all snark // no substance

On the Mandarin in Iron Man 3

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:53:33 -0700

I just don’t feel like his depiction was all that innovative or new because Iron Man was always just some white dude’s racist fantasy and in Iron Man 3 he is still just some white dude’s racist fantasy.

relaxtakeiteasy-: : “Tangled” show at Disneyland’s Princess Fantasy...

Sat, 04 May 2013 01:41:29 -0700

relaxtakeiteasy-:

: “Tangled” show at Disneyland’s Princess Fantasy Faire
disneyforprincesses:

I attended the “Tangled” show which is one of two shows at Disneyland’s new Princess Fantasy Faire area of the park. The two narrators were two white men and the two stars were the Rapunzel and Flynn Rider face characters. In addition, there were two women of color cast…

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WATCHED BOTH THE TANGLED AND BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SHOWS MULTIPLE TIMES:
all the renaissance women take turns doing the props and interacting with the guests (depends on their work rotation, breaks, lunches, etc.) and we also have a black and filipino stephen of morocco. if you were not aware, the royal theatre is supposed to depict the show as close to renaissance times as possible (but with recent disney movies) hence, the two men performing all the characters sans rapunzel and belle.
from,
fantasyland cast member
ps
people are retarded as fuck

fantasyland cast member says you are “retarded as fuck” if your experience was different than hers. Nice.

startrekintowhiteness: A follow-up to SuperMegaFoxyAwesomeHot’s...

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:19:42 -0700

startrekintowhiteness:

A follow-up to SuperMegaFoxyAwesomeHot’s post earlier.

Thank you to Whitewashing-Khan.

omg I loled.

khaleesiboadicea: no, antonio “puss in boots” banderas should not play oberyn martell. get...

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:45:33 -0700

khaleesiboadicea:

no, antonio “puss in boots” banderas should not play oberyn martell.

get out.

PUSS N BOOTS MARTELL FOREVER

megaofmen: sageoflogic: lucipurrr: lightspeedsound: racebendi...

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:39:53 -0700

megaofmen:

sageoflogic:

lucipurrr:

lightspeedsound:

racebending:

New photo released of Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham, a military commander of Maori descent, in “Ender’s Game” (2013). Regarding the moko, Kingsley says:

“Every gesture in the tattoo carries family history, family struggles – it’s your past,” the actor says. “I was so enthralled. He’s in quite a contained, stylized uniform but then this wonderful face tells his warrior history.”

Rackham is an important character of color in the Ender’s Game novel—and arguably the highest profile Maori character in any upcoming tent pole movie this decade. Roles like this one do not come along often for actors of Pacific Islander descent. While the role is being portrayed by an actor of color, it is hard not to feel disappointed that the production did not cast a Maori actor to play this role.

aaare you FUCKING KIDDING ME

“OH LOOK WE DECIDED TO MAKE MAZER RACKHAM BEN KINGSLEY, WHO’S HALF INDIAN”

“OH WE KNOW HE’S MAORI, WE JUST THINK BEN KINGSLEY LOOKS MORE MAORI THAN AN ACTUAL MAORI PERSON”

“WAIT WHAT YOU EXPECTED US TO PULL A WHALE RIDER AND FIND AN ACTUAL MAORI DON’T BE RIDICULOUS, THIS IS SPACE, WE DON’T NEED TO DO THAT IT’S SCI FI”

“OH LOOK WE THOUGHT THESE TATTOOS LOOKED REALLY COOL AND THEY’RE MAORI SO BE SATISFIED WE’RE STEALING THE CULTURE BUT DON’T THINK YOU ACTUAL MAORIS LOOK GOOD ENOUGH TO WEAR THIS SHIT ON SCREEN”

“DIVERSITY!”

no one pay to see this movie.

Also Orson Scott Card is a terrible asshat

Now, I have no idea what casting call the put out for the part, so bearing that in mind:

Did anybody stop to think that maybe he simply ended up being the best actor to audition for the part? Maybe no Maori actors auditioned?

What do you expect, them to actively go out and hunt down a Maori actor to play the part instead of just holding auditions? Maybe the Maori actors who auditioned simply weren’t good enough of actors for the part?

