This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Nothing woke BECAME popular, popular things became infiltrated and then woke and then shitty. Tumblr clapbacks are mistaken for dollar spend. No population of genderqueer women rushed to play Dragon Age 2 because they finally felt representation with Taash, women play hotter characters in MOBAs of all stripes, women were the ones that used the armor set change thing more than male players and women used it explicitly to make off meta but attractive outfits visible on their characters.
Look if you want to see what pop culture women spend money on that men don't its not girlboss Rey or Junker Queen fatsuits, its romantasy billionaire bedroom bestiality or instagram experience photoshoots. In China women spend hundreds on Imperial Banquet cosplay dining experiences where they are dressed as noble consorts to be served hand on foot by nubile waitresses in delicate filigree.
Women applaud inclusive options for a theoretical other woman that wants to be catered to, but they aren't going to spend money at the Lesbian Collective Art Fair themselves. At the much maligned dashcon 2014 there was much clowning on the genderqueer performative identity panels, but what the girls attending were REALLY fired up on was the discussions on superwholock slash. Woke shit is just signalling, actual consumption is marginal at best.
More options
Context Copy link