Recent Pet Spotlight Win
We appreciate everyone messaging us on our social media platforms and comments here about how inappropriate this pet win is.
Posted by Amber
Bats are not the problem. I have a pet based on a bats with a huge bat TC. Bats are one of my favorite animals and I adore them. I follow and donate to a lot of bat rescues and rehabilitation centers all over the world. Bats are vital pollinators that we should be fighting to protect instead of needlessly condemning or fearing.
The problem with the bats in this context is directly connecting them to COVID and bat soup. If you're not familiar with those connections, there are a lot of comments that talk about it here.
It would be possible to make an educational COVID pet that's a bat. The 'story' could even go into detail about the real connection to bats to help quell fears and stop the spread of misinformation about bats, which is rampant this year. In a context like that including bats would have been fine. The bat soup in the TC and overall "othering" of the virus' origins in this problematic fanfic send up humongous red flags. Even if the writer did not mean to be racist with these elements, intent is not magic and including them was racist.
The problem with the bats in this context is directly connecting them to COVID and bat soup. If you're not familiar with those connections, there are a lot of comments that talk about it here.
It would be possible to make an educational COVID pet that's a bat. The 'story' could even go into detail about the real connection to bats to help quell fears and stop the spread of misinformation about bats, which is rampant this year. In a context like that including bats would have been fine. The bat soup in the TC and overall "othering" of the virus' origins in this problematic fanfic send up humongous red flags. Even if the writer did not mean to be racist with these elements, intent is not magic and including them was racist.
@Nami
You've been blessed to miss the mountains of racist rhetoric blaming Chinese people for "eating bats" for catching and spreading the virus, thus causing the pandemic (this has no basis in reality beyond the virus originating in bats; to date nobody has figured out which species spread it to humans, but it wasn't bats). Including it in the pet's TC/species was at best tone deaf/ignorant and at worst intentionally racist.
You've been blessed to miss the mountains of racist rhetoric blaming Chinese people for "eating bats" for catching and spreading the virus, thus causing the pandemic (this has no basis in reality beyond the virus originating in bats; to date nobody has figured out which species spread it to humans, but it wasn't bats). Including it in the pet's TC/species was at best tone deaf/ignorant and at worst intentionally racist.
What a disgusting racist and ableist pet, thanks for addressing and deleting it. I hope the user gets a warning at least as well too. Cause wtf.
Also, the user/owner of the pet has edited it seems! Like their kinda trying to perhaps get away with it, or sweep it under the rug...
Also, the user/owner of the pet has edited it seems! Like their kinda trying to perhaps get away with it, or sweep it under the rug...
@Holden it has to do with context, imo. Like I said in an earlier comment, it could've been played off as simply factual, (bats are natural reservoirs for corona-viruses due to a number of different factors, mostly having to do with the metabolism needed to sustain flight and what that does to the immune system, and thus the co-evolution of viruses with them. This has been proven and was first published by Shi Zhengli- probably the world expert on this- and her team in a paper published in 2005. Understanding bats and corona-viruses are literally this woman's life work.) But take with everything else, it's not.
@Nami
"but I didn't think it was making the problem small, or diminishing it or even giving bad advice in any way? (for people saying it was anti-mask, anti-lockdown)"
It's not anti-mask - but it absolutely is not positive towards lockdowns and social distancing.
BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, IT MINIMIZES THE PROBLEM. Look at the entire last paragraph, the "it's gonna be okay uwu" and look at the case numbers records happening on a daily basis over the world. It's not okay. It's minimizing the pandemic.
"but I didn't think it was making the problem small, or diminishing it or even giving bad advice in any way? (for people saying it was anti-mask, anti-lockdown)"
It's not anti-mask - but it absolutely is not positive towards lockdowns and social distancing.
BUT ANYWAY, YEAH, IT MINIMIZES THE PROBLEM. Look at the entire last paragraph, the "it's gonna be okay uwu" and look at the case numbers records happening on a daily basis over the world. It's not okay. It's minimizing the pandemic.
...This was not what I expected to wake up to. Big yikes from me dawg. I really hope the pet owner has been reading all this, understands what they did wrong and alters the story/TC accordingly... rather than showing up playing the victim and screaming about censorship. I don't know the user in question, not sure how they're going to react.