Now, I admit, it’s entirely possible several phenomenal Maori actors who auditioned were overlooked to cast Kingsley instead. Which if that is the case, then yes, that’s highly disappointing. But all I’m seeing is a bunch of mudslinging without any facts being used to back up the claims. Which isn’t okay.

Again I could be mistaken, as I haven’t seen anything about how the casting call for this role was done.

“Did anybody stop to think that maybe he simply ended up being the best actor to audition for the part?”

No, unless the production did not actually make an effort to find Maori actors.

Maybe no Maori actors auditioned?

That would be on the production for not actively recruiting, particularly when there are several established Maori actors like Cliff Curtis.

What do you expect, them to actively go out and hunt down a Maori actor to play the part instead of just holding auditions?

Yeah. Yes! Especially if they are going to culturally appropriate. They bothered to find the tattoos but not the actors.

Maybe the Maori actors who auditioned simply weren’t good enough of actors for the part?

We’re supposed to believe that someone who isn’t Maori can better represent a Maori character than an actual Maori actor? That out of all of the nearly a million Maori in the world, not one is better at portraying a Maori actor than Ben Kingsley?

But all I’m seeing is a bunch of mudslinging without any facts being used to back up the claims. Which isn’t okay.

Yeah…you should stop that, with the underestimating Maori actors bit. Because actors of Maori descent are talented enough and should be enough to play themselves. It’s not because they don’t exist.

REBLOG: Star Trek Into Darkness and the latest thing to bitch about.

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:33:00 -0700

shatterhandn7:

NOTE: I posted this a few days back, but as long as these morally bankrupt people are going to continue to make this argument, I’m going to repost this. Plus I’m including their inappropriate tag so they can’t help but see it.

So, not only do we have to deal with blatantly rude people with the maturity of 9-year-olds spoiling the plot of Star Trek Into Darkness for people who don’t want to know all the details, but now people here on Tumblr (and I’m sure elsewhere) are using the spoilers as an excuse to spread some imbecilic blather accusing J.J. Abrams and his crew of racism. And further, presenting that said argument in detail as they have is in itself continuing the spread of said spoilers, which only multiplies their douchebaggery by a staggering degree.

I’m still trying to solve the mystery of when exactly the majority of modern society became such a bunch of weak-skinned, spineless crybabies that they’d find offense in anything even if they had to make it up. I don’t think that mystery will ever be solved. But using racism as the latest trigger for a spittle-flecked, fist-waving argument against something that displeases you is truly shameful, because it’s such a deliberate, merit-less ploy to ensure that anyone who dares disagree with the argument is labeled a racist by association. It’s low, dirty, underhanded and despicable…and believe me, those are the kindest words I can conceive of for those who’d partake in such a machination.

If you’re a part of this, if you’re supporting the “it’s racist, and if you don’t think so, so are you” game that’s going on here, then you should hang your heads in shame if there’s even the slightest shred of decency and humility left in your hearts. You’re not defending against hate and discrimination; you’re just reshaping it to fit your needs. The cruel irony is that by doing this, you’ve failed miserably in your own cause. You won’t see it due to willful blindness against facts you find distasteful, but it’s in plain sight for anyone with a modicum of understanding. Even now, you’re probably sitting there, getting ready to write some bitter retort that will no doubt include some bizarre circular reasoning that will lead to your belief that I am racist for not agreeing with you. And that will only serve to support my statement here.

I have never been more ashamed to call myself a Star Trek fan than I am at this particular time in my life, because these people who’d participate in such hatemongering claim to be supporting the franchise. They sully and pollute it, and for that I am truly, relentlessly heartbroken.

this fan is more upset about fans speaking out against racism than upset about the fact that racism actually happened.

Discrimination isn’t heartbreaking, but people speaking out against it is.

fatpinkcast: Sam’s failure, Davos’ castaway moment, Cersei and...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:42:36 -0700

fatpinkcast:

Sam’s failure, Davos’ castaway moment, Cersei and Margaery’s verbal sparring, Tywin’s excellent parenting skills and of course, Barristan the BAMF. In this latest episode, FPC recaps this week’s season 3 premiere, entitled Valar Dohaeris.

Reminder: The first half of the podcast is spoiler-free as requested, and the second half is business as usual!

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED LAST WEEK

Episode 5: A Clash of Kinks (part II)

FPC reads your favourite sex scenes out loud, despite the massive amount of secondhand embarrassment involved.

