Reviewer: foreignkanto Signed
Date: November 10 2019
Title: Chapter 6: Chapter X-5: In the beginning...
Chapter X-5 reads like a conservative fever dream of what they think feminism is. You should watch the video from this YouTube channel - Knowing Better called “Taking the Red Pill”. Clears up a lot of misconceptions people have about feminism and its relation to men. Just a few things I’ll say here though. Toxic Masculinity is not men acting masculine, it’s men being told that they have to act a certain way or else they aren’t real men. It’s men being told that they need to “stop crying like a little bitch”. It’s men being told they can’t be emotionally vulnerable. And the Patriarchy is not just something that men use to oppress women, it’s something that works within society to force all people into specific roles. Not only does it say that women belong in the kitchen, it also says that men have to be the breadwinners of the house. The patriarchy is when a guy is looked down upon for staying home to watch the kids while his wife goes to work. Just keep an open mind about this stuff man.
Author's Response:
Hey sir! Thanks for the feedback.
A couple of points to make in response in regards to politics.
1. The political ideas here are used satirically, i do not think they are a mirror of reality (by golly if they did though boy oh boy lol). The basic "kernel of truth" (as i perceive it - see #3) are pushed to the extreme to explicitly create a compelling macrophilia fetish story.
2. The extreme political concepts are used to create a narrative and do world building, and i think these concepts work well to frame the feelings i want depicted in the story. By using ideas derived from reality, I can (hopefully) create a story people can identify with and thus find more compelling.
3. The "kernel of truth" of the politics in this story, regardless of an academic definition or your own personal belief, is based on my experience with these terms and the people who use them. Regardless of if that assessment is correct or common, it is my own experience with them – and in turn, one that I'm guessing is shared with others. In short, while i did make up the story and version of the “Make America Big Again” universe, the political ideas were communicated to me (perhaps poorly) by people seeming to espouse them.
We all have our own life experiences that frame the reality we live in, and I dont think that in this day in age you can honestly say that people have monolithic views on these things - you should look at what another reviewer wrote about this chapter in regards to his own life experience. Your opinion is just as valid as his.
Otherwise, I'm not really interested in discussing politics. As the story continues politics will continued to be used as a plot device to drive the narrative - but it's not the focus on the story, it's the dressing around the story that gives the characters motivations and obstacles.
Nonetheless, i appreciate the response and like with "Make America Big Again" i will include a statement in regards to politics so people can have an indication of it.
TLDR: This is a satire - the political concepts within do not represent what i think our current political reality looks like. My perception of the some of the basic elements of these politics is based on my own personal experiences with them, and I push them to an extreme to create a macrophilia fetish story.