Earlier this evening I was driving on the highway to head to my writers group. I needed to change lanes to get to my exit and proceeded to do so, enjoying the scenic ride. That is until a car horn starts and continues to blast behind me.
I turn to look and a giant truck has appeared behind me (I honestly didn’t see it when I went to turn). And because the truck continued at its breakneck speed (while still blaring its horn at me, causing me to get even more flustered), I had to speed up to avoid getting rammed because another car was already coming up behind me in my original lane. But my car is little and old, and can’t go 0 to 60 in 0.3 seconds, so the truck continued to blast its horn at me the whole time I’m trying not to cause an accident.
I finally make it to my exit without crashing into anyone, but then my stomach sinks as I see the truck now riding my tail as I get off the exit. Now I’m terrified this person is going to ram me out of spite.
The exit joins up to the town road, but you have to yield to oncoming traffic, so I do. The truck then suddenly swerves out from behind me, and as they rush by, the driver and his passenger flip me off as they scream profanities that consist of female slurs (which originally were just plain old words until some man decided to make them curses because they happened to be female centered terms).
Now I’m really shaken up and am forced to drive behind them until the road splits into two. But horror of all horrors, I end up almost right next to them at a red light. I can feel them staring at me and I’m now scared out of my mind.
Thankfully, a police car with its lights and sirens on drove past us, and that seemed to cool the trucktosterones down because they peeled off into the next side street and I didn’t see them again.
All this to say, it’s probably men like these that are getting dumped because of the Barbie movie, and I’M GLAD.
10 songs I love (in no particular order)
Tagged by my bestie @a-lighthouse-a-man-a-city
1) Ai no Melody by KOKIA
2) Stay for Awhile by Amy Grant
3) No Culture by Mother Mother
4) Marian the Librarian from The Music Man
5) No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine
6) I’ll Set You Free by The Bangles
7) Recuérdame by Natalia Lafourcade
8) (If You’re Not in it for Love) I’m Outta Here by Shania Twain
9) Memories by Within Temptation
10) Shoot Him Down! by Alice Francis
I’ve been re-watching Steven Universe (from start to finish) the past couple of days, and all the new little nuances of the foreshadowing, references, and Gem culture are starting to stand out more the second time around. And it’s really sparked some ideas and theories that I hadn’t considered before the most recent seasons came out.
One of the more significant ones is the “My Diamond” phrase, or rather, Rose’s “My Pearl” line that she says in episode 45: Rose’s Scabbard.
Before the introduction of the Diamonds, that line didn’t really have any deeper meaning than the usual term of endearment. But with the Homeworld Gems referring to the significant leaders as ‘Their Diamonds’ (and when they don’t: such as Jasper referring to Yellow Diamond by her name, which we find out why later - because her TRUE Diamond is Pink Diamond), the phrasing Rose uses in that instance could have a far deeper meaning.
To call Pearl “My Pearl”, could not only be a term of endearment, but also that of high respect and loyalty. For Rose to say that to Pearl, who basically was made to be a pretty walking/talking purse, I think it was incredible and overwhelming. It’s no wonder that Pearl was so dedicated to Rose.
I think this is further proved in the episode ‘Sworn to the Sword’. When Connie asks Pearl “Did Rose make you feel like you were nothing?” and when Pearl answers: “Rose made me feel like I was everything.”
That statement makes so much more sense to me if my theory about the “My (Gem)” phrase is correct. When a Gem says “My Diamond”, I think it’s like they are reaffirming their devotion to the Diamond. They are saying “I am loyal to you. I live to serve you. You are the source of my existence.” (or something like that).
So when Rose goes and falls in love with Greg, I can see how terribly hurt Pearl would be by it. The Gem she thought was loyal to her - valued her more than anyone, decides to suddenly chose someone else, after all Pearl has done for Rose, and after thinking that she had Rose’s highest esteem…
It must have been truly devastating.
Now I wonder if Sapphire and Ruby go around saying that to each other ;)
I was so looking forward to this season and seeing a woman with curves get honest to goodness romantic sex scenes.
For so long the sex scenes with curvy girls in film have been shown with a tone of humor or disgust or pity.
And Bridgerton season 3 was supposed to change all of that. Except it didn’t. Not for me, anyway.
Because while other Bridgerton heroines have been stripped clean of their clothes, with their entire body on full display, Penelope was not.
In all her scenes she was never completely undressed save for one brief moment that isn’t even shown fully. We get one quick glimpse of her glorious bosom and then she delegated to being covered up with a blanket. Colin goes so far as to pull the blanket to cover her up more at one point!
We don’t get to see her beautiful curves. They’re continuously hidden like it’s a shameful thing to show a woman whose waist isn’t small, with a stomach that jiggles, thighs that don’t fit neatly in a man’s hands, and breasts that aren’t small and perky.
