Before going into it, I want to mention how this post was inspired by three things. One was user u/HastyvonFuego2 and their post on going down the rabbit hole on the Kendrick sub last week. It was also inspired by Childish Gambino’s first album release in nearly 6 years where I have been sitting on this idea for a while but he inspired me to finally post this week like he did (never posted on Reddit at all before so be gentle if I am not doing it right)! I was also inspired by an interview Bino gave to GQ about breaking down his most iconic characters. In this interview he says how This is America started out as a Drake diss but then he realized the song was too hard for just Drake so he kept working on it. He also talks in this interview about how all culture is about compression. Which means that yes, This is America is about the gun violence and police issues in America, but compressed in this video is also more about where that culture comes from which he shows is from a small handful of rap moguls, namely Drake, Diddy and Jay-Z (bear with me on this long post, I think/hope it will be worth it). At the end I talk briefly about how Little Foot Big Foot might be in this same vein of cultural compression.
[Intro: Choir]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
The beginning of this song has no background music yet, which really gives it an ‘in the beginning’ feel. Then Gambino starts doing his dances with weird facial expressions. I will explain as we go through his video how those expressions and dance moves represent different famous rap moguls. One easy look to pick out right away is Jay-Z’s famous lip curl/growl look that Gambino gives with a head nod repeatedly. The colonial pants have been a hot topic, but since it’s only the pants that are colonial, Gambino is saying the bottom or basis for this violent culture in America is ultimately colonialism. The lyrics ‘Go Away’, are likely foreshadowing the rap moguls wanting other popular rap rivals to ‘go away’ or they will make them (aka murder them) for profit.
[Bridge: Childish Gambino & Young Thug]
We just wanna party
Party just for you
We just want the money
Money just for you (Yeah)
Usually you want money for yourself and to party for yourself, so this is a bit odd. But what Gambino is referring to is similar to these Diddy ‘freakoff parties’ we are hearing about where people who want to be famous are really partying for these rap moguls so they can get close to them. Where they suck up to them saying that they want to earn the mogul money from their songs.
I know you wanna party
Party just for free
Girl, you got me dancin' (Girl, you got me dancin')
Dance and shake the frame (Yeah)
Then this almost feels like the Diddy rebuttal where he’s like ya I know you want to party and you want to do it for free. Like Katt Williams says, “you gotta tell Diddy no”, it is never free to go to those parties. There are always consequences. When you are partying you are dancing, but shaking the frame could refer to how those boundaries/edges are being crossed, lines are blurred, etc.
Then in the video, the fellow who was playing the guitar gets shot and things turn dark from happy music. I believe that this guitar tune is meant to represent 2Pac and Nas’s song Thugz Mansion. It’s one of the original greats from ‘in the beginning’. Nas famously has always had major issues with Jay-Z too (More on why 2Pac and Nas later). It also represents how it was these moguls who murdered 2Pac like Jaguar Wright and Katt Williams keep saying. Where these murders only lead to more money and fame for the killers when the dead artists’ and their music are exploited more easily.
Also note that the gun gets taken away by a school kid after the shooting, more on this later as well.
[Verse 1: Childish Gambino, Young Thug, Blocboy JB & 21 Savage]
This is America (Skrrt, skrrt, woo)
Don't catch you slippin' now (Ayy)
Look how I'm livin' now
Police be trippin' now (Woo)
Yeah, this is America (Woo, ayy)
Guns in my area (Word, my area)
There is a song called Guns in My Area by Lil Weiner and Baby Chapox that paints a vivid picture of the everyday struggles and conflicts faced by those living in communities affected by gun violence. More compression of other songs and the American gun culture.
I got the strap (Ayy, ayy)
I gotta carry 'em
I am almost certain this line is referring to 2Pac’s song Changes. Throughout This is America, Gambino takes lines from Pac’s song: “They get jealous when they see you with your mobile phone” (referred to later in this a Celly, that’s tool) “That's the sound of my tool, you say it ain't cool, My mama didn't raise no fool”
“And as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped, And I never get to lay back” It seems like Gambino broke up these lyrics and scattered them throughout his song. This plays into the theme that everyone is using 2Pac and enriching themselves off of his image and music. I show below how this particular section of the video represents Diddy meaning that Diddy himself is exploiting his music (and alleging that Diddy killed Pac?). We could see this exploitation play out at length with how much Diddy milked the death of Biggie like in Every Breath You Take.
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go into this (Ugh)
Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla (Woo)
Yeah, yeah, I'ma go get the bag
The song Gorilla War by $uicideboy$ and Ramirez talks about getting a bag repeatedly in the course. Also in Otis with Kanye and Jay-Z their lyrics talk about going gorilla (I talk about this song more further down), so it could be referring to this as well. It seems like Gambino is trying to pull out lyrics from all across the rap culture and embed them in his song to highlight the ‘cultural compression’.
Yeah, yeah, I'm so cold like, yeah (Yeah)
I'm so dope like, yeah (Woo)
We gon' blow like, yeah (Straight up, uh)
I think that all of the school kids in the video represent all of the rappers that are signed with these big labels. Which is interesting because they are the ones facilitating the guns for the moguls in the video. You can see that the mogul is really focused on the kids and gets agitated and directs them to follow him whenever they stray off a bit like they are his pupils, or like he owns them. Then all of a sudden the camera comes into a scene where you can see more kids shooting a rap video and all shooting money from a Supreme gun. The camera zooms out almost to show you that this is the mogul’s whole rap empire they are looking over, all of their kids in one place (this empire already includes some chaos in the background). It’s subtle but hilarious, Gambino puts fricken chickens on the ground where the kids are filming the rap video. He is directly calling all of these rappers complete chickens for playing up this lifestyle and being the cause of so much chaos rather than coming out and telling somebody what’s really going on. Trying to get their money over everything else.
[Refrain: Choir & Childish Gambino]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
You go tell somebody
Grandma told me
Get your money, Black man (Get your— Black man)
This is where things start to get interesting. Gambino is literally saying, go tell somebody about this! We all know what’s happening, why don’t you go let people know how bad it is? But like Jaguar Wright said, who do you tell when these moguls have the cops and feds paid off? This video is literally Gambino putting it all out there in this extremely popular song for everyone to see but yet we still just see the dancing and the violent chaos of people and police in the streets and not the root cause that is hidden in plain sight.
The vast majority of those who reviewed this video until now think this scene represents the tragic church shooting in Charleston in 2015. I think it does, but we also have to look at this from an angle of compression.
The people in the choir are all of the people who are currently singing the rap mogul’s praises and who are focused on going and getting what’s owed to them, get their money (who are also profiting off of the dead fellows music since it goes back to the original tune). You can see that each choir member has a distinct look to them. Think about who you are hearing about now who is about to be implicated in these freak offs and evil deeds. Is that Will Smith in the back left corner!? The short bald fellow in the front left maybe Kevin Hart? Rick Ross or TD Jakes maybe the bigger guy towards the back right? When the camera zooms in on the choir right at first to show their faces, doesn’t the guy in the bottom middle look like an uncanny version of Jordan Peele? Or is that meant to be Cuba Gooding Jr? Then just like the guitar fellow at the beginning, bang. You may be singing Diddy’s praises now, but he will cut you down whenever he suddenly feels like it.
I think almost for sure this initial section of the music video is Gambino acting as Diddy, because right after he shoots the choir, he does the elbow pump/chicken dance. At 3:14 in Diddy’s video for P.E. 2000 he does the chicken dance (he is up first in the video and I think Gambino is trying to say here I first present to you the first public enemy of 3 in this song). That elbow dance signals that it was Diddy and this is the end of his section.
[Chorus: Childish Gambino, Young Thug, Slim Jxmmi & Quavo]
This is America (Woo, ayy)
Don't catch you slippin' now (Woo, woo, don't catch you slippin' now)
Don't catch you slippin' now (Ayy, woah)
Look what I'm whippin' now (Slime!)
There have been many accounts of celebrities being given fancy cars after suffering abuse at the hands of these moguls. So these lyrics are saying that you better not slip up and tell people what’s really going on. And if you don’t look at this sweet carecord deal/movie contract I am going to give you. Beiber told this story about Diddy wanting to give him a luxury car.
Now suddenly, the dance switches from the chicken dance to a sudden bicep flex to signal us that we have now moved on from Gambino representing Diddy to our next mogul.
[Verse 2: Childish Gambino, Quavo, Young Thug, 21 Savage & BlocBoy JB]
This next chunk of the video is all about Jay-Z. I think this is the case because he throws his arms up in a bicep flex just like Jay does in the Otis music video at 2:38. And it makes sense Gambino would pick a dance move from a video with a huge American flag in the background to fit the ‘This is America’ theme. Gambino is mocking him saying, who are you really, the pretty guy or this hard gangster like Gambino shows in his dancing. Also right before they pan to the kids on the balcony, Bino also does Jay-Z’s signature lip curl look a couple times so we know it’s him and to signal the end of his section.
Look how I'm geekin' out (Hey)
I'm so fitted (I'm so fitted, woo)
Jay-Z is famous for making the fitted Yankees cap famous, it’s his signature look. More signs this verse is about Jay.
I'm on Gucci (I'm on Gucci)
Jay-Z has been seen in full wallpaper Gucci sweat suits but could also be referring to Gucci Mane who he hung out with at Beyonce’s tour around the time this song was released.
I'm so pretty (Yeah, yeah, woo)
I'm gon' get it (Ayy, I'm gon' get it)
Watch me move (Blaow)
These lines are probably referring to Jay-Z having a hidden preference for men, especially with the way Gambino flicks his wrist in the video when he says I’m so pretty.
This a celly (Ha)
That's a tool (Yeah)
On my Kodak (Woo) Black
I think that “this a celly, that’s a tool” harkens back to 2Pac’s lyrics in Changes where he sings, “They get jealous when they see ya with your mobile phone” then shortly after that he sings about the sound of his tool, referring to shooting a gun. But Childish flips these lyrics on their head. He is saying that it’s really the phone that’s a tool to be using, not a gun. And pans up and shows (the school kids specifically) on the balcony filming everything going on below. He’s telling the kids/other rappers, use your phone as a tool, you can record these bad deeds when you get blackmailed into being at the freak off. That’s how you can kill them and their career, not with a gun. Go tell somebody! There is also the reference to Kodak which plays into the picture taking theme, but also because Kodak Black has been accused of assaulting a teenage girl in a hotel room. So we have a good idea of what Gambino suggests all the kids start filming and collecting evidence of.
Ooh, know that (Yeah, know that, hold on)
Get it (Woo, get it, get it)
Ooh, work it (21)
Now we are onto Drake’s part. In the video Gambino starts doing the BlocBoy JB dance called Shoot. Drake is known for doing these little viral dance moves like in Hotline Bling. But not only that, this dance is also used in the song that both BlocBoy JB and Drake collaborate on for their video Look Alive. It starts at 2:07 in the Look Alive video. So this is Drake’s dance to signal his part is now starting.
Note this is where the pale horse rides by also potentially saying that Drake is one of the horsemen of the apocalypse. Interestingly, Drake’s collab with BlocBoy JB was pretty much the apocalypse for BlocBoy’s career, who hasn’t had a hit since.
Hunnid bands, hunnid bands, hunnid bands (Hunnid bands)
Contraband, contraband, contraband (Contraband)
I got the plug in Oaxaca (Woah)
They gonna find you like "blocka" (Blaow)
Again, we know this is Drake’s section because his song 10 bands starts out by saying “10 bands, 50 bands, 100 bands” almost identical to Bino’s lyrics here. Also Blocka was famously used by Biggie in his song Gimme the Loot which could be referring to Biggie's demise like Pac’s and making money from his death. Everything in this industry originates from pushing drugs, which has been alleged through the trafficking that Diddy, Jay-Z and Drake do through their private jets likely connected to their bosses, the Clive Davises and Lucian Grainges of the world. This escalates rap beefs and the whole culture to the next level where murder is often a consequence for young rappers in their prime when international drug lord money is involved.
An interesting point is this is the only time where Childish was about to shoot someone in the video, but where he didn’t have a school kid either handing him the gun or taking it away carefully from him. (Maybe also a diss at Drake that even though he acts hard he doesn’t shoot, he gets his horseman of the apocalypse to do his dirty deeds for him instead perhaps?). This is the beginning of the end for the rap mogul as he no longer has his kids doing his bidding for him. A simple message to show how the violence can be stopped, that these shootings can end when the kids stop enabling them. So then as soon as he can’t react in that moment and shoot someone his anger is forced to chill out, as shown by smoking a J, and to go back to exploiting the dead man’s music instead. If you don’t put a gun in someone’s hand when they are heated, those feelings too shall pass - kinda feel.
[Refrain: Choir, Childish Gambino, & Young Thug]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, tell somebody
America, I just checked my following list, and
You mothafuckas owe me
Whose voice does that sound like!? It sounds a lot like Diddy to me, public enemy #1. This is basically saying that the moguls are the ones who we all owe it to for all of this glorified gun violence in America. That we owe them way more follows and likes for what a massive influence they have had on the violence and chaos we see in America today.
Grandma told me
Get your money, Black man (Black man)
(1, 2, 3—get down)
In Moneybagg Yo’s song 1, 2, 3, he also has a line that says “1, 2, 3, let’s go!” in a similar vein.
But something interesting I came across was Nas’s song Get Down where they use a sample from James Brown's “The Boss” that sounds extremely similar to the way Gambino screams “Get Down!” Which would fit well if the guitar singer from the beginning is meant to be Nas and Pac doing Thugz Mansion.
Also make sure you check out Nas’s song Get Down so that you can hear how much Jay-Z outright copied this song for The Story of OJ. From the musical structure with the piano and interwoven samples right down to the theme reiterated by the sample at the end of Nas’s song: “If that’s how our people are gonna get down, how are we ever gonna get up?”
SZA
Finally to wrap up the video, I have been stumped for a long time as to why SZA is randomly at the end of this video sitting on one of the cars. But I think I finally know why and it reconfirms that this last scene is all about Drake. If you watch Drake’s music video for Worst Behavior (not very Canadian of him to spell behaviour that way I might add) you will see Drake rapping and dancing with a few cars surrounding him and one of those cars has other rappers making cameos in it. In Gambino’s video SZA represents that car with a famous cameo. I think this is further confirmed when the black edges of the video start closing inwards at the end of This is America, the exact same way that Worst Behavior ends. So why SZA as the cameo then? Cause it reminds people that Drake is a p*do.
This is from an article in the Rolling Stone: In 2020, Drake revealed publicly that he and SZA had dated over a decade ago, well before she was an established artist (her earliest music goes back to around 2012; her critical breakthrough, Ctrl, came in 2017). On 21 Savage’s “Mr. Right Now,” Drake rapped about a newer fling who was a fan of SZA’s: “Yeah, said she wanna fuck to some SZA, wait / ‘Cause I used to date SZA back in ’08 / If you cool with it, baby, she can still play.” A few days later, SZA responded, corroborating Drake’s claim with a slight correction: they dated in 2009, when both would have been over 18. Since SZA would not have turned 18 until late 2008, she wanted to set the record straight. “in this case a year of poetic rap license mattered 🥴lol I think he jus innocently rhymed 08 w wait [sic],” she tweeted. “I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening . Completely innocent . Lifetimes ago . [sic]”
If you have to specifically say something isn’t creepy and distance yourself from it being lifetimes ago, it usually is creepy. Drake would’ve been 22 when she was 17. Metro Boomin also happens to be on the Mr. Right Now track. He is currently in trouble for resurfaced old tweets showing how Metro used to tweet disgusting things about what he wanted to do to underage girls. Interestingly, Metro Boomin is also now beefing with Drake.
Drake doing his dance on the car of the original musician’s music seems to be accusing Drake directly of stealing 2Pac’s music. Orlando Brown recently said the cryptic statement that “Drake is Pac” which likely means he stole 2Pac’s approach/style/audience after his death. Gambino did some good foreshadowing here too with the recent AI release Drake put out of 2Pac.
This dance scene also signals that the Drake section is now over.
[Outro: Young Thug]
You just a black man in this world
You just a barcode, ayy
You just a black man in this world
Drivin' expensive foreigns, ayy
You just a big dawg, yeah
I kenneled him in the backyard
No, probably ain't life to a dog
For a big dog
The outro lyrics speak to how these gatekeepers keep black men down and control them with things like being forced to wear a dress to become famous or to submit to homosexual/p*do acts.. In the video, as I mentioned above, the black edges close in on Drake’s dancing scene in This is America. But they don’t completely close and end things like they do in the Worst Behavior video. Instead, in Gambino’s video, the camera pans to show the mogul running for his life with Young Thug’s lyrics almost like a quiet echo in the background. He isn’t running from the cops though, he’s running from the kids and from the public. When I mentioned earlier that the kids not handing over the last gun before Drake’s scene signalled the beginning of the end for the moguls, this is that conclusion. Where it is showing that if all the kids come together to stop enabling and rather expose the moguls, people will be chasing these bastards down once we realize what has been going on behind the curtain. Then the song that Young Thug is singing can just be a quiet echo of the way things were in the past.
If you don’t think Gambino would be this deep and that I went too far down the rabbit hole, do a Google search on the calculations that he came up with for why he sings about loving until 3005 in his song. He seems to go real deep with his lyrics. So a big question this leaves us with is, what did Childish Gambino witness in the rap industry? His whole rap career plays out like he is trying to avoid industry norms.
Even in Sweatpants, he has lyrics like:
No hands like soccer teams and y'all fuck boys like Socrates
You niggas ain't coppin' these, niggas ain't lookin' like me (Nah)
Nah, I ain't checkin' I.D. (Nah), but I bounce 'em with no problem
Seems like he is trying to make it really clear across his catalogue of music that he isn’t a p*do but that other rappers are. Where he is saying that he doesn’t need to ID his potential partners because he can tell they are obviously too young and that’s not hard to do.
Tell 'em, Problem (Problem!)
I'm winnin', yeah, yeah, I'm winnin' (What?)...
Rich kid, asshole, paint me as a villain
So who was trying to paint him as a villain, Drake? And that’s why the diss was originally meant for him?
Don't be mad 'cause I'm doing me better than you doing you…
Better than you doing you
Fuck it, what you gon' do? (What?!)
He’s taunting the other rappers cause he knows they can’t say shit if they are creeps. He has the same sentiment in Bonfire “It’s a bonfire, turn the lights out, I’m burning everything you mother fuckers talk about.”
Childish Gambino has always refrained from talking about the meaning of This is America whenever he is asked, and I can only assume that all of this is why.
Little Foot Big Foot
Now with his new release, Little Foot Big Foot and applying cultural compression to it, it has me wondering if he is referring to Megan Thee Stallion and the Nicki beef? People like Nicki (calling Megan Big Foot) have been claiming for some time she wasn’t even shot in the foot by Tory Lanez. There were many people laughing and making fun of Megan over getting shot. Which could be an interesting story for Childish to tell to represent how crazy this violent culture has gotten that people just laugh and blame the victim now when you get shot. Also a good metaphor for things like ‘shooting yourself in the foot’ for not having a lawyer look over potentially predatory industry contracts like in the beginning of his video. That you want to get in the cool kids club so bad you overlook it. Not as sure on this one though since the song just came out and I have only heard it a few times.
One last thing that is really interesting, there have been tons of artists on podcasts like Shay Shay talking about the strings these ultra rich moguls can pull. Like buying awards or gatekeeping people from being in the industry at all. There was even a story, I think maybe it was Gene Deal who told it, that when Killer Mike won at the grammys that Jay-Z was so angry he made sure to mess up his night by getting him locked up as soon as he left the awards stage. These moguls are extremely powerful and have an incredible amount of sway in the world/industry. If you check out Gambino’s profile on Youtube, his old music videos keep getting taken down, like Bonfire for example is just gone. Fans have been having to upload the videos themselves. There is a reply to a comment, on one of the fan uploaded vids, from Gambino’s account himself when someone asks why the videos are being taken down. His account just replies “Noone knows why :(“ Seems a bit odd all things considered and like maybe he has been at the mercy of these gatekeepers for going against the system.
I am so curious to know what the rest of you think about all of this!

