SPEAKER_10 0:02

Hey everybody. Sorry I didn't mean to do that. That was a weird sound. Okay. Uh so we are the uh Blurred Spectrum podcast, as I'm sure your schedule told you. We are blurred-oriented podcast that talks about what we thought we were gonna just talk about, like anime and games and stuff. But then we like started talking about like things we didn't think we were gonna talk about. Like um, I am Suchy No Shogun. I've been moderating this podcast for the past two years. This today's been this for two years. Yes. Yay.

SPEAKER_07 0:30

Uh so like we've been doing this for two years, but also thank you for y'all for coming to our panel and stuff. Because last year was our first year in LiverCon. And like the room was packed, but I'm pretty sure it's not packed this year for like other reasons because LordCon feels very like thin, just generally speaking. Well, you know, we can talk about that in a later game.

SPEAKER_10 0:48

Uh so this year, our topic for our panel is hating for clout, and we're gonna need a lot of audience participation because there's a lot of stuff that uh I'm sure you could say about uh clout chasing, about hating on social media, about wanting to do your best and strive to your excellence and having people try to pull you down crab barrel mentality. But before we start talking about that, I of course have to introduce our panel, uh uh Kaze Shinryu. Hola, uh we have the incomparable, the uh medically uh uh uh diploma, the uh the phenomenal stasis uh keeping uh uh the doctor.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

What's good?

SPEAKER_10 1:26

Uh we have the uh low-key wearing, the crocodile chasing, the uh uh uh uh Doctor Strange uh reverencing uh the black McCoy. We have the storm swirling, the Harley Quinn laughing, the Sailor Scout impersonating and we have the shape-shifting hexadecimal, the succubus of all things hentai, and the lover of all things gore, we have the phenomenal Sayome cosplay.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Hello, that was a lot.

SPEAKER_10 2:06

Um as we introduced in one of our last episodes, we have our new member. Uh she's doing audio video today.

SPEAKER_06 2:14

Um girl! It's so pretty ass.

SPEAKER_10 2:20

Lady Giovanni.

unknown 2:22

Woo!

SPEAKER_07 2:23

Giving her girl Lagon shade.

SPEAKER_10 2:27

So, like we said, the topic today is hating for clout. And um, what I would like is for our panelists each to talk about what that means to them. What exactly is clout, what is clout chasing, and what is hating of such things. Uh, and I think I'm gonna start with somebody who gets in all the time, even though they're so phenomenal, you would think, oh, there shouldn't be any hate. But you know, the better you are, the more hate you have. And I think it's on this side of the table. You know, they all phenomenal. So we're gonna start uh from my direct right, and that is the black McCoy.

SPEAKER_07 2:56

I'm sorry, what point in your point in my general existence have I ever? Um, it's so it's interesting. So when we first like ran the back, when we were deciding what we're gonna talk about today, um we were voting, the votes were between hating for clout and the concept of like nerd rage. Oh, okay. The concept of nerd rage, but it works out because they're relative, they they pretty much intersect on a very like essential level. Um I also have a full loop on my hands but they're with me, but I get overly philosophical for no reason, so I'll I apologize in advance. But when um I think about hating for clout, I think about a lot of the content that we see sometimes like, oh, this shit was really Oh, actually, you know what? When um Miss Marvel was hate bombed before it even actually aired, like that was a good example of hating for clout, right? People were immediately talking about how bad it was gonna be, how unsuccessful it was gonna be, um, when people like um review bomb things that they that are just like getting their stride or just going on. Um there's another something, I can't I think it was a movie that was giving review bomb, but it was originally a good movie. Um, like that's what I think about when I think about hating for clout, like creating content for the purpose of rallying behind this ideal of self that is driven by a dislike of something and the overall kind of relationship that we have with like creating a personality or even creating a community strictly based on the fact that you do not like this thing or you hate this thing, right? And even understanding what is that hate actually supposed to mean, yeah, and even the more meticulous criticism of what it means to hate something, right? Because if there's one thing I subscribe to as like kind of a principle, hate is a very strong emotion to have towards something that you allegedly don't care about.

SPEAKER_10 4:53

Whoo! So much energy.

unknown 4:55

I like that.

SPEAKER_10 4:56

Um skittles, uh, you have you have been a part of many organizations, and you are currently part of many organizations.

SPEAKER_05 5:02

Woo, you and y'all, we love you.

SPEAKER_10 5:05

Uh you have cosplayed for years, and uh you told us many times on the podcast about how you got into how you became a blurred essentially, and how you got into cosplay, and you know, uh from a lot of the mental health cosplay episodes that we have, you talked about how you know some of the drawbacks are what people not necessarily what people have to say, but people's opinions. And so, what would you say uh is your definition of uh hating for clout and what is something that you've done to effectively defend against it?

SPEAKER_12 5:35

Defend against it? I mean your whole statement is defending somehow. I wouldn't say I defend against it because I I literally don't care about what other people think. Defense. But to me, um hating for clout is is I mean, to me it's essentially like bandwagon hating. Like somebody says they didn't like something, and because you are celebrity, top cosplayer, whatever, says that they didn't like something, and then all of a sudden, here's the the fan boys and girls, they come along and they like, ooh, so-and-so said they didn't like it, so guess what? I don't like it either. And it and and then it just snowballs from there. Like, yeah, like uh I don't want to throw any names out there, but most I've seen. I've seen cosplayers the word, but I've seen cosplayers like like you like you said, rate things or review things like movies or whatever, and the moment that cosplayer says, Oh, I I saw this movie, I didn't fuck with it because this, this, and this, and they then their whole fan base is like, you know what? I didn't fuck I didn't fuck with it either, blah blah blah. Even though deep down inside they loved that movie, they really did. They loved it.

SPEAKER_07 6:46

Or at best, or at best they were neutral about it.

SPEAKER_12 6:48

Right. But because or didn't see it. Someone or didn't even see it at all. I just always a trailer. Um but yeah, that's that's essentially what hating for a clout is to me. Like just bandwagon hating, like cancel culture type shit. Like, yeah. Uh I can't get this.

SPEAKER_10 7:12

You have definitely faced some of this in the need to distant past. Would you like to many phases? In many phases, uh many phases. Uh, would you like to tell us what you would do and what is hating to talk about towards you? To you, to you, for you? To you. To you. All over.

SPEAKER_11 7:30

Um, hating for a clout. Hating for a clout. When I think about that, I think about bullies in high school. Um, you know, you always want to you see bullies in high school that hate on somebody and they have no reason to. It's just because the popular person, a person of influence, like Miss Gittle says, said they don't like somebody. So then that is the gospel truth. And so everybody hates on that one person and they have no reason to. Um, it's a type of groupthink, and groupthink is very dangerous. That's what causes wild ass mobs for no reason. Um, and and it causes a lot of hatred. Um, even in this country, uh, we we live it, we see it every day with our ourselves, um, and people just hate us for existing. Um, that is uh that that hating for clout in a way, because it's popular to hate on the oppressed. Um, you know, I didn't mean I don't mean to go deep, but you know, it is popular to hate on the oppressed. Uh for my cosplays, just being black, just existing, is hating for clout, to be honest. Uh being uh plus size as somebody different from what we see on TV, even though my size is the average size in America, doesn't make any fucking sense. My language doesn't make any sense. But it's it's because it's popular. Um, it's not until you have someone of a higher influence, like, oh no, what she does is great. Like, oh shit, like well, the person, the gospel has said it, so she's okay. Like, that's not how it should be. We all are individuals, we all have our own ways of thinking and how we do things, and you know, it's great to kind of push that envelope. And how I battle against that is I say screw them, and I keep doing it because you have people that look like me, you have people that want to get into what I get into, and they need that encouragement. If I back down, then they're gonna back down. And the whole entire reason why I wanted to get into Cosplay is because I wanted to bring my artistic freedom and have people see what I do so that I can inspire others to do what I do, and so on and so forth. Like, I love seeing the faces of little children, whether they're scared and then I say hello, and they're like, Oh my god, she's actually not evil, it's great. So I wanna I want to push that and I want to encourage everyone who, even though we see a lot of hatred, hatred is never gonna go anywhere. So we just have to kind of acclimate to it and just say fuck you and keep going. And that's how you you push that envelope, you you battle against it, and that way that hatred will kind of dissipate over time.

