(no subject)

[callistahogan]

I'm capable of writing every day, I am. My life isn't that boring, honest.

It's just that I've gotten caught up in this whole culture appropriation debate that is going on, and I have suddenly grown so determined to learn as much as I can about what's going on that I have been reading everything possible about racism/culture appropriation/white privilege, and am very much looking forward to getting through all the posts over at ibarw.

I am learning so much too. Now that I think about it, and I mean really think about it, I see the inherent... lack, I guess you could say, of credible, nice, intelligent, passionate POC in books and TV. Off the top of my head, I can only think of three POC off the top of my head that are presented positively in books and movies, but one is a minor character.

The three characters are Foreman from House (who, incidentally, presented me with the first instance of an interracial relationship I've seen on TV), Lee Jordan from Harry Potter (who is black, I think, but I haven't read those books for so long that I can't even remember, which is so sad), and Stephen Black from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, the book I am reading right now.

And all three of these characters are black.

I can't think of any Asian characters presented positively. Or Chinese characters. Or Japanese characters. Or any other race other than black or white. I'm interested in seeing if anyone else can, because I can't think of any.

But anyway. I said in my post a few days ago that I probably shouldn't discuss this until I learn a lot more.

--

I am very worried/intrigued/apprehensive/hopeful about what President Obama is going to do next. I'm shocked at what he's managed to pass through so quickly and, for the most part, I'm... okay with what he's done.

Closing Guatanamo was probably something that had to be done. And the Global Gag rule, how he repealed the ban on abortion provision and information being taught overseas, might (key word: might) be okay with me as long as they don't present abortion as a simple "getting rid of excess tissue." They need to present abortion as murder, a killing, of an innocent life.

It is my view that abortion should only be necessary if the woman's life is at risk and, even then, a woman should not... rush into an abortion. They should access themselves, the situation, understand what abortion is, before they decide what they are going to do. It should not be used as a "get out of jail free" card, or something akin to that.

And as for doubling our clean energy sources over the next three years?

Can I just say yesyesyes to that?

I know I might not agree with Obama on some things, but I'm feeling kinda hopeful. He can't keep up this pace, but I'm happy with most of the things he's done so far.

--

School.

My first semester of high school is officially over. I'm sure I passed my finals with flying colors (my final grades go something like 96, 97, 98, 99), but I definitely didn't want my first semester to be over. Mr. P was awesome and, while I didn't enjoy some of my classes, I didn't hate them like I'm sure I will hate gym this semester.

*glares into the distance*

If I could still graduate without gym, I would. But no, I need two gym credits before I can graduate. *grumbles* Which I find stupid, because no one really tries in gym, so it's not as though you get an exercise, and isn't there so many more valuable courses you can take? Like creative writing.

Enough complaining, though. At least having gym means that I have at least one class I won't have any homework in. 

--

As for books, it is taking me ages to get through Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I've been reading it for two weeks now, and I'm just barely halfway through it. It's not even that I don't like it. It is just slow-going, as I had been warned. But I can't help it; I always have to prove people wrong, or try to, at least.

I can't do it this time, but I can't wait until I finish this book, because then I can read my president's two books. And A Companion to Wolves, by Elizabeth Bear (matociquala) and Sarah Monette (truepenny). I really want to see what all the fuss is about, especially considering their parts in the culture appropriation debate this month.

I am so looking forward to those books, but mostly President Obama's. Has anyone read them? What'd you think?

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Lee Jordan is black, yes. So is Angelina Johnson (if you're not looking at the Sorcerer's Stone movie). Parvati and Padma Patil are Hindu. Cho Chang is not depicted negatively.

I could reel off long lists of PoC characters depicted positively, but lots of them would be from anime and manga, and we're supposed to be suspending our disbelief about Japanese characters who have blonde or red or blue hair, not taking that and the absence of exaggerated slant to the eyes as evidence that the characters are in fact white. If we're talking stuff that doesn't originate in Japan, there's the protagonist and lots of the castmembers of Scott Westerfeld's Extras ('course that's also set in Japan). I hear that the default in Asimov's Foundation series and in something of Ursula Le Guin's that they're making into a movie, default skin tone is midbrown. Avatar: The Last Airbender--there was quite a flurry over that recently, because the cultural trappings of the four ethnic groups in the show are Chinese, Japanese, Inuit, and I think Tibetan--something Asian Buddhist, anyway--and the morons behind the live-action movie cast Jesse McCartney. I'm pretty sure the Shin'a'in in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series aren't white, and the Haighlei are very definitely black. Lots of significant figures in Lackey's Sacred Ground. Elizabet in Lackey's Bedlam series, the kitsune in Lackey's SERRAted Edge, many of the princesses in Lackey's Firebird, though granted those are all minor characters. There's not nearly as many PoC characters as there are white or nonspecified-and-assumed-white, and that's not good, but PoC characters really aren't that hard to find.

[alexseanchai]

Oh, yeah: I liked A Companion to Wolves. I don't know if you will. The main conflict between the protagonist and his father is that the wolf companions get caught up in the wolves' mating in pretty much the same way that McCaffrey's dragonriders get caught up in the dragons' mating, and wolf companions are universally male regardless of the sex of the wolf. And if you're reading it only to see what the fuss is with the race discussion, you're reading the wrong book--the fuss was over Blood and Iron.