Edit: If you are going to comment on the length of this post, please don't. This is not a simple snark but rather an actual critical think piece about feminism and Taylor Swift.

Introduction

Pertaining to Taylor Swift, "Female Rage" has deviated from its intended meaning after Swift debuted a new performance of The Tortured Poets Department during the Eras Tour. Now, according to Swift's use of the phrase, female rage is interpreted as public backlash against Swift's dating choices rather than as a response to the broader injustices against women and women's rights. This post examines Taylor Swift's flawed feminism, philanthropy, branding, and the controversial trademark petition for the phrase "Female Rage: The Musical". Swift's background as an entertainer, indeterminate politics, and alignment with capitalism over feminism pervades her legacy, again threatening her public tolerance as not just an individual but as a brand.

Once Upon a Female Rage...

If you were cognizant in the early 2010's, you've heard countless jabs at Taylor Swift in the media. Magazines, radio, or online. Music critics did not take her seriously as a songwriter; parents put a woman on an unrealistic pedestal as the ideal role model for their children; she dated too much and used men as lyrical fodder. No matter the story, it inevitably spread, conjoined with everyone's respective opinions, and you'd be left to wonder, "Why does everyone hate this girl so much?"
Taylor's target demographic has always been young or adolescent girls, more so when Swift herself was one. She made music that spoke to the awkward misfit, cultivating a para-social relationship with fans on MySpace, then later twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, where Taylor posted relatable vlogs showcasing the life of a homegrown American girl. Taylor had a delayed public "growing up" and, compared to her female pop contemporaries, Swift never "gratuitously sexualized her image and seems pathologically averse to controversy" (and, apparently, never even had a sip of alcohol until she turned 21). She was more than happy to spin this narrative to allude to an inherent moral superiority above other women in the industry (Better Than Revenge, heard of it?), engaging in the very slut-shaming that she herself endured (the Madonna and Whore archetypes). The victim complex arose with the need to prove Taylor as a different type of pop girl. Based upon her holy and clean image, Swift had been dubbed "a feminist's nightmare", and that "[To Swift] other girls are obstacles; undeserving enemies who steal Taylor’s soulmates with their bewitching good looks and sexual availability." Feminism and Tennessee-Christian country values don't exactly mix, it seems.
Years later, Swift befriended Lena Dunham and thus experienced white feminism osmosis, where Dunham taught Swift that real feminists defend rapists, makes insensitive jokes about rape and abortion, and prioritize all-white casts. Swift then declared herself a feminist in 2014, saying,

"Becoming friends with Lena – without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for – has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so."

I suppose the male-centric songwriting subject that permeates Swift's discography contained covert feminism and that we just didn't see that. Perhaps, the "Bad Blood" song and music video were written only in jest and not about poor Katy Perry, for Swift, as a feminist, would "never make it a girl fight" or tear other women down (though all Katy did was date your terrible ex-boyfriend and allegedly steal three backup dancers from your tour). In 2013, Swift said, in response to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's joke towards her serial dating, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
There was that time in 2015 Taylor said that Nicki Minaj was "invited to any stage [she is] on" (as if Taylor expects to have access to every stage, award, and platform that Nicki might not otherwise have as a black female artist...yikes!) in response to Nicki's criticism of the white + thin VMA nominations. Later, Nicki responded with confusion, as Swift continued, "It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot..". Of course, this 'beef' was 'squashed' when Nicki performed with Taylor at the VMAs, with Nicki quite literally only having 38 seconds of stage time without Taylor. Maybe all that parading around with a legion of famous white women - similar to the way Taylor might've done with her numerous 1989-era handbags - was in fact a stance against gender inequality, and that this display of "girl power" should be enough to constitute Swift as a feminist icon.
Even while Swift says that Dunham informed her feminist outlook, she dances around the exact contents of those beliefs: "what she believes, what she says, what she stands for" is not exactly insightful towards what beliefs Swift might have inherited. Taylor never broaches women's rights topics such femicide, FGM, forced pregnancy & marriage, sex trafficking, women in slavery, women's financial and political oppression, women's educational rights, women's health, or women's autonomy, so we can assume she only gives a fuck about "girls supporting girls" (whatever that fucking means).
Despite some questionable (and sometimes vindictive) behavior, Taylor as a young woman did not deserve every media lashing that she received. We cannot deny that most headlines and criticisms perpetuated a misogynistic rhetoric which has plagued Swift for a majority of her career. Acknowledging events such as the development of her ED, her sexual assault trial, "Famous" lyric and MV depiction of Taylor, and the explicit Twitter deepfakes, for example, as both disgusting and unfortunate things that happened to a young woman in Hollywood does not negate the fact that Taylor is mostly a performative feminist.

Get Your Fucking Ass Up and Be a Philanthropist, It Seems Like Nobody Wants to Be a Philanthropist These Days

In 2013, Taylor Swift cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Taylor Swift Education Center at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. The donation amount - $4 million - was the largest individual artist gift ever donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which is, of course, mentioned on Swift's website. The two-story facility features three classrooms, an instrument room, and an interactive children's exhibit gallery. Swift also performed at "All for the Hall" charity shows and has donated numerous artifacts from her career (such as notable guitars, tour costumes, etc) to the museum.
This was over 11 years ago, and it is still the only notable philanthropic contribution Taylor Swift has made.
For a woman of her net worth and stature, and a woman who recognizes the difficulties for women in film and music, you would think that Taylor Swift might establish a scholarship program for women to study the arts or something. Perhaps Swift might even consider becoming a member of organizations that support female artists, or one that supports LGBTQ+ causes (since she is now proudly an ally), yet she remains superficial with her graces. Broader philanthropy, such as donating relief aid to Palestinian women or women impacted by violence and discrimination will probably never receive any financial support from Miss Swift because then she'd be using her money towards philanthropies involving anyone but white entertainers.
She even says herself in Miss Americana, "My entire moral code as a kid and now is a need to be thought of as 'good'." Well, she's certainly thought of as good, though her actions say otherwise. She's more than happy to do a vaguely altruistic song and dance for a clip-worthy interview quote and mass appeasement, then fuck off to one of her mansions on a 20 minute private jet flight, rather than actually contribute to anything pertaining to the causes she has endorsed. Yet, far too many people continue to give a woman such as her their money, time, and energy, and she hoards these resources to herself.

I Like Some of the Taylor's Songs, But What the Fuck Does She Know About Feminism?

Swift continued with her self-proclaimed feminist campaign, positioning herself as a political activist and LGBTQ+ ally in the Miss Americana documentary. The primary focus of the documentary consists of the sexual assault trial, Andrea Swift's cancer diagnosis, Taylor's ED and body dysmorphia, media scrutiny, and, largely, finally speaking up about her politics publicly, mostly her opposition to the 2018 Tennessee Republican senate candidate, Marsha Blackburn, and Blackburn's beliefs. Swift says, following a scene discussing her experience during the trial,

"I just couldn't really stop thinking about it. And I just thought to myself, next time there is any opportunity to change anything, you had better know what you stand for and what you want to say."

We must ask ourselves, though: when has Swift ever spoken up to change anything? Okay, pulling her entire catalogue from Spotify because they didn't pay their artists enough and similarly pulling her catalogue from Apple Music are changes that she leveraged due to her revenue potential and power, but they are not pertinent to the average woman's rights. Moreover, these are issues that directly impacted Taylor's income, which was enough reason for her to protest in the first place. Swift has sold the most units for a female artist in first week sales, is the first female artist with 100k monthly Spotify listeners, is the first female artist to win the Album of the Year Grammy 4 times, and is the first female artist to do X, Y, and Z, all while being inoffensive and family-friendly to boot. The actual Taylor Swift seems unwilling to compromise the brand of Taylor Swift by contributing in meaningful ways to feminist causes, especially if it is for women outside of America and Hollywood.
The reason political anthems such as "The Man" and "Only the Young" of the Lover era feel disingenuous and corporate is because, well, it is. Taylor has taken every opportunity to advance her career or public image at the expense of other women. What is truly genuine to Taylor's outlook on other women is vying for male attention, taking down female competition, and vocalizing feminist injustices only if they directly impact her and her money. Some will argue that it's satisfactory for a woman with such a huge platform to even TALK about feminism, but that just isn't enough. It's even less impressive when you candidly look at the scope of her feminist lens: "If I was the man, then I'd be THE MAN", or "I really resent the ‘Be careful, buddy, she’s going to write a song about you’ angle, because it trivialises what I do", and, of course, "We all got crowns". Feminism, but only when it happens to me. It gets worse when you look at Taylor's track record of copying other famous women and removing other female artists as potential threats to her pop prowess.
It's good for PR to align yourself with certain blanket feminist and political beliefs, therefore good for branding, therefore good for ticketing and merchandise sales, therefore good for business. And Taylor Swift is a business.
She's not a feminist. Taylor Swift is a capitalist.

I Can't Pay Those Sweatshop Workers a Livable Wage or Benefits! How Else Would I Make My Billions?

Recently, Taylor's team filed to trademark the phrase "Female Rage: The Musical" after Taylor said during Paris N1 of the Eras Tour,

"So you were the first ones to see The Tortured Poets at the Eras Tour...or as I like to call it, 'Female Rage: The Musical'."

This trademark petition was filed last week on Saturday, and news comes about just as numerous unofficial fan-made merch designs have cropped up with this phrase plastered on Fruit of the Loom basics. I'm of the opinion Swift's team motioned for a trademark so that they can send out cease & desists to all those that make knockoff merch, which disrupts potential sales for Bravado, UMG's choice merchandising company; however, since it was filed earlier, perhaps Swift has bigger plans with the bizarre use of the gendered phrase. One Swiftie referred to the phrase "female rage" as "a funny Eras Tour joke". Could it be a possible fourth version of the Eras Tour Movie? Whatever the reason, the motion to capitalize off of such a concept is disgusting, but not unsurprising, for a woman that profits on her vain feminism.
Swift, through her company, TAS Rights Managements, has also trademarked over 200 phrases, including "1989", where she owns the property rights to this calendar year on keychains, phone cases, sunglasses, stationary, bags, beverage ware, clothing, entertainment services, your subconscious, and, of course, Christmas ornaments.
The vapid consumerism in Swiftie culture is, frankly, disgusting. Bravado's sustainability statement is non-existent, the quality control is abysmal, and the materials they use are horrible. The materials, such as acrylic and polyester, are made from petrochemicals. This means they are non-renewable, shed microplastics, and are quite toxic in production. The manufacturing process to make all of those lazy-rushed Eras Tour logo graphic tees is a huge blow to environmental well-being. Apparently, though, Swifties don't give a fuck. They sell out products in seconds and either have to face the manufactured scarcity or buy from a scalper that resells for 200% of the already ridiculous retail price. This doesn't include the environmental impact of vinyl records, CD, and cassette production, of which Taylor produces many variants that sell unsustainable amounts.
If we're talking about women's rights violations, why is no one acknowledging the women that work in the inhumane sweatshop conditions that have to pump out fugly t-shirts and hats? The millions of plastic microfiber dander they are inhaling, or the toxic dyes that touch their bare skin? Are they being compensated fairly for their skilled labour and are they in safe working environments? Do these women have minimal bargaining power, and do they have authority over their worker's rights? Is Taylor Swift female raging at their injustices? Does Taylor Swift ever feels bad that her wealth was built on the backs of women of color, disadvantaged by the demands of the global economy and garment industry? Do you think she ever says a little white feminist prayer for them before she goes to sleep at night?
What's even crazier is not that Taylor herself doesn't care, it's that Swifties don't care. There CANNOT BE ethical billionaires. You only make a billion dollars if you are exploiting other human beings for capital gain. Based on public perception of the possible "Female Rage: The Musical" trademark, it seems like Swifties are already asking for merch with this phrase. "If Taylor made it, I'd buy it." Oh, cool. So not only do you champion Miss Swift's avarice and billionaire status, but you also are unashamed to admit to your blind consumption of her music and merchandise, no matter where they might originate in production or sincerity. Just as Swift takes and takes and takes, Swifties' consumerism of Taylor Swift cannot be quelled.
The tortured artist's most vulnerable and sincere poetry...available now in 21 different versions!

I Am Tortured Poet, Hear Me Whinge

Look - even if Taylor's intention is to characterize TTPD as more "tortured" and "angry", the main thread of the album is "I was ghosted by my decade-long situationship with a controversial indie boy and my fucking stupid fans wrote a 'Speak Up Now' open letter prompting me to drop him" anger, which is adequately expressed in the lyrics and performances. The extent of Taylor's "female rage" on TTPD is on tracks such as "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?", which contends with relentless media scrutiny; "But Daddy I Love Him", where Swift firmly states she'll date whoever she likes no matter how "Sarahs and Hannahs" may react; and "The Albatross", a track mythologizing her reputation and the consequences of dating her. Of course, these coincide with deep psychological wounds that formed during Swift's early years in the media, and so, from her feminist perspective, these subjects tackle the misogyny and double standards that she faced.
Yet Taylor Swift still has no grounds to be claiming that TTPD best exemplifies female rage and therefore she, in the context of this album, is female rage incarnate. As the daughter of a stock broker and mutual fund marketing executive, Taylor was born into wealth and allowed privileges like trips and subsequent relocation to Nashville all so that she might get a record deal. Her father even invested at least $120,000 into the then-fledgling label, Big Machine Records, which ensured Taylor's place with Borchetta after leaving her dead-end development deal with Sony. The fact that her parents were able to buy her a fucking brand new guitar for Christmas and pay for music lessons says so much about the financial security and safety of her childhood.
Money is privilege and protection, and despite Swift's experiences with misogyny and loser boyfriends, she does not know what female rage is.
Her rage is derived from her frustrations with her obsessive fans pulling the moral superiority card on Taylor in response to her rebound with Matty Healy. That's literally it. She's just pissed that the monster she created is no longer obediant, it's become a feral, sovereign entity that depletes the world of its natural resources and thinks it is more intelligent than it actually is because it's mommy has started to talk to it with big words. Apparently, 'illicit', 'elegy', 'nonchalant', and 'precocious' are considerably big words for the oafish monster, and I find it strange that this level of literacy is present in a group of fans that allegedly have GPAs of 3.5 or higher, but I digress.
Taylor Swift has never been one paycheck away from destitution. Taylor Swift has never experienced racial discrimination. She may have instances of gender discrimination, but she possesses the ideal white, blonde American beauty standard and therefore reaps the benefits of being a conventionally attractive woman. Taylor Swift has sufficient social capital. Taylor Swift is a billionaire woman prolonging her victimhood though she, as a woman, has mostly had control over her image and music (unlike her contemporaries). Taylor Swift is NOT entitled to be championed for her "female rage", nor should she be. Taylor Swift has never even been the struggling artist, for fuck's sake. I don't give a fuck if she's trying to fill the empty lunch tables of her past. Taylor Swift purporting herself, her unpolished album, and her lukewarm feminism as a musical bleeding with female rage is asinine.

Sigh Try and Come For My Job, Poors

Out there in the world right now is a 23-year-old woman, a recent college grad, who works as a barista. She has to wake up and get ready to go into a minimum wage job because she cannot get a job in her field. She doesn't have healthcare benefits or sick time, so she has to go into work no matter how she's feeling. All day long she is berated by vicious customers and creepy men, and, exhausted from being on her feet, she knows she has to go home to her shitty roommate that never does the dishes and her roommate's shitty dog. To comfort herself, she considers getting a treat, but thinks against it when she remembers that matcha lattes cost $15 and they taste like milky dirt. She knows that she needs to buy groceries this week, and so the woman resolves to go home, but notices that her gas tank is low. She goes to put gas in the car, but the pump stops at $27.86 because that's all that she has in her checking account. The woman, bereft and reeling, sinks into the driver's seat. "Well," she thinks, her head in her hands, "at least I don't have Taylor Swift's job. I just couldn't imagine."
Fame is somewhat of a choice. If at any moment Taylor feels that she is misunderstood, misconstrued, or overwhelmed by public opinion, she can LEAVE the public eye - Lord knows she has the retirement fund and residuals to do so. In "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart", the TTPD song about meeting the demands of your career-zenith mega-tour while in the relationship trenches, Taylor ends the song by rambling,

"You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart...you know you're good...and I'm good, cause I'm miserable, and no one even knows!...try and come for my job."

