Platform(s): PC Flash Game
Genre: Beat em up
Estimated year of release: possibly around 2006-2009?
Graphics/art style: a simple, cartoon-y, almost vectorized style with lots of simple shapes, bright colors and visuals
Notable characters: there were four characters but two fighting styles in the whole game, a green ogre person with a cone shaped hat who attacked with a wooden club, hitting rocks like a baseball or slamming the ground with it, a woodsman character with a robin hood like hat and a brown beard who used throwing axes and occasionally slammed his axe on the ground, a princess with red/brown long hair and a pink dress and a cone shaped hat who attacked with little kisses and occasionally swept at the ground with her lipstick and a yellow lemon shaped headed elf/goblin like guy, with yellowish skin and brown clothes who attacked with tiny throwing knifes and occasionally swept at the ground with his knives.
Notable gameplay mechanics: you would fight multiple enemies before eventually reaching a boss at the end of the level. There were three different levels from what I remember, a fiery volcano area, a simple green forest and a snowy area.
Other details: I think I found this game on y8 but I'm not too sure. Also if it helps, I believe some of the enemies in the levels were Rabbits in the forest and Snowmen in the snowy area and then a giant yeti was the big Boss in the Snow area.

Aries, the enigmatic musical artist, born in 1992, has carved a unique niche in the realm of alternative and experimental music. His real name is Travis Miller, and he hails from Maryland, United States. Aries emerged onto the music scene in the late 2010s, captivating audiences with his distinct blend of genres, including hip-hop, emo rap, and pop punk, infused with electronic elements. Through his music, Aries explores themes of love, heartbreak, existentialism, and self-discovery, resonating with a generation grappling with the complexities of modern life.
Aries' musical journey began with his early experimentation with production software, crafting beats in his bedroom and honing his skills as a producer. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences, including Kanye West, Blink-182, and The Neighbourhood, Aries developed a unique sonic palette characterized by catchy melodies, intricate rhythms, and emotive lyrics.
In 2016, Aries gained widespread recognition with the release of his debut single, "Carousel," which showcased his eclectic musical style and introspective lyricism. The track quickly garnered attention on SoundCloud, amassing millions of streams and establishing Aries as a promising newcomer in the music industry.
Following the success of "Carousel," Aries continued to build momentum with a string of singles and EPs, including "RACECAR" and "WELCOME HOME." Each release further showcased his versatility as an artist, seamlessly blending elements of rap, punk, and electronic music to create a sound that defied categorization.
Aries' breakthrough moment came with the release of his debut album, "WELCOME HOME," in 2019. The album received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative production, poignant lyrics, and infectious hooks. Tracks like "SAYONARA," "SANTA MONICA," and "DEITY" resonated with listeners around the world, earning Aries a dedicated fanbase and cementing his reputation as a rising star in the alternative music scene.
In 2020, Aries followed up with his highly anticipated sophomore album, "JULY," further solidifying his position as one of the most exciting talents in contemporary music. With tracks like "FOOL'S GOLD," "DITTO," and "CONVERSATIONS," Aries continued to push boundaries and defy expectations, delivering a cohesive and compelling body of work that showcased his growth as an artist.
Beyond his music, Aries has also cultivated a distinct visual aesthetic, characterized by surreal imagery, vibrant colors, and nostalgic references. From his album artwork to his music videos, Aries demonstrates a keen attention to detail and a commitment to creating immersive multimedia experiences that complement his sonic creations.
In addition to his solo work, Aries has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, producers, and creatives, further expanding his artistic horizons and pushing the boundaries of his craft. Whether he's teaming up with fellow musicians on collaborative tracks or collaborating with visual artists on innovative visual projects, Aries continues to explore new avenues of creativity and expression.
As Aries continues to evolve as an artist, one thing remains certain: his music transcends genre labels and defies easy categorization. With his boundary-pushing sound, introspective lyricism, and captivating visuals, Aries has established himself as a true innovator in the world of contemporary music, inspiring a new generation of artists and listeners alike. As he continues to push the boundaries of his creativity, the future looks bright for this visionary artist, and his impact on the music landscape is sure to be felt for years to come.

The only unique item I have is a Santa hat that I think I got by playing during Christmas or something like that. They seem themed, and some fit particular events in theme, but this might just be a coincidence. How do you get unique items?

I will not be including his two default recolors, the eclipse skin, and hat change skins. Everything else is fair game. I’ll probably do this for every champion in the future
Remix - 8/10
Solid skin. Gun is pretty cool. Music is abit too much for me tho. Can be distracting at times
Dark FervoEternal Fervor - 7.5/10
Really thought I was gonna dislike this skin but the effects actually surprised me. Not as cool as some of his other skins but they’re still good. I do like Dark Fervor slightly more
Exarch - 10/10
There isn’t a single thing I don’t like about this skin. Gun is amazing, voice is fantastic, effects with his abilities are great. They did an absolute great job with this one
Gentleman - 9/10
Another surprisingly good skin. Don’t know what else to say. This skin might have the best sound effect when applying astral marks. Idk why but I love it
Mernos - 9/10
I was expecting to not like this skin cause mermaid skins aren’t my thing but the gun is very good and the voice acting for this skin is top notch. Also his ult voiceline being “step into the tides and drown” is extremely creative
Soul EateSoul Devourer - 100/10
I don’t think there is a single Jenos skin that Hi-Rez can make that will better than these two skins. Gun is amazing, effects are incredible, and again voice acting is through the roof. I like Soul Devourer slightly more cause the black and teal works so well together
Aspirant - 1/10
No thank you. I would much rather use his default skin. Ugly color scheme and I don’t like what he’s wearing

