This!!! This Hits So Close To Home For Me Especially As An Indian Person. It's Honestly So Hypocritical

This!!! This hits so close to home for me especially as an Indian person. It's honestly so hypocritical when this happens too, because the same people that mocked our culture, or food, or way of life pull a 180 and suddenly feel like they can appropriate it because apparently it's cool now.

(OP said it better and I also apologize for cutting in, but this is so important)

you know what? i’m gonna say it. atla was a huge part of my childhood. it was definitely a step forward in regards to cartoons.

but the racial insensitivity is staggering. and i wanna talk about the amount of exploiting there is of south asian culture specifically. i’m south asian, indian specifically, and i grew up watching this show that was supposed to be “different” and “inspiring” for people of colour.

except there were little to no characters with dark skin who had importance and were explicitly made out to be south asian. that was fine. i was used to not seeing characters on television who looked like i did. except this show used my culture. they used my culture and they couldn’t even bother putting in good characters who looked like they remotely belonged to that culture, even if they were minor and not part of the gaang.

first of all, the show has a lot of influence from Hinduism—the word avatar (avatāra) itself means “descent” in Sanskrit, referring to the incarnation of a deity in human form. where did Hinduism originate?

You Know What? I’m Gonna Say It. Atla Was A Huge Part Of My Childhood. It Was Definitely A Step Forward

indus valley, or what we now call pakistan, a south asian country. the entire concept of chi or prana, as it is referred to as in Hinduism, is a reoccurring theme in atla; your vital energy, your spiritual energy. this is another one of the religion’s influences on the show.

atla also talks about the seven chakras. this is another concept from Hinduism, and in the religion, they must always be unblocked for your prana (the term from Hinduism) or chi (the Chinese term which is used the show) to flow smoothly. chi is your life energy.

so. guess who helps aang out with his chakras?

right. this guy. the only blatantly south asian character we’ve gotten so far, and you wanna know why it’s so blatant? because he’s literally an indian stereotype. he’s the only obviously south asian character so far in the show and he’s a racist portrayal of enlightened practitioners of Hinduism. great.

oh, and before i forget—

do their foreheads look familiar? oh yeah, that’s because it’s literally copied off of this:

this is Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. they used a religious symbol in Hinduism to make a couple characters look cool. well, combustion man and p’li both have these third eyes, so we can assume they are at least south asian coded—but what are their characters like?

villains. unhinged. insane. we don’t even know combustion man’s name—we just know he’s a contract killer who would murder a child for the right price. p’li wants to dismantle all forms of government and let the world reign free in chaos, and finally she is given a horribly grotesque death: she gets her head blown off.

for all of the culture references that are important pieces of this show, you’d think there’d be an area that has south asian people. there isn’t one. i’m not going to speak about the other loads of racism in atla because i don’t belong to those cultures, but here’s my two cents.

this show was written by white men who did the bare minimum. it’s nothing worth praising.

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ANYONE

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rachbananas

6 years ago

I realll y do need this reblog to save a life

Sentence Starters

“I’ve never seen one of these completely to my taste so i decided to make my own!

ANGST

“I can’t do anything right.”

“Please don’t cry.”

“Why are you awake right now?”

“Why are you lying to me?”

“Wake up! Please wake up.”

“Forget it, you’re a fucking asshole.”

“Don’t you ever do that again!”

“Is that blood?” “…..No?”

“Please don’t lie to me again, I can’t take it.”

“Do you even still love me?”

“Nobody’s seen you in days.”

“Why are you awake?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“Can you shut up for once in your life?”

“Holding everything in doesn’t help, you know.”

“Are you hurt?” “No.” “Then why are there bruises all over your face?”

“If you don’t hug me right now I think I might fall apart.”

“Leave! Me! Alone!”

FLUFF

“Go with me?” “As long as you hold my hand.”

“Is there a reason you’re blushing like that?”

“Have you seen my hoodie?” “Nooo.” “You’re wearing it, aren’t you?”

“Have you always been this beautiful?”

“OH you’re jealous!”

“Can we stay like this forever?”

“Please just kiss me already.”

“I think you might be my soulmate.”

“Sleep over? Please?”

“Are we on a date right now?”

“I think I’m in love with you.”

“He’s so pretty I think I’m gonna faint.”

“Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”

“Am I your lockscreen?” “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“I missed you so much.”