Yeah, obviously we wouldn't know, you recently passed the billionaire threshold and are the most famous and in-demand performer in the world right now. Taylor Swift makes an estimated $10 to $13 million dollars A NIGHT on the Eras Tour. Furthermore, the Eras Tour movie grossed $261.6 million globally, (which, as the producer, Taylor takes home 57% of the ticket sales) not counting the streaming revenue from Amazon Prime Video and the estimated $75 million deal that Disney paid to have it on Disney+. We're not even considering the income from cheap plastic popcorn buckets and drink cups plastered with colored squares in her Era-specific likeness.
It's funny. Taylor Swift often said that being famous wasn't hard, that she "isn't complaining". I'm sure it is difficult to always have to present in a good mood, else you'll end up misrepresented in the media, and I'm sure it's invasive to virtually have no privacy or semblance of anonymity. Still, Taylor Swift shows up each night of tour and performs. For a majority of her career, she has penned her sad songs while on the road. Most of "Red", her breakup album, was written in the thick of the Speak Now World tour. Now, some Swifties say they almost "feel bad" for attending the Eras Tour with Swift's revelations in this song, that they have had a 'dimmed experience' upon hearing Taylor's misery whilst performing. Despite the fact that Taylor said that "this was the happiest she's ever been" at Gilette Stadium in May, the lyrics "boohoo, woe is me, smile for the cameras and make the fans happy!!!" are jarring for Eras attendees.
While Taylor Swift was making double-digit millions a night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and feeling miserable, Ana Clara Benevides Machado passed away due to heat exposure. The concert promoters, Time For Fun, are now the subject of a criminal investigation due to their lack of adequate hydration and safety. Taylor Swift cancelled the Sunday show that was to follow and offered VIP tent tickets to Benevides Marchado's family, which was a kind gesture, but perhaps incongruous to the incident of which they were offered as consolation. Everyone grieves differently, of course, but I'm not sure attending the very show at the very same venue that my daughter or sister passed away in two days prior, where the singer CONTINUED the show despite her death, would be healthy for closure.
There was no female rage at the show as Swift never saw Benevides Machado pass out. There was no female rage towards the disregard for fans as humans while Swift elected to proceed with her Brazil tour dates despite the country being in historic heatwaves (at risk of overheatting herself). If Taylor Swift was so shaken by touring with a broken heart or a fan's passing, she wouldn't have added an additional North American leg of Eras just two months after the Matty breakup. She's brokenhearted but willing to mend the cracks with your money and move onward with her worldwide female rage induced pillaging.
No matter what happens, even if you die at a Taylor Swift concert, Taylor collects a big fat check and flies away. She doesn't know you as anything other than a conversion rate or earning potential despite what her nearly 20-year long parasocial relationship with fans might otherwise indicate. She knows that, while some Swifties are without disposable income, they feel obligated to spend on a "48 Hours Only!" exclusive vinyl variant instead of necessities because they are so entrenched in Taylor Swift's intoxicating celebrity, they'll prioritize materialistic fandom before their needs. This is good enough for her because this means she can expand her real estate portfolio and finance her cat's lavish lifestyles. They're worth an estimated $100 million dollars. Her three cats could pool their net worth and solve world hunger.
While you and I might be denied bereavement leave and barely surviving the current political and economic climate, Taylor Swift has to, instead of gets to, perform for stadiums at full attendance for three nights in a row across the globe. You and I might be replaced by AI at our longtime jobs, but Taylor Swift is threatened with losing more and more money each time you listen to a "Stolen Version" of her songs. If we don't buy every variant of all of her albums, then who is going to pay for the fucking cats?
It is tone deaf to spend as she spends and lives as she lives in this economy, but this is her reality. She was able to donate $100,000 to all of her tour truck drivers, and that's wonderful, but it leads me to wonder about the ethos of the 2020s where one woman can hoard such life-changing amounts of money. Remember in 2014 when she gave a fan $90 ($120 in today's money) to get Chipotle because she had no fucking clue how much it cost? This is a 34-year-old woman who is increasingly out of touch with the reality for working class people and women in general. Normal everyday adults must wake up and go to their thankless jobs, and yet Taylor Swift, despite all her riches, incessantly references the lows of her life and career as a public figure and entertainer to farm sympathy and drive sales. And still, the corporate women have latched onto "I cry a lot, but I am so productive! It's an art!" as their cubicle battle cry.
Do you think that, from up in her private jet, Taylor Swift gazes at the world through her poetic, tortured eyes, and thinks, "All the little people, in their cars, walking, going about their lives...all those girls that don't support girls...do they know that I've made an album about female rage?"

Conclusion/TLDR

Thank you for reading. I would love to hear your critical insights towards this entire ordeal: TTPD, the trademark, the implications of it all.
TLDR: Taylor Swift is a bad feminist and is delusional to think that the TTPD eras set exemplifies female rage at women's injustice.

abandon, ability, able, about, above, absence, absolute, absolutely, abstract, abundance, academy, accent, accept, access, accident, accompany, accomplish, according, account, accurate, achieve, achievement, acid, acknowledge, acquire, across, action, active, activity, actor, actual, actually, adapt, addition, additional, address, adequate, adjust, administration, admire, admission, admit, adolescent, adopt, adult, advance, advantage, adventure, advertise, advice, advise, adviser, advocate, affair, affect, afford, afraid, after, afternoon, again, against, age, agency, agenda, agent, aggressive, ago, agree, agreement, agriculture, ahead, aid, aim, air, aircraft, airline, airport, alarm, album, alcohol, alive, all, alliance, allow, ally, almost, alone, along, already, also, alter, alternative, although, always, amateur, amazing, ambition, ambulance, among, amount, analysis, analyst, analyze, ancient, and, anger, angle, angry, animal, anniversary, announce, annual, another, answer, anticipate, anxiety, any, anybody, anymore, anyone, anything, anyway, anywhere, apart, apartment, apologize, apparent, apparently, appeal, appear, appearance, apple, application, apply, appoint, appointment, appreciate, approach, appropriate, approval, approve, approximately, architect, area, argue, argument, arise, arm, armed, army, around, arrange, arrangement, arrest, arrival, arrive, art, article, artist, artistic, as, ashamed, aside, ask, asleep, aspect, assault, assert, assess, assessment, asset, assign, assignment, assist, assistance, assistant, associate, association, assume, assumption, assure, at, athlete, athletic, atmosphere, attach, attack, attempt, attend, attention, attitude, attorney, attract, attraction, attractive, attribute, audience, author, authority, auto, available, average, avoid, award, aware, awareness, away, awful, baby, back, background, bad, badly, bag, balance, ball, ban, band, bank, bar, barely, barrel, barrier, base, baseball, basic, basically, basis, basket, basketball, bath, bathroom, battery, battle, be, beach, bear, beat, beautiful, beauty, because, become, bed, bedroom, bee, beef, beer, before, begin, beginning, behavior, behind, being, belief, believe, bell, belong, below, belt, bench, bend, beneath, benefit, beside, besides, best, bet, better, between, beyond, bicycle, big, bike, bill, billion, bind, biological, bird, birth, birthday, bit, bite, black, blade, blame, blanket, blind, block, blood, blow, blue, board, boat, body, bomb, bombing, bond, bone, book, boom, boot, border, boring, born, borrow, boss, both, bother, bottle, bottom, boundary, bowl, box, boy, boyfriend, brain, branch, brand, brave, bread, break, breakfast, breast, breath, breathe, brick, bridge, brief, briefly, bright, brilliant, bring, broad, broken, brother, brown, brush, buck, budget, build, building, bullet, bunch, burden, burn, bury, bus, business, busy, but, butter, button, buy, buyer, by, cabin, cabinet, cable, cake, calculate, call, camera, camp, campaign, campus, can, Canadian, cancer, candidate, cap, capability, capable, capacity, capital, captain, capture, car, carbon, card, care, career, careful, carefully, carrier, carry, case, cash, cast, cat, catch, category, Catholic, cause, ceiling, celebrate, celebration, celebrity, cell, center, central, century, CEO, ceremony, certain, certainly, chain, chair, chairman, challenge, chamber, champion, championship, chance, change, changing, channel, chapter, character, characteristic, characterize, charge, charity, chart, chase, cheap, check, cheek, cheese, chef, chemical, chest, chicken, chief, child, childhood, Chinese, chip, chocolate, choice, cholesterol, choose, Christian, Christmas, church, cigarette, circle, circumstance, cite, citizen, city, civil, civilian, claim, class, classic, classroom, clean, clear, clearly, client, climate, climb, clinic, clinical, clock, close, closely, closer, clothes, clothing, cloud, club, clue, cluster, coach, coal, coalition, coast, coat, code, coffee, cognitive, cold, collapse, colleague, collect, collection, collective, college, colonial, color, column, combination, combine, come, comedy, comfort, comfortable, command, commander, comment, commercial, commission, commit, commitment, committee, common, communicate, communication, community, company, compare, comparison, compete, competition, competitive, competitor, complain, complaint, complete, completely, complex, complexity, compliance, complicate, complicated, component, compose, composition, comprehensive, computer, concentrate, concentration, concept, concern, concerned, concert, conclude, conclusion, concrete, condition, conduct, conference, confidence, confident, confirm, conflict, confront, confusion, Congress, congressional, connect, connection, consciousness, consensus, consequence, conservative, consider, considerable, consideration, consist, consistent, constant, constantly, constitute, constitutional, construct, construction, consultant, consume, consumer, consumption, contact, contain, container, contemporary, content, contest, context, continue, continued, contract, contrast, contribute, contribution, control, controversial, controversy, convention, conventional, conversation, convert, conviction, convince, cook, cookie, cooking, cool, cooperation, cop, cope, copy, core, corn, corner, corporate, corporation, correct, correspondent, cost, cotton, couch, could, council, count, counter, country, county, couple, courage, course, court, cousin, cover, coverage, cow, crack, craft, crash, crazy, cream, create, creation, creative, creature, credit, crew, crime, criminal, crisis, criteria, critic, critical, criticism, criticize, crop, cross, crowd, crucial, cry, cultural, culture, cup, curious, current, currently, curriculum, custom, customer, cut, cycle, dad, daily, damage, dance, danger, dangerous, dare, dark, darkness, data, database, date, daughter, day, dead, deal, dealer, dear, death, debate, debt, decade, decide, decision, deck, declare, decline, decrease, deep, deeply, deer, defeat, defend, defendant, defense, defensive, deficit, define, definitely, definition, degree, delay, deliver, delivery, demand, democracy, Democratic, Democrat, demonstrate, demonstration, deny, department, depend, dependent, depending, depict, depression, depth, deputy, derive, describe, description, desert, deserve, design, designer, desire, desk, desperate, despite, destroy, destruction, detail, detailed, detect, detection, detective, determine, develop, developing, development, device, devil, dialogue, diet, differ, difference, different, differently, difficult, difficulty, dig, digital, dimension, dining, dinner, direct, direction, directly, director, dirt, disability, disagree, disappear, disaster, discipline, disclose, discover, discovery, discrimination, discuss, discussion, disease, dish, dismiss, disorder, display, dispute, distance, distinct, distinction, distinguish, distribute, distribution, district, diverse, diversity, divide, division, divorce, DNA, do, doctor, document, dog, domestic, dominant, dominate, door, double, doubt, down, downtown, dozen, draft, drag, drama, dramatic, dramatically, draw, drawer, drawing, dream, dress, drink, drive, driver, drop, drug, dry, due, during, dust, duty, dwell, dying, dynamic, each, eager, ear, earlier, early, earn, earnings, earth, earthquake, ease, easily, east, eastern, easy, eat, economic, economy, edge, edit, edition, editor, educate, education, educational, educator, effect, effective, effectively, efficiency, efficient, effort, egg, eight, either, elderly, elect, election, electric, electrical, electricity, electronic, element, elementary, eliminate, elite, else, elsewhere, e-mail, embrace, emerge, emergency, emission, emotion, emotional, emphasis, emphasize, employ, employee, employer, employment, empty, enable, encounter, encourage, end, enemy, energy, enforcement, engage, engine, engineer, engineering, English, enhance, enjoy, enormous, enough, ensure, enter, enterprise, entertain, entertainment, entire, entirely, entrance, entry, environment, environmental, episode, equal, equally, equipment, equivalent, era, error, escape, especially, essay, essential, essentially, establish, establishment, estate, estimate, etc, ethics, ethnic, European, evaluate, evaluation, evening, event, eventually, ever, every, everybody, everyday, everyone, everything, everywhere, evidence, evolution, evolve, exact, exactly, exam, examination, examine, example, exceed, excellent, except, exception, exchange, exciting, executive, exercise, exhibit, exhibition, exist, existence, existing, expand, expansion, expect, expectation, expense, expensive, experience, experiment, expert, explain, explanation, explode, explore, explosion, expose, exposure, express, expression, extend, extension, extensive, extent, external, extra, extraordinary, extreme, extremely, eye, fabric, face, facility, fact, factor, factory, faculty, fade, fail, failure, fair, fairly, faith, fall, false, familiar, family, famous, fan, fantasy, far, farm, farmer, fashion, fast, fat, fate, father, fault, favor, favorite, fear, feature, federal, fee, feed, feel, feeling, fellow, female, fence, festival, few, fewer, fiber, fiction, field, fifteen, fifth, fifty, fight, fighter, fighting, figure, file, fill, film, final, finally, finance, financial, find, finding, fine, finger, finish, fire, firm, first, fish, fishing, fit, fitness, five, fix, flag, flame, flat, flavor, flee, flesh, flight, float, floor, flow, flower, fly, focus, folk, follow, following, food, foot, football, for, force, foreign, forest, forever, forget, form, formal, formation, former, formula, forth, fortune, forward, found, foundation, founder, four, fourth, frame, framework, free, freedom, freeze, French, frequency, frequent, frequently, fresh, friend, friendly, friendship, from, front, fruit, frustration, fuel, fulfill, full, fully, fun, function, fund, fundamental, funding, funeral, funny, furniture, furthermore, future, gain, galaxy, gallery, game, gang, gap, garage, garden, garlic, gas, gate, gather, gay, gaze, gear, gender, gene, general, generally, generate, generation, genetic, gentleman, gently, German, gesture, get, ghost, giant, gift, gifted, girl, girlfriend, give, given, glad, glance, glass, global, glove, go, goal, God, gold, golden, golf, good, govern, government, governor, grab, grace, grade, gradually, graduate, grain, grand, grandmother, grant, grass, grave, gray, great, green, grocery, ground, group, grow, growing, growth, guarantee, guard, guess, guest, guide, guideline, guilty, gun, guy, habit, habitat, hair, half, hall, hand, handful, handle, hang, happen, happy, harbor, hard, hardly, hat, hate, have, he, head, headline, headquarters, health, healthy, hear, hearing, heart, heat, heaven, heavily, heavy, heel, height, helicopter, hell, hello, help, helpful, hence, her, herb, here, heritage, hero, herself, hey, hi, hide, high, highlight, highly, highway, hill, him, himself, hip, hire, his, historic, historical, history, hit, hold, hole, holiday, holy, home, homeless, honest, honey, honor, hope, horizon, horror, horse, hospital, host, hot, hotel, hour, house, household, housing, how, however, huge, human, humor, hundred, hungry, hunter, hunting, hurt, husband, hypothesis, ice, idea, ideal, identification, identify, identity, ignore, ill, illegal, illness, illustrate, image, imagination, imagine, immediate, immediately, immigrant, immigration, impact, implement, implication, imply, importance, important, impose, impossible, impress, impression, impressive, improve, improvement, incentive, incident, include, including, income, incorporate, increase, increased, increasingly, incredible, indeed, independence, independent, index, indicate, indication, individual, industrial, industry, infant, infection, inflation, influence, inform, information, ingredient, initial, initially, initiative, injury, inner, innocent, inquiry, inside, insight, insist, inspire, install, instance, instead, institute, institution, institutional, instruction, instructor, instrument, insurance, intellectual, intelligence, intend, intense, intensity, intention, interaction, interest, interested, interesting, internal, international, Internet, interpret, interpretation, intervention, interview, introduce, introduction, invasion, invest, investigation, investigator, investment, investor, invite, involve, involved, involvement, Iraqi, Irish, iron, Islamic, island, Israeli, issue, it, Italian, item, its, itself, jacket, jail, Japanese, jet, Jew, Jewish, job, join, joint, joke, journal, journalist, journey, joy, judge, judgment, juice, jump, junior, jury, just, justice, justify, keep, key, kick, kid, kill, killer, killing, kind, king, kiss, kitchen, knee, knife, knock, know, knowledge, lab, label, labor, laboratory, lack, lady, lake, land, landscape, language, lap, large, largely, last, late, later, Latin, latter, laugh, launch, law, lawsuit, lawyer, lay, layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, mechanism, media, medical, medication, medicine, medium, meet, meeting, member, membership, memory, mental, mention, menu, mere, merely, mess, message, metal, meter, method, Mexican, middle, might, military, milk, million, mind, mine, minister, minor, minority, minute, miracle, mirror, miss, missile, mission, mistake, mix, mixture, mm-hmm, mode, model, moderate, modern, modest, mom, moment, money, monitor, month, mood, moon, moral, more, moreover, morning, mortgage, most, mostly, mother, motion, motivation, motor, mountain, mouse, mouth, move, movement, movie, Mr, Mrs, Ms, much, multiple, murder, muscle, museum, music, musical, musician, Muslim, must, mutual, my, myself, mystery, myth, naked, name, narrative, narrow, nation, national, native, natural, naturally, nature, near, nearby, nearly, necessarily, necessary, neck, need, negative, negotiate, negotiation, neighbor, neighborhood, neither, nerve, nervous, net, network, never, nevertheless, new, newly, news, newspaper, next, nice, night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, palm, pan, panel, panic, pant, paper, paragraph, parent, park, parking, part, participant, participate, participation, particle, particular, particularly, partly, partner, partnership, party, pass, passage, passenger, passion, past, patch, path, patient, pattern, pause, pay, payment, PC, peace, peak, peer, pen, penalty, people, pepper, per, perceive, percentage, perception, perfect, perfectly, perform, performance, perhaps, period, permanent, permission, permit, person, personal, personality, personally, personnel, perspective, persuade, pet, phase, phenomenon, philosophy, phone, photo, photographer, phrase, physical, physically, physician, piano, pick, picture, pie, piece, pile, pilot, pine, pink, pipe, pitch, place, plan, plane, planet, planning, plant, plastic, plate, platform, play, player, please, pleasure, plenty, plot, plus, PM, pocket, poem, poet, poetry, point, police, policy, political, politically, politician, politics, poll, pollution, pool, poor, pop, popular, population, porch, port, portion, portrait, portray, pose, position, positive, possess, possession, possibility, possible, possibly, post, pot, potato, potential, potentially, pound, pour, poverty, powder, power, powerful, practical, practice, prayer, preach, precisely, predict, prediction, prefer, preference, pregnancy, pregnant, preparation, prepare, prescription, presence, present, presentation, preserve, president, presidential, press, pressure, pretend, pretty, prevent, previous, previously, price, pride, priest, primarily, primary, prime, principal, principle, print, prior, priority, prison, prisoner, privacy, private, probably, problem, procedure, proceed, process, processing, processor, proclaim, produce, producer, product, production, profession, professional, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, progressive, project, prominent, promise, promote, prompt, proof, proper, properly, property, proportion, proposal, propose, prosecutor, prospect, protect, protection, protein, protest, proud, prove, provide, provider, province, provision, psychological, psychology, public, publication, publicity, publish, publisher, pull, punishment, purchase, pure, purpose, pursue, push, put, qualify, quality, quarter, quarterback, quarterly, queen, quest, question, quick, quickly, quiet, quietly, quit, quite, quote, race, racial, radiation, radical, radio, rail, rain, raise, range, rank, rapid, rapidly, rare, rarely, rate, rather, rating, ratio, raw, reach, react, reaction, reader, reading, ready, real, reality, realize, really, reason, reasonable, recall, receive, recent, recently, reception, recipe, recipient, recognition, recognize, recommend, recommendation, record, recording, recover, recovery, recruit, red, reduce, reduction, refer, reference, reflect, reflection, reform, refugee, refuse, regard, regarding, regardless, regime, region, regional, register, regular, regularly, regulate, regulation, regulator, reinforce, reject, relate, relation, relationship, relative, relatively, relax, release, relevant, relief, religion, religious, rely, remain, remaining, remarkable, remember, remind, remote, remove, repeat, repeatedly, replace, replacement, reply, report, reporter, represent, representation, representative, Republican, reputation, request, require, requirement, research, researcher, resemble, reservation, resident, residential, resign, resist, resistance, resolution, resolve, resort, resource, respect, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, rest, restaurant, restore, restriction, result, retain, retire, retirement, return, reveal, revenue, review, revolution, rhythm, rice, rich, rid, ride, rifle, right, ring, rise, risk, river, road, rock, role, roll, romantic, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rough, roughly, round, route, routine, row, rub, rubber, rude, ruin, rule, run, running, rural, rush, Russian, sacred, sad, safe, safety, sake, salad, salary, sale, sales, salt, same, sample, sanction, sand, satellite, satisfaction, satisfied, satisfy, sauce, save, saving, say, scale, scandal, scare, scatter, scenario, scene, schedule, scheme, scholar, scholarship, school, science, scientific, scientist, scope, score, scream, screen, script, sea, search, season, seat, second, secondary, secret, secretary, section, sector, secure, security, see, seed, seek, seem, segment, seize, select, selection, self, sell, Senate, senator, send, senior, sense, sensitive, sentence, separate, sequence, series, serious, seriously, servant, serve, service, session, set, setting, settle, settlement, seven, several, severe, sex, sexual, shade, shadow, shake, shall, shallow, shape, share, sharp, she, sheet, shelf, shell, shelter, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoe, shoot, shooting, shop, shopping, short, shortly, shot, should, shoulder, shout, show, shower, shrug, shut, shy, sibling, sick, side, sigh, sight, sign, signal, significant, significantly, silence, silent, silver, similar, similarly, simple, simply, sin, since, sing, singer, single, sink, sir, sister, sit, site, situation, six, size, ski, skill, skin, skirt, sky, slave, sleep, slice, slide, slight, slightly, slip, slow, slowly, small, smart, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snap, snow, so, so-called, soccer, social, society, soft, software, soil, solar, soldier, sole, solid, solution, solve, some, somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometimes, somewhat, somewhere, son, song, soon, sophisticated, sorry, sort, soul, sound, soup, source, south, southern, Soviet, space, Spanish, speak, speaker, special, specialist, species, specific, specifically, specify, speech, speed, spend, spending, spin, spirit, spiritual, split, spoil, sponsor, sport, spot, spray, spread, spring, square, squeeze, stability, stable, staff, stage, stain, stair, stake, stand, standard, standing, star, stare, start, state, statement, station, statistical, status, stay, steady, steal, steel, steep, stem, step, stick, still, stimulate, stimulus, stir, stock, stomach, stone, stop, storage, store, storm, story, straight, strange, stranger, strategic, strategy, stream, street, strength, strengthen, stress, stretch, strike, string, strip, stroke, strong, strongly, structural, structure, struggle, student, studio, study, stuff, stupid, style, subject, submit, subsequent, substance, substantial, substitute, succeed, success, successful, successfully, such, sudden, suddenly, sue, suffer, sufficient, sugar, suggest, suggestion, suicide, suit, summer, summit, sun, super, supply, support, supporter, suppose, supposed, Supreme, sure, surely, surface, surgery, surprise, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surround, survey, survival, survive, survivor, suspect, sustain, swear, sweep, sweet, swim, swing, switch, symbol, symptom, system, table, tactic, tail, take, tale, talent, talk, tall, tank, tap, tape, target, task, taste, tax, taxi, tea, teach, teacher, teaching, team, tear, technical, technique, technology, teen, teenager, telephone, telescope, television, tell, temperature, temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