I'm glad Subeta are dealing with it, at least. Hopefully going forward the pet spotlights will be scrutinised a bit more before winning?
I'm glad Subeta are dealing with it, at least. Hopefully going forward the pet spotlights will be scrutinised a bit more before winning?
Thank you for removing the post. I completely agree that the pet's profile is not only insensitive, but just plain inappropriate on many levels. What I'd really like to emphasize is how concerned I am that a profile like this was able to win a spotlight in the first place. A severe lack of either oversight or good judgment is apparent. I'm not asking for heads to roll by any means, but some answers regarding the how and why would probably put my mind at ease.
@Sopheroo
That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
I thought it was just poor wording and exaggeration, but now I realize I just wasn't entirely making all the connections. Maybe because I was trying to read and understand something at 3am and my brain isn't entirely awake, at least I hope that's the reason.
That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
I thought it was just poor wording and exaggeration, but now I realize I just wasn't entirely making all the connections. Maybe because I was trying to read and understand something at 3am and my brain isn't entirely awake, at least I hope that's the reason.
The poor taste of this is like going into town, and just spitting on the huge memorials to all the people covid has taken. Who would do this.
Skimmed it and didn't see the issue until I read the comments. Thanks for explaining for those that did!
@siellby @Holden the "bat eating" stuff being racist is less to do with the fact that it's a bat and more to do with the general racist connotations behind eating meats such as horse, dog, frog, bear, or anything else that's not an easily farmed/traditionally western food animal. people who are already racist use statements or imagery that seem innocuous but portray groups of people as "other" or lesser because they eat different foods. you can even see examples of this with traditional food animals like chicken when differences in preparation are taken into account- such as the stereotype that black people love fried chicken (used to portray black people as dirty or ill-mannered as it's a food you eat with your hands rather than a fork/knife). as far as ableism, the topic has been mostly covered by others but something else to be taken into account is that covid-19 deniers often don't talk about the people who catch the flu/covid and become disabled rather than dying as a result of it. they operate under the assumption that you fall ill and either fully recover because you were already healthy(young, not disabled, no health conditions), or you die (old, ill, disabled, pre-existing conditions).
@Siellby
It's ablesist because it's basically saying "only sick people die", and if you're a fit and able person, you have nothing to worry about. This also ignores that about 1/6 people have "per-existing conditions". Likewise this ignores the huge number- about 30% of people who get it developing long term complications.
It's racist for the use of the mystery stew, indicating that only weird, not normal foreign people eat that kind of thing, (us and them mentality) in addition to the bat thing. The bat/lasrius aspect could've been played as simply factual, but in context with everything else it comes across as racist and stereotyping.
It's denialist because it's minimizing and downplaying what we've been doing to slow the spread as silly or overplayed instead of legitimate life saving measures, as well as trivializing the potentially life threatening work essential workers and hospital staff are undergoing every day.
It's ablesist because it's basically saying "only sick people die", and if you're a fit and able person, you have nothing to worry about. This also ignores that about 1/6 people have "per-existing conditions". Likewise this ignores the huge number- about 30% of people who get it developing long term complications.
It's racist for the use of the mystery stew, indicating that only weird, not normal foreign people eat that kind of thing, (us and them mentality) in addition to the bat thing. The bat/lasrius aspect could've been played as simply factual, but in context with everything else it comes across as racist and stereotyping.
It's denialist because it's minimizing and downplaying what we've been doing to slow the spread as silly or overplayed instead of legitimate life saving measures, as well as trivializing the potentially life threatening work essential workers and hospital staff are undergoing every day.
@Siellby
The ableism part is from the whole sentiment of "influenza already killed people who were already immune-compromised or disabled, so it wasn't nearly as bad as this new virus".
It's not as obvious as some other sentiments in the story, but it more or less throws disabled people and people with health conditions under the bus as "it's not so bad as covid because only they die".
It hurts to read, honestly. I'm disabled and have some chronic health problems that make me miserable (not necessarily immune system ones, but problems all the same), and I have at least three people in my family here that would either seriously suffer or very likely die if they got the virus.
The ableism part is from the whole sentiment of "influenza already killed people who were already immune-compromised or disabled, so it wasn't nearly as bad as this new virus".