SPEAKER_10 10:03

Okay, so we got answers from the celebrities of our podcast. What uh we should we should we should also ask, you know, those who have definitely been hated on or those who come to the rescue of those have been hated on on social media on numerous occasions. Which I've never seen, but I've heard like tales. Like too much. Some these these two individuals spend time, like, time, saving the lives of those who have been hated on. They they they are they are they are marvels in in the social media social media industry. Uh so I'm gonna pass it over to the doctor. Uh, what is hating Fort Cloud to you, and what have you done to prevent it, stop it? Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

So I promise I'm not that bad, by the way. Um exaggeration.

SPEAKER_07 10:46

You know, I've had seen some of the threads. Maybe not.

SPEAKER_01 10:51

You hush too. Well, no, it's interesting. So, you know, this um I'm trying to think of what show this was from, but the line between love and hate is razor fear. You know, so oftentimes people who are really irrationally hating or hating based on something nobody particularly care about, they are seeking love from some group, some community, some peers who have also coalesced around this thing that they hate. And you know, the big issue of that is so, first of all, you're hating something for no reason, you know, either because it's trendy or it's popular, and it feels like it gives you a sense of belonging. But it's so unnecessary a lot of the time, even at best, but also, of course, it's actively harmful because many of the targets of hate, you know, just simply don't deserve it, or you have no idea what you're talking about. Um, I think Miss Marvel is a fantastic example because I knew so many people who literally hadn't even seen the trailer.

SPEAKER_09 11:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Already hated it. Yeah. You know, already that's very vocal about that. And it's because they're seeking this validation from a group or a fan base, or in this case an anti-fan base, that really just kind of formed around that. So, you know, one thing I encourage just us in general to do is, you know, it's certainly easy to associate or kind of form your identity or form your bonds around the things you hate. But it's often a lot better, both in the short and long term, to do it around things you love. And you can love one thing without hating something else. Yeah, that's very true. Just because you love one artist doesn't mean you have to hate another. You can love one anime without hating a different one.

SPEAKER_09 12:30

Even though that artist may hate the person that you're trying to hate, it's none of your business. It's their personal beef. There you go. Exactly.

SPEAKER_07 12:36

And like adding like criticism versus hate are two, those are two different things. You can have your critiques of someone, of their art, of something, like you can have that like critical analytical perspective of the thing that you're actually looking at without saying, like, oh yeah, no, this is complete nurter trash. Like, I'm basing my personal identity around this thing solely on the fact that I think that it's terrible without any nuance to my thought process whatsoever.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Exactly. Because hate is not synonymous with disagreement, and that is a very common conflation. So you know, we could just do with less hate, you know, in general, but you know, if you are going to hate something, at least have a good, sincere reason for it. Exactly. Not because you're bandwagoning because you want to be get the next drop of cloud that comes along.

SPEAKER_09 13:23

Yes. So Kaze Shin Yu.

SPEAKER_08 13:28

Um Yeah, this topic is definitely uh not particularly close to my heart.

SPEAKER_07 13:35

But asterisk. So wait, so earlier we did like a Loki thing because uh one of the videographers wanted to do something. He's like, I need you to look scared, and I used Kaze. And he's like, I need you to look scared. He was I was like, that's not one of the emotions that he actually like shows on a freaking basis. So I hates my boy.

SPEAKER_08 13:58

And plus the the look, the Loki's mind control, they weren't scared. Right, they weren't correct. But um, I mean I think it's just uh it's uh it's uh it's the evolution of an old phenomenon. It's it's the it's the bandwagon, it's the wave, and clout is this new social currency that's being traded.

SPEAKER_05 14:21

Can we write that down?

SPEAKER_07 14:24

You never escape communism.

SPEAKER_08 14:28

And you know, and you know, and similar to other social currency, it's the type of thing that multiplies when it's shared. And it's just really it goes viral. You know, and like and like and like what said, there's a there's a stark difference between you know actual having actual critiques and problems and just I really I really it confuses me. I don't I don't understand. I don't I don't know how you have the energy or the time or uh how how you get that much validation from people you don't know. It is it is it is I don't I don't get it. But but yeah, it's it's a culture, it's a whole it's a whole thing. Matter of fact, people make their careers off of this. So it is a completely real out there thing. It's just kind of unfortunate.

SPEAKER_10 15:22

No, 100%. And you know, from I don't I don't think I generate enough attention towards myself to like be hated on, but I Oh that's that's my shit. You do how do you stop it? How do you stop feeling it? Anonymity.

SPEAKER_07 15:35

But you might think, but even still, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_10 15:39

Like the moment you say or do something that somebody has hate an opinion about, they feel as though they have the right audacity, uh feeling entitlement. There's a key one uh to specifically have to say something, to hate something, to uh tell you that what you're doing is wrong, inappropriate, not the right thing, you're doing it the wrong way. And I'm like, I was kind of I made this from scratch. How am I doing this the wrong way?

SPEAKER_11 16:04

Ooh, child, do I have experience?

SPEAKER_07 16:10

So, like just a slight interjection. So, for those of you who may be new to our podcast, like I teach a lot of philosophy classes, right? And so most of the classes I teach are ethics classes, and it's interesting because I'm doing a seminar right now for like incoming freshmen for like universities. They are I'm glad I brought this for local so I know where to transition next. But um, but like I it's interesting that you say that because one of the things that's really uh I'll say like sensitive in terms of like approaching in an ethical sense is the notion of like being complicit to other things. And a lot of people continue to maintain the idea, not that it's a false ideal in any way, shape, or form, right? That in being in not standing up for something and not saying something and not like hey offering offering a counter of some sort, right? You are therefore complicit by not standing against it, right? Um, and I kind of like I break this down for my students in terms of like action, like right actions, wrong actions, and neutral actions, right? But neutral actions can fall under right actions or wrong actions. So you can choose to not do anything or not to like approach an issue at all, but at the end of the day, regardless of whether you choose to do something or not, that neutral action can fall into being correct or incorrect or right or wrong, or good or bad, or whatever, right? And nobody wants to feel like, oh, I'm doing the bad thing by not doing anything at all, so let me stand up for something, and you may be doing it in the way, not you, in terms of like you as an individual, but like you as a person, right, may be standing up for something in the wrong way, or with the more inaccurate or like inconsistent reasoning for whatever it is you're standing up against.

