tropes, themes, shelving, not understanding fiction from other cultures, and more! Plus: We probably make a bunch of mistakes.
You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.
In this episode
Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray 🦇 | Jam Edwards
Things We Read (or tried to…)
Other Media We Mentioned
Links, Articles, and Things
31 Yaoi, Danmei, and BL titles available in English
Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.
Many thanks to our guest Kyuu for contributing most of these titles.
Chinese language origin (Danmei)
Japanese language origin
Korean language origin
Many Korean language novels and comics are available in English via a subscription or pay-per-chapter model and may not be available to library systems, but we did not want to exclude the breadth of Korean series when so many are legally available in English. Some of these require creating accounts to view.
Give us feedback!
Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group or Discord Server, or send us an email!
Join us again on Tuesday, August 20th it’s time for our Summer Media Update! What have we been reading, playing, listening to, etc. over the summer?
Then on Tuesday, September 3rd it’s time for episode 200 and we’ll be talking about Library fiction!
My little surprise for everyone: I was invited to be a guesxpert (guest expert) on a librarian podcast where they try a new genre every month/week, and this month, only 200 episodes in, the hosts review BL!
If you want to hear what I sound (chaotic and flustered), hear four people who've basically never read BL read BL confusedly navigate published BL, or just like books in general, check it out!
I don't think that's how it's supposed to work
Lmao, this Tim guy seems cool.
Catching up on his speech at the rally, he seems like the perfect foil for a lot of republican attack lines.
“Until recently, it was Republicans who were talking about freedom. It turns out that what they meant is that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office. In Minnesota, we mind our own damn business!”
Like that’s a great line, it applies to abortion rights, trans healthcare, anything. Absolutely skewers the republicans on what was previously their core principle of small gov + freedom.
HE IS A HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER.
We have to argue about facts with underdeveloped brains all day. He basically has 30 years of experience in Shut Up, Sit Down, Don't Repeat Fascism.
