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Audrey Derangement Syndrome
11 years ago
This point was made sort of as a vent on my art-only Twitter account some time ago, but it's worth coalescing into a journal, here. It's about something I've noticed, and grown weary of, and it's this: Every time I draw Audrey, someone has a problem.
When I first drew her, I was verbally berated on Tumblr for using terms some people didn't like. I acquiesced. I don't mind calling people whatever they want. I'll note that the people on Fur Affinity left very polite corrective comments about it. Ever since then, whenever I draw her, someone has an issue. Someone gets confused, and someone starts a fight with someone else for being confused, and not knowing every corrective detail of gender identity terminology. They don't correct people, they berate them, belittle them, and ridicule them. Just when I thought I had everything down, another very serious person got on my case in a very serious way, because I once used the term "transgendered" instead of "transgender". I let their attempt to turn it into an endless forever "discussion" sit there unanswered, which is as polite as I felt like being. More pictures, more comments, more fights I have to tell people to stop. And the latest was someone on Weasyl informing me of their dislike for Audrey's design, because as a trans who has trans friends, they tell me that it's unrealistic for Audrey, a young early-20s MtF trans, to have small breasts. They proceeded to express their "disapproval of the design" to everyone who left a comment on the sketch. Now...
There is a point where one begins to wonder if there isn't some secret cabal conspiring to come up with new ways to annoy me into abandoning Audrey as a character. Seriously, I never will. But as a creative person, you do begin to wonder if it's even worth exploring different character types which seem to draw the most overzealous identity sensitivities to you, and beat you down with the force of a thousand verbal hen-pecks, if not outright hostile, condescending remarks. Bear in mind, I've seen these comments directed at people who obviously mean no offense.
Or who just want their character to have small tits.
So, now I'll just call it Audrey Derangement Syndrome, and assume that the vision of Audrey has shorted out the rational, calm, civilizing thought-nodes of their brain, and thrown off their sense of proportion and etiquette.
When I first drew her, I was verbally berated on Tumblr for using terms some people didn't like. I acquiesced. I don't mind calling people whatever they want. I'll note that the people on Fur Affinity left very polite corrective comments about it. Ever since then, whenever I draw her, someone has an issue. Someone gets confused, and someone starts a fight with someone else for being confused, and not knowing every corrective detail of gender identity terminology. They don't correct people, they berate them, belittle them, and ridicule them. Just when I thought I had everything down, another very serious person got on my case in a very serious way, because I once used the term "transgendered" instead of "transgender". I let their attempt to turn it into an endless forever "discussion" sit there unanswered, which is as polite as I felt like being. More pictures, more comments, more fights I have to tell people to stop. And the latest was someone on Weasyl informing me of their dislike for Audrey's design, because as a trans who has trans friends, they tell me that it's unrealistic for Audrey, a young early-20s MtF trans, to have small breasts. They proceeded to express their "disapproval of the design" to everyone who left a comment on the sketch. Now...
There is a point where one begins to wonder if there isn't some secret cabal conspiring to come up with new ways to annoy me into abandoning Audrey as a character. Seriously, I never will. But as a creative person, you do begin to wonder if it's even worth exploring different character types which seem to draw the most overzealous identity sensitivities to you, and beat you down with the force of a thousand verbal hen-pecks, if not outright hostile, condescending remarks. Bear in mind, I've seen these comments directed at people who obviously mean no offense.
Or who just want their character to have small tits.
So, now I'll just call it Audrey Derangement Syndrome, and assume that the vision of Audrey has shorted out the rational, calm, civilizing thought-nodes of their brain, and thrown off their sense of proportion and etiquette.
Some years ago, I coined a term I call Conflict Interdependency Disorder. The general idea is that a person grows so attached to combat with other people that they become dependent upon it. They can't function without it. They wake up in the morning knowing that they will cause a fight with someone, at some place, at some time, and it gives them joy. These people are not well.
The trouble is that most people suffer from chronic CID because no attempt has been made to treat it. There is no medication which can cure this illness other than a brick to the face. Show them that you won't play and they'll take their toys back home with them.
For what it's worth, I don't always agree with you either. At least I know how to keep it to myself and not cause a scene about it. You do good work, and I do enjoy much of what you create. That's enough to keep me around. People have to realize that one's creative vision will not always match 100% with others. I realize this puts me in the minority, but I know how to say "I don't like that" without screaming in somebody's face about it.
The point I'm making is that you shouldn't bow to these people. These are your ideas, your vision. They should not be corrupted by people who think they know your style better than you do.
That's new.
That's the entirety of Tumblr in a nutshell. Well, half of Tumblr. The other half is devoted to turning every nanosecond of existence into a GIF image.