Hello! I feel like I might be reaching my limits with this game - would really appreciate some gentle hints! I want to keep trying but I'm just completely stuck now..! 😭
I've just finished collecting all the eggs without hints today, proud of that :D But the rest escapes me... I've had just a glance at the posts here and HELLO? There's so much more I'm still missing - like what on earth is that neon paint (Edit: got it.... ohh my god I'm gonna have to walk around the whole map again lol) I've seen in some posts... This is why I'm here, I don't wanna spoil too much for myself by just browsing so I'd rather ask..!
PLEASE don't give me direct answers, hints are so much better! :')
Endgame spoilers below! I kept any pictures further down in the thread but beware - couldn't figure out how to spoilertag pictures.
I have: Beat the boss manticore, got the multi-bubble wand, got the remote, hamster wheel, bouncy ball, (among all the easy to find things like frisbee, slinky etc.) and found 2 secret rabbits - the one disguised as a duck with the flute code, and the one at the beginning of the map, on the ledge. I've also check-marked every single room in the map that I could access, after trying my best to thoroughly check if there's anything at all that stands out to me..! These are the things I've found but can't understand:

1. I've put the 65th egg in the incubator - needless to say the manticore respawning is not the reward I wanted or expected, not the horrors again!! 😭 I can't save with phones while it's following me, so it must be that I have to take it somewhere... But I can't figure out where. I tried the big 3d ring thing behind my house. I've tried the dog/wolf spirit to see if they'll fight each other. Tried the cave bear, tried the big bat (later realised I can scare it off with multiple firecrackers, that took me way too long lol), I've also noticed the manticore-coded chained boxes (like the dog and mouse ones) in that final stretch of the map, the hidden ones behind some breakable tiles? But the hamster wheel platform next to them let me move them, so I assumed it's a metaphor that I'm the manticore..? Idk. (I've seen the me/seedling-coded boxes too, I think that's where one of the secret rabbits was, which is why the manticore-coded boxes are throwing me off...) Couldn't do anything there with the manticore though... I've also taken it to the flower I/my little guy/the seedling (idk what it is tbh) was born from, the lynx/cat mama, the eggs bird... No clue what else to try 😭
2. There's a circular recess I couldn't figure out - I understood the kangaroo one, it has firecracker flowers growing next to it, but what do I do with the fish one? All I can see is fish pointing up with sparkly eyes. I've tried giving the bubble fish the ball to play with, I've tried figuring out if that dolphin(?) is giving me some sort of flute code but it didn't look like it, didn't seem like I could use anything for the seahorse either, really no clue where to get the key for the fish circular recess. Yep, needed the last match stick to get to this one...! On my way to slot it in now 👀
3. I was given a stopwatch after the first manticore, but I can't see it in my inventory and have no idea what it's for... Is this something I shouldn't worry about for now? Got an answer that this just shows the time in the pause menu!
4. I've noticed the stone pillars? Runestones? Those little stone thingies in the backgrounds all over the map that have a symbol from the map-markers at the top, and 1-5 dots at the bottom. I've been noting them down, but please tell me if I'm on the right track - does the game expect me to use the correct map-marker icons for each stone I found and mark them on the map with that specific symbol, 5 of each? I've only used flame icons to mark them initially cause I was using other symbols for other things, but now with most of the map filled out I could make do without them. But I don't want to walk around the whole map again marking them off if I'm completely off-base here. Not a clue what they're for.
5. Is there a point to putting the M. disc back down below? I'm surprised I can take it out of the shrine and re-summon the dog/wolf spirit, that's sus. Can it be taken anywhere else? I thought this would have been the circular recess thing but nope :/ Now it's just sitting in the bottom shrine.
6. Is the monkey with baby monkey throwing rocks at me just a decoration/flavour? Suspicious!
7. That bear that retreats to the cave - decoration, or something? I've tried using everything in my inventory on it... Suspicious!
8. WHERE IS THE LAST MATCH STICK!!! I get a feeling that I should be able to finally get through glass if I light the last candle, but I haven't been able to find the last match stick! 😭 I have some areas with no other access than through glass marked off to visit, I just know it'll let me go through glass at some point and I'm heavily leaning towards candle completion... But WHERE IS THAT DAMN MATCH STICK 😭 It was the near starting area one, my gamer pride is sooo hurt by this lol :'D
9. Giraffe statue right before the room with a couple of guards... Is it anything? Seems like a big and significant statue for just flavour, but I haven't even seen giraffes in the game... Suspicious!
10. Statue of three green penguins just before the water domain - anything there? Suspicious!
11. ~~Another thing I saw in someone else's post was warp codes...plural?? I immediately got the home warp code which takes you where all the teleports are, from the fish "singing" below, that felt great and reminded me of my fav game, Tunic! ;W; 💖 But where on earth are people getting the other ones from?? ~~(< I keep trying to strike this out but reddit's flipping out on me) Aha, now that I got my last match stick, and in turn, the new light, I've found another warp immediately... So I guess the rest can be found with the UV light, too... Also I can see why it would have been so much easier to find all the eggs with the light, fml, that was so much trial and error without it :'D
12. There's a room full of crows not far from where the duck-secret-rabbit faces flute code is. Initially I actually thought the code was for them because of the bird in the picture next to the face codes... What do I do with those crows, if anything? There's a lot of them sitting on 4 separate branches/shelves - I've tried playing multiple versions of flute notes, like how many crows are on each branch, didn't get anywhere.
13. There's a tiny grid hidden under the LED bunny neon sign area... A 4x4 grid with 1-4 dots on each side. Absolutely not a clue what this is, man, not even a single thought. Been told this needed a whole bunch of players to solve, gonna leave it for when I'm at my complete limit and start looking things up!
14. Is this anything? I noticed the other savegame icons have slightly different seeds, like these, but... surely I'm not expected to make more savegames?

https://preview.redd.it/l8w2348sad0d1.png?width=659&format=png&auto=webp&s=f3655b37390980343805b592f85efb64f0cfd54f

1. The skull pile blocking a chest, where the faces flute code is explained. Threw everything I had at it. Tried playing flute notes depending on which way the skulls are facing. Nada. That chest is taunting me. I'M SO GLAD I ASKED, this would have driven me nuts, been told this needs a deathless run to open!
   
2. There are two remote-controllable walls in this spot, but no remote control tower... It's in the other room, but that's not helpful. I can't access it from that room on the right either cause it's just a wall. How do I get in there??
   

https://preview.redd.it/alcu806fcd0d1.png?width=149&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae25379d1da96ad325db3d8e6d577841678a0892
no remote tower in this room (left)
wall in this one, but has remote tower (right)

1. Two questions about the below: is the big garden pot just a decoration? Okay would have never figured it out on my own lol, but has anyone found where to use the directions the barcode gives? Not sure how to "scan" it myself.

And what I've circled in particular - I noticed the exact same thing next to the duck-secret-rabbit... Am I looking into it too much? It feels like nothing in this game is accidental, so I'm always sus... :')
https://preview.redd.it/dzrk8qi7ed0d1.png?width=549&format=png&auto=webp&s=c6a32fee5817407996f5973e04d0f858ce6cadb0

1. Are the pillars here a flute code? Same for the ones in the turtle room - initially I started playing the flute to play numbers corresponding to how tall each pillar is, but the turtles just came out as soon as I started playing, and didn't seem to react to me playing anything specific. What about here? Do I need to write down a sequence of them from the leftmost shore and play the full thing?

https://preview.redd.it/m4kke7llfd0d1.png?width=889&format=png&auto=webp&s=fee28b1392967c6c670b6a39bb289e7234435eac

1. I have some sort of a key in my bag. Can't remember where I got it... No clue what it's for, or if I've used it before..!

https://preview.redd.it/fdh00vg8gd0d1.png?width=591&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4a23f63962c3d93767a32d0c5f4466b0029822c

1. I'm sure the huge clock behind my house is meant to do something, it has doors and all... But no clue. I was there on the hour and just saw the little bird come out, (feels like there's some sort of purpose to time, but I haven't picked up on anything yet, initially thought that's when the kangaroo switches areas...) and I can see there's a few "000"s above the doors... That's about it... The only thought so far is that maybe characters from other savegames can come through here, but that seems VERY far-fetched, and not sure what purpose that would have... I also feel like I'm too early to figure out the clock, and the big 3d ring, before figuring out the rest. Should I not worry about it for now? Been told clock is for speedrunner rewards!

I... think that's it??? Sorry for the wall of text, if I can get some gentle hints on any of these I'd be grateful - I'll come back and edit the post to strike out what I've figured out, if anything. I know people on the Tunic sub like helping each other out with hints, feels like this game should have a very similar crowd, by the looks of it :D
THANKS IN ADVANCE! ♥

