Historical context and power differentials are the difference. When you have white people dressing up as stereotypes of people who were conquered and oppressed by white people and who are still marginalized today by white people it adds dimensions to the situation.

This is a big problem for white people, too. I know I'm really tired of being stereotyped. Even if most angels are white and blonde, it doesn't mean that just because someone is white and blonde they are an angel.

I've heard sometimes you have to do extra runaround to manage the double middle name, anyway.

I've thought about changing my last name to my mother's, especially now that she's divorced (I was 25 or so when that happened). But I've had it for a long time, it's all over the place, and it seems super inconvenient, especially when you're not getting married or divorced.

Very. And, like she says, maybe if she can do it, I, too, can do it. But I won't.

Seriously, does anyone always tell the truth?

Absolutely the myth has super racist overtones. I think these days, for plenty of people, racism isn't in their minds. But even if it's not their intent/they don't realize it, it's part of the whole package (ha-ha) they're promulgating.

Yep, and yep, and yep!

I've thought about this a lot, too.

He's one of my favorites, too. And while I do think he was sexist, sometimes he was less sexist than many modern authors. So I don't really get the full-on "he's so sexist and misogynist he's unreadable" thing.

Totally.

Never been raped, but was abused growing up. Sometimes I am totally matter of a fact about it like it was just a thing that happened growing up: learned there was no Santa Claus, got abused, got my heart broken for the first time...just one of those coming of age experiences.

I'm sorry, what? Please enlighten me about what happens when a woman has her first period that makes "piv" sex suddenly less "damaging".

In my state the difference is who can, essentially, press charges. If you are at or above the age of consent (the one before 18) you can report statutory rape if there is a sufficient age gap. If you are under it, however, your parents or the state can press charges even if you say it was totally consensual.

<3

Haha—good point.

If I ever get married (which I don't think I will, but for the sake of argument) I'll have to read a book about it beforehand, or I'll be stepping on everyone's toes.

Kids were mean to me when I was kid!

Job titles in our industry can be kind of a clusterfuck, but when I say developer I usually mean "web developer"—which covers a wide range of technical requirements, granted—but includes people who are not and don't need to be computer scientists.

See, that's news to me. We didn't have very many weddings (Southeast US) in my family growing up, but we had a few and I recall there always being a big table covered with gifts.