In regards to that “Cosplay is killing Comic Con” article
I posted this on my cosplay page so I thought I’d post it here, too, since I may be offering a different POV since I cosplay AND sell at cons, and cosplay while I’m selling.
I swear everything I do is going to equal fat to some people.
Have a college degree in English and Women’s Studies? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get an award from my Women’s Studies Department? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get a book published? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get another book published? Double the fat.
A third? Triple cheeseburger!
Two short stories? Super-size me.
Edit books? With a side of fries!
Snuggle with my cats? That’s glorifying obesity.
Plan my wedding? Obesity.
Cosplay? Obesity.
Woodburn? OBESITY!
All these things are bringing me closer to death because everything I do is glorifying obesity and obesity kills and people are just concerned for my well being so obesity obesity OBESITY! No matter what I do there’s always going to be those people who only see the chunkiness of my size instead of my accomplishments, which is why I always say do the things that make you happy, don’t worry about these people. You could invent a way to breathe in space without a helmet and be a godsend to NASA, but these people will still tell you that you’re showing fat people how to be lazy because now they don’t have to put any effort into lifting their arms up to put on the helmet.
I am never coming back to this site ever again. I guess when a Japanese person wants to talk about feminism and politics in anime they will be shut down by hundreds of non-Japanese people. Some white people even have the gall to claim that they are “familiar with the cultural context”.
I have received massive amounts of hate mail with people telling me to go kill myself, calling me slurs such as “jap”, calling me transphobic/homophobic and even telling me that my experiences as a Japanese trans woman are invalid because Japanese males look “naturally feminine”. I have been very anxious and I couldn’t get any proper sleep last night.
Thank you to everyone that supported me. I appreciated it and I would have liked to stick around longer but I will take my leave now.
Wow SJ tumblr, great job. Happy now? See what stupidity does? You know something though? That post has been reblogged by thousands of people by now, so even though this person is gone, her words will remain. I sure as hell WILL NOT erase that post. The truth won’t be silenced simply because the butthurt can’t swallow it.
All I hope for is that the OP feels better after leaving this hell.
I’m kinda sad that person is leaving who made that post. People always seem to forget that anime comes from a different culture altogether, so our views aren’t going to be the same, and just because we want a series to mean something doesn’t mean that it does.
I kinda feel for that because we do that here so much. We had that period of media where all gay people were super flamingly happy and just… no, that’s not the case at all. But then we also had a period where all gay stuff was dramatic and sad which, that’s not always the case either. And I’m not saying that there isn’t a struggle, I’m just saying that not all gay couples have terrible existences full of injustice. My partner and I live a good life, and yes the world can suck for gay couples, but we’re not sitting around miserable about it. We haven’t been beaten up or anything dramatic, and as far as I know neither have any of the gay men in our lives. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but there was definitely a period of time where there were two options in gay media: super flaming best friend or angst. It still happens today, but we do have moments where we can get (for lack of better word) normal couples in gay media. But for a time I would talk to my dad about gay people and he’d be like, “Wait he was gay? But he was so normal.”
As for lesbians, there was that fun period where all lesbians were butch and “might as well be men.” I remember this well, because when I told people I was with a woman I got the, “Wait but you don’t look gay,” response. Oh I don’t? What does gay look like? It’s not always flannel shirts and buzz cuts. No disrespect at all to the ladies who do that, but that’s not every single lesbian you come across. But, for a period of time, that was the assumption. Still is, sometimes. Or the, you know, “Tee hee we’re gunna make out in front of this guy hahaha being lesbian is fun.”
Same with being black, too. There’s assumptions about what kind of music I listen to, shows I watch, just… general information I would know, or things I’m supposed to like. For example: 12 Years A Slave. There was like this weight, this expectation, to run to the movie theater and see it. But when I was like, “I’m not in the mood for that kind of movie,” I got this look of, “HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT TO SEE THIS RIGHT AWAY?!”