[I wrote this article about Macbeth for my college's newspaper, and I thought this subreddit might enjoy reading it!]
I have joked before that Shakespeare’s two favorite subjects–surpassing love, murder, madness, and crossdressing–are botany and birds. If you’ve been to New York City you might be aware of the “Shakespeare Garden” in Central Park, whose theoretical aim (though it proves nigh-impossible in practice) is to house specimens of all the plants which Shakespeare mentions in his plays. As it turns out, Bard quotes make for quite a diverse garden: there are roses which assuredly would smell as sweet by any other name; there are daffodils, that come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty; there’s holly, heigh-ho; there’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance, there’s pansies, that’s for thoughts, there’s fennel for you, and columbines–no word on whether or not they could find any violets, though. I suppose there’s no objection to be made against those who complain that Shakespeare’s language is “flowery”; even as vicious a villain as Iago deigns to express his philosophy on life by way of botanical metaphor: “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.” And, of course, the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream revolves around a magical flower which makes people fall in love.
I doubt anyone will object to my claiming of birds as Shakespeare’s other poetical fixation: I suspect that the majority of falconry knowledge which most non-falconers have today comes from reading footnotes in their copies of Shakespeare plays, explaining exactly what Richard II means by “How high a pitch his resolution soars,” or why Hamlet says “Hillo, ho, ho” to Marcellus. But while plants are so common in Shakespeare that I don’t know of one play which we might say is especially densely forested with references to them, there is one play that stands out as particularly full of birds in comparison with the rest of the Shakespearean canon. That play is Macbeth.
This is the sort of thing that one only notices after having read a play so many times that the actual events of the plot become akin to the meter of a poem–beats which must be hit, and which start to feel so natural that one hardly notices them–and one’s attention drifts away from the big, important speeches and toward the more utilitarian words and odd little moments that bridge them. I am not the first to point it out, but it is, all the same, a delightful quirk of the play, and could be a good way for Sophomores to throw their classmates for a loop in seminar [Note: Students at our college study Macbeth during their Sophomore year.]: why are there so many birds in Macbeth?
KING. Dismay’d not this/Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? SERG. Yes,/As sparrows eagles… -Act I, Scene II
LADY. …The raven himself is hoarse/That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan… -Act I, Scene V
BAN. This guest of summer,/The temple-haunting martlet, does approve/By his loved mansionry, that the heaven’s breath/Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze/Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird/Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle… -Act I, Scene VI
LADY. Hark! Peace! It was the owl that shriek’d, the fatal bellman… -Act II, Scene II
LADY. I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. -Act II, Scene II
PORTER. …come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose… -Act II, Scene III
PORTER. ‘Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock… -Act II, Scene III
LENNOX. New hatch’d to the woeful time: the obscure bird/Clamour’d the livelong night… -Act II, Scene III
OLD MAN. …On Tuesday last,/A falcon, towering in her pride of place,/Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d. -Act II, Scene IV
MACBETH. …Light thickens; and the crow/Makes wing to the rooky wood… -Act III, Scene II
MACBETH. If charnel-houses and our graves must send/Those that we bury back, our monuments/Shall be the maws of kites. -Act III, Scene IV
MACBETH. Augurs and understood relations have/By magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth/The secret’st man of blood. -Act III, Scene IV
LADY MACDUFF. …the poor wren,/the most diminutive of birds, will fight,/Her young ones in her nest, against the owl. -Act IV, Scene II
LADY MACDUFF. How will you live? SON. As birds do, mother. LADY MACDUFF. What, with worms and flies? SON. With what I get, I mean; and so do they. LADY MACDUFF. Poor bird! Thou’ldst never fear the net nor lime,/The pitfall nor the gin? SON. Why should I, mother? Poor birds they are not set for. -Act IV, Scene II
FIRST MURDERER. What, you egg! -Act IV, Scene II
MACDUFF. …there cannot be/That vulture in you… -Act IV, Scene III
MACDUFF. …O hell-kite! All?/What, all my pretty chickens and their dam/At one fell swoop? -Act IV, Scene III
MACBETH. The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon!/Where got’st thou that goose look? SERVANT. There is ten thousand– MACBETH. Geese, villain? -Act V, Scene III
Above I have listed every ornithological reference that I’ve found in the Scottish Play; as we peruse them, we certainly cannot conclude that every individual reference is of the same kind, or carries the same import. I will not pretend, for example, that, just because geese and ravens are both birds, the Porter’s invitation for the imagined English tailor to cook his goose in Hell merits as much attention as Lady Macbeth’s ominous declaration that “the raven himself is hoarse”. Nor do I think that any individual reference particularly demands explication; by itself, any one of these bird-invocations seems perfectly natural. Shakespeare’s talent is such that he can repeat a motif in such a way that on the macro level it is obvious yet on the micro level it hardly feels present. But that macro level is what interests me here: what impression is created, on the whole, by the presence of so many birds in this play? I have a theory, which, though it may seem far-fetched, I think merits at least some consideration, and which, at the very least, I have not seen stated elsewhere, and so may make a novel contribution to the conversation.
Macbeth is both Shakespeare’s most supernatural tragedy and his most Sophoclean; these two superlatives are inextricably related. The appellative Weird given to the opening scene’s three Sisters–derived from the Old English wyrd, meaning destiny, and famously given its more familiar connotation by Shakespeare himself in this very play–is, among the Bard’s works, unique to Macbeth; and just as that word appears nowhere else in Shakespeare, so is the concept it represents absent in all tragedies but this one. Though Hamlet may cry out against outrageous fortune, and though Othello may rhetoricize about how no man can control his fate, it is only in Macbeth that we truly feel that the events we see play out before us are fated, predestined, inevitable. [See Note 1.] The ghost in Hamlet commands his son to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder, but does not tell him it is certain that he will succeed; indeed, would not the drama be sapped of its intrigue if that level of certainty were present? Meanwhile, the supernatural interlopers in Macbeth offer the Scottish thane not a mission, but a prophecy: All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter! From its mystical opening word–When, not If–the Scottish play makes us aware of the certainty of all that is to befall our tragic antihero. Macbeth is thus a different sort of tragedy than Shakespeare’s others, and it works by an inverted mechanism. While the tragedy of, for example, Desdemona’s death is that it may have been prevented, the tragedy of Macbeth’s destruction is that it represents the fulfilment of fate; and this is the very same mechanism by which Oedipus Rex operates, complete with its own “Weird” character in the form of the seer Tiresias. Though Calvin managed to accept that some men are destined for greatness and others for ruin, this idea is, to Shakespeare and Sophocles, nothing short of agonizing–the stuff of tragedy.
Now: what does all of this have to do with birds? Consider these words from Antigone, spoken by Tiresias to Creon:
You shall learn, when you hear the indications of my art! As I took my place on my ancient seat for observing birds, where I can mark every bird of omen I heard a strange sound among them, since they were screeching with dire, incoherent frenzy and I knew that they were tearing each other with bloody claws, for there was a whirring of wings that made it clear… (Lloyd-Jones translation)
Consider next these words from Oedipus Tyrannus, spoken defensively by Oedipus to Tiresias:
Why, come, tell me, how can you be a true prophet? Why when the versifying hound was here did not you speak some word that could release the citizens? Indeed, her riddle was not one for the first comer to explain! It required prophetic skill, and you were exposed as having no knowledge from the birds or from the gods. No, it was I that came, Oedipus who knew nothing, and put a stop to her; I hit the mark by native wit, not by what I learned from birds. (Lloyd-Jones translation)
The practice of divining the future from birds–be it from their behaviors, their cries, or their innards–was, to Sophocles and his contemporaries, not superstitious hokum, but a practical science at which one could be skilled or unskilled, and it bodes ill for Oedipus that he is so quick to disregard it in favor of his own native wit. [See Note 2] By Shakespeare’s day, the practice had long been relegated to the realm of outdated hocus-pocus, but the Bard still saw some truth in it; in Macbeth, there is a recurring sense that, when the world is sick with some great wrong, its first symptoms manifest in the behavior of birds. When the “fatal bellman” the owl shrieks in the night, Lady Macbeth takes it as a sign that her husband is about his bloody business. The day after the murder of Duncan, as Ross converses with an Old Man about the strange things they’ve seen the previous night, “unnatural/Even as the deed that’s done”, the killing of a falcon by a mousing-owl–an omen straight out of Sophocles–is mentioned before the madness and cannibalism of Duncan’s horses, even though the latter would surely be more immediately noticeable and ghastly than the former.
These are the most obvious examples of birds as ill omens in Macbeth; yet even the more innocuous invocations of birds throughout the rest of the play continually turn our thoughts back to the ancient Greek understanding of fate and prophecy, and thereby remind us that, however savagely he may fight at Dunsinane, Macbeth’s fate is as fixed as that of Oedipus. The birds have already foretold all.
Note 1: The closest thing there is to this kind of fatalness in another Shakespearean tragedy is the several superstitious occurrences in Julius Caesar–both the soothsayer’s message of “Beware the ides of March” and the bestial portents such as the lack of a heart in an offering and the whelping of a lioness in the streets. Still, I will insist that these omens do not convey a sense of fatedness to the audience as strongly as the Weird Sisters in Macbeth by virtue of their being told to Caesar himself, not to Brutus, the play’s true protagonist, and by the fact that Shakespeare elsewhere uses dialogue to throw some doubt upon the idea of predestination: "Men at some times are masters of their fates:/The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,/But in ourselves, that we are underlings." -I.ii
Note 2: The Liddell-Scott Greek Lexicon identifies at least two separate verbs referring to bird-based divination, both of which are present in the quoted passages: Tiresias uses ορνϊθοσκοπέομαι, observe birds, interpret their flight and cries, while Oedipus uses οιωνίζομαι, take omens from the flight and cries of birds. The latter term comes from οιωνος, a large bird, bird of prey, such as a vulture or eagle, and so distinguished from a common bird, while the former comes from ορνις, which more generally refers to a bird, including birds of prey and domestic fowls. Birds of both kinds are present in Macbeth; there are οιωναι, such as the “falcon, towering in her pride of place”, as well as ορνες, like the Porter’s goose and cock. I therefore see little value in interrogating the kinds of birds invoked by Shakespeare, the specific cultural associations and significance of the owl, the raven, or the wren; rather, if we reduce them down to their barest existence as birds, animals of the class Aves, and consider them in an ancient Greek light, then things become a bit clearer.

A short Zuihitsu poem I strung together for the monthly prompt, "New and Old".
Morning. Monday. The sun peeks between the cracks of my window blinds, spilling out onto my floor. He’s tentative – he’d rather not wake me too strenuously, but I have to get out of bed.
A boy wanders under a freeway – aimless, he is – with his little brown eyes surveying the rubbled ground. It’s dark and noisy and clammy down here, but a flash of silver jumps out to grab ahold of his flashlight and yank him its way.
I haven’t forgotten anything, have I? Keys, coat, wallet; I’m always on a time crunch even when I’m not.
Drive to work: upbeat, perfervid, vivacious.
The fork the boy picks up is antique, ancient, like it’d been dumped straight out of a tear in time into the wrong era. It tries to speak to him and tell him all about its endeavors, but the rust coating it muffles its voice.
I’m wearing a new suit today; I bought it a little while back, although the saleswoman wasn't so sure I could afford it. Well, I proved her wrong – and as I traipse into the office with as much vigor as I can muster, I wonder if any of my colleagues will comment on it.
My old suit was tiresome and down-at-the-heels. It pioneered for a great while and served its purpose grand and supplemental – I rescued a dog in it, I was promoted in it, I tore a hole in it.
“I mean, it’s corroded–
No one has a lick to say to me about my new suit, but I linger patiently for it anyway – an offhanded quip or a, “hey, nice suit”. I spend the day waiting for something that doesn’t want to arrive.
Had to get that hole stitched up, by the way. It was a whole lot of trouble. I’d hired this old babushka to do it, but she wouldn’t stop giving me dirty looks, as if I did something to offend her. Maybe I looked at one of her thousand cats the wrong way, or pushed open the door to her abode too loudly.
The boy carries his fork all the way home like a lost kitten. He steals – borrows, more accurately – his parent’s tools so he can polish it up all mutton-fisted. For hours upon end, he scrapes away at the rust, fleck by fleck, until the fork's voice isn’t so stifled.
Drive to home: dreary, tedious, toilworn.
–and what’s so great about a used-up fork, anyway? You might as well throw it away and buy a new one, you know? I wouldn’t go through all that trouble.”
As soon as I’m home, I take off my new suit. I place it in the wash. Run a cycle; squeaky clean. I crawl into bed.
His parents remark about the fork that night when the boy uses it to eat dinner. He should sell it off at a pawnshop, they’d simultaneously said; he’ll fetch a good price for it. He argues otherwise. It’s pretty and besides, finders, keepers!
Anyway, I ended up throwing out that old suit. I grew weary and bored of it.
Morning. Tuesday. The sun bulldozes through the cracks of my window blinds, pouring out onto my floor. He’s unabashed – he wants me to know loud and clear I have to get out of bed and wear my suit again.

What is it with the Irish and digging? I asked my shovel knee deep in the garden Digging space for dog who couldn’t dig anymore. I couldn’t really handle a spade, just like my old man, we struggled away in turns and old clothes.
weak after forty minutes of cutting rock and clay. I stopped a few inches short of four foot and rested but had to resume the position; working to a deadline.
I kept digging. I wasn’t sure whether It was sweat or rain on my skin but I removed my jumper for the moisture. The roots in the hole’s side drew blood and tears scratching my bare arms as I delved in to scoop up more soil.
I kept digging. Half expecting to uncover bones, treasure or even turf but continuing I shook hands with the endless hard clay.
Dog went fifteen minutes later, in pain but relatively peaceful. It was the first time I saw death happen in my twenty four years.
Tiny Red breasted vultures now congregated around the hole looking for worms. We put dog in a throw and I put her in place
mother hugged brother as mourners do. Teary eyed father in a fitting role delivered a short, stoic sermon before I resumed the part of custodian and filled the hole.
I couldn’t stop for rest I couldn’t even think about my task. Longing to swap my compatriot spade for a squat pen or one more walk. I topped the mound off with her old kennel.
I’ve never been haunted before but hours later I can’t forget the smell of her final moments, I hope the memory of that smell leaves me alone.
What is it with the Irish and digging? I read the poem that evening, I could no longer see the romance in digging, repetitive, joyless a thankless task. I almost resented my pen. this turf to my clay these potatoes to my rocks. Heaney’s unsung heroes to my little role that morning, gravedigger.

Aside from signposts, the ancient glade poem is one of very few places in the game where text is visible without opening a dialog box. The fact that it also shows up at the eye of the universe makes it seem like it should be pretty important, but I never really got a sense of what it was trying to communicate during my playthrough. It seemed like flavor text in a game that makes a great effort to only provide actionable information to the player
More recently though, I was thinking about Outer Wilds' non-linear storytelling and realized the poem might be intended as a metaphor. Take a look at this quote from Alex Beachum in The Making of Outer Wilds (9:20)

Early on the idea for the structure of the game was that we were going to have these four major secret locations. They were each going to answer a major question about the world that we were going to try to get players curious about

I could definitely be wrong about the specifics, but I interpret these four locations, and their secrets, as being:

• The Ash Twin Project tells you the Nomai attempted but failed to find the eye of the universe with a time loop
• The Sixth Location tells you the eye of the universe is the source of macroscopic quantum mechanics
• The Ruptured Core tells you ghost matter killed the Nomai
• The Vessel tells you the universe is ending

Perhaps one of these should be replaced with the probe tracking module
Regardless, the cool thing about Outer Wilds' story is that the narrative you experience is made up of those four specific parts, but the order in which you encounter those parts is unique to your playthrough. It's a pretty incredible achievement to create a story that can be rearranged to create multiple different narratives that all ultimately tell the same story
And that's where I realized that's exactly what the poem is - four interchangeable parts that each tell a different narrative, but ultimately communicate the same meaning

• In the ancient glade
• Across old bark
• The quiet shade
• It's always dark

After listening to TTPD, I really wanted to put the songs in chronological order, and then I got a little carried away and added in other albums to fit the theme of her relationship with Joe to Matty. This is exhaustive, so pardon my indulgence, though I’m sure that there could be even more to add or edit! Keep in mind that these songs are also not in order of album release, but it’s my thoughts on chronology and how her music reflected the timeline. Some of the songs might’ve been written before they were released, as well.
So, here's my draft/attempt at a chronological playlist:

1. The Mastermind - this is the first song in the timeline to me. It gives the history of how she and Joe met, even if it’s a kind of hindsight view.
2. London Boy - Obviously about Joe, reads as a “first sight” kind of song – very superficial, describes Joe. Something cutesy that a high school girl would write about her crush.
3. Delicate - This song is her reflection on her current state of mind, kind of a warning to Joe or an admission to him of what state she’s in. She’s asking him to help her through it, but her heart is delicate, the situation is delicate.
4. Call it What you Want - This is the response to Delicate and how Joe accepted her and supported her through the whole Kanye/Kim fiasco and her perception of her reputation/state of being.
5. Don’t Blame Me - Girl was getting it Good from JA. References to JA being her "drug."
6. Dress - Hot/Heavy early stages of the relationship. Still getting it good. This is like the peak of their relationship…or as some could say…the climax? Sorry.
7. Lover - Sweet love song/ballad for JA. Feels more settled and ready to commit to something solid.
8. Paper Rings - Happy upbeat love song for JA, thinking marriage?
9. Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince - After the new glow of the relationship, she really starts showing some anxiety about their relationship. Seemed hot and heavy and all loved-up in the beginning. Was this song a warning?
10. Cornelia Street - The anxiety of the JA relationship, another connection to London as his metaphor.
11. The Great War - It’s been speculated that they were off/on more than we know. Seems it got a little tumultuous.
12. New Year’s Day - Always read to me as a “make up song.” Feels sad, and also expressing that no matter what happens, she wants to be there for him/vice versa.
13. Lavender Haze - This one always read to me as TS gaslighting herself into not wanting to be married, and forcing herself to stay in a Lavender Haze. She wanted the relationship to be more than it was; she was living in a daydream or haze. A little drug reference here, I think, too -- she has drugged herself or wanted to be in that haze.
14. Tolerate It - I think this song expresses how she felt about her life being this big glamorous famous thing, and Joe wrote it all off or dismissed it.
15. Cardigan - She writes in TTPD about kind of feeling discarded or dismissed. I think Cardigan reflects that, too.
16. You’re Losing Me - Written as a warning toward the end of the relationship.
17. Guilty as Sin - Mentally moving on, grasping onto someone else or the fantasy of it as her relationship dies. She’s built up Matty as a thing that could save her – she’s moving on mentally and ready to jump, but only because she thinks there’s someone waiting for her to do so.
18. Say Don’t Go - Relationship is dying, giving it one last shot.
19. The 1 - Sad regrets at the end.
20. So Long London - Saying goodbye officially to “London,” lots of repeated places from London Boy and Cornelia Street.
21. The Black Dog - Mourning the end of the relationship, watching him move on.
22. Bejeweled - We saw her kind of swing into super fun happy “going to live it up” after being closed off – this was her revisiting her life without JA holding her back.
23. Fresh Out the Slammer - Running to the guy she fantasized about in “Guilty as Sin?”
24. The Tortured Poet’s Department - Her relationship with Matty.
25. But Daddy I Love Him - Reaction to fans and naysayers about her relationship – she was all in.
26. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - the “maybe I can’t” at the end is her realizing that he isn’t living up to her fantasy of him.
27. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys / The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived / Fortnight- These talk about the end of that relationship and how she felt discarded after the whirlwind of her tryst with Matty. Fortnight alludes to a move-on drug.
28. Down Bad - What happened after he left and her experience of being love-bombed.
29. Loml - I think this is her finally coming to terms with her real “should’ve been” JA relationship, and she’s also mourning the loss of Matty and the fantasy she built around him.
30. Smallest man Who Ever Lived / Imgonnagetyouback - Dichotomy of how she felt about Matty after their relationship.
31. How Did It End? - Her expressing a lot of anxiety about how people view her relationship. After something ends, it’s easy to feel embarrassed or ashamed that other people are just going to view you as a failure.
32. Florida!!! - Daydreaming about escaping and running away from your problems / people's judement -- waiting out the "sh!tstorm," letting your past die in the swamp, move on and become someone new. Looking to use "florida" as a drug to move on / get over it / bandaid.
33. I Can Do it With a Broken Heart - Still had to perform amidst all of this!
34. The Alchemy - Accepting her experience (maybe even becoming that someone new from "Florida!!!"). I think this song is more about her performing and a loveletter to her fans – she’s back, baby. Maybe there are some Travis references in there, but I think this is her reclaiming herself and picking up the pieces. This time, her drug is being the "heroine."