And the porn itself?
the more you post, the more you'll bear witness to so very unpleasant comments.
As an artist you should never need to defend your creativity. Those that like it will like it, those that wont are often stuck in their ways in woefully lacking tact and social graces and therefore should be ignored outright.
Don't feed the trolls.
I posted an image with a transgender character who DOES refer to herself as a shemale, and was quickly corrected by a couple people that "Shemale" is an offensive term coined by the porn industry.
So what?
You only give these words power by being offended by it, and there are some women out there who are empowered by or enjoy the term "Shemale" when used for them. Not everyone, but c-mon people.. if the person or someone enjoys being called it screw the fuck off.
Let a person decide for themselves if it is offensive or not.
Hell, did you know there were people pissed off at www.bad-dragon.com because they dared to name their black coloring for their toys "Ebony" people actually claimed it was racially insensitive or racist against black people!?!
Ugh..
You only give words power by being offended to them, others can feel empowered or actually like such words and titles.
Shemale doesn't seem like slang or offensive to me, it just feels like a description coined to explain a TG individual.
Hell, this whole topic made me look up the difference between Transgender and Transgendered......which just brought up many conflicting results.
Wow, seriously?! ROFL!
As you said, dumb fucks are just looking for a fight.
Most porn sites will list anything involving a black person "Ebony Porn"
But seriously, if you think a FUCKING COLOR is slang and racist.. fuck off.. period.
And this is why I am afraid to make conversation with new people these days. I have NO CLUE about most of these kind of things like some people apparently finding Ebony (A color) racist, or that there was something called Ebony Porn. I fear that I might say something I normally might say that has always meant ONE THING to me to something else and suddenly piss them off and think I'm either an idiot or vulgar because apparently someone decided that thing I said that normally means ONE THING to me suddenly is now viewed or is slang for something racist or discriminatory or whatnot.
It's like how Gay use to mean just "Happy" but now is universally known as "A male that prefers males". And now Ebony is considered racist to some people? What next...Rosy? Fig? BING???
(and if anything I said here sound offensive in anyway...once again; this is why I'm afraid to say my mind because I am so damn naive about how much the world has changed since I was a kid and I apologize).
Ugh, I am tired of all this shit.
When Microsoft made their Office 2007, they decided not to hire the usual contractor for Russian spellchecker, but develop it in-house. Also they decided to be politically correct rather than sorry and banned many words just in case. "Rosy" and "fig" were banned too :)
Humanity is both one of the greatest and worst things we have. all aboard the brain in a jar train.
I recall as a newly-minted 18-y-o, back in the (before 2000)'s looking for VHS porno vids with all-black casts, and being disappointed in that almost all of them were "interracial", i.e. black-on-white, marketed under the guise that this was "Extra XXXtra Taboo!!!!" (spooky noise). Except that this particular configuration was so commonplace, that having two black people going at it was apparently more taboo--'cause it was so rare to find any such content.
Now we have internet. And couples willing to boink on camera and upload it to pornsites for free. Or I can just draw it instead
But Tumblr is the Internet's giant rare-earth magnet for genderpolitik wingnuts, so I'm not at all surprised most of the bile that prompted this journal originated from there.
I'm not sure how you think of that, but the man replied with, and I agree, that if you summarize a lot of popular hit songs as "black people music" then that's being racist right there. I think people really just rather fight with other people on the internet just so they can get their every day to day frustration out in ways they couldn't before.
Here, look at this list http://www.pornhub.com/categories
We fetish hair color, race (All but Caucasian), interracial, weight, genitalia size....
Seriously... grow fucking thicker skin....
What pisses me off even worse are the ultra protective white knights.
You know who I am speaking about,
Where something is funny and the people the joke was about found it hilarious... yet someone of the same race as the person who told the joke suddenly stops and shuts the original teller/post/creator up with "no no no, that's racist to them"
God Damn, I love the smart ass remark the creators of South Park made in all the countries where scenes of their new game were considered offensive.
These scenes were removed, but replaced with a splash screen making fun of that country (European, Australia.. all counties but US and CANADA) going as far as to explain WHAT is happening and I fully approve of this.
Example: Australia http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress.....th-Park-AU.jpg
Frankly, it's good that people get offended from time to time. It reminds us we're not the center of the universe. And no one in the world has the right to not be offended.
omg I love those idiots though XD they are so fun to fuck with XD
I've literally spent a full day screwing with people like that XD
and I agree completely Marbles... those white knights who come in and start crying that everything is racist... seriously need to grow up.... or dropped in a rather large hole for obscene stupidity
"You can't say that... It's racist!"
