And to make constant excuses for their entitlement, assholery, and bad behavior, as if they are children and any critique is too harsh, including simply asking, "Why should I be invested in your narrative?"

I love them! And there are episodes for every mood!

The commentators just bonded over not being able to do the box stretch, and failing the "President's Fitness" every year. (See Maintenance Phase on how bullshit the President's Physical Fitness Test is lol.)

I feel like that but also last Xmas we had no money and got like a Dollar Tree Barbie knock-off so also in the back of my mind is THIS COULD ALL BE GONE IN A SPLIT SECOND DON'T GET USED TO IT.

Just a second! A moment! Anything at all!

Though for real, the subhead of all this is "Despite conventional Democrats' best efforts to sabotage their own party, enough folks in the US managed still to elect some decent politicians yesterday."

It's so wild. The idea of the exclusive monogamous relationship feeling safe to people is...so totally not borne out by the evidence? Making a monogamous commitment to one person doesn't save you from infidelity or dissatisfaction or just naturally growing apart. I find it all super fascinating.

And when do we talk about how much harder it is to sell folks on non-triad stories like TLR? Even traditional publishing is beginning to slowly buy the idea that three people can be equally (exclusively) in love with each other, but anything else is a challenge.

Okay, I don't know what this is, but I'm in good company! (And I think so much about the representation of polyamory in the romance genre that I feel like I should have a degree in it by now.)

Aww, that's a great response!

I think they squeak in a different way for sure. I always remember Hugh Laurie being on a late night talk show talking about how impossible it is to raise girls and bemoaning the lack of manual on how to do so (not in a shitty way, just a flummoxed way). Interesting though.

Oh, good clarification! No, it tends to be about *being* a girl-child, which is why I wonder if it's projection? Like "Oh, the girls are so mean." "All the drama." "They never stop gossiping and backstabbing." But if that's what you experienced as a girl, it makes sense that concerns you!

Oh, interesting. I've been wondering why some folks seem to be losing their minds in a very intense, outward way.

I'm not happy with how things are going, but it's an extension of how they were already going, not some brand new form of oppression. I had not considered inverted class vulnerability.

Oh wow, such great company! Thank you!

<whispers> Also, it's PIRATES! 🏴‍☠️ <cough cough>