Wondering if anyone can relate to this...
I feel like my brain is fighting between trying to be rational and logical and it is scared to death and that I need to protect myself from potential threats. It feels like I am so scared to the point that I don't care if it means I am isolated and if I hurt people because it feels like I need to protect myself at all costs from the potential of being harmed or taken advantage of.
It is really difficult differentiating between people who are genuinely kind and potential abusers and there are times I assume everyone is evil and fantasizes about hurting me and I end up getting flight or fight responses really easily and start lashing out at people.
I feel like crying. I hate feeling like this. Every single day I constantly have paranoia that I am going to run into my dad having commit suicide in front of me to make sure I hurt as much as possible from it, or that my friends find enjoyment out of my suffering and want to reduce me to their own entertainment and that my experiences are not valuable unless it is beneficial to them in the form of dopaminergic activities. Whenever I walk around my house I am scared that behind the closed doors is a hanging body so I try really hard to not look.
I feel like.. people don't actually care about the mentally ill. Because if someone is not a "good" mentally ill person they are free range in terms of harassment and becoming entertainment fodder and gossip material for people.
The same people I want to protect are also the same people I get concerned over that I might have to one day defend myself in a life or death situation and that no matter who it is I have to do it or i'll die.
I don't know how I am supposed to have faith in myself anymore.. people lose their faith in people like me. I feel so miserable all the time I really wish it was easy as "just stop. just be happy. stop being depressed." fuck man..
I feel like a animal. I feel like a scared animal and I hate it. I am way too sensitive about this kind of shit..
I spent my whole life with people who hurt me and it is so hard to believe that people who don't want to hurt me even exist. It doesn't make it any easier when the belief is proven time and again with actual evidence that, if you are a certain type of mentally ill- no matter how much you are suffering, you will be judged, blamed, harassed, and beaten down.
It is so difficult acting in a way that is deemed as comfortable for others when I have no control over my feelings. I don't believe in myself at all. I don't know what to do anymore. It feels so easy to just switch from rationality to simple minded animalistic "I need to protect myself".
I wish someone could tell me it wasn't my fault, that they could see i'm trying my best, and that I need help. I wish someone could reassure me that they know I don't want to be like this, that I don't want to hurt people. I wish someone could let me know they see a good person in me and I act the way I do because I am hurting.. that there is still hope for me and I can get better.
I am scared of suicide.. I saw this video talking about addiction, and how addiction is a slow suicide. And I thought, yea.. i'm too scared to do anything quickly. So the thought of giving myself a alcohol addiction, or something else I just... I want to stop hurting really bad. If it made others want to hang out with me i'd do it. Maybe i'd be a happier better person under the influence, maybe things wouldn't feel so scary... it could be the opposite too I guess...
I feel like I am so convinced that there is nothing valuable about me. Even I can't find love for myself. I hate what I see in the mirror, I hate witnessing how I act and interact with the world. The body I am in, and the thoughts it has... it is a poisonious experience. I feel myself dying every day. I feel like my body is slowly shutting down every day.
My heart has been hurting lately, I get tightness often and random chest, kidney, and stomach pains. It has been getting harder to breath lately, to the point I can barely speak. Whenever I try to talk it is in a whisper because I can barely get any air out. I am getting surges of dizzyness more often, I feel like I am going to pass out more often.. I have been so paranoid that I might get a heart attack with the chest pains and difficulty breathing. I'm so scared and I have no one to call, no one to ask for a hug, no one to tell me things are going to be ok...
I'm so scared I am watching myself dying. I know I am a suicidal person but i'm scared. I'm scared my body is breaking apart. My memory problems have been getting worse. I often find myself forgetting what I am thinking and I feel confused and lost and unable to ground myself. I am scared if it keeps getting this bad there is going to be a point in my life where I lose consciousness even if the body continues to function.
I've had the worst eczema flareup in my entire life. It has covered my entire feet and started to spread up my legs. It is miserable every single day. I had a severe trich episode and I am practically balding at this point and everytime I look in the mirror there is so much shame in what I see because I feel like I am looking at someone who is completely unlovable and has no value. My body is in so much pain.
It doesn't help I get scared that if my anxiety gets any worse, if my stress gets any worse, I will legitimately have a heart attack and I am scared about experiencing that kind of pain or dying unable to get help. Whenever I sleep it is like I am hyper aware of the chest pains and tightness and feeling the blood squirm its way in and out of every pulse and it hurts. My bones hurt, my muscles hurt, all of it hurts. I feel like if I don't focus all my attention on how to breath i'll just stop and suffocate.
I feel like I have been stripped of my humanity.. I feel like no one would ever empathize with me or love me because I would not be considered human at this point. I feel like I have been reduced to a animal.
Luck plays such a huge factor in how your life ends up... people want to pretend things like karma and a greater justice exists but it really doesn't.
I need to keep taking my anxiety medications for I don't stress out but simultaneously I wonder if it is killing me.
Google likes to scare alot. It doesn't help it is difficult to trust my own feelings and thoughts. I can't tell when I am overreacting or not. There is so much information saying I am more susceptible to developing a schizospec disorder than most... I really hope I am just paranoid. I want to believe I am just paranoid. I mean, other people with DPDR and PTSD have had these same anxieties.. I really want that to be the case.
But a family relative who has schizophrenia, growing up with severe trauma, growing up with DPDR and paranoid thinking I just....
I don't want to think about this anymore. I already know how much evil humans have. If a person with dementia is in fear for their life plenty of caregivers will get frustrated and abuse them. It doesn't matter anymore.. if I lose myself people are going to hurt me. They already have. They'll see me living a nightmare and they will still put that blame on me. No one is ever going to love me. No one is ever going to protect me. No one will ever make me feel safe. I'm going to die being scared for my life.
Sometimes I wish people would give me the same care and understanding that people who take in abused cats and dogs would.. even if I was scratching, biting, and screaming I wish they'd understand I am doing it for a reason. I wish they'd see the value in calming me down anyways.
Simultaneously I know that no one is obligated to save me, or help me, or comfort me... I know that. I know.. I know nobody has that responsibility. No one should. And if I care about my friends, I need to be understanding that they are allowed to leave whenever. At the very least, through all my issues, the least I can do is just let them go and respect them for it.
I don't want to be a stepping stool for other people's self worth... I hate myself so much already.
I don't want people to say I didn't try at my funeral. I wish people would say they knew I put so much effort into getting better, that I wanted a happy life just like anyone else, that I wanted to live.
Nobody even knows me. I've been isolated for too long.. nobody is going to cry for me. If I am just another example of natural selection taking its course and weeding out the weak, then I wish I wasn't sentient to begin with. This is too much. I don't want to be conscious through this existential dread.
You know what sucks is, there have been many times in my life where I try to make people laugh. I try to make them happy. Somehow, I mess that up too. I make people feel awkward, uncomfortable, or angry instead. My ignorance leads to punishment and blame, and I have to take this burden everytime. I'm so tired.
I feel like my brain is wrong. It isn't good enough. It's broken and bad. It doesn't know how to function in a pleasing way. I think people enjoy putting me down. That was the role I was molded into. It is the one everyone subconsciously wants to keep me in.
I think everyone is secretly trying to nudge this idea towards me that, they want me to isolate. But they rather not say it in my face, because their pride matters too much. They want all of it, because it wasn't enough. So the responsibility is placed on me.. and the blame is put on me... it is for everyone else's sake.
I guess that is what a good disease should do. Why should a bacteria even reach out to anyone. They just spread hurt and alot of sickness. If I was a sickness that cared I wouldn't try so hard to reach out, I wouldn't succumb to socialization. If I was good i'd let myself die out, alone, without anyone caring...
...
I don't know what determines good anyway... to be honest.. it is giving myself too much optimism in a reality where, there are only two options.
If you die alone you won't bother others, but you won't ever be remembered, and you will be told it was a expectation and you are supposed to do it without reward. Just die, leave, and do it in a quiet way so it doesn't bother anyone. Make sure you die in a place where no one has to clean the body either, or smell it, or have to deal with it at all.. please make it as comfortable as possible, for the superior species who will survive and live out everyone. Natural selection is saying stop trying so hard, you aren't ever going to be the person you want to be, so get it over with. Stop whining about reward or having people love you, just go... stop being a burden.
If I live I guess as a sickness I will just bother others. I don't value myself enough to see the worth in that. What is the point in standing up for myself or taking care of myself. It is not like I matter more than anyone else. I don't matter at all. I am just a inconvenient, stubborn existence.
I'm a villain, or I am forgotten.
I wish I could wake up. I hope I can. I hope I can wake up and realize it was a nightmare, and that I have parents who love me. I wish I could cry and run over to them and tell me it's ok, we love you, everything is going to be ok.
Nobody really understand what they're talking about if they say "everyone has inherent value". It ignores things like appearance that you have 0 control over, things like being raised in a enviornment that has taught you how to act and present yourself to the world. It ignores genetics and dna you have no control over, no say in. It ignores that, at the end of it all there is no free will- it was all predetermined, and that you were predetermined to be hated. If you are lucky enough, maybe your brain had a backup plan to be capable of rewiring itself into a acceptable existence. If you don't have that backup plan, if everything is too broken, if the foundation is built with rotting materials- you're doomed, and people will hate you for it. They'll tell you with confidence, "It's your fault how this turned out. Why can't you be like other people?".
Maybe because that person was given the right materials to make a strong reliable long lasting house. Maybe because that person was lucky enough to have been given support from the beginning, people who would help them build their life so they wouldn't have to do it alone. Maybe it is because the soil was good and perfect to be built on. They got lucky, they got a good life without asking for it. Then they will be praised for making so much good out of it, that they 'worked hard'. No. They were given the right tools to be able to make the things they did.
People like me don't get metaphorical advantages like that. I get materials that are rotting away, and tools that break apart, and soil so toxic it breaks away everything it touches, leaving my house sinking into the earth. I will keep trying, because I have to, I have to. I have to try and rebuild everything, all the time. But I don't have any helping hands, I don't have anyone cheering me on. I don't have people telling me they can tell I am working hard, because they are too enamored by the mansion that someone else has. What worth is a house made of dirt that keeps falling apart?
I hate simplistic answers.
I hate when people assume that the only way to move forward is to put the blame on me, to insult me, to tell me that it should simply come naturally to me and I should know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make others smile, I don't know how to make others feel like I am worth being around. I wish people would stop telling me, "It's easy. You just aren't trying hard enough."
Will I die, having no one ever recognize that I have been doing my best? When is someone going to tell me, "You're doing enough. You are doing more than enough. You've been working hard, I can see that. Even if things keep falling apart, i'll be with you to cheer you on and help you through it. I know things can get better for you, you just need someone to believe in you."
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck I hate this I hate this I hate this

The War Scroll, also known as the "War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness," is a unique text within the Dead Sea Scrolls that portrays an apocalyptic battle between the forces of good (Sons of Light) and evil (Sons of Darkness). This scroll provides insight into both historical and symbolic elements.
Historical Accuracy:
The War Scroll, while containing detailed military tactics and an epic narrative of the ultimate confrontation, doesn't explicitly reference any specific historical event or timeframe. Some scholars believe it could be a product of the community's anticipation of a future messianic conflict or a reflection of their own community's struggles against opposing forces during their time. Interpreting the historical accuracy of the scroll often involves exploring the context of the Qumran community and the turbulent times in which they lived.
Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom:
The War Scroll goes beyond a mere description of a physical battle. It portrays a cosmic conflict between the forces of light and darkness, reflecting not just a literal warfare but also a symbolic and spiritual struggle. The text emphasizes righteousness, divine intervention, and the victory of good over evil.
Within the study guide, activities and exercises could involve dissecting the symbolic elements present in the War Scroll, exploring the deeper meanings behind the battle tactics and the metaphysical implications of the conflict. Understanding the symbolism could involve group discussions, comparative analysis with other ancient texts with similar themes, and exploring the impact of this symbolic representation on the community's beliefs and practices.
Here are a few activities and exercises to explore the symbolism and historical context of the War Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls:

1. Symbolism Analysis:

Provide excerpts from the War Scroll and encourage participants to identify and discuss the symbolic meanings behind elements like the "Sons of Light" and the "Sons of Darkness," various weapons, and the strategies outlined for battle. Group discussions or written reflections can help participants explore the deeper layers of meaning.

1. Comparative Analysis:

Compare the War Scroll's themes with similar apocalyptic or eschatological texts from different cultures or religions, such as apocalyptic passages in the Book of Revelation in the Christian Bible or apocalyptic texts from other ancient traditions. Create worksheets or discussion prompts to highlight similarities and differences in themes, symbols, and beliefs about cosmic battles.

1. Historical Context Exploration:

Present historical information about the era when the Dead Sea Scrolls were written. Discuss the political, social, and religious climate of that time, including the turmoil in the region, to understand how these factors might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll. Encourage participants to consider the possible motivations behind the text's creation.

1. Creative Interpretation:

Encourage creative expression by asking participants to create artwork, poems, or short stories inspired by the themes and imagery found in the War Scroll. This exercise allows individuals to engage more deeply with the symbolic elements and interpret them in their own unique ways.

1. Role-playing or Debates:
   Organize a role-playing activity where participants take on the roles of "Sons of Light" and "Sons of Darkness," debating their ideologies, motivations, and strategies for the ultimate battle. This exercise helps in understanding differing perspectives and interpreting the conflicts presented in the scroll.
   

Interpretative variations regarding the river's crossing in different ancient texts reflect the unique religious, philosophical, and cultural perspectives embedded within these narratives. These differences in interpretation offer insights into diverse worldviews and varying theological frameworks present in ancient texts:

1. Mesopotamian Context:

• In Mesopotamian mythology and literature, the Euphrates River often held symbolic significance as a boundary between the known civilized world and the wild, unknown realms. The crossing of the Euphrates could symbolize journeys into unexplored territories or transitions between order and chaos. This perspective reflects a worldview rooted in the physical and geographical division of lands.

1. Biblical Context:

• In biblical texts, such as those in the Book of Revelation or Old Testament prophecies, the crossing of the Euphrates carries eschatological significance. It may represent a divine intervention or a decisive moment in God's plan, marking the commencement of apocalyptic events. This interpretation aligns with the biblical narrative of divine judgment and the unfolding of God's ultimate purpose in history.

1. Gnostic or Apocryphal Context:

• Gnostic or apocryphal texts often interpret the river's crossing as a symbolic liberation or awakening. It might signify the release of spiritual forces or the ascent to higher consciousness, reflecting a philosophical perspective emphasizing spiritual enlightenment and liberation from material constraints.

1. Greco-Roman Interpretation:

• In Greco-Roman literature, crossings of rivers were often associated with mythological journeys or transitions between realms. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize a transition from mundane existence to a realm of mystery or spiritual significance, reflecting a cultural perspective rooted in mythology and cosmology.

These varied interpretations highlight the richness and diversity of religious, philosophical, and cultural frameworks present in ancient texts. The river's crossing serves as a flexible symbol that adapts to different narratives, conveying themes of transition, judgment, liberation, or cosmic transformation based on the unique perspectives of each tradition.
Exploring these interpretative variations allows participants to appreciate the complexity of symbolism within ancient texts and provides insights into how different cultures and belief systems interpreted common motifs like the river Euphrates. It showcases the intricate interplay between religious, philosophical, and cultural elements shaping the symbolism and theological implications embedded in these narratives.
The river Euphrates, a prominent geographic feature in ancient texts, embodies universal themes that transcend specific cultural contexts. Identifying these universal themes helps reveal shared human concepts of transition, boundaries, and transformative events across diverse ancient traditions:

1. Threshold and Transition:

• The Euphrates often symbolizes a boundary between known and unknown territories. Its crossing represents a transition from one state to another, signifying a pivotal moment of change or passage. This theme of crossing a threshold echoes the human experience of transitions in life, moving from familiar to unfamiliar realms.

1. Boundary and Separation:

• As a geographical boundary, the Euphrates signifies separation between distinct territories or civilizations. This concept of demarcation resonates with universal human experiences of setting boundaries, delineating spaces, or marking divisions between different aspects of life.

1. Transformative Events:

• Crossing the Euphrates is often associated with cosmic or transformative events in ancient texts. This universal theme reflects the human fascination with the concept of epochal change, cosmic upheavals, or moments of divine intervention that reshape the course of history.

1. Symbol of Power and Control:

• The river might represent a symbol of power, control, or geopolitical significance. Crossing it could signify shifts in dominance, challenges to established authority, or the assertion of influence. This theme resonates with human narratives of power struggles and shifts in societal dynamics.

1. Metaphor for Spiritual Journeys:

• Across cultures, rivers are often used metaphorically to represent spiritual journeys or quests. The crossing of the Euphrates might symbolize the pursuit of enlightenment, the passage to higher realms of understanding, or the quest for spiritual transformation.

These universal themes associated with the river Euphrates highlight fundamental aspects of the human experience—transitions, boundaries, transformative events, power dynamics, and spiritual journeys. The river's symbolism in ancient texts speaks to shared human aspirations, struggles, and beliefs that transcend cultural boundaries and resonate across different epochs and civilizations.
By identifying and discussing these universal themes, participants gain a deeper appreciation for the profound symbolism embedded in ancient texts and recognize the timeless relevance of concepts such as transition, boundaries, and transformative events in shaping human narratives and aspirations.

1. Historical Context:

• What historical events or societal conditions might have influenced the composition of the War Scroll?
  
• How does the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contribute to our understanding of this text's significance?
  

1. Symbolism and Esoteric Wisdom:

• How does the War Scroll use symbolism to convey spiritual or cosmic themes?
  
• What esoteric wisdom or deeper spiritual insights can be derived from the portrayal of cosmic conflict and divine intervention within the text?
  

1. Comparative Analysis:

• Compare the themes and symbolism of the War Scroll with other apocalyptic texts from different cultures (e.g., Book of Revelation, The Book of Daniel). What common motifs or differences in interpretation do you observe?

1. Parallelism in Biblical Texts:

• Explore connections between the War Scroll and other biblical texts. How does the language, imagery, or themes in the War Scroll intersect with passages from the Hebrew Bible or New Testament?

1. Community Beliefs and Practices:

• How might the apocalyptic expectations depicted in the War Scroll have influenced the beliefs and practices of the community that produced it?
  
• Discuss the impact of such intense anticipation of cosmic conflict on communal life and religious rituals within the community.
  

1. Cultural Significance of Cosmic Battles:

• Across various ancient cultures, why do you think depictions of cosmic battles and eschatological events were significant? What might these narratives represent in a broader cultural context?

1. Interpretive Variations and Unique Perspectives:

• Explore the diverse interpretations of specific passages or symbols within the War Scroll. How do different scholars or traditions interpret these elements, and what underlying factors might influence their interpretations?

1. Personal Reflection and Modern Relevance:

• Reflect on how the themes of cosmic conflict, righteousness, and spiritual warfare in the War Scroll might resonate in contemporary society or personal belief systems.

1. Theological and Philosophical Implications:

• Discuss the theological and philosophical implications of a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness. How does this theme intersect with broader philosophical inquiries or theological doctrines?

1. Literary and Symbolic Analysis:

- Analyze the narrative structure and symbolic elements present in specific passages of the War Scroll. How do these elements contribute to the text's overarching themes and meanings? 

These study questions aim to provoke critical thinking, promote in-depth exploration of themes, encourage comparative analysis, and stimulate discussions on the multifaceted nature of the War Scroll's content and its significance within ancient and contemporary contexts.

1. Archaeological and Linguistic Analysis:

- How does the physical condition of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, impact our understanding of their preservation and historical context? - Discuss the linguistic peculiarities or unique textual features found within the War Scroll and their implications for translation and interpretation. 

1. Apocalyptic Expectations and Messianic Concepts:

- Explore the portrayal of messianic figures or anticipated saviors within the War Scroll. How do these concepts align with or diverge from contemporary expectations of a messianic figure in other ancient texts or religious traditions? 