SPEAKER_11 17:57

Right. I have a question. Sure. Um, what I would say, as a if you're a victim of you know, this clout-chasing hatred, um, what would you say um what's the best way to combat that? Um, and the reason why I asked that, I remember my first year officially being a cosplayer. Um, I kept trying to keep up with the algorithm, I kept trying to keep up with trends, and and I had a follower and that was like, you know, you don't need to cosplay every two weeks, you know you don't have to do that. And I think they were starting to see that people were telling me what to do, and I felt like you know I had to please them because my nature is to please, so it's very difficult to like withhold that and just kind of think about myself. You know, like if you don't stop, if you keep telling doing what people are telling you to do, you're gonna burn out. And people were like, oh well, I like this, but you could have done it this way. Or I mean that's cool, and mind you, it's always the crusty ones. So it's just very interesting. So in the beginning, I was like, you know, I was very stressed out, and I just kind of wanted to just end it completely with cosplay because I was like, I just can't do this. You know, I had people calling me racial slurs, I had people telling me that, you know, I I looked ghetto, and you know, so it was just and that was like a racist stuff, yeah. But you know, the average racist stuff that cosplayers go through and black people or people of color go through all the time. So I guess what would you say, um, you know, as a victim or past victim, because then I just don't fucking care, but as a victim, what do you do to kind of combat that so that you know you can kind of have a good mindset on just navigating through that type of toxic environment?

SPEAKER_07 19:41

A block button is real.

SPEAKER_11 19:43

It is real, but it's you can't block like every single person.

SPEAKER_07 19:47

Try me. I have a block list as long as the the the the the the the annals of time. But the trailer table. Right longer than the middle passes itself. But um sorry, that was automatic. Um it's interesting because like the more the more educational side of me that I get paid to do um is all is like you know, a dialogue can help a lot of things. And I think and I I get that there is a idea that you know a conversation can fix a lot of and resolve a lot of like conflicts, but um that also presumes the idea that the conversation will in and of itself be productive in some way, shape, or form, right? That conversations in and of themselves, or conversations just by themselves, are genuinely productive in some way. And you know what the argument can be made that they are, right? Regardless of what they produce, right, or where they lead you personally, right? There's the idea that they will somehow be constructive, but they won't always be constructive. But there's also this very like subjective mental health experience where it's like if you if you do not have the capacity, or even if you do, and you just don't fucking want to, you don't have to engage people. Like I I've had many people, I've had not many, I've had a few people make comments about stuff that I didn't ask that I didn't ask them about. And what did I do? I just deleted the comment. And I didn't address them in any way, shape, or form whatsoever. And it's kept the movie. And that I think that's one aspect of the agency of social media that we kind of glaze over, right? Because we're there's always this idea that we need to confront something or confront someone or something. And you can confront those things, but you can also not. You don't you don't you don't need to. Like and what we what are you gaining from doing so? Who are you actually who are you actually doing this shit for? Because if I could if it interrupts me eating my bowl of cereal in the morning, like, is that actually helpful to me? Like, am I gaining anything? Now, could I educate them? Absolutely, but I also get paid to do that on a daily basis. Why would I do something for free for someone who's not How do I make this not sound problematic? Um intellectually inclined enough to be where I'm at.

SPEAKER_10 22:10

Stupid thing you say why why would you do it if you're not getting paid? Well, let's ask somebody who does it who doesn't get paid to do it. So why do you correct people or give people some insight? I'm not saying they're dumb, I'm not saying they're stupid, but the people who you find on the social medias that say certain things that are problematic when you give them some type of education, why do you do it if you're not getting paid?

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Well, you know what's interesting. I guess.

SPEAKER_10 22:35

Talking to the doctor, mind you.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

So it's interesting because I also, you know, I do get paid to educate on professor too, and I think that leads over to some extent in how I navigate, you know, certain conflicts. Um but I do think when we think about someone being, let's say, ignorant or whatnot, there's a difference between being sincerely ignorant and operating in bad faith, you know. And there are some people who, you know, they may be genuinely, they just may not know, but they don't they do genuinely want to learn. And I do try to tease it out sometimes because sometimes what comes off as like, oh, it's just a stupid question or whatnot. Um, it really is someone trying to learn. And there's nothing worse than when you know someone new to a space, let's say, asks a question. And it comes off loose because they generally don't know what they're asking. Of course. And you know, you like block them or you tell them, oh, just go to Google, you know, or whatnot. And then that person doesn't engage in that space anymore. You know, so and this happens with a lot of people trying to enter, say, various, let's say, gaming spaces, for instance. Um, gaming spaces are notorious for that. But yeah, if you are not an expert with the first question you ask, then you know, you're gonna be like, it's awful. So, you know, we do have to be aware of that, because not every, you know, misunderstanding is necessarily someone being hateful or like, you know, trying to exploit your you know, intellectual energy, we'll say. But also, you know, related to that original question, I think two ways I've dealt with this um when it is something that, oh, it's just this is really just a hateful space. I'm seeing a lot of like flack that is not in good faith and whatnot. Um, well, so you can choose, you know, on social media, obviously you can choose what spaces to operate in. So some groups, you know, after all, I'm just like, oh, this group is trash, you know. It just is. You know, so I will either leave or mute that group. Because there are a hundred other groups on Facebook I can think of that will be more facilitating to, you know, sincerely like appreciating, let's say, my art or you know, my um input or whatnot. So, yeah, you can do that. But also, and this gets to, you know, what um Black Point also brought up is really the first thing that you want to think about, and this is before navigating anything on social media, is what does this do to your mental wellness? Is operating in this space a good thing for you? Like really, you know, but for real, do you leave this space at the end of the day after those conversations in a better place than when you started? Or are you just miserable? Is it is that anger fueling you to stay in that space? Because I'll tell you, if you're in a hateful space long enough, it's going to rub off on you. So that's also something that you know you really have to ask yourself in any place you navigate. What does this do for me? Because if it's not serving me, then why am I here?

unknown 25:38

I don't have a problem tonight.

SPEAKER_09 25:42

Good point. Did you have something, Kazai?

SPEAKER_08 25:44

Uh, I think based on observations of just you know being a you know child of the internet age. Um I think I think what I've seen others do is like I think one of the one of the one of the things we brought up was like there's oftentimes little to no basis for this stream of emotions and actions. And since and since there's no basis, it's is it's short-lived. It's short-lived. It's uh these uh that when people get online, they become very they become entities with short memories. Yeah, but they're keyboard warriors. So honestly, if you just continue to do you, and not only do you, but like if you if you're the next moment, then they're they're jumping on that bandwagon. They are because they you know, apparently they don't have wills themselves. So apparently, you know, you keep doing you, yeah. Um, yeah, you'll be in the better space than they are.

SPEAKER_10 26:43

You have a question in? Yes, so you know, I I definitely agree. I mean, uh individuals who, you know, jump on the bandwagon as Ms. Gibbons was saying, or you know, just try to do something to incite you or do something to take work for me. Actually, a great example. I didn't think I had one. Technically, it wasn't mine completely, it was mine at someone else's. So if y'all, if you listen to the podcast, I'm a uh part of a company called Blurred Creations with um the uh incomparable doctor.

SPEAKER_07 27:10

Who's one of our colours, doctors?