WHAT’S UP NEXT WEEK

Episode 7: Dark Wings, Dark Words (s3, ep2)

Get ready for the action to (hopefully) amp up in the second episode of the third season (wow, second episode already???).

Check below for more details on s3, ep2: Dark Wings, Dark Words.

Read More

toxicrants: yournewavatar: animewaterfall: korralations: here...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:39:20 -0700

toxicrants:

yournewavatar:

animewaterfall:

korralations:

heretillutopia:

palemarried:

inspredwood:

So as it turns out the original speculation is true. Ikem is Zuko’s father not Ozai and that means that Iroh is not even Zuko’s uncle and Azula has every right to the throne over Zuko.

“Continuing on Ursa, the big reveal that is sure to be the big talking point among fans. Zuko’s biological father is actually Ikem, not Ozai.”

From this article.

What do you fans think? Does this change how you will perceive Zuko and the dynamic of the upcoming series of Korra?

ew wtf this is terrible no

i thought this was avatar, not a cliche soap opera special

oh gross

part of what made zuko’s story so strong was that it showed that you dont have to like or follow your family if what theyre doing is wrong, and the contrast between azula and zukos characterization showed that good people can come from bad places

without zuko being related to ozai, it could be said that azula is evil because of her genetics, not her upbringing or that zuko was good from the start because he wasnt related to ozai.

like this was so strong because it showed that you dont have to be like your parents and just because your parents are bad people doesnt mean you have to be and ugh

this isnt supposed to be a cinderella story, this isnt about “evil stepparents” and ugh this is boring and gross

if this is true (in this comic whatever), this is going to be one of the first, if not THE first, case of “I’m totally ignoring this canon thing”

because let’s be honest

this is really demeaning to all of the hard work that went into zuko’s character

whether or not he’s your favorite, his character arc and development, along with azula’s, was fantastic, and absolutely just ugh so good

a big part of the reason why was because of the whole “good people can come from the worst families” thing

so now you’re going to send zuko on a *magical quest* to find out that *daddy is a sweetheart* and that *oh no zuko only bad people have bad parents* and *bad people breed bad people shh* *azula was only bad because her family was*

whattt

that’s such a bad message, plus contradictory to the show and

i just

no

if this is actually true (like bryke approves it), i’m most likely going to totally ignore it

even if they say it’s true, i’ll never believe it! It’s like their killing another favorite character of mine!! D:

UM YEAH IM TOTALLY IGNORING THESE COMICS NOW BECAUSE YA KNOW I LIKE MY CHARACTERS THE WAY THEY WERE YA KNOW SO FUCK YOU.

If this is eventually confirmed by bryke (because I don’t really understand whether this is a definite thing, I’ve never read them and obviously this is only part one) I won’t accept it.

This is an example of people fucking with a beloved franchise.

Oh sweet lord has anyone bothered to translate the letter from Chinese into English? Because….*waves hands and jumps up and down* It’s a grammar confusion thing. Unclear antecedents. Zuko and Azula are just bad at grammar and apparently so is fandom…

missturdle: OZAI ISN’T ZUKO’S FATHER WHICH COMPLETELY THROWS...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:34:59 -0700

missturdle:

OZAI ISN’T ZUKO’S FATHER WHICH COMPLETELY THROWS OUT ZUKO AS A LEGITIMATE HEIR TO THE THRONE AND THE ENTIRE ARC OF ZUKO HAVING TWO WARRING BLOODLINES INSIDE HIM TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AND ANYONE WHO TRIES TO PULL “WELL OZAI RAISED HIM” WITH ME GETS THE DUNGEON FOR 3948758456 YEARS BECAUSE OZAI WAS AN ABUSIVE FUCK AND IROH WAS ZUKO’S REAL FATHER IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD THAT MATTERS AND MIKE AND BRYAN AND GENE YANG ARE IN A TIME OUT NOW THEY ARE GROUNDED FOREVER

THEY TRASHED ZUKO’S DEVELOPMENT AND HIS CHARACTER AND THE STRUGGLES HE WENT THROUGH BY MAKING HIM SOMEONE ELSE’S SON

LITERALLY HIS ENTIRE ARC WAS BASED OFF OF OZAI’S ABUSE AND NEGLECT TOWARDS HIM AND HIM BEING A CHILD WHO JUST WANTED HIS FATHER TO LOVE HIM

THIS IS THE WORST NARRATIVE BETRAYAL IN THE HISTORY OF BETRAYALS

THIS IS SHITTIER THAN THE ENTIRETY OF THE LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE WHICH AT LEAST MADE ME LAUGH AT ITS STUPIDITY

I AM IN A RAGE

THIS IS PROBABLY MADDER ABOUT FICTIONAL COMICS CHARACTERS THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN

HOW DARE THEY.