Because maybe I don’t want to see a movie about the sucky life of black people today. Maybe I will later, but not today. I grew up surrounded by movies and series like that. Amistad. Roots. Higher Learning. Do I only have to go see movies about the struggles and hardships of my ancestors (or in the case of Higher Learning why minority life just sucks)? Can’t I go enjoy some “Best Man Holiday” or something?
And you already know my feels about being plus sized I rant about that enough.
It’s great if you take something from a series, but don’t assume that was it’s point or that it’s the absolute truth. Don’t bash the folks who don’t see it your way. This girl had a different opinion and, from a writer standpoint, if I were giving a presentation on anime and feminism, I’d WANT an opinion from someone in the culture, that would be an interesting take, don’t you think? What I might think is sexist, or what I think may have a deep meaning, may look completely different to someone in that culture. And could you imagine being in that culture and someone just assuming all of these things about you because of the media from it? Wouldn’t that be an interesting spin for an anime and feminism presentation? I wouldn’t taken that girl’s response as research, maybe even messaged her and asked some legitimate questions. Instead she just got bashed on for having an opinion. How dare Japanese women have opinions about anime?
I woke up to a loooot of anon asks (and a few very sweet logged in ones!) about my Jessica, some good, some bad, but two in particular stood out and were kindly worded!
First of all, apologies for appearing to speak for everyone! That post was a series of personal anecdotes about my own experiences. It was never meant to be a manifesto for plus-size cosplayers!
I am over 200lbs, I am considered more than a little overweight for my height (5’11”) medically speaking, but it’s very true that my weight distributes itself in a way that’s seen as ‘socially acceptable’ fat by the tumblr fat-positivity wagon at large. For every derisive comment I’ve gotten about my weight, I’ve gotten plenty “hot fat girl” comments and people (usually men) expressing surprise at “how fat I really am”. People who come up to me in Jessica from the front and then see me from the side and get alarmed that I’m secretly thick, like I deceived them.
I guess the thing is, I don’t see those comments as positive. Alarm that an overweight girl could POSSIBLY BE PRETTY just sucks, but it’s also the concept of me ‘fooling’ them. Like I’m masquerading as skinny to trick them into finding me attractive. That is NOT why I wear a corset under my Jessica cosplay.
I love my tits, I love my ass, and I love how cute I can make myself look with no body shapers involved once I started embracing my body and stop trying to hide it. Jessica Rabbit is a cartoon, I wear a corset because that sort of cartoonish figure is not something I can achieve without some steel boning, but I don’t wear a corset to hide myself. There’s a cosplay me, and a real me, and the cosplay me has definitely helped me rediscover that I can, in fact, love my body — but when I say that, I don’t mean ‘my body in a corset’, I mean MY body.
Sometimes it takes putting on a mask or some crazy makeup or, yes, a corset, to find yourself physically. That’s what it took for me. For you, or anyone else, it might be a very different road. Just remember that it’s one we’re all walking on together.
I feel like there’s so many levels to what “plus” or “overweight” is, and everyone has a different definition of it. Like I look at this girl (even without the Jessica Rabbit) and think, “how is she fat?” But that’s because I’m comparing her to my own size. But the same goes for me compared to my partner, and even my own mother. To me I think, “How can people see you as being overweight?” But it happens, you know? We were just at the doctor yesterday and my partner got the “you need to lose some weight” speech. But she’s smaller than me so my immediate thought is, “How?” Then I realize that according to her height and all these other factors, yes, she’s overweight.
When we think of thinks like “plus sized” and “overweight” I think we think of our own size, so when someone is smaller than us we think, “Wait hold up, you’re not plus sized.” Like my partner? She can find her bras at a department store versus me who can barely find it at Lane Bryant, and that’s IF they have the highest size possible at that location. Again, same with my mom. She shops at Lane Bryant and I think, “But wait you’re not plus sized, are you?” But she’s big in certain areas so, yeah, she is.