SPEAKER_10 27:11

Harley Quinzel or so uh we had a situation where we were, you know, just celebrating a bunch of different characters. You know, we have character shirts, I'm not wearing one right now, but she is But she is still so we have a bunch of different character apparel, and one of the ones that we were getting ready to work on was Spawn. And there's different iterations of spawns in comic books, in movies, video games, TV shows, so on and so forth, right? And I I was specifically posting a happy birthday to a specific spawn from a specific world made by a sp or written by a specific author and illustrator from the uh Soul Caliber franchise. So that particular spawn isn't the regular comic book spawn. He was he was branched off from a different comic book and then added to Soul Calibur where they gave him a separate story. And in the post, I said, I am saying happy birthday to Spawn from Soul Calibur, written by this author and illustrator. So I thought I covered all my bases. But someone decided to jump on. And I didn't even notice it at first because, you know, like like I've said before, I ain't got nothing for people to hate on, so I just mind my damn business.

SPEAKER_07 28:28

But people always think that, but there's always something femininity.

SPEAKER_10 28:31

Uh but you know, uh, Dr. Quinzel, you know, as she does, was checking and balancing, looking at everything, and she happened to see somebody decided to post something. It was like, oh yeah, by the way, that's actually you might want to check your facts. That's not the right spawn. That spawn is actually supposed to be from this comic book, and he was written by this person and by this particular illustrating studio. So you might want to change that or correct it, because that's not correct. Oh, but you know what? Highlight. So I thought about that. That was like my knee-jerk reaction, like, dude, but I was like, wait a minute. So this is somebody trying to chase. Not necessarily chase clout, but literally just trying to nitpick and make themselves look smarter than the company, you know? So I kind of sat there, I was like, well, I know I'm not wrong. Uh, because I did my research, because I don't like being wrong on the internet, because that's worse than being wrong in real life, because that's whatever.

SPEAKER_07 29:17

Uh so I was like, I mean, if you if you're probably just wounded in a moment, you can say that.

SPEAKER_10 29:21

No, no, my probably wasn't wounded in the moment, because I was right. What do you mean that?

SPEAKER_07 29:25

No, I mean you. Why was my cry ruined? I mean, you were already making it. Oh, I'm right, I know, I'm right. So let me go ahead and engage. I could just get rid of this altogether, but let me go ahead and engage because I feel like I'm being challenged on some level. So let me go ahead and correct you if possible.

SPEAKER_10 29:39

Oh, no, but see, that's what I was saying. I was ignoring it. Dr. Quinzel said, no, no, Dr. Quinzel said, should we handle it? So I said, okay, let's handle it. So I just sent a simple, nice, polite message. All you had to say is, you know what? You don't have to handle it. Well, that's what I said, but then she rebutted and said, Well, we can't leave it there because people are gonna think we're not fact-checking. And that's so you delete things. But then if you delete something, then that person could just post again and saying, oh, so now you delete stuff. And I didn't want to be that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_07 30:09

You don't do it, you delete the shit again.

SPEAKER_10 30:12

It takes more energy to do that.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

No, it's just block them. It is two clicks!

SPEAKER_10 30:19

But what I did to one statement, and the person never responded because I was correct.

SPEAKER_04 30:30

Okay, alright. So let me add to that story. That person literally only had nothing but spawn up there. They had no lights. Their only content was spawned up to the fun. So they had nothing else to do.

SPEAKER_10 30:40

All they were was a spawn up.

SPEAKER_07 30:41

I guess you could say they just spawned into the comments.

unknown 30:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 30:49

Who appreciates the content?

SPEAKER_10 30:55

So, and as you heard, she called me, she fact-checked, she checked the person's page, looked at all the content they had, and yes, the person was a spawn enthusiast. So they were like, okay, I'm the spawn enthusiast. People should know. So I decided to go ahead and just all I did was send a response. I was like, hey, so I understand what you're stating. The individual character that you're referring to, his birthday is on a separate day. But the particular spawn that I'm referring to, as I said in the post, was based out of Soul Caliber. He his birthday was actually mimicked by the illustrator who drew him in this particular caveat of the spawn franchise that was in this different illustrating studio that was used for the uh Soul Caliber universe. And the person never responded, and I just never did that. So I didn't say nothing negative, no cursor, because one, it was a business page, but I just responded. So to answer your question, I responded with, I don't say the facts, but I responded with I responded with my initial point. So, but of course, that's not always gonna be the case. Um you're gonna have, like you said, you know, cosplayers who you're and and that's the one thing that from you know sitting in this, uh sitting in this podcast and being on this panel for you know these two years, I've learned so much about what you all have to go through. Because, you know, this I don't get on social media like that. I just started Instagram last year, y'all. Um it's because of the podcast. Oh Jesus. I'll I don't want to be. I don't want to be made fun of I don't want to be made fun of.

SPEAKER_07 32:23

He's on social media all the time. No, he doesn't do he doesn't share anything, but he's always there.

SPEAKER_10 32:28

So are you really on social media?

SPEAKER_07 32:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_10 32:46

You be looking like, oh, I'm not participating, but I I I share things that helped people with their lives. How about that? I did and I it's like once every six months, but I did it. In one capacity. When one of stuff that people can potentially get jobs and opportunities and things like that, I shared it.

SPEAKER_11 33:05

It's okay, you're probably not. It's okay.

SPEAKER_10 33:11

And you barely use that. That's not true. You can turn that wrong line now. I'm on LinkedIn right now, checking jobs for people. You tried it. So, um, but yeah, so like I was saying, from my standpoint, you know, you just have to, from from the different things that I respond to, you have to give them this, not that well, there's a lot of same energy people on this on this panel, which gives the same energy that they were given. I don't do that because I feel like I'm losing energy. I don't have the capacity for that. You're this is a moment of my day where I'm gonna move on. So here's this, and I'm gonna move on. But you know, some of these people around here was like, okay, so let me see.

SPEAKER_07 33:49

Where'd you come in at? Where'd you come in at?

SPEAKER_10 33:51

Let me see. Do I have enough in my schedule to give you that much energy?

SPEAKER_07 33:55

Rewind, we have to rewind before we ask for it.

unknown 33:57

Rewind.

SPEAKER_07 33:57

What same energy is you talking about? I'm talking about the energy that they give you.

SPEAKER_10 34:02

See, and and what are you associating with? I'm referring to the amount of energy, the capacity of energy that you're putting into your response, andor your blockage of the person.

SPEAKER_11 34:14

If they clap you, clap back. I ain't seen that right now.

SPEAKER_07 34:18

So there's a difference between a clap back and a block.

SPEAKER_11 34:21

That's true.

SPEAKER_07 34:22

And I will say, and I I apologize, this is gonna get extremely metaphysical. That I know I'm I'm trying I'm gonna try and not like every notion of philosophical jargon that I have, but I'm gonna bring like but there's a difference between a level there's a difference between the level of engagement that one has in terms of like responding in time with the energy, quote unquote, that they are receiving, right? But there's also a very natural level of disassociation that we have in terms of what it comes of in terms of like the act, the act or the practice of blocking people, right? And and it's very the argument can be made, absolutely, as we have seen before me, that whenever you block someone, it is a re it is a visceral response, right? It's some kind of response that we have in trying to um escalate this interaction to non-interaction, right? Now, the argument can be made, I think it's a weaker argument, but that's my personal opinion on the matter. Now, I could have much more of a critical analysis about that, but we only have so much time here. Yeah, but I'm gonna be able to do that. And if I talk too fast, I apologize, it's kind of what I do. But bringing that back, um I will make the argument, or at least the statement, towards the idea that when it comes to restriction, when it comes to blocking, when it comes to deleting comments, etc.

unknown 35:44

etc., it's not so much a return of energy.