Yeah, a lot of this is just me yapping about my life story and whatnot, so I’ll do a TL;DR at the end for y’all.
For me I didn’t realize I wasn’t cis until I was 14-15 (I’m 20 now). That was the time I started to learn more about LGBTQIA+ stuff in general from a close friend, the Internet, etc. When I first learned what being trans was outside of surgery and all that jazz, I started to realize that maybe I, too, was trans. I started to really question for a while despite not really thinking I was trans before or realizing there was any dysphoria there.
I grew up pretty much always presenting as female, dressing all girly and stuff, playing with Barbies, and not really having a problem with that. Well, not really having a problem with it except for when I was “Otis.” That was the name I chose when I was playing as a boy (mind you, I was around 8’ish this time). I enjoyed being Otis, to the point of being him every day hours on end. I never was able to fully enjoy it, however, since all the clothes I owned were all excessively girly, and my hair was extremely long (so then I’d hide it in a hat). At one point I even remember wanting to go to school as Otis, but I knew I couldn’t. My family never saw a problem with this, though they’re extremely transphobic. I was wondering if any cis person has ever done something like this in their childhood or if this was possibly a sign of my transness. Aside from that, I didn’t have a problem with being considered a girl with all my pink colored things and dresses and pantyhose.
I didn’t really have any signs of dysphoria until I hit puberty, when I completely ditched all the girly stuff to become a tomboy. I always felt upset when I was called a “girly girl” by my sister or anyone. Although I never liked to admit it, that girly part of me still remained and still somewhat remains today. I didn’t want to be thought of as girly or ultra feminine; I wanted to be ultra masculine and felt like I needed to put on an act to be perceived that way. That!s part of the reason I was wondering if I was faking; wondering if I really am trans or “just a tomboy.”
I know growing up I hated tampons, enjoyed having a smaller chest and not wanting to accentuate it, and HATED it when my hair grew super long. I started acting hyper feminine again in middle school because I wanted people to like me, even though I felt pretty exposed most of the time. I wanted to be like my older sister, since people seemed to really like her and want to be her friend, so I adopted her sense of style and let her do my makeup. It never really felt like me, though, and it felt too much like I wasn’t being my true self, so I eventually ditched it again for wearing no makeup and wearing stuff that was more my style. I realized I wasted so much time being someone else, as my real friends were there to support me no matter who I was, and I never had to put on an act for them. I never really absolutely hated looking like that though, but I definitely preferred my real style, even though it was still sorta feminine. For that reason, have I been faking this whole time?
I really learned what being trans when I was 14, learning that it isn’t just surgery and that there’s more to it than just that. After seeing trans people on TikTok (specifically trans men), I slowly started to watch them more and realize that I myself am trans. There was this one TikToker who I absolutely wanted to be, and so I learned the basics of trans related things like binding, tying my long hair back, learning about gender dysphoria, etc. I initially came out as nonbinary, seeing as I wasn’t too dysphoric all the time and didn’t feel like doing more research. I settled on they/them for a few months before evolving to they/he, he/they, then to he/him in a span of a few months. I didn’t know or realize there was any problem until I learned about being trans, so is it just another case of someone reading about something and thinking it’s the end all when it isn’t? Or is this normal trans people things?
Today I was reading through Reddit about other trans men and their experiences with bottom dysphoria and stuff. Mine isn’t toooooooo terrible all the time (though it is definitely there). Though I’ve also never done the deed with anyone and don’t know how dysphoric it would make me to use the organ in that way (honestly I gave up trying to give that part a name that didn’t make me dysphoric, so I just call it Tom). I’d be willing to try using it for sex if me and my current bf got there, but that’s another thing I worry about: being willing to try PIV when other trans men aren’t. That really made me worry if I’ve been faking it for 5+ years, and everything I’ve done to affirm myself up until this point was all for nothing. My family would probably be happier if I just stuck to being a cis girl, anyway.
TL;DR: I worry I might be faking my trans identity for 5+ years because of my differing experiences with my childhood/growing up from what is expected from most trans people, and from a lack of feeling super dysphoric all the time even with some definitely being there.
So Reddit, am I faking being trans ,or is all of this normal for other trans people?

Looking for a "basic cowboy hat" more specifically one with a cattleman's crease (just like a Stetson skyline); my budget is 250 USD. I checked Stetson, Resistol, and Saretelli, but I couldn't find a 6x in my price range. Are there any other legit websites that offer a 6X hat in that price range (I understand that I'd have to pay good for a 6x, but just wondering if any places have discounts or offers on them currently.) Feel free to recommend any other company than the ones I mentioned, color doesn't matter as long as its a 6x and already shaped like I mentioned and I don't mind if its a regular or long oval. Would appreciate any recommendations.

Anyone that's ever worked on a job site where hard hats are required will probably know that hard hat colors have meaning.
Yellow is the most common and is for the laborers and white is for supervisors.
In the scene (season 3,episode 6) Avon is just home from prison and touring Stringers job site with String, Andy Craw and some other guy with Andy. In the scene Andy and his partner are wearing white hard hats.
Avon and Stringer have Orange hard hats and Avon isn't wearing his. Interestingly enough, an orange hard hat is for a "Slinger". A slinger is someone who distributes weight on a job site.
Also it's interesting that Avon refuses to wear a hat that's subordinate to the white hats.