You also can’t really speak for someone else’s experience. Just because someone is smaller than you in weight doesn’t mean people haven’t called them names. That’s one of the big things I learned when I wrote my article about plus sized cosplay. People came to me and shared their stories, and I would think, “But wait what are you like a 14? 16? Is that really plus?” But yeah, they had been picked on, called names, and everything. I even remember some girl told me that she was LOSING weight and getting crap because she wasn’t losing it fast enough according to the people around her.
I also feel for that whole idea of you somehow deceiving someone because they don’t see your size? Like I remember being told I was “cute in the face,” like my cute face was deceiving them because I’m fat? Like, “how dare you be a cutie when your stomach is large,” what does that even mean? My face is attached to my body I’m not hiding the fact that I’m fat, kinda hard to do that. I’d hate to disappoint you but fat people aren’t always those people you see on the diet commercials who don’t wear cute clothes and do their hair until the power of Jenny Craig compels them.
For the love of goodness gracious, can we please stop assuming that plus sized people just flat out HATE skinny people? Can we get over this notion that I must look at every single skinny person I see and just want to strangle them? Because I don’t. Honest. I would have to be locked up for life if I strangled all the skinny people I encounter.
There’s this article that is getting a lot of shit right now in regards to the article writer seeing a larger, black woman in her yoga class, and she goes into this thought process of being suddenly aware of her skinny, white girl body, and how she could feel the contempt from this woman behind her and how, surely, this woman was noticing how skinny she was and feeling resentment and judging her.
Of course the article writer is just ASSUMING all of these things because SHE NEVER ONCE EVEN ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO THIS WOMAN! “Oh wow it must be hard being the minority in class,” but instead of trying to welcome her or something she just goes on these mental tangents of being suddenly aware of her all white yoga class, how hard that must be for the big black lady, how she looked so afraid to be there, how it must be terrible to see all these skinny white bodies, and just… UGH!
O.K. Sure. I’m not saying that these aren’t thoughts that plus sized people have, but STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS! Don’t look at me in this, “Oh wow. Her looking at my thin frame must be hard.” No. Stop thinking that every time I walk outside and see skinny, white people, I’m suddenly miserable. And goddamn, lady, if you really do have this huge epiphany and feel bad for the only black, plus sized lady in your class struggling through class SAY HELLO TO HER! Give her some tips. Some encouragement on her first day. SOMETHING! And by the way, yoga isn’t easy in the first place. You’re not going to get it your first try, so who knows, maybe she’s looking frustrated because it’s hard, not because, “Oh god I’m so fat and black,” but you wouldn’t know that because YOU DIDN’T EVEN SAY ANYTHING TO HER! You just sat there and assumed, “I know she hates me, if I say something she’s going to hate me more,” just… wow. How do you go from feeling bad for the only black lady to being like, “Welp she hates me so I’m not going to say a word,” and just… NO!
Again, I’m not saying that these insecurities don’t exist, but she literally puts these insecurities on this lady she doesn’t even know. She looks at her and thinks, “Wow she must be horrified to be here. She must be feeling so insecure, and her looking at me isn’t making it any better.” What. The. Fuck! What, you think saying that you’re wearing a tastefully, tacky sports bra somehow makes you sound less attractive so we’ll feel bad for you? Like, “Oh jeez, she’s skinny but she’s not dressed well so she has flaws, too, and it’s unfortunate that this new woman can’t see past her skinniness to notice that.” Really? Really?! You just spent the article talking about how you assume this woman is feeling these things simply from looking at you. Not just the entire class, but you specifically. Your magical skinniness is what all the big black ladies envy, you know. It makes us feel bad about ourselves and we hate you for it. Hiiiiiiiss.
The article in question is here. You have to love that title, right? Here’s the article in question: For the love of goodness gracious, can we please stop assuming that plus sized people just flat out HATE skinny people? Can we get over this notion that I must look at every single skinny person I see and just want to strangle them? Because I don’t. Honest. I would have to be locked up for life if I strangled all the skinny people I encounter.
