Bodie A. Ashton
@manwithoutatan.bsky.social
historian | pet shop boys fanatic | australian in germany | very bisexual | constantly podcasting | "oh, dr. bodie!" per jordan gray | they/them | latest book: “the pet shop boys and the political”
Gosh I love my historian pals. 💜
Historian pals: looking for some reading recommendations on post-1945 sex work in England and, particularly, London — both in terms of its actual conduct as well as campaigns against it, including by police. Particularly late 1950s-early 1960s!
November 17, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Gosh I love my historian pals. 💜
Historian pals: looking for some reading recommendations on post-1945 sex work in England and, particularly, London — both in terms of its actual conduct as well as campaigns against it, including by police. Particularly late 1950s-early 1960s!
November 17, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Historian pals: looking for some reading recommendations on post-1945 sex work in England and, particularly, London — both in terms of its actual conduct as well as campaigns against it, including by police. Particularly late 1950s-early 1960s!
There is literally no justification for the existence of the Labour Party at this point.
November 16, 2025 at 8:02 PM
There is literally no justification for the existence of the Labour Party at this point.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
November 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
For Shabana Mahmood to attack some of the most cruelly treated people in the world as having won a "golden ticket" because they manage to get to and claim asylum in Britain is unforgiveable.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
A new, far right, low for which I can think of no precedent, by any UK Government.
I cough-laughed hard enough to scare the cat and get scratches, but it was worth it.
Get this and other unsustainably specific references at the newly-relaunched opiumtea.com.
November 14, 2025 at 4:13 PM
I cough-laughed hard enough to scare the cat and get scratches, but it was worth it.
We do not need yet more post facto diagnoses of Adolf Hitler. Such things have been happening since the 1940s and historians — real ones, not the ones who write Father’s Day pulp — put no stock in them, because as explanatory devices they tell us, in the technical jargon of my discipline, fuck all.
November 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
We do not need yet more post facto diagnoses of Adolf Hitler. Such things have been happening since the 1940s and historians — real ones, not the ones who write Father’s Day pulp — put no stock in them, because as explanatory devices they tell us, in the technical jargon of my discipline, fuck all.
All this is bad enough but I'm honestly seething at the cover designs of all of them, which make Auschwitz seem like a Very Dreamy Place, a romanticised fantasy land.
November 13, 2025 at 11:52 AM
All this is bad enough but I'm honestly seething at the cover designs of all of them, which make Auschwitz seem like a Very Dreamy Place, a romanticised fantasy land.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
As all this disgusting Epstein shit starts surfacing more and more, I hope we don't lose sight of the fact that apparently every major media outlet knew everything and instead spent their time money and energy attacking the trans community.
November 13, 2025 at 1:07 AM
As all this disgusting Epstein shit starts surfacing more and more, I hope we don't lose sight of the fact that apparently every major media outlet knew everything and instead spent their time money and energy attacking the trans community.
Ah yes, 11 November: the day where Everything Happens in Australian history.
November 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Ah yes, 11 November: the day where Everything Happens in Australian history.
This Remembrance Day I commemorate three generations of Ashtons: my great-grandfather William, who served in the Great War; my granddad Albert, who fought in the Second World War; and my father Malcolm, who never saw combat but served in the RAAF.
None of them saw war as glory. Nor should we ever.
None of them saw war as glory. Nor should we ever.
November 11, 2025 at 10:18 AM
This Remembrance Day I commemorate three generations of Ashtons: my great-grandfather William, who served in the Great War; my granddad Albert, who fought in the Second World War; and my father Malcolm, who never saw combat but served in the RAAF.
None of them saw war as glory. Nor should we ever.
None of them saw war as glory. Nor should we ever.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
I’ll be presenting 'Queering the Rhineland: Same-Sex Intimacies and Interracial Fantasies during the Occupation' at the Modern European History Seminar @camhistory.bsky.social next Tuesday (11.11) at 5:15 pm.
November 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
I’ll be presenting 'Queering the Rhineland: Same-Sex Intimacies and Interracial Fantasies during the Occupation' at the Modern European History Seminar @camhistory.bsky.social next Tuesday (11.11) at 5:15 pm.
I see this has not taken long
It will be fascinating to see how the US Democrats fuck up the stunning successes they had overnight, but you better believe they’re working hard at it.