SPEAKER_07 35:48

It's very much, what would I um, oh, I know that third X-Men movie in the original shows you wasn't good, but you know, there's that one kid who nullified like an ability, like I see it more so in that way, right? You don't, you don't, you're not like Peter Petrelli in Heroes, where you take on the ability that's next to you, right? But you just completely zero it out altogether. And it doesn't take a lot of energy, it doesn't take a lot of time, right? Like, it's very much like, oh, it's it's kind of like when someone, it's like if you have the ability to mute someone or mute the TV. If every individual person was like a technological device and you just muted them. It's similar to that. Like it's one button that you hit. It takes not more than a thought. And I think that there's a level of like thoughts that you can go through in terms of like, oh fuck this person, blah blah blah.

unknown 36:44

But no, it's like it could very much be, I don't have to do this.

SPEAKER_11 36:51

And I'm done. But you know, even with the blocking, you know, let's say someone says something hurtful to you and you block them, it's still very psychological. Because even if you block them, it's still in the back of your head, like that hurtful thought, though those hurtful things that they said about you. So blocking is is something to aid in the muting of that person, but it's still there. It's still there, it doesn't go anywhere, and it's kind of like we just have to thicken our skin, unfortunately, because it's not gonna go anywhere. I'm always going to get inappropriate, rude comments, and that's never gonna change, but you have to learn to adapt to it, and you have to read it, it's really about confidence. When you're confident, it doesn't matter what anyone says. And I'm I am gonna use this person because we all know the hatred of and it is so bad, and there's really no reason for it. You have a plus-sized woman that is really very confident and in their own skin, and they don't have these, I would say, typical societal standard of beauty, and that's why people are mad because they want and the money and the talent, like she's working with a fucking flute, like nobody could do that. I'm so yes, boo, go ahead.

unknown 38:05

I was gonna say that was actually a good time. There was one time she tweeted, she literally said, you know, I don't give a fuck what y'all saying I'm like, I'm making money, I'm getting good things. Fuck y'all and macular, immaculate.

SPEAKER_07 38:30

Nigga, you work it better. Shut the fuck up. She's like asking about Amazon.

SPEAKER_08 38:41

She's also in better shape than these people. She is to play the flute. Right.

SPEAKER_11 38:47

But she also says, like, she doesn't work out to have like six-pack abs or to be the standard that you know the society wants her to be. She works out to be able to move and and still keep her her bodily beautiful figure, but to be very healthy. And you don't have to be skinny to be healthy. You could be big and be very healthy. Sumo wrestlers, yeah, they eat a lot, they sleep a lot, they big, but they go fuck you up. And so, but you know, and that's I think we have to learn to kind of change our ideology about what health is, about what attractive attractiveness is, about what it means to really be like a mentor in society. Because Lizzo is a mentor to so many beautiful people and who want to be just like her, to be talented, to be fearless, and not saying that she doesn't have her own mental, you know, downfalls with that. Because again, blocking only does so much when you get so much hate, it plays on your mental state, it really does. But you have to really step back and be like, but I'm the shit. What? And then you keep pushing forward. Give yourself I always tell myself I give myself 24 hours to cry, to do whatever I need to do. After 24 hours, I need to get up and keep moving because I still need to pay my bills. It's gonna be there. Um, but you know, you all you always have to remember that people are cheering you on, even though they're not right there with you, they still think about you, they still want you to do great things, and you are really having leaving an impact on this world. So I think that's the best way to kind of come back is just really try to find that inner confidence in yourself, and it's gonna take some time. Not everybody is gonna be out here like Lizzo. I mean, shit, I can't I can't twerk and play the flute, but I'm gonna still think about that confidence. Yeah, you know, I can use a recorder back in middle school.

SPEAKER_05 40:34

But um, what is it, hot cross buttons?

SPEAKER_11 40:39

I think that's the only thing that I play.

SPEAKER_05 40:41

The recorder only consumes the one person that I have not safe for podcasts.

SPEAKER_11 40:49

Um, but uh, but yeah, so like, you know, the block the blocking is something that you can use as a tool to stop seeing it, but you really have to remind yourself on why you do what you do. And we all do amazing things. We not everyone is a cosplayer, not everyone is an artist, not everyone is a gamer, but you have to really think about, you know, yes, you're gonna hear some flack, but you're the only person doing what you do and doing what you do well. And there's nothing anyone can tell you that's gonna take that away from you. So you just have to just keep pushing forward, and someone is cheering you on. And if no one's cheering you on, I'm cheering you on, okay?

SPEAKER_05 41:22

So yeah.

SPEAKER_07 41:24

Also, like the people who can't do shit at all have the most to say.

SPEAKER_11 41:29

The crustiest ones, I'm telling you!

SPEAKER_07 41:33

Oh, this character's so funny. Nigga, you can't even boil water shit.

SPEAKER_10 41:38

And then, you know, I just I do want to make sure I add something to that. Because you specifically said when you have something that you can do, and you're the only person who can do it, you know, stand in what you can do. Also, for the people who are doing things that other people can do, don't think that because you do what what's already been invented means that yours is not individual in some way, shape, or form. Like everybody has been in cosplayer before, you just have a different version of your cosplay. Like, any I'm that we were just talking about the fact that there was like a bunch of Spider-Mans that we saw. But your Spider-Man costume or your Spider-Man cosplay is different. Why? Because you're in it. Change it up a little bit.

SPEAKER_07 42:12

The fundamental fact that you are an individual person from distinct from other individual people.

SPEAKER_10 42:17

Different voice, different height, different weight, different style, different personality. There's I there's I see Hashira in the background. Be a different type of Hashira.

SPEAKER_05 42:24

Mess with that joint up. Oh shit, me?

unknown 42:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 42:30

You can be individual becomes real life.

unknown 42:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_10 42:35

Like, I was I was talking to uh Sayane cosplay this week, and she was like, oh, so are you gonna are you are you gonna cosplay something when you go to Blurcon? I was like, I don't know, I don't know how I feel about that. I still need to, you know, get something done with my hair. It'll start to get kind of tangled. I was like, I don't know how to do with all of them. Like, look at this. I'm sitting halfway on the table with like phenomenons and stuff. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. You know what? I'm gonna put on a headband and I'm gonna put on a shirt. And you know what I am? I am a member of my tribal chiefs organization who's representing the black people who has several businesses and is running a podcast. I'm doing it. Make that shit yourself. Do it yourself. So never feel like in any way, shape, or form you have to uh just because you're doing something that somebody else is doing that yours isn't different in any way, shape, or form. Uh, then don't let your businesses, even though they call you a number, don't let that make you different than everybody else. You're about to say, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Oh, yeah, no, definitely. And you know, one thing when you think about, you know, overall like uh what you call it, like clout chasing or hate chasing and all that. I think one of the biggest ways to help stop that is you really want to reflect and be self-aware on how and why you're engaging in communities you're engaging in. So you want to think like, okay, do I like this because I get to like shit on people that I don't know? Like, you know, like do I get some sense of validation out of that? And that's you know, it's a hard thing to do because it's easy to think of like, oh, everyone else is toxic, you know, and oh, they're all helpful about. I could never be that, but I promise you, a lot of these people who are doing that, they think the exact same way. So you've got to be self-aware. You know question.

SPEAKER_09 44:15

Something that actually uh can't see you, but you please stand up to the reason.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

Oh, 100%.