Am I the only person who sees this and sees that Zuko is confused by confirmation bias and unclear antecedents?

Also, Ikem has light brown skin and Zuko is super pale like Ozai idk.

platinumtango: glintglimmergleam: almondskeyes: TO EVERYONE...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:24:56 -0700

platinumtango:

glintglimmergleam:

almondskeyes:

TO EVERYONE WHO THINKS WE ARE LIVING IN A POSTRACIAL WORLD. FUCKING READ THIS. CITED FROM REAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH.

I didn’t know there was a term for this!!!

so basically no matter what you say you’re still being a secret racist? That’s nice….

Reading comprehension fail. That is pretty much the opposite of what it is saying. You are not a helpless victim who cannot help being racist. You have a choice. You have the option to try and understand what this excerpt is saying instead of throwing in the towel because your concept of what encompasses racism-perpetuating speech has been challenged.

Re: The Search

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:21:00 -0700

To me, it is kind of obvious that when she was referring to “our son” she was referring to her son with Ozai and that Azula and Zuko just have reading comprehension grammar fail.

warcrimenancydrew: almondskeyes: TO EVERYONE WHO THINKS WE ARE...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:49:56 -0700

warcrimenancydrew:

almondskeyes:

TO EVERYONE WHO THINKS WE ARE LIVING IN A POSTRACIAL WORLD. FUCKING READ THIS. CITED FROM REAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH.

omg where did you even come across a textbook that says this type of stuff? I WANT TO READ IT.

microaggressions by derald wing sue. Must read.

Photo

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 22:58:54 -0800

Some basic guidelines on how to write and write about LGBT characters

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:00:35 -0800

Some basic guidelines on how to write and write about LGBT characters:

lalalunascope:

renamok:

racebending:

princelesscomic:

princelesscomic:

J. Skylar at Comic Book Bin wrote an incredible article that can be used AS A STARTING POINT when writing LGBT characters or about LGBT issues. Follow the link, check it out, but remember: your most important job when you write about another culture of any type is to do your research and understand what the words you are using mean, not just from a dictionary but to those who will read them and be affected.

“Writing about topics you are not directly involved in can be a difficult task, particularly when it concerns cultural identities because you may inadvertently offend the very people you wish to write about. This is especially true when writing about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, because its terminology has changed and evolved considerably over the past century.”

So…apparently this is somehow up for debate. Read the site editor’s response. Please, let him know what you think…I did. http://www.comicbookbin.com/Challenging_LGBT_Classifications001.html

Skylar’s tips for writers included simple things like avoiding the word “homosexual” and using “transgender” as an adjective instead of a noun. Apparently this was too much for site editor Herve St-Louis, who writes:

However, Skyler’s construct seemed to me too normative and too controlling. If you’ve read ComicBookBin for ten years or know about me personally, you’ll know that I like to poke fun at authority figures and normative stances. I can’t help it. I like to challenge dogma. Skyler introduced her classification method to writers of ComicBookBin because presumably she was annoyed at how we wrote and classified LGBT issues. I am the first one to admit to using the word homosexual to describe gay men in several articles. Before reading Skyler’s notes, I had no clue whatsoever that the word homosexual was even a problem. In fact, I always assumed that the term “gay” was more associated with a specific lifestyle that trapped many men into a specific cultural identity and that the word homosexual freed them of being classified under a cultural construct.
…I feel that Skyler’s classification unduly restricts the voice of other writers. Because it is motivated by a need to reverse a dominant discourse, it therefore manifests an objective that may not be shared with other writers at ComicBookBin. At ComicBookBin, we have had writers who were on the extreme left and some who definitely were right of centre. I welcome all of them. Personally, I find the rainbow of terms defined by LGBT too cumbersome and too elastic in its attempt to include everyone and make everybody happy. I will admit that I find placing lesbians before gays a trivial matter. It feels like overbearing political correctness and I don’t like it. ComicBookBin is not about political correctness. It’s about comics. That writers choose to classify terms as suggested by Skyler is something I will leave to each of them to decide. I will not adopt the full range of Skyler’s classification because it’s too heavy to use for me. Also, I am not convinced that terms such as “homosexual” are deemed as derogatory by many gays. It sounds as something that queer theorists debate among each other as opposed to a feeling shared by the gay population at large about the term homosexual being insulting to them. Skyler’s classification has certainly educated me, but I can choose my own classification construct just as Skyler does.