"Racist?... THIS IS SPARTA!!"
*Boot*
A moderator of F-List bowed to this offensive-terminology of "shemale", listing the complaint in their suggestions as "accepted". It amazes me how people can find offense in every little thing just because it isn't particularly what they like. And even if the porn industry did coin the term "shemale", so what? It's something to specify.
And that ebony thing is dumb. Blacks were called ebony because ebony is black. Ffff.
I hate stupidity.
THAT'S OFFENSIVE!!!! ...................... /shot
haha seriously?? they wanted Shemale changed to Dickgirl?? lol honestly I would think Dickgirl is more offensive than Shemale but wow XD
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought, with the "dickgirl" thing.
DISCLAIMER: I'm kind of speaking out of my ass here, but I'm trying to do this with deductive logic. As such, I'm probably missing some subtleties. Also, I'm a bit of an ass. GIFT at full throttle here.
I mean, seriously, look at it: dickgirl. Dick. Girl. It says that the only thing that matters about you is that you have a dick. That's the important thing, that's what we have to fixate on. Not on you, not on your personality, no, let's zoom right on in and fixate on your pecker. Which you might not be comfortable with. It seems to me that if someone goes full MtF trans (surgery and all), part of that reason is because they don't want a penis, what with the whole cutting it off thing. I mean, at least shemale has a certain medical-esque sterility to it. "She" the feminine pronoun because the character identifies that way, and "male" because they're still physiologically male.
Is it just me? Doesn't that seem a little fucked up to anyone else?
Ebony is a fucking type of dense black wood, and a term to refer to a color anywhere in the spectrum which is visually dark. It refers to the WOOD first, TYPE OF COLOR second, and then skintype third because it was adopted relatively recently to be an alternative. It's color designation should not be somehow lessened by someone's insistent use of it as a racial identifier.
UGH.
Good lord.
Its Spanish for "black" I never knew what peoples problems were. Same with Ebony. It specifically means black. How is it possible to be mad at people for using a word the way its supposed to be described?
Best I can say.
I hope people take from Audrey the positive notes i really feel you've put with her. Her courage and strength, her comfort in her gender identity, her confidence... I feel like she's an inspiration, and i hope that you're able to continue to take risks with more controversial and interesting character types in the future.
Ive actually learned a lot because of Audrey, so i want to thank you for introducing her.
I don't understand why they are offended she has small breasts though...? It was my understanding that MtF on HRT can develop small breasts over time.
And for anyone who's gonna get pissy about my ability to explain things, go sit on a cactus and spin.
Also, I just can't help but laugh at the multitude of people nitpicking minor details and 'technicalities', and correcting things that are "wrong" about fictional, anthropomorphic beings that speak. Really... what place does logic have in there? XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4vE_vpkr90
SWJ, those need stop by soon or DO IT NOW.
have a laugh at their expensejust ignore them.I guess I can't complain too much. At least the Brony fandom got worse than us. I'm glad I left that Titanic before it visits scenic North Atlantic Ocean Floor.
And I'm a Brony, but thankfully I'm nowhere near the deep end of this insanity pool. I like the water, and I'll swim occasionally, but I'm not drowning in it like a lot of them.
I left those waters when the documentary came out. I refuse to be associated with that ironically doomed excuse for cinema and what it tries to tell the world about what all bronies are. Also, John DeLancie is a tool for expecting additional funds from an entirely community driven production run on donations.
That would explain why she hates trans activism and the way it alienates and demonizes literally everyone everywhere all of the time.
<3
haters gonna hate.
Just my opinion, personally I cant wait to see more of her in pictures as well as Original Life.
I'm confused. XD
Regardless of her gender identity, physical appearence or whatever I love Audrey as a character. Isn't that what people should focus on?
People complaining about her size clearly have never seen some pictures of models that start transitioning early on~ Two words, Bomb-shell.
I am enjoying this char immensely.
People are not black and white. People are people.
I don't know if it's by design or shear coincidence, but everyone of these types of conflicts tend to go around in a gigantic circle until people are somehow arguing about "Jews controlling wealth" in the U.S.
Tumblr is the worst place for that since the users are mostly a bunch of ignorant, aggressive White Knights who even pick out small details to bitch about it being sexist/racist/whatthefuck ever.
Your character is gorgeous and I think you handle that character with respect and care.
Ugh reading this makes me so mad. This is literally why we can't have nice things.
