Yeah - what SaintOwlPizza is saying is an extremely common belief in the American South.

A lot of Bircher types were set off by the election of JFK. There were people who were genuinely concerned he was controlled by the pope. The current iteration of the KKK is about the least anti-Catholic it has ever been, historically they were extremely vocal advocates in favor of public education and not having religion in schools solely due to the popularity of Catholic schools.

I definitely heard things very similar to what OwlPizza’s family said in Sunday school.

It’s just can be an ambiguous symbol, and if you are concerned about being misread, adding context can help.

I think the older analogues here are the kissing lesbians poster (I think it was from Spencer’s?) and A Clockwork Orange.

That “kissing lesbians” poster gave gooner vibes; that Orange gave “I’m the kind of film brah who’s only watched Kubrick.” There is nothing wrong with masturbating, but it’s not a personality. A Clockwork Orange is an excellent novel and film, but broadcasting a character who rapes someone to death (just in the movie, iirc) is going to be offputting. These are the notes that come first - but it’s entirely possible to put things in context in a way where people are less likely to see them as read flags.

Like, I have a lifelong fascination with Jonestown to the point that I own a vinyl pressing by his church’s choir. I am utterly incapable of not correcting the “koolaid” joke. I cannot start social interactions that I intend to turn romantic or sexual with Jonestown trivia - that is considered a massive faux pas. I lurked /b/ since roughly 2006; despite the fact that I am a fairly radical feminist, it would be a poor idea to wear a 4chan t-shirt.

However - once I put it in context - people usually are normal about it, and it can lead to interesting conversations. It’s okay for me to mention my Jim Jones vinyl if we are talking about collecting rare vinyl; it is okay for me to show off my copy of Sailor and the Seven Balls if I place it next to Chargeman Ken.

The thing is that stuff has always shown up, even with safe search on. It’s sorta like you can image search any given Pokémon and there will be something lewd almost immediately.

I do think adults who enjoy children’s content have some responsibility in making sure that stuff isn’t as easily accessible. There had been an online adult My Little Pony fandom before bronies, which was far less toxic.

How would you explain this to a kid? Also - blue boards are supposed to not be technically SFW but lol that just means not porn

Already tried it.

I tried Camus’s “nothing matters so make up a meaning you like and run with it” for a while, which I think works for one’s first few existential crises.

The clumsy solution I’ve stumbled on is viewing this all as a war against entropy and evil. Anger is a feeling that has escape velocity, that even if one feels crushed by the despair inherent to being human, you can at least pick up your “weapons” and keep tumbling on.

There’s some positives in the experiences and small pleasures, like art and discussion and philosophy, but it’s mostly a fight.

I think Planescape: Torment explores a lot of these ideas in a way that’s a bit less “despairingly” nihilistic. The “best” ending means the Nameless One spending eternity in hell fighting in a pointless brutal war - but it feels correct, it has meaning.

What’s the appropriate reaction to DPRK Comrade Applejack?

Have you read Emil Cioran? He’s got a lot of interesting thoughts along that existential pessimism.

Y’all have vinegaroons? I kept one for a while. They’re amazing to “terrorize” children with.

When I was 6, I told my mother I hated her and she threw away my entire Pokémon card collection. I think my hatred was probably justified. (I had a holo Charizard, bitch could have sold it for grocery money.)

Did you know that one of the longest works of fiction ever written is a MLP/Fallout crossover fan fiction?

I think it beats Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls. Darger totally would have posted to /mlp/ if he was alive though, so it balances out.

That’s why they’re getting rid of child labor laws. Make them kids earn their way!

And we’re so eager as a nation to take care of foster children.

We love them so much.

Christians especially.

Here’s typical day care rates for Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is one of the lowest cost of living states in the nation, because it’s a hell hole with no social services and has been already doing Project 2025 for the past five years. This means salaries are similarly depressed - as a teacher, my first year take home pay per month was $2200. If I had a child then I would have nothing between day care and rent. (And I also would have needed the daycare, first year teaching is 60-100 hours a week.)

The people working at the facility are likely barely qualified and probably not making enough to support their families - likely on welfare.

It’s amazing how they get away with paying so little. My field is adjacent, and I’ve been open to working with elementary age, but the positions I see as “master teacher” at daycares are usually around $9-10 an hour - what I was making working at a fast food restaurant in 2015.

I have epilepsy. Controlled, but I had a series of seizures several years ago.

They basically were like “seizures happen sometimes” and just sent me on my way. I have no idea why, if they’ll return, if I’m supposed to just keep taking this medication for the rest of my life. The neurologist I saw afterwards didn’t give a rats ass.

I passed a kidney stone without help once - I went to the Urgent Care and the doctor argued with me about where I would be hurting. I was hurting in the wrong place, so it couldn’t have been a kidney stone.

It was much easier when I had a husband there to repeat everything I said.

If you talk about both of those movies in a way that acknowledges Sergeant Hartman and Tyler Durden are not people we should emulate, I don’t think many people would consider those red flags.

People who think that the those movies are red flags have probably met people who think that we are supposed to look up to those characters. If you make it clear that you are not one of those people, there’s not really a problem.

You gotta admit part of it was probably deserved.

Like the fact that people were trying to create imaginary friend ponies using Buddhist meditation techniques, the existence of Cupcakes (and all attendant media), and the popularity of “clop” flooding Google images such that a lot of little kids probably saw pony porn while looking for pictures of Twilight Sparkle to trace….

I saw this as someone with a homemade Applejack perler bead on my refrigerator.

It is endless amusing that this whole thing started because some journalist lambasted Friendship is Magic for using Flash, /co/ got intrigued, and then the rest is history.

They’ve got toxicognaths to shoot you full of venom with.

How do you interpret and discuss Fight Club and Full Metal Jacket in conversation? I like both of these movies and have never had anyone respond negatively when I’ve discussed them.

When you talk about Fight Club, are you talking about it in a way which might suggest you think fight clubs are a good idea?

I’m trying to figure out who would have a problem with Full Metal Jacket.

Some people do consider it a red flag, because there are idiots who misinterpret the movie and enough of them that interpret it as pro “toxic masculinity” that it’s scared a few people off. (Kinda like how 2019 Joker is a great film, but enough weirdos think it’s an endorsement of their weird behaviors.)

Like it’s a gay man’s satire of masculinity (and about the homoeroticism inherent to fascistic movements). It’s a joke. Notice how the narrator never wants to fuck Martha - that he spends late nights roaming, looking for other men to engage physically with. The fights are a cruising metaphor.

Fincher makes it even more obvious with the casting. Like yeah Helena Bingham Carter is hot, but we’re all here to gawk at Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.