This Is A Good Example Of What Are Called "Barnum Statements" -- Things Which Are True Of Almost Everyone,

sygol framed poll (handle with care), 2024 mixed media on tumblr post

I don't consider "normal" a desirable or praiseworthy state, so the usage of the word to (ironically) describe unusual obsession tends to rub me the wrong way.

That said, I do think that the application of the term to a person's feelings about minorities is pointing at something real. Having strong and unusual emotions about people you interact with on the basis of their demographics is generally awkward, counterproductive, and destructive of empathy and solidarity, even if the emotions are positive.

Personally, I notice that when I have negative aliefs or inclinations related to a demographic group, they prevent me from perceiving that group as "normal" and "just people" -- I feel like I should "balance it out" with positive evaluations of the group, and end up thinking about whether I am being bigoted more than actually interacting with them as a person.

If you decide how to act towards someone based primarily on their demographics, that is the same mistake as bigots make, even if you treat members of othered minorities unusually well instead of unusually poorly. "Being normal about" a group can mean treating members of that group like normal people and interacting with them without having an unusually strong emotional reaction to their membership in a given demographic.

Hate how people talk about “being normal” about something. That only applies to like, being weirdly obsessed with something unusual. You can tell me to please be normal about riding a train, or watching an Anne Hathaway movie. Things that I KNOW I’m weird about.

If you’re using it to describe whether someone is a bigot or not, it’s completely incoherent. Bigotry is normal to bigots. When I hear someone say “I’m normal about X group” I don’t assume that means they share my beliefs. I assume that means they’re uncritical about their own.

Is there something I’m missing here??

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(source: desimonewayland)

New stickers for my pals who love (trans) men soon

happy holiday everyone!

On this day, July 27th in 1987, a single was released that would change the world forever.

It's Rick Astley's debut single, Never Gonna Give You Up!

If you were wanting to buy "deny defend depose" merch or send money to pay for Mangione's legal fees, consider instead donating to the Innocence Project. Instead of sending letters to him (he's probably getting plenty already), consider writing another incarcerated person who doesn't have the same media coverage!

I have tried for years to discover something, anything, about this card with no success.

One thing that's interesting about Dr. Phil is that his show is a spin-off of Oprah and one thing I've discovered, that's interesting, is that it's virtually impossible to find footage from Oprah's show. Go looking and you'll find it hard to find uncut clips of even well-liked famous moments; instead they're all intercut with commentary on the event. Interviews watched by tens of millions of people now exist only in twenty seconds of clips interspersed with talking heads telling us how to feel about it. Over 4,5000 episodes, almost all of it vaulted

Remember Oprah platforming anti-vaxxers and all kinds of alt-med scams and literary hoaxes? Uh, no you don't, prove it. She doesn't even let people see uncut footage of the Good Moments of her show (since she seems to be deeply embarrassed by literally all of it?) so of course she's burying any Bad Moments.

In conclusion the Rainbow Parties segment is one of the few full clips you'll find online intact, somehow. Enjoy.