My sociology professor had a really good metaphor for privilege today. She didn’t talk about race or gender or orientation or class, she talked about being left-handed.
A left-handed person walks into most classrooms and immediately is made aware of their left-handedness – they have to sit in a left-handed seat, which restricts their choices of where to sit. If there are not enough left-handed seats, they will have to sit in a right-handed seat and be continuously aware of their left-handedness. (There are other examples like left-handed scissors or baseball mitts as well.)
Meanwhile, right-handed people have much more choice about where to sit, and almost never have to think about their right-handedness.
Does this mean right-handed people are bad? No.
Does it mean that we should replace all right-handed desks with left-handed desks? No.
But could we maybe use different desk styles that can accommodate everyone and makes it so nobody has limited options or constant awareness that they are different? Yes.
Now think of this as a metaphor. For social class. For race. For ethnicity. For gender. For orientation. For anything else that sets us apart.
WHY DOESN’T THIS HAVE MORE NOTES?
Because I posted it about 90 seconds ago, calm down.
In response to the people from Fortunate Lands who are wondering what a “left handed” or “right handed” desk are, they’re like this:
old school:
More modern:
Lecture Hall style:
(notice the person there is sitting at the ONE LEFT HANDED DESK in the room. If any other left handed people come in, they’re out of luck. This is not a metaphor. American schools sometimes use other , non-side-based desk-chair setups too, but some of them still have these things >_<)
(note also that these desks limit leg room, can’t be easily used from a wheelchair because the other chair is attached, etc. The left-handed vs. right-handed issue is, among other things, a great example of design socially *creating* an access problem where there was absolutely no need for one to exist.)
Serena Williams, who wore an outfit specifically designed to help prevent blood clots because she almost *died* after giving birth, won’t be able to wear her catsuit again at the French Open because the tournament chief…doesn’t like it.
That’s literally the only reason.
why are people so afraid of black women??? – jess
This is the outfit they’re mad about btw.
Literally WHAT are they mad about omg it’s regular Nike suit
My dentist has recommended that I get an electric toothbrush for years, but just like many autistic people, electric toothbrushes get really overwhelming for me with the painful bristles and the buzz-y feeling in my gums. After talking to my dental hygienist about this, she recommended a newer brand of toothbrush, the Foreo Issa. I ended up getting the Mini version, and wow, I love it.
This is what it looks like. The bristles, instead of the poke-y hard bristles of a regular toothbrush, are made of soft silicone, and I’ve actually started stimming by putting the head in my mouth and moving the bristles across my tongue. The Mini version that I use is marketed towards kids, with a gentler vibration. I can even use it on my tongue, which is something I haven’t been able to do before, even with a manual toothbrush. Even though the Issa feels much gentler than a normal toothbrush, my teeth still feel clean and smooth.
The toothbrush also has several features that help me with executive dysfunction surrounding brushing my teeth. Every thirty seconds, the brush pulses once to signal that you should switch to a different part of your mouth (top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right). After two minutes, it pulses three times to let you know that you’ve brushed your teeth for long enough. If you are like me and easily lose track of time, this helps to keep you on track and gives you a routine to make sure you brush every part of your mouth.
The Mini version that I have also lights up with a smiley face after you’ve brushed your teeth for two minutes, which is fun. In addition, if you have not brushed your teeth in over twelve hours, it lights up with a sad face. I thought this would be discouraging to me, but instead, it gives me an incentive to brush my teeth twice a day.
Finally, one charge lasts for over 200 uses. It will last for much longer than a regular electric toothbrush which gives you fewer chances to forget to charge it. The head only needs to be replaced once a year, too, which takes away yet another complicated task to remember.
Unfortunately, this toothbrush is rather expensive. The regular one costs $199 and the Mini one costs $119. I had to save up for a while to purchase it, but I think that it’s something that I will be able to use for years and years, and it’s been so helpful to me that it’s worth the money if you’re able. It’s sold online as well as at Sephora stores and is supposedly available worldwide. I really recommend this toothbrush to anyone, but especially to anyone with sensory issues or executive dysfunction who has trouble with regular toothbrushes.