…One of my biggest criticisms of Skyler’s article is that it talks down on people instead of including them in the discourse. We have a lecturer lecturing readers about what is acceptable language and what is not. The rebel in me right away flared up with what I deem a patronizing language. Skyler’s classification did not include groups which were not part of the LGBT in the discussion. In a weird way they were excluded from the discourse and became the other which Skyler has tried to deflate.

…an individual helpfully lays out general guidelines for how to reflect or write about a marginalized community. The suggestions are rejected for bring too “heavy” or otherwise cumbersome—in other words, the writer’s convenience is prioritized over the needs of the marginalized community the writer is trying to represent. The tips for how to write sensitively are deemed “patronizing” and exclusionary towards straight people.

Because if anyone needs to worry about exclusion or marginalization, it’s straight cis people.

Look at the comments on that page. Fucking fantastic.

Wow. He is basically saying that the preferred language requested by GLAAD and other LGBTQ individuals is “oppressive” to his right to use the word “homosexual” and other gay people’s rights to use the term homosexual.

Also, he can’t even bother to get the name of the original author right.

Sooo..... a man of japanese descent, Mr. Kevin Tsujihara, is going to be head honcho of Warner Bros. as of March 1.... A minority will be head of a major movie studio.... Isn't this significant fucking news? Wouldn't tumblr have blown up with excitement over this???? Or maybe they have and I just didn't see it because I constantly lurk about in the Skyrim, Tom Hiddleston and fashion tags?

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:12:18 -0800

Sooo..... a man of japanese descent, Mr. Kevin Tsujihara, is going to be head honcho of Warner Bros. as of March 1.... A minority will be head of a major movie studio.... Isn't this significant fucking news? Wouldn't tumblr have blown up with excitement over this???? Or maybe they have and I just didn't see it because I constantly lurk about in the Skyrim, Tom Hiddleston and fashion tags?:

He’s not the head oft he studio, he’s the head of the company. I doubt he will really influence the day to day operations of the movie studio at all.

nannaia: Evolution of Chinese Clothing and Cheongsam Chinese...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:53:22 -0800

nannaia:

Evolution of Chinese Clothing and Cheongsam

Chinese clothing has approximately 5,000 years of history behind it, but regrettably I am only able to cover 2,500 years in this fashion timeline. I began with the Han dynasty as the term hanfu (Chinese clothing) was coined in that period. Please bear in mind that this is only a generalized timeline of Chinese clothing primarily featuring aristocratic and upper-class ethnic Han Chinese women (the exceptions are Fig. 8 (dancer) and Fig. 11 (maid, due to the fact I couldn’t find many paintings in this period)).

My resources are mainly the books: 5,000 years of Chinese Costume, China Chic: East Meets West, and Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation. 5,000 years of Chinese Costume is an invaluable resource (though sadly currently out of print), I would highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it.

Han Dynasty:

“In the Han Dynasty, as of old, the one-piece garment remained the formal dress for women. However, it was somewhat different from that of the Warring States Period, in that it had an increased number of curves in the front and broadened lower hems. Close-fitting at the waist, it was always tied with a silk girdle.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 32)

Wei and Jin dynasties:

“On the whole, the costumes of the Wei and Jin period still followed the patterns of Qin and Han.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 54)

