this was requested so... ask and you shall receive i guess ??

quick disclaimer: most of the issues i have with this "culture" are racial. i am white. these issues don't affect me directly, but i agree that the whole ordeal is problematic and have read many accounts from poc fans who have had their religion or actual culture appropriated.

and let's begin.

one of the biggest problems i have is with the fricking "helm of awe." THAT IS LITERALLY A BINDI. alycia debnam carey admitted it herself in an interview with the huffington post:

in case you don't see why this is a problem, a bindi originates from hindu culture and can be used to symbolize a married woman or to ward off bad luck. alycia debnam-carey, marie avgeropouolos, and lola flannery (the 3 women who have worn it) are white. they are not hindu. this was not chosen with the culture in mind or to honor it. it's basically the same thing as a white person wearing a native american headpiece as a halloween costume for funsies.

the original helm of awe came from the vikings. it was supposed to instill fear in the wearer's enemies and stuff, but it wasn't always a physical object worn between the eyes and ABOVE THE HEAD (it could be a power from within) but if it was, it was scratched on the inside of a helmet. also, the helm of awe is made of runes, not a gear-like symbol.

actual helm of awe:

"helm of awe" in the show:

another thing i absolutely hate is the actual brownface used on the show with eliza and alycia in seasons 2-3. my god.

here is proof.

alycia debnam carey normally:

alycia debnam carey with a tan:

lexa in the show (in direct sunlight):

in this picture you can see that her face is a completely different color from her neck (her! face! looks! orange!):

also, they got bashed on this so much that they removed it for 3x16. look at how different she looks!!

these scenes are dark so you cannot blame the lighting for her skin tone

eliza taylor normally:

eliza looking like a traffic cone in a bts pic for 3x03 (bonus: she's wearing dreadlocks. is jroth oprah but with cultural appropriation?):

clarke in 3x03:

(you can actually see the line without the enhancement and that scene is dark af, but i brightened and circled it so you could see it better.)

i've also heard that the tattoos are appropriated, but i don't know enough about that to talk about it because it's not my place if i'm not well-informed enough.

also, others have mentioned that they feel like the grounders shown are mostly poc and have a violent nature. poc have been labeled as "dirty" and "violent" for centuries and the stereotype is alive even today.

basically, the grounder "culture" is a mishmash of stolen aspects of other cultures that exist right now. it physically pains me to see it so highly praised and idealized from fans and even people who read my books and root for my characters to become grounders.

note: this isn't to say that i don't like certain grounders. indra, gaia, luna, nyko, anya, and lincoln will always have a place in my heart.

let me know if you guys want me to do more rants in the future! i actually have one typed up for echo (oops) and could rant about octavia for days.