It's not as obvious as some other sentiments in the story, but it more or less throws disabled people and people with health conditions under the bus as "it's not so bad as covid because only they die".
It hurts to read, honestly. I'm disabled and have some chronic health problems that make me miserable (not necessarily immune system ones, but problems all the same), and I have at least three people in my family here that would either seriously suffer or very likely die if they got the virus.
Considering the poor taste of this pet, and that it should never have gotten this far, let alone win (HOW it even won in the first place, let alone end up in the queue, is something I find baffling), should the owner of the pet get a warning for their offensive pet? I hope so. Pets shouldn't be used for hate speech, so getting their pet deleted, or being sent a warning message, might be a good idea.
@siellby
"Bat soup eaters" is racist rhetoric used by the alt-right to shame China - it's right here with China Virus.
There are parts of the profile spreading misinformation about the lockdowns, and also amalgamating the BLM protests with COVID.
Implying that people changed for the worst because they didn't want people to look at them (a gross exaggeration) is also pretty much anti social-distancing, and the final paragraph still throws shade at strangers being unwilling to make "real physical contact"
"Bat soup eaters" is racist rhetoric used by the alt-right to shame China - it's right here with China Virus.
There are parts of the profile spreading misinformation about the lockdowns, and also amalgamating the BLM protests with COVID.
Implying that people changed for the worst because they didn't want people to look at them (a gross exaggeration) is also pretty much anti social-distancing, and the final paragraph still throws shade at strangers being unwilling to make "real physical contact"
Reading comments that were posted while I was writing, I think I understand better, at least as far as the tone goes and I agree with that. And I had no idea there was any stereotype related to bats. I guess I have some research to do.
But I still don't understand all of the complaints. I can only guess the ableism is because of the part about influenza? But how it was anti- anything I still don't get. It doesn't say anything against social distancing or lockdowns or masks or anything. It just says that's how things were/are. At least that's how I read it. Maybe I need to look at it again, and more closely, but it's 3am here so that will have to wait.
But I still don't understand all of the complaints. I can only guess the ableism is because of the part about influenza? But how it was anti- anything I still don't get. It doesn't say anything against social distancing or lockdowns or masks or anything. It just says that's how things were/are. At least that's how I read it. Maybe I need to look at it again, and more closely, but it's 3am here so that will have to wait.
Minimalizing the efforts of people who take Covid seriously is not cool. It's definitely not getting better, unless your country is super cool like New Zealand. I'm reading through everyone's comments and I'm glad these discussions are happening.
However, I'm ashamed to admit, despite that it affects me directly, I'm not too familiar with where exactly the line is around the dialog about bats and covid being racist. People mentioning the virus's bat origins always made me very uncomfortable, because the Pres and friends giving the disease some stupid nicknames have contributed to racist steroptypes which have led to a lot of harassment and violence. Living in a red state, I never really know who I'm talking to so I avoid it altogether. But from a scientific standpoint, unless I'm very very mistaken, the virus origin is still linked to bats (and pangolins) regardless of who in what country first contracted it. I'm not trying to debate anybody here, but I'd love to be informed if anyone has a perspective on this. It's all been such a cloudy gray area over my head since this all began, and it's nice to see so many people who do have strong voices here concerning anti-racism.
However, I'm ashamed to admit, despite that it affects me directly, I'm not too familiar with where exactly the line is around the dialog about bats and covid being racist. People mentioning the virus's bat origins always made me very uncomfortable, because the Pres and friends giving the disease some stupid nicknames have contributed to racist steroptypes which have led to a lot of harassment and violence. Living in a red state, I never really know who I'm talking to so I avoid it altogether. But from a scientific standpoint, unless I'm very very mistaken, the virus origin is still linked to bats (and pangolins) regardless of who in what country first contracted it. I'm not trying to debate anybody here, but I'd love to be informed if anyone has a perspective on this. It's all been such a cloudy gray area over my head since this all began, and it's nice to see so many people who do have strong voices here concerning anti-racism.
I think what's so sad/depressing/disheartening, other than the.. well, racism, ableism and denialism of it all, is it COULD have been an awesome pet. (Yes, even keeping the species the same) It could've educated about safety, how we've adapted, where/what it comes from and why (there's some really interesting science behind why bats are natural reservoirs of different corona-viruses) but it... wasn't.