“From the costumes worn by the benefactors in the Dunhuang murals and the costumes of the pottery figurines unearthed in Louyang, it can be seen that women’s costumes in the period of Wei and Jin were generally large and loose. The upper garment opened at the front and was tied at the waist. The sleeves were broad and fringed at the cuffs with decorative borders of a different colour. The skirt had spaced coloured stripes and was tied with a white silk band at the waist. There was also an apron between the upper garment and skirt for the purpose of fastening the waist. Apart from wearing a multi-coloured skirt, women also wore other kinds such as the crimson gauze-covered skirt, the red-blue striped gauze double skirt, and the barrel-shaped red gauze skirt. Many of these styles are mentioned in historical records.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 65)

Southern and Northern Dynasties:

“During the Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, though men no longer wore the traditional one-piece garment, some women continued to do so. However, the style was quite different from that seen in the Han Dynasty. Typically the women’s dress was decorated with xian and shao. The latter refers to pieces of silk cloth sewn onto the lower hem of the dress, which were wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, so that triangles were formed overlapping each other. Xian refers to some relatively long ribbons which extended from the short-cut skirt. While the wearer was walking, these lengthy ribbons made the sharp corners n the lower hem wave like a flying swallow, hence the Chinese phrase ‘beautiful ribbons and flying swallowtail’.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 62)

“During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, costumes underwent further changes in style. The long flying ribbons were no longer seen and the swallowtailed corners became enlarged. As a result the flying ribbons and swallowtailed corners were combined into one.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 62)

Sui Dynasty:

“During the period of the Sui and early Tang, a short jacket with tight sleeves was worn in conjunction with a tight long skirt whose waist was fastened almost to the armpits with a silk ribbon. In the ensuing century, the style of this costume remained basically the same, except for some minor changes such as letting out the jacket and/or its sleeves.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 88)

Tang Dynasty:

“The Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous period in China’s feudal society. Changan (now Xian, Shananxi Province), the capital, was the political, economic and cultural centre of the nation. […] Residents in Changan included people of such nationalities as Huihe (Uygur,) Tubo (Tibetan), and Nanzhao (Yi), and even Japanese, Xinluo (Korean), Persian and Arabian. Meanwhile, people frequently travelled to and fro between countries like Vietnam, India and the East Roman Empire and Changan, thus spreading Chinese culture to other parts of the world.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 76)

“…all the national minorities and foreign envoys who thronged the streets of Changan also contributed something of their own culture to the Tang. Consequently, paintings, carvings, music and dances of the Tang absorbed something of foreign skills and styles. The Tang government adopted the policy of taking in every exotic form whether or hats or clothing, so that Tang costumes became increasingly picturesque and beautiful.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 88)

“Women of the Tang Dynasty paid particular attention to facial appearance, and the application of powder or even rouge was common practice. Some women’s foreheads were painted dark yellow and the dai (a kind of dark blue pigment) was used to paint their eyebrows into different shapes that were called dai mei (painted eyebrows) in general.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 89)

“In the years of Tianbao during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, women used to wear men’s costumes. This was not only a fashion among commoners, but also for a time it spread to the imperial court and became customary for women of high birth.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 89)

Song Dynasty

“The hairstyle of the women of the Song Dynasty still followed the fashion of the later period of the Tang Dynasty, the high bun being the favoured style. Women’s buns were often more than a foot in height.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Women’s upper garments consisted mainly of coat, blouse, loose-sleeved dress, over-dress, short-sleeved jacket and vest. The lower garment was mostly a skirt.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Women in the Song Dynasty seldom wore boots, since binding the feet had become fashionable.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 107)

“Although historians do not know exactly how or why foot binding began, it was apparently initially associated with dancers at the imperial court and professional female entertainers in the capital. During the Song dynasty (960-1279) the practice spread from the palace and entertainment quarters into the homes of the elite. ‘By the thirteenth century, archeological evidence shows clearly that foot-binding was practiced among the daughters and wives of officials,’ reports Patricia Buckley Ebrey […] Over the course of the next few centuries foot binding became increasingly common among gentry families, and the practice eventually penetrated the mass of the Chinese people.” (Chinese Chic: East Meets West, pg. 37-38)

Yuan Dynasty:

“Han women continued to wear the jacket and skirt. However, the choice of darker shades and buttoning on the left showed Mongolian influence.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 131)

“After the Mongols settled down in the Central Plains, Mongolian customs and costumes also had their influence on those of the Han people. While remaining the main costume for Han women, the jacket and skirt had deviated greatly in style from those of the Tang and Song periods. Tight-fitting garments gave way to big, loose ones; and collar, sleeves and skirt became straight. In addition, lighter more serene colours gained preference.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 142)