What I got out of Bridgerton season 3 is that yes, you curvy girls can have a love interest who isn’t also plus size, but only because he thinks you’re interesting, not because you’re beautiful. And yes, being interesting is going to last longer than beauty, but is it too much to ask to be both?
It seems even today on a super progressive show, the answer is still “yes”.
After re-watching the Prince of Persia on Disney+, I’d like to think for their honeymoon, Dastan took Tamina to The Valley of the Slaves to watch the ostrich races and hear about the Ngbaka ❤️
I have a favor to ask, especially those of you who create historical fiction and fantasies that take place in worlds that are based on pre-modern time periods…
Stop making your girls slim, skinny, waifish, lanky, lean, scrawny, angular, gangly, thin, and then have them complain about it.
I appreciate the fact you are acknowledging that in older times, being thin was not desired to the point it is now. That in those times, women with curves, ample chests, and round bottoms were more highly sought after and being thin meant you were malnutritioned and thus, not as desirable.
I get that you want the girls to be relatable, and who hasn’t lamented over their body not being the current ideal of beauty.
But for girls like me, who have lots of curves, ample chests, and round bottoms, when your female protagonist is thin and she complains about it, it’s like a slap in the face for me.
Because it feels like the toxic message of being skin and bones thin has permeated even the worlds where I go to escape negative body image themes. That even there, with the female protagonist I’m supposed to relate to and go on this journey with, has something I’ve been brainwashed into desiring but can never attain, and she has the nerve to whine about it - it drives me insane.
So do me a favor and make a female protagonist who is full of curves and have her be proud of it. Have someone - herself or other characters in the story - note her ample assets and remark how attractive she is. Put her flaws and insecurities in some other part of herself. Make her curvy figure something she is confident about.
In fact, make it a point to create girls with all sorts of body types.
Make them with small chests and wide hips. Make their bosom ample and the rest of the figure straight. Make them tall and built like bricks. Make them petite with very round bottoms.
Make them a unique individual.
If we are ever going to make any strides in teaching girls to love the bodies they were born with, then we need to start with worlds they visit to escape reality. Because if the majority of fictional girls are portrayed as having one body type, then what’s the point of fantasy?
After reading all the available books by Ali Hazelwood, I have come to the conclusion that she has types. (Yes, plural).
Women: must be short, small chested (and complain about their small chests. Not to mention complain about their bones sticking out. And how men ogle them).
Men: must be super tall, built like comic book heroes, and have huge…equipment.
Normally, I wouldn’t give a hoot about her personal preferences. But when one is spouting messages of diversity and inclusivity, and has had their first work be a major hit (that I myself loved, btw), then I’m just saying it would be nice to see said diversity when it comes to the body types of her main characters.
I’ve already ranted about romance heroines making me want to slap them because they have the gall to whine about their small breasts, especially modern day girls who shouldn’t complain since the fashion and beauty industries center around thin women so really, they have no right-
But my point is that if Ali Hazelwood can get away with inserting her personal preferences into ALL OF HER BOOKS (seriously, there doesn’t seem to be any differences between all of the characters - males and females - besides hair color, eye color, and skin color) then I think that gives me the right to do the same and no one should be allowed to judge me for it.
Thus, all my main characters will be:
Women: all will be 5’5, plus size, and thank the gods they were born with ample bosoms (and also how they have those womanly tummies we all have no matter what our sizes). And have butts and hips that sashay from side to side without even having to try. Because it drives their men wild.
Men: all will be no taller than 5’9, will NOT have 'full' lips, have the bodies of Japanese figure skaters (especially the flat butts), and have equipment so small their pants never look awkward (because really, men need to know there are women out there that don’t find the male wish fulfillment body type attractive. I certainly don’t).
Get to know me better:
Tagged by @a-lighthouse-a-man-a-city :3
Favorite color: rose red
Currently reading: Floriography-An illustrated guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers by Jessica Roux
Last song: Villain by Stella Jang
Last movie: Arsenic and Old Lace
Last series: Maya and the Three
Currently craving: Chicago deep dish pizza
Currently working on: a YA novel that’s based on the Marvel characters Cloak and Dagger, featuring my characters taking on the mantle as Cloak & Dagger 2.0
3 Quotes of Mine (that pretty much sum up everything you really need to know about me)
“I would say Akhenaten is one of my least favorite Pharaohs.”
“I thought a ‘Vote of no Confidence’ was just a Star Wars thing.”
“I’ll put the bullets underneath the zebra cakes.”
(And yes, I have actually said all of these out loud in conversations with other people)
Just random stuff that pops into my head or tends to circulate through my brain.
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