There’s this article that is getting a lot of shit right now in regards to the article writer seeing a larger, black woman in her yoga class, and she goes into this thought process of being suddenly aware of her skinny, white girl body, and how she could feel the contempt from this woman behind her and how, surely, this woman was noticing how skinny she was and feeling resentment and judging her.
Of course the article writer is just ASSUMING all of these things because SHE NEVER ONCE EVEN ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO THIS WOMAN! “Oh wow it must be hard being the minority in class,” but instead of trying to welcome her or something she just goes on these mental tangents of being suddenly aware of her all white yoga class, how hard that must be for the big black lady, how she looked so afraid to be there, how it must be terrible to see all these skinny white bodies, and just… UGH!
O.K. Sure. I’m not saying that these aren’t thoughts that plus sized people have, but STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS! Don’t look at me in this, “Oh wow. Her looking at my thin frame must be hard.” No. Stop thinking that every time I walk outside and see skinny, white people, I’m suddenly miserable. And goddamn, lady, if you really do have this huge epiphany and feel bad for the only black, plus sized lady in your class struggling through class SAY HELLO TO HER! Give her some tips. Some encouragement on her first day. SOMETHING! And by the way, yoga isn’t easy in the first place. You’re not going to get it your first try, so who knows, maybe she’s looking frustrated because it’s hard, not because, “Oh god I’m so fat and black,” but you wouldn’t know that because YOU DIDN’T EVEN SAY ANYTHING TO HER! You just sat there and assumed, “I know she hates me, if I say something she’s going to hate me more,” just… wow. How do you go from feeling bad for the only black lady to being like, “Welp she hates me so I’m not going to say a word,” and just… NO!
Again, I’m not saying that these insecurities don’t exist, but she literally puts these insecurities on this lady she doesn’t even know. She looks at her and thinks, “Wow she must be horrified to be here. She must be feeling so insecure, and her looking at me isn’t making it any better.” What. The. Fuck! What, you think saying that you’re wearing a tastefully, tacky sports bra somehow makes you sound less attractive so we’ll feel bad for you? Like, “Oh jeez, she’s skinny but she’s not dressed well so she has flaws, too, and it’s unfortunate that this new woman can’t see past her skinniness to notice that.” Really? Really?! You just spent the article talking about how you assume this woman is feeling these things simply from looking at you. Not just the entire class, but you specifically. Your magical skinniness is what all the big black ladies envy, you know. It makes us feel bad about ourselves and we hate you for it. Hiiiiiiiss.
Here’s the article in question. It is getting a lot, and I mean a LOT, of shit. Most of the notes I scrolled through (I stopped after a while because there are over 2000 in the span of 2 days) pretty much make the same points I do, to the point that there are even spoof articles out there for this article.
I just… please stop making assumptions about me being this sad, plump black girl who looks at all the white, skinny girls of the world and cry myself to sleep at night. And by the way, starting your article with, “It’s the new year so my class is getting the resolution crowd who are going to give up after a month,” is NOT a good way to segway into, “Suddenly there was a large black woman behind me.”
Man I thought I was done ranting! It’s Sunday morning!
But a friend on Facebook posted this to make a great point so I’m going to do the same.
I dislike it when I see things like this (which is the point she was making, too). I dislike it when someone decides to support someone who is plus sized by bashing skinny people. That’s not supportive. Skinny people have done nothing wrong. And furthermore, what kind of example is that to set? We want people to support us, but then we bash the people we want support from in the same breath?
I have nothing against skinny people. At all. I have skinny people in my life and I’m not jealous of them or making snide comments about them, because they love me for me, and I love them for them. But I think this is a thing that happens to show support for someone who is plus sized and it’s not cool. And I will admit that, back in the day, I use to laugh at stuff like this and had this whole, “Skinny girl just needs to eat a sandwich,” mentality, like waaaaaaaaaaaay back in high school, but looking back… how terrible is that? Especially if your friends are skinny, or even if they’re plus sized but smaller than you. My partner is smaller than me. So is my mother.
