there's this phenomenon i've noticed on youtube which i dub "man math" which is when men STEM-ify hobbies/activities/art forms in order to make them more masculine. it's very noticeable in the cooking video sphere where there's an endless stream of videos made by men along the lines of "the SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN best way to cook an egg" (and dgmw, i watch them and find them helpful, but the observation stands), but i notice it also in the way men approach ceramics (a lot of focus on mold-making and slip-casting to perfection, basically reinventing one man mass-production rather than play and discovery), tailoring/sewing/knitting/textile art, gardening and other nature-oriented hobbies, interior decor, furniture making and woodworking, journaling/planning/productivity, even drawing and painting, there's always some man math angle to it that although interesting it often strikes me as some sort of overcompensation to move away from the inherent vulnerability that comes with art making and once you notice it it's literally everywhere

I dont understand recipes that only have cinnamon. What about her hotter cousin nutmeg? Or their popular cousin cardamom? Their life-of-the-party-but-overwhelming-in-large-amounts sisters clove and anise? Youre telling me NONE of them are invited?? Not even humble allspice?? Im sneaking them in the back door after the opener has started. Im walking them around the block while they change outfits. Im splitting a pack of cigs with them in the parking lot. Im paying their covers. Get in here, everyone, you too, black pepper.

Miniature di Mara Swelt

In all intellectual honesty, though, re: the position of nohecherai, as noted by the reblogs we do have to analyze them as existing within a context that is not present for many modern people, one which very much believes in the inherited glory of a ruler. To serve the emperor is the ultimate reward, above perhaps even serving the gods. That's why you would choose to be a nohecheris: because you are doing, by some measures, the most important job available to your rank.

(which again makes the dachenmazei interesting, because they CAN be Adremaza, one of the most important people in the realm along with the Archprelate! So why would you choose to be a bodyguard instead.)

AND I think it's interesting that The Goblin Emperor takes place during a time of tension between modern and traditional values. The Ethuveraz is well into its own industrial revolution, and the concept of rights for the working class, women, etc. are being developed. The Cemeteries of Amalo explores how modern innovations are banned in the court in the name of traditionalism. A massive part of Maia's struggles revolve around implementing progressive changes that he believes in while maintaining the connection to tradition that enforces his safety and power.

I wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of Maia's lifetime, the role of the nohecherei is starting to change. As Maia's power solidifies and (hopefully) the transition to his successor is less turbulent, the visible trappings of the emperor are less important than his actual expressed power. As the world shifts away from power-through-tradition to power-through-money/machines/industry/etc, the importance given to these customs also changes.

Anyway On The Rights Of The Ethuverazeishe Worker is required reading.

Things Vesga has said about who Manousos is:

• Hates politicians and dishonest people.
• Was isolated and never got on with people to begin with because they find him "offputting".
• Extremely principled.
• Is a migrant who has had to move/flee once before from Colombia to Paraguay and that's one of the reasons he despises the hive so much. "Not again."
• Has a difficult relationship with his mother.
• He is determined but also fragile and hurts and isn't invincible. "He's just some guy."
• Would probably go to a gun shop and violently try to defend himself from the hive in terror if they tried to force him to turn.
• Has had people try to mold and surpress his individuality before.
• Is confused by Carol's atom bomb. His immediate response is: "this feels like too big a toy for me."

• "I get the feeling that he probably wasn’t that joyful before the Joining. I don’t think that this is a guy who turned from being all smiley and happy and in love with life to this ever-frowning, very serious, sober-looking guy. I don’t think he had a lot of friends. I don’t think he was a very popular individual."

I think there's a third path to walk between "carol is a privileged white woman who doesn't understand war/poverty/other peoples material conditions" and "carol had full understanding of what she was doing and all her decisions are correct" which is simply that carol is Bad With People.

Carol is both Correct and also acting from a place of privilege— the way this plays out is that she has no fucking idea how to talk to the other survivors. She doesn't fundamentally understand the appeal of the hive mind so she can't convincingly refute its claims. Her failure to empathize has removed her ability to be convincing. More than that, she is Bad At Being Manipulative. She can't say the words "it killed my wife". She can't do it. All of those people might have understood her better if she could, but she can't! She can't do it! And so she is doomed to present herself as a blind arrogant rich white woman, and that is all the others see her as, because she can't express the missing pieces. She can't explain herself.

Likewise, when she excludes the non English speakers, she doesn't understand how that LOOKS. she doesn't understand optics. She doesn't understand that she's standing in front of the American flag telling people from other countries that her way is the right way. It's no wonder they don't want to talk to her! Think about how she LOOKS! but I think we are supposed to understand that this isn't how she IS. it's just how they see her, because she has failed to make herself understood, because the hive is better at optics. She makes a shaky conspiracy home video, it makes an infographic presentation explaining the same thing but sounding extremely pleasant. She looks hysterical because the hive is so good at pretending everything is normal.

And she is hysterical. But she's also Correct.

no haha it's so cool actually how they did not in fact throw her that life preserver until they made her beg for it :)

Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka in Pluribus — “Charm Offensive”