Bell Tree Direct - 6.14.20 - Events, Giveaways, and More

[rosetti]

The colours used were taken directly using a colour picker from this photograph: picture. The intention was actually to avoid association with anything (I originally wanted to use a rainbow, but that was too close to pride) so it is unfortunate how it has been misinterpreted.

Spoiler: pic to explain

colour pics from all 3 photos, it doesn’t matter where the colours have originated from and is not a justification, just the colours chosen and the title chosen REALLY give off the wrong intention together,

also truthfully I did not see purple or yellow until you said so!

If it’s so ‘unfortunate of how it has been misinterpreted’ then please fix it! If multiple people are receiving the message that the contest is about race and inclusivity, when it is actually not, it‘s a big alarm bell don’t you think? Especially during times like these it comes across as insensitive to acknowledge the problem and refuse to change it, obviously you mean no harm by it and the issue can be easily fixed but I just want to make you aware of this further because I think it should really be taken seriously and not brushed off

 

[seliph]

since the contest isn't a response to recent events i'm curious if tbt has any plans to address them, specifically blm? just wondering since i've noticed other sites doing so

on another note though i also thought the contest titles were skin tones and that the purple was brown, my first thought was when makeup brands claim they have an "inclusive shade range" but only have 2 dark shades

 

[Cadbberry]

since the contest isn't a response to recent events i'm curious if tbt has any plans to address them, specifically blm? just wondering since i've noticed other sites doing so

on another note though i also thought the contest titles were skin tones and that the purple was brown, my first thought was when makeup brands claim they have an "inclusive shade range" but only have 2 dark shades

I was going to make a comment that I thought the darker tones were ashy and there were so few compared to the pinks/whites.

 

[Dinosaurz]

I thought the colours looked like lipstick colours lol

 

[Xara]

i’m gonna chime in and say that the colours used also look like skin tones to me - upon further inspection, i was able to see the shades of pink and purple but like already suggested, it would probably be wise to change the colours. for a contest that is seemingly not about race, i’m having a hard time seeing how it could be about anything else, with everything going on in the world - i know the intent was for pride month but the contest description along with the colours used screams “race” more than “pride” or “equality”

just to add on, i know you said the intent was to avoid association with anything but having the theme be “diversity” with everything that’s been happening? i find it a bit hard to believe that that wasn’t intentional ;;

 

[Chris]

Not that It’s my place to say and I imagine it wasn’t done on purpose but I’d think just increasing the saturation of the purple pink and yellow would make it less questionable to anyone else that gets the same conclusion

Spoiler: pic to explain

colour pics from all 3 photos, it doesn’t matter where the colours have originated from and is not a justification, just the colours chosen and the title chosen REALLY give off the wrong intention together,

also truthfully I did not see purple or yellow until you said so!

If it’s so ‘unfortunate of how it has been misinterpreted’ then please fix it! If multiple people are receiving the message that the contest is about race and inclusivity, when it is actually not, it‘s a big alarm bell don’t you think? Especially during times like these it comes across as insensitive to acknowledge the problem and refuse to change it, obviously you mean no harm by it and the issue can be easily fixed but I just want to make you aware of this further because I think it should really be taken seriously and not brushed off

What I have been doing since I last posted was discussing with the rest of the staff and some people off-site how to address it and we came up with several designs. Instead the original plain text has been replaced with a graphic with more saturated colours. It's now leaning more toward orange than the original pink, but it should erase any confusion.

 

[pochy]

i don't know how the fair works but it sounds fun! is there a date for it?

 

[skarmoury]

I just wanna say that I agree on some of the points brought up, mainly the reward system for the diversity art contest. While I absolutely appreciate the intentions of the contest, I do think giving prizes seems counterproductive to promoting diversity; it gives off the notion that being a decent human being should merit some sort of reward, as opposed to simply promoting diversity as it is and letting people join for the sake of, yknow, celebrating. I wanted to join mainly because I liked the idea; I didn't actually look at the prizes at stake and I feel neither should anyone who has the actual intention of celebrating diversity and not just being in it for the perks. While I feel it's too late to retract your statement on the prizes, I hope future events that promote these things shouldn't come with a reward

 

[marea]

I never took part in previous fairs and i cant even recall if i was around during one so this makes me excited! I also cant wait to see what gets added to the shop plus all the new improvements!