Anyway, thank you staff for acting promptly.
Anyway, thank you staff for acting promptly.
Okay I forgot to mention in my comment: Yeah the part about people dying from influenza is....um...not good. And there's some other stuff that seems like poor wording choice to me. Like they just didn't really think through what they were saying. But I'm still missing some things.
everyone's already said what i feel about it (short version being i am Very Disappointed) but i just wanna say, you just don't have to log out to see it on the widget.
it's still on the pet spotlight rules page that lists all previous winners -- so i hope that's dealt with whenever staff gets on in the morning.
it's still on the pet spotlight rules page that lists all previous winners -- so i hope that's dealt with whenever staff gets on in the morning.
Thanks~ Soon as I saw it I thought it wouldn't last very long...
Hope the owner feels some shame
Hope the owner feels some shame
I did see the pet earlier and I found it so I could actually read and look at it. I didn't get the chance to read the comments on the news post. It's definitely in bad taste, especially the timing but I'm not sure the timing would ever be good for something like that. It even still has the pet spotlight trophy and maybe it shouldn't.
However, people are saying there's racism, and that there's something wrong with the pet being a lasirus, and that there's something wrong with the TC and I just...I honestly, legitimately do not understand. I don't see the racism or ableism (maybe--well, probably--because of privilege) nor do I see how it is anti-social distancing or anti-lockdown or whatever else people are saying. I am definitely missing something, or several somethings. There's a few items in the TC that to me don't appear to even be related at all as far as I can tell, but it doesn't sound like that's the problem...
I mean I agree with it being removed just for the name and reference alone. I'm just missing whatever it is that other people are seeing...
However, people are saying there's racism, and that there's something wrong with the pet being a lasirus, and that there's something wrong with the TC and I just...I honestly, legitimately do not understand. I don't see the racism or ableism (maybe--well, probably--because of privilege) nor do I see how it is anti-social distancing or anti-lockdown or whatever else people are saying. I am definitely missing something, or several somethings. There's a few items in the TC that to me don't appear to even be related at all as far as I can tell, but it doesn't sound like that's the problem...
I mean I agree with it being removed just for the name and reference alone. I'm just missing whatever it is that other people are seeing...
Gotta admit, deeply unimpressed that pet made it to the front page. I'm very glad for the quick response, of course, but that it was needed in the first place is troubling.
"They believe this virus originally started in a small, but highly populated country on the other side of the world from us."
bruh is this supposed to mean ITALY because i literally can't with this
bruh is this supposed to mean ITALY because i literally can't with this
Dear subeta; tomorrow I am going to be able to tell people unironically that I stayed up late due to covid, and it'll be our little sick, no pun intended inside joke.
literally me when i saw the news post. i ended up sending screenshots to my boyfriend between games of league because he didn't believe me when i was telling him about it lmao
Not to mean a witch hunt or something, but reading all the comments makes me wish I'd seen this when it happened, to read the story by myself and do my own judging.
It sounds awful tho, I think the owner's inbox might be dead by now, but again, I can only judge for what everyone is saying.
It sounds awful tho, I think the owner's inbox might be dead by now, but again, I can only judge for what everyone is saying.
thanks for taking it down, but the pet should also be taken down/deleted considering just how awful it actually is
also whoever approved it in the first place should probably get talked to :/
also whoever approved it in the first place should probably get talked to :/
Yeah, when the news first updated with this spotlight, I looked at the banner and had a little " [laughing nervously] wtf? " moment. I assumed it was at least done in good taste if it had won the spotlight, thought "ok wouldn't be my choice for the spotlight either way, but ok." Seeing this, I went back to look a bit closer and ugh, I'm very glad it's since been taken down.
This is such a harmful attitude to take towards this whole thing, + the racism, ableism, etc. as everyone has mentioned. Heck, even if it didn't have those things and was just an introspective on the situation, I still wouldn't want it to go through just because it would probably pain a lot of people to see it plastered across the screen first thing they logged in (people who have lost loved ones, suffered through it themselves, etc.). The only context I would be content with it winning the spotlight is if it was a well researched educational resource, like @Sopheroo mentioned.