1. Impact of Apocalyptic Literature:

- Analyze the enduring influence of apocalyptic literature, such as the War Scroll, on subsequent religious, literary, or cultural traditions. How have these texts shaped later beliefs or inspired artistic and literary works? 

1. Ethical and Moral Frameworks:

- Discuss the ethical or moral implications of the cosmic conflict depicted in the War Scroll. How do the themes of righteousness and wickedness contribute to the text's underlying moral framework? 

1. Role of Prophecy and Revelation:

- Explore the role of prophecy and revelation within the War Scroll. How do the prophetic elements contribute to the text's portrayal of future events and cosmic justice? 

1. Experiential and Ritualistic Elements:

- Investigate potential ritualistic or experiential dimensions associated with the teachings or beliefs conveyed in the War Scroll. How might the community have engaged with these teachings in their religious practices or communal activities? 

1. Literary Genre and Interpretation:

- Discuss the classification of the War Scroll within the broader genre of apocalyptic literature. How does its classification influence our understanding and interpretation of its themes and symbolic elements? 

1. Relevance in Modern Scholarship:

- Reflect on the ongoing scholarly debates or discoveries related to the War Scroll. How have modern interpretations evolved, and what implications do these new perspectives have on our understanding of the text? 

1. Intersection of Faith and Scholarship:

- Consider the interplay between faith-based interpretations and scholarly analyses of the War Scroll. How might religious convictions or theological frameworks influence academic research and vice versa? 

1. Future Research and Interpretative Avenues:

- Propose potential avenues for future research or areas of exploration concerning the War Scroll. What unanswered questions or unexplored aspects merit further investigation? 

The composition of the War Scroll, along with other Dead Sea Scrolls, was likely influenced by several historical events and societal conditions prevalent during the time of its writing, which is estimated to be between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE:

1. Hellenistic Rule and Cultural Influence:

• The region where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found was under Hellenistic influence due to the conquests of Alexander the Great and the subsequent control by the Seleucid Empire. This era saw a clash between Hellenistic culture and Jewish traditions, leading to cultural tensions and a desire to preserve religious and cultural heritage.

1. Political Turmoil and Resistance Movements:

• The Jewish people experienced political unrest, particularly during the Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule. This period was characterized by resistance movements, attempts to preserve Jewish identity, and fervent anticipation of a messianic figure to deliver them from foreign oppression.

1. Religious Sects and Spiritual Expectations:

• Various religious sects existed within Judaism, each with its own interpretations and expectations of messianic redemption, purity laws, and theological doctrines. The community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, often believed to be the Essenes, likely had distinctive theological beliefs and a strong apocalyptic worldview.

1. Anticipation of Cosmic Redemption:

• There was a widespread belief in the imminent arrival of a messianic figure or a divine intervention that would bring about cosmic redemption, ushering in an era of righteousness and divine rule. This anticipation of apocalyptic events and a cosmic battle between forces of light and darkness is reflected in the War Scroll's themes.

Regarding the historical context of the Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery, its significance lies in multiple facets:

1. Preservation of Ancient Texts:

• The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the War Scroll, provided an invaluable collection of ancient manuscripts that significantly expanded our understanding of ancient Jewish texts, religious beliefs, and the diversity of Jewish thought during the Second Temple period.

1. Insights into Jewish Sectarianism:

• The scrolls shed light on the diversity of beliefs and practices among Jewish sects during that time. Understanding the beliefs and expectations of the community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls helps contextualize the theological and apocalyptic themes present in the War Scroll.

1. Confirmation of Scriptural Accuracy:

• The Dead Sea Scrolls' discovery contributed to confirming the accuracy and preservation of certain biblical texts, highlighting the continuity of textual transmission across centuries and supporting the authenticity of biblical manuscripts.

1. Impact on Biblical Studies and Scholarship:

• The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized biblical studies, providing scholars with invaluable primary sources for studying ancient Judaism, the development of biblical texts, and the context in which these texts were composed.

The historical context of political upheaval, religious expectations, and the preservation of texts within the Dead Sea Scrolls contributes significantly to understanding the milieu in which the War Scroll was written. It provides a backdrop against which the themes of cosmic conflict, eschatological anticipation, and religious fervor within the War Scroll can be comprehended.

I don't understand why American and to some extend - anglophone writers decided that rhymes and meters are awful and should be left for little children, but I genuinely think that American poems are much worse for that. The extra constraints of a rigid meter and rhyming ends test a writer's creativity and forces them to use different words and unusual metaphors.
It is particularly puzzling, given that there are some great english poems out there. "Raven" by Edgar Alan Poe is a little formulaic-sounding IMO, but at the same time it is a beautiful poem, and meter is a big part of its beauty. One cannot help but read it with a somber kind of rhythm to it. Here is an experiment - try to read this and see how you feel (changes are italicized):

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak October; And each separate dying coal wrought its ghost on the floor. Eagerly I wished the tomorrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Nameless here forever.

It sounds awful! What's even weirder is that sometimes I see a poem almost fill a meter, but then scoot away at the last moment. I am not even talking about deliberate broken meter, like "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats - I still don't like it but I understand it is meant to be broken - I am talking about where it feels like the author failed to write in a meter for no reason. I don't have a lot of examples ready to go, but here is one:

For all sad words of tongue and pen,

The saddest are these, 'It might have been'
It would have been so easy to just delete "these" and it would have - IMO - sounded so much better. Every now and then I listen to a song and get this same kind of "blunder" - and it ruins it for me every time. Please discuss!

1. Drones The strangest and most benign form of the zombie, although thankfully not the most rare, is the drone. Some people are defined by their jobs and metaphorically do not have a life outside of it , and in undeath this can become literal. The drone continues to perform the job it did in life to the best of its ability to the exclusion of all else. They retain their intelligence, but their minds become…limited and they lose creativity and imagination. A drone will not lift a finger to save someone getting ripped apart in front of them unless they’re a client, a customer, or in their custody or under their protection.
   
2. Screaming Speedies It’s runs fast and it screams when it spots prey, alerting other zombies. Not complicated.
   
3. Vegheads Zombies that eat plants instead of meat. Not benign. A horde can devour an entire orchard or field in a couple of hours. Famine on foot.
   
4. The diffusion Aiming for the head doesn’t work. You’ll have to hack it to pieces to kill it.
   
5. Glowies Zombies dipped in nuclear waste. They’ll kill you with radiation as well as their bites but they’re literally glowing so they’re easier to avoid.
   
6. Bloated Ticks These are not actually giant bloated undead bloodsucking ticks. This is the only thing about them that’s not disgusting. They’re hideously bloated decaying corpses that explode when they attack. Hard enough to do damage. They’re destroyed when they do this but that’s cold comfort when their spine just went through your skull.
   
7. Lovechunks The lovechunks is slightly more clever than the typical zombie and has am IQ about room temperature. They also don’t eat people. This does not render them harmless. Lovechunks want to “spread the love” and infect humans with whatever is causing the zombie outbreak. They’ll bite if they must but their preferred method is to vomit chunky bile into human mouths . They prefer to wait until people are asleep but they may wrestle a victim or beat them into unconsciousness if they can’t catch them that way.
   
8. Mercies Constantly crying zombies that have just enough selfawareness to realise what they are doing. They still need to feed but tend to kill as painlessly as they can. Suicidal survivors often seek them out.
   
9. Bagpipes Bloated with decomposition, multiple slits in their throat, these corpulant gas bags can inflate and then release a harsh air through their slit as a disonant and disorientingly loud chord.
   
10. Masterminds A rare strains who retained most of their sapience, boasting unnatural intelligence, and even being able to converse. They are picky eaters who prefer to feed on high INT creatures and are clever and sadistic enough to manipulate situations, other zombies and even survivors so they can feed their refined pallettes.
    
11. Preta usually formed from turned looters, these poor souls had their mind warped by the curse of undead gluttony and their own greed that they have a compulsion to consume currency and especially shiny gemstones. Their stomachs bloated and jingling with their haul.
    
12. Franks Their bodies act as capacitors and electricity literally courses through their veins. They still feed on humans, their tazer like attacks make feeding easier, but they are also drawn to sources of electricity to recharge. Like shelter generators.
    
13. Hydras Some bonds transcend even death. When a group of people turn, they may seek familiar arms for comfort. There they will lay, rotting and fusing not unlike the rat king, until the call of hunger gets strong enough and this shambling mound prowls through the night, moaning through multiple mouths.
    
14. Virophage Illness is a lesser brought up issue for survival but imagine being ill for all of your unlife. These pathetic, constantly sniffling wretches were turned while sick and their wracked bodies became the perfect breeding ground for a particularly strong airborne virus thats being called ZomFlu. They can disperse this virus in an area the size of a small neighborhood.
    
15. Spellcarved A necromancer has added glowing runes to this zombie's skin. When slain a spell will trigger. Stinking cloud and fireball are popular picks.
    
16. The Colossus A giant of a zombie. Built like a body builder on steroids. Their muscles have muscles.
    
17. The mannequin These zombies are ambush predators. They find mannequins and stand in among them. They wait for people to get close before they pounce on them.
    
18. Memorials The type of zombies from iZombie. They retain their whole personality and most of their appearance so long as they eat brains but are always at risk of going feral if they starve. Named them "Memorials" because of how they get the memories from the Brains they eat, so they serve as a remembrance to not just their former selves, but all the people they've eaten.
    
19. Kitbashes Not all deaths leave tidy corpses, and an infection (or whatever wild magic that may be causing zombies) can't be expected to know what a person was supposed to look like. Whether it's a single corpse or multiple fused together, the zombie phenomenon has fashioned this flesh into something that can move and infect, but could never pass as whatever species it was before undeath. Maybe what once was an arm is used as a leg, Ribs used as teeth, (dog) heads used as pincers.
    
20. Sleepers. These Zombies retain enough intelligence and appearance to pass as survivors, but have no long term memory. Usually they'll passively infect people with coughs, shared equipment, kisses; if found out, they're still capable of infecting with the more traditional bites once their Zombie Instincts kick in. They'll always forget what happens to the groups of survivors that took them in before; they don't know they're zombies, so they don't have to lie to the next group when they ask to be adopted. Zombies ignore them which is the easiest way to discover their condition apart from a cursory health exam.
    
21. The Lost These creatures are technically not zombies anymore, as they've been cured, but they've been zombies for so long that their minds are still like that. Zombies ignore them, they can’t be reinfected, and they can follow simple commands, but they’re about as bright as a particularly stupid dog and aren’t good for much more than carrying your stuff
    
22. The Grind These zombies are essentially aloof to anyone, stuck inhabiting the motions of their former lives, before they ultimately decay. You see them going about elements of their life, stuck in a cycle. Sometimes they're standing in front of a sink mimicking doing the dishes. Others walk around their yards in lawnmowing patterns. Others are seen walking the aisles of supermarkets, inspecting empty shelves. Still others are seen camped out on couches and in lounge chairs, watching static or broken tvs, while others sit at empty dining tables almost as if in conversation.
    
23. Regenerators Rare zombies gain the ability to steadily incorporate biological flesh into their own forms, instead of simply converting the life energy they contain into necrotic energy, they instinctively twist the consumed flesh into becoming part of themselves, in a parody of living, biological consumption.
    
24. The Screamers (Regenerator) Like Regenerators, these can shape their forms by consuming flesh. These gain flesh and hunt their prey by stunning them using highly focused necrotically-infused sonic screech-beams. Their rotting flesh warps to resemble that of a frog, sacs inflate on their neck before an attack.
    
25. Proto-Ghouls (Regenerator) They tend to consume fast-movers, zombies so fresh they haven't rotted away to shuffling mindlessness yet (and thus able to move fast and furiously), in addition to consuming their normal prey (the still-living). Because of the infusion of fresh necrotic energy from the fast-movers, live meat from normal prey, they develop beyond even fast-movers, their limbs often stretching into longer, sharper versions, and their necks extending and gaining great flexibility to both swallow their prey whole, and whip around to snatch it and prevent fleeing.
    
26. Tongue-Lashers (Regenerator) To facilitate prey-entrapment, these bloated parodies of toads transform much of their consumed flesh into massive, long, sticky tongues covered in nasty backward-facing, keratin-based spines. Tongues go out to about 30 feet at maximum extension. A single lick can seriously wound a living victim, infecting them, if they manage to escape, but more likely trapping them, as the tongue-spines grip strongly. They tend to not move fast, instead waiting for victims to come to them, and sit bloated upon the corpses they consume, digesting them slowly.
    
27. Rust-Tongues (Regenerator, Advanced Tongue-Lasher). Those Tongue-lashers that grow powerful and have consumed armored foes, metal weapons, or other metal objects begin to incorporate metal into their bodies, making them even more dangerous and difficult to destroy, and increasing threat range to 60 feet. It usually seems to imprint the metal on the tongue-spines, giving it a chain-saw like effect, and. The more metal, the slower they move, however.
    
28. Armored Rust-Tongue (Regenerator, Boss Tongue-Lasher) Having consumed massive quantities of metal-infused prey, their entire body has hardened and been reinforced by metal, making them slow, but giving them a massive 120 foot threat range on their tongues, as well as greatly increasing their natural armor. They even gain the abilities of rust-monsters as Legendary Actions.
    
29. Flesh Maiden Flat and mostly soft pieces of rotten flesh that move like ooze where the bones now serve as spikes, can grapple with the its former intestines and encase prey in a spiky ball. Can squeeze thought small places like grates.
    
30. Dau'das Blind but a great climber, navigates through superb sense of smell and hearing.
    
31. False vampire Decomposition has made this type look like a nosferatu, they weight very little and can sometimes soar downwards with wing-like skin under arms and legs.
    
32. Dusters (Elemental Dust) These dessicated zombies actively seek water and living creatures that consume water, and then explode in a cloud of noxious, stinking, contagion-laden spore-dust, as per the spell Stinking Cloud. They are vulnerable to Fire damage, but immune to Water based attacks, including Holy Water. Additionally, they bear the following ability: Death Burst: "The duster explodes when it drops to 0 hit points. Each creature within 20 feet of it must succeed on a Moderate DC Constitution saving throw or take (moderate) necrotic damage and become infected with a disease on a failed save. Creatures immune to the poisoned condition are immune to this disease. Spores invade an infected creature's system, giving them an unquenchable thirst (which takes effect within 1d6 hours of infection), making them vulnerable to fire-damage (within 1d6 hours of infection), and killing the creature in a number of days equal to 1d6 + the creature's Constitution score, unless the disease is removed. In half that time, the creature becomes poisoned for the rest of the duration. After the creature dies, it rises into a Duster, unless submerged in water, within 1d6 days.
    

Jason Alexander Coyle was dead… Again. Gods’ above this was such an inconvenience. And he hadn’t even managed to go out in some cool display of power and glory. Nooooo, he had died to a MOTHER… F***ING… DEMI-HUMAN. A GODS’ DAMNED GOBLIN of all things. The sheer audacity of it caused him to wallow in shame and seethe in rage. He closed his eyes and once more replayed the events leading up to his downfall. The disgusting little thing hadn’t even had the decency to best him in combat. No, that vile puss skinned whelp had played dead, then stabbed Jason in the back once the battle was over.

Grarothian Powder. Clever little shit. Cover yourself in that stuff and all Jason’s magically enhanced senses meant nothing. He should have known better. I mean, if no one could sense your vitals, what difference was there really between you and just another corpse littering the battlefield? How hadn’t he thought of something so simple? How had he been outsmarted by a goblin?!

The powder was a common enough anti magical tool in that world. A light layer was often applied to armor and weapons as a means to disperse the effects of magic. Strong enough to save you from an otherwise lethal direct hit of a lesser spell, it was more often more useful as a protection from splash effects of a fireball or other large area of effect spells. A nasty sunburn or a few bruised ribs tends to be more acceptable than third-degree burns or being impaled when your mate got turned into a dystopian bit of shrubbery or an ice sculpture. The problem is that once it does its job, the stuff crumbles away. So, most soldiers had taken to carrying around pouches of the stuff, reapplying it before making any mad dashes towards enemy spell casters.

It had been a work of absolute genius, or more likely dumb luck, that the creature had been coated in the stuff. Jason was hard pressed to believe that a sub sapient mongrel was smart enough to come up with such an elaborate plan. He further suspected luck, given that even wild animals knew to avoid heavy direct contact with the stuff, much less to risk ingesting it. Doing so caused a fast-acting cancer to take hold. He’d once had the unfortunate experience of seeing a street mutt be pelted with a full pouch of the stuff. Covered the dog in a heavy bit of powder, but also coated the food the pup had been feasting on. Poor bastard had been found dead the next morning. Apparently, it had developed multiple melon sized tumors in the twelve or so hours between when Jason had last seen it, and its body being found.

Then there was the matter of how the goblin had somehow managed to get its grubby little mitts on a Dathon Disrupter blade. Jason had little doubt the weapon was looted from one of the fallen kingdom soldiers. The maggot’s simplistic animal-like brain must have been captivated by how sparkly the blade was. If he understood goblins even half as well as he thought, the stupid little thing was probably straining its brain to understand that the thing it had picked up was both shiny, AND sharp. “Shiny made it valuable, and anything sharp was good for stabbing.” That was the extent of how deep the goblin's thinking went, Jason was sure.

Sure, if he had noticed the creature, the blade would have been useless against his omnidirectional invincibility. He’d seen much finer weapons shatter when they came into contact with his protective abilities. BUT, despite what people might think, all those superhuman protections had a stifling cost. And what kind of insane fool bothered to keep invincibility turned on when everyone who was anyone of importance in the area was deader than a doornail.

He could still remember the metallic iron taste in the back of his throat as his lungs had filled with blood. He’d of course tried to heal himself, but the disruptor had done its job. Jason’s ability to cast magic had been rendered entirely useless, the arcane energies coming apart as he tried to weave them into even the simplest of spells. The only small justice he could find in the situation was that the assailant had botched their landing. He could only assume the beast had thought the surprise would paralyze him, while he drowned in his own fluids. If that had been the first or even fifth time he’d died, the little monster would have been correct. The realization that you are dying, and there’s nothing you can do about it, was a hell of a thing to cope with. Lucky for Jason, you kind of got ‘better’ at handling the whole impending demise thing, after you’d faced death a dozen times.