I respect and care for TGs as far as they don't start to make THEIR problem mine. I'm sorry they were born with the wrong body, but I can't help it either. All I can do is respect them and use the right pronouns and try to not offend them, but I simply have no understanding for loudmouthes who shout at me, calling me intolerant and mean while being huge, oversensitive assholes themselves. I treat others just the way they treat me and if someone shouts at me instead of politely asking me to use the right pronouns if I make a mistake (and if I call someone the wrong pronouns its ALWAYS a mistake on my side), I won't treat them special or beg for forgiveness. I understand it's frustrating if someone labels you wrong all the time, but that's no reason to become aggressive towards a stranger. It's simply hard to tell sometimes, especially if they are at the beginning of their journey. ;n; and I will feel bad enough for using the wrong words anyway. I just want everyone to feel comfortable and happy.
Honestly I have a transgendered friend, who is currently mtf trans, openly belittle those who needlessly correct others. It's attention whoring, I treat this friend like anyone else, I asked him once "What pronouns to you prefer?" and that's all I need to know. Any other information is really unnecessary. You treat someone like a person and call them by the pronouns they like. That's the end of it.
At the end of the day, no matter who you are, or what your orientation is you have sex. If you're straight, I will high five you if you get laid, if you're gay, I will high five you if you get laid, if you have any sexuality that differs from this and have any form of coitus, I will high five you if you get laid.
When it comes to social media, there are plenty of SJW's (social justice warriors). People that feel they are selected to bring about their misguided form of "justice and order" to the uncivilized or uneducated. Feeling the need to belittle or attack with words behind the monitor. Trying to mold the world into how they see it should be, regardless of the truth or facts. Even when given facts, they just ignore and continue.
You're doing the right thing by not letting them get to you. Merely toning them out with the positive criticism from peers or watchers.
I had someone correct me on using the term hermaphrodite for one of my characters. Going on about how it's a horrible word and that the correct term is intersex. They were pretty blunt and somewhat rude about it. I didn't know that calling a dog-girl with something extra automatically made them adhere to human standards. Particularly since even in veterinary fields the term hermaphrodite is still used
As far as how YOUR character is designed, that's pretty sad. Don't change what you find pleasing in your character because of some random comments.
Just ignore them.
Trust me, there's nothing good coming out of listening their incessant whinging.
These people made a job out of being offended at everyone's behalf over every little detail.
They have thrown out the rational, calm, civilizing thought-nodes of their brain, and thrown off their sense of proportion and etiquette a long time ago.
Incidentally, I'm not the only one who'd follow the hell out of a Venting Fisk tumblr, am I?
The 6 deadly sins of social justice!
all the awards for you.
I say no more~
I just love listning to his voice..
i dont know why transgender people are always so trippy. It is VERY easy to step ona wrong toe and suddenly drama. I hope this wont discourage you to draw Audrey, she deserves screen time :3
At this time, I just decided to set up a category labeled "I Don't Give A Fuck" and the next time something like that happens, that's what I'll do. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/look-.....-fucks-i-give/
"MY OPINION IS CORRECT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG AND CAN GO TO HELL!" 9.9
I love Audrey's design....I think you've done a fantastic job and they can go fuck themselves!
As I say, there's always some prick who wants to get offended. Example in my life...during an RP session, one of my friends said they didn't like MLP and proceeded to say that it raped their eyes. Some prick in the room decided to get offended because he said rape. We then had to have a 3 hour conversation with that prick and the pricks that jumped on the bandwagon about the use of the English language and how the word rape has more than just one meaning and that when he said it raped his eyes, he didn't literally mean that a pony jumped out the screen and started to skull fuck him....the other person didn't back down and continued to demand an apology for the "offence" it had caused them. Now the word "rape" is banned from the RP chat room...how stupid is that??
Seriously...like I say...there's always going to be a prick who get offended and they rarely listen to any kind of reason. I've learned that it's best to just tell them to shut their faces and go elsewhere if they don't like what you're doing. There's a difference between being constructive and helpful and just being a prick...and many of these people just want to be pricks.
And yes...I've used prick a lot...sorry.
Pretty much the only thing Social Justice Warriors go on about that makes any sense whatsoever.
Sexual rape and rape are two very different things....and that's the exact argument which I spent nearly 3 hours trying to point out to a few different people when this came up. It would like banning the phrase "That windmill rapes the countryside of it's beauty"....and other such things.
The problem is that people are allowing themselves to have words effect them. I understand that being raped is a horrible event, etc, and have people in my own life who've suffered it....but there's also got to be acceptance that the world isn't suddenly going to change how it works because they can't stand to see/hear a word. It's a word and it only has power if you give it power....just like labels.
I'm born was born out of wedlock...I'm officially a bastard. When someone calls me that I take away the power of it by saying "yes, and?"...the word had no effect because I choose not to let it have one on me.