The point of this whole plus sized acceptance thing is to show that you shouldn’t make fun of us because of our size, NOT that we’re BETTER because of our size, but that size shouldn’t be a factor period in defining who someone is. This whole idea irritates me with all… are these battles? I don’t really want to call them battles. But, you know, when you’re trying to support a group and you decide to do it by saying mean things about another group to do it? Or you decide not to include them? For example: I have heard (on tumblr) people in the GLBT circle bashing the likes of Macklemore and telling him to stop singing about things he doesn’t understand (i.e. his song, “Same Love.”)
First of all: it’s a song SUPPORTING US. AND IT’S IN MAINSTREAM! Do you know how blown my mind was when I heard that song on the radio? Do you realize how amazing that was? A song that hit number one status that has a positive GLBT message? And it wasn’t like I needed to read between the lines, no, it was flat out about us.
Second of all: who is it that we want support from? Straight people, right? So there’s one, right there, being supportive. Why is this a bad thing? For the most part people in the GLBT family are supportive of each other (I said “for the most part” because I know there’s people within groups who bash each other and that happens in every group but I’m not going to dwell on that), we aren’t outside yelling about equality to appease each other, but to show people outside of the group that we should be in this, too. So when someone outside of the group is like, “Yes you’re right,” the correct response should not be, “You’ll never understand so stop speaking for us,” it should be, “Thank you.”
Third of all: he never said that he understands where we’re coming from, he never said, “I can relate because I’m gay too.” He’s not gay. But just because someone isn’t something doesn’t mean that they don’t have feelings about the issue. Otherwise, who are we even talking to in regards to this battle for equality? I mean should we bash Beyonce for tweeting things like being for same sex marriage? Should we be like, “No sweetie you don’t understand, shut up.”
Good people understand that bashing someone or denying their rights because of race/gender/sexuality/size/whatever is wrong, and that everyone deserves the same rights and the same common courtesy. They’re on our side, so let’s not step on their toes. Let’s not be like, “Oh man I love a lady with curves skinny girls are a waste of anyone’s time.” And I’ve heard that in regards to my cosplay, and honestly, your compliment loses meaning when it’s, “You’re beautiful, way better than this person.”
Man it’s a ranting morning!
Sometimes I still get responses to that article I wrote. Sometimes they’re not always positive. They’re jerky with lots of swears and lowercase letters and the occasional misspelling. And sometimes I think, I can type out some elegant response to “Anime/Cartoon characters are supposed to be slim and beatiful” but then I realize… what’s the point of getting all frustrated with someone who actually thinks that every single animated character fits with some realistic model of beauty, which isn’t even realistic to begin with if you look into how much photoshopping goes into making people “beautiful,” at least according to this person’s definition or what being beatiful is.
Maybe that is what being beatiful is? That’s not how you spell beautiful so…
Or how I should be ashamed of how I look. I mean I have 12 years of a relationship, friends, family, and fans who are apparently wrong in thinking that I’m a good person, and that I’m pretty. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! You should listen to this guy, for shame! Stop protecting me o.k.? Because clearly I’m a person who needs protection in the first place it’s not like I wrote that article to say “love yourself” I wrote that out of needing protection from my own… fatness?
Or how apparently it’s the outside appearance that makes us love these characters, not their personalities or anything, that would be silly. I’m clearly attached to Tiana for her good looks, not for her “you have to work for what you want” attitude, no that’s not it at all. I spent 25 episodes watching “Attack on Titan” because Eren’s so hot, not because it’s a gripping series that keeps you at the edge of your seat and OMG THERE’S A TITAN BEHIND YOU RUN!