The time bought from NOT having your life flash before your eyes, had given him just enough of an opportunity to land a heavy haymaker against the goblin. It wasn’t the cleanest of blows, but it still brought a smile to his face remembering the feeling of the creature’s bones breaking under his empowered fist. He wasn’t sure if it had been enough to kill the thing, but he did know that if it didn’t kill the goblin, it had at least permanently crippled the right side of the beast. Watching the goblin crumple, then begin to twitch, had been the best sight he could imagine as his world faded to blackness.

When he next opened his eyes, he was sitting in his usual seat within the Agency. The room was sparsely decorated, he’d never really seen the point in investing in decorations for a place that held such... complex, emotional significance. Much less a place that he did his best to spend as little time in as possible. Jason was a bit annoyed that his handler wasn’t present to greet him, but then she was never good at doing her job. Sighing, he leaned back in the chair and waited, he knew that she had been paged when he arrived, and he also knew the door wouldn’t open until he had submitted his mission summary.

Ruby had of course lost her metaphorical shit when Jason arrived back at the Agency. The bloody lush had laughed herself into a mini coma when she learned that a lowly goblin, using a glorified butter knife, had been the thing to bring Jason down. Gods, he hated her, no matter when he ran into her, she always reeked like she’d just gotten done bathing in a pool of liquor. He was still not really sure WHERE or HOW she got her hands on Earth booze. Plucking a soul from Earth was troublesome enough, but trying to get physical objects from the place? That was far beyond even Ruby’s power. He did know for a fact that it was Earth liquor, and not some kind of divine proximity, since he’d yet to find a single bar in the entirety of the Agency. Hell, he’d yet to find another being that even understood what alcohol was.

After recovering enough that she could breathe without wheezing, Ruby had gone ahead and made sure that the contract hadn’t been refunded due to Jason’s untimely demise. As luck would have it, it did appear that he had fulfilled just enough of the order so that the client could still be charged for services rendered. Which meant that Jason got his commission, a fair bit smaller than he would have liked after all the fees, but that was the cost one paid to subvert the usual limitations of a mortal body. Not that it mattered, that last job had finally put him over the top. After dozens upon dozens of quests, Jason had finally managed to scrape together enough to buy what he’d been lusting after since he first woke up in this shithole.

A mad smile curled on his lips, as he opened up the shop screen. Navigating through dozens of pages of bog-standard contracts, an asinine level of ads for luxury services, and more high-class cuisine than he could eat in a thousand thousand lifetimes, he finally found the loose thread he had been looking for. Dragging his finger along the lower left-hand side of the screen, he made a series of increasingly complex designs. With a click the screen faded away to a new darker overlay. Moving quickly, he bought the token he was looking for and slipped out of the system.

He’d stumbled across the dark site ages ago, while killing time between missions. The prices were exorbitant if not outright extortive in nature. But it did give one access to certain... choices that would not have otherwise been accessible via the normal shop. It was why Jason had bought the system admin privileges, he needed to access the real good shit. Sure, the base shop allowed agents to pick their own assignments, but the good missions, well those could only be accessed by the admin staff AKA handlers.

The biggest issue was that management did not take too kindly to their staff’s access codes being used by unauthorized individuals. This meant that Jason only had a limited amount of time to peruse the catalog before the system would kick him out and block that access code from being used again. He’d had to burn through three different sets of privileges before he found what he was looking for. A modifiable mission token for an honest to goodness Isekai.

The fact that Isekai were even a real thing, had thrown Jason for a bit of a loop. Well, perhaps more the fact that he had died in a tragic way that even the gods couldn’t seem to explain, and all he’d gotten for his trouble was a small “sign on bonus''. Not that he was complaining too much, the limited New Game+ skill had proven useful in more than one mission. But apparently, some people got a date with Truck-kun and suddenly they are given an entire freaking wish fulfillment fantasy. He would have pissed and moaned to upper management but thought better of it when he remembered that he only knew what he knew by using exploits within the system. There had been rumors about what happened to those who had their access codes stolen, it was not pleasant, and he didn’t want to imagine what would happen if people found out who had been using those stolen codes.

As Ruby droned on and on about whatever it was that drunk was talking about. Jason began calibrating the token to his specifications. The basic token itself had drained an exceedingly large amount of his credits, Isekai missions were... difficult to get a hold of, even for handlers, but it was the add-ons that were really going to strain his budget. He tapped through the various options. It wouldn’t be a proper Isekai without the deluxe harem package.

[click]

After the cluster fuck that was his last mission, he decided to take things on easy mode for his wish fulfillment. It was insanely costly, but the entire Divine Protection suite made him resistant if not straight up immune to every offensive ability that could reasonably be thrown at him.

[click]

Can’t live out your hero fantasy dreams without having to crush a Demon Lord.

[click]

He had deeply enjoyed the incarnations where he had had access to magic. But he couldn’t for the life of him seem to decide what to specialize in. Hemming and hawing for a bit, he finally decided to just splurge and get a little bit of everything. It would give him maximum versatility without over committing one way or another.

[click]

It stands to reason that a proper Demon Lord should be able to bypass divine protections, and might be resistant to magic, so it is probably best to fortify one’s body and boost the crap out of one’s stats.

[click] [click]

Not really looking forward to having to do the whole baby with the mind of an adult trope. He decides to just spawn in with his body already at its apex. He never really understood why the grown ass adults in the shows and manga always seemed to end up as some kid. Like yeah, wish fulfillment for young readers/watchers, but a guy in his twenties is going to wipe the floor with some punk ass sixteen-year-old. Whatever, it didn’t really matter; to each their own he guessed.

[click]

Jason looked at his credit balance; it was painfully low, but he shrugged it off. All he needed to do was complete the mission to get it back to a respectable level. He looked at the payout for completing the mission. It wasn’t impressive, Isekai almost never paid more than a pittance, but it should be enough to tide him over once he’d had his fun and squeezed every drop of wish fulfillment out of whatever backwater world, he ended up in.

Jason’s attention was pulled from the status screen by the sound of a large *CLUNK*. Looking over he saw that Ruby had apparently finally grown bored with her one-sided conversation. To combat this boredom, she had pulled out an entire mothering fucking hogshead of whiskey. From her pocket dimension, she pulls out two crystal glasses and fills both glasses with a hefty amount of liquor. She sets one down in front of herself and puts the other one in front of Jason.

“Drink”

“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not inclined to degr....”

“I said, DRINK!” Ruby says again, her eyes filled with rage. Her words reinforced with magical power, compel Jason to take a large gulp of the auburn liquid. He’s amazed at the rich flavor of the whiskey. The rich honey notes give the drink a sublime sweetness, without overshadowing the subtle dried red fruit. The decades of barrel aging have left the drink smoother than silk. The vague hints of oak and cinnamon leave him wanting more. Time seems to melt away as he is compelled to have ‘just another sip’... ‘Maybe just a finger’s worth more’... ‘What’s one more drink for the road?’. The world around him seeps away, as he is lost in the complex rich flavors of Ruby’s private stash.

When he next wakes, he’s once more found himself in the Void.

Continuing on Party Roll

​
The entire crew in real life are back together, so it was mostly RP last episode.
Sarn finally wakes up and instantly goes into debate mode with the party. Morals, loyalty and trust are the main debate factors, but before we turn to in-fighting, we come upon the none moving Sandcrawler. Things are silent and there isn't anyone around....however there is a glow coming from the front of the crawler. When we go to investigate it, we find before us a long haired man, humming to himself. It's Otto! (Reborn) Seems the gods deemed him unworthy, so they brought him up to their plane, trained him and sent him back as a man. Is he Jesus Christ?! Anyways, the King's guards come out and start pointing spears at us. Seems like they've gone through it these last couple of days. Thankfully, we have Krimbim with us and a gentle explanation is all that's needed to enter. When we get inside we instantly go see the King and tell him what's up. This is where it gets funky. See.... Krimbim is working on getting the crawler working again, meanwhile, the party is having their sidebar with the King, yet we don't have a plan after that. Do we try and head back and stop Sir Onn'd with Alabaster? What if Alabaster CAN bring down the wall? Are there more sinister ulterior motives at hand? Each of these question need to be debated, but time is not on our side. We don't know if we have been followed and it's on good belief that the baddies have a general idea of their location...
​
​
​
Party Roll to beat 19
Mark 17 Matt Nat 20!!! Jose 16 Cory 4 Dusty Nat 1 Vanessa 7
Matt parties with himself. Technically he steamed himself on twitch, so the drinking didn't make him feel totally alone and weird. He ends up crying in the shower.
​
Back to the story
​
​
We jump ahead a few days. The Sandcrawler is fixed, we have AC again, the King is in a better mood.
Sarn takes the few days to atune to the staff we've been carrying around all this time.
The sandcrawler seems to be getting on, albeit a little slower. We've taken a wider path and heading away from the city, that way we hope, to go undetected. Unexpected to us, we come across what looks like to be a pop-up farm. Now for some reason, the King wants us to talk to these guys to warn them about current events. Basically our King wants us to bribe them into not telling anyone who may be passing by about our whereabouts. The King slings us some money and tells our party to give them a floppy excuse; so, CHOP CHOP.
We head towards this farmland area and Otto, loaded with full charisma decides to take the lead on this one. Otto approaches a farmer and introduces himself and the party at do-gooders. But then tells the farmer that nefarious people are after them, but here's a bag of gold to keep you mouth shut. It's not so easy; the farmers have no need for gold. They are on a barter system with each other. So we negotiate; the farmers need seed, food for the plants we destroyed with our sandcrawler and equipment for irrigation.
Ugh, well for a bunch of poor people, they certainly are good at gouging. Krimbim figures he can take some parts of an AC unit and maybe help them out.
Krimbim, roll for mechanics, lol 11 +3 with guidance from Otto, 14 Krimbim can make it seem like the equipment can work, without it actually working.
​
Sledge decides that he wants rakes. His "clever" plan is to have these rakes trail the sandcrawler and "cover" up our tracks so that no one can follow us. \slaps head**
Seeing as the farm has very little and now they are giving up their tools, the farmer says he'll take their gold sack now for the inconvenience. To add a cherry on top, we offer over the deed to our bar in the city that we took. We don't tell him that it's charred to shit.
Krimbim gets to working, Sarn goes looking for seeds. After some time, we've traded an AC, some food, seeds and the gold, keeping the deed to the bar and more importantly, having the farmer keep his mouth shut.
We rig up our rakes to the back of the crawler and as we set off, the tracks disappear and mimic more of a giant snake. Getting back on the trail, nightfall soon approaches and guards begin to murmur about movement out in the dunes. The King is a little worried. We are north of the city and heading east where the massive battles that took place 500 years ago happened. It's a boneyard. It's also the area where the storm wall coalesces and it rains sometimes, raining down magical energy on these bones, giving them life again for a limited time.
Reality starts to sink in. Can we actually continue in this sandcrawler? Is there a way to continue without it? Debate breaks out and we start evaluating our options. It may take weeks to safely get across this area with the Crawler. We decide that misdirection is the best option, so we have the Sandcrawler go off in one direction, have the King and guards go North, towards an old dwarven city in the mountains. We however, will traverse the boneland wasteland on horse back, making our way to the last known spot of the mechanic creators, in search for answers.
We pass this idea with the King who agrees to it.
​
SIT REP
We got ourselves the giant desert in the shape of an Oval. To the north is a Mountain region, where the greedy dwarves live. In the west, the Orciling folk live (orc ppl) They are almost all dead after what happened in the city with the staff and storm wall and the running into it. The south is just desert, where you have the town of Drybed and the larger city In the far east we have a place named 'Ricecomine', the old mechanical city. Its more rocky than sandy
​
​
We gather equipment for our new journey and are introduced to Krimbim's newest creation; An automaton that goes by the name of JBR 5. It's a large, 10 foot tall, very steam punk looking robot. It can carry a couple of people, minimal weapons, meant to carry storage and had limited talking capabilities. Sledge commands JBR 5 and forward we go.
​
Lots of travel happens and first day is pretty uneventful. Night comes and we find ourselves in a more rocky area. We haven't seen any bones yet, but we know we're heading in the right direction. We keep traveling and then we come across a narrow canyon. There IS a path above, but its rocky and would prove difficult with our horses/JBR 5. We decide to use JBR 5 to haul up our cart and horses across this steep rock face. The canyon is only about 20ft deep, so it's shallow. Gathering JBR 5, we path it forward until we come a "T" in the ravine, cutting off in front of us, forcing us to walk a few hundred yards around. Down in the ravine, Meeb notices there are small huts set up. A make shift fence is there and some mean ass dogs are already barking at him. This is a grinders hut. The bone pickers do their processing there and send off their product to the city when it is refined. A stranger spots Meeb and yells at him to identity himself. The distance makes it hard to hear and soon an arrow comes flying through the air towards Meeb....
--- To Be Continued ---
​
Is JBR 5 related to Carl 7?
​
Is this all a metaphor for the war on drugs in the 90's?!
​
What reeeeeeeeeeeeeallly is our plan after we get to the mechanical city?
​
​
Christ, this is getting deeper than a Vatican coloscopy and I sense things are only gunna get dirtier the deeper they go! Find out if it does, on the neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxtttttttttttt PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
​
​
Quotes
"It's all about Pornhub comment pages now, that's how the kids are communicating these days" - Dusty
"Are you?!" Matt to Jose, who thinks his whore character is Lawful neutral
"Do unicorn horns go limp, whenever they are not aroused?" - Steven
"Their just Dwarfie about their property" - The king, in need of sensitivity training
"Well there is Sand Paul, but no one takes him seriously" - Dusty on a 3rd option for King
"Did you say 'suck the gringo outta you?" - Dusty, always mishearing things
​
​
​
​
​
Trivia
- Sledge gets a new Maul -Otto has become slightly more annoying by preaching to the party about his faith now. With pamphlets.
-And that's how you grow your own Pineapples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4iDBK0U6po
-Sarn cannot fully attune to the staff, but he can use it. It comes with a charm spell.
-Bone pickers are commoners who go out in this world, steal the bones and grind them up to make magical essence. It's very addictive.
-The constructs/mechanics that created the storm wall still exist in this world, but there are only a few left.
-The magic rain tastes like 'Surge' and glows blue.
-Zydrate https://repo.fandom.com/wiki/Zydrate#:~:text=Zydrate%20is%20a%20highly%20addictive,in%20a%20little%20glass%20vial.
-Rory's wife said this was the worst movie she's ever seen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd7HXt6a78w
​
​
​
partyrollpodcast.com
@ party_roll on twitter
https://www.patreon.com/partyrollpodcast
Teener Time https://www.youtube.com/@TeenerTime
www.youtube.com/@PartyRollPodcast

I saw this episode of this series a while ago and it always stuck with me. It felt like a direct reflection on the betrayal of bw by bm and how other groups exploit bw while the bm helps them to do it.
It was all to accurate and incredibly disturbing. It showed the dynamics between bm and bw and how this dynamic facilitates blk female exploitation by other groups so precisely and metaphorically. The truth was being spelled out right there nothing was cloaked. I saw the post that raised the conversation about theories that you may believe in and well, Number 4. Is honestly not even a theory. It is historically true. They aren’t even being subliminal about it anymore.
Ive been noticing a huge shift in media and culture lately. Let me explain. I am a movie lover and i watch movies from different cultures like asian, Scandinavian etc. and western of course. Ive noticed recently that different groups (even groups you would not expect would have any direct connection with bm) include bm in their narratives in a very specific way. And It is always in the same. They depict bm as accepted members of their group with the objective that bm serve THEIR interests. Aka lackeys. That last part is most important. This while the bw is not depicted at all, which honestly is the better scenario because sometimes the bw is depicted as a villain that everyone including the bm has to fight or the bw is a dubble lackey, there to help the bm serve especially non blk women and so help secure non blk patriarchy. Enforcing defeminozation and dehuminization of bw. Ew.
The other one is where the bm actively helps to exploit to the bw for the benefit of non blks. This depiction is more subtle when depicted but it always comes down to labor of some sort. Like Emotional, physical or literal birth… This is an unnerving trend.
sure im not surprised to see these narratives coming from western countries. They have a direct history with blk exploitation and using narratives to perpetrated social and political dynamics. However, seeing other groups that dont have that direct historical dependence on blk servitude starting to adapting the same dynamic set ups in their narratives? This is something to pay attention to.
As a ppl we have always only focused on pale power and abuse never considering this could branch out or shift. Ofcourse we were aware of anti blkness in other cultures but there is a difference with that and active exploitation.
Media is not just entertaining. It depicts the shift of cultural, social and political dynamics in countries and the world at large.
And well, speaking of dynamics, we know that the west is not the only power structure/ patriarch anymore. They know this too. Others have risen and are rising to power forcing a shift in powerdynamics globally. This shift in powerdynamic shapes everything else. And everything going on in the world right now is about that.
What is important to note is that:

1. The only “ patriarch “ that does not have a dog in this fight/ shift is the blk failed patriarchy. The blk patriarch aka the bm collective has always been positioned as a lackey to UPCOMING powerstructures and at the bottom of …. order. If you know our history beyond the wm then you know this problem predates pale power.
   
2. The bm main objective is not to rule his own patriarchy to benefit “his own”. But to exist under non blk rule COMFORTABLY. This is why bg are trained from a young age to act as gard dogs and demand better treatment FOR the bm under non blk patriarchy. Bw are made to believe this is about collective blk progress but it is not! And it never has been. The bm is willing and always has been willing ( historically!) to trade and help exploit bw for the benefit of other groups with the objective that he can get a comfortable position under non blk rule.
   

These media depictions are showing that this objective is being achieved and that there is a bargain between bm and non blk power.
This is why bw being connected/ associated with bm in media is dangerous. Ive noticed the bw never gets narratives in her favor. Always ties to the bm. If not the bm, to a man who in the end will help uphold the status quo on her expense in some way.
To come back full circle. Media is a tool of power there to help enforce and show powerdynamics and shifts in cultural and political dynamics. The way bw are depicted in all of this is no coincidence and should be an indicator to bw that what is happening to us is something to take seriously and take action around. Bw have so many skills that can be put together to build infrastructure and network to benefit our survival. Currently bw exist in full dependance on structures and groups that we dont have mutually beneficial connections to for acces to necessities. This includes career / money. The amount of abuse bw face in the workplace is atrocious. this needs to change and bw should shift towards more groups self sufficiency. And This objective should be part of your dating and mating process if you are still into that..