“Do you think the moon is jealous of how pretty you are?”

“I’m here for you.”

“I wish we could live together already.”

MISC

“All I do is drink coffee and say bad words.”

“Quit touching me, your feet are cold!”

“I think I just ripped my pants.”

“Sharing is caring, now give me the hoodie!”

“Can I pet your dog?” “Do I know you?”

“Did you seriously just get your foot stuck in a toilet?” “Maybe.”

“If I die, I’m haunting you first.”

“But I’ve never told you that before.”

“Stop being grumpy, it’s lame.”

“So, uh, I locked the keys in the car.”

“Is the cat in a onesie?” “Uh, no?

“Can we please stop running? I think I’m dying.”

“You come here often?” “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say ‘yes’.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be working?”

“Give me attention.”

“YOU SAID TO BE HONEST STOP HITTING ME!”

“Okay, so maybe I didn’t see that coming.”

“I’m too sober for this.” “You don’t even drink.” “Maybe I should start.”

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rachbananas

5 years ago

the rest of the amazing tlc ladies

Tags

fanart watercolor the lunar chronicles

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rachbananas

4 years ago

ten questions!

Tagged by: @ofwolvesandbutterflies

1. Do you ever wish you had different colored eyes? If so what color?

All the time lol, I wish I had either lighter brown eyes or hazel eyes because they’re really pretty.

2. Dream job?

Civil engineer!

3. What song do you find comfort in?

Watching Old VHS Tapes While Waiting for You by E66s

4. If you could have any superpower what could it be and why?

Probably telepathy, because I’d get to know instantly if someone was thinking smack about me.

5. Favorite TV show?

Parks and Recreation! My favorite character is Leslie Knope :)

6. Most overplayed song on the radio in your opinion?

Really depends what genre, but if we’re talking about overplayed pop songs, I’d say No Tears Left to Cry by Ariana Grande (No hate on pop music, I do like it sometimes, but there should be a limit to how often this song is played)

7. Most memorable thing that happened to you in the last 24 hours?

Making music by blowing air across the tops of ginger ale bottles with my little brother

8. One object you MUST have at all times? (excluding necessities)

Good watercolor paper that’s also not too expensive (Preferably the Canson Heritage brand), because it’s pretty hard to find

9. What irks you to no end?

People who constantly look over my shoulder when I draw and keep asking what I’m drawing or who it is; it really breaks my creative flow and my patience.

10. Comfort food/drink?

Biryani that my mom makes and Earl Grey tea with milk and sugar.

My questions for you:

What did you want to be when you were a little kid?

Who is your favorite person to talk to?

Favorite movie to watch late at night?

What’s your favorite food to eat when you’re sad?

What makes you smile?

If you could be any animal for a whole day, which one would you be and why?

Name one song that brings back good memories for you.

What do you like about yourself the most?

Which aesthetic do you like the most and why?

If you had the whole day to do whatever you wanted without consequences, what would you do? (go as wild as you want with this one)

Tagging: @honey-harper-official, @queerand-here, @fluff-n-die, @shouldnt-you-be-doing-work, and anyone else who feels like doing this!

Tags

questions no worries first time doing this lol answer as many of them as you want to

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rachbananas

5 years ago

tagged by the amazing @ofwolvesandbutterflies

Nickname: ray I guess, since I don't really have a nickname :3

Gender: female

Star sign: Aquarius

Current time: 12:17 p.m.

Favorite artist: it's a mixed bag lol, but my favorites are Chopin, Hozier, and Ella Fitzgerald

Song stuck in my head: "Misery and Mountains, Arrows and Bows" by New Buffalo

Last movie I saw: "Maska" - it's about a guy whose family has been running an Irani cafe for 100 years, except he doesn't want to inherit it. It's such a cute and wholesome movie about food, and is on Netflix rn

Last thing I googled: "how to grow an algal bloom" because I'm bored and want some plant friends

Other blogs: I tried starting a studyblr but felt it was too time consuming so I just stopped at one post lmao. I might post now tho since I have more time

Do I get asks: I got one once, and it was a fanart request. I am still taking fanart requests for the Renegades and Lunar Chronicles series

Reasons for url: no particular reason, but the trash panda bit comes from me acting like a raccoon a lot: small, fluffy but will attack, eats junk on occasion

Following

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rachbananas

5 years ago