Esjay is a male whose occupation is a bounty hunter who sports a cowboy-ish outfit, with the color scheme being a blue-gray color with a crimson outline. Esjay also uses a weapon that is similar to a revolver, but with a blueish gray color and a crimson outline. This gun can shoot infinitely. Esjay calls this gun “The Undertaker.” Esjay is a short (5’3) individual who can be easily frightened, but hides it behind a typically hard attitude. Esjay has brown short hair, hidden behind a cowboy hat with a blueish gray color and a crimson outline. Esjay likes to sport a derpy expression when shooting someone as a joke. Esjay’s eyes also turn into crosshairs when aiming at someone. He’s also prone to LOSING IT.
(I based him off the crimson biome from terraria if you couldn’t tell)

Aries, the enigmatic musical artist, born in 1992, has carved a unique niche in the realm of alternative and experimental music. His real name is Travis Miller, and he hails from Maryland, United States. Aries emerged onto the music scene in the late 2010s, captivating audiences with his distinct blend of genres, including hip-hop, emo rap, and pop punk, infused with electronic elements. Through his music, Aries explores themes of love, heartbreak, existentialism, and self-discovery, resonating with a generation grappling with the complexities of modern life.
Aries' musical journey began with his early experimentation with production software, crafting beats in his bedroom and honing his skills as a producer. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences, including Kanye West, Blink-182, and The Neighbourhood, Aries developed a unique sonic palette characterized by catchy melodies, intricate rhythms, and emotive lyrics.
In 2016, Aries gained widespread recognition with the release of his debut single, "Carousel," which showcased his eclectic musical style and introspective lyricism. The track quickly garnered attention on SoundCloud, amassing millions of streams and establishing Aries as a promising newcomer in the music industry.
Following the success of "Carousel," Aries continued to build momentum with a string of singles and EPs, including "RACECAR" and "WELCOME HOME." Each release further showcased his versatility as an artist, seamlessly blending elements of rap, punk, and electronic music to create a sound that defied categorization.
Aries' breakthrough moment came with the release of his debut album, "WELCOME HOME," in 2019. The album received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative production, poignant lyrics, and infectious hooks. Tracks like "SAYONARA," "SANTA MONICA," and "DEITY" resonated with listeners around the world, earning Aries a dedicated fanbase and cementing his reputation as a rising star in the alternative music scene.
In 2020, Aries followed up with his highly anticipated sophomore album, "JULY," further solidifying his position as one of the most exciting talents in contemporary music. With tracks like "FOOL'S GOLD," "DITTO," and "CONVERSATIONS," Aries continued to push boundaries and defy expectations, delivering a cohesive and compelling body of work that showcased his growth as an artist.
Beyond his music, Aries has also cultivated a distinct visual aesthetic, characterized by surreal imagery, vibrant colors, and nostalgic references. From his album artwork to his music videos, Aries demonstrates a keen attention to detail and a commitment to creating immersive multimedia experiences that complement his sonic creations.
In addition to his solo work, Aries has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, producers, and creatives, further expanding his artistic horizons and pushing the boundaries of his craft. Whether he's teaming up with fellow musicians on collaborative tracks or collaborating with visual artists on innovative visual projects, Aries continues to explore new avenues of creativity and expression.
As Aries continues to evolve as an artist, one thing remains certain: his music transcends genre labels and defies easy categorization. With his boundary-pushing sound, introspective lyricism, and captivating visuals, Aries has established himself as a true innovator in the world of contemporary music, inspiring a new generation of artists and listeners alike. As he continues to push the boundaries of his creativity, the future looks bright for this visionary artist, and his impact on the music landscape is sure to be felt for years to come.

-edit, meant dyed conditioner not toner in title. Hello, I have dark cherry red hair that I get dyed every 4-5 weeks. I love the color but due to it being a color that fades fast and me being outside a lot, it goes to a ginger red sometimes. I wear a hat, put it in a bun and wear this hair spf that's color safe for my hair to prevent the sun changing the color. I thought about using red hair dye conditioner to keep up that red but I'm worried it'll affect the next time I go to the hairdresser to get it dyed. Will it affect the next time I get it dyed? Any tips about products to keep it that red color the best it can?

