Difficult Decisions

do people still do recolorings?

i found an old blog months ago that used to specialize in eggso recolorings. I did it for fun for awhile. But its sad nobody does them anymore. Like this is not a sin..anyway this like disappeared and I miss these so I'll just do it for myself. Lmao when Im scrolling one day I'll see it and pretend it wasnt me and smile. I used to not have a heavy opinion but now some people genuinely don't know koreans have melanin. But its only because everything has filters now.

lmao it needs to be rebranded remelanation

If I saw this where I lived Starbucks green matcha brown sugar latte you'd be gone.

it would take a full year to put together all the sus stuff going on at sm. From the tid bit of truth that has leaked out they are trying to make it seem like a family squabble when in reality the family is trying to procure as much cash as possible sell the company then dip out never to be seen or heard from again. I feel bad for the artists who stayed out of loyalty cause sm obviously doesn't care about them. How in the world they managed to fumble one of their top artists, an ambassador for years getting to attend cruise24 is almost comical. Sm is a future documentary on industry corruption waiting to happen. It feels like the company is being run by like 12 people who dont get paid enough to care. They literally at times don't even try or if they do its so pitiful it seems like they want people to stop supporting the company and its artist it's so strange. I wonder if the company lost its favor with the Chaebols or something. Something suspicious is going on with korean ent in general though. I'll elaborate later its like 3 am rn

Also im still confused on how the enlistment blindsided them. There's something they aren't saying, then an update about not sending mail..idc that's weird, what about an update on how you literally didn't know someone had to go to the military with like a week's notice. Something just isn't right. Planning a whole comeback and that's not something they were concerned about at all. How? It doesn't make since. Why would they think he had until at least the middle of the year, what made them so sure? People dismiss the bad lying problem such a large company has. Also I am also noting how they dont really promote their artist. They spend millions on mvs and albums and then push it for a few weeks something isn't right. I get they make money off albums so why promote but that in today's fast past industry is so so small minded when there is so much money to be made with simple things like buzzfeed puppy interviews or release remixes not made by talentless people but they just..dont do it. It's odd. Very odd. Sm is weird

Like the stuff I read in these articles said by their own artists literally sound fake but it's not. They wanted to promote rover for like a week...that doesnt even make sense.

Actually the entire rover promo was weird and I'll do another post about that. Long story short it's weird that for something so highly anticipated there was little to no actual promo. Kji takes the reigns and just picks and chooses stuff he likes but that isn't a good idea. But people at s.m tbh don't really care, sure why not 40 year olds who watch Lego vids will love rover except no no they won't. He's literally painfully shy and doing stuff that he likes makes him more comfortable and that's great but at the same time they are an entertainment company all those years they cant get a coach or something for that. This company pains me.

They shelve comebacks for new groups like its nothing. While Nct has like 20 albums and 15 youtube channels but for what? There is no way in this universe nct will ever earn its keep, too many mouths to feed too many members they could be no 1 one in the world and still not break even. 7 members is hard to distribute wealth evenly even 4 member top earning groups complain about splitting money.. Then depending on the year some members may barely work at all its just so poorly thought out. Many of them don't have another career path to take some do but others dont if the group doesn't work out and they decide to Lucas them because of a scandal then what? If their family has money or a business for them to fall back on then cool but if not..even if they take the money they made and flip it they will not get the lost time back.

I was just chilling out and trying not to comment on what's going on but like I just cant this is a mess

And taeyong is finally getting a mini album like a year before he goes to the army.. after basically promoting his own self for years which now and days you have to. lets not pretend they aren't just giving him the solo to keep him in the company. It never fails they know if they don't give him what he wants he'll leave and he has the fanbase to do it. For some reason they never give the visuals of the group solos too young, if at all. they always wait until they are either injured severely or past their prime so they won't leave. They did the same thing with kai.