I recently had to ask a transgender (M2F) why the Q had been added to LBGTQ when I was under the impression that Queer was a derogatory term. The response was "yes, it used to be a derogatory term but we're not going to let it be that any more and we're going take it back"...exact words.
My sympathies go out to those who suffer at the hands of sexual assault, don't get me wrong, but we're not going to sit and re-write the dictionary because of it...are we?
It's not remotely like someone calling you a bastard as a mere insult, it's something that can dredge up traumatic memories and basically ruin someone's day. Aaaand we still live in a society where a depressing number of people have been raped at some point, so there's a good chance of accidentally ruining someone's day if you just fling it around in public all the time. Sucks, but it's the reality we live in.
The world we live in uses language...the people in that world should not be expected to change or stop using language because one person in the society can't handle hearing that word because of ONE of it's meanings. It's that simple. We don't ban the word because "it could upset someone" that person needs to learn to deal with what happened and move on....it sounds harsh and blunt but THAT'S the world we live in.
If you suffer from PTSD, you don't put yourself in a situation where it can be triggered and if you do, you need to accept the consequences of your decision...not start bitching because someone used a word in a different context to how it affects you.
Look...multiple meanings...see??
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rape?s=t
Sorry to say this...but..you're actually serving to prove the point of what Fisk has said and what I've said....there's always someone who's going to try and argue a case for something instead of just accepting the facts of the world we live in. ...and yes, you're the example because you could have very well read my post and moved on...you replied.
Well that's the thing, if you're flinging rape jokes around in public, it makes it kinda hard for people to avoid them. And it doesn't matter what the *intended* meaning is because it's not a matter of "hey that has some insulting connotations" it's a matter of "hey I just had flashbacks to the worst experience of my life and I'm gonna go curl up and cry for a while."
And people don't exactly heal from that shit overnight, y'know.
ie...you don't go into a public situation where that kind of language will be used. People don't use rape jokes in every day language but if you go into a location where that kind of language WILL be used...such as the comments sections on many sites or an RP chat...then you're exposing yourself to the potential of that happening.
Your Afganistan bomb victim wouldn't go watch a war movie, go to a fireworks show, etc...because they know that it might trigger them. It's the same principle.
And no..you don't recover overnight...but in the same sense as you don't recover from a broken let over night you make sure you don't do anything that would exasperate the problem. This is plain logic and actually what they're told to do...they're told to stay out of situations where they'll feel uncomfortable.
...and again...you've completely missed the point (just like they did) because you're talking about rape jokes and I'm talking about the fact that the word has MULTIPLE meanings and people shouldn't be afraid to use it in one sense for one meaning just because someone might be there who shouldn't be there.
Also...see below users response.
End of discussion from me, here, as well.
Obviously there's a degree of consideration that we're going to take toward people who have suffered, even more the people who are part of our communities, but they also need to understand that they can't get up on a soapbox and start shouting about the use of the word when it's been used in a different context and they haven't made people aware of the events.
So because someone was raped they should avoid leaving the house or even going online until they get therapy and overcome PTSD which could take years?
You know I agree with your right to use the word rape in whatever context you want to use it, but you need to understand that you wanting your ability to use a word being prioritized over someone else's well being is kind of messed up.
If someone disliked or was triggered over the usage of the word rape in an RP chatroom and someone banned the word from being used then it is not stopping you from contacting your RP partners elsewhere and using the term rape all you want. What it is doing is being polite to those who want to RP (Something that GENERALLY does not include the usage of the word rape) and not be triggered into possible dissociation, self harm, or suicide.
No one is stopping you from using the word in a different context then it's original meaning. I agree, words have many different meanings, but if it is a word with that connotation then it is best to be polite and understanding to those who DO associate the word with a traumatic event.
I hope that makes sense! Sorry for bringing up a few day old topic.
Word are as powerful as you allow them to be. If you hardhearted then they all slide off like water from a ducks back or they can cut you to the quick. To an extent, it is a choice to be upset by things. You have no right to demand someone does not use a word than they have to demand that you use it. The are exceptions, children do not have full comprehension of acceptable convention and so ideally are protected until they understand.
A sexual assault is a very private thing, it is not shameful. It does not have to define the victim for their entire life and it can be as difficult to have words prescribed as good and bad as to have people dismiss it. If a person is fat then it can be very harmful to call them fast/chubby/obese personally. But discussed generally this is OK. The context is very important.
I like Audrey, she's refreshingly original.
Fucking Tumblr, man.
And just because they think it doesn't fit THEIR definition of appropriate trans* character designs, doesn't mean that her design is wrong. People are so varied and unique, that honestly they don't have an ounce of credibility saying that she's unrealistic.