"Himiko?" Kokichi knocked on the door to Himiko and Tenko's room later that night. Himiko had taken a long nap after such a disappointing day. But, before she fell asleep, she reflected deeply on what Kokichi had told her. She had to admit that he was right, that she needed to a better attitude about herself. But, how to do that, she didn't know. She suddenly remembered his words: You should be smart, confident, and capable of doing things your way. Her way? What was her way, exactly?
"Himiko?" Kokichi whispered a little louder. Himiko opened her eyes, hearing Kokichi calling out to her. She scrambled out of bed and went over to answer the door. Kokichi smiled at her with his usual cheeky grin. "Hey, sleepyhead! Are you still planning on selling cookies?" Himiko took a deep breath and nodded. Kokichi had given her some courage to actually try things and take chances, to try and overcome self-doubt.
"Yeah. I'm ready," she said. There was still a part of her that didn't want to, but she forced that part of her into silence. She lifted her chin and smiled at him. "I'm ready, Kokichi." Kokichi smiled back at her.
"Alright, Monkey Buns!" he cheered, giving her a high five and then a hug. "Same place?"
"Alright," Himiko nodded. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She remembered what Kokichi had told her earlier about being smart and confident her way. "But, on the way over there, can we stop by my, um..." She paused to whisper. "...secret lair? "
"Ooooh?" Kokichi murmured with a curious smile. "Yeah, we can stop by." Himiko nodded and retreated back into her room to grab the two tin bowls of cookies she had baked with Three and Ten.
"Nyeh...okay, I'm ready," Himiko said. Kokichi took her hand in his, and the two crept downstairs. Some of the others were still in the dining room eating dinner, so Kokichi and Himiko had to leave through the front door to get to Himiko's secret magic room under the gazebo. Kokichi stood outside to keep watch while Himiko went inside her magic room. Once inside, she went for her magical dream powder bottle and poured some of its purple, sparkly contents into a small vial, hiding it in one of her jacket's pockets. Then, she met back up with Kokichi.
"Now I'm ready," she said.
"Okie-dokie!" Kokichi replied, taking the tin bowls from Himiko to hold them for her. "Let's go, HimikoCocoa Bean!" They then hurried over to D.I.C.E. headquarters.
"Boss!" Four said, jumping up from the couch. "And Boss Lady!"
"Hey, Ichiro," Kokichi and Himiko replied.
"Wanna hear a song that I heard on the radio?" Four asked. He cleared his throat, and began singing without waiting for a response. "If you like piña coladaaaaas, and getting caught in the rai-"
"Okay, Ichiro, that's enough," Kokichi interrupted, wincing from Four's terrible voice.
"Urgh...thank you!" Five exclaimed as she wrapped Kokichi's cape around him. After Three placed Kokichi's hat on his head, she turned to Himiko.
"So, Himiko, did you sell a lot of cookies?" she asked eagerly. Himiko gave her an apologetic look and shook her head. Three's shoulders slumped.
"Oh..." she said softly.
"What? Why?" Ten asked. "Did they not like them? Because I put all my blood, sweat, and tears into those things! Er...well, not literally...duh."
"Yeah, I hope not!" Two exclaimed, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "I bet there are people in this world who actually do stuff like that!"
"Nee-heehee...I know a very horny someone who'd do something like that," Kokichi said.
"The tin bowls are still so full!" Three said, her voice dripping with disappointment.
"It's not really the cookies that people didn't like, Keiko," Himiko said. "It was because of me."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Nine asked.
"Well, I'm not really popular at school to begin with," Himiko said. "But, I wasn't really trying my best to sell them because I didn't think I could."
"Ouch," Six muttered.
"Oh, well...still!" Three huffed. "They could have at least tried your cookies, anyways! Those...those...clowns! " Then she turned to nobody in particular. "No offense, me," she mumbled to herself before turning back to Himiko.
"Hey, no offense to the rest of us, either!" Four said.
"Should we take offense?" Nine asked. "It's not like we're actual professional clow-"
"We get it, Hideyo!" everyone but Himiko interrupted simultaneously.
"Nyeh, well...anyways, thanks to Kokichi, I've decided to try again," Himiko said, giving Kokichi a shy smile.
"Aww, HimiCocoa Bean, you're making me blush!" Kokichi teased, wrapping his arm around her waist. "But, I only get half the credit. You should give yourself credit, too!"
"And you should give us those cookies," Four said, pointing to the tin bowls in Kokichi's hand.
"Himiko, are you still going to sell these?" Kokichi asked. Himiko thought for a moment. She remembered what Tsumugi said about chocolate chip cookies being plain and boring.
"No," she finally answered. "Actually, I've decided to go with Ten's plan from earlier."
"Right! Um...wait, what plan was that again?" Ten asked.
"The plan to make the snickerdoodles," Himiko said.
"Oh, yeah!" Ten remembered, a grin crossing his face.
"But, I wanna add a secret ingredient of mine," Himiko said.
"I hope it's not blood, sweat, and tears," Two said, shuddering.
"Why not?" Seven asked with a creepy smile. "Don't you like that salty, metallic flavor in your cookies?"
"Ew! Yuck! Kokichi, make her stop!" Five said, covering her ears.
"Tsukiko, don't make me tell Emi to get Mr. Sparkles," Kokichi warned. Seven hid under a blanket.
"No, please. Anything but that accursed pink and plushy unicorn!" she hissed. Five grinned smugly at her.
"Can we help you bake again, Himiko?" Three asked hopefully.
"Nyeh...of course!" Himiko answered.

