Why Rosa is so good
Never once you hear “racism is wrong”.
They didn’t fall into that huge trap.
What I mean is, the episode wasn’t overly melodramatic, they didn’t play violins and sad music, they didn’t try to show racism is wrong – because anyone with a functional brain already knows racism is immensely stupid, people already know it’s wrong.
They didn’t focus on the negativity of racism.
They focused on the sheer positivity of that wonderful and amazing woman.
The end wasn’t, “what happened to this woman was horribly wrong”.
The end was, “that woman kicks arses and she was badass enough to make a stand and fight for her rights, and she changed the whole bloody future”.
I loved it. This was the message I wanted to see in this episode. This was the kind of message I want to see in Doctor Who. It was amazing.
I would just like to thank every single person involved in this Doctor Who season premiere for not making Ryan Sinclare magically overcome his disability through determination. When he goes back up to learn to ride a bike because that’s what gran would have wanted, any other show would have used that as an inspiration porn moment.
But he still falls.
Because wanting to do what gran wanted you to do won’t instantly make your hands keep still if they never have before. You can’t focus your way out of a medical condition and you shouldn’t have to. Ryan still climbs a crane but it isn’t miraculously easy just because it has to be done. “Trying harder” isn’t a miracle cure. And if he hadn’t chucked his bike off a cliff in frustration, he never would have gotten to travel the universe.
So thank you, Doctor Who team
-a kid who learned to ride a bike at 13
If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather. It’s hard to be a friend to someone who’s depressed but it is one of the kindest noblest and best things you will ever do.
Stephen Fry (via onlinecounsellingcollege)
i know that people being on their phones has become like a symbol of apathy and uncaring but so many people i know use social media to share love. like yesterday i got to watch a wedding livestreamed to everyone who couldn’t make it. i’ve seen my friend slowly learn how to cope with being a teen mom because of a massive outpouring of “mumblr” support + tips. i’ve seen my friends come out as gay, learn to cook, discover the flaws in their feminism, work for social change, make good life choices, go to amazing places, develop passions, form educated opinions, learn to love themselves. i’ve seen people post the bravest recovery posts and shy political posts and everything in between.
and i don’t honestly care how edgy you think your art is. what you’re telling me when you draw grey people looking at a white screen is that you don’t care what happens to the other people in your life.
but i do. i care about the boy i’m in a long distance relationship with, but i also care about people i’ve never met. i’ve been following some people for three years and genuinely care about their experiences. i’m glad you’re still in touch with the people you love, even if you’re not paying attention directly to me! i get happy when you finally dump him! i’m sad when your cat gets sick! i give a shit.
i don’t think technology is taking empathy away from us. i think it’s changing it.
I am 100% convinced that Mark Gatiss, no matter how much he loves the characters, would not touch Sherlock Holmes and John Watson if he had to do some winky, queerbaiting, no homo bullshit with them. He wouldn’t have agreed to write the show with Steven if they weren’t in agreement on that. They wouldn’t have proceeded with producing it, if the BBC were not on board.
And honestly every time I see it suggested that he would do that to queer people when he is an outspoken advocate for better queer representation in the media and a married gay man himself, I just get really offended on his behalf. Stop using him to screen your heteronormativity.