SPEAKER_12 44:47

Yeah, the edge lord shit.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

Like, it really does get back to that currency that you mentioned. Like, it's all a social currency. And that's part of, you know, you gotta think, like, as you're, you know, trying to seek that out or you know, trying to be relevant, like, how am I actually, what am I actually putting out there? You know, I mean, I becoming this hateful thing or this hateful person. Because I'll tell you, like, I know, even for me, I've I was always really like, oh, I don't like toxicity, I don't feel that way now. Let me tell you, I played League of Legends for about four years. You know, by the end of it, like, I looked at my chat log in one match, I'm like, what have I become? I gotta do better. Like, you know. But you gotta think about that, because you know, hate starts and ends with us. Yes, yes. And love also starts and ends with us. Yes. So you gotta think about what you're doing.

SPEAKER_07 45:40

Well, I guess you throw a love and thunder. Yeah, that's not right.

SPEAKER_10 45:44

So, um, you know, this is of course the time that we decide to bring a couple of inputs in from our audience at BlurredCon this year, 2022. So we want to hear from each and every one of you. Have you experienced any hate? Have you experienced any clout chasing? Have you clout chasing? Yes, clout chasing, have you experienced any type of situation where um an individual has uh you know social media, real life, at work, at home, your spouse uh has decided to you know use you as a stepping stone or a launching pad. Um in in in in the uh black McCoy shirt, yes.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

Okay, hi everyone. Um, so I um used to work in nonprofits, and there was always a lot of pressure to educate whites typically on how to treat and interact with people of color. So I want to know, like, as you guys as black transport gamers, do y'all feel that same pressure to have to take these kind of hateful moments and try to make the to like educate not only you know, like your maybe your white followers, but your people of your your followers or people of color to like engage with one another in a peaceful manner.

SPEAKER_10 46:56

Can I vote first real quick? Because I want to go to Chinese answer, but can I vote first report? So uh okay, so I work in IT and uh uh if you don't know anything about how our industries in this country work, all of them are dominated by white people. And when I entered into IT, there was there's you know those office jokes where they're like, oh yeah, you gotta put on your voice to make sure they can communicate. Because you know, you can't talk to Raheem the way you talk to Steve, you know? Uh switching. But so in in those types of scenarios, uh, I've I've I've always tried to make sure that in those situations, I those are the probably the few times that I'll say I block, but I'm not this not social media. This in real life. Like they make the comment and I immediately divert my attention to somebody else. Because that, in my opinion, is how you know that I don't care about what you just said and I'm not leaning into it.

SPEAKER_07 47:53

Yeah. See, remember that episode where that dude was like, what was it? I forgot the actor, he was a madman. Um, John something. John Hammond. Yes, John Hamm. And uh like everyone else was and everyone else is blocked, and it was like then you're like staying like a censored, like static, like that's literally what happens.

SPEAKER_10 48:12

Yeah, that's what happens in my head too. Like, so how are you doing today? You doing alright? Because realistically, if you if if you engage them, even if it's you try to turn it into a teachable moment, there is a percentage, at least 19, there is a percentage of them that still believe what they're saying is right and they have the right to say it, and it's just not right to say it to you.

SPEAKER_02 48:34

Is that an attitude you carry them to your online following and engagements?

SPEAKER_10 48:38

In my engagements, no, I I treat those as teachable moments because my thing is it on because on social media, I'm I'm never representing myself, I'm always representing representing one of my businesses so or my you know organizations. So when I respond, I have to respond as a teachable moment. Because if I don't say anything, I feel like again, you'll feel like anytime you talk to somebody else in our blurred in a spectrum that you'll feel as though it's appropriate and okay for you to say that. So you do feel like more pressure online to be a teachable moment, yes. In person, yeah, yeah. Because you're in person, you're dealing with me. Even if I'm as a representative of my business, you're still talking to me, and I'm like, yeah, nah. But on social media, I'm like, okay, this is where everybody can see. So it's not just for that person, it's for anybody else who sees the comment. Don't get it twisted. Blur creations, I'm gonna start cade, the black, uh uh, uh, I said the black my boy. Well, the black my boy, uh, the blur spectrum podcast, Miss Skittle, Sione Cosplay, Kazai Chenu, Rod RT slash the doctor, Lady Legacy's, Doctor Legacy's, uh, Coke Biceps, uh, Dr. Haleen Gwindell, and any situation where you're interacting with these people on social media. No, if you get if you run up, you may get done up. It just depends on how get how it gets done. Like, I just I'm just gonna come in a more representing maybe speakers. Right there, who I'm representing. But yes, uh, I'm sorry, I took a lot of time for you. I wonder Miss Skittles and I know Cyan knows possibly the both of you have uh talked about individuals talking about characters who you were trying to portray, and they were care they were individuals of a particular uh uh descent.

SPEAKER_11 50:13

Uh that um I know where I know where you're going with this one. I know where you're going with this. It's very specific. So do I need to go first?

SPEAKER_12 50:24

I was saying you can talk about that one.

SPEAKER_11 50:27

Okay, I'll talk about that one.

SPEAKER_12 50:29

Um for me, I'm less likely to do teachable moments online. In person, yes. Uh because a lot of times in person, like I I don't have I have a I don't have a poker face. So in person, if you say some wild shit, right, like it's lit, you're literally going to see it on my face. And then at that at that moment, either you're going to respond to my facial expression or I'm just gonna go in and let you know, like sorry, did I say something wrong?

SPEAKER_07 51:03

Right, no, yes you did.

SPEAKER_12 51:05

Yes, so um in person, yes. Online, honestly, I feel like people online they don't sometimes they care, but generally speaking, they don't care. Halftime they're not going back and look at your message unless you tag them in it. And if you do tag them in it and you say something of substance, a lot of time they come back with stupid shit, and then I like I just don't have time. I wasted like 30 minutes writing out this whole paragraph, giving you the facts, uh sending you to something other than Wikipedia, and and and you're and you literally came back with oh whatever, like you you just mad, you just mad cuz but you just mad cuz I look better than you, like stupid shit like that. So I'm not I don't have time. Like the responses half the time are they they have nothing to do with the facts. And I I don't have time. I literally don't.

SPEAKER_07 52:02

Like no, like literally, right?

SPEAKER_12 52:04

Not even like in a figure of sense, you literally like I barely have time to post on social media. Like it's topic. So I'm not right. I'm not I'm not about to spend my energy trying to educate people who don't want to be educated. And and that's just what it is. So you can you can go on with that one, right?

SPEAKER_06 52:22

Oh wow. Keep it light now.

SPEAKER_11 52:24

Uh I will keep it light. Um, so my my heritage uh is Nigerian, Yoruba, and Jamaican. Yep.

SPEAKER_05 52:33

Hello! My 23 years.

SPEAKER_11 52:40

Um, so I would say 2019 is when I created my cosplay page, and I love mythology, but we always see the same mythology. We always see Egyptian and Greek mythology. And I'm like, wait a second, I have a whole entire culture that has a little pantheon, and I'm gonna bring it to light. Um, but people do have to be careful. Um, I would say not cosplaying deities, but more so paying homage to uh deity because this is still being practiced today. Um so instead of just putting some shit on and be like, hey, I'm O'Shun. No, you actually have to do research. Um you have to do research. And this was, I think it was around the time where Beyonce came out with, oh, they don't love you like they I love you with the yellow dress and the baseball bat shit. Yeah, and she's like, Oh yeah, I'm O Shun. And people were like, Oh my god, Oshan didn't even know who the hell she was. They were just like, Yeah, you mom Oshan, I'm wearing yellow. That's not what it is. So um there's that there actually is a whole entire beautiful story about uh this wonderful Orisha. Um, so I wanted to really do research because I my father, um, who's a Nigerian, he didn't really teach me anything about the Pantheon at all. So I did my own research. I'm like, wow, this is amazing, it's so colorful, and it's very different from the Telenova of Greek mythology. Telenova. So um and um I'm gonna be able to do it.

unknown 54:02

I did my own.