"Neat-o! Let's get started!" Ten said, rubbing his hands enthusiastically. Kokichi nodded to Himiko encouragingly, and she followed Three and Ten to the kitchen. They soon got started on the batter. Himiko removed the vial of dream powder from her pocket.
"Oooo! What is that stuff?" Three asked, entranced by the purple, glittery powder.
"Hopefully the thing that'll win over any potential customers," Himiko answered before pouring the powder into the mixture. She mixed the batter until it became a shiny, glittering harmony of many colors.
"Holy Constantinople-y!" Ten exclaimed. "What the heck kind of secret ingredient is that?!"
"The batter looks so...pretty!" Three breathed in awe. "It's so...shiny and sparkly!" Then, she lowered her voice. "Is this...some of your magic, Himiko?"
"Nyeh...that's right," Himiko nodded.
"I know this is might sound like a dumb question, but...are you allowed to do that?" Ten asked.
"Nobody at school knows about my magic except for Kokichi," Himiko said. "So, technically, it's not not allowed. And besides, Kokichi said that I need to be smart and confident my way. And magic is my way of doing just that."
Part Eight
Sunday afternoon. Himiko took a deep breath, deeply breathing in the warm air as a gentle breeze flowed around her. Today, she felt lucky. She stood behind her table at the front of the school. Above her was a more colorful, glittery sign she and Three had worked on with the word, "Snoozydoodles," written in swirly letters. Hopefully it would be enough to bring in some customers. Her snickerdoodles were laid out on three large trays in front of her so that the other students could see their colorful and sparkly design.
"Hiya, Himiko!" came a cheerful voice. Himiko looked up and was surprised to see Three.
"Keiko?" she whispered. "Nyeh...what are you doing here?"
"I decided to come and cheer you on...and to make sure the turd buckets here buy your cookies," Three replied. "I put some love and special care into those cookies, and I didn't bust my tail just to have nobody buy them!"
"Nyeh...but...Ten and I worked on them, too," Himiko pointed out. "And I put my 'special ingredient' in them."
"I know," Three said. "But, I feel like if I worked hard on something, either by myself or in a group, I'd like for the world to see it, that's all."
"I understand," Himiko said with a small smile. "Wait...this is supposed to be a competition between me and Kokichi! I don't think he'd appreciate you helping me out, especially since I should be doing this myself."
"Well, I'll just be here for emotional support, then!" Three said. Himiko smiled gratefully and nodded.
"I guess that's okay," she said. " Thanks, Keiko. I like your outfit, by the way." Three scanned her outfit proudly. Instead of her D.I.C.E. uniform, she wore an oversized, cream-colored fluffy sweater over a short, pink ruffled skirt. She wore a pair of white tights with some loose pink socks and a pair of black and white checkered lolita shoes with pink straps. In her hair were pink bows over each pigtail.
"Eeee! Thank you!" she squealed happily. "It's not very often I get to go out in cutesy clothes like this, unless I'm undercover! Well...I guess you might say I'm going undercover right now, but...eh, whatever."
"Speaking of which, why are your shoes checkered?" Himiko asked. "Won't that give you away? Part of the reason why people know your organization is because of the checker pattern scarves...which makes me wonder how people haven't suspected Kokichi being part of...you-know-what."
"Heehee...I call that the 'Sailor Moon Effect,'" Three giggled. "But, anyway, when members of the organization are wearing casual clothes, we have to wear some article of clothing with a black and white checkered pattern to let other members know our affiliation. The beauty of it is that there are people not affiliated with us who wear checker patterned clothing, so it gives us a chance to blend in as if we're just regular people. That's why we have a codeword to tell the difference between members and the 'reggies.'"

"What's the codeword?" Himiko asked. Three leaned in closer to Himiko.

"'Funny business,' " she whispered.
"Nyeh...that's actually really cool," Himiko admitted with a smile.
"Yeah! You should really join, Himiko!" Three said. "I think you'll have lots of fun!"
"Fun with what?" asked Tenko, suddenly appearing with Angie and Tsumugi behind her. She had a frown on her face and marched right up to Three. "Himiko, who's this girl, and what's she trying to get you to join? WAIT!! Is this girl the friend you were talking about?! The one who helped you bake cookies yesterday?!"
"Yeah," Himiko nodded.
"Hey! I recognize you!" Angie said. "You're one of the girls who rescued Himiko from that crazy girl many months ago!" Three brightened.
"Yeah! That's me!" she said.
"Tuh...I could have rescued Himiko, you know," Tenko huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at Three.
"Well...why didn't you?" Three asked.
"Urgh...!" Tenko scoffed. "Who do you think you are?!"
"I'm Michika!" Three lied, using one of her aliases. "I'm here to support Himiko with her cookie sale!"
"She doesn't need your support," Tenko said, stepping in between Three and Himiko. "Himiko already has me! Right, Himiko?"
"Umm..." Himiko mumbled.
"Of course you do!" Tenko interrupted.
"But...you didn't even let her finish," Three said.
"I didn't have to," Tenko said. "I already knew what she was thinking because we're best friends."
"Well...then...if you're her best friend, why dont'cha buy a cookie?" Three suggested craftily.
"Hmph! I will!" Tenko scoffed and turned to Himiko. "How much for a cookie, Himiko?"
"Nyeh...same as before," Himiko answered. Tenko paid ¥500 and grabbed a shimmery, glittering light green snickerdoodle from one of the trays. "Ooo, these are pretty, Himiko! Did you bake them all by yourself?"
"No, um...Michika helped me again," Himiko answered. Tenko glared at Three and flipped her hair at her.
"Well...they're okay, then," she said haughtily. "But, they're extra special because you helped, Himiko!"
"What are these cookies called, Himiko?" Tsumugi asked, scrutinizing a glittering blue cookie.
"Nyeh...they're called 'Snoozydoodles,'" Himiko answered. "They're snickerdoodles, but a special kind of snickerdoodles."
"Oooo! Why are they called 'Snoozydoodles?'" asked Angie.
"You have to eat them right before going to sleep to find out," Himiko answered mysteriously. Tenko hovered her cookie in front of her mouth.
"Oh! So, I have to eat this right before bed?" she asked.
"That's right," Himiko nodded.
"Aw, that's so creative, Himiko!" Tenko cried in adoration. "You're really clever, too! I bet you thought of the name!" Three rolled her eyes in annoyance. Himiko provided a little baggy for Tenko to put her cookie in, and provided some for Angie and Tsumugi, as well, after they had paid for their cookies.
"Thank you, Himiko," Tsumugi said.

