Topic: Concerning rise in political dogwhistles and rants being thrown around the forum

[BLOOD MONKEY]

It hasn't been all over the place but I've noticed it creeping in, mostly with the word "woke". People complaining about virtue signaling, those sorts of things. Words that have no meaning other than to exist as a shorthand for saying something more offensive but bannable. Do the people using the word "woke" even know what it means, or the history of how it came into being used like it is?

It's concerning and with such a small community it feels almost threatening.

I'm a transgender woman. I've been a part of this community for a long while and felt accepted for what I was regardless of what I've identified as at the different points throughout my life. The world outside is getting a lot scarier for people like me, people are trying to convince the world that people like me mean them harm, many seem to believe we're part of some massive organized movement. Laws are being passed because of it that have already done direct harm to me. I'm not involved with politics. I have no agendas to push. I'm trying to enjoy my life, and more importantly, since I'm posting here, trying to just enjoy being a Castlevania fan around a group of people with a similar interest. But now it's getting harder to even have that without seeing little reminders of the real world harm happening to me.

I don't want that sentiment to creep into this community that I've been a part of for almost 10 years now. Things like this always start quietly.

[Belmontoya]

It hasn't been all over the place but I've noticed it creeping in, mostly with the word "woke". People complaining about virtue signaling, those sorts of things. Words that have no meaning other than to exist as a shorthand for saying something more offensive but bannable. Do the people using the word "woke" even know what it means, or the history of how it came into being used like it is?

It's concerning and with such a small community it feels almost threatening.

I'm a transgender woman. I've been a part of this community for a long while and felt accepted for what I was regardless of what I've identified as at the different points throughout my life. The world outside is getting a lot scarier for people like me, people are trying to convince the world that people like me mean them harm, many seem to believe we're part of some massive organized movement. Laws are being passed because of it that have already done direct harm to me. I'm not involved with politics. I have no agendas to push. I'm trying to enjoy my life, and more importantly, since I'm posting here, trying to just enjoy being a Castlevania fan around a group of people with a similar interest. But now it's getting harder to even have that without seeing little reminders of the real world harm happening to me.

I don't want that sentiment to creep into this community that I've been a part of for almost 10 years now. Things like this always start quietly.

Hi. I've noticed this too and I agree with you 100%.

Know that not everyone here has been brainwashed by this weak and fabricated right-wing agenda.

You are as welcome here and in the Castlevania community as anyone else.

As someone who has been around this forum for nearly 20 years, it's embarrassing to me that you even had to wonder if you were welcome.

A lot of us here keep quiet because we don't want drama. But I would say to those people to take a look at how gross it's getting when certain people no longer feel welcome here.

[X]

To me the individuals aren't the problem. It doesn't matter who has what under their pants or whatever so long as they're decent human beings. The problem is that there are those whom are misguiding others on purpose for specific agendas (political and otherwise) and they're dragging the innocent down with them. People who simply want to live their lives without all the garbage that has been forced down our throats are unfortunately being targeted as well. And this whole thing should never have gotten so out of hand (heavy-handed at that) or even started in the first place. To me a person's physical identity isn't important. It's what's inside their hearts/souls that matter. The human body (however it might look) is nothing more then a set of clothes we wear during our life here. Then we throw it away when it's time to go home. That's all physical identity is. It's never truly important as the soul that wears it.

BLOOD MONKEY@ Try not to feel discouraged by what's been going on. Live your life to the best of your ability and pass up that political trash if it comes your way. You are who you are, not what you are. Don't let anybody else with negative intentions say otherwise. And in case you don't know what woke is here's a video that explains it. Both what is was originally and what it has now come to represent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhRC6PQbCDo

[Belmontoya]

To me the individuals aren't the problem. It doesn't matter who has what under their pants or whatever so long as they're decent human beings. The problem is that there are those whom are misguiding others on purpose for specific agendas (political and otherwise) and they're dragging the innocent down with them. People who simply want to live their lives without all the garbage that has been forced down our throats are unfortunately being targeted as well. And this whole thing should never have gotten so out of hand (heavy-handed at that) or even started in the first place. To me a person's physical identity isn't important. It's what's inside their hearts/souls that matter. The human body (however it might look) is nothing more then a set of clothes we wear during our life here. Then we throw it away when it's time to go home. That's all physical identity is. It's never truly important as the soul that wears it.

BLOOD MONKEY@ Try not to feel discouraged by what's been going on. Live your life to the best of your ability and pass up that political trash if it comes your way. You are who you are, not what you are. Don't let anybody else with negative intentions say otherwise. And in case you don't know what woke is here's a video that explains it. Both what is was originally and what it has now come to represent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhRC6PQbCDo

X I watched that video and it said exactly what I've heard a hundred times.

It's very simple to me. In a capitalist society literally every business usually does and is free to push it's agenda on you however they want. They can even disguise it as real news. That's nothing new.

They're also free to hire whoever they want and to write whatever they want with their IPs that they own the rights to.

So what is it that you think should be done to eliminate the "wokeness" in the media? Where does this go beyond you complaining online and not buying a ticket to Captain Marvel?

Do you think the problem calls for government intervention?