SPEAKER_11 54:05

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 54:07

That was pretty good.

SPEAKER_11 54:08

So I did my own research about Ocean. I did my own research about um, you know, the the colors, uh, the peacocks being um her bird, and also the mirror and what it what it what it really um represents and how she is, and I wanted to bring her to life but paying homage to my own culture. Um, so when I did it, I was so proud. I was my first time building like a uh kind of like a headdress of my own and bringing my own twist to it, and I was so proud because I actually saw a creation of mine and my culture that I've never really seen done on the internet before, and I wanted to share that with with you know like-minded people, and I got a lot of love, but when I tell you I got some fucking hate, it was like she don't know what she's doing, she looks Indian, nah, she she not even Nigerian. I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, what we're not gonna do.

SPEAKER_05 54:59

We're not gonna do this.

SPEAKER_11 55:01

So, but it was interesting, and at the time, I think Facebook changed it. Before you could see people who share your posts, even if they don't follow you. So I was seeing it was great because I was like, oh, this is nice, all these shares. And I'm like, oh. Oh. And it was like, she looked like I don't know what she thinks she is, and she don't even look right, she ain't even doing it right. Well, I I know who I am because I'm the actual priest. Um, and I'm just like annoyed because I'm like, but it wasn't even my people, you know. I'm saying that was saying it. I would expect it from Niger people having an issue who I also made sure to talk to my Nigel's side before doing it. Is this good, auntie, uncle? We good? It don't look crazy, does it? Disrespectful. Alright, cool. So, not even getting it from people that are my own coming at me, I wasn't having that. So, that I would say usually I to go back to how it is in real life versus the internet, that was a teachable moment on the internet. So I basically say that Sayo Ne is even a part of my culture in the name itself. Let me break it down for you what the hell that means. Like my whole entire middle name is Olua Shayo Fumi, which Okay, okay, thank you. So we're taking Sayo, which is Shayo, which is a part of my middle name, and Ne, which is my first name, Shine, and merging that into my name. My culture is embedded in my name. So, what we're not gonna do is come at me with some bullshit that ain't my culture. But uh a lot of people, because it was it was very popular at the time, they're like, Oh, you just think you're Beyonce, and it was amazing because you see all these shares of people hating just because it was fun to hate, and they were just kind of doing this groupthink mentality. So I did teach them, yeah, and they didn't say shit after that. No, but in real life, I I've learned to kind of I do have a poker face because so I'm just like okay, and I just let you talk your stuff because I think about how do I deal with you in corporate America, and that's how I'm gonna get you. I'm like, I think we need to have a discussion, yeah. I have some concerns. So that's how I deal with it. I think it and I think because we're black, it's it's already very difficult to have a conversation with people that they might think of us being combative. So now we have to think, how do I get back at you in a way that is not gonna reflect on me? And it shouldn't be that way, but that's how it is. So I'm like, you know, but also the victory is sweeter to me. I'm like, because you have nothing nothing against me, you can't use what I say against you. Oh, she was just being nasty and rude. Oh no, here's the facts, here's the receipts, yeah. And we're do if we have any issues, you know, we need to really figure this out because it's very inappropriate. Yeah, we're not gonna do this. So, um, I I think it's very interesting on the internet, everything is forever, so you have to be careful what you say. I could curse people out, but again, that's gonna damage my image as well, and then people will chop and screw what I say and remix it in ways that is not even in the context. So I very have I have to be really careful on how I come to people on the internet versus if it was real life, because it's not the same, and then I'm I think we've all seen people say something and they take little snippets of it and made it into a whole entire different narrative on what it actually was. So, just you know, heads up, please be careful what you put on the internet because for some reason it always comes and haunts you, even though you didn't even mean it that way. So, yeah.

unknown 58:29

Can I add on to that? Please. Um, so hi guys, by the way. Hi, um, I can be here. Love your panel.

SPEAKER_04 58:39

I believe you. Love your panel. But yeah, um, sorry, I'm also kind of soft spoken, so I'll stand up. Um, so to add on to what you said, I love that whole thing. Like, um, where did I start?

unknown 58:54

Imagine us recording an episode.

SPEAKER_08 58:57

Like, yes, we do.

SPEAKER_10 59:00

Okay, so like this Skittle said, I don't have a poker face either, so it's like if you said some loud stuff, it's just gonna be like your mask on, your eyes looked like they were smiling.

SPEAKER_09 59:17

Like, you know, um I can't tell, yeah.

unknown 59:22

Right. Even if you don't see the bottom half of my face, it's kind of scary.

SPEAKER_04 59:25

It's just like, okay, my eyes don't give it away. But yeah, so that your that whole spiel that you just said, it's just like I definitely had that moment at work trying to, so I'm gonna tell her. This particular location has a lot of white folk, okay? So, you know, flashback the Juneteenth weekend, okay? Okay, you guys need to know what the public know what I'm putting.

unknown 59:51

So a lot of older white people did not understand why the day is celebrated. Okay, I was working in the I was having a lot of you this day, I was gonna drive for this particular day. So the lady that stays in there and the rest of us kind of like um spot in and out she's older, the older white lady is also a lot of her are like her. So it's like after you have anyway, like white lady.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:24

Like it's like a I can't do this right now. I can't be like I'm black, but it's like you can't be black at work. Okay, like especially by a whole lot of white people, and it's just like I'm not trying to lose my job because I still want somebody because then it's not gonna be you know you know full CEO type.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:59

It's just gonna be like not as bullshit. Okay, that's some bullshit, and let me tell you why. So it's just like one of them actually did ask me, but I couldn't tell if she was like genuine about it. Like if it was a genuine question, like I'm curious about this holiday, like why is it celebrated? So I'm just in my mind, I'm just like, hey, am I overthinking it, or does it sound like does it sound like genuine curiosity, or does it sound like curious inconveniencing her? Right. And I couldn't tell. I I couldn't really tell what she meant when she asked that, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing. So when I told her, like, I really don't know, I really meant like I don't know what you're asking. And I don't want to read you wrong, and the next thing you know, there's this whole snowball effect of negativity, and I and I offended someone because I I responded wrong. Or so I just left it at that because I didn't want to have this lady at my window all day.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:09

That's a very difficult place to be in. You know, in in a like you were saying the worst part about what you were saying is while you're at work, you can't be black. And like when you when you're already starting at that.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:19

And then you realize you can't code switching the moment because you know what's gonna happen. Right.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:23

Exactly. So it's like it's very difficult to even begin the conversation when you're already suppressing yourself. And you know, if you and if you let all of it out of the pot at the same time, like you said, it's gonna come off black and black, black. So, you know. So, like the difficulty I would say, uh, or or the only way I could see to get out of that is being, I don't say the word educated, but understanding what it's about and having the most simplistic of simplicity in terms of your response. Because I was at work and I work for a black company, and somebody said, What is this about? Like, literally. So imagine being in my shoes, I'm like, Jesus, now how do I handle this? Like I was like, you I want I want to what? You want to change it?

