Lost has a great overview of the reference to “traps” in anime and manga culture.
A “trap,” in this context, is normally an effeminate looking male character who either crossdresses or is indistinguishable from a traditional cis-female. They are called traps because they can fool people into thinking they are the sex they present as rather than the one given to them by society at birth.
Lost writes:
So what is wrong about the term “trap?” Well, to start it is based on the transphobic belief that anyone with a penis is a man, no matter how they identify. Otherwise there would be no “trap” and no discussion on whether being attracted to a “trap” is gay or not.
It also furthers a transphobic stereotype that trans people are trying to trick people. It furthers the idea that trans people can’t be trusted and will lie about everything. According to this logic, since trans people can’t be trusted to tell the truth then they shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions about their own body.
In particular interest to those of us on this forum, it is also used by people to further Blanchard’s transphobic typology that claims that all trans people are either gay men trying to seduce straight men or that trans people are transitioning just to get off sexually (by being allowed to trick people into letting them go into the women’s changing area for example).
Further, this stereotype is often evoked in gay or trans panic defense by those who kill gay or trans people. These people claim that they were so enraged because they were deceived that they lost all control and just killed the person.
Despite that, many people in the anime community try and defend it.
Supposedly, according to those who defend the trope, the trap character is not about trans people but rather traps are really just a homosexual male wanting to seduce a heterosexual male into having sex with him or a heterosexual man trying to get access to changing rooms to peak at women or other such non-sense.
Ignoring the fact that is exactly what is meant when people claim that trans people are being deceptive, that argument is flawed because most trap characters aren’t trying to seduce anyone by tricking them and are either heterosexual cis-males who either just looks female or dress that way against their will, or the trap character is actually a transgender characters.
One of my favorites is when a religious converter type comes up to me when I’m sitting around. Because they usually have a cold open like “The Lord has called me to you” replying with “Indeed He Has My Child, for He is Pleased With Your Work, and wishes you to know that you are known to Him”. Throw inflections into the wrong points in words, but do it with a very calming presence. After all, you’re the SMS from the afterlife, you’re merely the vessel of the vassal, and nothing scuttles their plans faster than trying to have to process that this very calmly spoken person who InflEcts their words JuiSSSSt quite not riGHt is acknowleding them in an uncomforting way.
Once they leave, watch them until something blocks the line of site, and then move like lightning to not be there when they glance back.
(This is why there are probably some really good rumours in Adelaide about me)
I remember this guy once who tried to dare me (the nerd of the group) to do something or another to prove my “manliness”. I calmly replied “How cute of you to think I´m human…” and kept walking. He stared at me in confusion and when I was several meters away I heard him say “yeah…good point.”
Sometimes I think about how the way I met my wife was like a fanfiction
We both had a scholarship to a college soccer team and were the only two competing for center forward, we hit it off instantly and became close friends right away. When our team went to nationals, we had to share a bed and ended up snuggling (and I was, up until that point, absolutely not a physically affectionate person). After we returned home I kept sneaking into her room because I couldn’t sleep without her. Our friends started accusing us of being together and talking crap so, to spite them, we thought it would be a good idea to fake date and sometimes held hands and stuff. We ended up kissing right before she left the country for almost a month and we basically pretended it never happened, and when she came back it happened again and again and then escalated. Cue these lines, verbatin:
Me: *grabs the hand heading between my legs* “Wait, wait.” *sighs, drops forehead to hers* “We’re idiots.”
Her, breathlessly, eyes on my lips: “I’ve always been an idiot.” *swoops in for another kiss*
We ended up taking and decide to be friends with benefits, but JUST kissing benefits, no sex, and then 5 minutes later we had sex. We sleep together for a couple weeks (all the time, any and everywhere) before deciding to make it official, then after another couple weeks say I love you (initially via her closing her eyes and moving her palm from her heart to mine back and forth like a useless lesbian), then about a month later talk about how we wanna get married.
Fast forward a year and we go to university together and we’re roommates. Fast forward four years and we’re married and eloping to Harry Potter World and the beach. Fast forward almost 7 years from when we met and we’re living in the same hometown we first met in and she’s the assistant coach for the team we used to play for. Sex life better than ever (“that much great sex all the time after years together in fics is unrealistic” my ass), I can’t cook for shit but I try, we ride bikes around town and we’re basically the only gays in the village and there’s a little rainbow statue on the outside of our windowsill.
7 years ago I was so in love with her I could barely breathe, and I love her a thousand times more now than I did then.
Marvel’s Black Panther: “UN Meet and Greet” Exclusive Deleted Scene (X)
This beautiful smile needs to leave my heart alone.
Why are all the BP deleted scenes the ones that show some real humanity and love between these characters? I want to talk to the editor right now.
NOPE CAN’T HAVE THAT IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLOT MAN
Honestly studios these days are too afraid to make their movies too long so they end up cutting out a lot of humanity to make room for action scenes and plot furtherance forgetting that establishing who these characters are helps us care more about the plot.
Give me a four hour movie and a 15 minute intermission like I DESERVE you COWARDS
“In fact, during the audition with Chris Evans, the script says, “Spidey flips into scene,” and Tom goes, “Oh, should I do that?” Evans is like, [sarcastically] “Oh, yeah. Yeah, you just flip into the scene kid. No, you just walk in.” He does it. A standing flip, jump, flip, land. Even Chris Evans was like, “What…what happened?” – Kevin Feige, producer and President of Marvel
You hire Spider-Man and you fucking got Spider-Man.
