Something else that makes me cringe? People who think they’re irregularly dark. You know the type.
“I’m not like normal girls lol I read the wikipedia page on Bundy! I’ve got such dark fascinations.” “I guess I’m such a twisted person, I watch horror movies for FUN!”. “Haha unlike other girls….I LIKE night time!” “I know who cthulu is so im basically satanic, I bet my mom would be so shocked!!!”. “I reblogged one picture of a skull, so yeah you could say I’m morbid >:3” “I’m insaaane!!! The dark depths of my soul would scare anyone”
Like come on am I the only one who gags at this stuff
tbh i really dont like it too a lot of the time but on another hand i feel like i often fall into the category lmfao
well if you think about it, it’s kind of fucked up that girls absorb this notion of what girls are supposed to be like that’s so sweet and so clean and so harmless and so pleasant, that young teens genuinely judge themselves to be crazy or freakish for their totally normal human interests in horror, crime, and monsters. it takes them until their late teens and twenties to have the maturity and self-confidence to realize that these are normal human interests that lots of other women share.
That kind of self-perception and social presentation as “lol dark XD” probably comes from someone who’s been bullied and ostracized for being a bit weird and wants to head off the rejection as soon as possible It’s an attempt to make friends who won’t provide that experience of rejection, by warning away anyone who would police that kind of shit.
To me it’s a sign that they haven’t found a community they feel safe in.
Back when I taught beginner swordplay for a medieval re-enactment group, I had a lot of girls come in and try that on me–“I’m a freak and I’m into really weird stuff, people get grossed out by me.” “I’m kind of insane, don’t talk to me unless you want to damage your brain.” “I’m actually kind of into some violent things.”
The best part of doing that was treating them like totally ordinary people–”You’re into weird stuff? That’s a Ranma t-shirt, do you mean anime?” ”Oh, you’re insane? I’m mentally ill myself. I take meds for depression and anxiety, and it’s why I’m studying to be a psychologist.” “Yeah, it’s pretty normal around here to collect replica weapons. They’re really pretty, but I prefer to spend my money on less-showy sport versions that I can use in actual combat.”
You could see the defensive awkward grins melt off them, the anxious self-conscious fidgeting flow out of their bodies and onto the floor, as they suddenly started standing straighter, planting their feet firmer, meeting my eyes more, flinching less when they landed their swords on me. They stopped self-deprecating around me, started more confidently stating their preferences and sharing their personalities as something more nuanced than “you’ll probably dislike it.”
So sometimes I cringe a little when I meet a lol!edgy person, but mostly I feel bad because it means they probably haven’t found a safe group of people to shelter in.
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