🐱 Interesting clickbait, op-eds, fluff pieces and other smaller stories

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/24/caitlyn-jenner-halloween-costume-sparks-social-media-outrage-.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...een-costume-labeled-817515?utm_source=twitter

It's nowhere near October, but one ensemble is already on track to be named the most controversial Halloween costume of 2015.

Social media users were out in full force on Monday criticizing several Halloween retailers for offering a Caitlyn Jenner costume reminiscent of the former-athlete's Vanity Fair cover earlier this year.

While Jenner's supporters condemned the costume as "transphobic" and "disgusting" on Twitter, Spirit Halloween, a retailer that carries the costume, defended the getup.

"At Spirit Halloween, we create a wide range of costumes that are often based upon celebrities, public figures, heroes and superheroes," said Lisa Barr, senior director of marking at Spirit Halloween. "We feel that Caitlyn Jenner is all of the above and that she should be celebrated. The Caitlyn Jenner costume reflects just that."

 

[Safir]

Why is NZ education so shit?

Students say they don't know what 'trivial' means in exam question fiasco

Some students who took the year 13 history exam claimed the “unfamiliar word” was too hard, and the exam should now be marked according to each student’s different understanding and interpretation of “trivial”.

An online petition claims the word trivial “caused much confusion” in the Wednesday exam and many students “were not particularly familiar with” the word. More than 2,500 people have signed the petition, calling on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority [NZQA] to “recognise the true potential of the students and mark the essay based on the student’s own content and understanding of the event, many of which were different to what the word actually means.”

Year 13 student Logan Stadnyk who took the exam told local media that at least half of his classmates thought trivial meant “significant”.

Year 13 students, as Google tells me, are 16.5 to 18 years old.

'Impossible' New Zealand maths exam even flummoxes teachers

Complaints being investigated after ‘geometric reasoning’ section of high school paper left brightest students despondent and in tears

One student who studied for weeks in preparation for the exam said she was thrown by the difficulty of some of the questions, which tested skills she hadn’t been taught. A friend of mine was quite shocked, she said, ‘They have never asked us to do this sort of maths in any of the practises we’ve done – what happened here?’

(There's an embed. It's just basic 2d geometry appropriate for 12-to-14-year-olds. These students are 15. Like, bros, how do you live to 15 without seeing a hexagon?)

 

[CatParty]

Twitter comic Ellen Oh Hell was actually a woman this whole time

The comic came clean, then deleted his Twitter account.

www.dailydot.com

Oh, @ElleOhHell. She’s made us laugh, she’s inspired us. When she complained about her period, we felt it and we knew she had our back. Well, turns out she is actually a he.
Popular comedy Twitter account @ElleOhHell has deleted his Twitter account after a series of tweets admitting that he was, in fact, pretending to be a woman.
“When I first started this account and was getting some notice, what I thought was a big account followed me. He DM’d me and asked if that was really me in my avatar because, as he said, ‘some of us thought you were too funny to be a girl,’” he tweeted early Saturday morning from the now-deleted account.
“The avatar is not in fact me, but my wife. She knows about it and was glad for me to have a creative outlet.”
“The anonymity was very liberating, and honestly who would want to be a man on the internet,” he continued, apparently implying that being a woman on the internet is easier.
You can read the whole thread here:





@ElleOhHell has topped lists of “best tweets by women” time after time—a space meant for funny women on the internet to get recognition.
“‘Elle’ used a female identity to get ahead in that respect,” Twitter user @TheDreamGhoul, whose real name is Jade, told the Daily Dot via Twitter DM. She asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy.
“I think this issue sparked a greater conversation about men assuming the identity of a more marginalized person to have certain allowances,” she added. “[He] most importantly, violated the trust of Elle’s female friends and gained emotional intimacy with them in a way only a woman could. Which is gross behavior.”
Jade shared a story of the first interaction she had with the account in 2015. She had just posted a tweet that started getting some traction, and “Elle” commented on it. A short time later Jade said she had a message from “her” explaining she should have “liked” “Elle”’s reply faster.


“Back then I was put off by it but kind of accepted it as a woman giving another woman advice on the unspoken ‘rules’ of that community,” she said. “But now looking back, it was a man telling a woman how to act right.”
During @ElleOhHell’s final moments on Twitter, he apologized for those he had hurt. Jade said the man behind the account got close to many in the community of female Twitter comics and they would be “personally hurt” by the news.
The Twitter-verse was shocked by the news, too.
And while it seems like a rough time for the Twitter catfisher, who also says he and his wife (the one actually pictured in the avatar) have decided to divorce, he didn’t delete the account initially. Instead, the community called on him to do so. By Saturday afternoon, it was gone.

 

[Uterus Burns]

There are no women on the Internet

 

[kcbbq]

If they say they're a woman they're a woman. Period.

 

[Zilortha]

A funny woman? That should have been a red-flag right away...