And how cosplay should apparently exclude a large chunk of the fandom that even makes these characters popular in the first place. Unless, of course, you believe that everyone who enjoys anime/manga/cartoons/movies/television/video games/ect. is this skinny, beatiful person who looks like they walked right out of that series you love. Or that the creators of these series are just these flawless beings. Plus sized people are too lazy to make your favorite shows you know every single person who worked on the Avengers is as skinny as a cartoon character… wait Joss Whedon isn’t…
Or how I guess skinny cosplayers just magically look like that all the time and don’t do anything to achieve that look. Or that they don’t get any grief in the cosplay community either because they are perfect. They’re never called “fake” or “attention whores” or anything like that.
I do apologize for the existence of men like this person who can’t spell “beautiful,” because people like him are why female cosplayers are so defensive about men and assume that they’re going to be picked on by them when, in reality, male cosplayers have insecurities too. But because of people like this guy it’s assumed that men are just big bullies who have this inaccurate sense of what beauty is when, to be honest, the ones I’ve met at conventions are just as realistic as I am
Oh and I also don’t feel the need to get frustrated with comments like this because when I click on the article and see about 400+ positive remarks out of maybe 4 or 5 negative ones, I smile and put my cool kid glasses on ^^
Oh and in case you missed it this is the article I wrote, the negative comment is in there somewhere, if you don’t mind going through hundreds of positive notes (I know it’s there I get notifications lol, you don’t have to look for it)
Random ramblings
To continue off the post my friend made yesterday about people asking for things for free when it comes to your art, and how I said that you realize you have two types of friends (and family, actually):
1. The kind that’s like, “Oh man that’s cool that you can do that you should give me something.”
2. The kind that’s like, “Oh man that’s cool that you can do that how much is it I should buy it.”
The frustration also lies in the fact that it’s not like we’re making a bunch of money, you know? Not right off the bat, anyway. This is a career path that you constantly work at, because you have to keep putting yourself out there, and you have to keep trying to make something out of it. And you’re constantly worrying about what price you should set your product to and if it’s too much, or too little, or how to get it to sell, how to pitch it to people, how to make it stand out, and all sorts of things.
It’s nice to have friends who see that. It’s nice to have family that gets it.
Example being: my books.
I had two types of reactions from people in my family. One was this: "Hey your book just came out that’s great when do I get my copy?“
The other was this: "Hey your book came out it’s already on my kindle.”
Which one do you think meant more to me?
I mean hell, my own parents didn’t even ask for me to give them copies. They weren’t like, “We expect to get our copies on day one from you,” they were like, “Already reading it. When’s the physical copy so I can buy that and get you to sign it.” But I have family members and friends who were like, “When are you going to send me your book so I can read it?” Uh… I’m not. Go on Amazon and get it yourself like my own mother and father did. Hell, my mother won’t even lend out her copy to anyone she tells them to go and buy it.
It’s about showing support, you know? Sure when I was little and I wrote something or drew something and someone was like, “Wow can you draw me something?” I was like, “Sure!” Because back then it was just neat that someone liked my art enough to want it. But now it’s different. This is me trying to make a career out of what I love to do. It’s not nearly as flattering to hear, “Damn that’s cool let me have it,” as it is to hear, “Damn that’s cool how much is it?"
If I decide on my own to make you something, that’s fine. This generally happens around birthdays or Christmas, or if I just think you’re awesome (i.e. voice actors and that sort of thing, people I admire and people I’m just a fan of).
It’s nice to have friends and family who can respect that this is a career instead of being pissed that "I haven’t gotten my coaster yet.” No, you haven’t, and you probably won’t, stop treating this like some hobby. I’m not 13 anymore, I’m not just doodling in my notebook for the hell of it then willing to rip out the page and hand it to you.
Not only that, but this is my partner’s business too. Just because she makes me costumes doesn’t mean she’s going to make costumes for everyone we know for free. Like, “Damn girl I should have you make me something,” no. No. You can certainly have her make you something, here’s how much it would cost, we ask for half the payment up front. That’s hundreds of dollars, no, we’re not just giving that away. Even my own cousin came to me with a costume AS A COMMISSION! As a, “how much would this cost,” sort of deal. Then again he’s got his own business too that he’s trying to do so he gets the frustration of those family and friend calls of, “Hey why don’t you give this to me?”