And ofc there's more to it than just that but this is enough for now

Men can either evolve or die alone. The women in this movement may not have a spouse or kids but they are building their own community

EL PAÍS English

No dates, no sex, no weddings, no kids: Korean women are standing up to Asian machismo

The movement of the ‘four no’s’ poses strong opposition to patriarchy in South Korea, which has the largest wage gap of the developed countr

Many South Korean women are so fed up with machismo that, in recent years, they’ve taken up a radical stance: refusing to marry, date men, have sex and reproduce. This movement—known as “the four no’s”—began in 2019. It has since spread, in the hope that the conservative government of Yoon Suk-yeol will adopt measures that promote gender equality.

Despite the solid academic credentials of women in South Korea, according to a study by Statista, the gender pay gap is scandalous: men earn 30% more than women. This makes the country, according to the Korean Herald, the most gender-unequal OECD nation.

Added to this is a poor work-life balance in South Korea, as well as a disparity in the distribution of domestic tasks. Women often assume the responsibility of raising children, pushing them to have to choose between working or being mothers. In South Korea, the work week is 52-hours-long.

The ”four no’s” is a desperate cry that arose after the incumbent South Korean president began his term. He has stated his intention to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The repercussions of the so-called “birth strike” have been severe for the country. For three consecutive years, the country has had the lowest fertility rate in the world, with an average of 0.78 children per woman.

“Life isn’t going well for many young people, for whom getting married or having children is no longer natural,” Lee Sang-lim, a demographer at the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs, told The New York Times.

The country is on alert, since an average of 2.1 children per woman is estimated to be necessary to keep the population stable. In 2020, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births in South Korea. Many cities are at risk of disappearing in the coming years.

Hawon Jung, the author of Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement, tells EL PAÍS that the movement was sparked by the governmental policies in a country that she considers to be very conservative.

“Single mothers are stigmatized, doctors refuse to give IVF to women without a male partner—even though it’s not illegal—and out-of-wedlock births represent only 2% of the total, compared to the average of 41% for women in the OECD. Marriage and childbirth are closely intertwined; women are pressured to sacrifice their career once they have a child or get married.”

Jung believes that the origin of the problem lies in the role of women since Confucianism—the prevailing ideology before the reforms of the 20th century. The philosophy advocated submissive daughters, chaste wives and self-sacrificing mothers. These beliefs were maintained due to a militarized society, where the concept of aggressive masculinity has been prevalent throughout history. This has applied from the Korean War (1950-1953) onwards, through the military dictatorship, to the ongoing confrontation with North Korea.

According to Jung, “countries where parents are more cooperative and have good family policies—such as Sweden—or that recognize the diversity of couples, like France, have been more successful in stabilizing or even increasing their birth rates.”

The movement of the “four no’s” reflects the radicalization of a frustration that has made women even opt to give up sex. According to Jung, “young women don’t consider it worth investing their time and energy into having affairs with men,” as they find it exhausting trying to find one who doesn’t follow patriarchal norms.

Feminist movements have, historically, been very effective in the country, achieving milestones such as the decriminalization of abortion in 2021, or changes in the notions of female beauty. The “escape of the corset” movement, for instance, rejects the rigid South Korean stereotypes associated with women, such as having long hair or following the K-pop beauty concept, which imposes the obligation on women to have porcelain skin, wear perfect makeup and undergo plastic surgery. It’s increasingly common to see South Korean women and girls with short hair, or daring to wear glasses rather than contact lenses. This has been a real revolution.

But there is still a long way to go in a country where gender violence doesn’t always lead to a charge or divorce. According to a survey published by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, eight out of 10 men admitted to having been violent towards their partner.

Jennifer Jung-Kim, a professor of Korean History at UCLA, points out via email that, in order to solve the problems derived from the gender gap in South Korea, gender-based violence must be recognized and prosecuted as such.

“When it comes to the government and corporations, laws and policies must prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal pay and opportunities for women… especially working mothers. Socially, there needs to be a greater support system for working parents, so that either parent can take days off if a child is sick, or to attend a school meeting or event. And single parents, whether male or female, shouldn’t be stigmatized, regardless of whether they are adoptive or biological parents,” she explains.

