hypohippo:

optimisticallychallenged:

this is great lol

3rd time Reblogging this in a row because fuck you

(Source: xombiedirge, via littlerosieonahillside)

20,668 notes

mbmelodies:

A Japanese tabloid caught Minegishi Minami, who is a member of the country’s most popular music group AKB48, leaving the house of a male pop group earlier in January. Today, Minami posted the above video to AKB48’s official YouTube channel in which she apologizes for what she’s done. She also reveals that she’s been demoted within the group and…to punish herself, she has shaved her head.

So this is blowing up on Japanese Twitter right now, as it should be because this is about as terrible as the Japanese music industry gets. For idols like Minami, dating is a humongous red flag as it supposedly ruins the fantasy element at play (many male fans form “connections” with specific members of these groups, so having said member dating/hanging out with other men kills that). Other AKB48 members have been fired for doing the same thing Minami did, but she is popular so she has been spared…though I think what she has had to do is way worse. Shaving your head and then delivering a teary-eyed apology on YouTube while still being demoted?

(Also, if you believe the “she did this on her own free will” line, you should understand nothing about a group like AKB48 operates in such a loose way. This appearing on their official YouTube channel indicates this is endorsed by the people running the show. I also am guessing they told her to shave her head - they’ve had other shamed members of the group do things like run in charity marathons to “redeem” themselves, so this seems like something they’d cook up).

Here’s the dark side of the Japanese-music industry…and to some degree Japan itself, a country ranked 101 in the Global Gender Gap rankings…where young women who want to become pop stars have to do ridiculous shit like this for the terrible crime of…acting like regular human beings. This is some Scarlet Letter type stuff, but sadly common in an entertainment industry that needs major changes.

Only somewhat redeeming thing coming out of this? People on Twitter seem shocked by this, which means AKB48’s management will notice and (maybe? please?) think about not doing stunts like this anymore. If nothing else, they’ll probably remove the video.

EDIT: To get a sense of how fans are reacting to this…including people who really believe she chose to do this…click here. A lot of comments on it now.

(via littlerosieonahillside)

2,444 notes

I originally wrote this on my Facebook page but I’m restating it through Tumblr in the hopes that it will reach more people. I recently received a leaflet posted through my door entitled “South Warrington for Marriage” Initially I was delighted that our local MP was supportive of gay marriage and was promoting it. Oh how wrong I was. The leaflet, it turned out, was designed to make our local community aware of the sanctity of hetero marriage and how the government was trying to destroy it without our knowledge. So, I thought I’d share some “facts” from the leaflet and my outraged response:

“Redefining marriage is undemocratic. This issue wasn’t in any of the main party manifestos at the general election in 2010 and the public consultation was a sham.

Over 620,000 people have signed a national petition against the plans, but they’re being ignored.

It will have a big impact on schools. If marriage is redefined, the new definition will be endorsed in classrooms. What will happen to teachers and parents who disagree? (WTF???!!)

Read More

4 notes

(via littlerosieonahillside)

112,253 notes

glittershotgun:

kateordie:

Sometimes I have the time and patience to get from an idea to a fully fleshed-out, penciled, inked and coloured comic.

Sometimes I don’t.

PERFECT.

I SWEAR TO GOD I had this exact same conversation in the pub with my male friends. But I was not articulate enough to express my feelings like the second half of the comic. I’m just going to print this out and carry it everywhere with me.

(via loveandasandwich)

96,891 notes

We’ve known each other for almost two years now. And yeah, in that time I’ve given a lot of speeches, but they all have one thing in common: they’re all different. 

I have spent the last three days watching community and doing nothing else.

Cool cool cool.

(Source: yunuen, via littlerosieonahillside)

8,939 notes