No.
The thing that really irks me though is that any other profession and people would understand. If my best friend was a doctor, and I walked into the office like, “Hey I know I don’t have an appointment but I need you to check this out for me. Oh and no I’m not going to pay for it, we’re friends right?” That sounds ridiculous, right? (not saying that this doesn’t happen to doctors I can’t speak for them, just making an analogy). But you get what I mean. For some reason I feel like with the creative field it’s like, “Now you know you can make him that thing and just give it to him,” and that’s not cool at all.
Or a playstation or a flat screen TV or a newer car, etc and etc. I know people that work under the table for half their pay and get paid on the books for the rest and collect welfare. I know of drug dealers that collect for tax purposes even though they pull in thousands of untaxed money each month dealing. Tell me how I am not supposed to be upset with these people like I am with greedy corporate cronies? I’m not heartless. These people are selfish and unethical.
Except not everyone who has nice things is automatically cheating the system. People are given things as gifts. People buy things and THEN qualify for assistance. People save up for nice things.
You can’t assume what someone’s situation is just by what they own.
We were eating only donated Panera bread, rice, and turnips. My father was sneaking to the various blood banks in town to sell his plasma at twice the rate they allow. My mother was dying due to not having her medicine, which cost well over $1,200 a month after insurance.
My autistic baby brother wanted to do something nice for me.
He worked for months making custom art pieces to sell. He worked up courage despite crippling social anxiety and speech problems to ask the neighbors if he could do chores for them to earn more money - raking the yard, helping clean their house, walking their dogs.
For nine months he carefully hoarded his money in a jar in his bedroom. He counted it every single night and compared it to the cost of what he wanted to get for me for Christmas.
Finally he had enough. He bought me a DS Lite and a pokemon game.
He was so happy.
Until one of our neighbors, a highly conservative jackass, saw me with it outside a couple weeks later. My brother was with me.
The neighbor stormed up and became screaming at us, a pair of teenagers, over how we could be so selfish to spend money on “electronic shit” when we were a family on food stamps. Spittle flying from his lips, cuss words every other second, rage radiating off of him so violently that our father came running out of the house - at a limp, since his spine is broken, which causes him horrific daily pain beyond what I can imagine - to protect us.
My brother was never the same again. There is no happy ending here. That episode in his life changed him permanently and for the past seven years he has almost never left his room and never gone to a friend’s house. He is terrified of the neighbors and believes he is a bad person.
Because of fucking people like you OP.
Because of fuckers who believe that they know what life is like for everyone and have a right to judge.
So fuck you OP. If you know drug dealers, report them, go on and put your ass on the line then. But for fuck’s sake don’t you dare thing you understand what goes on in the life of the people who live in never-ending, grinding poverty. Because you have *no fucking clue* what goes on in the detailed lives of others.
You want to talk selfish? Look in the fucking mirror.
^^
Exactly this. You don’t know a person’s situation at all. Life happens, you know? Nice things does not equal throwing your money away. You know why I have an iphone? It was a free upgrade. You know how I have a Chromebook? Christmas gift because I write and my computer is a piece of garbage.
Also, who says that people who are struggling can’t have nice things? What, are they supposed to sit around being poor and sad all the time? What, just because someone is in between jobs they can’t go catch a movie or something? It’s called stress relief.
Growing up, we sure as hell didn’t have a bunch of money but you better believe my parents saved and saved and gave me a good Christmas. I was stunned, STUNNED when my mom told me later on in life, “You know we were pretty broke, right?” I had no idea! But that’s what people do. It’s called living life. Don’t assume that someone’s personal items defines how much money they have. Not everyone is screwing the system.
This is the story of a geeky anime/gaming gal by the name of Chibi. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for... some sort of ride? Oh! I love to write, and I also love doing crafty things. I go to conventions with my partner and sell woodburned things, clocks, mirrors, and more! So expect to see those on here too :)