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Himiko!" Angie chirped.
"Well...I guess we'd better try out the other cookies," Tsumugi said. "Everyone else said they'd have different flavors of cookies, too. Although, I don't think I'll try Kokichi's after what happened yesterday. I can plainly still feel the burn on my tongue."
"Hmm...I thought his cookies were divine!" Angie exclaimed. "I have never felt such an intense rush of heat before! Especially in a cookie!"
"Leave it up to a degenerate male to bake something so...horrible! " Tenko spat. Three raised a brow at her.
"Degenerate male?" she repeated. She didn't like hearing her boss being referred to that way.
"Yeah! Males are all scum of the Earth!" Tenko said. "Kind of like...best friend stealers."
"I wasn't trying to steal your best friend," Three said, fed up with Tenko.

"Huh...why did you assume I was talking about you? " Tenko asked. "You know what happens to people who assume things, don't you?"

"They end up knocking all 32 teeth out of the person accusing them of assuming things?" Three replied, trying to keep her cool.
"And you're violent!" Tenko shouted. "You're clearly a bad influence on Himiko!" Three stared at her in disbelief, creating an awkward silence to linger in the air.
"Well, um...I guess we should be going then," Tsumugi said, hurriedly yanking Angie away. "C'mon, Angie. Tenko? Are you coming?"

"No. I think I'll stay right here and help Himiko, since she clearly needs my support," Tenko said, glowering at Three.
"Tenko..." Himiko sighed in exasperation, but Three merely smiled sweetly at Tenko.
"Oh, my gosh! Where'd you get your outfit?" she asked. Tenko looked down quizzically at her outfit.
"W-Why...do you want to know?" she replied with suspicion.
"It's just so pretty!" Three replied. "Are you, like, the Ultimate Princess, or the Ultimate Cheerleader, or something?"
"Um...n-no...I'm the Ultimate Aikido Master," Tenko stammered as a small blush appeared on her face.
"Oh, wow! That's even better!" Three exclaimed. "I bet you give those...degenerate males...what they deserve all the time!" The hardened look on Tenko's face from before disappeared.
"You bet I do!" she said proudly.
"Oh...I wish I could be like you!" Three breathed. "You're, like, my hero! I bet you're a hero to girls everywhere!" Tenko lowered her head bashfully, blushing like crazy.
"N-No...I'm not all that...great," she sputtered.
"I bet you'd do anything for girls, huh?" Three asked.
"Oh, yes!" Tenko answered. "So long as you aren't a degenerate male, you're a friend of mine!"
Says the girl who just accused me of stealing her best friend, Three thought to herself. "Hooray! I'm happy to hear that! But...to tell you the truth, I can't believe you just ditched your other friends. They were girls, after all, and you just let them walk right into the school where they could be potential prey for those boys-er...I mean, degenerate males." Tenko gasped with realization.
"Oh, my gosh! You're so right!" she cried. "But...what about Himiko?"
"I'll look after her," Three said. "You trust me, right? I am a girl after all."
"Ohhh...well, okay," Tenko said. Then, she smiled. "I'll trust you, Michika! Take care of Himiko!"
"Oh, I will!" Three said. "Bye! Goodbye!" Tenko waved goodbye, leaving Himiko and Three alone. Three exhaled. "Finally, she's gone!" Himiko stared at her in amazement.
"Nyeh...that was incredible!" she cried. Three shrugged modestly.
"Yeah, I guess I picked up a little bit of manipulation skills from the boss," she said. "He's way better at it than I am, though! That girl was so annoying, by the way! Is she seriously your best friend?!"
"Well, yeah, I guess," Himiko answered. "She wants to support and protect me all the time."
"Sounds more like she wants to breastfeed you, or wipe your butt after you poop," Three said in disgust. She and Himiko shuddered at the thought. "Well, anyways, now that 'Tin Cup' is gone, let's put you on the cookie map!"
"Right!" Himiko said, and gave Three a high five.

I am a 35f with a one year old son. I am very active and relatively fit. I love hiking, yoga, working out, and biking. I consider myself a fun and playful person despite being a mother and approaching middle age.
As I got ready for a bike ride/outdoor workout yesterday I put on my black athletic shorts, a bright and fun bathing suit top that I wore as a sports bra, Birkenstocks, and a bucket hat. I wondered to myself.. do I look silly?
I often wear athletic clothing that can be tight and usually my midriff is showing. For going out I will wear high waisted jeans or flare pants and a low cut top or a flowy dress. I love colorful, fun jewelry and accessories. Recently I have been super into Billabong, O’Neil, and Roxy.. brands I wore as a teenager! I love boho/beach clothes and believe the 60s/70s and the 90s are timeless in regards to fashion.
My question is.. do you think women over 30 should dress a certain way? Do you think mothers should dress a certain way? Is it cringy when you see mature women wearing styles that may be viewed as youthful?
I remember seeing make over shows as a kid where women were ridiculed for having an outdated style or dressing too provocative for their age. Was this just early 2000s bullshit? (Keep in mind this was during a time where Tyra Banks was telling size 6 women they were plus size models.) Am I going to embarrass my son one day by being too funky or showing too much skin? Or is this all just societal constructs?
Edit: Love what someone said about reading the room. I absolutely cover up for professional events or funerals. I am also a preschool teacher so I do dress modest for work (imagine Miss Lippy).

