we're personally fond of can-of-worms as a metaphor, because it's so vivid. that's usually our go-to when talking about irreversible escapes, with toothpaste a distant second. we try to avoid the genie thing because of the slavery and racism angle.
with that said, when humans are actively choosing to do a thing, that is always a choice those humans could make differently. people have control over their own choices, you know?
@ireneista I’m a fan of mixed and mangled metaphors so sometimes I’ll talk about a Pandora’s powderkeg of worms.
Jul 27, 2026, 2:21 PM@ireneista we guess people don't read the genie thing the same as ending slavery in the US. it was good for everyone (tho not nearly enough of course)
@rho @ireneista I never even noticed the racism thing in the Genie stories. It never occurred to me that the race of the genie was meaningful. I always assumed genies were their own species. Also, "I dream of genie" when I was young implanted the idea of white genies so different species with any skin color.
Now that you point it out it's obviously racist but… damn.