Ming Dynasty:

“The clothing for women in the Ming Dynasty consisted mainly of gowns, coats, rosy capes, over-dresses with or without sleeves, and skirts. These styles were imitations of ones first seen in the Tang and Song Dynasties. However, the openings were on the right-hand side, according to the Han Dynasty convention.” ((5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 147)

“The formal dress for commoners could only be made of coarse purple cloth, and no gold embroidery was allowed. Gowns could only in such light colours as purple, green and pink; and in no case should crimson, reddish blue or yellow be used. These regulations were observed for over a decade, and it was not until the 14^th year of Hong Wu that minor changes were made.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 147)

Qing Dynasty

When China fell under Manchurian rule, Chinese men were forced to adopt Manchurian customs. As a sign of submission, the new government made a decree that men must shave their head and wear the Manchurian queue or lose their heads. Many choose the latter.

On the other hand, Chinese women were not pressured to adopt Manchurian clothing and fashions. “Women, in general, wore skirts as their lower garments, and red skirts were for women of position. At first, there were still the “phoenix-tail” skirt and the “moonlight” skirt and others from the Ming tradition. However the styles evolved with the passage of time: some skirts were adorned with ribbons that floated in the air when one walked; some had little bells fastened under them: others had their lower edge embroidered with wavy designs. As the dynasty drew to an end, the wearing of trousers became the fashion among commoner women. There were trousers with full crotches and over trousers, both made of silk embroidered with patters.” (5,000 years of Chinese Costume, pg. 173)

The Manchurians attempted several times to eradicate the practice of foot-binding, but were largely unsuccessful. Manchurian women admired the gait of bound women but were effectively banned from practicing food-binding. Hence, a “flower pot shoe” later came into creation and it allowed its wearer the same unsteady gait but without any need for foot-binding.

Republic Era

Women traditionally bound their breasts in the Ming and Qing dynasties with tight fitting vests and continued to do so in the early 20^th century.

“The vests were called xiaomajia ‘little vest’ or xiaoshan ‘little shirt” “used by Chinese women as underclothing for the upper part of the body.” (Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation: Finnane pg 162) “Doudu [is] a sort of apron for the upper body […] in former times the doudu had been worn by everyone, old and young, male and female. The young wore red, the middle-aged wore white or grey-green, the elderly wore black. A little pocket sewn into the top was used by adults to secrete them money and by children their sweets. When a girl got engaged, she would show off her embroidery skills by sending an elaborately worked doudu to her fiancé, decorated with bats for good forturne and pomegranates, symbolizing many sons.” (Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation: Finnane pg 162)

A ban on bound breasts began in 1927, in which the government started advocating for the “Natural Breast Movement”. Despite this, bound breasts still widely continued into the 1930s. The government also banned earrings as it fell under the criteria of deforming the natural body. The 1930s also saw the introduction of the western/French bra come to Shanghai.

“The little vest was designed to constrain the breasts and streamline the body. Such a garment was necessary to look comme il faut around 1908, when (as J. Dyer Ball observed): ‘fashion decreed that jackets should fit tight, though not yielding to the contours of the figure, except in the slightest degree, as such an exposure of the body would be considered immodest.’ It became necessary again in the mid-twenties, when the jacket-blouse—a garment cut on rounded lines – began to give way to the qipao. At this stage, darts were not used to tailor the bodice or upper part of the qipao, nor would they be till the mid-fifties. The most that could be done by way of further fitting the qipao to the bosom was to stretch the material at the right places through ironing. Under these circumstances, breast-binding must have made the tailor’s task easier.” (Finnane 163, Changing Clothes in China: Fashion, History, Nation)

Successful eradication of bound feet would not come until the 1949 when the People’s Republic of China came into power.

1950s-1960’s

Under the People’s Republic of China, very few mainland women wore the cheongsam, save for ceremonial attire. Clothing became de-sexualized for mainlanders.

It was the flip side in Hong Kong, as the cheongsam continued its function as everyday wear which lasted until the late 1960s. The cheongsam in the 1950s and 1960s became even tighter fitting to further accentuate feminine curves. Western clothing became the default after the late 1960s, though the cheongsam continued to survive as uniforms for students (who donned a looser and androgynous version), waitresses, brides, and beauty contestants.