And Obama is a very good writer, and I think anybody with the slightest interest in being politically aware during his administration needs to own or at least to have read both his books.

[callistahogan.livejournal.com]

I'm not really reading A Companion to Wolves solely because of the culture appropriation debate, but because I want to be exposed to how those two people write. I wish I could read Blood and Iron, but I can't, because I doubt my teeny tiny bookstore has it, and I tried getting it via interlibrary loan, and lookit, they don't have it. *grumbles* It would put more perspective on the debate if I could read it, though, and then I could read ithiliana's posts analyzing it. There's a slight chance--but only a slight one--that I could get it from Walmart with my gift card, but I doubt it. Walmart typically carries trashy romances, mediocre bestsellers, and spiritual self-help books, not interesting sci fi/fantasy books. Bah.

And I really can't wait to read Obama's books.

[alexseanchai]

Teal'c and the population of Abydos from Stargate. How the hell did I forget them?

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

Yes, in Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin, basically all the main characters have brown skin. I think a made-for-TV film adaptation was made a few years ago, and they cast all white actors. So yeah, that annoyed a few people.

[callistahogan.livejournal.com]

Wow, I guess there are a lot more POC than I thought, and I cannot believe I forgot about the Patils and Cho Chang. But still, those are minor characters, and Cho wasn't really portrayed that positively. Or negative, granted, but...

There are still more white characters in books, films, and movies than there are POC, though, and in those mainstream shows/books? It seems that POC are either portrayed negatively or were slid into the background. House is an exception.

And I haven't read much on the Avatar thing, but what I have read bothers me.

I think I shall now go and put all the books you mentioned on my TBR list.

[alexseanchai]

I can't believe I forgot about Dean Thomas. And no, Cho wasn't portrayed positively, either. What she was portrayed as is an ordinary human teenager going through ordinary teenager romance angst, severely complicated by Cedric's death and Harry's presence at same.

[miriammoules.livejournal.com]

have you seen nextian's post?

And Gym is good for you :). Do you get the Writer's Almanac? Physical exercise is what helped Virginia Woolf to write.

Global Gag rule - I don't think there are many people that would be quite so dismissive of local custom/culture as to take the line you're talking about.

[callistahogan.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't, I think, but I've heard about it. I might get around to reading it later today, if I don't end up playing games with my family.

Gym is good for me, but I will never like it. *grumbles*

True. But I'm still a little worried about the Global Gag thing.

[miriammoules.livejournal.com]

I found that when I had a sport I clicked with, it made everything make sense - yoga is great for prayer life, as is swimming, cycling, trampolining and walking.

Gag rule - I think there needs to be trust in the professionalism of the medics out there. Just because as Christians we see things one way, I don't think that worldview should be imposed on others to the extent of forcing accedence to that dogmatic position. Many of the medics will be out there because they are people of faith, who value human life, and see it as part of their faith to preserve it and protect it.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

Re: the race issue, I can think of several, but maybe I watch different shows to you. Mohinder in Heroes. Tosh in Torchwood. Martha Jones and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who, amongst others. Of course, you're still right that there should be more.

[callistahogan.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I can think of POC portrayed in books, TV, film, etc., but that still doesn't take away the fact that there are more white people than POC portrayed, and there should be more POC.

[greatalexanders.livejournal.com]

Let's be fair. British, show, British audience, 90% of the actors will be white. Why? Because 90% of Britain is... Same for British authors. The different racial/cultural breakdown of different cultures and countries can't be ignored here.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, good point. I guess it becomes more of an issue in sci-fi and fantasy which is set on a different world. Then there's no reason for all the characters to be white.

[greatalexanders.livejournal.com]

(Oh, and I just want to pimp Firefly, which does the whole other-culture thing awesomely!)

No reason for them not to be, though... it's a two-way thing, kinda.

[alexseanchai]

*smacks forehead* I really wanna know how I forgot about Zoe and Book. Possibly River and Inara, too--Inara might be a PoC and so might River, and if River is, so is Simon, but just looking at the actors, it's hard to tell. And there's Early and the Operative, both of whom are cool characters, but I don't know if either counts for this exercise, because they're both antagonists.

The trouble with Firefly is, if half the culture and half the people are Chinese, where are all the Chinese people? I seem to recall somebody looking into all the actors, and the only Asian character with a speaking part is one particular thug, who is Samoan or some such. It's mostly not Whedon's fault--Kaylee, at least, was supposed to have been Chinese--but...

[maribou]

I am the last person on the planet to tell people not to read things...

BUT: I had a dear friend be *extremely* traumatized by reading A Companion to Wolves, after I had recommended it to her. So please please think about how much brutal male-male sex you really want to read about *before* you start the book.

[greatalexanders.livejournal.com]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/25/science-fiction-diversity-gender - interesting link on scifi/fantasy genre and books which deal well with the issues in question (though it also touches on queer representation a litte; you might not want to know about that).

Personally, and I don't know if this is just me, I don't tend to have the descriptions of characters stuck in my mind, and that means that when I visualise books I get a lot more of a racial mix than I do when, say, watching films of those selfsame books. Oh, and Howard's Conan Chronicles are surprisingly good for dealing with other cultures without stereotyping.

Finally ('cos I ain't touching that global gag rule thing without a post of my own, sorry) Obama's a very good writer in his Dreams of My Father; good storytelling skill and excellent ability to paint characters and situations. A little disjointed, though...