For Jung-Kim, the most important thing is an internal change on the part of men.

“They must step up and take on household chores and childcare equally and support their wives in their career choices.”

Judy Han, a professor and vice chair of Undergraduate Affairs in the Department of Gender Studies at UCLA, points out that the movement of the “four no’s” is an invitation to rebuild society.

“Can we imagine a world where women don’t have to shoulder the full burden of reproductive and domestic work, without being degraded or exploited? Where they could have marriage equality without throwing away their professional careers? Can women imagine a world without abuse, rape and violence?” she wonders.

This approach could work in many other democratic countries where gender inequality affects birth rates. Faced with an apparently unbeatable patriarchal system, more and more women around the world are choosing to give up having children, because they cannot reconcile their personal and professional lives. The consequences can push governments to act and shape entire societies.

According to Judy Han, “anyone—men and women, straight, queer, cisgender and transgender—would benefit from taking these criticisms seriously and creating a more just society.”

My crashout rambles must mean something

apparently they had black stylists, I may not have been completely right about the album theme but I was close enough.

close enough is good

I kinda felt bad for going on a unhinged rant about the awful s.m entertainment stylists and how they should be barred from doing anyone's hair. Also what I said about their untrained untalented stylists and that baddies and bad girls club had better hairstylists than them. I hate being rude, but if it made them reconsider to be clear I honestly don't care. Man I hope that man never is able to touch anyone's scalp ever again. I actually have a collection of the various scalp burns I've seen on about half a dozen kpop idols. I was this close with filing a report but I don't even know how that would work. But honestly I will say this, social media is observed by teams of people constantly to see how people are feeling about certain things. Apparently they do observe and see what people are loving and hating. I never wanted to spread negativity to those unqualified people and some of my tweets went a little to far and for that I am sorry. But at the same time there are hundreds of very good qualified stylists who take EXTREMELY good care of people edges, scalps and hair. Why not hire them. Especially if it's affordable. No one should have bald spots or scalp burns due to someone's lack of know how.

I've even seen him have bleach almost on people's ears, that can lead to burns. I'm sorry but if my family taught me anything sometimes you HAVE to open your mouth and say something when something wrong is happening. You have to, wrong is wrong even if the person is well beloved and famous. Even if the particular stylists wasn't working on his hair at least they are trying to find qualified people it's a start.

this is so so unpopular...but they both lowkey deserved better. They trauma bonded and never got a chance to explore and grow and change. That is why Aang was a terrible dad to his other two kids and I'm guessing Katara who was originally a strong willed person...didn't do anything about it. Their relationship wasn't healthy. Aang was 12...12 and then marries his first crush who was basically his fill in mother at what 16? He pretty much had no childhood and then immediately started having kids. I love both katara and aang but idealizing their relationship doesn't do them any favors. Not saying culturally Katara wouldn't of married young anyway but that was NOT Aang's culture and he certainly wouldn't of grown up to be strapped down and monogamous.

He worshipped Katara, correct, but just because she is the girl and he is the guy who sacrificed everything does NOT make it a healthy happy perfect relationship. I admit Zuko is a bad match for her too. But realistically Katara would of married some guy her age and had kids young regardless of the events of the show. Aang had nothing to go back to. No culture, no home, no friends. Of course he was desperate and had abandonment issues. Sorry I just cant with Zutara or Kataang. Like those kids didn't need to be with the equivelent of their middle school classmates. I would of been fine if they all grew up and ended up with other people. It would of been much healthier.

“Katara deserved better”

And then it’s Katara ending up with the boy who worships the ground she walks on, thinks she can do no wrong, gave up God mode for her, helped her commit environmental terrorism, cheered her on when she was beating misogyny out of an old man, was ready to take her to the other side of the world to find her a teacher when he’d just met her, constantly says he believes in her, that she’s amazing, that she inspires people and he’s proud of her.

But yeah, Katara deserved better.