Frankly social justice warriors are the least progressive group on the face of this planet, and intentionally pick fights out of minimal or non issues. They're an embarrassment to anyone who isn't a SJW that shares a religious, political, social movement, gender, sex, race, fandom, or like/dislike label with them.
There's nothing wrong with disliking gender terms -fuck there are like +20 now- but if someone feels the meed to educate the masses at someone elses expense, it kinda paints a bad picture.
And if this is the hate you got for little Audrey, I can only imagine how bad it was with Sparky.
I think this is pretty relevant.
Spoiler: Tumblr is nuts.
Particularly the end with Alucard vs Rip Van Winkle
And as far as all this gender identity nonsense goes... I swear, they are just making up terms at this point to mess with people who don't even care about it. I mean, I was actually berated for not calling myself a "cismale" just a couple days ago, and I had to Google wtf that meant. I'll always look at people as they biologically are, and I could care less one way or the other about what you THINK you are, just leave me alone about it.
I mean, the "community" used to be called LGBT, but last I heard they'd added a half-dozen letters to the acronym, AND their most outspoken supporters who I know are people who would be considered "cis" in that community.
I'm mostly just tired of people talking about it, and wish people would just leave each other alone so I could stop hearing about it.
as for my self I will continue to watch you make all the wonderful things that you make. I only ask one thing, never give up.
If people would just stop and appreciate some well done art and not think of the political correctness, we would just see an artist drawing a pretty character for his story.
I salute you, Fisk. Keep on keeping on!
Audrey is one of my fav characters from you~
I understand some people don't like some words...but let me explain something to those people. Just because you don't like something doesn't mean the other person is wrong. The only reason you get offended by it is because YOU have a problem with the word.....which means the problem is on YOUR end. So long as the person isn't using it in a derogatory way...just leave them along and simmer in your own stew! I get a bit tired of everyone going out of their way to TRY and be offended by something...they tend to be drama queens.
Honestly, what you said here is better than christmas for me. I want to give you a gift basket.
Fight the good fight, comrade!
You're the artist. Audrey is your character to do as you wish. Who cares of shes not 100% accurate? Shes a gorgeous character!
(and just for everyone else's info: I'm NOT talking about trans-people, I'm talking about idiots)
That disapproval-of-tits-person took the cake, tho! That's just obviously someone who has a fetish for trans-men with big boobies and was disappointed when you made them smaller on Audrey and is now having a hizzy-fit, hilarious that they try defending it with "facts" XD Aaaand I have personal knowledge of these kinds of personalities... just block and ignore, replying is futile.
seriously? They were argueing over whether they should call someone an adjective or a substantive?
Don't miss next time on endless net drama, as we tackle on whether we can actually use the "To Transgender" verb, people!
Please don't stop drawing Audrey. She's the cutest thing ever.
So, do whatever you like with your characters, and try not to sweat the jerks. ^^
Hopefully this comment gets through the noise and you read it. There's a lot of comments on this entry already!
I am absolutely thrilled and very happy with the way you handled Audrey's character. I also love Aron and how open-minded he is. This is truly the way people in real life should behave and respond towards those who might be a bit different.
Please, ignore the "social justice warriors". These types of people are NEVER HAPPY. They think they are helping, but they really aren't. Rather than tackling real issues they get all "offended" over terminology and complain and insult those who don't use it exactly the way they want it used.
As long as your heart is in the right place, it doesn't really matter what words you use. Those social justice types do NOT represent the majority; they are stuck in their own little echo-chamber with like-minded people who reinforce this bad behavior in a never-ending feedback loop of bitchiness.
Keep doing things the way you're doing. We may not agree on everything, but we certainly agree on how you've handled these characters and this story. Kudos.
So I hope to coin a new phrase for these people raising a stink over terminology... Call em...
Social Jargon Wingnuts
Now, as a character, I think Aubrey is great and I'd like to see where the situation leads to in the future. The episode just makes me respect you more as an artist.
This is one of the things I loved about the story arc; it felt realistic.
I do hope you keep Audrey around. She's an adorable character and could add a lot to the on going story.
PS...ADR....I like that.
you have every right to do what you enjoy and let the other haters just eat shit an live.
In my experience, transgendered people tend to be very touchy. I can understand why, I mean they have to deal with misconceptions and people being against them, and even their own selves being against them for pretty much their entire lives, pre op.
How you portray Audrey is up to you, but they probably think you are misrepresenting their experience. It is a ludicrous fallacy, because everyone has a different experience.
You can't please everyone obviously, but I wonder how they would react if you gave Audrey a group of trans friends to hang out with that ran the gamut of body types and personalities?