I just want to know how serious you think this is.

[X]

I just want to know how serious you think this is.

Serious enough that it caught my attention. Ghostbusters 2016 was what first made me aware that there was something going on and it just kept snowballing from there. Besides I posted the video for BLOOD MONKEY as to answer her question.

So what is it that you think should be done to eliminate the "wokeness" in the media?

I don't have to do anything. It's already started to fall apart. They've shot themselves in their own foot -with a nuclear weapon- and now have to deal with the fallout.

[Eric Roman]

EDIT: 3-27-2023 1:26PM EST

Counter to my experience navigating this kind of situation I assumed, by voicing their concern on this public space, BM was willing to share a dialogue.  A week of radio silence later has me questioning my benefit of the doubt, therefore I've retracted my gutspilling attempt to relate and will nutshell my sentiments thus:

A diversity of sexualities is nothing new in the CastleVania fandom and, historically, we've gotten along great; ah, those ICVD boobsaix orgies...

Unless an individual is being bullied, I'll always find humor humorous. 

Identity Politics is a miserable pile of Identity Politricks and it has not only been destructive to creativity, but to communities at large. 

(Bloo)D MONKEY is a very capable artist.

Thankyoudrivethrough. 

[Belmontoya]

I don't have to do anything. It's already started to fall apart. They've shot themselves in their own foot -with a nuclear weapon- and now have to deal with the fallout.

Sounds pretty serious.

[Bloodreign]

Edit: Nah, not going to be something I comment on, not the place for it.

There are forum rules for harassment of any kind, the community here is quiet, so I don't think anyone will come after you.

[theplottwist]

I'm sure BLOOD MONKEY feels much safer now.

In other news, I recommend anyone interested in learning the basics of dog-whistle politics to watch Natalie Wynn's channel "Contrapoints." There are others but the subject matter is too brainy to go over here. Here's a vid I particularly like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx4BVGPkdzk

There are others such as Innuendo Studios' brilliant "Alt-Right Playbook" series, even though it's a bit outdated by this point. I unfortunately have no references for the specific subject of "trans scare" that are easy to consume, one will need to explore into it further and find their own way.

[VladOfWallachia]

It hasn't been all over the place but I've noticed it creeping in, mostly with the word "woke". People complaining about virtue signaling, those sorts of things. Words that have no meaning other than to exist as a shorthand for saying something more offensive but bannable. Do the people using the word "woke" even know what it means, or the history of how it came into being used like it is?

It's concerning and with such a small community it feels almost threatening.

I'm a transgender woman. I've been a part of this community for a long while and felt accepted for what I was regardless of what I've identified as at the different points throughout my life. The world outside is getting a lot scarier for people like me, people are trying to convince the world that people like me mean them harm, many seem to believe we're part of some massive organized movement. Laws are being passed because of it that have already done direct harm to me. I'm not involved with politics. I have no agendas to push. I'm trying to enjoy my life, and more importantly, since I'm posting here, trying to just enjoy being a Castlevania fan around a group of people with a similar interest. But now it's getting harder to even have that without seeing little reminders of the real world harm happening to me.

I don't want that sentiment to creep into this community that I've been a part of for almost 10 years now. Things like this always start quietly.

Trans rights are human rights.

"Woke" politics have zero substance. It's just the next iteration of the same old play from the fascist playbook. As the ruling class continues to consolidate power and wealth, the vast majority of us are getting pushed closer and closer to slavery each passing year. So what do the fascists in power do to ensure the peasants don't fight back? They manufacture baseless nonsense that targets the most powerless and voiceless people in our society. They want the majority at each other's throats so that we don't focus on our actual oppressors, and this forum is a perfect example of that. One mention of "wokeness" and the thread devolves into the community tearing itself apart. This is exactly what fascists in power intend when they manufacture this baseless nonsense. 

[Dongled]

I believe in treating others the way I want to be treated. I support gay rights and trans rights because it literally doesn't affect me if someone else marries someone who is trans or gay/lesbian or anything in between because it's none of my business. With that said BLOOD MONKEY, there are anti-trans people in every community, just like their are anti-semites in every community (something that affects me personally as I'm Jewish.) It really sucks that people can be hateful towards someone who is different from them but the best advice I have is to find those who will accept you for who you are and stick by them. But I can understand being uncomfortable around people who are against your existence. Just know that I, and many others here, are not one of them. We support you.

[X]

Exactly. What Dongled had said. Just be who you are and live your life as you see fit. Besides I still want to see more of your art and we can't do that if you aren't here anymore 

[Shiroi Koumori]

I'm back from vacation and this is what I return to... sheesh...

@BLOOD MONKEY: I love your art so please don't leave. I never cared about gender. A person is a person and everyone deserves to be treated equally.

[Eric Roman]

There was a little more context to this which didn’t carry over in the backup load; it’s moot now, though curious this thread suddenly reappeared.

Unlike my finely crafted extremely important fandom-critical posts that were actually about CastleVania, ;_;_;_;_;p

[zangetsu468]

I find it comical that there appear to be different sets of rules re: political posts..

Why, the pseudo-wokeists may be closer than we think… ?

On a lighter note, Happy Easter y’all. ? ?