Is this why I fucking hate brushing my teeth? Other than my gag reflex yes I hate shit like poking my gums. I thought I was just weak and needed to suck it up better.
I wish Batman was depicted like this more often. Many of his villains are mentally ill and victims of tragic circumstances, it would be nice to see him try to help them as much as he helps the people they put in danger because of their problems.
I tear up every time I watch this show. “I had a bad day too, once.”
Best version of Batman. Best version of Harley.
I prefer Batman when he wasn’t a ultra-paranoid nutjob.
This this one thousand times this! What I freaking hate is that that crazy, joyless version of Batman is considered the “default” or even “better” version because of stuff like shitty writers (oh hi there Frank Miller) and the Nolanverse movies, which in themselves are a deconstruction of that version of Batman. Nolanverse Batman is unsustainable. Nolanverse Batman is completely without a lot of his support network for the majority of the trilogy. Nolanverse Batman pushes people away and ends up having to stop being a superhero in order to reclaim his humanity. That is practically skywriting saying “comics Batman is obviously different to this, this is an interesting AU.” I truly love the Nolanverse movies, I think they’re brilliant, but god do I hate it when they’re misinterpreted into comics canon. Also, Nolanverse Batman isn’t full-on crazy joyless Batman either; he quips, he teases people, he fucking smiles.
Bruce Wayne’s Batman is one of, quite possibly foremost of, my favourite superheroes, but not for any of the reasons that seem to be glorified about him in those psychotic versions. Yes, he gets obsessive. Yes, he is an utter control freak. And those are his flaws, not his strengths.
You wanna talk to me about Batman’s strengths? Talk to me about the fact that he’s the adopted single father of five kids (yes I’m counting Damian because the way he was brought into the family is analogous to adoption).
Talk to me about the fact half of his information networks are made up of ex-cons he’s rehabilitated into education programs where they flourish, and the other half are Arkham inmates who he acknowledges as the leaders in their field. Talk to me about the fact that most of the time, they’re willing to give him the information he needs.
Talk to me about the fact that he became a superhero out of the self-awareness that the trauma of losing his parents so mentally scarred him that he knows he can never be well-adjusted, but he wants to use his warped perspective to do some good so no child will ever have to endure what he did again.
Talk to me about the fact that he became a governor on the board of Arkham Asylum not to persecute but to protect the inmates, because even though they perpetrate utterly abhorrent acts they are still people with rights and even the capability to one day reform.
Talk to me about how many times he’s paid for Harvey’s surgery, and the fact that Harvey still refers to Bruce as his one friend who’s always stood by him.
Talk to me about him sponsoring Harley’s parole and laughed as she backflipped with joy.
Talk to me about the fact that, because he knows he can get stupidly stubborn and out-of-control, he surrounds himself with people who refuse to take his crap (Alfred, Babs, Selina, Dick, Jim, Leslie, etc) because he knows sometimes he needs to be stopped.
The real Batman is not some psychotic sadist who hates people and never smiles.
The real Batman is a grumpy socially awkward dad with badass friends, plenty of issues but also a moral compass, a strong belief in human rights and the ability to reform… with a soft spot for people as maladjusted as him.
Accept no substitutes.
Reblogging this again for the glorious commentary. This is Batman. THIS.
hot take: if women’s sexuality wasn’t severely shamed and suppressed even in the context of heterosexuality, if sex was framed as reciprocal rather than something men do to women, a hell of a lot more women would realize they’re not actually attracted to men at all
the fact that so many of the people reblogging this post are interpreting it as a bitter lesbian whining about how women won’t sleep with her instead of a discussion of how society’s framing of sex negatively affects gay women is incredibly telling of how this website views lesbians
stan lee’s bitter old ass: spiderman has to be straight
tom holland whenever he has a scene with an attractive man:
Stan Lee’s franchise has done a lot to represent queer people, don’t be an asshole.
stan lee got andrew garfield fired for suggesting a bisexual spiderman, made sony sign a contract saying that spiderman had to be white and “can’t be homosexual”, and said that bisexuality isn’t real and “one sex at a time is enough for anybody”. if anyone’s an asshole it’s him, but you stay defending homophobes!