 

[CatParty]

'Isabelle Facts' was a wholesome queer meme account—until harassers showed up

Isabelle from Animal Crossing is more popular than ever, but after one queer meme account called "Isabelle Facts" popped up, harassers targeted its creator.

www.dailydot.com

Feeling trampled on by the world around you? Turn to Isabelle the dog from Animal Crossing, the mayor’s doting, diligent secretary and assistant. Cute, sweet, and entirely dedicated to her job, Isabelle serves as one of the main guides throughout Animal Crossing: New Leaf and the video game series’ various spin-offs. She’s basically Leslie Knope in pupper form.
Isabelle has been a fan favorite for a long time, ever since her introduction into New Leaf in 2012 in Japan and 2013 worldwide. But Isabelle reemerged as a Twitter star last December after Super Smash Bros. Ultimateintroduced her as a playable fighter. From December onward, Twitter users created various memes about Isabelle. One artist depicted her as a Fortnite gamer. Others argued whether she is ridiculously horny or not.


The internet fell in love with Isabelle for a reason: despite being a formidable opponent in Smash, she never comes off as cocky, aggressive, or mean. One of her taunts shows her smiling at the camera and clapping her hands, as if all the punches and blows are just good fun. With Isabelle, what you see is what you get, and what you get is wholesome, positive, and adorable. While some Twitter users like to riff on her innocent nature to show a deeper, unexpected side to her—such as her being, again, stupidly horny on main—others appreciate her for who she is and create endless fanart gushing over her presence.

That’s where Isabelle Facts came in, a Twitter meme account with over 9,000 followers. Originally created in February 2019 by Twitter user @isabelIeduh, Isabelle Facts was a blatantly queer, femme, and affirming take on Isabelle. The account touched on both Isabelle’s wholesome friendliness and the various parody memes that depict her as radically left-leaning, ridiculously powerful, and, in some cases, horny. Above all, Isabelle Facts was warm, friendly, affirming, and goofy.
But just as fast as Isabelle Facts went up, it closed down, leaving its fans wondering what happened to the account.
. . .
Isabelle Facts worked by posting fake, numbered “facts” about Isabelle, similar in style to the immensely popular Fake AP Stylebook Twitter account or the slightly cruder Pokémon Facts! Many of its tweets were blatantly queer. In fact, Isabelle Facts’ very first post talked about Isabelle as a canon queer character in Animal Crossing, as she has a crush on both male and female mayors within the game. That tweet, which was seen by the Daily Dot before Isabelle Facts’ closure, earned over 12,000 retweets and 35,000 likes when it was first created, sparking the account’s initial popularity.


In an interview with the Daily Dot before the account’s closure, @isabelIeduh, who is gay and uses they/them pronouns, said they started Isabelle Facts to “spread positivity around!!” The idea came to them while playing Mario Kart, and the account was intended as a “sorta small joke around my inner circle of friends.” They never expected Isabelle Facts to go viral.
“I see Animal Crossing as a whole as a very queer- and trans-inclusive series as it is!!” @isabelIeduh told the Daily Dot during that initial interview. “With the characters being allowed to dress in any gendered clothes and the game not excluding anything from your gender choice! You can basically play as who you see fit! And Isabelle’s popularity of being an innocent dog who just wants to help everyone really fit in!! Myself and friends included are all queer/trans and adore Isabelle as a character and we love the idea she accepts us for who we are!!”
Isabelle Facts’ popularity walked hand-in-hand with fans’ sheer love for Isabelle. One fact from Valentine’s Day claimed: “Isabelle is everyone’s Valentine today!!” Another popular post, fact 68, said Isabelle’s smile “has been proven to help those feeling down” and “radiates so much sunshine and happiness.” That post had over 480 retweets and 1,200 likes in just 24 hours after it was posted, and it was also one of @isabelIeduh’s personal favorites.
“Isabelle cheers me up whenever I feel lost and depressed,” @isabelIeduh told the Daily Dot during the initial interview. “As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, Animal Crossing really helps me when it comes to calming down from panic attacks or losing myself in a world where a dog wearing a yellow Gucci jacket, or a goat dressed as a clown being so excited to see you again, really takes my mind at ease from the harsh world we live in.”
While Isabelle Facts certainly was wholesome and queer, the account also punched up against right-wing groups that regularly target queer folks. Fact 38 noted Isabelle “punches Nazis.” Another tweet condemned trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs. But after Isabelle Facts spoke out against TERFs, @isabelIeduh told the Daily Dot that they experienced death threats, culminating in ongoing harassment that proved way too overwhelming for them to manage the account.
“I took Isabelle Facts down after so many death threats I got regarding my one post about TERFs—then eventually any post I previously made, like the trans and gay rights ones,” @isabelIeduh explained after being approached by the Daily Dot after Isabelle Facts’ deactivation. “I took a break for a few days and then saw people saying I was suspended due to mass reports (which was false because I took it down originally if that makes sense). I reactivated to clear rumors and decided I’m going to completely delete because I got way more hate after reactivating than I thought would appear.”
While @isabelIeduh said that they wanted to recreate Isabelle Facts, they aren’t quite sure if they can handle the experience all over again. While similar Isabelle Facts accounts have since popped up, such as @isabellefacts1, they’re also concerned that other users who run their own accounts may face harassment as well.
“It’s mostly positive stuff but I just don’t like the idea people copied it after I received so much shit, I guess? I was too anxious to tell them I didn’t want them making accounts too,” @isabelIeduh told the Daily Dot.