Trying to please the high horse-riding members of ANY small community that has ever been persecuted by anyone is an exercise in futility. Whether it's transgenders, gays, zoos, or furries, EVERY ONE OF THEM will never let you be right about them unless you're one of them. It's no different than feminists berating men who hold a door even though that guy would've held the door for a man just as readily, or black people that are ready to kill a white guy for saying 'nigger' regardless of the context.
These are small groups of people who, as a result of general persecution, have insulated themselves from the populace at-large to the point that even with outsiders treat them with every COURTESY, they still berate that person because now they LIKE being isolated. These people want you to feel like you can't possibly understand anything about them.
If they ever admitted that an 'outsider' could understand them, or that anyone else's thoughts are valid, it would mean admitted that there is nothing special about them. This can all be exemplified by the 2006 incidents at Gallaudet University. For those who don't know, this is the only university specifically for the deaf in the United States. In 2006 a school president was appointed who was born deaf, but grew up speaking, and didn't learn sign language until age 23. The students protested, blockaded buildings, and boycotted classes all because the new president wasn't 'deaf enough'. They were willing to shut down the school, all because this woman hadn't grown up using sign language.
THAT, my friend, is the kind of people you're dealing with when you draw Audrey. So fuck them, they're a bunch of insular biggots.
Thank you! I'm sorry you've gotten so much hate over all this. I'm not defending anyone, but trans people are so used to be shit upon by everyone, we can get angry and defensive easily. What I think is really important for everyone to recognize is you really are trying your best to be respectful and correcting any honest mistakes along the way.
Keep on keeping on! We love Audrey! <3
http://www.facepalm.su/wp-content/g.....e_facepalm.png
The problem is some people are just pathetic & clearly feel the need to nit-pick at any & every little thing.
What amazes me is that people take such 'offence' about a fictitious character, but I guess this is the entirety of FA.
You just keep posting your lovely characters & 'offending' people. I respect you more for it ;)
I offend people on a daily basis just by having blue hair. Or blond. Or green. Or...
What this really boils down to is a broad range of people who want to use BIG POPULAR WORDS for things, but don't have a set of rules for defining those words.
Instead of it being toemaytoe-toemahtoh, it's becoming tomato-nightshade.
Someone authoritative needs to sit down and give folks a Gender/Lifestyle/Orientation dictionary. Then the rest of EVERYONE needs to agree to sit down and read it.
BUT.. That's never going to happen..
Tread carefully, do what you love, and don't feed the trolls.
You, as the artist and creator of her control that. You have full reign over who she is, and if people don't like what you want her to be, oh well. Everyone is suited to have their opinions, but only one person's really matter, yours.
It seems like people just don't like the fact that you are exploring other options. That is completely up to you though, if they don't like it, they don't have to see it, it's as simple as not clicking on the picture....
Hopefully in time this will all pass, cause really, it's not that big of a deal. She is a cute character, and you liked the idea enough to create her. She is staying, simple as that.
This gender PC-NESS has gotten ridiculous
Now, I know you probably don't care a whit about some random furry on the Internet having some apprehension about how you portray an unconventional character, but you have my support with what you've done with that storyline so far, and I'm interested in what else you decide to do with her.
Out of curiosity, what happened to Beth? She still sailing?
I remember the good old days, when you only had to call a MtF ma'am and a FtM sir and be done with it. No discussion, no argument, you both just smiled and got on with your day. Man were those the days, when you didn't have to put up with all the nonsense invented by self-righteous, attention whores and nimrods looking to inconvenience people with their drama.
There was also a time you only had to say LBGT; but now everyone is adding extra letters and getting huffy over that as well. Because of that, I just opted to use LBGTQ just so I don't have to deal with the drama. Still even then, I occasionally run into problems when I am asked what the Q stands for, even by gay and lesbians. You know what's funny? After explaining it, even some of them are like "that's the most stupid thing I've heard." In my day, one of the things the Q can stand for was a offensive term. Now its being used as an actual sexuality identifier.
I'll say it quick and simple... people and the internet are a mine field of stupidity and pseudo political-correctness, encased with double standards and then slow roasted in a sauce of condescending nonsense. there's no winning, just losing.
I suggest a fiery holocaust to cure your twitter feed of the infestation.
Personally, I love your characters, and if people want to get butthurt over trivilaities, well, I guess that's their problem.
