So what's this whole Race and Gender thing all about....

[Chelagoras The Boulder]

BUMP: http://www.dailydot.com/geek/steven-universe-fanartist-bullied-controversy/

Steven Universe is a beloved animated children's show known for its smart and progressive depictions of its diverse and lovable cast of characters.

But these positive qualities in the show itself have led to a very ugly turn of events in the Steven Universe fandom, after a beleaguered fanartist said she attempted suicide after being bullied by members of the fandom who felt her art was problematic. In a bizarre turn of events prompted by the ensuing debate over what kinds of fanart are acceptable, some fans have now turned even against the show's creative team, including show creator Rebecca Sugar.

It all started last week when a fanartist going by the name Zamii caused a scare on Tumblr when she posted an apparent final note to her Tumblr, then disappeared for three days. When she re-emerged, it was to post a tearful video she claimed was being filmed at a hospital where she said she was getting the help she needed.

On the other side of the issue, plenty of people have insisted that it's more important to continue calling out what they see as problematic behavior—even if that extends to the kind of social ostracism that led to all this to begin with. "Me not being a pushover for oppression makes ME toxic??" wrote one user. "Fuck that."

[Prelate Diogenes Shandor]

People need to learn to ignore social justice warriors like they would any other moron or troll.

[thewake]

People need to learn to ignore social justice warriors like they would any other moron or troll.

Tumblr is rather full of mentally unstable people though.

[Meunster]

People need to learn to ignore social justice warriors like they would any other moron or troll.

Tumblr is rather full of mentally unstable people though.

Anywebsite that has a userbase that can be stereotyped liked that tbh fam.

[Cain]

Not to mention I'm pretty sure there was like 200+ tumblr sites that sprang up overnight, just to harass and bully her.

I mean, I've got a pretty thick skin, and I don't mind people getting wound up by what I write (I write about politics and am on Twitter, after all.  I get shit on just for accepting the fact that there is violence between Israel and Palestine.  Not for taking any side, just for knowing it exists.  Let alone the crazy shit I get for writing about ISIS, the PKK, the Caucasian Emirate, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey etc.  I manage to offend nationalists, salafists, Russians, conspiracy theoriests, neocons, leftists and liberal interventionists all at the same time).  Not to mention in 10+ years of being a complete trolling asshat on the interbutts, I've been seriously threatened a few times, so I'm not exactly concerned about having my feelings hurt by people with a literacy level somewhere around Youtube comments.

Even then, if I had 200 odd people flooding my inbox with their insanity, in the midst of a larger internet hate campaign, I'd probably say "enjoy screeching at your screen for a week and fuck y'all" and take a break from social media.  Speaking as a well adjusted adult, I don't have time for that shit.  And I sort of expect a level of attention to be paid to my work anyway, it's one of the reasons I write and that means dealing with the public, with reactions to it and so on.  I also know, no matter what the idiots say, that yes, I am actually pretty knowledgeable on what I write.  I have credentials, endorsements, work history and features to prove it, and I research the hell out of whatever I put my name to.

This on the other hand is a teenager on their personal blog.  Drawing fanart.  Yes, yes, stereotyping is bad, mmkay, but I think we know the kind of people who do those sort of things.  Quiet, shy, probably low self-esteem.  She probably hasn't taken any precautions with her social media accounts, and has probably been doxxed to hell and back.  And if there is any segment of the internet that is more vindictive and has more spare time than the tinfoil hat brigade ("ISIS is a false flag op!  Here is a 200+ page dossier compiled from shitty Russian propaganda sites I am now going to spew at you and if you cannot answer each made-up point to my satisfaction you are nothing more than a JEWISH NEOCON SHILL FOR ALLAH") it's teenagers.  If she's been using the internet to make friends online, as she probably has, she's now cut off from that social network, and it's possible her IRL friends and family are also getting shit from the online hate mob.  She's going to feel isolated and vulnerable with absolutely no support.  And as previous internet storms show, saying "ignore the trolls" is much easier than actually, you know, doing it.  Hell, I can speak from personal experience on that part.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

It's also a lot easier to ignore the trolls when you have someone else to be. I swear, when I was a kid everyone was all up on us about not using real names, not posting pics, etc. If you failed hard enough to get one of these shitshows, you just make a new identity and move on with your life. Sure sometimes sockpuppets were used to continue monitoring the drama, which is not healthy or productive, and sometimes your socks get outted or whatever, but this persistent identity bullshit that Corporate Internet are pushing is killing the only troll ignoring strategy that worked.

[Cain]

Yeah, very true.  Not to mention all the other problems of persistent identities online...the tech companies really need to rethink that.

[Meunster]

Why do they always pick on the weak ones?
There's plenty of actually racist SU blogs, yet they drive some poor girl to suicide over causes she supports.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Why do they always pick on the weak ones?
There's plenty of actually racist SU blogs, yet they drive some poor girl to suicide over causes she supports.

Low hanging fruit.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I just read the article, and that sounds JUST LIKE the tumblr I know and hate.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Why do they always pick on the weak ones?
There's plenty of actually racist SU blogs, yet they drive some poor girl to suicide over causes she supports.

Because, to tumblr, someone that ALMOST agrees with them is 300 times worse than an actual oppressor.

This is why tumblr is hilarious, and why the people that use it are monsters.

[Cain]

"We must purge the right-deviationists, then the liberals (and their tears!), then the social fascists and then, finally, we will purge the real fascists." - Actual strategy of the Soviet Union circa 1930.  As you may recall, it didn't turn out so great for them. 

[Meunster]

Jesus christ. How horrifying.
Well, time to revise how I make my strawmen.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Why do they always pick on the weak ones?
There's plenty of actually racist SU blogs, yet they drive some poor girl to suicide over causes she supports.

Low hanging fruit.

This.

It's way less threatening to gang-hate on a troubled young woman (notice how it's usually, though not always, a younger woman or trans person) than to take on, say, Stormfront or anyone else who  might be able to defend themselves.

[Chelagoras The Boulder]

because yelling at people is the same as making meaningful change, right?