Capitalism kills

people are way to general with the exposing celebs argument for me, like you either wanna talk about EVERYTHING or nothing. There's no in between. And people usually stop at the simple judging a celeb because it's popular. Celebs are only the reflection of the current celebrity. A school of fish won't give birth to a giraffe. If someone with money fame and success acts like a demon that's because the society upheld that standard. People's subconscious mind intakes everything. In a society where alcohol and drugs are okay, fighting and harming others is funny why would it surprise you that people with fame and money participate in that as well? It shouldn't. In reality people support villains the most. Mind you clark kent gets treated like crap for being a nice person, but people uplift superman only when he is destroying and fighting. People are awful in general therefore what celebs do don't surprise me. but it's acting like you cannot discuss if someone has narcissistic or sociopathic tendencies. But when it comes out they hurt others everyone is shocked. No people are fake and hive minded. Only ready to crap on someone when it's socially acceptable. If people thought logically and it was normal to observe people's behavior and protect your heart and emotions nobody would be hurt by celebs or family or friends getting exposed. But human society rewards ignorance. Like no. That's not cute at all. That being said even if I like of kekeke about someone that doesn't mean I'm ignorant to darker or shadow sides of their personality. I wish it was normal not being a fairy about another human beings like humans aren't naturally lying and violent creatures. It's actually sad how it mentally hurts people to think of someone they like in a realistic way. This is how people have psychotic breaks whenever their faves gets outed. Honestly this is making me reflect on my youth when I thought it was cute to ignore the human imperfect sides of someone. Never do that. Don't bully or make fun of people ever but be realistic. That can save someone's life seriously. I've seen people get scolded into turning their lives around. But sadly many think that is hating, but it isn't. As a large group, telling someone they need to go get help and take care of themselves isn't overstepping. That shit can save someone's life, literally. Even if you don't know them formally. People need to stop being hesitant to tell the real about people to protect their reputation. It only helps the one drowning feel like nobody can see their pain. Instead of spamming people's dm's with praise or inappropriate photos to puff up their ego, try to encourage them to get help if you have to do anything. Honestly a lot of celebs are mentally unhealthy, not all but a lot. Some people don't need access to large amounts of cash like that, but it's like the most insecure people in the world are getting quick cash and it's killing them. There is no buying happiness. A lot of them need to just stop being famous because they cannot handle it. Some people can because they are stable and confident but a majority literally cannot. Its okay to make it clear that you will not support someone until they take a much needed break and go get mental, spiritual and physical help.

I love how @runwaylooks asked us what radical feminist has done and continues to do to this day, and then immediately deletes the post. 

Anways…

1. Arab radical feminists liberating women across the Middle East (here, here)

2. African feminists bringing exposure to and addressing issues such as FGM and menstrual stigma. Examples include Laetitia Ky, Hibo Wardere, Sylvia Chioma, Nomcebo Mkhaliphi who you can all read more about here, since they were all under attack by trans activists over their activism.

3. Radical feminism rising all across Latin America, addressing issues such as femicide and abortion rights (here, here, here). Speaking of radical feminism in Latin America, you can watch this discussion with Bruna Santiago, the co-editor of Radical Feminism Magazine QG Feminista (a radical feminist magazine in Brazil) here, including other radical / gender-critical feminists. These are all comprised of women who work to bring awareness to women’s sex-based rights, among other feminist topics in Brazil (femicide, abortion, sexual violence).

4. Radical feminists in South Korea developing the 4B (”4 ‘No’s”) movement to liberate women in the country from centering men, and other patriarchal practices, from their lives. You can read more about it here, here, and here. Speaking of feminism in South Korea, it has actually grown more radical feminist as the country descends more into extreme patriarchy. They also address femicide and abortion rights, among many other topics.

5. French radical feminists fighting against violence against women in their country, as well as street violence and harassment (here)

6. Groups like Radical Women that continue to unite and uphold womens’ activism in various regions (here is the link to their website where you can browse around)

And those are just some, I’m sure we can find much more.

eco

Nature