 

[Venn]

Can't wait. I think I have participated on a fair once but that was years ago.

 

[Lancelot]

I gotta say I didn’t even think about the diversity theme and use of prizes being counterproductive, but I also think the idea of “showing what it means to you” rather than simply being diversity themed isn’t too bad. It kind of seems to me as a way of sharing your experiences and how animal crossing can be used to show them- rather than just being rewarded for being a decent person. Just how I took it though and I get the concerns

 

[Taj]

Y’all remember the fire festival tho? That was my first major event and I wish something similar to that was brought back as well.

 

[Cadbberry]

Y’all remember the fire festival tho? That was my first major event and I wish something similar to that was brought back as well.

Omg those are some memories. Blue fire rep

 

[Laurina]

As someone who has been experiencing racism due to the pandemic and working in the heart of uncivil rest, I'm all for this art contest. I'm excited to see what everyone submits, and how they view the term diversity; because it is so much more than just the color of your skin or sexual orientation. At my job, I would never hire/not hire someone based on race, orientation, gender, age, disabilities, their personal opinions or beliefs, etc. It's all about experience, skill set, availability, flexibility, and reliability. I respect how the Staff chooses their applicants in a similar fashion. The TBT staff now and in the past, those I've gotten the pleasure to know, have always been a diverse bunch of individuals. They care a lot about the community, and wanted members to be treated with kindness and respect. More importantly, they wanted people to feel like they belonged. Uhhhhh, minus Chris maybe, but we all adored him anyways, right? I know the timing seems a bit coincidental, but I'm sure TBT could have made any themed contest that would have been connected to world events one way or another. Every single day I hear someone say "it's because of what's going on in the right now, isn't it?" for the most outlandish things. Diversity isn't a new topic, it's talked about everywhere - school, work, media, our daily life. Let's just celebrate it. Celebrate the amount of diversity New Horizon has brought into the Animal Crossing series. Celebrate Pride month. Celebrate how after a long stressful day in the real world, there's always an accepting community here where you can unwind, vent, do your thing, and just be yourself. We're celebrating more than just diversity, we're celebrating ourselves, and the members that make this place so lively. The Bell Tree Fair is the perfect way to do it.

Keep it up. You're doing great.

 

[seliph]

i think if you really wanted to celebrate diversity it's best done so in a post or equally-prized event, with a competitive element it thwarts itself from being a celebration.

if not inspired by any current events the timing here was really poor, peoples' emotions about diversity are at an all-time high in several ways rn.

 

[toadsworthy]

if this event was solely decided by the mods... I would be more concerned about the points brought up throughout this post that I've read. However, the ultimate decision comes from us, the forum members, we are collectively going to pick what we see as fitting the theme of diversity the most given these trying times, and our own idea of it. I think this is a great model. No one can see your racial identity, sexual orientation, or anything over the internet.... and i think its a cool idea to be able to submit an artwork from that vantage point in a place separate from this reality. I was originally worried about a member maybe submitting something that would be hurtful to someone, but I think its necessary to go through the mod team to avoid this.

I also agree that the original graphic looked like skin tones, and I was living for it. To me it did seem like the nod to the current times and was respectful as it equally represented everyone. I think this event follows suit the events of TBT in the past (which never had a bad connotation to suggest leaving out any person). I do very much agree that posting an event like this overall while trying to "avoid" the current times does seem like a misstep, but I also understand a lot goes into planning these for the mods and so I'm willing to give them some grace given the above points I stated and giving an outlet for many who may feel trapped in this time.

while i run the risk of being an oblivious, privileged person on this stance and I don't think I explained how I'm feeling as well... I felt the need to stick up for the mods and if you have comments please direct them pleasantly as I am willing to learn and mean no disrespect or harm to anyone who does feel wronged from this.

 

[Fye]

Thanks for the updates! Can't wait to see what you guys do with the trading forums and dodo queue and I'm super excited for my first Bell Tree Fair

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm really excited to see what the Bell Tree Fair is all about! I hope I have time to participate. Thanks for all the updates!