Anyway, thank you Amber and whatever other staff members were involved for listening to concerns and responding to this quickly, I - and others - really appreciate it. <3
This is such a harmful attitude to take towards this whole thing, + the racism, ableism, etc. as everyone has mentioned. Heck, even if it didn't have those things and was just an introspective on the situation, I still wouldn't want it to go through just because it would probably pain a lot of people to see it plastered across the screen first thing they logged in (people who have lost loved ones, suffered through it themselves, etc.). The only context I would be content with it winning the spotlight is if it was a well researched educational resource, like @Sopheroo mentioned.
Anyway, thank you Amber and whatever other staff members were involved for listening to concerns and responding to this quickly, I - and others - really appreciate it. <3
Racist content aside it's also kind of embarrassing that the profile used a stock template with no alteration whatsoever done to it. I have some genuine questions for whoever approved this particular win.
Also it still shows up on the front page for anyone who isn't logged in, which looks pretty bad to non-users right now.
Also it still shows up on the front page for anyone who isn't logged in, which looks pretty bad to non-users right now.
Just logged on, and I'm so confused, but... still slightly curious to read the profile, to have my own opinion on this apparent mess.
also how racist was it?
well, if you ask me, it was mickey rourke in breakfast to tiffany's level of racist.
well, if you ask me, it was mickey rourke in breakfast to tiffany's level of racist.
it is still showing up on the front page of the site if you are not logged in (i was not logged in and saw it)
Like this comment if you audibly gasped or otherwise reacted IRL when you saw that banner pop-up.
"The name alone should have immediately disqualified the pet"
I disagree on that; it would have been great to see a pet educating people - either by debunking common myths about COVID, or by educating people about the entire situation; giving tricks about social distancing, how to make/wear a mask, ways to entertain yourself with in isolation.
A pet called after an illness can still be tasteful. The one that was showcased today absolutely wasn't.
I disagree on that; it would have been great to see a pet educating people - either by debunking common myths about COVID, or by educating people about the entire situation; giving tricks about social distancing, how to make/wear a mask, ways to entertain yourself with in isolation.
A pet called after an illness can still be tasteful. The one that was showcased today absolutely wasn't.
@sickestambition Ok so now I am seeing what you mean! The whole bat thing went right over my head! I don't think this pet ever should have got the spotlight. If I didn't say that in my original comment, I should have. Anyway thanks for your further clarification, I appreciate it! <3
Glad you removed it, thank you for doing so quickly. The fact that it got past an approval process is still horrifying. The name alone should have immediately disqualified the pet; add in the racism, ableism, and overall downplay of a pandemic that's already a huge danger in part <i>because</i> of how it's being downplayed, and I'm baffled as to how anyone could think that was a good thing to reward - <i>and then showcase to the entire site</i> via the news update popup!
The staff owe a massive apology for doing this, especially to the people who have lost loved ones, the ones who are struggling with the virus themselves, those who are still battling the side effects months later, and the healthcare and essential workers who have to stare this and the risk of contracting it in the face every day. This was a horrible thing to subject them to - a horrible thing to do to all of us, really. What a slap in the face.
The staff owe a massive apology for doing this, especially to the people who have lost loved ones, the ones who are struggling with the virus themselves, those who are still battling the side effects months later, and the healthcare and essential workers who have to stare this and the risk of contracting it in the face every day. This was a horrible thing to subject them to - a horrible thing to do to all of us, really. What a slap in the face.
The pet profile is still up in its entirety. Its racist, ableist, anti-social distancing, anti-quarantine, and all around terrible. It tries to pretend the virus is over and now we can move on, yay! Happy sunshine positive vibes time! The words "tone deaf" and "factually incorrect" don't even come close to describing it. The opinions expressed on this pet profile are awful and dangerous. They're not things that Subeta should be supporting or promoting.
covid isn't controversial. making a subeta (BAT) pet about it with a flowery fiction story about the pandemic and giving it the pet spotlight is controversial.
"We will overcome this nightmare, and hopefully learn from the mistakes that were done during this hard time." then that's on you, as I think it's a perfectly fine sentence.
You say it's not positive towards lockdowns, in any way it's negative towards lockdowns too, it doesn't say anything close to "let's all hang out now."