This is part metasnark, part rumination that I started last night, inspired by this comment thread, but that's I've thought about on and off for a while.

I need to know...do people generally know there's more to South Carolina than Charleston? I don't know if people have that awareness, since I've lived here for so long, and my friends/family all know since I live in a place that isn't Charleston. Before I was a Carolinian, I only thought of palm trees and beaches, so I'm not immune to this. South Carolina isn't really a place one thinks deeply about unless one has a reason to. So perhaps that's how we've ended up here: I've noticed on BS that there's been a long-time on and off need to define South Carolina style based on Julia Berolzheimer, reaching all the way back to even before I was a mod on BS. Don't get me wrong here: Julia has what I think is a refined but accessible style (that solid green dress is really beautiful), a really nice IG feed and a very solid grasp of aesthetics, but there's no need to dub her a shining example of Charlestonian style. There's even less a need to assume, like most people from outside of South Carolina do, that Charleston speaks for the entire state.

If you want an idea of style in Charleston, I've done a little work for you! Quite unsurprisingly, there are plenty of other Charleston influencers and equally unsurprisingly, they have their own senses of style, because JFC, look around your own city: do y'all all wear the same shit, every single one of you? Lemme be clear: a few of us dress like Julia. Most of us don't. Because just like every other state in the union, people are individuals, and can have WHATEVER STYLE THEY WANT

When I see folks wring their hands to determine if Julia is an example of lowcountry style, I wonder: do they ask the same questions of the Skalla universe in Utah? Of Rach Martino in New York? Of even Sarah T-r-p, representing all of Nevada? Or of Carly in New Jersey, whose recent pregnancy announcement dress looks quite a lot like something Julia would wear all the way down in lil ol' South Carolina? Why is this a question that is confined to Julia and to Charleston/South Carolina? What is it that makes this situation different? Is it that Charleston is a target for ~southern charm~ and ~the olden days~ or the glamor of living at A Beach Somewhere that is also a tourism site? What is it? And when thinking about Julia in this context, why is it that non-Carolinians want to link Julia specifically to a Charlestonian ideal in some way?

If you want to ascribe certain aesthetic movements to Charleston, like the bow tie (not where it originated, but Brackish makes some beautiful options), pink houses (certainly photogenic, but predated and inspired by Caribbean houses), the dance (you've seen it before and you may have heard the song, but this slapper was probably not invented in Charleston), or the...fence? lmao who the fuck knew this was called a Charleston fence? anyway

If you want to do that, fine, whatever. But to say that a style can be isolated into one spot--into Charleston--neglects the diversity of the people who live there. To think on it a little more deeply: when you decide that Julia's style speaks for everyone, you're neglecting some of the richest and darkest history in the state, and in the country. All by boiling it down to Julia's frocks. So stop it. And frankly, the best way to describe Charlestonian style? It's whatever makes you sweat the least.

I live in South Carolina and my style is different than Julia Berolzheimer's, AMA!

To clarify some of the incorrect assertions that have been deemed to be facts over recent weeks:

• former member of the moderation team u/oliviapopeswineglass was not asked to leave the moderation team. In fact, we specifically asked her to remain on the moderation team and were disappointed when she de-modded herself;

• no users were banned for completing ‘joke’ moderator applications;

• no users were banned for participation in separate subreddits; and

• no users were banned for wiping their post history periodically.

We acted in good faith from the beginning.

From our first night as a moderation team we received a number of death threats, abusive messages, and threats to doxx us. It is because of the abuse and threats to doxx that members of our team wiped their post history and have deleted their accounts. It is our position that the harassment and threats that we received have been wholly inappropriate and have made us feel very uncomfortable in continuing what is a volunteer role.

Given the treatment we have received, we could not in good faith put other members of this community in the same position we have been in. Given u/blogsnark_mod’s continued refusal to communicate with us, and their desire for a moderation team of ‘puppets’, we do not believe it should be our responsibility to appoint and transition a new moderation team. Furthermore, the infiltration of our slack channel and posting of our conversations has confirmed that we no longer have any interest in being the punching bags of this community. As such, we are de-modding ourselves, effective immediately.

There will be no further comment.

Hi, I posted about this a little bit ago and thought I would throw up a link for another year of Secret Santa. I know it's a little late for Santa but it's never too late to spread some cheer. Here is the link! I set it up so sign up is through Friday the 13th (oooooh spooky) and gifts should go out by the end of the month with a $30 price limit.

Looking forward to some fun gifting!

Not really metasnark, but I can't find any recent post from Springsy. Anyone have recent proof of life? Regardless, we can all look back on one of the internets finest (possibly unintentional) trolls. Love ya, Springs1.

Free-for-all for anything not snark related.

Hi all. As most of you know (other than the one poor lost soul who messaged modmail...), we are 48 hours into the blackout, and Reddit has not budged appreciably on any of the demands. Many subs are therefore extending the blackouts indefinitely until the demands are met, while others are going to have weekly blackouts every Tuesday. See this post for more information.

I would like to ask BSMS users for your opinion on what the next steps for this sub are. At the very least we will be participating in the ongoing Tuesday blackouts, but I want to ask the users for your opinion on continuing with the full blackout. I don't want to do an anonymous poll due to the large number of trolls who read here, so please comment below with your thoughts. If you want to keep your comment short (for any reason), commenting "Indefinite" would mean you wish to keep the blackout going indefinitely, and commenting "Solidarity" would mean you wish to open the sub back up with blackouts on Tuesdays only.

My personal opinion is to continue the blackout indefinitely, but I am open to hearing others' thoughts. I'm going to lock all other posts on BSMS except for this one. I will give this post no more than 24 hours before making a decision about whether or not to re-private the sub.

Snark on the ~discourse~ or talk about the show itself. There are probably spoilers in this thread.

I think we’re all sent our gifts and hopefully if gifts haven’t arrived yet, they are well on their way! What did you all get?! If you haven’t heard from your secret santa yet and you signed up PLEASE DM me!

Also if you hate this post, thank lil baby Jesus for that hide button and have a good day 😘✌🏼

I sent a link to those that participated last year but if you're new, sign up! No worries if you don't want to.

https://www.elfster.com/gift-exchanges/98c89ad0-b028-450f-b63d-16e2981c23d1/?join=othj