It’s depressing looking back at Isabelle Facts and realizing what happened to its creator, in part because it’s just a microcosm of a much larger problem with harassment on social media. Just over 40 percent of American adults have experienced some form of harassment online, with over 60 percent witnessing harassment aimed at others, according to a 2017 report from the Pew Research Center. Marginalized folks seem to be particularly vulnerable to harassment, too: Amnesty International’s “Toxic Twitter” report from 2018 found 62 percent of women and nonbinary users surveyed experienced form of abusive behavior over Twitter.
Harassment doesn’t just harm its victims, either. In that same Pew Research study, 27 percent of Americans polled said they decided not to post something online after seeing harassment take place. Attacking another person online can cause a ripple effect, silencing those who want to speak out.
Reporters generally think about harassment in terms of day-to-day experiences discussing politics, news, or social justice issues. But meme communities and fandoms are impacted by hate, too. Any space that welcomes queer and trans folks is a political battleground, even if it’s a Twitter account tweeting about a Nintendo character supporting your “horny rights.” When TERFs see a target, they’re not necessarily going to hold back. They have a much larger goal in mind: scaring off the queer, trans folks that @isabelIeduh tried to embrace with Isabelle Facts.
“As with what happened with @isabelIefacts, I’ll just remind you. Block any and every TERF you see,” one Isabelle Facts fan, @WerewolfMoms, tweeted. “Their sole existence on Twitter is to mass report trans people because TERFs are a harassment campaign. Nothing more. They are evil people pretending to be feminists.”

 

[Far Queue]

The internet: where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are undercover FBI agents.

 

[IV 445]

That’s where Isabelle Facts came in, a Twitter meme account with over 9,000 followers.

This article is

 

[Dante Alighieri]

"Queer" is a word that needs to die because it's fucking dumb as fuck.

 

[RG 448]

hahaha holy shit

 

[Stab You in the Back]

“Back then I was put off by it but kind of accepted it as a woman giving another woman advice on the unspoken ‘rules’ of that community,” she said. “But now looking back, it was a man telling a woman how to act right.”

You have someone who's successful on twitter (lol) giving you advice on how to become successful yourself, but instead of being appreciative for the help, you're going to bitch him out because he turned out to be a man. What a cunt.

 

[Spelling Bee]

@ElleOhHell has topped lists of “best tweets by women” time after time—a space meant for funny women on the internet to get recognition.

So, this was apparently the cream of the crop when it came to female humor on Twitter. And on top of that, the author turned out to be a man. Ouch

 

[Cool kitties club]

Isabelle Facts was a blatantly queer, femme, and affirming take on Isabelle. The account touched on both Isabelle’s wholesome friendliness and the various parody memes that depict her as radically left-leaning, ridiculously powerful, and, in some cases, horny. Above all, Isabelle Facts was warm, friendly, affirming, and goofy.

hile Isabelle Facts certainly was wholesome and queer, the account also punched up against right-wing groups that regularly target queer folks. Fact 38 noted Isabelle “punches Nazis.” Another tweet condemned trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs. But after Isabelle Facts spoke out against TERFs,

Wanting to bash the "fash" for not having the right opinions is so wholesome and positive. Whoa look a cartoon character said the right opinion isn't that funny

 

[Clop]

others appreciate her for who she is and create endless fanart gushing over her presence

Yeah, I fucking bet they were gushing. All over her.

 

[Far Queue]

So, this was apparently the cream of the crop when it came to female humor on Twitter. And on top of that, the author turned out to be a man. Ouch

With all the idiotic rules about transgender people competing in sports, all of the best "female" athletes are turning out to be men as well.

I think this old article from The Onion is quite appropriate.

 

[vertexwindi]

Men are better at female sports, female comedy and even being woman of the year. Is there anything we can't do?

 

[Datiko]

"“I think this issue sparked a greater conversation about men assuming the identity of a more marginalized person to have certain allowances,” she added. “[He] most importantly, violated the trust of Elle’s female friends and gained emotional intimacy with them in a way only a woman could. Which is gross behavior.”

So is this woman transphobic?

 

[Dante Alighieri]

"Queer" is a word that needs to die because it's fucking dumb as fuck.

Oh, and "femme". Like holy shit what kind of a word salad do you need to feel special?

 

[Nekromantik]

Wanting to bash the "fash" for not having the right opinions is so wholesome and positive. Whoa look a cartoon character said the right opinion isn't that funny

It's also very wholesome to talk about how horny you are, but only if you're queer. Double wholesome if it's a cartoon character from a children's game.

 

[vertexwindi]

What the fuck is a "queer meme"