Let me share my 3000h of modded wisdom with you, my fellow vanilla comrades. My attempt here is to provide you with as many as possible improvements to the base game while keeping the style, balance, and content as vanilla as possible. As they say, when it works the best is when you don't realize it is there. I guarantee you that after playing a few dozen hours with these, you will no longer be able to tell what's vanilla and what's not.
I decided to cut my recommendations onto different types of lists, so it's easier for you. The most purists players can stick with QoL only. Or, even if you're a psychopath purist who doesn't any QoL improvement, you can still use the performance list.
Please, note that a lot of these mods come with options, to tune up your experience. It is recommended you give them a look.
Dependencies:

• Harmony + Huglibs. Required by so many mods, you may as well be done with it and always have them.
• Vanilla Expanded Framework. While not as radically necessary as the previous ones, it's still a dependency common enough. And this one actually does cool things on its own, like loading new modded factions without having to start a new game.
• XML Extensions. You won't be able to access the options of some mods without this.

Performance

• Dub performance analyzer. Enable the optimizations and override options, you can ignore everything else. If you want to disable alerts, use rocketman.
• Rocketman. By default, it should be good enough. This mod also allows to disable alerts you may don't care about, like, dunno, tattered apparel or unhappy nudity. It is recommended to run adaptive move occasionally (in stat cache settings).
• Performance Optimizer. More hacker magic. If you don't like the UI changes, you can disable them in the options. This mod does more performance stuff aside from that, so use it anyway!
• Performance Fish. You will have to install this mod manually, since it's not available in the workshop. You will also need to install its dependencies, Fishery and Prepatcher. Please, be aware that at the present there's an issue in which linking storage crashes the game. However, this is solved by disabling "TryFindBestBetterStoreCellFor" in the options.

Quality of life

• Optimization Meats. Unless you really want dozens of different meat types for some weird role-play reason, this mod will reduce the bloat on your kitchens.
• Better Animal Tab
• Better Info Card
• Bionic icons
• Conduit Deconstruct
• Disable Automatically Select Travel Supplies
• Dubs Mint Menus IN PROGRESS
• Improved Need Indicator
• Map Preview. You can reroll as well!
• Prepare Landing. You can search tiles matching your conditions.
• Medical Tab. An easy way to overview your colonist's health.
• More Harvest Designators! e.g. harvest only fully growth plants.
• ModDiff. Great improvement of the mod mismatch screen.
• Pharmacist Temporary Update. Instead of always using the best medicine, now your pawns can use medicine tiers for according situations. No longer will they spent glitterworld meds for scratches!
• Smart Turret Covering. Fixes an issue with turret covers.
• PawnTargetFix. So that the autotarget prioritizes the closest enemy.
• Poisoned Food Stack Fix (Fix). Fixes an issue with meal stacks.
• Priority Treatment Ressurected. Doctors will finally prioritize keeping your pawns alive over taking a nap. Disable the X option, it can cause issues.
• QualityBuilder. You can set up a target level for furniture, and your pawns will reconstruct it until it's achieved. If I remember correctly, it's enabled by default? Disable that in options.
• RPG Style Inventory Revamped. Much better looking inventory.
• Replace Stuff. Allows to directly replace buildings, without having to deconstruct first.
• Research Tree. A better research tree.
• RimHUD. The best mod of the whole list, it will save you a ton of clicks.
• RimSaves. Overhaul of the save menu.
• Show Known Techprints on the trade screen.
• Show mechanoid weapons on the info screen.
• Smarter Construction. No more babysitting pawns when building walls.
• Stack gap. By default, pawns refill storages constantly. With this mod, you can configure it so that storages are only refiled once they're finally empty. It will save you a lot of time.
• Sun Lamp Honesty. Fixes an issue with sun lamps
• Trait and Backstory Icons
• Trade Ships Drop Spot
• Trading Options. Configure how frequent you want the traders to be.
• WVC. More work modes for the mechanitor.
• Save Settings. Allows you to save and load storage, production, and clothes settings. Works cross-save!
• No Max Bills. Removes the cap on workbenches.
• Better ground-penetrating scanner
• Colored deep resources
• Common Sense. Feel free to configure however you like it. I prefer it like this.
• Dubs Mint Menus. Improvements to a bunch of menus.
• Better Pawn Control. Improved policies.