 

[skarmoury]

I think a lot of the statements pointed out are really great! I'm also absolutely all for seeing very diverse art in the contest, and while I'm not 100% on board with the prize system, I admit I'm not too fazed about it anymore as I seemed in my initial comment (and I'd like to apologize if it came off that way to anyone, esp. staff ; ; ). At the end of the day, we're all fighting our own battles and one of the most important things is understanding and respecting each other regardless of race/color/sexuality/etc. and I think that's something the staff is driving at with the contest The absolute chaotic state of this world right now is driving up our emotions and mental health to the wall, and I feel one point of the contest is to show that there is a visible support system in this community, that there will be a diverse number of people who've got your back. Other flaws have been pointed out as well but overall? It's something towards the right direction.

 

[The Peanut Butter Fish]

Oh no no no no no. That was not how I wanted that conversation to go AT ALL. I had to leave for work, sorry. I want to make what I stand for very clear. I will start out with some background so you know I am not just blowing smoke. I am a person of color and part of the LGBTQ+ community (if for some reason whoever is reading this needs specifics, go ahead and ask). I was definitely not asking for the colors to stop signifying skin colors. That was far from my main point; in fact, that was just a refutation to Vrisnem saying it was not about race. Here's what I actually stand for:

-I wanted the TBT staff to have some acknowledgement of racial diversity publically rather than brush it off and avoid talking about current events which I was pretty sure they were trying to (past tense was and there is still plausible deniability there so form your own opinion).

-I wanted the TBT staff to also internally consider their own practices regarding racial diversity because I think now is a great time to do so. The world is changing right now and considering racial diversity on a platform that you moderate and that has so many people of color who visit is not at all a bad thing. I think it would make TBT better for it and people need to be accountable for their practices.

-I think the contest is not a bad idea. Why? We should celebrate our racial diversity like we do LGBTQ+ diversity! Here's what I'm really saying, if you wanna celebrate diversity do it for real. Don't do it half way. Especially now, we need to all recognize "I am from this race and even though I am oppressed, I love myself and I am glad to be my race." That is what we should be doing rather than sweeping it under the rug. It would also be cool if some people of color took charge of the whole celebrating diversity thing. About the colors of the contest title, I would love if you kept them skin tones but changed it to be better colors. As someone else mentioned, the darker colors are ashy.

-Regarding the contest aspect, art for me is expression. It is taking your deepest thoughts/feelings and converting them into expression which impacts an audience. The audience part is one of the most important parts of art, technically speaking. I was under the impression the judging is based on technical skill and how powerful the expression is, not how well you incorporate diversity into your daily life and practice. Expressing your celebrations about diversity is a good thing.

-One thing I think is a little messed up in my opinion, why recognize pride without recognizing Black Lives Matter and racial diversity in general? That's the hot topic right now and it's really the one I think we should focus on celebrating right now. Not that pride doesn't matter, I love pride, I just think racial issues are causing more people to suffer right now. I also think it is not wrong to be celebrating pride related stuff right now too. I think it would only be right to recognize race right now, at least a little bit. I can only speak for myself but I think I at least would love some celebration of my race right now. More than just the celebration part too, what I'm mainly getting at is that I thought the TBT staff was trying to recognize what's going on right now and what they were doing to acknowledge it. Since apparently they weren't, I really wish that they would. Although it seems there is a lot going on around here regarding acknowledgement of LGBTQ+ people on the site, I don't feel the same type of acknowledgement as a person of color. That's only my experience though.

In conclusion, I'm not asking for you to change something as superficial (to me at least it's superficial) as the contest colors, I want action and acknowledgement. I would also ask that people not bully the staff more than you have to. It is important to speak up, still people won't listen to you unless you frame it in a way they can receive it and then you can lead them where you need to take them. By the way Vrisnem, I am interested in discussing with a staff member of color everything this conversation led to if any would like to talk about it... and I'll ping you since you seem most interested in replying here. @Vrisnem

(sorry for the huge debate, I hardly ever do this I swear ; - ; )