21^st century

Designers today are creating new forms of the qipao/cheongsam. The mermaid tail appears to be a current popular trend.

legacy-blog: thedrunkenmoogle: Cactus Juice (Avatar: The Last...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:30:16 -0800

legacy-blog:

thedrunkenmoogle:

Cactus Juice (Avatar: The Last Airbender cocktail)

Ingredients:
2 oz Midori
.5 oz Coconut rum
.5 oz Absinthe
Club Soda

Directions: Mix alcoholic ingredients in a tall glass over ice. Fill with club soda and stir. Drink and quench your thirst.

“Drink cactus juice! It’ll quench ya. Nothing’s quincehier. It’s the quenchiest!” -Sokka

Drink created and photographed by Mitch Hutts of The Drunken Moogle.

For that real, Catcus Juice effect, add a buttload of Everclear and hide your car keys.

Uh, shouldn’t this have tequila in it since it’s, yanno, cactus juice?

Couple of thoughts on "The Search"

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:23:08 -0800

Got an advance preview copy of The Search part one from Dark Horse tonight. (FYI, Dark Horse specifically asked bloggers not to publish any direct spoilers or images in our reviews so the people circulating images and spoilers/rumors/etc. out of context aren’t keeping their word.)

What I can say is that I feel The Search from the very get go was much more compelling and interesting than The Promise. Even though neither book is perfect they’re interesting explorations of the Avatar world.

What really bugs me is all the hate and swearing and fury at Gene Yang for writing these stories that—lest we forget—are developed in conjunction with the creators of the animated series. It isn’t clear if any given plot development was Yang’s idea or Bryan Konietzko’s idea or Mike DiMartino’s idea, but people are going “fuck Gene Yang.”

It’s bumming me out because it’s like, really? Just because he (and the creators backing him) decided to break up a ship pairing or showed Aang becoming estranged from a mentor does not mean it has suddenly become canon in perpetuity. Sometimes, lots of times, conflicts or breaks in relationships occur to set up storylines. (An important example of this is Zuko going back to his family at the end of Season 2 of A:TLA. Were people swearing at the creators then saying everything was ruined? I kind of feel like most people implicitly understood it was a part of the plot.)

Most of the people saying fuck him or whatever haven’t even read the book. (And whoever got the sneak peek copy is sure taking some glee out of posting stuff out of context to rile eople up.)

I guess a part of me is also surprised that people are more upset about rumors of a temporarily broken-up ship pairing or plot challenge presented to the readers in the Dark Horsecomics than say, sweepingly awkward thematic explorations of oppression in Korra.

On the other hand, people do have the right to feel how they feel and prioritize what they are angry about.

puzzlegirlsandpoprocks: chongthenomad: dontneedyourheroact: in...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:57:00 -0800

puzzlegirlsandpoprocks:

chongthenomad:

dontneedyourheroact:

inspredwood:

A preview page from Avatar: The Search. Apparently there is a rumour going around that Ozai might not be Zuko’s father. Now, to my knowledge that has yet to be proven true so it’s still just speculation.

Man on the first picture is Ikem, Ursa’s young love, they were separated when Ozai hand picked Ursa to betrothed. Which is what is happened in the second picture.

are they really gonna pull this shit with me please say they aren’t

no

Y’know, when Dark Horse distributed preview copies of “The Search” to us they specifically asked that people NOT share spoilers out of context like this.

But yeah, but all means, read this stuff out of context and then lob a whole bunch of profanities at Gene Yang even though he developed this story with the creators of the series.

jaded-she: HBO Girls is great. I think it represents anyone who has a vagina. Whether that vagina...

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 21:28:07 -0800

jaded-she:

HBO Girls is great.

I think it represents anyone who has a vagina. Whether that vagina is tan, pale white, brown, green, yellow, navy, I don’t care. The diversity issue is just plain weird. Look at these characters for what they say and who they are. Just because they don’t look like you doesn’t mean they don’t feel similar hurts & joys. They struggle with money, their careers, sex, love, and life in general. I think those troubles are universal for the entire human race and not just 4 white girls in New York City.

I could not be more happy that Lena & the cast won.

Not all girls have vaginas.