Minor changes

• Almostthere1.5. Caravans no longer go to sleep two hours away from their destination.
• Stepping Stones. A more reasonable research path.
• Animals Logic. A lot of useful animal-related improvements. Disable the meat option if you're using Optimization Meats.
• Non uno Pinata. Pawns don't drop items when downed.
• Beautiful Jade
• Bulk Smelting will save you precious time.
• Stonecutting Extended, basically the same as the previous mod, but for stones.
• Electric Stonecutting Table. To speed up the stonecutting even more.
• Faster Smoothing, a must for all tunnelers out there.
• Do Your F****** Research. You can order pawns to research.
• Go the Fork to Sleep. You can order pawns to sleep.
• Dubs Break Mod. So that severe mental breaks require severe negative thoughts.
• Gene Trader
• Fists Aren't Made of Steel. Reduces the unarmed melee damage, making prison breaks and tantrums much less frustrating.
• Just Put It Over There. Traders will deliver the merchandise, instead of dropping it on the ground.
• Meal Radius. Configure how far pawns will search for a table.
• Home radius. Configure the size of the automatic home areas.
• No Burn Metal. Sets the flammability of metals to zero.
• Prisoners Fear Turrets
• Realistic Rooms Rewritten. Allows to tweak how pawns perceive room sizes.
• Ugh You Got Me. Social fights stop when pawns are sufficiently hurt or in pain. Doesn't affect masochists or psychopaths.
• Smarter Visitors. Visitors will leave if things get dangerous.
• Better Gene Inheritance
• Better Pyromania
• Custom Guilt Duration. Executions in vanilla are a pain because the guilty status goes away too fast. Now you can configure it.
• Dress Patients. Allows dressing of downed pawns.
• Way Better Romance
• Enemy Self Preservation. Enemies can flee.
• No One Left Behind. Fleeing enemies try to rescue their allies.
• Hunters Use Melee
• Injured Carry. Allows to rescue not downed pawns.
• Mortar Accuracy. Improves mortar mechanics.
• Deep Storage + Simple Storage. Improves stockpile management.
• Not My Fault. The player is no longer responsible for unrelated deaths on the map.
• Pick Up And Haul. Improved hauling.
• While You're Up. Complement for the previous mod.
• RunAndGun. Allows to use guns while moving, with penalties to accuracy.
• Snap Out! Wardens can try to calm down pawns on mental breaks.
• Vanilla Genes Rebalanced
• Trading Spot
• Better Camp Loot
• Graze up. Grazing rebalanced.
• Vanilla Base Generation Expanded. Improved base generation.

Mayor changes

• Dubs Bad Hygiene. Plumbing!
• Death Rattle + Biosculpter Patch + Life Support.
• Dynamic Flooding. Inundations can happen.
• Some Things Float. I recommend disabling the chance of pawns loosing their footing.
• Layered Wall Destruction. Note that there's an issue in which debris will spawn home areas.
• Vanilla Temperature Expanded. Lot of useful temperature-related buildings, as well as proxy heat, a very cool mechanic.
• Yayo's Combat 3. Combat overhaul.

Atmospheric changes

• Interaction Bubbles + SpeakUp
• Death Acidifiest
• Memorable Auroras
• Sand Castles
• More Mini-Horns
• Sandstorms
• ReGrowth. Overhaul of biomes and much more!
• My Little Planet. Instead of the size of a super continent, tweak the size of the planet!
• Better Explosions
• Better Vanilla Masking
• Graphic Chair Overhaul 2
• Not Overhead Meal
• Graphics Settings+
• Graying Hair
• Show Hair With Hats or Hide All Hats
• Gunplay. A warning: trails can broke some mods. They can be disabled in options.
• Blood Animations
• Childrens Drawings
• Cuter Biotech Cat/Dog Ear Replacer. If you don't like the meat-colored animal ears from Biotech, this is for you!
• Geological Landforms. New map shapes!
• Biome Transitions
• Muzzle Flash
• Spectacular Skullspike. You can rotate them now.
• Vanilla Races Expanded - Custom Icons. For Biotech.
• Yayo's Animation (Continued)
• Retextures
  • Parka Retexture
  • Retextured Apparel
  • Retextured Sculptures
  • Vanilla Beards Retextured
  • Vanilla Hair Retextured
  • Vanilla Pawns Retextured
  • Marbled Marble
  • Essentials: Stone (the stat changes won't work)
  • Vanilla Textures Expanded - Variations
  • Vanilla Textures Expanded
  • I Hate Daylilies
  • Biotech Mechanoid Retexture
  • Tastier Vanilla Clothes
  • Van's Steel
  • Glowing Healroot
  • More Vanilla Textures
• Audio
  • Ambient Rim. New sound effects.
  • Realistic Human Sounds. Pawns make sounds when hurt.
  • Actually Vanilla Music Expansion. New music.
  • P-Music. New music.
• Hairs
  • Erin's Hairstyles
  • Hard Times
  • Rimsenal Hair + Retextured
  • Roo's Hairstyles
  • Roo's Royalty Hairstyles
  • The Vanity Project
  • Won hair_men + Retextured
  • Won hair_women + Retextured

Bonus: comics! And the occasional animation, check the profiles of u/daleksdeservevictory , u/AzulCrescent , u/AetherealVanguard , u/Senseless0 , u/ATTF , u/Aelanna , srgrafo, u/Fonzawa , u/Ivancmedia , u/zyll3 , u/meto30 , u/AeolysScribbles , u/cavalier753 , u/GABESTFY , u/VectorData , u/arxian , u/Nguyenanh2132 , u/sorrowful_dance , u/meto30 , u/-desdinova- , u/truffli

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.

Yeah, guys like Fab, Flab Joe, 50 Cent, Kanye, and Cam'ron would regularly rock pink coats, hats, sneakers, shirts, etc. in the mid-2000s
This was kinda groud breaking, considering how hyper-masculine hip hop and fashion was at the time.
They basically made it cool and non-suspect for straight-masculine dudes to wear what many considered "sissy" colors, and unless you were Prince, you wouldn't be caught wearing threads that color.