Nobody ever objects to that
then I looked back at what the fandom has given us and... fuck, you have a very valid point :/ this saddens me
people have no problem with overexagerated, stupid empty shells of lust and sexual mary-sue-ism that degrades not only every gender but mostly the intelligence of the viewers, and yet, bring a realistic, well balanced cute character and everyone flips the fuck out
wat
As many others have said Tumblr is notorious for this and I suspect the comments and nasty talk will unfortunately continue. Maybe just not post anything Audrey related there if it gets too bad? But then for all I know with as toxic as tumblr can get they might well yell at you for THAT too :(
No matter what you do, someone somewhere is going to get offended by whats drawn or said, so screw em, they either like what you say/do or they don't. its human nature, and i have no doubts artists of every caliber have experienced this problem for hundreds of years, back to the time of the cavemen when cave drawings started heh.
Twitter is a troll breeding ground -rolls eyes- and yes its good to have decent grammar but if your going to be anal, get a pound of sand in your panties and call a lawyer because you added a 'D' in error then imho they need meds because they are obviously suffering from a out of control case of O.C.D!
to quote another person: "Slavish adherence of formal ritual is a sign that one has nothing better to think about." =^.^=
I also liked Aron in a skirt and I see no one up in arms about that.
Honestly, draw what you want to draw and don't fret about the rabble-rousers. It's YOUR art and comic. No one is forcing anyone to read it.
gay strait bi trans, you name it, every single person wants different pronouns used.
I like Audrey, I think she is cute. call her what you will, because you will NEVER satisfy everyone.
Somebody then came along and told him that tranny was considered a derogatory term, and not to use it.
He was quick to apologize, and that was that.
...But in hindsight, this little event bothers the shit out of me.
He didn't use the word out of an urge to offend, or in spite. It was a word that rolled off the tongue quickly, and he used it. He meant nothing by it. He loved the picture very much. And yet this person saw fit to come along and correct him on an error that existed only in their mind.
I grow incredibly WEARY of this stupid imaginary vocabularly being invented and forced on people by tumblr-rats, pinterest swine, and politically-correct, censoring bigots! The person who speaks a word will be the one who defines what the meaning behind their words is, and not an anonymous gathering of peers!
I speak as part of the crowd in saying that we the people love you, your skill and your imagination. When I first saw Audrey my heart skipped - regardless of gender. Its your ability to make this and your other characters real that always leaves me amazed.
In summary I want to let you know that those who cause a fuss aren't being constructive and therefore dont deserve your attention that you could spend bringing your imagination to the internet. Please have a great weekend and may your work be better than ever.
Well at the risk of being buried as well, I found Audrey fine in every sense. It might be because I've seen so much through the wonderful powers/corruption of the internet that seeing characters like that don't phase me. I'm more interested in the character and the situations that have arisen to care whether I should consider Audrey Male/Female/Herm/Trans or whatever correct term I should be using (since I'm still trying to get that right myself in terms of a few of my own characters).
I know you won't cave into removing the character or whatever story you have made for your work, but for the sake of a long time fan responding to someone's work whom I think does excellent pieces each time, I'll simply say "Keep on doing what you're doing and I'll keep on reading." :3
And if you can't usually sympathize with someone because they have a different philosophy than you, then you're a shitty person. Fuck you in the neck.
"If you don’t like the things in this story, then go read something else, because I don’t want to read, or hear your complaining about how your delicate senses of whatever were deeply, and greatly offended by this story, because in all honesty, I don’t care."
Basically, I was telling people who don't like what I write about to go screw themselves. I know that you can't really do that, because you rely on people buying your comics, art, and whatnot as a source of income, but I know that a person can only take so much stress, tension, anxiety, and other garbage from people before they feel the urge to go postal, and wipe out all life on this planet.
I've been there more times than I even care to recall. Having said that...
*Gives Jay an aerosol can of Troll/Griefer Repellant spray, which does +5 Damage to whining idiots, and sends them back to the fiery depths of Hell from whence they came*
Here. You need this more than I do. Don't worry. I have my own. *Brandishes a double barrel shotgun, and grins evilly*
My suggestion? Block 'em. If they don't want to have a civil discussion, then they're not worth the time and effort.
I was personally really touched that you made Audrey. I'm not a transwoman, but I like to see people expanding their horizons to include transgender people that aren't 1) A serial killer/psychotic, 2) a victim or 3) a fetish. Not to mention she's hella cute! I'm glad you're not going to let these people ruin her for you, but I understand the want to. I'm terribly afraid of posting my transgender characters for this exact reason.
Anyway you don't sound too bright, but you sound like you're trying.
Yah. As a (these days unwilling) member of GLBTCH, I say: you shouldn't hate people for a sexual preference. You should hate them for their neo-Marxian "reverse" bigotry.*
* which is, of course, pure, 100% old-fashioned bigotry, as you suspected all along.