SPEAKER_06 1:03:20

So bad.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:20

So bad. It's it is a difficult place to be. The only thing I can think of is, like I said, having having a pre-recorded response to anyone who may ask you that question.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:32

Because realistically, the increase that you've accessed today have not been a pre-mine five, but you can say anything you want, possibly, but under the discretion of other people.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:43

And the thing is, if you start with the pre-recorded response and they ask, so like, is it this? Then when they start asking more detailed questions, now you know they're trying to be genuine. But if it you give them the pre-recorded response, like, oh, I still don't know why we're off though. Then you say, Oh, well, it's just another day like the 4th of July.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:59

That tone of voice right there when she asked the question. So it's just like maybe I'm overthinking it, because it's like I'm overthinker analytical, and I kind of have anxiety a little bit.

unknown 1:04:07

So it's kind of like all three of them are like playing okay. And it's just like, okay, is she being an asshole? No. Or is she actually being genuine here? And maybe I'm reading her as an asshole.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:19

So I would say you keep it simple because either way, you can't if you spend more time thinking about what she thinks, you'll always have that, you know, whirling in your head, and that's not a good place for you. So I would just say, just keep it simple. It's a holiday for you know, such and such.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:35

And say, like, because I can't say everything I want to tell you.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:38

You don't need to without exactly. You don't need to. You just I would just say because I mean, you know, we're in a beautiful age of you know, so much information.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:48

I was gonna answer that because like everybody has access to the Library of Alexandria in their comments. I'm just in the comments. Yeah, real quick.

SPEAKER_10 1:04:54

If you got questions, you have the answer to them five, five easy responses if you don't know what to say in a situation like that. Anybody, any f any any single person got a response if they were in that situation? Response? Difficult, difficult response.

unknown 1:05:15

Response?

SPEAKER_10 1:05:20

I'm not doing this today now. Why are you complaining about a day off?

SPEAKER_07 1:05:30

What was the person? Oh they were they were retired. So they didn't matter, they didn't matter. They just feel like oh my being inconvenient because I'm all the time in my day. Response?

unknown 1:05:46

I got the mention of my business.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:49

Yeah, minding my black business.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:54

Okay, so I would like to take another question, but we are running out of time. The area is getting- Oh, you have a question, real quick, real quick. Okay.

unknown 1:06:03

Overall, because I was watching the past two days I talked about the uh comedy. And one of the comedians said, uh, white people come in black, and black people come in and not like that. And I think that makes it the way black people, you're gonna learn our joke.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:16

Like, I'm not just gonna come in here and start laughing and having fun with you, nigga. Like I came to Blurcon, I was ready to be like, What the fuck is this shit? I'm having fun. Yeah. Oh, this is a universal fan con. I was like, damn. Damn. I came, I'm like, let me see how funny it is to show everybody for real and then fix the hate. And I was ready to start hating on that. I think that's natural. Like the real hollow shape, not that shit.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:47

I think that's natural to and not to like belabor like our time, but like I think that's natural, partly because like as like people, we have to be very acutely aware of how we show up in various spaces. So like if there's a space, even if it's supposed to be for us, you have to be like, is it really for us? Is it really for every single one of us? Who set it up?

unknown 1:07:07

Right, whose companies behind it?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:09

Right.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:10

Oh, oh, you say locky? Right, right, and that and that also leads into what I was leans, excuse me, into what I was saying earlier about like the notion of being complicit, like you want to be complicit in something that is associated with something that you fundamentally in a moral and ethical sense just do not agree with or find to be reprehensible, and that's something that we kind of have to, well, don't have to, but something that we're kind of inclined to do on a consistent basis. It's like if you feel like for all intents and purposes that blur con is like supporting Roe v. Wade, like would you want to be here and give them your money and do all the things? Please correct that statement and say that you don't you don't.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:51

They don't there's a difference there.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:04

But like if hypothetically speaking, if that were the case, like would you want to be here? Would you would any of us be here if that were the case? But those are things that we have to think about, not simply just being black people, but being a room full of intersecting identities on a number of levels. And those are that like it's it's complicated and it's messy. I think it's fun, but like I'm also sadistic in a number of different ways. But like it's a project in understanding on a very acute and critical level how you show up and how other people show up for you. And if you don't feel like a space that you're in or a space that's supposed to be for you, is showing up for you in the way that you need it to be, like, do you want to invest in it? And that doesn't just simply mean in a wage or like financial sense, but like in a literal, like existential sense, do you want to exist? Do you want to be present in those spaces?

SPEAKER_10 1:08:58

As I was saying before that question was asked, but thank you for the question, it was amazing. Uh, we do have to wrap up because they're probably not probably going to go because I have a couple minutes. So, want to wrap up our episode and thank you all for being here. Thank you all for participating. I think all of our panelists can agree. We thoroughly enjoy live action uh episodes. It gives us the opportunity to engage with listeners or find new listeners. Uh follow us on all what platforms are we on the call.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:26

You should jump.

SPEAKER_10 1:09:27

I was joking. That was a joke. Find us, the blurred spectrum, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Uh, you can also find us uh at our individual social media handles. Uh, we also have a mailbag, theblurred spectrum at umbrellasarcade.com. Oh, actually, theblurred spectrum at gmail.com as well. So I'm gonna give our panelists the opportunity to give you a way to follow them uh before we run out of time. So let's keep this you know cute, sexy. Uh conversation. Uh Barrett3B uh Instagram.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:57

There we go. It's not that many, don't do it. I'm like, which one is new fangled The Doctor?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:05

Rod RT on Facebook.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:06

Uh The Black McCoy. You can find me at The Black McCoy on Instagram. Um and you can also, if you are queer or if you are an ally of the queer community, you can find me at not black by choice on Instagram, and you can find me at notblackblackhoice.com. Uh Ms.

SPEAKER_12 1:10:20

Gittles. Uh Miss Skittles M G Z Skittles T-R underscore cosplay on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

SPEAKER_10 1:10:29

And Sayone Cosplay.

SPEAKER_11 1:10:31

Sayone A cosplay, S-A-Y-O-N-A-Y, cosplay on Facebook, Sayone underscore, cosplay on IG, Sayone, period, cosplays at Gmo.com.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:42

What am I showing hair in the back?

SPEAKER_10 1:10:47

Don't say holl if you didn't know I was talking. We have three panelists in the back. Quickly, quickly, quickly. Sorry, that's Dr.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:56

Legacy?

SPEAKER_11 1:10:57

Doctor.

unknown 1:11:04

Dr.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:04

Quintzell, you can find me at Blur Creations on Instagram and Facebook, and Shampoo Bracenses is at Shampoo Braces on Instagram.

SPEAKER_10 1:11:12

And then of course, as you asked before, I am Suchi. No Shogun is my uh hand handle, I guess. Um I never really found on uh uh Suchi underscore no underscore shogun. And then people told me that they don't know how to spell Suchi, so it's T-S-U-C-H-I underscore N-O underscore S-H-O-G-U-N on Instagram and then at Blur Creations, Umbral's Arcade, the Blurred Spectrum podcast, all on all social media handles. Thank you all for coming today. Please uh stop by and talk to all of you different panelists. We will see you next time.

unknown 1:11:48

We love you.