November 10, 2025 at 6:53 AM
I see this has not taken long
Oh hey so this is a good day to be uselessly inconsolable for an hour because I was mopping the floor near where Mia used to have her castle, and suddenly all I could think of was how much I miss that darling cheeky cat with her one tooth and her 21 years and more fight in her than I’ll ever have.
November 8, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Oh hey so this is a good day to be uselessly inconsolable for an hour because I was mopping the floor near where Mia used to have her castle, and suddenly all I could think of was how much I miss that darling cheeky cat with her one tooth and her 21 years and more fight in her than I’ll ever have.
My dear Bluesky: last Saturday Johnny Marr introduced this with “this song is about that person you love and who means more than anything to you. And if right now you do not have this in your life, then this is a song about you, from me.”
Happy Friday, friends. Be loved. youtu.be/vT_IlY0A4_0?...
Happy Friday, friends. Be loved. youtu.be/vT_IlY0A4_0?...
Johnny Marr - Hi Hello - Official Music Video [HD]
YouTube video by Johnny Marr
youtu.be
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 AM
My dear Bluesky: last Saturday Johnny Marr introduced this with “this song is about that person you love and who means more than anything to you. And if right now you do not have this in your life, then this is a song about you, from me.”
Happy Friday, friends. Be loved. youtu.be/vT_IlY0A4_0?...
Happy Friday, friends. Be loved. youtu.be/vT_IlY0A4_0?...
I’ve recently had two modes of existence: “let’s keep going and get this done”, or “it’s 7pm and I should’ve gone to bed an hour and a half ago.” Today is the latter.
November 6, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I’ve recently had two modes of existence: “let’s keep going and get this done”, or “it’s 7pm and I should’ve gone to bed an hour and a half ago.” Today is the latter.
Why doesn’t it surprise me that he fantasises about lurking in the shadows.
November 5, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Why doesn’t it surprise me that he fantasises about lurking in the shadows.
It will be fascinating to see how the US Democrats fuck up the stunning successes they had overnight, but you better believe they’re working hard at it.
November 5, 2025 at 10:22 AM
It will be fascinating to see how the US Democrats fuck up the stunning successes they had overnight, but you better believe they’re working hard at it.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
I hope this is how you find out Mamdani is mayor elect of New York
November 5, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I hope this is how you find out Mamdani is mayor elect of New York
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
Say what you will about Dick Cheney
November 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Say what you will about Dick Cheney
This reminds me of the forum post from an American asking if he can carry a handgun in Berlin, in case he gets mugged in the Tiergarten. Cue a lot of arguing and him being very upset when Germans insisted that having to cancel a couple of bankcards is a much better outcome than killing someone.
Well-meaning Americans in my mentions: kindly do not recommend extremely illegal actions that could land people in the UK with a ten year prison sentence
November 3, 2025 at 8:03 AM
This reminds me of the forum post from an American asking if he can carry a handgun in Berlin, in case he gets mugged in the Tiergarten. Cue a lot of arguing and him being very upset when Germans insisted that having to cancel a couple of bankcards is a much better outcome than killing someone.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
I try not to post rage bait but lord people with disordered eating they want to pass on to their children are fueling so much of the MAHA stuff and now they’re moving on to SNAP.
November 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I try not to post rage bait but lord people with disordered eating they want to pass on to their children are fueling so much of the MAHA stuff and now they’re moving on to SNAP.
Reposted by Bodie A. Ashton
Ok hivemind,
Looking for a few suggestions looking at the Diem years (1954-1963) in the RCN (S Vietnam).
Reposts welcome.
Looking for a few suggestions looking at the Diem years (1954-1963) in the RCN (S Vietnam).
Reposts welcome.
November 2, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Ok hivemind,
Looking for a few suggestions looking at the Diem years (1954-1963) in the RCN (S Vietnam).
Reposts welcome.
Looking for a few suggestions looking at the Diem years (1954-1963) in the RCN (S Vietnam).
Reposts welcome.
“I couldn't have anticipated [backlash]”, says a man who built an Auschwitz-themed Halloween float for a kids’ Halloween parade. I think this tells us an awful lot about more than we might like, to be honest.
(Reposted screenshot with alt text.)
(Reposted screenshot with alt text.)
November 2, 2025 at 9:32 AM
“I couldn't have anticipated [backlash]”, says a man who built an Auschwitz-themed Halloween float for a kids’ Halloween parade. I think this tells us an awful lot about more than we might like, to be honest.
(Reposted screenshot with alt text.)
(Reposted screenshot with alt text.)