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I wrote last week about how my circle was reacting poorly to the Trump win, but also how their reaction wasn't as bad as 2016. My latest update is, it's still pretty bad, probably worse than it was last week, but still not quite as bad as 2016. But I'm starting to get that feeling again like I'm the crazy one, simply on the basis that everyone I know in meatspace seems to think a complete disaster has befallen us. Furthermore, I think I need to retract my previous statement that my exposure to this strong sentiment is because I went to a very leftist college. I'm now seeing a lot more of this from people who I know outside of that school.
I have a number of people posting multiple times per day about some kind of issue du jour, ranging from high school boys chanting the Nick Fuentes thing, to screeds about how people will (literally) die due to Trump being in charge, for whatever reasons. And I spent the weekend with family and friends who wouldn't stop talking about it, also. It was a lot of signaling and complaining and without any real acknowledgement that over half of the country voted for Trump, including huge gains in lots of minority groups, and that maybe that means something.
So far, from a personal standpoint, this is not off to a good start, and I worry this next four years will be as personally trying as the previous four, with regards to my ability to keep my cool and not feel like a crazy person when surrounded by those in my life and their insistent attitude about Trump. Personally this is starting to make me want future Democrat wins, but not because I believe in the Democrats. If the dems win, my life mostly stays the same. If the Republicans win, my life gets worse just because people around me can't deal with it. But I also can't bring myself to really take these people's fears seriously, since I do feel like this chicken little routine happens every time a Republican gets elected (from my limited experience), without the Republicans even doing anything that bad.
Are other people also seeing an escalating level of this sentiment? It seems maybe like the anti Trump machine had some rusty gears and a slow start, but it's starting to get going again.
I'm not seeing it personally. I even logged onto Facebook for the first time in ages and people seem to be posting about normal people stuff not politics.
I've encountered no wailing or gnashing or teeth or insane behavior.
But it's likely that TikTok is deliberately pushing that angle.
Try spending some time on Tumblr. Given the stereotype of your average Tumblrina, the responses have been exactly what you'd expect. Hundreds of thousands of women are going to die of miscarriages each year, and hundreds of thousands more are going to kill themselves to avoid being forced to give birth after being raped by their uncles. Latinx are going to be rounded up into death camps and mass-murdered. The "fascist Supreme court" is going to "overturn Brown v. Board and the entire 14th amendment" (Yes, those are literally from a post I saw.) Some claim the 13th amendment is getting repealed.
I didn’t even know that Tumblr still exists! I thought it died after Yahoo bought it and they banned porn.
Imagine the sort of Tumblr's who would stay on Tumblr without porn.
Well, just on current Tumblr-ites that also frequent this forum, there's at least me and@mitigatedchaos.
And I approve! It was meant to be a joke, but I realize now it might have seemed a bit mean-spirited, which I apologize for.
It's actually as short as it is because I cut off a bit of a nerd spiel. One of my favored commentators for analyzing video games (specifically Elden Ring) was- for some unfathomable reason- only posting on Tumblr. It was just that level of 'niche access' and 'you have to really be dedicated to this topic' that I now associated with Tumblr, for its highs and its lows.
Could you provide a link/direction to said Tumblr? You posted an in-depth examination of the Ring Cycle/Elden Ring relation a while ago and I have been fascinated by the level of thought hidden away ever since, given that I almost entirely missed your interpretation of Ranni's storyline. I've been wanting to know more ever since.
The Tumblr person for EldenRing is @yournextflame.
I don't remember if they had anything about the Ring Cycle in their pieces- that was me just being more familiar with the director and the material- but they have some great cross-cultural insight into the Japanese language/connotation/cultural context that doesn't always translate to the English fandom.
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And me. I enjoy pretty pictures, birds, and occasional completely unhinged fandom takes. Compared to Twitter, I find it quite peaceful, and there's far less obnoxious political posts to scroll back, either supporting or in opposition to my views.
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