It’s been one of those terribly needy days. This morning I woke up in a pussy puddle and had to wipe myself down and clean my sheets before I could get ready for work.
It’s lunchtime now, and I’ve had to wipe down 3 more times since this morning. Plus, I left a little stain on my chair after my last meeting.
“This isn’t a game. This is serious. It is a commitment. You don’t get to turn off the dynamic when you don’t feel like it. Don’t get involved if you can’t handle it."
I’ve been thinking a bit about the expectations in D/s and kink. In many ways, we’re lucky that the kink community is big and reaches across the globe. There is so much education, support, and mentorship. But, damn, there is also so much bullshit.
Particularly, the pressure to be the perfect partner. The strong, indestructible Dominant. The obedient, devoted submissive. The rhetoric that once a dynamic is established, it can’t be touched.
Having a bad day? It doesn’t matter - you’re a DOMINANT!!! Get your shit together and embrace your role as large and in charge! Feel grumpy and moody? You decided to be a SUBMISSIVE - your attitude isn’t unacceptable and disrespectful.
Dominant, submissive… human. We’re all human. Don’t let a VOLUNTARY power dynamic make you forget your human needs.
So yes, the dynamic is not a game. But the dynamic is also not immovable, inflexible, immune to evolution. If you need to step away from your dynamic, do so. You DO have the power to turn it off. You get to decide what is best for your mental/emotional/physical health. And, if stepping away is the right choice for you, your partner will probably support and respect your decision. (If not… there are bigger issues.)
All that to say, I get so fucking annoyed when people spread the message that you can’t turn off a dynamic. You can do whatever you want. Stepping away does not belittle or insult your relationship, power structure, or partner.
I’ve been struggling lately, so L and I discussed and decided to step away from our dynamic for a short time. I don’t care for him any less. I don’t adore him any less. I’m still his. He’s still mine. He’s my human before he’s my Dom. Simply, being submissive isn’t the right thing for me right now. So, we turned it off. For now.
[Images are a comic of Potsie and Susan visiting Santa. Santa asks Susan, “And what would you like for Christmas this year?” Susan says, “Two all-expenses-paid trips to New Zealand, please!” Santa laughs, “Oh-ho-ho! That’s a good one, kid! Tell ya what, if somebody asks for something more far-fetched than that, I’ll get you those trips!” He continues to laugh, “Ho-ho-ho! Whew! Kids these days!” while Susan walks away. Then he says, “All right, who’s next–” And Potsie comes FLYING THROUGH THE AIR and lands in his arms. Santa, very surprised, asks, “And…um…what would you like for Christmas?” Potsie sweetly replies, “A primary care physician who understands my conditions.” Santa glares at her for a minute. Susan, standing beside him, smiles. Santa mutters at Susan, “What day do you want to leave?”]
ew i was about to follow this artist in my area but then i looked at her story and she was just talking shit about girls who sell nudes LMAOOO what a hating ass bitch omg. it’s sooo fucking sad seeing misogynistic bitches hating on other girls for chasing their bag!!! like oh sis i’m so sorry i’m getting paid to flaunt the body that i was born with while you hate on sexy girls who have more money than you LOL i cannot. i hope that makes her happy and gets her art out there that is definitely more pathetic than selling nudes imo!!!
I don’t even want to write a review of “Top Gun: Maverick” honestly, I’ve seen 1,500+ movies and I’ve never finished one that left me more depressed about the future of this country. I just want to stop thinking about it
[Image ID: A letterboxd review of Top Gun: Maverick (2022) by Brett. It is rated ½ star, and it was watched June 12, 2022.
“Hi everybody and welcome to Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise tells audiences in a brief pre-movie introduction. “…Our incredible cast and crew worked very hard to bring you the most immersive and authentic film experience we could. There’s real F-18s, real Gs, real speed…”
“Top Gun: Maverick” is a movie where our heroes are trying to start World War III. The US military is selecting pilots for a bombing run over an Iranian nuclear facility near completion, one which was built “in violation” of an internationally-recognized treaty. This, of course, is the exact opposite of what happened in real life: the US violated the JCPOA agreement with Iran, and the Iranian government continued to obey it even when we no longer were.
At no point in this two-hour monstrosity is it ever mentioned that the Iranians would strike back instantly, sinking the aircraft carrier that Cruise took off from and beginning a war that would annihilate millions of innocent lives. In fact, from the perspective of international law, the Iranian government would be in the right to do so, as Tom Cruise just executed an illegal and unconstitutional act of war on a foreign power without congressional approval. If every single one of our plucky heroes had died during their training montages, it would have made the world a safer place.
Like all successful fascist narratives, this movie portrays our enemies as simultaneously all-powerful and extremely weak. To craft a story where our ludicrously overfunded heroes can be underdogs, it is necessary to pretend that Iran has “advanced 5th generation fighters” which are superior to US capabilities; this is brought up repeatedly regardless of how absurd it is. Yet when our heroes are actually in Iran, all of their pilots have the aim of a blind man. Tom Cruise survives a .50 caliber machine gun right in front of him by taking cover behind a dead log. The .50 caliber bullet is designed to penetrate an armored truck engine.
The real-life political situation that the plot focuses on— one which most Americans already misunderstand without needing this movie’s help— is incorporated into a plot so stuffed with cliches, saccharine romance, and callbacks to the original “Top Gun” that it seems as though the entire edifice may collapse under its own weight. Sadly, it does not.
Even if one can ignore the rabidly bloodthirsty nature of this movie, it is still absolute garbage. The morals of this story are, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest: soldiers should ignore orders to stand down, and you should take actions without thinking about them. Our heroes follow these lessons throughout the story and are constantly rewarded for it. It is a child’s understanding of bravery and honor, coated in thick layers of some of the most painfully sentimental slime that Hollywood has ever produced.
But, to be clear, you should not be ignoring the politics of this film. It is not a fun blockbuster nor an escapist fantasy, but a clear and unequivocal celebration of US militarism. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the not-so-subtle way the movie talks about jets. Obviously, the aerial dogfights are the real meat of the movie. They are undeniably exciting and some of the most technically-impressive scenes of this kind ever filmed. But I couldn’t help but notice something.
In the first scene of the movie, Cruise flies a jet which doesn’t actually exist yet: the SR-72 “Darkstar.” Later, when describing their mission, Cruise tells us that this would “usually be a cakewalk for the F-35” if not for some unusual circumstances. That’s a weird thing to say: the F-35 is notorious for underperforming. All of our pilots in this movie are flying F-18s; why were both of those jets included so clearly in this movie when neither of them are plot relevant?
Because both of those jets are new products being sold to the US military by the same weapons contractor: Lockheed Martin. Lockheed was not only involved in making this movie, they are actively using it to promote their jets.
“Top Gun: Maverick” is a 131-minute long advertisement for death. Aggressively unoriginal, wildly irresponsible with its messaging, historically revisionist, and shamelessly jingoistic in the name of providing fellatio to arms dealers. This is a masterwork of propaganda in defense of some of our nation’s worst traits, and it’s an enormous success. I left the theater depressed and forlorn.
